The Lagos State Police Command has arrested more suspects in connection to the murder of the Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga.
This was confirmed by the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu during a briefing and parade of suspects at the Command headquarters in Ikeja.
Odumosu, who had yet to give details on the number of suspects arrested and their connection to the murder, said the case was progressing and the police would never compromise on it.
According to him, a 300-level student of Mass Communication, Chidinma Ojukwu, was still a suspect with her rights guaranteed by the constitution.
He, however, dismissed insinuations that the police were attempting to give her a soft landing. Odumosu said: “We have established a case of conspiracy in the murder and we have arrested more suspects.”
Recall that Ataga was killed at a short-let apartment where he was spending the weekend with his lover, Ojukwu.
Ojukwu had earlier confessed to having stabbed the deceased to death before stealing his belongings.
In a recent interview with Crime Fighters, she refuted her initial claim saying she returned from an errand to find him lying in a pool of his blood.
The Department of the State Security Service, DSS, has arrested three Israeli filmmakers for allegedly supporting the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, in Nigeria, Igbere TV has learnt.
According to Times Of Israel, Nigerian authorities arrested and interrogated the trio on suspicion that they had come into contact with ‘Biafran separatists.’
According to the Foreign Ministry, the Israeli Embassy in Abuja is following the case closely and is in contact with Nigerian authorities.
One of the Israelis arrested is Rudy Rochman, a Zionist activist with almost 95,000 followers on Instagram. Making the flight with him were filmmaker Noam Leibman and French-Israeli journalist E. David Benaym.
The Israelis were in Nigeria to film “We Were Never Lost,” a documentary exploring Jewish communities in African countries such as Kenya, Madagascar, Uganda, and Nigeria.
They took off from Ben Gurion Airport on July 5 and landed in Nigeria the next day.
According to residents, the crew was detained at a synagogue during Friday night services in the Igbo village of Ogidi by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and taken to Abuja.
Ogidi is the headquarters of Idemili North Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The filmmakers were aware of the political sensitivity surrounding the filming of the Igbo community. Last Thursday, the “We Were Never Lost” Facebook page stressed: “We do not take any position on political movements as we are not here as politicians nor as a part of any governmental delegations.”
Last week, the group met with Igbo leader, Eze Chukwuemeka Eri, and presented him with a framed Shiviti made in Jerusalem.
Rochman also presented another Igbo community with a Torah scroll whose cover was designed by British-Israeli street artist Solomon Souza.
The Igbo consider themselves a lost tribe of Israel.
In January, a conflict broke out in southeastern Nigeria between Nigerian forces and the military wing of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement. The fight is ongoing.
A previous unilateral declaration of independence by the Igbo people in 1967 sparked a brutal 30-month civil war that left more than a million dead.
In 2018, IPOB Leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu gave a radio broadcast saying he was in Israel and indicating he owed his survival to the Jewish state.
He maintains the Igbo people, who are in the majority in southeast Nigeria, are a lost tribe of Israel and it is his mission to lead them to the promised land of Biafra.
The Nigerian government, on June 21, announced Kanu’s arrest and extradition to Nigeria to continue facing trial.
He was subsequently arraigned before Binta Nyako, a Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu is facing charges bordering on treasonable felony instituted against him at the court in response to years of the campaign for the independent Republic of Biafra through IPOB.
He was granted bail in April 2017 for health reasons but skipped bail after disregarding some of the conditions given to him by the court.
The International Criminal Court, ICC, has acknowledged a 27-page petition filed by Yoruba Nation agitators against President Muhammadu Buhari.
The petition was signed by the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye; Yoruba Activist, Sunday Igboho; and other 49 persons fighting for the actualization of Oduduwa Republic, an agitated sovereign state for the Yoruba Yoruba nation.
Aside President Buhari, the petition was also filed against Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu.
Popular Nigerian author, Chimamanda Adichie, recently shared her reasons for separating herself from Catholicism, her early church.
She made this known in her piece titled ‘Dreaming as a single family’ published in the latest edition of the L’osservatore Romano weekly bulletin, released on Friday.
Giving a brief introduction to her early years in Catholic, Adichie wrote, “I was raised Catholic, on the campus of the University of Nigeria. We attended a love-filled church run by the Spiritan congregation.
