The Nation Newspaper

Tag: COMMUNITY

  • Police hunt for killers of Oba’s son in Ondo community

    Police hunt for killers of Oba’s son in Ondo community

    Security agencies are on the trail of unknown gunmen that killed the 23-year first child of the Olikan-elect of Itikan in Ilaje local government area of Ondo State, late Orioye Oyetakin.

    The killing of Oyetakin on December 27 was the second in the community in the past few months.

    The Regent of the town, Elder Shem Omoreigha, was reportedly killed barely eight months ago by yet to be apprehended killers.

    The Olikan-elect, Prince Adeleke Oyetakin, said the crisis started in the community after the selection process which led to his emergence.

    He said the kingmakers concluded the selection process in October last year when he defeated his main contestant, Prince Busayo Oroyo.

    According to him, some people who were not satisfied with the outcome of the process are allegedly behind the crisis that engulfed the town.

    He said, “The latest incident, which led to the death of my son started around 6pm on the fateful day at Ode-Itikan when the young man travelled home for the preparation of our family’s annual social gathering slated for December 30.”

    He said the hoodlums invaded the community and started shooting sporadically until they shot the victim dead.

    Oyetakin said the remains of his deceased son had been deposited at the Igbokoda General Hospital’s morgue while the matter was promptly reported to the police.

    He explained that some soldiers visited the town the following day of the incident and took away with them some items which could be useful in the course of the investigation.

    Oyetakin, however, said they were yet to hear from the Army, stressing that he had written the state Commissioner of Police that some of the items recovered by the soldiers at the scene of the incident could be useful during investigation.

    He lamented that the loss of lives and properties would have been avoided if the state government had presented him with the staff of office immediately after he was elected by the kingmakers.

    The struggle to occupy the throne which was vacant in 2009 following the demise of the former monarch had been tough between Oyetakin and Oroyo

    The State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Aremu Adeniran, confirmed the development, saying the matter had been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for proper investigation.

     

  • Anambra community to honour Ekwueme, Obi today

    The people of Ihiala in Anambra State will today honour former Vice-President Alex Ekwueme and Governor Peter Obi for their contributions to the development of the town.

    The honour will be the climax of the week-long celebration of the bi-annual Ihiala Day.

    President-General of the Ihiala Progress Union (IPU), Mr Vin Ifeanyi Ezeaka, spoke on the honour for the distinguished Anambra leaders.

    In a statement in Awka, the state capital, Ezeaka noted that Dr Ekwueme “played a critical role in the nomination of Mr Paulinus Amadike as a minister in the Second Republic and supported him in the discharge of his duties”.

    The late Amadike, the community leader said, “remained the only person to have been a member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) from Ihiala Local Government, which was created in 1966 when Col. Emeka Ojukwu was the military governor of the defunct Eastern Region, thus making it one of the largest and oldest local governments in the country”.

    Ezeaka also said Dr Ekwueme, in 1982, chaired the FEC meeting which approved the award of a contract of a major road from Okija in Ihiala Local Government to Omoku in Rivers State.

    The lawyer added that Dr Ekwueme “is being honoured for his sterling contributions to national development, especially with respect to the decisions of the 1994/’95 Constitutional Conference where he successfully canvassed the increase of the derivation principle in sharing of national revenue from three per cent to 13 per cent, the division of Nigeria into six geo-political zones, the rotation of the Presidency among the six zones and the rotation of the office of governor among the three senatorial districts in each state”.

    For Obi, the commnuity commended him for appointing an indigene of the town, Dr Collin Ohamadike, as the Commissioner for Transport.

    “This is the second time Governor Obi has appointed someone from our historic town a commissioner and member of the Anambra State Executive Council,” he said.

    The first was Sir Aloysius Egwuata, who became a permanent secretary.

    Ezeaka noted that the community is grateful to Obi because of “his promise to tackle decisively the awful road problem in Ihiala, which has impinged on our town’s development”.

    He added: “We all know the governor as a man of his word.”

    Other prominent people, who will attend the Ihiala Day celebration, include former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Prof Chukwuma Soludo, and the Catholic Bishop of the Nnewi Diocese, Dr Hilary Okeke.

