The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Owerri

  • Warri Wolves want to win for fans

    Warri Wolves want to win for fans

    From Tunde Liadi,Owerri  Warri Wolves have advised ABS to concentrate on their survival battle than the club’s media outburst that they would beat the Seasiders today.

    The Ilorin side are convinced they would escape the drop after today’s round of matches and they have been speaking about it without let-up.

    But Warri Wolves’ media officer, Moses Etu has stated that ABS should forget about getting any point at the Warri Township Stadium today because the players have assured that they would beat their opponents to appease the fans for their disappointing display in the league this season.

    Etu disclosed that ABS came at the wrong time and that the Seasiders would not spare their visitors at all as they want to end the season with a flourish.

    “ABS should forget about getting a point at Warri. We are poised to beat them on Sunday (today). We are unconcerned about their media rant. It is so unfortunate they have come to Warri when we want to win this game for our fans.

    “They are still not happy with us that we lost at home to Akwa United. We are winning this game for them,” Etu said.

    Wolves are seventh with 52 points from 37 matches while ABS are 13th with 50 points from 37 games too.

  • Salami urges mates to fight harder at Owerri

    Salami urges mates to fight harder at Owerri

    • Says 3SC’s race out of relegation is a collective effort

     

     

    3SC’s Gbolahan Salami says the Oluyole Warriors are poised to give Heartland of Owerri a good fight in their Matchday 32 Glo Premier League tie slated for the Dan Anyiam Stadium today

    The Ibadan side are last on the log with 38 points from 30 matches while their hosts, the Naze Millionaires are in new rich of form having had 10 points from possible 12 in their last 4 matches in the league. They are 8th on the log with 44 points from 31 matches.

    Salami queried the rationale behind the Oluyole Warriors recent slump but was quick to point out that the players, coaches and management of the club are all in one page towards ensuring that 3SC stay in the elite division beyond this season.

    Salami told SportingLife:”We are storming Owerri full of optimism as Shooting Stars will not go down. We know what is at stake and we shall ensure that we pick as many points as possible that will ensure we retain our spot in the premier league.”

    Meanwhile, players and officials of the Ibadan darling team were all invited for a meeting with the Oyo Sports Commissioner, Dapo Lam Adesina on the way based on the precarious position of the club on the log and what must be done to ensure that 3SC step out of the relegation zone.

    A source within the Oluyole Warriors said the meeting was held Sunday immediately after the club’s final training session.

    SportingLife reliably gathered that the Sports Commissioner charged the players and officials to re-double their efforts to ensure that 3SC stay up at the end of the season.

     

  • Policemen, prison officials clash in Owerri

    •Residents scamper for safety

    All hell broke loose yesterday in Owerri, the Imo state capital, when armed policemen engaged prison officials in a shoot-out.

    The incident, which resulted in a stampede on Okigwe Road and environs, caused panic in the state capital as motorists abandoned their vehicles and scampered to safety.

    Although there was no casualty, a senior prison official, who pleaded for anonymity, told The Nation that over 10 policemen invaded the prisons to recover a tricycle, which was in the care of prison officials.

    He said: “The rider of the tricycle was involved in an accident close to the prison gate and the rider and the occupants were rushed to the hospital by our men but after some hours a group of policemen came to take away the tricycle without asking after the owner.

    “Our men told them that they can’t release the tricycle without informing our boss and an argument ensued but when our senior officer came out the policemen started to insult him and insisted on taking away the tricycle; this resulted in a shoot-out between the police and our men but no casualty was recorded.”

    An eyewitness said the officers were engaged in a fight. Some uniforms were torn in the fracas.

    But the Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Musa Katsina, said there was no shootout between the police and the prison officers, adding that it was only a brawl among the junior officers.

     

  • Nasarawa vow to pick points in Owerri

    Nasarawa vow to pick points in Owerri

    Nasarawa United captain, Baba Idris, has emphatically stated that their mission to Owerri is to pick points off Heartland in their Week 18 clash at the Dan Anyiam Stadium.

    Idris, who spoke to supersport.com, is of the opinion that given fair officiating, he is sure that the team will pick at least a point off their hosts.

    “We are not going for a jamboree in Owerri, we are going there for business and we want to grab points there,” he stated.

    “The team has resolved to go all out to get the maximum points at stake. If the officiating is fair, then I am sure we can do that. Heartland are formidable at home, but I’m confident I and my teammates can do the business there.”

    The 20-year-old centre-back also called on the League Management Company (LMC) to check the excesses of fans as security is a necessary precursor for fairness and entertainment.

    “I must commend the LMC for what they are doing, teams are now picking more away points than previous seasons, but the issue of security has to be addressed so that teams playing away can feel they have an equal opportunity to play and gain points,” said Idris.

