News
Horrific tale of Southern Kaduna crises
•Mourners bearing caskets of victims of attacks in Southern Kaduna
This piece profiles the age-long killings in Southern Kaduna which have claimed thousands of lives, defiling every reasonable effort targeted at ending the needless bloodshed
The crisis in Southern Kaduna has been summarized as ethno-religious crises due to the different turn of events and shapes the crises have taken over the years.
The people are not just being killed, but are raped, physically and psychologically tortured, abducted, massacred, executed, mobbed, rendered homeless, and neglected by the government whom they voted in to protect and give them a sense of belonging, security and safety.
To get a better understanding of the origin of the crises would mean first understanding the demographics of the Kaduna State itself.
Kaduna Demographics
The city of Kaduna, the capital of Kaduna State, is one of the largest in northern Nigeria and is viewed by some as the symbolic capital of the north.
While the north of Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, Kaduna has a significant population of Christians, from around 30 ethnic groups based mostly in the southern part of the state, sometimes referred to as the South Kaduna minority tribes.
According to some estimates, close to half the population of Kaduna may be made up of Christians. The majority of the population in the northern part of Kaduna State are Muslims from the Hausa/Fulani ethnic groups.
Kaduna differs from other northern states in that although some areas are dominated by particular ethnic groups, these different groups have also lived side by side in the same areas for many years, especially in Kaduna town.
Kaduna has a different mix of populations from other northern states, as its capital is one of the more developed cities in the north and has become host to people from many ethnic groups from different parts of the country, including Christians from other states.
Background of Crises lose
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international non-governmental organisation that conducts research and advocacy on human rights, over several decades, Kaduna, like other states of Nigeria, has experienced outbreaks of violence and fighting between different groups.
Most often, this has pitted Muslims against Christians, although the fundamental causes can be traced to political and economic rivalries, rather than religious differences.
In recent years, however, religion has come to the fore as one of the aspects with which people have identified most readily and which has enabled leaders to stir up violence whenever it suited their purposes.
Since 2000, in particular, the religious dimension to the tensions in Kaduna emerged more explicitly, as conflicts began to centre around the extension of Sharia to criminal law, one of the most divisive issues in Nigeria in recent times.
Three of the most serious outbreaks of violence in Kaduna State occurred in 1987, 1992 and 2000.
In 1987, a dispute erupted between students from different ethnic and religious groups in Kafanchan, and the violence spread to several other towns and areas.
In February and May 1992, in what became known as the Zangon-Kataf crisis, there were clashes in Zangon-Kataf between the Hausa and the Kataf (a predominantly Christian ethnic group), initially sparked off by a dispute over the relocation of a market. Killings of Hausa by Kataf were followed by reprisal killings of Christians by Muslims, including in several other parts of Kaduna State.
Rise of Violence
The three notable incidents quoted above only indicated the rise of violence in Kaduna as they brought to the fore several factors which have consistently fueled the violence in the state to date.
These factors included ethnic differences, religious bigotry and farmers and herders striving for land dominance.
In February and May 2000, in some of the most serious inter-communal violence that Nigeria has seen, at least 2,000 people, and possibly many more, were killed in fighting between Christians and Muslims in Kaduna.
Some commentators have described the 2000 Kaduna riots as the single worst outbreak of violence in Nigeria since the 1967 to 1970 civil war.
The Sharia Factor
In the year 2000, fighting began following the debate around the proposed introduction of Sharia in Kaduna State.
Sharia had existed in northern Nigeria for many years, but until 1999, it had only been applied to personal and domestic law. From 1999 onwards, in a move which was popular among many Muslims but highly controversial in the broader Nigerian federation, several northern state governors began extending its application to criminal law and other areas that had not been previously regulated.
Zamfara state was the first state to do so; others soon followed, and by 2001, most of Nigeria’s 12 northern states had adopted some form of Sharia in criminal law.
