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Wigwe’s kinsmen promise to probe cause of death ‘traditional way’
The people of Isiokpo kingdom in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Wednesday vowed to use traditional means in investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of their son, Herbert Wigwe, in a helicopter crash in the United States of America.
Wigwe, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, was killed alongside his wife and son in a crash while travelling from Califonia to Nevava.
But peeved by his death, the Isiokpo’s traditional leadership, during a procession to begin eight days of mourning declared in Wigwe’s honour, said on Wednesday that they would deploy the ancient tradition to unearth the circumstances leading to his demise.
“We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe,” the traditional ruler of Isiokpo, Blessing Wagor said.
Our correspondent who visited the community on Wednesday observed that markets, shops and other business premises in the kingdom were shut, while the people wore black attires to mourn the death of Wigwe.
Many people in Omueke, Wigwe’s hometown and other communities in Isiokpo described him as generous, calm and friendly,
The procession that went round the communities terminated at the palace of the traditional ruler of Isiokpo, Blessing Wagor, who was seated with his council of chiefs to receive hundreds of mourners.
The crowd of mourners sang and called on God to intervene and help the community cope with what they described as an ‘unbelievable and incalculable’ loss.
Speaking, the monarch, King Wigor, described Wigwe as a special man to the community, saying he was championing the development of Isiokpo before his shocking demise.
Wigor further said Wigwe lifted many young men in the area from poverty and fulfilled many promises he made to the community.
He, however, expressed dismay that the community was anticipating the fulfillment of many other promises, including the provision of electricity he made to the people that would have affected more lives positively before his death.
The monarch stated, “Who will now complete the ongoing electricity project he initiated? Who will give us light?”
On some of Wigwe’s legacies, he said, “He is a special man to us. We are crying and mourning him. God knows everything. I won’t ask God why. We hand over everything to God. May God give us the mind to endure it.
“We relied on him. He came to develop Isiokpo. He was a wonderful person to us. He left many legacies in the community. He cited a university here. He made many promises. He promised us plenty of things. We are in tears.
“The light project that he promised us is still ongoing. Who will give us light again? He has gone, and we are in pain. What happens to our Christmas rice and bonus? He used to supply rice all over Isiokpo.
“We enjoyed him, and his death is painful. He was humble, honest and respectful.”
While stating that Wigwe would not be buried anywhere outside Isiokpo, he noted that the community was waiting for his remains to be given a traditional burial befitting him.
He, however, said the community would return to its traditional practice to ascertain the real cause of death of Wigwe.
“We must traditionally bury him. He cannot be buried outside Isiokpo. He must be buried here. The Isiokpo must find a way to probe his death.
“We must get to the root of the whole thing. Isiokpo is an ancient city. We must go back to our traditional way and find out what really killed Herbert Wigwe.
“If his death is natural. We will know. If it is from a human, we will know.”
The king said Wigwe’s death had taught many to work hard and make a positive impact in their communities, adding that if Wigwe had not left such legacies, the entire Isiokpo would not be mourning him.
He added, “This death is an example to all of us. You must make impact in your community. If Herbert is not a good man, this crowd will not gather here today. We can’t be here crying. Let’s follow Herbert Wigwe’s footsteps.”
The President of Isiokpo Youth Council and the Co-ordinating Chairman of all the Ikwerre community youth leaders, Apostle Peter Ezemoye, said the death of Wigwe should be thoroughly probed to find out its real cause.
Ezemoye said, “We are not too comfortable with the stories. We, the youths of Isiokpo, are using this opportunity to call on the Federal Government, the state and the National Assembly to look into this and follow up on investigations to know what actually happened.
“We are not buying into the stories. It is a great loss to us, and we can’t just lose a brother and father like that. We want the Interpol and the Nigerian government to find out what actually happened.
“I am not a pilot, and I am not an engineer, but in my layman’s understanding, when the weather is bad, you don’t take off. So the engineering crew and the helicopter company should be investigated. We need a thorough investigation to see what really happened.”
He flayed the death of Wigwe, describing it as shocking, pointing out that the entire community had been crying since the sad news was confirmed.
He said, :Wigwe was my boss; the news of his death came as a shock. I worked closely with him. We planned with him over the years with the things he brought down to Isiokpo. Education is the key of every society. He had the idea of turning the town into the envy of many people.
“He made many promises to us. We have been crying all these days. We took to the streets today to mark the respect and love we have for him. Today is Valentine’s Lovers Day. You can see the crowd, the entire Isiokpo, the King and chiefs, including the women, are here today in solidarity.
“But one thing is key. What is happening today shows the impact he made in Isiokpo, Ikwerre and Rivers at large. Other communities came here to partake in the procession. The only way we can honour his death is to ensure that his legacies are sustained. That is the best way anyone can mourn him.
“We must protect all and ensure we actualise all his dreams and aspirations. His dreams and his name shouldn’t be allowed to go into extinction. We are mourning him for eight days.
“But after today, activities will go on in the community on a low key. Wigwe did a lot for the community.”
