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Tag: Nnamdi Omoni

  • Police arrest suspects over death of three in Rivers cult clash

    The Police Command in Rivers State on Monday said some suspected cultists had been arrested in connection with the death of three persons in Mgbodohia, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

    The command’s spokesman, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP), confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt.

    Omoni, however, could not give a specific figure of the arrested suspects.

    He said that the three persons were killed on Saturday during a fight for supremacy between two rival cult groups – Iceland and Deybam in the community.

    The police spokesman said that preliminary investigation into the clash had shown that the fight resulted from disagreement over who should collect a certain illegal levy in the community.

    NAN reports that the illegal fee collected from those buying land in the community is known as “bush entering or marching ground” in the state.

    Read Also: Six accused of killing police officer

    It will be recalled that Gov. Rotimi Ameachi’s administration abolished the levy, making it illegal and punishable on conviction.

    According to Omoni, the investigation showed that the two cult groups had the history of clashing over who should collect the illegal levy.

    He however said normalcy had returned to the community due to the deployment of police personnel to the area.

    The command’s spokesman urged the residents who had fled the community due to the crisis to return home.

    “I appeal to the residents of the state to furnished police with meaningful information on the activities of the hoodlums in their areas,’’ he said.

    NAN

  • Wike gives thumbs up to INEC, blames the military

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the prompt distribution of electoral materials across the state in the yesterday’s Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

    Wike, who spoke shortly after casting his votes at his ward 9, unit 7 Obio/Akpor Local Governmnet Area of the state, however blamed the military for the challenges recorded in parts of the state.

    Wike was accompanied to the voting ground by his wife,  Eberechi Suzzette Wike, a judge of the State High Court, to cast his votes at about few minutes to 12 noon yesterday.

    He expressed satisfaction in the large turnout of voters. He stated that Nigerians are ready to exercise their franchise.

    Speaking to newsmen he said,  “From what I have seen here, it is a large turnout and Nigerians  are ready to express their franchise.  Apart from the military intervention, things are moving on smoothly.

    “There is a clear improvement by INEC in the conduct of this year’s election. They have shown preparedness in the discharge of their electoral duties during the voting process, and I sincerely commend them for that.”

    Read Also: I have confidence in INEC – Hamzat

    He, however, regretted the activities of the Nigerian Military in the exercise, accusing them of deliberate efforts to frustrate the success of democratic process across the state.

    “It is unfortunate that our military can descend so low.  We use to complain about the Police, but now it is the military.

    “What Nigerians have wished to be will be, it doesn’t matter the manipulation anybody would want to carry out, I am very hopeful that Nigerians will decide today and a new President will emerge”, he said.

    Generally, the elections were peaceful in parts of the state, especially,  Port-Harcourt the state capital and its environs, though there were some skirmishes in some LGAs, of Bonny, Okrika, Abonnema in Akukutoru, and Andoni and arrests have been made in these places, the state  police command told newsmen.

    Speaking through its spokesman, Nnamdi Omoni,  Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), noted that the police was very prepared for the exercise, with over 15,000 officers and men deployed to the 4,442 polling unites across the state.

    Electoral materials arrived most of the polling centres early enough, resulting in accreditation and voting in most areas as early as 9 am.

    At Saint Andrew Anglican Church, Mile one Diobu, RACK centre  for the entire Diobu axis, electoral materials began to leave the centre as early as 7:30 am, by 9: 30, all materials had completely been moved from the place with voting already commenced in some places.

    There was large turnout of voters in the state with good number of them seen trekking several miles away to get to their voting centres.

    A voter simply identified as Ayozie, aged about 60, and was seen at second artillery along Aba/Port-Harcourt expressway going from Obigbo to Diobu to ensure he cast his vote.

    Interacting with him, he said, “I am coming from Obigbo in Obigbo LGA and I am going to Diobi to cast my vote to my preferred candidate.”

    Also at one of the polling units visited in Wimpey area, an average age woman told the story of how she trekked from Rukpokwu axis to her polling unit at the Wimpy area.

