Crime
CHRISTMAS: How kidnappers, gunmen scared Igbos away from S’East villages
In a video he made apparently out of frustration, he said: “ Almost 90% of those who returned to Nigeria from abroad for Christmas could not travel to their villages in the South East because of insecurity. The foreign currencies they would have spent with their people are being spent in Lagos hotels. Their village people are even coming to Lagos to see them.
“All these are happening because the people of South East do not want to listen and the ultimate losers are the poor people in the villages. As a result of this ugly development, the economy of South East is going down the drains. As it stands, everything in the South East is in shambles. The Christmas celebration in the South East is total rubbish because people are afraid to go home. It is the people that invited this calamity on themselves and blaming outsiders for their woes”.
Saturday Vanguard discovered that the era of conducting traditional marriages in cities in the South East resurfaced during this Christmas. For instance, a Nigerian from Nsukka in Enugu State who lives abroad and was to get married to a lady from Isiukwuato in Abia State had to perform the ceremony in Enugu city because of insecurity, especially along the Enugu – Okigwe axis. Also, the renewed robbery and touting by government task forces claiming to be generating revenue for the state in Onitsha, Anambra State, scared many people from returning home for Christmas.
In Enugu State, the killings in Ehamufu in Uzo local government area jolted many people and this made them to cancel coming home for Christmas. As a result, many people conducted their annual family meetings via WhatsApp and zoom as they could not meet physically.
Unlike in the past, churches in the major cities in the South East were jam-packed during this Christmas because most people did not travel to the villages.
A critical look at this year’s Christmas season in Imo state showed that generally, people did not return in their villages in numbers as in previous years.
All the respondents, who spoke on the development, were unanimous in their submissions that the level of insecurity in the South East geo-political zone and the poor economic climate in the country, were largely responsible for the non-return of Ndigbo, to their country homes.
A retired banker, Mr. Sylvester Egbe, said: “I must tell you that people, generally did not return to their ancestral homes for this year’s Yuletide as was the case in the previous years.
“Personally, I was called from home on Thursday of the preceding week not to return for Christmas due to palpable insecurity in our area.
“A good example of the heightened insecurity in the state, was the sad assassination of a promising young man, who was given the Labour Party’s House of Assembly ticket, in my local government area, Onuimo.
“He was gruesomely murdered, about two or three Thursdays ago in the night in my town.
“His house and vehicle were completely burnt, while his wife and children were beaten to stupor! Similarly, his neighbour, a welder, was also killed.
“A week prior to this ugly incident, no fewer than four people were killed near Umuna and three days later, people were shot along Umunachi”.
Making particular reference to December 11, 2022, when he was billed to go home for a family meeting, Mr. Egbe said he did not see any vehicle loading opposite the Correctional Centre, Owerri.
“I had to return to my house, sent text messages to people at home and the meeting was cancelled. The level of insecurity became so bad that our yearly town union meeting, held at home every December 26, was suspended due to insecurity.”
Another retired banker, Mr. Cyril Obi, who responded via WhatsApp, said: “Members of my family and I, did not travel home this Christmas. The same is also true of my siblings and members of their families because of economic crunch and security challenges in my area, Awo-Omamma.
“From enquiry, many homes were unoccupied. Those who returned were extremely scanty and very boring for those who made it home.”
Texting a message from his Okwu Emekuku country home, Owerri North local council area of the state, Sir Seth Agukwu said: “Just a few of our people came home for the Christmas. It could be for security reasons or financial issues.”
A former lecturer in Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education, AIFCE, Owerri, Dr. Anthony Ekwe, said: “Many people didn’t come home as in the past in my area, Emii, Owerri North local government area. This mainly is due to the economic crunch facing many Nigerians.
Sir Chidi Osuji said that although he spent the Christmas in Port Harcourt, he was not sure of returning to his village for the New Year.
“May be I will look for a very strong disguise that will enable me move about in the village”, Osuji said.
Contributing also to the enquiry, Mr. Chimezie Ugochukwu said that his area was completely empty as “people did not come home for Christmas”.
Ugochukwu said: “My area is completely empty, people did not come home for Christmas. I reached a friend who told me it’s better to manage in the city, since people did not travel much due to the economic situation of the country.”
The National Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Samuel
Anyanwu, blamed the festering insecurity in the South East, on “the absence of love, unity and peace amongst stakeholders in the society”.
