Author: Editor
By Owei Lakemfa The world was in turmoil in the mid 2000s. Nature had visited humanity with one of the most devastating storms in contemporary times. Hurricane Katrina which made a landfall in New Orleans, United States, claimed 1,392 lives and displaced a million people. But if humans had no chance against such natural disasters, it should at least do something about man-made ones. These included renewed wars in Sri Lanka and Colombia, rising violence in Nepal, Chechnya and Iraq. Then, there were talks in the United Nations, UN, about appointing a Special Envoy that could intervene to bring warring…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The Archbishop of Umuahia Methodist Diocese, Archbishop Raphael Chibuzor Opoko, and a Professor of African History at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA, Prof. Moses Ochonu, will jointly feature in the November edition of the Ikengaonline town hall meeting scheduled for Thursday, November 27. The duo will speak on the topical theme: “Alleged Genocide, Trump’s Threats, and the Propaganda against Ndigbo.” They will also respond to questions on the implications of the controversial conviction of the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, for Ndigbo and the possible way out of the Kanu debacle.…
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia After months of speculation, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has formally joined the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC). Atiku announced his defection on Monday via his X handle, where he posted a photograph of himself holding his ADC membership card with the brief caption: “It’s official.” His move comes after his July resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has been enmeshed in a prolonged internal crisis. Atiku was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished second.
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The 38 abducted members of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Oke-Isegun, Eruku, who were rescued from bandits on Sunday, are currently receiving medical care at the Kwara State Government House clinic. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, while receiving the freed victims, said their rescue did not signal an end to the fight against insecurity in the country. “It is not yet Uhuru. We won’t celebrate until the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls regain their freedom,” the Governor said. It was not immediately clear whether any ransom was paid to secure their release. Reports indicate that the rescued victims, visibly exhausted after several…
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…