Crime
Anambra: New CP Reshuffles Security Architecture, Offers to Fund Treatment of Surviving Ideani Victim
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has offered to bear the full medical expenses of the only surviving victim of the suspected ritual incident in Ideani, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Police, Nnanna Orji Ama, who assumed duty following the retirement of AIG Ikioye Orutugu, disclosed this on Monday while outlining his policing priorities for the state.
Recall that four children, aged six, nine, 12 and 15, were found unconscious at a premises in Umuoduba Village, Ideani, in circumstances suspected to be linked to ritual activities.
Three of the victims subsequently died, while the fourth is currently receiving intensive medical treatment at a hospital in the state.
Ama, who expressed sadness over the incident, said the Command would closely monitor the surviving victim’s treatment and ensure that all necessary medical interventions were provided.
“Before addressing the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate incident, I wish to announce that the Anambra State Police Command will bear the full medical expenses of the surviving child.
“We shall also closely monitor the child’s treatment and recovery to ensure that every necessary medical intervention is provided.
“Our immediate priority is to see the child recover out of respect for the sanctity of human life.”
The Commissioner also assured residents that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be investigated with the highest level of professionalism.
Speaking on his policing agenda, Ama announced plans for a comprehensive review of the state’s security architecture, intelligence gathering and operational capabilities.
“As I assume command, we shall undertake a comprehensive review of our policing strategies and operational capabilities,” he said.
He added that the Command would strengthen intelligence gathering, enhance intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, improve operational efficiency and deepen proactive crime prevention across the state.
Ama further said the Command would reinforce community policing initiatives and strengthen collaboration with sister security agencies, organised vigilante groups and other critical stakeholders.
He said the measures were aimed at improving security and rebuilding public confidence through effective partnership and engagement.
The Commissioner urged police officers to maintain the highest standards of professionalism, stressing the need for factual, balanced and responsible reporting in the interest of public safety and national security.
“I wish to assure all Ndi Anambra that we shall perform our constitutional responsibilities with integrity, fairness, professionalism and respect for the rule of law.
“We shall remain resolute in protecting lives and property, preventing crime and maintaining public order throughout the State,” he said.
Ama thanked the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for the confidence reposed in him and for appointing him to lead the Anambra State Command.
He also commended the Anambra State Government, led by Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, for its support for the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies, as well as its policies and legislative initiatives aimed at strengthening public safety and tackling the root causes of crime.
The Commissioner urged residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant and security-conscious, while encouraging them to provide timely and credible information to the police and other security agencies to assist in preventing and combating crime.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Agunechemba Security Squad says it is closing in on the location of Anambra-based businessman and billionaire, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Jesco, Joseph Eze Okafor, who was abducted by gunmen last week.
Okafor was reportedly abducted on his way to a church function in Awka, Anambra State.
His identity had initially been kept confidential by security operatives due to the sensitive nature of the operation.
However, contacts have already been established between the abductors and the victim’s relatives, while security operatives have confirmed that the kidnappers may not have succeeded in taking their victim outside the state, as initially feared.
The Publicity Secretary of Agunechemba, Comrade Nweke Nweke, said security operatives were working to establish the exact location of the victim, adding that further details could not be disclosed in the interest of his safety.
“Agunechemba wishes to assure the general public that the outfit is on top of the operation and we are indeed inching close to the said location,” Nweke said.
He added: “In a security operation of this nature, not all information can be disclosed to the public for the safety of the victim. In due time, we shall make public the details of our operations.”
Meanwhile, the community where Okafor hails from has postponed its New Yam Festival following his abduction.
According to the town’s leadership, the community could not be in a celebratory mood while one of its kinsmen remains in the stronghold of kidnappers.
Security forces comprising troops of Intervention Battalion 3 under the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, the Mobile Police Force and the Air Component of Joint Task Force Operation FANSAN YAMMA are engaged in a fierce confrontation with a large group of armed bandits along the Zamfara-Kebbi border.
The bandits, estimated at about 240, reportedly emerged from the Sangeko Gap in Zamfara State before advancing towards Makuku town in Kebbi State.
Security sources said the armed group was moving on motorcycles and had split into three formations while advancing into the area.
The development has heightened tension in communities around the border, with some residents reportedly fleeing their homes for safer locations as security forces intensify efforts to contain the attackers.
The ongoing operation involves coordinated ground operations by troops and police personnel, backed by aerial support from the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
The security forces are working to prevent the bandits from gaining access to surrounding communities and disrupt their movement along the border axis.
The presence of such a large number of armed men has renewed security concerns among residents of communities close to the area of confrontation.
Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and comply with directives issued by security agencies as the operation continues.
The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army/Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, confirmed the development to Daily Trust.
Osoba said the operation was still ongoing and that further details would be provided after its conclusion.
The latest confrontation comes amid sustained military operations across the North-West aimed at disrupting bandit networks, rescuing kidnapped victims and restoring security in communities affected by armed attacks.
Crime
Ezza Women Stage Overnight Traditional Protest, Give Politicians Seven-Day Ultimatum Over Violence
Elderly women from the Ezza Nation in Ebonyi State have staged an unusual overnight traditional protest against alleged political violence in Onueke, Ezza South Local Government Area of the state.
