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Tag: thugs

  • Thugs chase pastors, members from Edo church

    Suspected thugs at the weekend barred pastors and some church elders of the Assemblies of God Church from holding a district meeting at the Edo State branch headquarters, at Upper Lawani, Benin City.

    The entrance to the church headquarters was locked while hired thugs stopped the church leaders, led by District Superintendent, Joel Okoegbele, from entering the church.

    The church has been torn between Rev. Paul Emeka and Dr. Chidi Okoroafor.

    It was learnt that the Edo headquarters was locked by the District Treasurer, Rev. ThankGod Ekias who supports the leadership of Okoroafor.

    Sources at the church said the meeting was to discuss the visit of Rev. Okoroafor to Edo State. According to a source, Okoroafor’s mission was to remove district leaders opposing his leadership.

    The factional church leaders later met at another branch of the church and they adopted resolutions barring Okoroafor from visiting the district.

    Okoegbele, who addressed reporters after the meeting, said four pastors in Edo District were suspended for promoting factions in the church and hiring thugs.

    Those suspended include Rev. Albert Okaka, Rev Chijena I.O, Rev. Godwin Chime and Rev ThankGod Ekias.

    Okoegbele said the leaders at the meeting recognised the leadership of Rev. Emeka, adding that they left the church headquarters on the advice of police.

    According to him, “having known the plans of Rev. Chidi Okoroafor to come to this district, we have agreed that Prof. Paul Emeka is the legal General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God Church Nigeria. We in this state are in alliance with the court ruling granted on December 11, confirming Prof. Emeka as the authentic head of the church.”

    Rev. Ekias could not be reached for comments.

  • Suspected thugs destroy Umeh’s billboards, posters

    Suspected thugs destroy Umeh’s billboards, posters

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Victor Umeh, has alleged that suspected hoodlums have destroyed his billboards and posters in Anambra Central.

    He is the party’s candidate for Anambra Central senatorial zone.

    When The Nation went round the zone at the weekend, Umeh’s 27 billboards had been destroyed. His posters were either torn or defaced at Agukwu Nri, Amawbia, Agulu, Adazi ani, Nkpor and Borromeo roundabout.

    Umeh’s campaign Director- General, Obele Chuka Obele, said what happened was a bad precedent in Anambra politics.

    The APGA senatorial candidate at the weekend visited the monarch of Obosi in Idemili North Local Government, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, who assured him of his subjects’ support.

    Umeh said he was not in the race for selfish reasons, but to give the people the dividends of democracy.

  • Fayose led thugs to attack me, says Ekiti APC candidate

    Fayose led thugs to attack me, says Ekiti APC candidate

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ekiti Central senatorial district, Mr. Gbenga Olofin, has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of personally leading thugs to attack him during a campaign rally in Igede-Ekiti in Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area on Friday. Olofin, according to a statement by his media aide, Femi Awojobi, alleged that Fayose personally supervised the tearing and destruction of his posters and billboards in Igede and other towns in the local government area.

    Fayose and Olofin hail from the same Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. While the APC senatorial candidate is from Igede, Fayose is from Afao. Olofin alleged that thugs in the convoy of the governor were armed with dangerous weapons like axes, cutlasses and guns and  were conveyed in Hilux vans which carried Ekiti registration numbers. According to him, the thugs wore masks; ransacked shops and homes at Igede and Iyin and attacked some residents with machetes in the daylight. Many shops, according to him, were looted by the hoodlums.

    The APC senatorial flag bearer revealed that the attacks took place between 2.00 pm and 2.30 pm, saying several gunshots fired by the thugs sent residents scampering to safety. Olofin said it was providence that saved him from being killed by the thugs and urged security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities to prevent loss of lives and property. He revealed that he had called the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) to inform them of the attack.

