Crime
Enugu: “We are not children, we know LP candidate was assassinated -Ex Minister
Nnaji, who spoke at the service of song held in honour of the Labour Party senatorial candidate that was assassinated on February 22, Oyibo Chukwu, at his country home in Umuode community, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu, asked the people of Enugu state to use their vote to bring a desired change that would be beneficial to their children and children’s children.
The former minister who described the conduct of the presidential election as unfortunate lamented that the poll was deliberately planned and implemented to disenfranchise the people.
According to him, the Independent National Electoral Commission deliberately delayed the election in many places in the South East with the intention to suppress the voters and consequently refused to give passwords of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System to presiding officers.
“There’s a number of ways they (INEC) wanted to frustrate the voters – they didn’t give them (presiding officers) the password for the BVAS machines. So they were just fiddling with the machine for quite a long time. They even didn’t come in time, they came around 10:30 am and yet they didn’t come with the password.
“So they eventually gave them password because I complained to anybody that care to listen at INEC both local and national and we didn’t have to do that. So they gave them the password and this was for all three polling units in Umuode and all three had the same exact problem, which means it was totally planned.
“We hear now that the plan is to either do the same thing, maybe load up the BVAS and our hope is that the INEC officials here don’t engage themselves in that kind of fraud.
“And of course, there are some other things like intimidation of voters but Nigerian voters are much smarter now. People refuse to be intimidated, people are prepared to vote and wait. People know that they have to look for whether the BVAS machine is actually pre-programmed with some numbers.
“They know to look for results sheets to be available before voting because otherwise what are you voting for if you don’t have eventual results sheets and so on? There are things the voters have to look out for,” advised.
Speaking on the sideline on the killing of Chukwu, he said described his assassination as the most unfortunate, adding that he was brutally murdered in a manner that has never been seen in Enugu State and needed South East.
“People know that there is no way it was unknown gunmen, it is unfortunate that they went and sacrificed a young man, the driver of one of the candidates.
“Information we have is that the young man is from Imo State and that he was an orphan so nobody could ask about him.
“So, they simply also brutally sacrificed him in order to try to camouflage what they had done. So there is nothing hidden under the sun, it is that our people, Nigerians, people of Enugu State should come out to vote because they are the power of this nation. The power of a nation is the power of the citizen.”
He however, described Oyibo Chukwu as a very straightforward, honest and courageous man, adding that as a politician he didn’t take political positions because he was just “too brutally honest.”
On the fear that the election might be marred by violence and suppression of voters, he said “the way things is going we don’t know if the coming election will be peaceful. There people whose only interest is to subvert the will of the people, and you can’t subvert the will of the people except by force because people are determined to come and to cast their votes.”
In his message to the people, “I am advising people of Enugu and indeed Nigerians should not be scared. We recognised there may be pockets of intimidation but people should be refused to be cowed and intimidated.
“Nobody of course wants to be killed but anybody who is coming out to kill somebody, the security agencies are out there in full force to protect the innocent citizens of this nation who want to express their will.”
He stated that desperate politicians are those who don’t have anything else to do. “People said if you are going to politics you should have a second address but if you don’t have a second address then it is possible that you may become desperate because that is your only source of income.
“Many of those desperate ones are the ones that don’t do anything for the people when they get in there. You should go and check.”
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has foiled an alleged kidnap plot targeting prominent personalities in the state and arrested a suspected leader of a three-man fraud syndicate accused of defrauding unsuspecting members of the public in Anambra and Enugu states.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the development in a statement, attributing the breakthrough to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, in Oyi Local Government Area.
According to Ikenga, police operatives on the evening of July 11, 2026, foiled the suspected kidnap attempt, rescued a victim, and arrested 66-year-old Kenneth Nnaji for his alleged involvement in a criminal syndicate specialising in obtaining money under false pretences in Awka.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect is allegedly a member of a three-man gang that has been defrauding unsuspecting members of the public through elaborate schemes across Anambra and Enugu states.
“The suspect, during interrogation, allegedly confessed to his involvement in the criminal enterprise and provided useful information on the group’s modus operandi,” Ikenga stated.
He explained that members of the syndicate allegedly disguise themselves in branded overalls and caps while posing as representatives of reputable companies.
According to the police, the suspects allegedly obtain goods from prospective victims under the pretext of collecting samples before directing them to another location, claiming larger quantities of the goods are available for purchase at heavily discounted prices. The victims are then allegedly defrauded through the scheme.
Ikenga said the suspect identified other members of the syndicate as Christopher (surname yet to be ascertained), Jacob Musa, and Joseph (surname yet to be ascertained), all of whom remain at large.