The women warned those they accused of sponsoring the violence to end the bloodshed or face what they described as the “wrath of the ancestors.”
The protesters, drawn from the 12 tribes of the Ezza Nation and joined by representatives of communities regarded as offspring of Ezza’s brothers, began their procession from Eke Imeoha Market Square between 2am and 4am.
They sang, wailed and performed traditional rites as they moved through Nchonu, Onicha Igboeze, Nkerefi in Enugu State and Ugwulamgwu.
At Nchonu, a sacred site associated with Ezekuna, regarded in Ezza tradition as the progenitor of the Ezza Nation, the women reportedly stripped naked before performing traditional rites.
The spokesperson for the women, Mrs Angelina Ucha, said the act was part of the traditional requirements for approaching the sacred site and was not intended as a publicity stunt.
The women accused unnamed individuals and their alleged sponsors of fuelling political violence and demanded an immediate end to the killings.
They also demanded traditional appeasement involving a giant native cow, a white hen and alligator pepper, with the rites to be performed at Ezekuna’s graveside.
Ucha said the group had given those responsible for the alleged violence seven days to “do the needful.”
She stressed that the protest was not in support of any political party or candidate but was aimed at protecting the lives of Ezza people.
“We are tired of seeing our children die because of politics. We are tired of useless shedding of blood,” Ucha said.
She called on politicians, traditional rulers and religious leaders to intervene and prevent further violence.
According to Ucha, the women deliberately excluded those of child-bearing age from the traditional procession because of cultural purity requirements associated with the rites.
She said the latest action was not the first time Ezza women had resorted to traditional intervention during periods of crisis.
Ucha recalled similar processions in 2003 and 2010, when the women reportedly marched to Nchonu over what they considered serious threats to the Ezza community.
She also recounted an alleged incident involving a former governor at a traditional chieftaincy ceremony, which she attributed to ancestral intervention. The claim reflects the women’s traditional beliefs and has not been independently verified.
The women urged politicians and their supporters to end violence, intimidation and retaliation, warning that political positions were temporary while lives lost could never be recovered.
They also called on religious leaders to intensify their campaign against political violence and promote reconciliation among opposing groups.
The seven-day ultimatum has become the central message of the protest, with Ucha warning that those allegedly responsible for the violence and their sponsors should make peace with the land and carry out the demanded traditional rites.
“Politics will come and go. Positions will come and go. But the blood of our people cannot be brought back once it is shed,” she said.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has uncovered 399 fully assembled Jojef firearms and assorted rifle parts following the detailed examination of a seized shipment at the Tin Can Island Port Command.
The NCS made this known in a statement issued by its National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, on Sunday in Abuja.
Maiwada said the seizure was confirmed after Customs completed the coupling and examination of the arms shipment, which was initially discovered as crates of knocked-down firearm components concealed inside a container.
According to him, the NCS Comptroller-General, Bashir Adeniyi, had earlier disclosed the interception of the container containing the concealed firearm components, which were initially identified as Jojef pump-action rifle parts.
Adeniyi said further examination uncovered 89 frames, 16 heat shields, 10 trigger pins, three pistons, 25 locking lugs and 80 charging handles.
Other recovered components include 39 pistol-grip screws, 34 springs, 57 trigger groups, 66 foregrip latches, 45 foregrips or handguards, four pistol grips and five barrels.
The Comptroller-General warned that criminal networks could exploit Nigeria’s borders, ports and airports to smuggle prohibited items into the country ahead of the next general elections.
“We are about entering a major election cycle, and we know that by this period, men of the underworld will want to use our borders, our ports, our airports to bring in items like this,” he said.
Adeniyi said the NCS would intensify surveillance and enforcement operations to prevent the movement of illicit arms and other prohibited items through the country’s entry points.
He reaffirmed the service’s commitment to intelligence-led enforcement, stronger border surveillance and collaboration with sister security agencies to dismantle arms-trafficking networks.
The NCS chief specifically cited collaboration with the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (NCCSALW), under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as part of efforts to safeguard national security.
He said the seized firearms would be handed over to the NCCSALW after the completion of the inventory and assessment.
Adeniyi said the seizure underscored the commitment of security agencies to removing dangerous weapons from circulation and ensuring that those behind the trafficking network were identified and brought to justice.
The traditional ruler of Ekwulobia, His Royal Majesty, Igwe (Engr.) Emmanuel Chukwukadibia Onyeneke, has announced the suspension of the community’s New Yam Festival, earlier scheduled for September 4, following the abduction of one of its prominent sons, Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor, the Chief Executive Officer of Jesco Oil.
The monarch said the community could not proceed with the celebration while Ezeokafor remains in the custody of his abductors.
He expressed concern over the incident and called for prayers for the safe release of the businessman.
The traditional ruler urged members of the community and well-wishers to pray for divine guidance, protection and the safe return of Chief Sir Joseph Ezeokafor.
The suspension of the festival underscores the community’s concern over the safety of its abducted son.
Unconfirmed sources say the kidnappers are demanding a whopping N20 Billion as ransome.
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