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S-East Govs, Reps, Army Move Against Insecurity
The governors of the southeast, the House of Representatives ad hoc committee, and security agencies including the Chief of Army Staff, yesterday, met at Enugu and Abuja respectively over the biting insecurity in the southeast.
The Reps ad-hoc Committee in their meeting with the Chief of Army Staff complained that violent crimes by gunmen and other criminal elements linked to IPOB and ESN are threatening the existence of the South-East region.
Obi Agocha, the committee chair, stated this in Abuja while interfacing with security agencies to reduce banditry, assassination, kidnapping, and other crimes in Abia.
He said the interface aimed to address insecurity that had cast a shadow in Abia, adding that several occurrences of insecurity had threatened the region’s foundation.
According to Agocha, the ad-hoc committee understood that no single solution could quickly address the menace.
The legislator, however, said that such challenges required a collective approach, adding that security agencies and all stakeholders must be prepared to tackle this menace.
“We must collaborate to nip this crisis in the bud. We must work in synergy to create a stronger force against insecurity in the region.
He said Umunneochi, a community in Abia, the epicentre of the battle, shares boundaries with other states in the South-East.
The lawmaker alleged that most of the non-state actors, like IPOB and Eastern Security Network, often came to commit crimes in the area and disappear to neighbouring states.
The chair expressed displeasure over the absence of security agencies who failed to attend the hearing, adding that the lawmakers would not condone such an attitude.
The security agencies at the meeting were the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja promised that insecurity ranging from kidnapping, banditry, and other criminal activities currently ravaging the South East region especially Isiukwuato and Umunnochi local government areas of Abia State will soon end.
This is as he assured that all security agencies are working round the clock to address the insecurity in the region.
Meanwhile, Lagbaja who was represented by the Deputy Director Operations, Army Headquarters, Brigadier General Gabriel Olufemi Esho, made the commitment during a meeting with the House of Representative Ad-Hoc committee investigating the killing and kidnapping in Umunochi Community in Abia State.
According to Lagbaja, the threat of kidnapping remains a potent security threat, especially in the two local government areas stating that, particularly in July this year, the region recorded cases of kidnapping and attacks by criminals suspected to be elements of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
He said that the security in these two local governments areas are also collaborating with the Army but due to certain challenges, the bulk usually lies with the Nigerian army.
He said “The House of representative through its letter dated 3rd August 2023 requested that the Nigeria Army submit a memorandum to the ad-hoc committee to interface with relevant security agencies and stockholders in respect of incessant attacks of kidnappers, assassination and banditry and other criminal elements in and around these two local government areas, it is pertinent to state the incidence of kidnapping in southeast region particularly in the second quarter of this year.
“Recently efforts of the Nigerian army through its Division in conjunction with other security agencies have diminished the threat of kidnapping.”
He however assured the committee that all efforts will be made to bring the perpetrators to book and restore peace to the region.
Also speaking at the meeting, the assistant Commandant General of NSCDC, Philip Ayuba, who represented the Commandant General of NSCDC, Abubakar Audi said that part of the challenge the security agencies face in tackling the insecurity in the region is the lack of cooperation from members of the community where the acts are been carried out.
“I want to state that we are out in synergy with other security agencies and have been able to look around and found out that there is a very good number of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
“We found that in that environment almost everybody has a weapon and there is the willful disposition of many communities to purchase locally made arms and there is a lack of this cooperation by the community where we are trying to get information from when they go there for manhunting to volunteer information of who and who are involved in that criminal act.To approach them even within themselves, they are afraid of themselves.”
Similarly, Governors of the South East have resolved to intensify war against the prevailing insecurity in the region collectively as well as separately.
They made the resolution in a meeting in Enugu Government House yesterday.
The five Governors of the region were all present in the meeting and were also joined by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Igalla; the General Officer Commanding 82 Division, Maj Gen Aminu Chinade; and commissioners of Police.
The Governors in attendance included the Chairman of South East Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma; Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State; Dr. Alex Otti of Abia State; Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State and the host Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah.
In a communique read by Governor Uzodimma, the south east Governors said that “The Forum firmly resolved to fight insecurity decisively in the region individually and collectively, in partnership with the federal government and other stakeholders.
