Metro

Economic Hardship: Delta Protest Canceled As Soldiers Arrest Journalist

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

Soldiers from the Nigerian Army 3 Battalion in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State in the early hours of Friday arrested the South-South Bureau Chief of Galaxy Television, Mr. Dele Fasan, for recording video clips during a planned labour protest in the metropolis.

Also, the soldiers whisked a human rights activist, Comrade Israel Joe, to a nearby military barracks, following a mild, rift between him and other activists including Kelvin Ejumudo and others.

However, the planned protest could not hold in the Delta metropolis as it was cancelled after critical stakeholders met and discussed the issues on Thursday night.

The molestation of the television journalist took place at the popular DSC roundabout in Effurun where the soldiers allegedly brutalised and hit him with the butt of the guns.

Witnesses said that Fasan was picked up by the soldiers in the presence of the police team led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, DC Operations, Aina Adesola.

But Fasan was released by the soldiers following the intervention of the police boss and his colleagues who appealed to the Army Commander, Major AE Ohegbe, on whose order he was released and the handcuff pulled off.

Confirming his arrest in a chat with newsmen shortly after, Fasan said he was “trying to get video clips of the protest scene which was already taken over by security operatives when the overzealous soldiers accosted him.”

Fasan, however, commended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Aina Adesola for promptly intervening in the matter.

He said, “The military were not civil at all during the protest. But the police led by DCP Aina Adesola, the Navy, the DSS, and NSCDC operatives were civil as they all intervened and I was released”.

Fasan spoke further saying that the Army Commander, Major Ahegbe, later apologised to him after the ugly act had already been done.

Also speaking with journalists, the National Secretary of Human Rights Protection Congress, Comrade Kelvin Ejumudo said the Civil Society Organisations came out to ensure that the protest did not hold following the threat across the nation.

“We don’t want any protest at all because when it happens, people will lose their properties. People will lose their money”, he said.

“While we were at the protest venue, we had the proponent (Israel Joe) of the protest for selfish reasons come here, and we had a one-on-one rift and he had been taken away by security operatives.

“I will not condone any idea of protest in this state because, at the moment, Nigeria is volatile,” he added.

He, however, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the 36 state governors with the local government chairmen to, as a matter of urgency, tackle the hunger in the land.

“Nigerians don’t want food. We want employment, we want our refineries to be functional, we want to produce what we can sell,” he stated.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, DCP Aina Adesola while speaking with newsmen said he was sent to the scene by the Commissioner of Police to maintain peace.

Metro

Gunmen Kill Three In Zamfara Community Over N3,500 Yoghurt

Published

16 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Editor

At least three people were killed on Wednesday in Danjibga village, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, after armed bandits attacked the community.

The incident was reported on Thursday, December 4, 2025, by security analyst Bakatsine on X.

Bakatsine explained that the attack began when a group of gunmen entered a local shop and attempted to take Rufaida yoghurt worth ₦3,500 without payment. The shop owner insisted on payment, prompting the men to become angry, drop the goods, and leave.

According to Bakatsine, the gunmen returned less than an hour later, heavily armed, and opened fire, killing three people. The attack also forced residents to flee and resulted in the looting of the shop.

He said, “Yesterday evening in the Danjibga community of Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State, a group of bandits entered a local shop and attempted to take Rufaida yoghurt worth ₦3,500 without payment.

“When the shop owner insisted on payment, the gunmen became angry, abandoned the yoghurt, and left. They returned less than an hour later and started shooting sporadically, which killed three people, forced residents to flee, and looted the shop.”

As of the time of filing this report, authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the incident.

Metro

Patient Accuses Ekiti Teaching Hospital Of Organ Harvesting

Published

16 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Editor

Management of the Ekiti State Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) has commenced an investigation into an alleged organ harvesting levelled against it by a patient, Mr Joshua Afolayan, who had surgery recently in the facility.

Joshua had accused the Teaching Hospital of an alleged harvest of his kidney by medical doctors in the hospital.

Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti, Afolayan explained that he had an accident in August 2025, and after visiting the hospital, he was told that one of his kidneys was affected.

According to him, the results of multiple scans carried out, including at UCH, Ibadan, Oyo State, confirmed that the right kidney had been damaged but the left kidney was very fine.

However, during surgery to remove the faulty kidney so as to protect other organs, Afolayan confirmed that he still urinated five minutes before the surgery, but since the procedure in October, he has not been able to pass urine.
He noted that all efforts to get explanations from the hospital proved abortive, as they continued to play him around.

Afolayan added that on second thought, he decided to visit another facility for scanning, only to discover that he had been living without a kidney since the operation.

He called on the government to carry out a thorough investigation and save his life, as he has continued to live in pain.

However, disturbed by the development, the Chairman, Board of Management of the Teaching Hospital, Dr Adedamola Dada, constituted a seven-man panel of enquiry to look into the alleged case of kidney removal in the hospital.
A statement by Rolake Adewumi, Head, Corporate Affairs, EKSUTH, disclosed that the members of the panel included Prof. Francis Faduyile, an Anatomic Pathologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, who will serve as the Chairman of the panel.

Other members included Prof. Patrick Temi Adegun of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti; Dr Henry Abiyere from Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido–Ekiti; Dr Adebola Adeniyi–Agbaje, General Manager, Progress F.M, Ado-Ekiti.
Others are Reverend Emmanuel Aribasoye, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Ekiti State branch; High Chief (Prof) Babatunde Akindele, the Elemo of Ado–Ekiti, a community leader; and Barr. Adebayo Titilayo, the Legal Adviser to Ekiti State Ministry of Health, who will serve as Secretary to the panel.

She said that the panel has ten days to submit its report, adding that the hospital management reassured the public that no stone would be left unturned to determine the issues involved in the matter.

“The Management noted that members of the panel are independent and responsible members of the community who would exhibit fairness and justice.

“All the affected parties and the general public were urged to cooperate with the panel as the findings are being awaited.”

Metro

Appeal Court Upholds Ban On Vehicle Impoundment, Awards N1m Damages

Published

16 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Thursday, affirmed the judgment of a Federal High Court which stopped the Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also known as VIO, from further stopping, impounding, or confiscating vehicles on the road and imposing fines on motorists.

The appellate court, in the judgment delivered by Justice Oyejoju Oyebiola Oyewumi, held that the case of the VIO was lacking in merit.

“I find no iota of merit in this appeal; the decision of the lower court is hereby affirmed.

“Cost of N1 million is awarded against the appellant,” the appellate court held.

Recall that Justice Evelyn Maha of the Federal High Court had, in a judgment in a fundamental rights enforcement suit last year, issued an order restraining the VIO from impounding or confiscating the vehicles of motorists and/or imposing fines on any motorist.

The judge predicated her decision on the grounds that the appellants lacked the necessary legal backing to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles and/or impose fines on motorists.

While the suit was filed by a rights activist and public interest lawyer, Mr Abubakar Marshal, the order is said to bind the Director of Road Transport, the Area Commander, Jabi, and the Team Leader, Jabi, as well as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), all listed as respondents in the case.

The judge held that the first to the fourth respondents, who are under the control of the fifth respondent (FCT minister), are not empowered by any law or statute to stop, impound, or confiscate vehicles and/or impose fines on motorists.

The trial judge had subsequently issued an order restraining the first to the fifth respondents, either through their agents, servants, and/or assigns, from impounding or confiscating the vehicles of motorists and/or imposing fines on any motorist, adding that doing so is wrongful, oppressive, and unlawful.

The judge also issued an order of perpetual injunction restraining the respondents, whether by themselves, agents, privies, allies, or anybody acting on behalf of the first respondent, from further violating the rights of Nigerians to freedom of movement, presumption of innocence, and the right to own property without lawful justification.

Dissatisfied, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services appealed the judgment of the trial court but lost.