Headline

Community Alleges NSCDC Providing Aecurity For Illegal Gold Miners Un Edo

Published

2 years ago

December 16, 2021

Editor

The people of Dangbala community in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo, have alleged that men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) provide security cover for illegal gold miners in the community.

The residents under aegis of Concern Residents of Dangbala, raised the alarm in a statement by Godwin Amusa and Agbaje Saiki, Convener and Secretary respectively.

The residents noted that it has become imperatives to go public on the issue in order to avoid the Zamfara State situation.

They said that not only have the increased competition created tension in the community, but that their activities have become an issue of security threat in the area.

Spokesman of the community, Mr Collins Nicholas, also made similar illegation in an interview with newsmen in Benin on Thursday.

He alleged that officers of the security outfit provides cover for the illegal miners that have just made a return to the mining site after the Edo Government had placed embargo on the site earlier in the year.

Nicholas said the miners who work both in the day and night, are able to carry out their illegal activities because they have the full protection of the NSCDC.

Similarly, Nicholas appealed to the concern authority to check activities of these illegal miners before it snowball into what Zamfara State is presently experiencing.

He said angered by the action of the NSCDC some youths who attempted to stop the illegal miners from carrying out their illegal activities against the state government order were mercilessly beaten and injured.

“On the 13th of August, the same illegal miners arrested by Civil defense were released.

“At a meeting held in the community, we were shocked to see them jubilating that Civil Defense has declared Dangbala bush open and as I speak all kind of people are working there freely without the approval of Edo state government.

” When the kindred that owns the place went to find out what was happening they were attacked and the matter is pending at Igarra Area Command. We have written several petition on this.”

Meanwhile, the State Command of the NSCDC have denied the allgation and noted that the mining site was still not opened for any activities since its closure by the state government.

Spokesman of the command, Mr Efosa Ugbebor, said that the place was still been guided by its officers since its closure.

“It is not true that our officers are providing cover for illegal miners in Dangbala. Infact, there is no mining activity in that area as we speak.

“Few days ago, precisely on Tuesday, the Command sent anti-vandal and solid mineral team of the NSCDC to the area but they found noting happening there.

“To clear any doubt, we have asked the community people to immediately report to our office should they see anything of such. Perhaps, they can provide any evidence of they have any for us to act on,” he stated.

Recall that residents of the community had on Tuesday raised the alarm over the return of activities of illegal gold miners.

Headline

Teenager Jailed For Life For Murder Of 16-year-old Boy At House Party

Published

6 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Editor

A teenager who stabbed Mikey Roynon, 16, to death with a “zombie knife” has been jailed for life.

Shane Cunningham, 16, fatally stabbed Mikey Roynon in the neck with a large hunting-style knife during a 16th birthday house party in Bath, Somerset in June 2023.

Mr Justice Saini sentenced him to life in jail with a minimum sentence of 16 years before he could be released for parole after he was convicted of murder.

Teenager jailed for life for murder of boy, 16, at house party
Shane Cunningham

His co-accused – Cartel Bushnell and Leo Knight, both 16 – were convicted of manslaughter after being acquitted of the more serious charge.

A judge sentenced Bushnell to nine years of youth detention, while Knight was given nine-and-a-half years’ youth detention.

The judge ruled that all three could be identified despite their age after an application by the PA news agency.

Cunningham had claimed he was acting in self-defence, claiming during the trial that Mikey had swung a knife towards friends in the garden of the property. But the jury saw through his story following a trial at Bristol crown court.

Mikey collapsed on the driveway with heavy bleeding from a single knife wound to his neck.

Police, paramedics and doctors soon arrived at the scene in Weston, a north-west suburb of Bath, but Mikey died.

The defendants ran off and threw away their weapons, two of which were recovered by police.

Detective Inspector Mark Newbury said: “That three boys armed themselves with knives to go to a teenage girl’s 16th birthday party is utterly unconscionable.

“Mikey went to that party to socialise and to have a good time. Instead, he was attacked with a horrifying weapon, suffered a catastrophic injury and tragically lost his life.

“Mikey was a much loved teenage boy and his family have been left totally devastated.

“They have shown incredible bravery and have courageously spoken out against knife crime since his death, which is something they should never have to do.

“Since Mikey’s death, other young lives have been lost across our policing area and as a result we have launched a proactive operation to tackle and disrupt serious violence and knife crime involving young people.

“However, we know police enforcement alone won’t solve the problem and we’re working closely with our local authority partners, our colleagues in education and health and the Violence Reduction Partnership to identify the root causes and divert young people away from criminality.

“Our communities are also key and we’d like to encourage parents to talk to their children about knife crime – to make sure that they understand the terrible consequences carrying a knife can have and also how to report if they have concerns about someone they know carrying a knife.”

Headline

Shock As Woman Who Visited Hospital For Scan Was Told She’s Dead

Published

8 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Editor

A woman was left shocked when she turned up to a hospital scan only to be told by staff that her records showed that she was already ‘’dead.”

Susan Johnson from Scarborough was left ‘shaking by a leaf’ after staff at the Bridlington Hospital in Yorkshire told her their records showed she’d been dead for four months.

The incident left Susan, 62, a retired housekeeper, baffled that her husband Bob needed to bring her a strong coffee to help calm her nerves.

The mother-of-two told BBC News: ‘I gave them my letter and their first words were, “ooh you’re dead”.

‘I said, “pardon?”. I was in shock.

‘Then they put something on the computer so I could have the scan and then they just said, “bye” and that’s it.’

It is unclear how the mistake happened as when Susan contacted her GP, they told her that the mistake had been fixed.

However, when she contacted the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the call handler told her she was still marked as already dead on the system.

‘On the computer you’re dead,’ she was told. Susan then informed her she couldn’t be dead as she was on the phone and talking.

The error meant that Susan’s carer’s allowance for looking after her disabled husband Bob briefly stopped, though this has now been fixed.

She said she shut down completely after the news and said there was nobody to talk to about the mistake.

Scarborough Medical Group told the BBC they’d received an electronic instruction about the ‘death’ from Primary Care Support England (PCSE).

Susan is concentrating on her hobbies of gardening and knitting as she recovers from the shock.

An NHS spokesperson said: ‘We are aware of an issue involving a civil death registration being incorrectly recorded against a patient’s medical record.

‘This was removed within 24 hours of it being reported to us in March 2023 and the patient was re-registered by their GP.

‘We would encourage the patient to contact us directly so we can explain further.’

Headline

PHOTOS: Sandhurst Trained: UK High Commissioner Hosts First Nigerian Female To Graduate From Premier British Military Institution

Published

13 hours ago

May 3, 2024

Editor

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has congratulated Princess Owowoh on making history at the United Kingdom’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS).

Taking to X.com on Thursday, Montgomery expressed his pleasure in meeting Owowoh, who was accompanied by an officer from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

Sharing photos, he wrote, “I was pleased to meet 2nd Lt. Princess Owowoh, the first Nigerian female officer cadet to graduate from the UK’s

#RMASandhurst, accompanied by Lt. Col Nyiam from the #NDefenceAcademy to congratulate her on making history, hear about her experience, and reflect on our Nigeria-British relationship.”

Owowoh graduated from the RMAS as the first-ever Nigerian female officer on April 12.

She joined the NDA in Kaduna in 2018, where she was appointed as a cadet lance corporal in her second year.

She rose to a cadet sergeant in her fourth year and was appointed company senior under Officer Charlie (CSUO C) in her fifth year.

Owowoh held the appointment with two other female counterparts and made history by becoming the first female to hold the position of CSUO at the academy.

During her fourth year, she completed the academic component of the commissioning course, achieving first-class honours in biological sciences.

See the photos below: