Metro

Youths In Enugu Governor’s Community Protest alleged Land Grabbing, Others by Traditional Ruler, Ex PG

Published

2 years ago

August 16, 2023

By Our Reporter

… Accuses Igwe Of Selling Their Land To Gov Mba

Youths in Owo, Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State in their numbers recently protested alleged land grabbing and other offences committed by His Royal Highness, Igwe Godwin Okeke Arum and a former President General, PG, Mr Okeke Akpu.

Owo is the community where Enugu State governor, Peter Mba hails from.

In a viral video, the youths chanting solidarity songs with placards bearing different inscriptions as: “Okeke Arum, leave Owo Kingdom alone”; “Okeke Arum mind Mburu Owo Autonomous Community”, among others went round the community to register their annoyances against the Traditional Ruler, and Akpu.

Speaking, the current President General of Owo Town Union, Prince Augustine Nnajieze, said their protest was against alleged atrocities committed by the Igwe including turning the Community Neighbourhood Watch to his personal security and thugs by which he harasses and intimidates anybody against him.

“Okeke Arum is not the Igwe of Owo, but the Igwe of Mburu Owo Autonomous Community, yet he is forcing himself on the entire community. This man has committed so much atrocities in Owo Town. He has turned the Enugu State Neighbourhood Watch into his personal security and thugs. He uses the Neighborhood Watch to harass, intimidate and kill anybody who disagrees with him.

“The Owo community has no traditional ruler, but he wants everybody to come and bow to him. The very moment you don’t accept to bow before him, you become an enemy.

“Igwe Okeke Arum, sold a land that belongs to Asisi village to the governor, His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah and pocketed the money. The land was sold to the governor for 200,000,000(Two Hundred Million Naira) by the agreement of the whole community, but the man started spending the money, by constructing roads and other things without consulting the community.

“The community does not have a traditional ruler today, because of the man’s many activities. The Asisi village is in crisis because the man has been selling land that belongs to everybody. He sold the land where we have boundary with Ndiagu. If it were not for him, we don’t have any reason to be dragging land with our brothers in Ndiagu Owo.

“The former governor of Enugu State, His Excellency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi once called him to leave Owo Town and mind Mburu Owo Autonomous Community, but he refused. The crisis in Ohani, Ogara and other clans over sales of community lands are from him.

“We are pleading with the Governor, His Excellency Peter Mbah to please deliver us from the hand of this man. His Excellency should please save us from the terror of this man, so that we can select the person that will be our traditional ruler by ourselves.”

Also, the people of Obeagu Ohani Owo (one of the clans that forms the Mburu-Owo Autonomous community) expressed displeasure and unwillingness to continue to be part of the Mbulu Owo Autonomous community.

Speaking, the Chairman Ohani Owo Development Association, Hon Emmanuel Egbo said that going by the “terror from the autonomous ruler, Igwe Okeke Arum, who terrorises people with his armed men and has never deem it fit to influence any little basic amenities like motorable road and electricity, which he is enjoying in his area,the people are no longer interested in being part of the autonomous community.”

He said the people were equally threatened with his divide and rule system which, according to him, “is only a ploy to weaken their strength in order to succeed in his unsearchable quest to grab the lands left behind by their ancestors.”

“What this man is doing is abominable, he is presently bulldozing people’s farmland, appropriating and selling same.

“I don’t know what he has in mind, because, he has some cronies among our people. Even, he locked the community head, and we have been on the case for sometime now.

Contacted via telephone, Igwe Okeke Arum declined comment, urging anyone who wants to know his side of the story to come to his house to interview him.

Metro

JUST IN: Military Jet Crashes In Niger Community

Published

14 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

A jet belonging to the Nigerian Air Force has reportedly crashed near Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.

This was disclosed by a Niger State-based online digital television network, Lapai TV, in a post on its official Facebook page on Saturday evening.

“Two Nigerian Air Force Pilots Reportedly Survive Alpha Jet Crash Close to Karabonde, Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State,” the post stated

The incident was said to have occurred Saturday evening.

At the time of filing this report, the military has yet to make any official communication about the incident.

Details shortly…

Metro

Court Remands Four Foreigners Over Alleged Kidnapping, Hostage Taking In Ogun

Published

17 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

An Ogun State Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, has ordered the remand of four foreign nationals arrested for alleged kidnapping, hostage taking and unlawful detention of several foreign victims.

This is even as the Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested a medical doctor for allegedly transporting medical supplies from Sokoto State to suspected kidnapping gangs in Kwara.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the suspect was intercepted at Jebba in Moro Local Council, following an intelligence tip-off which linked him to a drug-delivery network servicing the criminal groups.
The arrest is said to be part of ongoing efforts to disrupt the supply chains aiding armed gangs across the region.

