Metro

Boundary Dispute: Ogbe-Ijoh, Aladja Trade Words Over Alleged Demolition Of Houses

Published

3 years ago

September 12, 2022

Editor

Angry youths under the auspices of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Interest & Defensive Forum, OIDF have accused a purported Aladja/Ogbe-Ijoh boundary committee led by the counterparts of Udu and Warri South West LGA chairmen, Jite Brown and Taiye Tuoyo of unlawful destruction of houses in Ogbe-Ijoh community in the name of a boundary adjustment.

The youths said the committee did not seek the consent of the Ogbe-Ijoh community before destroying buildings on their land.

The youths in a statement said, “The grand commandant of Ogbe-Ijoh Warri Kingdom Interest & Defensive Forum (OIDF) Gen. Powode Edonghan Ikoro, Action Chairman, Francis Oromoni, Commander Endurance Amaya Ogbe and National president of OIDF Okosu Smart and others led Ogbe-Ijoh youths to verify purported boundary areas but to our surprise, three of Ogbe-Ijoh buildings were demolished without the consent of the owners and even the Ogbe-Ijoh people.

“We, therefore, call on the Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, Udu LGA chairman, Jite Brown and Warri South West LGA chairman, Taiye D.Tuoyo to think wisely and bury their evil decisions against the Ogbe-Ijoh people & rebuild the destroyed houses within seven days to avoid a showdown.”

The group also advised Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to call the purported boundary committee led by the counterparts chairmen of the two LGAs to order and possibly focus on LGA boundary adjustment between Udu and WSW LGAs and not communal issues.

The group said the two LGA chairmen should work in line with the government decision regarding the boundary adjustment of the affected communities and not follow their “illegal arrangement which may incite more crisis in the area.

In a swift reaction, Aladja Community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State denied allegations by the Ogbe-Ijoh people that her indigenes destroyed buildings in their community.

In an interview with DAILY POST, the President of Aladja Community Council, Shell Okakotu GodFirst, who was reacting to a report on social media by one Smart Okosun described the report as “false”.

GodFirst said it is not true that indigenes of Aladja community destroyed houses in Ogbe-Ijoh.

He noted that there is a committee set to do the demarcation between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities.

In his words, “That job was done by the committee. It’s not Aladja indigenes. Aladja community did not go there to do demarcation on their own. So, to me, it’s an irrelevant story. The story is a fictitious story.”

GodFirst pointed out that most of the buildings at the boundary belong to Aladja people, stressing that, “some of the buildings caused the age-long dispute between the communities.

Commenting on the seven-day ultimatum the Ogbe-Ijoh people issued the Delta State Government to rebuild the houses destroyed, GodFirst said if the Delta State government should be ready to withdraw the security operatives from the two communities, Ogbe-Ijoh people will dare to attack them.

He said the Aladja community is fully in support of the boundary demarcation by the Delta State Government and not because Aladja is afraid of anything but for the sake of peace pointing out that there’s so much insecurity in the country that does not need more troubles to be added.

He insisted that for peace to reign, the Ogbe-Ijoh people should allow the committee set up by the Delta State government to do its demarcation job.

An indigene of Aladja community who does not want his name in print corroborated GodFirst’s comments, saying Smart Okosun is misleading the public with the libellous report.

“I believe the people of Aladja will not take it lightly with him this time around because if he alleged we destroyed any building in Ogbe-Ijoh, he should be able to point out the perpetrators, not just generalizing.”

Metro

Abuja Court Jails Ex-legislative Aide For N120m Fraud

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi on Monday sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr Goni Yilkan, to eight years in prison for obtaining N120.58 million by false pretence.

Justice F. E. Messiri found Yilkan guilty of a two-count employment scam charge, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed in a statement issued via its X handle on Tuesday.

“Yilkan, who hails from Nguru, Yobe State, was found guilty on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act, and consequently sentenced to eight years imprisonment without option of fine,” the statement read.

According to EFCC, the convict was arraigned alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023, following investigations into a petitioner’s claims of being defrauded by the convict.

One of the charges read: “That you, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu and others at large between 3rd January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N120, 580, 550 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) from Mrs. Hindatu Bello under the false pretence that you had the capacity to secure jobs for her candidates in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

In the course of the trial, EFCC said the petitioner explained that “Yilkan deceived her between 2020 and 2021 into believing that he had the capacity to secure employment slots in government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“On this strength, the petitioner collected varying sums of money from over 60 jobseekers, amounting to N120,580,550.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira), which she allegedly remitted to the convict.”

However, the purported employment offers never materialised, prompting Bello to petition the EFCC.

The prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, called six witnesses and tendered documentary evidence, while the defence, led by J.A. Oguche, presented two witnesses, including Yilkan himself.

In his judgment, Justice Messiri held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicted Yilkan, but discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Adamu.

The judge further sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

Earlier, The PUNCH reported that the EFCC Ilorin Zonal Directorate arrested 28 suspected internet fraudsters in Kwara State.

The suspects, according to a statement on Monday, “were picked up in the early hours of Tuesday during sting operations carried out in Tanke, University Road, Oshin, and Agbabiaka areas of the state capital.”

Metro

Soldiers Who Sold Arms To Terrorists Sentenced To Death

Published

2 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A special court-martial of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and another to 15 years for illegal arms deals carried out in connivance with police officers and terrorists.

The trial, presided over by Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), took place at the Officers’ Mess of the Theatre Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.

Delivering judgment, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, president of the court-martial, pronounced Raphael Ameh, a sergeant; Ejiga Musa, a sergeant; and Patrick Ocheje, a lance corporal, guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Omitoye Rufus, a corporal, was however handed a 15-year jail term.

The soldiers were convicted of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy, all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.

Ameh, who served as an armourer at the 7 Division Garrison, was found to have conspired with a deceased colleague to steal ammunition from the division’s armoury.

He worked with police officers to conceal weapons in bags of beans and smuggle them to Enugu and Ebonyi for criminals.

Abdullahi revealed that bank records linked Ameh to over 100 suspicious transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.

Musa, while serving as armourer of 195 Battalion, was discovered to have collaborated with Ocheje and police officers in selling an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition.

Records showed he collected more than ₦500,000 from the transactions before he was arrested while attempting to sell more ammunition.

Rufus was convicted for selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer, while Ocheje, who was deployed at the forward operating base in Molai, was found guilty of diverting ammunition during communal clashes at the instigation of a police officer.

He also stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a colleague.

The court held that their actions directly endangered military operations and national security, amounting to aiding the enemy.

Condemning the convicts, Abdullahi described them as “bad eggs” who betrayed the trust, discipline, and honour expected of soldiers in the fight against insurgency.

He restated the army’s zero-tolerance stance on the sale of arms or ammunition to adversaries “in whatever form or guise.”

Metro

BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Lifeless bodies of the eight policemen who were declared missing after a deadly attack on security operatives at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, have been recovered.

Dr Justin Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA disclosed this to reporters in Makurdi on Monday.

According to him, “this brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG)”.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, when a team of security operatives came under the attack of armed invaders.

Three personnel were immediately confirmed dead while eight others were declared missing.