BY Abdul-Ganiyy Akanbi

The Igbo Community Assembly Abuja has called for responsible public discourse and adherence to due for the process following a viral social media video that raised allegations about a business transaction involving one of its leaders.

During a press conference in Abuja, the Chairman, Chief Ositadimma Nwoye, the Assembly emphasised the need for Nigerians to avoid spreading unverified information that could harm reputations and create unnecessary tension in society.

The group said it was reacting to a viral video in which Mr. Ifeanyi Udezue made claims through social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, regarding a business transaction involving Chief Austin Oguejiofor.

According to the Assembly, Chief Austin Oguejiofor, also known as Onwa Enugwu-Ukwu, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Rotech Group and has built a reputation in the real estate sector spanning more than three decades.

The group noted that the businessman has also supported several organisations and initiatives, serving as Grand Patron of Ohanaeze Youth Worldwide, Grand Patron of Anambra State Association Europe, Grand Patron of Anambra State Association Turkey, and Grand Patron of the Radio Television Theatre and Arts Workers Union of Nigeria.

It also expressed concern over the manner in which respected Igbo elder and business leader Arthur Eze was referenced in the viral content.

“Respected leaders within our community deserve to be addressed with the decorum and dignity befitting their status,” the group said.

It further noted that issues relating to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were mentioned in the viral video but clarified that available documentation shows the petition earlier submitted to the commission had been withdrawn.

“Available information and documentation indicate that the petition earlier submitted to the EFCC was subsequently withdrawn… which contradicts the narrative suggesting compromise by the anti-graft agency,” the Assembly stated.

According to the group, documents such as registration records from the Corporate Affairs Commission and legal search reports relating to the business transaction also exist and provide additional context to the matter currently being discussed publicly.

It also referenced claims in the video that the content creator had held discussions with High Chief Oguejiofor, urging that the outcome of such interactions be presented in full to ensure fairness and balanced public understanding.

Calling for restraint, the group urged all parties to resolve disputes through lawful channels.

“Where disagreements arise from business transactions, the most appropriate avenue for resolution remains a court of competent jurisdiction or other legally recognised dispute-resolution mechanisms,” he added.

The Assembly further appealed to social media commentators to exercise caution and due diligence when discussing sensitive matters involving individuals and community institutions.

It reaffirmed commitment to protecting the integrity of its members while promoting fairness, accountability, and respect for the rule of law.

By George Mgbeleke

In a bid to end incessant killings in Benue and other parts of the country,the Senate on Thursday urged the Federal Government to establish a military base in Kwande, Benue State, to strengthen security and enable displaced residents to return safely.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by Sen. Emmanuel Udende (Benue Northeast) over escalating terrorist attacks across Kwande communities.

Udende said recent coordinated assaults by armed attackers in Kwande Local Government Area left more than 20 residents dead and forced many families to flee.

He explained that the attackers targeted villages and local markets, leaving widespread destruction, displacement, and fear among residents struggling to rebuild their shattered communities.

The senator recalled that on February 5, 2026, assailants invaded a settlement in the area, killing several residents, injuring others, and destroying homes and properties.

He added that nearly 50 people were reportedly killed in the February attacks, while several residents remain missing as communities continue searching for their loved ones.

Udende said that while victims were still mourning, another wave of deadly attacks occurred across parts of Kwande in March 2026, worsening the humanitarian crisis.

According to him, on March 10, 2026, gunmen again invaded communities, killing about eleven people and spreading panic among already traumatised residents.

He also noted that another attack on March 5 in the Bachor community resulted in additional deaths and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

“Several bodies recovered from the attacks remain unidentified, while about twenty-five persons are still missing,” Udende told lawmakers during plenary.

He warned that intimidation and arrests of local vigilantes by security operatives could undermine cooperation between community volunteers and official security agencies.

Udende said poor road networks, weak communication infrastructure, and absence of permanent security formations have continued to hinder rapid response to distress calls.

“Improved security presence and communication facilities will significantly enhance response time and protect lives in these vulnerable rural communities,” he stated.

Seconding the motion, Sen. Osita Izunaso warned that the security crisis in Benue had become a national emergency requiring urgent government intervention.

