Crime
‘Health Workers’ allegedly turn criminals, terrorise Schools, abduct teachers
Alarm has been raised over recent incidents of masked armed men in collaboration with Environmental Health workers barging into schools within Ogidi, Nkpor, Enekwasumpu Obosi communities in Idemili North Local Government Area (INLGA) to abduct teachers under the guise of enforcing fumigation levy for the Anambra State Government.
According to the excerpts from ‘Kulele Zone phone-in Wazobia FM radio programme,’ our reporter gathered that the abducted teachers, principals or proprietors after being subjected to inhuman treatment and humiliation were further forced to pay between 100,000 to 350,000 naira to bail themselves.
A caller into the programme who said she witnessed the assault in one of the schools, claimed she saw when the team of masked armed men stormed St Joseph Catholic school, Enekwasumpu.
According to her, the St Joseph Catholic School security guard tried to resist them but they overpowered him hitting him with the butt of their rifle and tied him up. The masked men went further to arrest and force the teachers into the security van which left children scampering for safety.
Even those of us at the street took cover because of the fierce looking masked operatives. It was later we learnt that they came with health workers from Idemili North Health Authority to demand for fumigation Levy”.
Another caller said that the same group came to another school at Ogidi where her neighbour’s children school to abduct their teachers which made her neighbour to stop her children from going to school till further notice with the fear that if they could not see a teacher to arrest, they might start arresting school children for bail or ransome.
Another victim (name witheld) who spoke to the our reporter anonymously also alleged that the same daredevil group came to their school at Ogidi in company of INLGA Environmental Health workers to whisk away virtually all the teachers within the school premises without any official notice or demands living the pupils without their teachers and caregivers.
She said that the Health workers after serious humiliation and manhandling, further extorted over 100,000 naira from the school proprietor without receipt nor was the money paid into State Government’s official account.
“As soon as I opened the gate a team of armed men on mask with a Vigilante vehicle, suspected to be special force a.k.a Ebubeagu started harassing us saying they were sent by the INLGA Environmental health to come and arrest all the teachers present in my school.
“I asked them what offence did we commit to warrant such humiliation. They said that I locked the gate against them.
“They forcefully pushed every staff of my school into the security van leaving the school children scampering for safety.
“They did not allow us to make any calls. It was when there vehicle could not contain all my staff that they reluctantly allowed two of our staff to stay behind in the school.
“Getting to the INLGA Health Authority adjacent to the INLGA secretariat, Ogidi. All our teachers were forced to remove our shoes and sit on the bare floor like common criminals.
“After hours of detention with the safety of the nursery and primary school children hanging on the balance, our school proprietor came to bail us from one Madam Ebere, who said she was the Chief Taskforce of the INLGA Environmental Health after much negotiations from about #350,000, she accepted to collect #130,000 which was the last money in the proprietor ‘s account. We requested for receipt or account number for remittal but they insisted we withdrew cash from POS to bail ourselves,” she said.
Meanwhile, she said that while they were still in detention at the Environmental Health Authority, Ogidi another group of teachers from another school from Obosi were also arrested and brought in by the same team of masked AVS in collaboration with the health workers and were also subjected to the same inhuman treatment they passed through.
“Our school is Government approved. We are law abiding and we pay all revenues and ensure we contribute our quota or tax payment because we support the good works of our Solution Governor, Prof Charles Soludo.
“Even, if they made any other requests for payment and issued us demand notice, we would have looked into that through our association to know the ones to pay in order to checkmate exploitation or multiple taxation and gotten back to them amicably but there was nothing like demand notice for anything only to use brute force to dehumanize and exploit unsuspecting citizens,” she said.
When contacted, the Director, Environmental Health Department, INLGA, Mrs Beatrice Anene who declined to give detail of the incident, said she’s aware of the activities of the enforcement team.
According to Mrs Anene, “Yes I am aware of the incident involving my staff and some schools. Ask the school what they did. I will send you the phone number of the person you will call to get any response you want”.
When our reporter contacted the person, he refused making any comments but rather frowned at the fact that the Director of Environmental Health gave out his phone number without informing him and switched off his phone.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Anambra Police Command has debunked the allegation that it’s officers and men had hand in the mysterious death of one Mr Paul Onwualu at Npkor in Idemili North local government area.
The Police which confirmed the arrest of the suspect however explained that preliminary investigations has so far shown that there complications in the health status of the deceased leading to his demise .
SP Tochukwu Ikenga ,who is the Public Relations Officer of the Command stated in a release that ;
“The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that it has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate death of the late Mr Paul Onwualu in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State”
“Preliminary information available to the Command reveals that the officers allegedly involved in the arrest before the sudden complication of the deceased’s health, which later led to his death, have been identified, but are not operatives attached to the Anambra State Police Command”
“The Command assures Ndi Anambra and members of the public that the matter is being handled with the seriousness it deserves to ascertain the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident”
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu fwc mnips PhD, urges residents to remain calm and allow the ongoing investigation to run its course, while reaffirming the Command’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, and the protection of lives and property.” he said.
