
News
Women protest killings, monarch abduction in Anambra
Over 100 women from the Ogwuaniocha community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, on Thursday, marched round Onitsha and the environs to protest against “incessant killings, abductions and destructions of properties” by gunmen in their community.
The women, mostly in their mid-50s and the elderly, claimed that no fewer than 20 persons have so far been killed and many others sustained various degrees of injuries since “unknown gunmen” operating under the name of “Lion Squad” overran their community.
They alleged that the “killer” squad had in 2021 abducted their monarch, Igwe Oliver Nnaji, whose whereabout is still unknown till date.
One of the women leaders, Nkemdilim Onwurah, said fresh attacks by the “Lion Squad” started last Friday, a situation which has forced people to flee the community.
Onwurah said, “We are women of Ogwuaniocha community which has a common boundary with Oguta in Imo State. It is an oil-rich community which made Anambra to become an ‘oil producing’ state, thereby making Anambra to be placed among the states getting the 13 per cent oil derivation fund on a monthly basis.

“But despite this massive insecurity and killings, the state government has abandoned the community to these criminals. Only the area where the oil company operates from is the place being protected by security operatives, the rest areas have been overrun by these gunmen, who fled from Orsu, Lilu, Ihiala communities.
“These gunmen have found a safe haven in our community because their camps in Ihiala, Orsu, Lilu, are being bombarded by security operatives. We are using this opportunity to call on the Anambra State government to come to our rescue. Out houses have been destroyed, people are fleeing the community. Most families are hiding in the bushes right now.
“Last Friday, the unknown gunmen led by the Lion Squad invaded the bushes where some of these families are hiding, killing over 20 people and injuring many others. Our injured kinsmen and women are in the hospitals right now receiving treatment.
“We also submitted a petition to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Wednesday. This is to draw his attention towards our plight. We also written to the police headquarters in Awka to notify them of our plights. They should come to our rescue by stopping these killings.
“Our children no longer go to school, markets no longer operate, economic and commercial activities are on a standstill because of these criminals holding the community hostage,” she said.
Another protester, Cecilia Okonkwo, noted that the same criminal elements operating under the “Lion Squad”, had in November 2021, reportedly kidnapped the traditional ruler of the community, whose whereabout is still unknown date.
According to Okonkwo, the criminals who fled Ihiala and Orlu axis are now currently camping in some places in their community called “Longinus Camp,” “Ose Mkpuruosisu,” “Onuiyi Camp,” and “Usham Ogwuaniocha Annex” to terrorise the people of the area.
She lamented that the latest onslaught against the community had taken place between Thursday, October 19, and Friday, October 20, when a combined team of the terror gangs and Lion Squad emerged from their bush hideout, swooped on some innocent citizens, beating them to stupor and thinking that they were dead, left them, and dispersed.
Also contributing, Ngozi Freda, who spoke amidst tears rolling down her cheeks, recalled how the terror gangsters led by one Double Lion invaded the Igwe’s palace on November 15, 2021, set it on fire, and kidnapped the monarch.
“The insecurity and killings in our community started as soon as oil was discovered in the community. These criminals formed an alliance with some opposition and seeking to hijack the control of the resources in the community. It is unfortunate that the state government has ignored our plight while only providing security to the areas operated by the oil company drilling oil in our community.
“We use this opportunity to appeal to the governor to come to our rescue. We believe he is a listening governor and he will listen to us,” Freda added.
However, when contacted about the development, the state police public relations officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said he was not aware of the insecurity and killings in Ogwuaniocha community at the time of filing this report on Thursday.
Business
Enugu Air Launches New Website
…moves online services to www.enuguairlines.ng
Enugu Air has announced the launch of its new official website, enuguairlines.ng, as part of efforts to provide passengers and customers with a better, safer and more convenient digital experience.
The airline said the migration to the new website is designed to improve how passengers connect with Enugu Air and access its services online, including flight bookings, schedules and the latest updates.
Announcing the development, the airline said: “We’ve moved! We’re innovating! We’ve migrated to a better, safer and convenient website to connect you to the world.”
Passengers can now access Enugu Air’s online services through its new web address, enuguairlines.ng, which the airline described as its new digital home.
The airline urged passengers and prospective travellers to save the new web address and use it for flight bookings, checking schedules and obtaining the latest information about its operations.

“Same Enugu Air. New web address,” the airline stated, emphasising that the change represents an improvement in its digital platform while retaining the Enugu Air brand and services.
The airline further encouraged customers to visit, www.enuguairlines.ng for all flight-related information and online services.
It further stated that the old website, enuguairlines•com has been discarded and no longer in use.
News
Kidnapped female Police officer found dead in Ebonyi
A kidnapped female police officer has been found dead in Ebonyi State after a suspected member of a kidnapping syndicate was arrested and led police operatives to the scene where her remains were recovered.
The Nigeria Police Force disclosed this in its state-by-state operational update issued by Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Ani Iniedu on Monday, detailing several arrests, rescues and recoveries recorded across the country between September 19 and 20, 2026.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested following a sustained intelligence-led and technology-based investigation into the kidnapping of the female officer.
The suspect reportedly led combined police teams to the crime scene, where the remains of the officer were recovered.
The police said the case is being investigated by the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Abakaliki.

