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How I slept in my car with my children after soldiers locked me out – Enugu housewife
For Ogechi Emmanuel, nothing could be worse that the ordeal she has been through in the last 24 hours including virtually sleeping in her car with three of her children and remaining in the same clothes since Wednesday, after she was thrown out by soldiers of the 82 Division of the Nigerian Army.
Narrating her ordeal, she told Whirlwindnews.com that she has been prevented from even having a change of clothes by officers at the command, who she ran to on Thursday morning to plead for mercy to open her apartment for her, while her children had not had real food, but relying on snacks, adding that they went to school in the same clothes they came back with on Wednesday.
She said that the military officers handling her case, who simply sent her away after long hours of pleading for mercy, told her that the only condition for allowing her access into the apartment, was if she was ready to evacuate her properties, warning that even at that she only had a grace of seven days after which they would be thrown out into the street.
Pleading for the authorities to come to an aid, the highly distraught mother of three, who also disclosed that she lived alone in the compound, as her husband, a businessman in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was not home to share the ordeal, argued that even if those the military men were after committed any offence, there was no way she should be made to suffer.
Hear her: “I’ve been outside with my children since yesterday. I slept in the car with them and I have not been allowed to enter the house since they locked it up. I have been in their office since morning without any positive result. Please, plead with them to come and open my house. We have not eaten any proper food. My children did not also have a change of clothes. They went to school in the same clothes they came back with yesterday.
“They said the only condition they will give to me for unlocking the door is that when they do so, they would supervise me packing out my property. They even said this would happen during the seven-day grace period and after that they will throw my things out. Else, they said I will never have access to that place again. Even to allow me go and collect my clothes and those of my children was denied
“My husband is a businessman. He is in Uyo. He is not here to share in this ordeal. Please let people plead with them to come and open the door. To lock somebody out since yesterday is too much for a woman with children. I didn’t go to my business today. I sell tailoring materials. I have no hope again. Please help me.”
The distressed mother, is a major victim in the current crossfire between Nana Ogbodo, a businessman and politician in Enugu State and the Nigerian Army, over the ownership of a piece of land carved out of property in question situates behind No.7, Abakaliki Lane, GRA, Enugu, which both are laying claims.
In a petition, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), early in the week, appealed to the Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, to intervene in the saga, alleging that the army authorities at the 82 Division, in defiance to the letter from the office of the Chief of Army Staff that the matter was under investigation by his office, decided to take the law into their hands by supplanting the law.
Giving summary details of the case, the group’s petition, signed by Olu Omotayo, President stated narrated how the piece of land was given to him by Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, former governor of the state, to compensate him for his property that was illegally demolished in 2004 by the administration of Chimaroke Nnamani former governor between 1999 and 2007.
Part of the statement read: “In the quest to uphold justice by the former governor of Enugu State Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, vis a vis the Suit No. E/925/2005, filed by citizen Nana Ogbodo, at the State High Court in 2005, his administration gave a COMPENSATORY PLOT of land for the unlawful demolition of Ogbodo’s home by the past administration.
“The property is situated behind No.7, Abakaliki Lane, GRA, Enugu. The property was duly registered and Certificate of Occupancy duly granted to the beneficiary by the state government in January 2022. Mr. Ogbodo, fenced the property round and built a bungalow apartment on the property. The said apartment currently has a tenant occupying it.”
“Trouble he said started on May 1, 2023, when some military officers from the 82 Division of the Nigeria Army visited the property and said the property belongs to the Army that it was among the properties they were holding in trust for the state government, and consequently directed that the landlord should furnish the Nigerian Army 82 Division, with all the documents relating to his ownership of the property.
“Mr. Ogbodo, in response vide a letter dated 1st May 2023, duly furnished the General Officer Commanding (GOC), with all his title documents including the Certificate of Occupancy duly issued by the government. Thereafter, there was no further response to the letter by the military authorities until February 2024, when 82 Division of the Nigerian Army directed occupant of the property to vacate within 7 days.
“Immediately, sequel to the vacation notice, Mr Ogbodo, visited the 82, Division of the Nigerian Army and met the then Garrison Commander and showed him all his documents including the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), but the Army authorities only claimed that the property belong to it without showing any document of ownership.