According to him, “once members of different political parties begin to see themselves as a people created by one God, the issue of acrimony, rancour and backbiting, will be a thing of the past”.
He described as unfortunate, regrettable and unwholesome, the behavior of some supposed leaders who, he said, “should be in the business of making peace, but end up creating crisis in the society”, and admonished them to turn a new leaf.
In Abia State, the celebration was low key because of insecurity
Although there has been a significant improvement in the security situation in the state especially this Yuletide, not too many people returned to their communities, unlike before due to accumulated fear.
Investigation by Saturday Vanguard revealed that many communities which were a beehive of activities during this time in the previous years, were very dry and empty.
Speaking on the issue, the former General Manager, Abia Line Network Transport, Hon. Ugochukwu Uwaeke, from Isuochi in Umunneochi local government area, said many people did not return home for fear of the unknown.
Recall that Umunneochi has been a hotbed for insecurity in Abia State in the recent times due to the atrocities of suspected herdsmen and bandits.
His words:”People did not return as before principally because of insecurity in our area.”
He, however, noted that there was no incident of insecurity in the area during the festivities, and attributed it to the combined efforts of local vigilante groups and the conventional security agencies.
“There is improved security and the presence of the police and Army. Efforts of our local vigilante, supported by the community and some individuals, are paying off,” he said.
Uwaeke, however, attributed the emptiness of the communities to accumulated fears people had over time about insecurity in the area.
He added: “Due to previous fears, people did not return home as before. Even those who returned have not been moving around as they used to. Everybody is somehow, hiding for fear of the unknown.
“We thank God there was no incident of insecurity in the area this time except in the first week of December, but the military responded promptly, and since then, everywhere has been calm”.
Similarly, Dr Isaac Nkole, from Ndioji Abam Community in Arochukwu LGA, told Saturday Vanguard that the area did also not witness mass return of the people residing abroad due to insecurity.
He noted that, although there was no case of security breach in the area during the festivities, there was fear of attack by herdsmen among locals.
“This is the worst Christmas in Abam. After the clash with herdsmen about three months ago, everybody is being careful and circumspect.
“ There is fear everywhere. Everywhere is dry. APC Government has failed us. It has proven it cannot secure Nigerians.
“ People complain of insecurity and now of hunger. Things have never been this bad”, he agonized,” Nkole said.
A police corporal attached to the Ajaokuta Division of the Kogi State Police Command has reportedly shot his girlfriend dead before taking his own life with his service rifle.
The incident allegedly occurred around 9 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, leaving both the officer and the woman dead.
According to a report by Veracity News, the officer allegedly shot the woman at close range before turning the weapon on himself.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, while the motive behind the alleged killings has yet to be established.
The bodies of the deceased were reportedly evacuated to a mortuary as investigations into the incident commenced.
Efforts to obtain an official reaction from the Kogi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Afusat, could not be reached for comment, according to the publication.
The incident is expected to be investigated to establish the circumstances leading to the deaths and determine the events that preceded the shooting.
As of the time of filing this report, no further details about the identities of the deceased or the outcome of the investigation had been provided in the original report.
Editor’s note: The incident and details in this report have not been independently verified. An official statement from the Kogi State Police Command would be needed to confirm the circumstances of the deaths.
A young woman identified as Messioma Nwaora, who was earlier reported missing, has reportedly been found dead in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Unverified reports circulating on social media allege that her former boyfriend, identified as Chima Emmanuel and said to be from Ebonyi State, killed her after she ended their relationship. The reports further claim that he strangled her with clothing, placed her body in a bag and transported it on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada.
The alleged confession and the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not been independently verified. Therefore, it cannot be conclusively established that the former boyfriend killed her.
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an independently confirmed statement establishing the cause of death, confirming the identity of the deceased or stating whether a suspect had been arrested.
The reported death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Outstanding questions include where the body was recovered, how the woman died, whether Chima Emmanuel has been detained and whether investigators have obtained evidence linking him to the incident.
Further details are expected as reliable information becomes available.
A birthday party organised by popular Enugu socialite Nnaji Izuchukwu, popularly known as Stone, at Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, reportedly turned chaotic following a misunderstanding that allegedly prompted the hotel management to invite the police.
Stone, who was the celebrant, reportedly died from gunshot injuries sustained during the ensuing police operation.
