Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, has been released from the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory after spending 27 months in detention.
Naija News reports that Kyari was detained after being arrested on February 14, 2022, by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for his alleged involvement with an international drug cartel.
Alongside four members of the Police Intelligence Response Team, Kyari was arraigned on March 7, 2022.
Two suspected drug traffickers, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, who were apprehended at Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, were also charged.
While Kyari and the IRT members pleaded not guilty, Umeibe and Ezenwanne pleaded guilty and were convicted.
However, despite numerous applications, Kyari’s requests for bail were consistently denied until a recent ruling by a Federal High Court in Abuja.
On May 22, 2024, Judge Emeka Nwite granted Kyari bail to allow him to complete the burial ceremonies for his late mother, Yachilla Kyari, who passed away on May 5. As part of his bail conditions, Kyari was required to surrender his passport to the court and report to the nearest NDLEA office during the bail period.
The court has scheduled a hearing on Kyari’s primary bail application for drug trafficking charges for May 31, 2024.
In a statement, the mouthpiece of the Nigerian Correctional Service for the Federal Capital Territory Command, Adamu Duza, told journalists that on Friday evening, Kyari fulfilled his bail requirements and was set free.
“DCP Kyari has perfected his bail conditions, and has since been released today,” Duza told The PUNCH.
The Gombe State Police Command, on Friday, paraded a 13-year-old suspect over the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.
The police also paraded 18-year-old Usman Husseini and 45-year-old Mohammed Yaya for allegedly defiling their victims on different occasions.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Buhari Abdullahi, during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Gombe, the 13-year-old suspect was said to have dragged the victim to a lonely path where he had his way.
He said, “On 24th May 2024, a formal complaint was received at Akko Division that on the 22nd May 2024, the suspect dragged an eight-year-old girl to a corner and had canal knowledge of her.
Meet Samuel Odugbesan who lost his arms working with an electricity company
“On the 26th May 2024, a formal complaint was received from one Musa Saleh of Hammadu-kafi quarters Gombe that Husseini carried his daughter aged 4 to a corner near his house and put his finger inside her private part.
“On receipt of the complaint, detectives from Pantami Division rushed to the scene and arrested the said suspect and took both the suspect and victim to Specialist for medical examination. The case is still under investigation and will be charged to court upon the completion of investigations.
Abdullahi said Yaya from Tumu Akko Local Government Area of Gombe allegedly defiled a 10-year-old girl after offering her N100 and N50 on two different occasions.
He said, “On the 27th of May 2024 the suspect lured a 10-year-old girl into his house and had canal knowledge with her. Upon preliminary investigation, the suspect confessed to having carried out the act on two separate occasions. He disclosed that he gave her 100 and 50 naira respectively. The case is under investigation and will soon be charged to court for prosecution.”
Commenting on the implementation of the Child Protection policy in the state, Abdullahi said “Issue of rape has serious attention of the government. The Department of Public Prosecutions is taking it up on itself to tackle rape and other forms of abuses.”
The Rivers State Police Command said it has arrested one suspect, Emeka, who was suspected to have raped a pregnant woman, Mrs Chigbewejim Steward, to death.
The suspect was said to have come with a gang of men who raped the victim to death in Abarikpo community of Ahoada East Local Government Area of the state.
Our correspondent gathered that the suspect had a disagreement with the deceased on February 12, 2023, after which he led his gang to break into the victim’s house at midnight to kidnap her.
City Round learnt that Chigbewejim who was five months pregnant at that time was taken to an unknown location where Emeka and his gang were said to have raped her to death.
Emeka was said to have fled from the community after discovering that the police were on his trail.
However, he was arrested 15 months later following police discovery of his whereabouts.
He said, “Emeka, the masterminded of the death of my wife, quarrelled with her because he said that my wife called him a wicked man. He told my wife that she would see wickedness that day.
“That night around 1 am on Sunday, February 12 2023, those bad boys came to my house and broke the door and took my wife away.
“My wife was five months pregnant. Emeka and his gang raped and strangled her to death. The Police arrested him on Thursday. Now he is in the Police Custody. I have gone to the station to give my statement. I want the Government to intervene so that justice will prevail.”
