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Tag: Delta State

  • Suspected ritualists beheads 12-year old girl in Delta

    …as police arrest suspected ‘Yahoo Boy’

    Ritual killers struck again in Oghara, Ethiope West council area of Delta state early Thursday, killing a 12-year old identified as Eguono.
    The brutal killing of Eguono came two days after the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigeria Mobile Police arrested a suspected internet fraudster, identified as Emmanuel in Warri with some charms and multiple email accounts, some of which belong to white people.
    The Nation gathered that Eguono, whose killers severed her head from body and her vital parts harvested away, was killed around Okwemeva Junction, off Scot Road, an area that had witnessed a number of ritual murders in the last few weeks.
    The killing, which came exactly two weeks away from another one around Scot Road and one month away from the killing of a 60-year old woman, who was killed October 30, in another part of Oghara.
    It should be noted that Oghara, the home country of former Delta state governor, Chief James Ibori and host community to both Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH) and the Delta State Polytechnics, Otefe.

    Read Also: Two Policemen killed in Delta

    Recent incessant ritual killings in the community has raised the panic level as most of those reached for comments declined in fear of the unexplained.
    Contacted, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Mustafa said “the DPO actually called me.  But they said the girl was not mentally okay. The DPO has commenced investigation to unravel the true story as to why the girl was beheaded.”
    On the arrest of the suspected internet fraudster, a source at the Rapid Response Squad station in Warri told the Nation that Emmanuel was arrested with a car with assorted charms, adding that on further investigation, it was discovered that he has different suspicious email accounts, some of which bear foreign names and pictures of white men.
    “Investigation is still ongoing, even if the boy is providing stubborn, but there are a lot of incriminating evidences and facts that he has not be able to explain. Those shows to you that the police is not just sitting by why all these criminals go about killing and wrecking havocs on people. One by one, we will rid the society of this menace”, he said.

  • 2019: ‘No vacancy in Aso Rock’

    The State Chairman, All Progressives Congress(APC) , Jones Ode Erue has said Deltans are enthusiastic in their readiness to return President Muhammadu Buhari to power following his sterling leadership qualities.
    Erue made this known in a signed statement by Nick Ovuakporie, APC, Head Strategy & Communication, weekend in Warri , Delta State
    The meeting had in attendance leaders and party faithfuls including the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan.
    He praised President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to developing the economy saying he has “performed tremendously in all sectors of the Nigerian economy and now consolidating on his achievements in order to move the country to the next-level”.
    He appealed to voters to vote ” leaders of impeccable characters clothed with untainted and unblemished integrity like President Muhammadu Buhari”.
    He stressed further that Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan is the kind of Senator he wants at the red chambers owing to his landmark achievements as Governor.
    He appealed to Deltans to vote enmass for Great Ovedje Ogboru as Governor and all candidates of the party and liberate the State from the tyranny of PDP misgovernance.

    Read Also: Buhari, President Vaz meet in Aso Rock

    According to Erue, “Ogboru is driven by strong passion for service delivery, he knows the pains of Deltans who are living in economic deprivation, fear of kidnappers,armed robberies, ritual killings,lies & deceit under the Okowa’s clueless administration”.
    He praised Deltans for their resilience in the face of the numerous challenges and urged them to elect leaders they could trust saying; “PDP is a disaster”.
    Erue said ” the blind can feel the infrastructural revolution of the Buhari administration in the areas of road construction, railways ,seaports, airports remodeling, and the reconstruction of the 2nd Niger Bridge”.
    Erue said an APC government in Delta State, will attract Federal presence to the State for quick development of decaying infrastructure.
    He said, ” Nigerians are more than ready to reward President Muhammadu Buhari with our votes for clearing backlogs of pension arrears, prompt payment of public servant salaries and for taking Nigerians from the poverty level through the social intervention programmes such as Npower, Tradermoni and the conditional cash transfer to those in dire need.”

  • Reps charge IGP over kidnap of Four reverend sisters in Delta State

    The House of Representatives on Wednesday charged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris to take necessary steps to rescue religious leaders kidnapped  across the country;
    The lawmakers also said the police in their effort should include the four Reverend Sisters kidnapped in Delta State.
     The resolution of the Green Chamber was sequel to the adoption of the prayers of a motion by a member, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe (APC imo).
    The the House  Committee on Police Affairs was mandated to ensure compliance and report back within a week for further legislative action.
    Igbokwe while presenting the motion spoke of the spate of kidnapping in Delta State “where several persons were kidnapped including four Reverend Sisters of the Medical Missionaries of Mary (MMM) Congregation near Agbor, Ika South Council of Delta State”
    Igbkwe while expressing concern on the increased rate of kidnapping and attack on the clergy and religious leaders across the country;
    He said despite calls on government to tame the activities of armed men across the country, they are still ravaging and terrorizing citizens.
    He expressed concern for the safety of the kidnapped reverend sisters and others.
    His words: “if the kidnapped persons are not rescued, it might lead to loss of lives of the affected persons and heighten religious tension.”

