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Tension in Alor community as youths threaten to unleash mayhem December 30
There is tension in Alor community of Anambra State as some young people claiming to be members of Alor Youth Initiative (AYI) have threatened to unleash mayhem if any meeting, prayer session or end of year activity is allowed to hold at St. Mary’s Catholic church in the town on December 30.
In a a letter addressed to the parish priest of St. Mary’s Catholic Church Alor, Rev. Father Christopher Izuu Ifem, the youths also threatened the clergy, saying he would be held responsible for possible loss of lives and properties if he allows any such social event to take place in the church on December 30, 2024 as well as same date of every year.
In the letter addressed to the priest, with Reference No: AYI/ADMIN/00036, dated 27th December 2024, a copy of which Nationwide Reports obtained, Alor Youth Initiative (AYI), said the letter became necessary and must be adhered to by the priest and other stakeholders failure of which hell would be unleashed on the community.
The letter, which was by signed by Chief Conrad Okezie Akubueze and Mr. Emecheta Ubabunike, President General and Secretary General of AYI respectively, was copied to His Royal Majesty, Igwe Mac-Anthony Chinedu Okonkwo, Ezedioranma 111 of Alor Kingdom and Chief Emma Ojukwu Agbigwe, President General of Alor Peoples’ Convention.
It warned Rev. Father Christopher Izuu Ifem, to use his position and take necessary steps and stop what it described as ‘meddlesomness by those fanning embers of disunity in the community.’
The letter was titled- “No event, Gathering or any Function is allowed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church Field on Every 30th December.”
It reads- “We write to notify you based on the above information. That no event or gathering whatsoever, are allowed to be held at the church field.
“The said date, 30th December, was reserved for the Alor Annual General Meeting (Ogbako Alor). No other function, including opening of shops are allowed in Alor community borders during the meeting on that day. (See page 6, section 6 (111) of Alor Peoples’ Convention Constitution.
“The Alor Youth Initiative Advice that everybody should desist from holding any event on the church field the day of the meeting and during the meeting and to stop disunity and dichotomy in the community.
“Again, we frown on desecration of the church field in the name of prayers and illegal and unconstitutional end of the year meeting at the parish field. We are sure that you have seen the video clip of the ‘prayer session’ of December 30, 2023, where they were praying for the death of Engr. Dr. Emeka Muoma Ezeh (FNSE, OFR), a foremost philanthropist from Alor, for no just cause. That singular act is enough not to give out the church premises for such nefarious and wicked prayer sessions. The ‘prayer session’ also runs contrary to the motto of our Archbishop, Most Reverend Valerian Maduka Okeke- “That they may have life and have it in abundance (John 10-10).
“Moreover, Alor town has their ancestral Obi Ezeagbudugbu Palace, where we hold an annual end of the year meeting (Ogbako-Alor).
“Sequel to the above, the youths have resolved never to allow any further illegal, mischievous, parallel and unconstitutional end of the year meeting at St. Mary’s Catholic Church field again.
“We are sure that you will not like to see the church premises as a battlefield with its attendant wanton destruction of lives and property. Violators will be held responsible for any consequences.
“We hope on you, as the representative of Christ on earth and the Shepherd of Christ’s flock, to wield the big stick and stop the meddlesomness with those fanning embers of disunity.
“May God guide and direct your discernment in this matter.
“Yours in Christ.”
The legal team of suspended Kogi Central Senator, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, say they are ready with factil evidence to defend her in court.
The team received a formal summons in the case filed against her by the Federal Government at the Federal Capital Territory High Court last week.
On Friday, May 16, 2025, the Federal Government filed the suit, marked CR/297/25, over alleged defamatory remarks made during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on April 3, 2025.
The government accused the senator of “making imputation knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm the reputation of a person”, citing Section 391 of the Penal Code, cap 89, Laws of the Federation, 1990.
Among the witnesses listed to testify during the trial were Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and a former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.
Others include Asuquo Ekpenyong, a senator; Sandra Duru; Maya Iliya, investigating police officers; and Abdulhafiz Garba, investigating police officers.
However, in a statement issued Friday night by Dr. Ehiogie West-Idahosa (SAN) on behalf of the legal team, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers confirmed receipt of the formal summons and pledged to prepare all “factual and statutory defences” available to the lawmaker during trial.
“At about 2:30pm on Friday, May 23, 2025, within the premises of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, we received the information filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, containing three counts alleging that our client, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central, made imputations she had reason to believe would harm the reputation of Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the 10th Senate,” the statement read.
“We received the said information on her behalf through a letter of authority duly issued and filed in the court’s registry.
“The legal team will fully prepare and present all factual and statutory defences available to our client during the trial.”
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) will on Tuesday next week begin the take over of 4,794 properties in Abuja, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) headquarters, due to unpaid ground rent.
The PDP headquarters, currently under construction in Abuja’s Central Business District, is among the affected properties, having been revoked in March for several years of unpaid ground rent. The FCTA disclosed that 4,794 titles had been revoked for failure to pay ground rent, with some defaults dating back 43 years.
The affected properties are located in various districts, including Central Area, Garki I and II, Wuse I and II, Asokoro, Maitama, and Guzape.
The defaulters owe over N6.96 billion in ground rent. The FCTA had given a 21-day grace period for owners with debts under 10 years, which has now expired.
The FCTA officials announced that the takeover would begin on Monday, May 26, 2025, with the sealing off and restriction of access to the affected properties.
The Director of Land Administration, Chijioke Nwankwoeze emphasized that the revocations were carried out under Section 28(5)(a)(b) of the Land Use Act, which empowers the government to reclaim land when the terms of occupancy are violated.
Two people sustained serious injuries when a training aircraft crash-landed at the Ilorin International Airport on Friday.
Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, NSIB, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji, who disclosed this in a statement, said the incident occurred at 17:28 local time on May 23, 2025, during a simulated instrument approach on Runway 05 at Ilorin International Airport.
Oladeji said the aircraft veered off the runway and came to a stop on the grass verge, leaving the two occupants on board injured.
She stated: “Both sustained serious injuries and were swiftly evacuated to a medical facility, coordinated by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA.
“In response, the NSIB Go-Team is currently preparing to depart from Abuja to Ilorin to conduct on-site investigations. The team will secure the site, collect physical evidence, interview witnesses, and retrieve operational data to establish the cause and contributing factors of the incident.”
Quoting the Director General of the NSIB, Captain Alex Badeh Jr., she said “Our thoughts are with the injured, and we commend the swift medical and emergency response. Now, our focus is on understanding exactly what went wrong. Every investigation is an opportunity to improve safety. We are deploying our team to Ilorin to ensure that no detail is overlooked.”
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