He noted that the corpse of his late wife was discovered around a fishing pond hours after her abduction with multiple bruises and bleeding from her private parts.
Contacted for reaction, the spokesperson of the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said investigations were ongoing adding that, he (Emeka) has been arrested and the matter will be transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.”
How village head collected N700K bribe from bandits, allowed invasion, killing of 30 villagers
AFOLABI
We arrested him, 364 others, killed 35, and rescued 565 kidnap victims – Katsina Gov. Diko Radda
When the Katsina State Governor, Dr Umaru Dikko Radda recently described banditry as a business venture for some highly placed individuals in the country, some felt the governor of the Northwestern State was merely exaggerating issues out of context.
But he didn’t stop there as he also said poverty and injustice are major factors fuelling insecurity in the country.
At an interface with Saturday Vanguard sometime in October last year, Dr Radda had said with his newly launched Katsina Community Watch Corps, he was determined to rid the state of banditry.
Recalling how bandits had killed his biological brother, the governor said he wouldn’t spare anyone, including state appointees who connive with Fifth Columnists to destabilize the state.
He said: “In our efforts, we have come up with the intelligence unit within the Katsina Community Watch Corps. This intelligence unit, even the Corps members don’t know them. The reason for setting it up is to check the excesses of the Corps and also to gather information.
“There are some traditional rulers who are identified and those ones are already under scrutiny. So, we are not sparing anybody even commissioners in my regime, we are not going to spare anybody found to be involved in one criminal activity or the other. We are talking about the lives of over 10 million people not one single individual. No single individual is more important than 10 million people or the lives of an innocent person in the village. We are trying as much as possible to gather a lot of information together with the intelligence we are getting from the DSS so that we can build a network that we can arrest and prosecute any person found wanting”.
Seven months later when Saturday Vanguard took him up on the issue, the governor who gave an account of his stewardship in the last year, explained how a village head was paid N700,000 by bandits, to allow free access to his village, and the consequent killing of about 30 of his subjects.
He said his administration was fiercely addressing poverty having discovered how it fuels insecurity. According to him, it was disheartening that for as little as N2,000, some persons would volunteer information to bandits about their neighbours or relatives.
On the village head, the governor said; “I will say yes, that we have arrested a village head in Guga village in Bakori local government of the state because of his involvement with the bandits.
“He was given N700,000 to allow bandits access into his village to kill over 30 people.
“The government deployed so many approaches but the notable ones are the kinetic and non-kinetic approaches and within, there are tangible approaches that have gone a long way in tackling security problems”.
Gov. Radda who said some of his statements had been misrepresented, said; “I hold the security agencies in high esteem because they too are being killed daily in their pursuit to curb the insecurity in the state. But the point is, there is no set category of people who are not involved in this. What are we hiding here? Who was not arrested? Different categories of people were arrested on allegations of being involved in banditry, criminality, and many other vices even here in Katsina.
“I don’t know why people should be bothering themselves with why I said this other than the fact that some people want to fuel it. I still maintain that different categories of people, whether in government or anywhere, are involved. That is because there are several arrests and security reports we have. Even in prisons now, you will see the people we arrested from the security operatives, government officials, and traditional rulers.
“But the issue we should understand is that we have bad eggs, good people everywhere, but we can’t get away from the bad ones, and bad eggs are with us. Why should we be here and then you hear the information from the discussion we had after an hour or 30 minutes? Someone from those people who attended the meeting must have leaked the information.
“You must ask yourself who told them that. It is not rocket science but logic. We don’t want to tell the truth because we don’t want to get to the root of the problem. We are shielding ourselves from the consequences of wrongdoing. We must tell ourselves the truth. We have to examine ourselves. No organization doesn’t have bad eggs in it. We should deal with it so that we get out of it.
“But, when we keep hiding things that we don’t want to blackmail, it continues and there will be no time that it will end. So, it is high time we told ourselves the truth. When we do that, we will correct it. Somebody can challenge me for doing something wrong, and that may be the basis for my correction. Why should we be hiding things from ourselves? And that is one of the major problems affecting this country”, he declared.
On how far his administration has been able to tackle insecurity in the state, Dr Radda said 35 bandits were neutralized by the state joint security taskforce in the last year.
