Metro

EndSARS Memorial: Edo Youths Join Protest As Amputee Demand For Compensation

Published

4 years ago

October 20, 2021

…Pharmacist Demands Release Of Colleague

Youths mostly drawn from the civil society organistions in Edo State on Wednesday joined their counterparts across the country to mark one year memorial of EndSARS protest of which some youths lost their lives.

The protest which lasted for over two weeks last year, however, turned bloody on 20th of October when security operatives reportedly opened fire on them in their large numbers at Lekki Tollgate, Lagos, where they had gathered to protest against police brutality, bad governance etc.

Scores were reportedly killed in the process while others were taken to detention by the security agents, as quite a number of police stations and other buildings and properties belonging to security agents were burnt and destroyed.

Speaking at the protest ground which held at Benin Museum Park, Oba Ovoramwem Square (Ring Road), one of the protesters, Comrade Kelly Okunbo said one year after the protest nothing has been done.

Okunbo who demanded for the release of those who are still in police detention as a result of the protest, lamented that almost a year after a panel was set up to look into what led to the protest and people that fell victims, not a single implementation has been made to recommendations made by the Edo State Judicial Panel of Enquiry.

“This is almost a year now that the Panel set up submitted its report to governor Godwin Obaseki. It was recommended that the two victims of the protest who are alive and were at the panel be given automatic employment, but till now, nothing has been done. It was recommended that Mr. Stephen who was amputated as a result of gunshot by a soldier at Auchi be given employment, but up till now he is still jobles and walking with crutches. It was recommended that the police officer and soldier who shot miracle and Stephen be dismissed, but till now they are still working freely,” he said.

Also speaking, Asekhame Stephen Ohimai, said he was at the panel with his lawyer to make his submissions and demands but unfortunately nothing has been done.

The graduate of Auchi Polytechnic who is about going for the compulsory one National Youth Service Corps, said himself and other students of the institution were out protesting when men of the Nigerian Army rammed into them and started shooting sporadically of which he received a stray bullet at where he ran to hide, adding that this led to amputation of his leg.

He narrated: “I came out to join others who were protesting against police brutality and bad governance on the 19th of October when Nigerian Army rammed into our midst and started shooting sporadically, and I ran to hide in place for safety but stray bullet hits my leg and I was rushed to the hospital where I was recommended for amputation. The Doctor Said without amputation, I will not survive, so my leg was amputated. Many persons were killed in that scene.

“I’m going for youth service now. I want government to provide me job because all the things I was running up and down to do before, I can’t do them. So, the government should help me. My lawyer and I were at the panel and made our presentation, but I have not seen anything.”

Another victim, Miracles Ailenokhoriah, who is still in wheelchair as a result of injuries he sustained from police bullet said he was shot last by a police man during the protest at Ekpoma, Edo State, adding that the policemen who brutalised him threatened to beat him to death and that they further threatened to bury him in a shallow grave should he die as a result of the brutality.

A pharmacist who joined the protest with his medical apron, Pharmacist Clinton Ojo-Edokpayi demanded for the release of his pharmacist colleague, Pharm. Solomon Akume, whom according to him was arrested last year after twitting against Buhari.

“Pharmacist Solomon Akume was arrest last year by DSS during the protest after he twitted that the life of President Muhammadu Buhari is no worth than the live of any Nigeria. He was traced and arrested for that twit, and since then he has not been released. I am here to say Akume and other Nigerians in detention should be released,” he demanded.

Metro

Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate In Rivers, Rescue Babies

Published

5 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a child trafficking syndicate that manipulates young mothers and vulnerable pregnant women, steals their babies, and sells them to waiting buyers.

The police said the four-member syndicate is led by an ex-convict identified as Blessing Jack, who had previously been arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Calabar, Cross River State, for a similar offence.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said Blessing, aged 54, was arrested by men of the Command’s C4i Intelligence Unit on October 9 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, following a discreet probe into the activities of the syndicate.

She said Blessing’s arrest led to the location of her other three female partners, who were consequently taken into custody.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of a child trafficking syndicate in the state, with the arrest of several suspects.

“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their newborn babies for significant financial gains.

“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the Command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technically aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack at Igwuruta in Port Harcourt.

“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died, but had been paid the sum of ₦2,000,000 for the transaction.”

She continued, “The transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to obtain their babies.

“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Igwuruta, Port Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been imprisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.”

The state police image maker said all the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles.

“Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network,” Iringe-Koko stated further.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their diligence in investigating and apprehending the suspects, saying the Command will continue to work tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and combat human trafficking in the state.

CP Adepoju appealed to members of the public to report any information that may aid in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure society for all.”

Rivers State Police Command, in September, said its operatives have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed two of their victims after collecting a total ransom of N10.4m.

Earlier in August, the Command said its men busted an armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate terrorising residents of Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Metro

BREAKING: Lagos Re-arraigns Kidnapper Evans Over Police Officers’ Killing

Published

8 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Lagos State Government on Monday re-arraigned convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja is hearing the case of the murder of two police officers by the billionaire kidnapper.

He and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were arraigned before Justice A. O. Ogala on a five-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Details later…

Metro

Lagos Demolishes 17 Houses For Encroaching On Waterways

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

At least 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government for encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, led a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists, to the site on Saturday.

Wahab cautioned residents against actions that threaten the environment, warning that nature inevitably retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation of wetlands.

He disclosed that the ministry had received reports months earlier about illegal reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural path.

“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.

The commissioner said the government had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and clear all illegal structures along the alignment.

He added that those behind the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Speaking on the perennial challenge of flooding, Wahab noted that while it is impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government continues to invest in infrastructure to mitigate its impact.

“What we can do is reduce its effects through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.

Despite ongoing efforts to desilt and maintain drainage systems daily, Wahab lamented that some individuals persist in obstructing waterways for personal gain.

He cited property number 156 as an example, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment and disrupted the natural flow of water.

“That property will be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon,” he added.

Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as the government often explored corrective measures.

“Sometimes we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he said, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private developers who profit from violating environmental regulations.

During an inspection tour of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands originally designed to retain excess rainwater.

He said drone surveillance had exposed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, including the destruction of coconut trees planted for soil stability.

According to him, violators were issued demolition notices on 26 September, ahead of planned transport infrastructure works on the same route.

He explained that the inspection was intended to align environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.

Additionally, the Commissioner for Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe, is anticipated to commence in December following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.

Osiyemi said some car dealers who were granted temporary approval to use power line spaces had violated terms by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.

“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.

He added that the Green Line project, which is expected to last approximately three years, forms part of Lagos State’s integrated transport solution aimed at easing mobility across the metropolis.

Other areas visited during the inspection included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.

(NAN)