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Tag: Arepo

  • Why kidnapping persists in Arepo, Ishawo, others

    Why kidnapping persists in Arepo, Ishawo, others

    The police on Thursday confirmed the rescue of Mrs. A. Odumosu, one of the wives of retired Assistant Inspector General (AIG), Hakeem Odumosu, who was kidnapped by masked gunmen on January 16.

    Mrs. Odumosu, the police said, was rescued around 6:45 am, at a creek in Ikorodu, adding that two of her kidnappers were killed in battle while the N10 million paid as ransom was recovered.

    The woman was whisked away by the gunmen from her Aminu Street, Orange Estate residence at Arepo around 9:55 pm as she was about to drive into her compound in a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

    Her kidnappers, who exhibited mastery of the terrain, took her through the creeks into the Ishawo/Ikorodu forest, an area that has remained a haven for armed militants and bandits.

    It was gathered that the kidnappers earlier demanded N40 million ransom but the amount was later negotiated downward and an amount paid as bait while detectives from Ogun State Police Command in collaboration with Intelligence and Technical experts from the Force Headquarters decoded their possible location.

    Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi who confirmed her rescue in a statement, noted that the criminals were planning their next operation when operatives stormed their location inside the creek, adding that four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles and ammunition of various calibers were also recovered.

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    Kidnapping at Arepo, Ibafo, Warewa, Fatola, Elepete, Ishawo, Ijede, Ijedodo, Epe, and environs had continued unabated for years no thanks to the difficulty in navigating the swampy terrains.

    The above fact, coupled with the lack of swamp buggies to frequently pull down those mangroves to open up the creeks, as well as the easy access these criminals have to navigate the shallow waters into different communities without being chased by security operatives were also contributory factors.

    Also, the fact that these communities play host to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s (NNPCL) Systems 2B pipelines, made them a beehive of militants whose stock-in-trade was pipeline vandalism until they found kidnapping to be lucrative following the shutdown of the flow station in 2015.

    Until their venture into senseless kidnappings, raping, and killing of innocent populace, the militants inhabited a world of their own.

    They hoisted flags and dug boreholes with links to underground NNPC pipelines located kilometres away from where they raked in millions of naira daily.

    The eventual suspension of the System 2B pipeline operation denied the criminals access to the oil millions, hence their resort to terrorising the residents, decimating their livestock, raiding shops, raping women and children, stealing money, kidnapping for ransom, and murdering some of the landlords in cold blood.

    Aside from Mrs. Odumosu, a Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) member in Warewa was also kidnapped last year while she was returning from service. There was also the case of the Isheri landlords- Kennedy Ucheagwu, Dr Omololu Bello, Fidelis Esan,g and trainer Olalere Olawale who were kidnapped from their estate in 2016.

    Four junior secondary students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe, Abu, Emmanuel Okonkwo, Jeremiah Rut,h and Isaac Adebisi as well as their Vice Principal, A.O. Oyesola, English teacher, Lukman Oyerinde, three women and a six-month-old baby, Toyosi Aboderin, Ogechi Maku, Toju Amorighoye and Funniyi Tayo Lawal (baby), were all abducted at Epe.

    At Agbowa, Ikorodu, Alhaji Oyebanji Wasiu, Alhaji Isiaka Owolabi and Abiodun Adeniyi, all farmers, were kidnapped and their abductors, who collected N22 million ransom, killed Adeniyi afterwards.

    An RCCG pastor, Kayode Bajomo, the Iba monarch, Oba Goriola Oseni, several landlords at Iba Housing Estate and three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary (BMJS)-Funmi Ogunmefun, Oluwatimileyin Olusa and Deborah Akinayo, were also kidnapped by these gunmen whose enclave was in the creeks bordering Arepo/Ishawo/Epe and environs.

    There were also security operatives including five policemen, nine operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and unspecified number of naval personnel who fell victims to these criminals.

    Most of the security operatives, The Nation gathered, were killed and buried in shallow graves. However, no one has been able to confirm the locations of the graves nor have their bodies been returned to their families for proper burial.

    Although these murderous gangs were initially suspected to be militants who fled the military onslaught from the oil-producing Niger Delta regions, revelations from some of the kidnapped victims who regained freedom showed that most of the gunmen were fleeing terrorists from the north discussed as herders.

