Tinubu said this at Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi during the burial ceremony of the deceased who passed away at the age of 72 years.

The President described the late Onu as a perfect gentleman who staunchly believed in the match toward achieving Nigeria’s true destiny as a great nation.

“Onu was a true progressive and a quintessential politician who believed in the ideals of the progressive movement as a way to develop Nigeria.

“He worked tirelessly for the ideal which gave rise to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.

“He provided the needed leadership toward the formation of the APC from All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of the Nigeria (ACN), and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC),” he said.

The President noted that the APC has continued to grow in leaps and bounds and has produced two presidents, including himself, since then.

“We will miss him but will continue to uphold the ideals he stood for in life,” he said.

Governor Francis Nwifuru thanked Tinubu and all the dignitaries that attended the funeral.

“I also thank you on behalf of south east governors for honouring our son who left indelible footprints on Ebonyi and Nigeria.

“We bid farewell to a man who gave his all to the service of mankind and had an inspirational trajectory of political success from governor, party chairman and minister.

“Onu as a former governor of Abia left infrastructural and human empowerment legacies as Ebonyi was carved from some parts of Abia,” he said.

Nwifuru donated N100 million for the completion of the Christ the King’s Catholic Church, Uburu which was conceived and constructed by the late Onu.

The Catholic Bishop of Owerri Diocese, Archbishop Lucius Ugorji in the funeral service held for Onu, urged people to always live with the realisation that they would face death.

“Our son and father has ran his own race and such is the destiny of every mortal,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the dignitaries who attended the burial include were Governors Alex Otti of Abia and Peter Mbah of Enugu.

Governors Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra were represented by their deputies.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party Presidential Candidate in the 2023 election also graced the occasion.

The APC National Chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje among dignitaries from all parts of the country, also graced the event.

The NSIB’s Director, Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Bimbo Oladeji disclosed in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Lagos.

Oladeji said that the Search and Recovery partners in the investigation are the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the Nigerian Navy, and HydroDive.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ditched Sikorsky SK76 with registration 5N BQG crashed off the coast of Bonny Finima, Atlantic Ocean, Port Harcourt, River on October 24.

The helicopter, operated by Eastwind Aviation, was transporting eight passengers at the time of the accident.

Oladeji said that since the accident, NSIB and its Search and Recovery partners had coordinated a search and recovery effort.

She added that the search had been in collaboration with local and international partners to locate and retrieve the bodies of the deceased and the critical components necessary for a comprehensive investigation.

The spokesperson said that the FDR and CVR, commonly referred to as the aircraft’s “black box,” were retrieved Friday morning.

According to her, the device is crucial in helping investigators analyse flight performance and cockpit communications to determine the sequence of events leading up to the accident.

She added that the recovered recorder had been secured for transport to NSIB’s data analysis lab, where it would undergo data extraction and analysis by NSIB’s specialists.

Oladeji added that the analysis would help the bureau gain insights into the operational and technical conditions preceding the accident and help determine the cause of the accident.

She said that as of Friday, three individuals remained unaccounted for, and long-term search efforts continue in coordination with local and international partners.

She added that further updates would be provided as the investigation progressed and significant developments emerged.

The NSIB Director-General, Capt. Alex Badeh commended the recovery teams and stressed the importance of the investigation.

“The recovery of the Flight Data Recorder and Cockpit Voice Recorder marks a monumental step in understanding what led to this tragic accident.

“The black box holds vital information that will provide invaluable insight into the sequence of events leading up to the accident, which will help us to determine the cause and inform any necessary safety recommendations.

“While our thoughts are with the families of those still unaccounted for, concerted efforts are being made to find the missing individuals and provide answers to the families affected by this accident, ” he said.

NAN also reports that the NSIB has recovered the bodies of five of the eight individuals said to be aboard the ill-fated helicopter.

On October 31, the bureau announced the recovery of the wreckage of the ditched chopper.

The Governor disclosed this at the EdoBEST National Results-Sharing Session in Abuja on Thursday, November 7, 2024.

He said he was reliably informed about the anti-graft agency’s plan to arrest and detain him over alleged fraud.

Obaseki, however, asserted that he’s unperturbed by the purported arrest or investigation of his administration, attributing the petition against him to individuals pursuing a vendetta.

The outgoing Governor stressed that he’s prepared for any eventuality, adding that he would spend his time in EFCC custody conducting research.

