BIAFRA : Gunmen kidnap APC lawmaker in Sokoto

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Abubakar Sadiq, who confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto on Thursday l, said that the state command received the information from the Divisional Police Officer of the area.        Unknown gunmen have kidnapped Alhaji Aminu Bodai, a member of the Sokoto State House of Assembly in Bodai village of Dange/Shuni Local Government Area of the state.         Bodai, is a member of the All Progressives Congress representing Dange/Shuni state constituency.

Sadiq said that the gunmen in the early hours of Thursday went to the residence of the lawmaker and abducted him.

According to him, upon receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje, directed a re-enforcement to the division to track the abductors.

He said that policemen were currently carrying out full surveillance of the forest surrounding the village of Bodai and neighboring communities.

Sadiq assured that the police were working closely with other security agencies to maintain a peaceful and secured environment in the state.

He called on the public to continue to support the security agencies by providing useful information about strange activities in their areas of residence.

BIAFRA : Ekweremadu attacked over Operation Python Dance role – IPOB

The Indigenous People of Biafra has said  its members attacked former Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu,  because of the role played by him and others during the Operation Python Dance saga in the South-East.

The group said Ekweremadu and others like Nnia Nwodo, David Umahi, Okezie Ikpeazu, Rochas Okorocha, Willie Obiano and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi plotted to kill the IPOB dream.

      A statement by IPOB’s Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on behalf of the group’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu,

 accused South-East leaders of plotting to assassinate Kanu, and kill the dream of IPOB through Operation Python Dance.    

 “These men mentioned above instigated, financed and defended      a full-scale bloody military invasion of Biafra land they tagged Operation Python Dance that led to the torture and untimely death of over 600 Biafrans, 28 of which fell in my compound.

“These men sanctioned the desecration of the home of an Igbo traditional ruler by Fulani soldiers and did not care if my father, HRM Eze Israel Okwu Kanu, and my mother, who were home with me during the unprovoked invasion, were killed or not. All that these desperate Igbo politicians ever wanted was my death, the death of IPOB, the death of our dream of freedom for all.

“In view of the Nuremberg encounter, it has become necessary for us to refresh our memory lest it succumbs to confusion and deliberate misinformation because most people, unlike IPOB, are in the habit of excusing intolerable evil and wickedness.

“Every perpetrator of evil, every purveyor of iniquity, every merchant of misery and every defender of injustice must and will be held to account. We will on relent until justice is served,” IPOB said.

But a prominent Igbo socio-cultural group, Igbo Bu Igbo, on Tuesday warned members of IPOB not to push their luck.

The group gave the warning while reacting to the attack on Ekweremadu, by members of IPOB in Nuremberg, Germany.

It described the attack on Ekweremadu as “a callous act of ingratitude” considering that Ekweremadu was the same person who rallied other leaders to save Nnamdi Kanu from languishing in jail.      It said, “In Igboland, the hen does not raise its beak against the one who gave it shelter during the rainfall.”

In a statement by the Group’s Chancellor, Dr Law Mefor, and the Secretary General, Mazi Chidi Omeje, the IBI lamented how “the unfortunate, unprovoked and crass attack on the senator had created the       wrong notion that the Igbo cannot conduct themselves in a decent manner.”

It said, “We reject such a notion as that is not who we are. No matter what the grievances of these misguided IPOB members could be against Senator Ike Ekweremadu, resorting to bestial tendencies to settle scores is not part of our culture.”

It called on IPOB to “desist from such actions that can be used to justify the terrorist tag it has already been labelled with by the Federal Government.”

“The orchestrated physical attack on Ekweremadu should not be seen as a democratic protest, and if not condemned by good spirited Nigerians, it will be extended even to the ordinary citizens in due course.

 “We cannot applaud barbarity under whatever guise. What is condemnable is condemnable and we condemn that mob action in Germany in the strongest terms possible. With the threats subsequently issued against Igbo leaders across the board by IPOB, they are creating a recipe for disaster,” the IBI said.

 The group urged IPOB to “convert such energy and take advantage of its reach to bring about its desired good governance in Igbo land by actively participating in politics of the region and the country if it so desires.”

Similarly, the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party condemned the attack on Ekweremadu by IPOB members.

In a statement on Tuesday by the PDP BoT Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, and Secretary, Senator Adolphus Wabara, it said the attack was totally uncalled for, unacceptable and could not be justified.

It called on the Federal Government to address the issue that led to the attack.