Although designed to apply only to Muslims living in these states (non-Muslim criminal suspects are not tried by Sharia courts), its application has been strongly opposed by Christians, who find themselves directly or indirectly affected by it in different ways; for example in some states, the sale and consumption of alcohol are prohibited, and women are prohibited from travelling with men in public transport vehicles.
Aside from these practical effects of Sharia, many Christians have strongly opposed its application for reasons of politics and principle, arguing that its spread is a way of perpetuating the historical dominance of the Muslims in the north.
Given Kaduna’s large Christian population, the possibility of introducing Sharia in Kaduna State was always likely to attract more controversy, and more protest, than in other northern states.
Realities of Southern Kaduna
Being an area largely occupied by Christians and those considered to belong to the minority tribe in the state, residents of Southern Kaduna have had to contend with a lot of violent attacks that have spanned decades.
Communities in the predominantly Christian area of Southern Kaduna have continued to experience a different spate of kidnappings for ransom, violent attacks and needless killings on an almost daily basis.
According to Amnesty International, in 2020 gunmen killed at least 366 people in the villages of the southern part of Kaduna State in multiple attacks between January and July 2020.
“More than 100 people were killed in July 2020 during 11 coordinated attacks in Chikun, Kaura and Zangon-Kataf local govt. areas. At least 16 people were killed in Kukum-Daji on July 19, 2020, in an attack that lasted for five minutes, when attackers shot sporadically at villagers.
“Over 100 people have been killed in Southern Kaduna from December 2022 to date; the latest is Saturday night when gunmen invaded the Sankwab community of the Atyap Chiefdom of Zango-Kataf LGA.
“Attacks by gunmen on rural communities of southern Kaduna are increasingly becoming frequent and are always deadly. Nigerian authorities have failed to either end the violence or bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Between January and July 2020, gunmen killed at least 366 people in the villages of the southern part of Kaduna State in multiple attacks. Many families were burnt in their sleep. Children slaughtered.
“In December 2022, Gunmen killed 38 people in southern Kaduna, in March 2023, Gunmen killed 25 persons, and in April, they killed 47 persons. Nigerian authorities must end the frequent deadly attacks on southern Kaduna.”
Latest Attack
At least 33 people were killed on the night of Saturday, April 15, 2023, and several others were injured after gunmen launched an attack on Runji village, Sankwab community of Zango Kataf Local Government area, Kaduna State.
According to the LGA Chairman, Francis Sani, over 40 houses were also burnt down by the attackers while seven persons sustained injuries and are presently receiving treatment at the hospital.
The attack occurred barely three days after eight people were killed at Atak Njei village of the same LGA.
It was gathered that the attackers stormed the community some few minutes to 10 pm on Saturday and started shooting sporadically, killing and razing houses while the occupants scampered to safety.
Sources from the area said local guards keeping vigil were able to engage the invaders but it took the swift intervention of military operatives to repel the attacks.
Victims get Mass Burial
Following the recent attack, the 33 victims of the attack were given a mass burial amidst tears by relatives and members of the community, who gathered to witness the funeral service.
The residents called on the security agencies and the government to urgently stop the lingering insecurity in the southern part of Kaduna before they are completely wiped out.
Complicity of Silence
A community leader of Birnin-Gwari in Kaduna State, Zubair Abdurra’uf, said the killings in Southern Kaduna have persisted because the government and other people who should talk and act on the issue have remained silent.
Abdurra’uf, who spoke on a National Television Station on Wednesday, said that the people of Southern Kaduna have lost faith in the security agencies, adding that they were always found wanting when terrorists attack them.
According to him, “There is the complicity of silence by both the government side and also some people. It’s just because it’s Southern Kaduna that this is happening. A lot of people who are supposed to talk on this issue are not talking.
“And why people are losing faith in the security agencies is because even when we call security agents to come to the rescue in a particular place, they will wait for orders either from Kaduna or Abuja or from whatever.
