Crime
Lawyer writes Gov Mbah alleges plot to release suspected killers of Enugu Monarch
Late Igwe Emmanuel Chidiebere Mba
Their application for bail is coming up on Tuesday, and there are fears that it may be granted, despite the gravity of the charges against them.
A bail request granted to two other suspects in the murder, Onyema Ede and Chikadibia Okenwa, last year was followed by arson attacks on the houses of two brothers from the community, Ejike and Agozie Ani, who are opposed to the murder suspects.
The houses were burnt to the ground on December 26, exactly two years after Igwe Mba was murdered.
The arsonists also burnt down the palace of the late Igwe and 10 other houses the same day.
“The possible release of the murder suspects will lead to serious consequences for the people of the Oruku community”, warned Collin Ohiaeri, a well-known human rights activist in the state who is also of the law firm of JHC Okolo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), in a save our soul (SOS) letter addressed to Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State, the Chairman of the National Judicial Commission, the Enugu State Attorney General and Mr. Justice Odugu himself.
“The houses were not just burnt, but the thugs who carried out the arson had the temerity to make a video broadcast of the arson and released it on different social media platforms, complete with triumphal commentaries of revenge and heroism”.
Igwe Mba was attending the Oruku annual general meeting at its town hall when a team of police officers from the Special Tactical Squad of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Investigation Bureau, stormed the venue, brought him out, and shot him before the people attending the AGM.
The killing drew national outrage, making the Enugu State government set up on January 8 2021 a seven-person judicial commission headed by Mr Justice Harold Eya to inquire into the circumstances of the murder.
In its nine-page report submitted in April 2021, the Justice Eya Commission stated categorically that Inspector Daniel killed Igwe Mba, with the connivance of Chief Nnamani due to differences between Nnamani and Mba in Oruku affairs.
The police team that killed the traditional ruler was brought to the town in a blue colour Honda Element sport utility vehicle ( SUV) belonging to Nnamani, according to the commission.
The commission members’ position is consistent with the investigative report of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Bureau, which noted on May 22 2021 that Nnamani had on June 1 2020 written a false and malicious petition against the traditional ruler alleging armed robbery, illegal possession of sophisticated arms and murder.
The DIG consequently set up a team of STS men to investigate the allegation which entailed, among other things, visiting the Oruku community.
“Throughout the journey up to the point of killing the Igwe”, wrote then-DIG Joseph Egbunike, “Inspector Dennis had been in communication with Chief Nnamani, and also received the sum of fifty thousand naira (N50,000) from the Chief. The other operatives on the trip also confirmed the communication between them”.
The police immediately dismissed Dennis from service.
Nnamani, meanwhile, had fled to Ghana, and police intelligence officers were able to arrest him last August after he was lured to Nigeria with the bait of a lucrative land deal in Abuja.
“It will be perilous to release any of these grave security risks”, observed a senior officer in the Enugu Police Command who does not want his name in the media because he is not authorised to speak to the press on the issue.
“The courts need to work with security agencies to reduce violent crimes in the state,” he said.
Thirteen other persons have been killed in the small Oruku community since Igwe Mba’s gruesome murder.
There are hardly houses standing in the community as fighters and arsonists have overrun the place, says another senior police officer.
“That’s why it will be exceedingly reckless to allow these fellows to walk out of the correctional centre”, declared Dr. Tony Eze, a law lecturer who is familiar with the murder and the volatile situation in Oruku.
A young man suspected of attempting to steal cables from a transformer was found dead after reportedly being electrocuted along Trademore Road in Lugbe, Abuja, in the early hours of Friday.
The deceased was reportedly found crouched and lifeless near the transformer, with his body said to have become stiff, suggesting he may have been electrocuted when power was restored.
Residents said there had been no electricity supply in the area on Thursday night before the incident occurred.
The discovery attracted a crowd of residents, who expressed concern over the increasing activities of cable vandals in different parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
Rasheed Ogunyemi, a resident of Iddo Seriki along the Airport Road, said residents in his area often contribute money to repair their transformer, only for vandals to return and cut the cables.
The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident, stating that the deceased’s body had been evacuated and deposited at a mortuary in Gwagwalada for autopsy.
More than 60 worshippers are feared to have been kidnapped from the Central Mosque in Dekara town, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, during Jumu’at prayers on Friday.
The incident occurred when suspected terrorists, said to be operating in large numbers, stormed the mosque while the prayers were ongoing.
According to sources, the attackers fired several shots before rounding up some of the worshippers and taking them into the surrounding forest.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Borgu Local Government Area witnessed several security incidents on Friday, including attacks on three communities.
