Metro

Rage In Imo As Erosion Kills, Swallows Houses

Published

2 years ago

August 6, 2023

Succour may be on the way for the people and residents of Ideato South and Ideato North local government areas of Imo State, as the Senate has called on the relevant Federal Government, FG, agencies to embark on immediate remedial works on several erosion sites in the area.

This move by the upper chamber of the National Assembly, NASS, became necessary as the people are now, more than ever, faced with existential threats posed by multiple gullies ravaging every nook and cranny of the area.

The Senate noted that the total collapse of erosion sites has led to the loss of human lives, and property worth over N4 billion as well as inflicted severe injuries on many people.

In Imo, the sites of gully erosions are commonplace. However, Ideato is believed to be the most erosion-prone area in the state with over 200 erosion sites across the federal constituency. The entire Ideato nation is gasping and in shambles as a result of ecological problems.

As the rains pound harder, the gullies are expanding daily. These days, buildings cave in even when there’s no rain, it is more like landslides. The people are frustrated and hapless and unhappy with the government’s slow pace in managing active erosion sites in the two council areas.

According to Sunday Vanguard findings, no fewer than 30 residential homes have been swept and over 15 people have lost their lives in the monstrous menace. Among the victims, we gathered, are two elderly siblings, Mr. Benedict Agughasi and Festa Agughasi of Obiohia community.

Communities mostly affected include Umuchima, Obiohia, Ogboko, Ugbelle, Amanator, Umueshi, Urualla, UmumaIsiaku, Obodoukwu, Isiokpo, Akpulu, Isiekeneisii, Umuobom, Akokwa and Ntueke.

Loss of homes, farmlands

While many have lost their homes and farmlands, others have abandoned theirs and have been forcefully separated from their kiths and kin. Although there are no verified independent sources to ascertain the monetary/economic value of damages done by the gullies in Ideato, it is estimated to run into billions of Naira, including loss of critical infrastructures such as roads, power and telephone installations, cables and pipes.

In the last two years, a major road that connects Imo to Anambra and many other states in the country, the Orlu-Obiohia-Akokwa-Uga federal road, has been cut off at Urasi River, leaving in its trail, destructions, wailing and crying.

Those who spoke to our reporter said the erosion along the federal road was long identified but nothing serious was done to check the advancing gully until the highway bowed to the superior force of flood, leaving motorists and other road users stranded and at the mercy of hoodlums.

SOS

While appealing to relevant authorities to save the people from extinction, the President-General of Umuchima community, Mr. Chibueze Emelu, said: “Erosion has swept off houses and farmlands forcing people to flee their ancestral homes. Our people are on the verge of being cut off. The economic and social life is threatened by gully erosions. We are calling on the Federal Government to come to our aid. they must act now as communities in this area no longer have access to anywhere.”

Looming Catastrophe

A former member of the Ideato South LGA Caretaker Committee, Hon. Ifeanyi Duru, had expressed worries that the situation has assumed catastrophic proportions. According to him, not many “have the faintest idea of the magnitude of this environmental disaster looming.

“Recently, I took out time and went around all the erosion sites in my community, Obiohia with a photographer to get a pictorial view of the situation. What I found out that very day really shook me to the marrow.

“From the road connecting Obiohia/Umueshi, through the Ozuomba Mbadiwe University northernmost gate, to the erosion that runs through Umuezee, and finally, the monstrous endless abyss around Umuezee/Agbala axis, that has become a potentially existential threat to us as a community.

“Though the pictures and report from that exercise were submitted to the current government in power by myself, I still believe that the community needs to rise to the challenges and threats posed to her environment by this ugly development.”

Imo govt’s efforts

The Imo State government has said that the ecological problem in Ideato is way beyond it. Governor Hope Uzodimma through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Oguwike Nwachukwu, said he was not only worried about the situation in the area but anywhere erosion is posing a threat to lives and property in Imo.

“For Ideato, the governor is very much in touch with the Federal Government’s Ecological Funds Office, EFO, through the Office of the Secretary to the Federal Government. Recently, a team from the EFO visited the erosion sites to evaluate the situation on the intervention of the governor”, Nwachukwu said.

