News
Kechi Okwuchi grateful for recovery journey of facial scars
Nigerian-born singer and motivational speaker, Kechi Okwuchi has expressed gratitude to God for the recovery journey of her facial scars, saying that true progress and genuine growth cannot happen overnight.
The 31-year-old burn survivor, who is one of two survivors in the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 crash of Dec. 10, 2005, stated this on her Instagram page @kechiofficial.
She shared her recovery journey spanning 14 years.
According to her, she is grateful to lived long enough to see the speedy recovery journey of her facial scars.
The America’s Got Talent finalist, sharing a photo from 2007, a year after the tragic crash, with the recent one she took on Tuesday July 20, said she was grateful to God for being alive to witness her progress.
“Wonder if I should tag this as sensitive content? I stumbled upon the picture on the left on my laptop a couple months ago, and I have been contemplating this post since then,”
“I remember I stared at it for a long time that day. Time makes me forget just how extensive my burn injuries were, and how devastating the effects were to my body.
“The pic on the left was taken a good year after the plane crash and by then, intense scar tissue had formed, especially on my face.
“I took the pic on the right a few mins ago and made these before/afters, and I marvel at how far God has brought me.
“ I am the result of the hard work of multiple surgeons He brought into my life, nurses, physiotherapists, and love and care from my family, my mom especially.
“This is what progress looks like, guys. 2 pictures, 14 years apart. I’m grateful that I lived long enough to see it.”
According to her, the decision to make the post is for people to marvel at God with her.
“ I want someone who reads this to see that true progress, genuine growth, and lasting change cannot happen overnight.
“Most of the time during the journey, maybe like me, you won’t notice changes because day by day they’re too minuscule to make a difference.
“But if you give yourself a fighting chance, if you find the right kind of support on your journey, one day, definitely one day, you will look back like I did this morning and hopefully…you will smile.
“I heard this in a song and it stuck with me: The night will definitely come. But so will the morning,” she wrote.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that Okwuchi, who survived the Dec 10, 2021 plane crash, had sustained third degree burns over 65 per cent of her body and was given a 30 per cent chance of survival.
Okwuchi and 60 of her classmates had boarded the plane to go home for Christmas from their boarding school at Abuja, Nigeria.
There were a total of 109 people onboard the Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 including the flight crew.
The crash killed 107 people on board, leaving only two survivors including Okwuchi. All of her classmates perished, leaving her the lone student survivor.
She has undergone over 100 reconstructive surgeries since the tragic crash that claimed 59 of her school mates at the Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja (NAN) .www.nannews.ng
The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has called on President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to retract his publicly disparaging remarks made recently against the socio-political body.
PANDEF described as regrerrable and embarrassing comments by Wike in the aftermath of the group’s visit to Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, even to the extent of insulting the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin.
Recall that the FCT minister had, on Thursday, during a media chat, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.
In a statement signed by PANDEF Chairman on Saturday in Abuja, Ambassador Godknows Boladei Igali, urged President Tinubu as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent.
Igali clarified that the meeting with the president provided a valuable platform to discuss pressing issues of national and regional importance. Adding that “PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region.”
His words: ^To set the record straight, PANDEF the foremost socio-political body representing the South-South regions, composed of some of Nigeria’s most distinguished personalities. The delegation to Mr. President included chairpersons of at least four of the six SouthSouth states’ traditional councils, senior traditional rulers of major ethnic groups, former governors, past presiding officers of the Senate, prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and high-ranking retired military officers.
“It is, therefore, highly regrettable and totally unacceptable that a serving minister in the Federal Government would exhibit such brazen disrespect towards individuals of this standing. This attitude perhaps explains his continued refusal of the Minister to engage with the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which PANDEF constituted as far back as October 2024, despite repeated attempts to reach.
“The Honourable Minister (Wike) characterized PANDEF as the worst organization ever” and accused its members of visiting the Presidential Villa merely to solicit financial favors. These statements are not only false but also unbecoming of a public official of his stature.
“PANDEF hereby calls upon Mr. President, as the father of the nation, to prevail upon the Honourable Minister to retract his inflammatory statements and extend due respect to these eminent Nigerians and traditional rulers who were, after all, esteemed guests of the Commander-in-Chief. It is apt to remind that the Minister does not own the Niger-Delta and his errant conduct should not be condoned.
“Notwithstanding this regrettable development, PANDEF remains unwavering in its commitment to peace, stability, and equitable development in the Niger Delta. We will continue to engage with great vigour, all relevant stakeholders in pursuit of lasting harmony in Rivers State and the broader South-South region,” Igali stated.
On efforts to restore peace in River State, Igali restated PANDEF’s commitment for peace in the oil-rich State.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Peace and Reconciliation Committee, which remains committed to resolving the Rivers State crisis,” Igali stated.
News
IPOB’s lawyer accuses Anambra govt of violating citizens’ rights, wants all arrested charged to court
The counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has called on the Anambra State Government to either charge to court or release individuals allegedly detained for the past five weeks without trial.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ejiofor criticized what he described as “violations of citizens’ rights,” emphasizing that the detainees have not been presented before any court or formally charged with a crime.
“Today, March 15, 2025, marks five full weeks since several citizens of Anambra State were arbitrarily arrested and detained in a private facility controlled by the state government. Shockingly, they have not been charged with any offense or brought before any court of law. This is a flagrant violation of their fundamental rights,” Ejiofor stated.
He expressed concern that the detainees were not held by the police, the Department of State Services (DSS), or the military, but instead in an undisclosed facility, without any official explanation from the government.
Ejiofor, who has previously supported the government’s security efforts, urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to ensure the rule of law is upheld.
“I have always championed active citizen participation in combating insecurity and have publicly urged the government to act against criminal elements. However, this must be done legally and transparently,” he said.
While commending the efforts of the state’s Agụnechemba security outfit, Ejiofor insisted that professionalism and adherence to due process are crucial.
He reaffirmed his support for lawful measures to combat crime but warned that arbitrary detentions could erode public trust in the government’s security strategy.
The Osun State Amotekun Corps has denied allegations of nepotism in its ongoing recruitment of 1,000 cadets, following claims by some dismissed recruits that they were removed in favor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.
Some affected candidates, seen outside the NYSC camp venue in Osogbo, alleged they were removed due to their affiliation with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on behalf of the group, a dismissed cadet, Usman, claimed that they had been in camp since Sunday before being replaced by PDP members, some of whom, he alleged, were unfit for training.
However, Amotekun’s Board Chairman, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Wale Abass, dismissed the allegations as baseless. He explained that those removed from the training camp either failed to meet the required standards or did not follow the proper recruitment process.
“The 1,000 cadets invited for training went through a rigorous selection process. They submitted applications online, underwent document verification, and passed physical fitness tests before being invited to camp,” Abass stated.
He further revealed that some unqualified individuals managed to gain access to the camp, while some selected candidates failed to meet the reporting deadline. Those with health issues were also disqualified.
Abass reaffirmed that the Amotekun Corps remains committed to fairness and impartiality in its recruitment process. He described the allegations as an attempt to create confusion and undermine the security outfit’s credibility.
PANDEF Clarifies Visit To Tinubu, Knocks Wike Over Inflammatory Comments
IPOB’s lawyer accuses Anambra govt of violating citizens’ rights, wants all arrested charged to court
Osun Amotekun recruits accuse Adeleke’s govt of nepotism
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