At the same time, 363 bandits were arrested and subjected to the state’s fair judicial system, while 565 kidnap victims were successfully rescued.
Former President of the United States, Donald Trump was found guilty by a New York jury on all 34 felony counts.
The verdict was read in the Manhattan courtroom, where Trump had been on trial since April 15.
Trump is first former president to be convicted of criminal charges in US history and will be sentenced in July
As the world eagerly await what will befall ex-US president, this piece examines a few former presidents who were either charged or jailed.
Below are a few of the recent ex-presidents who were convicted and the reasons behind their convictions.
1. Nicolas Sarkozy, France
Nicolas Sarkozy was the President of France and co-prince of Andorra from 2007 to 2012.
The 69-year-old was charged with corruption by French prosecutors in two cases, especially concerning his alleged Libyan interference in the 2007 French elections.
In 2021, Sarkozy was convicted of corruption in two separate trials.
His first conviction resulted in him receiving a sentence of three years, two of them suspended and one in prison; but, however, appealed against the ruling.
For his second conviction, he received a one-year sentence, which he is allowed to serve under home confinement.
In May 2023, Sarkozy lost an appeal to his corruption conviction.
2. Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haiti
Jean-Claude Duvalier ruled Haiti from 1971 to 1986 when he was overthrown.
Duvalier unexpectedly returned to Haiti on 16 January 2011, after twenty years of self-imposed exile in France.
The following day, he was arrested by Haitian police, facing possible charges for embezzlement of state funds.
On 18 January, 2011, Duvalier was charged with corruption. He, however, pleaded not guilty on 28 February 2013, to charges of corruption and human rights abuse.
He died of a heart attack on 4 October 2014, at the age of 63.
3. Lee Myung-bak, South Korea
Lee Myung-bak served as the 10th president of South Korea from 2008 to 2013. Before his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction, and the mayor of Seoul from 2002 to 2006.
On 22 March 2018, Lee was arrested on charges of bribery, embezzlement, and tax evasion alleged to have occurred during his presidency.
Prosecutors accused Lee of receiving bribes totaling 11 billion won and channeling assets of 35 billion won to an illicit slush fund.
Shortly before his arrest, Lee posted a handwritten statement on Facebook denying the charges.
He was arrested nearly a year after the arrest of former president Park Geun-Hye, who was arrested on charges stemming from the 2016 South Korean political scandal.
Lee was convicted on 5 October 2018 and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
On 29 October 2020, the Korean Supreme Court upheld a 17-year sentence against Lee given to him by an appellate court.
However, on 27 December 2022, President Yoon Suk-yeol granted Lee a special pardon, cancelling the remaining 15 years of the sentence.
4. Pedro Castillo, Peru
José Pedro Castillo Terrones was the President of Peru who had a stint in the office between 28 July 2021 and 7 December 2022.
When he sensed impeachment proceedings, on 7 December 2022, Castillo attempted to dissolve Congress and rule by decree.
But, in response, the Congress of the Republic of Peru impeached him.
After his impeachment, he was detained for sedition and high treason.
5. Jacob Zuma, South Africa
Jacob Gedleyihlekisa Zuma served as the president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018.
Shortly after his resignation, on 16 March 2018, the National Prosecuting Authority announced that it would reinstate corruption charges against Zuma in relation to the 1999 Arms Deal.
He pleaded not guilty on 26 May 2021, but the trial was not slated to take place until early 2023.
The trial has since been set for April 2025.
In a separate matter, in June 2021, the Constitutional Court convicted Zuma of contempt of court for his failure to comply with a court order compelling his testimony before the Zondo Commission.
He was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and was arrested on 7 July 2021 in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal.
However, he was released on medical parole two months later on 5 September. The high court rescinded his parole on 15 December.
The parole was declared unlawful by the Supreme Court of Appeal, but it allowed the Department of Correctional Services to consider whether to deduct the time spent under it from his sentence.
On 11 August 2023, the Department of Correctional Services granted Zuma remission of his 15-month sentence.
