News
Retired police superintendent turns beggar
When the reporter first saw him, it was around 7.am, penultimate Tuesday. He was seen flagging down every private vehicle, Keke NAPEP and Achaba, telling the occupants that he had not eaten since the night of the previous day.
“Please help me so that I can find something to eat,” he had repeatedly told those who cared to listen to him.
While some of the occupants hurriedly searched their bags and pockets to give him some money, by their way of assistance, others simply ignored him or remarked, “Don’t mind him, that is how he is always begging everyday.”
At other times, he could be seen by the road sides stretching forth his hand to receive “help” from public-spirited commuters moving along the road.
It was a tricky one, as the man would not talk. “I’m not ready for that. I’m not here for any talk,” he had rebuffed our correspondent’s initial attempts to engage him in an interview.
His persistence finally paid off when he was asked why he took to begging alms for a living, and the man who was to later disclose his name as Okpella, informed our correspondent that he was not into begging until the cost of living skyrocketed and he could no longer afford the basic things of life from his meagre income.
Apart from his pension, which he said does not come regularly, he noted that he augments his living by standing by the roadside every day to beg alms from motorists and commuters going to or from work.
His investigations reveal that after five years in retirement and with five grown-up children and a wife, the retired police officer said life has never been the same for him.
Speaking in pidgin, Okpella reminisced with nostalgia his past years on active duty. “Wen I dey work, the work sweet because if I go work at times, I dey see N3000, N4000 before work close but now, I no dey see again anything again,” he recalled.
Pressed further, he spoke about how he retired after 35 years of active service in the Nigeria Police Force but did not get his entitlement on time.
According to him, “My name is Sunday. Or should I give you the one in my police file? I am Sunday Ogwo Okpella from Benue State in Oju Local Government. I entered police on June 1, 1988. I entered as a traffic warden. It is the same thing with police.
“I was in the police force for 35 years. I retired June 1, 2018. From that 1st of June they didn’t pay me any money. We went for verification at the Women Development Centre in Abuja. They told me that my gratuity money is N6 million, and they said I should go home that they would give me within two weeks.
“Then that two weeks passed, and they didn’t send me any money. They kept me for one-year-and-four-months without any money. I did not receive any alert. When I would receive an alert, I got an alert of N1.696 million with two months extra pay.
“I then travelled to my village to refurbish my house. I repainted my house. I did my ceiling. Then, when I came back to Minna, I withdrew some of the money, and we began to live on it as a family. I bought two bags of rice, I bought two buckets of oil and we began to spend the money.
“From that time, they started paying me N30,000 as pension from that 2018 till today. But two months ago, it was increased to N31,000. My chief called me today and toĺd me that as from next week, they would be paying me N31,000. They increased it by only N1000.
“They told me to look for something to do to earn a living. I said at my age what would I look for again? I’ve walked up to different people and places, but they are refusing to give me something to do,” he lamented.
The reporter asked to know some of the places he had worked as a traffic warden and if he only worked in Niger State throughout out his 35 years of service to the police and he responded, “During my time, I worked in the Bosso Division Police Station, I worked in Paiko Police Station, I worked in Central Police Station and I worked at Suleja. It was in Suleja that I retired. And if they had given me the money, I would have packed my load and gone home to settle down.
“The place where I stay, I pay N50,000. The money will soon expire by April next year. I must confess, working as a traffic warden is sweet because whenever I go to work, at times, I return home with N3000 or N4000 but now, I don’t see any money again.
“I never got transferred to another state. Even when I was transferred, it was my wife who told me not to accept any transfer. She insisted that I should stay in Niger and train all my children. My first child has finished National Youth Service Corps. He is in Port Harcourt presently working. The one next to that one is with me and studying in one of the higher institutions. She will complete her studies by January, next year. So that’s why I didn’t leave Niger State throughout the 35 years,” he narrated.
The retired Police Officer who said he was born in 1969, explained that there was no difference between a traffic warden and a conventional police officer, pointing out that it is the same work they are doing. He also disclosed that he attended Primary School, and it was with the certificate he got enrolled into the police.
“Yes, when I was still in service, even my brother of same father but different mothers advised me to go close to my village and put up a structure, saying that if I put up the structure in Suleja where I worked then, that when I retire, I would not enjoy my life. After my retirement, I took a loan and purchased three machines and continued to use them to manage my life until I had an accident with one and injured my arm. I could not work again.
“I did not move to the conventional police because it is the same thing. Our own work is when there is a road accident it is we that tell the cause of the accident and who is responsible. When we arrest a car or a taxi and you go to the station, the money is the DPO’s own. You don’t get anything. Our own are from the motorcycles. We get between N500 and N1000 for every motorcycle we bring to the station.