    Alluding to this fact on his X account while replying to a follower who urged the police to ensure the fleeing culprits were apprehended, Adejobi wrote: “We will. It’s not easy to navigate the swampy area/creeks. However, we have taken some steps in that regard. The men who carried out the rescue operation did well…”

  • Police launch manhunt for kidnappers of woman in Arepo

    Police launch manhunt for kidnappers of woman in Arepo

    The police in Ogun State have begun manhunt for armed men who kidnapped a woman at Orange Estate in Arepo on Thursday night.

    The woman identified simply as Mrs. Odumosu A. was kidnapped around 9:55pm at her residence by four armed masked men.

    The kidnappers were said to have waylaid the woman and dragged her off her Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) as she was about to enter her residence at Aminu street.

    They were said to have taken her through the swamps to an unknown destination.

    Confirming the incident, spokesperson for Ogun State Police Command, CSP Omolola Odutola said the Commissioner of Police (CP) Lanre Ogunlowo has ordered discreet operations aimed towards ensuring her safe rescue.

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    Asked if the woman kidnapped was the wife of retired Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Hakeem Odumosu, Odutola said she was not aware of that information, adding that all she knew was that the victim was identified as one Mrs. Odumosu.

    “The retired AIG has not come forward to say his wife was kidnapped. I don’t know where the press got the information and I cannot confirm an information that I do not have.

    ” I can tell you that all efforts are on to ensure the woman’s safe rescue.

    “The incident was reported at the Warewa Police Division and officers were immediately deployed to the swampy bushes to search for the woman.

    “Also, locals have been contacted through the Baales of the community and communities nearby. We are leaving now stone unturned to ensure that the woman is rescued and the suspects arrested.

    “The CP, Lanre Ogunlowo PhD has been briefed and all covert operations have been deployed to assist with digital intelligence to ensure she is rescued unhurt,” she said.

  • Arepo community to raise N150m for road repair

    Arepo Central Community Development Association (ACCDA), in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, has launched its newly constructed gate road and N150million for the repair of its access road. 
    OLATUNDE ODEBIYI writes.

    Having waited endlessly for the Ogun State government to come to their aid over the repair of the community’s main access road, residents of Arepo Central Community Development Association (ACCDA) in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have resorted to self-help.

    They have decided to levy each landlord in the community N100,000 to enable them raise N150million to fix the road.

    Some of the residents have already been paying, which has enabled the ACCDA to fix the road on the community’s main gate.

    On June 9, residents gathered at the main gate for the inuaguration of the sample road (the fixed road on the Arepo community main gate).

    The sample road is about 600 square meters, while they still have about 1.7 Kilometers of the main access road in the community to go.

    ACCDA President Kehinde Adeyemo, said since government has refused to come to their aid despite the fact that the road was awarded six years ago, they have decided to help themselves.

    “Our main access road in this community was awarded six years ago at the inception of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration and ever since then we have been engaging the government on the need to come to our aid on this road, but to no avail. The road was awarded to First August in November 2012 under contract 11 with a sign post erected at the Journalists Estate Phase 1 gate end has since remained untouched and impassible for the motorists and pedestrians.

    He recalled that there was a time the road was cut into two due to erosion at Journalists’ Estate Phase 2 gate. “We gathered funds and we commenced work on the culvert, but before we moved to the second stage of the culvert construction, the state Ministry of Works came and helped us out. During the rainy season, we usually record casualties on this road, especially among pregnant women and children because the road is completely unmotorable and we all resort to Okada, which is vulnerable to women and children most especially.

    “We have also regularly sand-filled and graded the road in the past and we (residents of Arepo, purse of ACCDA and individual estate effort)  have so far spent over N18 million naira cumulatively on the road,” he said.

    He noted that when Governor Amosun came to the community in 2015 to seek re-election, they made it clear to him that the road was their priority.

    “When Governor Amosun came to our community in 2015 to seek re-election, we made it clear that the road was our priority because of the pain we are going through on daily basis, but we are still expecting them up till today. Each time we appeal to the state government, he used to give us assurance that the road would be fixed during his tenure, but nothing has been done till date.

