A local tricycle operator, Mr. Dennis Izuchukwu Okechi, has recounted how six armed bandits threatened to shoot him dead after he used the Igbo language to secretly alert his community to his location during a kidnapping ordeal in Ohuhu, Umuahia North Local Government Area.

Okechi and Mrs. Onyinyechi Ekechukwu, a farmer, were abducted around 3:00 p.m. last Wednesday while returning from their farm in the Umuawa Alaocha community. The bandits dragged them into the bush, where they inflicted wounds on both victims and demanded a ₦10 million ransom.

Speaking from his hospital bed, Okechi described the dramatic moment when the kidnappers handed him his phone to contact his family. Instead of using English, he quickly switched to Igbo to reveal their exact location in the Udengwu forest.

“I quickly used the Igbo language to alert them about the area where the bandits had dragged me and Auntie Onyinyechi. I told them that I was being held in the Udengwu area, and this helped my people to know the location where we were being held,” Okechi narrated.

He continued: “But the bandits became angry at me for not speaking English so that they could hear what I told my people. They threatened to shoot me.”

The victims were rescued around midnight the same day by the Umuawa Alaocha community security outfit after youths and leaders mobilized and combed the forest following Okechi’s alert. The bandits, who reportedly spoke a strange language and identified themselves as “bandits,” fled through another route in the bush upon noticing the approaching rescue team.

Okechi expressed deep appreciation to the youths and leaders of his community for their swift response, which led to their rescue.

In reaction to the incident, the member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia Federal Constituency, Hon. Obi Aguocha, strongly condemned the attack on his Ohuhu community. He called for increased vigilance across Ohuhu and other parts of Igboland to curb the rising threat of banditry and kidnapping.

As Nigerians celebrate the 27th anniversary of the return to democratic governance, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has sharply criticised Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration, accusing it of eroding democratic principles, particularly the separation of powers and the rule of law.

In a strongly worded press statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Lancelot Obiaku, the PDP alleged that the Uzodinma administration has consistently undermined public confidence in governance through arbitrary exercise of power, lack of accountability, and disregard for democratic institutions.

The party stated that true democracy is defined by the separation of powers and adherence to the rule of law, elements it claims are visibly absent in Imo State under the current leadership.

“Uzodinma’s leadership has not shown enough commitment to offer Imo people what true democracy looks like,” the statement read, citing what it described as six years of “arbitrary use of force and power, lack of accountability in the management of public funds, disrespect for the rule of law, and corruption and insecurity.”

The PDP further claimed that these issues have failed to inspire hope among Imo citizens during the Democracy Day commemoration.

The opposition party accused the governor of undermining the Legislature and Judiciary while stifling the local government system by denying it funds and autonomy.

“ The administration is undermining the roles of the Legislature and the Judiciary, stifling the local government system by keeping it in subjugation, depriving it of resources, and effectively running a government where the Executive operates suo motu without recourse to the other arms of government,” the statement said.

The PDP highlighted the alleged diversion of nearly N700 billion in Local Government Area (LGA) allocations since the inception of the present administration, with little to show in terms of rural infrastructure, education, commerce, payment of minimum wage, pensions, or gratuities.

“Our local government areas do not receive up to 10 percent of their allocations. How then would development get to the grassroots with the greed exhibited by the state government?” the party queried.

The opposition also criticised the governor for failing to conduct democratic LGA elections, instead appointing sole administrators, which it said has deprived the people of grassroots governance.

On the judiciary, the PDP noted that Imo State went nearly a year without a Chief Judge after the position became vacant on November 16, 2024. It alleged that Governor Uzodinma failed to follow constitutional provisions by requesting a recommendation from the National Judicial Council (NJC) and instead swore in Hon. Justice Theophilus Nnamdi Nzeukwu, an appointment the NJC reportedly declared void.

The absence of a substantive Chief Judge, the party said, paralysed the judiciary, as only a Chief Judge can assign cases and perform certain critical functions.

Regarding public procurement, the PDP alleged that the governor has shut down the Public Procurement Bureau, with contracts now awarded secretly without advertisement, transparency, or input from the State Assembly.

The party specifically cited the re-awarding of the World Bank-funded Umuguma and Nekede–Iheanwa roads — projects it claimed were previously awarded in 2020 and 2023 for tens of billions of naira with no visible progress.

“This is the height of theft and sleaze perpetrated by an administration with a morbid inclination toward fraud,” the PDP alleged.

Despite the criticisms, the party wished Imo people and Nigerians a happy Democracy Day and urged them to maintain faith in democratic governance, assuring that a better future remains possible.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State has joined Nigerians in celebrating this year’s Democracy Day, praising President Bola Tinubu for what it described as bold and courageous steps toward strengthening democratic governance and national development.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Uche Aguoru, the Abia APC described the occasion as “a historic one that commemorates the triumph of the people’s will, the sacrifices of our democratic heroes, and the resilience of our democratic institutions.”

The party lauded the Tinubu administration’s policy direction, saying it has shown “courage and determination in implementing critical reforms aimed at addressing long-standing structural challenges confronting our nation.”

While acknowledging that the ongoing reforms may come with temporary hardships, the APC maintained that such measures are essential for laying a solid foundation for the country’s future.

“While these reforms may demand temporary sacrifices, they are necessary steps towards building a stronger economy, attracting investments, creating jobs, stabilising public finances, and securing a better future for generations yet unborn,” the statement said.

The Abia APC further commended President Tinubu’s leadership for restoring public confidence in governance.

“President Tinubu’s bold leadership has rekindled hope in the possibility of a Nigeria that works for all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation,” the statement read.

The party urged citizens, particularly residents of Abia State, to continue supporting the Federal Government’s reform agenda, emphasising that democracy flourishes through active participation and collective responsibility.

“Democracy thrives when citizens actively participate in governance and support policies designed to advance the collective good,” it said.

Reaffirming its commitment, the Abia APC declared that it remains focused on promoting good governance, transparency, accountability, and the delivery of democratic dividends to the people.

“As a party, the Abia APC remains committed and focused on our journey towards enthroning good governance, transparency, accountability, welfare of Abians, defending democratic principles, and ensuring that the dividends of democracy reach every community across Abia State and Nigeria at large,” the statement concluded.