Author: Editor

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The family of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has reacted to his conviction by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, describing the verdict as “an ambush and an affront to the Constitution.” The family, in a statement on Monday by Prince Emmanuel Kanu and made available to Ikengaonline, demanded the immediate nullification of the judgment, insisting it was “predicated on a repealed, dead, and non-existent law.” The family expressed shock that the trial judge allegedly introduced matters not contained in the charges nor raised by any witness…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Fifty students abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, have escaped from captivity. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), which announced the development on Sunday, said the children regained their freedom between Friday and Saturday. Niger State CAN Chairman and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Yohanna, said the pupils “quietly reunited with their families” after fleeing from their abductors. According to him, the students who escaped were unable to return to the school immediately, prompting officials to contact parents to confirm their safety. “The…

Our Reporter, Abuja  Thirty-eight worshippers abducted during an attack on Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Eruku, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have regained their freedom after days of coordinated security operations. According to a statement by Rafiu Ajakaye, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, announced the development on Sunday, commending President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a “hands-on and decisive” leadership that made the rescue possible. According to the Governor, the abductees were freed on Sunday, November 23, following sustained efforts by security agencies and government negotiators. He said the intervention…

Our Reporter, Abuja  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered the withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, directing that they be immediately redeployed to core policing functions. The directive was issued on Sunday during a high-level security meeting the President held in Abuja with service chiefs and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS). According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIPs who require personal protection henceforth will have to request armed security personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps…

 By Mukaila Kareem  Modern fitness culture has developed a love affair with scientific sounding measurements such as VO₂ max, lactate thresholds, heart rate zones, power outputs and anaerobic capacity. These are simply technical ways of saying how well your body uses oxygen, how fast your muscles begin to tire, how hard your heart is working, how much power your muscles can produce and how long you can keep moving without oxygen based energy. These terms are marketed as the new commandments of health and people are told that longevity and metabolic competence depend on chasing elite numbers. But these jargons…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki A coalition of civil society organisations in Ebonyi State has raised alarm over what it described as an increasing wave of harassment and intimidation of journalists and social critics by political actors in the state. The groups urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene urgently to prevent a slide into lawlessness. Background A 22-year-old TikToker, Chisom Achor, was recently arrested by the police over allegations of publishing defamatory content against the member representing Ikwo/Ezza South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chinedu Ogah. He was arraigned and subsequently remanded at the Enugu Correctional…

By Niran Ajao Third, the manner by which evidence from Mr. Kanu was collected is not likely to pass the Wong Sun’s “fruit of a poisonous tree” test because Mr. Kanu was kidnapped from Kenya without lawful process. Notably, the trial Judge cites United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. 655 (1992) to justify the extraordinary rendition. But the Judge fails to provide the reasoning for the holding in that case. The holding was premised on the fact that the text of the treaty between Mexico and the United States, which was at issue in that case, did not expressly forbid…

By Chidi Anselm Odinkalu “I had discovered since my appointment as a High Court judge that most of the politicians in Nigeria and, indeed, in other developing countries only pay lip-service to the independence of the judiciary…. It pays in the end for a judge, even at the risk of being a snob or of haughtiness, to be somewhat aloof, not only from members of the Executive, but also from political power-brokers.” – Atanda Fatayi Williams, Faces, Cases and Places, pp. 77-78 (1983) Atanda Fatayi Williams, the fourth Chief Justice of post-colonial Nigeria (CJN), has not always received the kind of…

…Bishop Opoko, Igbo youths kick  Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The decision of the Federal Government to relocate the detained Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to Sokoto Prison following his conviction on all seven counts of terrorism by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Friday, has triggered widespread outrage across Abia State and among pro-Igbo groups. Many residents believe Kanu did not receive fair trial, while his transfer to Sokoto—an area plagued by heightened insecurity—has further inflamed public anger. Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Dr. Raphael Opoko, urged the Federal Government…

…Calls for dialogue, not detention Our Reporter, Abuja  Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the conviction of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, warning that the development could heighten tension across the country. Obi, in a statement on Saturday, said Kanu’s arrest, detention and eventual conviction reflected a “failure of leadership,” insisting that the Federal Government mishandled the matter from the outset. He argued that Kanu should never have been arrested, stressing that the issues he raised were solvable and required dialogue, empathy and inclusive governance…