Neighbours reported that the event allegedly occurred around 3pm on Sunday, noting that the late Miss Amanda had been a victim of constant and ruthless maltreatment at the hands of her stepmother.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Enugu State, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, has expressed the state government’s anger over the incident, saying it would not relent until justice is done.
“It is on record that the Governor Peter Mbah Administration has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse, let alone child homicide. So, we swung into action on learning about this tragedy to ensure that the suspect was arrested.
“But it doesn’t end there. We will be pressing for thorough and expedited investigation to ensure that justice is not just done, but done really fast.
“Nobody should take another’s life and certainly not the life of any child in Enugu State. We condemn it in totality,” she stated.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
As suspected fake native doctors continue to face the long arm of the law in Anambra State, the government has now commenced a crackdown on alleged fake pastors who preach salvation without the gospel.
Already, scores of suspected fake pastors are reportedly in custody, with some said to have confessed to deceiving unsuspecting members of the public.
Governor Charles Soludo disclosed this during this year’s All Knights Day celebration held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Aburime, the governor said:
“The Governor also revealed an ongoing crackdown on fake pastors who exploit the vulnerable by preaching a gospel of ‘salvation without the cross,’ confirming that several are already in custody and confessing.”
He emphasized that a “New Anambra” is emerging and must be rid of deception and criminality, while reinforcing the church’s teaching that hard work remains the pathway to success.
The statement further read:
“In a firm demonstration of fiscal discipline, Governor Soludo granted a request from the Knights to support their charity visits to orphanages but declined a request for public funds to sew uniforms, stating he would not deploy state resources for private institutional regalia.”
The governor also urged the Knights to remain “the light of the world and the salt of the earth” by living according to principles rather than titles.
The event featured a Pontifical Mass celebrated by the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Paulinus Ezeokafor, while the homily was delivered by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Iheanacho.
In his sermon, Iheanacho reflected on the work of the Holy Spirit, describing knighthood as a process of “sober reflection, stock-taking, and reckoning” guided by strict tenets and discipline.
He reminded the Knights that true love for Christ is demonstrated through obedience to His commandments, discipline, humility, and courage.
The cleric also cautioned against elitist isolation, urging the Knights to remain connected with the people and preserve their human face and prophetic voice within the community.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Violent Crime Response Unit of the Anambra State Police Command has uncovered and destroyed an armoury belonging to suspected separatist gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government Area.
The operation, led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Orebe Chidubem Matthew, followed intelligence obtained from a member of the gang currently in police custody.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police disclosed that the camp had previously been dislodged by a Joint Task Force on security operations. However, some members of the gang who escaped during the earlier raid reportedly regrouped and attempted to resume operations.
According to the statement, items recovered from the armoury include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with about 2,000 rounds of live chain ammunition, two fabricated rocket launchers with 25 propellers, 10 locally-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one locally-made Beretta pistol, two pump-action guns, three hand grenades, 10 rounds of K2 live ammunition, one gas cylinder, and one black Ecolac box.
“Recall that the camp was earlier destroyed by a Joint Security Team. Before the confession by the suspect in custody, intelligence had been received over time on how some escaped gang members were attempting to regroup. However, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit resisted and dismantled the camp following a gun duel with the unrepentant members,” the statement read.
The police further stated that some of the armed suspects fled the scene with varying degrees of bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect in custody confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across Anambra State, including attacks on police facilities, the killing of security personnel comprising police, military, and civil defence officers, attacks on government facilities, and the murder of security operatives on stop-and-search duties on various roads in the state.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that with the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit, operatives of the command are now better positioned and more motivated to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.
The Enugu State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of the salary of Dr. Kate Okolo, a staff member of the Enugu State College of Education, over her alleged involvement in a controversial land deal.
The directive was issued on Tuesday in Enugu by the Chairman of the House Special Committee on Land Conflicts, Mr. Okey Mbah, as part of an ongoing investigation into a decade-long land fraud.
Mbah emphasized that the suspension is not a witch-hunt but a clear signal that the era of impunity in land administration in the state is over.
The committee, currently probing petitions from staff of the institution and members of the public, accused key figures in the Women in College of Education Organisation (WICE) of engaging in land racketeering and fraudulent sales.
According to petitioners, the scheme—introduced between 2009 and 2011 under the leadership of the late Mrs. Ugoma Ndubisi and Dr. Okolo—encouraged individuals to market plots of land known as “WICE Land” to colleagues, friends, and family members.
One victim, who pleaded anonymity, told lawmakers they invested in the scheme because it was presented as a credible internal arrangement.
“We paid in full and have receipts, but for over 13 years, we have not been allocated any land,” the petitioner said.
Testimonies further revealed that the situation worsened following the death of Mrs. Ndubisi, with allegations that Dr. Okolo altered the original terms of the transactions.
“She changed the name from Ukano to Ukano Bold, increased the prices, reduced plot sizes, and claimed that many of us did not pay.
“We are now being asked to pay again for land we already purchased.
“All we want is either our land or our money back,” another petitioner stated.
In response, Mbah assured the petitioners that the Assembly remains committed to ensuring justice.
“We have listened to your grievances, and this committee will see this matter through to a logical conclusion.
“No one found culpable will be shielded,” he said.
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