“So many things happened in Borgu LGA on Friday. Terrorists attacked three communities, including Dekara. In Dekara, they went to the Central Mosque while Jumu’at prayer was ongoing and kidnapped more than 60 people. But they did not injure anybody,” the resident said.
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, Oyewole Mayowa Solomon, has died after reportedly collapsing during a party reconciliation meeting in Iyara, the council headquarters.
Solomon reportedly slumped suddenly while participating in the meeting convened on Friday by a former Ijumu council chairman, Funsho Olumoko, as part of efforts to resolve internal disagreements and promote unity among APC stakeholders in the area.
An eyewitness said the incident caused confusion among participants, who immediately attempted to revive the party chairman before rushing him to a hospital in Kabba.
He reportedly died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
The development shocked party leaders and other stakeholders who had gathered for the reconciliation meeting, which was aimed at strengthening the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting was expected to bring together party leaders, ward and local government executives, women and youth leaders, as well as government appointees from the 15 wards in Ijumu.
The incident occurred amid renewed efforts by APC stakeholders in the council to resolve longstanding disagreements and restore unity within the local chapter.
Earlier in the month, party leaders in Ijumu had endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, for second terms.
However, that gathering was reportedly disrupted by disagreements over the leadership of the local government, with Solomon and some other officials said to have walked out of the meeting.
Olumoko, who organised Friday’s reconciliation meeting, had previously been mandated by the Ijumu Consultative Forum to facilitate dialogue among political stakeholders in the council.
Solomon’s sudden death is expected to create fresh uncertainty around the ongoing reconciliation efforts within the Ijumu APC, coming barely two weeks after stakeholders renewed calls for unity ahead of the 2027 elections.
The cause of his death had not been officially disclosed as of the time of filing this report, while efforts to obtain an official reaction from the APC were ongoing.
Tension and grief have gripped the political community in Enugu State following the suspected murder of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairman in Udenu Local Government Area, Chisimdiri Emmanuel Ngwu.
Ngwu, described as one of the longest-serving members of the ADC in the state, was reportedly found dead in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, under circumstances that have raised concerns among his family, friends and political associates.
A family source told our correspondent that Ngwu woke up early on Wednesday, left the house and never returned alive.
The source said the family became worried after they noticed he was missing, only to later discover his lifeless body outside the compound.
“We woke up and didn’t see him, only to discover his lifeless body in front of our compound,” the source said.
The source further alleged that scratches were found around Ngwu’s neck and that his neck appeared to have been twisted backwards, raising suspicions about the circumstances of his death.
The incident has sparked concern within the ADC in Udenu and the wider political community in Enugu State, with calls for security agencies to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring anyone found responsible to justice.
Meanwhile, two persons have reportedly been arrested in connection with the incident.
Their identities and the specific circumstances surrounding their arrest were not immediately known as of press time.
Ngwu’s death has since sent shock waves through the ADC, with party members and associates mourning his death and demanding a transparent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Anambra State Police Command has uncovered the circumstances surrounding the alleged murder of a 56-year-old man, Mr Kelechi Madu, in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area, two days after he was reported missing.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, August 21, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who said the breakthrough followed a coordinated search and investigation by police operatives, local vigilantes and members of the deceased’s family.
Madu was reported missing by his wife on August 18, after he reportedly left home on the evening of August 17 and failed to return.
According to the Command, the search for the missing man took a grim turn later that day when his wife returned to the police station to report that he had been found dead in a nearby bush at Umuobi, Awkuzu.
Police operatives immediately mobilised to the scene, where they found Madu’s lifeless body with a deep axe wound to his head. His remains were subsequently evacuated and deposited at a hospital mortuary for preservation.
Following the discovery, detectives intensified their investigation and arrested the deceased’s 32-year-old friend, Mr Ifeanyi Nwankwo, who allegedly confessed to being involved in the planning of the killing.
Preliminary findings by the Command indicated that Nwankwo allegedly obtained money from Madu through fraudulent means, claiming he would assist him in acquiring a piece of land.
Police alleged that the suspect subsequently engaged two other persons to eliminate Madu in an attempt to conceal the alleged fraudulent transaction and prevent the victim from recovering the money.
The Command said two other suspects linked to the alleged plot were also arrested, bringing the number of persons apprehended in connection with the case to four.
The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, has directed investigators to intensify the probe and identify every person involved in the alleged conspiracy and murder.
The CP vowed that all persons found culpable would be brought to justice.
The Command, through Ikenga, assured residents that it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led policing and community partnerships to prevent violent crimes, uncover criminal networks and ensure that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
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