    “Because of our concern for the road, we became close to almost everybody in the corridors of power in Abeokuta. Sadly enough, all we got were empty promises. It was while we were appealing at our end here that the state government contracted and constructed Magboro road, a neighbouring community. We felt neglected and disappointed.

    “It is saddening that with all the efforts we have made in ensuring that the government comes to power, this level of neglect is what we are getting from this government.”

    He said it is not too late for Ogun State government to redeem their promise to the community by mobilising First August to move to site. “We may not have the population, but most of us here are critical stakeholders with our own priced election values. We know that there are too many pressures from every quarter most especially that Obafemi Owode is the largest in Ogun State, but failing us is the saddest.

    “Since we saw that help is taking too long to come from the state government, we decided to take our destinies in our hands. Today, we are saying that if all of us in this community can come together with the money we are using to fix our cars and we pull the resources together, we can achieve a smooth hard surfaced road in Arepo .

    “What we are doing here today is for the public launch of the road in Arepo; this 600square meters in the Arepo main gate is a sample of what we intend to do on the Arepo access road, which is about 1.7 kilometers. This public launch is for the community to see that we can do this road ourselves and we appeal to everybody to donate towards the completion of the road.

    “We are calling on all landlords and residents to support this course. We propose a minimum of N100,000 per house hold. We don’t expect that everyone will drop it immediately, but if we have the project in mind, with N10,000 monthly, we would make it in 10 months or N5,000 monthly it can be done in less than 2 years.

    “We want to assure all ACCDA members and Arepo residents of prudent fund management and accountability. We would post regular updates on a notice board at the gate house and on the ACCDA WhatsApp platform. We need every kobo we can raise through the support and participation of all to fix this access road,” he said.

    Shallom Estate Residents Association Chairman, Mr Adeshina Shittu, said the public inauguration was to mobilise more resources for the completion of the project.

    “The estates in the communitites have been supportive and we expect that by sometime next year, we should have completed the road. Arepo is a town and the fact that the only road leading into that community is in a state of disrepair does not help the reputation of the state government,” he said.

  • Propertymart unveils Fairmont Lekki land scheme

    Still relishing the success recorded in the roll-out of its medium housing model – the Fairmont Estate, Arepo, in 2017, real estate firm, Property Mart, has introduced “Fairmont Lekki,” in Lagos State.

    With Fairmont Lekki, which basically comprises of land sale promo the firm aims to demystify the perception that middle class citizens cannot own a property in the highbrow Lekki axis. The property is located at Fairmont Sangotedo, near the Novare Mall.

    The Managing Director of Property Mart, Deji Fasuwon, explained that his does not just believe in housing that meets subscriber’s need, but also in examining the challenges at every point in the housing value-chain and providing credible answers which meet the need of its clients.

    He explained that with the Fairmont land-sale in Lekki, Propertymart  is steadily reversing the country’s housing deficit, especially in an area most people believe is out of their reach like the Lekki corridor.

    Speaking further on the edge of the Fairmont Lekki offer, Fasuwon said a parcel of land in the scheme sells for N12 million, far below the prevailing market value of about N20 million in the axis. Besides, he explained that his firm has put in place a flexible payment option for buyers spread over five years. Other benefits, he noted to include the absence of the traditional land grabbers and land speculators, as all legal documentation are given to buyers under the scheme upon the completion of payment; there is also no “hidden charges” in the transaction.

    “Besides the fact that Lekki stands out as the new Lagos with a lot of infrastructure and economic projects earmarked for the area, such as the Free-Trade Zone, the deep-sea port, the airport, the refinery project and many other, the area stands out as a corridor for those seeking long-term value from real estate investments, so the Fairmont land-sale deal could not have come at a better time,” Fasuwon asserted.

    The idea of the Fairmont, he revealed, was to create a luxury private community at a fast-growing location where quality is put into details with a perfect blend of urban and country living at an affordable cost. The estate, he said, is also being carefully conceptualised to give a well-planned environment with lush green gardens, extensive walkways and modern infrastructure putting into consideration serenity, splendor, security and space. Its aesthetics is further heightened by availability of street lights, paved roads, good drainage, recreational facilities, security patrol and easy transfer of ownership.

