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An attack by gunmen on a police station in Kogi state has resulted in the death of three officers.
The attack on a police station in Adavi LGA of the state occurred in the wee hours of Saturday.
In a statement, William Ovye-Aya, spokesman of the Kogi police command, quoted Edward Egbuka, commissioner of police, as saying the gunmen launched a “surprise attack” on the station.
According to NAN, Egbuka said they are working to bring the perpetrators of the incident to book.
“Early Saturday morning, the command received a report of an unfortunate incident at Adavi police division, where some hoodlums attacked the station,” the statement reads.
“They shot sporadically, but were repelled by our men and operatives of the Quick Response Unit who were on special operations at Adavi Local Government Area.
“Unfortunately, the command lost three of its officers to the gun duel, while the hoodlums fled with gunshot wounds as they could not get access into the station.
“Consequently, a team of tactical operatives was deployed and it swiftly restored normalcy to the area.
“Operatives are trailing the hoodlums with a view to apprehending and bringing them to book.”
Egbuka condoled with the families of the deceased police officers, adding that they made the force proud.
Contrary to insinuations that the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) are targetting non-indigenes, especially the Hausa communities in the Southeast, the group has specifically declared that they are not its enemy even as they have vowed to give them protection against attacks.
The group in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, also insisted that the violent attacks witnessed in the zone for quite some time now are not caused by its members, blaming it on their detracors who they said only wanted to rope them in so as to be labelled as a terrorist organisation and thereby prolonging the release of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
He said: “We want to make it categorically clear to all and sundry that anybody committing any atrocity in Biafra land in the name of IPOB or ESN operative doesn’t want Biafra to come.
“Those behind this madness are working with the Nigerian security to criminalize IPOB. They must also be prepared to pay for their sins because we will not allow anyone who inflicts pains and sorrow on our people to go free.
“Kanu made holistic announcement during those days that Hausa are facing the same predicaments Igbo people are facing in Nigeria and should be allowed to do business anywhere they like in Biafra land.
“Biafrans shall never try to harm any Hausa man or woman in Biafra land for any reason. IPOB will ensure the protection of all persons living in Biafra land, including non-indigenes. We will continue to protect them against our common enemy – the jihadists and their sponsors.
“I wish to state unequivocally that those behind these atrocities are not IPOB members nor are they Eastern Security Network (ESN) operatives.
“The perpetrators are criminals recruited by our enemies to demonise us. No member of IPOB will engage in acts inimical to the people we are struggling to liberate. We are not terrorists and we cannot suddenly resort to terrorism.
“These agents of darkness behind the senseless and barbaric acts are the ones who don’t want our detained leader, Kanu to be released. Their intension is to create the false impression that his followers are violent, but they are wrong.”
The explosive device that rocked jalingo, Taraba state capital Friday night has left some destruction and human injury on residents close to the site of the blast, according to a Vanguard report.
When Vanguard visited Nukkai Saturday morning, men of the Nigeria Police anti-bomb squad were seen at the cordoned site of the blast.
The female attendant of the local beer joint, Tabitha John where the explosive device went off, is now partially deaf.
Newsmen at the scene wrote out questions for her to read so she could tell her story.
According to her, “I was about to go pick a rubber to serve someone who requested drink when the blast happened.
“Immediately I turned my back, I heard the loud sound and it hit my ear.”
An eyewitness, Patience Vankani who passed the bar few seconds before the explosion said she and her sister escaped by the whiskers.
She said, “it was around 8.02 pm when me and my sister passed this joint.
“ Immediately we crossed the front of the bar heading our way, the explosive device went off.
Suspected gunmen have allegedly kidnapped 10 persons, suspected to be herders in Anambra State, with a demand for N4 million and an AK-47 riffle as ransom, according to a Daily Post report.
The incident happened at Obene community in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State at early hours of Saturday.
South East Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, who alerted journalists about the incident, said those kidnapped were his members.
Siddiki said the incident took place at Fulani settlement at exactly 1.30am on Saturday, while the herders and their cattle were asleep.
“The cattle herders were attacked at their settlement while asleep, and their herds numbering about 300 forcefully taken away by the gunmen numbering about 40.
“The men invaded the area with sophisticated weapons, including guns cutlasses, sticks and charms.
“The kidnappers have established contact with their victims families, demanding N4million and one gun as ransom.
