The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Delta

  • Police uncover robbers’ shrine in Delta

    The police in Delta State have said they uncovered a warehouse stocked with charms, arms and ammunition in Utulu community, Aniocha North Local Government Area.

    The police said the warehouse also served as a shrine where robbers worshipped before embarking on operations.

    Police Commissioner Mustafa Muhammadu, who confirmed the incident yesterday, said four suspects were arrested during the dawn raid.

    He gave the names of the suspect as Sunday Kahi, Chukwudi Adibe, Dennis Emeka and Felix Obiroha.

    The police chief said the suspects confessed to the crime.

    He said: “They took the police, who acted on intelligence, to the warehouse where they claimed they often converged and worshipped before setting out for operations.”

    Muhammadu said the police recovered guns and ammunition, which the suspects allegedly admitted they used in operations for six years.

    He said: “On a routine patrol, our men arrested several robbery suspects on Asaba/Benin Expressway. We have also arraigned many of them. The police set ablaze the warehouse for charms and the suspects are helping the police in further investigation.”

    Also, the police said they had arrested a notorious kidnapper, Joe Ihiaza, in Ughelli, Ughelli North Local Government Area.

    Muhammadu said the suspect allegedly headed a deadly kidnap gang.

    The police chief said his men, who acted on a tip-off, arrested the suspect on Agbarho/Ughelli road.

    He said: “The suspect is a 31-year-old and heads a deadly kidnap gang. He was picked up on Agbarho/Ughelli road following a tip-off. He will be charged to court on completion of investigation. An AK-47 was recovered from the suspect.”

  • Delta APC factions disagree on mode of primaries

    The two factions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State are pulling in different directions  over the mode of primaries for the selection of candidates for the 2019 elections.

    While the  Chief Cyril Ogodo-led  State Working Committee (SWC) opted for  direct primaries,the rival faction loyal to  Jones Erue  said it was for indirect primaries.

    Rising from a meeting in Asaba on Thursday, the Ogodo faction hailed President Muhammadu Buhari for “repositioning Nigeria to greatness” and the national leadership of the party for “their recent decision to entrench internal democracy in the Party through the approval for the use of direct primaries in choosing our flag bearers.”

    It resolved that “the Delta state APC hereby adopts and affirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our flag bearers.

    “The above decision affirms our party’s disposition and desire to make our elections in 2019 and beyond truly reflect the will of the people as there cannot be democracy without the people’s participation.”

    At a separate meeting however, the Erue faction said it unanimously adopted indirect primaries as “reasoned, responsible and absolutely necessary.”

    It added: “The indirect primaries system is a necessity in Delta State due to some unique conditions.

    ” First is the absence of up to date registers that is trusted by majority of our stakeholders for the purpose of credible direct primaries.

    “SEC agrees with our leaders and stakeholders that in the manifest absence of up to date, clean or credible registers, the system of indirect primaries is necessary.

    “Indeed, SEC agrees with our party’s leaders and stakeholders that we do not have the luxury of time to collate and clean up our ongoing massive membership registrations before the primaries. “It is our reasoned position that we must avoid any self-inflicted chaos that may likely arise from excluding so many newly registered members because of the obvious lack of sufficient time to collate and clean up the ongoing registrations.”

    Besides, the faction  raised security concerns to support its adoption of indirect primaries.

    It said its  adoption of indirect primaries  was also  to “deny the desires and designs many of private individuals who, pretending to be officials of the Delta APC, engaged in unauthorized and fraudulent membership registrations.”

  • Delta APC adopts direct primaries to pick candidates

    The State Working Committee (SWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta state has adopted direct primaries as the means through which all candidates for the 2019 elections will emerge.

    The party’s SWC, led by party chairman, Chief Cyril Ogodo, adopted the resolution on Thursday in Asaba, the state capital, during an expanded State Executive Committee meeting.

    The meeting, which was attended by members of the SWC, 25 LGA chairmen, secretaries, youth leaders and the about 270 ward chairmen, also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as well as other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) for making the choice of the direct primaries.

