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Tag: Gunshots

  • Panic, gunshots as robbers attack, cart away cash, valuables in Ibadan

    Panic, gunshots as robbers attack, cart away cash, valuables in Ibadan

    Pandemonium was let loose on Wednesday when armed robbers attacked some shops in Mokola area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital city. 

    Shooting sporadically into the air to scare away innocent people, the operation was said to have lasted barely five minutes.

    It was gathered that no fewer than three people sustained gunshot wounds during the robbery, which took place near the Mokola bridge, Ibadan.

    A source said the incident happened around 11:30an with the robbers carting away undisclosed valuables, including cash.

    Eyewitnesses said the victims were attacked as they were about entering a store to buy provisions meant for retail, noting the robbers could have traced the victims to the store as they succeeded in carting away an unconfirmed amount of money at gun point.

    Another source added that the armed robbers shot sporadically for minutes and two people sustained gunshot injuries while another person lost consciousness before the arrival of the police.

    It was gathered while a middle-aged man sustained gunshot injury near his groins, another was hit in the leg and a teenager with a bullet wound on her wrist.

    As of the time of filing this repor, the victims were said to be receiving medical attention at Alaafia Hospital, Mokola with security surveillance around the vicinity has increased.\

    Read Also: Panic as gunshots rock Edo governorship tribunal sitting venue

     Oyo Police spokesman, Adewale Osifeso, a Chief Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident, saying no fatality was recorded.

    He added although there were gunshots, two people sustained injuries.

     He debunked insinuations that the attack happened in a bank, stating it was under the Mokola bridge, cautioning residents from spreading panic and fear through their reports.

    He said further investigation has commenced into the incident, assuring that the Police will get to the root of it. 

    He called on the people to remain calm and go about their activities lawfully.

  • JUST IN: Three feared killed as gunshots rock IYC election in Rivers

    JUST IN: Three feared killed as gunshots rock IYC election in Rivers

    Gory images of slaughtered youths emerged on Saturday at Abuloma, Port Harcourt Capital City after gunshots rocked the elections organised by the Jonathan Lokpobiri -led Ijaw Youths Council (IYC) for the Eastern Zone.

    Though some persons claimed that six youths were either shot and killed or cut to death with cutlasses, others said two were confirmed dead while others sustained various degrees of injuries.

    The gunshots were said to have rattled the area sending residents to different directions for safety.

    The IYC eastern zone  scheduled the election, which was initially postponed for Saturday to elect new executive committee members  to pilot its affairs in the zone. 

    Serious misunderstanding reportedly occurred midway into the exercise as gunmen invaded the venue and started shooting indiscriminately. 

    The shootings took members unaware and sent them running to different direction while some of them were hit trying to escape from the scene.

    Residents were said to have sent save our soul message to the police, who deployed a tactical team in the area to arrest the perpetrators.

    Rivers Police Command spokesperson , Grace Iringe-Koko, described the incident as ‘senseless shooting’

    Though the statement did not confirm if there was any casualty, Iringe-Koko said the Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, quickly dispatched the command’s tactical unit to the scene, saying the assailants scampered. 

    She said CP Disu had ordered a crackdown to ensure that the perpetrators were fished out to face justice. 

    The statement reads: “The Rivers State Police Command is aware of the senseless and sporadic shooting at Abuloma area in the Port-Harcourt City Local Government of the State where the  Ijaw Youth Council, Central Zone were conducting their elections.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Gunshots as hoodlums attack police station in Lagos

    “Consequently, the Commissioner of Police Rivers State has swiftly despatched Tactical Teams to the scene, but before the arrival of the Police, the perpetrators have run into their hidings.

    “The Commissioner of Police has given  marching orders to track down the perpetrators and bring them to face the full wrath of the law.

    “Meanwhile, the Command wishes to advise all law abiding citizens to go about their lawful businesses and report any suspicious movement to the Police, as normalcy has returned to the area please.”

  • Gunshots, explosion as inmates attempt to break jail in Bayelsa

    How did an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) get into the hands of inmates in Okaka Prison, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital?

    Six inmates, led by Victor Tekekuma (awaiting-trial for murder and kidnapping) deployed an explosive in a failed operation to escape on Sunday night.

    They blasted a toilet wall about 9.02 pm and crawled out through an improvised hole into the prison yard.

    But it was learnt they were stopped by prison guards and other security operatives.

    They reportedly ran to the massive fence with the intention to blow the wall with the second explosive but were accosted and arrested.

    It was learnt the state’s Controller of Prisons, Mr. Chiabu Chuks Victor, whose residence was close, called the Police Commissioner, Amba Asuquo, who sent a detachment.

    Director, Department of State Sevices (DSS), Mr. Segun Agbaje; Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. (NSCDC), Mr. Desmond Agu; and the Joint Task Force (JTF), were said to have operatives to foil the attempt.

    A security operative, who spoke in confidence, said the mastermind of the failed prison break got the IEDs through his visiting brother-in-law.

    He said the explosive was concealed in a sealed beverage given to him by his in-law.

    “The IED was concealed in blue band margarine 900mg plastic pack. The content of the plastic was scooped out first.

    “Then the powdery device was buried inside the plastic and later covered with margarine. It was sealed with a foil to make it look like a new product. It was smuggled into the cell as grocery. It is difficult to detect such things”, he said.

    He added that Victor later produced two IEDs out of it to blow the walls.

    Investigation showed that they were all awaiting-trial for kidnapping, murder and armed robbery. Victor Tekekuma arrived the prison in November 2016.

    Others are Korinake Mark (November 2016); Gideon Gbagbe (October  2016); Angiamene Alex (November 2016); and Daniel Abraham (June (May 2016).

    It was gathered security operatives shot sporadically to ward off possible pre-arranged external aides by the inmates.

    The gunshots temporarily disrupted the peace in Okaka as residents deserted the street and ran for safety.

    A resident, who identified himself as Destiny, said there was heavy presence of security.

    “Bars and shops were forced to close down because of shootings by security operatives. But nobody was killed and injured. People ran out of fear because nobody knew what was happening. But after some time, peace returned”, he said.

    State’s Controller of Prisons Victor confirmed the attempted jailbreak and said the synergy among security agencies  rescued the situation.

    He said investigation was on to unravel circumstances behind the attempt.

    “About 9.02 pm on Sunday, there was a loud bang in the prison yard, which attracted attention of security officials.

    “The response was immediate as the prison arm squad and other security officials  advanced to the scene. The about-to-flee inmates were accosted and kept in separate cells. They were six”.

    He said security agencies are trailing John Koko, who resides in Sangana, Brass Local Government; Tunichi Michael; Stanley; and Ebiogi, who are linked to the incident.

    The controller added that a device, suspected to be an unexploded IED was recovered and handed over to the police.

    “The prompt response of the Bayelsa Police commissioner; Director DSS, Mr. Segun Agbaje; Commandant, NSCDC, Mr. Desmond Agu, were instrumental to aborting what could have been a jailbreak”.

  • Gunshots heard near U.S. Capitol Hill: police

    Gunshots were heard near the U.S. Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning after a person tried to ram a police cruiser, Capitol police said.

    A police spokeswoman said the incident, which had happened between 9:30 and 10:00 a.m. local time (1330-1400 GMT), appeared to be criminal, not a terrorist act.

    The driver then leaped from the car and escaped on foot before being taken into police custody.

    The spokesperson said that no one was struck by the bullets.

    It was not immediately clear who fired the shots.

    One picture spread on Twitter shows police officers hunched over something on the ground with more police rushing to join them.

    Twitter user Scott Ferson said: “Cops ran to base of hill. Sounded like three shots fired.”

    The Capitol Hill and nearby U.S. Botanic Garden have been on lockdown following the incident.

    NAN reports that authorities temporarily closed roads Tuesday near the White House after the discovery of a “suspicious package” outside the grounds of the presidential residence.

    The U.S. Secret Service, which protects the president, his family and other top officials and visiting dignitaries, said that officers had established a perimeter, and moved pedestrians outside the White House a safe distance away, as a precaution.

    The package appeared to have been found on the north side of the grounds, with some television crews moved off the White House north lawn.

    NAN also recalls that on March 11, Jonathan Tran, 26, scaled an outer-perimeter fence on the White House complex on Friday night.

    Tran climbed a White House fence on Friday night and gained access to the complex’s south grounds before being arrested by the Secret Service.

    The service said the incident occurred at about 11:38 p.m.

    The intruder was carrying a backpack and purportedly got close to the White House’s south portico residence entrance, near the Washington Monument.

    No hazardous material was found inside the backpack, and a subsequent search of the complex grounds resulted in “nothing of concern to security operations,” the Secret Service said.

    The agency also said that the suspect had no “previous history” with the agency.

    Tran, who reportedly had a California driver’s license, told Secret Service officers that he was at the White House to see Trump.

    “No, I am a friend of the President. I have an appointment,” the suspect said when approached by an officer, according to a report released on Saturday by the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department.

    Asked how he got there, the suspect told officers: “I jumped the fence”.

  • 2 feared killed as gunshots, bombings mar Rivers rerun

    2 feared killed as gunshots, bombings mar Rivers rerun

    • GOC accuses PDP leaders of lying
    • Wike says army, police connived with APC to rig poll
    • Peterside says it’s propaganda

    Just as experienced during the 2015 general elections and the March 19 rerun, yesterday’s legislative rerun in Rivers State was again marred by killings, bomb blasts, gunshots, thuggery, violence and snatching of ballot boxes and other electoral materials.
    The Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, alleged that two agents of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were shot dead in Bodo-Ogoni in Gokana Local Government Area of the state, allegedly by security agents.
    Bodo-Ogoni is the hometown of the Secretary to the Rivers State Government (SSG), Chief Kenneth Kobani, while the shooting mostly took place at St. Pius College of the crude oil and gas-rich town, when accreditation and voting were about to commence.
    The deafening gunshots in Bodo made the electorate and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to scamper to safety.
    There were also bomb blasts in Abonnema-Kalabari, the headquarters of Akuku-Toru LGA of the state, with elections in the area postponed till today.
    Hoodlums equally engaged security personnel in heavy shootout in Bori, the traditional headquarters of Ogoniland and the seat of Khana LGA of the state and other parts of the council, with gunshots also recorded in Etche LGA of Rivers.
    The electoral commission announced the cancellation of the polls in Unit 3, Ward 9 of Bolo in Ogu/Bolo LGA of the state, over snatching of electoral materials by hoodlums.
    INEC’s electoral materials for the rerun in Unit 10, Ward 3 of Oyigbo, the headquarters of Oyigbo LGA of the state were snatched by hoodlums.
    The Rivers Chairman of the PDP, Chief Felix Obuah, raised the alarm on the arrest and killing of many members of the party, allegedly by soldiers in Tai-Ogoni and Gokana-Ogoni LGAs of the state.
    He said: “PDP in Rivers State condemns Nigerian Army’s arrest and killing of members of PDP in Tai and Gokana LGAs. The soldiers arrested over 200 PDP members in Tai LGA, 12 innocent PDP members were shot and one member of the party was killed in Tai LGA.
    “Barako community in Gokana LGA was also invaded by soldiers; scores of PDP members were arrested.”
    The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the newly-created 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Maj.-Gen. Kasimu Abdulkarim, described as false, the alarm raised by Rivers PDP chairman.
    Maj.-Gen. Abdulkarim, yesterday in a telephone interview, admonished all right-thinking Rivers people and other stakeholders to ignore the lies of Obuah and other leaders of the PDP.
    The GOC said: “It (Obuah’s allegation) is not true. Let them not create conflict within a conflict. Nobody should raise any alarm. I have just returned to the office in Port Harcourt, from monitoring the elections, which have been peaceful and the voters are orderly.
    “I was with the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (Operations), Habila Joshak, when the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, called him to know the security situation on the ground and he (DIG) told IGP that everywhere was very calm and the electorate exercising their franchise. I do not know why they will cry wolf, where there is none.”
    Bulk of the voting yesterday took place in seven LGAs of Andoni, Akuku-Toru, Bonny, Etche, Ikwerre, Khana and Gokana, while the rerun was planned for 1,840 polling units in the 23 LGAs, across the three senatorial districts of the state, before violence erupted in some parts of the state.
    The polls were to elect three senators, eight of 13 members of the House of Representatives and nine (not 10) of 32 members of Rivers House of Assembly, excluding Degema constituency, being occupied by an ex-militant leader, Farah Dagogo, based on favourable judgment of the Court of Appeal, Abuja penultimate week.
    To ensure free, fair, credible and peaceful rerun, there was heavy deployment of soldiers, policemen, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agents in the hitherto volatile Niger Delta state.
    The Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), could not vote yesterday at his Ubima hometown in Ikwerre LGA, because the result sheet was missing, with the presiding officer of his Unit 14 later arrested by security agents.
    Gunmen also carted away all the electoral materials in Unit 16, Ubima, shortly after another indigene of the town, Sir Celestine Omehia, a former Rivers governor, but of the PDP, voted.
    Heavy shootout was also witnessed at Ubima till late in the evening yesterday, with the electoral materials of Unit 3, Ward 8 in the town also carted away by hoodlums, while the ballot boxes of some units in Ward 3, Elele, in the same Ikwerre LGA, were snatched.
    The Rivers governor, later in an online statement yesterday evening by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, accused the Nigerian Army and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police of killing the two PDP agents, hijacking electoral materials and working to deliver a particular candidate in Rivers Southeast Senatorial District.
    He claimed that no matter the use of the Nigerian Army and SARS personnel by the APC-led Federal Government, Rivers state would never be conquered.
    Wike stated that he was reacting to the mass shootings by soldiers and policemen in Khana, Gokana, Akuku-Toru and Etche LGAs of the state during the rerun, alleging that the security agents were deployed in Rivers to manipulate the results of the polls.
    He alleged that true to the claim by the APC governors and leaders of the party that they would use federal might against Rivers people, he claimed that the military had been used to rig the elections in parts of the state, even when INEC was still collating the results at the LG level.
    The governor claimed that in Khana LGA, the election materials for the entire LGA were hijacked by soldiers and SARS personnel.
    He noted that in Gokana LGA, soldiers hijacked electoral materials for Wards 2 and 3 in Bodo, where the military men killed the two PDP agents, allegedly in the process of fleeing with the materials.
    Wike stated that out of the 19 wards of Etche LGA, soldiers and SARS operatives hijacked electoral materials for four wards.
    He stressed that the unfortunate onslaught by the military and SARS personnel started in the night of December 9, when Amaechi backed by a battalion of soldiers and over 20 SARS personnel, allegedly attempted to hijack electoral materials from the Isiokpo INEC headquarters in his Ikwerre LGA (Amaechi is from Ubima), but was resisted by the youths.
    The Rivers governor noted that in Opobo-Nkoro LGA, where the governorship candidate of the APC during the 2015 election, Dr. Dakuku Peterside (he is from Opobo Town, the LG headquarters), hails from, soldiers allegedly hijacked electoral materials and took them to the home of a member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the APC, Dr. Sam Sam Jaja.
    Wike said: “I anticipated it. I tried to let the world know that these are the plans of the security agencies.
    “In all my political career, I have never experienced this kind of invasion by security agencies. What causes violence is when you give certain persons undue advantage.
    “Be assured that we are resisting it. It may take our lives, but we will resist it to the last. That is what is expected, when you are fighting for freedom. You must make sacrifices.
    “It is unfortunate that we are congratulating the opposition for winning in Ghana, but here the military men are directly involved in rigging and hijacking of electoral materials.”
    “They say they want to give Rivers State Governor problems, but you are not giving Rivers State Governor problems, you are giving Nigeria problems.”
    Rivers governor also stated that he had informed an unnamed National Commissioner of INEC and the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the commission in Rivers State, Aniedi Ikoiwak, of the problems in Khana and Gokana LGAs, with an assurance that action would be taken.
    The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), was contacted at 6:51 p.m. yesterday to react to Wike’s allegations, but he declared that the Rivers police command was not aware of what the governor claimed to have happened during the rerun.
    Peterside, who is also the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), however, declared that no amount of propaganda and lies could save Wike and his PDP from being rejected by Rivers people.
    The APC chieftain, while speaking yesterday, after visiting his Andoni-Opobo/Nkoro federal constituency, where he said voting went on smoothly, lauded INEC and its officials for the impressive performance, in spite of the challenging situations.
    He accused the governor of embarking on all manners of propaganda and blackmail against the leaders of the APC, security agencies and INEC, in an attempt to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public.
    Peterside, a former member of the House of Representatives, expressed displeasure at the manner known sympathisers of PDP and serving Rivers government officials were spreading falsehood and publishing fake results both in the traditional and social media.
    He said: “Rivers people are tired of Wike and his PDP propaganda, which defy any form of civility and sense of decorum. The governor has made all manner of cries and wailing, in an attempt to be seen as the victim and attract sympathy, even he is busy hatching evil plans by the day.
    “The truth is that is the Rivers governor and his PDP members have been plotting all manner of evil and are desperate. Wike is only crying, because all his plans have been checkmated by the presence of security agencies and determination of Rivers people to reject him, because of his deceit.”
    The NIMASA boss also called on Rivers people to ignore results being circulated on the social media and mischief of PDP members, who he insisted had been stopped in their known tracks.

  • Yvonne Chaka Chaka escapes gunshots

    Yvonne Chaka Chaka escapes gunshots

    South African music star Yvonne Chaka Chaka on Tuesday escaped death when she was caught in an exchange of gunshots between police and carjackers in Midrand.

    Tweeting a picture of her car which showed the rear side of riddled with bullets, the singer described the incident as scary and something out of the movies.

    “Wow this is what I survived,” tweeted the internationally recognised artiste.

    “Thank you Lord.”

    Yvonne also thanked her fans for their concern after she posted what happened on Twitter.

    “Thank u all it was very close. Never seen a thing like this except at the movies.”

    Provincial police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini said three suspects stole a panel van and were being chased when the singer was caught in the melee, according to the South African press.

    Two of the suspects were shot but while one of the suspects died, the other was taken to the hospital.

    Yvonne who said the police were shooting at a car next to hers later tweeted at being grateful for surviving the incident unscathed.

    “I respect life. U could be anywhere minding ur Buz and anything can happen.”

    Born 1965 as Yvonne Machaka, she has been a frontrunner of South African popular music for 27 years and exporting same across the world. Some of her hots include I’m Burning Up, Thank You Mister DJ, I Cry for Freedom, Makoti, Motherland  and Umqombothi.

  • Gunshots mar Sallah celebrations in Damaturu

    Gunshots rang out in Damaturu, Yobe State, on Friday night dampening the joy of many residents of celebrating a peaceful Sallah. Panic soon swept across the town and residents quickly retired indoors, wondering whether the attack which the Police had said was likely on the day had started.

    It was only yesterday that news spread that the gunshots were ‘friendly force firing’ (FFF), by security agents. But the Yobe State police commissioner, Mr. Patrick Egbuniwe, said his men told him they were attacked so they returned fire.

    “Yes, I heard the gunshots yesterday (Friday). What my boys told me was that they were attacked so they had to return fire. This is what I was told but we thank God it did not last for long.

    “I understand the fear this will create in the people because for so long, up to a month we have not heard any gunshot in Damaturu. But people should remain calm”, CP Egbuniwe said.

    However, the fear and panic created by the gunshots forced many residents to stay indoors for much of yesterday in a town the Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has terrorised intermittently over the last one year.