  • Police to investigate APC campaign rally stampede in P/Harcourt

    The Police in Rivers said it would investigate the stampede at Adokiye Amesiemeka Stadium, Port Harcourt, during All Progressives Congress (APC) rally on Tuesday.

    Making this known in Port Harcourt, Spokesman of the command, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that four people died in the stampede.

    “As a command, we will investigate the cause of the stampede. We are hearing different versions as to the cause of the incident.

    “At the end of our investigation, we will write our report and any person or group of persons responsible for it will be sanctioned,” he said.

    NAN recalls that no fewer than 11 persons were reported at the same Adokiye Amesiemeka Stadium in 2015, during a People Democratic Party (PDP) presidential rally.

    Read Also: No plan to quit APC, says Tinubu

    On Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said 15,000 personnel out of the 16,000 in the command would be deployed to the 23 local government areas of the state elections.

    According to him, three policemen are expected to be at a pulling unit during the elections.

    NAN

  • Two lawyers kidnapped in Rivers

    Unknown gunmen have kidnapped two legal practitioners in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.

    The Lawyers, John Joseph, Ward 8 APC leader in Emohua Local Government Area of the state, and another simply identified as Barrister Stephenson was reportedly abducted in Iloabuchi area of Mile 1 Diobu, in Port Harcourt City Local Government of the State.

    Sources close to one of the victims confirmed the incident to newsmen in Port Harcourt, on Monday, said the duo were returning from a political meeting from the Government reservation Area of the state capital when they were ambushed and taken to yet to be known place.

    The sources who would not want his name on print said blood stain was found in the car they were kidnapped from, adding that the vehicle was recovered behind Rivers State University, by police officers attached to Iloabuchi Division.

    Read Also: Two lawyers kidnapped in Rivers

    Also speaking, a family member of one of the victims simply identified as Joseph said the abductors are yet to contact them, he appealed to the kidnappers to free the Lawyers unconditionally and unhurt.

    Military personnel deployed along Eagle Island road has also confirmed hearing gunshots within the area, where the victim’s car was recovered.

    The State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), could not confirm the report as at the time of filing the report.

  • Horror in Rivers as man kills his four sleeping children

    ….hangs self, chases wife away, sets house ablaze

     

    It was a horrifying scene Tuesday at Alesa, near Port Harcourt, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State, as a man killed his four sleeping children, after chasing his wife away, set his house ablaze and hanged himself.

    It was learnt that the incident happened around 1 a.m., when the escaping wife raised the alarm that her husband, who hailed from Ogoja in Cross River State, wanted to kill her and their children, but before neighbours could move to the two-room apartment, the deed had already been done.

    Read Also:Wike’s govt owes 2,000 Rivers pensioners over N70b –NUP

    It was also gathered that the four sleeping children were strangled to death, giving them no chance of fleeing to safety.

    One of the neighbours, who spoke in confidence, revealed that the husband was notorious for always beating his wife of many years, with the frustrated woman making moves to seek divorce, which the husband got wind of, leading to the sad incident.

    The source disclosed that when the wife later returned home, she saw the dead bodies of all the members of her family, with the burnt house, and she almost ran mad, but for sympathisers who came to her rescue and took her to an unknown destination.

    The dead bodies were later evacuated by policemen and deposited in the morgue of an undisclosed hospital in Rivers state.

    Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident through the telephone.

    When asked if any arrest had been made by the Rivers police command, Omoni said: “Who are you going to arrest, when the man chased away his wife, before killing their four children? He did not stop at killing the children, but he decided to set his house ablaze, before hanging himself.”

  • Suspected robbers terrorize Rivers residents

    There was palpable fear and panic among residents of Ogbumnuabali area of Port Harcourt, in Port Harcourt City Local Government of  the Rivers state Monday night as suspected armed robbers stormed the area.

    The incident happened in Ogbuga and Ogbundah streets in the area around 7 in the evening, saw the entire community which is usually beehive of activities, being a known commercial area known for computer and electronic business to go deserted within seconds, as people scamper to safety.

    A source close to the area told the Nation that the assailants who were heavily armed young men and teenagers shot sporadically as they de-possess their victims of their valuables, including phones, cash and others.

