The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reprisal attack

  • Police confirm officer’s death from Okada riders’ reprisal attack

    •Officer behind the crisis dismissed, facing trial’

    The Ebonyi Police Command yesterday confirmed the death of one of its officers from head injuries, sustained during a reprisal attack by some commercial motorcyclists in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that crisis erupted in Abakaliki on April 26 when Sergeant Onyebuchi Nweke shot and killed a commercial motorcyclist, Ejike Offim, over alleged refusal to offer him N50.

    The town was enveloped in protests by commercial motorcycle riders who engaged the police in bitter clashes that resulted in serious injuries to seven police officers.

    Police spokesperson Loveth Odaa, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP) told NAN that the deceased officer, Inspector Monday Ekong, died from head injuries sustained in the clashes.

    Odaa, who noted that the officer hailed from Akwa Ibom, said the command spent over N1.6 million for his treatment before he died last Friday in a hospital in Enugu.

    “The hospital demanded for N3 million for his treatment and the amount we spent covered expenses from the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA) to the hospital he was referred to in Enugu.

    “The protesters pelted the officers with concrete stones which resulted in the serious head injuries he sustained and left other officers seriously injured.

    “We are presently in the court of public opinion and asking the public if we would be right to charge the arrested protesters with murder,’’ she said.

    She added that she was nearly lynched by the mob that day on her way to a radio station to appeal for calm on the part of the protesters.

    “My vehicle was, however, seriously damaged because we were imploring the commercial motorcyclists to be calm and maintain peace as a result of the incident,’’ she said.

    Odaa noted that the loss of the officer and severe injuries to the others was uncalled for as the officer who shot Offim is currently facing prosecution.

    “The officer has been tried departmentally, dismissed from the force and has been charged to court over his act,’’ she said.

    Governor David Umahi had on Monday during an enlarged security meeting of stakeholders and heads of security agencies in the state, announced the death of the officer.

    Umahi noted that the incident was unfortunate as the government would critically review the situation to prevent recurrence.

    “We have seen that two wrongs cannot make a right with the Commissioner of Police (CP), dismissing the erring officer over his actions.

    “The officer is not from another tribe but an Igbo man and the press is not reporting this incident or the other police officers that were injured.

    “I commend the CP for his mature handling of the matter as the state government would assist in the dead officer’s burial,’’ he said.

    An official of the commercial motorcyclists union in the state, who pleaded anonymity, urged the police to immediately release his members arrested over the protest.

    “We have the right to protest the killing of our member over N50 because there is no law in the country which stipulates that we should offer money to the police while carrying out our duties,’’ he said.

  • Police uncovers fresh plot to attack Ogun community

    Police uncovers fresh plot to attack Ogun community

    Armed policemen have taken over the whole of Sagamu, Ogun State, blocking both remote and strategic entrances to the boisterous town, following plans by suspected cultists to wreck further violence on residents.

    Rampaging cultists are said to have perfected plans to visit Sagamu and neigbouring villages with sustained violence in a cult – war – driven reprisal attack, the Police hinted, but assured that they would be tackled.

    It was learnt that the cultists had planned to storm Sagamu from Ago – Iwoye between Friday or Saturday.

    The spokesman of Ogun Police Command, Mr.Muyiwa Adejobi, who made this known to reporters, hinted that the Command have also got information that some prominent chiefs in Emuren in Sagamu Local Government Area  of the state were harbouring and promoting the cult groups.

    Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police blamed the incident on a cult group which went to Emuren and killed the goat a rival group had planned to slaughter in celebration of its anniversary leading to a reprisal attack.

    According to him, 17 suspected cultists have been arrested in Ago – Iwoye while 23 others were arrested in connection with violence in Emuren and two other communities.

    It should be recalled that on Thursday, the cultists unleashed mayhem in Igbosoro, an Ogun community, allegedly killing at least eight persons, including a pregnant woman.

    The pregnant woman was said to be married to a cultist who disappeared when the hoodlums came looking for him his Igbosoro residence.

    Earlier, some suspected hoodlums had also struck at Fakale, Emuren and Igbosoro communities, leaving no fewer than seven persons dead in the aftermath of the raids.