“As I speak to you now, I have reported the incident to the Police and DSS for prompt action,” he said.
He appealed to the kidnappers to release his members and their cows, stressing that those kidnapped were mere herders, who were struggling to eke out a living.
Meanwhile, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, confirmed the incident
He urged the leadership of Miyetti Allah in the state to come up with more information that would enable the Police to commence aggressive investigation into the matter.
He said: “Yes, we are aware of the incident, but we want the Miyetti Allah leadership to supply us with more information, since the Kidnappers have established ransom contact with the victims families.”
He assured them that the state commissioner of police, CP Echeng Echeng and other security agencies in the state would do everything possible to rescue the victims from their abductors.
No fewer than 100 people died on Friday night after an illegal refinery exploded at Abaezi forest in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, the Punch has reported.
Six vehicles were also razed during the incident which had thrown the community into panic.
At the scene of the incident on Saturday, a large number of people visited the place to have a glimpse of the unfortunate development.
At least 50 bodies burnt beyond recognition were counted at the scene of the explosion.
The state Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Goodluck Opiah, who is an indigene of Egbema, at the scene said that the state government had declared the owner of the illegal refinery, Okenze Onyenwoke, wanted.
He advised the suspect whom he said was on the run to turn himself in at the nearest police station.
The commissioner said, “This is a sad development. The Imo State Government has declared wanted, Okenze Onyenwoke, who owns this illegal refinery. I advise him to hand himself over to the police or any security agency.
“This is wickedness. This is economic sabotage. It is also destroying our youths. I, therefore, call on the youths to go away from this kind of illegal business. There are so many legitimate businesses one could do to make genuine money.”
An indigene of the community who identified himself simply as Ejike said, “Nobody survived the incident. Those who were rescued yesterday have all died this morning. The casualty figure is over 100. This is sad. People are rushing to look for their relations but the unfortunate thing is that the victims were burnt beyond recognition.”
Some gunmen terrorising Nigeria’s Southeast have released a video warning federal government not to hold the 2023 general elections in the region Premium Times report.
This is the first time the terror group would release a video clip since they resumed hostilities in the Southeast and some parts of the Southsouth Nigeria.
In the video clip, the gunmen said their grievance was the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
In the two-minutes, fifty-four seconds clip, four masked gunmen were seen in a forest wielding rifles while one of them talked.
The gunmen claimed they have no sponsor and that they are not under the command of anybody.
The video was released on Thursday, April 21.
“We the unknown gunmen in Biafraland have come to make our position known to the public. We are here to protect our fatherland by all means. We don’t have any sponsor. And we are not planning to have one,” one of the gunmen said.
Continuing, he said, “We are not under the command of Simon Ekpa, DOS or Uwazuruike. Any government giving any of these people money is wasting their time.
“Only the release of Nnamdi Kanu can calm us down. Monday sit-at-home is sacrosanct. Nothing can stop it apart from the release of Kanu.
“There shall be no election (in the Southeast), and anybody that attempts any election matter will die.”
The gunmen also threatened to deal with any official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seen holding elections in the Southeast.
“No more political poster in Biafraland. If you try us, you campaigning, fire will burn you. Fake Biafran media, you think you can post any rubbish?
“We the unknown gunmen have endured enough from you. We shall no longer tolerate any rubbish from the media again”, the gunmen warned.
The gunmen alleged that some people betrayed them by collecting bribes from the government.
“Emma Powerful, Chinasa Nworu, Justice Udo, who we also call (our) enemies, and three other persons in U.S.A, who we are still trying to get their full identities, have been bribed by the government of Nigeria,” he said.
They accused the named persons of sending “men to harm Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe” but that the men rejected their directive.
The gunmen said the people sent the names of the “men” to the media when the men rejected their directive to harm the Abia senator.
The gunmen did not mention the names of the “men” allegedly instructed to attack Abaribe.
“From now henceforth, we declare you people wanted. Anywhere in the world, we shall haunt you people by all means,” the gunman said of the people.
The people who were accused of hatching the plan to attack the lawmaker are known members of the IPOB faction loyal to Nnamdi Kanu.
Abaribe: Connecting the dots Abaribe, the lawmaker representing Abia South in the Nigerian Senate, has been a vocal figure allegedly supporting Biafra agitation in the region. The senator was one of the sureties for Kanu when the IPOB leader was granted bail in April 2017.
