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Abuja Estate Residents Accuse Police DSP of Terror Campaign; Journalist Targeted Amidst Allegations of Police Inaction
By Our Correspondent
Residents of Oduah Estate in Abuja say they are living in a state of fear and uncertainty, alleging a campaign of terror, intimidation, and death threats orchestrated by a serving police officer identified as DSP Jeffery Ugochukwu. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
According to a series of “Save Our Souls” (SOS) petitions, the officer, whose current posting within the Nigeria Police Force remains unknown, has allegedly leveraged his position to act with impunity, endangering the lives of dozens of families, including children, nursing mothers, and a then pregnant woman.
The tenants, fearing that the threats, some of which were reportedly captured on video, could lead to an avoidable loss of lives, have escalated their complaints from the Inspector-General of Police and the Force Provost Marshal to the Police Service Commission (PSC), demanding urgent disciplinary action to avert what they warn could become a tragedy.
In a petition dated August 13, 2025, the Citizens Rights and Empowerment Advocacy Initiative (CREMA Initiative) described DSP Ugochukwu as “a threat to the lives of his co-tenants, who consistently constitutes a nuisance and lives above the law simply because he is a police officer.” The human rights group warned that the situation was deteriorating rapidly and “could lead to tragedy if immediate action is not taken.”
This followed an earlier joint complaint by tenants to the Force Provost Department in June 2025, which alleged criminal intimidation, physical assault, destruction of property, and the brandishing of a service pistol in an attempt to shoot at residents.
Residents claimed in one petition that the harassment worsened when the officer began spraying a tear-gas-like substance through the ceiling, causing choking, breathing difficulties, and eye irritation. This act allegedly forced entire families, including children, to flee their rooms gasping for air.
CREMA Initiative’s petition affirmed that this act “is currently endangering the lives of a pregnant woman, children, breastfeeding babies, and other vulnerable occupants.”
Tenants also accused the officer of playing extremely loud music late into the night, depriving neighbours of sleep and aggravating health conditions such as hypertension. One family reportedly fled the estate entirely after repeated threats.
The petitions further detail deliberate acts of vandalism and sabotage. On June 15 and 17, 2025, after his flat was disconnected by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), DSP Ugochukwu allegedly cut the main electric line, plunging nine other flats into darkness.
He was also accused of destroying estate water pipes on multiple occasions and, on September 13, 2025, pouring palm oil across a shared lobby and damaging a neighbour’s window net.
More chilling, residents recount repeated threats of lethal violence. In a petition dated September 29, 2025, the “Concerned Tenants” recounted how the officer allegedly declared, “You should continue; very soon I will get my rifle and fire everybody.” The next day, he reportedly emerged with a jackknife, threatening to kill any tenant who knocked on his door, an incident said to have been captured on video. Another petition claimed he once boasted that if provoked, he would “use his rifle to fire at the person and then turn it on himself — and the matter would be closed.”
Tenants further alleged that he had brandished a pistol at the estate caretaker, Mr. Ibe Uzoma, physically assaulted him, and refused to pay motorcycle operators for services rendered within the estate.
Despite these several oral and written complaints, residents insist that no meaningful action has been taken by the police authorities. Mr. Uzoma confirmed that reports were made to the Karu Area Command, which visited the scene but took no further action before tenants filed a formal petition on September 29, 2025.
When officers from the Nyanya Police Division’s Surveillance Unit reportedly attempted to invite the DSP for questioning on September 13, “he bluntly refused to open his door each time.” Tenants now fear the situation has spiralled beyond the control of divisional leadership.
Frustrated by the continued inaction, the tenants retained the Trio Jurist Law Firm, which has petitioned the Chairman of the Police Service Commission. The firm wrote, “It is now an obvious fact that the Nigeria Police Force, knowing the state of DSP Ugochukwu, is intentionally protecting one of theirs at the risk of the lives of our clients.”
They warned that the continued protection of the officer could “escalate into a full breach of peace should our clients resort to self-help.”