    The party, in a communique issued and signed by the state party Chairman Chief Cyril Ogodo, Secretary Barr Silas Buowe, members of SWC and over 300 others resolved as followed:

    “Arising from an expanded State Executive Committee meeting of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Delta State Chapter led by Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo, held on the 6th day of September 2018, the following resolutions were reached.

    “To commend His Excellency, Comrade Adams Aliu Oshiomohle – National Chairman and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of our great Party on their recent decision to entrench internal democracy in the Party through the approval for the use of direct primaries in choosing our flag bearers.

    Read Also: Group picks nomination form for ex-Oyo Governor, Akala

    “To commend the President and the Commander – in Chief – of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic – Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) for repositioning Nigeria to greatness. The Delta State APC is excited like many other Nigerians across the nation that Mr President’s leadership style has rekindled our hope in democracy.

    “That the Delta state APC hereby adopts and affirms the use of direct primaries for choosing all our flag bearers.

    “The above decision affirms our party’s disposition and desire to make our elections in 2019 and beyond truly reflect the will of the people as there cannot be democracy without the people’s participation”, the communiqué said

  • Police rescue kidnapped Catholic priest in Delta

    Rev Father Christopher Ogaga, the Catholic priest who was kidnapped last Saturday night on his way to Warri, has been rescued.

    Disclosing the development to The Nation in a chat on Thursday , the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa, said Father Ogaga was rescued on Wednesday night somewhere along Eku-Abraka Road.

    According to the police chief, three suspects were already in custody even as other ones still at large were being trailed to answer for their role in the criminal operation.

    “Yes, the Rev Father has been rescued. We have three suspects in our custody, while we are still on the trail of the other gang members. Of course, no ransom was paid because it was a rescue”, the police chief said.

    Read Also: Man smashes bus windscreens over illegal N200 fee

    The kidnappers had demanded a N15 million ransom for his release almost immediately after he was taken.

    It would be recalled that Father Ogaga was kidnapped on Saturday, September 1, 2018 along the Arava-Oviri-Orere-Okpe Road, while on his way to Warri to assist the parish priest of Mother of the Redeemer Catholic Church, Airport junction, Effurun for the three masses on Sunday morning.

    The Nation gathered that Ogaga, who is priest of two other parishes of the church; St Luke’s Catholic Church, Oviri Okpe and St Jude’s Catholic Church Aghalopke, is also the principal of St. Peters Clavers College, Aghalokpe.

  • Buhari mourns Delta APC Chieftain, son

    President Muhammadu Buhari has joined members of All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ijaw Community in Delta in mourning former acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan.

    Aginighan died in a ghastly car accident on his way Port Harcourt from Delta on Friday.

    Buhari expressed the condolences in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday.

    The President also expressed condolences to family, friends, professional and political associates of the deceased who also lost his son and police orderly in the car accident.

    Read Also: Buhari ‘s administration addressing illegal migration, says APC

    Buhari said Aginighan’s leadership role in the quest for peace and development in the South-South region of the country was most remarkable, especially with his foray into politics for selfless service to his people.

    He commended the APC chieftain’s loyalty to the party and his contributions to all the successes recorded in elections and development of the country.

    Buhari regretted that the chieftain passed on at a crucial moment in the nation’s political history.

    He prayed that almighty God would receive the soul of Aginighan, his son and orderly and comfort the families they left behind.

  • One dead, others injured as church collapses in Delta

    A CATHOLIC Church building collapsed yesterday at Adagbrasa-Ugolo community in Okpe Local Government Area, Delta State, killing one and leaving others injured.

    St Paul Catholic Church Adagbrassa – Ugolo is an outstation of St Williams Catholic Church, Orerokpe Parish, under Catholic Diocese of Warri.

    An eyewitness said the collapsed building was under construction as a foundation built round the old church.

    He said service was yet to begin before the collapse.

    The deceased was Jeffery Enukanerhire. His father, Jackson Enukanerhire: “My son, who was to be 11 years next month, was a dedicated member of the church; he is the only one playing jazz for the church choir. He nicknamed himself Oga,  so I call him Oga.

    ‘’We all left for church this morning; we were all gathered waiting for the seminarian to come and start the service,  when the building just collapsed once, we managed to escape, but many were trapped inside.

    “ So I joined in the rescue too, but at the end I could not find Oga. We started raising the bricks one after the other before we finally saw my son lying lifeless under the blocks with various degrees of injuries. We rushed him to the Orerokpe General Hospital where he was confirmed dead“.

    “I am still in shock because I cannot believe Oga is no more.  Where is my God?  My faith could not rescue my child , why me,? Why me? Why? He lamented in pains”.

    At the Orerokpe General Hospital, the injured were being attended to by nurses on duty.

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has commiserated with the state government and the Catholic Church on the collapse.

    In a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said he would continue to monitor the situation and help ensure that survivors received medical attention.

    Governor Ifeanyi Okowa expressed shock over the death of a worshiper in the building. He promised to help survivors.

    Okowa, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Charles Aniagwu, stated: “This is indeed a very sad and unfortunate incident. On behalf of the Government and people of Delta. I commiserate with the family of the deceased and those injured.”

     

     

     

  • One dead, 15 Injured in Delta Church building collapse

    At least was person, an eleven year old, was confirmed dead and fifteen others in critical condition after a church building collapsed in Adagbrasa community, Okpe council area of Delta on Sunday.

    The only deceased in the accident; the 11-year old Jeffrey Jackson, was said to have been trapped down while trying to escape from the collapsing walls.
    The Nation gathered that the Sunday morning Mass of the St. Paul Catholic Church, Adagbrasa Ugolo, was on when the walls of the church building came crashing on parishioners.
    According to eyewitnesses, the service was just starting, although the officiating priest, who was to come from the headquarters of the council area, Orerokpe, was yet to arrive.
    Worshippers had already assembled and were conducting initial service rituals when the building collapsed.
    It was also gathered that no church member was still left trapped under the rubble of the collapsed walls as all those inside escaped unhurt, except for the deceased and the fifteen injured persons.
    Describing the horrifying moment to The Nation newspaper on the site of the incident, a parishioner, Miss Elohor Amerotoraine, said members were holding initial service rituals, awaiting the arrival of the officiating priest, when they started observing cracks and collapse of walls around them.
    “I was inside the church when it happened, it was around 7:30 to 8:00am. We were having service when it happened. We are under Orerokpe so they posted a seminarian to us, but the seminarian was yet to come when it happened.  So we just finished sharing the rosary and were singing some hymns when we suddenly started hearing the wall cracking and falling.
    “At that point everybody started running out to escape the falling walls. Before long the entire church had collapsed, it even killed someone; a boy of about 11 years of age. The five persons who got injured have been taken to the hospital. I don’t think anybody was trapped inside because we have all come out” Amerotoraine said.
    Confirming the incident, the Delta state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa, said the dead and the wounded had been evacuated from the scene.
    “Yes, a Catholic church. There’s only one death; an 11-year old boy, the other victims are in different hospitals now receiving treatment. I can’t confirm how many of them are injured now, they are scattered in different hospitals. There’s nobody still trapped under the rubbles,” the police chief confirmed.
    The Delta state Commissioner for Works, Chief James Augoye, who visited the scene of the collapse said the state government would investigate the cause, adding that the state would pick up the cost of treating the wounded persons.

  • Delta to mitigate corps members inconveniences in camp

    The Delta Government says it will mitigate the inconveniences faced by corps members in camp during their orientation period.

    Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa said this at the swearing in ceremony of 2018 Batch ‘B’ stream 11 orientation course for corps members deployed to Delta.

    Okowa, represented by Mr Jude Someone, the state Commissioner for Higher Education, said the state government would ensure that the scheme succeeded in Delta.