    Read Also: IGP deploys AIG to Kaduna over killing

    The lawmaker said over 30 men of God have lost their lives in the hands of kidnappers.
    He further said “any attack against a man of God is an attack against God,” and asked security agencies to live up to their responsibilities.
    Other lawmakers like Oghene Egoh (PDP Lagos)  and Sergious Ogun (PDP Edo) and Abubakar Fulata (APC Jigawa) that spoke condemned  the kidnapping and attacks on religious leaders and other Nigerians stating that there is need to employ technology in fishing out the culprits.
    However, the Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamiila insisted that the word “Herdsmen ” be expunged from the motion as the motion us investigative in nature.
    Putting “herdsmen” in the motion, he said,  is volatile and could cause religious friction.
    But other lawmakers insisted that since there have been arrests of herdsmen involved in kidnapping, the word should remain.
    When the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu  Dogara called for a voice vote on the motion, it was passed without dissent.

  • Protesters block Delta govt. house gates over hijack of jobs

    Regular official activities at the Delta state Government House in Asaba were held to a standstill for close to one hour on Thursday when protesting youths and ex-agitators blocked the only access in protest of an alleged hijack of their surveillance jobs.
    The protesters, under the aegis of OML 30 communities youths and ex-agitators from the first to the third phase of the federal government’s amnesty programme, who stormed the governor’s office in tens of buses from various Urhobo, Isoko, Ijaw and Itsekiri communities, accused business tycoon, Captain Hosa Okunbo and his company, Ocean Marine, of scheming to hijack the the surveillance contract of OML 30 facilities and render thousands of them jobless.
    However, the state government, represented by the Attorney-General of the state and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Peter Mrakpor, affirmed to the angry protesters that the agreement with the operator of the facilities was that the communities handle the surveillance and security of the facilities, adding that the government would not let that agreement fail.
    Expressing the displeasure of the protesters to the state government, from a position paper which was later handed over to the Attorney-General, spokesman of the youths and ex-agitators, Mr Lord Tennyson, said thousands of youths of the state were about to lose their jobs to the alleged hijack, noting also that if not prevented, the security situation in their areas might be adversely affected.
    He also charged the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to investigate the process attending to the alleged hijack, alleging also that the the contract value had been inflated more than five times the actual price, saying , “we have learnt from very reliable sources that the intent of Captain Okunbo, his company; Ocean Marine and his presidency backers is to use the surveillance job as a mere front to siphon millions of dollars for the purposes of executing the 2019 elections in Delta state and rig their party, the APC to power in the state.

    Read Also: A boost for construction in Niger Delta coastal communities

    “To achieve this, we gathered that the corrupt gang in the presidency has corruptly and unilaterally awarded the surveillance contract to Ocean Marine at a rate almost five to six times of the contract award rate of the previous contractor company.
    “Your Excellency, we feel that this is the point at which you, as the Chief Security Officer of our dear state, must rise up to take steps to nip this madness in the bud to avert the impending danger that this greedy set of ‘soldiers of fortune’ is about to impose on not just our communities, but also our dear state.
    “You may wonder how this is our concern. It has become our concern because we have sat down to imagine what the picture will look like when Ocean Marine successfully takes our jobs away from us, using either traditional rulers or president-generals of communities as fronts, how many youths with bustling capacities and abilities will be rendered jobless. We imagine what other uses can hitherto busy, but now idle youths can engage their abilities and capabilities in.
    “We are imagining the level of confrontations and conflicts we might start to have to witness and how much work the security agencies might have to be dealing with by the time these thousands of jobless, able-bodied youths start engaging those they will inevitably blame for their new unpleasant status and how much more chaos the state government might have to be grappling with, having to add the problem of restive youths from an area that had hitherto maintained its peaceful calm all along. Your Excellency, we hope you know these might eventually be the least of the problems you may expect to come out of the 111 communities under OML 30”, he said.
    Responding to the presentation of the protesters, the Attorney-General, Mr Mrakpor, recalled that the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMOU) between the operators of the OML 30 facilities, Heritage Energy Oil Services Limited (HEOSL) and the communities had just been recently, after a whole year of processing, noting that the agreement was that surveillance of facilities will be the job of Deltans and had rejected any involvement of non-Delta personnel or companies.
    He, however assured that he would take the matter to the governor the moment he returns to Asaba, adding “I can assure you that you will not be disappointed”.

  • Brothers buy N50,000 gun to avenge father’s death

    Two brothers, Peter and Paul Vonddip, have been arrested by men of the Edo State Police Command for being in possession of a locally made double barrel pistol which they bought in Anambra State for N50,000.

