The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta State

  • MR. O INSPIRES DELTA STATE STUDENTS

    BUDDING comedian, ‎Ovie-Omo Destiny Akpoyibo, better known as Mr. O, has taken the second edition of his bi-annual youth empowerment program, Mr. O Goes to School, to Delta State.

    An info-edutainment show, the comedian says that it is geared towards inspiring secondary school students to find their potentials and explore.

    Held at ‎Council Hall, Oleh, I‎soko South Local Government Area recently, the show featured mentorship, career talk, music, comedy, capacity building and lots more.

    ‎Shedding more light on the reasons he came up with such concept, Mr. O, a Banking and Finance graduate from Niger Delta University, stated that schools play host to a large number of people in our society and are major custodians of young people drawn from different backgrounds.

    “This is where young people spend most of their peak time relating and fraternizing with peers and as such get lured and influenced into lots of anti-social and amorous activities that make them vulnerable to social vices. Therefore, it is of great necessity to take this campaign to them in an unusual platform that would naturally stimulate their participation and enlighten them all together on these issues,” the comedian said.

    Among those who graced the occasion were Sir Itiako C. Ikpokpo, Barr. Duncan Afahokor, Lady Gladys Ighokpo, Hon. Charles Mallam-Obi, Barr. Oghogho Bawo-Oteri, Amb. E.  Uyero, Ms Elo Oboma, Mr Edafe Udoma-Edoka, Richard Gbajimi, Alexander, Mr Bishop, Comr Ben Ebegbare and over 220 students/ participants drawn from senior secondary schools across Isoko.

  • Delta: Policemen teargas nine-month-old baby, two children

    Delta: Policemen teargas nine-month-old baby, two children

    There was anger in Effurun, Uvwie loca government area of Delta State after mobile policemen attached to a politician tear-gassed a nine-month-old baby and two other children.

    The children were bombarded along with their father and mother following a disagreement with between the father and the politician, identified as Chief Michael Johnny.

    The policemen went berserk, attacking Johnbull Cleopas, a former council lawmaker in Bayelsa, beating him and releasing tear gas on him and his entire family inside his car.

    Narrating his ordeal to The Nation in Warri Friday, Cleopas said he was returning home with his family at about 4pm on Monday and decided to stop by at the New Layout Junction market to pick a few things for household use, adding that he was entering his car when one of the mobile policemen, who were clearing the road for the personality they were escorting hit his car, destroying one of the trafficator.

    ”I was asking ‘officer why now’ and before I knew it, because one of my legs was already inside the car, trying to enter the car, the guy had come round to the driver’s side and started punching me; my mouth and all over and injured me.

    ”Thereafter, they began to use their teargas to spray me. I fell inside the car, holding my face and I started shouting ‘my children are inside the car o’, but he continued spraying into the car. It took the intervention of the market women to come and rush my children out of the car and used kerosene and handkerchief to wipe their faces. The small one, who is 9 months, was already foaming from his mouth and nose”, he narrated.

    He said he went on to the Ekpan General Hospital to seek medical attention for his family and and himself and later went to the Warri area command of the state police command to report his experience. He said he could not make the report as many Ijaw people had started calling him, adding that the owner of the convoy, Johnny, had already asked people to prevail on him to drop the idea of making it a police case.

    He, however, said he suffered a worse experience later same Monday evening when he was further pressured by the people sent by Johnny to plead with him to drop the matter to follow them to Johnny’s house, as he (Johnny) desired to see him.

    The story, he said, changed when he go to the APC chieftain’s house and he started shouting at him forever attempting to drag him into a police matter. He said Johnny eventually asked some of the policemen who had brutalised him and his family earlier in the day to drag him out of his compound.

    ”As I said I wanted to go, Michael Johnny said I had insulted him that I was not going to leave he compound. The next thing was he just told the Mopol and they started bundling me, dragged me on the floor to a Hilux parked outside. 8 of them pushed and dragged me into the Hilux and took me to Ekpan Police Station and detained me till yesterday morning. They didn’t tell me my offense”, he explained.

    When reached for his response to the development, Chief Johnny said it was a matter between Cleopas and policemen, which had nothing to do with him, adding that he did not see the victim when he came to his house.

    ”I did not know what happened between Johnbull and the police,  I’m not a policeman and I don’t know what happened between him and them. My own is part is I don’t want any misunderstanding between people and that was why I intervened before, but when I saw that it was purely a police matter, I am a civilian and I cannot into it.

