Lifestyle

NDLEA arrests 218 suspects, seizes 1,471kg drugs in Imo

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Ahead of the 2022 World International Anti-Drug Day, the Imo State Command of the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency says it has arrested 218 drug suspects comprising 171 males and 47 females, adding that 1,471.314kg of drugs were seized between July 2021 and June 2022.

Speaking on Thursday during the instance of the year 2022 International Day Against Drug Abuse and illicit drugs trafficking, tagged, “Addressing the Drug Challenges in Health and Humanitarian Crises,” the Imo State NDLEA Commandant, Mr. Reuben Apeh, stated that many of the arrested suspects were arraigned and convicted for drug-related offences at the Federal High Court.

He said, “Within the period covered, 51 were convicted and 145 were charged and their cases are still ongoing”.

Apeh stated that the drug situation in Imo was worrisome as he said that women had joined the drug trade to make ends to their financial crises.

He further said that 1,458.49kg of cannabis sativa, 10,513kg of cocaine, 0.2077kg of heroin, 3.896kg of methamphetamine, and 3.184kg of tramadol were exhibited seized during the period under review.

Apeh, however, said that cannabis farm in hectares was also destroyed in Imo just as he added that 0.5278kg of Rohypnol and 2.5135kg of diazepam were also among the seized exhibits.

He regretted that activity of the drug peddlers had been alarming in the state among the younger segment of the state population.

He called on the stakeholders to partner with the NDLEA to sensitize society on the dangers of drug abuse.

Politics

Demarcation of Abia, Imo boundaries begins May 9

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The provisional demarcation of boundaries between Abia and Imo will begin on May 9.

The two states disclosed this in a communique jointly signed by the Abia State Deputy Governor, Mr. Ude Chukwu, his Imo State counterpart, Prof. Placid Njoku; and NBC’s Director-General, Mr. Adam Adaji, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The resolution was taken at a meeting between the officials of the two states and NBC on Tuesday in Abuja.

The exercise will end on July 8.

The communique read: “The two states shall articulate additional delimitation instruments and submit the same to the NBC not later than April 21, 2022.

The submitted documents shall be screened and authenticated by NBC and the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation within two weeks of their submission.

“Each state shall carry out a separate enlightenment/sensitisation campaign of their respective border communities within the first week of May 2022

“The Joint Field Team shall be constituted to carry out the field tracing and provisional demarcation of the boundary for a period of two months from 9 May to 8th July, 2022.

“The two states will provide adequate security, relevant logistics, and camping sites including four-wheel vehicles to the Joint Field Team during the tracing exercise.”

Lifestyle

Two recruits killed as gunmen bomb police station in Imo

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Two newly recruited police officers have been reportedly killed when unknown gunmen attacked the Umuguma Police Division in Owerri West local government area of Imo State on Saturday morning.

The invading gunmen were said to have used dynamite and other explosives in attacking the station.

Though the State Police spokesman, Michael Abattam, confirmed the attack on the station in a brief statement, he, however, maintained that no life was lost and no firearm was carted away.

“Yes, there was an incident, but our men repelled them, no life was lost and neither did we lose any firearm. They threw in dynamite which ignited the roof but our men engaged them. No life was lost and no arms was lost.”

But residents of the area who trooped to the scene shortly after the incident, insisted that two police officers were killed by the gunmen.

A resident of the area, Uche Igwenba who spoke to Ripples Nigeria, confirmed that indeed two officers lost their lives in the attack.

“As we speak, I am at the Umuguma Police Division in Owerri where gunmen attacked this morning. Two young officers were killed. I learnt that they were new recruits who have not been in the force more than one year each.

Though I don’t know them personally, I heard that they were called Ifeanyi and Iyke and one of them was a final year student of a university.

“The gunmen attacked the station at around 3am and the operation lasted for about 45 minutes.

“No one could come out. We only heard sounds of gunshots and heavy explosives,” Igwemba said.

Lifestyle

Youths cook, swim in muddy water to expose terrible state of road in Imo state

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Some youths have staged a drama on a road in Imo state to raise awareness about the terrible state of the popular road.

For months, the Nekede-Ihiagwa road has been a cause of concern to residents, in order to cause the government to act, youths decided to swim in the muddy water that remained stagnant.

They were also seen cooking with stove in the middle of the murky water

Before President Muhammadu Buhari visited Imo State last month, it was claimed the Nekede-Ihiagwa road is one of the roads that will be commissioned by him alongside other projects.

Lifestyle

Gunmen kill Anglican priest In Imo

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Gunmen on Tuesday shot dead an Anglican Church priest identified as Rev. Emeka Merenu in Imo State.

However, unconfirmed reports claimed that the priest was killed by members of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), the militia wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

A lawmaker representing Nkwerre Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Obinna Okwara, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said Merenu was killed in the early hours of Tuesday.

According to him, the priest was killed over an unfounded allegation that he brought in military men to secure the church and a secondary school under his supervision.

The lawmaker added that the deceased’s vehicle was also set ablaze by the assailants.

The spokesman of the state police command, CSP Mike Abattam, also confirmed the incident.

He said the priest, who hailed from Amorji Agbomiri village in Nkwerre local government area of the state, was murdered in his parsonage at Orsu Iheteukwa, in Orsu LGA.

Abattam said the command would release an official statement after conducting preliminary investigations on the incident.

Videos

Truck loaded with onions hijacked, looted in Imo (Video)

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 A video making rounds on the internet shows the moment a truck loaded with bags of onions was intercepted and looted in Imo State.

The incident happened amidst the ongoing sit-at-home order in the south-east on Sunday May 30, 2021.