.. appeal to govt for bailout to distressed construction sector
…to declare industrial action if FG,Federation of Construction Industry, stakeholders fail to resolve differences within 21 days
The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association,CCESSA, and the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers,NUCECFWW,both affiliates of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress,NLC,disclosed yesterday that over 52,000 construction and furniture workers have lost their jobs in the past one year.
The two unions respectively ,are representing the senior and junior staff in the construction and furniture industry.
The unions which attributed the development to total slowdown in the industry due to disagreement between the contractors handling various civil construction projects for the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Works as a result of unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the minister, appealed to the government for a bailout to the distressed construction sector.
National President of CCESSA,Comrade Engr. Ayodeji Adeyemo and the National President of NUCECFWW, Comrade Stephen Okoro,at a joint press conference in Abuja, said the
unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the Minister of Works,Engr. David Umahi,was contrary to the existing conditions as approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement,BPP.
A joint text of the media conference,read to newsmen, said:”The construction industry as you are aware is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria after the Government, but with the recent development in the industry, we deem it necessary to let the world know of our plight in order to avoid a total collapse of an already distressed sector.
“This joint press release is to alert and inform the appropriate quarters and the public at large of the developments in the construction industry and the subsequent effects.
“Today, there is a total slowdown in the industry due to disagreement between the contractors handling various civil construction projects for the Federal Government and the Ministry of Works as a result of unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the Minister, contrary to the existing conditions as approved by the Bureau of public procurement (BPP).
“This has affected employment in the industry, leading to mass sack of Nigerian workers who are members of our unions.
“This is in contrast to the Renew Hope Agenda of the present regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The unions said,”Currently ,we have lost over fifty percent of our members as a result of the disagreement; this situation is bound to further increase poverty and insecurity that the country is grappling with.”
“We are using this medium to appeal to the Honourable Minister of Works that what is needed now is a form of bail out to a distressed construction sector rather than any form of conflict.
“The two unions are also concerned about the effect of a prolong unresolved conflict on investor confidence in the stability of the country’s business environment. Moreover, the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency come up with a clear policy of strict adherence to payment terms,”the prepared text read by the union leaders said.
Arising from the foregoing, the unions called on the federal government to among others,”mmediately resolve the conflict in the industry by involving all stakeholders in contract awards like Bureau of Public procurement (BPP), Ministry of Justice, Ministry of works, Council for Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI);put an end to banditry, kidnappings and killings that have been going on in the country, and ensure the safety of our members and all Nigerians in any part of the country.”
Besides,they tasked the government to curb inflation that makes the meagre salary of workers worthless as regards its purchasing power. “
“The cost of commodities in the market has constantly been on the rise with workers salary depreciating in value. Government should do more to stabilize the economy,”they added.
The unions insisted that “government must device means of stabilizing the Naira against foreign currencies and encourage local productions and consumptions.”
“Finally,we urge the Minister of Works; the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) and all concerned to amicably resolve the current conflict within twenty one days. Otherwise, the two unions will be compelled to declare industrial actions in the construction industry in Nigeria to address these issues to prevent further lose of jobs of our members,”the two unions warned.
Marian Robinson, the mother of former US First Lady Michelle Obama, has died at the age of 86, the Obama family announced in a statement on Friday.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Mrs Obama said, “My mom Marian Robinson was my rock, always there for whatever I needed.
“She was the same steady backstop for our entire family, and we are heartbroken to share she passed away today.”
In a separate tweet, Mr Obama said, “there was and will be only one Marian Robinson.
“In our sadness, we are lifted up by the extraordinary gift of her life, and we will spend the rest of ours trying to live up to her example.”
Robinson was born in Chicago in 1937 and raised her children, Michelle and Craig, on the city’s South Side. She later moved to the White House to support her daughter’s family during Barack Obama’s presidency.
The Obama family’s statement reads in part:
“Marian Lois Shields Robinson — our mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother — had a way of summing up the truths about life in a word or two, maybe a quick phrase that made everyone around her stop and think.
“Her wisdom came off as almost innate, as something she was born with, but in reality it was hard-earned, fashioned by her deep understanding that the world’s roughest edges could always be sanded down with a little grace.
“At every step, as our families went down paths none of us could have predicted, she remained our refuge from the storm.
“On Election Night in 2008, when the news broke that Barack would soon shoulder the weight of the world, she was there, holding his hand.
