Police arrest notorious armed robbery suspect in Enugu
The Police Command
in Enugu State says it has arrested a notorious armed robbery suspect, name
withheld, terrorising residents of Holy Ghost and Rail-line axis of Enugu
metropolis.
The Command’s
Public Relations Officer, SP Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement in Enugu on
Friday, that the suspect was arrested on June 13 by police operatives attached
to the Central Police Station, Enugu.
He said the police
also recovered phones, bag containing some amount of money and a black plastic
pistol which the suspect used to inflict fear on unsuspecting victims.
Amaraizu said that
the suspect was nabbed following a distress call received after he allegedly
robbed his victim of Infinix 5 phone on gun point.
According to Amaraizu,
the suspect is a resident of number 28 Mbanugo Street, Coal Camp in Enugu.
He said that the
suspect had been helping operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of
the command in their investigation into his nefarious activities.
“Police operatives
have commenced raiding of all suspected criminal hideouts within Holy Ghost and
Rail-Line axis and other black spots through its Operation Puff Adder,” he
said.
He said the effort
was to ensure that “our environment continue to remain safe and secured.“
“The raid
operations have become necessary, following the directive issued to police
operatives by the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Sulaiman Balarabe.”
Enugu pastor for allegedly
impregnating 20 church members (Photo)
The Nigeria Police
have confirmed the arrest of a pastor for allegedly impregnating 20
members of his church in Enugu State.
Pastor Timothy Ngwu
who is the General Overseer of the Vineyard Ministry of the Holy Trinity was
arrested by officers of the Enugu State Police Command. According to reports by
church members, Ngwu claimed that the Holy Spirit commanded him to impregnate
as many female members of the church as possible.
Speaking on the
incident, the Enugu state Police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu said the pastor
had been charged for sexual abuse. Sources privy to the incident said Ngwu said
the Holy spirit had given him the mandate to impregnate women in his ministry
irrespective of their marital status.
The source also
said that the child delivered by every woman impregnated by the pastor is
expected to remain in the ministry with the mother for life. Trouble started
for Ngwu after his wife reported his randy behaviour to the police after the
pastor was alleged to have impregnated her (his wife’s) young niece all in the name
of obeying a ‘divine instruction’.
Ngwu who is said to
have five wives with 13 children along with other concubines said he never had
carnal knowledge of the young girl. He also said that he never had
intercourse with any of the married women except their husbands concurred to
the request of the ‘Holy Ghost’.
ESUT returns to its
original multi-campus structure
The Enugu State
Executive Council has voted to return the Enugu State University of Technology
(ESUT) to its original multi-campus structure as established by the Chief Jim
Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo administration in 1980.
In a statement
signed by the State’s commissioner for information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, he
disclosed that three schools originally proposed for Enugu North Senatorial
Zone – faculties of Medical Sciences, Agriculture, and Social Sciences – will
be returned to the Zone, while the ESUT Faculty of Education will relocate to
Enugu West, to be domiciled at the new University of Education, Ihe in Awgu
Local Government.
He said, “Governor
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi who chaired the meeting, noted that although the site for
Enugu North campus of ESUT is yet to be determined, the Faculty of Medical
Sciences will take advantage of the 400-bed specialist hospital currently under
construction at Igboano to serve as a teaching facility for medical students.
“Council noted that
relocating the school of medical sciences will rapidly decongest and take the
pressure off the Enugu Park Lane Hospital which has been struggling for
expansion space since its conversion to a Teaching Hospital.
“The sum of
N1.5billion was approved in the 2019 State Budget for construction of key
facilities at Igboano Specialist Hospital/ESUT Teaching Hospital, including
construction of access road, external works (fencing and landscaping), as well
as the provision of water and electricity.
“Council, however,
voted to increase the budget to N2billion, following the decision on
multi-campus structure for ESUT and additional facilities.
“For Enugu West
Zone, in addition to the ultramodern administrative building which is already
under construction at the University site in Ihe, Council also voted to
construct an access road to the University.”
The Council’s
decisions followed a proposal to restructure the Enugu State University so that
various specialist learning centres can be established for each Senatorial Zone
– Science, Engineering & Technology at Agbani (East), Education at Ihe
(West), and Medical Sciences at Igboano (North).
“These specialist
centres will not only bring tertiary education closer to the grassroots but
will facilitate rapid socio-economic development of all zones in Enugu State,”
he further stated.
2023: We have the final say
– Constituents tell Ekweremadu
Citizens of Enugu West Senatorial Zone have
declared that the decision over who would represent them in 2023 lies in their
hands.
This is coming in reaction to the statement
by the Senator representing the zone, the Deputy Senate President, Ike
Ekweremadu that
he would end his stay in the Red Chamber by 2023.
He dropped the hint during his birthday
celebration in Enugu last Sunday.
But in a statement signed by stakeholders
from the zone, among whom are Hon Alex Ogbonna, Rt. S.K.E Udeh Okoye, Hon.
Chigozie Akalusi, Rt. Hon Donatus Uzogbado, Hon. Ralp Onovo, Hon Mike Chukwu
and Hon. Princess Chioma Chiaha, they said the constituents reserved the right
to determine where Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s services were most suitable.