It said, “Senator Ekweremadu is a Nigerian that did not deserve this wicked treatment. We sincerely sympathise with Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his family.”

BIAFRA : Nigerian Government Discovers Hidden Multimillion Properties Linked To Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu In The US, UK And UAE

The Nigerian government has written to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom and the United States of America after discovering hidden assets owned in the three countries by Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu. In the letters written to the UAE and USA, Mr. Fowler is relying on the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), a multi-jurisdictional instrument for exposing hidden assets and incomes, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The AEoI, which kicked in Nigeria on January 1, was conceived to stop illicit financial flows.      The Nigerian government has written to the authorities of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), United Kingdom and the United States of America after discovering hidden assets owned in the three countries by Nigerian Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

In the letters written to the UAE and USA, Mr. Fowler is relying on the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEoI), a multi-jurisdictional instrument for exposing hidden assets and incomes, to which Nigeria is a signatory. The AEoI, which kicked in Nigeria on January 1, was conceived to stop illicit financial flows.    Mr. Ekweremadu’s properties in the UAE were exposed by a whistleblower. In the country, the Deputy Senate President owns eight properties. Among these are Apartments EGG1/1/114 and EGG1/1/115 Emirates Garden, Apartment DFB/12/B 1204 Park Towers, Flat 3604, MAG214 and Villa No.148, MAEEN1 The Lakes, Emirate Hills. The others are Boulevard 3901, two flats of Burij Side Boulevard, The Signature; and Room 1903, Hotel Downtown.

In respect of Mr. Ekweremadu’s properties in the United Kingdom, President Muhammadu Buhari through one of the Special Assistants wrote to the Serious Fraud Office and is relying on the recently passed Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) in the country. The order prescribes forfeiture of assets valued at 50,000 pounds and above for which the owner cannot adequately explain the source of income with which it was acquired. 

 “The objective of this letter is to alert you of this development in view of the Voluntary Declaration of Assets and Income Scheme introduced by the Federal Government,” stated Fowler in the letter.   

In the United Kingdom, Mr. Ekweremadu owns Flat 4 Varsity Court, Homer Street, WIH 4NW London and 52 Ayleston Avenue, NW6, London. In the United States, the Deputy Senate President has a three-property portfolio comprising 4507 Stella Street, Bellavida Estate, Kissimmee, Florida; 2747 Club Cortile Circle, Kissimmee, Florida and 2763 Club Cortile Circle, Kissimmee, Florida.

The letter to the US government was addressed to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the United States Justice Department. A copy of the letter was also sent to Tunde Fowler, Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service in Abuja.

BIAFRA : Buhari to assign portfolios to ministers-designate on Wednesday

This was confirmed in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, today in Abuja.

Buhari and the Ministers-designate engaged each other in a two-day retreat, which ended on Tuesday.      President Muhammadu Buhari will assign portfolios to his new cabinet members on Wednesday.

The second and final day of the retreat kicked off with a presentation on Cabinet Processes and Procedures, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha.

This was followed by a presentation by the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole, on aligning government policies with the ideology, manifesto and campaign promises of the ruling party.

“Subsequent presentations touched on Budgeting, Civil Service Reforms, Public Procurement, the Relationships among Ministers and Permanent Secretaries, and Effective Partnerships between Executive, Legislature and State Governments,” Adesina said.

Adesina also revealed that the Ministers-designate would be sworn in on August 21 at the State House, after which they would be allocated portfolios by the president.

“Following the swearing-in, each minister will be given a mandate, based on the assigned ministry, and which will spell out priorities, deliverables and timelines.

“In addition, a robust monitoring and evaluation framework will also be put in place to track the implementation of all policies and programmes over the next four years,” he said.

IPOB : Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB under attack for assaulting Ekweremadu in Germany

The group described the attack on Ekweremadu as “a callous act of ingratitude” considering that he was the same person who rallied other leaders to save Nnamdi Kanu from languishing in jail, saying that, 

“In Igboland, the hen does not raise its beak against the one who gave it shelter during the rainfall!”    

   An Igbo socio-cultural organization, Igbo Bu Igbo (IBI), has condemned in strong terms the recent attack on the immediate past Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, by some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nuremberg, Germany.         

The group described the attack on Ekweremadu as “a callous act of ingratitude” considering that he was the same person who rallied other leaders to save Nnamdi Kanu from languishing in jail, saying that, “In Igboland, the hen does not raise its beak against the one who gave it shelter during the rainfall!”

