Author: Editor

Our Reporter, New York  A Nigerian-born, Boston-based lawyer, Bennett Amadi, has called on the Nigerian government to seize the opportunity to resolve the case of the IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, through a political settlement. He made the remark during a special episode of 90MinutesAfrica, dissecting the judgment of Justice James Omotosho, who sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on terrorism charges. The legal practitioner argued that the MNK case should not be treated as a “normal case” and therefore should be handled differently.  “Nnamdi Kanu’s case is a political case and should have been resolved politically,” Barr. Amadi stated.  He…

Our Reporter, Abuja Professor Moses Ochonu has accused President Bola Tinubu of disrespecting the people of Benue State with his comments and conduct following the Yelwata massacre, saying the President’s approach amounted to asking victims to “make peace with their killers.” Speaking on Thursday at the Ikengaonline November virtual town hall themed “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threat and the Propaganda Against Ndigbo,” the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair in History and Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University in the United States, said Tinubu’s repeated calls for residents to “live in peace with herdsmen” were deeply offensive to a community reeling from mass…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The Ebonyi State Government has inaugurated a five-man Executive Committee (EXCO) to oversee the distribution and installation of medical equipment worth billions of naira for all general and primary healthcare facilities in the state, with Mr. Leo Ekene Oketa appointed as chairman. In a note of appreciation to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, Mr. Oketa, who also serves as the Special Assistant to the Governor on New Media, expressed gratitude for the confidence reposed in the committee. He described the appointment as a privilege to contribute directly to strengthening the state’s healthcare system, in line with the governor’s…

…Says Igbo-blaming now a ‘culture and industry’ in Nigeria Our Reporter, Abuja Professor Moses Ochonu has dismissed claims that the Igbo ethnic group was responsible for Nigeria’s recent redesignation by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and related bodies, describing such allegations as “inaccurate, harmful, and rooted in Igbophobia.” Ochonu stated this on Thursday while responding to questions as co-guest speaker at the November edition of the Ikengaonline Town Hall meeting themed “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threat and the Propaganda Against Igbos.” The Vanderbilt University scholar said the attempt to link Igbos to the redesignation was a continuation…

…Slams Benue gov for denying Christian genocide Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Methodist Archbishop of Umuahia Diocese, Archbishop Dr. Raphael Opoko, has decried Nigeria’s attitude towards terrorists ravaging different parts of the country. The cleric, who featured at the November edition of the Ikengaonline monthly town hall meeting, regretted that Nigeria is rather pacifying terrorists instead of frontally confronting them. Archbishop Opoko, who was jointly featured with a Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Professor Moses Ochonu, spoke on the theme: “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threats, and the Propaganda against Ndigbo.” He queried: “What do you call a situation…

By Owei Lakemfa The military coup on Wednesday, November 26, 2025 that swept away President Umaro Sissoco Embaló did not come as a surprise. Embalo, a retired general who camouflaged as an elected President, was a lawless leader who consistently trampled the country’s constitution under his feet. He had a sense of entitlement and a culture  of impunity. In my February 9, 2024 column titled, ‘The civilian coups in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and ECOWAS ambivalence,’ I  pointed out that: “There are civilian or constitutional coups in Guinea Bissau and Senegal, yet the regional body, the Economic Community of West African…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu The Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, Enugu State, has debunked a report aired on Arise Television alleging that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), recently killed two of its priests. The report, credited to one Zagazola Wakama, claimed that Rev. Fr. Matthew Eya and Very Rev. Fr. John Igwebueze were murdered by IPOB/ESN operatives. In a statement signed by the Director of Communications, Fr. Emmanuel Asadu, the diocese faulted the broadcast for lacking proper verification. According to the statement, Very Rev. Fr. Igwebueze had been battling a long-term illness…

Our Reporter, Abuja A co-guest speaker at the Ikenga November virtual townhall, Professor Moses Ochonu, has accused President Bola Tinubu of prioritising his 2027 political calculations over taking decisive action against terrorists responsible for mass killings in both Christian and Muslim communities across Nigeria. Speaking during the Thursday townhall themed “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threat and the Propaganda against Ndigbo,” the US-based historian said debates over whether the attacks amount to genocide miss the point for ordinary Nigerians, who only want to know “what the government is doing to keep them safe.” Ochonu argued that the administration’s “non-kinetic approach” to terrorism…

Our Reporter, Abuja Professor Moses Ochonu has warned that Nigeria is witnessing “parallel genocides” as deadly attacks on communities intensify across the country, accusing political leaders of exploiting the controversy around the term genocide to avoid responsibility. Speaking Thursday as a guest alongside the Archbishop of Umuahia diocese of the Methodist Church, His Grace, Dr. Chibuzor Opoko, at the November edition of the Ikenga Virtual Townhall themed “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threat and the Propaganda against Ndigbo,” Ochonu said Nigerians have failed to form “a clear-cut consensus” on the scale of the violence ravaging the nation. “It is unacceptable that communities…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia President Bola Tinubu has approved the composition of the Nigerian contingent to the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, following agreements reached during last week’s bilateral meeting between both countries. The move aims to fast-track collaboration with the United States in addressing Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu will lead the Nigerian side, supported by a multi-stakeholder team drawn from key government institutions. The statement listed members of the Joint Working Group to include: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb.…