Enugu State Police Command has continued its proactive crime-fighting operations, recording significant successes in two separate raids that led to the arrest of three male suspects and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and illegal drugs.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, confirmed the development in a statement released to DAILY GAZETTE on Sunday.

According to the statement, on 19th January 2026, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad, acting on credible intelligence, apprehended two male suspects, Mba Emmanuel (a.k.a. “Indomie”, 31) and Onukwube Nnam (a.k.a. “Nwa Amodu”, 35), at Awkunanaw in Enugu South Local Government Area.

The suspects admitted membership of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, with Mba identified as the head and executioner of the unlawful group in Enugu South LGA as of December 2025.

During the operation, officers recovered one pump-action gun, a locally fabricated Beretta-type pistol, thirty-one live cartridges, a large wrap of suspected cannabis sativa, one HP laptop, and a motorcycle.

In a related operation on 31st January 2026, police raided criminal hideouts in the Agbani axis, arresting eight suspects. Following screening, one suspect, Ezeani Monday (32), was found in possession of dried cannabis sativa and thirty-nine pellets of suspected crystal methamphetamine, locally called “Mkpuru-mmiri.”

The remaining seven suspects were released after preliminary investigations.

Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, reassured the public of the Command’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and property.

He warned individuals involved in armed robbery, cultism, and illicit drug activities to repent or face the full weight of the law.

No fewer than three persons have been confirmed dead and several others injured after a mining pit collapsed at Enyim Agalegu community in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday, was reported at a mining site operated by First Patriots Limited, formerly known as Royal Salt.

Confirming the development at the scene, the National Chairman of Enyim Agalegu Edukwu Opeke Federated Union, Oboke Chukwuma Collins, said he received a distress call around 4 pm on Saturday informing him that the pit had caved in on miners.

According to him, community members quickly mobilised to the site and carried out rescue efforts, removing heavy overburden that had trapped victims beneath the collapsed earth.

“We evacuated overburden from the top of some lifeless bodies, about three of them, and rescued four others who sustained injuries,” he said.

Collins explained that the community had previously written to the company and the state Ministry of Solid Minerals, requesting that the pit be handed over to locals for regulated mining after operations at the main site were believed to have ended.

He described activities at the location as illegal, noting that attempts to secure approval were unsuccessful.

He added that the latest incident increased the number of recorded deaths at the site to five in recent times.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development in the state, Chidi Onyi, described the collapse as unfortunate and extended condolences to the bereaved families.

“It is never our intention to lose citizens under our care,” he said.

The commissioner attributed repeated accidents in mining communities to illegal operations driven by greed, stressing that the government was unaware the particular pit had been abandoned.

He maintained that the site remained active under the ownership of First Patriots and warned against unauthorised mining activities, noting that such actions often expose locals to life-threatening hazards.

By Dr. Malachy Chuma Ochie,

In the evolving political economy of Nigeria, subnational governments are increasingly becoming the true laboratories of development. Among them, Enugu State is emerging as a compelling example of how intentional governance can reposition a federating unit from a civil service–dependent economy to a rising regional powerhouse.

The transformation is neither accidental nor rhetorical; it is anchored on deliberate policy choices, institutional reforms, and strategic investments designed to expand productivity, attract capital, and secure the future.

Intentional governance begins with clarity of vision. Under the leadership of Governor Peter Mbah, Enugu State has pursued a development strategy that prioritizes economic expansion over mere administrative management.

The shift is evident in the state’s strong emphasis on technology, industrialization, infrastructure, and security—four pillars that define modern competitive economies.

A landmark symbol of this ambition is the recently commissioned Haier Technology Industry in Enugu. The significance of this investment goes beyond ribbon-cutting ceremonies. It signals confidence in the state’s policy stability and market potential.

By hosting a global manufacturing brand, Enugu is embedding itself into international production networks, creating jobs, facilitating skills transfer, and stimulating ancillary industries.

In political economy terms, this represents a strategic move from consumption-driven growth to production-led development. It also positions the state as a hub for technology-enabled manufacturing in the South-East.

Yet, industrialization cannot thrive without infrastructure. The aggressive construction and rehabilitation of link roads across urban and rural corridors are not merely transportation projects; they are economic arteries.

Link roads reduce transaction costs, ease the movement of goods and labour, connect agricultural belts to urban markets, and open up previously inaccessible communities to commerce.

Infrastructure, when executed with intention, becomes a multiplier of private investment. In Enugu, the expanding road network is reshaping spatial economics by integrating markets, enhancing land value, and catalyzing enterprise growth.

Security, another foundational element, has equally received strategic attention. Investors are rational actors; they deploy capital where risks are minimized. By strengthening surveillance systems, modernizing security architecture, and fostering community-based intelligence collaboration, the state has sought to create a stable environment for business operations.

Security in this context is not just a law-and-order issue; it is an economic policy instrument. Stability reduces uncertainty, lowers insurance costs, and improves investor confidence.

Perhaps most crucially, Enugu’s governance model reflects a conscious effort to improving the investment climate.

Regulatory reforms, streamlined processes, and an investor-friendly disposition signal a government that understands the language of capital. The aim is clear: transform Enugu from a state reliant on federal allocations into a diversified, innovation-driven economy capable of competing regionally and nationally.

