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Land Dispute: Women, Youths Protest Arrest, Harassment Of Palace Chief By Police

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Obinna Uchendu Abakaliki

Women and youths numbers over 100 of Ihie autonomous community in Ivo Local Government Area of the State have staged a peaceful protest over what they described as illegal and unlawful arrest, intimidation and harassment of the people of the community.

The protesters said that some highly placed individuals from the community are using their position to intimidate members of the community, order for their arrest and are usually whisked away to an unknown destination.

Expressing their anger, the protesters said that just few days ago, a Palace Chief, Chief Nwabuikwu Odoemenam was whisked away by unknown persons which created palpable fear in the community as members of the immediate family and the community could not give account of his way about.

They maintained that several hours after the palace Chief was taken away, there was no communication which made the community to expressed fear of his safety.

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The protesters carried placards with inscriptions like, “We don’t know the way about of our Chief. Chief Emmanuel Ajah, Pls resolve the land Dispute in Ihie autonomous community. Gov Nwifuru, pls call those using their offices to intimidate our people to order, We don’t want any bloodshed in Ihie Community, among others.

The protesters who staged the peaceful protest in the community expressed their displeasure over the use of some policemen from the Force Headquarters to whisk away Chief Odoemenam to an unknown destination.

They maintained that it was not clear where Chief Odoemenam was taken to and called on the State Governor Chief Francis Nwifuru to urgently intervene in the land Dispute before it degenerate into a full scale crisis.

One of the protesters who spoke to journalists, Mr. Johnson Ajah said that they were surprised that the palace Chief was whisked away without any reference to his family members adding that they had expressed fear that the Chief was abducted.

“They came to the community and whisked one of the palace Chiefs away to an unknown destination. We had to stage this peaceful protest to draw the attention of the State Governor, Francis Nwifuru to the high level of intimidation and harassment being perpetrated by some few individuals under the watch of the Council Chairman.

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There is the need for the State Governor’s urgent intervention on the matter before it escalates. We had expected that before now our Council Chairman, Chief Emmanuel Ajah would have taken a bold step in resolving the dispute but from the look of things, he has not shown any political will towards addressing the issue.

He has neither called for a meeting or invited interested parties to discuss the issue but rather he has continued to pretend that all is well when he knows all is not well. If he doesn’t have the political will to call for a round table meeting to discuss the issue, then let the Ministry of Boarder Peace and Conflict Resolution take over the matter.

Our fear is that if nothing is done urgently to resolved the dispute, it might result to a more serious crisis. Those who are instigating the crisis should be called to order. We don’t want to witness another crisis in Ivo LGA. Those who are benefiting from crisis in the local government should have a change of mind. The deaths of people in Ivo is not worth any political office or wealth being acquired.

When Contacted, the Traditional Ruler of Ihie Autonomous Community Ishiagu Ivo LGA, Eze Gabriel Okoro stated that when he was contacted on the alleged kidnap of a Palace Chief from ndiokoroukwu, Chief Odoemenam he immediately went to the Ivo Police Division for help.

On getting to the station, I met with the Divisional Police Officer DPO, I was told that the Chief was arrested by policemen from the Force CID Abuja. The DPO gave me the contact of the police men that came from force CID Abuja to arrest the chief. So it wasn’t a case of kidnap but an arrest.

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The Traditional Ruler appealed to the people of the community to remain calm and call on the State Governor, Francis Nwifuru to call to order the same group of people creating the crisis in his kingdom to order.

“The same group of people that are harassing everybody in my community now started the problem with me as the king and now they have extended the problem to my subjects who have lived in this our community peacefully for over five decades.

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OYC Warns ICPC Chairman Against Alleged Bias in Uche Nnaji Case

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The Apex sociocultural youth organization of the Igbo race worldwide, Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), has described the current arrest made by the Independent Corrupt Practice and Other Related Offence (ICPC) against former Minister of Science and Technology and the 2027 People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate for Enugu State, Hon. Uche Nnaji, regarding his certificate, as a deliberate political witch-hunt orchestrated by the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Gov. Peter Mbah.

In a press address in Enugu on Wednesday, 8th July 2026, Comrade Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC), called on Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to maintain the commission’s ethical standards, threatening to seek his removal if evidence confirms the alleged bias of ICPC in favor of Governor Peter Mbah against Hon. Uche Nnaji regarding the 2027 Guber election.

*The Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) revealed that the fight against Hon. Uche Nnaji is a battle for the Enugu Governorship and the “Lions Building Seat” in 2027, and dismissed the certificate forgery allegations against Uche Nnaji as a political distraction and blackmail.*

The surreptitious entry into the court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to obtain a court order detaining Hon Uche Nnaji is a teleguided executive overreach attributed to Gov Peter Mbah apparently aimed at silencing Hon Uche Nnaji, which is highly censurable.

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The Council stated that “A court of competent jurisdiction is presently handling the unsubstantiated certificate forgery case, and the University of Nigeria Nsukka and Hon Uche Nnaji have opted for an out-of-court settlement, following recent findings of misinformation.

