Over twenty years land dispute between two villages in Oba Community, Idemili South Local villages in Oba Community, Idemili South Local Government Area Anambra State, took a drastic turn with the destruction of over fifty residential buildings and seventy fences, belonging to the people of Ezelle Mbana, Oba village. The land dispute between Ezelle Mbana village and Umuezegbute family, all of Oba, took the dangerous dimension with the destructions of the residential buildings and fences, belonging to Ezelle Mbana people, following two court victories awarded by both Ogbaru High Court and the Court of Appeal Awka, Anambra State to Umuezegbute family. According to a lawyer to Ezelle Mbana Village and their Isu Village landlord, Chief John Nso, “properties worth several millions of naira were destroyed in those dwelling houses, defenceless people wounded and lives maimed.” In a petition to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, on behalf of his clients from Ezelle village, Chief Nso, said “The horrendous wickedness, brigandage and wanton destruction of lives and properties were committed in the process of a purported execution of the judgement of a High Court in Anambra State, won by Umuezegbute family over a land dispute against Isu Village Oba and Ezelle Mbana Village, also of Oba, even when two Appeals are pending against the judgement.” “They are planning to continue the destruction until the whole town is cleared or wiped out. Even at that in executing judgement for possession of the land, a reasonable force is only required in taking possession from the judgement debtors and not destroying and pulling down dwelling houses, maiming and wounding defenceless citizens.” However, lawyer to Umuezegbute family Oba, Mr Gerald Ezeuko, SAN, said that “Ezelle Village goofed when they went to Appeal Court to appeal against the judgement of the High Court which awarded victory in the land dispute to his clients, instead of settling with them by paying the arrears of the Customary tribute the High Court directed them to pay within thirty days. “Again the new generation of the youths in Ezelle Village, started the trouble, by selling the farmland given to them by Umuezegbute Family when they have not been paying their landlords the required approved royalty, (Customer tributes) “In the Judgement Order of Hon Justice Ike Ogu, on,28th day of February 2019, in the Suit No. HID/92/1999 said that Umuezegbute family of Isu village Oba are the owners of the entire parcel of land known as and called Isiakabo land and Udugwu lands situate at Isu village Oba. “The Plaintiff, Ezelle village Oba, are hereby directed to pay all arrears of their Customary tributes to Umuezegbute family within thirty days, failing which the Plaintiff, the Ezelle village are deemed to have forfeited for misconduct all rights of residence and/or interest in the part of Isiakabo land granted to them by the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Umuezegbute family. “Interestingly, the Court also granted Umuezegbute family possession of the said part of Isiakabo land and awarded a cost of N50,000 against Ezelle village, and made an order of perpetual injunction restraining Ezelle village from tampering with the land. “Ezelle village went to appeal and when we waited for them to pursue their appeal, they did not because they knew their appeal lacks merit, so we filed a motion to dismiss their appeal and the Court of Appeal in the Appeal No. CA/AW/626M/2019 on Wednesday 18th day of March, 2020, rightly dismissed their appeal, so once their appeal has been dismissed, there is nothing for the court to do again, so Umuezegbute now had to go in and take their land, that is the position. “So they Ezelle Mbana people should not be deceiving the public by telling lies about what transpired. If their appeal has been dismissed, the proper procedure is it to just file another notice of appeal like they did, on the same dismissed appeal, once an appeal is dismissed, it is gone. “He who owns the land owns everything in the land and since Umuezegbute has been declared in the High and Appeal Courts as owners of the land, whatever they do with it and what is contained in it, is their business. The court gave them power of ownership and possession and they executed it.”

A Chief Magistrate Court 1 in Kaduna on Thursday set free two of the three suspected killers of Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile. However , the first suspect , Nehemiah Adejor , who drove the car that killed the Air Force Officer , is to be charged for culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy in the State High Court . When the case came up at the Magistrate Court 1 on Thursday, the prosecution counsel , Martins Leo , prayed the court to discharge the 2 nd and 3 rd suspects, as their investigation did not find them wanting. Chief Magistrate Benjamin Hassan while ruling on the prayer, discharged 2 nd and 3 rd suspects , Folorunsho Igbekele Faith and Gbayegun Deji, based on the Police investigation which did not find them wanting and the legal advice from the state ’s Director of Public Prosecution Bayero Dari that they had no case to answer. The legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution which was read in the open court . It noted that there was no premeditation in the death of the Flying Officer Arotile , but “ there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the 1 st suspect , Nehemiah Adejor , for culpable homicide not punishable with death. ” Meanwhile , Police Public Relations Officer Kaduna State Police Command , Muhammad Jalige , while speaking on the matter , said , “ Based on the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution , the 1 st suspect , Nehemiah Adejor , is going to be arraigned at the State High Court for culpable homicide not punishable with death on the 3 rd of September, 2020 .” The Nigeria Air Force Officer and its first female combat helicopter pilot , Flying Officer Tolulope Arotile was knocked down and killed by a vehicle driven by his secondary school mate , Nehemiah Adejor , on the 14 th July, 2020 . The 2 nd and 3 rd suspects were passengers in the said vehicle.