The broader lesson is profound. Political economy is shaped not only by resource endowment but by leadership intentionality. Enugu does not possess oil wells or vast mineral wealth. What it possesses, and is increasingly demonstrating, is purposeful governance that aligns policy with productivity.

If sustained, this model could redefine the narrative of subnational development in Nigeria. Enugu State’s trajectory shows that when governance is intentional, technology-driven, infrastructure-backed, security-conscious, and investor-oriented, a state can transcend limitations and rise as a regional economic powerhouse. That is what Enugu State is doing today under Gov Peter Mbah’s watch.

By Dr Jeff Ejiofor,

For years, the stretch of Nike Lake Road from Penoks to the T-Junction stood as one of Enugu’s most frustrating traffic corridors. What should have served as a smooth gateway into the city gradually turned into a daily spectacle of congestion and confusion.

At the peak, particularly around the NOWAS junction, vehicles collided in competing directions, horns blared endlessly, and valuable hours disappeared in suffocating gridlock.

For commuters entering Enugu from Nsukka, the North, and Abuja, that axis became a symbol of disorder.

Today, that narrative is being rewritten under the leadership of Gov Peter Mbah. The ongoing expansion and dualisation of the road from Penoks to the T-Junction represents a deliberate and strategic solution to a perennial traffic crisis.

This is not just about painting lines on asphalt, it is about widening the road to accommodate growing traffic volume while introducing structured demarcation to ensure discipline and flow.

For years, the single carriage way status of that stretch contributed significantly to the chaos experienced daily. As Enugu expanded and vehicular numbers increased, the road could no longer cope with the pressure.

The absence of clear medians and lane control encouraged indiscriminate turning, reckless overtaking, and conflicting traffic streams, particularly at the ever-busy NOWAS junction.

The result was predictable: congestion that often spilt into adjoining streets and disrupted the larger traffic network of the city.

The ongoing expansion directly addresses the capacity problem by creating additional space for vehicles to move more freely. At the same time, the dualisation introduces clear separation between opposing lanes, controlled turning points, and organized directional flow.

By combining widening with structured demarcation, the project tackles both the volume and the disorder that once defined the corridor.

When fully completed, the perennial gridlock that haunted the Penoks–T-Junction axis is expected to give way to coordinated movement and restored calm. The NOWAS junction, once a theatre of daily frustration, will witness a new era of sanity and predictability.

Commuters will spend less time trapped in traffic. Businesses will benefit from smoother logistics. Residents will regain productive hours previously lost in chaos.

Apparently, beyond traffic relief, the intervention enhances safety. Wider lanes reduce friction between vehicles.

Physical partitions discourage dangerous overtaking and sudden crossovers. Pedestrians and adjoining communities will experience a more controlled and secure traffic environment.

Economically, the impact cannot be overstated. Nike Lake Road is a major entry corridor into Enugu, linking residential areas, hospitality centres, and key commercial hubs. Improving its capacity and organization strengthens the city’s mobility framework and enhances its attractiveness to investors.

A city that moves efficiently sends a powerful message of readiness for growth.

First impressions also matter. For many visitors arriving from Nsukka and the northern axis, this corridor forms their introduction to Enugu. A widened, well-demarcated, and orderly roadway reflects a city that is intentional about progress and urban planning.

Undoubtedly, the expansion and partitioning of Nike Lake Road demonstrate that transformative governance lies in solving practical problems with foresight.

By addressing both the structural limitations and traffic indiscipline along this critical route, Governor Peter Mbah is not merely upgrading infrastructure, he is restoring confidence in the city’s capacity to function smoothly.

In conclusion, Mbah has shown that he is a man of vision and has been consistent in pursuing it to the overall benefit of Ndi Enugu as can be rightly seen in the case of Nike Lake Road expansion and dualisation.

What was once a corridor defined by congestion is steadily becoming a pathway of order and efficiency, providing smooth opportunity for orderly rides by motorists and commuters. Enugu people, I believe, will demonstrate their appreciation for the governor’s achievements when the chips are down.

Indeed, Tomorrow is Here.

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Defence Intelligence Agency to produce an Islamic cleric, Sheikh Sani Abdulkadir Zaria, before it on February 18 over allegations of involvement in a coup plot against the administration of Bola Tinubu.

Justice Peter Lifu gave the directive while stressing that all authorities remain subordinate to civil rule.

He noted that the provisions of Section 36 of the Constitution of Nigeria guarantee fair hearing and apply to all citizens.

The court also observed that Nigeria, as a signatory to various international human rights conventions, must not be seen to undermine such obligations.

The order followed a fundamental rights enforcement application filed by the cleric’s lawyers — Sunusi Musa (SAN), Abdul Aliyu (SAN), and Mohammed Sheriff — against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Defence Intelligence Agency, the Attorney General of the Federation, and Jaiz Bank, seeking his release from detention.

During proceedings, counsel to the DIA told the court that the cleric was being held on behalf of the Defence Headquarters and that the chairman of the Special Investigation Panel was out of the country.

Sources close to the family linked his detention to a N2 million transfer allegedly made into the account of a detained leader of the Fityanul Islam Tijanniyya sect by one of his followers, who was reportedly implicated in the coup allegation.

The court heard that the cleric had been kept in what authorities described as “safe custody” since December 11, 2025, without access to his family or associates after investigations were launched on security grounds.

Justice Lifu subsequently directed the intelligence agency to either produce the cleric in court on the next adjourned date or present the legal basis for his continued detention.