Over four hundred shops have been destroyed by fire at the Old Motor Spare Parts Market, popularly called Mgbuka Obosi, in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
During a visit by Channels Television crew on Saturday, a mammoth crowd gathered at the scene, lamenting the devastating incident, as well as questioning the competence of the market security guards.
They noted that the guards should have taken proactive measures that would have cut down the extent of damage in the market.
Although the cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained, the chairman of the market, Mr Samuel Ezeobodo, gave the report he got from the market security officials after 12 midnight.
According to him, a leaking gas cylinder inside one of the affected shops may be the cause of the fire from where it spread to other shops.
Ezeobodo disclosed the death of one of the market leaders, Mr Godwin Edozieuno, who died of shock upon hearing that his shop was one of those affected.
The damage is massive and some of the affected traders bemoaned their fate, saying they have been rendered helpless.
Amidst the tears of market men and women, one of the traders was lucky his shop was not gutted by fire despite its closeness to those razed.
Some suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) have killed two police officers in Anambra State.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed this in a statement on Monday.
He added that the attackers injured some officers while a police patrol van was set ablaze during the incident which occurred in Oraifite town in the state.
Mohammed explained that the security operatives had responded to a complaint against on Ifeanyi Ejiofor, said to be a lawyer to self-acclaimed IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on alleged case of abduction, assault occasioning harm, and malicious damage to property.
The police patrol teams led by the Area Commander in Oraifite, Oliver Abbey, then mobilised and rushed to the scene in order to arrest Ejiofor who was said to have declined police invitation.
“As soon as police arrived at the house, armed men suspected to be IPOB members descended on the police, set ablaze one patrol vehicle and attacked them with rifles and machetes.
“As a result of the attack, two police officers whose identities are being withheld were killed by the suspected IPOB members while others were inflicted with machete cuts,” the Police Public Relations Officer said.
He added, “The injured personnel were rushed to the hospital for medical attention and are presently receiving treatment.”
According to Mohammed, the command deployed reinforcements from the State Headquarters comprising personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), and Special Anti-Cult Unit to the area.
He disclosed that this was in conjunction with Nigerian Army troops and other security agencies who cordoned off the area in order to fish out the culprits.
The command’s spokesman noted that the team had begun a joint patrol in the town to prevent a further breakdown of law and order.
He confirmed that some arrests have been made and the Commissioner of Police in the state, John Abang, has vowed to bring perpetrators of the dastardly act to justice.
Meanwhile, the IPOB leader confirmed the incident in a statement credited to him but gave a different account of what happened.
He claimed that the police and army invaded his lawyer’s house while three IPOB members were killed.
“Confirmed reports indicate that a combined team of Nigeria police and military assassination squad invaded the home of my lawyer in Oraifite, Anambra State this morning Monday in a bid to kill him and his family.
“Sadly three innocent Biafrans were killed by this invading force at his residence. This comes on the heel of yet another killing of two IPOB family members who were peacefully gathering in Arondizuogu on Sunday, December 1,” the statement purportedly authored by Kanu alleged.
The Anambra State government has restricted the time which vehicles laden with petroleum products can move in the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in the state, Mr Don Adinuba, announced this in a statement forwarded to Channels Television on Friday.
He explained that the decision followed the incessant collapse of trucks carrying petroleum products in the state recently, including the latest which happened in Onitsha on Thursday.
Adinuba stated, “With effect from Saturday, November 2, 2019, such vehicles can be allowed to move within Anambra State from only 8pm to 5am.
“The restriction is to enable agencies like the Anambra State Fire Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Civil Defence the Anambra Traffic Management Agency and indeed all other security, law enforcement, and safety agencies to respond effectively and in good time to emergencies created by such accidents which sometimes result in conflagrations, as was the case in Onitsha on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, when a tanker laded with a petroleum product fell on the Enugu-Onitsha Highway and caused a fire that spread up to Ochanga Market through the open drainage,” he added.
The government has directed the Anambra State Police Command and all other security agencies in the state to swing into action.