In a statement signed by the group’s Chancellor, Dr Law Mefor; the Secretary-General, Mazi Chidi Omeje, which was made available to BIAFRANS NEWS on Tuesday, IBI lamented how “the unfortunate, unprovoked and crass attack on the Senator has created the wrong notion that the Igbo cannot conduct themselves in decent manners. We reject such a notion as that is not who we are”.

“No matter what the grievances of these misguided IPOB members could be against Senator Ike Ekweremadu, resorting to bestial tendencies to settle scores is not part of our culture.”

IBI, which said the attack was unnecessary and was tantamount to descending to the arena of jungle justice which should have no place among civilized people, called on IPOB to “desist from such actions that can be used to justify the terrorist tag it has already been labeled with by the federal government.

“The orchestrated physical attack on Ekweremadu should not be seen as democratic protest, and if not condemned by good spirited Nigerians will be extended even to the ordinary citizens in due course.

“We cannot applaud barbarity under whatever guise. What is condemnable is condemnable and we condemn that mob action in Germany in the strongest terms possible.

“With the threats subsequently issued against Igbo leaders across board by IPOB, they are creating a recipe for disaster. Ndigbo must not fall for the antics of misguided leaders and members of the group to turn us against one another.

“We must stand firm in our resolve to pursue the growth and development of Igbo land without dragging it into a state of rancour, chaos, anarchy and doom.

“We urge IPOB to convert such energy and take advantage of its reach to bring about its desired good governance in Igbo land by actively participating in politics of the region and the country if it so desires.

“While we admit that the political space is still fraught with gross imperfections, it is our belief that IPOB can use its numerous strengths to prevent being shortchanged in the political processes and enthrone, through the ballot box, candidates of their choice through whom they can effectively pursue their goals.

“While we must hold our leaders accountable and scrutinize them at all times, we must also come together to vehemently reject the warped philosophy where a group purporting to be pursuing the interest of Ndigbo arrogates to itself the power to pronounce life and death on others. IPOB should not push its luck too far,” the statement added.

BIAFRANS : After Ekweremadu Attack, Orji Kalu Cancels Trip To Spain

I was invited by an Igbo group in Spain to attend their function, I could not go because of the interaction with my constituents     fomer governor of Abia State and sitting senator, Orji Uzor Kalu, has cancelled his trip to Spain after members of the Indigenous People of Biafra in Germany attacked former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, on Saturday.

Kalu however, said his decision to ditch the trip was not to avoid assault from members of IPOB.

In statement on Monday, Kalu explained that he has been in his country home, Igbere, interacting with members of his constituency since the National Assembly went on recess.

The lawmaker said he had held several meetings with the people of Abia North at his residence in Igbere.

The statement reads, “I have been in my country home interacting with people from my constituency and settling disputes.

“The news that I suspended my planned medical trip abroad is not true.

“I was invited by an Igbo group in Spain to attend their function, I could not go because of the interaction with my constituents.”

BIAFRANS : Ekweremadu speaks on Nnamdi Kanu

Senator Ike Ekweremadu asks governors and leaders from the south east to ignore the threat by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) - Ekweremadu wants the leaders from the zone to leave Kanu to his conscience over the recent threat message to them 

The former deputy president of the Senate recalls many sacrifices he has made in the interest of the zone and Nigeria Moments after arriving Nigeria, former deputy president of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu,

 urged governors and leaders from the south east to leave Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to his conscience.

 Ekweremadu noted that the same set of leaders that Kanu and his proscribed group are targeting helped him when he was in detention. Speaking through his media aide, Uche Anichukwu, Ekweremadu said: 

“Let me just say that the leaders he (Kanu) was mentioning were responsible for getting him out of jail in the first place. Read more:  

 What we will do in this circumstance is to leave him to his conscience, the verdict of history, and possibly the repercussions of ingratitude. 

“But I hope he won’t go to the extent of attacking any of the south east leaders anywhere.”

 The former deputy Senate president said he has no regrets speaking for justice for the Igbo people as well as helping to facilitate the release of Kanu from detention. Noting that he is still a senator in Nigeria, he added that his job remains to speak out when there is injustice anywhere. He added: 

“We have problem in the north east. I have visited the north east. I visited the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps there. “I donated money. I sent relief materials. We had problem in the south south, I visited the creeks and saw the environmental challenges there for myself.”

 He recalled being one of the few people the late President Musa Yar’Adua consulted before he decided on the issue of amnesty for the militants in the Niger Read more: