The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Suspected

  • Suspected thugs invade Oredo Council

    Suspected thugs stormed the secretariat of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State yesterday and stopped the impeachment of the council boss, Mr. Osaro Obazee.

    The hoodlums were said to have invaded the secretariat, following last week’s removal of the leader of the legislative arm, Mr. Monday Oboigba, by eight of the 12 councillors.

    A new leader, Nohayi Obaseki, was elected.

    It was learnt that Oboigba’s removal was to pave the way for the removal of Obazee, perceived as a loyalist of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

    Sources said Obazee and other council bosses were referred to as ‘batch b’ waiting to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    When The Nation visited the council secretariat yesterday, suspected thugs were sitting with the policemen drafted there to prevent a breakdown of law and order.

    It was gathered that attempt by the councillors to resume sitting was prevented by the hoodlums and the councillors ran away.

    The council boss, however, denied the impeachment plot.

    He said he was surprised to see “boys” at the secretariat.

    Obazee said he was not aware of any leadership change by the councillors, because, according to him, a letter from the clerk said the councillors’ meeting ended in chaos.

    He said: “My detractors wanted to create distraction by penetrating the councillors to create an impression before their master that they were the people who effected leadership change in the House. It is not an issue that cannot be resolved. We are meeting the councillors and we will resolve the matter.

    “I have a letter written to me by the clerk, informing me of what happened at the councillors’ meeting. I have not received any letter saying the leadership of the House has been changed. As far as I am concerned, Oboigba is the leader until I am informed that the leadership has been changed. The letter by the clerk stated that the sitting ended in chaos and one of the councillors left with the mace.

    “I don’t stand on the fence. I’m a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). I don’t have the membership card of the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu remains my friend but with a different political ideology. We only disagree on political ideology. I’m a member of the APC.”

    The leader said they made a change because the people who imposed them have defected to the PDP.

    He told reporters that the action was not to impeach the chairman but to appoint those they trusted.

    Said he: “We went to the office to conduct our oversight functions today (yesterday), but we were blocked at the gate by youths who sang war songs. We ran. Later we learnt the chairman addressed them behind the council that they should take positions in the council. But we don’t know why he is doing that because the change in the legislative arm is our legislative duty. It has nothing to do with him. So there should be no interference.

    “The members said we want a change and that was what happened. We are even surprised that the people asking us to rescind the removal are PDP leaders and we wonder what their business in the matter is.”

    It was learnt that some council bosses perceived to be loyal to Pastor Ize-Iyamu are finding it difficult to convince APC leaders that they are loyal.

    A source named the council bosses under watch, besides Oredo, to include that of Orhiomwon and Igueben.

  • Suspected gunmen abduct Bayelsa Speaker’s brother

    Suspected gunmen have kidnapped Iniokpoemi, the younger brother to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker Kombowei Benson.

    He was abducted about 3am yesterday.

    The incident occurred a few days after Florentina, the nonagenarian mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker and Pa Benson Adigio-Eseni, the octogenarian uncle to the former Governor Timipre Sylva were kidnapped.

    The police and other security agents were still making efforts to rescue Adigio-Eseni and Paulker when the abductors of Benson struck at Korokorosei in Southern Ijaw Local Government.

    The hoodlums were said to have shot in the air before whisking away Benson, the immediate past chairman of the Community Development Association (CDA) in the area.

    The Speaker’s younger brother is the second victim of abduction in the Benson extended family.

    His 86-year-old mother-in-law, Ogboru Orumo Dark, popularly called Obololo, was in March kidnapped about 1am from her home in Seibiri compound in the same community.

    A source, who preferred anonymity, said the gunmen created panic through their gunshots.

    “They came on a speedboat, bundled him and ferried him away through the waterways. They must have taken him to the creeks,” the source said.

    Police Commissioner Hilary Opara confirmed the incident.

    He said: “We have got information on the incident. The District Police Officer (DPO) and the Assistant Commissioner of Police have briefed me. The good thing is that we know the direction the hoodlums took. So, we will arrest them and rescue the victim.”