“As a teenager, I wore my Catholic identity like a favorite dress, joyfully and reverently. I was a self-styled Catholic apologist, arguing passionately with the Protestant children in defense of such subjects as the Blessed Virgin Mary, tradition, and transubstantiation.”
The award-winning writer, who is popularly known for her feminist views, attributed her first sign of alienation to the treatment of females in the church.
“Years later, something changed. My pious passion withered. I remember my first moment of recoil from the church, when a gentle and devout couple was banned from communion because their daughter had married an Anglican.
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“It felt to me not only uncharitable, but unnecessarily so, as did other subsequent incidents, such as poor people who were refused burials because they owed money to the church.
“This happened in my ancestral hometown, in a provincial parish far from the university campus where I grew up. But after the Spiritans left, an uncharitable chill also descended on my university church.
“On Sundays, women of all ages were often harassed, men barring their entry into the church unless they wrapped themselves in shawls to hide their shoulders and arms (which apparently would cause men in the church to sin.)
“Entire homilies were dedicated to the wiles and evils of women. How unsettling to sit through Mass feeling as though one, simply by being born female, had become inherently guilty of a crime.
“My alienation deepened; I had become a person in a place that my spirit had outgrown. Even if I still attended Mass from time to time, it brought me no meaning, and I have since come to believe that meaning is what makes life worthwhile.”
THE apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has faulted the recent comment of Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, over rotational Presidency.
Bello had, during a maiden edition of the ‘Governor Yahaya Bello seminar for political and crime correspondents’ in Abuja, on Friday, described rotational presidency as unconstitutional.
He said, “Nigerians should be allowed to make their choices for the best candidate to emerge for the top post.”
Ohanaeze in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Alex Ogbonnia, on Monday, slammed the governor, saying that he had demonstrated a remarkable obsession with ambition shortly after providence paved the way for him to be sworn in as a governor in 2015 at an impressionable age of 40.
The statement read in part, “There is no doubt that Bello has a date with destiny, going by a smooth political ascendancy that life has presented to him.”
It expressed fears that the youthful governor “is embarking on a political adventure that lacks both conscience and principle.”
Going down memory lane on the history of rotation, the apex Igbo group averred that “Governor Bello was still a student, studying accountancy at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria when an agreement was reached between the North and the South with respect to Rotational Presidency.
The meeting was held at the National University Commission Conference Centre, Abuja in 1998. Dr. Chuba Okadigbo spoke on behalf of the South while Alh. Abubakar Rimi spoke for the North. The likes of Dr. Alex Ekwueme, Chief Solomon Lar, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, etc were at the meeting.
“The Nigerian statesmen examined the merits and demerits of zoning and rotation of power between the composite zones in Nigeria.
“At the end, it was resolved that the presidency be conceded to the South and that it would rotate between the South and the North in the interest of equity, unity and corporate existence of Nigeria.”
In response, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Hon. Kingsley Fanwo, berated the socio-cultural organisation for casting aspersions on the governor.
Fanwo said, “We have practiced rotation, but what have we to show for it as a nation? Who remembers where a good President comes from?
“The South-East can bring forward their best to contest the election. What the nation needs now is the best for the job.
“Our constitution doesn’t respect rotational presidency. It was the convenience of the political class.
The governor didn’t dispute such an unwritten agreement. But he is faulting it. We need a young, vibrant and pragmatic President come 2023.
“We need a man who will be at home with everyone from everywhere.
“The agreement made while he was in school over 20 years ago must not necessarily be in force forever, especially when it has not taken our nation to where we want to be as the true giant of Africa. We need a new one for a generation that wants to see Nigeria prosper.
The ongoing Telemundo drama serial nicknamed APGA Peace & Reconciliation Committee headed by Sen. Victor Umeh OFR can best be described as”tales by moonlight”.
Though, the Umeh panel possesses the “eze gworo” to bite, but cannot swallow the bitter pills. The blazing controversy surrounding the Umeh panel is not out of place, because the hunter has become the hunted.
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Take it or leave it, Umeh panel has been setup, and inaugurated to whip the butts and clean up the mess proudly defecated by Ozonkpu Victor Oye led ailing APGA. As tongues wag, thoughts are some of the constituent members of the panel appear judges unto themselves. They appear honoured and compensated for dragging the once almighty APGA to the gutters.