“On that occasion one of the officers told him that the property was one of the properties captured by the army during the civil war. Mr. Ogbodo thereafter got a lawyer to serve the Chief of Army Staff a “Pre Action Notice” informing the army authorities of his intention to file an action against it in the court of law. The office of the Chief of Army Staff in response vide a letter dated 26 March 2024, stated that it has commenced investigation into the matter and will revert back on its’ findings.
“Regrettably, it was surprising that in a clear act of insubordination, one Major H.Y. Shehu, wrote on behalf of the GOC 82, Division of the Nigerian Army , vide a letter dated 30th April 2024, directed Mrs. Roseline Okoye the tenant on the property to vacate the property within 7 days.
“The hallmark of democracy is the observance of the Rule of Law by the citizenry and all the institutions in the polity, noting that the Army in its’ civil transactions and relationship are bound by the law of the land. The fact that while the office of the Chief of Army Staff is still looking into a matter, an officer of the rank of a Major is threatening to throw out the lawful occupant of the property. This is a grave act of lawlessness and insubordination.
“It should be noted that by virtue of the Land Use Act, the Governor is vested with the sole authority over all state land and not by conquest. The only way the military can claim ownership of the property is to show documentary evidence and not rely on the ridiculous claim of the property being among the ones captured by the Army duringthey the Civil war which took place over 50 years ago.
“We urge you to in the interest of justice and Rule of Law directs the army authorities particularly the GOC 82 Division, to allow the conclusion of the due process initiated by the Chief of Army Staff and also submit to the jurisdiction of the court of competent jurisdiction which is now seized of the matter.”
But in defence, the army dismissed the petition, insisting that the property in question belonged to them and therefore, there was no question of forceful or unlawful acquisition, adding that one Colonel Emeka Ugwuoke, one of their officers, who was allocated the building had to be forcefully removed from it in April 2023 to underscore its ownership.
Signed by Onyema Nwachukwu, a Brigadier General and Director, Army Public Relations, said in a statement on Thursday: “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of a viral petition written by the Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) alleging that 82 Division of the NA is threatening to forcefully and unlawfully take over a property situated at Plot 30, Abakaliki Road, Enugu, which includes No. 7 Abakaliki Lane in the Government Residential Area (GRA) of Enugu State.
“The NA wishes to state that the petition, which also posits that 82 Division, in defiance to a letter from the Office of the Chief of Army Staff decided to take the law into its hand and supplant the rule of law, is completely unfounded and intended to tarnish the ongoing efforts of the NA to restore peace and tranquility in the South East Region.
It is therefore necessary to set the record straight in order not to mislead the public. The said property is the NA property that was last occupied by Col Emeka Ugwuoke Rtd during his service. The senior officer who was allocated the quarter during his service was removed therefrom by the NA in April 2023, when he tried to convert the quarter to his private property after his retirement. Surprisingly, it is on one corner of the property from where the NA ejected the retired senior officer that the trespassers invaded.
“The NA is a disciplined institution that respects human rights and the rule of law. We urge the public to disregard the narrative that suggests the NA is acting unlawfully or without respect for due process. The NA’s position is that the property remains under its ownership, until proven otherwise through appropriate legal channels, and any claims to the contrary are based on misinformation.
“Consequently the NA calls for a thorough investigation and due process to resolve the matter, and it stands ready to present its evidence of ownership to the competent authorities. We also wish to reaffirm our commitment to the rule of law and the proper resolution of this dispute in accordance with Nigerian legal standards and provisions.”
For the first time in six years, Nigeria has recorded a crude oil and condensate production increase of an average of 1,735,398 barrels per day in June 2026, after posting consecutive four-month growth.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), which made the announcement on Sunday, also indicated that the also met its production quota set by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Against the backdrop of scenarios, where oil theft and other shortcomings in the industry, which seemed peculiar had previously hampered crude production, which at a point dipped to as low as 700,000bpd, the agency through Eniola Akinkuotu, its spokesman, stated that in June, crude oil production hit 1.56mbpd while 0.18mbpd of condensates was produced, meaning the figure exceeded the OPEC quota of 1.5 mbpd by four per cent.