Therefore, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), should maintain a neutral stance regarding the Enugu State Governorship battle to preserve his reputation built through his legal career and public service, and avoid being perceived as succumbing to Governor Peter Mbah’s alleged attempts to utilize executive power to blackmail and witch-hunt Hon. Uche Nnaji.

The Ohanaeze Youth Council(OYC) warned Governor Peter Mbah to concentrate on fulfilling his unfulfilled campaign promises to Enugu State rather than chasing Hon Uche Nnaji through the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC)

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Governor Mbah’s Compassionate Gesture Brings Relief to Enugu Fire Victims

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Families displaced by the recent fire outbreak in the Asata area of Enugu have received immediate relief from the Enugu State Government following the intervention of Governor Peter Mbah, who directed that palliative support be provided to ease their suffering.
Chairman of the Enugu State Emergency Management Agency (ESEMA), Chinasa Mbah, disclosed that the agency promptly delivered the relief materials in compliance with the governor’s directive.
“We have given them some palliative as directed by His Excellency. Our report has equally gone in, and we await further instructions,” Mbah said.
She explained that ESEMA has completed its assessment of the incident and submitted its recommendations to the state government, adding that additional assistance for the affected families will depend on the governor’s approval of the agency’s report.
The swift response underscores Governor Mbah’s commitment to standing with citizens in times of distress. The victims, whose homes and belongings were destroyed in the fire that gutted two flats in a two-storey building on Church Road, Asata, are expected to receive further support as the government considers ESEMA’s recommendations.

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Questions Persist As Almajiri Commissions Attempts to Defend Projects Outside Its Mandate

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The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) has defended the inclusion of projects outside its statutory mandate in the 2026 budget, insisting they are National Assembly constituency projects assigned to the commission for implementation.
However, the explanation has done little to quell public scrutiny, with critics questioning why a commission established to tackle the Almajiri system and out-of-school children—challenges largely concentrated in Northern Nigeria—is overseeing projects reportedly located in parts of the South-West.
The controversy has also been fuelled by concerns over the scale of the allocations, as the value of the disputed constituency projects is said to far exceed the funds earmarked for the commission’s core education programmes.
Responding to the criticism in a statement issued on Monday, the commission’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Nura Muhammad, said the projects were included in the 2026 Appropriation Act under the long-standing practice of assigning constituency projects to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for execution.
According to the commission, once such projects are approved in the federal budget and allocated to an agency, they become part of its implementation responsibilities.
“As part of a duly enacted federal budget, every project assigned to the commission forms part of its implementation responsibilities and will be executed in strict compliance with extant laws, financial regulations and due procurement processes,” the statement said.
NCAOOSCE maintained that the inclusion of the projects does not alter its statutory mandate, stressing that it remains focused on addressing the Almajiri system and reducing the number of out-of-school children across Nigeria.
The commission cited its achievements, including the profiling of more than 700,000 out-of-school children, the establishment of 119 learning centres, ward-to-ward advocacy campaigns, and the implementation of the National Policy on Almajiri Education, as evidence of its commitment to its core responsibilities.
This version attributes the concerns to critics and public scrutiny rather than stating them as established facts.

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Police Inspector Dies in Alleged Police Convoy Accident in Enugu

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A Police Inspector, Dr. Obodo Paul Ikechukwu, has reportedly died after he was involved in a fatal road accident allegedly involving a police convoy in Enugu State.

The deceased, who hailed from Nkpologu in Enugu State, was serving in the Operations Department of the Enugu State Police Headquarters at the time of the incident.

Details surrounding the circumstances of the accident remain unclear, but sources said the inspector was fatally injured after being struck by a vehicle in a police convoy.

Dr. Obodo, who was also a PhD holder, was described by colleagues and associates as a dedicated officer whose death has come as a shock to members of the police command and his community.

As of the time of filing this report, the Enugu State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, while further details are being awaited.

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Mbaka Offers Prayers, Endorses Mbah’s Leadership Ahead of Election (See Video)

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The Spiritual Director of the Adoration Ministry Enugu, , has offered prayers for , praying for God’s favour, protection, and victory as the state approaches the coming elections.

Speaking during a church gathering, Mbaka declared that Governor Mbah would succeed, expressing confidence that God, whom he said had begun a great work through the governor, would bring it to completion.

“It shall be well with Peter Mbah; may the favour of God be with him. We back him with our prayers. The Adoration family throws our prayers around him, that he will succeed, in the name of Jesus. May God grant him the power of victory at the end of the whole election,” Mbaka said.

The cleric further expressed hope that Mbah’s leadership would bring joy to the Igbo people, the people of Enugu State, and the Church, adding that the Igbo economy could witness greater advancement under his administration.

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According to Mbaka, the progress recorded so far gives hope that greater achievements lie ahead, stressing that God would perfect the work already begun.

His remarks come as political activities continue to gather momentum ahead of the forthcoming elections.

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