Author: bibncollar

South-East leaders and stakeholders resident in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday formally endorsed Chief Martin Agbaso as their preferred candidate for the 2027 Imo State governorship election, insisting that the seat must return to Owerri Zone in the interest of equity and justice. The endorsement was made at the South-East Leaders and Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja. Chairman of the group and retired Director of the Police Service Commission, Nze Emmanuel Ibe, said the gathering was deliberately organised to mobilise support for Agbaso, whom he described as the man denied his mandate in the controversial 2007 governorship election. Ibe…

Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals has widened its free delivery of petroleum products to Kano, Imo, Anambra and Nasarawa States. The move is expected to cut logistics costs for independent marketers and create room for lower petrol prices at the pump. The scheme, which earlier covered Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Kaduna, Abuja and Delta, allows the refinery to bring products closer to marketers and retailers. By absorbing haulage expenses, Dangote is removing a major cost that usually forms part of the price consumers eventually pay. Fatima Aliko Dangote, Group Executive Director, Commercial Operations, Oil & Gas, WAEP and Fertiliser, said the…

The Southeast Human Rights Bureau (SEHRB) has called on the Imo State Government, the Nigeria Police Force and hospital authorities to account for reports of hundreds of unidentified bodies allegedly found and removed from mortuaries in the state. In a statement dated August 22, 2026, the group cited reports involving Ngor Okpala General Hospital and Mbieri General Hospital. It said video footage purportedly showing the transfer of large numbers of bodies, some reduced to skeletal remains had raised serious questions about the identities, origins and circumstances of the deaths. SEHRB demanded clear answers on how so many unidentified bodies came…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Victoria Nwachukwu, a 31-year-old woman from Imo State, wanted in connection with allegations of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and fraudulent diversion of funds. According to EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale, Nwachukwu is linked to Oasis Vivacity Global Limited. Investigators are seeking her over the suspected financial offences. Her last known address is House 3, Millennium Estate, Alhaji Gbenga Ashafa Street, Gbagada, Lagos State. The commission has appealed to members of the public with credible information that could help locate her to come forward. Information can be provided at EFCC offices…

Former Imo State Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, has pledged to overhaul the healthcare system in Owerri Zone and wipe out maternal and infant mortality if elected senator in the 2027 general elections. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Imo East Senatorial District made the commitment on Monday while speaking with journalists in Owerri, the state capital. Madumere, an American-trained technocrat and human capital development expert, described the continued loss of mothers and newborns in the zone as a preventable tragedy that can no longer be ignored. He stressed that no woman should face danger while giving birth. “Every…

Several motorists and travellers have accused Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel, including soldiers, police officers and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) operatives of extortion, harassment, forced phone searches and threats at checkpoints in parts of Nigeria’s South-East, particularly Imo State. Victims, whose accounts were supported by video and audio recordings, alleged that officers routinely stop vehicles, demand access to travellers’ phones and, in some cases, pressure them to transfer money to bank accounts or POS operators before allowing them to proceed. Some said officers threatened to kill them or frame them as members of the Indigenous People of…

Imo State has achieved a landmark in healthcare by successfully performing its first robotic-assisted surgery on Friday, August 21, 2026, at the newly established Imo Robotics and Oncology Centre within the Imo Specialist Hospital in Umuguma, Owerri. The procedure, carried out on a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer, was led by UK-based Consultant Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgeon Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, an Imo indigene, alongside a team of specialists from the United Kingdom, United States, Belgium, and Nigeria. Governor Hope Uzodimma witnessed the operation, describing it as a major step toward delivering quality, affordable specialised care and reducing the need for…

A civil society group, Tracka, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to probe the use of N296.4 million in public funds for an Information and Communication Technology/Computer-Based Test (ICT/CBT) centre at Claretian University, a private institution in Imo State. The facility, fitted with 40 HP laptops, was commissioned in November 2025. According to Tracka, the project was financed through a constituency project facilitated by Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi, who represents Imo East Senatorial District. The group questioned why substantial public resources were channelled into a private university…

The Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Hon. Ibeh Franklin Kennedy Chukwuemeka, has declared that the results of the party’s recent primaries cannot be successfully challenged. Speaking in Owerri, Ibeh described those questioning the outcomes as either “idiotic or stupid.” He maintained that the primaries covering positions from the House of Assembly to the Senate, were conducted with transparent scrutiny and produced the strongest candidates for the party. Former Imo State Governor Senator Rochas Okorocha and Senator Ifeanyi Araraume are currently contesting the senatorial primary results in Orlu Zone (Imo West), where incumbent Governor Senator…

Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council has approved the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, marking a significant policy shift that prioritises care and treatment over punishment for people in severe psychological distress. Health and Social Welfare Minister Professor Mohammad Pate announced the decision on Wednesday following the council’s meeting in Abuja. The approval involves an amendment to the Mental Health Act, which will now be sent to the National Assembly for consideration. Attempted suicide is currently a criminal offence under Nigeria’s Criminal and Penal Codes. The proposed change aims to remove this provision and reframe the issue as a public health matter requiring…