According to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Sunday, the IG’s decision to redeploy the CP underscored the police gorce’s  dedication to upholding the rule of law and maintaining strict neutrality throughout the electoral proceedings.

Adejobi said, “This redeployment is not an indictment on the affected officer but is rather part of a broader strategy aimed at bolstering security measures, promoting transparency, and upholding the integrity of the electoral security management.

“The IG is resolute in ensuring that a secure environment is provided for all stakeholders, political parties, candidates, and citizens to participate in the electoral process. He urges all and sundry to cooperate with the Police and other security agencies and adhere to the law in order to ensure a smooth and successful election while maintaining the principles of democracy.”

NewMailNG had earlier reported that ahead of the Saturday, November 11 off-season elections, Egbetokun, had Sunday evening, promised to redeploy Barde,  over alleged partisanship.

He spoke days after the Nigerian Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, the Labour Party, and Civil Society Organisations, called for Barde’s redeployment.

Egbetokun made the development known Sunday night during a Channels Television programme themed “Peoples Town Hall On Election Security,” which was monitored by our correspondent.

Egbetokun said, “We are aware that there are allegations against the Commissioner of Police in Imo. Before the elections, we’re changing the CP. This is not to say the CP has been found guilty. But for neutrality sake, we are changing the Commissioner of Police in Imo State.”

Following the attack on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, in Owerri, the Imo State capital last Thursday, the organised labour had issued a five-day ultimatum for Barde’s redeployment.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party had also expressed its support for calls made for the immediate redeployment of the CP and other officials allegedly involved in the recent attack on Ajaero in the state.

Ajaero, was attacked and brutalised in Owerri, on Wednesday, while he mobilised workers for a protest over their unpaid salaries brutalised.

Amidst the widespread outrage that followed the incident, the NLC and the TUC had accused the Imo CP of being complicit in the attack and threatened a five-day ultimatum for the Federal Government to replace him.

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While Okorocha was in his house in Owerri, the state capital, his house in Ogboko in the Ideato South Local Government Area of the state was invaded by yet to be identified hoodlums.

The state Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Ladodo, who gave our correspondent an update on the incident, said the operatives of his command had swung into action.

The CP said that the preliminary investigation carried out by the command showed that it was an internal sabotage.

The CP said, “We have arrested three domestic staff of the immediate past governor. Preliminary investigation carried out by us showed that the invasion was carried out by those who are working there.

“We have obtained the CCT footage in the house and that has helped our investigation. The footage showed that the invasion was purely an internal sabotage. We have arrested three domestic staff. We equally arrested the cook.

“I want to assure Imo people that we are on top of the situation and we are doing everything possible to ensure that nothing is left undone in making sure that justice prevailed.”

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Some of the women, mostly of middle age and from the Southeast states, were half nude, while others dressed in black and marched through the streets of Owerri.

They disrupted vehicular movement and other activities in some parts of the town.

The protesters chanted war songs and displayed different placards with inscriptions asking the Federal Government to release Kanu.

The women claimed that the security agencies knew the whereabouts of Kanu who has been out of public view since he had an encounter with the military in Umuahia about one year ago.

They asked Gov. Rochas Okorocha to help them to actualise their dream of a getting Biafra.

The women later barricaded the popular Government House Roundabout and created a chaotic atmosphere around the area.

One of their leaders, Mrs Ann Ibe, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they came out in full force to fight for the actualization their dream.

She said they were ready to die for the cause.

When a special team of police men sent by the Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galadanchi, arrived at the scene, the protesters broke into a dance.

Some of them pulled off their clothes and danced naked, while others lay on the ground and dared the police.

The police succeeded in arresting some of the protesters after in spite of their offering serious resistance.

Commenting on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said the women were arrested for conducting an illegal assembly and holding an unlawful protest.

The post IPOB women protest in Owerri, demand Nnamdi Kanu’s release appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

The suspect, who was arrested on Saturday, was in the custody of the state Police Command in Owerri.

The police source, who did not want his name in print, said, “He was a serial fraudster who had used his position as a foreigner to defraud Nigerians, who are desperate to travel abroad, especially to the US.”

The source alleged that the dismissed soldier was in Nigeria on a special mission to defraud Nigerians, adding that he changed his location immediately money was paid to him.

“He is a serial and sophisticated fraudster. He was arrested this afternoon (Saturday) while he was hurriedly leaving Owerri for Port Harcourt.

“He is equally impersonating the US Army and Nigerian Army at the same time. His targets are mostly women. He would promise them marriage and tell them that he had the capacity to secure their visas and other travelling documents to America with his position as a colonel in the US Marine Army and as an American citizen.

“He has confessed to the crime and the forensic investigation we have done using his fingerprints revealed that he is a wanted man in California and he only ran to Nigeria in February to continue his heinous crimes.

