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Tag: Igbonla

  • ‘Why Igbonla pupils have not been rescued’

    ‘Why Igbonla pupils have not been rescued’

    …As another victim falls sick

     

    Parents of the six pupils kidnapped on May 25 from the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, on May 25, have blamed the Inspector General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) for the continued detention of their wards by militants.

    Yusuf Farouk, Ramon Isiaka, Pelumi Philips, Peter Jonas, Adebanjo George and Judah Agbaosi were kidnapped from their hostels by militants clad in police uniforms.

    The parents said the publicity given the arrest of three suspected members of the gang picked up in Edo State by Abba Kyari led IRT made the kidnappers to relocate the boys to a creek in Niger Delta.

    According to the parents, the police have forgotten about their children and were more interested in celebrating the capture of kingpin, Chukwudumeje George Onwuamadike alias Evans.

    The parents, who said they have resorted to prayer and fasting for the return of their wards, expressed worries that it might turn to another Chibok saga.

    Egelu Endurance, 25 alias Jubby, Stanley Yomi Irabomini, 25, (Powei) and Bentel Endurance, 24, all from Ovia South Local Government Area   (LGA) were said to have left the creeks for Benin City in order to check the locations they planned to move the victims before they were caught.

    Knowing that their cover was blown, those in the creek changed plans and allegedly moved the victims in a creek in Ondo State, which was inaccessible to security forces.

    A parent who confirmed that the kidnappers collected N10million but failed to release the pupils, said they were insisting on communications with the government.

    He said the kidnappers after collecting the N10million, contacted one of the parents demanding that the balance be remitted or the pupils would be killed.

    He said: “The police should be held responsible if anything should happen to our children. We were shocked when we read in the newspapers that three of the suspects have been arrested. How can the police, knowing that our children were still held by the kidnappers announce the arrest of some gang members?

    “What did they want to achieve with that announcement? Now, the kidnappers have relocated the children, collected our N10million and switched off their phones. Is it because we are not rich people?

    “How can they in the middle of an investigation reveal that they arrested some members of the gang. What were they hoping to achieve? Were they expecting the gang to remain in their hideout given the arrest of some of their members?

    “We are still running around, hoping they would call again so that we can tell them how far we have gone.

    It was gathered that some senior police officers officers were also unhappy with the way Kyari exposed news of the arrest, when the pupils were still held captive.

    The officers, it was learnt, condemned the bridge of protocols employed by Kyari, describing it as unprofessional.

    Meanwhile, it was gathered that another pupil took ill and was taken out of the camp for treatment.

    According to a police source, they were not giving up on the rescue of the students and arrest of the kidnappers.

    He said IGP Ibrahim Idris has already placed a bounty on the gang leader’s head, Americana, adding that the Lagos State Command has been directed to intensify efforts towards getting the pupils unhurt.

    In a related development, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone II, Adamu Ibrahim, during his visit to Government House, Alausa, assured that all hands were on deck to ensure the safe return of the pupils.

    He said: “Infact very soon, you will hear good news on the issue. We are working seriously on it. At this stage, I will not want to disclose too much because these are security issues. I want to say that people should give us a chance and very soon, they will hear good news.”

     

  • Igbonla: Students’ kidnappers reduce ransom to N100m

    Igbonla: Students’ kidnappers reduce ransom to N100m

    Kidnappers of students at the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, on Friday resumed negotiations with parents of the students and demanded N100 million ransom.

    Our correspondent gathered that the kidnappers contacted parents of two of the students on Friday and insisted that they should approach the state government to pay the amount demanded.

    Six students – Yusuf Farouk, Ramon Isiaka, Pelumi Philips, Peter Jonas, Adebanjo George and Judah Agbaosi – were whisked away from their hostels – Yellow and Green Houses – on May 25, by gunmen cladding in police uniform.

    The kidnappers, who established contact with the parents on May 27, initially demanded N400 million ransom.

    They asked the affected parents to approach Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for the money.

    When the government wasn’t forthcoming, the kidnappers adopted selective negotiations with parents and demanded varying sums.

    A parent said: “We need help. We are begging the government to intervene in this matter. They contacted some parents this evening (Friday) and said they want us to tell the government to bring N100 million. They said they are not interested in us because they know we cannot raise the money. The kidnappers said it is the government they are interested in.

    “Please, help us. We need help on this issue. We do not know what to do anymore. We have begged them to take the ransom down but they refused.

