Index to Nigerian Newspapers

The All Progressives Congress on Thursday slammed the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, for criticising the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election and the electoral process. This happened as Atiku and Obi attacked the Independent National Electoral Commission over its conduct of the polls. The five-member tribunal had nullified the petitions of Atiku and Obi in the 12-hour judgment delivered on Wednesday. However, speaking on the development during a press conference at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja, Atiku said his belief that the PEPC’s judgment left a lot to be desired convinced him to direct his legal team to approach the Supreme Court for redress. The former vice president slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission for poor management of the last general elections which he said the judiciary had a duty to redress. The LP presidential candidate, Obi, has similarly criticised Wednesday’s judgment of the PEPT. The ex-Anambra State governor averred that it was “not conterminous” with justice, adding that everything about the presidential election was not yet over. He insisted the matter had not yet reached its logical conclusion.

A popular native doctor in Anambra State and an indigene of Oba in the Idemili North Local Government Area of the state, Chinedu Nwangwu, popularly called “Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki” was on Sunday kidnapped by some yet-to-be-identified assailants. The native doctor, Triple P Hotel, late on Sunday. After which he was whisked away and his whereabouts were yet unknown. ” a source said. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, adding that it happened around 11.30pm on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, controversy has been trailing the whereabouts of the abducted native doctor as some of his fans, on Monday, claimed that he had been released.

They posted a video on social media, claiming that the native doctor had been released from captivity.

But when contacted by our correspondent, the state police spokesperson, Ikenga, maintained that there was no news of the return of the native doctor yet.

“I don’t have such information of his release before me. All I know is that operatives of the command have been ordered by the state Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, to immediately go after the kidnappers.

“CP Adeoye has ordered that operatives go after his abductors and ensure his release,” Ikenga added.

The leadership of the Biafra Independence Movement and Movement for Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra said police raided its regional office along Awkuzu/ Otuocha Road, Ifitedunu in the Dunukofia Local Government Area of the Anambra State. The Senior Special Assistant to BIM-MASSOB on Media and Publicity, Chris Mocha, in a statement said, the policemen invaded their office, Mocha added that an 87-year-old member of the group, Chief Sylvester Dinyelu, 66-year-old Chief Beka Udemefuna and 53-year-old Amauche Ode, were also arrested by the police. When contacted, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, simply said, “Thank you for the information.” But a senior police officer, who preferred anonymity, confirmed the development noting that the command was not ready to give any of such groups chance to continue terrorising the state for no reason whatsoever.

Residents in the Osumoghu community in Anambra State are living in fear following air strikes by the Nigerian Air Force. The airstrikes were conducted following credible intelligence reports that suspected Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) fighters had planned to unleash mayhem on residents. IPOB debunked NAF's claims, claiming the military bombed innocent civilians in the affected areas. The Transitional Chairman of the Nnewi South LGA has not responded to calls and messages.