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Ikem’s Employer to be Charged with his Murder in Philippines- Dabiri-Erewa

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Ikem’s Employer to be Charged with his Murder in Philippines- Dabiri-Erewa

By: Michael Mike

Chairman/ CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has informed the Senate Joint Committees on Diaspora and Inter Governmental Affairs and Foreign Affairs that the employer of Ikem, a Nigerian student beaten to death in Philliphines, has been charged with murder, along with five others.

She also said that a viral video by a man posted on social media recently alleging that 250 Nigerians are slated for killing in Ethiopia was totally false and untrue.

This was the highlight of the investigative hearing of the Joint Senate Committees presided over in Abuja on Monday by Sen. Victor Umeh, saying on the case of Ikem, who was brutally murdered, the Philliphines authorities have declared the employer, who has since been on the run, wanted.

Dabiri-Erewa said that Nigeria Embassy had informed the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Philippines and also reported the case to the Inspector General of the Philippines National Police.

The Embassy, she added, had maintains regular contact with the line police station at the location; with a strong directive to go for the investigation.

Dabiri-Erewa said the investigating police team on the case are done with evidence building and presented the case to the Mandaue city prosecuting Department for action; who has evaluated it and deemed it fit for murder case filing.

“They have filed the case and issued a warrant of arrest to the boy’s employee and five other suspects; they are charged for murder, human trafficking and operation of illegal business in the Philippines”, she said.

The NiDCOM boss who gave the committee, a copy of the pictures of the suspects, said the pictures have been forwarded to all exits in the Philippines to prevent them from leaving the country.

She stressed that the case will be held as soon as the major suspect, still at large, is arrested.

On Nigerians in Ethiopian prisons, she said the official information received is that 160 Nigerians were serving various jail terms under very poor conditions and that over 90 per cent of them were for drug related offences.

She told the Committees that in order to decongest the prisons, amnesty was granted to them but majority of them went back and still committed the same crime.

She said that a Memorandum of Understanding was entered into awaiting Ministry of Justice in Nigeria to sign its own side of the deal to enable prisoners swap or to continue their jail term in their respective country.

In addition, she explained that most of those caught are those transiting from Addis Ababa to other countries of the world

Other stakeholders who appeared before the Committees were Hon. Amb. Enya Francis , Director, Consular representing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the sister of the deceased, Blessing Essien, President National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) Mr John Ogar and Country Representative Commonwealth Students Association (CSA), Mr Nwanba Chidubem.

Speaking in the same vein, the Director Consular in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Enya Francis said they are in close contact with Embassy and on top of the matter.

Francis said the corpse is yet to be buried as it will cost between N31million to N35 million to repatriate and bury the corpse in Nigeria as against N10 million to N15 million to cremate it in the Philippines.

He said the cost of keeping the corpse at the funeral home is accruing N30,000 on daily basis, hence the need to expedite action on the investigation and take appropriate action.

Speaking on behalf of the family of the deceased, Blessings Essien, Ikem elder sister, said he was the only son of the family and in-line with Igbo tradition, it would be an honour to bring the body back to Nigeria for burial.

She therefore appealed to the Federal Government through the Senate Committees to assist the family in repatriating the body back to Nigeria for a befitting burial.

The President of National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) in the Diaspora, Mr John Ogar said the group was troubled by the dastardly and wicked act in which late Ikem was killed and seeking for justice.

He and Mr Nwanba Chiduben, Country Representative of Commonwealth Students Association (CSA) said apart from protest they have done to seek justice for the death of Ikem, they have written to Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra state to assist the family in bringing back the corpse home for burial while appealing to some foreign airlines plying the route to see it as Corporate Social Responsibility in flying the corpse home.

Senator Umeh thanked all the stakeholders for all their efforts, saying the investigative hearing was sequel to a motion he moved on the floor of the Senate and the joint committees were mandated to investigate the matter.

He assured that the Committees will ensure that all those involved will be prosecuted and face the music, saying the matter would never be swept under the carpet.

Ikem, a Nigerian student based in Philippines, was on October 22, 2023 tortured by a group of Chinese co-workers over a minor disagreement with his supervisor.

“They tied his hands up, covered and tied his mouth and beat him until he gave up the ghost”, an eye witness said in a statement.

Ikem’s Employer to be Charged with his Murder in Philippines- Dabiri-Erewa

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Youth attempt to disarm soldiers enforcing curfew in Niger

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Youth attempt to disarm soldiers enforcing curfew in Niger

By: Zagazola Makama

Some youths in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State allegedly attempted to disarm soldiers enforcing a curfew before fleeing the scene, security sources have said.