The situation escalated further in the early hours of Thursday, October 16, 2025, when residents alleged that DSP Ugochukwu was seen armed with a jackknife, knocking on several doors.
This was described as an apparent attempt to identify the apartment of Comrade James Ezema, a journalist who serves as the National Vice President (Investigation) of the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) and National President of the Association of Bloggers and Journalists Against Fake News (ABJFN).
Later that evening, witnesses said the officer was seen again, still knocking on the door of another tenant whose wife had just put to bed, allegedly in a continued search for the journalist. He reportedly left with the electricity meter serving two flats.
Comrade Ezema, who is also the Director of Operations at CREMA Initiative, said in a statement on Sunday that he remains in shock. “I was dumbfounded because there has been no personal issue with him to warrant his manhunt for me,” he stated.
“Nigerians should hold DSP Jeffery Ugochukwu and the Nigeria Police Force responsible if anything happens to me, my loved ones, or any tenant. Right now, I cannot move around alone and freely for fear of my life and safety.”
Ezema added, “It’s shameful that the Nigeria Police Force has sunk so low that allegations of threats to life are treated with levity. I don’t want to be another Mohbad, who petitioned the police but no action was taken until his mysterious death. We don’t need to wait for tragedy before action is taken. No one’s life should be endangered because an officer claims to have a DIG as his godfather.”
He further appealed to the alleged senior officer, stating, “We are appealing to the DIG whom he claims to be his godfather not to back criminality and lawlessness at the expense of citizens’ lives.”
According to Ezema, when one of the petitions to the Inspector-General of Police got to the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) at the Force Headquarters, officials, after two follow-up visits by the tenants and the landlord, “bluntly told the landlord and some tenants that the policeman cannot be traced and there is nothing they can do.” He lamented that when asked, “If he’s an unknown police officer, isn’t that the main reason to act — if it’s an act of impersonation? Still, they said nothing and did nothing till today.”
In an urgent message on Saturday morning, October 18, 2025, to the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, with a copy sent to the FCT PPRO, SP Josephine Adeh, Comrade Ezema wrote that he was urgently requesting immediate intervention. He identified the individual as DSP Jeffrey Ugochukwu, “said to be deployed to your office,” and detailed the failure of previous petitions.
He highlighted the October 16 incident involving the jackknife and meter vandalism, the intimidation in the 27-flat mini-estate, and the officer’s boast of having a DIG as a godfather.
He respectfully but urgently requested that the FPRO’s office order the officer’s immediate removal and suspension from civilian contact pending investigation, provide urgent protection for himself and other endangered tenants, and conduct an impartial investigation into the officer’s conduct and the police’s failure to act, making the appeal “not to impede legitimate policing but to prevent an avoidable tragedy.”
Residents say they now live in constant fear, sleeping in shifts and keeping watch over their families at night. While awaiting a formal response from the PSC, they have begun appealing to other security agencies for protection, lamenting that “it has become clear that police authorities have refused to act.”
One resident said, “All we are asking for is safety. We just want to live without fear in our own homes.”
According to the journalist’s statement, the FCT PPRO, SP Josephine Adeh, responded when a video of the police officer threatening residents while armed with a jackknife was sent to her, stating, “Noted I have even started acting on it too.”
The complainants have subsequently been invited by the FCT Command’s Police Complaints Response Unit and are scheduled to be there at 10 am on Monday.
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Soludo’s Economic Blockade of Onitsha Is ‘Declaration of War’ Against Igbo People
A U.S.-based organization, The Rising Sun Foundation, alongside the global coalition for Biafra restoration, has warned Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, condemning his blockade of Onitsha’s business district and accusing him of betraying the Igbo people. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by Dr. Maxwell Dede, representing The Rising Sun Foundation in the United States, the foundation described Soludo’s actions as “tyrannical” and a “flagrant betrayal” of promises he made four years ago to support a grand dialogue on the Igbo people’s future within or outside Nigeria.