“Therefore, when you have this kind of situation, you have an attack by these terrorists and you are trying to see how best these people can come to the rescue and these people are not forthcoming and people are being killed every day. So, therefore people will react and say, ‘We don’t want any people, let us defend ourselves when it’s necessary’.”
Impact of Crises
According to the Kaduna State government, in 2021, over 1,192 people lost their lives in the state to banditry and terrorism. At least, 406 of the deceased were killed in the restive southern part of the state.
Non-state actors killed 645 people between January and June 2022.
The state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, in a statement disclosed that about one-third (234) of those killed were killed in Southern Kaduna.
“In the first six months of 2022, 645 people lost their lives in such circumstances across the State; 234 of these occurred in the Southern Kaduna area.
“Besides the loss of life and limb, there are the grim socio-economic effects of violence, eroding the viability of affected communities. Food insecurity is a close reality in frontline areas where farmers are threatened and attacked by bandits.
“The situation also presents a persistent threat to education; students and teachers have been attacked in several incidents over the last 18 months. Healthcare delivery has been affected, as health workers and facilities in frontline locations face the threat of marauding bandits.
“All of these portend the near-total collapse of the local economy in frontline areas, which is mainly sustained by crop and livestock farming. Residents have been dispossessed of their foremost means of sustenance. Vibrant weekly markets have been disrupted.”
Way Forward
The abiding narrative of the southern Kaduna crises constituting a communal conflict between farmers and herders occasioned by climate change and competition for resources, such as land and water, which is still favoured by many in the international community has not only been rendered obsolete by its evolution, which now includes the presence in the area of recognised terrorist factions; it has also prevented any meaningful international interventions or representations to the Nigerian state or federal governments to ensure assistance for communities that essentially remain defenceless.
The human costs of the insistence on this outdated narrative include the remorseless loss of lives and damaged psyches of targeted southern Kaduna communities.
Similarly, the muted response, both locally and internationally, to the death, destruction and displacement occurring in southern Kaduna is both lamentable and unacceptable.
Communities indigenous to the area are under constant and increasing threat, and the finances of the state and families are haemorrhaging due to repeated payments of exorbitant ransoms by families who have little or nothing to return to afterwards.
This is not to mention the humanitarian crises which the situation has caused with several people in the community currently displaced and lost their means of livelihood.
It is therefore time for the state government, the federal government and international communities to recognise the severity of the situation in the area and urgently come together to engage the community with the hope of finding a lasting solution to the crises and needless killings.
There would be a need for purposeful crises de-escalation engagement with the community members by the state government, while it also collaborates with the federal government to encourage resources and mandate security services, enabling them not only to tackle the perpetrators of these inhumane acts comprehensively but also to provide immediate and effective protection for communities whose plight has been neglected for far too long.
Quotes
Attacks by gunmen on rural communities of southern Kaduna are increasingly becoming frequent and are always deadly. Nigerian authorities have failed to either end the violence or bring the perpetrators to justice
It is therefore time for the state government, the federal government and international communities to recognise the severity of the situation in the area and urgently come together to engage the community with the hope of finding a lasting solution to the crises and needless killings.
(THISDAY)
…As SEDC seals deal with GasSync, commits $3m
• Tinubu says S’East must rise from potential to reality
• Mbah, governors hail Tinubu, pledge support for 400km pipeline
The Federal Government, through the South East Development Commission (SEDC) has kicked off a $100 million gas distribution pipeline project to boost industrialisation, attract investments and create jobs in the South East.
The 400-kilometre pipeline, designed to connect gas resources to industrial and commercial centres across Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi states, has about 150 potential customers identified, with projected demand of 254 million standard cubic feet of gas per day.
The investment agreement for the project was signed on Tuesday at the South-East Gas Infrastructure Investment and Project Development Ceremony held at Hotel Presidential, Enugu, marking a significant step towards establishing a regional gas distribution network.
Tinubu, represented by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, described the project as a strategic investment that would connect the region’s natural gas resources to industries, strengthen manufacturing and unlock economic opportunities across the five states.
