THE NATION MONDAY NOVEMBER 10, 2014
9
NEWS
Three killed as police, kidnappers battle HE Police Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Anambra State and a six-man gang of suspected kidnappers yesterday engaged in a gun battle at Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government. Three suspects died in the incident. A victim, Mrs. Edith Maduekwe, who was kidnapped by the suspects on October 4 at Oba in Idemili South Local Government, was rescued at Oraukwu in Idemili North Council. Seven hundred and seventy-six thousand naira, which was part of the N1.4million ransom paid by the victim’s family, was recovered. Items recovered from the suspects included one Ak-47 rifle with 90 rounds, one pump action gun with 10 live cartridges, charms, etc. Parading the suspects, police spokesman Uche Ezeh said the leader of the gang, Charlie Parker, had been on the wanted list for four years. He said acting on a tip-off, the SARS Commander, James Nwafor, led his men
T
•17 arrested for child trafficking, car snatching From Nwanosike Onu, Awka
to Okpoko where the suspects were sharing the ransom. According to him, when the suspects saw the police, they opened fire. Ezeh said three suspects were killed, while three were arrested with injuries, adding that one of them led the police to where the victim was rescued, before he died. He said the suspects demanded N50million from the victim’s family before the amount was reduced to N1.4million, which was paid to them. Seventeen suspects were paraded by the command for vandalism, rape, child trafficking and car snatching. Two women were apprehended for allegedly involving in child trafficking at Ihiala. One of the women, 32year-old Oluchi Eze, was said to own a brothel (Mancho Hotels) at Uli in
Ihiala Local Government. She was allegedly involved in selling a child for N400,000 with Ikenna Nzomiwu (at large), after snatching the baby from Chinyere Ohamuzo. They allegedly carried out the child trafficking on October 28 at Uli in Ihiala Local Government. Also, 22-year-old Chidiebere Ohanome from Unuobo village in Okija allegedly sold her son to an un-named woman for N200,000 after delivery in Onitsha. She told The Nation that she wanted to abort the pregnancy, but was allegedly lured into child trafficking by one Dozie. Others paraded included four men arrested for alleged car snatching. They are 26-year-old Chigozie Obeleagu from Imo State, 25-year-old Kelechukwu Okoye from Orlu in Imo State, 56- yearold Peter Nnadika, also from Imo State and 38-year-
old Oliver Adaonu from Nsukka in Enugu State. Chibuzor Udensi from Okija, Okoli Udochukwu, Onyemechi Chibueze and Asuquo Effiong from AkwaIbom were paraded for allegedly vandalising the property of the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The command also paraded Ezenwoko Fred, who claimed to be a student of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State for alleged robbery. The “final year Electrical/ Electronics Engineering student”, who hails from Ebema, Omoku in Rivers State, claimed he was given a pistol by his friend, Frank, to intimidate a girl, who refused to yield to his advances after collecting his money. The police spokesman said the suspects would be investigated and prosecuted. He urged parents to monitor their children, saying the command would make the state crime-free.
Civil defence parades six suspected pipeline vandals From Ugochukwu Ugoji-Eke, Umuahia
T
HE Abia State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has paraded six men suspected to be oil pipeline vandals. The suspects were caught digging a hole to set their valve on the pipeline to steal oil. The NSCDC Commandant, Andy Dateer, said in Umuahia, Abia State capital that his men were determined to rid the state of vandals. He said his men arrested the men while digging a hole to mount their valve on the pipeline to siphon petroleum products. The NSCDC boss said two of the suspects, Stephen Onwueje and Chisom Maduabuchi, claimed they were workers of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) working with the surveillance team. Dateer said he wondered what the two men were doing at midnight in the heavy rain, wearing boxers and holding rods, cutlasses, screw drivers, hand drill, among others; digging around a pipeline. He named the other suspects as Echefula Omeihi, 30, a farmer, who hails from Ekeakpara village in Osisioma Local Government and Chidiadi Sunday, 28, of Ugbo’s compound, Umuagbai in Umuele Osisioma Local Government. The rest are Ahamefula Emmanuel, 31, a driver from Akpunaekpu village in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government and Nkemjika Egbufor, 30, from Ekeakpara village in Osisioma Council. The NSCDC commandant said other items recovered included two motorcycles, hammers, rain boots, one big valve, touch light and rods. He said his command was determined to rid the state of pipeline vandals. Dateer thanked Governor Theodore Orji for his support and the security agencies for their co-operation. He said the suspects would soon be arraigned. The NSCDC boss enjoined the public to be vigilant.
Why I visited Ojukwu’s grave, by Umeh
T
•The suspected car snatchers from left: Obeleagu, Okoye, Nnadika and Adaonu, at the SARS office...yesterday. Inset: Money and items recovered.
