Unknown gunmen in the early hours of Monday, 30th May, 2022, invaded the premises of Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS), Awada, Onitsha station.
It was gathered that the gunmen who believed to be part of the rampaging group that have terrorising parts of Anambra these past months.
The gunmen set a building on fire, a bus, and a vehicle parked in the premises belonging to a staff who had worked overnight.
Confirming the incident to newsmen, the spokesperson of the state police command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said no life was lost in the attack.
He said:
”Following a distress call today 30/5/2022 at about 4:30am of a case of arson in Anambra State Broadcasting Station Idemili North, the Police Operatives responded swiftly and prevented the hoodlums from causing damage on the structure.
Unfortunately two of operational vehicle belonging to station was affected. No life was lost.
Meanwhile, the station has been cordoned off and Operation is still ongoing in the area. Further development shall be communicated please.”
Former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha has been remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Naija News reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja gave the order on Monday during the arraignment of the presidential aspirant by the EFCC over alleged N2.9bn corruption charges.
The EFCC had earlier arraigned Okorocha, an ally to the former governor, Anyim Nyerere Chinenye and five companies on a 17-count money laundering charge.
Dressed in his usual green coloured Agbada with a brown cap to match, Okorocha who is wearing a pensive mood was made to sit near a dock where his plea on the fraud charges against him would be taken this morning.
Okorocha’s usual smiles and waiving of the handkerchief to admirers were completely absent in his mood in the courtroom.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo ordered that both Okorocha and Chinenye be detained in EFCC custody pending the determination of their bail applications.
The presiding judge, however, adjourned till Tuesday for the hearing of the accused bail applications.
Recall that the nation’s anti-graft agency last week forcefully broke into the Abuja residence of the Senator representing Imo-West
The EFCC had forcefully invaded the premises, using teargas to disperse journalists from the compound. The commission accused Okorocha of refusing to honour invitations to him after jumping the administrative bail granted to him following allegations of stealing public funds to the tune of 2.9 billion Naira.
Nigerian skit maker, Oga Sabinus, has slammed a N1bn suit on Friesland Foods Wamco Nigeria, the makers of Peak milk, for alleged intellectual property theft.
He also sued UAC Food LTD, makers of Gala Sausage Roll, for N100M for using his image for an ad without his permission.
The Port Harcourt based skit makers alleged that his slogan “something hooge” was used in a peak advert.
His lawyer said, “The post gathered massive traffic, and engagements and attracted huge followership to your page which only happened because the picture of our client was used for the promotion and advert.”
There seems to be an issue between Nollywood actress Annie Idibia and her husband, 2face Idibia as she has unfollowed him on Instagram.
This comes barely a few weeks after 2face’s baby mama Pero Adeniyi took to his Instagram page to shower love on the singer for being a doting father and spending quality time with her daughter during a school game in the US.
Sharing a photo of the duo, Pero Adeniyi described 2face as her daughter’s number one cheerleader and loudest track dad.
2face also took to his Instagram story to share adorable moments with his three kids whom he had with Pero Adeniyi.
In the series of posts, 2face was seen beaming with smiles and vibing with his children.
However, it seemed this didn’t go well with Annie Idibia as she unfollowed her husband on the photo and video sharing app, Instagram.
Although, 2face is still following Annie Idibia and it is uncertain if the singer and his wife are having issues.
Often times when a couple unfollows each other on social media, it is always assumed that they might be having some issue in their marriage.
Over 20 people are feared dead just before the commencement of a programme organised by a new generation church in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Though, the church known as ‘Kings Assembly’ is located in the GRA axis of the state capital, the programme was at the Polo Club in the to accomodate the usual large congregation
A witness stated that the incident occurred during the church’s gift and food items distribution to celebrate its fourth anniversary.
According to the source, people arrived since Friday while others arrived as early as 6.30am this morning for an event that was supposed to start by 9am.
He said some persons who were supposed to have a sports session arrived at about 8am and opened the small gate which gave the surging crowd an opportunity to force their way in, resulting in the stampede.
“The incident happened this morning. The church invited people for it’s fourth edition of food and gift items distribution. Some came since Friday while many others came as early as 6.30am on Saturday.
“Those who were engaged in sporting activities opened the small gate and the surging crowd wanted to gain access through the small gate and got stampeded. I counted about 21 one dead bodies on the ground,” he said.