According to the commissioner, the security agencies are to “religiously enforce” the restriction order on the movement of trucks carrying petroleum products in the state.
They were also asked to ensure that such vehicles do not exceed the speed limit of 90 kilometres per hour in all parts of the state.
“Any violation of either the time restriction order or the speed limit will be punished accordingly.
“The protection of the life and asset of every person in Anambra State cannot be compromised,” Adinuba warned.
He, however, urged oil marketers, workers, tanker drivers and concerned persons among other stakeholders in the downstream oil sector to bear with the state government.
The commissioner asked them to adhere to the regulation which he noted was made strictly in the overriding interest of the public.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu State has affirmed the election of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah as the lawmaker representing Anambra South district in the National Assembly.
In a lead judgment delivered on Tuesday by Justice Ibrahim Saulawa, the appellate court upheld the decision of the National Assembly Election Petitions Tribunal.
It, therefore, dismissed the appeals of Mr Chris Uba of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Andy Uba of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for lacking merit.
In his reaction, Senator Ubah who contested the election on the platform of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) commended the judgement.
He said it was a clear indication that the third arm of government was the last hope of the common man, Anambra South, and Nigeria at large.
The lawmaker commended the judiciary for rising up to its solemn responsibility of ensuring that justice prevailed without fear, favour, or prejudice.
He also appreciated the disposition of Mr Nicholas Ukachukwu of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who accepted the election result in good faith and opted to respect the will of the people.
Senator Ubah, however, stretched a hand of fellowship to Mr Uba, Senator Uba, and Mr Ukachukwu, as well as urged them and the electorate to join hands with him to actualise the task of rebuilding and developing Anambra South Senatorial zone.
On the other hand, the APGA member representing Idemili North and South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr Ifeanyi Ibezi, lost to Mr Obinna Chidoka of the PDP.
A petrol tanker has exploded in the upper Iweka axis of Onitsha in Anambra state after falling off its lane, killing a woman and her child in the process.
No fewer than 40 buildings, ranging from two- storey to four- storey buildings were also razed in the explosion.
Over 500 lock-up shops were also gutted by the fire along the Iweka street leading to Ochanja and menax market.
The tanker’s head reportedly fell off and went up in flames after spilling its content within the area.
A chapter of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria situated at the Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Amaku Awka, Anambra state, has called off its two weeks old industrial action after a meeting with Governor Willie Obiano.
Addressing the press after a resolution at the teaching hospital, the chairman of the association, Dr. Chukwudi Okani, revealed that the decision is as a result of an appeal by their patients and the governor having discovered that their problems are mainly internal leadership issues.
He announced that work will begin on Monday, July 8th, 2019.
His counterpart in the orthopedic surgery department, Dr. Amaechi Nwachukwu, maintained that the governor will help resolve all internal matters now that he has firsthand knowledge of the issues in the hospital.
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Friday visited Anambra State to monitor activities of the Federal Government’s ‘TraderMoni’ Scheme in the state.
The vice president had earlier arrived Awka, the Anambra State capital where he was received by Governor Willie Obiano.
He visited Eke Awka market and Ochanja market, where petty traders excitedly welcomed him.
He also visited the palace of the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe.
The Vice President’s visit to Anambra markets is a continuation of his tour of markets across the country to monitor activities of the Federal Government scheme called ‘TraderMoni’.
The Vice-President also shared a picture of his visit to the Eke-Awka market on his official Twitter handle. He says the scheme is aimed at boosting the informal sector of Nigeria’s economy.
Providing credit to small business owners is one of the focus of our SIProgrammes.
Trader Moni is a distinct loan product that seeks to boost the informal sector by enumerating and empowering traders with loans. We are in Eke-Awka market, Anambra State to monitor the progress. pic.twitter.com/LAjYtYcFP9
Osinbajo had visited markets interacting directly with market men and women about the Federal Government’s plan to alleviate poverty through the scheme.
The Trader Moni is a loan programme designed specifically for petty traders and artisans across Nigeria and it is part of the Federal Government’s enterprise and empowerment programme.
