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Category: Anambra Update

  • Anambra Labour Party Lawmakers Forfeit 6-Month Salaries

    Anambra Labour Party Lawmakers Forfeit 6-Month Salaries

    At least eight Labour Party lawmakers in the Anambra house of assembly have willingly given up their six months salaries to help alleviate economic challenges faced by citizens.

    The lawmakers said they took the decision at an emergency meeting of the party which held on Thursday.

    “We, the Labour Party House of Assembly members, wish to lend our voice to the cry of our Leader, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, on the sorry state of the nation, after our emergency caucus meeting,” the statement reads.

    “We urge His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu, to stop work on all other sectors on the economy including infrastructure, for the next six months, and declare a state of emergency on security and hunger in the nation.

    “Similarly, we urge all other governors of the 36 states, including Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra state, to suspend all infrastructural development for the next six months and also declare a state of emergency on security and hunger.

    “For this reason, we, the Labour Party house of assembly members have resolved to relinquish our basis salary for six months as part of our contribution to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.

    “We must commend our leader, Mr. Peter Obi, for his selfless efforts to ensure the stability and growth of our nation. It really shows that he is committed to making this nation a better place for all of us.”

    The lawmakers include Nkechi Ogbuefi, Henry Mbachu, Jude Ifeanyi Umennajiego, Fred Ezenwa, Justice Azuka, Paul Obu and Patrick Okafor.

  • Community Leader Murdered By Gunmen In Anambra

    Community Leader Murdered By Gunmen In Anambra

    The President-General of Umuoji Community in Anambra State, Silas Onyima, fell victim to a ruthless attack by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.

    Approximately 15 assailants invaded Onyima’s home on Friday evening, fatally shooting him and sending shockwaves through the community.

    Onyima, recently elected to lead the community, presided over a local election before meeting his untimely demise. 

    A source revealed, “He was killed when masked men visited his home and shot him dead.”

    The Anambra State Police Spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the tragic incident, stating, “The police are aware of the development. Our men have been deployed to the area, found the victim in a pool of blood, and recovered the body. 

    “We are collaborating with eyewitnesses and community members to track the perpetrators, and the investigation is ongoing.” The deceased’s body has been deposited at the morgue with the assistance of family members.

  • BREAKING: Obiano to be arraigned over alleged ₦4bn fraud

    BREAKING: Obiano to be arraigned over alleged ₦4bn fraud

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission will arraign the immediate-past governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, on Wednesday, January 24, before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over alleged money laundering to the tune of N4,008,573,350.

    The ex-governor will be arraigned on nine count charges.

    The development comes over a week after the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede vowed to review all abandoned high-profile cases, especially those involving former Governors and Ministers.

    An impeccable source revealed, “We found that Obiano moved N4,008,573,350 from security votes into different accounts. The money at various times was changed into dollars and returned to Obiano by cash.”

    EFCC’s lead counsel, Slyvanus Tahir, SAN, will lead eight other lawyers in the trial of the former governor

    Some of the charges against Obiano include, “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 – March 2022, sometime between 7th February, 2018 to 18th February, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N156,800.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Pic into the Fidelity Bank Ple Account No: 6060018819 belonging to C.I. Patty Ventures Nigeria Limited (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.

    “That you, Chief Willie Maduabuchi Obiano, whilst being the executive governor of Anambra State of Nigeria between March 2014 — March 2022, sometime between 9th August, 2017 to 4th March, 2020 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, indirectly transferred through Mr Willie Nwokoye, your then principal private secretary, the sum of N261,268,585.00 only from the Anambra State Government Security Vote Account No: 5030050875 domiciled in Fidelity Bank Plc into the Fidelity Bank Plc Account No: 5600062873 belonging to Easy Diamond Integrated Link (an entity that had no business relationship with the Anambra State Government), which funds were dissipated for purposes unrelated / unconnected with the security affairs of Anambra State, which you reasonably ought to have known that such funds formed part of the proceeds of your unlawful act, to wit: (Stealing and Corruption) and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended) in 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

    When contacted by our correspondent on Tuesday, the EFCC’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale confirmed the development while noting that Obiano will be arraigned on Wednesday.

    “Yes, we’re arraigning Obiano tomorrow,” Oyewale noted.

    The ex-governor was first arrested at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, Lagos, on March 17, 2022, as he was preparing to board a flight to Houston, the United States of America.

    The arrest took place at about 8.30 pm, hours after he left office as governor and, thus, lost his immunity from arrest and prosecution.

    He had been on the EFCC’s watchlist for some time before he was eventually arrested over corruption allegations.

    “Obiano was arrested for alleged misappropriation of public funds, including, N5 billion Sure-P and N37 billion security vote which was withdrawn in cash. Part of the funds was also allegedly diverted to finance political activities in the state,” EFCC had noted at the time.

  • Panic in Anambra Assembly as armed DSS operatives try to ‘arrest’ member-elect

    There was panic at the Anambra State House of Assembly as four armed men, suspected to be operatives of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS), tried to whisk away member-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr. Onyekachukwu Ike.

    The armed men drove into the Assembly Complex in three vehicles and grabbed the member-elect after he participated in a valedictory Thanksgiving mass for the seventh Assembly.

    They forced the member-elect into their vehicle and were trying to drive out of the Assembly complex when security personnel quickly locked the exit gate.

    The Acting Clerk of the Assembly, Mrs. Esther Aneto, and other senior staff lamented that the suspected DSS operatives did not inform them or even the Police personnel at the Assembly before trying to whisk Ike away.

    One of the suspected DSS operatives, however, explained that they had a court order to arrest the member-elect.

    It took the intervention of the Speaker, Dr Uche Okafor, and the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, who came to represent the Governor at the Valedictory session of the seventh Assembly, before the member-elect was released.