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Land dispute: lshinkwo women protest, accuse Ebonyi Govt officials of fraudulent activities

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1 year ago

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Aged women from Ishinkwo Autonomous Community in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, in the early hours of Monday, staged a peaceful protest over alleged fraudulent activities by government officials involved in the ongoing land demarcation exercise between their community and the neighboring Abaomege community.

Recall that the Ebonyi State government, in its efforts to permanently end the intractable land dispute between Ishinkwo and Abaomege communities in Onicha LGA, which has claimed scores of lives and properties worth millions of naira commenced the demarcation of the disputed land as part of the terms of settlement contained in the released government white paper.

The women, who stormed Ebonyi Government House, Abakaliki, in large numbers to register their displeasure over the alleged flawed demarcation exercise, carried placards with different inscriptions, such as: “Gov Nwifuru, father of the State, please, come to our aid”; “Where is the map attached to the white paper?”; “Enough is enough to land grabbing, follow the white paper”; “Ekeroku, stop taking sides and be neutral”; “Return Ugwuekuma Primary School to Ishinkwo, it’s our ancient landmark”; “Return Uda Iyiocha to Ishinkwo, it’s our land”; “Ogboffia is out to grab more lands for his community, it’s unfair”; “Ishinkwo Military pin-down ceded to Abaomege is an injustice,” among others.

The women, who also marched to the State House of Assembly complex, Nkaliki, to register their complaints before the state lawmakers, accused the Council Chairman of Onicha LGA, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia, of allegedly colluding with the land demarcation committee to grab Ishinkwo land for his Abaomege community.

In an open letter addressed to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, signed by the National President, Women Wing of Ishinkwo Community Development Union (ICDU), Mrs. Fidelia Nworie, and 12 others, which they made available to journalists, the women alleged that the ongoing demarcation exercise is fundamentally flawed, totally skewed, and capable of breaching the peace-building efforts of the government. They called on the Governor to intervene.

They accused the Deputy Surveyor-General of the state, Mr. Ekeroku, of executing the demarcation exercise without reference to the white paper—the legal basis of the exercise—which, according to them, renders the exercise illegal, null, and void, as “no one can place something on nothing and expect it to stand.”

“The demarcation is being executed without reference to the White Paper, the legal basis of the exercise, which renders the exercise illegal, null, and void, as no one can place something on nothing and expect it to stand.

“The survey map, which is a critical component of the White Paper, has also been disregarded by the Deputy Surveyor-General of the state, Mr. Ekeroku. Despite all our entreaties, Mr. Ekeroku has blatantly refused to make the map available to guide the demarcation, choosing instead to rely on intuition.

“If Mr. Ekeroku decided to hide the map from both communities, we would not have bothered much. However, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia, Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, an Abaomege native, is indisputably in possession of the said map. But not even our Traditional Ruler has the document! If this is not partiality, we wonder what is.

“The six swamplands in dispute are captured in the White Paper with their names mentioned therein. However, the demarcation has been extended to our uplands, ancient buildings, ancient landmarks, and old primary schools, all of which have been fraudulently ceded to Abaomege by Ekeroku in conspiracy and active connivance with the Onicha Local Government Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia.

“The Onicha Local Government Chairman, Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia, occasionally goes to the site to arbitrarily decree the boundary locations. It was on one such occasion that he and Mr. Ekeroku drove into our interior and marked our old primary school and the military pin-down we built with our community resources in our Efiom village for allocation to his Abaomege community.

“We appreciate Mr. Ikechukwu Ogbofia’s gospel of peace, but we would like to remind him that our community has remained cut off from the national grid by his Abaomege community for years now. Where then is the peace he preaches?” the women stated.

The visibly angry women demanded that the survey map, as captured by the White Paper, be produced for both communities to eliminate doubts about the demarcation and enable them to monitor compliance. They also called on the Governor to replace Mr. Ekeroku, who is the leader of the Demarcation Committee, to ensure transparency, credibility, and restore their confidence in the demarcation exercise.

The women further demanded that their ancient buildings and landmarks, primary school, and the location of the military pin-down ceded to Abaomege, possibly in error, be reversed. They urged the local government chairman to be impartial in his supervision of the exercise and to advise his people to reconnect Ishinkwo to the national grid if he is sincere about his gospel of peace.

“The actions of Mr. Ekeroku and Mr. Ogbofia have not only undermined the peace process but have also created an atmosphere of mistrust and suspicion. We request Your Excellency to intervene to reinvigorate the peace-building,” the women added.

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Bandits behind Ogbomoso school abduction will face full wrath of the law- President Tinubu

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2 days ago

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May 18, 2026

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President Bola Tinubu has condemned the reported “barbaric” killing of one of the abducted teachers from the Esiele community in Ogbomoso, Oyo state.

