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..may peg age for intake into university, others at 18 years
The Federal Government has revealed that only 20 per cent of the candidates sitting the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) might be offered admission into universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country.
The government is also contemplating a review of the current age requirement for entry into tertiary institutions in the country, which is likely to be pegged at 18 years.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman made the disclosures on Monday in Abuja while monitoring the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), alongside the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof Ishaq Oloyede.
More than 1.9 million candidates registered to participate in the examination that commenced on 19th April and is expected to end on 29th April 2024.
Mamman expressed concerns about about some parents who exert unnecessary pressure on their children, warning them against pushing the children and wards “too much,” to allow them to attain some level of maturity to be able to better manage their affairs.
There have been concerns about the carrying capacity of the existing public tertiary institutions while private institutions always find it difficult to fill their admission quotas because of high tuition fees.
Mamman, while commenting on the high number of candidates seeking admission into the limited slots available in tertiary institutions, said skills acquisition remains a critical component in preparing the youths for a brighter future.
“It is not a question of being employed but how many will be admitted from this set. I think the figure overall on average is about 20 per cent; universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
“The question you ask is where are the 80 percent? They are our children, our wards living with us. This is why the issue of skills acquisition is terribly important because any student who is not being able to proceed to tertiary education, should be able to have a meaningful life even after secondary school, even primary education actually.
“The only solution to that is skills; by taking skills right from the time they entered school, for the primary right through the educational trajectory. Somebody should finish with one skill or another. That is part of the assumption of the 6-3-3-4.
“It is assumed that by the time a student finishes up to the JSS level, he will have acquired some skills. If he does not proceed to the senior secondary level, he will have acquired some skills that will help him navigate life and cease to be a burden on his parents and society.
“That’s why this skill is just the most important skill for us now that we are going to drive through the education sector for both public and private sector to empower the young ones.”
Speaking on the age requirement for intake into tertiary institutions, he said: “The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are really too young. We are going to look at it because they are too young to understand what a university education is all about.
“That’s the stage when students migrate from a controlled environment where they are in charge of their own affairs. So if they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That accounts for some of the problems we are seeing in the universities.
“We are going to look at that. 18 is the entry age for university but you will see students, 15, and 16, going to the examination. It is not good for us. Parents should be encouraged not to push their wards, or children too much.”
The Minister commended the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for a seamless examination process, noting that the adoption of technology had helped in reducing the cases of examination practices.
“Right from screening to those who are here, the examination process is seamless. The environment is comfortable for students. That’s how it should be, especially the use of technology in our affairs and the educational system. It makes life easy for everybody and seamless.
“As we know this examination is going on throughout the country. It is being monitored everywhere seamlessly and from the report I have heard, the malpractice level is very low. Just a 100 out of the 1.2m. It has gone down drastically and I believe that it is the use of technology that has made that happen so this is very good.”
Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu, who was excited the UTME was also ongoing in Saudi Arabia as a result of the standards set by JAMB’s management, noted that the examination has transcended to a very high level of objectivity and reliability of results.
“Right from when the candidates arrive, they would be seated comfortably in the waiting room, screening and other necessary instructions will be given and they will proceed to do biometrics.
“There are some instructions that will be pushed that even if you are just coming into contact with a computer for the first time, provided you have been using the handset or smartphone, that will properly guide you to have access.
“One of the major things I see here, which is a major characteristic of online exams, is the speed. The speed in the centre is really excellent; pages are turned as at when candidates need them without any delay of booting.
“Also in the exam, there are lots of steps to prevent examination malpractice, candidates that are adjacent will be taking different subjects and even when you are answering the same questions, question number one will be different from question number two from the next person.
“The standard of the examination is commendable. I am not surprised that JAMB has to go outside Nigeria to go to other countries to conduct exams, they were in Saudi Arabia and right now the exam is also going (on) in Saudi Arabia.
“I have not heard people complaining of answers leaked, it shows that with online exams we can do a lot.”
The governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umar Bago, has come under heavy backlash after a video of him throwing naira notes at his supporters surfaced online.
In the video, he was spotted standing through the roof of a moving vehicle and throwing the notes in the air as his supporters scrambled to pick them up.