Not our responsibility

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Raph Nwosu, has declared that the affected Orlu-Mgbee-Obiohia-Akokwa road was not the responsibility of the state government.

“The road in question is a federal road, therefore, it’s not our responsibility to do it. We are only trying to intervene. However, when we came, we saw that the ecological problem is huge and requires proper studying because if you build a bridge there it will collapse if it’s not properly studied.

“So people are studying it and after the study, we will go ahead and award the project. Initially, we thought it was a small problem but when we got there, it was larger than we thought. Therefore, we needed proper studying before awarding the contract. So we are only doing the FG a favour for it’s their responsibility”, Nwosu stated.

Legislative intervention

Worried by the magnitude of the devastation, the Senator representing Imo West (Orlu zone) senatorial district, Mr. Osita Izunaso, a fortnight ago, moved a motion of “Urgent Need to Carry-Out Remedial Work on Obodoukwu, Urualla, Akokwa, Umumaisiaku, Umuchima and Umueshi Gully Erosion Sites in Ideato North and Ideato South LGAs, Imo State”

Presenting the motion, Izunaso noted the economic impact of the continuous loss of lives, businesses, and properties of individuals, NGOs, and the government as floods are burying them under debris day after day.

Concerned that the gullies and floodwaters are now beyond the Imo state government, the lawmaker stressed the need for FG’s presence and urgency to undertake immediate remedial work to mitigate the risks and prevent further loss of lives, properties, and environmental degradation in the affected areas.

The Senate, in its resolutions, urged the EFO and the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. to jointly and urgently engage relevant experts, including geologists, hydrologists, and environmental engineers, to conduct the assessment and implement measures such as slope stabilization, gabion installations, terracing, re-vegetation, and construction of retaining walls to prevent further losses and minimize the risks to nearby infrastructure, communities, LGAs, and states.

It also urged the emergency agency to urgently implement a community resettlement plan, where necessary, to relocate residents from high-risk areas, providing them with adequate housing, livelihood support, and necessary amenities;

The lawmakers further asked NEMA and EFO to establish community-based initiatives to enhance resilience, such as emergency response teams, evacuation plans, and the formation of local task forces focused on disaster management; outlining the achieved milestones, challenges encountered, and plans for future actions every four weeks.

Metro

Panic In Delta Female School Over False Herdsmen Attack

Published

4 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Editor

Fear gripped Kwale, headquarters of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, on Monday, as students of Otagba-Ogbe Girls Secondary School fled their classrooms following fears of an alleged herdsmen attack.

The panic reportedly began when students sighted two herdsmen entering the school premises from the rear, prompting a stampede as they ran out of their classrooms, triggering widespread alarm across the community.

A community source said the fear was rooted in earlier rumours circulating over the weekend that herdsmen were seen around the school’s surroundings.

“Everyone is on alert. The truth is that there were rumours that some herdsmen were spotted near the school on Saturday,”

The source said. “Today, as they were learning, two herdsmen entered the school compound from the back.
“Whether they were looking for their cattle, I don’t know.

“There had been information that an attack could happen at any moment due to issues between the herdsmen and the host community.”

The situation quickly escalated as parents trooped to the school to retrieve their children, and online platforms amplified claims of an imminent attack and alleged gunshots — none of which were verified.

But in a swift response, the Delta State Police Command dismissed it as false and misleading, saying it is capable of inciting unnecessary chaos.

According to the Command, the Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, immediately ordered a coordinated security response.

The Command’s spokesman, Bright Edafe said the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of Kwale Division, SP Udofia Kufre, led a patrol team to the school for on-the-ground verification.

“Interviews with the Vice Principal and the security guard on duty confirmed that no attack occurred. Police said the entire disturbance was triggered by misinformation and students’ fear.

“As part of precautionary checks, adjoining schools in the Kwale axis were also visited by security operatives, who found them calm, safe, and fully engaged in normal academic activities.”

“Parents who rushed to the school were urged to remain calm as authorities confirmed that stability had been restored.”

Metro

Bandits Claim Kebbi, Niger Abductions, Vow More Attacks On Soldiers, Politicians [VIDEO]

Published

5 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Editor

An armed terrorist group has released a new video claiming responsibility for the recent student abductions in Kebbi and Niger states, while threatening further attacks on soldiers and political office holders.