He said many victims had been taken to an undisclosed hospital in Port Harcourt.
The acting spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident to newsmen, but could not give a figure just yet.
“I am doing a press statement on the incident. It would be released soon,” she stated.
Yellow, a thirty year old turtle that fifteen years ago arrived at the Sea Life Aquarium in Benalmádena (Málaga) from the Cayman Islands, has predicted that Liverpool will win the Champions League final against Real Madrid today in Paris.
The keepers of this animal have prepared two containers about two meters apart with a broccoli leaf in each one – which represented the rivals in this final – and, when it was lowered into the pond where the turtle was, it went to its left side, where there was the image of the English team.
Paul the octopus
The turtle aspires to become the best student of other visionary animals, such as Paul the octopus, who rose to fame in 2010 after correctly predicting eight matches of the 2010 World Cup, including Spain’s victory over the Netherlands in the Final played in Johannesburg (South Africa) on July 11.
The marketing director of Sea Life Benalmádena, María Morondo, pointed out that Yellow, who weighs more than 100 kilos, is “the star of the Jurassic tunnel” and many visitors ask about him, although she hopes that on this occasion the animal is wrong so that the Spanish team led by Carlo Ancelotti wins.
The choice of Yellow, who has prowled for several minutes both broccoli leaves without opting for any of them in a clear sign that it will be a hotly contested final, has left the aquarium workers upset, who expected the turtle to choose the food with the image of Real Madrid.
Liverpool goes for revenge
Real Madrid and Liverpool meet again in the Champions League Final, as happened in 2018, when the Spanish team defeated the English side 3-1 with two goals from Gareth Bale and one from Karim Benzema, while Liverpool’s goal was scored by Sadio Mané.
Ace broadcaster and owner of Agidigbo FM, Oriyomi Hamzat, has been released by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
Hamzat was released on bail to his lawyers early this morning (Friday).
Recall that this newspaper had reported that Hamzat, who had consistently advocated for justice in a murder case involving Hilton Hotel, Ile-Ife owner, Chief Rahman Adedoyin, was arrested on Thursday morning.
The police claimed that the Ibadan-based broadcaster ignored their invitation severally, stating that the broadcaster is under investigation.
Agidigbo 88.7FM and Hamzat’s supporters had complained that the media entrepreneur was whisked to Abuja by officers of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) over his call for justice on the murder of a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke.
His arrest had elicited the #FreeOriyomiHamzat hashtag on social media.
The lawmaker representing Anambra North senatorial district, Stella Oduah, has broken her silence on the reports claiming she did not complete her National Youth Service Corps.
A group identified as Concerned Anambra North Peoples Democratic Party Stakeholders had asked NYSC to validate the former Minister of Aviation’s claim of losing her certificate.
The Director-General of the service in response to the request disclosed that Oduah was mobilised for national service in the 1982/83 service year and was deployed to Lagos State.
He, however, stated that Oduah absconded after the orientation and never completed the service.
Oduah while reacting to the scandal shared a photo of her in NYSC uniform and a letter from NECA confirming that completed her service year.
The lawmaker in a statement released through her media aide, Ezennia Nonso Chukwudebe, said she “served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association personally signed by the Director-General, O.A Oshinowo.”
The statement reads, “*RE: THE VIRAL STORY OF THE ALLEGED SENATOR STELLA ODUAH NYSC ABSCONDMENT.*
“Our attention has just been drawn to a publication that makes a most spurious claim to the effect that the Distinguished Senator representing Anambra North, Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah OON, absconded from the National Youth Service Corps program.
“Ordinarily we would never dignify such antics with a response but we deemed it necessary to put out this statement for the benefit of gullible minds that are being targeted by political jobbers whose stock in trade is churning out such concocted rubbish every election cycle, especially when it is becoming glaring that they are receiving the short end of the political stick.
“The Distinguished Senator indeed served meritoriously at NECA in 1982 as can be confirmed from this 11th January 2017 clarification from the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association personally signed by the Director-General, O.A Oshinowo.
“How her opponents have suddenly resorted to circulating this story which is completely at variance with the position of the agency where she did her primary assignment, is an issue every keen mind should focus on and we are by this publication, giving the NYSC sometime to put out a disclaimer as we firmly believe this letter to be fake.
“Unfortunately we live in climes where such unsubstantiated stories travel fast and it is more worrisome that some mainstream media outlets appear to be sucked into this viral vortex of deceit.
