The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Clash

  • Buhari’s, Atiku’s campaign chiefs clash at presidential debate

    President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign chief and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) challenger Atiku Abubakar  clashed yesterday at a debate organised ahead of next year’s presidential election.

    Segun Sowunmi, the Atiku Campaign Organisation spokesman, was tackled by Buhari’s Campaign Coordinator and Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi.

    The debate was hosted by The Osasu Show at NAF Conference Centre and Suites.

    Sowunmi spoke as Atiku’s representative, Amaechi, though the Coordinator of the Muhammadu Buhari Campaign Organisatio, was not on the debate panel.

    Speaking on the plans of the Atiku campaign as raised by Sowunmi, Amaechi raised up his hand to ask questions from the PDP representative.

    He said the Atiku-Obasanjo led a privatisation of national assets to their cronies.

    Amaechi said: “The first question is that they privatised, to who? Who did they privatise to? To themselves, and they are coming back. Then I was a young man. I didn’t have money to buy,” Amaechi said.

    “Question number two, let me thank the woman who said power had improved. Under them, with $16 billion, we had 3,000 megawatts of power, now we have 7,000.

    Read also: Atiku in Adamawa: vote out Buhari

    “Three, and finally, on railways, we all go to Kaduna. We are talking about railway, who has the railway? Our government, right?”

    Responding, Sowunmi said Amaechi was speaking trash, rather than sticking to an issue-based campaign.

    He said: “An eight-year governor of a state in PDP comes to public space, riding on the alleged integrity of just President Muhammadu Buhari, and speaking trash to the people, what exactly is this?”

    “Now, we had assumed, we had signed up to an issue-based campaign, and we just want to beg the operators of this present government to stick to the issues.

    “We speak about opening up the economy to make sure that those who have the competencies to drive growth must be given the enabling environment to create value, and our people can plug in.”

    Sowunmi went on to speak on some of the issues regarding the campaign, on behalf of his principal, saying the government should stick to regulations and let those with the capacity run businesses.

     

  • 55 killed in fresh Kaduna communal clash

    The Kaduna State Police Command yesterday confirmed 55 people dead in  Thursday’s communal crisis at Kasuwan Magani in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state.

    Twenty two suspects are already being quizzed by the police in connection with the mayhem, according to Police Commissioner Ahmad Abdur-Rahman.

    Abdul-Rahaman told reporters that normalcy has already been restored by  mobile and conventional policemen as well as a team of the state joint security Operation Yaki, despatched to the town.

    It was the latest crisis in the area after a similar mayhem last February claimed 10 lives.

    The latest crisis was sparked by some youths in the area.

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai visited the area yesterday to assess the situation.

    He had,on Thuirsday soon after the  problem started, imposed a two-hour curfew on the axis.

    The police commissioner also visited the area to engage  youth leaders, traditional and religious leaders as part of the  effort  to check further bloodshed.

    He acknowledged that  the timely imposition of the  curfew by the state government helped in dousing  tension in the area.

    The police chief vowed  that all perpetrators of the mayhem would be brought to book

    “Anybody that has a hand in this crisis must face the full wrath of law; we will not allow lawlessness; we remain committed to saving life and property of every citizens,” he said.

    He appealed to the public to continue to live in peace and assist the command with useful information to track the perpetrators.

    El-Rufai, during his visit, asked residents to live in harmony.

    He went round the town, accompanied by traditional and religious leaders.

    Thereafter, he met with the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) in the local government area,saying: “We are here to see and to listen for ourselves. We must live in peace and never use violence to solve a problem.

    “We are not happy with this and government will pursue and punish those responsible for this devilish act.

    “We must value the sanctity of life. I want to beg you to cooperate with the security agencies because prosecution of conflict entrepreneurs is inevitable. I will come back in one week time to see how things are.”

  • Dickson, Lokpobiri clash over alleged arming of militants

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson and Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development Heineken Lokpobiri are at logger head over alleged arming of a group militants to unleash terror on innocent citizens opposed to the state government.

