Metro
#EndSARS: Protesters Go Beserk, Set Zik’s Statue Ablaze
Published
5 years agoon
By
Editor
Hoodlums in Onitsha, Anambra, have destroyed the statue of Nigeria’s first president, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, erected in the city.
The hoodlums are suspected to be some of those who hijacked the #EndSARS protest to wreak havoc.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the statute, located at Denis Memorial Grammar School roundabout in Onitsha, was erected months ago by Gov. Willie Obiano to further beautify the city.
READ ALSO: EndSARS: Embrace Peace, Dialogue, Obaseki Appeals To Youth
While vandalising the statue, the hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons including machetes, were heard venting their anger against the late Nigerian statesman.
“You are the cause of our trouble,’’ was one of the uncomplimentary remarks the hoodlums chanted.
One of Azikiwe’s kinsmen, Mr. Victor Ononye, described the incident as “heresy and sacrilegious’’.
READ ALSO: EndSARS: Hoodlums Free 58 Inmates In Ondo
He said Dr. Azikiwe must be expressing regrets at the action as the deceased statesman was one of the architects of independent Nigeria.
“What happened at the DMGS Roundabout, Onitsha, which I saw with my own eyes, evoked tears,’’ he said.
He called the hoodlums, who hung a disused tyre on the statue before dousing it with petrol and calling it many unprintable names.
“They decapitated the hand and went away with his title staff. That is the height of ingratitude by ignorant people who know nothing about history,’’ he said.
Ononye said the hoodlums destroyed all the ornaments used in beautifying the site of the statue.
“They were few in number. Why the police, a stone throw away to the roundabout, could not intervene, was a mystery.
“All the iron bars erected around the site were removed. All the decorative lights and materials around the site were vandalised.
READ ALSO: #EndSARS: Group Condemns Violence By Hoodlums In Benin
“I saw two vigilante men brandishing rifles and riding on a motorcycle. They stopped and the boys hailed them and they rode off.
“It is a pity! Zik of Africa; the sage, who facilitated the end of the Nigerian civil war; Zik who built Nigeria’s foremost University for excellence in the education, doesn’t deserve this,’’ he lamented.
(NAN/NATION)
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Metro
Truck Crushes Man Rushing For Jumu’ah Prayers In Rivers
Published
7 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
A trailer loaded with goods has crushed a Muslim faithful rushing for Friday prayers to death in Port Harcourt.
According to Vanguard, the tragic incident happened on the ever-busy Nkpolu junction axis of the East-West road, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, around 2:05 pm.
It was gathered that the victim was crossing the busy road when a black SUV on speed knocked him down and that the truck, which was on high speed, crushed him to death.
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A source, who witnessed the incident, narrated that the young man was behind some of his Muslim brothers, who were also going for the Friday prayers, when the incident happened.
The source, who gave his name simply as Tunde, said the other worshipers had crossed, but that the victim, who did not observe the traffic very well before entering the road, was knocked down by the vehicle.
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The source said that when the SUV brought him down, a trailer that was on the speed lane ran over him, dismembering the body beyond recognition.
However, the Muslim faithful who were with him took over the highway in protest until police operatives arrived at the scene.
Meanwhile, the police restored normalcy while the protesting Muslims took the remains for burial.
Metro
Three Killed As Suspected Bandits Ambush Motorists In Kwara
Published
16 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani bandits have allegedly launched a deadly attack on motorists along the Rore and Aranorin communities in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, leaving at least three people dead.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday, threw residents and travellers into a state of panic as news of the killings spread across the area.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, the victims were seen lying lifeless on the roadside, their bodies partially covered with clothing and leaves by sympathisers who arrived at the scene after the attackers had fled.
Eyewitnesses told SaharaReporters that the armed men, believed to be operating from hideouts in nearby forests, opened fire on the unsuspecting motorists in what appeared to be a coordinated ambush.
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It remains unclear whether the attackers also abducted any victims during the assault, as details were still emerging as of Friday morning.
The attack is the latest in a growing wave of violence that has gripped Kwara State’s Ifelodun and Irepodun local government areas in recent months.
Communities such as Babanla, Shegbe, Ologomo, Alabe, and Oreke in Ifelodun Local Government have faced repeated attacks, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their ancestral homes.
Many victims have been kidnapped for ransom, while others have been killed in similar raids.
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Residents expressed fears that the violence could escalate further unless urgent security measures are taken.
Some community leaders have called on both the state and federal governments to deploy more security personnel to the affected areas, noting that many villages have been left vulnerable as attacks continue unabated.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kwara State Police Command had yet to release an official statement on the incident.
However, sources indicate that security operatives have been mobilised to the area to prevent further violence and reassure residents.
READ ALSO:Why Portable Was Remanded In Kwara Prison Revealed
On August 24, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that hours after Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited Babanla community in Ifelodun Local Government Area to reassure residents of improved security, suspected bandits abducted two people in the area.
The governor visited the area to reassure residents and restore a sense of security amid ongoing fears of banditry and kidnappings.
However, the criminals struck soon after his departure, highlighting the persistent threat and heightening tension in the community.
The incident reportedly threw residents into fresh panic despite earlier promises of tighter security measures.
Metro
Suspected Amasiri Warriors Invade Ebonyi Community, Behead Farmer Amid Land Dispute
Published
16 hours agoon
August 29, 2025By
Editor
Tragedy struck on Tuesday, August 26, at Okporojo Idima, Oso Edda in the Edda Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, as armed warriors from neighbouring Amasiri community reportedly invaded the farmland of one Mr. Dike Nnachi, beheaded him, and took his head away as a trophy.
The attack marks a continuation of violent hostilities in the area, coming barely four months after the April invasion in which at least four people, including a pregnant woman and her 12-year-old son, were brutally killed.
That incident also left property worth millions of naira destroyed.
Residents told reporters that the latest killing has deepened fears across Oso Edda, as locals now question the effectiveness of the state government’s ongoing peace efforts.
READ ALSO:Two Die As Mining Pit Collapses In Ebonyi
The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, had, through the Ministry of Border Peace and Conflict Resolution, initiated dialogue between warring communities to stem the tide of violence.
However, Tuesday’s bloodshed is seen as a direct challenge to those peace moves.
Community leaders have called for urgent intervention, warning that unless decisive action is taken, the violence could escalate further, leaving more lives and property in jeopardy.
In April, renewed violence broke out over a longstanding land dispute between Ndukwe community in Amasiri, Afikpo Local Government Area, and Okporojo in Edda Local Government Area of the state.
READ ALSO:Radio Station Suspends GM For Criticising Ebonyi Gov
The hostilities left houses and properties worth millions of naira destroyed, as attackers, reportedly from Amasiri, launched assaults on Okporojo.
The worsening security situation forced many residents of Edda to abandon the Amasiri road, opting instead to travel through Afikpo town due to fear of further attacks.
Although previous administrations attempted to resolve the crisis, including the release of a white paper based on a government committee’s recommendations, implementation has reportedly stalled, allowing the conflict to fester and violence to recur.
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