Metro

Five Sentenced To Death For Murdering Rivers Vigilante Commander

Published

1 month ago

March 20, 2024

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, convicted and sentenced five people to death by hanging for the murder of Umezuruike Alex, the commander of a local vigilante codenamed OSPAC (Onelga Security Peace and Advisory Committee) in Omudioga community in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state.

The court decreed that the convicts should be hanged or administered lethal injection until they are confirmed dead.

The convicts, Okechukwu Orji from the Atali community in Obio-Akpor; Igwe Promise, Iheanyi Igwe, Morrison Igwe, from Omudioga in Emohua LGA; and Goodness Monday from Akwa Ibom State, were found guilty of 10 counts of conspiracy, cultism, murder, and illegal possession of firearms.

The trial Judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, in his judgment, discharged and acquitted the sixth defendant in the suit, Alex Deiwe.

Justice Aprioku held that the prosecution counsel, Essien Edet, proved his case against the other five convicts on charges of conspiracy, cultism, illegal possession of firearms, and murder and, therefore, convicted and sentenced them to be hanged or administered lethal injection until they are confirmed dead.

The court also found that the convicts not only murdered the OSPAC commander of the Omudioga community but were also involved in kidnapping and other criminal activities in parts of the state before their arrest and commencement of prosecution.

Speaking to newsmen outside the courtroom, the prosecution counsel, Essien Edet, who is a legal officer at the Rivers State Police Command, expressed happiness over the judgment, which he described as justice well served. Edet further said it would serve as a deterrent to others who are involved in such crimes.

He stated, “I can say that justice has been served. It is a case of the murder of the former OSPAC Commander of the Omudioga community in Emuoha LGA. The case has been on for years. It was a case in which this OSPAC Commander was gruesomely murdered and dismembered by this group of criminals.

“Today, the court has finally given judgment on the matter, and I believe justice has been served. It is a lesson to all those who are going about committing heinous crimes, killing people, taking the lives of human beings as if such are not valuable that justice is also coming after them except they repent.”

The PUNCH reported that the former OSPAC commander was killed in 2021, beheaded, and other parts of his body dismembered by the cultists who saw him as a threat to their criminal activities in the area.

Metro

JUST-IN: 19 Passengers Die In Okene Bypass Fatal Accident

Published

16 mins ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said 19 persons were killed in a fatal road crash on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at Okene bypass, on the Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

FRSC spokesperson, ACM Jonas Agwu, said the agency’s emergency rescue teams deployed to rescue the victims could not achieve desired results after three hours rescue attempts as the efforts they put into the rescue operations were unduly hindered by the fire inferno that engulfed the affected two vehicles.

The crash investigation report revealed that the crash involved two vehicles comprising a Dangote Truck bearing the registration details: NSH680YJ, and a Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number KMC455ZE.

The Toyota Hiace Bus loaded from Kano State was on its lane on the highway when the Dangote Truck driver, who drove all the way from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, wrongfully overtook a vehicle and collided head-on with the bus. The impact of the collision resulted in a fire inferno that burnt the victims to death.

According to the report, the crash, which was caused by route violation – ‘One Way’ and wrongful overtaking – involved 22 people all male.

“Unfortunately, 19 people out of the 22 victims were killed and one injured. The remaining two victims who got rescued by FRSC operatives without injuries survived the crash because they complied with traffic regulations on compulsory use of seatbelt.

“The corpses of the dead victims whose lives were claimed by the crash have been deposited at Okene General Hospital,” the FRSC spokesman stated.

Metro

Outrage, Protests In Edo Community Over Alleged Plan To Impose Traditional Ruler On Indigenes

Published

38 mins ago

April 28, 2024

Editor

Tension and uneasy calm at present pervades IlIushi community in Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State following an alleged plan by the state government to impose one Fidelis Okowele, an alleged non-indigene as the Onogie (king) of the agrarian community.

The alleged plan to install the non-indigene as the Onogie of the small community has led to protests by the indigenes of Illushi.

Singing solidarity songs, the protesters, who were armed with placards and banners, stormed the Secretariat Complex of Esan South East Local Government Area and the Office of the Directorate of State Security (DSS), both in Ubiaja, demanding immediate halt to the alleged government’s plan to install Mr. Okowele as the traditional ruler of the agrarian community, just as they insisted that he is not a bonafide indigene.

The protesters called on both the Edo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the Commissioner of Police to decisively intervene to forestall any possible breach of the tradition, custom, law and order, as well as peaceful coexistence of the people of Illushi.

The protesters’ spokesman, Mr. William Ajonota fumed, charging that Mr. Okowele is not a native of Illushi but from Onogolo and hence, cannot become the Onogie.

He said: “Illushi Community vehemently oppose and reject the plan to install a non-native as Onogie on the good people of Illushi.

“We urge the government to urgently take a second look at its plan and set the machinery of justice in motion against any plan to impose Fidelis Okowele as the Onogie of Illushi.”

In the protest letter, which was jointly signed, by Elder Okolo Abamu, Elder Pius Oifoghe and Augustine Igwe, the youth leader, they reiterated their resolve as a community not to surrender to the “unacceptable plan to install a non-native as the Onogie of Illushi”, an action which they dolefully predicted will result in crisis.

The Vice Chairman of Esan South East Local Government Area, Mrs. Susan Otekpen, who received the letter of protest on behalf of the Chairman of the council, Hon. Lius Imhandegbelo advised the aggrieved protesters to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order.

Mrs. Susan Otekpen assured that the matter will be channelled to the appropriate government quarters for an amicable resolution of the dispute.

Persistent efforts to speak with Mr. Okowele proved futile as his mobile phone was serially engaged.

Metro

Man Jumps Into Lagoon, Dies After Being Chased By Mob For Alleged Stealing

Published

18 hours ago

April 27, 2024

Editor

A man identified simply as Azeez has been confirmed dead after reportedly jumping into Lagos lagoon while being chased by a mob for allegedly stealing bags of cement.

The Director in charge of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), said he arrived at the scene of the incident to see the lifeless body of the deceased who drowned.

His corpse has now been evacuated and deposited at the Mainland General Hospital mortuary in Yaba.

A statement released by the police read:
“SITUATION REPORT

SUICIDE/DROWNING

ON 26/04/2024 AT ABOUT 1220HRS THE DIRECTOR IN CHARGE OF LASEMA OPERATION IN LAGOS CENTRAL REPORTED THAT AT ABOUT 1045HRS OF DATE, HE RECEIVED A CALL THAT THERE WAS AN INCIDENT AT LEKKI/IKOYI LINK BRIDGE. ON GETTING THERE HE MET A LARGE CROWD GATHERED BY THE WATER SIDE, WATCHING THE LIFELESS BODY OF A MAN WHO HAD DROWNED, WHO WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS AZEEZ ‘M’. HE WAS LATER CONFIRMED DEAD BY PARAMEDICS OF PRE HOSPITAL CARE LAGOS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ONE ELIJAH AMOS ‘M’ WAS PURSUING THE DECEASED BEFORE THE DECEASED JUMPED INTO LAGOON, BECAUSE HE WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE STOLEN SOME BAGS OF CEMENTS. THE SCENE WAS VISITED WHILE THE CORPSE HAS BEEN EVACUATED AND DEPOSITED AT MAINLAND GENERAL HOSPITAL MORTUARY YABA, FOR AUTOPSY AND PRESERVATION. INVESTIGATION IN PROGRESS.”