By Bassey Anthony, Uyo

The Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom, Amiengheme Andrew, has deployed 7,194 policemen for Saturday’s local government election in the state.

This is in addition to other sister security agencies which will be posted to all polling units and wards across the 31 council areas of the state for the exercise.

The CP in a statement signed by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Odiko MacDon, on Friday warned residents of the state against violating the movement restriction of the state government.

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‘The statement reads: “The Commissioner of Police, while assuring Akwa Ibomites of adequate security before, during and after the election, warned residents against violating the restriction of movement order which will commence from 7:00am to 2:00pm of Saturday, 31st October, 2020.

‘’He therefore enjoins all voters to turnout peacefully and perform their civic responsibility, while warning trouble shooters to stay away from the polling units as no acts of lawlessness will be tolerated.

‘’However, in an event of any distress within the State, the Command can be reached on 08039213071 or sent a WhatsApp message to 08084667720’’.

Our Reporter

The Niger Delta Agitators for Good Governance has cautioned a group which called itself Coalition of APC Youth Leaders and  Beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme against blackmailing the President and the leadership of the Amnesty Office for selfish motives.

The National Coordinator of the Group, Chief Moses Bebenimibo, said in a statement on Thursday that the Niger Delta agitators who embraced amnesty are not divided along party lines. He cautioned against using the platform of agitators to blackmail authorities with intent to score needless political goals and targeted pecuniary benefits. He described statement credited to the amorphous group as a brazen and unconscionable attempt to cause avoidable division in the rank of Niger Delta people involved in the agitation for fairness in resource allocation and good governance in the country.

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Bebenimibo said that true agitators who are motivated by patriotism and the genuine interest of the Niger Delta would not draw a line between APC Niger Deltans and PDP Niger Deltans. He also called on the Federal Government to discountenance the call by some ‘merchants  of mischief’ to sack the Amnesty Boss for allegedly engaging non APC members in the office. He said that the crude sentiments expressed by the group of self- styled Coalition of APC ex-agitators, which called on the Federal Government to make APC membership as a condition for engagement in the Amnesty Office,  is condemnable and indeed a recipe for division and avoidable unrest. Bebenimibo commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the appointment of an Ijaw son as the Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The activist, who also thanked the National Security Adviser, Major Gen Babagana Monguno, for recommending Col Dikio, urged the President to give him the free hand to take the requisite steps to reposition the PAP. According to him, the culture of impunity and diversion of the objectives of the PAP would continue unless Dikio embarks on tough, deliberate and decisive steps to enthrone sanity in the agency.

By Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Ughelli Correspondents Chapel, on Friday frowned at what it described as the nonchalant attitude of the Delta State government towards the plight of flood victims across the state.

The chapel, in a communique issued at the end of its monthly meeting, said millions of residents of flood ravaged communities have been displaced from their homes and facing untold hardship without any form of intervention from the state government.

The communique signed by the chapel Acting Chairman, Comrade Sunday Apah and Secretary, Comrade Matthias Ogbagah accused the state government of taking advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to turn deaf ears towards the plight of the people.

The communique reads, “Setting up of a committee on flood without further actions to immediately give succor to the flood victims is totally unacceptable and this could pose serious threat to lives and property of victims.

“This is the time that the people affected by the flood need the presence of the Delta State government most, and a little attention from the government will no doubt change the fortunes of the victims by providing isolation centers and ensuring that that their property is safe.”

By Polycarp Orosevwotu, Ughelli

The President General of Oleh Community Development Union, Chief Believe Alakri, has accused neighbouring Ozoro community of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State of the gruesome killings of 12 sons and daughters of Oleh in cold blood at Ada bush along Oleh/Ozoro road.

He urged the Inspector General of Police, Delta State governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa and the Delta State Commissioner of Police and other security agents to prevail on the leadership of Ozoro community to produce those allegedly involved in the killing to face the wrought of the law.