He added that efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and dismantle the criminal syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, urged members of the public to remain vigilant and verify the identities and credentials of individuals claiming to represent companies before engaging in any business transactions.
He also directed the investigating team to conduct a comprehensive investigation, arrest all fleeing suspects, recover the proceeds of the alleged fraud, and ensure the prosecution of all those found culpable in accordance with the law.
The Nigeria Police Force has arrested self-proclaimed Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, in Osun State, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Adeyemi was apprehended on Tuesday by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and is expected to be transferred to Abuja to face criminal charges.
Confirming the arrest, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the operation was carried out by the Intelligence Response Team from Abuja.
“Yes, it is confirmed. The Intelligence Response Team from Abuja arrested him here in Osun,” Ojelabi said.
The arrest followed an order by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, after Adeyemi failed to appear in court for his scheduled arraignment on an eight-count charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, forgery and impersonation.
The bench warrant was issued after the prosecution, led by the Nigeria Police Force, informed the court that the defendant was absent without lawful justification.
Justice Umar rejected the explanation by Adeyemi’s counsel that his client stayed away because he feared for his safety, ruling that the defendant must be compelled to appear before the court to answer the charges against him.
The case was subsequently adjourned until September 30, 2026, for arraignment.
Adeyemi’s arrest came barely 24 hours after he denied reports that he was evading law enforcement authorities.
During an interview on Channels Television on Monday, he insisted he was not in hiding but claimed his life was under threat.
He also reiterated his allegation that he paid ₦400 million through an intermediary to secure his appointment as Director-General of the controversial council and called for an independent investigation into the matter.
The Nigeria Police accused Adeyemi of forging official government documents, including a purported presidential appointment letter allegedly signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.Executive Branch
Investigators further alleged that he falsely presented himself as the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council, an organisation the Presidency has repeatedly stated does not exist, and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja.
If found guilty, Adeyemi faces up to 21 years’ imprisonment on the forgery-related charges without the option of a fine, while the impersonation charge carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment or a fine.
The Bauchi State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the death of a 20-year-old man, Abdullahi Adamu, following allegations that he was assaulted while in police custody in Misau Local Government Area.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the police became aware of reports circulating on social media alleging that officers attached to a police outpost under the Misau Division assaulted the Sebore Village resident during interrogation.
According to the statement, Adamu was initially taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Misau, for treatment before being referred to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where he was confirmed dead on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, directed an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, stressing that the Command remains committed to professionalism, respect for human rights, and due process.
He assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary and legal action in accordance with the law.
“The Command is committed to ensuring that justice is served, and appropriate disciplinary and legal actions will be taken against any personnel found culpable,” the statement read.
The police also expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul.
The Command appealed to members of the public with relevant information to assist the ongoing investigation, noting that it has not confirmed the allegations against its personnel and that investigations are ongoing to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adeyemi insisted that the funds were obtained through loans, adding that he has yet to repay the money.
“I borrowed the ₦400 million to pay for the appointment, and I am still indebted to those who gave me the money,” he said.
Adeyemi also dismissed allegations that he falsely presented himself as a United Nations ambassador, describing the claims as a calculated smear campaign aimed at discrediting him.
The controversy stems from earlier allegations in which Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of receiving ₦400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment and subsequently demanding an additional ₦200 million before the agency could become fully operational.
The Presidency has rejected the allegations, maintaining that Adeyemi heads a non-existent agency.
However, reports indicate that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council received allocations in the federal budget and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Amid growing public attention, President Bola Tinubu last week directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the bribery and forgery allegations involving the PFIPC and all individuals named in the claims.
The allegations against Gbajabiamila remain under investigation, and no official findings have been released by the anti-corruption agency.Politics
Both the Presidency and the Chief of Staff have continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Suspected gunmen have abducted several mourners escorting the remains of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer to Benue State for burial after ambushing their convoy along the Ososo–Ajaokuta axis of Kogi State.
The victims were travelling with the body of Deputy Corps Commander Augustine O. Ikwue, popularly known as “Etume Zero,” when the attackers struck, forcing the mourners and the corpse into the bush.
According to citizen journalist and activist Meddy Olotu, the kidnappers later abandoned the officer’s body, which was recovered around Ejule in Kogi State, while the abducted mourners remain in captivity.
Olotu said the kidnappers are demanding a ₦50 million ransom for the victims’ release.
Describing the incident as heartbreaking, he lamented the worsening security situation in the country, saying, “What kind of country are we living in? Even the dead cannot rest in peace.”
He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted mourners and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
The late Deputy Corps Commander Augustine O. Ikwue was scheduled to be buried on Friday in Ai-Ode, Upu Community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, before the funeral procession was attacked.
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