In strict crude oil terms (excluding condensates), the 1.56 million daily average production Nigeria witnessed in June is the highest that Africa’s biggest oil producer has recorded since April 2020, thus representing a 74-month high, the statement added.
Stressing the feat, the agency said in June, the peak combined crude oil and condensate production was 1.89mbpd, reflecting Nigeria’s potential to reach two million barrels per day in the near term, but however, the lowest production was 1.57mbpd for the period in review.
The NUPRC, while also stating that the improved performance was primarily driven by stable production operations across most producing assets, said the absence of any major pipeline outages during the period under review, resulting in enhanced operational stability supported improved production uptime and crude evacuation efficiency.
If a marching order by President Bola Tinubu, is achieved, every Nigerian would be captured in in the national identity database before the end of 2026, going by the signals coming from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, who gave the out the information, said the President, the directive formed part of the Federal Government’s efforts to establish a comprehensive national identity system capable of supporting effective governance, planning, and service delivery.
A guest on Sunday Politics, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, the NIMC boss, told her host: “The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian.
“What we have done is we have partnered through the World Bank ID4D project with front-end partners. They are part of the digital identity ecosystem. These are private citizens that we’ve enabled and given jobs to enrol citizens on our behalf.”
Stressing that the mandate of the agency, she explained that the National Identification Number (NIN) remained a unique identifier, ensuring that every individual is registered only once, stating that presently, Nigeria’s actual population remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from 200 million to 250 million, making a comprehensive identity database essential for national planning.
She said: “That’s why it’s called a unique identifier, so that you’re only enrolled once. It is estimated that we’re 200 million. When we’re done enrolling, we will then know the actual numbers that we have. Some estimates say 230 million, while a few people say 250 million.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have? We have been mandated by Mr President to go down to the community levels to enrol every single Nigerian.”
Dismissing the possibility of double registration under different guises, she said the NIMC boss said the commission’s biometric verification system prevents such occurrences, adding that while the previous system could accept duplicate enrolments before detecting them later, the current process automatically identified and invalidated multiple registrations.
“The legacy system had no way of verifying at the front end whether you had already been captured. Once the record comes into the system, it flags it as a duplicate or that the person already exists in the database.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated. One of the things that this Act has done is to cement our role in capturing biometrics. Private and public sector organisations will no longer capture biometrics independently. They will validate identities through API integration with NIMC.
“The telcos are already doing that with us. If you need a SIM card, they capture your facial biometrics, which are matched against our database in real time to confirm that you are who you claim to be. We’re using biometric validation to tighten security around identity confirmation.”
“Exceptional individuals like Professor Soyinka do not come often in a generation, men who illuminate the paths for humanity to follow across diverse endeavours, who are not afraid to go against convention, and who do not let the man die in the face of oppression and injustice.”
These were the words of President Bola Tinubu, with which he rolled out the red carpets at the Presidential Villa Abuja, to celebrate Wole Soyinka as “a gift we will always treasure” as the renowned playwright, author and activist turned 92 on Monday.
In the emotion-dripping tribute, conveyed through a the State House on Sunday, the President spoke of Soyinka’s contributions to literature, democracy and good governance, describing him as one of Nigeria’s most influential public figures.
Praising the nonagenarian for showcasing courage and commitment to justice, Tinubu said: “Today, I celebrate a global icon and our nation’s literary star, Professor Akinwande Oluwole Babatunde Soyinka, on his 92nd birthday, July 13.”
The President recalled Soyinka’s achievements, including becoming the first African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1986, and also reflected on Soyinka’s role in Nigeria’s democratic struggle, reminiscing on Professor Soyinka’s “valiant struggle against military dictatorship for decades, and his efforts in the June 12 struggle, for which we were both in the trenches.”
Describing the literary icon as a national treasure, Tinubu said: “Today, I salute one of our nation’s living repositories of history, knowledge, and courage. That he is with us is a gift we will always treasure. I thank him for his undying faith in the Nigerian project and wise counsel.”
The President said he joined people around the world in celebrating Soyinka’s influence on generations of writers, scholars and activists, adding: “I wish ‘Kongi’ many more years in excellent health.”
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