Author: The Nation

The Police Command in Delta has apprehended two suspected car snatchers and recovered stolen vehicles from them.

Spokesman for the command, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrest in a statement yesterday.

He said the suspects were arrested by police operatives attached to Ughelli Division on Thursday following actionable intelligence.

Edafe said the Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, had issued a directive to the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in the state to nip the increasing trend of car snatching in the bud.  He said it was in response to the police commissioner’s order that the suspects were apprehended.

“Following series of reported cases of vehicles’ removal from parking areas in Asaba, Warri, Ughelli and environs, CP Abass directed area commanders and DPOs to nip the trend in the bud.

“On June 15, the DPO, Ughelli division, closely supervised by the Ughelli Area Commander, ACP Ademola, while acting on intelligence gathered, arrested the two suspects.”

“The suspects specialised in snatching vehicles from Warri and environs, taking same to Ughelli where they dismantle them and sell the vehicles in parts,” he said.

The police spokesman said that items recovered from the suspects included 74 vehicle tyres, 16 vehicle engines and eight gear boxes.

Others, he said, were 15 motor batteries, two motorcycle engines and seven suspected stolen vehicles.

“The stolen vehicles included four registered Toyota Corolla, one Toyota Carina and an unregistered Nissan car,” he said.

According to Edafe, the suspects were currently in police custody, adding that investigation in the matter was ongoing.

The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described itself as freedom fighters, and not in the league of militants or oil pipeline guards.

 Apparently reacting to ex-militant Asari Dokubo’s comment on Nnamdi Kanu, the group said those campaigning for Kanu’s continuous detention should know that militancy for monetary gains is in the same category as criminals and terrorists.

 IPOB’s media and publicity secretary, Emma Powerful, in a statement yesterday, said: “Those campaigning for the continuous detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in the Department of State Services (DSS) solitary confinement forget that militancy for monetary gains is in the same category as criminals and terrorists.

 “IPOB is not in the league of militants and oil pipeline guards. IPOB stand for freedom for Biafrans, including those on oil pipeline security guards for the oppressors.”

 He regretted that the oil communities are today in ruins because people who should be making decisions on oil exploration in their region are the ones guarding the oil pipelines for the oppressors and their children.

Powerful also warned those using Kanu’s illegal detention to look for oil guard contract to be guided as ‘cajoling him cannot secure them contract, instead it will bring them down’.

 He added: “People who can’t stand before Mazi Nnamdi Kanu anywhere in the world will use his name to buy favour.

“In a sane society, such people would have been in jail, but Nigeria is a country where thugs, terrorists and militants are respected and rewarded better than professors.

 “IPOB is not in the same mission with any militant group. IPOB, headed by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is fighting for total emancipation and independence of Biafra, where Biafra resources will be controlled by and used for Biafrans.”

• Three suspected cultists held, weapons recovered

The police in Lagos State said it arrested a security man who allegedly conspired with another to carry out robbery attack against his boss in Ikoyi area.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Lagos Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed their arrest yesterday, adding that the suspects robbed an apartment at Parkview Estate, at the wee hours of Friday.

He said their arrest followed a distress call to the control room around 1am on Friday that the apartment was being robbed and operatives from Ikoyi Division were immediately deployed.

“After serious search, one of the suspects, simply identified as Tony, was arrested with his loots. Items recovered from him include four Samsung phones, five wristwatches, a camera, one flasks and some jewelries, all in a bag while trying to escape with them.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of the second suspect, simply identified as Pius, who is the security man of the victim,” he said.

Hundeyin said that no weapon was recovered from the suspects.

He said operatives of the command also arrested three suspected cultists at a hotel in Idimu.

Hundeyin said the suspect who allegedly terrorised Isolo and environs, were arrested on Saturday night, adding that guns and other dangerous weapons were recovered from them.

A father of four children, Chikwado Obiyor, has been reported dead after a sex romp with his married lover, identified as Chidinma.

Naija News learnt that the two lovers were said to have gone to a guest house in the commercial area of Mbieri community, Owerri, the Imo State Capital.

Obiyor slumped and died immediately after the sex romp, while his lover, who is married to another man, fell into a coma.

According to TRIBUNE, the incident happened on Tuesday and resulted in Chidinma being rushed to the hospital for urgent medical attention, where she is yet to regain consciousness.

The duo were said to be in an amorous relationship, and Chidinma is still living with her husband at Umuchoke Obazu with two children.

A leader of the community, Nokey Ebikam, condemned the development and advised married women to be very careful.

He said: “Be careful, married women. It happened in Mbieri just yesterday.”

• Female pharmacist held, 1,289.3kg skunk seized
• 30.9 hectares of cannabis farms destroyed

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has arrested two suspected Qatar-based drug kingpins, Eyah Celestine Nnamdi, alias Murphy and Ugwuoke Peter Oluchukwu, following the interception of their methamphetamine consignment at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement yesterday.