    The brothers told police interrogators that they were taking the gun to Plateau State to avenge their father death and protect their cows from rustlers.

    They said their father was killed earlier this year at his farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    A Police patrol team along Agbor-Urhonigbe road accosted a Nissan Vannet bus they were traveling in and a search conducted led to the recovery of the gun and three live cartridges.

    Paul aged 30 said he work as a security at Agbor in Delta State.

    He said, “I was arrested on my way to Warri to give my brother a gun to take to Plateau State. I bought the gun in Anambra State. My junior brother is a tanker driver. I wanted to give him the gun when I was arrested. My father was killed so I bought the gun for my brother to protect the cow. We have about 100 cows but it is now remaining 15 because of crisis in Plateau State.

    Read Also: Policeman found dead in pit in Delta

    “My father was killed by Fulani herdsmen at our house in the farm. I did not buy the gun to avenge by father’s death but to protect myself and the cows.”

    “Peter said his brother Paul bought the gun to protect their cows. Police stopped us at the check point and search our car, that was how they saw the gun. Our father was shot dead in the farm. The gun was to stop cattle rustlers.”

    Edo Police Commissioner, Babatunde Kokumo, said the suspects confessed to the crime and would soon be charged to court.

  • Buhari Mourns Sunny Odogwu

    President uhammadu Buhari has described the late Ide Ahaba of Asaba, Chief Sunny Odogwu as an accomplished business man and industrialist whose contribution to nation development serves as a source of inspiration to several Nigerians.

    In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina said the President is pained by the exit of Chief Odogwu and commiserated with the Odogwu family on the death of Chief Sunny Odogwu.

    The President also extended his heartfelt condolences to the good people of Asaba and the Government of Delta State on the passage of their illustrious son and respected elder statesman.

    Read Also: Policeman found dead in pit in Delta

    The Presidenr sais he also joined the and the people of Delta State in honouring the memory of the versatile businessman, who remarkably contributed to the socio-economic development of his immediate community, state and the nation, drawing from his extensive experience as an accomplished industrialist, entrepreneur, publisher and philanthropist.

    The President affirmed that through his vast business networks, range of skills and perspectives, the late Chief Odogwu demonstrated deep understanding and commitment in empowering indigenous businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship and creating thousands of employment opportunities for Nigerians.

    He prayed the almighty God to comfort the family, friends and business associates of the deceased, and grant his soul eternal rest.

  • Policeman found dead in pit in Delta

    A 51 year old police officer, Inspector Samuel Onwueriegho has been found dead in Pit, along Ekwuoma road, near Owerri-Olubor, Ika North East L.G.A.

    The Nation gathered that the deceased policeman, whose decomposing body was found Monday night, attached to 22 Police Mobile Force (PMF),Lagos.

    It remains unclear how the deceased ended up in a pit after he left his Dominion Estate home, at Iyana – Iyesi Ogun State on 13 September 2018,

    A source told The Nation gathered that the wife of the deceased, Joy, reportedly told family members that her husband left without informing her.

    It was learnt that a relative Joel Obuseh, lodged a complaint that the deceased dropped by his home en-route Ubulu-Uku on September 14 at about 1.00 a.m.

    The wife of the deceased policeman organised a search party on September 20th after receiving information that her husband was seen in Delta State.

    A search revealed the victim in a pit.

    A police source confirmed that the remains was discovered “without external injuries on the body”.

    The corpse has been deposited at a mortuary for autopsy while investigation is ongoing, the source added.

     

  • Delta: NANS kicks against poor budgetary allocation to education

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Delta State, has blasted the Delta State Government over the paltry sum allocated to education in the proposed Delta State 2019 budget .
    The students’ body frowned at the disparity in the 8% budgetary allocation to education for 2019 as a against the recommended minimum 26% by UNESCO.
    The body urged the State Government to make basic and secondary education tuition free, in order to encourage students back to school and make good the future of Delta State.
     Dio Oghale Emeka Rex, Chairman, NANS /JCC Delta State made this known weekend in Asaba-Delta while on a courtesy visit to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Delta State Council.

    Read Also: NGO provides educational support to girls in Kaduna

    Rex called for support to assist them amplify their demand for an upward review of the budgetary allocation proposed for education.
    According to Comrade Rex, “We want to passionately call the attention of NUJ Delta State chapter to our demand to the government of Delta State to review upwardly the percentage allocated to education in the 2019 budget and to introduce free education for basic and secondary school in Delta State. As you are all aware, the amount allocated to education in Delta State 2019 budget amounts to 8% of the total budget as against the 26% recommended by the UNESCO which is currently not good for our education sector. You will also agree with me that to promote education and to encourage students back to school, the government needs to make basic and secondary education tuition

  • Death of professions

    Last week, this column was about saving journalism as a profession based on the threat of technology and corruption highlighted by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in his speech at the annual conference of the Nigeria Guild of Editors in Asaba, Delta State.

