Simon Ekpa’s arrest, sacking of UNIZIK VC, other top stories from South-east

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

Killing of police operative during attack on lawmaker’s convoy

The week began on a sad note on 17 November when gunmen killed a police operative during an attack on the convoy of a federal lawmaker, Ginger Onwusibe.

The incident occurred at about 9 p.m. in Ubakala, a community in Umuahia South Local Government Area of Abia State.

The incident was among a series of attacks in the state in recent times.

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State would later claim that opposition politicians, in connivance with “some external parties”, were behind the growing insecurity and criminality in the state.

Gunmen kill four vigilante operatives in Anambra

Last Monday, gunmen killed four vigilante operatives in two communities in Anambra State, highlighting the continued insecurity in the South-east.

The attack began at Abatete, a community in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state while the second attack occurred at Ukpo, a community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of the state.

Three vigilante operatives were killed in Abatete while one was killed in Ukpo, a few minutes after.

Soludo presents the N606.9 billion 2025 budget to the Anambra assembly

Last Tuesday, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State presented a N606.9 billion 2025 budget proposal to the Anambra House of Assembly.

Christened “the budget of changing gears 2.0,” the 2025 budget recorded a 48 per cent increase from the N410 billion 2024 budget presented by Mr Soludo in November last year.

Prevail on Tinubu to release Nnamdi Kanu, ex-senator begs Akpabio

The recurring calls for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained IPOB leader continued last Monday when a former Nigerian senator, Rochas Okorocha, asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio to prevail on President Bola Tinubu to release the IPOB leader.

At a night of tribute held in honour of a deceased Nigerian senator, Ifeanyi Ubah, Mr Okorocha narrated how many Igbo leaders, including the late Ubah appealed for the release of Mr Kanu but were ignored.

From New House to Mortuary: Family agonises over killing of truck driver

Last Wednesday, we published a feature story of how the family of a truck driver killed in Aba in Abia State three months ago has been battling to survive following the death of their breadwinner.

The truck driver, Chinedu Ukwu, while returning from a trip on 14 August, was hit by a stray bullet during a reported shootout between two police teams in the Alaoji Area of Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State.

The shootout occurred between police patrol teams from the Police Area Command in Aba and another police team from Umuahia.

Residents had claimed the operatives appeared to have mistaken themselves for members of the separatist group, IPOB.

The sacking of UNIZIK VC

It was a week of intrigue and drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (NAU), in Anambra State, popularly known as UNIZIK.

President Bola Tinubu sacked the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university, Bernard Odoh, hours after PREMIUM TIMES’ exclusive report on Wednesday.

Mr Tinubu also dissolved the university’s Governing Council led by Greg Mbadiwe, explaining that the decision followed reports that the council “illegally appointed an unqualified vice-chancellor without following due process.”

The sack of Mr Odoh, a disputed professor, came about three weeks after his appointment.

The lecturer later rejected the sack and argued that the education ministry had no power to sack him as vice-chancellor, even as Bayo Onanuga, the special adviser to Mr Tinubu, also announced Mr Odoh’s sack as UNIZIK’s vice-chancellor.

The Nigerian government went on to announce the appointment of the acting vice-chancellor of the university.

There was another drama on Thursday when the management of the Federal University, Gusau (FUGUS), Zamfara State, disowned the sacked vice-chancellor.

Although the sacked vice-chancellor had claimed he obtained his professorship from FUGUS in 2015, the university dismissed the claims as “tissues of lies and misinformation.”

The FUGUS Registrar, Yakubu Anivbassa, narrated how Mr Odoh allegedly obtained his professorship fraudulently.

Gunmen kill another police officer in Abia

It was a tragic day on Wednesday in Abia State when gunmen killed another police operative at a checkpoint along Asaga Road in the state.

The attackers, numbering about six, were said to have attacked the police team and opened fire on them.

The police in Abia State have since confirmed the incident.

Court orders Enugu govt to pay N55m for illegal demolition of shops

Last Wednesday, we brought you a report that the Enugu State High Court ordered the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority to pay a man, Chinedu Onyebuchi, N55 million for illegally demolishing his shops in the state.

Mr Onyebuchi, an architect, sued the development agency on 24 July 2015, about one year after the agency demolished his six shops.

Vigilante, police in shootout after mistaking themselves for pro-Biafra gunmen

There was a mild drama on Wednesday in Anambra State when a local vigilante group and a police team opened fire at each other after mistaking themselves for pro-Biafra gunmen.

The incident happened around 7 p.m. at Izuchukwu Junction along Nnobi-Nnewi Road in Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state.

The police said what happened was that the local security operatives “mistook the police operatives as unfriendly forces and opened fire at them.”

Police operatives kill labourer, injure three in Ebonyi

Another tragedy struck on Wednesday in Ebonyi State when police operatives shot dead a yet-to-be-identified labourer and critically injured three others in the state.

Trouble started when police operatives flagged down a motorcycle rider, whom they accused of being a fraudster, and wanted to confiscate his motorcycle.

Arrest of Simon Ekpa in Finland

Both the social media and mainstream media went abuzz on Thursday when Finnish police arrested Simon Ekpa, a controversial pro-Biafra agitator.

Mr Ekpa was arrested alongside four others on Thursday on suspicion of terrorist activities.

The Finnish police said they suspect that Mr Ekpa “has contributed to violence and crimes against civilians in South-eastern Nigeria.”

A Nigerian-Finnish citizen, Mr Ekpa heads Autopilot, a faction of the IPOB. But on Friday, the IPOB faction led by Nnamdi Kanu disowned the pro-Biafra agitator.

Although the arrest happened in Finland, the development has continued to trend in South-east Nigeria where Mr Ekpa comes from.

The Defence Headquarters subsequently lauded the arrest of Mr Ekpa and expressed hope that the arrest would aid his extradition to Nigeria.

The Enugu State Government later offered to provide evidence of atrocities allegedly perpetrated in South-east Nigeria by the pro-Biafra agitator to aid his prosecution and conviction.

Last Friday, the Foreign Affairs Ministry announced that Mr Ekpa was arrested in Finland due to “sustained diplomatic pressure” by the Nigerian government on Finnish authorities.

One dead as traffic officials escape mob attack in Anambra

It was sad on Friday in Anambra State when a tipper vehicle killed a middle-aged man in the state.

Two traffic officials of the Anambra State Government accused of causing the accident escaped attack by an angry mob.