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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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“Stop This Slaughterhouse in Nigeria,” Catholic Secretariat Decries Rising Killings, Demands Urgent Action
By Abah Anthony John
The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) has strongly condemned the persistent wave of killings and abductions across the country, warning that Nigeria is descending into what it described as a “slaughterhouse” as violence continues unabated and citizens remain exposed to grave insecurity. adsbygoogle || []).push({});
In a statement titled “The Cry of the Innocent: Stop this Slaughterhouse in Nigeria!” dated February 7, 2026, the CSN expressed deep outrage and sorrow over what it called a renewed cycle of mass violence that has turned large parts of the country into “a field of grief.” The statement was signed by the Secretary General of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Banjo, and the National Director of Social Communications, Very Rev. Fr. Michael Nsikak Umoh.
According to the CSN, years of repeated complaints and assurances from authorities have failed to translate into meaningful protection for citizens, leaving communities devastated and Nigerians weary of condolences that do not guarantee their safety. “Violence persists unchecked,” the Church body said, describing the ongoing assault on human life and dignity as unacceptable and morally indefensible.
The Secretariat drew particular attention to the scale of attacks recorded between late January and February 2026, noting that the recurring carnage has become “a stain on the conscience of our nation.” It questioned how, outside a formal state of war, more than 160 innocent civilians could be killed in a single coordinated attack in Woro, Kwara State. The statement also highlighted repeated killings and abductions in Agwara and Tungan Gero in Niger State, the destruction of entire farming communities in Katsina and Kaduna states, and the persistent violence ravaging parts of Borno State.
“This is not ‘instability’ but a massacre allowed by silence and a betrayal of every Nigerian’s right to live in peace,” the CSN declared.
Beyond the immediate human toll, the Catholic body warned that the continued bloodshed represents a fundamental failure of governance. It reminded Nigeria’s leaders that the Constitution is “not a lofty document of ideals but a binding covenant with the people,” emphasizing that the protection of life is central to the legitimacy of any government.
“When citizens are slaughtered with impunity, and communities live in perpetual fear, the very foundation of governance is undermined,” the statement said, adding that a government unable to safeguard its people “risks diminishing its moral authority to lead.”
The CSN also cautioned against silence and inaction, arguing that failure to respond decisively to violence amounts to complicity. “Every unaddressed attack, every unpunished crime, and every unfulfilled promise deepens the wound of mistrust between the people and those entrusted with their protection,” it said, stressing that Nigeria must not normalize bloodshed or treat mass killings as routine tragedies.
Situating the crisis within a broader human rights framework, the Secretariat recalled that Nigeria is a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which affirm the right to life as fundamental and non-negotiable. Despite these commitments, it lamented that “the state continues to treat this right as optional, allowing bloodshed to persist unchecked.”
In response, the Catholic Secretariat renewed its call on the Federal Government to urgently revisit and strengthen its security strategies. Among the measures proposed was the strategic redeployment of security personnel “from ceremonial press centers to the actual frontlines where citizens are under siege,” as well as a willingness to seek assistance “from anywhere it is safely available.”
The CSN further demanded accountability, urging authorities to identify, expose, and prosecute sponsors and enablers of terror regardless of their political, religious, or social status. “Arrest and punish every perpetrator of violence; for impunity is nothing less than a license for further bloodshed,” the statement warned.
The Church body also emphasized the need for compassion and restoration for victims of violence, calling for urgent relief, psychosocial care, and compensation for affected families. It urged the government to protect and rebuild destroyed communities in order to restore hope and dignity to displaced and traumatized residents.
Concluding its message, the Catholic Secretariat warned that Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads. “We cannot allow mass graves to define our national story,” it said, adding that “the blood of all innocent Nigerians cry out to heaven and their memory must compel us to act with sincerity, courage and compassion.”
The CSN called on political, religious, and community leaders to rise above divisions and work together to restore peace and dignity across the country, while urging Nigerians to reject hatred and violence and stand in solidarity with one another.
“As a people of faith, we entrust our nation to God’s mercy and pray for healing, justice, and reconciliation,” the statement concluded. “May the sacrifice of the innocent not be in vain, but inspire a renewed commitment to protect life and build a Nigeria where peace and justice reign.”
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Don Advocates Declaration of National Skills Emergency to Tackle Underdevelopment
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
A Professor of Political Economy at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Christian Ezeibe, has called on government at all levels to declare a ‘national skills emergency’ as a strategic response to Nigeria’s persistent underdevelopment and widespread poverty. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
Prof. Ezeibe who is also Dean, Student Affairs at UNN made the call while delivering the convocation lecture at the 5th Combined Convocation Ceremony of Kogi State Polytechnic, Lokoja.
