Buhari Arrives Imo As Residents Comply With IPOB's Initial Sit-At-Home Directive - See Photos

President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State. 

The President who was clothed in the Isi Agu Igbo native attire was welcomed by some of the elders in the state. 

There was also a heavy security presence at the airport. 

SaharaReporters had on Saturday reported that the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, disclosed that President Buhari would visit the state on Thursday.

The governor had made the disclosure at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri.

Uzodinma had stated that his trip to Abuja was to “address some political matters and some critical issues.”

Uzodinma had announced that the President would commission “significant projects” while in Imo.

He had listed roads constructed through federal government/World Bank intervention and Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management (NEWMAP) projects.

“Imo has been able to attract additional support from Mr. President on the management of some ecological problems in the state,” he had said.

On the Anambra election, Uzodinma had predicted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would emerge victorious.

The governor had urged the people of the state and the South-East to align with the APC.

“Those who support the party at the centre will get both their rights and their privileges”, he had added.

Meanwhile, a report which was later denied by the Indigenous People of Biafra had said the group kicked against the visit of Buhari to the state and directed residents to stay at home. 

IPOB in a broadcast on Monday evening declared Thursday as a Sit-at-home protest over the president’s visit.

One of the IPOB executives, Mazi Chika Edoziem, stated this on Monday.

IPOB declared that Nigeria’s president is not “welcomed into Imo State, Biafra Land on Thursday, September 9, 2021.”

According to him, “all the traditional rulers, all ndi iche and every Biafran should stay away from any ceremony organised by Hope Uzodimma to welcome him.”

IPOB equally declared total lock down of Biafra on that day.

SaharaReporters gathered that residents of Owerri, the state capital complied fully with the directive initially given by IPOB. 

Imo State deserted as Buhari Visits Imo State 🤣 pic.twitter.com/LgxWpSrlTp

— Uche Ezeonye Official (@uche_ezeonye) September 9, 2021

042 no ney Carry last.

Only one #Ghost is seen walking the street! pic.twitter.com/PnIDZkg8dL

— ✡️ Amah Johnbosco 🕊️ (@johnbosco_amah) September 9, 2021

Shops and markets were shut and the streets were deserted. 

Some people could be seen lining the streets with banners to welcome the President but a source told SaharaReporters that "they are mostly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) or people paid by the state government to do that so as not to embarrass the governor, Uzodinma". 

Buhari and Uzodinma are in the same party, APC. 

How abductors Shoot 20-Year Old Boy and Kidnap His Sister

Unknown gunmen have shot a 20- year old student and have subsequently kidnapped his sister.

The boy known as Kyuni Jonathan Bala is a student of Demonstration secondary school, Akwanga, Nassarawa State.

Salisu Mohammed Bala who is the father to the victims had explained that the unfortunate occurrence had happened on Monday, September 6 and that Kyuni sister Blessing Jonathan was abducted during the operation by the assailants.

The Principal of Kyuni’s school has sent his condolence to the Jonathans and has prayed for an improvement in Kyuni’s condition.

The police have also confirmed that they are working on accosting the kidnappers.

Gunmen Abduct Three Of Obasanjo’s Workers In Abeokuta

Three workers of former President Olusegun Obasanjo have been abducted in Kobape village in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

It was gathered that the workers were staff of Obasanjo Holdings situated in the village in Abeokuta.

The three workers were kidnapped around 6pm on their way to work after their Hilux van was shot by the gunmen who whisked them away into the bush.

The workers said to have been kidnapped are the Group Financial Controller, Group Auditor and Group Store Manager.

Confirming the incident to reporters, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the command has begun an investigation into the matter.

He said, “It happened today (Wednesday) around 6pm . There is Obasanjo Farm around the area in Kobape.”

Police Inspector Shoot Colleague Dead In Their Station In Kano

A policeman identified as Sergeant Basharu Alhassan has been shot dead by his colleague at Warawa Divisional Police Headquarters in Kano.

Alhassan was said to have been killed by one Inspector Ya’u Yakubu at the division.

Spokesman for the state police command, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the deceased was confirmed dead by doctors at the hospital where he was quickly taken to, Daily Trust reports.

Kiyawa said the shooter has been arrested.

He added that the state police commissioner, Sama’ila Dikko, had directed that the suspect should undergo tests to ascertain his mental health status. 

“There was a misunderstanding between the two officers and as a result, the Inspector fired a shot at the Sergeant.