    While urging his supporters to be steadfast, Olofin urged them not to be intimidated, saying the people of the state have made up their minds to vote APC at next month’s general elections. But the PDP State Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, accused Olofin of raising, false alarm to gain underserved attention. He described the claim of Olofin as “lies from the pit of hell coming from a candidate frustrated by his rejection by the electorate”.

    Aluko challenged Olofin to produce evidence to substantiate his claim, saying Fayose who hails from council area cannot be leading thugs to attack the people that voted him into office. The PDP scribe advised Olofin to look inwards and scrutinise his followers in search of the hoodlums that carried out the attack, saying members of the ruling party are law-abiding and would not be involved in any act of violence.

     

  • Thugs bomb APC’s secretariat in Okrika

    Thugs bomb APC’s secretariat in Okrika

    •Three on danger list in Obio/Akpor  •Investigations on, say Rivers police

    The secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State was yesterday bombed by suspected thugs.

    The Okrika explosion, which occurred at 3:14 a.m., destroyed the party’s secretariat, according to APC’s Chairman in the area, Christian Asifamaka, who described the damage as extensive.

    Scores of supporters of an ally of Governor Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, the leader of the APC in Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State, were also attacked by thugs yesterday in Port Harcourt, with three of them on danger list.

    The attack on the supporters of Okocha, who is aspiring to represent Obio/Akpor constituency in the House of Representatives, took place in Ward 10, Rumueme-Port Harcourt in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

    One of the victims of yesterday’s Port Harcourt attack, Ogbonda Amadi, with machete cuts on his back speaking from his hospital bed in Rivers State capital, said the APC members were holding a meeting, when thugs invaded the venue with machetes, bottles and other dangerous weapons.

    Amadi said: “The Rumueme attack was masterminded by a loyalist of Nyesom Wike, who earlier vowed not to allow APC members hold their programmes or campaigns in Rumueme. Some of the APC leaders are still missing after the attack, as search party has been launched to know their whereabouts.”

    While also speaking from the hospital bed, another victim of the attack, Samson Amadi, whose head was battered, said the leaders and members of the APC were being targeted by PDP thugs for attacks.

    The APC chairman in Okrika said: “The APC in Okrika views this latest attack as a deliberate provocation by our opponents, the members of the PDP, to draw the APC members into a battle that will destabilise our beloved Okrika. This is unfortunate and the APC members in Okrika LGA will not allow Okrika to become a hotbed of crises, as the PDP members would wish.

    “We are Okrika people and we know what political crises had cost our people in the past. Our LGA had always been the worse hit in times of politics. Our young children are the ones they use as canon fodder. We know this and as a party, we have resolved to toe only the path of peace, in the interest of our land and our children.

    “We beg our daughter, the First Lady (Dame Patience Jonathan),  to remember that the land of Okrika has never spared any Okrika person who brings trouble to the land or destroys it. We beg her (President Goodluck Jonathan’s wife) to please call her people in the PDP to order, because Okrika is bigger than anyone of us and we should not destroy it.”

    The Rivers Chairman of the APC, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, while also speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, called for the arrest of Wike and his supporters “now.”

    Ikanya, who spoke through the Rivers Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Finebone, also called on the security agencies to investigate the introduction of violence into the politics of Rivers by Wike.

    Rivers APC chairman said: “Barely two days after prominent Kalabari chiefs, led by Chief Broadfield Michael-Jack, rejected Wike’s candidature as PDP’s governorship standard bearer for Rivers State and openly endorsed APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, supporters of Wike unleashed terror on his (Peterside’s) party members and innocent people of Abonnema (headquarters of Akuku-Toru LGA of Rivers State), where he visited to campaign yesterday (on Saturday).”

  • Niger East by-election: APC plans to unleash thugs, alleges PDP

    Niger East by-election: APC plans to unleash thugs, alleges PDP

    •‘Ruling party guilty’

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Niger State branch, accused yesterday the All Progressives Congress (APC) of plans  to unleash thugs on the electorate to disrupt Saturday’s Niger East by-election.

