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Tag: arsonists

  • Arsonists’ raze Ekpan traditional head’s palace

    Arsonists’ raze Ekpan traditional head’s palace

    The protracted crisis rocking Ekpan Community in Uvwie Local Government area of Delta State assumed a dangerous twist on Thursday morning when the palace of the embattled Unuevworo (traditional head), Chief Newton Agbofodoh, was set ablaze by yet unidentified arsonists.

    The Unuevworo is in detention following his arrest about a month ago for sundry crimes, which his associates wave off as vendetta and political power play aimed at securing the council for the ruling PDP in the 2019 election.

    His palatial home adjoining the palace in Ekpan, which is just hundreds of meters from the Ekpan Police Station, was set ablaze at about 1am by armed youths who seized the building.

    His family members alleged that the assailants prevented neighbours from putting out the fire, adding that the police failed to stop the attack, even though the scene was a shouting distance from the station.

    His son, Mr Darlington Newton Agbofodoh, in an exclusive telephone chat with our reporter, said the attack on the palace was led by an aide to Governor Okowa (names withheld) and other members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the council.

    Delta Command Police Public Relations Officer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the fire incident, said the matter was being investigated, adding that it was too early to say if it was arson or accident.

    “I got the report about fire incident at Ekpan, but the matter is being investigated at this time.”

    Nevertheless, the victim’s son (Darlington), insisted that the attack was carried out by his father’s foes in connivance with security operatives.

    He said, “Some people called around 1am that some people are surrounding my father’s house. Someone (who) was inside the house called to tell us.”

    He said that the eyewitness, identified as Mr Wilson Amaju, reported the matter at the state.

    While denouncing the act as purely political, he alleged that the masterminds had threatened to burn the house shortly after the arrest of his father; he said he didn’t expect the police to arrest anybody.

    “After they arrested my dad, a week later they (masterminds) went to the house to pack the property inside the house.  They scattered the property. When they were doing that they said they would come back and burn down the house that they are not through with him.

    “Finally they went there last night and burn the house. We know the people that burnt the house. They are the ones that laid allegations against him that made them to arrest him. They are connected to the Delta state government.

    “The police in Delta state are not doing their job; they are being paid not to arrest these persons. There have been a lot of things (happening) in this community and they (police) have not done anything about any.

    “We are tired because we are being oppressed for no just reason and nobody is doing anything. We may be forced to cry to the Federal Government. They are beating people, mothers and children. They are raping women and girls and yet there seems to be nothing from the police and no action from government,” Darlington lamented in an emotion-laden voice.

    Chief Agbofodoh prior to his arrest had being having a running battle with the State Government official over the running of the local government council over the deposition of the elected chairman of the council, Chief Henry Baro.

    Baro his Agbofodoh’s cousin.

    Meanwhile, the attack and razing of the palace on Thursday have raised fresh concern about peace and security in the area; residents who spoke with our reporter expressed fears of more attacks.

    “This is a vicious circle; some persons who are close to the government are today using their powers and ‘immunity’ to attack the other, just like some have done in the past. Tomorrow, we do not know what is going to happen.

    “Now people sleep with one eye open because there is bound to be some form of reprisal attacks,” the source, who asked not to be named, said.

  • Arsonists torch Bayelsa oil field

    Unknown persons, suspected to be arsonists, have razed a fresh oil spill at Ossiama, Ogboinbiri, Okpotuwari and other neighbouring communities in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    The spill was said to have occurred from a pipeline operated by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC).

    The cause of the spill could not be ascertained.

    The residents reportedly discovered the fire on June 16.

    “The spill site is very close to another spill site that was clamped on April 23. This is happening when the former spill site in April has not been attended to for a clean-up,” a source, who pleaded not to be named, said yesterday.

    He said a Joint Investigation Visit (JIV) conducted on the site indicated that the April 23 incident was caused by equipment failure.