“During our preliminary investigation, the said Inspector said he didn’t even know how he shot his colleague but he could remember that the deceased was laughing at him. So he was out of his senses and committed this act,” Kiyawa said.

He added that the commissioner had ordered that the case should be transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID). 

Imo Government Confirms Shutting Banks For Observing IPOB's Sit-At-Home Directive

The Imo State Government has revealed the motive behind its decision of shutting some banks in Owerri, the state capital on Tuesday.

It was reported that Governor Hope Uzodinma’s government ordered the closure of all the banks on Bank Road in Owerri, leaving hundreds of bank customers stranded on Wednesday.

The officials of the state government sealed banks like Access, Polaris, First Bank, Eco Bank, and United Bank for Africa as of 9am as hundreds of banks customers waited endlessly.

However, reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, told Punch that the state government sealed the banks because they frustrated customers on Monday by refusing to open for transactions.

Asked when the government would unseal the banks, Emelumba said it was left for Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and the banks to determine.

The OCDA General Manager, Innocent Ikpamezie, did not respond to multiple calls put across to his cell phones by our correspondent.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) declared sit-at-home every Monday across the South East region which started on August 9 to demand the release of its detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

The group, however, through its spokesperson, Emma Powerful suspended the exercise citing that Kanu wanted the directive only on the day he would appear in court, but the South-East residents and IPOB supporters continued to observe the directive.

While some people see it as fear of coming out, some quarters attribute it to loyalty and solidarity for the incarcerated secessionist leader, despite the political leaders saying the sit-at-home is paralyzing the economic strength of the region.

Federal Government Director Commits Suicide In Abuja After Invitation From Anti-corruption Agency, EFCC

An assistant director of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Christopher Orji, has allegedly committed suicide in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

He was, until his death, the coordinator of the agency's Bioresource Centre in the Langtang Local Government Area of Plateau State.

According to a report by Daily Trust, the lifeless body of the deceased was found dangling with a rope tied to a ceiling fan at his residence in the Federal Housing Authority Estate, Lugbe, Abuja, at about 4pm on August 30.

Police homicide detectives were said to have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

It was further learnt that the deceased had been invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to report at its Abuja office on the day he was found dead.

However, one of the staff of the agency, who pleaded anonymity, said Orji could not have killed himself as no suicide note was found at his residence.

Niger Delta Ex-Militants Issue One Week Ultimatum To Buhari Regime Over Unpaid Stipends

The Niger Delta region militants have issued a one-week ultimatum to the Muhammadu Buhari-led government over their August stipends which were allegedly withheld.

The militants who are under the Presidential Amnesty Programme, spoke on Tuesday, through the leader of the Niger Delta Defence Corps, NDDC, John Egbe.

They also alleged the government of withholding the August stipends of over 10,000 beneficiaries without any explanations saying they had faced similar harsh treatments in recent times.

They, however, threatened to go on a protest if their demands were ot met on or before the one-week ultimatum.

“The Amnesty Office has paid our stipends for August and over 10,000 beneficiaries have not been paid for a reason best known to the government. We have experienced various unfair treatments under Dikio since his assumption of office. We will not take it easy this time around and we want our stipends paid within one week or else we will go out for a protest next week.

“Niger Delta is now a peaceful place but Dikio and his Special Adviser, Mr Alfred Kemepade, want to disturb the peace because of their secret deals. Since 2010, we’ve never experienced what we’re seeing under Dikio. Last year, the National Security Adviser set up a committee that verified everything in the Amnesty office, but today Dikio decided to stop the payment of stipends to some beneficiaries.

“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and the NSA to send Kemepade out of that office before it’s too late because he wants to set Niger Delta ablaze with his evil advice to Dikio,” he said.

Nnamdi Kanu’s US Lawyer Set To Take Nigerian Government To International Criminal Court

The United States-based lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Bruce Fein, has vowed to pursue all international and diplomatic protocols platforms to ensure that the Nigeria government complies with international laws.

Fein stated that he would drag the Nigerian government and President Muhammadu Buhari before the ICC for committing crimes against humanity and violation of conventions.

He said the alleged kidnapping and torture of the IPOB leader in Kenya by the Nigerian government was a gross violation of international law.

Fein disclosed these on Monday in Abuja while narrating his experience in the hands of operatives of Department of State Services who denied him access for the second time to visit his client in the custody.

