Crime
Enugu Safest State in Nigeria, Anambra Top in Insecurity – Rights Group
A human rights group, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) has concluded its review of human rights situation in the South East states of the country in the outgoing year, declaring Enugu as the safest state to live in the region.
The report released in Enugu on Tuesday by CRRAN President, Olu Omotayo Esq, stated that while Enugu stands out as the safest state, Anambra emerged as the most dangerous state in Southeast Nigeria, “as cult war and killings continue to ravage the state capital Awka.”
The report reads: “In our review of the rights protection/violations and security of lives and property in southeast Nigeria, Enugu state stands out as the safest state to live in southeast Nigeria due to the human rights records of the present administration and the protection of lives and properties of the citizens.
“Ebonyi state closely follows in second position, while Imo maintains 3rd position, and Abia 4th position and Anambra, in 5th position, is the most dangerous state in Southeast Nigeria, as cult war and killings continue to ravage the state capital Awka, and the State governor seems helpless to provide security for the lives and properties of the citizens; even in the state capital on Thursday 24th October 2024, no fewer than six persons were killed near Nnamdi Azikwe University, School gate, Awka.
“To mention a few of these violations, recently, on Monday 16th December 2024, Dr. Fabian Osita, a lecturer at Nnamdi Azikwe University was killed. To round up the year the Catholic priest of Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, Rev Father Tobias Okonkwo, was killed on 26th December 2024. Killings in recent times in the Anambra State are not only worrisome but dangerous in a democracy.
“The indices used to assess the Human Rights standing of these 5 states are: (1) the Security situation in these states / the protection of lives and properties of the citizens (2) Rate of Human rights violations by state actors and (3). Rate of Conflicts/Confrontations between Security agencies and non state actors.
“Security is defined as “the state of being free from danger or threat”. So when we talk of security of lives and property in a state it means the citizens of that particular polity are enjoying the state of being free from danger or threat.
“Since the inception of the administration of Peter Mbah Esq. the security situation in Enugu state has tremendously improved as new security architecture has been put in place and a Command and Control Center put in place and vehicles to provide mobility for security agents.
“Furthermore the presence of the 82 Division of the Nigeria Army within the State cannot be overlooked as the joint security patrol by security agents has greatly created a city that could be referred to as the safest city in the country.
“Enugu is the only state where anybody can move around freely in daytime and at night without fear of attack by criminal gangs and hoodlums. This is a practical scenario not based on paper or theoretical assumption.
“The Human Rights violations in the state have reduced considerably due to government interventions in complaints of rights violations and the readiness of the State Police Command, particularly its State Criminal and Investigation Department (SCID), to promptly address some complaints of Rights violations brought to its’ attention.
Some of the interventions by the State are:
“On 11th January 2024, the State Government intervened and secure the release of Arinze Nelson Eze, an SS2 student in one of the secondary schools in the state, who was unlawfully placed in Police detention at the State Police Headquarters Enugu since 9th October 2023.
”Also in July 2024, the state government intervened in the case of rights violation of CHINEDU SAMUEL AJOGWU of Brosam and Sons International Venture, Ogige Market, Nsukka, Enugu State, who was appointed to collect haulage fees for the state government but was later declared wanted by the Police and was to be arraigned for Armed robbery.
“Furthermore the Rate of Conflicts/Confrontations between Security agencies and Non state actors in both Enugu and Ebonyi State has reduced considerably to isolated cases. Cases of killings of security agents have become things of the past.”
On Anambra state, the organization submitted that “the situations, events and activities in Anambra state portend danger to Human Rights and Democracy Nigeria and the State governor should wake up to his responsibility to protect lives and properties of the citizens of the state.”
“ The Anambra State Police Command confirmed the killing of seven persons at Ihiala yesterday. We also commiserate with the families of seven innocent citizens who were murdered in cold blood yesterday 30th December 2024, at Umuike, Ubahuekwem, Ihiala, in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
“The first son of the family a successful businessman based in Portharcourt, who had come in preparation for the burial of his aged mother slated for January 3rd 2025, was murdered in his compound alongside four well wishers and two security men,” CRRAN lamented, pointing out that “the basic and most important human right is the right to life without which other rights cannot be achieved.”
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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