His actions have infuriated citizens of the state, including civil society, opposition political parties, and clerics.
They described his action as unacceptable, wrong, dehumanizing, and constituted the abuse of the naira.
Speaking on the development, the North Central Zonal Chairman, Campaign for Democracy, Human Right Advocacy Civil Society of Nigeria, Mohammed Abdullahi Jabi, told Daily Post that the governor seemed unaware of the consequences of his actions.
Jabi noted that though the governor had immunity, his actions could breed potential beggars in the state.
The activist said, “His action is sad and unfortunate. It is dehumanizing, shameful, and making a mockery of an already bad situation.
“There is the need for Governor Bago to show maturity like his counterparts in other states in learning the rudiments of governance and decorum. It is on this note that we are calling on him to desist from this zealousness that is negatively affecting his image and that of the state.”
Also, the Niger North Zonal chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Yahaya Ability, while speaking with newsmen, condemned the governor’s public spray of money and blamed his Special Advisers on Security and that Political Affairs who he claimed were not adequately performing their responsibilities as they ought to.
According to him, “We condemn in strong terms the unrepentant action of degrading the masses by Governor Bago. It’s unfortunate that because he has access to the public fund he has decided to use it to the detriment of those who elected him.
“We believe this is not the only way to make himself popular among the people as a sitting governor of the state. He should treat people with dignity, respect as well as have listening earsears to their cries”.
Lambasting Bago, a former Commissioner for Information and Strategy, the Tambarin Kagara, Umar Danladi Abdulhamid, observed that Bago had violated the nation’s constitution.
“Let the Governor look for better ways of sharing public funds in a more mature manner rather than endangering the lives of the people as they struggle at once for the money he throws around, ” he said.
The former director-general of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign, Doyin Okupe, has spoken about his and Peter Obi‘s relationship with the Labour Party, describing it as a “special purpose vehicle” (SPV) for the presidential election.
This statement was made during his appearance on Arise Television on Tuesday.
Okupe, who stepped down from his role in the party in January citing ideological differences, elaborated that neither he nor Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate in the last year’s election, were fully aligned with the party’s ideologies.
According to Okupe, his association with the LP effectively ended when Obi lost the presidential race, indicating a strategic rather than ideological commitment to the party.
He said, “The LP for us — for Peter Obi and I — and those in the leadership of the movement… the party was a special purpose vehicle (SPV).
“I have never been a labour person, I have never operated on the left before but we needed a platform and this was the only platform readily available to us.
“We thought that if we won the election… there are no fast and hard rules about ideologies. You can always find a shade between the left and the right. You can always move to the centre.
“We were hoping and praying that if we won we would find a way to come to some consensus with the labour.
“Peter Obi is not a labour person. He is not a leftist person, he is a trader, he is a businessman just like me. I am a liberal democrat, I believe in liberal democracy, I believe in free enterprise.
“I am not a social worker. As far as I’m concerned, my membership of labour expired the moment we lost that election.”
Okupe added it was “unreasonable” for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his former party, to present a northerner as its candidate in the buildup to the 2023 election.
Videos capturing a distressing scene of a female student being subjected to bullying by a group of her peers have circulated widely across social media platforms, igniting a wave of outrage and demands for justice.
The victim, identified as a student of the prestigious Lead British International School located in Abuja, has become the focal point of a disturbing incident that has drawn widespread attention online.
The alarming footage came to light when a concerned individual took to Twitter on Monday, sounding the alarm and urging action to address the violent behavior witnessed in the videos.
“I need you guys to help me get justice. She was bullied in her school by her classmates at Lead British School, Abuja,” the tweep captioned.
The user shared two videos depicting the female student being struck on the face amidst an apparent discord.
In the first video, the victim endures repeated slaps from a female classmate, who is heard questioning, “who broke my heart?”
In a second video, the victim sits beside a male classmate who confesses, “I spoilt her relationship.”
Nigerians have flooded the comments section, denouncing the incident and sharing their own experiences, underscoring the widespread concern and outrage sparked by the footage.