The 12 persons alleged to have been murdered on the 16th of October, 2020, allegedly  by Ozoro people were identified as Glory Gowon, Sunday Uyeh, Victor Egeme, Friday Egeme, Bridget Egeme, Naomi Egeme, Ogheneovie Egeme, Solomon Emmanuel, Dennis Ojokojo, Ogagaoghene Oletabe, Oghenekioja Egeme and Orezimena Egeme.

Speaking to newsmen at a press briefing at Oleh, Alakri said the disputed Ada land is owned by Oloro family of Oleh, with established landmarks and clear boundary, which 29 years ago the ownership was ascertained vide a High Court Judgement in suit No: HCO/13/1982, against the Odhegbe and Emealuedajor families of Ozoro, who were the rival claimants and Defendants.

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Alakri said, “On 9th of August, 2020, members of the Oloro family and their hired workers, who went to work at the Ada land along Oleh/Ozoro road, where the gruesome murder of the Oleh 12 took place, were attacked by heavily armed members of the defendants family, from Ozoro and were dispossessed of their cutlasses, phones and chainsaw, chanting war songs. This incident was reported to the Commissioner of Police by the Oloro family in a letter on 21st August, 2020.

“We appeal to President Buhari, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the Inspector-General of Police through the Delta State Commissioner of Police, the Director-General of the State Security Services (SSS) and the heads of other relevant security agencies to prevail on the leadership of Ozoro community to produce all those involved in the killings.

Efforts to reach the Ozoro Community President General, Mr. Nicholas Areh for comments proved abortive as his phone was switched off, but one of the Ozoro Community Quarters’ Chairman, Mr. Sunday Omonakome, who spoke to The Nation said Ozoro Community knew nothing about the 12 murdered persons, describing the allegations as a mere fabricated story.

By Simon Utebor, Yenagoa

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Bayelsa State, have arrested a 43-year-old prophet,  Kingsley Amos and three other suspects over an alleged attempt to kidnap the Chairman of the Yenagoa Local Government Area, Mr Uroupaye Nimizuoa.

Other suspects arrested alongside the prophet were an ICT expert, Philip Okorie, an indigene of Akanu community in Ohafia LGA of Abia State; a spiritualist, Tari Erigi, from Okordia-Zarama community of Yenagoa LGA and a 35-year-old woman, Nsikan Sunday, from Akwa Ibom State.

The DSS, while parading the suspects in Yenagoa on Friday, alleged that sequel to the receipt of a petition on the alleged kidnap threat of Nimizuoa, the suspects had been sending threat messages to him, his mother and members of his family using a strange  mobile phone number.

The DSS said investigation led to the arrest of the four suspects.

The DSS Deputy Director of Operations, Femi Shotayo, said the arrested suspects were led by the ICT expert, Philip Okorie.

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He said Okorie, in connivance with his syndicate, took advantage of his relationship with the victim and fraudulently initiated life threatening calls including threats to kidnap the victim using unknown GSM numbers in a bid to extort the victim.

He said: “Okorie was eventually arrested by operatives of the service in Abia State. And Amos, who paraded himself as a clergyman and prophet before the victim, collaborated with his mistress/wife, one Nsikan Sunday and threatened to kidnap the victim.

“Findings further showed that the threat was aimed at compelling their victim to contract them for prayers in exchange for money. They were apprehended in Calabar, Cross River State, and both have confessed to the crime.

“Also arrested was Tari Erigi who is a spiritualist and ally of the council chairman who sent a threat of kidnap to the victim in order to extort money from the latter. Meanwhile, all the suspects have voluntarily confessed to the crime under investigation, just as exhibits linking the suspects with the crime have been recovered.”

Confirming the incident, Nimizuoa said he had to alert the security agencies over the alleged threat by the arrested suspects due to the March 5, 2020 experience in which his mother, Madam Betty Nimizoua, was abducted by unidentified gunmen.