    “At Propertymart, we believe that the way to bridge housing deficit in Nigeria is to create access through innovative vehicles such as this and we are poised to sustain the Fairmont innovation well into the future,” Fasuwon said.

  • Agony as  structures on pipelines’ right-of-way  in Arepo are demolished

    It was a tale of woe, agony and pain for some residents of Arepo in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State yesterday when bulldozers, hired by the a team of Army Engineering Corps. and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), demolished structures on pipelines’ right-of-way.

    The demolition was a fallout of an eviction notice served last week on some residents, whose houses, shops, and other unauthorised structures were erected within the radius of the setback for the critical infrastructure.

    A  few hours after the bulldozers moved escorted by armed personnel many houses, church buildings, mosques had been pulled down stretching over a kilometre.

    In its wake came lamentations, tears, and agony as distraught residents battled to savage their belongings.

    Besides, mechanic workshops and market were not spared in the exercise expected to bring sanity to the community.

    It was learnt authorities alerted residents of the dangers of erecting structures on pipelines’ right-of-way.

    When The Nation visited  the community on Tuesday, scores of affected residents counted their losses, lamenting that they were not giving time to evacuate.

    Some of them said the demolition set them many years back in terms of financial loss and the emotional trauma of being homeless.

    The affected residents were reluctant to narrate their ordeal.

    Others in areas marked out for demolition are living in anxiety, unsure when bulldozers will get to their houses.

    A source close to officials of the Army, NNPC and Ogun State Ministry of Physical Planning said no effort will be spared to remove illegal structures constituting any obstacle on the right-of-way to the pipelines.

    The source said such buildings or structures will be brought down, as the NNPC is set to replace ruptured pipelines criss-crossing Arepo community into creeks leading to Isawo area of Ikorodu.

    Some residents gathered their scattered belongings in the streets, waiting looking for vehicles to ferry them to safe-keeping.

    Investigations showed that scores of scavengers were scampering for destroyed roofing aluminium sheets, iron rods and other scraps.

    Speaking in an interview, a resident, Mrs Caro Modo , said she lost over a million naira

    “I am a victim of this demolition in many ways. I have about three years rent paid to landlords of two buildings that have been demolished. How am I going to recover from this?

    “Some of us did not know the buildings were built on the right-of-way of NNPC pipelines. Now, our money is gone, goods in the shop destroyed and our means of livelihood threatened. This is too much to bear . “

    Besides Mrs Modo, an expectant father and technician said the demolition of his shop had dealt a blow to his means of sustenance.

    Morufu Olalekan said: “ How am I going to cope with this dislocation .”

    Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Development and Urban Planning, Mrs. Yetunde Dina, countered claims by affected residents that they were not given adequate notice.

    “They were given notice of the demolition over a year ago; they still got a reminder notice a week before the demolition. The truth is that the exercise is for their safety because if there is an explosion, we all know the calamity that will follow,” she said.

    According to Dina, the demolished buildings do not have building approval. She was emphatic that since her ministry has the details of  lands in the state, it is impossible for anyone to be granted approval to build on a land that is questionable.

    “We are aware that some parts of Arepo and Akute are pipeline areas, meaning that NNPC have right-of-way on such lands. So how could we have given people approval to build on such?” she asked rhetorically.

    Meanwhile, compensation for affected owners from the state appears very slim. “Since they don’t have approval, then they are not likely to be compensated; but anyone that thinks he has building approval from us can show up with their documents,” Dina said.

     

     

     

  • Back from hell

    Unlike their abduction over two years ago, their release last Thursday was without a bang. There was no noise, nothing whatsoever in the air to suggest that something of that magnitude was about to happen. It was done quietly and the operation was clinically executed. The lesser the noise about the operation the better those behind it might have thought. They guessed right. You do not announce the execution of such high profile operation to the world until it is over.

    They may have learnt from the killing of Osama bin Ladin by the United States (US) Seal on May 1, 2011 in a nocturnal operation which left the Pakistani authorities wondering how it happened right under their noses without them knowing.  The girls were in captivity for over two years before they regained their freedom. Over 200 of them were kidnapped in the early hours of April 14, 2014 by Boko Haram from the Chibok Girls Grammar School (CGGS) in Borno State. The incident generated uproar worldwide.