    The source noted that since the JIV investigation on the site was conducted, Agip officials and other regulatory agencies, such as the Ministry of Environment, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), had not revisited the site.

    He said remediation had also not been carried out on the affected environment of the impacted communities.

    According to the source, the crude oil slick could spread into the surrounding swamps, farmlands, creeks and rivulets in a few days because of the rains.

    There were fears yesterday of a cholera outbreak and other diseases.

    The acting paramount ruler of Okpotuwari, Moses Tiger, confirmed the incident.

    He said the community had notified Agip on “this fresh spill but it has not visited the site”.

  • Arsonists set church ablaze in Ilorin

    Unidentified arsonists yesterday allegedly torched the Prayer, Faith and Miracle Ministry Church located at Asa Dam area, Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

    The arsonists were said to have attacked the church, also known as Ori-Oke Majemu Agbara, about 12:30am.

    None of the church members or security guard was around.

    The suspected arsonists burnt musical instruments and the public address system kept in the church, but spared the Bible and portraits of Jesus Christ, which they removed to the front of the church.

    About three months ago, a branch of the Living Faith Church was burnt. The state Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) accused a renowned university lecturer as the mastermind.

    The arsonists also reportedly carted away about 400 plastic chairs.

    The Pastor, Paul Adekeye, said the building had been badly burnt before they became aware and invited fire fighters to put out the fire.

    He said they have reported the matter to the police and the Department of Security Service.

     

  • Suspected arsonists torch Winners’ Chapel church in Ilorin

    Suspected arsonists yesterday torched a branch of Living Faith Church (aka Winners’ Chapel) in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    The church, located opposite the Aviation College, Ilorin, was reportedly set ablaze in the early hours.

    The whereabouts of the security man attached to the church were not known.

    The provincial pastor of the church, Olaniyan Timothy, accused a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Prof Ishaq Oloyede, of complicity in the incident.

    But the former Vice-Chancellor denied the allegation.

    Olaniyan claimed that the academic on December 3 threatened the church members to vacate the land because it belongs to the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN).

    The cleric said because of the seriousness of Oloyede’s alleged threats on different occasions, the church sought the assistance of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Adewole Estate before the church could hold its service last Sunday.

    He said: “On December 3, the academic came to the church premises and demanded to know what we were doing. He said the land was for the MSSN and threatened that if we failed to vacate the land, he would bring 1,000 Muslim youths to pull down the place. We were compiling our letter to the governor over the threat when he came again with about 20 youths. They just surveyed the place and left.

    “About three days later, one man, whom we later got to know is a judge of the Sharia Court of Appeal, came with some people and said they were there on the directive of the Emir. He said the monarch wanted to resolve the matter. But we still wrote the governor. It is wrong to claim the land belongs to MSSN because we bought it legally and we have the documents. We bought the land in March this year…”

    Prof Oloyede, who is also the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC), said he was involved in resolving a misunderstanding between two parties on the land.

    He explained that being the National Coordinator and Secretary of NIREC, he knew the implication of any conflict between both faith.

    Prof Oloyede said: “What we had done was to involve many people on the issue and see how we could solve the problem without any rancour. In the process, I received insults from both sides. What would I gain by sponsoring a religious crisis at my age and with my status? By the time the police would have completed their investigation, they could see that even the ones behind it are also my enemies. I would not doubt it.”

    The government has directed security agents to go after the suspected perpetrators.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant (Media and Communications) to the Governor, Dr. Muideen Akorede, the government urged the parties in the conflict to sheath their swords and allow the court to resolve the matter.

    The statement reads: “The Kwara State Government has called on parties to a disputed plot of land at Ilorin Airport Road, Ilorin, not to take the law into their hands but refer the issue to the courts of law for adjudication. Similarly, the government has called on law enforcement agencies to bring the full weight of the law on any person or group found to have committed arson or otherwise destroyed public or private property under any guise.”