Police In Anambra State Parade Suspected Car Snatchers, Kill One Gang Member

February 8, 2020

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Guest Writer, Awka Times Magazine

The Anambra State Police Command has paraded a suspected car snatching syndicate which has been terrorizing the area in the recent past.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr John Abang, who paraded the suspects at the Command Headquarters in Awka said one of them was certified dead in a hospital following a gun battle with men of State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at Awada-Obosi.

He said the suspected robbers had in January this year robbed one Collette Nwadike of her Toyota Venza car at Ngodo village Nise in Awka South LGA.

“It would be recalled that on the January 8, 2020, at about 2pm, suspected armed robbers numbering about six with AK 47 rifles and other dangerous weapons waylaid and snatched at gunpoint a Toyota Venza with customized registration number ‘KOCO’, valued ₦6m from one female, Nwadike Collette Kosisochukwu, at Ndogo village Nise.”

The Commissioner said that the hoodlums engaged the police in a gun duel while the officers were trying to recover the stolen vehicle. Two of the robbers were injured in the shoot-out. According to him, one of them was receiving treatment at a hospital, while another was confirmed dead.

“Following the distress call, Police operatives attached to the Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS swung into action and trailed the suspects at their hideouts along Eze Iweka by high tension Awada. However on sighting the Police, the hoodlums resisted arrest and engaged the police in a fierce gun battle after which two suspects were fatally wounded,” the CP said.

The suspects were rushed to the hospital for treatment but one of them whose identity is yet unknown was confirmed dead on arrival while the second suspect, identified as Micheal Ogbonna, a 45-year-old male from Achina town in Aguata LGA of Anambra State who also sustained gunshot injuries on his leg, is receiving treatment.

The police commissioner also disclosed that exhibits, including a pistol and the Toyota Venza Car which were recovered from the hoodlums.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one Barreta Pistol with four live ammunition, and one Anti car tracking device.

“Consequently, further investigation through actionable intelligence also led to the recovery of the Toyota Venza snatched from the victim, according to the CP.

Mr Abang further announced the arrest of a suspect with gunshot injuries at Umuoji as well as another one in Asaba, Delta State.

Meanwhile, in another development the Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) equally arrested with gunshot injuries one Obinna Nwabunike, a man from Abigi village Umuoji. Exhibits recovered from the suspect included one Taurius Beretta pistol with breech number TM 856888 loaded with ten rounds of G2C .9mm live ammunition.

Furthermore on the January 12, 2020, the Command SARS Operatives also arrested in Asaba, Delta State, one Paul Chukwuezugo, 40-year-old male. Exhibits recovered from this suspect included one Mercedes 350 without registration number and one Lexus Jeep which was allegedly snatched from the owner after he was killed in the process of snatching the vehicle.

Mr Abang attributed the success recorded by the command to the support of citizens and efficient community policing project.

“One major factor responsible for the overall successes recorded by the Command was the support of the good people of Ndi Anambra who have been extremely law abiding and very cooperative with the personnel of the security agencies .I urged the people of the State to sustain this level of cooperation with the Police at all times. We are indeed in an era where Community Policing remains the vogue and the people we are serving continue to demand for excellent service, CP Abang implored.

“Finally, I also encouraged the good people of Anambra State to be security conscious at all times, and to report any strange observation or suspicious movements to the security agencies for prompt response, please,” the police commissioner advised.

EEDC Suspends Standalone Meters

Ndu Chris Nwannah

February 8, 2020

… Insists on payment for proposed new meters instead of replacement

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Guest Writer, Awka Times Magazine

The Management of Enugu Electricity Distribution plc (EEDC) has made known its intention to suspend the decommissioning of standalone meters until more smart prepaid meters are procured to complete the swapping exercise.

This was disclosed by the Head of Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh, in a release in Enugu.

According to Ezeh, with this development “customers whose meters are yet to be decommissioned can visit any of the designated vending points located at select District Offices to recharge their meters.”

The select locations are: Awkunanaw, Abakpa, Awka, Onitsha, Owerri, New Owerri and Nnewi districts offices.

Mr Ezeh recalled that part of the reasons for the decommissioning exercise is the “increasing difficulty in providing support for the card reader system used in vending these standalone meters.”

He however noted that “EEDC has retrieved some of the machines that are functional and deployed them at the select designated locations to enable customers vend their meters.”

Mr Ezeh assured that “efforts are in place to install meters for customers whose meters were decommissioned during the exercise.”

Contrary to expectations of customers on meter replacement, EEDC urged them begin the process of replacing the Standalone meters through its MAP programme.