    “How do we raise N100 million?  The government has said it would not pay ransom. We are helpless.”

     

     

     

  • Igbonla kidnap: Police arrest three suspects in Edo

    Igbonla kidnap: Police arrest three suspects in Edo

    Three suspected members of the gang that kidnapped six pupils of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, have been arrested by operatives of the Inspector General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), The Nation learnt Wednesday.

    This is just as parents of the kidnapped pupils said they were yet to hear from the kidnappers, adding that the number militants used to contact them was no longer going through.

    Egelu Endurance, 25, alias Jubby, Stanley Yomi Irabomini (Powei) 25, and Bentel Endurance, 24, all from Ovia South LGA, were arrested Tuesday evening in Benin City, Edo State.

    It was gathered that IRT operatives led by Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) arrested the three suspects who left the creek and went to Edo State to visit a gang member who was injured during gun battle with security forces.

    According to the police, the suspects confessed to have participated in several high profile kidnappings in the southern region.

    It was gathered that they conformed the location of the students to the police.

    A source said: “They confessed to have participated in various kidnappings of prominent personalities in Lagos and Ogun State including the Oniba of Iba, Turkish School, Isheri landlords and Epe School children.

    “The suspects claimed they came to Benin to see their injured colleague and also relax for a while before going back to the creek.”Serious efforts to arrest remaining gang members and rescue the school children in progress.”

     

  • Igbonla: ‘Government will not negotiate with kidnappers’

    Igbonla: ‘Government will not negotiate with kidnappers’

    The Lagos State Government yesterday made it clear that it would not negotiate nor pay any ransom to kidnappers of six pupils of Igbonla Model College, Epe.

    It was gathered that the representative of the government at the meeting with the parents and school management yesterday said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode was poised to rescue the pupils with solely security option.

    The parents, it was gathered, were urged to remain calm and have faith in security forces, who were said to have identified the location of the pupils.

    Already, the police have warned fishermen to keep off certain routes on the water following intelligence report that the kidnappers were disguising as fishermen to tip off their members in the creek on the activities of security operatives.

    The Nation gathered that a stern warning was given to fishermen to avoid those areas or face arrest, with a number of them said to have already been apprehended.

    Although all the parents at the meeting denied being contacted for the second time by the kidnappers, sources close to them claimed the criminals have called some of them and demanded between N10million and N20million.

    They also claimed that the kidnappers threatened to relocate the pupils to Arogbo in Ondo State if their demands were not met within 48 hours.

    A source close to one of the parents said they asked for N10million, adding that they refused pleas by that parent for them to collect N2million.

    According to the source, they called the parent around 1am on Monday and told him to approach the governor for the money.

    The other parent was said to have been contacted twice yesterday- 1am and 3am- with the kidnappers demanding N20million ransom.

  • Igbonla: Kidnappers demand N400m ransom

    Igbonla: Kidnappers demand N400m ransom

    •We’ll rescue them unhurt, Ambode vows
    •Reaffirms commitment to protection of children against abuse, molestation

    Kidnappers of six pupils of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe have demanded a N400 million ransom for their release.

    They are understood to have got in touch with the parents of the kidnapped children to make the demand.

    But Governor Akinwunmi Ambode told pupils at a parade to mark this year’s Children’s Day at the Agege Stadium, Lagos that government would do all within its power to get the children out of the kidnappers’ den unhurt.

    He said yesterday celebration would be incomplete without rescuing those innocent pupils and returning them to school to continue their education

    The six students were abducted on Thursday morning when gunmen stormed the school and ferried them away through the waterways.

    The Nation gathered yesterday that the kidnappers   established contacts with the parents at about 4:30pm on Friday.

    The parents said the kidnappers did not allow them speak with the children.

    They only told the parents what they wanted and how to go about raising the money: ask the school authorities and government to provide the money.

    Parents who spoke to The Nation in separate interviews yesterday appealed to the kidnappers to release the pupils on compassionate grounds.

    One of the parents said: “They called me around 4pm. They called the name of my son and asked if I knew him. I said yes and then, they gave him the phone to speak with me.

    “As we were talking, they took the phone and told me to go to the government and the school authorities to provide N400 million before they would release the children. The call did not last long.

    “I called other parents whose children were also taken and they also confirmed they were contacted by the kidnappers. We are appealing to them to release the children on compassionate grounds. If they have issues with the school management or the government, they can look for another way to address it.

    “They should pity us, the parents and release our children. I have not been able to sleep since Thursday. My wife has not stopped crying either. They should please have mercy on us.”