    The minister, in a statement by his media aide, George Obi said it was unfortunate that the governor has not been able to live by the oath of his office to protect citizens of the state.

    But Dickson said Lokpobiri’s allegation was false.

    The minister’s statement reads: “The attention of the Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been drawn to a statement credited to the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson blaming President Muhammad Buhari for allowing the Minister and the former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva to undermine security in the state.

    “The governor also alleged that President Buhari’s silence and inaction had emboldened Sylva and Lokpobiri to continually cause insecurity and instability in Bayelsa.

    “Dickson was also quoted as expressing shock that the President has failed to take any action against the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and their cohorts who allegedly cause mayhem in the state despite making several reports and complaints to him and the security agencies.

    “It is important to remind the governor that the honorable minister expends his valuable time supporting the President to deliver on the dividends of the electoral covenants the present administration has with the Nigerian people, and therefore, does not have the luxury of time to meddle with the politics of Bayelsa State.

    “As a result of this, the immediate reaction of the honorable minister is as usual, to dismiss such allegations as one of those baseless and unfounded rantings by a drowning governor who has no explanations to justify his continued lack of performance in office.

    “However, because what is at stake here is the life of innocent Bayelsa citizens and in order not to allow the governor create the wrong impressions in the minds of the impoverished and suffering people of the state, the minister is compelled to dignify His Excellency with a response.

    “The minister is shocked that a governor who was elected, primarily to ensure the protection of the lives and properties of the people is not ashamed that under his very watch, and with his active connivance, political thugs and state-bred miscreants are having field days, snuffing out the lives of innocent Bayelsans while the governor is busy playing blame game and politics with such a serious and heinous acts.

    “It is the advice of the honourable minister that instead of busying himself on irrelevant acts of shadow-chasing of perceived political opponents, the governor should put on his thinking cap and embark on laudable programmes that would help create wealth and lift the largely impoverished people of Bayelsa State from the pangs of poverty and want.

    “Whether he likes it or not, there will be no hiding place for governor Dickson to account for the multiplicity of the lives of innocent Bayelsans he has cruelly destroyed, including the huge resources of the State he has wasted without records.”

    Dickson, who spoke through his Special Adviser on Public Affairs, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, said it was a common knowledge on the streets of Bayelsa that Lokpobiri was behind arming of youths and thugs in the state.

    Alabrah said: “Everybody in Bayelsa knows those behind the arming of youths, thugs or militants during elections. If one finger is pointing at the governor, four fingers are pointing at Lokpobiri.

    “We all know what happened in Bayelsa during the last elections and those who armed youths to attack, maim and kill political opponents. Lokpobiri cannot excuse himself from such acts. So, everybody in Bayelsa knows those who play violent politics”.

    Alabrah faulted the claims of Lokpobiri that the state was owing N800bn debts saying such figures were unverifiable.

    He asked Lokpobiri to clarify the figure saying no official institution of the government including the Debt Management Office (DMO) had such figure against the state.

    He said: “I am only concerned about the N800bn debt he has been peddling. The Minister himself has to explain it because even the Federal Government Debt Management Office doesn’t have such figures.

    “The official figure today is not more than N123bn. We wonder where he gets his N800bn any time he wants to criticise the government. Even the N123bn the state  owing, the Dickson administration has not taken any loan more than N50bn.

    “The chunk of the money was inherited by this administration. It was almost about N200bn when the government took over in 2012, but the administration reduced the figure to N123bn.

    “So, we wonder where he gets this figure. It is a political figure he is bandying and the Bayelsa people laugh at him each time he makes spurious claims that cannot be verified anywhere.

    “So, the minister should do well to go and look at the figures again. The Dickson’s administration has shown financial prudence in government. The government is using the allocations accruing to the state to execute projects.

    “As a minister, can he point at anything that he has attracted to the state. Today, we don’t have a minister because we don’t see their impact. Today, the state government is doing a road to Lokpobiri’s government in Ekeremor. So, we challenge him to tell the people what he has done as a minster.”