Media
Pls repost ?#justiceformaryam. https://t.co/JUt0Wr8mbD pic.twitter.com/K8pRkH5dxo
— Pinkypromi3s?? (@mooyeeeeeee) April 22, 2024
The US Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on whether cities can ban homeless people from sleeping outside, as the country grapples with increasing rates of Americans living on the streets and a lack of shelter beds.
The case centers around laws in the city of Grants Pass, in the western state of Oregon, which banned camping or using any kind of bedding on public property as tents, blankets and cardboard filled its public parks.
Homeless advocates have argued that banning people from camping when there is nowhere else to sleep amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment” — prohibited by the US Constitution’s Eighth Amendment. The Ninth Circuit Court agreed in a 2022 ruling, which is now being appealed to the country’s high court.
The ruling from the nine justices will carry high stakes, with a record 653,100 people homeless across the country according to a 2023 count, as cities struggle to manage poverty, mental health issues, addiction and housing shortages.
Cities across the country use camping bans to sweep homeless people out of parks and other public property.
“The cruel and unusual punishments clause governs which punishments are permitted, not what conduct can be prohibited,” Grants Pass’s lawyer Theane Evangelis said in oral arguments.
“This court should reverse and end the Ninth Circuit’s failed experiment, which has fueled the spread of encampments while harming those it purports to protect.”
Grants Pass, population 40,000, does not have a municipal homeless shelter and instead relies on private charities.
Lawyers challenging the law argued to the conservative-majority Supreme Court that Grants Pass sought to “force its homeless residents into other jurisdictions” via the camping ban.
“The plan was to inflict fines and jail time on the City’s homeless residents until they were ‘uncomfortable enough’ that they left Grants Pass,” they wrote in written arguments.
The ordinances “nominally prohibit camping, but in reality make it unlawful for homeless people to sleep or rest anywhere on public property at any time with so much as a blanket to survive the cold, even if they have no access to shelter,” the lawyers argued.
Asked by Chief Justice John Roberts what the city would do if its appeal failed at the Supreme Court, Evangelis said its “hands will be tied.”
“It will be forced to surrender its public spaces,” Evangelis added.
In addition to poverty, drug addiction and a lack of shelter beds propelling homelessness, economists argue the country’s market-rate housing stock is woefully behind target — leaving the United States short of millions of homes needed to meet demand and increasing prices for existing housing.
[AFP/VANGUARD]
ThankGod Ikoma, a survivor of the tragic boat accident that claimed the lives of Nollywood actor, Junior Pope, Engr Precious Ofurum, and others has received a life-changing donation of N2 million from Billionaire Prophet, Jeremiah Fufeyin.
In a remarkable display of compassion and selflessness, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin, who is the Senior Prophet of Christ Mercy Land Church and renowned for his philanthropy, recently donated N10 million to the family of the late Engr Precious Ofurum.
The senior prophet also extended his kindness with a substantial sum of 2 million naira to Mr. THANKGOD Ikoma, to take care of his needs.
The news of these extraordinary acts of kindness has resonated deeply across social media platforms, with Nigerians from all walks of life expressing admiration and gratitude for Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin’s generosity.
Netizens have flooded online platforms with prayers and blessings, acknowledging the senior prophet’s unwavering commitment to supporting individuals in times of adversity.
@CHIBUZOR_Nelson shared his sentiments, stating, “TBH, Prophet Jeremiah Fufeyin is just one of a kind. This is so amazing; he blessed Engr Precious’s mother with 10 million naira, and now Mr. THANKGOD with N2 million.
An Abuja based food content creator, Brian Nwana is set to embark on an attempt to break Guinness World Record for most fast food restaurants visited in 24 hours.
The challenge tagged, “Brian Abuja Food Quest” is schedule to begin April 24th to 25th, 2024.
At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, Brian Nwana revealed that the current record for the most fast food restaurant visited in 24 hours stands at 100 and was achieved by Airrack in New York, in December 2023.
“Our target is to surpass this record by visiting a minimum of 120 fast food restaurants within a 24 hour timeframe.”
Speaking on the reason for embarking on the attempt, he said, “I want to put Nigerian food on the map by show casing the different kinds and varieties of food that we have in the country.