    On the allegation of the second assault on Johnbull in his house, Johnny said ”it’s true, I don’t even know what transpired between him and my police. When he came I didn’t even see him. It’s like the police had already gone to do their own report before so they were already looking for him. I didn’t even see him, it’s just a fabricated story that Johnbull is bringing out”.

    When reached for comment on the detention of Johnbull in his station, the Divisional Police Officer of the Ekpan Police Station, CSP Chris Sogbara, said he was not aware of the matter, promising to get across to his station, as he was not around, and get back with details later. He was yet to respond by the time of filing this report.

  • Delta Govt. disowns 700 staff in tertiary schools

    Delta Govt. disowns 700 staff in tertiary schools

    Over 700 academic and non-academic staff of some tertiary institutions in Delta state, whose names were not on the State’s payroll have been disowned over ‘illegal’ employment.

    The state’s Commissioner for Higher Education, Mr Jude Sinebe, announced this at a news conference in Asaba on Wednesday.

    The commissioner said there was no provision for such employment before the staff were engaged.

    “In tertiary institutions, we don’t just employ workers for the sake of employment. We only employ when there is a need for such workers.

    “This issue can be likened to a case of illegal employment and I can tell you that it is not only in the Delta Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku; we have similar cases at the State Colleges of Education in Agbor and Warri.

    “The affected staff were employed out of the institutions’ statutory provisions. The system that we operate,  does not recognise them as our staff, as such, we cannot pay them”, Sinebe said.

    The commissioner further explained that many of the schools went out of their way to employ the affected staff without recourse to approval from the state government.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that many of those employed between 2013 and 2015, were lecturers, technicians, information officers, clerical officers and messengers.

  • Bush burning caused pipeline explosion in Delta – JTF

    The Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), said Monday that the recent pipeline explosion that occurred around Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli, Delta State, was caused by bush burning.

    Clarifying the incident, JTF’s Deputy Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre (JMCC), Lt. Com. Thomas Otuji, said heat from the bush burning ruptured the pipeline belonging to Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

    Otuji asked members of the public to disregard a statement from a militant group, Greenland Justice Mandate (GJM), which claimed responsibility for the incident.

    He said: “There was no attack on the pipeline. What happened was that bush burning ignited an old pipeline”.

    The pipeline, which was said to be a few meters away from Otorogu Gas Plant, a multimillion naira project,  exploded and went up in flames at about 6.40am on Sunday.

  • Breaking news: Police kill two robbers in Edo

    Breaking news: Police kill two robbers in Edo

    Two armed robbers were Friday evening shot dead by men of the Edo State Police Command after a failed attempt to rob a man.

     

    The dead robbers were part of a four-man robbery gang that trailed a man from Ughelli in Delta State to a new generation bank in Benin City.

     

    Police sources said the robbers trailed their victim in a grey colour Toyota Corolla car and cornered him while he was leaving the bank with the sum of N500,000 with which he want to use to purchase a car.

     

    The source said the robbers shot their victim in the leg after collecting the money and shot sporadically into the air.

     

    They were however given a hot pursuit by men of Operation Thunder Storm, who were on a patrol in the area,

     

    Two of the armed robbers were shot dead during an encounter at the Evbomore area of Ugbowo, off Ugbowo-Lagos Road, while another member of the gang was arrested.

     

    The stolen money was also recovered.

     

    At press time, the police had cordoned the area and were still searching for the fourth member of the gang.

     

    The victim of the attack was said to have been rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) for medical attention.

     

    When contacted, spokesman of the Edo State Police command, DSP Moses Nkombe declined comment, saying he would have to seek clearance from his boss, the Commissioner of Police before he could speak.

  • Delta: Militants attack same facility twice in six days

    Delta: Militants attack same facility twice in six days

    The Trans-Forcados Export trunk line in the Batan fields, Warri South-West council area of Delta state, has been attacked again, less than one week after a similar incident.

    Tuesday’s attack was however a failed attempt as the explosive planted on the trunk-line, which was believed to be the main target of the operation, failed to go off. The explosive planted on a barge within the area went off, creating a loud explosion.

    The Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) -operated oil facility was earlier attacked last week Wednesday, November 2, few hours after leaders and other stakeholders of the oil-rich Niger Delta region met with President Muhammadu Buhari, to discuss ways to peace and development of the region.

    However, the attack in the early hours of yesterday, which was yet to be claimed by any group or individual as at the time of filing this report, reportedly occurred at about 1 am and almost claimed the lives of the community surveillance team, which was detailed to watch over the facilities.