  • One dead in Customs/community clash

    One dead in Customs/community clash

    One person died at yesterday’s clash between men of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and residents of Babura in Jigawa State.

    Reports said the deceased, Umaru Babban Mutum (60), argued with officials about a car he allegedly imported from Niger Republic.

    The car was impounded at the entry point.

    An eyewitness said one of the officers shot the driver in the leg. An infuriated Umaru challenged them, but he was also shot in the stomach.

    He died instantly.

    Immediately news of Umaru’s death filtered into the community, about 500 angry residents burnt the five checkpoints operated by Customs. Four cars belonging to the officers were burnt.

    According to the Chairman of Babura Local Government Area, Mohammed Ibrahim Zaki, residents went to the police station, threatening to burn the place, until the DPO convinced them that the officials are not in their custody.

    The deceased has been buried according to Islamic rites.

    Comptroller of the Jigawa/Kano Area Command could not be reached for comments.

    Police spokesman Mrs. Isah Danbaba confirmed the incident, saying: “We are investigating the matter”.

  • One feared dead, others injured in hoodlums, customs clash

    One feared dead, others injured in hoodlums, customs clash

    At least one person has been feared dead, and multiple others severely injured during a fatal clash between Nigerian Customs Service officials and suspected hoodlum gangs.

    Mojeed Olayiwola was allegedly shot when the Nigerian Customs Service officers attached to the Federal Operations Unit (FOU), Zone A, Ikeja trailed a bus perceived to be used for smuggling operations around Abule Egba.

    It was gathered that the officers acted on intelligence received about the use of buses by criminals to smuggle into the country bags of rice from neighboring Republic of Benin.

    The police source who identified the deceased said he was shot while inside a moving commercial bus by unidentified customs officers.

    But authority in charge of the Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja debunked incidence of death, saying the fracas was between suspected smugglers of rice and the custom men who were performing enforcement duties.

    It was also learnt that the driver who was afraid of his consignment being seized drove recklessly from Sango-Ota area of Ogun to Abule-Egba.

    According to witnesses, the driver jumped out of the bus at anintersection at Abule-Egba, to get help from colleagues.

    A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Femi Adurogba, who witnessed the incident said that the fleeing driver started calling for help from his members.

    He said as soon as the group sighted the customs vehicle approaching, the smugglers, started hauling stones and other items at the customs men.

    He said: “The custom men opened fire, but someone who was still inside the bus was hit by a bullet. This made the onlookers to charge after the approaching custom vehicles. The group wages war on the custom men, threatening to retaliate the death of one of their own. It was the timely arrival of policemen and soldiers attached to Ops Mesa to dis pass the hoodlums who were spoiling for war.”

    A commercial bus driver, Chukwudi Emerole, alleged that what worsened the situation was an attempted by the hoodlums to prevent the custom men from go away with the vehicle.
    According to him, the driver of the vehicle, in a bid to resist arrest, struggled t disarm one of the custom men.

    He said: “One of them even dared the security men to shoot him as if they can. They were behaving as if bullet can not penetrate them.”

    Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chike Oti, who confirmed the incident said that the deceased was inside a bus when he was allegedly shot at by a yet to be identified customs officer, stressing that the deceased was not one of the hoodlums who attacked the custom men.

    But in a swift reaction, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) FOU Zone A, Ikeja, Jerry Attah, said that no one died as reported by some online media.

    He said: ” The attention of the Controller Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, has been drawn to reports by some online media to the effect that some Officers of FOU Zone A, shot one unknown smuggler whose bus was conveying smuggled rice at Abule Egba Area of Lagos State. The report is the figment of the reporter’s imagination, which is capable of misleading the general public hence the need to state the true facts as follow:

    ” On the January 17, 2018, at about 5.30am, Operatives of the Federal Operations Unit acting on a tip-off traced one LT Bus Loaded with unspecified bags of smuggled foreign parboiled rice from Sango Area and eventually stopped it at Abule Egba. Before he was finally halted at Abule Egba, the driver started shouting and making inciting comments that attracted mob action against the officers with different dangerous weapons such as broken bottles, stones and cutlasses. Obviously, he had driven to where he could get his associates to help attack the Customs Officers.