     He said that the community has been under siege by the hoodlums for a while now, with nothing being done about it.

    Collaborating the source,  a cap driver also told a story of how he stormed into them last week about the same time also,  causing his vehicle to be discharged of passengers who ran out of the car for hideout.

    Read Also: APC: CCTV captured Rivers bombing

    They men of the underworld were reportedly armed with guns and other dangerous weapons and they robbed some petty traders of their money and phones forcing some other shop owners to lock their shops and run for safety.

    A residence who spoke to our reporter on the matter  is now on a daily basis “we are just living in fear now, if we hear noise, we go run for our lives because they can come at any time, I no go fit dey my shop reach 9’o clock for night again because of fear, we no dey safe again even to sleep for night, na one eye we dey carry sleep” she said.

    According to another resident who pleaded anonymity “they even go as far tearing window nets to steal whatever they can lay their hands on, this place is no longer what it used to be, we are pleading with the state government to provide security for us especially this election period”.

    The hoodlums reportedly depossess  the residents of their property ranging from cars and other valuable on daily basis and terrorizes the  area freely without  fear of apprehension or challenge by anyone, including security operatives.

    It is suspected that the assailants are residents of the area who are well knowledgeable of the environment.

    Rumour mills however said that some persons have been arrested in connection with the attack,  but the police could not confirm it as at the time of filing this report.

    Efforts to reach the spokesman of the state police command,  Nnamdi Omoni,  a Deputy Suprindentent of Police failed. He did not answer calls made to his handset mobile phone, neither did he return the calls.

  • IPOB: 19 persons held in Rivers

    …as 3 trucks burnt

    …Exercise received partial compliance

    The police in Rivers state on Friday said they have arrested 19 persons suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), in Oyigbo Local Government Area(LGA), of Rivers state.

    The arrest may not be unconnected with the attack and burning of trucks and other vehicles laden with goods at Komkom axis of Oyigbo while leaving the state for other parts of the country earlier hours of yesterday, Friday, September 14, 2018.

    The incident reportedly occurred about 2: am. The leadership of IPOB allegedly directed their members and supporters to observe a one day sit-at-home in remembarce of the alleged disappearance of their leader Nnamdi Kanu as well as to commemorate their day, instructing all shops,  businesses and markets either owned and operated by the south-Easterners across the country to be shutdown, even as vehicles owned by them be taken off all routes beginning from 12 midnight Friday.

    The attack on the vehicles apparently followed the directives.

    The spokesman of the state police command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Suprindentent of Police (DSP), in a telephone interview with the Nation Friday said the said group does not exist by law,  having been outlawed by the government, hence have no right to issue any order to Nigerian citizens.

    He said, “Three vehicles were destroyed and burnt down by the members of the outlawed IPOB at Oyigbo, following the said sit-at-home order.

    “We have arrested 19 of them and will definitely charge them to court the moment we are through with our investigations which they are really cooperating with us in.”

    Asked if the arrest was for the destruction done or the order given said,  “Because the group has been proscribed, it does not exist in the eyes of the law, therefore that their so called leaders gave them order to sit-at-home is in the first place illegal, and more worrisome is the fact that they came out to cause violent and destroy peoples’property is a bigger issue,  as far as Nigeria is concerned there is no association like IPOB.” he said.

    Read Also: Mixed feelings trail IPOB sit-at-home order

    Earlier the Executive chairman of Oyigbo LGA Gerald Oforji had confirmed the incident (attack),  and assures that men of the Nigeria Police Force were on the scene to restore normalcy and forestall further attacks.

    However sources around the area alleged that over 10 vehicles were burnt down and four drivers of the trucks involved are reportedly missing.

    Visiting parts of the state on Friday it was notices that the exercise witness partial compliance in parts of Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    From Eleme junction area of the city through the mile one motor park where the Igbos operate most of the businesses, especially the oil mill computer village,  Artillary, Garrison  and even Parker flyover second hand clothes  market, where most of the traders comes from Aba,  in Abia state was open with majority of the traders at their umbrella shades attending to their customers.

    Also shops and business at artillary and garrison junctions also were beehive of activities, however some of the shops were noticed under lock and key.

