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Tag: Ebonyi

  • Security Agents cordon off Abakaliki building materials market

    Security Agents cordon off Abakaliki building materials market

    The Nigerian Army and other security agencies on Thursday cordoned off the Abakaliki Building Materials Market.

    The security agents were said to have surrounded the market in a commando-style around 9 am.

    They refused to allow anyone inside the market while those already inside before they came were not allowed to leave.

    They also closed off the Afikpo road leading to the market forcing motorists to take alternate routes.

    The Afikpo road is the main entrance into Abakaliki from the Enugu-Abakaliki expressway and the closure caused heavy traffic around the area.

    A top security source said the security agencies were at the market following the alleged discovery of a cache of ammunition in the market

    “We are still investigating,” the source said.


    A source at the market claimed the ammunition were loaded in a truck and disguised with other goods.

    The source claimed the goods were bound for Yola, Adamawa state.

    The source’s claims could not be independently verified at press time.

    Police Commissioner Philip Maku did not respond to numerous queries for comment to this story.

    It was also gathered that the state governor, David Umahi later visited the market around 11 pm to see things for himself.

  • BREAKING: Ebonyi NASS Caucus disowns Umahi over defection to APC

    BREAKING: Ebonyi NASS Caucus disowns Umahi over defection to APC

    The Ebonyi State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the National Assembly has disowned Governor David Umahi over his defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Governor Umahi had on Tuesday formally announced his defection from the PDP to the APC.

    The National Leadership of the PDP had in a statement denied that Umahi dumped the party because of alleged injustice.

    The Chairman of the Ebonyi National Assembly caucus and former Governor of Ebonyi State, Senator Sam Egwu, at a press conference in Abuja, said though Umahi has the right to join any political party of his choice, the reasons he advanced for his defection were untenable.

    He said the National Assembly members from the state, would not abandon the PDP because of Umahi.

    Egwu said: “We remain proud card carrying members of the PDP, the platform on which we contested elections in 2019 and won.

    He insisted that the Governor should be the last person to jump ship having benefitted immensely from PDP in the past which included his appointment State PDP chairman, election as deputy governor and two-term governor on the platform of the party.

    Egwu while reading the text of the press conference, said: “We, the undersigned members of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly, wish to address our fellow PDP members and other well-meaning Nigerians, on the defection of the Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief David Umahi from the PDP to the APC.

    “For the sake of clarity, we wish to state that not a single member of the Ebonyi State PDP caucus of the National Assembly is defecting to the APC.

    “The three Distinguished Senators and five House of Representatives members remain proud card-carrying members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the platform under which we contested and won elections in 2019.

    “The major reason given by Chief Umahi for defecting from the PDP to the APC is now in the Public domain which is that the PDP has not been fair to the People of the South East on the issue of zoning the Presidency and vice Presidency.

    “While we support that it is the turn of the South East to fly the Presidential flag of any of the major political parties come 2023, yet we consider it impolitic, indecent and unwise to give ultimatums and conditionalities in a bid to secure zoning.

    “Indeed, if there is any Ebonyi person who should remain eternally grateful to the PDP, that individual ought to be the Governor David Umahi; a man who was appointed the Ebonyi State Chairman of the PDP, made deputy governor of a PDP administration, and was elected for two terms under the banner of the PDP.

    “As Governor, his two younger brothers were elected to principal offices of the PDP; one (Mr Austine Umahi) as the National Vice Chairman (South East) and another (Mr. Maxwell Umahi) as the Deputy State Chairman of the PDP.

    “As democrats, we concede Chief Umahi’s right to join any political association of his choice.

    “However, as Federal Lawmakers we are not unaware of the Supreme Court decision that candidates are products of political parties.

    “What it means is that political office holders are not at liberty to migrate from one political platform to another, particularly when there is no division in their party.

    “We wish to use this opportunity to thank the leadership of our grate party, the PDP for their prompt action in dissolving the ward, local government, state and Zonal structures of the party in Ebonyi State, and their announcement of a state caretaker team.

    “We also wish to thank teeming members and supporters in our various constituencies who have remained undaunted and committed to their membership of the PDP.

    “We also wish to thank the South East caucus, and indeed the entire PDP family of the National Assembly.

    “The lawmakers were joined at the press conference by the Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South).”

    The text of the press conference was signed by Senator Sam Ominyi Egwu, Senator Obinna Ogba, Senator Mike Ama Nnachi, Rt. Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga, Rt. Hon. Igariwey Iduma Enwo, Rt. Hon. Chukwuma Nwazunku, Rt. Hon. Edwin Anayo and Rt. Hon. Livinus Makwe.

    Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), joined the Ebonyi State PDP lawmakers at the press conference.

    RELATED POSTS:

    Ebonyi State PDP Lawmakers reiterates commitment to Party

    PDP dissolves Ebonyi exco, South-East Zonal Caretaker Committee

    Gunmen kill Ebonyi Deputy Speaker’s aide

  • Ebonyi Govt lightens curfew from 8pm to 8am

    Ebonyi Govt lightens curfew from 8pm to 8am

    Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi has reduced the 24-hour curfew earlier imposed in the state to 8:00p.m. to 8:00a.m.

    The Governor gave the directive on Friday in Abakaliki through the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr Uchenna Orji.

