Tag: arrest

A man has died in a bloody clash between two rival cult groups in Delta State.

Victor Odoye was allegedly killed in Okwagbe, Ughelli South Local Government Area.

The victim, it was learnt, died after being caught in a cross fire during a clash by the warring groups.

The victim’s remains were discovered in a bush near the St. Vincent College, Okwagbe.

It was gathered that the suspected cult members were brandishing dangerous weapons before security agents were alerted.

Police spokesman Famous Ajieh, who confirmed the death of the victim, said his men working with the local vigilance group arrested 10 suspects.

Ajieh said the body has been deposited at a morgue in the area, adding that two daggers were recovered.

Ajieh said the age of those arrested are between 18 and 27 years.

He said the police were on the trail of one of the leaders of the cult groups, simply identified as Solomon, said to be an ex-militant.

Also, the Delta Police said it has intensified investigation into the alleged self kidnap of a 63-year-old mother, Kate Emienor and her 22-year-old son, Obehi.

Obehi, it was learnt, conspired with his mother to arrange her abduction in order to extort money from her son, who resides abroad.

The duo, who reside in Benin City, Edo State, were said to have relocated to their hideout in Ogwashi-Uku , Aniocha South Local Government.

They called her son, demanding N20 million ransom.

The duo, it was gathered, reduced the ransom to N10 million after 10 days of negotiation.

However, the police acting on a tip-off swung into action arresting both suspects.

The Presidential Amnesty Office has debunked claims that its Chairman, Kingsley Kuku, was involved in the arrest and detention of ex-militant leader, Ebikabowei Victor-Ben (alias Boyloaf).

A statement in Abuja by the Amnesty Office’s Head of Media and Communications, Daniel Alabrah, said the incident that led to the arrest was misrepresented in some reports.

The reports alleged that Kuku was involved in an altercation at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

“The fact is that Kuku was nowhere near the airport at the time his Special Assistant (Special Duties), Henry Ugbolue, was attacked by Boyloaf and two others, which led to their arrest and detention by the police.

“For purposes of clarity, the unprovoked assault on Ugbolue had nothing to do with Kuku or the amnesty programme.

“The facts about the incident have been documented by the police at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, where Boyloaf signed an undertaking before he was released.”

Eighteen suspects have been arrested in connection with the clash between Fulani and Gwari communities in Gwako Village, Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the police have said.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, Aderenle Shinaba, announced the arrests in Abuja yesterday.

Shinaba is also the Chairman of the committee constituted by the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed, to investigate the cause of the clash in which two persons died and seven were injured.

Also, 27 Fulani settlements were razed in the clash, leading to the victims taking refuge at the University of Abuja.

“Investigations have commenced into the clash and this is part of the resolutions the committee will come up with, how they were able to procure their bows and arrows, cutlasses, guns and other weapons.

“The real situation, as I speak, is that peace has been restored in Gwako community. The area is very calm. Normalcy has been restored.

“What we are trying to do is to investigate the causes of the clash and that is why the FCT minister inaugurated an 11-man committee,” he said.

Shinaba said the committee, which has one week to submit its report, was gathering information by listening to Gwari and Fulani representatives.

According to him, the information gathering is to enable the committee to invesigate the matter and recommend measures to forestall a recurrence.

“Part of our mandate is to see how they will be resettled. If you look at where they were, that is the place the Fulani can actually live because there is enough land for grazing.

“We were at the affected communities yesterday. We met the people, saw the damage done and we are thinking of how to resettle them,” Shinaba said.

Some suspected fake revenue collectors in Anambra State yesterday “arrested” the Chairman of the state Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), Mr Nwanne Ejikeme.

It was learnt that the suspected fake officials had arrested a Vanguard driver and an Assistant Editor with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who were passing through Onitsha.

Thousands of naira were said to have been extorted from them before they were allowed to go.

The suspected fake revenue collectors allegedly impounded the pick-up van a man, simply identified as Chinedu, was driving from Benin, the Edo State capital, to Onitsha when he was in the town last weekend for a wedding.

Luck ran out on them when Ejikeme deliberately drove to the notorious Upper Iweka area, where the suspected fraudsters were operating.

The BIR chief reportedly pretended to be buying something to enable him get firsthand experience of the fake officials’ activities.

When his vehicle stopped, some fierce-looking men demanded various receipts, including tax, emblem and sanitation, from him.

As the negotiation over what he should pay was going on, they threatened to take him to their “head office” unless he paid N20,000.

The chairman demanded their identification but they shouted him down.

When Ejikeme identified himself, two of the suspected fraudsters fled while another began to plead for mercy.

Addressing reporters yesterday in Awka, Ejikeme said there were no more task forces in Anambra State, adding that the Peter Obi administration had abolished previous ones.