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By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu A General Court Martial (GCM) sitting at the 82 Division Enugu headquarters of the Nigerian Army has sentenced a soldier, Private Adamu Mohammed, to death by hanging and another, Private Abubakar Yusuf, to a 10-year imprisonment. Acting Deputy Director, Public Relations, 82 Division, Lt.-Col. Jonah Unuakhalu, in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday, April 29, said that the sentences were handed down after due consideration of the offences of murder and robbery for which the soldiers stood trial. It would be recalled that the GCM, composed of 11 members, was inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding…

By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna About 26 persons have been confirmed killed and three others injured following a deadly attack by terrorists with improvised explosive device (IED) along the Maiduguri–Damboa highway in Borno State,North-East Nigeria. The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday, April 29, when a convoy of civilian and commercial vehicles, accompanied by military escorts, was traveling from Damboa to Maiduguri, the state capital. The IED, suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram insurgents, exploded with devastating impact, destroying several vehicles and killing many of occupants of the vehicles instantly. The attack stands out as one of the deadliest incidents…

By our reporter Fresh from arriving Nigeria from London, Abuja socialite, Aisha Achimugu, was promptly arrested by operatives of anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, April 29. Reports said she was picked up about 5am as she stepped onto the arrival lounge. Achimugu's lawyers disclosed news of the arrest in a statement on Tuesday. They stressed that the business woman had arrived voluntarily into the country from London. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had ordered that she appears before EFCC unfailingly on Tuesday, April 29 to respond to charges bordering on graft and conspiracy.…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Enugu State Caucus in the House of Representatives has thrown its weight behind the Federal Government(FG)'s plan to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, describing it as a potential catalyst for boom in the South-East economy. The caucus commended the FG for the initiative, urging it to hasten the concession process to enable the people of the South-East and the nation to benefit from it in earnest. It equally called on the people of the region to support the concessioning as the only way to guarantee sustainable investment to fully develop the airport into a…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has issued a stern warning to supervisory officers, particularly Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Heads of Tactical Squads and other Units, to redouble their efforts and justify their postings or face immediate replacement. Speaking during the Police Strategic Conference with senior officers and a routine briefing, the CP emphasised that the directive formed a core part of new measures aimed at strengthening accountability and operational excellence within the Command. The CP further affirmed that the era of complacency was over, declaring that every officer must now prove daily that…

By Sam Tyav, Makurdi About 10 persons believed to be members of cult groups reportedly died on Sunday night during a clash in Akpehe axis of Makurdi, the Benue State capital. An eye witness account has it that killings in the area started on Friday when some youths, believed to be cult members, came on a motorcycle to Akpehe and shot dead a young man alleged to be a member of a rival cult group. It was gathered that cult comrades of the shot man subsequently mobilized and unleashed a more serious attack on Sunday night. Reports said they arrived…

By Sam Tyav, Makurdi Perhaps to give greater bite to the fight against insecurity or a mere routine posting, but Benue State, reeling from the blood-filled onslaught of killer herdsmen, has a new Commissioner of Police (CP). He is CP Emenari Innocent Ifeanyi, a veteran officer,with a reputation for toughness. He hails from Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area (LGA) of Anambra State, South-East Nigeria. Recall that following the recent upsurge in killings and destruction by suspected Fulani herders on communities in Benue and Plateau States, an angry President Bola Tinubu had ordered security top brass to end the unnecessary bloodfest,…

Justice has been served on Mr Peter Nwachukwu, husband of late popular gospel singer, Osinachi, as the hangman's noose awaits him in prison. This is because Justice Nwosu-Iheme of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting at Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, passed a verdict of death by hanging on him today, Monday, April 28. The court sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging having found him guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of his wife, Osinachi, on April 8, 2022. The judge held that the prosecution has proven the burden of proof. Osinachi's husband was brought before the…

By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, said his special interest in education is driven by purpose, not politics, noting that the South-East state is on the cusp of renaissance, given the transformational promises of the Smart Green Schools initiated by his administration. Mbah also maintained that the consistent allocation of about one-third of the state’s annual budget to education by his administration underscored his belief that education is the game-changer for any society. This was even as the University of East London (UEL) Alumni Network lauded him for what it described as his outstanding performance…

By Sam Tyav, Makurdi Immediate past Chairman of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Benue State, Rev. (Dr.) Augustine Akpen Leva has revealed that bandits' interest was more on the church and the Christian community in the North-Central (or Middle Belt) State. Speaking during a one-day fast and daytime prayer organised by NKST Church Worldwide, Dr Leva, who is the resident Pastor, NKST Church, Iortyer, Makurdi, the state capital, disclosed that churches and Christians were the targets of bandits. He said Christians were being killed by the bandits and churches destroyed, underscoring their objectives. The former CAN Chairman noted that…