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“There is no security in Anambra,” says Ebube Muonso after paying N1m to Police for rescue of kidnapped priest
The Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke, Anambra State, Rev Fr Emmanuel Obimma popularly known as Father Ebube Muonso has said that security in Anambra has broken irretrievably.
Obimma said this while presenting a priest simply identified as Rev Fr Nonso to his congregation, after his release from kidnappers den, a week after he was abducted and taken into the forrest by gunmen.
Fr Nonso was kidnapped on December 17 in Anambra State, shortly after his return for the Christmas holiday from overseas where he was studying.
Obimma who presented Nonso to the congregation said: “For a week, Father was in the hands of kidnappers. Government could not do anything, it got to a point where I had to use my arsenal to rescue him.
“I approached a state outside Anambra and begged them to use their tracker to find my brother priest. They tracked him and sent the full location to me. I sent it to security people and they asked me what I want them to do with the information. I told them to go after the kidnappers and rescue our priest, but they told me they usually don’t go into forest.
“I opted to lead the operation. I called the Chief Security of Adoration and told him to assemble his men, let those who have cutlass bring their cutlass and those who have guns should bring it. I will lead the operation. When they saw that I was serious, that was when police told me I should not worry that they can rescue him, but they lack logistics.
“I had to send N1million to them. This is a state where we have a governor who receives security vote, but it is individuals that are now funding security.
“I called former governor, Chief Willie Obiano and asked him where the trackers he bought during his tenure were, and he said there were all there. What it means is that we do not have security in this state. May God continue to protect his people.”
The priest said that what was shocking was that for the one week the kidnapped priest was in custody, he phone line remained open and the kidnappers never bothered to put is off or even dispose it, knowing that they could be tracked through it.
“They knew that there is no security in this state. That is why I said they is no security in Anambra State. Imagine using a tracker from another location to trace kidnappers, yet security refused to act until I opted to use my own security to rescue the victim, and later they accepted and I still paid them N1million for mobilisation. Only God will lead us,” the priest popularly called Ebube Muonso told his followers.
The rescued priest who was presented before the congregation all along leaned on Fr. Obimma shedding tears. Meanwhile, it was gathered that he was rescued alongside a businessman who was abducted on the same date by the same gang, but in a different location.
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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