Me thinks, the near impotent Umeh panel should tickle the dickcap, to stretch upward strongly, boldly and courageously towards addressing the mad outcry of all the known and unknown APGA aspirants, both present and past, that were allegedly defrauded, snooked, scammed, raped, abused, qnd plunged into political bottomless pits. Men and women who stood up, sought to be counted in the renewed discuss and quest for better Anambra, but, got drenched, stained, bruised and battered by ndi ijebego. Ebe ooooo!
According to Akachukwu Nwankpo, the ADC governorship candidate “those who stole from me, will see that they have stolen nothing”. While the robbed, derobbed and accomplices fileout at Umeh’s panel, effort should be made to sustain the viral “APGA Refund Me” campaign. No, Umeh panel should stop living in erroneous ways of promising automatic tickets in the next dispensation to their shammed victims. It’s simply deceitful and laden with unpleasant consequences.
Meanwhile, Akpokuedike Aguleri and Oputa Ife adi, the two good friends who are determined to keep Anambra “Rock-steady on the Path Of Progressive Governance”, have moved on, ready to hand over the baton to the people to choose their leader, not the flipping flappery Umeh panel.
Part 2: OBIANO’S RECONCILIATION COMMITTEE – MERCANTILE & FRANCHISE MINDSET OF APGA’S BoT CHAIRMAN
On May 30, 2019, Chief Victor Umeh wrote an audacious and unwavering letter to Governor Obiano. In that letter, he called Obiano’s attention on how Oye was running APGA like a criminal corporation.
Umeh conscientiously provided a breakdown of the gamut of extortions; cesspool and Augean stable that has become Oye’s APGA.
It is noteworthy that Umeh’s letter is a drop in the ocean of the multitude of concerns which other Party members have raised against Oye. Umeh’s letter to Obiano merely confirmed that APGA is in the hands of licensed thieves; that have mastered the art of using Party platform to perpetuate Advanced Fee Fraud.
Perhaps, in future, generations to come would want to understand why Obiano has continued to support Oye, even when he has interred the APGA’s grundnorm.
Section 85 of the Electoral Act (2010) as amended states that political parties are required to notify the Commission, in writing, before conducting Governorship Primary. It is not surprising that Oye feels that this precondition is immaterial. He is used to abusing the law.
Here is a man that went ahead to conduct a ‘convention’ contrary to a court order; and with delegates whose tenure had expired; such a man is unfit to preside as the National Chairman of APGA from all ramifications. Rather than admit his idiocy, as a stray child; and make contrition, Oye has continued to thrive in dereliction and tactlessness.
This is what Chief Edozie Njoku, National Chairman and the National Working Committee of APGA are up against. It has nothing to do with Anambra 2021 Elections.
In Umeh’s letter, he unequivocally stated that Ozonkpu Victor Oye and Hon. Chinedu Obidigwe turned the 2019 Imo Governorship Election into a bazaar. The faith Ndi-Imo had in APGA could be gleaned from the class of aspirants that APGA paraded. While other Parties had 5 – 7 aspirants, APGA had a total of 25.
Therefore, the duo of Oye and Obidigwe colluded and defrauded Imo aspirants as follows;
Mr. Okey Ezeh – N273, 250,000 (Two Hundred and Seventy Three Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) only
In the case of Chief Humphrey Anumudu, Oye obtained a 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser, Black Jeep from him under false pretense. This is aside from other Dollar Cash receipts. Shamefully, Oye claims that the car is a birthday gift from Chief Anumudu.
In the concluding part of his letter, Chief Umeh said;
‘these are just four outstanding cases. There are other tales! I see these as very serious moral issues particularly as Oye has consistently insisted that he did not take money from anybody during the 2018 Primaries.
I consider these revelations as serious embarrassment to the Party and gross abuse of office by Chief Oye.
One unfortunate thing was that they engaged these fellows by dropping your name as supporting their actions.
Some of these were part of the reasons why I told you on the 28th of April, 2019 that Oye is unfit to continue in office as National Chairman of APGA. I believe that it will be FUTILE and DAMAGING to APGA if you continue to support him for a Second Term in Office. I advise that you confront Chief Oye with these revelations and consider asking him to refund these monies to them and bow out and save APGA from protracted crisis!’ Beyond what Umeh mentioned, there are litanies of Oye’s victims.
