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Hunters DCG Metchie bags another traditional title
The Deputy Commander General of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service, NHFSS in charge of Technical Services, Ambassador John Metchie has been honoured with a traditional title- Eze Di Ora Nma 1 of Igboland which translates to “The King Accepted by All’
The honour was bestowed on Dr. Metchie on Friday February 23, 2024 by the Spiritual High Priest, Ajie of Igboland, His Majesty, Nnazoba Kingsley Uchenna, during the 2024 Igwaru Igbo (Begining of the Year Festival) which took place in Umueri community, Anambra State. The annual festival is for all Igbo speaking people from across the world.
The Chief Priest said Dr. Metchie was chosen for the highly coveted title for his selfless service to humanity and in recognition and appreciation of his numerous contributions to the development of Umueri community, Anambra East local government, Anambra state, other parts of Igboland and Nigeria in general.
He mentioned some of the community development projects initiated and personally funded by Metchie to include ‘Light Up Umueri Project’ construction and furnishing of Joint Security Post for the Army, Police and others to cover Anambra East local government, scholarship to hundreds of students, training and empowerment of women and youths, among many others.
The Chief Priest said Metchie’s philanthropic gestures go beyond Umueri and benefit communities in Anambra and other states in the country, which he said was responsible for the awards and honours being bestowed on him from every corner of Nigeria.
Responding, Ambassador John Metchie thanked the Chief Priest for honouring him with the title, saying he was humbled by the gesture.
He described the honour as a call to do more for humanity and promised to continue to identify areas of need with a view of helping to ameliorate the sufferings of people, as ways of contributing to make the world a better place.
It would be recalled that Chief Metchie who is also the African Director, International Association of World Peace Advocates, IAWPA was recently conferred with the title of ‘Protector of the Forest’ by the Emir of Portiskum in Yobe State.
Metchie who is also the Prime Minister of Anambra State Association of Town Unions, ASATU has received many titles, honours and awards from traditional rulers, educational and corporate institutions from Nigeria and other parts of the world.
The international businessman and investor is popular in Nigeria and across the world for his philanthropism and commitment to waging peace among communities in dispute while working to rid the forests of criminal elements, including terrorists, bandits and kidnappers, among others.
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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