    The former Plateau United defender also revealed that their ambition is to nick a continental slot at the end of the season, so as to get back to Africa after having a taste of continental football in 2007.

    “We want to get back into Africa, that’s our main objective this season. I’ll be satisfied if we can achieve that, our fans surely deserve it. The Nasarawa state government has promised to help us actualise this dream, and we are sure we can do it.” he concluded.

    Nasarawa United will confront Heartland in a Week 18 clash on Thursday at the Dan Anyiam Stadium smarting from a 1-0 home win against basement side, Sharks courtesy a Victor Namo strike.

    The Solid Miners are occupying the seventh position on the log with 25 points from 17 matches.

  • Police confirm kidnap of paediatrician in Abakliki

    The Ebonyi Police command on Monday confirmed the kidnap of Dr Pius Mauyike, a consultant paediatrician at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, by gunmen.

    Confirming the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Sylvester Igbo, the command’s Public Relations Officer, said the doctor was kidnapped on Sunday evening as he approached his private clinic at No. 15A Owerri Street, Abakaliki.

    Igbo said that Mauyike, who is the owner of St. Marks Specialist Clinic, Abakaliki, was abducted with his vehicle, a black BMW, by two men armed with AK-47 rifles.

    “His gate-man, who was simply identified as Peter, was shot dead as five shells of bullets were picked at the scene of the incident.

    “The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at a mortuary, and the command has intensified efforts to trace the perpetrators of the dastardly act,’’ he said.

    A doctor at the hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity, decried the spate of attacks on the hospitals’ doctors in recent times, noting that it was worrisome.

    “Early this year, one of our doctors was nearly blinded by an Assistant Superintendent of Police for attending to his sick wife.

    “Last week, another doctor was brutalised by relatives of a patient that died in the hospital over alleged complicity that turned out to be false.

    “Efforts should be made by relevant authorities to ensure the safety of doctors to enable them to concentrate on discharging their duties,’’ he said.

  • Customs seizes N600m goods in Owerri

    The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘C’ of the Nigeria Custom Service has seized goods worth over N600million in Owerri.

    The seizure was part of measures to check smuggling and other illegal activities in the zone.

    The Comptroller of the Zone, Mohammed Biu, said his officers and men made 15 seizures, worth N600million in September.

    He said they were able to clamp down on smugglers because of the dedicated officers in the zone, who do not cut corners nor compromise standards.

    Mohammed said since his resumption at the command two months ago, he has focused on closing linkages.

  • Police, Hausa community clash in Owerri

    Many people were injured yesterday in a clash between policemen and the Hausa community in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

    Heavily armed policemen and vigilance groups stormed Douglas Road to eject Hausa traders from the area, but the traders fought them.

    It was learnt that the police were acting on a security report that Boko Haram members had infiltrated the area.

    The police shot tear gas canisters into the air to scare the traders , but they insisted that they were not a security risk.

    The situation degenerated into a free-for-all, in which many people were injured.

    An eyewitness said the fear that members of the Boko Haram sect may be in the vicinity led to a stampede. He said passers-by scampered to safety and people abandoned their vehicles and fled.

    A witness said the Hausa traders fought the security agents with assorted weapons.

    He said: “The traders were served quit notices sometime ago because of the heavy traffic and avoidable accidents caused by their trading activities. “They constitute great nuisance in the area and the security situation in the country demands stringent security measures.”

    A Hausa trader, simply identified as Farouk, said they were never served quit notices.

    He said: “Some people were saying that we are Boko Haram members and that they will send us out of the state, but we are law-abiding Nigerians and are only doing our lawful businesses.”

    A government source, who did not want to be named, said the traders were served a notice to leave the place by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

    The source said a task force went there to enforce the order after the expiration of the notice, but it was resisted by the traders.

    Police spokesman Vitalis Onugu said he was yet to be briefed about the incident.

  • Imo police disown text message

    The Police in Imo State have debunked a text message circulating in Owerri, the Imo State capital, that the state has been invaded by kidnappers.

    The message, which was alleged to have emanated from the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adisa Bolanta, reads: “Owerri is on red flag as regards the deplorable security situation. Present CP said citizens should totally avoid lonely places, driving exotic/flashy cars, especially Jeeps. A group of 16 kidnappers is in the state. The police are battling to track them down, but no success yet”.

    In a statement, Police spokesman Vitalis Onugu urged the public to disregard the text message.
    He said: “The text message is the handiwork of hoodlums and people, who are poised to destabilise the state and blackmail the police, but we have begun investigation into the matter.

    “We urge residents to go about their legitimate duties without fear, as the police are poised to ensure crime-free ember months.”