In the video, both men and women could me seen carting away bags of the onions.

Watch video below:

Politics

70 percent of attacks in Imo not carried out by Igbos – Governor Uzodinma

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Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, says 70 percent of the gunmen who attacked the state are not Igbo.

He said over 400 people who caused havoc in the state have been arrested and charged to court.

Gunmen had attacked security facilities in the state, including the police headquarters and the correctional centre in Owerri.

The governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, said most of the suspects are not persons of Igbo extraction.

Over 400 of those who carried out the threats on the state in the past have been arrested.

“The good thing is that over 70 percent of them are not Igbo. We will crush anybody that attempts to cause mayhem or attack Imo people again.

“Government cannot surrender to blackmailers, hoodlums, and perpetrators of violence,” he said.

The governor warned those planning to visit the state with any form of violence to have a rethink as “government is more than ever ready and prepared to keep Imo safe and secured”.

Politics

Governors worried over attacks on security personnel in Imo, Benue

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The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) has expressed worry over recent attacks on security formations in Imo, Benue, and other parts of the country.

Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and NGF Chairman made the concerns known at a briefing with newsmen at the end of the forum’s meeting on Wednesday night, April 14, in Abuja.

“NGF members are particularly worried following what happened in Imo state, the attacks on the correctional facility and the police command headquarters.

“The release of prisoners, and successive acts of violence and insecurity across the country, and the killings of soldiers at Benue.

“The forum has expressed its worry that it is time for us to revisit comprehensively, the nature and depth of this security crisis.

The crisis would have gotten worse if states had not been taking the actions they have been taking individually and collectively.

“It is the steps taken at the state level that have managed to reduce the depths and the enormity of the security challenges. Nonetheless, it’s still a worrisome development for us

“We feel we will need a special review of the entire gamut of the security issues that we are dealing with.

“We need to further engage the federal authorities both at the political level and federal authorities at the security level, in order to deal with this multifaceted challenges of security that we’re faced.”

In the first week of April, unknown gunmen launched multiple attacks on police formations in Imo State.

The attack occurred at the Mbiere Divisional Police Headquarters in the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state.

Two similar attacks, including the one at the police headquarters and the prison headquarters in the state, have taken place before now.

The second attack was carried out a few hours after Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, accompanied by the then Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, visited the state to assess the damage done to the police headquarters.

During the last attack, the gunmen reportedly freed some suspects from the police detention facility and also carted away phones belonging to suspects and police officers.

A police spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident but said the officers on duty repelled the attack.

The attack has brought to six the number of police facilities targeted in the state between February and April.

Entertainment

Two killed, six injured in Imo as kidnappers invade market in search of runway member

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A tragic scene played out at Afor Awo Market in Awo Omamma community, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, as two people where killed when suspected kidnappers invaded the area.

The incident which threw members of the community into panic on Wednesday as many scampered for safety was confirmed by the Imo State police spokesman Orlando Ikeokwu, who had not issued any official statement as at the time of filing in this report.

The gunmen who according to reports were said to be chasing one of their members, shot sporadically when they invaded the area killing two victims, with six others sustaining gunshot wounds.

Further information revealed that the incident which witnessed the injuring of other people due to a resulting stampede was as a result of sharing of booty (spoils) after a major operation by the kidnappers.

The runaway gang member was reportedly traced to the village by his other accomplices who opened fire on him as he ran into the market, and that was when the bullets started hitting people.

Entertainment

One dies in IPOB members, soldiers clash in Imo

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At least one person was killed on Friday when men of the Nigerian Army clashed with members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Okporo, Orlu local government area of Imo State.

Several people were also injured in the clash which occurred when a group of soldiers stormed a community suspected to be the base of newly-formed Eastern Security Network.

The new security was established by IPOB to address the security challenges in the South-East.

An eyewitness told journalists that some masked security agents set a church ablaze in the community.

He said: “The burning of the church was carried out by masked security agents. The burnt church was the Holy Trinity Sabbath Mission in Orlu local government area.

“About five buildings were burnt and one person was killed. The incident happened on Friday morning.”

The Garrison Commander, 34 Artillery Brigade, Yusuf Tukura, told journalists that a policeman was killed by IPOB members.

He said: “Why do you want to confirm from me? Did you confirm from them why they kill a policeman?”

IPOB had clashed with security agents severally in the South-East since 2015.

Lifestyle

Buhari to commission 5,000 bpd oil refinery in Imo

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President Muhammadu Buhari will Tuesday inaugurate the 5000 barrels-per-day (bpd) Waltersmith Modular Refinery in Ibigwe, Imo State and also conduct the ground breaking for a separate 45,000 bpd refinery.

With a storage capacity of 60,000 barrels, the project will expand the local market by 271 million litres of refined products comprising diesel, kerosene, heavy fuel oils and naphta based on estimates, the Waltersmith Group said on Monday in a statement.

“We are looking at 50,000bpd refining capacity that will come with the planned additional two modules; 25,000bpd and 20,000bpd refining capacity respectively which will then add PMS, aviation fuel and LPG to the product slates,” said Abdulrazaq Isa, chair of the Waltersmith Group.

The group received a ‘License to Establish’ the plant from the Department of Petroleum Resources in June 2015 after which it obtained the ‘Authority to Construct’ some twenty one months after.

It proceeded to strike a synergy with the Africa Finance Corporation as well as the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board to raise funding.

The crude oil for the current phase will come essentially from Waltersmith’s upstream unit and Oil Mining Lease 53, a joint venture between Seplat Petroleum and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.

The rest will be provided by crude from Waltersmith Ibigwe Flowstation and a nearby oil asset.

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