Multiple abductions, killing of police operative, other top stories from South-east

Multiple abductions in Anambra

The week began on a sad note last Sunday with the abduction of three persons, including a lawyer, in Nkpologwu Community, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Three days later, on Wednesday evening, some hoodlums struck again and abducted eight people during a traditional ceremony in Amakor village, Nanka, a community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.

It is unclear if the attackers were the same people who carried out the previous attack.

The abducted victims in the separate attacks were yet to be freed as of the time of filing this report.

Similarly, last Friday, another tragedy struck when the Commissioner for Youth Development in Anambra State, Patrick Agha Mba and his wife, Chizoba Mba, were abducted by some armed persons.

The gunmen also killed his aide, Ernest Offiah, during the attack.

The attack occurred in Edo State while they were heading to Abuja for a wedding ceremony of Adaora, the daughter of Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State.
Meanwhile, we reported that the commissioner and his wife were freed on Saturday evening.

Multiple road accidents in Abia, Enugu

It was a sad day last Sunday when five passengers, including two male children, were confirmed dead in a road accident in Abia State.

The crash occurred at 1:45 p.m. near a junction along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway in the Isialangwa South Council Area.

Three days later, on Wednesday, 11 people died in another road accident along the Port Harcourt-Enugu Expressway in the state.

Eight others were injured in the crash.

Like in Abia, three passengers, on Friday, died in a separate road accident in Enugu State.

Footballer slumps, dies during training in Enugu

On Monday, we brought you a report that a rising footballer died during a training session in Ogrute, a community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

After ten years, Anambra finally fixes date for local election

We brought to you a report that the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), on Monday, announced that local government elections in Anambra State would be held on 28 September.

The scheduled election in Anambra would be the state’s first in the last ten years.

The last local government election in Anambra State was held in January 2014 under the administration of former Governor Peter Obi.

The government’s decision to organise the election is apparently in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.

Abia Speaker bows to pressure, inaugurates lawmaker declared elected by appeal court

In Abia State, we reported on Tuesday that the Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Emmanuel Emeruwa, bowed to pressure and inaugurated Aaron Uzodike, a lawmaker the court declared validly elected.

Mr Uzodike contested in the 2023 general election for Abia North State Constituency but lost to Destiny Nwangwu of the Labour Party (LP).

However, several months after the Court of Appeal in Lagos State nullified Mr Nwangwu’s election and declared Mr Uzodike elected, the speaker and the House refused to inaugurate him.

After his inauguration on Tuesday, the PDP asked the speaker to pay Mr Uzodike all his entitlements.

The lawmaker later responded to rumours that he was planning to defect to the LP.

Election tribunal sacks Reps member, declares LP candidate elected

We reported that a House of Representatives member in Enugu State, Simon Atigwe, was sacked on Wednesday by the National Election Petition Tribunal in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Mr Atigwe, a member of the PDP, represents Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency.

The tribunal headed by Justice H. N. Kunaza declared the LP candidate, Dennis Agbo, winner of a rerun election held in February.

The legal battle will continue at the Court of Appeal, the highest court for National Assembly elections matters.

Police teams reportedly shoot each other after mistaking themselves for IPOB members

On Wednesday, there was confusion in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, when some police operatives reportedly opened fire on themselves, resulting in the death of a truck driver.

The operatives had reportedly mistaken themselves for members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The police have since spoken about the incident, which has elicited several reactions.

Enugu govt threatens to shut churches, mosques

On Thursday, the Enugu State Government threatened to shut down churches, mosques, and nightclubs that generate noise pollution during their services.

The government said the decision to implement the policy was in response to over 1,000 petitions from state residents. It said enforcement of the policy would start from November.

Like in Anambra, multiple abductions in Enugu

Like in Anambra, there were multiple abductions in Enugu State within the past week.

The attacks began earlier on Thursday when a medical doctor, Innocent Nwoga, was abducted along Egede- Ninth Mile-Nsukka Road in the state.

Mr Nwoga is the medical director of Ukehe General Hospital in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area, Enugu State.

He was yet to be freed as of the time of filing this report.

Later on Thursday evening, armed persons also invaded the Enugu State College of Health Technology in the Oji River Council Area of the state and abducted five students.

The assailants were said to have attacked the students while they (the students) were driving out of the college.

The police, however, said they had rescued two of the abducted students while efforts to rescue the three others had begun.

Killing of police operative in Anambra

The insecurity in the South-east continued last Friday, with gunmen killing a police operative after they invaded a police checkpoint.

The attack occurred in Nnobi, a community in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.