“Consequently, customers within EEDC network that are still unmetered, and those on standalone meters are enjoined to take advantage of the ongoing Meter Asset Provider (MAP) scheme, a metering program designed and approved by the Federal Government and the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), to procure their smart prepaid meters.”

“EEDC reassures its esteemed customers of its unwavering commitment to good services”, Mr Ezeh stated.

Police Ban Unauthorized Use Of Sirens, Revolving Lights, Spy, Unmarked/Covered Number Plates

Ndu Chris Nwannah

February 8, 2020

…CP Abang reads riot act as directed by IGP Muhammed Adamu

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Guest Writer, Awka Times Magazine

The Anambra State Police Command says it will start to impound all vehicles illegally using spy number plates, sirens, revolving lights or covered number plates. A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Command, Mr Haruna Mohammed said “such acts, if left unchecked, could worsen the security situation in the State.”

He said this was in line with the directive given by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu.

“In view of the foregoing, the Commissioner of Police, CP John B. Abang, has ordered with immediate effect to impound all vehicles illegally using SPY or covered number plates and revolving lights in the State. Anyone found violating such order would also be arrested and prosecuted.”

The PPRO announced that a task force has been put in place by the command to enforce the directive of the IGP.

He warned that “any security personnel found escorting their principal with an unmarked vehicle or those with covered vehicle number plates will be arrested and dealt with accordingly.”

Awka Appeal Court Division Becomes Operational

Ndu Chris Nwannah

February 5, 2020

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Guest Writer and Joseph Nwiyi, Reporter, Awka Times Magazine

Awka political combatants waited in agonizing suspense for nearly three years to get a judgement from the appeals court sitting in Enugu. They had incurred inestimable costs, racked up mileage and travel time, with their nerves constantly on edge, as they made the journey back and forth to Enugu to argue over the complicated case of Awka Development Union Nigeria (ADUN) involving Engr. Tony Okechukwu, its government-recognized president-general, and an opposing faction of ADUN. Awka needed Enugu to pronounce on its domestic squabbles. But when the judgement came in July 2019, 34 excruciating months after the case was first initiated, it left no one truly satisfied. Nerves were frayed. Attitudes had calcified. And the combatants are in fact back in court again seeking an interpretation of a ruling that was 34 months in the making.

How different it might all have been had the presiding court itself been located locally in Awka.

That possibility is now a reality. On February 5, 2020, a division of the Nigerian federal appeals court was inaugurated in Awka, capital of Anambra State, after a concerted effort by the state administration which formed a formidable committee to pursue this objective. The localization of the appeals court in Awka ends the logistical nightmare for the throng of litigants from Anambra State who make up about 70% of the cases heard in the Enugu Appeals Court, as indicated by the state governor, Willie Obiano, speaking at the inaugural ceremony.

The inauguration of the Awka federal Appeals Court complex, located at the Old Customary Court of Appeal, Awka, was performed by the President of the Court Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa, who signed the letter of approval in 2019 designating the court after ascertaining that the conditions stipulated for the location of the appeal court had been met.

▲ President of the Court Appeal, Justice Zainab Adamu Bulkachuwa who inaugurated the Awka Division of the Appeal Court on Feb 5, 2020

Justice Bulkachuwa said that she appreciated the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, for his efforts to ensure that the court became operational in the state.

The number of Appeal Court divisions in Nigeria had increased from three in 1976 to 16 previously, and in the past few days to 18 with the establishment of divisions in Awka and Asaba, capital of Delta State. Two more have been approved but not yet commissioned for the Kano and Gombe judicial divisions.

Justice Bulkachuwa explained that the increase would offer greater access to justice and augur well for a quicker dispensation of cases, although she bemoaned the court’s paltry budget and appealed for improved budgetary allocation to allow for optimum service delivery. Justice Bulkachuwa stressed that the Awka Appeal Court’s panel members were thoroughly selected and comprise of dedicated Justices. Appeal court judges are recommended by the National Judicial Council, nominated by the President of Nigeria and confirmed by the Senate.

The Presiding Judge of Appeal Court, Awka Division, Justice C. E. Nwosu-Iheme, expressed her gratitude to the state government for ensuring the realization of the project. Justice Nwosu-Iheme pledged that the court would handle cases before it judiciously and urged for assistance to enable it to operate from a permanent complex. As earlier reported by Awka Times, the old Customary Court of Appeal building in Awka is currently serving as the administrative building of the Court of Appeal, with chambers for the five justices on the bench located in the building.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Willie Obiano noted that the establishment of the Appeal Court in Anambra State was necessitated by the large volume of cases emanating from the area. He said the effort would decongest the Appeal Court Enugu Division as well as reduce the risks associated with travelling to Enugu to file cases.