Although the initiative has been criticised in some quarters particularly by the opposition party, the federal government insists the initiative is designed to ensure that the petty traders and artisan benefit directly from the government.
Tragedy struck in Anambra community on Tuesday when a woman and her two children were burnt as fire gutted their home.
The deceased, Nwazuru Okeke and her kids, Chidi Ebube and Makuo Chukwu Okeke were trapped in the inferno and burnt beyond recognition.
Confirming the development to Channels Television, the spokesman for the Police Command, SP Haruna Mohammed said the incident happened at the residence of one Maxwell Okeke in Umuoffor village in Okija area of the state.
Mohammed, a Superintendent of Police, said detectives attached to Okija Division visited the scene and the fire was put off with the assistance of local volunteers in the area.
While regretting the unfortunate incident, he explained that the cause of the fire is yet unknown.
According to him, “the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, has ordered a full-scale investigation to ascertain circumstances surrounding the incident.”
A combination of photos from the scene of an accident which occurred on in Onitsha, Anambra State on March 13, 2019. Photo: [email protected]_Traffic.
Upper Iweka in Onitsha, a major commercial hub in Nigeria’s South East region, is popular for a number of reasons, particularly the volume of business activities that takes place there.
It is also a major transport hub, with high traffic of persons and vehicles, and connecting virtually every part of the country.
Added to this is the swarm of hawkers and petty traders, selling all kinds of consumables, from snacks to water packed in sachets, which make the hustle and bustle nature of Upper Iweka clearly evident.
All this was suddenly interrupted at sunset in Onitsha on Wednesday, March 13, when a tanker laden with kerosene lost control and rammed into the crowd of traders and everything in its path, crushing both goods and human beings. Those who could run, fled in different directions.
By the time all became quiet, about 10 people were found to have been killed, leaving at least six others critically injured, including a woman who had her left lower limb cut.
When Channels Television visited Toronto Hospital, where both the survivors and the dead were moved to after the accident, pain and anguish pervaded the atmosphere.
The relatives of the deceased victims were seen wailing, some of them rolling on the floor.
For John Anyanwu, who lost a brother in the tragic incident, the death was one too many.
“I was home last night (Wednesday) and around 8pm, my sister and my other siblings came to my house and I enquired what the problem was. They said they had called my line but it did not go through and that our younger brother, Chukwunonso Anyanwu, was among those crushed by a tanker at Upper Iweka,” he said.
Shocked by the account and thinking it was a joke, Mr Anyanwu demanded to know if it was indeed true. The answer he got left him in demoralised.
He said his dead 35-year-old brother was into wine business at the Relief Market in Onitsha.
“This young man that died now is just the taproot of the family, not because he was rich more than others but he was a graduate. Whenever we have problem in the family he will stand firm and rally support for the family immediately and that is why his death is very painful to everybody,” he lamented.
Miriam Monday, a lady who hawked herbal drinks at Upper Iweka, could not hold back tears as she grieved for her customers who lost their lives in the accident.
“I’m crying because of my customers who had accident. The ones I know are five in number that died. The one that I know his name is Experience, that guy, he was selling shoes,” she said as she sobbed.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joe Akabuike, who visited the hospital at the instance of the governor was conducted round the wards to sympathise with the injured as he gave the assurance that the government would take up their medical bills.
One of the medical personnel attending to the victims, Dr Fredrick Aduba, told the Commissioner that out of the 17 people brought to the hospital, eight were dead on arrival, while two died later.
The tragedies on the roads have become worrisome to the state government but the Commissioner for Health promised that the state government would take proactive measures to effectively tackle the challenge of reckless driving that leads to fatal accidents.
For some of the witnesses, all parks around Upper Iweka should be moved further inward and leave space for vehicles to move freely on the road, while hawkers and traders on the roadside should be relocated.
While the residents, especially the eyewitnesses of the Onitsha accident, struggled to come to terms with the tragedy, a similar scenario played out in Umuchu, a town in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, where a trailer laden with cement collided with a tipper and crashed into a chain of stores at Eke Umuchu market.
