March 4, 2024
The Nigerian Army troops say they successfully cleared IPOB/ESN hideout at Ihiteukwa Community in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State, neutralising one IPOB/ESN terrorist after an intense firefight on Saturday.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, made this known in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Nwachukwu said the troops conducted a search in their hideout and recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one Toyota Highlander SUV, and one Hilux vehicle after overpowering the criminals.
He said that other items recovered include eight rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, six rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition, and one locally fabricated single barrel gun.
“Other items recovered from the terrorists’ hideout include a pair of proscribed Biafran uniforms, one solar panel, and one CCTV camera.
“Troops also recovered 10 mobile phones, batteries, a bundle of proscribed Biafran currency, three solar street lights, three jungle hats, pairs of black boots, and assorted charms,” he said.
Nwachukwu said the troops had, in another encounter, engaged IPOB/ESN terrorists at their crossing point in the Akawa Nneato area of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia.
He said the troops engaged the terrorists in a firefight, resulting in the terrorists scampering in disarray into nearby bushes.
“On exploiting further after the shootout, troops recovered one AK-47 rifle loaded with 19 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunition, two empty magazines, and one FN rifle loaded with four rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunition.
“In another development, troops operating in the Kawara general area of Birnin Gwari Forest in Kaduna State have cleared and destroyed a series of terrorists’ camps in the area.
“During the operation, troops recovered three motorbikes, one PKT Gun link containing 246 rounds of 7.62mm by 39mm ammunition, one woodland camouflage, and a pair of Desert boots.
“Other items recovered include three magazine carriers and one Boafeng Radio.
“Troops have dominated the general area and conducting further exploits in pursuit of the insurgents.
“The Nigerian Army remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of citizens and will continue to sustain operations to sanitise troubled areas in order to restore peace and stability in the country,” he added.
February 26, 2024
Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Imo state, South-East Nigeria, have urged the state’s House of Assembly to pass a resolution compelling the State Governor, Hope Uzodimma to conduct local government elections before May 2024.
Speaking at a joint news conference in Owerri on Sunday, the groups noted that the last time Imo held LG election was in August 2018, and that even then, the set of LGA officials elected were sacked in May 2019 when Governor Hope Uzodimma came to power.
The CSOs which included the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, Christian Aid, and the Tax Justice and Governance Platform therefore noted that the people of the state are no longer progressing as they should due to the absence of leadership at the LG level.
They gave Gov. Hope Uzodimma a three-month ultimatum within which to conduct local government elections in the state.
In the statement they read at the press conference entitled “Imo State Economic Challenges and Debt Management amid Economic Uncertainties in Nigeria,” the state Coordinator of Tax Justice and Governance Platform, Mr Chibundu Uchegbu, said the need for the LG elections was long due.
Uchegbu said: “The people of the state are no longer progressing as they should due to the absence of leadership at the LG level.
“The last time Imo held LG election was in August 2018 with the set of elected LGA officials disbanded in less than one year in office – specifically in May 2019 – by a successive government.
“Since that time to date, the affairs of LG system in the state are being run by unelected officials, therefore, denying the people their democratic rights, aspirations and privileges.
“This is a clear violation of Section 7 (1) of 1999 Constitution as amended, which says “The system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the government of every state shall subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a Law, which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance functions of such councils.”
He said that in spite of the huge sums of money injected into their treasury from the Federation Account Allocation Committee on monthly basis, LGs are not living up to their responsibilities to the people in grassroots.
“This is because the State Government prefers to use appointees to run the affairs of the LGAs,” he said.
They urged the State Government not to interfere in the activities of the LG Chairmen when they were elected to enable them to function optimally.
December 28, 2023
News coming in from Imo state Police Command, has confirmed that an officer attached to the Command; Cosmas Ugwu, has been shot dead by his girlfriend.
Ugwu was shot dead on Tuesday by his 23-year-old lover, who was identified as Amanda Uchechi Ugo, a native of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
The incident occurred around 6:30 pm on Boxing Day at the Ezinihitte Area Command. Officers on counter duty were said to have heard three gunshots from the room being occupied by the deceased officer.
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When police officers ran into the room to see what was going on, they found Corporal Ugwu lying in a pool of his blood.
The girl shot him three times in his chest and his left hand. He was rushed immediately to Evergreen Hospital in Ezinihitte, where he was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty.
The Officer was said to have had an altercation with his Girlfriend which led to her grabbing his rifle and shooting him thrice.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident and stated that the girl has since been arrested, pending further investigations.
Unknown Gunmen attacked the convoy of a former governor of Imo State; Senator Rochas Okorocha, leading to the death of a Police man attached to him.
Okorocha’s convoy was attacked at Ihube community on the Okigwe-Enugu Expressway, notorious for the numerous attacks and Kidnap of travellers on that route.
Okorocha revealed the attack on his convoy on Sunday at Amaimo in the Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State, at the birthday celebration of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the November 11 governorship election in Imo state, Samuel Anyanwu.
The former governor described the killing of the cop as “unfortunate,” saying the deceased was one of the policemen deployed from state Government House to take to the burial ceremony of the mother of the immediate past governor of Imo State Emeka Ihedioha.
The the vehicles in the convoy, including a Sports Utility Vehicle, a bus and a Hilux, were riddled by the assailants’ bullets.
Two other security agents we said to have been kidnapped by the attackers but were released same day.
