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Tag: Jude Madu

  • Police arrest two robbery suspects, cultist in Ebonyi

    Police arrest two robbery suspects, cultist in Ebonyi

    The Ebonyi Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and a cult kingpin in Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

    DSP Jude Madu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) announced the arrest in a statement on Sunday in Abakaliki.

    According to Madu, the suspected armed robbers hail from Amike village in Ezzamgbo.

    “The notorious armed robbery suspects, who have been terrorising residents of the area, were arrested by officers from the Ohaukwu Police division.

    “The arrest was made possible through the collaboration of the youths and vigilante personnel of the village with the Police,” Madu stated.

    According to him, two locally made double-barrel pistols, army uniform with blood stains, two iron cutters, one saw blade and two machetes among others were recovered from the suspects.

    He said the police also arrested a suspected cultist, whose gang had allegedly been terrorising residents of the area.

    The PPRO stated that the suspect was arrested, allegedly with an axe while members of his gang fled on sighting the Police.

    “We are making efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the gang,” he stated.

     

  • Police arrest two robbery suspects, cultist in Ebonyi

    Police arrest two robbery suspects, cultist in Ebonyi

    The Ebonyi Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers and a cult kingpin in Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.

    DSP Jude Madu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) announced the arrest in a statement on Sunday in Abakaliki.

    According to Madu, the suspected armed robbers hail from Amike village in Ezzamgbo.

    “The notorious armed robbery suspects, who have been terrorising residents of the area, were arrested by officers from the Ohaukwu Police division.

    “The arrest was made possible through the collaboration of the youths and vigilante personnel of the village with the Police,” Madu stated.

    According to him, two locally made double-barrel pistols, army uniform with blood stains, two iron cutters, one saw blade and two machetes among others were recovered from the suspects.

    He said the police also arrested a suspected cultist, whose gang had allegedly been terrorising residents of the area.

    The PPRO stated that the suspect was arrested, allegedly with an axe while members of his gang fled on sighting the Police.

    “We are making efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the gang,” he stated.

  • Ebonyi council elections commences with prompt arrival of materials

    Reports from different parts of Ebonyi indicated that electoral materials for the Local Government Council elections in the state have arrived in most polling booths and units across the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the sensitive and non-sensitive materials and the Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission (EBSIEC) ad-hoc Electoral officials arrived in most centres within the capital city as early as 8am.

    Officials of the EBSIEC said that areas not yet having these materials would soon be supplied after clearing some logistic problems.

    At Ishiagu community in Ivo local government area, officials and voting materials arrived polling units including Girls Secondary School, Akparata, Ajali, Ugwueziafor as early as 8am while accreditation of voters began at 9am in most units.

    In Ezza North and South local government areas some polling unit has yet to receive electoral materials as at time of filing this report.

    Meanwhile, massive presence of uniformed security men were noticed in Abakaliki and other parts of the state as voting begins.

    The Police, Army, the Civil Defence Corps were seen patrolling the state capital to maintain law and order during the exercise.

    The Ebonyi Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Jude Madu, assured the electorate of adequate security during and after the elections.

    “We assure the general public of readiness of the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to provide adequate security in all parts of the state during and after the voting exercise.

    “We advise the voting public to maintain decorum at the polling centres and ensure that they vote for candidates of their choice.

    “Nobody should be intimidated by the massive presence of Police and other security personnel in Abakaliki and other parts of the state,” Madu said.

    The Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr Uchenna Orji, who is an indigene of Ishiagu, commended EBSIEC for the conduct of the election.

    Orji who spoke to NAN in a telephone interview described the turnout of voters as encouraging.

    “I commend EBSIEC for conducting the finest local government area election ever and I want to use the opportunity to advise the electorate to freely exercise their franchise without any molestation or intimidation,” Orji said.

    The Commissioner for Water Resources, Mrs Euphemia Nwali, noted that despite the late arrival of materials in some units, the situation was under control.

    The commissioner expressed optimism that the PDP would win the election as it had no rival in the state.

     

  • Police urges Abakaliki to prohibit use of pond

    Police urges Abakaliki to prohibit use of pond

    The Police Command in Ebonyi has urged the state government to prohibit the use of the pond at the International Market, Abakaliki it said endangered children’s lives in recent times.

    Dsp Jude Madu, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command gave the advice on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abakaliki.

    Madu was reacting to the recent drowning of Master Chinonso Nwokporo, a Senior Secondary School (SS1) student of Abakaliki High School inside the pond located at the Market.

    “This is the third reported case of drowning inside the pond which claimed the lives of all victims; the best option is the permanent closure of the pond to public.

    “The government, in the interim, can provide safety measures such as safety items and materials at the pond and similar measures at every stream, river, pond, lakes and other water sources in the state,” he further urged.

    The PPRO also urged parents to monitor their children’s movement and watch  the type of friends they keep to ensure their safety.

    “Individuals living around the pond are mostly concerned with this advice as the command assures the public of the continued protection of their lives and property”.

    NAN reports that Nwokporo’s corpse was found floating on the pond last week with blood gushing from mouth, ears and nose.

    An eyewitness and friend of the deceased, Master Okechukwu Eze, told NAN that he and the deceased had gone to the pond to swim, as was the practice by the children within the vicinity.

    “We went to the pond to swim, though none of us know how to swim, this made us to stay at the shallow part of the pond that people normally fetch water.

    “Immediately we reached the pond, he plunged into it and later started shouting for help as I tried unsuccessfully to rescue him.

    “I absent-mindedly jumped into the pond and started drowning but miraculously came out from it with the shouts of Jesus,  but no help came for my friend,” he said.