    In no time, the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement was born.  The BBOG spearheaded the campaign for the girls’ rescue. What it had going for it was not arms and ammunition with which to go after the kidnappers but the force of moral suasion.  Campaigning under #BBOG, the movement became a force to reckon with globally. United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, US First Lady Michelle Obama and other renowned figures identified with the movement to fight for the girls’ release.  The Nigerian wing led by Aisha Yusuf and Oby Ezekwesili became a thorn in the flesh of government.

    Through its daily sit-out at the Eagle Square, from where it was pushed out when the government thought it was becoming a pest,  the movement ensured that the Chibok girls never left our consciousness.  Through thick and thin, the movement stayed together despite all the Jonathan administration did to frustrate its efforts.  Can we talk about the Chibok girls without saying one or two things about former President Goodluck Jonathan? I do not think so. His administration’s handling of the case is nothing to write home about.  It felt unconcerned about the girls’ fate when news of their abduction broke.

    It sounded odd to the administration that over 200 people could be abducted at a go. “Are they goats?” Some top security officials of the administration were said to have asked while dismissing reports of the girls’ abduction.  At secret briefings with the former president, these security chiefs insisted that no girls were kidnapped in Chibok that fateful night of April 14, 2014. So,the government went on as if everything was normal whereas they were not.  It read political meaning to the whole thing. But why will a rational person play politics with such matter? Why will anyone claim that his daughter had been kidnapped when she was not? The government did not take time to think through the matter after wasting a precious two weeks before waking up from its slumber.

    For a whole two weeks after the girls’ abduction,  the government did nothing to find them. Rather than move swiftly to rescue the girls, Jonathan went to campaign for his party’s candidate in the then coming Ekiti State governorship election.  On the rostrum,  he and others danced to azonto music as they prepared to rig the election in favour of Ayo Fayose.  Elsewhere, the government would have dropped everything until the girls were found because governance is all about the people. A government that does not value the people is no government and until our government appreciates this fact it will continue to have problems with the governed. The people are not there to be wooed during elections alone, they are there for all seasons – in good and in not so good times.

    The Jonathan administration failed woefully as regards the rescue of the Chibok girls. The release of the 21 girls has shown that if it had put in some commitment, it would have achieved the same result as the Buhari administration, which in two years has given the nation something to cheer about this matter. These girls have gone through hell and back. They have seen a lot in their few years on earth. Only God knows what they went through in the hands of their captors. We are happy that some of them have returned because we had lost hope of ever seeing them again. The possibility of not finding them again was a reality too difficult to swallow but what could we have done in the face of then available facts. Our acceptance of that reality does not mean that we do not wish either the girls or their families well, it was borne out of what we know about Boko Haram, especially after its leader, Shekau, boasted that the sect would marry the girls off or kill them.

    The condition in which the 21 girls and the one earlier rescued returned shows that they are not being well kept. For all we know, Boko Haram may be using these girls as slaves. They will be slaving for the group’s leaders, who will be feeding fat on their sweat. Besides, Boko Haram may be sexually abusing and torturing the girls. Of the 219 confirmed to be with Boko Haram, we have now got back 22, leaving 197 still with the sect. 197 is a huge figure; we cannot afford to leave one, not to talk of such a large number of girls with the sect. President Muhammadu Buhari has done well in bringing back some of the girls, but his administration should not rest until it brings back all of them.

    No matter the number of sheep a shepherd has he will not rest until he gets back any that is missing. So, our president too should not sleep until he brings back the remaining girls.  Let us all hearken to the plaintive cry of Gloria Dame, one of the 21 freed girls, : “I did not know that a day like this will come that we will be dancing and giving thanks to God among people… we are praying to God to touch the heart of Boko Haram to repent and we are calling on Nigerians to pray and fast for the release of our remaining ones in captivity”. Captivity is hell, it is not a place to wish for even one’s enemy.

     

    Who killed Dele Giwa?