    It was gathered that among the victims of the latest attack was the son of the Baale (community leader) of Fakale.

    The cultists, suspected to be members of the Black Axe confraternity, who were said to be celebrating their annual orientation known as 7/7 (July 7) shot and injured residents.

    Adejobi said:”On Wednesday, the cult group went to Emuren and killed the goat of other rival group for celebration and they went angrily to attack them back but they have their target. The command did not have the record of those killed, they are hurting themselves and they have their targets and at least to an extent we thank God they have not been killing.

    “But today (Friday) we have information that some of them are from that community, they are been invited into Emuren community. We have allegation that some traditional chiefs are harbouring and promoting them.We are going to spread the scope of our investigation to unravel this and if it is true, any community leader that is involved in promoting cultism will be dealt with accordingly or face the wrath of the law.

    He added: “We have 12 suspects from that angle. In Emuren alone we have arrested  three suspects, they said one of them is a son to a Chief, we are still investigating, we have another one arrested in other community, we went on all round operation, we have additional 12 just for today(Friday), making 17 suspects. In Emuren specifically which is the conflict theatre, we have three persons. We are working on them and we are going to subdue them, is not only in this place, all together in the State now we have 40.

    “In Ago-Iwoye we have 17 persons arrested and as I speak with you we have information that they are coming again with their new boss to attack Sagamu, the Divisional Police Officer of Sagamu is on the express now.They (the Police) have block all the entrances into Sagamu. They want to cause problem and unrest for us in Ogun State and we are going to tackle them and we are going to puncture their tyres.”

  • Police arrest one over alleged reprisal killing in Rivers

    Police arrest one over alleged reprisal killing in Rivers

    Nineteen-year old Luke Okumebi has been arrested by the Police in Rivers state over the killing one Godstime Ifuroiyala at Buguma town in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state Wednesday.

    The spokesman of the state Police command, Ahmad Mohammad a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed this in a statement in Port Harcourt, the state capital Friday.

    Ifuroiyala aged 17 was reportedly murdered and corpse set on fire by the suspect.

    Community members believe that the act was in retaliation of the clubbing and burning of the corpse of a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ofinijete Amachree in Buguma, Monday evening.

    One Ndubisi Tochi was on Tuesday arrested and detained for Amahree’s murder.

    Mohammad in the statement said, “The police at Buguma on Wednesday March 9, 2016 at about 4:30 pm received a complaint to the effect that one Godstime Ifuroiyala ‘m’ 17 years old was at about 1 pm allegedly murdered at Tariah Compound, Buguma.

    “The police on receipt of the information raced to the scene of the incident but did not see the victim’s corpse, but there was sign of struggle and blood stains all around the scene.

    “Efforts to get information proved abortive as people around the scene declined to talk to the police until a patriotic citizen later volunteered information that led to the arrest of one Luke Okumebi ‘m’ 19 years old as one the suspects behind the alleged murder of the victim.

    “The suspect is presently being interrogated at the State Intelligence and Investigation Department of the Command. Efforts are heightened to arrest his accomplices with a view of bringing them to justice.

    “The Command craves for the continued cooperation of the media to confirm their stories to ascertain their facts and truthfulness before making them public,” he said.

     

  • Kano attack: Police in Delta move against reprisal

    Kano attack: Police in Delta move against reprisal

    The Police command in Delta on Friday said it has taken measures to forestall reprisal attack on northerners living in the state following Monday’s suicide attack at a luxury bus park in Sabon Gari, Kano.

    The command said the measures became necessary, especially when it was known that such attacks often spilled over to Asaba from the neighbouring Onitsha, in Anambra.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State Police Command, Mr. Famous Ajie, said the command had put structures on ground to secure the state against any reprisal attack.

    “The command is aware of the tension and is on top of the matter. We have adopted measures to forestall any ugly occurrence resulting from the Kano incident.

    “We are mindful that if such ugly development is recorded in Onitsha, it will spill over to Asaba.

    “This is because the town has concentration of Hausa community that could be attacked,’’ the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the PPRO as saying on Friday.