    “Given support of the mob, he resisted lawful arrest and the other armed operatives fired shots in the air to disperse the raging mob but to no avail. As a responsible organization, the Officers retracted back to avoid any casualty. We appreciate and thank God that no life was lost as at the time of the confrontation even though two of our Officers sustained injuries. For the avoidance of doubt, the fact that a smuggler has evaded scrutiny either by following unapproved route or compromising any Officer does not guarantee that the smuggled item will not be seized anywhere it is found by patrol officers whose duty is to ensure compliance.”

  • Three confirmed dead in Abuja communal clash

    Three confirmed dead in Abuja communal clash

    Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Malam Muhammadu Bello, on Monday, confirmed that three people lost their lives in a communal clash between Gbagyi natives and Hausa residents in Bwari, a community within the FCT, Abuja, on Christmas Eve.
    Bello, who imposed a curfew on the area, disclosed this during his assessment tour of the community.
    As at the time of filing this report, emergency workers were still trying to put off fire that have raised down the Bwari market, while property worth millions of naira were also destroyed.
    Investigations by The Nation however, revealed that the crisis was initially cult-related but later became an ethno-religious clash following the death of a native of the town.
    When contacted on phone, the FCT Police Command spokesperson, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr. Manza Anjuguri confirmed the incident, saying the information was still sketchy but the security personnel have taken over the place and normalcy has since returned to the community.
    The latest uproar, according to an eyewitness, was not unconnected with the recently turbaning of a new Hausa traditional ruler known as Sarkin Bwari who is of a different lineage from the Gbagyi people that are traditionally known with the title of Esu of Bwari.
    It was further gathered that protests later followed the formal appointment of Awwal Musa Ijakoro, son of the late Mohammed Musa Ijakoro as the Sarkin Bwari with the natives protesting and accusing the Minister of FCT and other officials administration of conniving to deprive them of their right to be the paramount rulers of the town.
    It was learnt that the main market in the community has been burnt down with some buildings torched by the warring residents who were mostly youths.
    It was learnt that Gbagyi people claimed that the new Sarkin Bwari is not from the town but from a community in Niger State, hence he should not have been turbanned and even elevated to second class title from the initial third class that his late father was erroneously turbanned.
     Confirming the incident, the police image maker, DSP Manza Anjuguri said: “the most important thing is to bring the situation under control and our men and other security operatives are already there and normalcy has since returned. I cannot tell you anything now about casualty because the information is still sketchy and we are still working on it.”
  • Soldiers, policemen clash in Ondo

    Soldiers, policemen clash in Ondo

    Some soldiers and police officers yesterday had a confrontation in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

    The incident reportedly occurred at Ilesa Motor Park in the capital city.

    The timely intervention of leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at the motor park led to an early resolution of their differences, which some residents said could have resulted in a serious bloodshed.

    Drivers and passers-by converged on the area while the two groups exchanged altercations.

    Sources said the confrontation followed the insistence of some soldiers to prevent police officers from arresting some suspects in the area.

    Although the offence of the “suspects” could not be established last night, it was gathered the offence was not serious enough to warrant an arrest.

     

  • Kwara communities find peace after clash

    Kwara communities find peace after clash

    The warring communities of Osi and Etan, in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have resolved to live in peace.

    Normalcy has returned to the area.

    Last Sunday, four persons were reportedly injured and property destroyed in a clash, following a misunderstanding among indigenes.

    The communities said the clash was not a fall out of the location of a satellite campus of the Kwara State University in Osi.

    A peace meeting was held at the Olosi of Osi’s palace, to find solution to the crisis and forestall a recurrence.

    It was gathered that movement between the two communities had resumed, while those who ran away had returned home.

    Law enforcement agents deployed in the area during the crisis have also left.

    The Olosi of Osi, Oba Saliu Adasofegbe, praised law enforcement agencies for their efforts.

    The monarch refuted reports that the crisis emanated from location of the satellite campus of the state university in Osi.