    The celebration will be led by the traditional ruler of Ihiala, Dr Cosmas Okechukwu, a former lecturer at the University of Nigeria (UNN), Nsukka.

  • Community petition IGP, Elechi over Police brutality

    Community leaders of Izzikworo Clan in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed and the Ebonyi State Governor, Chief Martin Elechi, over alleged police harassment, intimidation and indiscriminate arrest of youths of the community.

    Briefing journalists in Abakaliki, the community leaders alleged that police officers from the Force Headquarters and the Ebonyi State Police Command, working on the orders of one Mr. Sampson Ugbo, a loyalist of the Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Igwe Nwagu, invaded the community and arrested over 40 youths of the community.

    The spokesperson of the community, Chief Cajetan Nweke, said that on the 25th of October 2012, Mr. Ugbo petitioned the police command, alleging that some of our youths are kidnappers and armed robbers, which led to the undue arrest of 40 youths of the community who were detained for eight days at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    The community noted that on interrogation by men of the Police Force both in Abakaliki and Abuja, nothing was found on the youths arrested, adding that the petition was aimed at creating confusion and causing crisis in the area.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Youths attack Imo community over kinsman’s death

    Angry youths on Christmas eve attacked Umuochi village in Ihitte, Ngor–Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, following the death of their kinsman, Ikechi Eke.

    The deceased was allegedly stabbed to death by Obinna Opara, who was said to be from neighbouring Umuochi village.

    The youths from Umuohie village, it was learnt, invaded the neighbouring village to avenge the death of their kinsman.

    The youths, it was learnt, torched the home of the suspected killer.

    They were also said to have invaded the homes of other villagers and destroyed their homes and property.

    A resident of Umuochi, Mr. Mike Nkwocha, said nobody expected what happened.

    He said the villagers were preparing for Christmas when the incident occurred.

    According to him, there was pandemonium in the village following the youths’ invasion.

    Nkwocha added: “About 8pm, the late Ikechi Eke, who had attended a social function in Umuochi, was accosted by the murder suspect and an argumen ensued. It led to a fight.”

    The villager explained that passersby settled the squabble.

    He said nobody knew the suspect had gone home to take a dagger.

    The suspect allegedly stabbed the victim to death.

    Nkwocha said it was the cry from Ikechi that attracted the villagers to the scene.

    Opara allegedly went into hiding.

    But Ikechi’s kinsmen stormed Umuochi, looking for Opara, who was said to have fled the village.

    The Umuohie youths reportedly began the search for the suspected killer in the homes of the villagers.

    Opara was reportedly apprehended by his kinsmen yesterday when he wanted to board a Lagos-bound bus.

    Efforts to reach police spokesman Vitalis Onugu on the matter were unsuccessful.

    He did not answer his calls.

     

  • Court stops Imo community elections

    The election of the Imo State Community Government Council (CGC) also known as the fourth tier of government was yesterday stopped by an Owerri High Court, which granted an injunction restraining the state government from conducting the election.

    The election slated to hold yesterday in all the 637 autonomous communities in the state, has come under severe criticisms by opposition parties, which described the CGC as illegal and unconstitutional.

    Imo State Commissioner for Information, Chinedu Offor, said that the election was put on hold by the government to respect the court injunction secured by an interested party, which restrained the conduct of the elections, adding that, “as a law abiding government, we have to stop the election until the injunction is vacated”.

    However, The Nation investigations revealed that the Community Government Council may have run into troubled waters, as most of the communities have been embroiled in crisis over the manner the election would be conducted and the consequences of the results on the communities.

    Sources disclosed that existing town unions are strongly opposed to the election, which they alleged will undermine their positions as community leaders if another set of administrators emerge after the election

  • Community protests invasion by land speculators

    ESIDENTS of Ogunnaike-Erunwen community in Ikorodu area of Lagos State took to the streets in a peaceful protest at the weekend.

    The protest, it was learnt, was aimed at drawing the attention of members of the public to what they called the invasion of their once peaceful community by gun-wielding hoodlums allegedly acting on the orders of one Deacon G.T Hassan, a popular estate developer based in Ebute-Metta area of the state.