Interestingly, from Umeh’s conclusion, it is evident that Oye’s destabilizing tendencies were brought to the Governor’s attention quite early. Therefore, it is worrisome that despite these manner of incriminating evidences against Oye, Obiano ignored calls for his probe and resignation and went ahead to support him for second tenure under dubious terms.
The Governor’s backing seems to have emboldened Oye in his fraudulent acts. That is the reason why Oye went ahead to conduct one of the most questionable conventions in the history of the Party. Oye’s tenure has remained one of the most turbulent, robbing the Party of invaluable members. It is also noteworthy that Obiano did nothing to ensure that Imo governorship aspirants got justice.
Three years later, Obiano is setting up a reconciliation committee composed of his cronies and partners in crime; yet, he made no reference to the absurdity perpetuated against those Imo State governorship aspirants. Obiano’s disdain and disrespect for Party members outside his Anambra enclave is the reason why the search for justice and campaign to purge the Party of this manner of characters must continue. APGA is not a private company of Ndi-Anambra and such insinuations MUST stop.
History will record the selfishness of Obiano and his predecessor for having seized APGA for their private advantage; without making any effort whatsoever to ensure that other neighboring States savour the sweetness of the Party. This is typical of the self-centeredness recorded in Matthew 17, where Peter, James and John selfishly wanted to conscript Jesus by proposing the erection of tents for Jesus,
The wife of the slain Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga who was allegedly murdered by a University of Lagos undergraduate, Chidinma Ojukwu, is demanding the sum of One billion Naira as compensation from a news outlet over libellous reports alleging she had a hand in the death of her husband, IgbereTV has learned.
In a letter directed to the management of the online platform, and dated June 28, Atega’s wife, Brenda asked the outlet to delete the report from its website and retract the damaging report.
Recall that Usifo Ataga was found dead at an apartment at Lekki Phase 1, Lagos state shortly after his family declared him missing.
Subsequently, the Lagos State Police Command arrested a 21-year-old Chidinma Ojukwu, an undergraduate of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), for allegedly killing the media mogul.
However, in its report published on June 26, the online platform had fingered Brenda in the murder of her husband, citing her relationship with the suspect through Brenda’s boyfriend.
Reacting to this, Brenda stated that the report was a callous, malicious and a mindless attack on her personality.
subsequently demanded N1bn in damages, in the letter which was addressed to the Managing Director of the online medium, Mr. Makinde Azeez through her counsel, Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN).
The letter read in part:
”A properly worded unreserved apology for the libel published in your news blog, two national television stations including Channels Television Network and three National newspapers including The Punch newspaper.
“That you pay the sum of N1, 000, 000, 000 (One Billion Naira) through our office to our client as pecuniary compensation for your reckless and mindless injury to her vide the published defamatory materials aforesaid.
If at the end of 14 days from the date of this letter, any of the listed demands still stands unfulfilled, we would proceed on our full instructions to initiate steps to bring the full consequences of your recklessness in the aforementioned publications to you.
“In that case, all costs, fees and charges necessary for our client to redeem her image and recover her damaged character and credit would be on your account.”
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN has welcomed the formation of Legal team by Ohanaeze Ndigbo to monitor the proceedings at the trial of the self-acclaimed IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu which is in line with the doctrine of the right of fair hearing rooted in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
This is according to a statement made available to Newsmen, signed by Umar Jibril Gwandu, a special assistant to AGF Malami on media.
The statement read in part: “Inherent in the position of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo on the matter was the demonstration of their recognition of belonging to Nigeria and succumbing to the rule of law while maintaining their stance that they were not averse to the trial of Nnamdi Kanu.”
“In similar vein the group showed a mature departure from mindset of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra when Ohanaeze said they “do not support the use of any form of violence” while channeling concerns and presenting demands.”
“By urging the youths to be law-abiding and sheath their sword as well as asking them to try to obtain voter’s card to enable them contribute to national development, the position of Ohanaeze becomes glaringly constitutional and commendable.”
“Let it be made abundantly clear that President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government respects the rule of law and does not advocate for the breach of law. Hence, with or without the so-called monitoring group, justice will be adequately served to Nnamdi Kanu in compliances with the enshrined provisions of the law.”
“It is hoped that the unnecessary legal monitoring group will come with open-mind and guided by nothing but the rule of law in the process so as to convey the judgment of the Court as may eventually be delivered to their people in various languages and dialects of the members of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo communities and the entire Nigerians.”