He stressed that Nigeria’s overemphasis on certificates at the expense of practical competence has weakened the country’s productive capacity and stifled sustainable development.
Speaking on the theme, “Skills Over Certificates: Repositioning Technical Education for Sustainable Development,” Prof. Ezeibe said Nigeria must urgently invest in skills acquisition if it hopes to compete with developed nations.
“Nigeria has perfected the ritual of schooling but has lost the essence of learning. We have become a nation that worships certificates while neglecting the competence those certificates are meant to represent,” he said.
Quoting figures from the National Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Ezeibe noted that Nigeria spends over $10 billion annually on expatriate services and remittances, much of it paid to foreign technical personnel from India, China and the Philippines.
“In the power sector alone, despite billions of naira invested, we still depend on foreign technicians to maintain our turbines and grid infrastructure. This dependence is a clear indictment of our skills deficit,” he added.
The university don explained that while certificates merely certify knowledge, skills empower individuals to create value.
“A certificate is a licence to learn, but a skill is the capacity to do, to create and to solve problems. The global economy today, driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution—robotics, artificial intelligence, IoT and biotechnology—rewards demonstrable skills, not just attested knowledge,” he said.
Drawing lessons from global success stories, Prof. Ezeibe cited Singapore, Taiwan and China as countries that deliberately prioritised technical and vocational education.
“Under Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore made Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) the cornerstone of its economic strategy. The Institute of Technical Education is not for academic failures; it is prestigious and highly sought-after. Today, Singapore tops global skills competitiveness rankings,” he said.
He also noted that Taiwan’s transformation into a global semiconductor hub was driven by a relentless focus on engineering and technical skills aligned with industry needs, while China adopted a large-scale vocational model that produces millions of skilled workers annually.
“These nations understood a simple truth: theory designs the world, but skills build it. They repositioned technical education from a secondary alternative to the primary engine of national development,” Ezeibe stated.
Identifying Nigeria’s major challenges, the don listed decaying infrastructure, poor funding, weak industry–academia collaboration, societal stigma against technical education and brain drain** as factors slowing skills development.
Despite these challenges, he maintained that skills remain the backbone of sustainable development.
“Nigeria’s problems—power failure, poor sanitation, inefficient agriculture, housing deficit and insecurity—are massive markets waiting to be served by skilled and creative minds,” he said.
He urged graduates to see entrepreneurship as a pathway to prosperity.
“The graduate who can design and install affordable solar micro-grids for rural communities is solving the power problem and creating a million-naira business. The one with masonry, plumbing and electrical skills can build a thriving property maintenance company. The billionaire of tomorrow will be a skill magnate, not just an oil importer,” he declared.
Addressing the graduating students directly, Prof. Ezeibe advised:
“Do not go looking for a job where someone else will solve your problems. Use your skills to solve Nigeria’s problems, and you will never be poor.”
He further called on the Federal Government to scrap the HND–BSc dichotomy, insisting that competence, not paper qualification, should determine employability and career progression.
“There must be deliberate industrial collaboration with polytechnics and technical institutions. Without this, skills development will remain a slogan rather than a solution,” he concluded.
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PBAT Felicitates with Entrepreneur Matthew Tonlagha on 50th Birthday
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated Nigerian entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mr. Matthew Tonlagha, on the occasion of his 50th birthday, describing the milestone as a celebration of impact, service, and commitment to national development. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); js">
In a goodwill message dated February 2, 2026, and personally signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR from the State House, Abuja, and sighted by Informavores, the President joined Tonlagha’s family, friends, and associates in celebrating the golden jubilee, noting that attaining the age of 50 is a significant personal and professional milestone.
President Tinubu commended Tonlagha for marking the occasion with the unveiling of a book, describing the initiative as a reflection of his commitment to knowledge, intellectual growth, and documenting experiences for posterity.
“It is fitting that he is unveiling a book as part of the activities to mark his 50th birthday. I commend him for his pursuit of knowledge and chronicling for posterity,” the President said.
The President also acknowledged Tonlagha’s years of dedication to community development and nation building, particularly through his advocacy for the welfare and advancement of Niger Delta communities.
He praised Tonlagha, founder of Maton Engineering Limited, for his contributions to the protection and security of oil and gas infrastructure across several states in the Niger Delta, noting that such efforts are critical to national economic stability.
President Tinubu further encouraged the entrepreneur to sustain and expand his philanthropic initiatives, including support for education and medical services, the provision of scholarships, funding of skill acquisition programmes, and assistance to vulnerable communities across the Niger Delta.
As Tonlagha celebrates his golden jubilee on February 8, the President wished him good health, renewed strength, and many more years of meaningful service and impact.
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