According to the statement, the kidnappers have recently become more desperate in seeking medical attention, particularly for treating gunshot wounds sustained during gunfights with security operatives.

Chief Magistrate A. K. Araba ordered the remand of Augustine Nketia Boateng, 41; Johnson Apan Julus, 43; Dramane Lenganir, 26; and 37-year-old Simms Raphael, all citizens of Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso.

The suspects were arrested at their operational base in Harmony Estate, Pakudi Obada Area, Ogun State, by officers of the International Police (Interpol), Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, led by Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni.

The court ordered their remand at the Oba Centre of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) following a motion ex parte marked MA/83PJ/2025, filed and moved by Morufu Ajani Animashaun, a legal officer in the Force Legal/Prosecution Department.

Animashaun told the court that the application was brought pursuant to Section 367 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Laws of Ogun State, 2017, and the court’s inherent jurisdiction.

He prayed the court for an order remanding the defendants for alleged kidnapping, abduction, hostage taking and unlawful detention, pending the issuance of legal advice by the Ogun State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for a period of 60 days in the first instance.

He also sought an order directing their remand at the Ibara Correctional Centre, Abeokuta.

The motion was supported by an 18-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Inspector Oyebisi Oni of the Interpol Section, alongside a written address and documentary exhibits.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Araba ordered that the suspects be remanded at the Oba Centre of the NCoS pending the DPP’s legal advice. The case was adjourned to February 27, 2026.

According to the affidavit, Interpol received a request on November 7, 2025, from the National Central Bureau (NCB), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, concerning a case of conspiracy, kidnapping, abduction, human trafficking and obtaining money by false pretence.

The complaint was lodged by one Mr. Lengane Toyazoula against the defendants and others at large.

The request sought Interpol’s assistance in rescuing a 23-year-old Burkinabe woman, Lengane Audrey, allegedly held captive by the suspects. Based on intelligence from the NCB, a team of detectives from Interpol FCID Annex, Ikoyi, was deployed to Abeokuta, where the suspects were traced to Harmony Estate. Sixteen victims comprising Burkinabe nationals, 12 Ghanaians, one Togolese and one Ivorian were rescued.

During interrogation, the defendants allegedly admitted collecting 1,869,000 CFA (equivalent to N4,790,036.77) as ransom. Further investigation reportedly revealed that they lured victims from other countries into Nigeria under the guise of securing Canadian visas, collected money from them and detained them against their will.

The affidavit stated that the suspects, operating from Harmony Estate, unlawfully imprisoned the victims and extorted money from their families. A proposed charge sheet was attached as an exhibit.

The police officer further noted that the duplicate case file had been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) on December 2, 2025, and that a remand order was needed to detain the suspects for 60 days pending legal advice.

The affidavit also stated that 12 rescued victims had been handed over to the Consular General of the Ghana High Commission on December 3, 2025.It added that granting the remand application would serve the interest of justice.
(GUARDIAN)

Metro

Construction Worker arrested For Stabbing Supervisor Over N10,000

Published

17 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Editor

A 35-year-old workman known as Joshua has been arrested and detained at the Boundary Police Division in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, for allegedly stabbing his site supervisor, Sopiriala Sokari, into a coma over a N10,000 debt.

According to eyewitnesses and the victim, Joshua had been hired by Sokari to transfer blocks to a construction site for N20,000.

However, when Sokari offered to pay him N10,000 upfront, Joshua refused and demanded full payment.

The incident occurred along Obiri Ikwerre Road, where Joshua allegedly broke a bottle and stabbed Sokari after a heated argument.

In a telephone conversation with journalists shortly after regaining consciousness at th:e hospital, Sokari narrated: “There is a boy called Joshua. He did a job for me, to transfer blocks to where they are working.

“The total job he did was 20,000 naira. So when he did the job, as I saw him, I asked him to take N10,000 first, let me confirm the job, then I will give him the balance.

“He refused, insisting that I must give him the whole money. He later met me where I was eating along Obiri Ikwerre Road, saying that I should give him the money now. I still insisted that I would give him only N10,000 till I confirmed the work.

“The next thing, he went and broke a bottle. The woman who was selling even had to bring out 20,000 naira after seeing his mood and gave it to him. After taking the money from the woman, he still used the bottle and stabbed me.

“Now I am lying down at Cottage Solution Hospital, Mbodo Aluu, where I was admitted. I am calling on Nigerians to help me. I have spent a lot of money. I need justice.”

The victim is currently receiving treatment at Cottage Solution Hospital, Mbodo Aluu, and has sustained severe injuries.

The Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of Joshua and is conducting an in-depth investigation into the matter.