  • Wike, Amaechi convoy clash in Port Harcourt

    Wike, Amaechi convoy clash in Port Harcourt

    •I escaped assassination – Wike

    •Governor’s security pulled guns on me – Amaechi

    IT was a horrifying scene yesterday afternoon in Port Harcourt, as policemen attached to Governor Nyesom Wike and that of the Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, clashed.

    Amaechi’s escort details were, however, unlucky during the 3p.m. attack, as one of them, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu, was battered, with blood on his face, while the AK-47 rifle of Sgt. Princewill Ubaji was snatched, while being forcibly disarmed, with the rifle taken away by the Rivers governor’s convoy.

    Wike, through his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, in his reaction, however, claimed that personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (F-SARS) and soldiers attached to the minister of transportation attacked his convoy, while allegedly attempting to assassinate him.

    But Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Media Office in a statement yesterday said, “In a blatant show of naked raw power, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi this (yesterday) afternoon narrowly escaped being shot by security men attached to the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.  His car wasn’t that lucky though. The car was vandalized with a broken side mirror.”

    Report of the sad incident was immediately lodged at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Rivers Police Command, headed by Zaki Ahmed, while Ubaji’s rifle had not been recovered, with Ewelu and other injured policemen still receiving treatment in undisclosed hospitals in Port Harcourt, as at press time.

    It was exclusively gathered yesterday evening in Port Harcourt through a top security source, who would not want to be named, that the unfortunate incident heightened tension in the area, with passersby, motorists, other road users and persons in the neighbourhood scampering to safety, to avoid being hit by stray bullets in the confusion.

    The security source said: “Today, November 11, 2017 (yesterday) at 3 p.m., the Transportation Minister, who was driving from the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, in company with police escorts, got his convoy intercepted by the Rivers governor (Wike) at Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout by Nkpogu in Port Harcourt. The security details managed to ferry  Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to safety, after which the Rivers governor led his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Promise Wosu, a Superintendent of Police (SP), and about ten mobile policemen, to attack his predecessor/benefactor’s convoy.

    “The Rivers governor and his troops physically assaulted by slapping and bruising the policemen, especially Inspector Johnson Imonikhe, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu and Sgt. Princewill Ubaji, attached to the transportation minister and the governor made away with the AK-47 rifle of Sgt. Princewill Ubaji, one of the policemen attached to the transportation minister.

    “The AK-47 rifle was forcibly taken away personally by Governor Wike, who was accompanied by his CSO. The policeman with blood on his face, Sgt. Eteng Ewelu, was hit with an iron by Wosu (Wike’s CSO), in the presence of the Rivers State governor.

    “The snatched AK-47 rifle is still in the custody of the Rivers governor’s team and the incident has been referred to State CID (SCID) for investigation.”

    When contacted for his reaction through the telephone yesterday evening, the Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), stated that he would find out the details, asking our reporter to call back in ten minutes, but when contacted twice, after thirty minutes, he did not picked the calls, and he had not returned the call, as at press time.

    Nwakaudu in a statement said: “Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, on Saturday escaped assassination, as Special Anti-Robbery Squad operatives and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in the motorcade of the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, attacked his convoy.

    “The governor, who was on project inspection, was attacked at Nwanja Junction on Trans-Amadi Road. The SARs personnel and soldiers in the minister’s convoy hit down the governor’s escort rider and attacked the policemen in the pilot car. Mr Debewari, Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the minister of transportation, supervised the attack, which included damage of cameras held by journalists.

    “Also part of the attack was the Commander of F-SARS in Rivers State, Mr. Akin Fakorede (a Chief Superintendent of Police), who received the minister of transportation at the Port Harcourt International Airport and accompanied him on his trip.”

    He added that after the attack the governor continued with his inspection of projects, adding that Wike was not harmed.

    The minister’s media office said the incident which occurred along Trans-Amadi Road, Nwaja axis involved cars of many of Amaechi’s  supporters while the Minister’s black jeep was intercepted and blocked at the junction by the security motorcycle outrider attached to Wike after two cars had passed through.