“The Southeast’s entrepreneurial spirit is one of Nigeria’s greatest economic assets. I have always believed that the prosperity of the Southeast is inseparable from the prosperity of Nigeria,” the President said.
He said the project aligned with his administration’s commitment to building an integrated regional economy, stressing that gas infrastructure should support industrial development across state boundaries rather than serve isolated markets.
“Gas infrastructure must therefore serve industries and markets, not stop at political boundaries. That is the economic logic of regional integration,” he said.
The President said the pipeline would benefit manufacturers in Aba, strengthen industrial clusters in Nnewi and Onitsha, attract productive enterprises to Enugu, expand agro-processing and manufacturing in Ebonyi and connect Imo’s gas resources to the wider regional economy.
He, however, said the ambition extended beyond supplying existing factories to creating the conditions for new industries, industrial parks and investments that had stalled because of unreliable energy supply.
“Our ambition is not simply to deliver gas to existing factories. It is to make possible factories that do not yet exist, industrial parks yet to be developed, and investments that have remained on the drawing board because reliable energy was unavailable,” Tinubu said.
He described the South-East Development Commission (SEDC) as an institution established to deliver measurable development outcomes, urging it to assess its performance by the investments it mobilised, infrastructure it enabled, opportunities it created and lives it improved.
The President said the South-East Vision 2050 development framework, supported by Vice-President Kashim Shettima and the governors of the region, provided a foundation for coordinated economic growth.
He also cited his approval of the South-East Investment Company as part of efforts to attract private capital into strategic development projects, noting that governments could not finance every development ambition from public funds.
“This is the model I expect from our development institutions: identify strategic economic opportunities, prepare credible projects, commit public resources responsibly and mobilise private capital at a scale government budgets alone cannot achieve,” he said.
Tinubu commended the SEDC for committing $3 million to the gas project and establishing a framework to mobilise additional investments from state governments, institutions and private investors.
He said the project’s initial phase required approximately $100 million, describing the partnership between public institutions and private investors as essential to developing sustainable infrastructure.
“We are not investing in pipelines for their own sake. We are investing in the industries, businesses and jobs those pipelines will make possible,” the President said.
He urged the commission and its partners to uphold commercial discipline, transparency, environmental responsibility, community engagement and the highest safety standards throughout the project’s implementation.
“The true measure of government’s commitment is not what we promise, but what we deliver,” he said, expressing optimism that the investment would help create an industrial economy capable of competing in African and global markets.
Tinubu said the ultimate objective was to translate the region’s natural resources into productive economic activity, employment and improved living standards.
“Let the gas beneath our soil power our industries. Let that energy become production. Let production become employment. Let employment become prosperity for our people,” he said.
The President urged the SEDC, state governments and project partners to establish clear implementation timelines, measurable milestones and regular progress reports, stressing that the project’s success would ultimately be measured by its ability to attract investments, revive industries, create jobs and improve the economic fortunes of people across the five Southeast states.
Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, commended Tinubu for establishing the SEDC, describing the commission as the institutional vehicle needed to realise the Southeast’s longstanding industrialisation aspirations.
“Tinubu loves the Igbo. The SEDC is a commission whose time has come. It was an idea conceived many decades ago, but it took President Tinubu to establish this long-awaited dream of industrialisation of the Southeast,” Mbah said.
He described the signing of the investment agreement as the commencement of the investment process, adding that the initiative would help realise the region’s aspiration for a common market and coordinated industrial development.
“What we have just signed here today is an investment agreement, meaning that investment has commenced,” he said.
Mbah, who said he was excited that the project was advancing less than 13 months after he publicly advocated the idea, praised the commission for adopting an innovative financing model that brings governments and private investors together.
He said the project would create opportunities for young people to build their futures in the Southeast rather than migrate to other parts of the country in search of jobs.
“Before now, it was our young people running out of the region in search of greener pastures. But with what we have now, our young people can sit back and find their future here in the region. This is all thanks to President Tinubu,” he said.