    His killing that fateful Sunday of October 19, 1986, shook the nation. It was 30 years yesterday that he was blown into smithereens in his Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos home. The news spread like wildfire that Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine,  had been killed by parcel bomb. Then, it was novel to kill by parcel bomb unlike these days when bombs explode everywhere.  What could Dele Giwa have done to warrant being killed like that? Nobody was ready to answer the question which agitated the mind of the public. The late Giwa was a damn good journalist who liked to live well. He was from a humble background and he strove to make it in life to free himself from the shackles of poverty. He achieved his dream, but he was not allowed to enjoy the fruits of his labour for long. Newswatch, the magazine he co-founded with Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed was about 21 months old when he was killed. Many theories have been propounded for Giwa’s death. One of these theories is that Newswatch was working on a story about Gloria Okon, who was said to be a drug courier for the wife of a former head of state. Whether true or not the public cannot say. But the magazine has since denied working on any such story as at the  time of Giwa’s death. One thing is certain though – Giwa was killed. But who did it? This is the question we have been asking in the past 30 years.

     

    Arepo calling IE

    For the past two months, Arepo, a burgeoning community in Ogun State off the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,  has been in pitch darkness. Despite all efforts to know what is happening, the Ikeja Electric (IE), which services the community, has not been forthcoming. According to sources, we have been without light because of a fault which is yet to be traced. If it takes weeks or months to trace a fault, how long will it take to repair it? Years? This is what happens when public utilities are sold to those without the technical know-how to run them.

     

  • Security forces to demolish illegal structures at Arepo, Ikorodu creeks

    Security forces to demolish illegal structures at Arepo, Ikorodu creeks

    • As military moves to establish permanent base at Maiduguri

    Security forces Thursday identified uncompleted structures and houses built on the right of way, isolated bushes at Lagos and Ogun riverine communities as threats that must be dismantled.

    This is just as the acting Inspector General of Police  (IGP) Ibrahim Idris told the ground forces to demolish houses belonging to militants or their conspirators as was exhibited in the northeast during the fight against terrorist sect Boko Haram.

    The ground forces have been mopping up the creeks since Tuesday afternoon after the Nigerian Air Force concluded its aerial bombardment of the identified places.

    The Nation reports that over 40 camps have been destroyed at Ishawo creek alone, while the operatives have recovered items such as two locally made guns, two generators, eight dane guns, 32 live cartridges, two laptops, one magazine, AK47, a magazine of GPMG.

    Also recovered were handcuffs, 18 cutlasses, two Mobile Police badges, two Ecobank withdrawal booklets, INEC voter’s cards and FCMB deposit slips, among others.

    Idris who was at Ishawo to observe the situation of things for himself, commended the military for the successes recorded under Operation AWATSE.

    He urged fleeing residents to return and cooperate with security forces by providing information, just as he assured them of their safety and peace.

    “We are here to see the theatre of war, as well as support our officers. To boost their morale so that they can do more than what they have done. I have been in Lagos and I have heard so much and it is our responsibility to assist the men on the operation they are doing.

    “Especially in the area of deploying most of our marine police here, which we are going to do and to also encourage the residents of the local community.

    “We are here together; you can see police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) as well as the military. So, it is an indication that the police is everywhere.

    “As I discussed without officers on the ground, anybody having connection with enemies of the society, we will demolish their housed.  That was the practice we adopted in fighting Boko Haram elements.”

    Similarly, the Operation’s chairman, Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai who took a tour of Ishawo, Elepete, Arepo and Ibafo creeks hinted of plans by the military to establish permanent base at Majidun, Ikorodu, while outposts will be mounted in other troubled communities to deter the gunmen from returning.

    He stated that the inaccessibility of the affected areas as well as the absence of security agencies emboldened the militants to carry out their criminal activities with impunity.

    Bobai also noted the need for the government to approve the demolition of structures built on the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s (NNPC) right of way, insisting that they posed hindrances to security operations.

    Confirming that the militants have been completely chased from the areas visited, Bobai that the military was working towards running them out of Fatola, their supposed headquarters.

    “We are looking forward to the government building permanent structures for us at Majidun as the headquarters for Operation AWATSE and then we will have our outposts where men are deployed.

    “We have started ground operations after the NAF has finished its air bombardment. However, the Air Force is still providing support to the ground forces. We have essentially identified four targets and have finished mopping up one of them. I came here to see how far they have gone. They will move into other places and do the mop up with the forces on ground.