    The Nation gathered that the onslaught against the militants continued yesterday with several others said to have been killed.

    It was learnt that about eight policemen were seriously wounded.

    A source claimed that three of the wounded cops were receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    Some were taken to a specialist hospital.

    However, Governor Ambode yesterday reassured Lagosians that the State Government would do everything possible to ensure that the six pupils are rescued unhurt and reunited with their parents.

    The Governor speaking at the Agege Stadium during the Children’s Day celebration said the celebration would not be complete without rescuing those innocent pupils.

    He said action was in progress to get them out and pledged that government would stop at nothing to ensure that kidnapping and other criminal activities are stopped.

    Represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Adebule, Ambode said that government was committed to protecting children in the state from any form of abuse, child labour or molestation by religiously implementing the Child Rights Law and the Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy, adding that “it was important to protect our children today, so that they can protect us tomorrow.”

    The Governor, who said that this year’s Children’s Day celebration was a unique one as the state is equally celebrating the 50thyear anniversary of its creation, asked the children to remain focused, believe in themselves and set target that would make them attain greatness in life, promising that his government will continue to create opportunities and implement policies that would help them to become the best of what they can without any barriers.

    “As we celebrate this year’s Children’s Day and the 50th anniversary of our state, I want you to believe that you too can achieve greatness. You must believe in yourself and in your dreams. Very soon, it will be your responsibility to take Lagos state to the level that we all desired in the next 50 years. You are agents of change and I urge you, do not just go through life, make a difference, impact life  and affect your community , What we are doing today is to lay a solid foundation for you to build on,” he said.

    The Governor while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to repositioning public schools to meet world class standard, said that his administration in the last two years had invested heavily in infrastructural and manpower development in public schools, the effort which according to him, is yielding positive results as it has restored confidence in public schools.

    “As a government, we recognize our responsibility to create opportunities for you to become the best you can be without any barrier, this is why in the last two years, we have invested massively in the infrastructural and manpower development in our public schools. Our plan which is being realized is to restore public confidence in our public schools,’’ he said.

    Earlier in his address of welcome, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr. Adeshina Odeyemi, said the number of secondary schools in the state has increased from 55 at the creation of the state in 1967 with a total students’ population of 19,538 to 679 public secondary schools at present with over 564,758 students’ population.

    Odeyemi noted that in spite of the current global melt down and general economic recession in the country, Lagos State government has continued to run free education policy from primary to secondary schools level and pay for the WAEC fees of its graduating students till date.

  • Ambode seek immediate rescue of abducted students

    Ambode seek immediate rescue of abducted students

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode Friday asked   security agencies in the state to put machinery in motion to rescue six students of Model College, Igbonla who were abducted by gunmen on Thursday.

    Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule, who visited the school on Friday in Epe, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria said the governor had directed security agencies to take immediate action to rescue the victims.

    The Deputy Governor said: “We are on top of the situation and the Governor has directed all security operatives to step up action on rescuing the students, details of which l cannot disclose in order not to undermine their operation”, she stated.

    Adebule in an emotion-laden voice urged parents of the affected children to be calm as the government would stop at nothing to ensure safe return of their children.

     

     

  • Epe kidnap: Victims were ferried in two speedboats

    Epe kidnap: Victims were ferried in two speedboats

    …As police arrest Isheri ‘kidnappers’, reads riot act
    Kidnappers of the four students and two teachers of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe ferried them to safety in two speedboats, The Nation learnt Wednesday.

    It was gathered that Abu, Emmanuel Okonkwo, Jeremiah Ruth, Isaac Adebisi, Junior School Vice Principal, AO Oyesola and English teacher, Lukman Oyerinde were dropped off inside a forest where they trekked for over two hours before meeting their relatives.

    The Nation gathered that they were asked to walk in a straight line and not look back until they got to the point where family members of the sick victim and another parent have waited for over four hours.

    While the Vice Principal was said to have been in front, Oyerinde, it was gathered, was asked to stay at the back of the queue so that the children could be protected.

    The victims were taken to General Hospital, Epe for checkup, were some of them were diagnosed of typhoid and malaria.

    However, efforts to see the victims Wednesday failed as our reporter was told at the hospital that they have been discharged.

    According to the father of one of the victims, they were moved to a private residence in Epe, where the school’s principal addressed them.