Information available to Everydaynewsngr.net indicated that the misunderstanding at the birthday party degenerated into chaos, prompting the hotel management to call in operatives of the police Anti-Cultism Section.
In the confusion that followed, Stone was said to have attempted to escape through a window alongside another person before he sustained gunshot injuries.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The Enugu State Police Command has since confirmed Stone’s death and ordered an investigation into the incident.
In a press release issued on Friday, October 23, 2026, the command said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, had directed a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and applicable laws.
According to the police, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) stormed Bull Hotel during an intelligence-led operation targeting Nworie Chidera Kelvin, popularly known as Akidi, an alleged drug dealer and member of the Vikings Confraternity.
The police said Akidi was suspected of involvement in several cases relating to cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The operation reportedly led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged between 17 and 28.
The police also said quantities of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis, a weighing scale allegedly used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in cash were recovered during the operation.
Giving its account of how Stone died, the command said preliminary findings indicated that he and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape.
The statement added that an operative pursuing the two suspects was allegedly confronted by them as they attempted to disarm him.
According to the police, the officer’s firearm discharged during the ensuing struggle, leaving Stone with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped.
Stone was rushed to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
CP Giwa has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the officers involved complied with operational standards and applicable laws.
The commissioner assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
He also urged Stone’s family, associates and members of the public to remain calm, stressing that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must be upheld during police operations.
The police statement was signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on October 23, 2026.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Edo State Command, has launched a manhunt for a 28-year-old awaiting-trial inmate, Osita Thomas, who escaped while being taken to court for trial.
Thomas, an inmate of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Auchi, reportedly escaped last week during a court appearance over charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Suleman, disclosed the development in a statement dated October 21, 2026, and made available to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
Suleman said the Controller of Corrections in Edo State had directed intensified efforts towards apprehending the fugitive, assuring residents that security measures across custodial facilities had been strengthened to prevent similar incidents.
The Command appealed to members of the public with useful information about Thomas’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or custodial centre.
It also released two telephone numbers, 08038075882 and 08039243704, through which information could be provided to security authorities.
Meanwhile, an official of the Correctional Service attributed the escape to inadequate manpower, explaining that the officer escorting Thomas to court could not abandon other inmates in his custody to pursue the fleeing suspect.
According to the official, pursuing Thomas would have exposed the remaining inmates to possible escape.
The official further raised concerns over worsening personnel shortages in the Service, alleging that more than 1,000 officers were expected to retire this year without corresponding plans for fresh recruitment.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address the manpower deficit, warning that inadequate personnel could continue to undermine the effective management and security of custodial facilities across the country.
An alleged employment racket involving 21 job seekers and N8.29 million has landed an Enugu-based businesswoman, Stella Ezinne Egotanwa, in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 45-year-old businesswoman is being investigated for allegedly collecting money from unsuspecting applicants under the guise of securing employment for them at a psychiatric hospital in Enugu State.
The EFCC, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, disclosed that the suspect allegedly collected the money between December 28, 2025, and June 30, 2026, through bank accounts belonging to different Point of Sale (POS) operators.
According to the commission, trouble began for Egotanwa when 16 aggrieved job seekers petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), accusing her of collecting N6.193 million from them without delivering the promised jobs.
The petition subsequently led to her arrest by NSCDC operatives in Anambra State on July 30, 2026.
However, the case took another dimension when five additional victims approached the EFCC, alleging that the businesswoman had similarly defrauded them of N2,098,200 through promises of employment at the same hospital.
The fresh petitions brought the number of alleged victims to 21, with the total amount involved rising to N8,291,200.
One of the victims, who narrated his ordeal to investigators, claimed to have paid Egotanwa N1.05 million on December 28, 2025, believing that she had the connections to secure the promised employment.
“I made the payment in good faith because I believed that the employment opportunity she presented to me was genuine.
“However, after making the payment, the promised employment did not materialise. I subsequently experienced difficulty reaching her and there were periods she did not respond to my calls or messages,” the petitioner stated.
The anti-graft agency further disclosed that Egotanwa was already awaiting trial in a separate case involving a similar alleged employment scam.
It added that the suspect had admitted to the alleged offence during interrogation and would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The EFCC maintained that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme.
Clarify the EFCC’s role in her arrest
Use consistent language for alleged victims
Tighten the opening for stronger impact
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