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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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Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Damboa LGA of Borno

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Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Damboa LGA of Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested a suspected kidnapper in Azir community, Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Sources told Zagazola Malama that the suspect was apprehended at about 5:00 p.m. on March 28 by troops of 25 Brigade and 19 Battalion (Mechanised) deployed at a Forward Operating Base in Azir.

The source disclosed that the suspect was alleged to have been involved in kidnapping activities within the Damboa and Azir general areas.

“During preliminary investigation, the suspect claimed to be a cattle courier operating within Damboa and its environs,” the source said.

He added that one bicycle was recovered from the suspect at the point of arrest.

The suspect and the recovered item are currently in troops’ custody for further investigation and necessary action.

Troops arrest suspected kidnapper in Damboa LGA of Borno

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Troops arrest 58 illegal miners in Edo state

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Troops arrest 58 illegal miners in Edo state

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation MESA have arrested 58 suspected illegal miners at an illegal gold mining site in Ososo general area, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

A security source disclosed that the suspects were apprehended at about 1:00 p.m. on March 28 during a fighting patrol conducted by troops of 195 Battalion (Rear).

According to the source, the troops stormed the mining site and arrested the suspects without resistance.

“The suspects are currently in troops’ custody for further action,” the source said.

He noted that the operation forms part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal mining activities and other criminal enterprises within Edo State and its environs.

Troops arrest 58 illegal miners in Edo state

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Army troops arrest two suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers in borno

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Army troops arrest two suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers in borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai, in collaboration with operatives of the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre (JIFC), have arrested two suspected logistics suppliers to Boko Haram terrorists in Gubio town, Borno State.

A military source disclosed that the suspects, identified as Mal Bunu Gojemi and Zanna Alhaji Mallam, were apprehended at about 11:30 a.m. on Saturday during a joint logistics strangulation operation conducted by troops in the area.

According to the source, the suspects confessed during preliminary interrogation to being long-time suppliers of logistics to the Boko Haram.

Items recovered from them include three mobile phones, a traditional cap, and the sum of N40,000.

“The suspects have since been handed over to operatives of the Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre for further investigation,” the source said.

He added that the operation was carried out without any incident.

The Nigerian Army and other security agencies have continued to intensify operations aimed at cutting off logistics supply chains to insurgents as part of ongoing counter-terrorism efforts in the North-East.

Army troops arrest two suspected Boko Haram logistics suppliers in borno

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