Babafemi said Ugwuoke was the first to be arrested on June 9, during the outward clearance of Qatar Airways passengers at the departure point, Terminal 2 of the Lagos airport.

He said the NDLEA officers discovered that the suspect was travelling to Doha with an Ivorian international passport with the name Hien Narcisse.

He said a further scrutiny of his black carry-on luggage led to the discovery of a false bottom concealment of two parcels of crystalline substance that tested positive to methamphetamine weighing 1.00kg.

Babafemi said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, though a Nigerian, had gone to obtain an Ivorian passport for his travels.

“He confessed that he travelled to Qatar in August 2022 and returned from the Arab nation about two months ago to perfect arrangement for the movement of the drug consignment,” Babafemi said.

According to the statement, a further probe led operatives to discover that his Qatar-based senior partner in the trade simply identified as Murphy was lurking around in Eziani, his home town in Nsukka LGA, Enugu State.

Babafemi said a prompt deployment of NDLEA operatives on June 10, to Eziani community of Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, led to the arrest of ‘Murphy’ whose true identity was later discovered to be Eyah Celestine Nnamdi.

He said the suspect had lived in Indonesia for some years before relocating to Doha, Qatar.

“In the same vein, anti-narcotic officers of the agency have arrested a female Pharmacist, Ikwebe Ori Hellen in Kaduna following her attempts to use forged documents to purchase and distribute six cartons of pentazocine injection with 2,000 ampules.

“She confessed she used fake documents of a Kaduna hospital to order the drug, which she planned to distribute in Kaduna, Abuja and Sokoto. “The consignment was initially intercepted at the local wing of the MMIA, Ikeja, while being sent to Kaduna by a freight agent.”

“In the same vein, NDLEA operatives in Niger state have seized a total of 1,072 kilograms of cannabis in two raids. On Thursday 15th June, 726kg of the illicit substance was recovered at Oyoyo filling station along Kaduna-Abuja express road, where four suspects: Aminu Mohammed, 50; Nasiru Mohammed, 30; Rabiu Haruna, 29, and Hamza Abubakar, 18, were arrested.

“The following day, 16th Friday, operatives intercepted a Mercedes 1422 truck marked MKD116ZM on its way from Umunede, Delta state with gallons of palm oil to be delivered at Garki market in Abuja.

“However, the truck driver, Jekwe Udenze, 38, along with his two assistants: Gabriel Nzekwube, 43, and Chima Uzoma, 42, stopped over at Uromi, Edo State and loaded 19 jumbo bags of cannabis weighing 346kg, to be delivered at Dumez Luxury Park along Kaduna road, Suleja to Ignatius Mokwe, 47. Both the driver and his two assistants as well as the owner of the illicit consignment, Ignatius Mokwe have been arrested.

“Meanwhile, a total of 30.9 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed in Delta, Edo and Ondo in the past week. In Delta, 18 hectares of cannabis farms were destroyed on Monday 12th June in Umuchime village, Ogume, Ndokwa West LGA by NDLEA operatives supported by soldiers.

“Four suspects arrested on the farms include two men and two women: Kingsley Atuola, 40; Okikiolu Adekunle, 44; Osai Doris, 40, and Ublenu Joy, 28.

“In Edo state, operatives on Wednesday 14th June stormed Awakpa forest in Owan West LGA where they arrested Malachy Amaechi; Nanmua Peter; Ojo Momoh; Afam Luke and John Danladi who were apprehended inside a hut located on 2.5 hectares of cannabis farm, which was destroyed and 102 kilograms of the substance already harvested recovered. Another farm measuring 1.294870 hectares was also destroyed with the three farms razed totalling 3.978217 hectares.

“Similarly, operatives on Saturday 17th June raided the house of a dealer, Godwin Ejiro, 45, at Uyiwnendi community, Ikpoba Oka LGA, where quantities of illicit drugs including cocaine, heroin, meth, swinol and cannabis were recovered. In Ondo state, John Emmanuel, 30, was arrested at Ofosu, with 81kg cannabis on Thursday 15th June while operatives on same day nabbed Gideon Akoh at Ala forest where a total of nine hectares of farm were destroyed and 12kg harvested substance recovered.

“While 93.7kg of the psychoactive substance was evacuated from a shop in Enugu metropolis on Saturday 17th June, a wanted notorious dealer, Kwada Vendi, 37, was arrested with 30.6kg cannabis at Mamari, Maiduguri, Borno state on Tuesday 13th June. In Bauchi state, 87,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 were recovered from a suspect, Tony Ogbonna, 40, by NDLEA operatives at Yelwa, Bauchi town on Saturday 17th June.