“As a food content creator, I have seen how economic situation in the country has affected food businesses, so I want to use this attempt and opportunity to promote food businesses in Abuja. Also, I want to use the attempt to give back to my community by collaborating with the spots I visit to give free meals to people in the community who really need it.”
Nwana overtime has established a massive audience in the Nigerian food and entertainment industry by conducting restaurant reviews across various States in the country.
Also speaking, CEO of A.S. Management Agency (the management company behind the quest), Rhoda Kusimo, said the quest will help to put Abuja businesses on the global map as many of them are presently not known beyond their localities.
On his part, the Project Manager, Edoh Franklin, said the team has applied to the GWR and will follow all the rules and regulations recommended by the GWR, especially with regards to live tracking and map.
He called on Abuja residents to come out and cheer Brian to victory.
[Leadership]
Controversial cross-dresser, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, alias Bobrisky, has appealed against the six months imprisonment imposed on him by the Federal High Court in Lagos which convicted him of charges of abuse of naira.
In the appeal lodged on his behalf by his lawyer, Bimbo Kusanu, Bobrisky wants the Court of Appeal to convert the six-month imprisonment to N50,000 fine on each of the four counts he was convicted of.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro had on April 12, 2024, sentenced Bobrisky, to six months imprisonment without an option fine for abusing the naira by spraying the currency at a party, leading to mutilation.
Bobrisky had on April 5, 2024, pleaded guilty to four counts of abuse of the naira preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The judge while sentencing the cross-dresser, said the judgment would serve as a deterrent to others who are fond of abusing and mutilating the naira.
However, in his Notice of Appeal filed before the Appeal Court, the cross-dresser urged the appellate court to consider the fact that he has no previous record of criminal conviction.
He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against him was punitive contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law on sentencing.
He stated that the trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who did not waste the precious judicial resources of the trial court, when he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He also noted that he honoured the invitation of the EFCC on the first invitation during the investigation leading to the charge.
“The sentence of the lower court that imposed the maximum penalty of six months imprisonment without option of fine on the appellant, who is a first-time convict without a previous record of criminal conviction, is harsh.
“The learned trial judge erred in law and facts by his imposition of the maximum sentence of six months imprisonment terms against the appellant without the option of fine contrary to the provisions of Section 416(2) (d) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 that prescribed the mandatory guidelines on the trial court on imposition of sentencing after criminal conviction of a first time offender as the appellant.
“The trial court imposed the maximum sentence on the appellant, who has no previous record criminal of conviction, when there are options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the ADCJA.
“The sentence imposed by the trial court against the appellant is punitive contrary to the mandatory provisions of the law on sentencing.
“The appellant has suffered a miscarriage of justice by the maximum sentence imposed by the learned trial court.
“The reasons adduced by the learned trial court for the imposition of maximum punishment on the appellant, which is essentially on what foreigners think of abuse of naira, is perverse and is out of tune with the reality of what the trial court should have been considered to impose maximum punishment on the appellant.
“The intendment of the provisions of the Central Bank Act 2007 that the appellant was charged with is for Nigerians not to tamper with naira and not what nationals of foreign countries view about tampering with naira.
“The trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who did not waste the precious judicial resources of the trial court when he pleaded guilty to the charge. The appellant honoured the invitation of the respondent, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, on the first invitation during the investigation leading to the charge.
“The trial court failed to exercise his discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the appellant which has occasioned a miscarriage of justice against the appellant.”
[Punch]
Controversial cross-dresser and socialite, Idris Olanrewaju Okuneye, popularly known as Bobrisky, has filed a notice of appeal challenging his conviction on a four-count charge of Naira abuse.
The Nation reports Okuneye was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on four counts bordering on naira abuse.
He pleaded guilty before Justice A.O. Awogboro of the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Justice Awogboro, on 12 April, sentenced Okuneye to six months imprisonment without an option of fine.
On Monday, in his notice of appeal, Counsel to Okuneye, Bimbo Kusanu, filed a notice of appeal, praying the Court of Appeal to set aside the maximum sentence.
Kusanu is asking the court to replace the sentence with an option of a N50,000 fine on each of the counts.
