News
Panel of enquiry: Enugu Monarch dismisses allegations of high handedness, intimidation, others
..urges panel to scrutinize his evidence
By Our Reporter
The Traditional ruler of Amankanu Community in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, HRH, Igwe Bennett Ikenna has publicly denied all the allegations made against him by some aggrieved community members.
Igwe made this denials during a public hearing organized by a 6 man committee panel of enquiry on Thursday at Amankanu square while responding to the 25 petitions written against him by some individuals and group of people in the community.
Recall that Igwe Ikenna was suspended by the Honourable commissioner for Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development & Chieftancy Affairs, Deacon Okey Ogbodo on the 17th of March 2025 and panel of enquiry was set up to address the issue.
These allegations, documented in 25 petitions, include highhandedness, intimidation, illegal sale of community and individual lands, cutting down valuable trees, adulteration, mismanagement of community funds and others.
Igwe Ikenna responded to the accusations leveled against him in accordance with local customs, he removed his shoes and held his ofo staff which is the symbols of truth and honesty.
He claimed that the petitioners are motivated by hatred and political rivalry, particularly since many of them had contested against him in elections and lost. He explained that the conflicts date back to the time of Governor Ugwuanyi’s administration, suggesting that political issues have fueled ongoing tensions.
“Most of the people that brought petition here have been writing petitions during the tenure of Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. To answer my question, this has been escalating since the time of Gov. Ugwuanyi. They are doing it out of hatred and jealousy.
“This village we are now and other village, Amanzugba used town crier to announced that anybody who votes for me will pay N20,000 as well be excommunicated and since then, the two communities are still on my neck. And I want to tell you that most of the people that wrote petition did so because they contested against me and failed.
“All I am appealing is for you to scrutinize my evidence. I know that the truth must be revealed. There is nothing to say here that’s not written in my evidence. One thing is that the enemies of the community do not clearly want me and they never voted for me. There is nothing to do for somebody who hate you, for him to love you.
“I will take the last petitioner, I cannot say that I and cabinet members did not seal the health center, the nurse in that hospital, Nkechi went and brought one boy and introduced him as her husband and they started selling Indian helm in the hospital. They turned the hospital to herbs selling but after few weeks of sealing to rectify the whole thing, we opened it.
Earlier, the chairman of Administrative Panel of Enquiry,
Amankanu Community, HRH Igwe Hycenth Eze, emphasized the importance of peace, unity, and community development.
He highlighted that Amankanu has remained relatively peaceful compared to other communities experiencing violence, attributing this to divine grace.
The chairman urged community members to seek understanding and for traditional rulers and legal professionals to promote peace as the foundation for progress.
“I want to use this opportunity to tell you people that Amankanu have good luck because there is a community if they are having this kind of issue, all you will be hearing is that about 5, 7 or 10 person were killed around so, so place but I have not heard such bad news.
“But by the grace of God nobody has been reported killed because human beings are sacred. it’s true that temptation came and nobody was killed in the process. Thank God for the grace.
“Anybody that loves a leader should not only praise him asking him not to worry, the day he will worry, it will be bad. If not that I am a lover of lawyers, I would have said that they don’t help us, but eventually, I have three lawyers in my house. What lawyers should do is to advise not to claim right. Claiming right those not bring peace. What brings peace is understanding.
“What bring progress is peace, I was wondering when will we reach Amankanu without knowing that it’s a thick forest like this. Sorry to say that. I couldn’t find a good building here. But I am asking God who gave us Gov. Peter Mbah that is doing all these work in Enugu State that after today, good things will start happening here in Amankanu.
“There are some certain things we do and thought is wisdom but it’s foolishness. Some of you will have a good house in Enugu but don’t have anything in your father’s land. May be I will see the main Amankanu Community next time I will come. I enjoined all the traditional rulers here and lawyers to advice people about peace because it’s only peace that bring progress and development.
By Chinedu Sabastine
ENUGU — Umuchigbo Iji Nike Autonomous Community in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State has fixed Sunday, September 13, 2026, for its annual New Yam Festival.
The cultural celebration, which is scheduled to commence at 3 p.m., is being organised under the leadership of the Executive Chairman of Umuchigbo, Hon. Chief Afam Joseph Ogbene, popularly known as Akirika Chioku 1, Na Nike Kingdom.
The festival is expected to showcase the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the people of Umuchigbo and Umuenwene in Iji Nike Autonomous Community, while promoting unity and communal bonding.
Ogbene, in an invitation to the festival, described the celebration as an opportunity for the people to preserve their cultural heritage, strengthen community ties and give thanks for the year’s harvest.
He said, “Our New Yam Festival is more than a cultural celebration. It is a time for us to come together as one people, appreciate our heritage and give thanks for the blessings of the year.”
According to him, the event will also provide an opportunity for sons and daughters of the community, as well as friends and well-wishers, to reconnect and celebrate together.
“We are inviting everyone to come and celebrate with us. It is a celebration of our culture, our community and thanksgiving for the new yam season,” he added.
According to the invitation, activities will commence at Ogbene’s residence on Akirika Chioku Avenue, Nome Ogba Aniji Road, Umuchigbo, before proceeding to Obodoeze Iji Village Square, Odangene, for the New Yam rites and masquerade display.
The event will also feature traditional cuisine, music and other forms of cultural entertainment.
The organisers urged sons and daughters of Umuchigbo, friends, well-wishers and members of the public to join the community in celebrating the festival.
The Nigerian Army has announced a major reshuffle of senior officers, with several major generals and brigadier generals redeployed to key command, operational and administrative positions.
The changes, approved by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, are aimed at strengthening the Army’s operational effectiveness.
Major General IA Ajose has been appointed the new Theatre Commander of the Joint Task Force North East, Operation HADIN KAI. He moves from the Department of Army Operations at Army Headquarters to take charge of military operations against insurgency in the North-East.
Other notable appointments include:
Major General AE Abubakar — Dean, Faculty of Operational Research, Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.
Major General AM Alechenu — Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre.
Major General RT Utsaha — Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison.
Major General AM Umar — Commandant, Army War College Nigeria.
Major General UM Alkali — Director, Department of Civil-Military Affairs.
Major General GS Muhammed — Director General, Nigerian Army Finance Corporation.
Major General JE Osifo — Chairman, Military Pension Board.
Major General IE Ekpenyong — Director of Engineering Services, Defence Logistics, Defence Headquarters.
The reshuffle also affects several brigadier generals, including Brigadier General AA Bello, Brigadier General MS Adamu, Brigadier General MS Sule, Brigadier General I Sule, Brigadier General E Azenda and Brigadier General AS Bugaje, who have all been assigned to new command or administrative roles.
The Chief of Army Staff directed the newly posted officers to carry out their responsibilities with professionalism, dedication and a strong sense of duty.
More than 24 feared dead in suspected poisoning incident in Ondo
More than 24 people have reportedly died following a suspected poisoning incident in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The deaths were recorded in Araromi-Obu, Orita New Town and Odigbo communities, while several other residents affected by the incident are receiving treatment at various hospitals.
The Chairman of Odigbo Local Government Area, Taiwo Adegoroye, confirmed the incident but said he could not provide further details until medical experts conduct a professional assessment and determine the cause of the deaths and illnesses.
As a precaution, the local government has restricted the sale and consumption of sachet herbal concoctions and similar drinks being hawked in the affected communities.
Residents have been advised to avoid suspicious herbal mixtures, unverified sachet products and other substances of uncertain origin pending the outcome of medical examinations and laboratory tests.
Authorities are expected to carry out further investigations to establish the source of the suspected poisoning and confirm the exact cause of the deaths.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Residents of Umudimishi Village, Umuoru, in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, have petitioned Governor Chukwuma Soludo over the worsening menace of gully erosion allegedly caused by illegal and unregulated sand mining activities in the community.