The Abia South senator was arrested on June 22, 2018, by the Nigerian secret police, SSS, for his alleged links with the IPOB group. He was released about four days later.
What is known so far
The gunmen are believed to be behind the frequent attacks in the Southeast often targeting security agencies and government facilities in the region.
The gunmen, said to be part of the Biafra agitation, have repeatedly expressed distaste with election activities in the Southeast.
They have been attacking INEC officials in the region and often refer to Southeast and some parts of the South-south Nigeria as “Biafraland.”
Last week, the gunmen killed an official of INEC, Anthony Nwokorie, at a polling unit in Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area of Imo State, where the Continuous Voter Registration Exercise was being held.
The federal government has accused IPOB of being responsible for the deadly attacks in the Southeast. But the group has repeatedly denied their involvement in the attacks.
The separatist group is leading agitation for an independent state of Biafra to be carved out from the Southeast and some parts of the Southsouth Nigeria.
The leader of the secessionist group, Nnamdi Kanu, is currently detained in Abuja where he is facing trial for treason.
Alaafin of Oyo, Lamidi Adeyemi, has passed on.
Adeyemi, the third from the Alowodu Ruling House, died in the late hours of Friday at the Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti.
The remains of the top Yoruba traditional ruler were brought to Oyo in the early hours of Saturday and traditional rites began, palace sources said.
He was 83 years old and the longest reigning Alaafin ever, having ruled for 52 years.
Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, is expected to make an official announcement upon receiving the report of the monarch’s passing from the Bashorun of Oyo, Yusuf Akinade, the head of the ‘Oyo Mesi’, who will now lead Oyo before a new Alaafin is installed.
The monarch had been sick and a plan had been made to fly him abroad before he passed on late Friday night.
A source familiar with the medical travel plan said his tickets and those of a few wives were already procured.
His death came after the two other senior Oyo State monarchs – the Olubadan of Ibadan, Saliu Adetunji, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Jimoh Oyewumi – died. All happened in less than five months.
A new Olubadan has been installed but the Soun remains vacant.
With the demise of Alaafin Adeyemi, it is now the turn of the Agunloye Ruling House to produce the next Oyo monarch. Adeyemi’s predecessor, Bello Ladigbolu, was from the Agunloye House.
Though there has been a release from the palace debunking the death of the prominent Yoruba traditional ruler, sources say this is to allow traditional rites before officially announcing the death.
The released titled, "Alaafin Oyo RUMOURED DEATH UNFOUNDED" and signed by Alaafin's Media and Publicity Director, Bode Durojaiye reads "it has come to the notice of the Office of the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo about a fake report making the wave in the social media, by a disgruntled group of bloggers, about the imaginary death of His Imperial Majesty, IKu Baba Yeye, Oba (Dr.) Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, the Alaafin of Oyo.
Members of the public are hereby urged to disregard the unfounded report , as the Paramount Ruler is hale and hearty .
Precisely on Monday and Tuesday this week, Oba Adeyemi, accompanied by some of his wives (Ayabas), children, aides and well wishers was at the Durbar Stadium ,Oyo, for physical fitness exercises as usual.
He has neither fallen sick nor rushed to the hospital for any serious ailment, hence he and his family remain agile and active .
The general public should not entertain any fear at all, as IKu Baba Yeye is healthy, physically fit and mentally stable.
President Mohammadu Buhari on Friday ordered the immediate re-opening of four borders in the country.
The directive was contained in a letter dated 22of April, 2022 and signed by E.I Edorhe, Deputy Comptroller of Customs.
"The letter read, "sequel to the Presidential directive dated 16th of December 2020, granting approval of phased reopening of land borders namely; Seme, Mfum, Ilela, Maigatari borders, I am directed to inform you that four additional borders listed below have been approved for reopening".
"They are Idiroko border post, Ogun State (Southwest), Jibiya border post, Kastina (Northwest), Kamba border post, Kebbi (Northwest) and Ikom border post, Cross River (South South)".
"Consequently, all Customs formations and JBPTs are to take note and ensure that proper manning takes place in compliance with extant operational guidelines".
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, ordered former Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to vacate his seat as a member representing Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
Delivering judgment, Justice Donatus Okorowo, declared that having defected from Peoples Democratic Party to All Progressives Congress, Dogara was no longer qualified to occupy the seat by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the constitution.