Ex-minister, SSG, commissioner make Ebonyi PDP delegates’ list T HE crisis in the Ebonyi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened at the weekend, as a faction claimed it conducted the local government congress. The Chairman, Ben Akpa, claimed that there was no congress, as the committee sent by the national secretariat refused to conduct the congress. He said: “They (the committee) insisted that they wanted to use the list of returning officers, signed by the deputy chairman, instead of the one submitted by the state working committee and the substantive chairman. So, we argued it and they insisted that unless they were allowed to use the deputy chairman’s list, the elections would not hold. “He (committee chairman) also said he got a call that unless he used the list from Abuja, he was not to conduct the election. After saying that he got up and left.”
From Ogochukwu Anioke, Abakaliki
But the Acting Chairman Onwe Joseph Onwe-led faction claimed it conducted the congress. It said the former Minister of Culture and Tourism, Amb. Frank Ogbuewu, Senator Nguji Ngele, a former commissioner in Martin Elechi’s administration, Dr. Norah Aloh and 10 others emerged as elected national delegates for the national congress. The faction said 513 ward delegates emerged through the congresses conducted on November 1. Others on the faction’s national delegates lists included Sunday Igwewa, Chief Tony Abel, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, Emmanuel Mbaechina, Bonny Ofoke, Prof. Ozo Nwke Ozo, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG). Onwe said despite the ploy
by some elements to cause disaffection, the exercise went peacefully because of the maturity and disposition of the people to democratic tenets. A section of the PDP in the state expressed reservations about the conduct of the elections. Onwe said the elected delegates at the three-man ad hoc ward congresses and the national delegates were men and women of proven integrity. He said the party had no doubt that the delegates
would represent the party well, having occupied positions of authority at the state and national levels. Onwe thanked the National Working Committee and the panels, which conducted the exercise, for their patience and dexterity. “We hail the dexterity shown by the panels sent to Ebonyi State to conduct the congresses, particularly the Chairman of the National Delegate Congress Committee, Dr. Willy Ogbeide and the members,” he said.
HE National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has said he visited the grave of Ikemba Nnewi Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu because of what he stood for in Igbo land and Nigeria. Umeh, who is vying for the Anambra Central seat on his party’s platform, visited Ojukwu’s grave at Nnewi last Thursday to mark the third anniversary of his birthday. He was accompanied by the Sole Administrator of Nnewi North Council, Chukwuemeka Ojukwu (Jnr.), APGA chieftains, among others. Umeh, addressing a crowd, said those who left APGA, thinking it would die, would be disappointed, adding that the party was growing. He said it would win elective positions in the general elections. The APGA national chair-
From Nwanosike Onu, Awka
man said the late Ojukwu stood for justice. His words: “There is nothing we do for our hero that will be too much. We will continue to adore him, we will continue to worship him, we will continue to remember him in our homes, groups and party. “Our leader, we know you are seeing us. We have come to pay you respect. Ndigbo are proud of you, but it is unfortunate that those you prepared for future have deserted you. “Those people are not true sons of Igbo land. Anybody who does not recognise your worth and what you stood for in Igbo land, will not be recognised anywhere.” Umeh said he would be the last person in Igbo land, who would forget what Ojukwu did for Ndigbo, adding that his visit to his grave was to show him respect.
Police foil bank robbery From Sunny Nwankwo, Aba
T
HE police in Aba, Abia State, have foiled a bank robbery. A patrol team from Abayi Police Station was said to have foiled the robbery at a new generation bank at Udeagbala junction, off Aba-Owerri Road, Aba. The incident, The Nation learnt, occurred on Saturday morning. It was gathered that the robbers, after scaling the fence, tied the two private security guards and entered the bank, heading for the vault, carrying a gas cylinder and other tools. Our source said the robbers were not arrested, as they fled when the police arrived. There was no official comment from the Abia Police Command. However, a police source, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the incident. He said the police recovered the gas cylinder, as the robbers abandoned it.
Forum backs governorship candidate
E
NUGU State chapter of the Nigerian Councillors’ Forum has backed the consensus governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu State, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. The development has reduced the tension between Governor Sullivan Chime’s and Ike Ekweremadu’s factions, which are struggling for the
From Chris Oji, Enugu
control of the party structure. The councillors supported the zoning of the governorship seat to Enugu North. The forum made its view known in a statement by its Chairman, Hyginus Makata and Secretary, Francis Ani, a lawyer. It said: “We support the leadership of the party in the state on the zoning of the
governorship seat to Enugu North, in the spirit of fairness and equity. “We thank Governor Chime for the programmes he has been putting in place to ensure a smooth political transmission. “We are not just supporting the endorsement of Ugwuanyi, but are also part of his endorsement by the state caucus of our party and the stakeholders.”