The statement read, “Our attention has been
drawn to a remark by His Excellency, Sen. Prof. Ike Ekweremadu, Ph.D, CFR,
Deputy Senate President during his 57th birthday celebration recently in Enugu
State to the effect that he will not be seeking re-election into the Senate
come 2023.
“While our respect and admiration for the
Distinguished Senator remains unshaken, we are minded to state that Senator Ike
Ekweremadu is a product of our collective mandate and to that extent answerable
to his constituents in all matters relating to his services to our people;
including his decisions concerning his political future in 2023.
“As a people, we reserve the right to
determine where Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s services are most suitable for the overall
interest of our people. At the appropriate time, we will decide if we are best
served by his continued stay in the Senate or otherwise.
“We are certain that in his meteoric rise to
prominence in Nigeria and the world at large, he has had little or no control
in determining his choice of service to his people. For instance, it was
members of his age grade in Mpu that collectively decided to entrust him with
the chairmanship of the age grade at a time he least expected it at the tender
age of 10.
“The same is true about the decision of the
entire Mpu community to elect him as the President-General of the Town Union.
His election as the Executive Chairman of Aninri LG was also the outcome of the
collective decision of the Leaders of Thought of Aninri LGA.”
They added that “his becoming the Chief of
Staff to former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani and later the Secretary to the Enugu
State Government was also a fortuitous interplay of forces involving the former
governor and other major stakeholders in Enugu State at that time who wanted
him to serve in such capacities.
“The same is true of his election into the
Senate in 2003, which was a collective decision of the people of Enugu-West.
“Of significance is the fact that in his
recent re-election into the Senate for a record 5th term, the decision was not
his but a collective resolve of the people of Enugu-West who themselves bought
the nomination form for him.
“We also make bold to state that his
emergence as the Deputy Senate President for a record third term was not of his
own volition but by the collective approval of his colleagues in the Senate who
saw in him an uncommon trait and capacity to serve in that position.
“In essence, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s political
trajectory could be likened to the wind, which you can hear but cannot tell
where it comes from or where it is going. In the same vein, no one can actually
explain how Ike Ekweremadu got to where he is today; but one thing that is
certain is that he did not ascend to any of the aforementioned positions by his
own volition or decision but by the Will of God and the consent of his people.
“In truth, His Excellency, Sen. Ike
Ekweremadu is a man of history whose destiny is intertwined with the yearnings
and aspirations of his people. In real term, we, his people have the final say
on where he goes to on our behalf in 2023. In real terms, whereas His
Excellency, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu has a right to his opinions, we, his people,
have the final word, as always, in his political decisions, now and in the
future.
“Thus far, we are satisfied with his
stewardship since he emerged on our political horizon as a leader. He has
represented us effectively and has attracted numerous democracy dividends to
our people.
“We, therefore, charge him to raise the bar
on his performance in the 9th Senate, which will soon be inaugurated and keep
the flag of his illustrious performance aloft. Presently, let us concentrate on
the task ahead essentially because we know that emerging events will define our
preferences in 2023.”
The
Nigerian Senate has decried increasing cases of alleged herdsmen attacks on
farming communities across the country, leading to loss of lives and property.
The Upper Chamber further urged the Federal Government to curtail
movement of cattle in the country as a way of checkmating criminals who
disguised as herdsmen to perpetrate evil.
NAN reports that the apex legislative chamber also asked security
agencies to urgently fish out killers of one Dr Nnamdi Ogueche recently by
suspected herdsmen in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State.
This followed a motion sponsored by Sen. Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu),
titled, “the existential threat to the people of Uzo-Uwani LGA of Enugu State”.
The Senate also requested the security agencies to tackle, as a matter
of urgency, the increasingly criminal activities of some suspected herdsmen,
who had taken over the farmlands in Uzo-Uwani.
The Red Chamber further urged the people of Uzo-Uwani Local Government
and Adaba Community to maintain the peace while more effective strategies were
being devised by the Federal and the Enugu State Governments to deal with the
heinous activities of herdsmen on their land.
Leading debate on the motion, Utazi said that the late Ogueche was
killed for condemning the violent take over of farmlands in Uzo-Uwani.
He noted that Dr Ogueche was shot at about 5 pm on Wednesday, March 20,
2019, while on his way to Enugu from Umulokpa, Uzo-Uwani Local Government in
Enugu State.
Utazi said that the deceased had earlier in the day, attended a meeting
between herder and community members in Adaba village to discuss wanton
destruction of farmlands and crops by cattle.
The lawmaker said, Ogueche, the spokesman during the meeting alleged
that herders destroyed peoples’ farmlands and were raping women.
Utazi said the deceased left behind a wife, three children and aged
parents, lamenting that they were without support.
Contributing, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu urged the Senate to ensure that state
police was created, stressing that the present Police Force was centralised and
would not effectively address escalating insecurity in the country.
The president of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, in his remarks, lamented
the worsening state of insecurity in the country.
He said the Senate must play its part in tackling the situation.