The governor assured the SEDC and its partners that the Southeast governors were committed to the pipeline project, promising to expedite right-of-way arrangements and environmental impact assessment approvals.
“We, the Southeast governors, are committed to this. We will ensure that the right of way and EIA are given accelerated approval,” he said.
Imo State Deputy Governor Lady Chinyere Ekomaru, who represented Governor Hope Uzodimma, commended Tinubu and the SEDC for initiating the project, noting that Imo’s substantial natural gas resources placed the state in a strategic position to benefit.
She said the project was coming at an opportune time, particularly as companies were seeking to become offtakers of gas from the Assa North–Ohaji South development.
Ekomaru urged residents to consider the Federal Government’s infrastructure investments in the Southeast in making their political choices ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“A vote for APC is a direct vote for the continuation of this project. A bird in hand is worth more than 10 in the bush. Let’s reason wisely,” she said.
Anambra State Deputy Governor Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, representing Governor Chukwuma Soludo, commended the commission but stressed that its success would ultimately be determined by its impact on the people.
“We will clap for you when we begin to feel the impact of what you are doing,” he said.
Ibezim noted that states across the region had gas resources that could support industrial growth if properly developed. He urged communities along the pipeline route to embrace the project and cooperate with its promoters.
“I want to urge the communities through which the pipelines will pass to have a buy-in. We are strongly behind the commission,” he said, while commending the enthusiasm shown by industrialists at the event.
Ebonyi State Deputy Governor Mrs Patricia Obila, representing Governor Francis Nwifuru, described energy as fundamental to industrial growth, lamenting that inadequate power supply had contributed to the decline of several enterprises in the region.
“Energy is power. Its importance cannot be overemphasised. With it, factories will produce, the economy will blossom and employment will be great,” she said.
Obila expressed the Ebonyi government’s readiness to support the project, promising to provide the necessary cooperation to facilitate its implementation and help moribund companies resume operations.
“We will give you all the support needed to operate in Ebonyi to ensure that our moribund companies return back to operations,” she said.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Regional Development, Dr Mary Ogbe, said the SEDC was developing initiatives capable of improving living standards across the Southeast.
She assured the governors that the commission would complement their development efforts rather than compete with them, while urging investors to take advantage of the opportunities emerging from the project.
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SEDC, Mark Okoye, said the commission had conducted technical, financial and legal due diligence before committing funds to the project, which received approval from its governing board.
Okoye said the commission was targeting aggregate regional investment participation of up to $30 million, including its initial $3 million commitment, as part of efforts to mobilise the private capital required to advance the project.
He said the initiative aligned with the commission’s industrialisation programme and its commitment to developing infrastructure that would benefit the entire region.
Representing GasSync, the project promoter, Callistus Mba said the pipeline would connect gas resources close to the Southeast to industrial users across the five states, reducing dependence on the expensive transportation of compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) by road.
Mba said the proposed network would originate from the Ohaji area of Imo State, run through Owerri and branch towards Aba in Abia State and Onitsha in Anambra State, with extensions to Enugu and Ebonyi.
He said the company planned to begin construction at two points simultaneously to accelerate delivery, following concerns raised by Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah that constructing the entire network sequentially from Imo could delay gas supply to other states.
“We are going to start at Ohaji and Onitsha at the same time,” Mba said, explaining that the approach would allow construction towards Enugu and Ebonyi to progress alongside work on the Imo and Anambra sections.
He said the company had identified about 150 prospective customers across the region and was engaging industries to secure demand for the gas, including manufacturing companies, power-generation facilities and agro-processing businesses.
Mba cited Geometric Power in Abia State among the companies with which engagement was already underway. He added that the pipeline would support efforts to revive moribund industries in Enugu and develop agro-processing facilities in Ebonyi.
On the project timeline, he said procurement activities had commenced, funding arrangements were advancing towards financial close, and preparations for engineering, procurement and construction were progressing.
