Metro

Ancestral Land: 87-year-old Man Leads Protest Against Obaseki

Published

3 years ago

March 31, 2022

Editor

87-year-old Pa Moses Obasuyi on Wednesday led residents of Ogbe-Ezoti, Benin City, in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State to protest what they termed an attempt to sell their ancestral homes to individuals by the Edo State governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.

The protesters who took to major streets carried placards with inscriptions: ‘Obaseki be a leader like Moses and not Pharaoh’; ‘Our houses are not for sale’; ‘Ogbe-Ezito community, our ancestral homes, monuments, not for sale and no negotiations’; ‘Ogbe-Ezoti community has existed for more than 600years’, etc.

The protesters who blocked major roads, caused serious traffic jam at the popular Ring Road, the centre of Benin and it’s environs.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Edo State council, Pa Moses Obasuyi who sat on a chair due to his age said no to the Edo Government’s plan to sell their ancestral land to private business owners.

He asked the government to go to communities where there is enough land.

“We are here to say no to Governor Godwin Obaseki’s proposal to take over our lands and houses. The community has been there for the past 600 years ( six hundred). The place has a traditional ground.

“Governments had come and gone, and nobody has come there to eject us or give us any compensation as the government is claiming. We are saying no to Obaseki’s plan to take our homes and make us homeless,” He said.

Also speaking, Elder Douglas Osazze, secretary to the community said the community is not against developmental plans by the Edo State government, but the government should go to communities that are begging for development.

He said: “From all indication, it looks like the government is on a mission of land grabbing. The area is between Ezoti Street and the moat by Zenith Bank along Airport Road. The notice was pasted by EdoGIS and sent to nobody in particular, it stated that the community is to be taken “for overriding public interest.

“His Excellency, Governor Godwin Obaseki is telling us to pack and relocate to elsewhere, which is not his concern.

“This community is home to over 1000 people, and we have lived here for over 600 years, it is a business centre to several businesses, from which citizens earn their daily source of livelihood, to take care of their homes and families

“Governor Godwin Obaseki and his group have us believe that they are,
and want to sell this community to private individuals and we can not accept that,” He said.

Receiving the protesters at the NUJ secretariat Benin, chairman of the Edo council, Alenkhe pleaded with the protesters to go about it peacefully, maintaining that the union will find out the government’s side.

The Edo State Commissioner for Information,Andrew Ewenta when contacted could not respond, as he said he was in a meeting.

Metro

NDLEA Arrests Lady Smuggling Drugs Inside Butt Pads, Phone Chargers

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported two new methods of drug concealment as part of its ongoing efforts to combat trafficking ahead of the festive season, dubbed “Detty December.”

In a post on his X handle on Sunday morning, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of their drug consignments.

He shared two videos illustrating the sophisticated concealment methods used by the suspects.

According to Babafemi, one of the videos shows a lady who was caught with drugs hidden inside her butt pad underwear.

The second video reveals a separate seizure where a suspect attempted to smuggle drugs concealed within phone chargers.

“With the spate of ongoing arrests and seizures by @ndlea_nigeria at some major entry points, it’s obvious the race and desperation for Detty December are already in overdrive,” Babafemi wrote.

He urged law-abiding citizens to “stay vigilant and careful.”

Metro

Two Dead, Four Injured In DICON Factory Explosion

Published

2 days ago

September 20, 2025

Editor

Two people, including a military officer, were killed and four others critically injured on Saturday following an explosion at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) factory in the Kurmin Gwari area of Kaduna.

The blast, reportedly from gunpowder used in arms production, occurred during a weekend shift, shaking nearby buildings and sending residents into panic.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion killed the officer and a civilian worker instantly, while four other workers sustained severe injuries.

The injured were first taken to St. Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, before being evacuated by military ambulance to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital for further treatment.

Sympathizers and relatives of the victims thronged the hospital, with many weeping.

DICON management has yet to release an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

Metro

Police Detain Lagos NURTW Leader For Killing Resident

Published

2 days ago

September 20, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a top official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state, Samsideen Oladiti, over allegations of murder and the brutal assault of a dispatch rider.

It was that gathered that the 55-year-old man, popularly known as ‘Shamelon’, was linked to two violent crimes on Lagos Island; one involving murder and the other, assault which caused harm to the victim.

In a statement by the deputy spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command on X, Babaseyi Oluseyi, said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, had responded to a protest at the Sandgrouse Market, where they arrested the suspect in connection with murder and assault.

He wrote, “Following news of the death, sympathisers of the deceased mobilised and staged a violent protest at the suspect’s office in Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island, setting two motorcycles belonging to the suspect ablaze and causing unrest in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Olohundare Jimoh, personally led police personnel to the scene.

“He swiftly restored calm, prevented further breakdown of law and order, and assured residents that the suspect is in custody and will be promptly prosecuted after investigations are concluded.”

Oluseyi stated that the NURTW official had been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

He stated, “The suspect is currently in the custody of the SCID, Panti-Yaba, for discreet investigation.”

Explaining the murder and assault, the deputy spokesperson stated, “On 17th September 2025 at about 3:00pm, the suspect allegedly attacked a dispatch rider on Lagos Island, using a helmet and fists to inflict serious bodily injury (on him). The victim (dispatch rider) was rushed to hospital, placed on oxygen, and is currently receiving medical treatment.”

In August, police reported that the suspect had also assaulted a man who later died.

Oluseyi narrated, “On 18th September 2025, at about 11:00 am, another complaint was lodged against the same suspect in connection with an incident that occurred on 28th August 2025.

“During the altercation, the suspect allegedly used a metallic ring to repeatedly strike a man on the head and face, inflicting severe injuries. Despite medical intervention, the victim was confirmed dead by a doctor on 17th September 2025. His body has since been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.”

The police appealed to residents, assuring them that justice would be duly served.

She wrote, “The Lagos State Police Command wishes to assure members of the public that justice will be diligently pursued in all the cases against the suspect.

“Jimoh further appeals to residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and not to take the law into their own hands. He enjoins them to cooperate fully with the police in the ongoing investigations.”

Meanwhile, the state chairman of NURTW, Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego has dissociated the union from the actions of Oladiti, stressing that the “NURTW does not condone violence or any unlawful activity.”

Adekunle, in a statement on Friday, noted that while he once trusted Oladiti’s loyalty, the incident had left him “bitter and disappointed.”

He urged security agencies to conduct a thorough and impartial probe, assuring that if found guilty, the suspect would also face the union’s internal disciplinary measures after the legal process is concluded.

“I urge law enforcement officers to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure justice is served.

“Once the legal process is complete, he will also face the union’s internal disciplinary procedures. As I have always stated, the NURTW does not condone violence or any unlawful acts,” Adekunle said.

He warned members of the union against any form of lawlessness, stressing that loyalty or closeness to him would not shield anyone from the consequences of being lawless.