    He said: “They spent several hours at the hospital and were later moved to a house in Epe town where the principal addressed them. Some of them were diagnosed of malaria and typhoid, including the one who was sick.

    “Two parents went to a designated place in Epe, where the kidnappers asked them to come. They were at the place around 6pm and stayed there till about 10pm without any sign of the victims.

    “As it was getting late, they said they were scared but had to remain there because that was the kidnappers’ instruction.  So, around 10:30pm, the victims were seen and they told them that they trekked for over two hours on a straight line, without looking back.

    “It seems where the speedboats dropped them off was the island of the militants because they said that it was inside a bush.

    “You cannot talk to my son bow because they are still busy but when we are ready, I will invite you for interview.”

    Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris has read riot act to kidnappers, especially those operating in Lagos and Ogun states.

    Idris sounded the warning while confirming the arrests of suspected kidnappers of landlords at Oshorun Heritage Estate in Isheri North, Lagos.

    According to a statement signed by the Force spokesman, Don Awunah, a Deputy Commissioner of Police  (DCP), Natei Okunna (gang leader), James Kegbe alias JJ, ThankGod Segede and Trust Bourdilon were apprehended by operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), a unit under the IGP, while they were spending their loots.

    He said: “This feat was achieved as a result of due diligence and intelligence led policing exhibited by members of the Force and the zeal shown by public spirited citizens to rid our society of crime.

    “The suspects were arrested at different locations where they had gone to spend their share of the ransom. They, in the course of investigation, volunteered confessional statements admitting their involvement in the kidnap incident.

    “The IGP has restated the commitment of the Police Force to fight crime, especially the prevalent scourge of kidnapping to a bearable and tolerable state. He urges Nigerians to always be law abiding and to see themselves as stakeholders in this noble cause.”

  • Igbonla Kidnap: We’ll soon rescue victims – Ambode

    Igbonla Kidnap: We’ll soon rescue victims – Ambode

    …Says Govt’ll Review Law To Tackle Kidnapping

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday assured that the State Government in collaboration with security agencies would soon rescue victims kidnapped from Lagos Senior and Junior Model College, Igbonla-Epe, vowing that the government would also commence a review of its laws to curb and effectively punish perpetrators of such act.

    The Governor, who spoke shortly after carrying out an extensive inspection of projects across the State, also issued a 7-day ultimatum for all illegal structures on the State’s waterfront to be demolished.

    Speaking to journalists at the Illubirin Housing Scheme in Lagos Island, the Governor who was visibly worried about the erection of several shanties and structures within the premises and especially on the waterfront, said such would not be allowed in the State anymore.

    He said kidnappers, suspected militants and criminally minded persons often seek refuge in such shanties close to the waterfront, from where they perpetrate their heinous crimes and then make use of the waterways to ferry their victims to another location, in most cases to another state.

    The Governor said, “I also want to use this opportunity to appeal to all those living in the shanties around these schemes especially on the waterfront illegally that they should vacate the areas forthwith.

    “You will see that most of the issues that we have with kidnappings are actually being brought up by those who are illegal settlers by the waterfront. We will commence demolition of all the shanties around the creeks in Lagos State and also around our waterways in the next seven days. I have given directives to that effect to the appropriate agencies.

    “The safety of our children and all Lagosians is paramount in this administration. We will not allow a few set of people who come into Lagos and stay on our waterfront illegally and then use it as opportunity to kidnap our people. I also want to assure our people that government is seriously on the issue of the children and the teachers that were kidnapped in the Igbonla Model College and very soon, we will get the victims back.

    “I believe that the era of kidnapping has come to an end. We are going to review our laws and I can tell you sincerely that we will deal with kidnappers squarely in Lagos from this moment onwards. We will review our laws and make sure that there is no room for kidnappers in this State”.

    Governor Ambode, who also spoke on the plans to continue construction of the Illubirin Housing Scheme, said his administration has taken time to review its mortgage scheme vis-à-vis its financial flow, adding that the Illubirin axis would be designed as live, work and play environment under a private sector initiative.

    “In addition to that, the other housing projects that we are doing are on course and I want to assure Lagosians that in the next few months, we will be seeing a whole lot of housing units being rolled out. We believe strongly that people should be able to pay one month rent and live in our housing schemes.

    “We don’t think in a recession, we should be having a situation where we allow people to come and buy when they don’t have money or to come and pay one year rent. We think the way to move forward is to allow these our younger ones to just pay one month deposit and pay one month rent and move into the houses and then more or less play up our rent-to-own scheme,” Governor Ambode said.

