News

Imo Auto Parts Dealer Runs Abroad to Escape Bandit Attacks

Published

2 months ago

November 3, 2025

An automobile parts dealer, Mr Ifeanyi Kingsley Iwuagwu, has fled Nigeria to save his life after a series of deadly attacks by bandits on his community in Imo State.

Iwuagwu, who left the country in January this year, said he was forced to seek refuge abroad following repeated violent raids that claimed several lives and left properties in ruins.

The young entrepreneur, a native of the Okigwe axis of Imo State, recounted how relentless assaults by armed men transformed his once peaceful village into a war zone. “I had no choice but to leave,” he told AljazirahNigeria Newspapers. “It became a matter of life and death. Remaining there would have meant waiting for the next attack.”

As the only son of an aged mother who depends entirely on him for her welfare, Iwuagwu said leaving her behind was the most agonising decision he has ever made. His mother now lives in constant fear and uncertainty.

“It breaks my heart to be far from her,” he lamented. “But I had to leave to stay alive, with the hope of bringing her to safety one day.”

In recent years, many residents of rural communities in Imo State have faced escalating threats from bandits and criminal gangs, forcing some to abandon their homes and even seek refuge overseas.

For Iwuagwu, the decisive moment came on 20 November 2024, when his shop in Amiagbo, Nwangele Local Government Area, was looted and set ablaze. “That was the day I finally decided to follow the path of some of my colleagues who had already fled abroad,” he explained. “There is no safe place in Nigeria anymore. We keep hearing reports of kidnappings, banditry, herdsmen invasions, and terrorist attacks across all six geopolitical zones—no one knows where will be next.”

Security experts and community leaders have continued to urge the government to provide greater protection for defenceless communities and address the root causes of insecurity in the South East.

For Iwuagwu, survival remains his foremost concern. “All I want is peace and the chance to live without fear,” he said. “No one should have to abandon their home just to stay alive.”

The South-East geopolitical region of Nigeria has in recent years become a flashpoint of violence, with numerous deaths and widespread destruction of businesses and property. Many residents have fled their ancestral lands in search of both safety and livelihoods.

According to Amnesty International, approximately 1,844 people were killed in the South East by both state and non-state actors between January 2021 and June 2023.

The organisation’s Director, Isa Sanusi, disclosed this during the presentation of a report and campaign launch against insecurity in the region, titled “A Decade of Impunity: Attacks and Unlawful Killings in South East”, held on 7 October.

Many Nigerians are now placing renewed hope in the recently appointed service chiefs by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, praying that their tenure will bring lasting peace and restore public confidence in the nation’s security architecture.

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Business

Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management Advocates Digitisation of Procurement Processes, Rolls Out New Website

Published

2 days ago

December 20, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) has unveiled a revamped website as part of its broader push to accelerate the digitisation of procurement processes across the country.

The relaunch was announced at the institute’s 16th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Wednesday in Abuja, where the North Central Coordinator of CIPSMN, Abdul Mamman, said the initiative would strengthen real-time information sharing, expand member participation and align the profession with global best practices.

Mamman warned that organisations and professionals who failed to embrace digital procurement risked being left behind in an increasingly technology-driven environment.

According to him, the upgraded website is designed to provide members with timely feedback, wider engagement and access to real-time information within and outside Nigeria.
“By adopting digital procurement systems and platforms, we create opportunities to save time and efficiently analyse large volumes of activities involved in procurement,” Mamman said.

“When you are digitalised, your coverage is wider and information is shared instantly. That is why we are relaunching our website—to ensure broader participation and enable every member to access real-time information.”

He added that the institute was positioning its members to meet global standards in procurement and supply chain management through the adoption of emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Mamman explained that the institute’s objective was to add value to procurement by promoting proper sourcing systems, relevant skills, recognised credentials and practical competence.
He also called on the Federal Government to strengthen procurement governance by inaugurating the National Council of Public Procurement, describing it as a critical policy-making body.

“We are appealing to President Bola Tinubu to inaugurate the National Council of Public Procurement,” he said.

“Once inaugurated, the council will oversee procurement activities and report directly to the President, ensuring greater transparency and accountability.”

In his remarks, the President of CIPSMN, Alhaji Sikiru Balogun, said the AGM provided an opportunity to assess the institute’s progress and outline an action plan for 2026.

Balogun disclosed that a major priority for the coming year was securing presidential assent to a bill already passed by the National Assembly, seeking to amend the institute’s name from Purchasing and Supply Management to Procurement and Supply Management.

“The bill has been passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. What we now seek is presidential assent,” he said.

“The name change is to align the institute with global best practices and reflect the true scope of the profession worldwide.”

Also speaking, the Registrar of the institute, Alhaji Mohammed Aliyu, described the 2025 AGM as successful, noting growing recognition of procurement as a critical driver of economic development.

Aliyu said the institute remained committed to promoting professionalism, ethical conduct and best practices in procurement, a sector he noted accounts for a significant portion of the national budget.

He called for stricter professionalism in the sector, lamenting what he described as the encroachment of unqualified “mid-career professionals” into procurement roles.

“This is not ideal and is unethical,” he said.
“Our focus in the coming year is to ensure that the profession takes its rightful place, with qualified practitioners occupying procurement positions in both the public and private sectors.”

Aliyu expressed confidence that strengthening professionalism in procurement would support the economic reform agenda of the Tinubu administration and enhance transparency and efficiency in public spending.

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