Don advises Nigerians against use of artificial seasonings in food

September 19, 2017


By Ijendu Iheaka


Prof. Basil Okeahialam, a cardiologist at the University of Jos, has warned Nigerians against the use of artificial seasonings in their food to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

Okeahialam gave this warning in  an interview with our reporter in Aba on Tuesday.

According to him, artificial or factory-made seasonings, which have high amounts of salt or salt-related chemicals are not as healthy as the use of traditional condiments in preparing foods.

Okeahialam said that an African has the natural tendency to retain salt in his or her body hence the need to reduce salt in-take and consumption of foods high in salt and related chemicals.

“We did a paper when we bought condiments from the market and tried to test for the sodium content and we found out that the popular condiments women like to use in preparing food to be tasty were very high in sodium.

“The African has the tendency to retain sodium in the body system and so if we take a lot of sodium in our diet, we retain most of it and when that happens, we expand our blood volume, which results in High Blood Pressure.

“So if there is anybody, who should cut down his or her salt in-take, it is an African because that is a key driver of hypertension.

“But we need to also be careful of fast food, you are in the city and there is no time to cook natural food, you buy shelved food prepared with a lot of salt so as to prolong the shelf-life.

“If we take in much salt, we increase our tendency to suffer cardiovascular disease but if we can reduce salt up to 50 per cent, we can be sure of reducing hypertension prevalence by as much as that,” he said.

He called on Nigerians to run away from some social perceptions, which were leading them into dangerous lifestyles, noting that tasty foods are not really made so by seasonings.

He said that when the top-hill-dwelling Koma people in  Adamawa were discovered in 1986, research showed that none of them had a trace of high blood pressure.

The professor attributed the finding to the Koma people’s non use of salt in their food on a daily basis and stressed that even while using salt, it should continually reduce as the users advance in age.

Okeahialam said that cardiovascular diseases as hypertension affects close to 30 to 40 per cent of adult Nigerians but  regretted that most victims of hypertension were hardly aware that they had it.

He said that the number of men, women, adolescents and children with HBP and are at risk of cardiovascular diseases was so high that cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria had become a national emergency.

The professor, therefore, called for more advocacy, greater government funding of health care and participation in policy implementation, more commitment from medical personnel and citizens’ change in  lifestyles to fight it.

Police arraign 7 IPOB members for alleged murder, kidnapping, membership of proscribed group

September 18, 2017 

By Ijendu Iheaka

Seven suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday appeared in an Aba North Magistrates’ Court III for allegedly participating in activities of the pro-Biafra group in Aba, the economic hub of Abia.

The accused persons are: Chinonso Ude, 30; Maduabuchi Echereodo, 25; Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, 32; Okechukwu Daniel, 20; Ifeanyi Sunday,33; Okezie Jeremiah, 26; Chizuruoke Nwazuo, 27; and others now at large.

The pro-Biafra members were arraigned on a 12-count charge bothering on murder, possession of dangerous weapons, arson, kidnapping, membership of IPOB and conspiracy.

The charge sheet read in part: “that you Chinonso Ude and others on the 14th day of September, 2017 at Ariaria in Aba North Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: use of offensive weapons or explosives.

“And thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 10 (1) (C) of the Abia State Prohibition of Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostage Taking, Use of Offensive Weapons or Explosives and other Threatening Behaviour Law No. 10 of 2009.”

The Prosecutor, ASP Gabriel Ogbonna, said that on the Sept 15 they also allegedly conspired and murdered one ASP Cyril Nwosu at Ariaria police station.

He said that they committed murder, arson, kidnapping, causing breach of peace, burning of vehicles and destruction of property of the police and belonged to IPOB, a proscribed organisation.

In his argument, Mr Charles Onuchukwu, counsel to Ude, Echerodo and Okezie said the court lacked jurisdiction to hear murder, kidnapping and terrorism cases.

Onuchukwu urged that the three offences be deleted and his clients granted bail.

Ogbonna opposed the application maintaining that the court had powers to direct the action to be taken in the given circumstance.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr Ogbonna Adiele, ordered the remand of the accused persons in Aba Federal Prison.

He adjourned the matter till Sept. 27, for ruling.

Military begins gradual withdrawal from Aba

September 18, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Nigerian Army has commenced gradual withdrawal of its men stationed at various checkpoints in Aba after the recent clash with protesting  members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

It was reorted that on Sunday, Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu told newsmen in Umuahia that the military on Operation Python Dance II had withdrawn from the state.

However our investigation on Monday showed that only few of the new military checkpoints mounted in the commercial city had been dismantled.

The five military checkpoints mounted on the busy Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway had been reduced to three.

Emeka Chukwuma, a tricycle operator and resident of the city, told our reporter that the checkpoints were causing traffic gridlock.

He appealed to Gov. Ikpeazu to prevail on the military authority to remove the checkpoints to ease traffic.

Meanwhile, activities are gradually returning to normal in Aba after the clashes between the military and IPOB members.

Markets have re-opened after the five-day dusk to dawn curfew imposed on the city by the governor.

