News
As Anambra Prepares For Election…
On November 6, 2021, the people and residents of Anambra State in South Eastern Nigeria will file out to cast their votes in an off-season election expected to bring about the next governor of the state upon the cessation of the incumbent governor’s tenure, Willie Obiano. Hence, it is a national imperative for the poll to be effectively safeguarded.
Preparations for this election have attained a fever pitch. Essentially, politicians including the contestants for the coveted position, are in brilliant political manoeuvres, transcending one another in their endeavour to sway the electorate to their respective sides. Obviously, the people seem to be excited about this.
But the inhabitants of the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), politicians and even the Nigerian government have a disconcerting problem of insecurity. Among many citizens of this buzzing state, adjudged to be the commercial nerve centre of the South-East, the apprehension is not much about who wins the election, it is about who will be alive to do the voting.
The prevailing situation is that the tension preceded by the November 6 governorship election now perseverates across the state. The questions are: will the election hold out? If it is finally conducted, will it repercuss what the public and others choose?
These are pertinent questions currently disrupting politics and politicking in the state. The Anambra electorate need an answer to assure them that the election will indeed be held seamlessly. This is because what should normally pass as a peaceful exercise is rapidly weakening the state, severely exposing the underbelly of state security. Anambra has become a hunting ground with gratuitous destruction of state institutions and assets.
The state has grasped a glimpse of insecurity in its purest form, as many well-known citizens have been kidnapped or assassinated by unidentified armed men, inseminating fear in all and sundry. The abduction of the governorship candidate of the Labour Party, ObioraAgbasimalo, and the murder of the deceased husband of late Dora Akunyili, ChikeAkunyili, are two illustrations. Other imprudent killings have raised doubts about the November 6 poll.
Last April, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Charles Soludo, escaped death by the whiskers when gunmen charged at him during a political meeting he convened at the Civic Centre in his hometown of Isuofia, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State. But while he escaped unhurt, three police officers attached to him were killed.
There have been several other killings in recent weeks. Specifically, the Nnewi office of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) building were demolished. Unidentified gunmen persist in striking terror into the political class with gun attacks, and numerous innocent passers-by are also obliterated. The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been spasmodically named in connection with the sprouting violence, particularly because of its professed undertaking to make certain that November 6, 2021 Anambra election does not hold.
IPOB’s sempiternal and economically enervating “sit-at-home” directives, which are brought to bear in a cataclysmic manner, fudge together a perdurable part of the pang in this area of the country. It has overwrought the people’s economic, educational, and political rights. This is certainly not acceptable.
INEC had expressed concerns over the November 6 governorship election in Anambra and warned against constitutional crisis that might engulf the state if the situation persisted. Its chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, conveyed the fears during an emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja recently. Recall that in May 2021, the INEC office in Awka was attacked and all the non-sensitive materials and vehicles assembled for the governorship election destroyed.
Despite the anxieties, this state of affairs is allowed to advance to a certain amplitude, and the South-East, which was predominantly one of the most non-belligerent areas of the country, is now a locality to circumvent due to insecurity. The run-of-the-mill inhabitants are flustered and solicitous over their future, owing to the ventures of some gunmen, who slink the nooks and crannies of the state, looking for targets.
According to sources, these armed men not only execute relentless onslaughts against politicians, but equally against chaste, irreproachable and defenceless citizens as well as policemen, and set fire to assets. In all those intrusions which today discommode the entire state and jeopardise the 2021 governorship election, no breakthrough has been chronicled by way of arrests.
Anambra people and Nigerians deserve peace and a sanctioning environment that will make the forthcoming gubernatorial election not only feasible but a huge success. We urge the federal and the state governments to ensure that the people are safe and ensconced and that the November 6 election comes about as scheduled.
If the proposed security workouts of the Nigerian Army will cover the three Southern regions and parts of the North Central as earlier presumed, it should be organised in a way to gain the full underpinning of the law-abiding citizens in the affected regions. The people must feel that the armed forces are there to protect them, not to exacerbate their situation.