    The opposition party, however, said it was the ruling PDP, which engaged thugs since the start of the campaigns.

    APC alleged: “Thuggery is synonymous with PDP. The party has been using thugs to harass people because its candidate is unpopular.”

    The PDP Deputy Chairman, Tanko Beji, a lawyer, alleged in a statement in Minna yesterday that APC hired thugs from neighbouring states and gave them maps of the places to unleash terror in order to disrupt the election.

    He alleged that the  mission of the opposition party was “to cause confusion to either manipulate or frustrate the process.”

    The PDP chief decried the manner APC was going about the election, saying: “The planned action of the opposition party shows that it is far from being prepared for the next general elections.

    “The opposition in Niger State need to be schooled on the basic values of electoral practices. They have failed to realise that politics is not all about thuggery, blackmail or propaganda. Niger APC must understand that election is not a do-or-die affair.”

    APC Publicity Secretary Jonathan Vatsa dismissed the allegation, accusing PDP of being guilty of the allegation.

    He said APC members were law-abiding.

    “It is the ruling PDP that has money for thugs. Thuggery is synonymous with the party. It is only crying and accusing APC because its candidate is not popular. The noise is a face-saving device for the impending defeat on Saturday.

    “PDP has been using thugs to destroy the billboards of our candidate. The hoodlums are also tearing his posters. We have reported this to the security agents. The party is engaging thugs because it wants to force its unpopular candidate on the people.

    “PDP has tax payers’ money and it is using it as well as the local government funds for thuggery because its candidate is not popular,” Vatsa added.

  • Niger East: APC alleges harassment by PDP thugs

    Niger East: APC alleges harassment by PDP thugs

    All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State has alleged that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is using thugs to harass its members ahead of the August 30 Niger East by-election.

    State Publicity Secretary Jonathan Vatsa yesterday in Minna, cited attacks on the party’s Legal adviser Khaleal Ibrahim on Saturday by alleged agents of PDP, at Paiko.

    Vatsa said the thugs attacked and dispossessed Ibrahim of his mobile phone and stole his money.

    The APC chieftain said some of its members from Rafi local government area were on Wednesday waylaid by thugs, who inflicted injuries on them.

    He said: “We can’t be intimidated because I said the APC does not have confidence in the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

    “We accused the REC of collecting money from the state and the government agreed it  released N28 million to the committee set up by INEC, chaired by the REC.’’

    Vatsa said “intimidating APC members cannot deter the party because the party has a good candidate in David Umaru, we also know that as they did in other places, they will want to use the military to intimidate us,  but the people will resist intimidation.”

  • 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.

  • Thugs beat up Edo councillors

    Thugs beat up Edo councillors

    •Assembly crisis enters local govt

    The crisis rocking the Edo State House of Assembly has ‘spread’ to the legislative arm of Oredo Local Government Area.

    Four of the 12 councillors attempted to remove the House Leader, Monday Oboiga.

    The fracas that ensued led to the invasion of the council by armed thugs in the meeting and descended on the councillors.

    The Chairman, Osaro Obazee, fled when the thugs stormed the secretariat.

    It was gathered that trouble started when the councillor representing Ward 10, Dan Ize-Iyamu, moved a motion of impeachment and was supported by the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillor, Monday Okato.

    An argument ensued and thugs stormed the meeting and pounced on the councillors after which they took away the mace.

    A source said: “I don’t know how to describe what happened here today. It was every man for himself, when the hoodlums came. The council Chairman, Osaro Obaze, also fled the secretariat.

    “If you look at what is happening now, the chairman is the actual target. The plan is that if they remove the speaker, they will begin impeachment proceedings against him.

    “This crisis still boils down to the recent defection of some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains to the PDP. Some persons believe that their loyalists cannot continue to hold sway since they still owe allegiance to their leaders.”

    But the chairman denied fleeing the secretariat during the crisis.