Governor Obiano said that his administration was committed to the rule of law and asserted that the presence of the court would create jobs for the indigenes.

For the governor, this was the fruition of an effort started when he set up a five-person committee to work for the establishment of a federal court of appeal in Anambra State. The committee was led by Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), with Special Adviser to the State Government on Legal Matters, Mrs. Patricia Igwebuike, serving as its as secretary. The committee included Justice Anthony Iguh, who had served on the Supreme Court; Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN); and Dr. Uju Nwogu, Anambra State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The Acting Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Onochie Anyachebelu, had in a remark described the new Appeal Court as a milestone in the history of the state and stressed that it would bring a relief to the litigants and justice to the door steps of citizens.

The President of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Anambra State, Chief Damian Okeke-Ogene, who represented its National President, Chief Nnia Nwodo, extolled the state government for initiating the process, saying that the people would benefit immensely from the project.

In an interview the Managing Director of Awka Capital Development Authority, Venerable Amechi Okwuosa who is a legal practitioner, described the new court as “a great milestone in the judicial system.” According to him, it would reduce the inconveniences encountered in going to Enugu to file appeal cases.

The event was witnessed by government functionaries, judges, magistrates, lawyers, traditional rulers, the clergy, community leaders and other stakeholders.

The Nigerian Courts of Appeal are the intermediate appellate courts of the Nigerian federal court system. They decide appeals from the district courts within the federal judicial system, and in some instances from other designated federal courts and administrative agencies.

It will be recalled that the recent Awka Development Union Nigeria case, first initiated in the Awka High Court in 2015 and adjudicated in October 2016 but immediately appealed at the Enugu Appeal Court Division, would not be dispositioned in the Enugu appellate court until July 2019, by which time the Awka town union and sundry political crises had further deteriorated. An expeditious resolution of the appeal might probably have helped to reduce the political and social costs of the conflict.

Chudi Okoye assisted with writing and research for this story

NDLEA in Anambra State Arrested 249 Suspected Drug Peddlers in 2019

ATM Editors

February 4, 2020

…. Convicted 37 persons

By Pamela Henry- Igwe, Guest Writer Awka Times Magazine

The Anambra state command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it arrested two hundred and forty nine suspect drug peddlers in 2019.

The state Commander of the Agency, Mr Misbahu Idris, made the disclosure while presenting the operational scorecard of the command for 2019 in Awka.

Mr Idris disclosed that the Agency had thirty seven persons convicted and one hundred and twenty four pending cases in the Federal High Court, Awka and Appeal Court, Enugu Division.

He added that the suspects were caught with 426.6 kg of various narcotic drugs. A breakdown of the drugs, according to him, were substance suspected to be cannabis sativa weighing 357 kg, heroin weighing 0.063 kg, 0.00223 kg of cocaine, and crystalline meth weighing 69.031 kg.

Mr Idris said illegal drug activities in the state had reduced following control measures put in place in collaboration with the Anambra State Government.

The NDLEA boss warned those involved in illicit drug activities to desist from it or face the full weight of the law.

Two Separate Fire Incidents Rock Anambra State In One Day

Ndu Chris Nwannah

February 3, 2020

… INEC Office Ogidi goes up in flames

… As seven persons sustain injuries in Onitsha

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, ATM Guest Writer

Seven persons have sustained varying degrees of injury following a fire that gutted a storey building in Onitsha, Anambra State. The incident occurred at 23 Emmanuel Church Road, Inland Town, Onitsha on Sunday, February 2, 2020.

A release by the Police Public Relations Office (PPRO), Anambra State Command, Mr. Haruna Mohammed, indicates that the fire was caused by an explosion from a newly procured gas cooker. He said the fire was put out with the help of local volunteers, following a distress call to the DPO, Inland Town Division, who arrived with his patrol team.

Also, the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Ogidi town in Idemili North LGA of Anambra State has been razed by fire. The fire which started in the morning of Sunday, February 2, destroyed the entire roof of the building, office furniture and other valuables.

The fire at Onitsha allegedly emanated from a recently procured gas cooker which exploded in the course of using it for the first time. The names of the seven persons that sustained injuries from the explosion are: Nonso Okafor (m), Nkechi Chinyere Okafor (f), Chisoba Okafor (m), Ebuka Okafor (m), Nwabuchi Chukwutor (m), Chialuka Nwabuchi (m) and Ifeoma Nwabuchi (f). Properties worth millions of naira were destroyed in the outbreak.

Following the distress call, a police patrol team led by DPO Onitsha inland town division rushed to the scene and the fire was put out by local volunteers.

PPRO Haruna Mohammed further noted that the injured persons had been taken to two hospitals in Onitsha for medical attention. He said that “the area was cordoned off to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation to loot. The casualties taken to Boromeo/Minas hospitals Onitsha for medical attention. No loss of life was sustained and victims are responding to treatment,” the PPRO said.

Haruna Mohammed also announced that the fire at the Ogidi office of INEC started around 12.30pm on Sunday.

A police patrol team led by DPO Ogidi Division rushed to the scene and the fire service department was contacted.

The property was cordoned off and effort is ongoing to put out the remaining embers of the fire and prevent the fire from spreading to other adjourning buildings.

The police statement claims that the INEC fire resulted from bush burning within the vicinity.

“The fire allegedly emanated from bush burning. However, the extent of damages done is yet to be determined,” the PPRO said.

The Commissioner of Police, CP John B. Abang, has ordered for an immediate investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident, Mr Haruna Mohammed said.

Arthur Nwankwo Of Fourth Dimension Publishers Passes On

Ndu Chris Nwannah

February 3, 2020

… As Anambra State Government condoles with family

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, ATM Guest Writer and Chudi Okoye

The Anambra State government has commiserated with the family of Dr. Arthur Agwuncha Nwankwo over the death of the patriarch.

Dr. Nwankwo, aged 77, died on Saturday, February 1, 2020, at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku Ozala, Enugu State, following a brief illness.

In a statement released in Awka, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, described Dr. Nwankwo’s passing as both painful and glorious. “Painful because Nwankwo was one of the few people in the world who should never die,” Commissioner Adinuba said, and glorious “because he was able to achieve so much for not just his country but also humanity.”

Mr. Adinuba further noted that Dr. Nwankwo “was a most accomplished publisher, poet, novelist, historian, political scientist, pan Africanist, activist and fighter for justice.”

Recalling the start of Dr. Nwankwo’s publishing career, Mr. Adinuba said that Dr. Nwankwo had been “worried about the dearth of indigenous publishing firms in Africa in the early 1970s,” and so, in partnership with Dr. Sam Ifejika, co-author of his well-received 1969 book on the Nigerian Civil War, he established a firm named Nwamife Publishers Ltd in Enugu. This firm, as Adinuba recalled, published not only books on the war but also well-known books by other authors including a seminal work by Professor Ben Nwabueze, described by Mr. Adinuba as “Africa’s most influential scholar of constitutional law.”

This original publishing firm was later liquidated when Dr. Nwankwo’s partner, Dr. Ifejika, relocated to Canada. Thereupon, Dr. Nwankwo started his own personal outfit in the late 1980s, known as Fourth Dimension Publishers, also in Enugu, which became a runaway success.

Fourth Dimension was to become a prolific publishing house, accumulating almost 2,000 highly respected books in various genres, ranging from fiction to literary criticism, history, religion, philosophy, political science, sociology, poetry, physical and biological sciences, autobiography, law and more. Mr. Adinuba said that “it was, indeed, a thing of honour for scholars around Africa to be published by Fourth Dimension.” He also noted that “through Fourth Dimension, many academics attained the professorial rank in the universities.”

Dr. Nwankwo himself wrote several popular books including:

The Making of a Nation: Biafra (1969)
Nigeria: The Challenge of Biafra (1972)
The Igbo leadership and the future of Nigeria (1985)
Nigeria: The Political Transition and the Future of Democracy (1993)
The Igbo nation and the Nigerian state (1999)
Nigeria: The Stolen Billions (1999)

Dr. Nwankwo was actively involved in progressive politics. He became the Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO). According to Mr. Adinuba, Nwankwo was “a natural member” of the NADECO. He noted that on the platform of NADECO Nwankwo had “addressed critical audiences around the world on the Nigerian condition under the military dictatorship. He was to pay a price for all this.”

He was also the founder and chancellor of Eastern Mandate Union (EMU) on which platform he vigorously campaigned to advance the rights of the indigenes of the former Eastern Region of Nigeria.

He was well-known as a strong advocate of the so-called ‘Handshake Across the Niger’, an initiative which aimed for greater political concert between the Nigerian South West region and the East.

Dr. Nwankwo found a natural political home in the progressive camp of the late Mallam Aminu Kano. He was an ardent follower of the political icon, becoming an active member of his Peoples Redemption Party (PRP). He contested the governorship of old Anambra state during the Second Republic on that party’s platform.

With such a stellar career, Commissioner Adinuba said that “the Anambra State government recognized Dr. Nwankwo as a foremost fighter for social justice.”