“With a healthy nudge, she agreed to move to the White House with Michelle and Barack. We needed her. The girls needed her. And she ended up being our rock through it all.”
Arsenal legend Paul Merson has predicted Real Madrid to beat Borussia Dortmund in Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final.
Merson believes the LaLiga Champions have too much firepower, adding that Carlo Ancelotti’s side will beat Dortmund 3-1 at Wembley Stadium.
“Real Madrid have way too much firepower in their squad, but it’s not to say Dortmund won’t have a trick or two up their sleeves.
“I think it will be an open game, but Carlo Ancelotti and Co. know how to get the job done on the grandest stage, so I think they will get their hands on the trophy for the 15th time in their history.
“Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Real Madrid,” Merson stated.
The kick-off time for the match is 8 pm.
[DailyPost]
Media personality and actress, Stephanie Coker Aderinokun has revealed that she battled with PCOS and failed IVF for years.
According to her, the condition made her lose her baby.
In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, she revealed that she nearly took her own life after her second round of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) failed after spending over $40,000 and travelled to Los Angeles for the procedure.
Following the failed IVF, she recounted how she confided in a friend, expressing her feeling that the baby had rejected her.
Stephanie Coker explained that IVF was her only option due to her diagnosis of PCOS, a condition that caused her to bleed excessively to the point of fainting and being rushed to the hospital last year. She described being confined to a wheelchair and, at one point, having to sleep outside in the garden because of severe internal heat.
Adding to her difficulties, that same year, her husband lost his election amid intense public scrutiny.
“I didn’t have my period for a whole year. PCOS made me choose IVF because mine was very severe. My doctor told me mine was life-threatening; I ended up in a wheelchair and was vomiting blood.
“I got pregnant on the first IVF, the second one failed and actually I was standing in front of a car just to let the car hit me,” she said partly.
Watch the video below
Media
This was a #WithChude classic, and usually those only happen with veterans. But this one was.
— Chude Jideonwo (@Chude) May 31, 2024
In between the most beautiful tears, cool kid and It-girl Stephanie Coker tells me about the heartbreak from her second IVF operation just last year, after spending over $40,000 and… pic.twitter.com/Nhmpaj6PjD
A 39-year-old man, Yusuf Umar from Dagu village in Warji LGA, Bauchi State, has been arrested by the State Police Command for attempting to sell his 5-year-old daughter for N1.5 million.
The arrest was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa Mohammed, during a briefing at the Police headquarters in Bauchi.
According to him, “Man was apprehended while attempting to sell his biological daughter. Detectives of the Command arrested one Yusuf Umar aged 49yrs of Dagu village via Warji LGA of Bauchi State. The suspect who claimed to be a staff with Warji Local Government area council was arrested for trafficking his 5-year-old biological child.”
The CP added that “On the 26th May, 2024, the accused took the infant (5-year-old) daughter from the estranged wife in Warji LGA under the pretence that he would take her to his sister in Bauchi town.”
He added that “Unknown to the mother, he had already arranged to hand over the girl to an unknown person, not knowing that he is a Police detective, where the defendant was arrested in a Hotel in Bauchi after he bargained for N1.5m to give up his biological daughter.”
“Additionally, the defendant to ensure his interest, sent the sum of N40000 as transportation fare to the person who linked him up with the buyer,” he added.
Auwal Musa Mohammed added, “I have directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Criminal Intelligent Department (CID) to discreetly investigate the crux of the matter to unravel more motives behind the defendants actions, after which he will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation for the established offence.”
While answering questions from Journalists, Yusuf Umar confirmed that he actually attempted to sell his daughter and even negotiated with the potential buyer agreeing to sell at the sum of N1.5m.
Asked of the whereabouts of the daughter, he said, “The last time I saw her was last Monday when I brought her to be sold. I am praying that no harm will happen to her. I love her and want to see her again.”
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Nigerian gospel singer Yinka Ayefele has said having children despite his spinal cord injury was a miracle.
He noted that any man with cord injury might not be able to impregnate a woman, stressing that his case was rare.
Ayefele spoke on the ‘Curiosity Made Me Ask’ show hosted by content creator, Bae U Barbie.
