Commissioner of Police, Enugu State, CP Ahmad Abdurrahman, on Thursday said the police were treating the detained Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB member with a bullet wound to make him fit to face trial.

Abdurrahman said this in a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, and made available to newsmen in Enugu.

He said the allegation by a publication (not The PUNCH) that the suspect was chained and left to bleed to death was a piece of misleading information, adding that the public should disregard it.

Abdurrahman said the suspect was taken to the hospital for treatment to enable him to be fit enough to face criminal prosecution alongside four others.

The commissioner said the four others had already been charged to court and remanded in correctional service custody for the offences of conspiracy, treasonable felony, and murder.

He said the police neither demanded money for the bail of the suspect nor was his grandfather or any member of his family arrested, detained, and released after extorting N55,000 at Central Police Station, Enugu as alleged.

“The attention of the Command has been drawn to a malicious claim making the rounds on social media that one Ofornedum Okafor, an IPOB member, was arrested and detained at University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu alongside his grandfather by the police.

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“The social media publication alleged that they were detained on the order of the Commissioner of Police, who wants him to die in police custody where he is chained, rather than being treated from the bullets wounds his men illegally inflicted on him.

“Furthermore, that the Police, according to the statement credited to one Emma Powerful, the spokesman of the proscribed group, is demanding for over N200,000 bribe for his bail after extorting the sum of N55,000 before releasing his grandfather.

“And that the Commissioner will “pay a heavy price” should anything happen to the suspect.

“In view of the above, the Command enjoins the general public, particularly residents of the State, to completely disregard such unfounded, baseless and spurious claims, which contain no iota of fact or truth.

“The Command took and has been funding the treatment of the said suspect in the mentioned hospital so he can be fit enough to face pending charges against him and four others in the court of law.

“The Command warns that such acts of calumny against the police and aimed at misinforming, misleading and causing tension in the hitherto very peaceful state and a threat to the police, will not be tolerated from individuals or groups.

“The Command notes that any person(s) found wanting will be made to face the full weight of the law,’’ he said.

The hospitalised suspect was among five IPOB members arrested by police during the bloody clash between security agencies and members of IPOB in Enugu State on August 23.

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President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, on Thursday said that the National Assembly will prioritize the allocation of resources for youth development despite the present economic challenges faced by the country owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lawan stated this in his remarks which was virtually delivered to flag-off the training of 1000 youths in GSM phone repair, hardware, software, and entrepreneurship development in Yobe State.

According to the Senate President, youth development initiatives serve as one of the ways of empowering and uplifting the wellbeing of the country’s youth population.

“It is most pleasing to flag off this important training for youths in Yobe State. The training of 1000 youths in GSM phone repairs, hardware, software and entrepreneurship development is a landmark in our commitment to uplifting the wellbeing of a key part of the nation’s population.

“It is additionally a reminder of the multiple avenues for empowering youths across Nigeria. We cannot overstate the fact that youths are a crucial category in the nation’s population. They are full of energy and are hopeful for the future,” Lawan said.

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The Senate President while underscoring the importance of synergy in governance, assured that the National Assembly will ensure the allocation of resources specifically for the purpose of youth development across the country.

He added that the gesture of parliamentary support in this direction would be backed by further efforts to engage Nigerian youths on ways of additionally stimulating their creativity and productivity levels, so as to keep them away from getting involved in crime.

“The future may however not make any meaning to them if their present is not productive. It is why we will strive to surmount the challenges of limited resources to fend for this population group. This also requires creativity on how to engage them.

“With a greater level of engagement for the youths, they can contribute to the economy, still in need of better productivity. Productivity is a prelude to growth, which will also lead to improved wellbeing.

“I am happy that earlier remarks have harped on paying attention to the welfare of the youths. Making them a priority takes them away from crime, which is often a result of idleness.

“The need to pay attention to youths has led to this initiative, as supported by the Nigerian Content Development, and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), and the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA).

“The support once more highlights the relevance of synergy in governance. It is the reason the Senate has been consistent in providing legislative impetus for collaborations amongst government agencies, consistent with the mission to deliver on our mandate. We will continue on this path, for the good of Nigerians.

“Training 1000 youths in Yobe State is not just a milestone, but part of a concerted effort at improving living conditions. We urge beneficiaries to be committed, and to complete the training with resounding success,” Lawan said.

The Senate President while expressing appreciation to the Federal University, Gashua; Federal Polytechnic, Damaturu; Atiku Abubakar College of Legal Studies, Nguru; and the Federal College of Education, Potiskum; for their support in having training centres opened for the purpose, charged participants to demonstrate dedication to the Programme.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in a speech delivered during the virtual flag-off ceremony, expressed the willingness of his Ministry to partner with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to explore high impact opportunities as well as create jobs for youths in the oil and gas sector.

While extolling the leadership qualities of the Senate President and Chairman of the Ninth Assembly, Ahmad Lawan, the Minister called on him “to sustain the cordial relationship between the executive and legislature.”

Sylva advised beneficiaries of the training to take advantage of the Programme to transform lives and ensure national development.

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The City of Orlando Police Department has arrested a self-described prophet and founder of Floodgates of Heaven International Ministries named Sylvester Ofori in the murder of his 27-year-old wife.

The 35-year-old “pastor” was arrested on Tuesday night after he shot his wife Barbara Tommey outside the Navy Federal Credit Union branch where she worked.

The shooting happened at around 9 a.m. at Navy Federal Credit Union on Gardens Park Boulevard.

Orlando Police, in a brief statement Tuesday night, said Tommey “was shot near the front door of the business by her husband, Sylvester Ofori.”

Police said the shooting was captured on security footage.

“You can tell that she’s trying to get inside. Unfortunately, he shoots her outside of the establishment,” Police Chief Orlando Rolon said.

Police added that “detectives worked tirelessly throughout the day in order to achieve the following outcome in this case.”

A search warrant was served at Ofori’s apartment, where he was taken into custody, police said.

Ofori was booked into the Orange County Jail at 9:39 p.m and now being held without bond.
He is now being charged with first-degree murder with a firearm.

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However, a further check showed that Ofori and his ministry have an extensive social media presence – Ofori’s page has 61,756 followers while his ministry Floodgates of Heaven International Ministries has 5,552 followers on Facebook.

On his Facebook page, Ofori described himself as a prophet and motivational speaker.

A post on his page on August 23 said: “I truly believe that every single person has to go through something that absolutely destroys them so they can figure out who they really are,”
The physical address of his church is 44 Coburn Ave., Orlando.

Its Facebook page says the ministry is dedicated to helping those who need to increase their “prayer life.”

“We believe that prayer changes things & the bible says that the prayer of a righteous man availeth much,” the page says. “We are praying that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

A website to hire speakers and entertainers says Ofori was born in Accra, Ghana.

“He attributes his zeal for God to his parents who instilled the fear of the Lord in the hearts of all five of their children,” his bio reads.

As an anointed and chosen man of God, Ofori “flows in the gifts of the Holy Spirit” and he has Christ-like powers and a knack for interpreting dreams.

Ofori has healed the sick, cast out of demons, and battled witchcraft, the site says.

“Clothed in the spirit of humility, he acknowledges that he is totally dependent upon Jesus, as he is able to do nothing of himself,” the bio adds. “He is always careful to give credit to God.”

However, Ofori’s wife Tommey was the assistant manager of the credit union, where she worked for more than five years, according to a Linkedin profile.

Her profile further revealed that she graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

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