“I finished Primary 6. They started promoting me from corporal, sergeant, inspector, and one star during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2015. My salary rose from N77,000 to N125,000 in 2018 during the Buhari government’s regime when I was promoted to two stars. They decorated us at Gawo, Lambata. After they decorated us, we did not see the allowance,” Okpella said.
Asked why he goes about begging and what he wants the government to do for him, with brightened up eyes, Okpella said, “I want people to help me. Here, they don’t help people. They don’t give you more than N500. Before, I was not begging, but it was after things started getting more difficult as a result of the rising cost of living. I can’t feed any more, even the customers that used to give me credit stopped. I would like the government to pay me my money so that I can find something to do to feed myself and my family,” he pleaded.
When the Enugu State House of Assembly adopted the report of its Special Committee on Land Matters and Disputes in 2024, many observers described it as a watershed moment in the long-running controversy surrounding the Centenary City land in Amechi and Obeagu communities.
The report attracted national attention because it tackled a dispute that had generated numerous court cases, allegations of intimidation, destruction of property, community unrest, and claims involving some of the most influential figures in the state.
For many residents of Amechi and Obeagu, the Assembly’s intervention provided the first official platform where their grievances appeared to receive impartial consideration. The committee’s findings were widely commended for their detailed examination of the circumstances surrounding the acquisition and development of over 1,097 hectares of ancestral land.
At the heart of the controversy was the allegation that Private Estates International West Africa Limited (PEIWA), operating under a development agreement with the Enugu State Government, relied on questionable documents to assert rights over vast portions of land originally linked to a proposed university project initiated during the administration of former Anambra State Governor, Dr. Jim Nwobodo.
After reviewing submissions from the parties, the Assembly committee identified several inconsistencies in documents connected with the acquisition process. Among its findings were concerns regarding the authenticity of a survey plan purportedly prepared for the “Permanent Site of Enugu State University of Science and Technology” in 1985, despite the fact that Enugu State had not yet been created at that time.
Controversial Enugu Centenary Land: A Daniel Has Come To Judgement
The committee also questioned the authenticity of signatures and official endorsements appearing on key documents, including survey records, gazette notices, and correspondences allegedly executed on behalf of traditional authorities in Amechi and Obeagu communities.
Based on these findings, the committee concluded that the host communities had established that they were not properly carried along in the acquisition process and recommended dialogue, compensation, government intervention, and a comprehensive audit of lands developed under the Centenary City project.
At the time, many hailed the report as evidence that the legislature was willing to confront powerful interests in defence of justice and accountability.
Two years later, events appear to have given fresh significance to those findings.
Today, Kingsley Eze, Chamberlin Mbachu and Private Estates International (W.A.) Limited are facing criminal charges before the Federal High Court, Enugu, in connection with the alleged forgery of a survey plan linked to the disputed acquisition of ancestral lands in Amechi and Obeagu communities.
According to the charge sheet in Charge No. FHC/EN/CR/84/2025, the defendants are accused of conspiring to forge a survey plan titled “Permanent Site of Enugu State University of Science and Technology” purportedly dated 1985.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants knowingly made or uttered the survey plan as a genuine document despite its alleged falsity. The offences are said to be punishable under relevant provisions of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The criminal charges have drawn renewed attention to the conclusions reached by the Enugu State House of Assembly in 2024, particularly its observations regarding inconsistencies surrounding the same survey plan and related acquisition documents.
The developments have also prompted further advocacy from civil society organisations. The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called on the Inspector-General of Police to direct the Police Monitoring Unit to take over investigations and prosecutions connected with the dispute, investigate allegations of misconduct against certain police officers, and review criminal proceedings allegedly used for harassment and intimidation.
In a separate petition dated May 28, 2026, RULAAC also urged the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in two criminal cases pending before the Federal High Court, Enugu, citing repeated failures by law enforcement authorities to produce defendants for arraignment.
The cases include Charge No. FHC/EN/CR/84/2025, IGP v. Kingsley Eze & 2 Others, and Charge No. FHC/EN/CR/222/2024, IGP v. Alex Ifeadi & 2 Others.
As the criminal proceedings continue, many observers believe the matter has entered a decisive phase. The allegations that were once the subject of community petitions, legislative inquiries and public debate are now before a court of law for determination.
Whether the Assembly’s 2024 report marked the beginning of accountability or merely one chapter in a much longer struggle remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the issues raised by the Amechi and Obeagu communities have not faded away. Instead, they have evolved into a legal test that could shape public confidence in land administration, governance and the rule of law in Enugu State for years to come.
If the legislative findings, criminal investigations and court proceedings ultimately converge on the truth, then many residents may indeed conclude that, at long last, a Daniel has come to judgment.
Son of the late head of state and former Minister of Defence, Chief Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi, in a letter of remembrance and solidarity written on behalf of the Aguiyi-Ironsi family to the Fajuyi family, marking the 60th anniversary of his death, said July 29, 2026, will be a solemn occasion to honour a soldier they described as “a war hero who offered himself as a sacrificial lamb for the unity and integrity of the nation.”
