• Former commissioner, medical doctor kidnapped in Edo • Delta communities raise alarm over influx of Northerners • Delta monarch...
• Former commissioner, medical doctor kidnapped in Edo
•
Delta communities raise alarm over influx of Northerners
• Delta monarchs want
security agencies to stop herders’ killings in Delta
• We prefer Coronavirus
than to be killed by bandits — Katsina District Head
• Buhari, Chief of Defence
Staff meet over bandits attacks in Katsina
By Victor Young, Johnbosco
Agbakwuru, Ike Uchechukwu, Ozioruva Aliu & Paul Olayemi
A former Chapter
Chairman of People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in
Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State, Ekpenyong Akom and
aide to Governor Ben Ayade, was weekend, shot dead in his neighborhood by gunmen
in a suspected cult attack. The incident Vanguard learned occurred at 8p.m., on
Saturday at a joint close to the deceased house in Akai Efa, Calabar
Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State.
In a related development, a former Commissioner for Sports
and local government chairman in Edo State, Egbe Ediagbonya has been kidnapped from his Okada farm settlement near Utese, Ovia
North East Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Saturday.
Also, Traditional Rulers in Delta State, have called the Police and other security
agencies in the state to arrest the persistent menace of kidnapping, killings
and other criminal activities being perpetrated by herdsmen in the state.
In
similar vein, following the recent wave of deadly attacks on innocent villagers
in several communities in Ruma and
Batsari Local Government Areas of Katsina State, the District Head of Batsari,
Alhaji Tukur Mu’azu, has said his subjects prefer to die of Coronavirus than
being killed by rampaging bandits. Mu’azu in a short video, noted that the rising
insecurity in Katsina was worse than the threat of COVID-19.
This came as
President Buhari has directed the military to commence major operation to wipe
out the bandits and kidnappers out of Kastina State.
On the cult killing in
Cross River State, a family source, who
pleaded anonymity, said Akom was playing WHOT(card)with his friends at one of
his brother’s joint, simply identified as CY, when the gunmen stormed the
place, singled him out and shot. He dead instantly.
The source said: “He was playing WHOT( cards) with his
friends when the gunmen came in and shot him, and they made sure he was dead
before they left in a waiting vehicle.”
Speaking further, he noted that Akom had denounced membership of cult group a
long time ago but wondered why he could be targeted in the recent cult war in
Calabar.
When contacted, yesterday, state
Police Public Relations Officer,
Irene Ugbo confirmed the killing of the ex-PDP Chapter Chairman, adding
“I am aware of the tragic incident but cannot substantiate same because we are
investigating the matter, but he was killed by gunmen suspected to be cultists.
“I will make available more information
about the matter, when I have been properly briefed, it is a sad development,”
she said. On his part, state Security Adviser to Governor Ayade, South, Mr Ani
Esin lamented the cult clashes, adding that
that the incident was unfortunate.
Former commissioner, medical doctor kidnapped in Edo
In Edo State, former
Commissioner for Sports and council chairman, Ediagbonya has beend kidnapped.
A
family sources said he was kidnapped between 2a.m., and 4 a.m,m when the gunmen
broken into his farm house and took him away at gunpoint.
It was gathered that
the suspected kidnappers have opened communication and were asking for N15
million.
Ediagbonya was chairman of Ovia North East council chairman and later
Commissioner for Sports under Adams Oshiomhole as governor of the state.
In a
related development, Director, Primary
Health Care of Owan East council, Dr Monday Iraoya was kidnapped while
traveling from Afuze to Benin for COVID-19 training materials.
He was kidnapped
between Uhumora and Ozalla on Friday and the kidnappers are asking for N100
million ransom.
A family source said: “He was kidnapped on May 15, 2020, while
traveling to Benin City to collect training materials for Covid-19. They have
contacted the family and are requesting for 100million.”
Vanguard gathered that
the family is distraught and has been only able to raise N900,000.
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi
Nwabuzor said he was expecting a comprehensive briefing on the developments from
the police formations in the two areas.
Delta communities raise alarm over
influx of Northerners
Communities in three local government areas of Delta
State, weekend raised the alarm over the influx of Northerners into their
areas.
Chairman of Ethiope West LGA of the state, Mr Solomon Golley, who spoke
to Vanguard confirmed the incident. He said, “Sapele is a landlock council but
Ethiope West shares a common boundary with Jesse Boboroku and Obe area, all
these are boundaries with Edo State.