    According to the chairman of Batan Community, Dickson Ogugu, the invaders of the facility, on getting to the site of the facility, opened fire on the community surveillance team, chasing them out of the area before settling down to plant explosives on a couple of facilities in the area.

    “The line which was undergoing repair after the previous attack on November 2 was billed for commissioning either today or tomorrow. Though the surveillance team narrowly escaped the attack after they were shot at, the hoodlums after chasing them from the spot came down from their speedboats, planted dynamites on swamp boogie, barge, crane and on the line.

    “Unfortunately, the dynamite on the barge exploded and immediately sank into the water. As I speak to you, the military are at the scene of the incident trying to dismantle the other dynamites”, Ogugu said.

    Also confirming the incident, a security source said “we heard the shots in the middle of the night, but as you know, we do not patrol the area at night, so there was nothing we could do”.

    Efforts to get an official confirmation and details on the development were yet unfruitful as at the time of filing this report.

    While both the Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, and the Commander of the Sector 1, Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Delta Safe (ODS), Colonel Alhassan Grema, were unreachable through their mobile telephones yesterday, the spokesman of the ODS, Lieutenant Colonel Olaolu Daudu, requested for one hour to get back.

    When called back after an hour, the ODS spokesman could not be reached.

  • Avengers: Ijaw youths accuse military of violating ceasefire 

    Avengers: Ijaw youths accuse military of violating ceasefire 

    Lament military invasion of Gbaramatu communities

    The umbrella body of Ijaw youths, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Worldwide, yesterday, accused the military of violating a ceasefire agreement between the Federal Government and the militant group, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA).

    The IYC in a statement signed by its Spokesman, Mr. Eric Omare, said it was wrong for the military to invade some communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Delta State, at a time the government was planning to hold discussions with the Niger Delta region.

    Omare said the sudden presence of the military in the communities had raised doubts over the sincerity of the government to initiate peace in the region through dialogue.

    “The Federal Government cannot in one breath declare ceasefire and at the same time forcefully invade Ijaw communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom of Delta State allegedly looking for militants”, he said.

    He said in the early hours of Wednesday, the military stormed Tebujor community, a clan in Gbaramatu shooting sporadically into the air.

    He said the military operatives apprehended six youths from the community over allegations of pipeline vandalism.

    He identified the arrested youths as Eddy Ikpidi, Tekena Uka, Dboy Oboko, Jamaica Oboko, Coasta Kelly Tortor and Atani Yawuru.

    But Omare said: “While we do not support sabotage of oil facilities considering the negative effects on our environment, the IYC seriously frowns and condemns the continuous invasion and harassments of Ijaw communities and innocent people by the military under the guise of looking for pipeline vandals.

    “The military has no reason to embark on continuous invasion of Ijaw communities and arrest our people in the name of looking for Avengers or pipeline vandals. Our communities and people are peaceful and law abiding people.

    “The continuous invasion of Ijaw communities is a demonstration of lack of sincerity on the part of the federal government to genuinely dialogue with the people of the Niger Delta region to address the renewed militancy and issues affecting the region”.

    He noted that no meaningful dialogue could take place without sincerity of purpose and confidence in the process by the people of the region.

    “Events of the last few days are fast eroding our confidence. We call on the military to carry out deep intelligence gathering and stop the unlawful arrest and invasion of Ijaw communities. The arrested youths of Tebujor community, Gbaramatu Clan, Delta State should be released”, he said.

     

  • Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Pipeline attacks: Dialogue won’t solve problem- IYC

    Ijaw Youths Congress (IYC) Thursday told the federal government that no amount of dialogue will end intermittent insurgency and youth restiveness in the oil-rich region if the critical questions of equity and development were not sorted out.

    President of the IYC, Udengs Eradiri, who stated this during this year’s annual Major Isaac Adaka Boro anniversary, held in Effunrun, Delta state, also said the first step to get any form of dialogue with the people of the Niger Delta was the opening of the Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State.

    Lead speaker at the event, Tony Uranta, also charged the federal government not to terminate the amnesty programme, initiated by the previous administration yet as doing so would only be worsening the restiveness in the region.

    In his speech at the event, Eradiri said the only reason there was anything like the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the insurgent group claiming responsibility for the recent upsurge of insurgency in the region, was because the same issues that Adaka Boro fought against in his days are still very much around in today’s Nigeria.

    “The same issues for which Adaka Boro and Ken Sarowiwa were killed are the same issues the Avengers are raising. There are no Avengers anywhere. Settle these issues and the avengers would fizzle away.”

    “People have started discussing. There was a meeting in Abuja Wednesday but I told them that such meeting would not work. If they want us to talk, they must first open the Maritime University and start admitting students, then we would now sit and talk,” Eradiri said.

    Meanwhile, the lead speaker at the event, Uranta, opined that time was not ripe for the federal government to terminate the amnesty programme, noting that doing so would only be helping in building an army of discontent youth in the region.

    “Government must reassure the people of the Niger Delta that it is not yet ready to terminate the Amnesty Programme as there are still a lot of people yet to go for training.

    “If you don’t engage these people, you are building up an army of discontent and the government must restructure Nigeria to a true federalism.”

    On her part, co-speaker and rights activist, Annkio Briggs, while condemning the federal government for the way and manner it is handling the agitations of the region, said “What the people of the Niger Delta region are asking for is self determination.

    “This is different from self succession. We want to own our resources and states should be allowed to explore their own resources while paying tax to the federal government,” she said.

     

  • Navy arrests man with explosives in Warri creeks

    Navy arrests man with explosives in Warri creeks

    What could have turned out to be another disastrous event in the creeks of Delta state was over the weekend salvaged as men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta arrested a suspect with huge sausages of explosives and connecting devices.

    Parading the suspect and seven others, who were arrested at different times for various offences, at the jetty of the Warri Naval Base, the Base Operations Officer of the NNS Delta, Commander Shehu Tasiu, said the suspect with the explosive materials, who gave his name as Sabbath Enaizigha, was arrested somewhere in Warri South-West council area of the state.

    Tasiu, who later handed the suspects over to the representatives of the Warri Area Command of the Delta state police command, said other persons arrested were caught in activities ranging from oil theft to illegal crude oil refining and impersonating.

    Beside Enaizigha, who was arrested with explosives last Friday, other persons paraded were Uwatse Samson and Sunny Saidu, who were arrested together on a boat loaded with illegally refined diesel fuel oil.

    Favour, Godpassdem, Doughe and Adeoye were arrested in another operation, caught with a Cotonou boat, which was loaded with 100 metric tons of illegally refined diesel.

    “Mr Sabbath was arrested on Friday by our patrol team at an undisclosed location in Warri South-West council area. Our patrol team sighted them at a beach and their behaviour was suspect. Consequently, our men moved towards them and on sighting our men, they took off, unfortunately Mr Sabbath was caught. We saw him with cutlass and there was a boat. On searching the boat, we found detonating cuts, explosive powder, cutlasses, batteries, a telephone and one bale each of red and white materials (cloths).

    “Mr Sabbath was also seen tying this red material on his legs and the white material round his neck. Although he claims not to know anything about the boat, when you go to check the boat you will see that the boat too has these red and white materials tied on it. We have done our preliminary investigation and he will be handed over to the police for further investigation and possible prosecution,” he said.

    He had earlier said “we have made several arrests between 23 and 25 of March; eight persons in four different operations. We arrested two persons; Mr Uwatse Samson and Mr Sunny Saidu, on March 23, for suspected illegal oil bunkering activities at a camp jointly operated by Mr Cheke, Mr Gamu and Mr Benson Uwatse in Ugbodede. That camp is known for cooking of stolen crude oil.

    “When our patrol team got there, they were cited with a boat, loaded with illegally refined product, suspected to be A.G.O. They were arrested by our men and the boats were burnt insitu.

    “Another arrest was made on the same day; 23rd of March, 2016. This time around four suspects were arrested along Escravos Channel. They are Mr Favour, Mr. Godpassdem, Mr Doughe and Mr Adeoye. They were also arrested for carrying illegally refined product for which they did not have legal papers and they could not explain the circumstances under which they got the product. They were carrying about 100 metric tons of illegally refined A.G.O in a Cotonou boat,” Tasiu said

     

  • Amata wins DGN Presidential election

    Amata wins DGN Presidential election

    Mr Fred Amata has been declared president of the Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN).

    It was the third time the filmmaker was giving the post a shot.  Amata polled 48 votes to defeat contenders: Kingsley Omoefe (7), Dickson (3), and Lancelot (43).

    Dickson had earlier withdrawn from the race, lending his support to Amata. The election ends the three days session by the Guild at the Tourist Resort Hotel, Asaba, Delta State.

    Inauguration of the new Exco members for the next two years comes up on Friday night.