Zagazola gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:35 p.m. on March 10 when troops of the 221 Battalion, Wawa Cantonment, were on patrol to enforce the curfew declared by the Chairman of Borgu Local Government.

According to the sources, the troops were patrolling along the Correctional Service Office area in New Bussa when they intercepted some motorcycles.

During the encounter, some aggressive youths reportedly began stoning the soldiers and attempted to struggle with them in a bid to seize a rifle, while also hurling abusive language.

The troops fired warning shots into the air to disperse the youths, who later fled the scene.

The Controller of the Nigerian Correctional Service subsequently reported the incident to the police.

Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in New Bussa immediately mobilised more security personnel to the area, but the youths had already dispersed.

Community leaders, including the village head, were later invited and cautioned to maintain peace and ensure residents avoid confrontations or misunderstandings with security personnel.

Security sources said no arrest was made and no injury was recorded, while the military troops continued their patrol in the area.

Youth attempt to disarm soldiers enforcing curfew in Niger

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ISWAP appoints Abu Ameer as new pulka commander after neutralization of Modu Kundiri

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ISWAP appoints Abu Ameer as new pulka commander after neutralization of Modu Kundiri

By: Zagazola Makama

Following the recent neutralization of Modu Kundiri, the senior commander (Qa’id) of Pulka camp in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has appointed a replacement to sustain its operational command in the area.

Intelligence reports obtained on the evening of March 11, 2026, revealed that ISWAP leadership quickly designated Abu Ameer as the new commander (Qa’id) of Pulka camp. The move pointed out to the group’s efforts in maintaining command continuity despite recent setbacks.

Kundiri had served as the senior commander, also known as Qa’id, of the group’s Pulka camp, a strategic operational hub located in the southern axis of Borno near the border with Adamawa State and Cameroon.

Pulka occupies a critical position in the insurgency landscape due to its geographical proximity to the border regions linking Borno State with Adamawa State and neighbouring Cameroon.

The area has historically served as a transit corridor for insurgent fighters, logistics supplies and communication networks operating across multiple theatres.

According to intelligence discussions intercepted on March 11, fighters loyal to the group are still present in Ngalta village, located between Pulka in Gwoza LGA and Madagali Local Government Area in Adamawa State.

The disclosure reportedly came during internal exchanges among insurgent members, where a fighter identified as Konto informed another member, Manya, about the continued presence of fighters in the area.

Such conversations indicated that despite losing commanders, the group continues to maintain operational cells and surveillance elements within the Pulka–Ngalta–Madagali corridor.
The continued presence of fighters in Ngalta village suggests that the insurgents may still retain limited operational capability along the Borno–Adamawa border axis. Such locations often function as temporary regrouping points or staging areas for movement between remote settlements.

The development therefore point to the need for sustained intelligence gathering, aerial surveillance and coordinated ground operations across the corridor.

Zagazola emphasise the importance of maintaining strong collaboration between military forces, local vigilante groups and community intelligence networks to detect insurgent movement.

The development comes amid ongoing operations by the Nigerian military to dismantle ISWAP strongholds across the Northeast and reinforce stability in affected communities.

ISWAP appoints Abu Ameer as new pulka commander after neutralization of Modu Kundiri

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Buni attends funeral prayers of Wali Shettima, elder brother, in Nauru

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Buni attends funeral prayers of Wali Shettima, elder brother, in Nauru

By: Yahaya Wakili

The Executive Governor of Yobe State, Hon. Mai Mala Buni CON, COMN, and other top government functionaries attended today the funeral prayers for Ba Wali Shettima, elder brother to Yobe State Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Baba Mallam Wali mni, in Nguru town of Yobe State.

Ably represented by his deputy, Hon. Idi Barde Gubana (Wazirin Fune), the funeral prayers were led by the chief imam of Nguru Central Mosque, Shiek Ibrahim Shehu Ahmad.

The governor described the death of the renowned Islamic scholar Ba Wali as a huge loss not only to the Nguru community but to the whole Yobe state.

Gubana further extolled the virtues of the late Ba Wali as a committed and dedicated cleric, an epitome of peace and knowledge who contributed his own quota towards teaching and propagating Islam.

Late Ba Wali died at the University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu, on Tuesday after a protracted illness at the age of 80. He is survived by a wife, ten (10) children, and many grandchildren.

Special prayers were offered by Chief Imam Shiek Ibrahim Shehu Ahmad. May Aljanna Firdausi be the reward of his good deeds. Amin, suma Amin.

Buni attends funeral prayers of Wali Shettima, elder brother, in Nauru

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