The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta State Police Command

  • Koko explosion: Police dispels panic

    Koko explosion: Police dispels panic

    The Delta state police command has allayed the fears generated Tuesday night by an explosion that occurred in Koko town, Warri North council area of Delta state.

    There was panic across the town when the loud explosion, which roared out from the premises of Ebenco Global Link Limited at about 6:25pm, occurred, impacting of the adjoining houses.

    Although details of what really transpired were not immediately available as at the time the Nation learned of the incident, was gathered then that a container within the premises of the company had suddenly exploded, sending the bits and pieces into the air and the surroundings.

    A community source, who pleaded anonymity, had told the Nation that there were no casualties, adding though that the lid of an exploded drum or container, which flew out of the company’s yard, landed on the roof of one of the adjoining houses, pierced the roof into the living room.

    “It was like an explosive that burst out from the yard. What came out was like the cover of a container; the thing sprang up and went like 60 metres away and landed on somebody’s house, bursts the roof and pierced into the parlour. But to God be the glory, nobody was injured in the house”, he revealed.

    However, shedding more light on what really happened, the spokesman of the state’s police command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, told the Nation that the explosion was caused by a gas compressor and that it only impacted a mud house in the neighbourhood.

    Aniamaka further explained that there was no need to whip the development much further as both the owner of the impacted property and the owners of the company had met and had agreed to sort out the situation without police help.

    “It was just making a mountain out of a molehill, that’ll be the way to describe it. Yes, an air compressor was the cause of the explosion and affected a mud house, so to say. The owner of the house and the manager of the company; Ebenco Global Link Nigeria Limited, met and have agreed on their own terms to settle outside the police,” Aniamaka said.

  • Shot Police commander dies in Delta

    Shot Police commander dies in Delta

    The Commander of the Ughelli Area Command of Delta state police command, ACP Usman Ndanbabo, is dead.

    Ndanbabo was reported shot by yet to be unknown gunmen at about 8pm on Sunday, while driving alone in Ughelli town, headquarters of Ughelli North council area of Delta state.

    Sources had told the Nation that the police chief’s assailants shot him twice at close range; in his stomach and on his back.

    Although not much had been uncovered about the attack on him and the attackers as at Monday night when the state Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, confirmed the attack, he said much was depending on the victim in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the incident as he was the lone witness.

    Ndanbabo, however breathed his last on Tuesday morning in one of the best equipped private hospitals in Warri.

    He was said to have undergone series of surgeries, which had earlier stabilised him.

    It was gathered that the remains of the late Area Commander has been moved to Minna, his home town in Niger State, for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed the incident when contacted, noting that he died on Tuesday morning.

    Aniamaka added that the command was in deep mourning as he expressed rude shock over the demise of the senior police officer.

     

  • Gunmen shoot Police area commander in Delta

    Gunmen shoot Police area commander in Delta

    Unknown gunmen on Sunday night reportedly attacked the Area Commander of the Ughelli Area Command of the Delta state police command, ACP Usman Ndanbabo, shooting him twice at close range.

    Though reasons for the attack on the police chief could not be ascertained as at press time, The Nation recalls that crime rate within Ughelli town and its environs has been on the increase in the past couple of weeks with series of kidnappings and killings leading to regular patrols as well as stop and search operations by security operatives in the area.

    “He was returning from an outing at about 8:00p.m in his Nissan SUV when he noticed that a Toyota car had been trailing him. He tried fleeing from his car when he got to the roundabout opposite the palace of the Ovie of Ughelli, along Isoko Road, but his assailants opened fire on him, shooting him on the back and his stomach and left him to die.

    “He was immediately rushed to a private clinic at Ughelli for medical attention, but was referred to another private clinic in Warri for treatment owing to the gravity of the gunshot wounds,” a senior police officer at the command, who spoke on anonymous condition, revealed.

    Confirming the incident, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Zanna Ibrahim, told the Nation that reasons for the attack were still unknown and that Ndanbabo was already receiving medical attention from his gunshot wounds.

    He said more details would become available as soon as the victim regains more of his strength, adding that the command was investigating the attack and would ensure that the hoodlums who attacked him were brought to book.

    “I’ve just visited him in the hospital and he’s stabilising. No arrest has been made yet, that will depend on what he tells us about what happened and we cannot extract anything from him for now because he’s in the intensive care unit.

    “Though we spoke to him, we wouldn’t want to stress him with so many questions for now, but by the time he’s out of the ICU we will be able to know exactly what happened because he was alone in the vehicle, he was driving alone. Only him can tell us what happened.”

  • Army denies shoot out with notorious kidnapper

    Army denies shoot out with notorious kidnapper

    Authorities of the 4 Brigade Nigerian Army have denied reports that its troop of 19 Battalion had a gun duel before it arrested a suspected kidnapper, Mr. Sunday Okoro aka ‘GI’ and six others at Sapele, Delta State.

    It said there was no shoot out or gun duel during the arrest of Okoro and others.

    In a statement signed by spokesman of the 4 Brigade, Captain Mohammed Maidawa, it also denied that the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Monday Igbuya, mounted pressure for the release of the suspects.

    According to the statement, “The Nigerian Army is replete with highly professional, loyal and dedicated officers that performed their duties diligently with great sense of responsibility and pride.

    “It is therefore preposterous for anyone to allege anything untoward in the handling of the accused or the recovered abandoned vehicles and weapons. All were properly handed over the Delta State Police Command through appropriate channels for further investigation and prosecution.”

     

  • Delta: Police kill suspected kidnapper in shootout

    Delta: Police kill suspected kidnapper in shootout

    The Delta State Police Command said it shot dead a suspected kidnapper in gun duel with a four armed gang.

    Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Celestina Kalu who confirmed the incident Wednesday in Asaba said the hoodlums invaded the house of its victim Joseph Otemewo of Ogini Road Oghara, and kidnapped his wife and took her away to unknown destination in her Lexus SUV with registration number GRA 911 KH.

    According to her, “the police with the assistance of local vigilante went on their trail as the abductors called for ransom. In the process of exchange of fire between the hoodlums and policemen, one God’stime (surname unknown) was shot and arrested in their hideout at Ologbo bush while two others escaped.”

    Continuing, “The woman was rescued unhurt. However, the suspect died on the way to the hospital. Items recovered from the suspect included one locally made pistol with one cartridge and handset robbed from the victim.

    “Meanwhile, investigation has been intensified to track down the fleeing hoodlums who were said to have driven the stolen vehicle towards Benin in Edo State.”

    Similarly, Kalu said a seven-year old girl identified as Gift James who is a daughter of a police officer attached to the command has been rescued unhurt from her kidnappers.

    The victim was rescued within hours of her kidnap at Onicha-Olona in Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state when she was going on an errand.

    The kidnappers operating in a black Nissan Terra SUV with registration number DDT 012 02 were given a hot chase by operatives of Dragon patrol team on patrol along Benin/Asaba expressway.

    The operatives who had received information about the kidnap chased the hoodlums towards Issele-Azagba where the kidnappers diverted to a feeder road, abandoned their vehicle/victim and escaped.

    Kalu said the abandoned vehicle was recovered, while the victim has been re-united with her parents, adding that efforts to track down the fleeing hoodlums have been intensified.