Metro

Edo: 23 Communities Protest Alleged Leasing Of Forest Reserve To Oil Palm Investor

Published

3 years ago

September 20, 2021

Editor

Twenty three communities in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State, on Monday, protested against the planned leasing of their land – Urhonigbe Forest Reserve – to a private investor, SARO Oil Palm.

The protesting persons noted that the Urhonigbe forest reserve was donated by their forefathers while other communities/refused to make any land donation as forest reserve.

Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council, Benin, spokesman of the protesting communities, Chief Gabriel Osadolor, said: “The Urhonigbe forest reserved as our only means of livelihood, where we farm to sustain our family and children. Our children, mostly who are graduates and have no job, engage in farming in the forest reserve.

“Many youths from Orhionmwon Local Government, who are not interested in criminal activities, engaged in farming in the forest reserve as there is no employment after graduating from school.”

Chief Osadolor, also noted that not all communities in the state have forest reserve, adding that their forefathers were magnanimous to have donated their land as forest reserve which is their only means of livelihood.

He also lamented that while the widows and widowers are farming in the Urhonigbe forest reserve for survival, Fulani herdsmen kill and pursue indigenes from one side of the land to the other.

He added that people from Delta State also encroached into the forest reserve, stressing that the only area left for the communities is the present forest reserve which government is planning to give to an oil palm investor.

He said already, a part of the Urghonigbe forest had been handed over to Presco Oil Palm Plc, while the little one left for them to farm is the little one government planning to give to another investor.

They, therefore, appealled to the state Governor, Godwin Obaseki to halt the planned leasing of Urhonigbe Forest Reserve to a private investor, SARO Oil Palm.

The communities asked the governor to relocate the said investor elsewhere as the forest reserve given to the investor, serves as their only source of livelihood through subsistence farming.

“We are begging Governor Godwin Obaseki to relocate SARO or any other oil palm investor to another local government that have virgin land. Orhionmwon do not have such land. The governor should not keep us in hunger and starvation.

“Mr. Governor should note that we voted him into power because of the trust we have in him, and we anticipate he will always stand in our interest instead of of planning to keep us in jeopardy”, he declared

Osadolor, also drew government’s attention to the deplorable state of roads in Orhionmwon, the lack of electricity at the council headquarters in Abudu, the moving of the NYSC Orientation camp from Abudu to Okada, and the recent attempt to move the School of Forestry Management, Sokponba village in Orhionmwon to Fugar, Etsako Central local government area of the state.

Metro

Officer Who Shot Man Dead During Fuel Queue Tumult Identified — Lagos Police

Published

3 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The Lagos State Police Command said it has identified the police officer who shot a young man, Toheeb Eniafe, at a petrol station on Wednesday.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed this on Thursday.

He said, “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

“Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.

“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.”

Recall that Eniafe was shot on Wednesday at a petrol station belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited at Obalende in the Ikoyi area of Lagos State.

Eniafe was reported to have been shot dead while he and some others were resisting the move by some security agents to buy fuel without joining the queue.

Metro

Woman Kills One Year-old Son In Delta

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The Delta State Police Command on Thursday paraded a 24-year-old woman, Sofia Nkwo, for killing her one-year-old son.

The woman said she killed her son because she couldn’t care for the child again as the father rejected the child.

Also paraded were fake alcoholic producers, murder, kidnapping suspects, and car snatchers among others.

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Asaba, the Delta State capital, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Abaniwonda Olufemi, frowned at the evil act perpetuated by the woman.

He said, “On April 28, 2024, a case of infanticide was reported at Oleh Division, that a suspect named Sofia Nkwor 24, from Isoko south LGA, dump her child of one year and four month old in a well along the road in Araya community Isoko south LGA.

“Children who went to play around the tree discovered the abandoned child floating on the well. The mother Sofia Nkwor was immediately arrested and she stated that she dumped the child on 26th April 2024.

Confessing to the crime, Nkwo, said that she killed her son because she couldn’t care for the child again as the father rejected the child.

On the current kidnappings and killings in Ika North-East and Ika South areas of the state where farmers were being kidnapped and killed by gunmen, CP Olufemi said the command had developed personnel for the area.

“We are aware of the security situation in the Ika area of the state, and I have deployed personnel and directed Area Commander to move into the area and curb the bushes.

“The command is also working with Edo state Command because you know the area is the boundary between Delta and Edo,” he added.

Metro

Ile-Epo: 50 Suspects Arrested, Drug Den Uncovered, Say Police

Published

5 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The Nigerian Police Force says it has successfully restored normalcy to Ile-Epo in the Abule Egba area of Lagos State following clashes between youths and hoodlums.

The PUNCH reported that many people were injured after hoodlums clashed in the Ile-Epo area

It was gathered that a fight started in the market situated in the area on Wednesday night and continued till Thursday morning. Some shops were set on fire while some goods were destroyed in the process.

However, in a development on Thursday afternoon, the police, led by Divisional Police Officer of Oke-Odo, noted they responded to reports of the unrest in Ile-Epo.

Over fifty suspects linked to the clashes were apprehended, and the shanties they occupied were demolished, effectively dislodging them from their illicit activities.

“Over fifty suspects have so far been arrested while the shanties they occupied have been destroyed, effectively dislodging them,” the statement read.

However, during the operation to dismantle the shanties, law enforcement officers stumbled upon a hidden drug den that had been operating in plain sight.

The discovery shed light on the extent of criminal activities in the area and raised concerns about the prevalence of drug-related issues.

This was made known in a statement posted by the Lagos State Police Command, signed by the Lagos PPRO, SP Benjamin Hundeyin on Thursday.

According to the statement, Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade, wasted no time in directing the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, has directed the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums and has equally warned that the Command would decisively deal with anyone found breaching the peace, in accordance with the law,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Area Commander Alagbado, alongside other Divisional Police Officers under the Area Command, remained on the ground to prevent any potential breakdown of law and order in the area.