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Simon Ekpa: Allow Nnamdi Kanu Address Igbos Before Elections, Ohanaeze Tells Buhari

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As unknown gunmen continue to wreak havoc in the South-East, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to allow Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB, to address the people of the South-East.

Finland-based Simon Ekpa is being accused of sponsoring the unknown gunmen causing chaos across the Southeast.

Ekpa, who used to be a self-styled disciple of Kanu, was suspended by the separatist group over alleged insubordination.

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Despite his suspension, Ekpa has continued his Biafra agitation and orders sit-at-home in the Southeast.

READ ALSO: 2023 Polls: Concerns As Over 3 Million Students Face Disenfranchisement

Aggrieved by the order, the apex Igbo socio-political organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, placed a $50,000 bounty on Ekpa.

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It was observed that the killing in the Southeast became more rampant following Kanu’s arrest and detention.

The IPOB leader has been detained by the Federal Government since June 2022 after he was arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria.

Over the weekend, a video surfaced online of unknown gunmen beheading Chris Ohizu, the Chairman of Ideato North Local Government of Imo State.

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The decapitalization of Ohizu’s head is one of the many killings witnessed in the Southeast.

While these gunmen have denied links to IPOB, some stakeholders in the Southeast have accused Ekpa of backing them.

However, the Ohanaeze Secretary-General, Isiguzoro, said the killings in the Southeast would subside if Buhari allows the IPOB leader to address Nigerians.

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Speaking with DAILY POST on the activities of gunmen linked to Ekpa, Isiguzoro reiterated his stance on a plot to destabilise the 2023 elections in the Southeast using Ekpa.

According to Isiguzoro: “This madness of sit-at-home and incessant killings and insecurity we are witnessing in the Southeast can be traced to the continuous incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu, which Simon Ekpa is taking undue advantage of.

“Ekpa is an opportunist, a fame and fortune seeker who saw the window and lapses of Kanu’s detention as an opportunity for him to venture into his journey of amassing wealth from politicians and destroying the people of the Southeast.

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READ ALSO: Ohanaeze Places $50, 000 Bounty On Simon Ekpa

“The only cure to this madness of Simon Ekpa is a passionate appeal to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to allow the leader of IPOB to address Ndigbo possibly this February before the elections, because there is a grand conspiracy by some external enemies of Ndigbo, and they are using Ekpa to shortchange and ensure that there is an election boycott in the Southeast.

“The only cure to this Ekpa’s madness is for Buhari to allow Kanu, even if it’s a five-minute broadcast, because Kanu has continued to say through his lawyers that these killings and insecurity in the Southeast should end. The activities of unknown gunmen instigated by Ekpa should end, and why there has been no effect on those messages is that the people doubt if those messages are from Nnamdi Kanu.

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“So, in order to have a peaceful election, the Federal Government should give Nnamdi Kanu a five-minute broadcast to talk to the people of the Southeast; this would end Ekpa and his madness.”
DAILY POST

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JUST IN: Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs

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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the new service chiefs with their respective ranks at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The ceremony, which began shortly after 2pm saw the President perform the decoration alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the decorated officers, each dressed in their respective service uniforms.

Those decorated were General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff; and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas and Chief of Naval Staff.

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The Senate had, on Wednesday, confirmed the four nominees after a two-hour closed-door screening session where they were grilled on strategies to strengthen national security and improve coordination among the armed forces.

Tinubu had earlier written the red chamber, seeking an expedited confirmation process “to ensure continuity in the nation’s security leadership.”

READ ALSO:Reps Approve Tinubu’s $2.35bn External Loan Request

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It was observed that the ceremony was attended by senior government officials, lawmakers family members of the service chiefs and top officers from the various arms of the military.

The President, Vice President and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning the new ranks on each of the decorated chiefs.

The decoration came barely one week after the Presidency announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy.

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In the statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, it said the shake-up was part of efforts to inject new direction into the nation’s defence architecture.

READ ALSO:Tinubu Under Fire Over Presidential Pardon For Drug Offenders

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retained his position.

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Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, later told our correspondent that the changes were not connected to recent rumours of a coup plot, saying, “The President acted within his authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President.”

On Monday, Tinubu had met privately with the new service chiefs at the Villa.

They arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van escorted by a green Toyota Land Cruiser, and the session lasted about 40 minutes.

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READ ALSO:FULL LIST: 175 Beneficiaries Of Tinubu’s Pardons

Presidency sources said the President charged them to take decisive action against insurgents and bandits, particularly in the North.

Last Friday’s reshuffle followed an October 19 report alleging that some officers were plotting to overthrow the government — a claim later dismissed by the Defence Headquarters as “false and mischievous.”

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The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the alleged arrests linked to a coup were “issues of indiscipline” within the ranks, describing the report as “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

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JUST IN: Eurozone Growth Beats Expectations In Third Quarter

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The eurozone economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, official data showed Thursday.

The EU’s data agency said the 20-country single currency area recorded growth of 0.2 per cent over the July-September period from the previous quarter.

READ ALSO:Atiku Slams Tinubu Over U-turn On Pardon For Convicts

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The figure was higher than the 0.1 per cent forecast by analysts for Bloomberg and FactSet.

More details later…

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PHOTOS: Police Inspector, Others Die In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Multiple-truck Crash

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At least four persons were feared dead while several others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

A police inspector attached to the Lagos State Police Command was said to be among the victims.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday during a visit to the scene, said emergency response teams worked through the early hours to rescue victims and clear the wreckage.

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“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.

READ ALSO:Ten Feared, Others Injured In Oyo Road Accident

As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies,” Ishola said.

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He explained that preliminary investigations showed the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.

At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed to brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he stated.

The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his officers who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene.

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READ ALSO:41 Killed In Mexico Bus Accident

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.

Ishola cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he described as a leading cause of fatal crashes on highways.

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We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.

Rescue operations involving the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time, while efforts to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow continued.

 

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