In a statement released issued by his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, May 18, President Tinubu said the teacher was k!lled when “rescue operation is underway.”

While conveying his sympathy the government and people of the state, President Tinubu assured that security operatives are “working around the clock” to rescue the victims and arrest the bandits as well as their collaborators within the community.

He further assured that the federal government would collaborate with the state government to rescue the victims.

‘’”I am saddened by the reported killing of one of the teachers kidnapped by the gunmen who invaded the community. I sympathise with Governor Seyi Makinde and commend the steps he has taken on the matter. I sympathise with the families of the kidnapped victims.

The Federal Government is working with the Oyo State government to rescue all the victims. I commend the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioners of Police in Oyo and Kwara States for their quick intervention and the deployment of a tactical and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) team to rescue the victims.

The IGP, following my instructions, is personally leading the tech-driven operation. We expect a breakthrough soon. The bandits and all their local collaborators will be fished out and made to face the full wrath of the law.

Cases of kidnapping further make imperative the establishment of state police to man some of our underserved areas. The National Assembly should accelerate the enactment of the law creating state police” the President said

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OLD WINE IN A NEW BOTTLE: RULAAC CONDEMNS COSMETIC DISBANDMENT OF TIGER BASE IN IMO STATE

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4 days ago

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May 17, 2026

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May 14, 2026

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) expresses deep concern over the decision by the Nigeria Police Force to disband the notorious “Tiger Base” in Owerri, Imo State, only to inaugurate another tactical police unit operating from the same facility, under substantially the same command structure and reportedly with many of the same operatives.

This development raises serious questions about the sincerity of ongoing police reform efforts in Nigeria and reinforces fears that what is being presented as reform may merely be a cosmetic rebranding exercise designed to deflect public criticism without addressing the underlying culture of abuse and impunity.

Tiger Base became widely associated with allegations of torture, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, extortion, and extrajudicial killings. Over the years, victims, families, lawyers, journalists, and civil society organizations documented disturbing patterns of abuse linked to the operations of the unit.
Ordinarily, the disbandment of such a notorious tactical outfit should have marked an opportunity for genuine institutional reform. It should have included:
– Independent investigation into allegations of abuse;
– Accountability for officers implicated in violations;
– Justice and reparations for victims;
– Structural reforms and strengthened oversight;
– Human rights-centered retraining and professionalization.

Instead, the establishment of another tactical formation under substantially similar conditions suggests continuity rather than reform.

RULAAC is particularly concerned that retaining personnel or leadership figures associated with serious allegations of abuse sends a dangerous message that misconduct within the policing system carries no real consequences. This undermines public trust, weakens accountability, and emboldens further violations.

The situation also raises broader concerns regarding political interference in policing. Tactical police units must never become instruments for political intimidation, repression, or the advancement of partisan interests. Professional policing requires operational independence, transparency, accountability, and strict adherence to constitutional and legal standards.

The controversy inevitably recalls the aftermath of the #EndSARS protests, when the disbandment of SARS was quickly followed by the creation of SWAT, generating widespread fears that abusive policing structures were merely being renamed rather than fundamentally transformed.

RULAAC reiterates that genuine police reform cannot be achieved through changes in nomenclature alone. Meaningful reform requires accountability, transparency, civilian oversight, institutional culture change, and justice for victims.

Accordingly, RULAAC calls for the following urgent measures:
1. A transparent and independent investigation into allegations against Tiger Base operatives and leadership;
2. Prosecution and disciplinary action against officers implicated in torture, unlawful killings, and other abuses;
3. Justice, compensation, and support for victims and affected families;
4. Strengthened civilian oversight involving the National Human Rights Commission, judicial institutions, and civil society organizations;
5. Clear operational guidelines and publicly accountable rules of engagement for tactical police units;
6. Measures to insulate policing from political interference and abuse.

The people of Imo State and Nigerians generally deserve a policing system founded on professionalism, legality, accountability, and respect for human rights – not the recycling of abusive structures under new labels.

Signed:
Okechukwu Nwanguma
Executive Director
Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC)

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Chaos As Military Officers Exchange Blows During Tinubu’s Visit To Bayelsa (Videos)

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1 month ago

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April 12, 2026

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Personnel of the Nigerian military were seen engaging in a fight during the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Bayelsa on Friday.

In a video spotted on social media, the driver of a Hilux vehicle marked “Naval Police” was seen stepping down from his vehicle and exchanging words with another driver.

After returning to his vehicle, another driver with a rifle approached him and threw a punch at the Naval Police driver, triggering a brawl.

The incident quickly escalated into a free-for-all, with personnel attached to both vehicles exchanging blows, while stunned civilians watched in disbelief.

The cause of the altercation could not be immediately ascertained as of press time.

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