Pandemonium erupted on Thursday evening when overzealous operatives attached to the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, attacked a journalist and the security details at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Abuja.
The incident occurred after Tijani, who earlier arrived for a meeting, was driving out of the party headquarters amid a heavy blaring of sirens by her security aides.
Trouble started when a security detail to the minister slapped the chief security officer manning the main gate of the APC secretariat for not being quick enough to order his ‘boys’ to open the gate after seeing Tijani stepped out of the premises.
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The action infuriated other police officers and security men at the Secretariat, who rose to challenge the aggressor.
Rather than tender an apology for the assault, the remaining aides of the minister threatened to open fire if the aggrieved police officers fail to retreat.
The war of words, which soon degenerated into a free-for-all, caused a traffic gridlock that started from the party Secretariat to Blantyre Street, leaving motorists stranded.
In the midst of the chaos, an NTA journalist, Mohammed Baba, who was assigned to cover events at the party secretariat was caught in the crossfire between the opposition sides.
Baba was manhandled by the same security aides who started the fight for having the gut to recording the chaos.
Despite identifying himself as a broadcast journalist, he was seriously brutalised, an action that left his ‘Babariga’ in tatters.
However, further attempts to seize his phone and camera were rebuffed by members of the APC press corp and other security men at the gate.
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While the drama lasted, the minister sat comfortably in the car and watched as her security details threatened to tear down the secretariat if anybody had the effrontery to challenge them again.
But when she observed other journalists have started finding their way to the scene, Tijani beckoned to the operatives to return to the convoy before they finally drove out recklessly, scaring onlookers and passersby in the process.
Efforts to get the reaction of the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on the issue proved abortive.
A Nigerian lady identified as Roseline has died due to severe burns after she was pushed into a big pot of boiling grounded fresh pepper and tomatoes by her friends in Delta State.
Activist, Comrade Israel Joe, who confirmed the incident in a Facebook post on Friday, May 3, 2024, said Roseline died last Friday after two weeks of fighting for her life in a hospital in Warri.
According to Joe, before Roseline passed away, she revealed that her friends were ‘beefing’ her but she still travelled with them for a catering job in Sapele where the incident happened.
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The activist is demanding justice for the deceased, vowing to bring the perpetrators to book.
He wrote: “RIP, dear Rozzy. She was pushed into a big boiling pot of grinded fresh pepper and tomatoes by her friend on Saturday, 13th April. She battled for about two weeks with her roasted/boiled body and finally died last week Friday 26th April,” he wrote.
“Rozzy was buried four days ago, but we can’t just allow things to slide as though nothing happened. What an evíI friendship like those I once had.
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“Nobody in the neighbourhood in Otokutu knew Roseline had been allegedly kíIIed by these same friends she was living with. She was buried with no one to bid her goodbye and with no single bųríaI poster to honour her. Just two days in the morgue, the mortuary attendants demanded she be carried away to bury.
“According to Rozzy, her friends were beefing her, but she still decided to travel with them for a catering job in Sapele where they were speaking their local language with this Yoruba girl, Rozzy, not understanding their conversation.
“All of a sudden, she landed in a very big pot of boiling fresh pepper and tomatoes where they even still delayed in rescuing her. She was later rushed to Sage Hospital, by Estate in Warri, where they managed the situation, but my friend couldn’t make it.
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“What pains me is that these two girls are still walking and gallivanting everywhere like nothing happened. I hate intimidation and oppression, especially against persons who are non-indigenes.
“No report to the police, no investigations, no arrest, nothing. The law is superior, a citizen is a citizen and possesses the full right of citizenship. Keep your “indigeneship” in your pocket, the police must smoke them out so they can face the law. Na God dey help who nor get helper.
“We shall fight for Rozzy, you can not just be kílled like a chicken and buried like an aŋímąl. Nobody deserves such a hørribIe dęąth. We never got to meet Rose, only chatting on Facebook due to endless busy schedules only to see you, at the most disgusting sight at Sage Hospital, hoping for your recovery, but dęąțĥ stole you. Justice shall prevail, including if you would be exhumed. #Justice4Rosy Rest on Dearest.”
Some terrorists have reportedly killed eight vigilante members and two other persons in Kakangi and Unguwan Matinja communities in the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The village heads of Kakangi and Kisaya villages under Kakangi Ward were also abducted.
A resident of the LG identified as Idris Khalid, who confirmed the incident to our correspondent, said the gun-wielding men invaded the villages at about early Thursday.
The eight vigilante members who were killed in Kakangi were Bala Kamba, Abdurrahman Musa (Ubale), Kabiru Dan Dugui, Hambali Abu, Aliyu Abu, Nura Jika (Maleka), Mubarak Musa (Dan Wamba) and Ikra Hantsi.
Khalid added that the two victims in the Ungwan Matinja community under Gayam Ward were identified as Christopher Abubakar and Isah Gambo.
He said the vigilantes were attacked while trailing the kidnapped victims who were abducted on their way to a burial between Kakangi and Sabon Layi.
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“The vigilantes engaged the terrorists, killing scores of them but could not rescue the two traditional rulers and others.
“Normally, anytime there is a kidnap incident, the vigilantes always trail the terrorists to rescue the victims.
“It’s unfortunate that in the process, eight gallant officers of the vigilantes who have been sacrificing in ensuring the safety of our people were lost,”the resident said.
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When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan, said, “We are investigating the matter to unravel the true story because the area where the incident happened had a network problem.”
An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan on Thursday ordered that a 35-year-old man, Dickson Peter, be remanded in a correction facility for allegedly setting his landlord’s house on fire.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the police charged the defendant with two counts of felony and arson.
The Magistrate, Mr M. Mudashiru, who did not take his plea due to lack of jurisdiction, ordered that he be remanded in the Abolongo Correctional Facility, Oyo Town.
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Mudashiru said the remand is pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
He adjourned the matter until July 23, 2024, for reference.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Femi Oluwadare told the court that Peter, on April 18, at about 12:30 am, was alleged to have unlawfully set fire to the house of his landlord, Cepas Okeme, and destroyed properties worth N6.5 million.
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Oluwadare said that after he set the building on fire, it also spread to the next house property belonging to Bose Ali ‘F’ and destroyed property worth N3.5 million.
He said the offence contravened the provisions of Section 443 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.