    Opara said they were also working to rescue Paulker.

    “We have made progress in that incident. We arrested one of them within hours and the next day we apprehended three more suspects, who are helping us in our investigation.”

  • Suspected gunmen kidnap 90-year-old senator’s mum

    Suspected gunmen kidnap 90-year-old senator’s mum

    Suspected gunmen yesterday abducted Madam Florentina, the 90-year-old mother of Senator Emmanuel Paulker, from her home in Opolo-Epie, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    Residents were angry that the gunmen kidnapped the woman despite her age.

    They were also annoyed because the woman was kidnapped for the second time in four years.

    In February 23, 2010, the old woman was abducted by armed youths, who demanded N100million ransom.

    She was rescued in March 2010 by security operatives, who reportedly shot one of the kidnappers on Immiringi Road in a battle.

    It was learnt that the kidnappers returned about 3am on Wednesday and executed their evil plot. A source said they were five and  armed with AK47 and other rifles.

    He added: “The kidnappers came through the main road. They drove a vehicle into the community and shot into the air to create panic among the people, who were fast asleep.

    “They broke into the old woman’s room and took her away to an unknown place. Some residents thought the abductors were armed robbers.”

    Another source decried the kidnap of Madam Florentina.

    Police Commissioner Hilary Opara confirmed the incident. He said one of the suspects had been arrested.

  • Boko Haram: Troops arrest three more suspected female terrorists

    Boko Haram: Troops arrest three more suspected female terrorists

    •Lay siege to Sambisa Forest routes

    Ghe Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday said that troops have arrested three suspected female terrorists allegedly recruiting ladies for the female wing of Boko Haram.

    The three suspects were named as Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar.

    The DHQ, which made the claim in a statement signed on behalf of the Director of Defence Information by Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the suspects were intercepted on their way to the dreaded Sambisa Forest.

    The statement said: “In the aftermath of the failed suicide bombing attempt on a military facility by a female terrorist who blew herself up in Gombe recently, troops have arrested three suspected female terrorists who have been secretly recruiting ladies into the female wing of the terrorists group.

    “The suspects, Hafsat Usman Bako, Zainab Idris and Aisha Abubakar, were intercepted while travelling to Madagali from where they were to transit to the forest to reunite with their cohorts.

    “Investigations revealed that the suspects, led by Hafsat Bako, have the mission to recruit members into the female wing as well as conduct espionage for the group.

    “Hafsat’s link with the terrorists group had earlier been a subject of investigation in 2012, when security agents on a manhunt for one Usman Bako, her husband who was identified as a terrorist, stormed their residence in Jimeta.

    “This resulted in the discovery of an AK 47 rifle and two loaded magazines. Though Usman Bako later died in an encounter with troops in Sokoto where he had relocated to continue his terrorist activities, Hafsat continued with the terror group specialising in surreptitious recruitment of members into their fold.”

    The statement said the suspects specialised in hiring widows and young girls under the guise of marrying them off to good homes.

    The statement added: “The arrested three suspects were luring ladies, especially widows and young girls, by enticing them with male suitors who are mainly members of their terror group for marriage.

    “Before their arrest, they were on a mission to take additional briefing from the leadership of the terror group.

    “The three suspects have been operating together as members of the intelligence team of the group. Their arrest has yielded information still being verified by security agencies.”

    A reliable military source, who spoke in confidence, said as part of the “proposed final onslaught against Boko Haram by the military, troops have been mobilised to all routes leading to Sambisa Forest.

    “Coded as frontline zones, the siege on the routes had enabled the troops to arrest one of the masterminds of the abduction of the 223 Chibok girls, Businessman Babuji Ya’ari, and two women serving as spies for Boko Haram, Hafsat Bako and Haj Kaka. These three were actually going to Sambisa Forest.

    “The strategy is to embark on pre-emptive steps to limit link with Boko Haram.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “We are ready to take the battle to Sambisa Forest. But we want to avoid as much collateral damage as possible. Our real mission is to liberate the abducted girls alive.”