    In the same vain at the popular Ikoku automobile spare parts markets operated by IPOB members equally witnessed partial compliance but the Iloabuchi electronic dealers axis of Diobu witnessed about 80 per cent compliance, this is also the same at Oginigba area of port Harcourt where there was total compliance.

    Also at Oyigbo mainly occupied by the south-Easterners, markets and businesses belonging to the Igbos were shut down.

    Also Some banks in Oyigbo and parts of Port Harcourt hurriedly shut down for fear of being attacked  by criminals.

    The sit at home order which supposed to be peaceful and optional but somehow turned violent in Oyigbo area.

  • Gunmen kill two policemen, driver, abduct expatriate

    At least three people have been killed and one kidnapped by gunmen around Woji community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The victims are reportedly two police officers and a civilian driver in a convoy of a foreigner, who was later abducted by the bandits.

    Eye witness account said the kidnappers ambushed the convoy within Akom road in Woji community in Obio/Akpor area shot and killed the policemen and the driver.

    The witness, Rachel Reginald, said the gunmen later succeeded in kidnapping their target, after releasing sporadic gunshots in the incident, which happened around 9:47pm on Wednesday.

    This is happening, barely 12 days two Soldiers, a policeman and a driver were also killed at Abua Local Government Area of the state, while trying to prevent the kidnap of an expertriate, although their target narrowly escaped.

    Read Also: Four policemen killed in kidnappers’ ambush

    According to Reginald, two passers-by sustained bullet wounds in the incident that lasted less than 15 minutes.

    Spokesman of the State Police Command, Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), when contacted, confirmed the death of two policemen, adding that a victim is recuperating in hospital.

    Omoni however, denied that somebody was abducted, regretting the armed men carried out surprise attack on the police team.

    He said that the command has intensified search for the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

  • Hijacked Rivers bus: Two bodies recovered, six missing, eight rescued

    The 18- seater passenger bus  hijacked by unknown gunmen along Elele-Omarelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State has been found.

    The spokesman of the state Police command, Nnamdi Omoni confirmed this in Port Harcourt on Friday.

    Omoni further disclosed that two of the passengers onboard the bus were however found dead, six are still missing, while eight have been rescued alive from their abductors.

    The commercial bus was reportedly travelling from Owerri, Imo State, to Port Harcourt, when the arm-bearing hoodlums ambushed and diverted their vehicle to unknown destination.

    The Commander of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, in Rivers, Bennett Igwe, broke the news to newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Thursday.

    Read Also: Gunmen hijack commercial bus in Rivers

    Igwe, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), assured the public that efforts were on by men of his team to ensure successful and safe rescue of passenger from the kidnappers, in no time.

    The command confirmed Friday evening that the bus and some of the passengers have been rescued but two of the victims were found dead.

    Omoni said, ”The Police have rescued the kidnap victims and recovered the bus they were travelling in. They were rescued at the early hours of Friday. However dead bodies of two of the passengers were recovered, six are still with them, but eight of them were rescued alive.” he said.

    Meanwhile the command also regretted the ‘unfortunate’ death of a Catholic priest that was abducted by the criminals before he could be rescued.

    According to him, the Reverend father was kidnapped two weeks ago, but the body seen abandoned in part of the state.  He suspected that his abductors might have collected ransom from the family before killing him.

  • Unknown gunmen kill four Northern traders in Rivers

    Four Hausa traders have been reportedly killed by unknown gunmen in Rivers State.

    The victims whose identity could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report were said to be seated in front of their residents when the assailants stormed the place and opened fire on them killing four while two escaped unhurt.

    The incident reportedly occurred at Orazi area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

    Read Also: Three APC stalwarts freed in Rivers

    The state Police command confirmed the killings but said the cause of the killings is yet to be ascertained as the report as at the time of confirmation yesterday evening were still sketchy.

    The mouth piece of the corner, Nnamdi Omoni however said that men of the command are already deployed to the scene and that full scale investigation as to who, how and why has already begun, assuring that the police would do everything possible to apprehend the killers.

    The Nation reliably learnt that the remains of the victims have been conveyed back to their Bauchi native state for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.