From a startling revelation by Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State to the commissioning of Geometric Power Plant, and the protest by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) against economic hardship, last week was eventful in the South-east.
It was the last week of February 2024.
Here are the highlights of the top stories that made headlines in the region within the past week:
Police arrest ‘fake philanthropist’ for allegedly stealing bags of rice
The week began with an announcement by the police in Enugu State on Sunday that they arrested a 45-year-old man for allegedly stealing 18 bags of rice in the state.
The suspect, Joseph Nnamani, was said to have stolen the bags of rice after presenting himself as a philanthropist intending to distribute the rice for charity at a church on 14 February.
The 18 bags of rice were valued at about N400,000, according to the police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe.
Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the suspect had phoned the rice seller and requested the 18 bags of rice which the seller supplied.
But the suspect, who went to a bank on the pretext of wanting to transfer money to the seller, secretly left the bank, went back to the church and made away with the bags of rice to an unknown destination.
Light Up Nigeria Project
The south-east Nigeria went agog on Monday following electricity-related events.
The first was the flag-off of the Light Up Nigeria Project, organised by the Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), a government-owned company responsible for implementing the National Integrated Power Project.
The NDPHC also operates a portfolio of gas thermal electricity generation assets in Nigeria.
The flag-off was performed in Enugu by Nigeria’s Vice-President Kashim Shettima as part of the federal government’s efforts to improve power supply to industrial clusters in the South-east.
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, Governor Soludo of Anambra State, and their Ebonyi State counterpart, Francis Nwifuru, attended the event.
At the event, Mr Shettima spoke on why the hope of Nigeria rests with the Igbo-speaking people of the South-east.
On his part, Mr Uzodinma called for probe of billions of dollars spent on the power sector by the Nigerian government from 1999 till date.
Mr Shettima would later travel to the neighbouring Abia State where he commissioned the 188-megawatt Geometric Power Plant located in Aba, Abia State.
The commissioning of the power project was among top stories that trended in the South-east and across Nigeria in the past week with many applauding the initiative as a great step to ending power supply woes in Nigeria.
Built by Nigeria’s former Minister of Power, Barth Nnaji, the power plant is expected to accelerate power supply to industrial clusters in the South-east, beginning from Aba.
The plant is also regarded as Nigeria’s first integrated electrical facility in Nigeria’s South-east.
NLC protest
Like in other regions of Nigeria, members of the NLC held a protest in the South-east against economic hardship in the country.
The protest halted commercial activities across the region mainly in Anambra, Abia, Imo and Ebonyi states.
However, there was drama at the secretariat of the NLC in Enugu State when police authorities in the state asked the NLC members not to go ahead with their scheduled protest.
The members were compelled by the situation to observe the protest within their secretariat.
Five killed, 26 rescued in Anambra building collapse
It was a black Tuesday in Ochanja, Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State where at least five people were killed and 26 others rescued when a building collapsed at Odu-Igbo Market in the area.
The collapsed building was still under construction.
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, who visited the scene of the incident, revealed that the collapsed building was constructed by a private developer without government approval.
He reiterated his commitment to address illegal constructions in the state.
Man allegedly kills son over food
We also reported a strange story of man accused of killing his son over food.
The incident happened on Monday night in Eziama Lokpa-Ukwu, a community in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.
Residents said the victim returned home and ate the last portion of food in a pot inside the family’s kitchen.
The suspect, Marcel Udeh, consequently ran into the house, brought out a rifle and allegedly shot the son dead.
Angry residents were said to have immediately grabbed the suspect and tied his hands and legs with a rope, apparently to stop him from escaping from the community.
The police later confirmed the incident, which is a reminder of the danger of worsening economic hardship in the country.
Man allegedly kills his father, removes left eye for ritual
A similar incident happened in Umuahia, the Abia State capital where a 27-year-old man was accused of killing his 57-year-old father.
The suspect, Chinalu Ogbonna, was said to have strangled the victim, Mmaduka Ogbonna, at their residence in the state capital on Monday midnight.
He would later allegedly remove the victim’s left eye with the intention to use it for ritual.
The police spokesperson in Abia State, Maureen Chinaka, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday.
Soludo’s startling revelation
Governor Soludo made a startling revelation on Tuesday when he said the fight against insecurity in Anambra State has been hindered because many vigilante operatives had been “infiltrated” by criminals.
The governor said insecurity in the state and the South-east has the potential to drive away investors and affect the entire Nigeria.
“Part of the problem we experience (in the state) is that many of the vigilante operatives took oaths with criminals; they were infiltrated,” he had said.
Nigerian undergraduate allegedly stabs final-year student to death
We also brought you a report of a 300-level student of Imo State University (IMSU) who, on Thursday, allegedly stabbed to death a final year student of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, (FUTO).
Both IMSU and FUTO are in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, identified the suspect as Francis Marvellous, 21, and the victim as Chinagorom Kingsley, 22.
Mr Okoye, an assistant superintendent of police, said the suspect was later arrested in response to a distress call from the Chief Security Officer of the FUTO, Patrick Egwu, a retired deputy superintendent of police.
Nigerian lecturer who proposed to student in classroom announces wedding date
The love story of a lecturer in Abia State University, Uturu, who proposed to a female student in a classroom continued on Friday when he announced a date for their wedding.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how the lecturer, Wisdom Anucha, stunned many students on 14 February when he proposed to his fiancée in her classroom.
Many Nigerians criticised the lecturer for proposing to the student in the classroom.
READ ALSO: Soludo reveals why its difficult to fight insecurity in Anambra
But the management of the university and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the institution, in their separate reactions, argued that the lecturer did not violate any university law and ethical principle by his action.
Mr Anucha, in a post via his Facebook page on Friday, announced that their wedding will be held on 6 April.
The lecturer uploaded a pre-wedding photograph of himself and his fianceé on the social media platform.
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