    He said that the state government was determined to strengthen and deepen relationship with the scheme to drive rural transformation and achieve prosperity for all.

    Read Also: Army to get Brigade in Delta

    He said that government must steadfastly engaged youths and ensure the creation of enabling environment for them to exercise their talents.

    He said that government would continue to be magnanimous even in the face of economic recession.

    The NYSC Coordinator in the state, Mr Benjamin Omotade, said that 2,123 corps members were registered as at the close of registration on Wednesday night.

    Omotade said Bayelsa had 464 corps members, Edo 476 and Delta 1,183, adding that the number in Delta consisted 1,197 males and 926 females.

    He advised corps members to make positive use of the camp period which could launch them into path of responsible leadership.

    Omotade said that the scheme was designed to groom youths to take up leadership roles and positions in order to build strong, peaceful, united and prosperous Nigeria.

  • Unknown gunmen kill Police Corporal in Delta

    A Police Corporal was reported shot dead on Saturday when a gang of daredevil armed men attacked a police stop-and-search team at Kpakiama Junction, Bomadi council area of Delta state.
    The Nation gathered that the police team was on its routine duty when the gang of killer armed men stormed their spot, opened fire on them, after which they reportedly started beating them, leaving the Corporal dead and others wounded.
    Some of the policemen managed to escape from the scene but it could not be ascertained if the attackers made away with any of the arms of the law enforcement officers under attack.
    When reached for confirmation, the spokesman of the state police command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka (DSP), said though he was yet to get an official situation report on the development, the attack happened.
    The police spokesman confirmed that five personnel were on duty when the attack happened, but  he however could not confirm if firearms were taken from the scene by the hoodlums. He said investigation was already ongoing.
    “Although I am yet to get a situation report, I can confirm to you that it is a fact. I wouldn’t know yet if firearms were stolen from them because I can’t confirm how many weapons they went out with, but there were five of them on duty at the place. Investigation had started,” Aniamaka said.

  • Navy destroys 1500 illegal refineries in Delta

    The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) DELTA has destroyed about 1500 illegal refineries with swamp buggy in the Delta creeks in the last two months.

    The Commander of the ship, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, disclosed this to newsmen in Warri on Wednesday.

    Swamp buggy is an amphibious vehicle used to traverse a swampy terrain.

    Dewu said the destruction exercise was carried out in the creeks of Otumara, Ogbegugu, Okpuku in the Warri creeks.

    He added that personnel of the command were currently on the Bennett Island in Warri South Local Government Area of the state in continuation of the exercise.

    He said that the perpetrators had devised means of preventing the soldiers and the swamp buggy from gaining access to the sites by blocking the entrances with logs or setting fire around the sites.

    The commander, however, said their antics would not deter the soldiers from carrying out their statutory obligation of completely eradicating illegalities in the maritime domain.

    “It takes us time to remove the logs for our men and the swamp buggy to have access but we are determined,” he said.

    He said the criminals’ activities were also contributing to the degradation of the ecosystem.

    “The antics of the criminal elements will not deter us from eradicating the illegality with the aide of swamp buggy which I believe will bring a lasting solution to economic sabotage.

    Read Also: Navy sensitises Delta community against oil theft

    ” We decided to apply swamp buggy because it is more environment friendly and difficult for the perpetrators to resuscitate the illicit business since their facilities are also crushed completely in the process.

    “Apart from that, we also do post-monitoring of the various sites we have destroyed to ensure that the criminals do not return to reactivate them.

    ” So far, the exercise has been successful and we will not rest on our oars until the illegalities are completely eradicated in our maritime domain,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in one of the operations on Bennett Island on June 12, the perpetrators set fire around the vicinity of the illegal refinery to prevent the soldiers from entering.

    The navy personnel then created alternative means for themselves, journalists and the swamp buggy to gain access and therefore, crushed the criminals’ equipment amid thick smoke and rain.