By Our Correspondent

Abuja experienced significant disruptions(today)Monday due to the the FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest led by Omoyele Sowore.

The situation is chaotic, with major roads like the Abuja-Kubwa expressway and Abuja-Keffi highway heavily congested, causing long traffic gridlocks.

In Abuja City Centre, Roads and offices were shut down, with commuters trekking to their destinations.

The Ushafa Bridge, Current situation report at Ushafa bridge showed massive crowd of commuters stranded on the road side in bid to board vehicles, which unfortunately, are not forthcoming. I am currently stranded at the bridge.

However, the situation in Gwagwalada remained relatively calm as normal activities continue, with okada riders, popularly known as Going — and vehicles moving freely across the town.

Our correspondent, who went around Gwagwalada metropolis, reports that most shops owned by the Igbo community remain under lock and key, particularly along the usually busy Park Road, where business activities are completely grounded. Only a few traders were seen hanging around their closed shops.

other establishments such as banks, fuel stations, and schools; both public and private were open and attending to customers and students.

One of the affected business owners, Mazi Agu Okechukwu Samuel, Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lion Property Enterprise Limited, spoke to Dailly Champion.

He confirmed that his office was locked in solidarity with the protest, being an Igbo man.

Meanwhile, movement within Gwagwalada remains unhindered, as residents go about their normal activities, with security personnel visible at strategic points carrying out their regular duties.

A joint security checkpoint has caused traffic gridlock, with motorists using single lanes or detouring.

Commuters were largely at the receiving end as they were stranded for hours at various bus-stops and junctions because there were no commercial or private vehicles to convey them to their places of work.

Motorists were also seen reversing back to their homes on sighting the chaotic gridlock and armed uniform personnel, while those who were yet to leave their homes, decided to take a rest.

At the city centre, particularly around the Federal secretariat and the three arm zone, large number of commuters are trekking to find their ways to their various destinations as all the roads and offices are shut down.

…. Calls for Improved military Civil affairs
By Our Correspondent

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended the Nigerian Armed Forces for their courageous and well-coordinated operation that led to the arrest of the notorious commander of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN), popularly known as Gentle de Yahoo (identified as Ifeanyi Eze Okorienta).
The group described him as the kingpin behind the persistent wave of killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks across the South-East, especially in Imo State.

HURIWA specifically asserted that the failure of the Nigeria Army to demonstrate practically that Gentle Yahoo was indeed captured alive is troubling.

HURIWA however noted that Human rights violations by the military operatives during internal security operations across Nigeria are rife with South-East of Nigeria witnessing some of the most brutal killings of innocent Igbo youths by armed security forces including police, Department of State Services and state run armed vigilantes in Imo states.

The Rights group said the recent report of massive killings of Igbo youths which was prepared articulately by Amnesty International is factually accurate and credible just as HURIWA tasked the heads of the different armed security services to wake up, enforce strict adherence to the rules of engagement and zero-tolerance to corruption, extrajudicial killings and lack of professionalism which are manifesting amongst many operatives of the armed forces of Nigeria.

The killers of Igbo youths amongst the armed forces must be identified, prosecuted, and punished for their crimes against humanity.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, HURIWA described the ‘arrest’, if proven as announced by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Magnus Kangye as “a landmark breakthrough” and “a major moral victory” for the Nigerian military in its sustained campaign to restore peace and order in the region.

The Association noted that Gentle de Yahoo’s reign of terror had inflicted untold hardship and suffering on several communities, particularly in Okigwe, Orsu, and Arondizuogu, where he allegedly coordinated brutal attacks and extortion activities.

According to verified security reports cited by HURIWA, troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation UDO KA, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended Gentle de Yahoo and eight of his accomplices in coordinated offensives across Imo and Ebonyi States.
During the raid, the military recovered an English pistol, assorted rounds of ammunition, police and military uniforms, six mobile phones, and a cache of operational motorcycles and vehicles used in terror operations.

HURIWA recalled that the arrested commander had long been on the military’s wanted list for spearheading multiple acts of terror, including kidnappings, community invasions, and targeted killings in parts of Imo State. Among his most horrifying atrocities, the Association noted, was his alleged orchestration of the massacre in Arondizuogu, where gunmen believed to be loyal to his network invaded three communities (Umualaoma, Ndiakuwanta, and Ndiejezie) killing over 30 people in cold blood earlier this year.

Describing the arrest as “the fall of a major pillar of organised terror in the South-East,” HURIWA urged the Nigerian military to consolidate on this momentum by dismantling the remaining cells of violent agitators still operating under the guise of secessionist struggle.

The Association called for sustained, intelligence-driven operations while adopting more strategic approaches such as increased collaboration with traditional rulers, local vigilante groups, and community-based intelligence volunteers. HURIWA emphasized that meaningful civilian cooperation and timely intelligence sharing are critical to consolidating the military’s recent gains.

The rights group further lauded the visionary leadership and operational acumen of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, whom it credited for instilling renewed discipline, coordination, and professionalism across the Armed Forces. HURIWA said General Musa’s unwavering commitment to protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and ensuring human rights compliance in counter-terrorism operations has restored public confidence in the military.

It also called on the federal government to improve the welfare and remuneration of military personnel, particularly those serving in volatile areas. The Association noted that better funding, prompt payment of allowances, and improved logistics support would not only sustain troop morale but also enhance operational effectiveness in ongoing security operations nationwide.

HURIWA urged civilians in the South-East to complement the efforts of the Armed Forces through intelligence sharing, vigilance, and moral support. It maintained that genuine peace and security can only be achieved through collective responsibility, where citizens, community leaders, and security agencies work hand in hand to defeat terror and criminality.

While reiterating its unwavering support for the Nigerian military, HURIWA called on the Defence Headquarters to ensure that all suspects arrested in connection with violent crimes are prosecuted in accordance with due process, to serve as a deterrent to others who continue to undermine peace and national unity.

The Association concluded by expressing optimism that with sustained strategic coordination, improved logistics, and nationwide solidarity, Nigeria will soon witness a significant decline in violent extremism and criminality.

By Our Correspondent

Ahead of the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaign protest slated for Monday, 20 October, the leadership of Biafra Independence Movement, BİM, /Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB, Sunday spit fire, warned police not to touch its leader, Chief Ralph Uwazuruoke.

The movement sounded the note of warning while reacting to the invitation to Uwazuruike by the Imo state Police Command based on the said protest.

In a press release signed and issued to newsmen by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity/Director of Information to BIM/MASSOM, Mazi Chris Mocha, the movement condemned in strong terms, the police summon extended to its leader, Uwazuruike, and warned – “Don’t Touch Ralph Uwazuruike.”

The release said the invitation, was against democratic principles and, a violation of the leader’s fundamental human rights.

The pro-Biafra group insisted that its leader, and İjele Ndigbo, Ralph Uwazuruike had never committed any offence by volunteering to join a Nationwide ‘peaceful’ protest for the release of the detained leader of indigenous people of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

The police summon according to the statement was a ploy to arrest and possibly detain its leader, and İjele Ndigbo, Ralph Uwazuruike .

Recall that Uwazuruike had over the weekend dragged the İmo State Police Command, and others to Owerri High Court to enforce his fundamental human rights.

MASSOB described its leader, Ralph Uwazuruike Esq, as a peaceful man who leads a peaceful organization in Nigeria for the past 26 years and has demostrated his penchant for peaceful dialogue and respect for the rule of law while advocating for the Self-determination for Biafra.