“Just five days ago, he defrauded a young widow N500,000 with a fake promise that he would secure stay visa for the widow’s three children. He was about running away from Owerri before we tracked him. Could you imagine that the lady we used in tracking him, he had promised to marry her on meeting her for the first time this afternoon (Saturday).”

Exhibits recovered from the suspect, according to the police included a cash of over N2m, two pairs of military uniform, military fez cap, jungle boot, fake military identity card, fake driving licence and a car, which he used in making his fraud look real.

“All the exhibits we recovered from him are fake. The military identities which he used to make his fraudulent activities look genuine. He was even beating security men to this game until we nabbed him,” he said.

When interviewed, the suspect told Southern City News that he was sorry for his actions and was ready to make amends if given the opportunity.

He admitted that he was dismissed from the US military in 2015 over his involvement in cocaine peddling.

He said that he came into the country in February and was ready to refund one of his victims (the widow) her money.

The widow, who was one of his victims, told our correspondent that she fell into the suspect’s trap in her bid to afford good life for her three children.

The state Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galandanchi, confirmed the arrest and described the development as one of the dividends of community policing in the state as instructed by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.

The post Dismissed US soldier arrested in Owerri for defrauding visa seekers appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Ejiagwu, popularly known as Ohaneze was one of the 27 LGAs chairmen inaugurated on Monday by the new state chairman, Daniel Nwafor, after the state APC rescheduled election as ordered by the court.

The state commissioner of police, Dasuki Galandanchi, who confirmed the murder to our correspondent in a telephone conversation, said that the corpse had been evacuated to a nearby mortuary.

According to the CP, the politician was killed along the Akokwa road in the Ideato North LGA .

The CP said “the APC chairman in Ideato North has been murdered. I was at the scene of the crime and only came back. His corpse has been evacuated to a mortuary.

There is no preliminary suspicion but the investigator would find out. The blood of the innocent would expose them.”

Briefing newsmen at the state party secretariat, APC state chairman, Nwafor, said that the killing was condemnable.

He said that political killings and violence has no place in a democracy.

Nwafor said “The killing is condemnable because APC preaches peace and political tolerance. People should practice politics without bitterness and violence. The constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of association.

“We, therefore, call on the Inspector General of police to press on the commissioner of police to nab the culprits. Imo is a peaceful state and an example of how politics should be played.

“The deceased was in our meeting on Thursday and he expressed concern about political violence in his area. He told us that his area is volatile and called on us to come to his rescue when the need arises.

“From the information made available to me, he was double-crossed and when he tried to move back he fell into the gutter. His killers went there and shot him severely,“ he said.

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, who paraded the cleric before newsmen on Tuesday, accused him of prophesying during last Sunday’s church service in the Urratta area of Owerri.

The pastor was alleged to have said in his prophecy that the governor was recruiting young boys in the state with the sole aim of kidnapping children between zero and 10 years for ritual purposes.

The police spokesperson said the pastor prophesied that Governor Okorocha was allegedly engaging in the ritual exercises towards the 2019 governorship election in the state.

He added that the “false prophecy” was capable of causing rancour and panic in the state.

“I parade before you one acclaimed pastor, Chukwuma Okezuo, of Assemblies of God Church. He was arrested during a church service last Sunday at Owaelu Urratta over false prophecies against the person of the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha.

“The suspect, while on the pulpit, made false prophecies against the governor that he was recruiting young boys to be kidnapping children between zero and 10 years for ritual purposes. He falsely prophesied that the governor was engaging in the ritual purposes with the sole aim of winning the 2019 governorship election and therefore asked the congregation to pray.

“This false prophecy, by this acclaimed pastor, is very malicious and capable of causing rancour, panic, anxiety and disintegrating the state. The Imo State Police Command, under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Dasuki Galandanchi, will not watch the people jeopardise the peace of the state.

“Religious leaders should be mindful of the things they say. We will charge the suspect to court for legal action,” he said.

However, in an interview, the 40-year-old pastor, who hails from the Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, said what the police accused him of was untrue.

He said that he only asked the congregation to pray against untimely death and spiritual manipulations without mentioning the name of anybody including that of the governor.

The post Police arrest Assemblies of God pastor for alleged prophecy against Okorocha appeared first on New Mail Nigeria.

Chris Ezike, the state commissioner of police, confirmed the development Channels TV on Sunday.

Onunkwo was said to have been abducted from his vehicle in Orlu, a town in the state on Friday morning.

Following a manhunt, a body was discovered in the bush in Omuma village in Orlu east local government area, still in Imo, on Saturday.

The commissioner said the corpse had been identified as that of the priest.

He also said investigations were ongoing to unveil Onunkwo’s killers.

There are speculations that he may have been strangled as his body had no gunshot nor stab wounds, according to the police.

They also said his car was discovered intact, with nothing removed from it.

The police said they have not made any arrest in connection with the incident.

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