  • Suspected Boko Haram members arrested in Ebonyi

    The Army arrested yesterday 17 suspected Boko Haram members at the Amasiri-Afikpo junction in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

    A source said after their arrest, they were handed over to the Area Command of the Nigeria Police in Afikpo for interrogation.

    The Nation learnt that the suspects, who were arrested in a chartered white bus, were intercepted in the afternoon before they could get to their destination.

    The source said after their detention, over 100 youths besieged the police station, seeking justice.

    A man from Afikpo, who preferred anonymity, urged the police not to play down on the possibility of the suspects being Boko Haram members, saying nobody is safe in the country.

    He said: “The police should not introduce the Nigerian factor in this matter. Why would these people arrive in Ebonyi in a chartered bus today, which is our Eke Market day? Why are they coming in large numbers?

    “What employment opportunity could they be looking for in Afikpo? Who are they and their sponsors? We are worried about this incident.

    “The Islamic school in Afikpo is seen as a ‘time bomb’. We are no longer comfortable with the school. There was a time it was rumoured that arms and ammunition were smuggled into the Islamic school by unknown individuals.”

    Police spokesman Chris Anyanwu said: “The suspects were arrested by the Army before they were handed over to the Police. We believe they are either from Niger or Mali.

    “Are we saying aliens are no longer free to enter Nigeria? After our investigation, they will be handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation.

    “I advise that people should stop raising the alarm over Boko Haram if they don’t have the facts. No weapon was discovered on the suspects.”

  • Two suspected kidnappers killed in Aba

    Two suspected members of a kidnap gang, Chukwu Orji and Udechukwu Kwuoka, have been killed.

    A member of the gang reportedly escaped with bullet wounds.

    It was learnt that the two suspects died on their way to the Abia State Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH).

    They were said to have sustained gunshot wounds during a shootout with members of the Aba Area Command Police Anti-Robbery Team near Aro Ngwa Junction on the Port Harcourt-Enugu Expressway.

    A short double barrelled gun, six live cartridges and an unmarked Volkswagen Passat saloon car were among the items reportedly recovered from the suspects.

    It was learnt that the gang members were on their way to Nkporo, in Bende Local Government Area, when the Anti-Robbery Unit began to trail them.

    They allegedly shot a woman, identified as Mrs. Ifeoma Ubah of 66 Mbaise Road, Aba, in the leg in a foiled kidnapping attempt.

    A policeman, who spoke in confidence, said: “On May 4, the gang attempted to kidnap Mrs. Ifeoma Ubah at 66 Mbaise Road, but it was foiled by the police Anti-Robbery team. Since that day, we have been trailing them after a manhunt was placed on the gang.

    “On May 7, while they were going for another operation from Aba to Nkporo in a saloon car without a registration number, we trailed them to Aro Ngwa Junction. On sighting the police, they opened fire and three of them were hit by bullets. But one escaped into the bush with bullet wounds.

    “Two members of the gang died on the way to ABSUTH for medical treatment. But we were able to recover the car, a double barrel gun and six live cartridges from them.”

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna said efforts were ongoing to track down the fleeing member of the gang.

    He urged the public, chemists and doctors to watch out and report to the police any patient with bullet wounds seeking treatment.

  • Angry youths lynch suspected kidnapper

    TENSIONS were high yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as angry youths attacked a middle-aged woman for allegedly snatching a toddler from her mother. The mob was said to have stripped naked the suspected kidnapper whose identity is not yet known. The youths, it was gathered, descended on the suspect and beat her to pulp. The incident, which occurred along Emir’s road, near Opo-Malu junction, caused panic among residents, shop owners, commuters and pedestrians. It was also gathered that the incident caused heavy traffic gridlock along the road, as motorists passing through the area could not access the road while the melee lasted. It was learnt that confused passersby ran into nearby residential buildings to seek refuge. Meanwhile, residents of the city have called on the state government to evacuate lunatics from all parts of the state, saying that criminal elements in the metropolis now perpetrate crimes while feigning to be mad. However, the deployment of armed policemen from the A Division of the state police command to the scene has returned peace to the area. The policemen fired teargas canisters into the air to disperse the irate youths. The policemen later spirited away the suspected kidnapper, who was in a coma, in their Hilux van. A source at the scene said that the suspected kidnapper was about to make good her escape when the mob descended on her. “The incident happened this morning (yesterday). A nursing mother who was cuddling a baby was alighting from okada (motorcycle) and asked the suspect to help her hold her baby. Before we know what was happening, the woman fled with the toddler, but she arrested by the people. She was giving the beating of her life. The state Commissioner of Police, Ambrose Aisabo, confirmed the incident and said that the suspected kidnapper later died while being taken to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

