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Obiano Declares 24Hours Curfew As Hoodlums Attack Police Stations in Anambra
A police officer and three other persons died on Thursday as hoodlums attacked various police stations in Anambra State.
The police officer, whose name is yet to be ascertained, was killed and burnt by hoodlums in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, in a situation report, said three other people suffered various degrees of injuries.
He said the victims were rushed to hospital for medical attention, adding that they were responding to treatment.
He said five persons were attacked in Onitsha and taken to hospital for medical attention, where three have been confirmed dead while two others were receiving treatment.
He further disclosed that the protesters attacked Nnewi police station, set it ablaze and vandalised patrol vehicles and other property.
Mr Haruna listed other police formations attacked to include Nnewi Area Command, 3-3 Division, Ogbunike/ Isiuwulu, Nnobi, and Itchy divisions as well as Peoples Club police post.
The statement by the police reads: “On the 21/10/2020 at about 11:30 pm hoodlums in large number under the guise of “END SARS” protesters attacked Nnewi Police Station, set it ablaze and vandalised patrol vehicles and other exhibits but were prevented from assessing the armoury to cart away arm due to strong resistance placed by police men on duty.
“Similarly, on the 22/10/2020 between 3:30am and 5:pm,the hoodlums in large number equally attacked Nnewi Area Command,3-3 Division,Ogbunike/ Isiuwulu, Nnobi, and Itchy Divisions as well as peoples club police post, burnt Police vehicles and set the facilities ablaze carting away exhibits kept at the divisions.
“Meanwhile, one police officer was beheaded and burnt to ashes while three others sustained various degrees of injuries. The injured police officers were rushed to the hospital for medical attention and they are responding to treatment,” he said.
The spokesman said seven other police stations in the state namely, CPS/Area Command Onitsha, Ogidi, Awada, Inland Town and B Divisions successfully repelled the attacks and chased the hoodlums away.
“Also, police operatives in collaboration with members of the communities comprising youth, vigilante and community leaders at Okpoko, CPS Awka, Oraifite, Otolo, Amichi and Oba vehemently resisted attempts by the hoodlums to attack the police stations.
“However, five persons were attacked in Onitsha and taken to the hospital for medical attention where three have been confirmed dead by the medical doctor while two others are receiving treatment,” he said.
Mr Haruna said other government property burnt or destroyed include High Court Ogidi, Idemili North local council secretariat while the Zik statue at DMGS roundabout was vandalised.
The spokesman said some arrests were also made by the police.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Willie Obiano, has declared a 24-hour curfew in the state, beginning 8pm Thursday, to curtail the outbreak of violence in the state.
The governor made the announcement during a statewide broadcast.
According to the governor, the curfew has become necessary due to unpleasant incidents recorded so far, as well as rising tension in the land.
He declared that all schools and markets in the state be closed down, adding that all large gatherings in any form are banned.
While describing the anger of the #EndSARS protesters as justifiable, Governor Obiano charged youths in the state not to resort to violence.
“I am immensely proud of what you have achieved so far. But we must not succumb to the morbid attractions of violence; no matter the provocation, no matter how justified our anger and no matter how easy it all might seem. Violence does not yield fruitful results,” he said.
He said security agencies are on notice to do the needful, asking them to resist all efforts to provoke them to use extreme force.
“All law enforcement officers charged with ensuring compliance to the restriction on movement must resist the temptation of applying excessive force while attempting to bring the situation under control.
“We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes that created the problem we are trying to solve in the first place,” he said
Mr Obiano assured all non-indigenes living in the state of their safety and security promising that “the government of Anambra State will not allow you to come to any harm.”
The governor called on stakeholders including the clergy, traditional rulers, youth leaders, among others, to lend their voices and help address the escalating situation.
He revealed that the sum of N200 million has been approved to compensate families of those affected by SARS brutality in the state.
He concluded that this is not the time for destructive rumours, but a time to unite and keep Anambra safe.
Premium Times
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
Oyebanji secured a landslide victory, polling 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.
The election, held across all 16 local government areas of the state, was overshadowed by reports of irregularities and widespread allegations of vote buying, drawing strong condemnation from observers.
The official results were announced on Sunday morning by the Chief Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who declared Oyebanji duly elected after meeting the constitutional requirements.
In her declaration, Professor Oladiji stated: “I, Professor Adenike Oladiji, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on June 20, 2026, and that the election was conducted in compliance with the provisions of the law. Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”
Source: Reuters
Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has alleged that there may be attempts to prevent key opposition figures, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, from appearing on the ballot for the 2027 general elections.
Oseni’s remark followed a Federal High Court judgment ordering the de-registration of some political parties.
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party (AP), Action Peoples’ Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Action Alliance Party (AAP) over alleged constitutional breaches.
The judgment arose from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), which argued that the affected parties failed to meet constitutional and statutory electoral performance requirements necessary for continued recognition as political parties.
Justice Lifu subsequently barred INEC from recognising the affected parties, accepting nominations from them or permitting them to participate in activities related to the 2027 general elections.
The ruling, if upheld, could affect the political ambitions of several politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is the ADC presidential flag-bearer, and Osun State governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party.
But speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, Oseni described the court ruling as a “test” of public reaction, warning that more actions could follow ahead of the next general election.
According to him, opposition parties such as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, should be cautious, claiming that efforts could be made to stop major figures from participating in the election.
Oseni argued that the judgment was part of a broader process aimed at shaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.
He maintained that the ruling came despite some of the affected parties having recorded electoral victories in recent elections.
He warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to safeguard the country’s democracy, stressing the need for judicial reforms alongside efforts to tackle insecurity.
Oseni said: “NDC, ADC should be careful because there will be attempt, and this is me predicting now, to ensure that Obi, Atiku and other big contenders are not on the ballot.
“This that you saw yesterday is just a test. This is not the real place where the whole thing is going. This is me predicting now.
“You know before you have a show you test the microphone. They want to see the reactions of Nigerians. More is still coming.
“You can see how they carry a judgement when ADC won two House of Representatives seats in Kogi, one Kogi House of Assembly seat, APP one chairmanship seat in Jigawa, Zenith Labour party won several seats in Abia, but they still went ahead and issued judgement for deregistration after the Court of Appeal, a higher court, said it should stay on that.
“If we want to deal with this judicial rascality, can I tell you something? The judge that gave this judgment, nothing will happen to him. Nothing on this earth. They are just coming.
“And who is leading this group? Gbajabiamila. Have you forgotten what Gbajabiamila said on Hon Ajibade’s birthday? So they are just coming. This one is just a test. The next one they will do is the NDC.
“With the way they’re going, if Nigerians don’t shine their eyes when they will finally have this election, you will not have the major contenders in the ballot. This thing they have just done is to test reactions from Nigerians.
“I saw this thing coming. You know we are going into an election in which Atiku Abubakar is the only major candidate from the North. It’s not like the last one you have Kwankwaso that can split the Kano votes. And you have Peter Obi and general consensus that a lot of people are in abject penury, insecurity is raging hard.
“This is the beginning of many things. They are just testing the microphone. It’s engineered. More is coming. Nigerians, it is you that will save your democracy. Judicial reforms have become so important as insecurity in Nigeria.”
