Due to the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu on Tuesday, May 5; mandated the total lockdown of the state’s borders.
Ikpeazu revealed that this mandate is based on the intel that a group of almajiris is planning to move into the state within the next 24 hours.
Furthermore, the governor directed “all security agencies in the state; especially those posted to inter-state boundary communities, members of the State and LGAs enforcement task force teams; as well as the inter-ministerial committee on COVID-19, to ensure that within this period of the subsisting border closure necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic; no individual or group is allowed to enter the state, aside from those duly exempted, from any other part of the country.”
This was contained in a statement issued by Ikpeazu via the Commissioner for Information, John Okiyi Kalu.
“The Governor also directs men and officers of the State Homeland Security Ministry to deploy immediately to relevant inter-state boundary communities; to ensure there is no unauthorized entry.
“We wish to reemphasize that traditional rulers and TC Chairmen of inter-state boundary communities will be held responsible and sanctioned for any such unauthorized entry into the state.
“All necessary lawful measures must be taken to stop the entry of not only the almajiris; but also other unlawful migrants into the state till the FG-backed inter-state border closure regulation put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 from one state to another is lifted,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the federal government has received $311,797,866.11 recovered assets of General Sani Abacha; repatriated from the United States and the Bailiwick of Jersey.
This was confirmed by the Attorney-General of Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami.
Specifically, he disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, May 4; by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations at his office, Dr Umar Gwandu.
Equally important, Malami affirmed that the Abacha assets recovered increased significantly from the over $308 million mentioned earlier; in an earlier statement in February to over $311million.
This is a result of the interest that accrued from February 3 to April 28; when the fund was transferred to the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Further, he noted that the litigation process for the return of the assets titled ‘Abacha III’ commenced in 2014; while the diplomatic process that culminated in the signing of the Asset Return Agreement commenced in 2018.
