Metro
Court Remands Ex-Rivers LG Boss, Royal Father, 73 Others Over Murder Of DPO, Cultism
Published
2 years agoon
By
Editor
A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has remanded 75 persons to the Correctional Centre on alleged conspiracy in the murder of the District Police Officer of Ahoada Police Division, SP Bako Angbashim.
This is as Ekpeye Youths Worldwide and the National Union of Ekpeye Students have called for an end to the seeming politicisation of the killings going on in their area.
The suspects, who are standing trial on two counts bothering on Conspiracy to murder and sponsorship of cultism, in charge sheet number PHC/3208/CR/2023, were picked after Angbashim was killed and decapitated by cults terrorising Ahoada East Local Government Area, led by David Gift Okpala Okpolowu, popular called 2baba.
READ ALSO: Gunmen Ambush, Kill, Dismember DPO In Rivers
Those remanded included a former Chairman of Ahoada East LGA, Cassidy Ikegbidi, Eze Ekpeye Logbo, His Royal Majesty Eze, Ngozi Angwo and over 73 others.
The defendants, who were arraigned in court by the Commissioner of Police, did not take their plea as the bail application by one of the defendant’s lawyers, Dejo Lamikara, was opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Eniyepere Sikpi, a Superintendent of Police.
But the trial Judge, Justice Sika Apirioku after listening to the argument by the lawyers, ordered that the defendants be remanded to Port Harcourt correctional centre and adjourned the case till 21st November for plea and bail consideration.
READ ALSO: Murdered Rivers DPO: Fubara Slams N100m Bounty On Suspects, Suspends Monarch
However, the Secretary General of Ekpeye Youth Worldwide, Adokiye Oyagiri, and the President General of the National Union of Ekpeye Students, King Ngozi, have condemned what they described as the politicisation of the killings in Ekpeye by an alleged sponsored group, Concerned Ekpeye for Peace and Development.
Speaking, Oyagiri, in Port Harcourt yesterday, stated that some youths of the area were being used to make incitive statements against the leader of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Edison Ehie, who represents Ahoada East Constituency II.
He said: “I think it is everybody’s right to talk about the insecurity but where there is an issue is when people begin to make false allegations and claims that they can not be substantiated.
“We all know that immediately after the DPO of Ahoada East was killed, the Governor placed a bounty of N100 million on the killers of the DPO, and till today we are yet to hear from the police if he has been captured or not.”
READ ALSO: Suspected Killer Of Rivers DPO Saved From Lynching, Detained
Ahoada East is governed by a sitting chairman, who bears the responsibility of security because he receives security votes. We think the motive of the group is connected to the political crisis going on in the state. And I think they are trying to discredit Edison Ehie.
When there is insecurity, people tend to politicise it and start taking sides. It is wrong to blame people individually but blame institutions that are responsible for our day-to-day lives.
Also, the President General of the National Union of Ekpeye Students, King Ngozi, condemned the statement by the Conference of Concerned Ekpeye for Peace and Development, that Edison Ehie, has refused to take any action on the killings in his area as politically motivated.
He noted that in his capacity Ehie has taken steps to end the crisis in the area which is not under his constituency as he, Ehie, is from constituency I.
He said: “As a matter of serious concern, Rt. Hon. Edison Ehie has been and he is still one of the best politicians we have in Ekpeye land going by his track record. The people of Ekpeye land are very happy with his leadership direction because of his unquantified good deeds.”
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Metro
Police Arrest Siblings Over Communal Clash In Ondo
Published
7 hours agoon
September 14, 2025By
Editor
Ondo State Police Command has arrested two brothers, Ogunsemore Gbadebo and Michael Ogunsemore for their allegedly involvement in a violent communal clash that occurred in Eki/Oboto Community of Ilaje local government area of the State.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspects had been locked in a prolonged land dispute with the monarch of the community, Oba Oyetayo Ofoaye of Aboto.
According to the. state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Ayanlade, the matter was first taken to the Okitipupa High Court, which ruled in favour of the monarch.
However, not satisfied with the verdict, the siblings filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Akure, where the appellate court again upheld the Oba’s position.
READ ALSO:Job Seekers Protest Alleged Fake Employment Letters For Ondo Teaching Jobs
The PPRO alleged that the brothers resorted to self-help thereafter, recruiting armed thugs to unleash violence on the community rather than accepting the judgement of the Appeal Court.
