The Nation Newspaper

Tag: injure

  • Residents flee community as hoodlums kill one, injure others over selection of traditional ruler

    Residents flee community as hoodlums kill one, injure others over selection of traditional ruler

    Residents of Ayila community in Ogun Waterside Local Government, Ogun State, are allegedly fleeing the town after a man identified as Bayo Oluseyi was killed and several others injured during a fracas over selection of new Baale(traditional ruler) of the town.

    It was learnt that the nomination of an unnamed man for the traditional stool by a powerful politician in the community triggered the fight.

    The controversial nominee was said to have been rejected by a section of the community.

    The Nation learnt that a lingering tussle for the stool which started in 1957 had polarised the ruling houses, despite various mediation by community leaders and government.

    One of the ruling houses was said to have declined the offer to present candidate for the stool when it was its turn to ascend the throne a few years ago.

    It was learnt that a candidate from the next ruling house was selected as Baale, following the rejection by the rightful ruling house.

    Trouble however started after the death of the Baale, when the ruling house which initially rejected the offer insisted the vacant stool must be filled by one of its members.

    A source said: ”There is tension in the community as we speak because of the recent killing and violence following the insistence of a ruling house that its candidate should be the next Baale.

    ” A top politician in this area is the one who is backing an unpopular candidate from a rejected ruling house and it has caused serious problem and palpable fear in this community.

    ”Many residents are leaving for neighbouring communities for fear of being hit during reprisal attacks by those contending for the vacant stool. This is the reason why we are calling on government and law enforcement agencies to step into the matter in order to avoid a complete breakdown of law and order.”

    Contacted, the spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said the suspects had been arrested in connection with the incident.

    He said the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department(SCID) for further investigation.

    He said: ”There was a tussle for the position of Baale of the community involving two factions. One of those contending for the stool was cautioned by the police against imposing himself as the Baale but he ignored the warning. It was while he attempted to install himself as Baale that violence broke out during which one person was killed and others injured.

    ‘’However, some suspects including the man that was carrying out the unlawful coronation have been arrested and they are now in police custody, while the matter has been transferred to SCID.”

  • Uniformed men kill two, injure others

    Uniformed men kill two, injure others

    …Killers were robbers, says GOC

    Some uniformed men have shot dead two persons and injured three others in Lagos.

    The incident occurred between 9.15pm and 9.45pm last Wednesday at Majidun near Ikorodu, Lagos.

    Two of the victims, who are in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASAUTH) in Ikeja, said the gunmen were in military uniform.

    General Officer Commanding (GOC) 81 Division in Lagos Maj. Gen. Tanmi Dibi, told The Nation yesterday that the gunmen were not soldiers.

    He said: “There is no way such thing would happen and I will not know. Moreso, I have just inquired now and they told me none of our men was involved in that act.”

    Alhaji Aminu Salis, an engineer and his wife, Toyibah, who were alone in their car, said they were flagged down at Majidun Bus stop, and before they knew what was happening, one of the men opened fire on them.

    About five bullets pierced through his arm and legs, his wife was hit on her left leg.

    Their car was also riddled with bullets.

    Three other vehicles coming behind them were attacked.

    Two of the victims have died; others are in hospitals.

    Salis described the incident as traumatic.

    “We saw two men; one dressed in military uniform, another in mufti, checking vehicles. From a distance, we could see them flagging down motorists, looking into their cars and allowing them to move on. This led to traffic snarl around Majidun Bus stop. On getting to them, the one holding a gun asked me to come down, I thought they were on a routine check, as I opened the door, placed one leg on the floor, he cocked the gun and opened fire on us. I quickly told my wife awon ole leleyi, awon ole leleyi, (These are thieves, these are thieves); before I could put my leg back into the car, five bullets have hit us; I managed to drive and he pointed the gun at us. After driving past him, he faced back and opened fire at the vehicles behind us. By the time we reached Ogolonto where some Naval officers are stationed, I stopped and they (Naval officers) told me to keep going,” he said.

    “I had to come down to inform them of what happened,” Mrs Salis said.

    “But they were not ready to listen to us, saying they do not want to have any issue with the military men over there. It was after some drivers and passengers of other vehicles coming behind mounted pressure on them that we have been attacked that they decided to allow us stay there.

    “When their boss arrived and was told of the incident, he asked my husband to drive himself to the General Hospital, after all he drove the car up till that point. My husband told him he could no longer continue driving. I had to call some of our friends that left the place not quite long for help,” Mrs Salis, whose left leg was bandaged, said.

    Mr Sanni Kabir, an engineer, said he saw the two uniformed men between Itowolo and Majidun shooting sporadically, forcing motorists to slow down for checking.

    Kabir said five minutes after passing the gunmen, he got a distress call from Mrs Salis.

    “She told me that armed robbers have shot at them; I quickly turned back and met them at the place where the Naval men were stationed. From there, we took them to General Hospital; the medical personnel demanded for police report, I rushed down to the nearest police station where I saw other victims with their vehicles at Ipakodo Police Station. Later on, after first aid, the hospital referred us to LASUTH. We got here (LASUTH) some minutes past 12 in the midnight,” he said.

    According to Salis, one of the policemen who saw some of the bullets in my car said they belonged to the military and not the police.

    Salis said the incident was first reported at Ipakodo Police Station where they met six other victims. Officers at the station, he said, directed them to Owode-Onirin Police Station.

