News
Ikpeazu to Otti: Purge yourself of ‘Ikpeazuphobia’ *Denies owing banks
From the Okezie Ikpeazu, former Governor of Abia State, came a strong advice to his successor, Alex Otti – purge yourself of Ikpeazumenia to make a headway in your administration or continue running in different directions like a headless chicken for the duration of your term.
The advice is followed by an equally strong rebuttal to the allegation that the former governor plunged the state into huge debts by the borrowings he obtained from commercial banks before leaving office, saying nothing could be farther from the truth.
Onyebuchi Ememanka, spokesman to the former governor, while debunking the reports described them as false and a mischievous ploy by the Abia State Government under the leadership of Alex Otti, which he urged to purge itself of “Ikpeazuphobia” (fear of Ikpeazu) and face the serious business of governance.
Noting in a statement that but for its serious and of great public importance, the allegation deserved no response, he accused the governor of suffering from a clear case of obsession and paranoia, as no day passed without the present government looking for some reason to blame the preceding administration for everything under the sun, no matter how unreasonable.
The statement said: “Their latest strategy is to surreptitiously inform key agencies and arms of government that their reason for not meeting their obligations to them is because there is an outstanding loan of a whopping 22 Billion Naira taken by the Ikpeazu administration from Zenith Bank and UBA.
“Nothing could be farther from the truth. The 22 Billion Naira loan exists in the imaginations of the peddlers of the wicked and warped narrative. For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to make it abundantly clear that as of the 28th day of May 2023 when the administration of Dr Okezie Ikpeazu ended by effluxion of time, the Government of Abia State was not owing any commercial bank in the ordinary course of business. This is a no-brainer because no commercial bank in Nigeria will grant any facility to any State Government, the repayment terms of which will run beyond their tenure of office.”
The statement, added that in the ordinary course of business, the Abia State Government, like every State Government in Nigeria, had financial arrangements with banks by way of Temporary Overdraft facilities (TOD), adding that it was a thing of pride to state that all TODs were cleared before we left office.
“To be more specific, the only outstanding TOD with UBA which was in the region of 6 Billion Naira was fully repaid in March and April 2023. It is public knowledge that the last allocation received by the Ikpeazu administration was for the month of April 2023,” it further said, challenging the governor to produce any evidence to support their “spurious claim.”
“Like we had explained before now, the only existing liabilities are loans taken by successive administrations from the old Imo State, most of which were taken to fund critical developmental projects over the years. These also include bailout funds which were loans given by the Federal Government to every State in the country to support the States, with very clearly defined repayment terms which are structured in a way that the ordinary day to day business of State will not be hampered.
“May we remind them that the most critical obligation of any government is to secure the lives and property of the people? Security is a serious and capital-intensive project. The Otti administration should stop manufacturing excuses and fund the various security agencies in the State. It is on record that throughout the 8 years that Dr Okezie Ikpeazu held forte as Governor, the people of Abia State largely slept with their two eyes closed on account of the relative peace and security that prevailed across the State. These didn’t happen by giving excuses and playing blame games.”
Maintaining that the removal of the Petroleum Subsidy by the Federal Government had naturally jerked up funds available to the three tiers of Government in the country, the statement, added: “For the month of May 2023, the Otti administration received 9.113 Billion Naira as allocation. This was received in June. This is the highest allocation received by the State in any single month in the last 10 years.
“Allocation for the month of June which will reach the states any moment from today is projected to be more than double of what they got last month, so the Abia State Government has no reason whatsoever not to fund Security Operations and even the legislative branch of Government. Finally, we wish to remind Governor Alex Otti that he was elected to solve the problems facing Abia State and not to blame Ikpeazu.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has appealed the judgement of the federal high court in Abuja nullifying the timelines issued for the conduct of party primaries and the nomination of candidates.
Alex Izinyon SAN, leading a team of lawyers of the commission in a notice of appeal dated May 25, raised nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Apart from raising the issue of jurisdiction, which it said the lower court did not determine, INEC also maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
Arguing that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant, the commission also stressed the lower court misinterpreted the provisions of the electoral act.
It said: “The high court erred in law when it held that: ‘It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
It was another day of misery in Kwara State, when daredevil terrorists reportedly stormed Yashikira Community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, and as has been the case in many of the attacks, abducting scores of residents including women and children.
But, apparently to register their authority, the gunmen, who were said to have operated for hours without challenge from the security operatives, were said to have torched the palace of the Emir.
The attackers, which reportedly occurred late Sunday night were said to have announced their presence through heavy firing and after storming the palace of the monarch during the period, set it on fire before whisking away their victims, but a similar attempt at the police station in the community, was repelled.
While some of the residents, narrated how the spent hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community, another account said the villagers were caught unawares as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
However operatives made up of the police and military personnel, were said to have launched a manhunt immediately for the immediate rescue of the victims, including throwing a cordon in the area as part of the mission.
“The suspect offered ₦500 million to the SPU commander in an attempt to make the team stand down and allow him to contact his associates to move the consignment elsewhere. The offer was rejected immediately and properly documented for further investigation.”
These were the exact words of Olohundare Jimoh Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), with which he detailed how operatives of the Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) scoffed at a N500million bribe to turn their eyes off the importation of a huge consignment of drugs imported into the country.
This was part of the details of a major breakthrough by the operatives after bursting a major drug trafficking syndicate in Lagos, which led to the seizure of suspected illicit drugs estimated at ₦7.8 billion and arresting several suspects, including the alleged kingpin.
In the operation, reportedly carried out by officers of the Special Protection Unit (SPU) in collaboration with divisional police detectives, the operatives, were said to have stormed a house in Mende, Maryland area of Lagos, following months of surveillance and intelligence gathering coordinated by the Zone 2 Headquarters.
The recovered drugs consisted of hundreds of bags of suspected Canadian Loud, allegedly stored in the residence of the prime suspect, Jimoh, said disclosing that the suspect was apprehended on May 19 after weeks of strategic monitoring by operatives.
Offering further details, he said the operation was executed with technical support and guidance from the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, alongside coordinated efforts between the SPU and divisional police teams.
Jimoh revealed that during the operation, the suspect allegedly attempted to bribe the SPU commander with ₦500 million to compromise the mission and allow the movement of the drug consignment.
The AIG described the development as a reflection of the renewed professionalism and operational discipline being entrenched in the Force under the current policing strategy.
He noted that the success of the operation underscored the importance of deploying specialized police units alongside conventional divisional teams in tackling organized crime.
According to him, the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of rapid containment strategies, intelligence-led policing, and professional conduct among the operatives involved in the raid.
“Rapid containment was achieved as the Special Protection Unit worked with divisional teams to secure the perimeter and prevent escape or interference with evidence.
“The operation was intelligence-driven, following months of surveillance and technical monitoring before the raid was carried out.
“The immediate rejection and documentation of the bribe attempt also reflect the standard expected from redeployed personnel at the divisional level,” Jimoh added.
Reacting to the development, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, commended the operatives for their professionalism, saying the success of the operation validated the ongoing redeployment of personnel to divisions and units across Lagos and Ogun states.
The IGP noted: “Policing must be close to the people, and our specialized units must work side by side with divisional teams on the ground.
“The professionalism shown by the SPU commander in rejecting a ₦500 million bribe and following due procedure is the standard we expect. It shows that when you put your best foot forward at the grassroots, you get results and restore public trust.”
Disu further assured that the Force leadership would continue to reward integrity while holding officers accountable to the highest ethical standards.
Police authorities said exhibits recovered during the operation have been properly documented and will be tendered in court. The suspects are currently in custody while investigations continue to track down other members of the drug trafficking network.
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