The counsel stated in the notice of appeal that the trial court imposed the maximum sentence on the appellant, who had no previous criminal record of conviction.
He stated that there were options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).
He averred that the sentence imposed by the trial court against the appellant was punitive and contrary to the mandatory provisions of the ACJA.
The appellant stated that the trial court did not consider the positive antecedent of the appellant, who did not waste the time of the court by pleading guilty to the charge.
He stated that the appellant honoured the invitation of the respondent on the first invitation.
He said that the trial court failed to exercise its discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the appellant.
He explained that such an act had occasioned a miscarriage of justice against the appellant.
“The sentence of the Lower Court that imposed maximum penalty of six-months imprisonment without option of fine on the Appellant who is a first time convict without previous record of criminal conviction.
“The Learned trial Judge erred in Law and in facts by his imposition of the maximum sentence of 6 Months imprisonment terms against the Appellant without option of fine contrary to the provisions of Section 416(2) d of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act of 2015 (“ACJA”) that prescribed the mandatory guidelines on the trial Court on imposition of sentencing after criminal conviction of a first time offender as the Appellant.
“The trial Court imposed the maximum sentence on the Appellant who has no previous record criminal of conviction when there are options to impose a lesser sentence by the provisions of the ACJA.
“The Sentence imposed by the trial Court against the Appellant is punitive contrary to the mandatory provisions of the Law (ACJA) on sentencing.
“The Appellant has suffered miscarriage of Justice by the maximum sentence imposed by the learned trial Court.
“The reasons adduced by the learned trial Court for the imposition of maximum punishment on the Appellant which is essentially on what foreigners think of abuse of Naira,is perverse and is out of tune with the reality of what the trial Court should have been considered to impose maximum punishment on the Appellant.
“The intendment of the provisions of the Central Bank Act 2007 that the Appellant was charged with is for Nigerians not to tamper with Naira and not what nationals of foreign countries view about tampering with Naira.
“The trial Court did not consider the positive antecedent of the Appellant who did not waste the precious Judicial resources of the trial Court when he pleaded guilty to the Charge. The Appellant honoured the invitation of the Respondent-Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the first invitation during the investigation leading to the charge”.
“The trial Court failed to exercise his discretion judiciously and judicially in sentencing the Appellant. which has occasioned miscarriage of justice against the Appellant.”
[TheNation]
The price of Household Kerosene (HHK) paid by consumers in Nigeria rose to N1,354.40 in March 2024.
The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this in its March HHK price watch.
The figure represented an increase of 1.00 per cent compared to N1,340.94 recorded in February 2024.
However, on a year-on-year basis, the average retail price per litre of the product rose by 18.55 per cent from N1,142.46 in March 2023.
On state profile analysis, the highest average price per litre in March 2024 was recorded in Kaduna with N1,875.00, followed by Benue with N1,773.74 and Niger with N1,719.36.
Conversely, the lowest price was recorded in Rivers with N1,070.79, followed by Sokoto with N1,095.33 and Kwara with N1,110.90.
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A former federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani has called for the demolition of a Chinese supermarket located in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, for allegedly barring Nigerians from shopping in the facility.
Reports had earlier emerged alleging that the management of the supermarket situated at the China General Chamber of Commerce, along Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Road in Abuja, directed security officers in the facility not to allow Nigerians in.
The development has triggered reactions from concerned Nigerians who demanded that the Nigerian government should force the supermarket to admit citizens
On his part, Shehu Sani, a former federal lawmaker said the facility should be pulled down in accordance with the laws of the Country.
In a post on his official X handle on Monday, Shehu Sani wondered why a supermarket in Nigeria would not be accessible to the citizens.
Reacting to the development, Sani said, “Any Supermarket in our Country that is not accessible to the Citizens of Our Country but to foreigners, should be forcibly opened or be pulled down in accordance with the laws of our Country”.
Awka, Anambra State capital, is again under the siege of gunmen, believed to be cultists.
At the last count, over 15 residents have been murdered in cold blood within the last two weeks, including some victims who cannot be identified as cultists, promoting the belief that what is happening could be targeted assassinations.
