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…accuse police unit of abducting constituents, as he appeal to IGP, PSC to intervene

By Gloria Ikibah

Member representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State in the House of Representatives, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has accused some officers attached to the Tiger Base and Violent Crime Response Unit of the Imo State Police Command of abducting and torturing his constituents in what he described as an attempt to implicate him in criminal activities.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the lawmaker alleged that some of the detained individuals were being forced to make statements linking him to terrorism, gun-running and murder.

He said: “Imo police are abducting my constituents and torturing them in a bid to frame me for frivolous criminal allegations, terrorism, gun-running and murder,” Ugochinyere alleged.

“They are creating fear and uncertainty in Imo State and attempting to intimidate opposition voices ahead of the elections.”

The federal lawmaker claimed that the activities of some officers attached to the controversial Tiger Base unit had turned the police structure into what he described as a tool for political persecution.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to intervene urgently and investigate the officers involved, particularly those allegedly linked to unlawful arrests, extortion and torture.

Ugochinyere also raised concerns over what he described as a coordinated attempt to deregister opposition political parties through the courts ahead of the 2027 elections.

He mentioned parties including the African Democratic Congress, Accord Party, Action Peoples Party and the Zenith Labour Party as groups allegedly targeted in the legal action.

According to him, the move was aimed at shrinking the political space and frustrating opposition candidates ahead of future elections.

“What kind of anarchy do you want this country to go through?” he asked.

“You cannot deregister political parties a few months to elections and expect Nigerians to fold their arms. You are playing with fire”, he added.

The lawmaker warned that any attempt to eliminate opposition parties through judicial means could create political instability and undermine democratic participation.

He, however, commended the Court of Appeal for suspending proceedings in the case seeking the deregistration of some political parties.

Ugochinyere praised the appellate court judges for granting a stay of proceedings against a Federal High Court ruling he claimed had raised serious constitutional concerns.

“The Constitution is clear. Once a party wins even one councillorship seat, deregistration does not arise,” he stated.

He cited Section 225A of the Nigerian Constitution, maintaining that parties which had secured elective positions could not legally be deregistered.

The lawmaker also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission not to challenge a recent Federal High Court judgment relating to aspects of the electoral timetable, warning that further legal disputes could heighten political tension ahead of the elections.

“The country cannot afford confusion at this critical moment.

“Appealing this judgment will create tension, uncertainty and doubts about the credibility of the elections,” he said.

In his closing remarks, Ugochinyere appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, security agencies and the National Judicial Council to protect democratic institutions and prevent what he described as attempts to weaken opposition politics through intimidation and exclusion.

“Democracy is about participation, not exclusion.
“You don’t claim to be popular while running around disqualifying opponents, deregistering parties and framing critics with criminal allegations”, he said.

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By Gloria Ikibah

The South East Development Commission has commenced the grand finale of its inaugural South East Venture Capital Programme, marking a major step towards expanding access to investment funding for emerging businesses across the region.

The event, taking place at the International Conference Centre in Enugu, features 50 finalist ventures selected from more than 1,200 applications submitted by entrepreneurs from across the South-East and other parts of the country.

According to the Commission, the initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at creating sustainable investment structures for innovation-driven enterprises and strengthening the region’s economic competitiveness.

The finalists emerged after a rigorous selection process involving video pitch reviews, phased assessments and judging rounds. The businesses were grouped into two categories, the Accelerator Track for ventures with measurable market traction and the Incubation Track for early-stage startups with strong growth potential.

Ahead of the final presentations, participants underwent an intensive investment-readiness bootcamp in Enugu focused on business development, investor engagement and pitch refinement.

Speaking before the grand finale, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Mark Okoye, described the programme as a strategic economic intervention rather than a routine competition.

“What is taking place here is not simply a startup pitch event. It is the deliberate construction of institutional capital infrastructure for the South East. For far too long, exceptional entrepreneurial talent in this region has operated without the kind of structured financial backing required to scale sustainably. The South East Venture Capital Program is our response to that gap, carefully designed to create long-term pathways for capital, innovation, and enterprise growth,” he said.

The 30 successful ventures selected from the finale will be unveiled during the inaugural investment ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, 2026. The selected businesses are expected to receive structured early-stage investment support under the South East Venture Capital Fund.

The Commission explained that the Fund was established to tackle one of the region’s longstanding economic challenges, limited access to institutional startup financing. It added that the investment framework is expected to attract up to $50 million in blended financing from public institutions, development finance partners, private investors and diaspora contributors over time.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Finance at the Commission and Chairman of the South East Venture Capital Programme, Stanley Ohajuruka, said the initiative had already demonstrated the depth of entrepreneurial talent within the region.

“What this programme has demonstrated very clearly is the depth of entrepreneurial ambition that exists across the South East. The volume and quality of participation affirm that there is no shortage of high-potential ventures in the region. The challenge has always been creating credible structures through which promising ventures can access early support, build investor confidence, and progress toward scale. This initiative is an important first step in building that bridge between enterprise and capital,” he stated.

The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s economic agenda focused on enterprise development, innovation and job creation under the Renewed Hope initiative.

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing the Ebola virus disease (EVD) due to ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

Despite the absence of any confirmed case in the country, the agency said heightened regional transmission, increased international travel, and cross-border population movement have raised concerns over the possibility of the disease spreading into Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest risk assessment classified the threat level as high.

“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the statement read.

The agency disclosed that several states have already been identified as vulnerable because of their proximity to land borders, major transport corridors, and international entry points.

According to the NCDC, response efforts are currently ongoing in the affected countries, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and control measures, as well as public sensitisation campaigns.

“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency stated.

As part of preparedness measures, the NCDC said Nigeria’s national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been placed on alert mode, while the incident management system has also been activated to strengthen national coordination and outbreak response capacity.

The agency added that Nigeria still retains critical structures and expertise developed from previous responses to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic diseases.

“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established Viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.
“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams (RRTs) are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required.”

The NCDC further said laboratories located in states with international points of entry have been placed on standby, while sample collection and transportation systems are being strengthened to support quick diagnosis of suspected infections.

The agency also said it has intensified public communication campaigns to combat misinformation and false claims surrounding Ebola.
“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organizations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement said.
“NCDC has also developed and disseminated Ebola Myths and Facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online.”