“We intend to start construction in the first quarter of 2027,” Mba said, projecting that the project would be ready for first gas delivery in the second quarter of 2028, subject to the completion of the necessary requirements.
He identified regulatory approvals, right-of-way arrangements, community engagement and coordination among federal and state authorities as critical to meeting the schedule, urging the governors and relevant institutions to facilitate permits and work with host communities along the pipeline route.
News
Mbah Inaugurates Enugu APC Campaign Council, Expresses Confidence in Victory on Strength of Achievements
…Tells party faithful to campaign on performance, be unapologetically APC
…Says opposition shallow, has nothing to offer
…Sen. Nnamani, Nwobodo, Dr. Nnamani, Chime, Ugwuanyi, Prof. Nnaji, Arthur Eze, Madueke, Ogalla, Ezeilo make list
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, on Tuesday, inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council for Enugu State, expressing strong confidence in a resounding victory for the party in all the 2027 elections.
The Campaign Council, comprising 51 Directorates, is chaired by the Governor of the state, Dr. Peter Mbah, while the Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; Deputy National Chairman, APC (South); Dr Ben Nwoye, Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike; and the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, are Vice Chairmen.
It is also headlined by an Advisory Council comprising former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani; former governor of old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo; former military governor of old Anambra State and Chief of the Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Allison Madueke (Rtd.); former Minister of Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; former Minister of Information and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the 2023 governorship election in the state, Mr. Frank Nweke Jr.; business mogul, Prince Arthur Eze; Senator Chuka Utazi; and former deputy governors Mrs. Cecilia Ezeilo, Bishop Ralph Nwoye, Dr. Sunday Onyebuchi, and Chief Okechukwu Itanyi, among other high-profile personalities.
Chief Charlie Mbah is the Director-General, while Dr. Eric Oluedo served as the Secretary-General.
Senator Osita Ngwu, Senator Ikeje Asogwa, and Senator Kelvin Chukwu are Coordinators of the Campaign Council in Enugu West, Enugu North, and Enugu East, respectively.
Speaking at the event, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, Mbah said his administration had justified the mandate handed to him in 2023, while President Bola Tinubu’s bold reforms had greatly stabilised the macroeconomic indicators while also making funds available for the administration to embark on impactful projects across the state on a large scale.
He, therefore, urged party faithful to campaign hard on the administration’s achievements and be unapologetically APC in doing so, saying the opposition had nothing but propaganda to offer.
The governor said he was gearing up to campaign in each of the 68 Development Centres and also commission at least two projects in each of the 260 political wards in the state.
Mbah recalled that the 2026 Phillips Consulting State Performance Momentum Index ranked Enugu as the fastest-improving state, having recorded a Momentum Score of +1.15, the highest by any of the 33 states assessed.
He noted that, in terms of Ease of Doing Business, the state, under his leadership, had leaped from 36th out of 37 subnationals in 2023 to sixth position nationally in 2025, according to the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) report.
“So, you should be proud of Enugu. You should be unapologetically APC. I am really excited because we are going to go to all the 68 Development Centres. I will personally visit all the Development Centres. I will go to the markets with you.
“The people of Enugu cannot wait to see us. They are so excited. And as I go, I will also take time to go to every ward to commission both the Smart Green School and the Primary Healthcare Centre.
“As I go to every ward and Development Centre, I will commission all projects without exception, the Smart Green Schools and the Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres in all the wards where they are cutting the ribbon. And so, it is indeed my honour and privilege to formally inaugurate this APC Enugu State Campaign Council,” he stated.
Dr Ben Nwoye
Mbah, however, reminded them that all the achievements could not have been possible without the economic reforms and support of the President Bola Tinubu administration, which had, among other things, made more funds available to the states.
“We must also campaign hard for the President because it also took those bold and courageous policies of his to achieve what we accomplished in the last three years. You can have all this vision and conviction, but if you do not back it up with money, you cannot do anything. Therefore, we also need to recognise and acknowledge that,” he stated.