A visit by our reporter revealed that most of the shops at Ariaria International Market, New Market, Shopping Centre, Cemetery Markets have re-opened for business while customers were seen going about their businesses.

IPOB members will be prosecuted for murder, arson — Abia CP

September 17, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

The new Police Commissioner in Abia state, Mr Anthony Ogbizi, has said that suspected members of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), recently arrested, will be prosecuted for murder, arson and other related crimes.

Ogbizi disclosed this during a press briefing and parade of seven suspected members of IPOB at Ariaria police station in Aba.

He said following the proscription of IPOB by governors in the South East and its declaration as a terrorist group by Nigerian Army, anybody found with Biafran materials would be arrested and prosecuted.

He said that they would be prosecuted under the anti-terrorism Act to ensure they were properly dealt with.
Ogbizi, echoing what the army had earlier said, stressed that IPOB by their action had shown itself to be a “terrorist group” which must be dealt with as such.

He said that between Sept. 10 and Sept 14 the Ariaria police station was attacked by suspected members of IPOB who destroyed everything at the station.

He said they came with petrol bombs which they used to gain entrance, destroy properties  and took three pump action guns.

“Even some policemen were seriously injured. In fact as I am talking to you, one of the injured police officer is dead. Doctors tried in vain to save his life.

“Now we have lost a soul and you know what it takes to train a police officer. You know the vacuum that creates. It takes a minimum of one year to train a police officer”, he said.

Ogbizi said they also destroyed property of lawful citizens too adding that their demonstration was not peaceful.

He also alleged that the group attacked a nearby bank to get money to acquire more weapons.

The police boss said about 30 IPOB members were arrested when they attacked soldiers at Isiala Ngwa and about 29 were arrested in Umuahia.

He said that suspected IPOB members also attacked military officers and the residences of Commissioner of Police and AIG Zone 9 in Umuahia.

Ogbizi said that the army recovered several exhibits including the coat of arms of Biafra from the suspects.

“As I am talking to you now information reaching me said they have started gathering at Nnamdi Kanu’s house”, he said.

Ogbizi called on the people to volunteer information on the whereabout of the Leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.

He denied the rumours circulating in the state that security agents have arrested and had detained Kanu’s father

IGP deploys 500 Police Mobile Force men to restore peace in Aba

September 15, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Ibrahim Idris, has deployed over 500 Police Mobile Force men to Aba to restore peace in the troubled city.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Operations, Taiwo Lakanu, disclosed this on Friday during a duty tour to Aba, at the Aba Police Area Command.

He said that the I-G directed that peace should be restored to Abia, hence the deployment of the mobile policemen who had assumed duty in Aba.

“You can see that we have emplaced security and that the whole place is quite and our men are on patrol.

“For now we are still monitoring. So, for now there is no problem. We are on top of the situation. We are working in tandem with other agencies and they are cooperating with us,” he said.

Our reporter who visited some areas in the city said that peace was gradually returning to the commercial city which was embroiled in a clash between soldiers and IPOB members.

Some roadside shops along Aba-Owerri road, St Michael’s road and other streets, and those at Ariaria International Market and New Market opened on Friday.

Abia police confirms burning of Ariaria Police station, warn against rumours

Sept. 14, 2017

By Ijendu Iheaka

The Abia state Police Command has confirmed the burning of Ariaria police station by hoodlums who attacked the station early Thursday morning.

The Abia PPRO, ASP Geoffrey Ogbonna told our reporter that the hoodlums also beat a policeman at the station to coma.

He said that the trouble sprung from rumours of attacks on Igbo people by Hausas which kept many phones in Aba abuzz with calls from 2 am Thursday morning till later in the day.

Ogbonna said that the unconfirmed stories may have instigated the Ariaria mob to attack the police station there and to set it ablaze.

When asked if there was a prior confrontation with the police to warrant the attack, the PPRO said there was none.

Asked if he knew of the death of two persons from suspected police gunshots arising from the Ariaria incident, he said the situation left the policemen at risk of loosing their lives.

He stressed that nobody would watch and allow his life taken without taking measures to secure himself.

 “As far as I am concerned there is no incidence of the police shooting people in the state. You are in the state. You know these things”, he said.

When told the reporter saw where policemen were shooting in a situation around Ariaria, the PPRO said that it must have done so to get away from the grip of the hoodlums to save their lives.

“So if there were some shots may be it was to scare people away so that they can pull out of the attacks. I don’t have any record of police shooting anybody in the state under this situation”, he said.

Earlier, the Medical Director of Holy Wounds Hospital, Faulks road, Aba, Dr Uchenna Anyanwu said four persons who were shot during the encounter with the Ariaria police were moved into his hospital Thursday morning.

He said that the mob, thinking he was working for the police because he always treated injured people involved in any crisis around the area invaded his hospital and vandalized it.

Believing that the burning of the Ariaria Police station was the result of unfounded rumours that made the rounds Wednesday night, Ogbonna warned people to beware of rumours and verify whatever they hear to save their lives and their loved ones.