“We commend the security agencies for their cooperation thus far and encourage them not to relent.
“We wish to state categorically that the perpetrators of the insecurity in our region and their sponsors are criminals and should not be seen as legitimate agitators. Therefore, upon arrest, they should be dealt with in accordance with the laws of the land.”
Meantime, the burning down of houses of politicians, traditional rulers, and residents has continued in Imo State, just as the Imo State Police command has vowed to arrest the suspects.
The promise to arrest the suspects was given by the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Henry Okoye, on Thursday while reacting to a series of reports of hoodlums burning houses of residents in Imo.
Okoye said: “Frantic investigating efforts are on top gear to arrest the arsonists and bring them to justice.”
The latest of such reports was that of a monarch, HRH, Eze Kanu in Ndianiche Arondizuogu in Ideato North council area of Imo State.
This came a day after the house belonging to a former member of the House of Representatives who represented the Orlu/ Orsu/ Oru East federal constituency of Imo State, Jerry Alagboso, was set ablaze by hoodlums at his hometown in Orsu council area of the state.
Also, the house of the traditional ruler of Okwuru, Orsu Ihitteukwa in Orsu council area of Imo State, Eze-Elect, Eze Ezekiel I. Nwokedi, was burnt down.
Many have been killed by hoodlums and abducted from their houses and taken to unknown destinations. Some villages have been reportedly taken over by hoodlums especially that of the Orsu council area, Okigwe axis of the state.
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have intercepted consignments of cocaine and various opioids concealed in walls of cartons used to package cloths and other items going to the United Kingdom and Australia.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, in a statement shared on X yesterday confirmed the interdiction.
According to him, “The two seizures were recorded at a courier company in Lagos on Friday 15th May 2026 during examination of shipments going to the UK and Australia.
“A total of 170grams of cocaine sealed in cellophane parcels and buried in the walls of a carton of cloths heading to Australia were recovered.
“A wide range of opioids including: 200 ampoules of pentazocine injection; 1,100 capsules of tramadol and 100 ampoules of promethazine injection were recovered from another carton which has United Kingdom as its final destination”.
“In FCT Abuja, NDLEA operatives on Monday 11th May arrested a 29-year-old businessman Ogadi Peter who specializes in producing drug laced cakes and cookies for parties and social gatherings in the capital city.
“Following credible intelligence, he was traced to his home in Life Camp area of the FCT where he was nabbed while 800grams of skunk and 2.70kg drug laced cookies recovered from him”.
“In Delta state, NDLEA operatives on Sunday 10th May, raided Ejeonu village in Ukwuani local government area where they destroyed 27,500 kilograms of skunk on 11 hectares of farmland and recovered 22.9kg of same substance while a 52-year-old suspect Ifeanyichukwu Peter was arrested in a follow up operation at Obiaruku.
“A similar raid in Orogun village, Ughelli North LGA on Tuesday 12th May led to the destruction of 37,500 kilograms and recovery of 55.4kg of same psychoactive substance on 15 hectares of farm as well as the arrest of 30-year-old Godwin Vincent Osadera.
“This brings the total weight of skunk destroyed by NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers in the two operations to 65,000 kilograms”.
“In Kaduna State, 361kg of skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Dan Magaji area of Zaria town on Wednesday 13th May. and a suspect Husaini Suleiman, 42 ,was arrested.
“A large cache of military-grade ammunition was intercepted by NDLEA officers on patrol along Abuja-Kaduna highway, Kaduna on Tuesday 12th May.
“A suspect, 35-year-old Abdullahi Hassan was caught conveying the 1, 989 rounds of RLA 7.62mm concealed in fresh white cassava granules locally known as garri.
“Both the suspect and exhibit have since been transferred to another security agency for further investigation’.
Also, a total of 181kg skunk was recovered from a suspect Aliyu Sani when NDLEA operatives raided the Ogere area of Ogun state on Wednesday 13th May, while another suspect Sufiyanu Mohammed Misa, 27, was arrested with 105,850 pills of opioids including tramadol, diazepam and exol-5 along Zaki- Biam road Wukari LGA, Taraba state on Thursday 14th May.