DAILY POST has followed the developments, and reports that the major problem seems to be a struggle for the control of revenue windows, especially collection of taxes from bus drivers and commercial tricyclists.
Investigation shows that no fewer than 15 persons have been gunned down in just two weeks in the city.
The orgy of killings started on Easter Sunday when as much as six youths were reportedly gunned down.
A source told DAILY POST that while the Easter merriment was being observed by Christians to commemorate the resurrection of Christ, the happiness of some people were cut short by gunmen.
“Some were felled at Okpuno area, behind Juhel, others were murdered around Eke Awka area and Obinagu,” a source said.
One of the incidents was said to have happened opposite Dike Park, around the Eke Awka Market, in Awka, the State capital.
According to sources, “The incident happened in the noon of Sunday, and also escalated to the Obinagu area, where some more persons were also gunned down by the cultists.”
It was gathered that one of the persons hit by the bullet was a staff of the Anambra State Judiciary, simply identified as Mr. Nwofor, who was said to be innocently going about his normal business before the cultists struck.
A resident of Awka, who did not want his name mentioned, said: “I suspected that there would be cult killings during that period. You know that most wanted cultists have left town, but during festive periods, they always come home to celebrate, and their rivals use the opportunity to pay them back for their past atrocities, which may include that they have killed their members.”
Just seven days after the Easter killings, three other persons also suspected to belong to secret cults were gunned down in the city.
Though security operatives could not confirm the number, a source said that two of the victims were killed in her presence.
The source said: “Two tricycles were driving recklessly along Zik Avenue at Eke Awka. They were pursuing themselves. Around Eke Awka market, the tricycle at the front got stuck in the traffic, and one boy inside it alighted and started running.
“Two boys in the tricycle behind also jumped down and pursued him. He ran towards Parkers’ area, along Zik Avenue, and diverted into a road by the right, into a mechanic workshop.
“The boys pursued him into the place, dragged him out and shot him to death. The incident caused pandemonium, and people were just running in all directions,” the source said.
Not done, two days after the same incident, another person described as Nwanayoeze, a popular Awka youth was gunned down around tricycle park, Unizik Junction.
Traders around Unizik Junction confirmed that Nwanayoeze was a very prominent youth in the entire area and also controlled revenue from tricycle operators in the area, and was feared by many people, even though they denied that he had any link with cultism.
The killings however did not abate. Thursday of the same week, a former president general of Amansea community in Awka North Local Government Area, Chief Cajetan Nwokike was killed.
On Friday also, at Unizik Junction, a man identified as Christian was gunned down. He is said to be an indigene of Enugu State, but manages a popular transport company in Awka that has fleets of luxury SUVs that ferry passengers to Abuja and Lagos.
He was gunned down in the presence of his co-workers by gunmen who came in a yellow tricycle. Eyewitnesses said the assailants were not in a hurry to leave after the assignment, as they entered the tricycle and drove away slowly.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, gunmen caused pandemonium at Aroma junction.
A youth from Amudo Village in Awka, and said to be a former tricycle operator before transiting into a revenue collector was gunned down.
A source said the assailants trailed him from the Ifite area of the state capital and shot him at close range at a filling station which serves as a popular bus stop for buses and tricycles.
Business outfits in the area were forced to close and roadside traders abandoned their articles and fled.
The major roads in the vicinity of the incident suddenly became empty, just as many people abandoned their cars and took to their heels.
Few hours later, residents of the town received news of another killing in the same junction. This time, an official of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA) was the victim.
A source said: “The man who was killed is an ARTMA official. He stopped some people who were driving a Toyota Sienna vehicle with tinted glasses, and the people shot him and drove off. It happened just close to me as I was boarding a vehicle this morning to go to Nnewi.”
The developments have heightened tension in the state capital and beyond, with residents not sure of who would be the next target.
“Security agencies seem to be overwhelmed; everyone is in panic mode,” a distressed resident told DAILY POST.
In one of his responses to DAILY POST, Anambra State Police Command’s spokesperson person, SP Tochukwu Ikenga lamented that families of deceased people do not notify the police, so that investigation can commence.
