Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has announced April 25 to May 5, as the dates for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). According to a release by JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, sale of forms will begin on January 31, and close on March 5, 2025. The release made available to Ikengaonline, said the sale of application documents and e-PIN vending would begin on March 10, 2025 for direct entry candidates.  According to the release, Direct entry application will end on April 7, 2025. The release gave April 5 as the date for the…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka An Awka-born philanthropist, Dr (Mrs) Felicia Okeke-Ibezim, has commissioned a multimillion-naira community project in honour of her late father, Mr Clement Nwankwo Okeke, popularly known as Okwuchineke. The project, a storey building with state-of-the-art facilities, was officially handed over to the people of Obunagu-Amikwo village in Awka South Local Government Area, Anambra State, on Saturday, January 25th, 2025. Dr. Mrs. Okeke-Ibezim who was represented at the handover ceremony by her younger sister, Mrs Grace Nwabueze, explained that the project was a heartfelt fulfillment of her personal promise to honour her father’s sacrifices.  According to her, despite facing…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The lead counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has described the statement credited to the prominent Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, suggesting that the government should arm Igbo youths to counter IPOB, as misguided, divisive, and inflammatory. Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor, a human rights lawyer, stated that Sheikh Gumi’s complicity in northern insecurity is well known, noting that his actions have contributed to the region’s dire state of insecurity. The IPOB lawyer said that Sheikh Gumi’s failure to address the rampant terrorism and insecurity in his region makes his advice to arm youths…

Lawrence Nwimo, Awka The devastating petrol tanker explosion on Saturday at Ugwu Onyeama has left a trail of grief and devastation, claiming the lives of 11 family members, including the President of the Altar Boys Association at SS John and Paul Parish, Iba Pope, Onitsha. Brother Jeremiah Nwaji, a devout Catholic and leader of the Altar Boys Association, was among the victims of the tragic incident.  He was accompanied by his wife, six children, younger brother, maid, and apprentice, all of whom lost their lives in the blaze. The family was en route to Ebonyi State to attend the burial…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  The Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says it has arraigned one Barrister Benjamin Chukwuemeka Nwobodo before Justice F. O. Giwa-Ogunbanjo of the Federal High Court, sitting in Independence Layout, Enugu State. This was contained in a statement released by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity of the zone and made available to newsmen in Enugu. According to the statement, Nwobodo is facing a five-count charge bordering on forgery and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N12 million. Count three of the charge states: “That you, Benjamin…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  Maj.-Gen. Oluyemi Olatoye has taken over as the 39th General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 82 Division of the Nigerian Army and Force Commander, Joint Task Force South-East code-named ‘Operation UDO KA.’ Olatoye took over from the outgone GOC of the Division, Maj.-Gen. Hassan Dada, who has been deployed to Nigerian Army Heritage and Future Centre. The new GOC charged officers and troops to brace-up, redouble all efforts and surpass all known operational successes. Olatoye said that his job in the Division was to take the standard higher. He called on all principal officers and commanders within component…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has entered into peace agreement with bandits, citing his high premium for security of lives and property of residents of the state as reason for his action. According to him, his priority is to preserve lives and ensure peace and safety of all residents. Gov. Sani who spoke during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, monitored on Monday, said whatever needed to be done to achieve peace and stability in the state should not be considered too much. He explained  that the decision to strike a peace deal with…

By Owei Lakemfa Anambra State Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo in a Trumpian manner, made several fallacious and specious statements at the December 2024 dedication of a    new church building in    Onitsha. For example, the press quoted him as saying: “Since the inception of my administration, we have declared war on criminals, their shrines, priests and burnt down their idols.”    In this claim, he tries to present non-Christians and non-Muslims as the criminals in the state. This is a fallacy. Criminals including elites looting our common patrimony, cut across all religions. In fact, many    criminals who claim…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu  Dr Chigozie Okonkwo, a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of African Studies, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), has urged the three tiers of government in the country to create enabling environment that will address food scarcity that is responsible for high cost of food items in the markets. Okonkwo said this in Nsukka on Monday in an interview with newsmen while speaking on what government would do to bring down high cost of food items in  markets. He said government should as matter of urgency address the issue of security challenges that had made many farmers lose…

…Hints of move to resolve Abia, Ebonyi boundary clash Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Chairman of Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, Chief Sunny Afuruobi, has attributed the elimination of kidnapping in the council to the decision of Governor Alex Otti to demolish shanties inside the regional cattle market at Lokpa which hitherto served as a harbour for criminals. He also said that the Governor’s insistence on fencing the market despite stiff opposition by some unpatriotic elements contributed to the drastic drop in crime wave around the area. Recall that kidnapping for ransom was at its peak before Otti assumed…