The constitutional lawyer, who arrived in the country last week with the aim of meeting with his client and discussing his legal case, was turned back on Thursday September 2, 2021, alongside Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor by the gun-wielding operatives. 

They were told that the officer who was charged with the responsibility of taking them to meet Kanu in an underground cell was away on special assignment.

He said  upon their arrival at the DSS facility on  Monday, the operatives came up with a flimsy excuse that there was no approval for him to be part of the visit because he came from foreign jurisdiction and would not be allowed to be part of the visit.

Meanwhile at the end of the encounter, only Ejiofor was allowed to see him briefly while Fein was kept outside.

Fein said, “I will be pursuing all international and diplomatic protocols platforms to see that justice is done and international laws and norms are complied with.

“Among other institutions, I plan to visit the International working group on arbitration that sits in Geneva. It is an arm of United Nations and is a human rights’ council.

“We are going to pursue all these on legitimate platforms in the international community to make it clear that anything that transpires regarding Nnamdi Kanu’s case is fully in the sunshine; it would not be clouded.

“An example of the concerns that have been raised on the proceedings so far is the gross violation of international laws.  First Nnamdi Kanu’s kidnapping is a violation of international law. His torture before returning to Nigeria is a violation of international law and denying him access to his counsel is violation of international law.”

Fein explained that no state could set aside or renounce the principles of international law that applies everywhere, adding that the exponential increase in human rights’ violation by the Nigerian government had become a major source of concern to the international community, particularly the United States.

On his own part Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor said, "We went back today but unfortunately, Fein was not allowed to see him. I was only the person that was permitted to see him. But we insisted in knowing why they denied him access. They were kind of vague in their reason. I saw him (Kanu), he is stable and firm in his conviction.”

US Military Will Be Going Back To Afghanistan — American Senator

United States Republican Senator, Lindsey Graham, has stated that the country’s military will be going back to Afghanistan in the future due to the threat of terror.

This is in spite of the fact that President Joe Biden ended the 20-year war with Afghanistan in August.

Graham, in an interview with BBC, praised former President Donald Trump for maintaining the US military presence in Afghanistan.

He noted that the Taliban will “impose a lifestyle on the Afghan people that I think is going to make us all sick to our stomach".

He then suggested the US should arm the resistance fighting in Panjshir so that Afghanistan will not have a central government.

"The Taliban will impose a lifestyle on the Afghan people that I think is going to make us all sick to our stomach.

“But most importantly, they’re going to give safe haven to Al-Qaeda who has ambitions to drive us out of the Mideast writ large and attack us because of our way of life. We will be going back into Afghanistan as we went back into Iraq and Syria,” he added.

Following this statement, BBC host Stephen Sackur asked, “You seriously think the United States will once again, in the foreseeable future, put troops back into Afghanistan?”

“We’ll have to because the threat will be so large,” Graham responded.

Citing the situations in Iraq and Syria, he predicted that Afghanistan will be a “cauldron for radical Islamic behaviour.”

“Here's my solution, support the resistance in the Panjshir Valley to avoid the fracture of the country that would create a perfect storm for Western interests to be attacked and to hit them before they hit you.”

Graham, a US foreign policy war hawk, previously criticised President Biden’s decision to follow up on Trump’s planned withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

“We’re leaving thousands of Afghan allies behind who fought bravely with us. We’re going to leave hundreds of American citizens behind.” he said last month in an interview.

IPOB Sit-At-Home: Imo Govt Closes Banks In Owerri [Photos]

 

The Imo State Government has closed some banks in the state over alleged failure to open for business on Monday.

Recall that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) had ordered a sit-at-home every Monday in protest of the arrest and prosecution of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, by the Federal Government.

It, however, later cancelled the order but some businesses have continued to observe the sit-at-home order every Monday despite the insistence by the Imo State government that IPOB does not have the authority to give such orders.

It was gathered that officials of the state government sealed off banks such as Access, Polaris, First Bank, Eco Bank, and United Bank for Africa located on Bank Road in Owerri, the state capital.

According to The PUNCH, customized ribbons of the Owerri Capital Development Authority were used in sealing the various banks as early as 7 am.

Hundreds of bank customers were seen on Tuesday waiting endlessly to get into the bank for transactions, while some were stranded.

Some of the operatives of the development authority claimed that the banks were sealed because of building approval plans.

However, as of the time of filing this report, the state government has yet to react to the development.