The family recalled that Lt Col Fajuyi, then Military Governor of the Western Region, made the ultimate sacrifice in 1966 when mutinous soldiers abducted him alongside Maj Gen Aguiyi-Ironsi in Ibadan during the military counter-coup.
They stated that Fajuyi, in a defining moment of conscience, chose honour over personal safety and refused to abandon his guest and superior, a decision the family said reflected the highest ideals of loyalty, integrity, and military brotherhood.
According to the statement, his action transformed him into a national martyr whose legacy continued to inspire unity, courage, and selfless service.
The Aguiyi-Ironsi family also expressed sympathy with the Fajuyi family, acknowledging the enduring pain of their loss, while praying for continued strength, comfort, and peace.
The statement further stated, “He did not run. He did not hide. He chose to stand. In that sacrificial decision lay the essence of his greatness.”
The family called on government institutions, military authorities, and custodians of national memory to ensure sustained recognition and support for the Fajuyi family, stressing that his sacrifice remained a national responsibility to remember and honour.
It urged Nigerians to draw inspiration from his life and death, noting that his legacy continues to challenge the nation to uphold unity, courage, honour, and selfless service.
Fajuyi was killed on July 29, 1966, during the military counter-coup in Ibadan alongside Aguiyi-Ironsi.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
The emergence of Chief Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere as the Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives has been described as a vindication of the fact that the Action People’s Party (APP ) represents the collective interests of the Nigerian masses.
Recall that recently, Ugochinyere was elected as the Minority Leader of the party in a keenly contested election of the Federal House of Representatives.
According to a statement by the Chairman Anambra state chapter of the APP Chief Chijioke Okeke, Ugochinyere had been consistent in offering himself as the voice of the people and that of the voiceless.
“It did not come to us as a surprise that our great leader High Chief Ugochinyere became the Minority leader of the Federal House of Representatives because he has always been consistent and focus towards providing himself as the only vent for the masses at the Green Chambers”
“We know his pedegre as a politician as well as a leader and he has remained focus in ensuring that the voiceless are heard and this is also a vindication of our party’s unflinching desire to provide a veritable platform in a democratic process”
Okeke further stated that the fifth columnists who had attempted to deregister the party have been put to shame adding that the party shall continue to champion the interests of the Nigerian people.
“They made failed attempt at deregistering our great party but they lost sight of the fact that the APP is firmely rooted on ground and has all that it takes to drive the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian populace and with this recent development our traducers have been put to shame and our party is on the path of further greatness “. Okeke noted .
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Six members of the Indigenous People Of Biafra IPOB have been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police .
The six persons led by Mr Chukwuebuka Ohaechesi, include Emma Okonkwo, Jude Uwa, Gentle Okoro, Uchenna Dike, and Emmanuel Nwankwo who are said to be at large.
The were said to have fled to neighboring states in the South East hence signaling the other four Police Commands in the geopolitical zone to assist in the manhunt for them
The Police accused them of executing protests against the detaintion of the leader of IPOB Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who is currently serving jail terms in Sokoto Correction Center.
According to a statement issued by the Abia Police Public Relations Officer of the Command, ASP Eguavon Omokaro, the individuals are suspected members of IPOB who have allegedly participated in protests at various times and locations within the state.
The statement alleged that the protests were organised in connection with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and demands for justice through the judicial process.
The Police Command further stated that these protests have allegedly resulted in breaches of peace and disruptions to law and order in Abia State. Consequently, the Police Intelligence Department reportedly concluded that the named individuals were among the principal organisers and coordinators of the demonstrations.
The statement further alleged that; ;
“It should be noted that on every 30th day of May, these men and their cohorts convene for the so-called remembrance of Biafra, holding clandestine meetings at various locations in the name of the emancipation of the Biafran Republic and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”
According to the police, the six individuals were invited on several occasions for questioning in relation to the allegations against them.
The statement indicated that the first invitation was issued on 18 December 2025, followed by a second invitation on 7 February 2026, and a third invitation on 3 March 2026.
The police alleged that the individuals failed to honour all three invitations.
The statement further asserted:
“These individuals were invited by the police on several occasions. Firstly, on 18 December 2025, they failed to honour the invitation. Again, they were invited on 7th February 2026 and failed to appear. Finally, they were invited on 3 March 2026, and they also failed to present themselves before the police.” It stated.
As a result, the Abia State Police Command announced that all six individuals had been formally declared wanted.
The police appealed to members of the public to provide any reliable information that could lead to their arrest and prosecution, stating that informants would be suitably rewarded.
The declaration of the six individuals as wanted persons is linked to allegations of their participation in pro-Biafra activities, demonstrations concerning the detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and their alleged association with IPOB, an organisation that has been the subject of extensive scrutiny and security operations by Nigerian authorities.
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