“Governor Soludo stands accused of a profound and treacherous betrayal. Four years ago, he courted the support of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu and the aspirations of millions, publicly pledging to facilitate a grand dialogue for the Igbo people. Today, he actively persecutes the very people and principles that propelled him to power,” the statement said.
The group criticized the governor for deploying predominantly non-Igbo military and police personnel to blockade economic arteries, describing the move as “the act of a tin-pot dictator, not a democratic leader.”
It further claimed that the Onitsha crisis is “not a result of merchant disobedience but of gubernatorial failure and dictatorial impulse”.
“The governor is strangling the economic lifeblood of the people he swore to serve, shattering the fragile peace he claims to protect,” the foundation said.
It also condemned Soludo’s perceived comfort with the continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by the federal government, calling it evidence that Soludo is “a politician of convenience, not conviction.”
The Rising Sun Foundation warned that any harm inflicted on peaceful protesters or merchants exercising their rights would be interpreted as “an open declaration of war against the Igbo people and their fundamental human rights. The blood will be on Soludo’s hands.”
The group added that the world should hold the Government House in Awka responsible for any breakdown of law and order, insisting that “Governor Soludo fired the first shot with this unjust and provocative blockade”.
“We are a peaceful people, but we say no more killings. The era of Igbo governors colluding to spill the blood of Igbo youths is over. We will not stand idly by and watch history repeat itself,” the statement said.
The foundation also announced it was initiating steps to have Soludo declared persona non grata internationally for what it described as gross violations of democratic norms and economic rights, asserting that “his welcome on the international stage will be rightfully rescinded.”
Calling on international observers, human rights organizations, and the Nigerian federal government to take action, the foundation said, “The siege on Onitsha must be lifted. The path to peace in the South-East is through justice, dialogue, and the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu—not through military barricades and economic suffocation.”
The group warned the governor, “Governor Soludo, you are at the brink. Pull back. Respect the people. Honor your forgotten promises. The world is watching.”
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- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media, Information and Computer Technology Consultant. A quintessential Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist is based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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New Year: Gov Ododo Calls for Unity, Commitment to Security of Lives, Properties
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi state has called for Unity of the people in complementing government’s efforts to tackle rising insecurity in the state.
The Governor also solicited people’s support through hard work, and sustained patriotism as his administration intensifies efforts to deliver people-oriented governance. googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
Ododo who made the call in his New Year message to the people of the state, thanked Almighty God for protection and guidance throughout the past year, noting that the period tested the resilience of the people but also strengthened their collective resolve.
The Governor said that despite challenges, the state recorded modest but significant gains across key sectors, including security, infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, and youth and women empowerment, attributing the progress to discipline, unity of purpose, and the cooperation of citizens.
According to him, the New Year presents renewed hope and a stronger resolve by his administration to do more through prudent resource management, inclusive governance, and policies aimed at improving the quality of life of the people, expanding opportunities for youths, empowering women, and strengthening the state’s economy.
Governor Ododo reaffirmed that security remains a top priority of his government, assuring residents of deeper collaboration with security agencies and community stakeholders to sustain peace across the state, stressing that meaningful development can only thrive in a secure environment.
He called on all Kogites to continue to reject division and embrace cooperation, describing the state’s diversity as a strength that must be harnessed to build a Kogi that works for everyone, both in urban and rural communities.
Reiterating his pledge to serve with integrity, transparency, and compassion, the Governor expressed optimism that the New Year would usher in shared prosperity and greater accomplishments for the state.
Governor Ododo also urged continued support for the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that the President’s reforms have strengthened the economy and expanded resources available to sub-national governments for development.
He wished the people of Kogi State a peaceful, prosperous, and fulfilling New Year, while praying for continued progress for the state and the nation.