“I hear that the EFCC will pick me up next week after my tenure. Wherever they keep me, I’ll spend time doing research.

“There are many things we have done that can be described as legacy projects. I believe in Edo State. One of the enduring achievements is our focus on the Edo people and issues that matter to them, implementing necessary reforms.

“Why should I be afraid? I just focused on what I believe in, and today, you can see what has been accomplished. What happens after that is beyond my control. They can continue with their political witch-hunt and do all they can to harm me. That’s their problem.

“I’m not afraid; I’m not worried. They’ve written all sorts of unfounded petitions against me, and that’s part of the challenge. In fact, I can even turn myself in if they call me – I have nothing to hide,” he said.

Obaseki accused his opponents of being envious of his achievements over the past eight years, insisting that he has left a lasting legacy in the South-South State.

“You know how this country is. It’s filled with bitterness, vendettas, and wickedness. Those who have opposed me in Edo State are cruel, very wicked, and filled with jealousy and envy because they cannot match the accomplishments we’ve made in the past eight years.

“But what’s important is to focus on the people to improve Nigeria, as the suffering is excessive. We are privileged to make a difference, so let’s focus on issues, not vendettas.

“Reforming the bureaucracy is a priority. We focused on the people and the civil servants,” he added.

NAN reports that the special Independent Investigative panel was set up on Feb. 8, 2023, following allegations of gross human rights violations contained in the three-part report published in December 2022 on military operations in the north east.

The international media organisation had alleged that the Military was involved in massacre of children as well as other Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) in the North East.

Submitting the report to the NHRC on Friday in Abuja, the Secretary of the panel, Mr Hilary Ogbonna said: “investigation into these allegations however, exonerated the military from the accusations by Reuters.

” Reuters refused to appear before the panel to prove the allegations ,and also, lack of cooperation from the international Red Cross was a challenge”.

Giving a graphic report, the secretary explained that the three tier allegations by Reuters were that there was abortion assault that resulted to over 10 000 abortions by the military.

The second allegation, he said was ‘smothered, poisoned and shot’ Reuters alleged that the military conducted operations targeting and killing several children in the North-East.

” The third tagged ‘ A war on women ‘ Reuters alleged that the Nigerian military since 2013 until 2021 implemented a systematic illegal and secret abortion to nip in the bud, the offspring of the members of Boko Haram insurgents who are responsible for the pregnancies.

Earlier, the Chairman of the seven-member panel retired Justice Abdu Aboki, said the panel’s reports are the based on the three allegations levelled against the military between 2013 to 2021 in the North-East.

” The report we are presenting today has been a result of extensive work of the Panel and its secretariat, encompassing 199 testimonies and visit to twenty field locations.

” They also include analyses of documentations and records received from state hospitals and the Nigerian military.

” The report contains several aspects of the investigative processes that would be instrumental in framing our human rights accountability mechanism as well as the criminal justice system in Nigeria.

He added that It is very informative and would serve as a guide or future reference material for future Panels of this magnitude.

Aboki further said that apart from reporting on the investigations carried out on these allegations, it captures the challenges faced by the Panel in the course of carrying out its investigation.

” I have already highlighted the non-appearance of Reuters and the lack of cooperation from the International Committee of the Red Cross and Medecins Sans Frontieres” he said.

Similarly, Dr Anthony Ojukwu, SAN , Executive secretary of NHRC while speaking, praised the courage of the panel who worked for 12 weeks spreading through 18 months.

” Tasked with examining alleged human rights abuses, particularly against women and children, the Commission is pleased that the panel has worked diligently to investigate these monumental allegations.

” It is providing us today with its findings and recommendations that will instigate and inspire multi-stakeholder partnerships in our humanitarian response in the north-east.

” The Panel’s report, in particular, its findings and recommendations offer both clarity and a call for action.”

He said these underscored the complexities and human costs of counter-insurgency operations in Nigeria’s North-East and provide a blueprint for meaningful reform.

” They highlight the urgent need for transparency within our security forces and the establishment of mechanisms to protect civilians.

” As we receive this report today, the NHRC is resolute in its commitment to the implementation of this report, and in particular redoubling our collective efforts towards integrating human rights principles into military and counter-insurgency operations across Nigeria.

” We are even honoured to have in attendance today, UN Agencies and NGOs who have been our longstanding partners in our human rights response to counter-insurgency operations and humanitarian efforts in the north-east,” he said.