    He said: “I just stepped out when some persons came to the legislative chamber, but immediately I got wind of it, I came back. I am an APC member and I am man enough to tell people where I am.”

     

  • Ekiti police arrest suspected thugs in Iyin-Ekiti

    Ekiti police arrest suspected thugs in Iyin-Ekiti

    •Warn against violence, siren abuse

    Scores of suspected thugs carrying guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons were arrested yesterday in Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    The suspected hoodlums stormed the palace of Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye, in Iyin-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area to prevent a meeting of the town’s monarch with  Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    A source said the thugs were in the town to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Fayemi, from campaigning in the local government.

    Fayemi was on campaign tour of six towns, including Iyin-Ekiti, the hometown of Opeyemi Bamidele, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the June 21 election, Igede and other towns in Ifelodun/Irepodun Local  Government Area.

    The suspected hoodlums were taken to the Iyin Divisional Police station where they reportedly made statements.

    Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Felix Uyana has directed governorship candidates of parties to get police permit before using siren and cars with tinted glasses.

    Uyana spoke on Wednesday at an emergency security meeting with 18 governorship candidates in Ado-Ekiti on the June 21 election.

    “It is illegal for any of the gubernatorial candidates in the state to use vehicles with siren and tinted glasses without first obtaining permission from the State Police Command,” he said.

    Uyana said the police not happy with the way  some candidates were conducting their campaigns.

    He said the command was shocked to realise that in spite of the appeal and warnings made to them in the past to avoid fomenting trouble while carrying out their campaigns, they continued to ignore the warning.

    “The incidence of politically motivated crimes, such as malicious damage to posters, billboards, banners and other valuable property of fellow candidates, including attempted murder, has continued unabated.

    “The menace cuts across three major political parties and from our investigation, the only deference between them is in terms of depth of involvement,” the police boss said.

    According to Uyana, the level of intolerance so far exhibited by all political actors toward one another is unjustifiable.

    The commissioner said the command had so far recorded 25 politically-related criminal cases of which 14 had already been charged to court.

    He said the remaining cases were at various stages of investigation.

    The police commissioner said it had also been observed that most of the political parties and their candidates  vehicles without registration numbers.

    He said others also use vehicles with siren and tinted glasses indiscriminately.

    Uyana warned political parties and directors of their campaign organisations that “drivers of such party branded vehicles will be prosecuted and such vehicles will be impounded.’’

    He urged the political parties to preach peace and ensure that their supporters are not allowed to engage in any violence.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, said the meeting was to remind the various stakeholders in the election of their responsibilities in the electoral process.

    Candidates of the various political parties include Mr Ayò Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kole Ajayi of Accord; Seyi Osekita of Alliance for Democracy (AD), among others attended the meeting.

    The Director-General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Bimbo Daramola, represented the governor and candidate of APC, while leaders of the various political parties also attended the meeting.

  • Thugs attack Edo community

    Three buildings in Okomu community in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State were yesterday razed by thugs suspected to be ex-militants.

    They were allegedly protesting the sharing of empowerment materials donated by Okomu Oil Palm Company.

    The youths were said to have fired sporadically and set the buildings ablaze when they discovered that some community leaders have escaped.

    A building belonging to the head teacher of Okomu Primary School was affected.

    One of the victims, Rickson Nanagha, said the youths stormed his house, demanding the skill acquisition materials donated by the company.

    He said: “These boys started this problem in 2011 when we asked them to disarm and accept amnesty.

    “Last week, Okomu Oil Palm Company gave our people bursary and skill acquisition materials, I was directed to give the materials to the community which I did.

    “But they came to my house demanding the materials, I escaped from the community and went to report the matter to the police. When they heard I reported the matter they set my house and others ablaze.”

    Police Commissioner Funso Adebanjo promised to investigate the matter and take necessary action. “We will not tolerate any form of violence in this state.”