“Senator Stella Oduah did not only serve meritoriously but would go on to work in the NNPC, a Federal Government establishment, for the next nine years!
“Nigerians need to understand that the persons behind the fake letter currently doing the rounds are desperate, despondent and out of their wits end for they instinctively appreciate the fact that the Distinguished Senator is one leader that continues to be appreciated and loved for her many people-oriented programs and no amount of sponsored media mudslinging can obliterate this fact.
“This is election season and it is expected to see such antics by weak traducers whose understanding of politicking is engaging in mindless subterfuge against aspirants rightly perceived as strong.
“Unfortunately for them, they are deploying the same failed strategy that has never managed to stop the Distinguished Senator at the polls and one would expect that they’d restrategize.
“Senator Stella Oduah remains strong, in very high spirits and is looking forward to the election proper.”
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State on Wednesday evening declared a curfew in seven Local Government Areas of the State.
The seven Local Government includes Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Orumba North and Orumba South.
The governor made the declaration in a statewide broadcast on Wednesday.
The curfew which takes effect from Friday will be in force until normalcy returns to the affected areas.
“With effect from tomorrow, Friday, 26th May, 2022, a 6pm to 6am curfew is hereby placed on motorcycles (okada), tricycles (keke), and shuttle buses in Aguata, Ihiala, Ekwusigo, Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ogbaru, Orumba North and Orumba South Local Governments until further notice.
“Also, motorcycles, keke and shuttle buses are banned from operating in these local governments on Mondays until the Sit-at-Home completely stops,” he said.
Naija News reports that Soludo declared the curfew following an increase in killings and attacks on government properties by unknown gunmen who many believe to be members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Senator Stella Oduah’s bid to return to the Nigerian Senate through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket may have suffered a set back.
This is coming as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) says the lawmaker representing Anambra-North senatorial district did not complete the mandatory one-year NYSC programme.
The NYSC in a letter marked NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/Vol III by the Director-General of the NYSC which was signed on his behalf by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Eddy Megwa, said Oduah commenced her NYSC programme in 1982 but absconded.
According to The PUNCH, the letter was in response to an inquiry by a group known as the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders.
The group had in a previous letter written to the NYSC accused some of its officials of colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.
In its response, titled, ‘Re: Doubtful NYSC Participation Collusion of Some Unscrupulous Staff of NYSC Concerning Stella Adaeze Oduah (Senator), Save the Image and Reputation of the Scheme’, the NYSC denied colluding with Oduah to hide the truth.
The letter read in part, “In response to your request, we wish to state that the facts of the matter remain as follows: Stella Adaeze Oduah was mobilised for national service in 1982/1983 service year and deployed to Lagos State.
“After the orientation course, she absconded and never completed the national service. The consequence of this is that she is not qualified for the issuance of the certificate of national service.”
Section 2 (1) of the NYSC Act makes it obligatory for every Nigerian who graduates to “make himself available for service for a continuous period of one year from the date specified in the call-up instrument served upon him.”
According to the NYSC Act, the four categories of individuals exempted from the national service are those who graduated above the age of 30, those who have served in the Armed Forces or the Nigeria Police for a period of more than nine months; those who served in intelligence organisations and individuals who bagged national honours before graduation.
It remains unclear how Oduah’s failure to complete her NYSC escaped the scrutiny of agencies like the Department of State Services which usually vet ministerial nominees.
In her form CF001 forms submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission in 2019, Oduah claimed that she completed her NYSC but her certificate was missing along with other credentials.
An affidavit she deposed to read in part, “Sometime in 2010 while in transit from Akili Ozizor in Ogbaru local government area to Abuja, I discovered that some of my personal belongings were missing.
“The missing documents are the originals of my West African School Certificate of 1978 from Zixon Secondary School Ozubulu, First School Leaving Certificate from St. John Odoakpu Onitsha; Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Certificate 1982 from St. Paul’s College Lawrence Virginia USA; National Youth Service Corps certificate 1983, national identity card, United States of America Social Security card with numbers in it.”
Oduah had served as Minister of Aviation before she was relieved of her duties by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
The PUNCH reports that the group, Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders had petitioned the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The group asked the PDP to disqualify Oduah who has been screened to contest in the primary.
The group in a letter dated April 26, 2022, attached all necessary evidence to the party. However, there had been no response.
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