    “We came here because it is one of the in routes from where militants ply their trade. We could not come by water from Majidun where we disembarked from our boats because our boats could not enter here. Ishawo is where we have access to launch our smaller boats for our men to penetrate the creeks.

    “Pipeline vandals and militants have been engaging in illegal economic activities here and also disturbing the residents and so, we needed to flush them out following directives from the Chief of Defence Staff. They are Nigerians but engaged in illegal activities.

    “We have made a lot of success since last Thursday. We still can’t say the number of persons killed because we are yet to get into the areas that were properly bombarded.

    At Elepete, Bobai said there was a lot of bombardment at the creek there because from air surveillance, the security forces observed that the place was a safe haven for militants’ operations.
    The Nation observed that scores of 50 litres jerry cans littered the water which has been polluted with petro.

    Also, hosts, pumping machines and wooden boats stocked with kegs were also sighted.
    The commanding officer of the military tactical base, Colonel Julius Ogbobe who gave statistics of the recoveries said investigations were being carried out to ascertain certain things.

    He said: “We want to find out the depositor and the owners of the phone numbers. The swamps are not easily accessible. The government has to assist by building roads as well as bringing cutting machines to clear the creeks.”

  • NAF to sustain Arepo bombardments

    The Nigerian Military on Monday said the aerial bombardments of Arepo and Ikorodu creeks by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) fighter jets will continue.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai stated this in a chat with journalists.

    Speaking at the headquarters, NAF Logistics Command, Ikeja, shortly after a security meeting attended by participating agencies, Bobai said the decision to sustain the bombardment was taken to enable troops completely penetrate four key targets identified in the areas.

    At the briefing were the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Sani Ahmed; the Commander, 9 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Gen. Sani Mohammed; Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, the Director, Department of State Services (DSS) and the Commandant, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Tajudeen Balogun.

    Bobai said: “After using some of their surveillance air craft to carry out racking of the areas since Thursday, the NAF pilots were at the Logistics Command today (Monday) to brief us. We identified four key targets which we believe when knocked off, will set confusion in the militants’ and vandals’ camp.

    “The NAF over the weekend used their Alpha Jets and helicopters to identify the targets and so, we had to call all the agencies involved to do an after battle assessment.

    “We have watched the video that the racking aircrafts have captured and we are convinced that there is need to sustain the operation. So, we are going to sustain and continue to mob up the ground as the NAF use their air power to neutralise some other areas.”

     

  • Arepo: Nine jailed 12 years for murder, vandalism

    Arepo: Nine jailed 12 years for murder, vandalism

    Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court yesterday sentenced nine of the 20 persons, who allegedly killed nine policemen and vandalised pipelines at Arepo, Ogun State on May 24, 2014.

    The accused were arraigned on August 7, 2014 on 14-count charge of conspiracy, pipeline vandalism, oil theft and unlawful killings.

    Among them is a 54-year-old woman, Susan Viana. Others are Felix Yayu, Yakubu Ebiwei, Augustine Ebiwei, Tamara Dembofa, Owei Atile, Agbara Tiewei, Rufus Godwin, Tiery Koiyetin and Ebis Sobijoh.

    The rest are Ibori Lawrence, Eberebu Ibori, Atinuke Odewale, Fatai Ishola, Ahmed Bashorun, Odewale Waheed, Tuesday Filatei, Yeiyah Yellow and Ismail Abdullahi.

    The police alleged that they were behind the illegal oil bunkering operation at Arepo that led to the officers’ killing.

    The deceased men are an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Abdullahi Bature; Inspectors Raymond Oriere, Usman Mohammed, Tijani Jimoh, Oguntihemen Kolawole; Corporals Elogbamen Timothy, Yakubu Aliyu, Usman Abdukarim and Dauda Mohammed.

    The alleged offences contravene sections 3(6), 4(a), 7 (a) (b), 17 (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act Cap M17 and Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    Justice Abang sentenced nine of them to 12 years imprisonment, but discharged and acquitted the others on the grounds that the prosecution failed to establish a case against them.