“It is unacceptable that a senator could be attacked even while worshipping in church,” Izunaso said

He described the proposed military base as a proactive step toward preventing further attacks and safeguarding lives ahead of upcoming political activities.

Also contributing, Sen. Ahmed Lawan said the recurring discussions on attacks and kidnappings showed Nigeria must rethink its overall security strategy.

“Our armed forces are not magicians. They can not defeat these criminals without adequate weapons, logistics, and timely release of operational resources,” Lawan said

He urged the National Assembly and government agencies to ensure security forces receive sufficient funding, equipment, and operational support to protect citizens.

The Senate thereafter observed a one-minute silence in honour of victims killed in attacks across Abande, Awu, Asinuba, Awapacho and other affected communities.

Lawmakers also urged security agencies to intensify surveillance, coordinated patrols and operations across the troubled communities to prevent further attacks.

The Senate further called on the federal government to establish a military base at the Ikyurav-Ya-Ukusu axis to ensure sustained security presence.

The lawmakers said the measure would enable displaced residents from affected communities in the Kwande Local government to return to their ancestral homes.

The Senate also urged telecommunications companies to install communication masts in affected areas to enable residents to make timely distress calls during emergencies.

In addition, lawmakers asked the NEMA to provide relief materials and humanitarian assistance to affected families across Kwande and other affected Benue local governments areas

By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned what it described as the unjust incarceration of pro-Biafra agitator Nnamdi Kanu, declaring him a prisoner of conscience and demanding his immediate release through the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy under Nigeria’s constitution.

In a strongly worded statement issued in Abuja, the civil rights advocacy group said the continued detention and life imprisonment of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) represents one of the gravest miscarriages of justice in Nigeria’s contemporary legal history.

HURIWA recalled that on October 13, 2022, the Court of Appeal of Nigeria quashed all the remaining charges against Kanu and ordered his immediate release after ruling that the Nigerian government violated both domestic and international law in the manner he was forcefully returned to Nigeria from Kenya in 2021. The appellate court held that the extraordinary rendition breached due process and therefore invalidated the prosecution against him.

The rights group noted that rather than comply with the appellate court’s ruling, the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which subsequently overturned the earlier ruling and ordered that the trial resume at the Federal High Court.

According to HURIWA, the decision of the federal government to challenge a judgment that had already ordered Kanu’s release demonstrated what it described as “deep-seated hostility and discriminatory animus against the Igbo people.”

The group stated that the trial that followed under Justice James Omotosho was marred by what it called “palpable hostility and predetermined conclusions,” arguing that the court relied heavily on interpretations of Kanu’s broadcasts while failing to establish direct evidence linking him to any specific acts of violence or killings.

The organisation said agitation for self-determination cannot automatically be equated with terrorism, stressing that international human rights norms recognise the right of peoples to advocate peacefully for political autonomy.

HURIWA further compared Kanu’s imprisonment with the historical detention of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, arguing that Nigeria has a troubling tradition of jailing vocal critics of the state.

“History is repeating itself,” the group stated. “Just as the Nigerian state once targeted Fela Anikulapo-Kuti for his radical dissent, today it is targeting Nnamdi Kanu for his political beliefs and advocacy for self-determination.”

The rights body also raised questions about what it called unequal treatment in dealing with separatist agitation across Nigeria.

HURIWA noted that Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Igboho, who similarly campaigned for secession in southwestern Nigeria, had benefited from political negotiations and interventions, asking whether the continued incarceration of Kanu reflects ethnic bias.

“Justice must not be selective,” the group said. “The continued imprisonment of Nnamdi Kanu raises serious concerns about whether the Nigerian state is applying the law equally to all citizens regardless of ethnicity.”

The advocacy organisation therefore called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to invoke the constitutional prerogative of mercy to secure Kanu’s immediate release in the interest of national reconciliation, peace and justice.

HURIWA argued that freeing Kanu would help de-escalate tensions in the South-East and open the door for constructive dialogue on the political grievances that have fueled agitation in the region.

“The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu serves no constructive national purpose,” the statement concluded. “He should be released immediately as a prisoner of conscience and allowed to pursue his political beliefs peacefully within the bounds of democratic engagement.”