  • Police kill two suspected kidnappers

    Two suspected kidnappers were yesterday killed by men of the Edo State Police Command in a shootout, after a 70-year-old man was abducted.

    Six others were arrested with cache of arms, including two pump action guns.

    The kidnappers abducted their victim at Ugbowo area in an Audi car, but were traced to their hideout by the police.

    Police Commissioner Foluso Adebanjo, who confirmed the incident, said his men rescued the victim.

    He said: “About 6am, hoodlums came with an Audi car and abducted a 70-year-old man around Ugbowo. They put in him in the booth of the car and drove off. Information got to me, so I directed our anti-kidnapping team to raid the area. Our vehicle was parked far away and we trekked to the scene.

    “One of them must have observed that we could be policemen. He shouted. They fired at us and we responded. Two of them were shot dead, while six were arrested. None of our men was injured. We thank God for that.”

  • Suspected oil thief dies in explosion

    A suspected oil thief was at the weekend burnt to death after a trunk line belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) at Egbematoru in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State exploded and went up in flames.

    It was also learnt that many of the oil thieves sustained injuries as they scampered for safety.

    The fire was reportedly caused by a gang of suspected oil thieves, who attempted to break and siphon oil from the pipeline.

    It was gathered that officials of Agip battled to put out the fire.

    But there were allegations that the soldiers attached to the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, caused the inferno when they fired at some suspected oil thieves.

    JTF, however, denied the allegations. It attributed the explosion to the activities of the suspected economic saboteurs.

    The Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed that there was an explosion in the area.

    Bayelsa communities under the aegis of the Brass League of Friends (BLF) confirmed that NAOC responded by cleaning the environment impacted by a recent oil spill from its pipeline in the area.

    Twon Brass, Okpoama and Odioma were affected by the spill, which was said to have spread to the Atlantic Ocean.

    The incident reportedly disrupted fishing and compelled residents to call on Agip to arrest the situation.

    BLF patron, Mr. Israel Sunny-Goli, in a statement described the company’s response as “an indication that the oil company takes issues of the environment serious.”

  • Suspected fake traffic agents arrested

    Two boys operating in a Mitsubishi bus, allegedly impersonating members of the Anambra State Traffic Agents (ASTA), were yesterday arrested by policemen from Ogidi Division.

    The Divisional Police Officer, Ogidi Division, Mr. Yusuf Abdul, confirmed the arrest of two suspects; Joseph Jato and Akachukwu Chukwudebelu. He said efforts were on to arrest others.

    The Nation learnt that the police, following a tip-off, swooped on and arrested them, while others in fake ASTA uniform fled.

    Abdul said: “They extort motorists, harass vehicle owners and impound vehicles.

    “The suspects claimed they were employed by the transition council Chairman of Idemili North Local Government, Mr. Obinna Ikpeze.”

    The calls and sms sent to the council chairman were not answered.

    Commissioner for Transport Dr. Chike Collins Ohamaobi confirmed that complaints had been received on the activities of the fake traffic agents.

    He said it was regrettable that those who engaged in such criminal activities on major roads were not trained in traffic control or road de-congestion ethics.

    Ohamaobi urged the police to ensure prosecution of the culprits, to act as a deterrent to others.

    He assured the people of the readiness of the ministry to ensure free flow of traffic during the Yuletide, as new and re-branded ASTA officials would soon resume duties.