Nigerian lady seeks help to find her mother who was banished from their village 20 years ago after being falsely accused of stealing N5,000 by her aunt

A Nigerian lady, Princess Nkem Azodo, has embarked on a search for her mother, Obioma Maria Ezike Azodo, who was banished from their village, Nawgwu in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, 20 years ago after being accused of stealing N5,000 by her aunt.  

Nkem, who disclosed this in a Facebook post on April 30, 2025, said that her mother visited them secretly after the banishment.

Nkem said she left the village in 2018, but her mother continued seeing her younger siblings until 2011. Since then, all efforts to locate her whereabouts have proved abortive. 

“Life is strange and painfully private. Many don’t know that back in 2005, my mother was falsely accused of stealing N5,000 by my aunt. No one believed her innocence. She was banished from our village—her own home—without any chance to defend herself,” she wrote.  

I remember clearly that day, she had just returned from the farm with firewood. She went to Nkwo market to sell them. When she came back, my aunt showed up at our house with the vigilante group. Everything changed from that moment. 

Even after the banishment, she kept visiting us quietly still checking in on her children. She came often until I finally left the village in 2008. She continued seeing my younger siblings until around 2011. During those years, she kept asking about me, but we couldn’t speak. There was no communication. No phone. No way to connect.

As I grew older and came of age, I began to search for her but I still haven’t found her. Her own family doesn't seem to know her whereabouts either. I don’t know if she’s still alive. I don’t know where to look anymore. And the pain of not knowing never goes away. 

Please help us find my mother.

Name: Obioma Maria Ezike Azodo

From: Nawgwu, Dunukofia LGA, Anambra State

She has been missing, and we are very worried. If you have seen her or have any information about her whereabouts, please contact me immediately. Kindly share this post to help spread the word. Thank you.

 

AfDB President Adesina states that Nigerians are worse off than they were in 1960

 

Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), said Nigeria’s per capita income has dropped significantly, making citizens poorer than they were in 1960. 

Adesina made the known in a statement on Thursday, May 1, following his keynote address at Chapel Hill Denham’s 20th anniversary dinner. 

He said Nigeria urgently needs to transform its economy to become a developed country by 2050. 

He said: “Nigeria belongs in the league of developed nations. To get there, we must shift our mindset and pursue rapid economic growth.” 

Adesina blamed Nigeria’s economic decline on decades of policy failures, weak institutions, and dependence on crude oil exports. 

“Our GDP per capita in 1960 was 1,847 dollars. Today, it stands at 824 dollars. Nigerians are worse off than 64 years ago,” he stated. 

He identified poor fiscal discipline, policy inconsistency, weak governance, and lack of economic diversification as key drivers of the regression. 

Adesina compared Nigeria’s economic performance with South Korea, whose GDP per capita was lower in 1960 but now stands at 36,000 dollars. 

The AfDB chief called for a complete policy overhaul and stronger institutions, warning that without bold reforms, Nigeria would continue to fall behind. 

He urged Nigerian leaders to end oil dependence and invest in technology, industry, and innovation to build a resilient economy. 

“Underdevelopment should not be accepted as our destiny. We must break free from this pattern,” he said. 

As the way forward, Adesina outlined five priorities: universal electricity, quality infrastructure, rapid industrialisation, innovation-driven growth, and competitive agriculture. 

He stressed the need for Nigeria to become an African industrial powerhouse, citing the Dangote Refinery as a transformative example.

Obi doesn’t need coalition to defeat Tinubu in 2027 - NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stated that Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), does not require a coalition with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or backing from political elites to secure victory in the 2027 general election. 

This stance comes amid growing discussions in Nigeria’s political landscape about opposition unity ahead of the next presidential vote.

In an interview with Punch, Theophilus Ndubuaku, deputy president of the NLC’s political commission, described Obi as a widely admired politician with the capacity to defeat President Bola Tinubu in a transparent election. He dismissed any possibility of Obi returning to the PDP, characterizing the party as “crisis-ridden and near-empty.”

“Peter Obi doesn’t need any coalition to win the 2027 presidential election. He is a sellable candidate,” Ndubuaku said. “If you recall, he was already coasting to victory in the 2023 elections before the controversial glitches. He even defeated Tinubu in his own stronghold in Lagos, which shows Nigerians want him in power.”

Ndubuaku added that Obi's political strength lies in his wide national appeal and integrity, asserting that with a credible electoral process, he is confident of Obi’s victory. He noted that Obi can rely on his network of supporters both within and outside the country to strengthen his chances.

The Obidient Movement, a grassroots support group for the former Anambra governor, recently reaffirmed its loyalty to Obi, regardless of his political platform for the 2027 election. The group’s national coordinator, Yunusa Tanko, said Obi remains the most viable candidate to address Nigeria’s economic and governance challenges. 

Ndubuaku emphasized that Obi appeals across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and dismissed the PDP as a viable platform for serious contenders. “No serious candidate will consider the PDP as a viable platform at this point,” he said. “While LP’s crisis — centering around Julius Abure — has been settled by the Supreme Court, the PDP is still battling a hydra-headed crisis. Moving from LP to PDP would be like jumping from frying pan to fire.”

On concerns regarding zoning and regional power rotation, Ndubuaku said Obi’s competence should take precedence over political arrangements. He acknowledged that some stakeholders worry Obi might serve a full eight-year term if elected, potentially altering the power-sharing equilibrium, but dismissed such fears as secondary. “We know Obi doesn’t need two years to revive Nigeria. He’s not desperate for power,” he said.

Only 89 doctors left in Kwara Govt hospitals amid ‘Japa’ crisis – Health Board

The Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Hospital Management Board, Abdulrahman Malik, disclosed that there is an acute shortage of medical doctors in the state-owned hospitals. 

Speaking at the state interministerial press briefing for the first quarter of 2025 on Tuesday, April 29, Malik said that due to the ‘Japa’ syndrome, doctors do not want to take up appointments with the state government, even when the government is ready to recruit them. 

He lamented that while between 180 and 200 doctors are required in the government service, only 89 of them are available in the service. 

He said the number of available doctors only recently became 89 from 86 when three who had left the service returned after the government introduced a new and improved salary for the doctors’ services. 

The hospital board’s boss said the government had been trying to attract doctors to the state service with improved salaries and facilities that could encourage them to stay, especially in the rural areas where many of them do not want to go. 

He also disclosed that the government has introduced an intern nurses programme for the training of nurses who would replace many nurses who had left the service for abroad. 

“The mass exodus of health professionals is severely affecting our capacity to provide adequate care,” the official said. 

“Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved an upgrade in the salaries of our doctors to match federal pay in a bid to retain the few we have left. 

“The revised salary structure has led to the return of three doctors who had previously resigned, bringing the total number on the state’s payroll to 89. 

“However, the figure still falls short of the estimated 180 to 200 physicians needed to serve the state’s population effectively. 

“Nigeria’s doctor-to-patient ratio is currently estimated at one doctor to over 5,000 patients, far below the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended one doctor to 600 patients.”