    He noted that a security man stationed at the market heard his shout but said he did not know how to swim,but rushed to Nwokporo’s house to inform his mother.

    Contributing, Mr Ephraim Ononye, the Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) also advised the state government to prevent further drowning in the pond through the provision of various security measures.

  • Professor, five others die in road crash

    The Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences at the Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi, Prof. Robert Nneli is dead.

    He died in one of the two accidents recorded Thursday night at the notorious 131 junction of the Abakaliki-Enugu federal highway.

    Nneli, 69 years old, joined the University in 2012 after spending close to 20 years at Abia State University.

    He was educated at St. Patrick’s Secondary School Emene in Enugu and the University of Calabar.

    Mrs Stella Uchendu, Sector Commander of the FRSC in Ebonyi confirmed the two accidents in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    She said both accidents occurred between 9 and 11pm.

    According to her, it was raining heavily when the accidents occurred and attributed to possible reckless driving, over-speeding and poor visibility.

    “In the first accident, the articulated vehicle’s driver blinded with his headlight the driver of the white-coloured Toyota Camry vehicle which made him lose control as he was on top speed.

    “The vehicle then veered off its lane and collided with the on-coming articulated vehicle. The car was crushed by the truck.

    “The professor died in the accident as his son and another occupant sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki.

    According to Uchendu, the second accident involved an SUV with five occupants which also crashed into stationary articulated vehicle due to over speeding and poor visibility.

    “When we concluded our evacuation, the police men on duty told us that they would tow the articulated vehicle off the road but they never did.

    “The SUV apparently crashed into the articulated vehicle as all its five occupants died and their corpses evacuated to the Federal Teaching hospital Abakaliki,” she said.

    She commended her officers for their prompt response to the crashes and urged motorists to always obey traffic regulations.

    “Motorists should ensure that when they are confronted with headlights from oncoming vehicles, they should reduce their speed and and keep to their right side.

    “Motorists should also avoid night travels, driving under the rain and ensure they obey road regulations to save lives,”

    A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the drivers of the Camry and the SUV were to blame for driving recklessly under the rain.

    “The FRSC should increase its enlightenment of motorists especially on night journeys and driving under the rain, in order to check the incessant loss of lives on the road.

    DSP Jude Madu, the Ebonyi Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRP) absolved his men of any complicity by failing to tow the articulated vehicle.

    He blamed the FRSC for failing in its duty.

    “No police officer would reject an offer of assistance to tow vehicles off the road, in order to save lives as my officers stayed on the road till day break to enforce law and order.

    “They even signaled to approaching cars to divert to the other lane of the road but most drivers including that of the SUV, failed to heed to the diversion signals,” he said.

  • Police smash seven-man gang

    Police smash seven-man gang

    The Lagos State Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has smashed a seven-man armed robbery gang that specialised in robbing traders on major highways and diverting trailer loads of goods.

    Their favourite loot include: Forever Living Products, especially Aloe Vera and other drugs, motor tyres and milk.

    According to police sources, the gang diverted goods in transit between Lagos and Onitsha.

    A source said some of the goods were recovered and handed over to their owners after the suspects’ arrest last Saturday.

    Seven suspects were arrested, while their sponsor and receiver of their loot, simply known as Obinna, who is wanted for over 10 cases involving robbery and diversion of goods, is still at large.

    The first suspect and leader of the gang, Jude Madu (29), who hails from Umunze in Anambra State, said it was one of them, a soldier, who supplied AK47 rifle and pistols to the gang.

    Madu added: “When we blocked the truck loaded with chemicals, the soldier went straight to the driver and slapped him for hitting our car. He asked the driver and the conductor to alight, threatening that he would take them to Army Barracks and ordered Abuchi to drive the truck. We drove the truck to Iddo Park on Lagos Mainland and handed it over to Obinna’s man who later took it to Onitsha where Obinna received it. Obinna paid N2 million, but did not pay a kobo for the drugs. I collected N200, 000.”

    Romanus Nweke (30), a native of Mmaku Village in Ogu Local Government Area of Enugu State, who deals in scraps in Obasanjo area in Otta, Ogun State, said: “It was the soldier that gave me an army uniform and polo bearing Lance Corporal rank to follow them to hijack truck. I got N150, 000. My role was to intimidate the driver with my gun.”

    Edwin Ndinemeni (27), from Ugwuta in Imo State, was a tile fixer and marble dealer before he joined the gang. He said: “My role is to act as commander and order Abuchi to take the truck to off-loading point at Iddo Park. I got N350, 000 from the chemical job, while I got nothing from the drug truck because Obinna had not paid.

    Abuchi Afunaya (26), a driver, who hails from Ifite Village in Orlu in Imo State, said he got N150, 000.

    The fifth suspect, Chibuzor Umebi (24) from Otolo Village, Nnewi, Anambra State, said: “I am a businessman. I dealt in electronics before I lost my goods to armed robbers. That was what led me into armed robbery after. My role is to join the soldier to hold the conductor and the driver for easy take-over and diversion of the truck. A victim once cursed me during one of the operations.”

    Orlu, Imo State-born Osita Nnaji (27), who described himself as a professional driver, denied partaking in the drugs deal, stating: “What I did with them was motor tyres’ and milk work. I did tyre work with one Sunny and Chidiebere. The tyre job was successful and I got N250, 000. And from the milk job, I got N300, 000. I decided to do my job with Chidiebere and Sunny because Madu’s gang used to cheat me. They used to tell stories if you are not there whenever they get money – we call it dividend.”

    The command’s spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Ngozi Braide confirmed their arrest. She said the command was ready for a crime-free Christmas in Lagos and praised the public for its cooperation.