The Imo State Exco members has directed the immediate withdrawal of officials of the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO) from the state’s roads and streets. The directive which was given on Wednesday also includes that the police should arrest and prosecute any official of ENTRACO found on the streets or roads in Imo State demanding or harassing motorists. The decision was reached after the day’s weekly State Executive Council meeting. Briefing newsmen, the Commissioner for Information, Chief Declan Emelumba noted that the government had received numerous complaints from members of the public on the nuisance which persons who claim to be officials of ENTRACO constitute to motorists on the roads and streets of Owerri and its environs. Hon. Emelumba further disclosed that Governor Hope Uzoodimma got commendation for roads he commissioned in Owerri municipality last week. “Council noted that in the history of the state, no governor had awarded road contracts of the nature Governor Uzodimma awarded and got them completed and commissioned within such a short period of time,” the Commissioners said. Emelumba informed that the commissioner for transport was directed to incorporate members of the civil guard into his proposed transport management template to be called Imo State Traffic Management Agency pending the completion of the legal framework that will spell out the modus and its personnel. The commissioner for works was directed to revoke the contract of the Naze- Ihiagwa-Obinze road and to urgently re-award it to a more committed contractor because of the strategic importance of the road so as to stop the hardship the original contractor had subjected the users of the road to since he got the contract. The banks, he said, have been urged to recover the mobilization fee paid to the contractor handling the now revoked Naze-Ihiagwa-Obinze road. On the corroded masts belonging to some telecommunication firms in the state, Council urged the Board of Internal Revenue to send demand notice to the affected firms so that they can pay for the environmental hazards such masts have caused the state and its citizens. According to Emelumba, the Council also took critical decisions that affected ministries like Environment, Tourism, Works, and Transport. He said Council urged that the Imo State Zoo at Nekede originally domiciled with the ministry of Environment be moved to that of Tourism so as to enhance the potentials of the state’s zoological garden. Reactions have continued to trail the banning of the operations of the Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission, ENTRACO, by Governor Hope Uzodinma. It was gathered that the ban of ENTRACO operation, has earned the Uzodinma’s administration love, praises and support from the people. They described the government as a listening leadership to the people. Some motorists who spoke to Newsmen in Owerri said ,“With this, I will start to support this government. Uzodinma has shown he cares. We have suffered in the hands of these thugs and they treat us badly and collect our money. They should be banned forever.” According to another bus driver, along Wethedral road, who goes with the name, Mr Tobe, said: “If you want to know how happy people are with this ban of these thugs that called themselves ENTRACO, go round and talk to bus drivers. We are now happy with the ban of ENTRACO, there will peace in Owerri and people can do business freely. We pray Uzodinma will succeed.” Governor Hope Uzodinma’s Senior Special Assistant, SSA, on Public Enlightenment, Arinze Nwokedi, who further said: “You see this man, the General Manager, Macdonald Ebere on the radio all the time talking against the activities of these thugs. We studied this situation and found out that thugs of different forms what they do is to just go and buy apron of ENTRACO, and begin to blackmail the name of this government. “Whereas the set-out goals of ENTRACO are clearly stated. The revenue these thugs go out to collect are not paid into the coffers of this government they are doing it for their own selfish gains. “You can never know whether is the opposition that is doing this because they give maximum injury to the people. I stopped about five different places where these thugs were harassing motorists and when you try to find out who they are they will run away. “I got some of their pictures and I sent it to the GM of ENTRACO, they said that they don’t know who they are. However, the government does not collect on the road we operate a treasury single account. So the ban was in response to the yearnings of our people.”

President Muhammadu Buhari and his colleagues from West Africa are currently meeting over the crisis in Mali . The extraordinary summit of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS is holding virtually. Buhari is taking part from the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa , Abuja. He is being joined by some top government officials including the Secretary to Government of the Federation , Boss Mustapha ; Chief of Staff to the President , Ibrahim Gambari ; Minister of Foreign Affairs , Geoffrey Onyeama ; Minister of State , Foreign Affairs , Zubairu Dada ; and Minster of Defence , Major General Bashir Magashi ( retd .) , among others . Meanwhile The Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS on Thursday, disclosed that it will handover 3,999 tons of cereal to the federal government of Nigeria on Friday. The Commissioner for Finance, ECOWAS, Mrs Halima Ahmed disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja. According to her, the handover ceremony will take place at Hotoro ECOWAS grain depot, in Kano state. She added that this was part of the food security the Community has pledged to provide for its neighbouring states and to instigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the people of the region. The grains will be taken from the stocks in the ECOWAS Regional Food Security Reserve, partly warehoused with the Federal Strategic Reserve Department (FSRD) and distributed free of charge to the households most affected by the humanitarian situation in Nigeria.