He stated: “While in court over the arrest of the key suspect in the kidnap of my mother, I started receiving threats of kidnap from unknown numbers and I reported to the security agencies. The key suspect, Okorie, was shown to me as the person threatening me that if I didn’t release the arrested kidnapper of my mother, they would kidnap me.

“Okorie was also the same person brought to me by the police to work with me as an independent phone tracker to track the phone lines. I had thanked the police for rescuing my mother and providing me with evidence to prosecute my mother’s kidnappers but little did I know that the independent tracker working with me was a kidnapper. The second suspect came to me and said he wanted to pray with me. And I opened my doors to him but he turned around to be sending life threatening messages.”

One of the suspects, Okorie, however denied the charges of attempted kidnap brought against him, claiming that he had 12 years working relationship with the Nigeria Police as an independent data/phone calls analyst involved in locating kidnappers and their victims.

He said: “My calls to the Yenagoa LGA chair were purely to collect the unpaid debt for my services during the rescue of his mother and arrest of the suspect. I sent text message to him from hidden numbers because he did not pick my calls and refused to pay monies owed me.”

By Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt

The Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr. Tammy Danagogo, has expressed confidence that the Supreme Court’s verdict on Soku Oil wells will engender peace in the oilfield and its environs.

Danagogo, who spoke on Thursday in Port Harcourt, said the judgment reaffirmed the common saying that the judiciary still remained the last hope for all.

He said: “As the last hope of the common man, I have never doubted that the judiciary will do what is right and what is just. The people of Soku who are Kalabari-Ijaws in Rivers State, do not wish to be ceded to Bayelsa State.

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“We remain thankful to God, Governor Nyesom Wike and the Supreme Court and continue to hope for peace and co-operation with our Nembe- Ijaw brothers in the sister state of Bayelsa.”

Danagogo hailed Governor Wike for his commitment and focus in defending the course of the Kalabari Ijaws, while delivering projects to the state.

He said rather than paying lip service to the issue and play politics with the matter like his predecessors, Wike had been dogged, strategic and courageous in confronting it headlong.

The SSG urged the Ijaw in Rivers and Bayelsa states to always toe the path of peace by abiding by the court judgment.

“As Ijaw brothers, we have always lived in peace, and should continue to do so in the light of the well-considered decisions of our courts on the matter,” he said.

By Rosemary Nwisi, Port Harcourt

A Community leader, Chief Mike Amachree, has appealed to Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike to relax the curfew in Oyigbo Local Government.

The curfew was placed as a result of the activities of #ENDSARS protesters and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who burnt police stations and killed two policemen.

Amachree said peace has been restored to other parts of the state with the lifting of the curfew, except in Oyigbo Council.

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He said: “People are going about their legitimate businesses in the state, except in Oyigbo. A lot of businesses in River State are located there. It is a melting pot for Rivers indigenes and non-indigenes. Every ethnic group in Rivers State-Ikwerre, Okrika, Ogoni, Opobo, Ijaw, Kalabari and others do business in the local government.

“Oyigbo Council also has a lot industrial establishments such as the Afam thermal station, cassava processing industry and others.

“Since the curfew, business activities in the state have been slow. Now that the governor has lifted the curfew in other parts of the state, he should also relax the curfew in Oyigbo. I plead with the governor to deploy law enforcement agents there to beef up security while allowing law-abiding citizens and businessmen to go about their lawful businesses.”

By Nwanosike Onu, Awka

Members of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in the Southeast have restated its resolve to always promote peace with their hosts.

Their Chairman in the region Alhaji Gidado Siddiki said members remain committed to delivering on their promise of peace and unity.

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Siddiki spoke on Thursday in Awka, the Anambra State capital as part of his message to Igbo, during this year’s edition of Eid-el-Maulud (the birth of Prophet Mohammed).

According to him, under my watch in the South east, Miyetti Allah will continue to promote the peace among the herders and their host communities.

“We remain fully committed to delivering on our promise of peace and unity in this area of Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states.”