Agitators in the South-East should commit themselves to the peaceful pursuit of their lawful aspirations. Recourse to violence will only result in superfluous death and destruction, notably for law-abiding citizens. IPOB should discontinue the threat of undermining the Anambra election. It is against the interests of the people to forcefully prevent them from freely electing their leaders. Any group that tinkers with the people’s educational, economic, and political rights cannot claim to be their emancipator.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have foiled attempts by drug trafficking syndicates to smuggle illicit substances concealed in carton walls, winter jackets, and body cream containers through Murtala Muhammed International Airport and a Lagos-based courier firm.
The agency said two consignments bound for Italy were intercepted at the Lagos airport, leading to the arrest of suspects linked to the shipments.
In a statement released yesterday, the agency’s spokesman, Femi Babafemi, said one of the suspects, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was intercepted on Friday, March 20, 2026, while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Rome, Italy.
The statement partly read, “Two of the consignments heading to Italy were to be moved through the Lagos airport where two suspects linked to the shipments were promptly arrested.
“One of them, 37-year-old Friday Ehianuka, was going to Rome, Italy on Friday, March 20, 2026, when he was intercepted while attempting to board an Ethiopian Airlines flight with 2,698 pills of tramadol 225mg concealed in containers of skin-lightening body cream, all packed in the suspect’s luggage.
“In his statement, Ehianuka, who is a resident of Milan, confirmed that he was to be paid a negotiated fee in Euros if he had succeeded in trafficking the consignment to Italy.”
In another operation on Wednesday, March 18, Babafemi said NDLEA officers at the departure hall intercepted another passenger, Christian Agbonhese, attempting to board a Lufthansa flight to Milan.
A search of his luggage uncovered 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg, 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg, and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg concealed in two large winter jackets.
“No fewer than 23,150 pills of tramadol 225mg; 4,000 tablets of tapentadol 250mg; and 1,320 pills of tramadol 100mg, all concealed in two large winter jackets, bringing the total number of opioids recovered from him to 28,470 pills. The 38-year-old Agbonhese is also a resident of Milan,” the statement added.
In a separate operation at a courier firm in Lagos, Babafemi said NDLEA officers on Monday, March 16, intercepted two parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 1kg, hidden in a carton shipped from the United States.
“Also thwarted was an attempt to export 158 grams of methamphetamine concealed in the walls of a carton to New Zealand,” he said.
In Kano State, operatives arrested Abdulkadir Mamuda, 35, with 102.5kg of skunk at Dan-Tsalle, while another suspect, Uche Johnson Festus, 47, was nabbed at Naibawa Gabas with 95.5kg of the same substance.
Babafemi said the agency also recovered 21,737 bottles of codeine-based syrup during a raid at Otto, Ijora area of Lagos on Wednesday, March 18, adding that two suspects, Chidiebere Anigbogu and Paul Nwagbara, were arrested the same day on the Third Mainland Bridge while conveying 8,380 bottles of the syrup.
In Edo State, operatives recovered 97.5kg of skunk from the residence of Akeem Idde, 37, in Ojah, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area on March 16.
In the FCT, officers intercepted a commercial bus along the Gwagwalada Expressway on March 18, recovering 91,840 pills of tramadol hidden in body compartments of the vehicle. The driver, Aminu Ali, 27, was arrested.
In Oyo State, a suspect, Bankole Bari, was on Tuesday, March 17, arrested at Oke-Oyan, Ibarapa LGA, with 71.2kg of skunk, which he smuggled into Nigeria from Benin Republic through the Oyan River.
In a similar development, “Not less than 586,000 pills of tramadol and Exol-5 were recovered by NDLEA operatives from Lawal Anas, 28, along Kaduna-Zaria Highway, Kaduna, on Tuesday, March 17, while 7,290 tablets of tramadol 225mg were seized from Musa Shuaibu, 22, at the same location on Friday, March 20,” Babafemi said.
In Taraba State, officers intercepted Aliyu Adamu, 26, along the Takum-Jalingo Highway with 77,660 capsules of tramadol, while in Adamawa State, six suspects were arrested in connection with the seizure of 82.8kg of tramadol in a truck in Yola.