Mr. Adinuba recalled that Dr. Arthur Nwankwo had come back to Nigeria after his studies in the United States at a sensitive time in the country. He had studied at the US Eastern Mennonite College in West Virginia and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, returning to Nigeria just as the 1960s political crises were beginning. Mr. Adinuba praised him for this, saying that Dr. Nwankeo “could have returned to America or travelled elsewhere [as hostilities started], but he chose to stay with his people with all the sufferings and deprivations and deaths of that era.”

Dr. Nwankwo remained true to his radical politics, according to Adinuba who recalled that Nwankwo was often “at loggerheads with different governments,” challenges which saw him incarcerated a few times.

Mr. Adinuba said that Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State sent a message of thanks to the Nwankwo family “for keeping in touch with his government in the last few weeks of their leader.”

The governor also condoled with the Nwankwo family of Ajalli in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State on the passage of this remarkable writer, publisher, social crusader and pan Africanist.

Dissecting Ezeoke’s Death and the Crisis of Cultism In Awka

ATM Editors

February 2, 2020

… Ezeoke’s gruesome death, by means of alleged ‘cult killing’, marks the harvest of deaths in Awka and highlights an urgent need to arresting the trend

By Stella Nzekwe, ATM reporter with Chudi Okoye and Ndu Chris Nwannah, ATM Guest Writer

Smarting from his long arduous work that fateful day of 11 December 2019, Mr. Christopher Nzekwe was ready to hunker down with his wife when he got home that evening. Mr. Nzekwe, popularly called Ezeoke, was admired for his work as a community vigilante in Awka and had been decorated as the best vigilante operative for two consecutive years in Anambra State. As he settled down to a delicious dinner dished out by his wife, Ezeoke hoped to stretch out afterwards for a good rest, to be ready for another stint starting early the next day. But soon, his domestic tranquility was shattered by the peel of his cellphone. There was trouble outside in the streets, it seemed, and the caller demanded the attention of the trouble shooter, Ezeoke. Ever ready to hop to the job, the top-shot vigilante, still sporting his official garb, grabbed light paraphernalia, apologized to his adorable wife, and made his way out hoping to solve the turbulence outside. If Ezeoke’s wife had had an inkling of the fatal trap that had been set to ensnare her husband, she wouldn’t have let him step out again. Nor might he himself have re-emerged in the streets without his full battle gear.

Even as Ezeoke got ready to return to the street, he kept receiving impatient calls from different sources concerning alleged cult shootings that evening not far from his vicinity. Whatever reluctance he had about venturing into dusky night evaporated with the incessant calls. Ezeoke’s commitment to service was unflinching, and it propelled him, unawares, to the raging storm waiting to consume him. A few minutes later, he was most gruesomely, defenselessly and helplessly mowed down in the streets.

A Gruesome ‘Cult Killing’

The death of Ezeoke figures among many of late which seem to have resulted from cult-related activities in Awka. Details of his killing pieced together through Awka Times investigation suggest that he had been slain not long after emerging to investigate the killing of a keke (taxi tricycle) driver related to him in the numerous calls that he had received from familiar sources. Information reaching Awka Times indicates that the keke driver had been shot in the vicinity of St Faith’s Cathedral, Awka, the capital of Anambra State, around 7pm that December 11, while Ezeoke himself was shot not far off at Ezi Ogbudanam, Umubelle Village Awka, a few minutes afterwards. Witnesses told Awka Times that the perpetrators were suspected gang members. They alleged seeing cult paraphernalia on the perpetrators, although Awka Times has not independently validated such description.

Contacts claimed that Ezeoke was felled for his run-ins with cult members and as reprisal for his alleged collaboration with the police, seemingly feeding information to police authorities and helping them to hunt down the cultists. Awka Times learned that Ezeoke’s standoff with the cults had been building up over time, resulting at some point in a fatal confrontation with cult members in a tertiary institution.

Accounts suggest that the killing of the tricycle driver might have been used as a bait to lure Ezeoke. The theory related to Awka Times suggests that the tip-off he had received on the fateful evening about the tricyclist’s shooting was a calculated lure, assured by the expectation that the dutiful vigilante would rush out to the call of duty, as was his wont, to investigate the matter. He had earlier stopped by at a convenience store in his neighbourhood on Nnadozie Street in Umuike Village, and swung past it on his way out to the trouble spot.

Eyewitness accounts suggest that as Ezeoke approached the site where the tricyclist had been shot, along Ezi Ogbudanam Street, shots were suddenly fired at his vehicle forcing him to swerve towards a nearby gate. His assailants then reportedly accosted him and were overheard by nearby observers shouting cult slogan and dare, reportedly saying to him: “Ezeoke, I ga agbunwukwe egwu ndi (cult name withheld),” meaning “Ezeoke, can you dance to the [cult name’s] tunes?” Accounts also indicate that his assailants asked him in Nigerian pidgin English: “You think say na only you sabi do charm, you don see charm wey pass yours now!,” in an apparent dare to his spiritual potency. They shot him several times in the chest as they reportedly shouted cult chants, killing him on the spot. His phone was reportedly taken away by those who murdered him.