Justice Okorowo aligned with the argument of the PDP that by defecting from the party that sponsored him to the ninth National Assembly before the expiration of his tenure, Dogara ought to vacate the seat as he was no longer qualified to partake in the activities of the lower house.
The judge, who held that the action of the lawmaker is prohibited by law, agreed that the aim of Section 68(1)(g) was to check political prostitution among the legislators.
“The judgment is therefore given in favour of the plaintiffs I hereby granted the reliefs sought by the plaintiffs,” he declared.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the PDP and one of its members in Bauchi State had, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1060/20, sued Dogara, the speaker of the House of Representatives.
Other defendants are the Attorney General of the Federation, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the APC as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
In a related development, Okorowo had, earlier in a judgment, dismissed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/883/30 and filed by Incorporated Trustees of United Global Resources for Peace Organisation against Dogara and five others on the grounds that the group lacked locus standi to institute the matter.
NAN on April 11, reported that the judgments, in the two separate suits filed against Dogara, were stalled due to the FHC’s Easter vacation.
But one of the court workers informed NAN that the judgments might be delivered if the Chief Judge, Justice John Tsoho, gave a fiat to the effect.
The court began the vacation on April 8 and will end April 25.
The PDP and the group had asked the court to remove the former speaker of the lower house as a member representing Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State, over his defection to APC.
Dogara had, on July 24, 2020, defected from the PDP to the APC when he submitted a resignation letter to the chairman of the Bogoro ‘C’ Ward in the state.
The plaintiff, through their counsel, Jubrin Jubrin, said by virtue of Section 68(1)(g) of the Constitution, Dogara by defecting from the party that sponsored him to the ninth National Assembly before the expiration of his tenure, ought to vacate the seat as he was no longer qualified to partake in the activities of the lower house.
NAN reports that Justice Inyang Ekwo, a sister judge, had, on March 8, sacked Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi and his deputy, Kelechi Igwe, alongside other lawmakers who dumped the PDP for APC, describing their action as unlawful.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo, another judge in the Abuja division, had also, on March 21,, ordered the 20 lawmakers from Cross River to vacate their seats following their defection from the PDP to APC.
The lawmakers comprise two House of Representatives members and 18 state House of Assembly members.
National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Betta Edu, said on Thursday that any youth aspiring to become the president of Nigeria in 2023 should have access to at least N50 million according to a vanguard report.
The ruling party had on Wednesday, announced prices of the nomination forms for various political positions. While the party’s presidential hopefuls are expected to pay N100 million to buy the nomination forms, governorship hopefuls will pay N50 million.
It would be recalled that APC had announced a 50 per cent reduction in the price of nomination forms for individuals under 40 years of age. However, in an interview with Arise TV, yesterday, Edu defended the nomination forms’ price tag, adding that there were many ways young people could generate funding for elections.
She said: “If you want to be able to cater for Nigerians, you should have gone above the point where you have to look for N50 million.” Wondering how anyone who cannot access such an amount can be able to manage so much funds, if given the opportunity, the APC women leader said: “When you make up your mind that you want to run, you should be able to prepare adequately for that race.
”Beyond that, there are many ways that young people can generate funding for elections. It mustn’t be your money.
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The African Independent Television (AIT) has lost Malam Muhammad Ibrahim, its Correspondent in Minna, Niger, in a ghastly motor accident.
Mr Daniel Atori, Secretary of the Correspondent Chapel, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, confirmed the death.
Atori said that the incident occurred within the Minna metropolis on Thursday.
He said: “With total submission to the will of Almighty Allah, we received with shock the sudden death of a dedicated, hardworking, and gentle colleague, Muhammad Ibrahim who passed away after a ghastly motor accident on Thursday in Minna, the Niger state capital.”
He said the late Ibrahim was a dedicated and pious Muslim who stood for what he believed in.
He added that the Correspondents’ Chapel and the state council of NUJ would miss the deceased, especially for his dedication to duty and contributions to the development of the union.
The late Ibrahim was in his early 50s.
He was survived by a wife, four children, and an aged mother.
He was buried on Thursday according to Islamic rites at Fadipe, Dutsen Kura Gwari, Minna.
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has insisted that he will not step down from the 2023 presidential race, the Punch has reported.