    Led by members of the executive committee of the Ogunnaike Community Development Association (CDA), the protesters visited the Igbogbo Divisional Police headquarters, the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Salaudeen Oyefusi, as well as the secretariat of the Ikorodu Local Government Area.

    Lamenting what he called a plot by some members of the Ogunnaike descendants family to unleash mayhem on the residents of the area in order to reclaim some undeveloped plots of lands, the chairman of the C.D.A, Mr. Paul Ojo, said miscreants brought into the community a few months ago by Hassan have been allegedly harassing and intimidating the people since July 2012.

    “We bought our lands from the Ogunnaike descendant family since 1999 and we have enjoyed peaceful possession of the said lands until July 2012 when Hassan, claiming that he has been given power of Attorney by some members of the Ogunnaike family to repossess our lands, stormed the community with thugs.

    “The hoodlums went about beating and maiming artisans and landlords working on their sites.”

    Reacting to the plight of the community, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who spoke with the leaders at the council secretariat, promised to wade into the matter with a view to ensuring justice. She requested that a detailed petition, explaining their plight be submitted at her constituency office same day to enable her take urgent action.

    Speaking with The Nation on the allegation levelled against him, Hassan confirmed deploying ‘some boys’ to the community but said they did not destroy anybody’s property.

    He said, “Yes, I took some boys to the place after I got a power of Attorney from the Ogunnaike family to repossess the land from the people there. I went there with my boys to do my work and we have the right to stop those who may want to stop us from doing our work.

    “Those boys will remain there until those living in the community comply with the terms of the new executive of the family. My duty is to ensure that they comply and that is why my boys are there,” he said.

    Asked if he got a court order or injunction to back his activities in the place, Hassan said he does not need the directive of any court to do his job.

    Pleading with the authorities to save them from the hoodlums, the C.D.A leaders said Hassan and his boys are allegedly threatening to kill leaders of the community for daring to bring the police into the matter.

     

  • Five die in Kano community crisis

    Five persons were reported killed in Bichi Local Government Area of Kano State yesterday following an alleged inflammatory statement by a tailor.

    An eyewitness said the tailor described a dress he just completed as Annabi ya shigo kasuwa (The Prophet has entered the market).

    The Muslim residents considered the tailor’s statement defamatory to Prophet Mohammed.

    The tailor, it was learnt, hails from the Southeast.

    He was allegedly beaten up by the Muslims but rescued by security operatives.

    Security agencies blocked the main road linking Katsina with Kano states in the town.

    The injured were said to have been rushed to various hospitals in the area.

    The crisis spread to Kano city, about 50 kilometres from the town.

    A group of Muslims allegedly started the violent protest, ransacking and burning shops known to belong to Igbo traders.

    The protesters allegedly torched an unconfirmed number of churches.

    The figure of the dead could not be confirmed at the time of filing this report.

    But sources said two of the victims were students of the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Bichi.

    Another group of youths took to the streets and set bonfires with disused tyres.

    This heightened tension and confusion as residents scampered for safety.

    Security operatives, including men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), have been deployed in the area.

    It was learnt that armed security operatives have restored sanity in the area as the residents returned to their businessesn without molestation.

    Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris confirmed the incident.

    He said security operatives were on the scene to restore peace.

    The police chief said the command would probe the incident to prevent a recurrence.

  • Tenant gets 50-hour community service for battery

    After seven years of trial, a 63-year-old man, Oladimeji Aderibigbe, has been sentenced to 50 hours of community service by an Isolo Magistrate’s Court in Lagos.

    Aderibigbe was found guilty of maliciously damaging the property of his landlady, Mrs Adewunmi Ishola. He was arraigned in 2005 before Magistrate M.O. Ajayi, for allegedly damaging a wall and door frames valued N6,700.

    The charge reads: “that you Aderibigbe on August 1, 2005, at about 8pm, at 31, Maye Street, Yaba, maliciously damaged an erected wall and door frames valued at N6, 700, property of Adewunmi Ishola, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 451 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos, 1996.”

    Aderibigbe pleaded not guilty and was granted bail.

    He told the court that he rented the two-bedroom apartment from the complainant’s father in 1970 and that there was no restriction on his movement.

    However, after the death of the landlord, Aderibigbe said the complainant erected a burglar proof that blocked the entrance to his apartment and told him to use another entrance.

    “I was not comfortable with the development and decided to remove the gate, only for her to arrest me and I was later charged to court,” Aderibigbe said.

    Delivering judgment, Magistrate Ajayi said: “Having gone through trial and with the facts and evidence before this honourable court, I hereby find the defendant guilty as charged.

    “He is hereby sentenced to 50 hours of community service at Isolo Local Government Area, and he is also ordered to write an apology letter to the registry.”

  • Community storms court over monarch’s kidnap

    Where is Chief Lawrence Oragwu? This is the question on the lips of the people of Adazi-Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State.

    Oragwu, who was their acting traditional ruler, was kidnapped on June 2, last year. Till date, security agencies have no clue of his whereabouts.

    Members of the community, led by the President, Adazi-Nnukwu Town Development Union, Lagos Branch, Chief Theophine Enemuo, stormed the Federal High Court, Lagos, last Monday, where a judgment was set to be delivered in a suit filed against security agencies over the kidnap.

    In tears, they wondered how their chief and leader would be abducted and has not been found, a year and four months after. To them, it is absurd.

    Oragwu, a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, was abducted by unknown gunmen in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, on his way from church. He was at the time the Acting Igwe of Adazi-Nnukwu.

    Enemuo said the community has been in shock since the abduction. They are urging President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Peter Obi to intervene and get security agencies to find Chief Oragwu, alive or dead, so the community and family can have some peace.

    The community leader said: “The position of my community Adazi Nnukwu is that all stone must be turned in respect of knowing the whereabouts of our respected chief, Lawrence Oragwu, the acting Igwe of Adazi Nnukwu who was kidnapped over a year ago.

    “It is over a year since he was abducted and series of petitions and complaints have been lodged with various security agencies. Up till today, no positive response has been received. Hence, we accompanied our son to court to compel the security agencies concerned to act in accordance with law.

    “Our demand, with due respect to our President, Goodluck Jonathan, our brother governor, Peter Obi and security agencies is that Chief Lawrence Oragwu should be found dead or alive so that the community can move forward.

    “Chief Lawrence Oragwu, the Ezenna Okeosisi na Eche Ndo (A father-king who protects his people like a huge tree) served the nation meritoriously and retired as Customs Area Comptroller.

    “The High Chief of the town should not be said to be missing! Our people say that Isi nze ato na mba (The head of a king should not be lost in another clan). Therefore the mystery behind his abduction should be unraveled.”

    Enemuo urged the people of Adazi-Nnukwu to remain prayerful, saying: “Our prayer to the authorities is that our community needs an answer as to the whereabouts of Chief Lawrence Oragwu.

    “I urge the people of Adazi Nnukwu to remain calm and continue to pray to God Almighty, so that at the end of the day, the whereabouts of Chief Lawrence Oragwu will be known.”

    Meanwhile, the court, presided over by Justice Mohammed Idris, in a judgment last Tuesday, ordered the Director-General, State Security Services (SSS), and the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the abduction of Chief Oragwu.

    He ordered the IGP to mandate a special unit of the police to commence or take over and conclude the investigation.

    Both the police and SSS must transmit to the court’s Registry a type-written report of their respective investigations “within three months,” the judge ordered.

    Justice Idris noted that the respondents did not defend the action. He, therefore, entered judgment in favour of the plaintiff, Mr Nnamdi Oragwu, a lawyer, who is the royal father’s son.

     

  • Flood: Community begins reconstruction of link road

    Dabi Community in Ringim Local government Area of Jigawa State has begun reconstruction of its only access road recently washed away by flood.

    The Chairman of the Dabi Community Development Association,Alhaji Ali Adamu, told journalists in Ringim that the road was their only link to the outside world.

    He said the disaster had hindered transportation and exposed the community to difficulties.

    Adamu said that the rehabilitation of the road was being executed through communal efforts at the cost of N2 million.

    He added that the flood had also crippled social and economic activities in the area.

    The chairman appealed to the state government to relocate the community to a new site and empower them in view of the losses they had suffered as a result of the disaster.

    Adamu said: “in fact, most of the families in Dabi and the neighbouring villages have migrated to other parts of the state because of the flood.’’