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Drivers, Passengers Groan As Fuel Hits N230 Per Litre In Kogi

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Lokoja-Okene bound drivers expressed disgust on Sunday as fuel hit at least N230 per litre in Okene and Lokoja local government areas of Kogi State.

Some filling stations visited in Okene on Sunday, it was discovered that the current scarcity of fuel in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, has extended to Okene, with major filling stations without fuel to dispense to motorists.

In a few filling stations where fuel was sold, it was at a cost of at least N230 per litre, while some drivers said the price could be as high as N270 in other filling stations in the area.

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READ ALSO: Edo In Serious Crisis, Obaseki Has Destroy Enviable Legacies, APC Laments

Commenting on the development, a Lokoja-Okene bound commercial driver, Issa Mohammed, described scarcity of fuel in Okene as worse compared to Lokoja, where the product is sold between N220and N225 per litre.

“The current hike in the price of fuel, especially in Lokoja and Okene, is fast going beyond the purchasing capacity of an average commercial driver to cope with.

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“Hardly can any commercial driver in Lokoja and Okene can boast of making a tangible profit at the end of the day’s business as all our proceeds go for the purchase of fuel which continues to hit the roof,” Mohammed told DAILY POST.

“Many of us are still in job because we have no other profession to fall back to, not that there is much profitability in the job again.

“We will be happy if the government can help us check black marketers in the fuel business so we can at least make some profit or break even in this business.

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“The terrible hike in motor spare parts, accelerated wear and tear of our vehicles, and bad road are also issues giving us sleepless nights as much of our proceeds go for the purchase of spare parts and repairs of our vehicles.”

Mohamed’s colleagues, who aligned with his observation on the issue, called on the federal government to supply more fuel to the filling stations as a natural way of forcing down the price of fuel to the official level.

DAILY POST reports that transport fare, which used to be N500 or N600 from Lokoja to Okene (70kms), as the case had been a few months ago, has risen to N1,500 per trip and, in some instances, N1,800.

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READ ALSO: Oil Sector Records 98% Spillage From Sabotage –Report

Commercial and tricycle operators in Lokoja and Okene are not spared, as they have also hiked their services by 50 to 80 percent, citing the skyrocketing price of fuel.

Some passengers who also complained of the hike in transport fare,in separate interviews with DAILY POST, called on NNPC limited to direct its searchlight on shylock dealers selling fuel beyond the official pump price of N179 per litre in the area.

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Metro

Ex-convict Arrested In Edo For Armed Robbery, Possession Of Firearm

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The Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) has arrested a 45-year-old ex-convict, Owen Osas, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms and suspected involvement in a robbery incident.

Osas was reportedly arrested with a cut-to-size single-barrel gun during a covert operation along Fishpond Road in Eyean, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area.

The arrest reportedly comes barely a year after he was released from prison, where he had served time for illegal possession of firearms and other criminal offences.

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Osas, who confessed to the latest crime, also admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.

READ ALSO:Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

Consequently, a victim of an alleged robbery incident, Reginia Izy, identified Osas as the person who robbed her a day before his arrest.

The victim narrated that the suspect had approached her residence around 8 p.m., pretending to be familiar before carrying out the attack.

‎The Deputy Commander Operations of ESSC, Richard Balogun, said the arrest was part of intensified efforts to rid Edo State of criminal elements.

READ ALSO:Edo South Senatorial Seat: Nothing Wrong Seeking Wike’s Support – Ogbeide-Ihama

‎Balogun explained that operatives conduct both overt patrols and covert operations to track and apprehend suspects.

He said, ‎“Our men are always on patrol. Some operate in plain clothes as part of covert strategies, while others are stationed at strategic locations.

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“Osas, who is a former convict, was arrested with firearms and he also confessed to be a member of the Eiye Confraternity.”

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Gunmen Kidnap Businessman In Ibadan

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Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

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Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

READ ALSO:Gunmen Abduct 60-year-old Trader In Oyo

Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

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Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.

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Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

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A 30-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of Principle Takeout, Justice Abu Oshioke, has been killed by suspected kidnappers in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

He was reportedly attacked by the suspected kidnappers on Saturday while on his way to pick up an order made for his child’s dedication on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers attempted to force him into a nearby bush in a kidnapping attempt. However, he reportedly resisted and tried to escape.

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READ ALSO:Senatorial Seat: Ogbakha-Edo Warns Against Imposition Of Candidates In Edo South

In the course of the struggle, the assailants opened fire, shooting him multiple times.

Concerned residents quickly rushed him to a nearby medical facility, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.

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The deceased was said to have recently gotten married and welcomed a baby boy.

The tragic event has turned a joyous occasion into a moment of grief for the family.

READ ALSO:Edo NLC Divided Over May Day Celebration

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The shocking development has left the Ekpoma community in deep sorrow, with many residents expressing outrage over the growing insecurity in the area.

Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has ordered a “full-scale investigation and intensified manhunt for those responsible.” 

According to her, the Police, in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and hunters, are actively pursuing the perpetrators through coordinated operations.

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