▲ The late Ezeoke lying in the street after being shot on Dec 11, 2019

As the shots rang out, people took to their heels, running helter-skelter, as the killers zoomed off, allegedly taking the Umuike route. Within about 10 minutes of the shooting, sources said, policeman from Central Police Station (CPS) arrived and carted off Ezeoke’s corpse which had been lying on the ground. They eventually deposited the corpse at the Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka (formerly Amaku General Hospital).

There was chaos throughout that night in Awka as news of Ezeoke’s assassination spread, with contingents of security police marshalled in huge numbers in key areas, especially in Umuogbu Village, apparently trying to hunt down the perpetrators. Awka Times learnt that investigation is still going on, although some of the alleged perpetrators have reportedly been apprehended by the police.

Cult Problem In Awka

The murder of Mr. Christopher Nzekwe brings again to the fore the festering problem of cultism in Awka town. One of the cults named by sources is believed to have evolved from the first cult in Nigeria, the Pyrates Confraternity, which was originally established to help maintain peace and discipline in Nigerian tertiary institutions. One of the founders of the Pyrates Confraternity in Nigeria is the literary giant and Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka. The founders initially called themselves the ‘Magnificent Seven’, to reflect their number as a septuple.

Several other cults have emerged since the founding of the Pyrates Confraternity, with far different operating norms. Some of the newer cults are renowned for their brutal code and philosophy, for instance swearing an oath not to betray or condemn fellow members, and to severely punish any deviance. Cult brutality has had a deleterious effect in society as a whole, Awka included, but also arguably in the lives of cult members who suffer untimely death, cruel massacres, truncated education, unrealized life ambitions, spiritual disorder, behavioural disorder, moral disorientation, mental illness due to drug and substance addiction, loneliness, poor parenting, peer pressure and a host of other harmful effects.

Recently, in the same week that Ezeoke was buried, it was reported that cult boys went to steal new laptops from Community Secondary School (CSS) in Umuike Village, Agulu Awka. They also reportedly stole other items from the school’s laboratory. This pillage happened a few days after gangs reportedly robbed National Youth Service Corps teachers serving in the same school, as they made their way home after the close of work. There were also reports of daytime robbery at Obu Ofuu Umuike which occurred not long before.

As Awka has become more urbanized, there appears has been a marked growth in the incidence of blue-collar crimes in the state capital, most involving bands of young men. These bands rampage the streets at night and even in daytime, robbing local shops, stealing phones and other valuables. The neighbourhood convenience store which Ezeoke had patronized on the day he was murdered had itself been robbed several times, according to reports. A rash of such assaults leaves the Awka community increasingly fretful. An elderly source told Awka Times, ruefully, that “the once quiet and peaceful neighbourhoods of Awka have now become a den of hungry lions.”

It is not clear if the various criminal reports are all gang-related, but people who spoke to Awka Times on condition of anonymity said that such outrages would not have happened had Ezeoke been alive. The rise in street crime does appear to coincide with a surge in the spate of reported gang atrocities which often result in fatal reprisals, according to sources, as gangs apparently fight for street supremacy. Ezeoke had been at the forefront of combating this rising trend and has paid the ultimate price for it. Sources told Awka Times that his brazen assassination was not random but a well-planned mission to take out one man who worked to eradicate the menace.

Awka Times learned that so rife had been the outrages even with heightened vigilance from conventional policing that last year Awka community sought an alternative solution: It sought a “traditional” remedy to arrest the incessant killings in Awka by performing traditional rituals invoking the Awka deity and other imported deities, asking the deities to strike any Awka person who kills or tries to impede the progress of his compatriots. The oath supposedly asks the deities to eliminate not only the culprits but accomplices as well. Whether this will make a difference to communal security remains to be seen.

Government Intervention Needed

The spike in cult- and gang-related incidences in Awka, according to sources, is an indication that the government is not doing enough despite frequent claims of improvement in security in the state capital. Sources also complained in chats with Awka Times that the leadership crises in Awka could not be helping the situation, what with contested claims to the Awka kingship stool and with factional fights within Awka Development Union Nigeria (ADUN). The state government itself acknowledges the nexus between Awka leadership crises and the increased insecurity. A statement by the Secretary to the Anambra State Government (SSG), Prof Solo Chukwulobelu, put out on 23 December 2019, shortly after Ezeoke’s assassination, claimed that the kingship tussle in Awka was linked to the recent upsurge in cult-related violence in the state capital. According to the government, “the undercurrents of this tussle had manifested in several negative manners over the last few months and is reasonably suspected to be one of the factors behind the incessant cult clashes and killings in the town.” With a divided and vitiated local leadership, there is little wonder why the menace of gang-related robberies, kidnappings and assassinations have seen an upsurge in Awka despite the best efforts of law enforcement agencies.