    Umahi said that the new directive is with effect from Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, from 8p.m to 8a.m across the state.

    He had earlier imposed a 24-hour curfew in the state from 7p.m on Oct. 21, to forestall further breakdown of law and order by protesters.

    “There shall be an 8p.m to 8a.m curfew across the state, starting from Oct 23,” Umahi said.

    He urged all stakeholders, security agencies and residents of the state to do everything possible within the ambit of the law to protect the citizenry from any form of violent protest, destruction of lives and property in the state.

    The governor assured the people of his commitment towards the protection of their lives and property.

  • Accident: 14 corpses recovered from Ebonyi River

    Accident: 14 corpses recovered from Ebonyi River

    Fourteen bodies have been recovered from the Akaeze-Ukwu River in Ebonyi state; site of the deadly motor accident which occurred on Friday, September 18.

    This followed the location and recovery of the bus by divers brought in from neighboring states to aid in the search and rescue of the victims.

    Five of the passengers, who were returning from a burial, were rescued and taken to hospital on Friday.

    However, one of them died at the hospital while the others are said to still be unconscious.

    Chairman of the local government, Onyebuchi Ogbadu who confirmed the recovery of the dead bodies to the Nation on Saturday, September 19, said that the State government had to bring in divers from Rivers and Cross River states to help in the search of the bus.

    “The divers were able to locate the bus and pushed it up to enable the crane to pull it out,” he said.

    The Chairman said they are still searching for the remaining passengers aboard the bus.

    “The driver said he was carrying 32 persons in the bus so we are still looking for about 13 or more persons.”

    Ogbadu said the driver was able to dive out of the bus as it was plunging into the river and was one of those rescued on Friday.

    The bus carrying over 30 passengers plunged into the River along the Akaeze-Ishiagu expressway, Ivo local government area of the state.

  • 30 feared dead as bus plunges into Ebonyi River

    30 feared dead as bus plunges into Ebonyi River

    Over 30 persons were feared dead in a road accident along Akaeze-Ishiagu highway in Akaeze Development Centre, Ivo local government area of Ebonyi state.

    It was gathered that the incident occurred on Friday at about 5:45pm.

    The bus conveying the passengers reportedly plunged into a river near a bridge along the road.

    A source from the area said the accident occurred when an Enugu –bound 608 bus conveying passengers from a burial ceremony in Ebonyi state attempted to overtake a trailer just before a bridge in the area.

    The driver of the bus was said to have lost control of the vehicle and veered off into the river and got submerged immediately.

    As at the time of filing this report, only five persons in critical conditions had been reportedly rescued and rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah, confirmed the accident describing it as “very unfortunate incident”

    She however disclosed that about five persons had so far been rescued from the river, adding efforts were on to rescue others.

    ”It is a very unfortunate incident. The DPO of the area just told me that about five persons have been rescued and rushed to the hospital while efforts were on to see if some other persons can be rescued too.

    “Our men are already on ground to see what can be done to help the situation.” Odah said.

  • BREAKING: Lagos identifies index Lassa fever case as Law student from Ebonyi

    BREAKING: Lagos identifies index Lassa fever case as Law student from Ebonyi

    The Lagos Ministry of Health has identified the state’s index Lassa fever patient as an indigene of Ebonyi who arrived at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos over the weekend.

    The state health ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Tunbosun Ogunbamwo

    He said the state was confident that the outbreak would be “comfortably contained.”

    Mr. Ogunbamwo only said the index patient was from Ebonyi State, without disclosing his identity.

    The health commissioner, Prof. Akin Abayomi, had earlier referred to the patient as a “he.”

    “The patient came in over the weekend for a programme in Lagos shortly before he was diagnosed,” Ogunbamwo said.

  • Edo 2020: Ebonyi sends 140-man contingent to zonal elimination

    Edo 2020: Ebonyi sends 140-man contingent to zonal elimination

    A 140-man contingent from Ebonyi departed Abakaliki on Wednesday to participate in the Edo 2020 National Sports Festival South-East elimination taking place in Owerri.

    Emmanuel Utobo, Ebonyi State Director of Sports, made this known in Abakaliki in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that the zonal elimination would commence on Thursday, Jan. 23,while the contingent consisted of 120 athletes and 20 officials.

    “Ebonyi will participate in four team events namely: football (male and female), volley ball (male and female), basket ball (male and female) and  cricket (male and female).

    “We have prepared adequately for the competition and with the complement of our individual-sports athletes who gained direct participation to Edo 2020, we are optimistic of resounding successes,” he said.

    Utobo expressed optimism that Imo the host state, would provide the participating teams with conducive atmosphere to compete favourably.

    Charles Akpuenika, Ebonyi Commissioner for Youth and Sports, thanked the state governor for graciously approving funds for the state’s contingent to participate in the zonal elimination series.

    “All arrangements for the successful participation of our athletes at the competition have been made and the contingent is in high spirits.

    “We urge the athletes to justify the huge investments on them and sports in general by the government,” Akpuenika said.

    He announced that the state could not host the zonal elimination hitherto awarded to it because of insufficient time to prepare.

    “We duly informed the zonal sporting authorities of the development which made it shift the hosting to Imo.

    “We are optimistic of hosting future zonal and national events as the government has provided state-of-the art facilities to ensure successful hosting of competitions,” Akpuenika said. (NAN)