The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Set ablaze

  • Thugs set ablaze election materials in Benue

    Election materials meant for the supplementary elections in the entire Azendeshi ward, Ukum local government area of Benue State were set ablaze by suspected party thugs in Chito town. Chito is the headquarters of Azendeshi ward with 13,000/voting population.

    The electoral materials were kept at a public primary school before thugs belonging to one of the political parties overpowered security men and set them ablaze.

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    There were also reports of a similar situation in parts of Kwande local government area, as thugs manhandled Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff and destroyed electoral materials but the situation was said to have been brought under control by security operatives.

    Apart from these isolated cases, the election was generally peaceful in Benue with a large turnout of voters at various polling units as earlier as 8am. As at press time, the process was still going on in 22 local government areas out of 23.

  • Woman, three children allegedly set ablaze

    The police in Lagos have arrested a man, Shola Adewunmi, for allegedly igniting fire in the home of a woman he quarrelled with.

    The incident occurred yesterday morning at Powerline Road, beside Lawyer Raji Street, Alagbado.

    Adewunmi, currently being held at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, was arrested by policemen attached to Alagbado Division after his phone gave him away.

    It was gathered that the suspect at the wee hours of yesterday set fire on the shanty occupied by the woman, Iya Ayo and her three children, Ayo, 17 years, Esther, nine years, and Nifemi, five years.

    While Nifemi was said to have died as a result of the fire, it was learnt that the woman and her two other children sustained severe burns.

    Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal, who led reporters to the scene, described the incident as man’s inhumanity to man.

    He said the Divisional Police Officer, who responded to the incident, discovered a phone and when it was traced, it was found out that the phone belonged to Adewunmi.

    Edgal said: “This is where the woman and her three children live. They were sleeping; suddenly there was a fire outbreak. They sustained burns and have been taken to hospital.

    “The DPO and his team searched the house and recovered a phone, which was traced to Shola Adewunmi, who had quarrelled with the woman.

    “He has been arrested and I have ordered that he be taken to the SCIID for investigation. He will be investigated and arraigned. I will direct DCP Panti to give you access to the suspect when we have completed investigation.”

  • Alleged human parts seller set ablaze

    Alleged human parts seller set ablaze

    A woman, allegedly found in possession of human parts, was yesterday afternoon set ablaze by a mob around Ekete-Inland area in Udu council area of Delta state.

    Our correspondent gathered the woman, who was reportedly known to be moving around the area disguised as a lunatic, was caught with human parts as well as a fresh human corpse at the spot where she always stayed.

    According to eyewitnesses, the woman was discovered with the parts when residents were disposing refuse and burning dirt gathered during the day’s environmental sanitation exercise.

    One of the witnesses, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, said the woman attracted attention of some members of the community, who suspected her strange attitude while burning refuse close to her shack.

    “When some of the people who were burning refuse observed she was behaving strangely, they went on to look into her hut and to their surprise they saw a fresh corpse of a young girl and other human parts.

    “This made the people to raise the alarm and suspecting that she might have been in this sort of business for a very long time, people got angry and seized her,” the source said.

    The crowd, which grew more and more with time, unleashed anger on her, setting the woman ablaze before security operatives could arrive to rescue her.

    Spokesman of the Delta state police command, Andrew Aniamaka (DSP), said he would only be able to comment after briefing by the Divisional Police Officer of the area.

     

  • Mob set tipper driver, conductor ablaze in Edo

    A tipper driver and his conductor have been burnt to death by a mob after they crushed three persons in an accident.

    Among the three victims was a pregnant woman.

    The incident happened at Osholo village in Estako East local government area.

    Eye witnesses said the tipper was heading towards Weppa community when it ran into a crowd, killed three persons and injured several others.

    The witnesses said the driver and his conductor attempted to take the injured to a nearby hospital and carry the dead when members of Osholo community descended on them.

    Both the driver and the conductor were killed and thrown into their tipper and set it ablaze.

    Peeved by the action of Osholo community, residents of Weppa community where the driver and conductor hail from invaded Osholo and set some houses ablaze.

    An intervention by security agencies prevented the crisis from degenerating to full communal clash.

    State Commissioner of Police, Chris Ejike, who confirmed the incident, said five persons died in the incident.

    Ejike noted that a combined police team was drafted to the area to stop further destruction of properties.

    He described the killing of the driver and conductor as barbaric and added that investigation has commenced into the matter.