The onus lies on all stakeholders in the society to help in stemming the tide of cult related killings. The family, religious groups, academic institutions, cultural groups/institutions and age grades, among others, need to be in the forefront of the fight to eradicate the monster.

The security agencies have a great role to play in this regard. They must be proactive. Government for its part must put measures in place to strengthen the workings of both the conventional security agencies and the vigilante groups for optimal results. Also of paramount importance is the need to apply effective laws that will take care of cult related cases in the nation’s legal system.

Awka Stands Still as Slain Vigilante Commander, Ezeoke, Is Buried, Amid Growing Concerns Over Cultism

ATM Editors

February 1, 2020

… Archbishop Ibezim and other mourners praise Ezeoke’s gallantry

… ADUN ‘Committee of Friends’ mourns his demise, as Amobi Nwokafor plans to immortalize his name

… His death heightens concerns over cultism and gang-related crime in Awka

By Ndu Chris Nwannah, ATM Guest Writer, Chudi Okoye and Stella Nzekwe, ATM reporter

The atmosphere was somber, the mood grim, and the place was packed with puckered, grief-wracked faces as the desolate city of Awka, the capital of Anambra State, Nigeria, on 30 January 2020 assembled for the burial of its celebrated vigilante, Mr. Christopher Onyebuchi Nzekwe (popularly known as Ezeoke). The vigilante leader, aged 59, was murdered on 11 December 2019. This was not like any recent calamity in this community. The passing of Ezeoke, and especially the horrid manner of his assassination – gunned down in a brutal, allegedly cult-related street execution – seemed to have stricken the city, in equal measure, with anguish and exasperation. The mourners came out strong in their throngs – Awka indigenes, friends, associates, in-laws and family members – as they converged on Umuike Village, Agulu quarter in Awka, to pay their last respects to the fallen community hero.

Mr Nzekwe had been a former Deputy Intelligence Officer, Anambra State Vigilante Group (AVG), and the Acting Zonal Supervisor, Anambra Central Zone. His execution seems to have been designed as an audacious statement of gang supremacy. But the perpetrators are being apprehended, according to police sources.

Thursday, January 30, 2020 will likely remain for a long time deeply etched in the minds of many mourners as they watched in stunned disbelief while the body of the fallen community policing commander was lowered to mother earth. The city of Awka literally stood still with sirens and combative local music blaring as Ezeoke’s funeral motorcade moved through Zik Avenue, the main transit street in Awka, to Ukwu Oji en route Ezinwafor Square in Umubelle to his country home in Umuike Village Awka. At Ukwu Oji, Ezeoke’s coffin was lifted from the hearse and carried by youths to his residence, where he was welcomed with several gun salutes, a homage to his warrior-like career.

▲ Ezeoke’s wife and mother during the funeral service at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church, Umuike Village, Awka.

Ezeoke’s funeral service was held at Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church, Umuike Village, Awka. He had been a notable member of the Anglican Communion. He was also one of the patrons of the Boys Brigade of Nigeria (BBN). Numerous priests, family members and sympathizers joined in the service where the Archbishop of the Province of the Niger, Most Reverend Alexander Ibezim, was represented by the Archdeacon, Cathedral Church of Saint Faith, Awka, Venerable Samuel Okonkwo.

In his delivered sermon, Most Reverend Ibezim described late Christopher Nzekwe as a dynamic man who was committed to the service of God and humanity. According to Archbishop Ibezim, Ezeoke died while working for his community, state and nation in a bid to make the society safer for habitation.

The archbishop further stressed that Ezeoke’s death was a reminder to all mortals that there was finite time for everything on earth. He underscored the need for the faithful to be prepared always as all had times for transition allotted to them by God.

The funeral programme featured anthems by the choirs who took part in the service. The Boys Brigade also handed over a boot to one of the deceased’s brothers in memory of his outstanding contributions to the growth of the organization as a patron.

During the service, a former factional President General of Awka Development Union Nigeria (ADUN), Ozo Dr. Amobi Nwokafor, initiated a project to immortalize the late Ezeoke. He stressed that the project would be in memory of Ezeoke’s excellent service to Awka community and humanity.