The villagers said about 120 buildings are currently threatened by the expanding gully, with some residents already making arrangements to relocate for fear of losing their homes to the erosion.
In the petition addressed to Governor Soludo and copied to the state Ministries of Environment and Works, the villagers alleged that the activities of sand miners posed a serious threat to human lives, property and the continued existence of the community.
The petition, signed by the Chairman of Umudimishi Development Union, Nze Ibeabuchi Umeugochukwu, stated that several homes in the area were located only a few metres from the mining sites and had consequently become vulnerable to erosion.
The villagers said: “Many homesteads in Umudimishi are close to and along the line of mining by few metres and, as a result, stand eroded in the course of this ecological problem fueled by unregulated sand mining.”
They further alleged that the erosion menace was largely triggered by human activities, particularly unregulated sand mining along the Aguata-Orumba axis, where they said the soil structure was highly susceptible to erosion.
According to them, “Erosion menace is being triggered by human factor of unregulated sand mining, especially as it is in Aguata-Orumba Axis where the sand structure is prone to erosion, which is the major environmental hazard in the region.”
The community also claimed that sand mining had become the major source of environmental crises affecting Umudimishi Quarter, Umuoru Village and Uga generally.
Beyond the environmental consequences, the villagers expressed concern that the availability of quick money from sand mining was discouraging youths from learning vocational skills.
They said many youths now preferred sand mining to acquiring skills, while the worsening erosion had also discouraged residents and prospective investors from establishing businesses in the area.
The villagers therefore appealed to Governor Soludo to permanently shut down the mining sites in Umudimishi to prevent further deterioration of the already deplorable environmental situation.
They also urged the governor to direct the appropriate agency of the Anambra State Government to conduct an on-the-spot assessment of the erosion sites and produce a comprehensive report with recommendations on how to tackle the problem and reclaim lands already lost to erosion.
The petitioners said urgent intervention by the state government was necessary to protect lives, homes and the remaining land in the community from further destruction.
News
Major Generals to Receive Up to ₦25.91m Yearly as Tinubu Approves New Military Pension Structure
The Federal Government has approved a new pensionable salary structure for personnel of the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force, effective September 1, 2026.
The approval was communicated in a circular issued on September 3 by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
Under the new structure, the highest-ranking officers—Generals, Admirals and Air Chief Marshals—have annual pensionable salaries ranging from ₦21.9 million to ₦29.75 million, depending on their salary steps. The highest figure is equivalent to about ₦2.48 million monthly when divided by 12.
Other approved pensionable salary ranges include:
Lieutenant Generals, Vice Admirals and Air Marshals: ₦16.99m–₦25.91m annually.
Major Generals, Rear Admirals and Air Vice Marshals: ₦14.98m–₦23.9m.
Brigadier Generals, Commodores and Air Commodores: ₦13.86m–₦16.39m.
Colonels, Captains and Group Captains: ₦8.31m–₦9.49m.
Lieutenant Colonels, Commanders and Wing Commanders: ₦7.55m–₦8.74m.
Majors, Lieutenant Commanders and Squadron Leaders: ₦5.99m–₦7.01m.
Captains, Lieutenants and Flight Lieutenants: ₦5.28m–₦6.42m.
Second Lieutenants, Midshipmen and Pilot Officers: ₦4.92m–₦5.59m.
The new schedule also covers non-commissioned personnel. Warrant Officers have pensionable salaries ranging from ₦4.53 million to ₦5.17 million annually, while Privates, Ordinary Seamen and Aircraftmen fall within the range of ₦2.28 million to ₦2.49 million.
The government, however, clarified that the figures are pensionable salaries used to calculate retirement benefits and should not be interpreted as the actual monthly salaries or take-home pay of serving military personnel.
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