The suspects include Ramatu Aliyu, Jungudo Abdullahi, Najid Abdullahi, Musa Mohammed, Usman Abdulrahim, and Musa Mohammed.
The agency said its commands across the country also intensified War Against Drug Abuse sensitisation campaigns in schools, worship centres, and communities during the week.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), commended officers of the MMIA, DOGI, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Edo, Oyo, FCT, Taraba, and Adamawa commands for the arrests and seizures, urging them to sustain the balanced approach to drug control efforts.
News
RSG Applauds FRSC, NDLEA For Enhancing Security In Rivers …As NDLEA Pushes For Drug Tests In Schools, NYSC Camps
The Rivers State Government has commended the dedication and collaboration of federal government agencies in sustaining security in the State.
Speaking during a courtesy visit by the State Commander of the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), CN Bature Dawa, in Port Harcourt, last week, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dagogo Wokoma, said Governor Siminalayi Fubara appreciates the strong synergy between the agencies in promoting his administration’s vision of peace, prosperity and progress in the State.
Wokoma urged residents to remain law-abiding, noting that respect for the law is essential for good governance and sustainable development in all parts of the state.
He stated that the governor has remained committed to initiatives that promote peace and social order, stressing that the administration will continue to support programmes of federal agencies aimed at strengthening security and public safety.
“Our governor is committed to peace, progress and prosperity in Rivers State. I therefore encourage all residents, especially young people who are often targeted by those involved in drug abuse, to stay away from drugs, crime and reckless driving,” he said.
In his remarks, the State NDLEA boss, Dawa, disclosed that the agency has arrested 39 suspects in the state from December 2025 to date, including 16 new cases currently under investigation.
He explained that the NDLEA, through its Drug Demand Reduction and Drug Supply Control Units, has intensified efforts to curb the spread of illicit drugs and ensure offenders are brought to justice.
Dawa also called on parents and guardians to closely monitor their children, while urging hotel owners and managers to remain vigilant and prevent their facilities from being used for drug-related activities.
He further advocated the introduction of drug integrity tests in schools and within the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme as part of measures to discourage drug abuse among young people.
In a related development, Dr Wokoma received the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), CC Inyang Umoh, during a courtesy visit, and urged residents to abide by road safety laws and drive in consideration of other road users.
In his remarks, the FRSC boss expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the continuous support to the Corps.
Muslims in Rivers State have commended Governor Siminialayi Fubara for his dedication and commitment to the development of the state.
They also lauded the governor for promoting peaceful co-existence among various religious groups in the state.
Vice President General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs ,Alhaji Nasil Awhelegbe Uhor, gave the commendation last Friday during the Eid-el Fitri prayer to mark the end of Ramadan fasting period, at the Port Harcourt Central Mosque, Niger Street, Port Harcourt.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the prayer, Alhaji Uhor said Governor Fubara has shown exemplary leadership in the affairs of the state.
Uhor who is the leader of the South South Muslim Ummah of Nigeria, called on Muslims to remain committed to the ideal of peace and fear of the Almighty Allah.
According to the Rivers State Islamic leader, the message is for Muslims to imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink into their lives and shape their ways of doing things.
He urged Muslims to imbibe the culture of love and respect for one another.
“My message is that all Muslims should imbibe and allow the lessons of Ramadan to sink with them,” he advised.
Uhor stressed the need for Muslims and all Nigerians to remain patriotic, while avoiding all forms of anti-social behaviours.
He also called on the political leaders to put the country first, stressing that there is no need for Nigerians to continue to wallow in abject poverty when the country is so rich with natural resources.
Also speaking, the Chief Imam of Rivers State, Alhaji Ibrahim S Yalo, urged Muslims to fear God, and speak the truth always.
According to him, time has come for Nigerians to cultivate the habit of peaceful coexistence, speak the truth and be each others keeper.
“Nigerians own a duty to ensure peace, live together in fear of God and speak the truth always,” he said.
By: John Bibor
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