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From outspoken Catholic priest Ejike Mbaka accusing Nigerian clerics of handing out false miracles to the resumption of Nnamdi Kanu’s trial, the past week has been eventful in southeastern Nigeria.
It was the second week of February 2024.
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Here are highlights of the top stories making headlines in the region over the past week:
New legislative election: YPP wins back Orumba North/Orumba South federal constituency in Anambra
The week began on a happy note for the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Anambra State after the party regained the Orumba North and Orumba South Federal Constituency seat in the state during the rerun of the legislative elections. from last weekend.
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YPP candidate for the election, Chinwe Nnabuife, has been declared winner of the re-run election for the state constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mrs Nnabuife previously won the February 25 election in the constituency, but the rerun was carried out by INEC in compliance with a court ruling.
The court ruling followed a petition filed by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the elections, Okwudili Ezenwankwo.
Mrs Nnabuife scored 14,416, while the nearest candidate, Mr Ezenwankwo of the PDP, scored 13,087 in the re-election, according to the result of the exercise declared by the INEC Returning Officer for the constituency, Professor Gabriel Anene.
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Like Ms Nnabuife, another YPP candidate for Nnewi-North and Nnewi South and Ekwusigo constituency, Peter Uzokwe, won in the re-election for the constituency.
Uzokwe had challenged the victory of APGA candidate in the February 25 election, Uchenna Elodimuo, prompting an appeal court to annul the election and order a rerun.
A senator from the state, Ifeanyi Ubah, in his reaction, said the two victories of the YPP candidates had shown that he (Ubah) is a “street general” in Anambra State politics.
“They (Uzokwe and Nnabuife) know that they won those elections thanks to my influence, so now that I am in APC, I will not tell them that it is essential that they switch to APC, but you know that in politics, you follow your leader.” Ubah said.
Ubah defected from the YPP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in October, but continued to support the YPP and its candidates, particularly in Anambra South District, where he represents.
Police inspector declared wanted for murder
The week continued on Tuesday with the statement of Audu Omadefu, a Police Inspector, wanted for alleged murder in Anambra State.
The state police published some of his telephone numbers, with an appeal to Nigerians to inform them whenever they see the wanted inspector.
However, they did not provide details of the alleged murder.
Nigerian university students protest over fee hike
There was tension on Tuesday when some students of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, protested the increase in tuition fees of the institution.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that university officials were seen chasing some students of the institution, who had not paid their fees, out of the examination halls.
The university spokesperson later told this newspaper that students were given enough time to pay the tuition increase and that they knew the consequences of not doing so.
The protest subsequently gained momentum and became unbridled, prompting the university management to close the institution indefinitely.
Mbaka accuses Nigerian clerics of false miracles and prophecies
An outspoken Catholic priest, Ejike Mbaka, sparked controversy when he claimed during a recent Sunday service that many Nigerian clerics regularly dish out false prophecies and perform fake miracles to gain money and fame.
“Many of us (clerics) have started using this preaching and prophecies to extract money. I call it “money mining.”
“The worst thing is that they have begun to use prophecies as if they were bets. Prophetic trial and error,” Mbaka had said in a clip uploaded to his Facebook page and YouTube channel on February 4.
The video has continued to provoke reactions across southeastern Nigeria, a region with a large Christian population.
Court sentences woman to death for murder
Wednesday was the day of reckoning in Enugu State when a State High Court sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for killing a makeup artist, Ijeoma Nweke.
The late Nweke, who resided in Enugu State, left his home on November 11, 2020 to do a make-up job in the state but later disappeared.
It was previously said that Ifezue, now convicted, killed the makeup artist for having an affair with her boyfriend.
She and her brother, identified as Emeka, are said to have carried out the act after luring the victim with makeup and forcing him to drink poison.
The two brothers later poured acid on his dead body and dumped it at Maryland Axis of Enugu Metropolis where it was discovered on November 16, 2020.
Ms. Ifezue was first arrested and arraigned in February 2021 before a magistrate court in Enugu before being transferred to the State High Court for trial.
Rescue of six pregnant girls in Anambra
Anambra State Government officials on Wednesday rescued six pregnant girls from a “baby factory” during a raid on the premises in Umunya, a community in Oyi Local Government Area of the state.
Although this is not the first time something like this has happened, the latest incident is a painful reminder that trafficking and sale of children has not yet abated in Nigeria.
Anambra State Commissioner for Health Afam Obidike said five people have been arrested in connection with the crime.
Nnamdi Kanu trial resumes
The trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), will resume at a Federal High Court, with hearing set in Abuja for February 26.
Aloy Ejimakor, special counsel to the IPOB leader, revealed this in a post on his X account on Thursday.
The case that began in 2015 was put on hold in the Federal High Court after the Court of Appeal dismissed terrorism charges against Kanu in October 2022.
But the Nigerian government refused to release the IPOB leader, insisting that he (Kanu) may not be available in subsequent court proceedings if he is released and that his release would cause insecurity in the south-east, where he is from.
Subsequently, the government, through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, appealed the court ruling and subsequently obtained an order suspending the execution of the court ruling before the Supreme Court.
Delivering judgment on the appeal on December 15, the Supreme Court reversed the acquittal granted to Mr. Kanu by the lower court and accordingly ordered the continuation of his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The resumed trial complies with the Supreme Court’s order.
Torture, violent killing of animals.
Here is a story about a native doctor accused of torturing animals and violently killing them.
The native doctor, simply identified as Nnabuikem, also known as ‘High Chief Enenie Nwa ite’, hails from Ovoko, a community in Southern Local Government of Igbo-Eze State.
Mr. Nnabuikem appears in several video clips uploaded to his Facebook page, violently torturing and killing animals, apparently to perform rituals for his clients.
Police, in a post on their X account on Thursday, said they had received “several” reports of alleged torture and cruelty to animals by the native doctor.
“Therefore, the necessary investigative actions have been initiated. (Further) developments will be communicated please,” the police said.
The native doctor’s alleged act drew criticism from Nigerians and an international organization that called for his prosecution.
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