He insisted that operatives were deployed to the areas of the incidents but no news of any killing was gathered.
DAILY POST however gathered that deceased person’s bodies are usually quickly removed by family members to avoid confiscation by police.
Meanwhile, in a recent press conference, the police stated its frustration, saying that most cult kingpins arrested by police were being freed by very influential people in the city.
The commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Aderemi Adeoye, who was represented by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department, DCP Akin Fakorede, said: “When those things that have happened over a period of time begin to happen again, the question people should ask is Why?
“Could you imagine that the cultists we arrested, charged to court, and got remanded in prison custody that some powerful locals are going to the judiciary to lobby to get them released?
“And some have been released. And they are the ones unleashing this mayhem again! That is number one.
“Two, you must have heard of the AK-47 we recently recovered from a suspect in Awada. What the suspect told us was that they procured it for him to engage in a showdown with a rival cult group.
“Now, if that AK-47 was not recovered or had joined the recent cult-related clash, could you imagine what the casualty level would have been?
“We are already going after the cultists; and if we find that anybody is subverting justice, or is subverting due process, to get the cultists off the hook, they will face the music, notwithstanding whether the person is in the judiciary or civil populace,” he said.
Currently, major stakeholders in Awka who are worried about the orgy of bloodletting have started working towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.
Three prominent sons of Awka, the member representing Awka South 1 constituency, Hon Henry Mbachu, the Managing Director of Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) Mr. Ossy Onuko and the Transition Committee Chairman of Awka South Local Government Area, Mr Anagor ThankGod have teamed up to get security agencies to stop the killings.
Addressing newsmen on behalf of the three after a meeting, Onuko said “Finding a lasting solution to the security challenges is necessary as the elected and appointed officers owe it as a duty to the people to keep Awka safe not just for residents but for thousands of investors trooping into the city.”
DAILY POST, however, noticed on Friday evening that as a result of the frequent cases of killings, men of the Special Anti Cultism Squad (SPACS) have mounted guard at Aroma junction.
Meanwhile, a popular activist in Awka, Comrade Osita Obi, who spoke to DAILY POST, said it was unfair that Governor Soludo was yet to utter a word over the killings.
He said: “Soludo is doing very well in infrastructure, but protection of lives and property is the major reason we elect leaders. He needs to say something.”
The two wives of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, are reportedly trying to surpass each other as both of them lay claim to the Office of the Fist Lady of the state.
Both of them signed off as the First Lady of Osun State.
An X user @ remidotun86 had on Sunday shared the two different posters printed by the two women, Amb. Arelu Ngozi Adeleke and Mrs Titilola Adeleke, welcoming Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to the state.
Nigeria’s First Lady is billed to be in Osogbo, the state capital on Tuesday for the turning of sod of the Alternative High School For Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road.
In the poster belonging to Titilola Adeleke, she wrote: “Official turning of the sod ceremony of the Alternative High School For Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road, Osogbo”.
While Ngozi Adeleke wrote in her poster: “Welcome to the state of living spring. Experience the beauty of Osun State’s landscape” and signed off as the First Lady of Osun State.
Yinka Olomojobi, a law professor at Babcock University in Ogun, has been shot dead while resisting abduction.
Omolola Odutola, the Ogun police PRO, said two other persons were abducted in the Iperu area of the state at around the same time.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday around the Ajadeh Event Centre on Sagamu Road.
Odutola quoted eyewitnesses as saying that eight men dressed in black went into the relaxing lounge at 9:20 pm and opened fire indiscriminately.
She said the academic was shot in the chest for resisting abduction by the gunmen.
The PRO said the lecturer was rushed to the Babcock University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), where he was pronounced dead.
Odutola said one suspect has been arrested in connection with the incident. She added that an investigation has commenced on the matter.
“A suspicious coincidence led the police to arrest one Awada Ishaya “m” of Plateau state who was employed two weeks ago when the event center was launched as a security man for further interrogation,” she said.
The PRO said the manager of a car stand known as Dare and one other yet-to-be-identified person were taken captive by the gunmen.
The PRO said efforts are underway to apprehend the rest of the culprits and rescue the kidnapped victims.