There was a protest in Imo State on Monday after gunmen suspected to be operatives of Ebubeagu Security outfit allegedly opened fire and killed seven wedding guests.

The incident had put Imo in a state of panic.

The victims were going back to their community in Otulu in Oru East Local Government Area of the state from Awomama in the neighbouring Oru West LGA when the gunmen opened fire on them.

The President General of Otulu community, Nnamdi Agbor, who spoke to our correspondent, said that seven persons died on the spot.

The community leader said, “Our people were coming back from Awo Omamma around 7pm after a traditional wedding.

“Ebubeagu operatives saw them in motorcycles and opened fire on them.

“As I speak to you, we have recovered seven dead bodies who are our people. Five are missing, two are critically injured and hospitalised, while the other person who sustained minor injury has been discharged.

“This is very unfortunate. Our people are angry. They are protesting. There was no cause for the killing. They were just riding home when the Ebubeagu Security outfit opened fire on them. This has never happened before.

“We have reported the incident to the security agents. The commissioner of police and the commander of the 34 artillery Brigade command Obinze have visited. The DPO is also assisting. I have reported the killing to the member representing us at the parliament.

“The celebrant is Chijioke Nnanna. Those arrested are Uchenna Orjiribeka, Chido Ekesinachi and Nnamdi Ekesinachi. Those in the hospital are Oluebube Agbor and ThankGod Iheukwumere. Those who were killed are, Chigozie Obinwa, Ozioma, Chikere Anyadioha, Ifechi Ekesinachi, Emeka Ekesinachi, Aboy Ihegboro and Chijindu. Five people are still missing.”

When contacted, the Police Spokesperson, Micheal Abattam, confirmed the incident and disclosed that investigation had begun.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has said the country needs God’s intervention for the planning and peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections.

Speaking at with the pilgrims on Saturday at the premises of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Christian Wing), in Ibadan, Makinde tasked intending Christians pilgrims on the holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem from the state to pray for the success of the 2023 general elections in the state and Nigeria as a whole.

Governor Makinde who was represented by his Executive Assistant on Administration and General Services, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, stated: “As you all know, we will be going to the polls again in 2023 to vote and elect our leaders.

“We want God to make the planning and final conduct of the elections to be peaceful without rancour and any form of violence, banditry or terrorism.

“As we are joining others to pray for those in authority in 1 Timothy 2, please also remember to pray for our Governor. That God will continue to crown him with wisdom and guidance as he steers the ship of the present administration. Because of many of the good works that he has started in the state, he will be given another opportunity to complete them.

“It is important to also remind you that as new cases of COVID-19 infections are being reported in some states lately by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), it is important that you observe all the necessary protocols towards the prevention of the disease. Thankfully, we don’t have any new cases in Oyo State and our earnest expectation to God is that none of you will come down with any infection as you embark on this pilgrimage.”

Makinde noted that the Christians embarked on holy pilgrimage in order to see, feel, touch and experience the reality of the historical places, where the favourite Bible characters trod, sites and monuments that Christians have only had the opportunity to read about in stories and writings of the Bible.

Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says his party does not want to lose any member but it cannot force anyone to stay.

Speaking with journalists on Saturday after visiting Abdullahi Mohammed, governor of Nasarawa, at the government house in Lafia, Adamu said it is a “season for defection” in the country’s political space.

The national chairman said politicians are adults who are capable of making their own decisions.

“We don’t want to lose any member but if a member willfully wants to leave the party without recourse, we can’t force anybody to stay or leave the party,” the former governor said.

“The issue of defection; there is a season for it in politics particularly in developing countries, and it is not news in Nigeria.

“Anybody who is a member of this party is an adult and when an adult takes a decision, it’s either you convince him and if the decision is not favourable to you and he does his bidding, you leave him for God who decides everything.”

Adamu said his party is working to win the general election scheduled to be held in February 2023.

“As for winning elections, we are working to win. By the grace of God, we will win the elections,” the national chairman said.

President Muhammadu Buhari looks forward to the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general election, saying he has done his best in tackling the challenges of the country and wouldn’t relent as tenure gradually comes to an end in 2023.

He also compared Nigeria’s economic situation to that of other African countries saying Nigerians should be grateful.

Speaking when he paid a Sallah homage to the Emir of Katsina, Abdulmumini Kabir Usman at his palace in Katsina, the President also pledged to tackle the security challenges facing the country.

He also said that Nigerians should be confident in his administration’s determination to fix other sectors of the economy before the completion of his tenure.

He however reflected on how he contested the presidential seat three consecutive times and was finally lucky to have gotten the mandate in 2015, reiterating that he has done his best considering what other African countries are currently going through in terms of economic challenges, “Nigerians will have reasons to thank God.

“Thank God we are doing our very best; I am praying that God will once again give us the wisdom to do more for the betterment of our people.”

The President then prayed that God will give him the wisdom and courage to deal with those behind Nigeria’s security challenge, expressing hope that Nigerians will understand the situation leaders find themselves in, as he urged them to support and pray for the country.

Also speaking, the Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, said the issue of insecurity is a global challenge, noting that prayer is the solution to the problem.

Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola has lost his re-election bid to his closest rival, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Adeleke of the PDP won 17 of the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the governorship election held in the State of Osun, yesterday.

Incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), however, won in the remaining 13 LGAs.

While Adeleke garnered 403,371 votes in the overall results from LGAs, Oyetola who ran on the platform of polled 375, 027 votes, INEC’s chief returning officer, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, declared.

Despite having 15 candidates contesting for the governorship seat, the election was keenly contested by APC’s Oyetola and PDP’s Adeleke.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), there were 5,305 Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and 332 Registration Areas (RAs) available for the election.

This was disclosed last week by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Abdulganiyu Raji in preparations for the election.

The commission also put the number of registration areas in Osun at 332 with 1,955,657 registered voters and while only 335,298 collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

Head of Chemical Pathology Unit, Specialist Hospital, Gashau, Anwali Ahmad, told the ICIR that many residents die of chronic kidney failures because they preserve the foods they eat with chemicals

He also said many farmers in the town use banned herbicides on their crops.

In Gashua, people do year-round farming through the support of the Komadugu River.

Ahmad was born in Gashua and has worked in the environs for 10 years.

His department tests kidneys and identifies people with kidney failure or disease.

Also, Chief Imam of Bade Emirate, Umar Abubakar, under which Gashua falls, had told ICIR reporter that kidney disease killed at least 120 people yearly in the town.

While the Chief Imam blamed the morbidities and deaths on the high level of dehydration, Ahmad said the people used local chemicals to preserve the foods they ate, which resulted in the disease and accompanying deaths.

He also said they sold some of the foods to people outside the community.

The ICIR reported that among the people who could eat such foods are students and staff of the federal university located in the town.

Ahmed noted that after applying chemicals to preserve foods, people could only eat such foods after six months when the chemicals’ potency would have reduced.

“Every month, we diagnose around 20 to 30 new cases (of kidney disease). Sometimes, it could reach up to 50. It depends on the number of people that come to the hospital.

“As it stands now, every year, we have more than 150 (who die) in Gashua and environs,” Ahmad said.

He said the State Specialist Hospital in Damaturu offered free dialysis, but there was no dialysis for treating the condition in Gashua.

According to him, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, who is from the town, was planning to establish a dialysis centre in the community.

Ahmad stated that all age categories are affected by the disease, from 11 years and above.

He said joint research by the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru, in the state, and the State Specialist Hospital showed that the foods eaten by the Gashua people are contaminated with preservatives.

The pathologist said indigenes of Gashua produce some of the chemicals used to preserve the foods, adding that many residents had suffered permanent kidney failures after eating food preserved with the chemicals.

“Just about five months ago, the local government raided some locations where the locals produced the chemicals,” he said.

“Patients prefer to stay at home and use local medication, which often leads to permanent damage of their kidneys after a short time,” he added.

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, announced government’s allocation of 259 houses and the release of N110m to the Nigerian Police Force in the state.

Zulum made the announcement during the commissioning of Borno’s branch of the Nigerian Police Force Microfinance Bank (NPFM Bank) in Maiduguri.

The Microfinance bank is designed to provide financial services to aid small and medium enterprises for police families, their affiliates and civilians in Borno State.

The Bank’s unveiling was attended by the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali.

Before the unveiling, Zulum explained that the allocation of over 259 houses to the police was meant to compensate the state command for government’s use of some portions of land belonging to the police, for development of some infrastructures in the state capital.

On the N110 million he announced, the governor said that 50% of it, which amounts to N55m, was Borno’s contribution as share deposit aimed at enhancing the bank’s operations at the starting stage.

The rest amount of N55m, Zulum further explained, was to be used in supporting families of police personnel in two ways.

The first, Zulum said, was the use of N25 million to be shared to families of police personnel who died in active service.

He ordered that the money be deposited in an account dedicated to educational needs of children left behind by the fallen police personnel.

The balance of N30 million, the governor said, will be deposited into a credit services account for the purpose of supporting policewomen serving across Borno State.

Zulum commended IGP Alkali for unveiling Borno’s branch of the bank which he said, indicated the IGP’s prioritization of police welfare.

The governor alongside the IGP, the bank’s board members and some top police officers, unveiled the branch by a symbolic cutting of a tape.

IGP Thanks Zulum’s Generosity

In his remark before the commissioning, Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, described Governor Zulum’s support towards the Nigerian Police Force as enormous.

“Your Excellency, we want to thank you for the logistics the state command is getting to function effectively in crime prevention and control. I am aware that the only state that got six armoured personnel carriers and handed them over to the police is Borno State. We want to sincerely thank you for taking our trouble, for being kind to us, for being generous to us, for coming to our assistance in terms of providing welfare and working tools”, the IGP said.

The IGP was accompanied to the event by the Board Chairman of the microfinance bank, Azubuko Joel Udah, the bank’s Managing Director, Mr Akin Lawal and top police chiefs while Zulum went along with Secretary to Borno State Government, Usman Jidda Shuwa, some members of Borno State Executive Council, among other government officials.