Metro

Day 2 Protest: Police Teargas Protesters, Journalist In Akwa Ibom

Published

1 year ago

August 2, 2024

Editor

Photo: file copy

Police tear-gassed protesters and a journalist converged at the Ibom Plaza, Uyo Friday as the #EndBadGovernance protest entered Day 2 in Akwa Ibom state.

Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Timfon Jobn, in response to the situation, said the Police Command, Akwa Ibom State, was too busy monitoring the protest to have time to respond to a media enquiry.

Trouble started as Uyo Correspondent of the New Nigerian Newspapers engaged Jonathan Titus, Leader of Akwa protesters under the platform of the “Good Good Governance Renaissance’ in an interview on the situation when the Police on guard urged the protesters to vacate the the Plaza which is usually a protest rallying venue.

Vanguard gathered that when the protesters questioned why they were urging them to move to Cenotaph, Unity Park, along Udo Udoma Avenue, the security agents tear-gassed the crowd to disperse the protesters numbering about 15 as the crowd gathered momentum.

The state correspondent of the New Nigeria Newspaper was also affected by the teargas.

Before the tear-gassing, the protesters were seen moving around the Plaza Roundabout displaying placards of various inscriptions, some reading, “Politicians Pity us”, Nigeria Jaga, Jaga”, High cost of Living don kill the Living”, Give Us 10 more refineries “, “End Bad governance Nigeria, End Hunger in Akwa Ibom”, Reduce Fuel Price to N100.00″ among others.

The protesters later began chanting solidarity songs as security agencies including the Police were seen escorting them to the Unity Park, Udo Udoma, where Commissioner of Police, CP Waheed Ayilara had restricted them to the protest.

One of the leaders of the group, Jonathan Titus, speaking at the Ibom Plaza before the Police disruption, said, “We are here to protest against hardship.

“We are here to protest against hunger, high cost of living, high cost of fuel in this country. In this country we can do better as a people, we cannot produce crude oil and buy fuel at N900 per litre.

“This is unacceptable. An average person cannot feed his family again because of the way things are going. The federal government has increased the minimum wage to N70,000. Seventy thousand Naira minimum wage is useless because it cannot buy a bag of Rice.

“If you collect N70,000 you must borrow another N20,000 before you can buy a bag of Rice. So we are saying that we need a bag of Rice to be brought down to N10,000 and fuel pump price brought down to N100 per litre “

The Protesters were escorted to Udo Udoma along with not less than 15 trucks of armed security operatives as the “Good Good Governance Renaissance” vowed not to relent in the face of intimidation from security operatives.

Police PRO, Timfon John told Vanguard, “We cannot just give out any information for now. I have been on patrol with the Commissioner of Police, going to different places. It’s only one place we saw protesters in all our movements. And those protesters were not even up to 20.”

Related Topics:#EndBadGovernance Protest Protests

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Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

15 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, including a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army, in Awka, the state capital.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

The police spokesperson said that, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed the gang’s hideout at Notoko, Awka, leading to the arrest of the confessed deserter soldier and four other suspects.

Ikenga identified the suspects as 38-year-old Dominic Oraz, a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army; 30-year-old Michael Nwobodo; 29-year-old Eze Friday; 23-year-old Uche Okolo, and 29-year-old Chinedu Gilbert.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include six automatic pump-action guns, 63 rounds of live cartridges, one microscope, five machetes, one military cap, two police teargas canisters, handcuffs, a robber’s rocket launcher, criminal charms, three Motorola walkie-talkies, one jack knife, one power bank and cash sum of N26,000,” Ikenga stated.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for the operation and urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and to continue to report suspicious activities to the Police for prompt action.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

15 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Enugu Vigilantes Beat Young Man To Death Over Alleged Stealing Of Woman’s Clothes

Published

15 hours ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Members of the Neighbourhood Watch in Amagu Iwollo Oghe community, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, have allegedly beaten a young man, Mr. Nosike Madueke, popularly known as Wojuwo, to death over a false theft allegation.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that the vigilante group was led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the community, Mr. Chukwuebuka Hillary Ngwueche, also known as Osuofia.

According to one of the sources, the incident occurred on Monday, August 25, 2025, when the local security men attacked Madueke with “dangerous weapons” after he was accused of stealing a box of clothes belonging to Mrs. Nneka Nwankwo.

The source explained that Nwankwo had earlier hired Madueke and his co-workers to repair or dig her septic tank and soakaway, but later raised an alarm claiming her box of clothes had gone missing.

“Instead of handing Madueke over to the appropriate authority, especially the police, they decided to jointly and severally take the laws into their respective hands by arresting Madueke, dragging him to his house for a search, bringing out his clothes, and burning all the clothes,” the source said.

“They tied Madueke on both his hands and legs and started profusely, taking turns by using offensive weapons such as guns, machetes, and irons, to beat him up till he died.”

“This happened in public at Iwollo Oghe Square. How can a trained CSO and his men kill a whole human being on a mere allegation by a woman of stealing her cloth, which was later found,” the source said.

“The young boy was from Imeziolo, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State.”

According to another source, this marks the third time residents of Iwollo Oghe, either directly or through its purported security outfits, have been linked to the killing of people from the deceased’s community.

“Sometime in 1987, they shot Hyacinth Adinde with a gun and asked the people of Madueke community to do their worst.

“Also, years later, they killed Engr. Christopher Aniagbaoso, and yet they asked the people of the community to do their worst.

“The people of Iwollo Oghe are in the habit of killing the people of Imeziolo on mere suspicious grounds,” the source alleged.

“We call on the Enugu State command to do justice to this case as information reaching us revealed that the men are on the run after killing the young boy,” the source added.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the deceased being beaten with sticks by men believed to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch, who were seen parading him along a community road.

Moments later in the footage, his lifeless body appeared on the ground, surrounded by residents, some of whom lamented, “See how they killed somebody’s only son for nothing.”

According to a source, the case has since been reported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Enugu State Police Command.

However, repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain the reaction of the Police Command were unsuccessful.

Calls to the mobile phone of the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, went unanswered, and a WhatsApp message sent to him also received no response as of the time of filing this report.