Akwa Ibom lawmaker raises alarm over deplorable state of Calabar/Itu highway

Published

6 months ago

October 27, 2024

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The member representing Ibiono Ibom State constituency at the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mr Moses Essien has raised the alarm over the deplorable state of the long abandoned Calabar/Itu highway.

He called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to hasten the construction of the road which connects the South-South and the South-East as well as other parts of the country.

The construction of Calabar/Itu highway by the current construction firm had dragged for over five years with no completion in sight.

The lawmaker, Essien, during an oversight visit to the area, lamented how commuters and motorists spend days in long queues stretching several kilometres on both lanes of the road, thereby causing loss of man hours, economic and material resources.

He expressed concern ove the slow pace of work by the construction firm handling the project and the untold suffering and economic loss by commuters along the road.

Highlighting the road’s strategic importance for both Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, and the untold sufferings commuters from both states had suffered over the years, Essien urged Tinubu to provide adequate funding to contractors with a matching order for immediate completion of the project.

Speaking to journalists, Essien said: “As the member representing the people of Ibiono Ibom state constituency and as one who has been using this road, I had to come here to see things for myself from what I have seen and as you can see, the road has become impassable and the people of my constituency and other users are suffering.

“I want to seize this opportunity to call on the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene, and ensure adequate and proper funding for the construction of this important road which links the South-South region and the South-East region and other parts of the country.

“You can only imagine what the people are suffering on this road, sleeping days on the road without getting to their destinations.

“People cannot access Cross River State from here, neither can they access Akwa Ibom State, and you know the importance of this road to this region and the country as a whole.”

It was gathered that Calabar/Itu road was initially constructed in the 70s and has exceeded its lifespan.

Soldiers should arrest civilians wearing military uniform, not assault them – Nigerian Army official

Published

2 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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The Chief of Civil-Military Affairs (Army), Major Gen. Gold Chibuisi, has told Nigerian soldiers what to do to civilians dressed in military uniform.

Speaking during a chat with journalists on Saturday night in Abuja, Chibuisi also said that it is against Nigerian law for non-military personnel to wear military uniforms.

According to him, soldiers must act professionally and lawfully when handling such cases.

He, however, revealed that many soldiers had been sanctioned for assaulting Nigerians who wore military camouflage.

Chibuisi said: “I’m surprised that in most briefs we give in our programmes, we always talk about this uniform issue because it keeps recurring.

“It’s against the law of the land. If you are not in the Armed Forces, please don’t use our uniform, whether you love it or not.

“But that is one part of it. Let people stop it. The other part is what we do, what our troops do when they see somebody dressed in a military uniform.

“You are supposed to just get the person to remove it, arrest the person and hand him over to the police, basically for prosecution.

“All these other things that come with it are not right. And we are doing sensitisation on them.

”Those that we find and there is evidence that they did that, we always sanction them sternly. And we will continue to do that.”

Kidnappers attack Shanono community in Kano

Published

2 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Kano

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Armed kidnappers attacked Shanono Local Government Area late Saturday night, attempting to abduct a prominent businessman and his two children.

According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants stormed the town around 2:20 a.m., heavily armed with guns and other dangerous weapons. Residents reported hearing continuous gunfire near the victim’s residence as the kidnappers tried to seize him and his children.

However, the businessman and his children managed to escape the attack, frustrating the kidnappers’ efforts. One of the victims was injured during the incident and has been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

This latest attack comes less than ten days after gunmen invaded Faruruwa town, also in the Shanono area, where they killed two people and abducted another.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Shanono Local Government Area, Hon. Abubakar Barau, through his spokesperson, Comrade Ammar Shanono, said security operatives have been deployed to the area to investigate the attack and ensure the safety of residents.

Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies as efforts to track down the perpetrators continue.

Fresh explosion kills over five persons in Rivers

Published

2 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

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At least five persons lost their lives in an explosion in a residential area in Omoku, headquarters of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government of Rivers State, on Saturday.

Fyneface Dumnamene, an environmentalist and executive director of the Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday.

It was gathered that the blast was said to have occurred in one of the rooms in a residential area used for storing illegally refined petroleum products.

According to Dumnamene, the occupants of the residence where the explosion occurred usually buy illegally refined kerosene and other products, store them, and resell them to members of the public.

The statement partly reads, “The incident occurred in the late hours of Saturday, April 26, by about 11 am, killing five persons, four females and one male, burnt beyond recognition.”

The Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, also confirmed the incident and casualties.

She explained the cause of the explosion.

According to her, “What really caused the fire was that a resident brought a cooking stove to the place and was preparing noodles, which ignited the fire.

Recall that in March two explosions rocked Rivers State.

The first explosion was at the Trans-Niger Pipeline at Bodo, Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State. The second was at a pipeline manifold in the Omwawriwa community, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Thereafter, President Bola Ahmed Tinubudeclared a state of emergency in Rivers, suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and appointed retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as administrator on March 18, 2025.