The video, which emerged on Monday and has since been circulating on social media, shows an armed man, speaking in Hausa, boasting that the group would soon begin targeting military personnel and politicians, insisting that the government “cannot stop” their operations.

The footage, which shows the individual surrounded by other armed men, has generated widespread speculation online, with citizens questioning the boldness and growing confidence of the terrorists.

The threatening video emerged just a week after the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, and the attack on St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger State, where over 300 students and 12 teachers were seized.

The video has intensified public anxiety as communities across the North continue to grapple with escalating attacks by bandits and other armed groups.

Security analysts say the video reflects the deteriorating security landscape and the increasing audacity of terrorists who operate with minimal deterrence.

In comments on X in reaction to the video, many Nigerians expressed outrage and frustration over the country’s worsening insecurity.

“This kind of boast shouldn’t even be possible in a functioning country. How did we get here?” @TaraBlinz said.

Another user, @justkency, stated, “The current state of Nigeria. Criminals are now emboldened enough to issue statements.”

Also reacting, @n95ly wrote, “Government officials should be the ones facing this. Leave innocent citizens out of it.”

Watch video here

Metro

38 Abducted Kwara Church Worshippers Regain Freedom

Published

1 day ago

November 23, 2025

Editor

All the 38 persons recently abducted in an attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Oke-Isegun in Eruku community of Ekiti Local Government of Kwara have regained freedom.

The state government, through the office of the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, disclosed this on Sunday.

The statement said the release followed many days of hard work by security forces and government representatives.

Ajakaye said, “The governor says this is wholly due to the hands-on approach of President Bola Tinubu, who has personally led the efforts to free the abductees.”

He recalled that the president had called off his scheduled trip for the G20 Meeting in South Africa to attend to the breaches in Kwara and Kebbi States.

“He had also directed heightened security deployments to Kwara, in what underlined his firm commitment to the safety and well-being of our people and Nigerians as a whole,” he added.

He, however, conveyed the governor’s appreciation to the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Nigeria Police, which he said have graciously deployed four new tactical teams on the directive of the President.

“The governor also thanks members of the security forces across board, thought leaders, religious institutions, and all Kwarans for their support and goodwill since the unfortunate incident,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Oke-Isegun in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, which was attacked last Tuesday by bandits who killed three, kidnapped 38 and wounded many, on Sunday held its first service since the deadly attack.

The Sunday church service was held amidst a heavy security presence in and around the premises.

Journalists observed heavy deployment of security operatives across Eruku, including soldiers, the Special Tactical Squad from Force Headquarters, SWAT, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Kwara Police Command, and local vigilantes.

The deployment was said to have been the directive of President Bola Tinubu, who mandated joint operations to track the attackers and rescue the victims.

Meanwhile, the service, conducted inside the blood-stained auditorium where the attack occurred last Tuesday, was dominated by prayers for the release of the kidnapped worshippers and the repose of the deceased.

It was during the service that the church secretary, Michael Agbabiaka, hinted that the abductors had reduced the ransom money from N100 million per head to N20 million.

He also used the service to confirm that 38 persons were abducted, contrary to earlier figures of 60 circulating on social media.

According to him, the church initially compiled 35 names, but later, during a verification exercise, identified three additional non-members who were also kidnapped during the siege.

“Rumours that over 60 people were abducted are not true,” he told Sobi FM. “We have 38 people still in the bush. Three people died, and one is in the hospital receiving treatment. I have their names and phone numbers. We don’t want misinformation,” he clarified.

Agbabiaka further disclosed that the bandits initially demanded N100 million per victim, but the ransom was negotiated down to N20 million each before communication with the abductors broke off on Friday.

He added that despite fear and trauma, church leaders encouraged members to attend the service as a show of faith and resilience.

“As you can see, only a few people are present, but we thank God for life and for strengthening us. We also appreciate the government for deploying security operatives who are now patrolling the town and the church,” he told newsmen.

Earlier, the officiating pastor, Bamidele Lawrence, described the incident as a test of faith and revealed that he received divine assurances regarding the safety of the kidnapped.

He told the congregation that God promised the abducted worshippers would return alive, likening their situation to the biblical trials of the Israelites.