The funeral attracted high profile security personnel, Anambra State Vigilante Group leaders and officers. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of Information and Communication Technology, Mr Celestine Okoye, was also in attendance.

Ezeoke’s remains were interred at his family house, amidst wailings, sobs and cries. Encomiums poured in from different segments of the society. A close ally of the late Ezeoke and Special Assistant on Political Matters to Anambra State governor, Willie Obiano, Comrade Okey Onyeama, said that Ezeoke was a great crime buster gifted in the work of intelligence gathering. Also, a knight of the Anglican Church and close friend of the deceased, Chief Jonas Ekwenugo who spoke to Awka Times, said that he was moved by the massive crowd which turned out for the burial, and observed that Ezeoke was a hero who was murdered in active service to the state. He enjoined the youths to stay out of evil acts as he strongly condemned the killing of the deceased.

The Head of AVG and former Commissioner of Police, Chief Ikechukwu Aduba, who also spoke to Awka Times at the burial, said that “[Ezeoke’s death is] indeed a painful death.” He prayed God to give the Nzekwe family the fortitude to bear the loss. He noted that Ezeoke was productive in the job as he was always ready whenever duty called, and promised that his death would “make everyone sit up.” Chief Aduba further expressed his gratitude to the police, whom he said had caught three persons allegedly involved in killing the vigilante personnel.

On his part, a former Assistant Commissioner of Police and Senior Zonal Supervisor, AVG, Chief M. C. Uyanna, who condoled with the family in an interview with Awka Times, said that “Ezeoke’s demise was a great loss to Anambra State.” But he advised Awka people to be resolute in giving support to security officers to help them combat crime.

The condolences continued on Friday, January 31, as the ‘Awka Committee of Friends’ numbering over 100 paid tribute to the dead. The condolence group was assembled through the help of Dr. Amobi Nwokafor and other committed indigenes. They had paid condolence with a cow prior to the visit as a mark of high esteem for the deceased, and also turned up on the January 31 visit with a cash envelope and assorted drinks, per Awka funeral visit. Speaking on behalf of the group during the visit, Chief Emeka Anagor noted that they were sad over the death and urged the family to bear the irreparable loss with strong hearts.

The funeral was also attended by Obi Austin Ndigwe, considered as traditional ruler by segments of Awka society, along with his cabinet as well as Awka Kingmakers and members of Ozo Awka Society.

Indigenes who spoke to Awka Times in the wake of Ezeoke’s murder said that there was a need for the Anambra State government to strengthen the law enforcement and security apparatuses, and not just buy and distribute vehicles.

Awka residents also noted that cultism and gang-related criminality had invariably permeated the fabric of Awka society, causing serious harm to social harmony and cohesion. People believe these ills could be adequately tackled through serious social reengineering which should focus on youth education and empowerment. It is thought that useful training and provision of tools and funds would enable some of the youths trapped by the allure of cult life to redirect their energies into useful ventures. There is no doubt that the society will be safer with this approach.

The police and other security agencies are expected to be properly funded and equipped with of modern and sensitive tools that will aid them in the job. Community policing should also be strengthened as the vigilante operatives are better equipped to offer useful security tips at the grassroots.

Late Christopher Nzekwe, a former Chief Security Officer of Awka, had twice won the best vigilante award in Anambra State with his group in 2017 at Onitsha and in 2018 at Ekwulobia.

Awka Times Person of the Year, 2019

ATM Admin

January 28, 2020

After a rigorous and meticulous assessment, we are announcing Dr. Okey Anueyiagu as the Awka Times Person of the Year 2019!

Dr. Anueyiagu was selected for the unique and highly impactful philanthropic work he is doing, through his organization, Dr. Okey Anueyiagu Foundation, to transform the ecosystem of elementary schools in Awka and environ.

Dr. Anueyiagu’s philanthropic contributions are significant and growing. He has contributed to various projects in support of the disadvantaged in our society. Through his organization he has built a modern accommodation and clinic for orphans in Awka, among other things. These are recognized, but it is most especially for his ambitious agenda of educational transformation that Dr. Anueyiagu has been selected as the Awka Times Person of the Year 2019.

His Foundation’s educational programme is extensive, involving the rehabilitation and revitalization of targeted elementary schools in Awka and environ. This project involves tearing down dilapidated old school structures; designing and constructing brand new school buildings to replace them; furnishing and equipping the schools; providing teacher training facilitation; and even helping with curriculum modernization.

It is an ambitious programme, unique in the Awka metropolis, which could impact as many as 100 schools and over 50,000 pupils, according to the Foundation’s projections.

We share pictures of some of Dr. Anueyiagu Foundation’s project and personal pictures to celebrate his achievements.

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