Wike, who is a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP said this during an interview with BBC Pigin.
The PUNCH had reported that some chieftains of the PDP had demanded that the presidential candidate of the party should be picked through consensus.
But Wike said only death would make him step down for another PDP candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
When asked if he would step down for another candidate, Wike said, “Why will I step down for anybody? If you want to do consensus, there must be equity and fairness. Are the hands of those demanding consensus clean? People talking about consensus are the ones running the election. Is it the party’s decision?
“It is not the party that is talking. In politics, there is something called shine shine bobo. The more you look, the less you see. Some people think they can deceive me with consensus. It’s a scam. I don’t like being deceived in my life.
What can make me step down for another PDP candidate, he replied, “The only thing that can make me step down is death. if I am alive, we will run this thing, we will hold the primary on May 28/29.” Wike had on Tuesday warned PDP leaders against appointing delegates who have taken sides with some aspirants on the Primary Election Committee.
During his visit to Benin, Wike said he would never settle for the vice-president position as the contest for the plum job hots up, ahead of the presidential election next year. “I’m not coming out to negotiate to be vice to anyone, I’m coming out to contest for the number one position in the country,” he had said.
Wike noted that the first criteria for any president to be successful in Nigeria was the ability of such a president to secure the nation and protect the lives and properties of citizens.
He said that if given the mandate by the PDP in the party’s presidential primaries next month, he would end up winning the presidential election.
“We must have a candidate who listens to the grassroots. I have the capacity to face the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
“Give me the ticket and have your confidence that we will take over power in May 2023. Don’t allow anybody to disabuse your mind from voting for Wike. “We cannot continue to give excuses why we are losing elections.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he can’t tell if he will be contesting the 2023 presidential election.
He said this while replying supporters who protested at his Abuja Office on Friday, demanding that he should declare for the 2023 presidential election.
Jonathan, however, told the supporters to “just watch out”.
Before coming out to speak, the supporters had chanted and screamed the President’s name for minutes.
The former President acknowledged that the youths want him to contest, but gave reasons why he had not made any comment on demands for him to contest the 2023 presidential election.
He added, “I cannot declare because some processes are still ongoing.
“Yes, you are calling on me to come and declare for the next election. I cannot tell you I’m declaring. The political process is ongoing; just watch out. The key role you must play is that Nigeria must get somebody that will carry young people along.”
A spokesman for the group, Mayor Samuel, who is also the convener of the Youth Compatriots of Nigeria, had said, “We were deceived and brainwashed by those who claimed they could do it in 2015.
“Now, we know better, under Jonathan, the minimum wage could buy one or two bags of rice. What do we have today? We are begging President Jonathan to forgive us; we have realised our mistakes; we want him back to complete what he started.”
The supporters, comprising a group of women and youths, had demanded the return of the former President in 2023.
They arrived in four buses and carried placards at Jonathan’s Taraba Close, Maitama office, according to reports.
Some of the placards read, “Goodluck declare now”; “We are sorry, Goodluck, don’t abandon us, come back”; “Goodluck please come”; and “Goodluck we love you” among others.
A 30-year-old man, Ajibola Akindele was on Monday arrested by men of the Ogun state Police command, for forcefully having carnal knowledge of a 20-year-old decorator right inside a church.
NIGERIAN NEWSTRACK gathered that the victim was raped while she was busy decorating the church on Saturday for Sunday service .
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO in the state ,Abimbola Oyeyemi said this in a statement on Thursday .
Oyeyemi said “the suspect was arrested following a report lodged at Lafenwa divisional headquarters by the mother of the victim, who reported that she sent her daughter to go and decorate a church at Ita-Oshin area of Abeokuta together with the suspect on the 16th of April 2022.
“On getting to the church, they met some other women who came to sweep the church in preparation for Sunday service. But soon as those women left after sweeping the church, the suspect took advantage of being alone with the victim and forcefully had unlawful carnal of her right inside the church.
“Upon the report, the DPO Lafenwa division, CSP Kayode Shadrach, detailed his detectives to go after the suspect and bring him to justice. The detectives quickly moved in to the scene and promptly arrested the suspect who have since confessed to the crime.”
“Meanwhile, the commissioner of police, CP Lanre Bankole, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to anti human trafficking and child labour unit of the state criminal investigation and intelligence department for further investigation and possible prosecution.”