    Those convicted are Yayu (25), Ebiwei (45), Ebiwei (28), Atile (37), Odewale (42), Legbe (42), Bashorun (42), Waheed (43) and Filatei (36).

    Justice Abang, who heard the case and adjourned for judgment before he was transferred to Abuja, returned to Lagos to deliver the verdict.

    He sentenced the accused to a term of 10 years imprisonment on count one, and a term of 12 years imprisonment on count two, three and four, while he discharged them of counts five to 14.

    The judge added that the term of imprisonment would run concurrently.

    He held: “The seed of wrong doing maybe sown in secret, but the harvest cannot be hidden. Today is the day of harvest for the convicts.

    “While reviewing evidence in this matter, I came to a conclusion that the following convicts Felix Yayu, Ijoufaya Legbe, Yakubu Ebiwei, Tuesday Filatei, Owei Atile and Augustine Ebiwei, have no sympathy for the corporate existence of this country and its citizens.

    “Despite the genuine efforts made by the Federal Government and the Lagos State government to protect Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines, they felt that vandalising the pipeline and killing the policemen sent to guard pipelines, was best.

    “The facts of this case are miserable, sordid, shameful to remember and ghastly to believe. Even though they have not been convicted of killing the nine policemen, it is not in doubt that they all conspired to do so in cold blood

    “Imagine one of the convict, Tuesday Filatei, taking photographs of how the policemen were burnt to ashes; the convicts before me are wicked, heartless and harbingers of evil.”

    Justice Abang said the convicts’ conduct reflected the society’s moral decay.

    “They expect the court to show mercy when they had no mercy for their fellow human beings. A drastic situation requires a drastic solution, and a decision of a court in a situation like this, will act as deterrent. Even though others will not learn, I have to do my duty.

    “I hereby sentence the convicts to a term of 10 years imprisonment on count one, and a term of 12 years imprisonment on counts two, three and four with effect from today.

    “The convicts, Ahmed Bashorun, Atinuke Odewale and Odewale Waheed are sentenced to a term of three years imprisonment on counts one to four with effect from June 1, 2014

    “On account of the plea for mercy by counsel to the accused, the terms of imprisonment shall run concurrently,” I so hold.

  • 1500 Niger Delta militants ready to surrender arms

    1500 Niger Delta militants ready to surrender arms

    Due to the intervention of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr Ibe Kachikwu, more than 1,500 Niger Delta militants have expressed their willingness to embrace amnesty.

    The militants are reportedly ready to surrender their arms to the Federal Government.

    The decision was contained in a statement issued in Abuja by the commanders from Arepo, Ikorodu, Abule, Fatorla, Ibafo, Magboro, Epe, Itokin, Ilepete, Okenekene, Agric, Gbokoda camps, Camp 5 and environs.

    They said they were ready to surrender their arms as long as the Federal Government is sincere with the matter.

    They noted that they were excluded from the first amnesty programme, which they described as not holistic and characterized with fraud and fraudulent selections.

    Even as they took their decision based on the peaceful approach by Kachikwu, they stressed that all the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) facilities and its subsidiaries must work for the betterment of Nigeria and the economic efficiency in the face of dwindling oil prices.

    The statement which was signed by General O.C Babaeere and General America Tekeiminikpoba on behalf of other commanders, reads: “We write to express our desire to surrender our arms and embrace the amnesty program as long as the federal government is sincere.

    “With the timely intervention of the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, we the Commanders from Arepo Camp, Ikorodu Camp, Abule Camp, Fatorla Camp, Camp 5, Ibafo Camp, Magboro Camp, Epe Camp, Itokin Camp, Ilepete Camp, Okenekene Camp, Agric Camp, Gbokoda Camp and their environs, have made up our minds to accept amnesty because of the peaceful approach of the Minister of State for Petroleum.

    “We also agree that all NNPC facilities and its subsidiaries must work for the betterment of Nigeria and the economic efficiency in the face of dwindling oil prices.

    “However, our willingness to surrender should not be seen as an act of cowardice, rather, as an act of patriotism.

    “Also, as we accept this amnesty, it is important to state that the first amnesty was not holistic and was characterized with fraud and fraudulent selections. We were not included in that amnesty program. Even as we tried all avenues to join the program, we were ignored completely,” the commanders stated.