In a separate operation in Adamawa State, police operatives rescued two kidnapped victims from a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in Shako Forest, Toungo Local Government Area.
The operation, carried out on September 20 following actionable intelligence, also led to the recovery of two magazines containing 10 rounds of 7.62×39mm live ammunition.
A National Identification Number (NIN) card, mobile phone, passport and chain were also recovered from the suspected hideout.
In the Federal Capital Territory, police arrested 334 suspects during coordinated raids on criminal hotspots, black spots and uncompleted buildings across several locations.
The operation, conducted on September 19, also resulted in the recovery of various quantities of substances suspected to be illicit drugs.
Meanwhile, police in Anambra State arrested a suspected child trafficker who was allegedly intercepted while travelling with a six-month-old baby boy.
The baby was recovered and handed over to the appropriate authorities for necessary action, according to the police.
In Kaduna State, four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate were arrested following intelligence-led operations.
Police said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in kidnapping and provided information about fleeing accomplices. A locally made Dane gun was recovered.
Another suspected kidnapping syndicate member was arrested at Soba Market in the state. Police said the suspect also confessed and gave information implicating five fleeing accomplices.
In Ogun State, police arrested a suspect linked to a fatal shooting incident in Isara, Remo North Local Government Area.
One single-barrel gun, one live cartridge and one expended shell were recovered during the operation.
In Imo State, a suspect was arrested during a raid on a suspected criminal gathering at Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area, with police recovering a locally made cut-to-size single-barrel gun.
Police in Ekiti State also arrested two suspects linked to multiple shop-breaking and stealing incidents in Ado-Ekiti and recovered suspected stolen iron rods.
In another operation in Ado-Ekiti, police recovered an abandoned white sack containing a pump-action gun loaded with two live cartridges and a locally made single-barrel gun from a farmland.
In Benue State, police tactical teams, supported by personnel of the Police Mobile Force and military, intervened in a renewed communal conflict at Akpa-Mbakor Community in Tarka Local Government Area.
The security teams dispersed the rampaging youths and restored normalcy in the area, according to the police.
In Oyo State, police arrested a truck driver allegedly involved in a fatal road traffic incident along the Ijebu-Ode/Idi Ayunre Road.
The truck was impounded for further inspection and investigation.
The police said all the cases remain under investigation by the respective State Criminal Investigation Departments.
News
UK excludes Nigerian, Ghanaian-trained teachers from teaching qualification list
Teachers trained in Nigeria and Ghana are no longer eligible to apply for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) in England under the United Kingdom’s overseas-trained teacher application route.
The change took effect on September 9 and means teachers trained in the two West African countries can no longer use the route to obtain QTS, a status recognised by many schools in England.
The UK Department for Education said countries included in the scheme must meet specific requirements to ensure that applicants’ qualifications, professional standing and teaching experience can be properly verified. One of the requirements is that a country must have a national regulator capable of confirming a teacher’s professional status and providing authenticated references.
According to the department, Nigeria and Ghana did not meet the reference-verification requirement.
“Our data shows that more than 70% of applications from teachers in Ghana and Nigeria include work history references that use public email addresses, such as Gmail or Hotmail, rather than a school’s official email domain. This means assessors spend additional time and resources trying to verify information provided in applications,” the department said.

The UK department said about 90 percent of applications are assessed within 12 months.
India was also removed from the eligible list because it does not have a national regulator capable of confirming teachers’ professional standing.
South Africa is now the only African country remaining on the list of countries whose teachers can use the QTS application route.
The department said the verification process was necessary to ensure that information provided by applicants was genuine and that teachers awarded QTS possessed the required skills and experience to teach in England.
To apply for QTS, overseas-trained teachers must have a valid passport, an undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK bachelor’s degree and professional recognition as a teacher in the country where they trained.
Applicants must also have completed any mandatory induction requirements needed for full teacher registration in their country of qualification.
They are required to demonstrate that they are qualified to teach children aged between five and 16 and have at least nine months of teaching experience gained after qualifying as a teacher.
Applicants must also provide employment references that verify their work history and use an email address linked to the school’s official domain.
Depending on the country where a teacher trained, additional requirements may include qualifications to teach pupils aged between 11 and 16 and a specialism in subjects such as mathematics, science, biology, chemistry, physics, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish.
However, because teachers in England are employed by individual schools rather than the Department for Education, schools may consider alternative routes into teaching.
The department said teachers who are no longer eligible to use the QTS application service can explore other routes into teaching in England.
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