    Also speaking, Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Gbolahan Lawal, debunked insinuation that the Illubirin Housing Scheme had been abandoned saying that the project has been remodeled to accommodate 500 housing units.

    He said government, in collaboration with a private investor who is investing about $500 million into the scheme, has perfected plans to make the scheme a live, play and work environment.

    He said about five hectares would be dedicated for leisure, while there would also be commercial activities, as well as flyover which would be constructed.

    Governor Ambode also inspected the Federal Government Guest House in Marina which has been handed over to the State Government and the ongoing ultra modern Bus Terminal in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) in Lagos Island.

  • Lagos Assembly condemns neglect of model colleges

    Lagos Assembly condemns neglect of model colleges

    Chairman, Committee on Education of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Olanrewaju Ogunyemi has condemned the state of infrastructure in the state’s model colleges.

    He then advised the state government to urgently address the issues in the colleges to sustain the visions of their founders and restore the lost glory of the schools.

    Ogunyemi, who led other members of the committee to Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe on Wednesday lamented in an interview with journalists that the school has been cut off from the society, and that the facilities in the hostels and the school generally have been overstretched.

    “We don’t want to assume that things are right, which is why we decided to go round all our schools in the state to be sure that we are really doing what ought to be done.

    “Our tour so far has been extremely revealing about the dilapidation and retrogression of our model colleges. There is need for us to improve the situation. Since much is being given to education in the budget of the state this year, we should seriously improve the facilities in our model schools. We would go back to the drawing board and advise the executive to ensure that we give the children in model schools a new lease of life,” he said.

    According to him, a trip round the school revealed that the students were being subjected to inhuman condition in their hostels, which he said were over-populated and unkempt.

    “The facilities in the hostels are inadequate, we see a lot of cramping of beds and we saw that it is not conducive. There is a hostel there that has been abandoned since the school was established, if the building is completed, it would go a long way to improve the hostel facilities.

    “The feeding of the students should be improved upon, also some of the children could not take care of themselves because they are under-aged. So, the government should apply age restriction and we feel that the model schools in the state should be model in their outlook,” he said.

    Ogunyemi described as worrisome a situation, where the students have to keep their luggages outside the hostels due to congestion and over-population, defecate in the open, while some of them that are under-aged have special rooms because they bedwet.

    He also condemned the conversion of the school library to examination hall without an alternative location for library, where he said the children could do researches.

    “The school should have improvised a room for library because without a library, the students cannot research. The vision of the founders of model schools in Lagos State needs to be sustained and we need close and adequate monitoring of our model schools to ensure that we get it right. We will go back to let the executive know that we have an urgent and critical need in our model schools.

    “We have asked the school authority about their security, the number of security men they have and advised them to ensure that they relate with the community to handle emergency situation,” he said.

    He also condemned the state of the road leading to the school, stressing that it is terrible and that the schools in the state should be accessible to the public.

    Addressing the students in the dining hall, Ogunyemi said that the committee decided to pay an unscheduled visit to the school to see how they were faring.

    “Though you cannot vote due to your ages, but some of your parents voted for us and we promised them that we would protect their interest. We came to see where you sleep and where you are learning and what you eat.

    “By the grace of God, your situation would change. We want you to continue to be good children and keep good hygiene, nobody would take care of you better than yourselves,” he stated.

    He told the students that some of the things that the committee members saw in the hostels were irritating, adding that some of the students were defecating in the open spaces.

    “The odour around your hostel was bad. We have seen the condition under which you live and we could see that the facilities are overstretched. By the grace of God, the government would do something about it and we are happy to be here,” he said.

    The Principal of the Junior Section of the school, Mr. Bolaji Oyesola, who led other staff to receive the committee members, said that a room has actually been converted to a library for the students.

    Oyesola added that the school management is trying to make do with what they have within their limited resources.

    “We take care of their feeding very well and give them water. We make sure that the students are comfortable. We have been managing what we have since the school was established in 1988. The facilities were meant for below 200 students, but now we have over 1,000 students,” he said.

    The committee later visited the Education District 3 of the state in Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos that is controlling the college, where they met with the Tutor General/Permanent Secretary of the District, Mr. Olayinka Gbemi Olaniyi and other top management staff of the district.

    Ogunyemi intimated them of the findings of the committee in the school and urged the district to ensure that they are conversant with the condition of the schools within their jurisdiction with a specific reference to the model college in Igbonla and its challenges.