In Oyo State, two suspects: Adeleke Olamide Aliyah, 20, and Aloba Abdulazeez, 25, were arrested on Thursday, 14th May at Challenge II, Saki town, in connection with the seizure of 99 litres of skuchies.
NDLEA also said a total of 1,388.4175 kilograms of skunk were destroyed on two farms on Friday, 15th May when NDLEA officers raided Ago forest, Orhionmwon LGA, Edo state.
A 25-litre jerry can of palm oil used to conceal 1.2kg pills of tramaking 225mg was recovered from Kofar Ruwa motor park in Kano on Monday, 11th May following credible intelligence while a suspect Aminu Isa, 35, was arrested at Sabuwar Sharada area of the state same day with 30.5kg skunk.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA Commands equally continued across the country in the past week including: WADA sensitization lecture delivered to students and staff of The Apostolic Church Model College, Ijokodo, Ibadan Oyo State; School of Health Technology, Lambata, Niger state; Yewa Junior High School, Agege, Lagos; Government Secondary School, Yardaje, Katsina; Igogo Commercial High School, Igogo Ekiti and Government Girls Secondary School, Magwan, Kano state; among others.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Delta, Kaduna, Oyo, Taraba, Kano, FCT and Edo Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) also praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
No fewer than five persons have been confirmed dead after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in the Durumi 3 area near Gudu Market in the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday morning.
Ten other persons were rescued alive from the rubble, according to the media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Lere Olayinka, who provided an update on the incident via his X handle on Saturday.
Olayinka further stated that the Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, who visited the site, disclosed that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had directed that “all casualties be given free medical treatment.”
According to him, emergency responders continued efforts to evacuate more victims believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Officials of the Federal Fire Service, health workers, security agencies and local volunteers were at the scene working to rescue victims.
Recall that in April, six persons were injured following a similar collapse of a two-storey building under construction in Jikwoyi within the AMAC area.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, has charged newlywed couples to build their marriages on the virtues of love as taught in the Word of God.
Prof. Odu gave the charge at the wedding ceremony of Amblessed Favour Sunny-Cookey and Samson Jesuganji at Lifegate Power Ministries, Dominion Cathedral, in Port Harcourt at the weekend.
This was contained in a statement by the Head of Press, Deputy Governor’s Office, Owupele Benebo last Saturday.
The statement identified the bride as the daughter of Pastor Sunny Cookey, the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Lifegate Ministries.
The deputy governor congratulated the couple on a new phase of life, and prayed for God’s blessings upon their union, noting that the couple were raised by godly parents and encouraging them to uphold the Christian values instilled in them.
Referring to the sermon delivered during the ceremony, Odu emphasized that the principles of love and submission remain fundamental to a successful marriage.
According to her, genuine love reflects the nature of God, stressing that love should remain the foundation of the couple’s relationship as they journey through life together.
She prayed for enduring peace, happiness, and progress in their home, expressing confidence that the marriage would continue to flourish under God’s guidance.
The deputy governor commended the families of the couple for their support and upbringing, while urging the newlyweds to always remember the significance of the day and the commitment they had made before God and witnesses.
In his sermon at the wedding, the Founder and Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, Pastor David Ibiyeomie, stated that marriage did not originate from Western culture, traditions, or human ideas, but from God, whom he described as the “manufacturer” of marriage.
According to the cleric, couples seeking lasting and peaceful homes must rely on biblical principles rather than societal trends or assumptions.
He explained that many marital crises and rising divorce rates stem from ignorance and failure to apply scriptural teachings in family life.
Drawing from the biblical parable of building a house on a rock, Ibiyeomie said the Word of God remains the only solid foundation capable of sustaining marriages through challenges and difficult times.
He noted that marriage naturally comes with unexpected realities and pressures, stressing that religious ceremonies or cultural practices alone are not enough to sustain a home without proper understanding of God’s instructions.
The pastor further warned that ignorance of scripture remains one of the greatest weapons against believers, urging Christians to study and practice the Word of God rather than merely attending church services.
The ceremony had many ministers in attendance including Apostle Zilly Aggrey, Pastor George Izunwa, and Bishop Winston Iwo.
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