Three people including the driver of the trailer, the conductor of the tipper and a member of the community, who was in front of his shop when the disaster struck, lost their lives.
A combination of photos from the scene of an accident which occurred on in Onitsha, Anambra State on March 13, 2019. Photo: [email protected]_Traffic
At least seven people were confirmed killed on Wednesday when a kerosene-laden trailer rammed into traders on the Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha, Anambra State.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the spokesperson for the state police command, Haruna Mohammed, explained that the truck driver lost control of the vehicle and knocked down 19 people.
He stated, “Police patrol team attached to CPS Onitsha visited the scene and rushed victims to Toronto Hospital Onitsha, where Seven (7) persons comprising of six males and one woman whose identities are yet to be ascertained were confirmed dead by the medical doctor.”
He added that 12 other people were receiving treatment, while the bodies of the dead had been deposited at the hospital morgue for postmortem examination.
According to the police, investigation has commenced on the incident, after the suspect, 35-year-old Junior Agari, was arrested and the truck recovered from the accident scene.
Meanwhile, several images and amateur videos posted online by people who said they witnessed the incident, showed chaotic scenes – from a smashed bus to abandoned and scattered personal effects and shocked observers.
The sad news comes hours after a three-storey building collapsed in Lagos, leaving scores including school children trapped and sending shock waves across the country.
Rescue operations have continued on the site of the collapse, with emergency workers making desperate efforts to remove victims from the rubble of the building amid chaotic, heartrending scenes.
Two people were killed while forty-seven others were arrested today in Anambra in two separate violent incidents that threatened to undermine the electoral exercise in the state.
A spokesperson for the Anambra police command, SP Haruna Mohammed noted in a statement on Saturday that several violent incidents including shootings and disruption of voting were recorded in the state.
SP Haruna said that there was a clash of two rival factions of the Black Axe and Vikings Confraternity leading to the death of two yet to be identified persons at Obosi.
Haruna said the case is under investigation and efforts are being intensified to apprehend fleeing suspects.
He further informed that at Agulu township polling unit three suspects were arrested and a locally made pistol with four live ammunition recovered.
The spokesman further revealed that a total number of forty-seven suspects (47) were arrested for various offenses ranging from disruption of elections, malicious damage, thuggery, assault, and unlawful possession of firearms.
He said some exhibits were recovered and they include; “two double barrel guns, one locally made pistol, four life ammunition, three expanded ammunition, one Toyota Hilux, one L300 bus, two hundred and ninety-one (291) ballot papers, one motorcycle, dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, cash sum of one hundred and seventy-three thousand four hundred and twenty Naira (N173,420).”
The spokesman said all suspects have been transferred to CIID Awka for discreet investigation after which they would be charged to court for prosecution.
Governor Willie Obiano after swearing in Honourable Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu as the first female Chief Judge in the state.
Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State has sworn in Honourable Justice Ijem Onwuamaegbu as the first female Chief Judge in the state.
Justice Onwuamaegbu’s oath of office follows the voluntary retirement of the former Chief Judge, Justice Peter Umeadi.
Obiano, while inaugurating the CJ at the Government House in Awka, the state capital pledged the support of his administration to enable her to effectively deliver justice.
“It is a very great day in Anambra State today. I want to assure both the acting Chief Judge of the state and members of the bench and bar in Anambra State that I will give her all the support required to be able to deliver,” he said.
On her part, Justice Onwuamaegbu pledged to work in harmony with other arms of government to ensure effective and speedy delivery of justice.
“Your Excellency, I thank you so much for giving me that opportunity. My position today is one for a call of duty.
“I have been called to lead the very hardworking judges of Anambra State. I wrote an undertaking to properly deliver justice to all manner of people without fear or favour, particularly to work harmoniously with the other arms of government,” she stated.
Justice Onwuamaegbu’s appointment as Anambra’s first female chief judge comes 13 after Lady Virginia Etiaba governed the state, thereby becoming the first female governor in Nigeria’s history in 2006.