Mbah also listed several major infrastructural interventions by President Tinubu in the South East, and Enugu State in particular, noting that although the region gave him a marginal percentage of its votes in 2023, he had nevertheless shown good faith towards Ndigbo in terms of development projects, strategic appointments, among others.
The Deputy Governor, Barr. Ifeanyi Ossai; Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, Hon. Uchenna Ugwu; Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye; Senator Osita Ngwu, who spoke on behalf of all serving and aspiring National Assembly members; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, SAN; Chairman of the party in the state, Dr. Martin Chukwunweike; Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih; and former Ambassador of Nigeria to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, Mrs. Fidelia Njeze, charged the people to go all out for victory, enumerating the many achievements of the Mbah administration and the benefits of the Tinubu government to Enugu State.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the Campaign Organisation, Chief Charlie Mbah, while thanking the party leaders and faithful for the confidence reposed in him and his team, promised to lead a formidable campaign that would guarantee APC’s victory in the state.
“My commitment is to build an inclusive, organised, result-oriented and issues-based campaign that reaches every senatorial zone, local government area, ward, community, and polling unit across Enugu State,” he reassured.
*Other members of the Council Composition*
Deacon Okey Ogbodo, Dr. Dan Shere, and Hon. S.K.E. Udeh-Okoye are Deputy Campaign DGs for Enugu East Senatorial District, Enugu North Senatorial District, and Enugu West Senatorial District, respectively.
Barr. Steve Oruruo is the Campaign Spokesperson and Director of the Public Communication Committee, with Dr. Austin Okolie as co-spokesperson and Dr. Malachy Agbo as Secretary.
Mazi Uche Anichukwu and Dan Nwomeh, both drawn from the Governor’s media team, head the Directorate of New Media and Strategic Communication and the Directorate of Mainstream Media, respectively. Dr. Collins Ogbu is the Secretary of the former, while Dr. Reuben Onyishi is the Secretary of the latter.
Barr. Victor Udeh leads the Administration Directorate, while Dr. Ben Nwoye and Arc. Uche Nwatu are the Director and Co-Director of the Fundraising Committee, respectively.
Former Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ikechukwu Ogalla (Rtd.), chairs the Security Directorate, while former Inspector-General of Police, Ogbono Onovo (Rtd.), is the Secretary.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology is in charge of the Directorate of Government Appointees Coordination (Federal and State), with Prof. Chidiebere Onyia as Secretary, while former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Eugene Odoh, heads Inter-Party Affairs.
APC State Woman Leader, Mrs. Esther Edeh, is at the helm of the Women Mobilisation Directorate, with the APC South East Woman Leader, Dr. Oby Ajih, as Co-Director and Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, as Secretary.
Senator Chuka Utazi heads the Directorate of Parliamentary Mobilisation, with former Deputy Minority Leader, Hon. Toby Okechukwu, as Secretary, while Senator Ben Collins Ndu is the Director of Contact and Mobilisation, with Barr. Peter Okonkwo as Co-Director and Mrs. Lovelyn Obioma Nweze appointed as Secretary.
Barr. Victor Udeh is the Director of the Directorate of Election Planning and Monitoring, which has the Political Adviser to the Governor, Chief Frank Anioma, as Secretary.
Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dame Ugochi Madueke, leads the Directorate of Welfare, which has Barr. Mrs. Amaka Alinta as Secretary, while Dame Rita Mbah is the Director of Event Management, with Ifeoma Azike as Secretary.
Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Charles Egumgbe, leads the Directorate of Monitoring, which has former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Edward Ubosi, as Secretary.
Engr. Uchenna Nwobodo is in charge of the Directorate of Works and Venue, with Engr. Christian Enebe as Secretary.
Hon. USA Igweshi has returned to his 2023 role as Director of the Directorate of Support Groups, while Dr. Chiedozie Nwafor will serve as Secretary.
