Controversial VC appointment, killing of driver by police operative, other top stories from South-east

This is a review of top events which occurred in Nigeria’s south-east within the past week

Kidnap of university professor

The week began on 27 October when gunmen kidnapped Oguejiofor Ujam, a lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in Enugu State.

Mr Ujam, a professor, was kidnapped on Sunday evening along Opi-Nsukka- Ugwogo-Nike Road.

The lecturer serves as the dean of the School of General Studies at the university.

The incident occurred a day after gunmen kidnapped an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps along the same road.

However, the police in Enugu State, on Tuesday, announced that Mr Ujam had escaped from captivity when operatives launched an attack against the kidnappers.

Controversy over appointment of university vice-chancellor

On Tuesday, the Nnamdi Azikiwe University announced the appointment of Bernard Odoh as its new vice-chancellor.

Mr Odoh, a professor of applied geophysics, will succeed Carol Arinze-Umobi, who assumed office as the institution’s acting vice-chancellor in July.

However, controversies have followed the appointment, with many accusing the university Governing Council, led by Gred Mbadiwe, of favouring Mr Odoh over 11 others who contested for the position.

On 1 November, the Federal Ministry of Education nullified the appointment of Mr Odoh.

However, the university faulted the ministry for nullifying the appointment and argued that the institution acted in line with the law in the appointment and a court judgment.

Gunmen kill Zenith Bank official, two others

The worsening insecurity in the South-east continued last Monday, with gunmen killing three people, including an official of Zenith Bank in Umuahia, Abia State.

The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Danladi Isa, confirmed the development while parading crime suspects at the police headquarters in the state on Thursday.

He said the police had launched a manhunt for the assailants.

Police detain undergraduate for faking own abduction, death

On Tuesday, we brought you a strange story of a university undergraduate who faked his own abduction and death in Imo State.

The police in the state announced that they have detained 17-year-old Jesse Chidebere, a student of Imo State University.

Sacking of ABSU VC, other principal officers

On Tuesday, the Abia State Government announced the removal of Onyemachi Ogbulu, the Vice-Chancellor of Abia State University, Uturu.

The government also announced that Ndukwe Okeudo, a professor, has been appointed the university’s new vice-chancellor.

It further announced the appointment of a former speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Agwu U. Agwu as the pro-chancellor, Catherine Ifejika as chancellor, Onwubiko Dike as a member of the university’s Governing Council and two new deputy vice-chancellors.

SSS blocking lawyers’ access to Nnamdi Kanu despite court’s jail threat

The denial of lawyers’ access to Nnamdi Kanu by the State Security Service (SSS) continued last Friday when the secret police again prevented the lawyers from meeting with Mr Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

On 20 May this year, Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the SSS to allow Mr Kanu to receive visitors for three days a week – Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The court later threatened to jail Adeola Ajayi, the SSS director-general, if he continued to deny lawyers access to the IPOB leader in violation of the court order.

It later summoned the SSS director-general to “show cause” and defend himself over his alleged refusal to allow lawyers access to the IPOB leader or be jailed.

On 24 October, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, and a member of the House from Abia State, Obi Aguocha, visited Mr Kanu at the SSS facility over the denial of his lawyer’s access to him.

Thereafter, Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to Mr Kanu, during a TV programme on 27 October, said Messrs Tajudeen and Aguocha had resolved the issue of access denial through a “political compromise.”

But Mr Ejimakor, in a post on his X handle on Friday afternoon, said the SSS has again denied lawyers access to Mr Kanu.

The lawyer vowed that the legal team would proceed with “all suspended legal actions to enforce” the “compliance” of the SSS.

Meanwhile, top officials of the SSS, two weeks ago, told PREMIUM TIMES that lawyers were being denied access to Mr Kanu because the court trial is currently on hold following the initial withdrawal of Justice Binta Nyako from handling the case.

Police operative allegedly kills commercial driver over N100 bribe

It was a sad day on Saturday when a police operative shot dead Kamtochukwu, a commercial bus driver in Anambra State over the driver’s refusal to give him a N100 bribe at a checkpoint.

The incident occurred in Otuocha, a community in Anambra East Local Government Area of the state.

Police authorities in Anambra State later identified the operative as Sani Sulieman, an inspector.

He (Suleiman) has been disarmed and detained for further investigations and internal disciplinary procedures, the police said.

The latest incident occurred two weeks after a police inspector, Joseph Ozonwanji, shot dead a Nigerian musician, Chikezie Okezie Mba, when he visited the Anti-Cult Unit of the Enugu State Police Command.