For now, we are trying to stop influx of
not only northerners, but other states trying to access the state through that
area.
“Our team is on ground to make sure that the interstate border lockdown
is strictly adhere to,” adding that the state Commissioner of Environment, Mr
Chris Onogba, was on ground with his team at the border town.
But a chief in
Oghara, Ethiope West council, who prayed anonymity, lamented that “Northerners
are sneaking into the town and the way
and manner they are doing so, is frightening.”
He said, “Just go and look at
the Hausa quarters, they are everywhere, we saw over 20 of them heading to
Oghara after the bridge on Saturday and we don’t know where they are going to,
Only God will save us.”
Some of the locals, who spoke to Vanguard in Sapele, said the influx of northerners was another
big issue.
A resident, Mr Egbeluya, said
the way northerners were flooding the state, residents are scared that the
corona virus will not be too far off, as “Every week, we have two to three trucks of northerners
coming into the state and if you go to their quarters in Sapele, you will be
surprise at their numbers.”
Delta monarchs want security agencies to stop
herders’ killings in Delta
Meanwhile, worried by the worsening security
situations in their respective domains, Traditional Rulers in Delta State
weekend called the Police and other security agencies in the state to arrest
the persistent menace of kidnapping, killings and other criminal activities
being perpetrated by herdsmen in Delta State.
The communiqué at the end of a
meeting of the Council of Delta State Traditional Rulers, with security chiefs
in the state, including the Police Commissioner, Mr Inuwa Hafiz, said the meeting was called
among others, for the security agencies to explain the reasons for the upsurge
in crime wave.
Chairman of the Council and Obi of Owa, Dr Emmanuel Efeizomor,
who read the communiqué, said “During the meeting, the police presented a
detailed account of the security situation in
Delta State, factors responsible
for the high incidence of criminality and efforts of the police to stem
the tide.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Ononye Mordi appeared before
the monarchs to give update on COVID 19 and efforts by Government to contain
the spread.‘‘
We prefer Coronavirus than to be killed by bandits — Katsina District Head
Following bandits attacks
on communities in Ruma and Batsari councils of Katsina State, the district
head, Mu’azu, who holds the traditional title of Sarkin Ruma Katsina, said: “My
people will prefer to die from coronavirus infection. Not from these senseless
killings orchestrated by bandits. So far, the pandemic has not claimed any life
in Batsari and other neighboring councils, but the bandits have killed scores
and attacked harmless villagers and residents. So, what are we saying?”
On the
recent attacks launched by bandits at old and new Ruma, Mu’azu, while speaking
to PRNigeria on telephone , said the marauding criminals after invading over 10
communities, killed and maimed several lives.
He said, “The thing is, the
bandits always scatter themselves when going on operations against our
villages. Hence, security personnel find it difficult sometimes to easily
contain the bandits’ attacks. However, we are still calling on the Federal
Government to deploy more soldiers, mobile policemen and fighter helicopters to
Katsina. Let them comb all the forests in our state, and eliminate these
bandits.”
Speaking on the floor of the Katsina State House of Assembly Chamber,
Mustapha Jibiya, said the “Irresponsibility and insensitivity” of relevant
stakeholders was responsible for growing insecurity in the State.
“It is very
disturbing that from eight councils, we now have about 12 councils that are
ravaged by the criminals. This is as a result of the insensitivity of both the
State and Federal Government,” he said.
Buhari, Chief of Defence Staff meet
over bandits attacks in Katsina
Meanwhile, worried by the constant attacks by
bandits in Katsina State, President Buhari has directed the military to
commence major operation to wipe out the bandits and kidnappers out of the
state.
The President and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel
Olonisakin, met in Abuja where the latter briefed the President.
The directive
by the President and his meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff were made
known in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media
and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu in Abuja, yesterday.
The statement said, “A
major proactive operation by Special Forces, which details are being kept
secret, is now in progress to replace the reactive strikes against insurgent
camps.
“To give full effect to the exercise, a planning team is already in the
state selecting targets and making preparations for the execution of the
“unprecedented” operations.
“The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olonisakin,
who has been measured in issuing official statements on the oncoming exercise,
briefed the President on the plan he intends to flag off shortly.
“President
Buhari, who expressed sadness over the recent attacks in the state extended his
condolences to the families of those killed and prayed for the recovery of the
injured.”
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