It was learnt that the attack reportedly perpetrated by the suspects and their gangs, displaced residents, destroyed huts, palm produce, and other valuables, while one Jeremiah Okuntimehin sustained machete injuries in the fracas.
“This criminal escalation turned a civil dispute into a grave security threat, prompting swift police intervention,” the PPRO said.
According to the police spokesman, the police launched a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of the brothers – Gbadebo and Michael, who have since been arraigned in court.
READ ALSO:JUST IN: Ex-Ondo SDP Governorship Candidate Dies
He added that efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the group who took part in the unrest.
Ayanlade stressed that the arrests marked a decisive step in restoring peace to the affected community, warning that communal violence will not be condoned under any guise.
Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Adebowale Lawal cautioned individuals and groups against undermining judicial decisions or taking the law into their own hands, warning that such acts would attract the full weight of the law.
He assured residents of Eki/Oboto and Aboto of adequate police presence and urged them to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies.
The CP also emphasised that dialogue and peaceful engagement remained the only sustainable means of resolving communal disputes.
Metro
Foreign Currency Found On Beggars As 40 Evacuated In Kwara
Published
7 hours agoon
September 14, 2025By
Editor
The Kwara State government has again evacuated another set of 40 beggars from the street of Ilorin, the state capital.
The evacuation of beggars was carried out by the officials of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development in collaboration with operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), Kwara State Command.
During a search conducted on the beggars, a foreign currency (US dollar) was found on one of them, Musa Mahmuda, who claimed to be from Kano State.
READ ALSO:Bandits Invade Kwara Community, Kill One, Kidnap Eight Others
A sharp knife was found in the possession of another beggar.
Seven of the evacuees were second term offenders, having been arrested during a previous evacuation excercise but they returned to the streets again.
The operation was conducted at Tipper Garage in Tanke, Offa garage and Garin Alimi areas – all in Ilorin metropolis.
The Commissioner for social Welfare and Development, Dr Mariam Imam, expressed delight that the excercise was yielding the desired results, saying the number of those evacuated from the streets in the latest exercise has “dratically reduced from 94 arrested during the last time to 40”.
READ ALSO:Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Dismembering Pregnant Sister-in-law In Kwara
She said the ministry’s evacuation team was changing its “strategy as the beggars too were changing their tactics and locations to evade being evacuated from the streets.”
She implored those patronising the beggars to stop doing so and channel their offerings through religious organisations, orphanages and places of worship, reiterating that street begging has been outlawed in the state.
The head, Non-custodian Centre, Nigerian Correctional Services, Kwara State Command, Adebayo Okunola, said the appropriate punitive measures will be meted out to the arrested beggars to serve as deterrence to them and others.
“We will make sure that they clean the streets, they will sweep the streets so that they will know that there is dignity in labour,” he stated.
Metro
NDLEA Arrests Indian Businessman, 3 Others Over Alleged Trafficking Of N3.9bn Tramadol
Published
7 hours agoon
September 14, 2025By
Editor
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, alongside three Nigerian accomplices in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg.
Kumar was apprehended alongside Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheeb at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.
The tramadol shipment worth N3,990,000,000 in street value was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday 8th September 2025.
NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said a team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance, swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, September 11th.
READ ALSO:NDLEA Arrests 26, Recovers 41,410.53 KG Drugs In Edo
Babafemi said a follow-up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.
At the Terminal 2 departure of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, September 7, intercepted a passenger Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi while travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha.
“A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohaodiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed him to the airport.
“His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance.
READ ALSO:NDLEA Busts Cartel, Recovers ₦6.4bn Drugs From Kingpins
“He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks,” the NDLEA said.
Meanwhile, at the Tincan Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg hashish oil were recovered from a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal Canada during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday 9th September.
Two suspects including John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, were arrested in connection with the seizure.
READ ALSO:NDLEA Arrests Widow Using Fake Pregnancy To Traffic Cocaine
Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65kg was tracked from the port to Third Mainland bridge where NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it and arrested the driver Abubakar Ibrahim, 42 on Thursday 11th September.
Two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in picture frame and Loud, hidden in video players were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday 8th and Thursday 11th September respectively by NDLEA operatives.
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