“A total of 13,800 pills tramadol consignment abandoned by a suspect going to Geidam, Yobe State was recovered at Yankaba Park, Kano on Wednesday 14th June, while same day in Benue state, a suspect, Chidera Gabriel was arrested with 22,100 pills of the same pharmaceutical opioid at an NDLEA check point in Vandeikya…”

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has tasked security agencies to hunt down criminals killing innocent people in rural communities in the state.

He gave the charge weekend while condemning the latest invasion of parts of Barkin Ladi local government area by gunmen who sacked Kak, Ranyam, Nging, Lohala and Buka communities.

Sympathizing with the locals, the governor in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Affairs, Gyang Bere, said they should consider more deployment of personnel to affected communities to prevent further destruction.

The governor also urged them to remain neutral and refrain from meddling into local politics which was outside their purview.

Read Also : Adebayo slams Gov Mutfwang over ‘dissolution’ of Plateau councils

Governor Mutfwang reiterated the commitment of his administration to work with existing security apparatus at the federal level, using multifaceted approach to secure innocent communities  that have been under invasion by bandits.

He saluted the gallantry of some of the officers and men of various security agencies who have made sufficient sacrifices in curbing the spate of attacks and encouraged  them to put in more efforts to halt the ugly trend.

Mutfwang reassured Plateau citizens of his commitment to addressing their plights, particularly issues of insecurity so as to bequeath the requisite  development and progress the state was yearning for

Meanwhile, the Plateau State Police Command has deployed Mobile Force (MPF) personnel across troubled local government areas inline with the state government’s desire to have them deployed to various flashpoint.

The Commissioner of Police, Plateau State Command, CP Bartholomew Onyeka, said the decision became imperative in response to several killings in the state, assuring of the police’ commitment to bring the perpetrators to justice and restore peace.

Onyeka, during the deployment at the Police Headquarters, ordered all the personnel to be very vigilant while carrying out their duties. He warned that any officer found engaging in any illegal act would be severely punished in accordance with the disciplinary procedure in the Police Act and Regulations.

The Secretary to the Government of Plateau State (SGS), Samuel Jatau, who was present at the Command Headquarters, said: “The deployment of these units is part of government’s efforts to enhance security and maintain law and order in the state.”

• Overloading, windy rain responsible for Kwara boat tragedy, says NIWA

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has expressed grief over the Kwara boat accident which claimed the lives of 106 people.

A statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Kirshi, said the Speaker was deeply pained over the lives lost during the unfortunate incident, which occurred in Patigi Local Government area of the state.

He said the news of the mishap was as devastating as it was heartbreaking, noting that such incident must be avoided to save the lives of Nigerians.

“My heart bleeds. I was pained and devasted at the news of the boat mishap in Kwara. The lives of 104 Nigerians were so precious, but we lost them just like that in one fell swoop.

Overloading, windy rain caused Kwara boat tragedy, says Inland Waterways MDRead Also :

“The incident was one too many. We must guard against such occurrence in future. Necessary actions must be taken to prevent such incident.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those that lost their loved ones during the incident,” Speaker Abbas said.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Dr George Moghalu, said preliminary investigations revealed that overloading and windy rain were some of the causes of the boat tragedy that killed no fewer than 106 persons in Kwara State last week.

He said the boat lacked navigational aid as it drowned in the night, admonishing operators in the state to limit their commutes from 6am to 6pm.

Dr Moghalu revealed this on Saturday night in Ilorin, shortly after visiting the affected communities and bereaved families.

He said that his team would visit the scene of the accident this week to carry out environmental impact assessment (EIA), noting that “once the EIA was done, the authority would make available facility for the communities.

“Preliminary investigations have shown that the accident was avoidable if specific protocols were followed.

“Experience has shown that over 95 percent of accidents that happen on our waterways occur either in the night or very early hours of the morning and the reason is that the vessel could not apply navigational aid.

“Secondly, the vessel in question was very heavily overloaded. The vessel carried over 250 passengers. It was practically impossible for the vessel to operate safely without having a hitch. Apart from passengers, we had leakages in the vessel.

“Most unfortunately, all the passengers not wearing lifejackets and it was a very rainy night. The rain came with wind. Apart from increasing the water level, the wind was tossing the boat here and there and eventually smashed it on a tree,” said the NIWA boss.

He expressed President Bola Tinubu’s shock, concern and sadness over the incident.

“The president himself was very worried. Most of you have seen his reaction where in he had gone to the extent of public investigation so that we can know exactly what happened to prevent such an ugly situation in future.

“In the course of our discussion, the communities requested lifejackets and I instantly made 100 available to them.”

 “I assured them that a team from our authority would be moving to the communities from Tuesday this week to carry out EIA. We want to urge boat operators not to operate their vessels once it is 6pm. They are free to use their vessels between the hours of 6am and 6pm of the day,” he added.

He said that NIWA had been embarking on aggressive training and retraining of boat owners and operators for effective standardisation of travels on inland waterways in the country.