    When contacted, Lagos State police spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent, promised to check and get back.

  • Amosun’s aides, others injure in bus, convoy collision

    Amosun’s aides, others injure in bus, convoy collision

    Two aides of Governor Ibikunle Amosun and some occupants of a commercial Mitsubishi bus conveying foodstuffs were injured yesterday morning when the passenger bus ran into one of the Sports Utility Vehicles(SUV) in the convoy of the governor.

    The accident occurred at about 9.30am on Sapaade-Ogere, Ogun State, stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway when the governor was travelling to Ekiti State.

    The affected jeep in the convoy was damaged.

    According to a source, the vehicles in Amosun’s convoy were going in the direction of Ibadan, Oyo State, when the rickety bus coming at the opposite end crashed into one of them.

    It was learnt that the accident occurred at a failed portion of the road, where repair work was being carried out.

    The driver of the commercial bus, it was gathered, lost control when he came face-to-face with  convoy at the bad portion  and rammed into  it.

    The women in the commercial bus were said to have been injured even as the governor alighted to sympathise with them.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Yusuph Olaniyonu, who confirmed this to reporters, said no life was lost.

    He noted that it was just a minor accident as nobody sustained injury.

    He said: “We are going to Ekiti. Only one jeep was affected and we have transferred the occupants to our own bus.”

  • Gunmen injure policeman in Borno church attack

    FIVE gunmen, suspected to be Boko Haram sect members, yesterday injured a policeman when they attacked the Ekliziyar Yan’uwa a Nigeriya (EYN), aka Church of Brethern, in Bulumkutu Ward of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

    The gunmen allegedly arrived on the church premises in a tricycle, popularly called Keke NAPEP, at 11.02am when the sermon was ongoing.

    They reportedly opened fire on the Joint Task Force (JTF) troops guiding the church. The troops repelled the attack.

    An eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, said the gunmen arrived on the church premises on a tricycle and started shooting.

    The eyewitness added that he believed the targets were the JTF security personnel attached to the church.

    It was learnt that the quick response by the JTF operatives forced the gunmen to flee the scene. No arrest was made as at time of sending this report last night.

    The eyewitness said he could not get the details of the attack to know if any member of the sect was injured.

    But the eyewitness confirmed that a policeman was shot in the leg, adding that he noticed this when the policeman was being rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    JTF spokesman, Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa confirmed the incident.

    He said some suspected Boko Haram members attacked the JTF location at the EYN Church in Bulumkutu Ward of Maiduguri, but were repelled.

    The JTF spokesman added that the policeman was injured in the leg, was treated and immediately discharged from the hospital.

  • Gunmen kill policeman, injure three in Kaduna

    Unidentified gunmen have killed a policeman in Kaduna.

    They injured another policeman as well as an unidentified woman and her child at Ungwan Dosa, Kaduna.

    The killing has heightened tension in the state, which had enjoyed some peace in the last few months.

    The attack, which was allegedly carried out by gunmen on a motorcycle, is the first since the death of former Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa about a month ago.

    The Nation learnt that the gunmen shot the two policemen at their duty post while the woman and her daughter were reportedly hit by stray bullets.

    A resident, who spoke in confidence, said: “The residents of the area were caught unawares because the gunmen pretended to be Okada riders. But before we could know what was happening, we heard gunshots that lasted several minutes. They attacked the two policemen.

    “It’s like they came mainly for the policemen. I believe they never meant to shoot the woman and her child; those were just unlucky.”

    Public spokesman Aminu Lawan, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the incident, said the command was investigating the circumstances of the attack.

    The ranks of the slain policemen could not be ascertained.

    Lawan said both policemen tried to repel the gunmen, adding that one of them died on the spot while the other was injured and is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    He regretted the attack on the six-year-old girl and her mother, adding: “The incident happened at a police checkpoint at 8.30pm on Friday. The gunmen came on a motorcycle and immediately opened fire on the officers at the checkpoint.

    “It was in the process of engaging the assailants in a gun battle that we lost one of our men. However, the gunmen escaped with bullet wounds and we are trailing them.”

    It was learnt that Governor Muktar Yero has visited the scene of the incident and the hospital where the woman and her daughter were said to be receiving treatment.

    The governor condemned the attack and promised to settle the hospital bills of the victims.

  • Gunmen kill two FRSC officers, injure one

    About 24 hours after gunmen killed two policemen on polio immunisation in Kano, two other gunmen on a motorcycle yesterday killed two Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials on patrol vehicle.

    Another officer was injured.

    The incident happened at 1pm at Madobi Road, near the Sani Abacha Youth Centre.

    The FRSC Sector Commander, Zaki Alkali, confirmed the incident.

    He said four of his men were in the vehicle when the assailants opened fire on them.

    Alkali said: “Two officers died instantly while one sustained bullet wounds. But the fourth person was unhurt. It is a very sad incident.”

    The police also confirmed the incident, saying a special squad was searching the area for the gunmen.

    Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris told our correspondent on phone that his men had arrested eight suspects in connection with Tuesday’s attack.

    The police chief added that his men were after the killers of the FRSC officer.

    Idris said: “We are on the lookout for them and I assure that my men would soon round them up. We have also put in more efforts to fight terrorism in the state.

    “I urge the public to be on the alert and report any suspicious movement to security agencies. Kano is no place for them. We shall make sure that the hoodlums move out of the state.”