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One Community, One Honour: Item Okpi Kingdom Celebrates Prof. Arunma Oteh’s Global Legacy
By Abdulrahman Aliagan,
The ancient town of Item in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State was agog on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, as the Item Development Association (IDA) Incorporated trustees hosted the 2025 Item Day Celebration, a historic edition specially designed to honour a single, outstanding personality — Chief, Prof. js">
The celebration, held at the playground of Akanu Item Primary School, Akanu Item, was attended by top government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, clergy, captains of industry and sons and daughters of Item from across Nigeria and the diaspora.
Themed “Building a Greater Item Through Collective Action: The Work Continues,” the 2025 Item Day marked a significant departure from previous editions that featured multiple awardees. This year’s event was deliberately structured around a single award and traditional honour, in recognition of Prof. Oteh’s exceptional contributions to the growth and development of Abia State, Nigeria, Africa and the global community.
A major highlight of the event was a Grand Civic Reception in honour of the Executive Governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, whose presence further underscored the importance of the occasion.
At the ceremony, the Item Development Association formally presented the Item Grand Merit Award to Chief Arunma Oteh, OON, describing her as a worthy daughter of the soil whose global achievements have brought immense honour to Item Okpi Ancient Kingdom, Abia State and Nigeria at large.
The award plaque cited her “distinguished leadership and transformative contributions to global development and in appreciation of the great honour this has brought to our community.”
Prof. Oteh was also specially celebrated for her consistent role as a global ambassador of the Amaba-Ukwu Item community, projecting its image positively across international platforms. This singular contribution, the organisers noted, was a key reason she was singled out for the prestigious award.
The event was chaired by Chief Ojay Obasi Eke (Udoka), with Chief Chukwuemeka Ogwo, MBA (Ugwuchukwuemere I of Item) serving as Co-Chairman.
Other dignitaries present were Hon. Dr. Ibekwe Nnamdi Chimdi, Member representing Bende North Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly; Hon. Okwu Ukoha, Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly; and Hon. Uwabunike Bassey, Executive Chairman (Mayor) of Bende LGA.
Traditional blessings were led by the Royal Father of the Day, HRH Eze Jerry Akpala Igwe (JP), Chairman of the Item Traditional Rulers Council, alongside HRM Eze Silas Okafor Igwe (JP), the Okpi of Item, and other royal fathers.
Religious leaders, including His Grace, Dr. Sunday Ndukwo Onuoha, Archbishop of Umuahia, also offered prayers for the community and the awardee.
The newly conferred Nwanne Ukwu Di Na Mba of Amaba-Ukwu Item, Abia State, Alhaji Chief Dr Ibrahim Mohammed Ajia, congratulated Prof. Arunma Oteh on the well-deserved honour.
He described her as a pride of Item and a shining example of what dedication, integrity and excellence can achieve, noting that her global impact has placed Amaba-Ukwu Item firmly on the world map.
He prayed for greater strength and wisdom for her to continue serving humanity and inspiring future generations.
In her acceptance speech, an emotional Prof. Arunma Oteh expressed profound gratitude to the Item Development Association, the people of Amaba-Ukwu Item, the traditional institution, the Abia State Government and all stakeholders who contributed to the success of the programme.
She pledged to continue projecting the image of her community globally, describing the honour as a renewed call to service.
Prof. Oteh urged sons and daughters of Amaba-Ukwu Item, Abia State and Nigeria at large to embrace courage, resilience and hard work, stressing that “the sky is only the beginning of success for those who dare to dream and work relentlessly.”
She thanked Governor Alex Otti for his support for community development initiatives and commended the leadership of IDA for sustaining the vision of unity, selfless service and progress captured in the association’s motto: “Faith in God and Selfless Service to Our People.”
A Historic Item Day led by Dr. Cyril Onyekachi O. Kalu, President of IDA, and Ambassador Dr. Anthony Chukwudum Okorie, Chairman, Board of Trustees, the 2025 Item Day Celebration has been widely described as historic — not only for honouring one of Item’s most illustrious daughters, but also for reaffirming the community’s commitment to collective development and global relevance.
For many attendees, the celebration was more than an award ceremony; it was a statement of identity, pride and a renewed resolve to build a greater Item for generations yet unborn.
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