    The statement added, “One of the two cars had security men assigned to protect the minister in Port Harcourt.  Suddenly, gun-toting security men attached to Wike’s convoy surrounded the Minister’s car, threatening to shoot him. They hit the car, tried to smash the windscreens, back and side windows and broke a side mirror. All through this attack, Amaechi remained calm, inside the fortified Jeep.  While the attack occurred, Wike remained inside his vehicle.”

    It added that the minister eventually passed through after the intervention of the security team on ground to protect him in Port Harcourt. It continued, “However, when Governor Wike got to the point where the incident occurred after Amaechi’s vehicle had gone by, his security men blocked the road again, dragged out from a vehicle and thoroughly beat up a police man attached to protect Amaechi in Port Harcourt.  The Policeman’s riffle was also taken from him.”

    The Amaechi media office added that Wike came out of his car, and with his security team went from one vehicle to another of Amaechi’s supporters charging at them, harassing and abusing them. It alleged that Wike’s security men were heard loudly insulting Amaechi and calling him derogative names.

    In the meantime, Ikwerre youths have condemned what they called the attack on Amaechi and the policemen in his convoy.

    The Ikwerre Youth Movement (IYM) International from the four Rivers Local Government Areas of Port Harcourt City, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Emohua, described the attack as very unfortunate and least expected.

    Amaechi and Wike are both Ikwerre. The transportation minister hails from Ubima in Ikwerre LGA, while the Rivers governor is an indigene of Rumueprikom in Obio/Akpor council.

    IYM, through its President-General, Azubuike Nwanjoku, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, representing Ikwerre constituency, in an online statement by the group’s National Publicity Secretary, Dike Bekwele, declared that Wike’s action was suicidal and detrimental to the already-charged environment being witnessed in the state and insecurity in Rivers in recent times.

     

  • Three injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Bayelsa

    Three injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Bayelsa

    Three persons were at the weekend injured in Twon Brass, Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State following a bloody clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the area.

    It was gathered that guns, cutlasses and other weapons were used in the free-for-all that unsettled the council.

    Persons involved in the violence were said to be loyalists of the APC House of Assembly member, Israel Sunny-Igoli and the newly- appointed Caretaker Committee Chairman of Brass, Victor Isaiah.

    It was learnt a decision of the council to impose curfew in the area to address the problems of insecurity triggered the violence.

    The decision to impose curfew and stop suspicious gatherings of youths was said to have angered APC members, who perceived it as a deliberate attempt by Isaiah to frustrate a Christian programme organised and sponsored by Sunny-Igoli.

    A source claimed trouble started when Isaiah stormed the area in the company of armed security operatives and some youths.

    ýSunny-Igoli, the only APC member in the House, described the incident as an attempt by Isaiah to intimidate the people of the area.

    But it was gathered that Sunny-Igoli and Isaiah, were immediately summoned for an emergency meeting by the Commissioner of Police, Asuquo Amba.

    The council chairman, Isaiah, said five of Sunny-Goli’s men involved in the brazen assault on the community had been arrested by police for illegal possession of five rifles.

    He alleged Sunny-Goli violated the curfew and later claimed he was not consulted before the decision was taken.

    He claimed while he narrowly escaped the attack, five of his aides were not lucky as they received machete injuries.

    He added that the injured were receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    Isaiah called for the cooperation of security chiefs to restore law and order in the island.

    Confirming the violence, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Asinim Butswatý, said a detachment of armed policemen has been sent to restore peace in the troubled area.

    Butswat confirmed Amba met with the lawmaker and the council boss to douse tension in the council.

    Others present at the meeting held at the Police Commissioner’s office were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, ýChief Bomo Sparrow-Jack; the Deputy Police Commissioners on Operations, Administration and Investigations and the Chairman of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC),Central Zone,  Tari Porri.

    Butswat said: “The meeting was fruitful and all parties agreed to go and discuss with their supporters in Brass LGA.

    “The Police Command has also deployed detachment of armed Mobile Policemen to the area.”