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Assult On Members: Edo NUJ, NBA Demand Apology From Police Command

Published

5 years ago

May 22, 2020

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, and the Nigerian Bar Association in the state have demanded unreserved apology from Edo State Police Command on the assult unleash on the members of the two unions and a council to the state by the officers of the command.

Mr. Lucky Isibor, a journalist and Matthew Edaghese Esq, were reportedly assulted on Monday, May 19 at Urokpota Mobile Court by one Sgt Agatha, and DSP Imoekeme Isa, when the duo made an attempt to rescue state’s counsel, Ama-Iyamu (female) from the two police officers whom they were assulting.

Report says trouble started when Counsel to the state (female lawyer) tried to check excesses of DSP Isa on his indiscriminate arrests and raids on food items against the Attorney General’s earlier warning against it.

Irked by the lawyer’s caution, DSP Isa reportedly attacked the female lawyer which prompted Mr. Isibor, journalist attached to Edo NBA mobile court monitoring team to intervene and was consequently rough handled and beaten along with Edaghase Esq at the mobile court.

According to report, it took the intervention of some good spirited individuals to rescue Isibor, Edaghase and the state Counsel from the rampaging policemen.

Addressing newsmen at a NUJ/NBA joint briefing, Chairman, Edo NUJ, Roland Osakwe, said the briefing became necessary as a result of rising human rights abuse by security agencies.

Describing the urgly incident as affront on the NUJ and the NBA, and an attack on the system set up by the government, the NUJ chairman demanded unreserved apology from the State Police Command on before Tuesday next week, as he threatened that legal action would be taken if such is not done.

“Since the incident happened on Monday, we have not heard anything from the Command. Even when they have been informed of the incident. We want to use this opportunity to call on the Command that we demand an unreserved apology from them within now and next week Tuesday. Failure to do so, we will not hesitate to take to the other option which we know we can also use in seeking our redress.

“These police officers: DSP Isa and Sgt Agatha should not be allowed to be in the police force because this is not an era of Banana republic where anybody choses what he or she wants to do. In fact, they are bringing shame to the police force”, Osakue said.

In his part, chairman, NBA, Benin Branch, Collins Ogiegbean Esq, described the two officers as “habitual persons who have continued to abuse the system.”

Ogiegbean noted that the members who were assulted by these two officers were not the first victim, adding that market women and the poor are their regular victims.

He said, “DSP Isa and Sgt Agatha seem to have a long history. In fact, you can call them habitual persons who have continued to abuse the system; they have abuse the system habitually. They are known for this act.

“The Journalist and NBA member that were assulted are not their first victim. In fact, the market women, and the very poor people are their regular victim. They go to the market place to carry what they call perishable, and they bring it to the mobile court and leave the perishable to perish.”

Describing free press and fearless Bar as sin qua non to certainty in any society, the NBA chairman called for sanction of these two officers from the state Police Command.

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JUST IN: Tinubu Decorates New Service Chiefs

Published

4 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday decorated the new service chiefs with their respective ranks at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The ceremony, which began shortly after 2pm saw the President perform the decoration alongside Vice President Kashim Shettima and the spouses of the decorated officers, each dressed in their respective service uniforms.

Those decorated were General Olufemi Oluyede as the Chief of Defence Staff; Lieutenant-General Wahidi Shaibu as Chief of Army Staff; Air Marshal Kennedy Aneke as Chief of Air Staff; and Vice Admiral Idi Abbas and Chief of Naval Staff.

The Senate had, on Wednesday, confirmed the four nominees after a two-hour closed-door screening session where they were grilled on strategies to strengthen national security and improve coordination among the armed forces.

Tinubu had earlier written the red chamber, seeking an expedited confirmation process “to ensure continuity in the nation’s security leadership.”

It was observed that the ceremony was attended by senior government officials, lawmakers family members of the service chiefs and top officers from the various arms of the military.

The President, Vice President and the officers’ spouses took turns pinning the new ranks on each of the decorated chiefs.

The decoration came barely one week after the Presidency announced a sweeping reshuffle in the military hierarchy.

In the statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, it said the shake-up was part of efforts to inject new direction into the nation’s defence architecture.

The Chief of Defence Intelligence, Major General E. A. P. Undiendeye, retained his position.

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, later told our correspondent that the changes were not connected to recent rumours of a coup plot, saying, “The President acted within his authority as Commander-in-Chief. Service chiefs can be hired and fired by the President.”

On Monday, Tinubu had met privately with the new service chiefs at the Villa.

They arrived in a black Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van escorted by a green Toyota Land Cruiser, and the session lasted about 40 minutes.

Presidency sources said the President charged them to take decisive action against insurgents and bandits, particularly in the North.

Last Friday’s reshuffle followed an October 19 report alleging that some officers were plotting to overthrow the government — a claim later dismissed by the Defence Headquarters as “false and mischievous.”

The Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, said the alleged arrests linked to a coup were “issues of indiscipline” within the ranks, describing the report as “intended to cause unnecessary tension and distrust among the populace.”

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JUST IN: Eurozone Growth Beats Expectations In Third Quarter

Published

8 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

The eurozone economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter of 2025, official data showed Thursday.

The EU’s data agency said the 20-country single currency area recorded growth of 0.2 per cent over the July-September period from the previous quarter.

The figure was higher than the 0.1 per cent forecast by analysts for Bloomberg and FactSet.

More details later…

News

PHOTOS: Police Inspector, Others Die In Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Multiple-truck Crash

Published

8 hours ago

October 30, 2025

Editor

At least four persons were feared dead while several others sustained injuries in a multiple-vehicle crash involving five articulated trucks on Kara Bridge, inward Mowe, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday.

A police inspector attached to the Lagos State Police Command was said to be among the victims.

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who confirmed the incident on Thursday during a visit to the scene, said emergency response teams worked through the early hours to rescue victims and clear the wreckage.

“We have a case of multiple accidents at the border between Ogun and Lagos State. Five vehicles were involved, all articulated vehicles. Precisely, three people have been rescued from the scene of the accident.

“As early as 5 a.m., we have been on it, and we have other agencies here assisting us. We have LASTMA, the Road Safety Corps, and other security agencies,” Ishola said.

He explained that preliminary investigations showed the crash was caused by a trailer that suffered brake failure.

“At the beginning, we have a trailer that failed to brake, and it is important that everybody in charge of their vehicle ensures proper maintenance,” he stated.

The commissioner also confirmed the death of one of his officers who was part of the police advance team deployed to the scene.

“It’s very unfortunate that we lost one of our police inspectors who came with our advance team to salvage the situation,” he said.

Ishola cautioned motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, against reckless driving, which he described as a leading cause of fatal crashes on highways.

“We want road users, especially those driving articulated vehicles, to stop this kind of recklessness. If they are not reckless in their driving habit, we won’t have this kind of accident,” he warned.

Rescue operations involving the police, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and other agencies were still ongoing as of press time, while efforts to remove the damaged vehicles and restore traffic flow continued.