General Godwin Osagie Abbe, a former minister of Defence and former Military Administrator of Akwa Ibom is dead.
He was said to have died in Abuja on Saturday after a protracted sickness.
The retired major general, a member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, was also Minister of Interior between July 26, 2007 and July 14, 2009 under the same administration of the late Yar’Adua.
An Alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife was born on Jan. 10, 1949, and would have attained the milestone of 75 years in 2025.
He was also a graduate of the United States Army Infantry School Fort Benning, Georgia, Ghana Armed Forces Staff College and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic studies, Kuru.
He became General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army; Commander, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and Commander, National War College. The late Abbe retired in 1999.
Meanwhile, Gov. Monday Okpebhbolo of Edo has mourned the late general, describing him as a legendary son of the state.
Okpebholo in a statement in Benin on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said as a revered military officer, administrator, and statesman, Abbe’s life was a testament to discipline, dedication, and service to the nation.
According to him, his illustrious career in the Nigerian Army was marked by numerous achievements.
The governor noted that, as a proud son of the state, Abbe’s distinguished service to the nation was a source of inspiration and pride.
“His tenure as Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State from 1988 to 1990, and later as Minister of Defence and Internal Affairs, demonstrated his exceptional leadership qualities and commitment to the well-being of the Nigerian people.
“General Godwin Osagie Abbe was a shining star whose light has been extinguished, but his legacy will continue to inspire and guide us.
“We celebrate his life, his service, and his contributions to our great nation.
“As we bid farewell to this remarkable individual, we reflect on the traditional and philosophical principles that guided his life and career.
“May his soul rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to illuminate the path to greatness for the people of Edo State and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike has ordered government hospitals to provide free treatment to the people that sustained injuries during a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama, Abuja.
Wike gave the directive in a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr Lere Olayinka, in Abuja on Saturday.
No fewer than 10 people including children lost their lives while 10 others sustained injuries to the stampede, during the distribution of food items to less privileged and the elderly by the church.
The sad incident occurred around 6:30 a.m on Saturday.
Wike said that the FCT Administration would ensure that the injured received adequate medical attention.
The minister, who commiserated with the victims, also directed that henceforth, police permission should be obtained by individuals or organizations planning public distribution of palliatives, either food items or cash.
Describing the incident as “painful”, Wike prayed for the repose of the souls of the lives that were lost and fortitude for their families to bear the irreparable loss.
He commended the Police and other security agencies for their prompt intervention, saying, “the promptness in which security agencies responded to the incident was commendable.”
In a related development, the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), equally commiserated with the victims of the stampede.
The acting Director General of the department, Mr Abdulrahman Mohammed, in a statement said that nine out of the 10 injured persons earlier taken to Maitama District Hospital, have been treated and discharged.
Mohammed also appealed to organisations that intended to give out food items to the less privileged to involve security agencies or FEMD for adequate planning to ensure safety of beneficiaries.
He also advised the use of coupons and segregation of the beneficiaries into groups to avoid crowd and rowdiness that could lead to stampedes.
Similarly, the Police Command in the FCT has ordered organisations, religious bodies, groups, or individuals to notify the police when planning public events, charitable activities, or large gatherings in the territory.
In a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said that the notification was to enable the police to deploy adequate security measures for public safety.
According to her, failure to comply with the directive will result in the organisers being held liable for any incident or loss of life resulting from negligence
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has issued a warning against the unorganised distribution of palliatives and funfairs, which have led to stampedes and fatalities among vulnerable citizens.
The Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, gave the warning during a media briefing on Saturday in Abuja.
Adejobi explained that the warning came in response to the increasing number of stampedes resulting in injuries and deaths, particularly during palliative distributions.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced his government’s intention to ban TikTok for at least one year starting from January following the death of a schoolboy last month that further fueled fears about the influence of the short video-sharing platform on children.
“We are going to close it for a year, and we are going to start rolling out programs that will serve the education of students and help parents follow their children’s journey,” Mr Rama said during a meeting with teachers, parents and psychologists in Albania’s capital Tirana on Saturday.
Discussions around the negative impact of social media on children were further amplified a couple of weeks ago after a 14-year-old school was killed and another injured in a fight near a school in southern Tirana, with reports suggesting the confrontation began on social media.
“In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to keep traditions, but on the TikTok outside China, we see only scum and mud. Why do we need this?” Mr Rama said.
He described TikTok as “the thug of the neighbourhood.”
This is the latest setback in TikTok’s moves to redeem its reputation over threats to national security and harmful influences on children in many countries.
The company said it is seeking urgent clarifications from the Albanian government about the proposed ban.
According to the BBC, TikTok said it found no evidence that the suspect who stabbed the 14-year-old boy or the victim himself had TikTok accounts.
TikTok is already banned in India, Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia, with the U.S. moving to join the list after Congress passed a bill to ban the app in the country if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform by January 19 on national security grounds.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear last-minute legal arguments from TikTok as to why it should not be banned or sold, with a hearing scheduled for January 10.
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