Nollywood star Rachael Okonkwo, popularly known as Nkoli Nwa Nsukka, is the Director of the Directorate of Creativity and Entertainment, while the General Manager of the Enugu State Community and Social Development Agency (CSDA), Monday Diamond, heads the Directorate’s secretariat.
The Town Unions Coordination Directorate is headed by Chief Arinze Ogbodo, while the secretariat will be manned by Hon. Charles Chime.
News
BREAKING: El-Rufai Tests Positive for Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Shows Signs of Possible Severe Infection—Report
…doctors recommend admission in hospital
A medical report on former Kaduna State Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has revealed that a blood culture test detected Enterococcus faecium, a bacterium resistant to the antibiotic vancomycin, while his doctors listed possible sepsis among their clinical concerns.The findings are contained in two medical documents dated October 22, 2026, concerning the 66-year-old former governor, who is currently being detained by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) amid his prosecution.A laboratory report issued by Cerba Lancet Nigeria showed that both aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures tested positive for Enterococcus faecium after 24–48 hours of incubation.
The report stated: “Culture positive After 24-48 hours incubation.”
It identified the organism as Enterococcus faecium and explicitly described it as a “Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus (VRE).”
The laboratory report listed vancomycin as resistant, while several other antibiotics, including ampicillin/amoxicillin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, minocycline and linezolid, were marked as sensitive.
However, the laboratory document was marked “INTERIM REPORT” and stated: “Final Verified Report to Follow.”
This means the final verified laboratory result was still pending in the document provided.
A separate medical report issued by ASK+ Medical & Diagnostics on October 22 also documented the blood culture finding and detailed El-Rufai’s symptoms, clinical assessment and proposed treatment.
Under its clinical history section, the report stated: “The patient is a 66-year-old man with dyslipidemia, persistent headaches and insomnia. He presented with mild generalized headache and dizziness, without aura or photophobia. There is a reported history of hypotension.”
The report also noted that he appeared mildly dehydrated, with the clinical impression including dehydration in a case documented as resistant malaria and possible sepsis.
Under the clinical history section, the document described the assessment as “dehydration with resistant malaria and possible sepsis, with a suspected Para umbilical focus.”
The report recorded El-Rufai’s blood pressure at 93/70 mmHg and his pulse rate at 68 beats per minute.
His temperature was recorded as 36.2 degrees Celsius, while his oxygen saturation was 98 per cent on room air. The physical examination described him as being in no apparent respiratory or painful distress.
The report also contained an apparent difference in its assessment of his hydration status. While the clinical history described him as mildly dehydrated, the physical examination stated: “No dehydration.”
Under the investigations section, the ASK+ report confirmed the laboratory finding, stating: “Blood Culture: Enterococcus faecium (Gram-positive) isolated.”
It added that the organism was sensitive to several antibiotics, including ampicillin, erythromycin, levofloxacin, minocycline and linezolid, but resistant to vancomycin.
The report also listed gentamicin as sensitive, although the laboratory document presents the gentamicin result differently in its aerobic and anaerobic culture sections. The discrepancy requires clarification from the laboratory.
The ASK+ report stated that results from several other investigations, including a full blood count, malaria test, renal function test, liver function test, fasting lipid profile, random blood glucose, urinalysis and HbA1c, were within normal limits.
Despite those results, the positive blood culture prompted a recommendation for further medical evaluation and treatment guided by the laboratory findings.
Under its treatment plan, the report recommended admission for observation, intravenous fluids and medication for the documented clinical concerns.
It also advised that the blood culture and antibiotic sensitivity results be reviewed in consultation with an infectious disease physician.
The report stated: “Review the blood culture result and sensitivity results and, in consultation with Infectious disease physician, consider appropriate IV antibiotic therapy and admission for at least three days as advised by the clinical pathologist.”
It listed possible intravenous antibiotic options, including Augmentin, Gentalex, L-Flox and linezolid, subject to further clinical assessment and review of the culture results.
The findings come as El-Rufai remains in ICPC custody while facing prosecution. However, the medical documents do not establish any connection between his detention and the bacterial finding.
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