He debunked claims that he “bought” his children, clarifying that he impregnated his wife and she gave birth to their triplets.
The host, “I’m shocked you said you have three beautiful and amazing kids. My question is, how did you do it?”
Ayefele replied, “How did I do what? Curious that I impregnated my wife? How did I get three kids? You would have seen pregnant women before. I impregnated my wife and she got pregnant and had triplets.
“You thought I bought them? I don’t understand what you mean. I know you are curious, you want to talk about my spinal cord injury. Anybody who has a spinal cord injury might not be able to impregnate a lady. Yeah, it’s a fact, it’s one out of a hundred.”
He began his music career in 1997 after he was involved in an automobile accident which damaged his spinal cord and made him reliant on a wheelchair.
He is married to Temitope Titilope and they are blessed with three children.
Stanley Nwabali is glad to see Maduka Okoye return to the Super Eagles and claims there is no rivalry between them.
Nwabali established himself as the Super Eagles first choice goalkeeper at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Okoye has been recalled to the team by head coach Finidi George after an impressive debut season at Serie A club Udinese.
The former Watford shot-stopper’s return is set to add more competition to the goalkeeping department.
Nwabali, however, said there is no rivalry between him and Okoye.
“There’s no debate. If Maduka can give what he’s giving Udinese to the country, then he should play,” Nwabali told Lagos Talks.
“It’s not like a club side, where you see a new signing and you talk about fighting, No. This is the country we are playing for, we are representing this green white green, and we want to see everyone happy.”
President Bola Tinubu has said the reintroduction of the old national anthem was always a priority for him.
Tinubu made this known on Thursday during a meeting with the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) at the State House in Abuja.
The Nigerian leader said the National Assembly made the law reverting to the old national anthem and he does not have a choice but to obey the legislation.
He said Nigeria’s diversity should be protected and celebrated, adding that the country’s population should not be seen as a burden.
He said: “Let me allude to something that happened yesterday. The change of national anthem, ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
“Some people say, okay… say what? Is that your priority? It’s my priority. I agree with the national assembly. If they make law, I’ve got to obey that law, or we disagree openly and close the chapter.”
“But the question of diversity. Who gave us the name Nigeria? Is it not Britain? Or somewhere? Have we changed our name? We are Nigerians. Our passport shows that.
“As long as we are Nigerians and one family, we remain and protect our diversity and love one another as brothers and sisters.
“It is God Almighty that puts you in that particular place and makes you a member of that family. You have no control over it.
“When I came begging for votes, I didn’t say vote for me as a Yoruba man, I said vote for me as Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Recall that in 2022, Tinubu had said in an interview that he would bring back the first national anthem if he had his way.
Two years later, Tinubu signed a bill into law that returned the old national anthem themed: ‘Nigeria, we hail thee’.
The return of the old anthem had divided opinions, with some commentators criticising the move as yet another case of misplaced priority given the plethora of challenges confronting Nigerians.
The governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma has condemned the killing of soldiers in Abia State, south-east Nigeria.
Naija News earlier reported that masked gunmen on Thursday morning, attacked and killed four soldiers in Obikabia Junction in Aba, the commercial hub of the Abia State.
The assailants who burnt the soldiers’ patrol truck were said to be enforcing the sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) across the South-east to mark the Biafra Day which is celebrated annually in the region.
Reacting to the development, Uzodinma who also doubles as the chairperson of the South-east Governors’ Forum, described the attack and killing as “unfortunate.”
He said the attack and killing of the soldiers would act as a setback to efforts being made to solve rising attacks in the South-east.
The governor stated this while briefing reporters in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
He subsequently called on security agencies to track down those who killed the soldiers in the state.
“On behalf of my brother governors in the South-east Governors’ Forum, I condemn that incident and loss of the lives of soldiers who were on their duty posts.
“Without any provocation, they were attacked by the men of the underworld. I want to condemn that and also to urge security agents to go all out and ensure that those behind that are caught and brought to book.
“The unfortunate thing is that it is going to act as a major setback to the peace process which the governors from the South-east have been pursuing in talking to the federal government, security agencies, and other critical stakeholders on how best to resolve the problem of insecurity in the South-east,” he said.