Metro

5 Injured As Shootings, Protests Trail Ejection Of Anambra Land Owners From Motor Parks

Published

2 years ago

August 23, 2023

There was a pandemonium on Wednesday at a mini motor part close to both the New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor and the Flyover along the Enugu/Onitsha at Nkpor in Idemili Northern Local Government Area of Anambra state arising from heavy shootings.

The shootings which ended up in inflicting injuries on about five persons, according to eyewitnesses started at about 1 p.m. when some security operatives on masks stormed the area and attempted to forcefully eject the people of Amafor Community who claim to be bonafide owners of the land where the motor parks were cited and who are generating revenues for both the community and Anambra state government.

The shooting, injuries and forceful ejection of the land owners and their revenue agents later gave rise to a peaceful protest by the villagers who carried placards with various inscriptions.

Chairman of Amafor Village, Nkpor, Sir Emmanuel Idemili who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said the federal ministry of works gave the community an authority to manage the two parks and collect revenues for the community and the state government which they have been found perfectly until yesterday when the masked security operatives stormed the parks at the instigation of the former Chairman of Idemili North Local Government Transition Committee, Chief Raphael Asha Nnabuife who he said is also an indigene of Nkpor but not from Amafor village which owns the land where the parks are located.

Idemili who contended that the security operatives succeeded in chasing away his men from the duty posts with their heavy shootings, added: “We have been in charge of the parks, we got our permissions from the state government to generate revenue from the parks for the state government but what we saw today is very strange to us”.

“Just this morning, I was at Awka on official assignment, when our men who are working at the parks called me and told me that masked security operatives stormed the parks under the flyover bridge and started shooting indiscriminately, ordering them to vacate the place immediately, and they took to their heels”.

“The shootings and attack from these security men may have come from the former transition chairman of Idemili North Local Government Area Caretaker Committee Chairman, Chief Raphael Nnabife Ashia because when he was the transition Committee chairman, he sacked us from the parks, telling us that the parks were owned and controlled by the State government and not the Amafor community.

“The men have been working under the cover of ANSIPPA to ensure that we are not working and collecting the revenue on behalf of the state government because he claimed to have taken ownership of collection of revenue from the parks on behalf of the state government through his company Pugaty Investment.

“I was told that over 5 people got injured during the stampede as a result of the heavy shootings of which I am yet to know if my men were involved as the shootings resulted in traders at Nkpor New Auto Spare Parks and Nkpor Relief Markets immediately shut their shops and fled for their safety,” he further added.

“In a swift reaction when contacted, Chief Asha Nnabuufe who Idemili accused of instigating their forceful ejection, denied involvement in the attack and sack of Amafor officials at the parks, saying that the sack may have come from the State government in collaboration with ANSIPPA as the parks are owned and controlled by the state government.”

However, when contacted also, the Executive Director of Anambra Investment Promotion and Protection Agency, ANSIPPA, Chief Mark Okoye confirmed that it was the State government that sacked them not ANSIPPA.

Also when contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said that he was not yet aware of the incident.
VANGUARD

Metro

Edo Final-year Student Dies In Sign-out Motorcade Crash

Published

34 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.

It was learnt on Tuesday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.

Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.

The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.

“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.

“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”

Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.

The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.

NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.

“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.

“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, NAN reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.

“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.

“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” NAN quoted Mathew as saying.

Metro

One Dies In Oyo Fire, Two Rescued

Published

45 minutes ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

One person lost her life in a fire incident at Agbaakin Street, behind Testing Ground, Iwo Road, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday.

This was contained in a statement by the Chairman of the State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

He said the fire resulted from a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials.

Akinwande added that the firefighting operation was successfully carried out with the support of officers of the Federal Fire Service.

“The fire emergency was received at exactly 20:18 hours on Monday, December 8, 2025.

“On getting there, it was two rooms on the upper floor of a private residential building of 12 rooms engulfed by fire.

“One person (female) was recovered, while two persons (males) were rescued alive. The fire also affected only two rooms, and the whole building and other properties worth millions of naira were saved by the officers of the agency.

“The fire incident was a result of a lighted charcoal cooking pot left unattended, which ignited nearby combustible materials. The operation was jointly carried out with the Federal Fire Service, Ibadan Command,” he explained.

In a related development, a fire incident on Tuesday engulfed the Agric Business Development Agency at Total Garden in Ibadan.

A statement by the State Fire Service Chairman, Akinwande, said the agency received a telephone call through Mr Akinyinka reporting that fire had ravaged the place.

“The incident was reported at exactly 09:20hrs on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, through a telephone call by Mr Akinyinka (the General Manager, Oyo State Fire Services Agency) to the office, reporting a fire at the above-stated address.

“The officers, led by ACFS Oyeniyi Taofeek, swiftly mobilised and deployed to the scene. Upon arrival, it was discovered that electrical sparks from a solar inverter control board on the upper floor of the building resulted in the fire.

“The swift response and professional intervention of our officers prevented the situation from escalating into a fire disaster. The use of portable fire extinguishers was employed during the firefighting operation.

“No casualty was recorded, and properties worth millions of naira were saved by the fire service. The fire incident was a result of electrical sparks from the inverter system,” the statement read.

The chairman, therefore, advised the public to always use correct cables and other electrical materials for their installations.

Metro

Three Die, Several Injured In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Crash

Published

2 hours ago

December 10, 2025

Editor

A fatal crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Tuesday claimed three lives and left several others seriously injured, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has said.

LASTMA, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday, said the accident occurred near the Secretariat, heading towards the Otedola Bridge.

According to the agency, three vehicles were involved in the collision.

“Three vehicles were involved in the collision, resulting in three fatalities and several serious injuries.

“LASAMBUS [Lagos State Ambulance Service] personnel are on the scene, providing medical attention to the injured victims,” it stated.

Emergency responders from LASAMBUS were on the scene administering medical care to the injured victims, while LASTMA officers and personnel of the Nigerian Police Force were also present, managing traffic and maintaining order.

Efforts, according to LASTMA, are underway to clear the crash site and restore normal traffic flow.

Motorists were advised to exercise caution when approaching the area.