    His message for journalists was clear: wake up to the reality of new media and get rid of the bad eggs giving the profession a bad name or get swept aside by non-professionals.

    “When a threat is existential, the response must be radical, otherwise we really may not have a profession, we may just be presiding over what we think exists when it has simply disappeared,” Osinbajo stated.

    However, the VP’s admonition was not only for journalists, but other professionals like lawyers, accountants and others whose jobs are being redefined by technology.

    He quoted a friend who teaches law and technology at a British university. Osinbajo noted that there are now applications and more sophisticated ones being made that would offer legal advice accurately, comprehensively, and objectively, and with Artificial Intelligence, they can even analyse data and make predictions about the outcomes of legal proceedings perhaps more accurately and definitely more objectively than humans.

    Just like law, the friend added that the job of financial advisors would be done electronically, as financial models could be developed digitally; the best advice could be given with the benefit of artificial intelligence. Even for complicated health issues, there are new devices for automated diagnosis.

    While the technological developments in various professions may not necessarily mean that professionals will not be needed to do what they have been doing for ages, the message is that every professional must be alive to the changes and acquire the needed knowledge to remain relevant.

    I am compelled to stress this issue about being technologically knowledgeable due to the dismissive attitude of many to the changes technology has brought to how many things are now supposed to be done to maximum impact and efficiency.

    Those who claim to be too old to learn about technological changes need to know that their days are limited in whatever profession or trade they are engaged in now. Not only have professional practices changed, the way to get customers for any endeavour is now much more than using personal and traditional channels.

    A tailor who used to sow clothe for a young boy is trying hard to understand how the boy, now a fashion designer,  have more customers than him, far beyond the shores of the country from a room in the outskirt of Lagos. The answer is the ability of the young man to utilise new sewing equipment and access global platforms to get customers. In a technology-driven world, it is no longer enough to hire a shop for any business; one can now sell worldwide, thanks to the Internet.

    In view of these developments, there is need for computer literacy awareness and education for all. Curriculums in educational institutions need to be updated in line with new technology.

    The kinds of graduates needed now are not those who know how things used to be done, but those who can improve on them and utilise new tools.

  • Okowa swears-in two commissioners-designate

    Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has sworn-in two commissioners-designate and three members of the local interventionist body, DESOPADEC.

    He charged political appointees to always give their best in rendering services to Deltans.

    The governor gave the charge on Friday in Asaba at the swearing-in ceremony of two new members of the State Executive Council: Hon. Freeman O. Fregene and Mr. Julius Takeme, three members of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission – DESOPADEC:  Hon. Ejaife Odebala, Hon. Mofe Pira, Hon. Talib Tebite and Dr. Samuel Ochonogor Ossai as Executive Director, and the inauguration of Mr. Kelly Oghenekevwe as member of Delta State Internal Revenue Board.

    According to Governor Okowa, “I expect that those appointed to serve in various capacities, should give their best to the entire State; in your various portfolios, we expect you to serve with integrity, devotion, commitment and accountability.”

    “It is our expectations that you will provide fresh ideas and new drive to support the government in consolidating our programmes and projects, while moving the politics of Delta State to a higher level of humility, justice and harmony as you serve our people,” he said, adding, “I want to remind the new appointees that your assignment will be especially challenging, as we seek to accomplish most of our projects and other commitments under a disciplined financial regime and urgency, especially as the seasons of expectations of our citizens, active politics and attendant elections begin to accelerate.”

    He urged all Deltans to actively participate in politics, stating that Deltans should be conscious and at all times, stand for transparent, free and fair elections, where every vote counts.

    Read Also: Okowa advocates alternative funding for INEC

    Governor Okowa urged the appointees to inject fresh and productive ideas into the Ministries, Commission or Board they find themselves, stating, “I urge all those sworn-in or inaugurated today to bring with them the desirable winning attitude, ingenuity and deep insight in the handling of your various assignments; these are the only ways you can assist this administration leave a desired legacy of service in Delta State, while also endearing yourselves to our people.”

    “We are approaching the twilight of our first term in office; we have before us, many urgent challenges arising from the committed pursuit of our projects and programmes, including the inevitable pressures of politics as we are getting deep into the electioneering season; but, we need not be derailed in our commitment to our economic agenda,” he admonished.

    Responding on behalf of the appointees, Hon. Ejaife Odebala thanked Governor Okowa for the appointment, expressing delight that they have been chosen to be part of the team that was working to positively change the lives of Deltans.

    He assured the governor and all entire Deltans that they will discharge their duties meritoriously to the benefits of the people.