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Group Defends Edo Speaker On Alleged Murder, Says He Never Involves In Such

Published

4 years ago

March 17, 2021

A group under the aegis of Edo Coalition for Justice, on Wednesday denied the allegation of murder levelled against the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr Marcus Onobun.

Some persons in Obagie-Uwafiokun community of Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State had on Tuesday accused the Speaker of sponsoring the killing of their son, Mr Osaheni Osadolor, over a parcel of land.

Led by Prince John Eweka, the bereaved Obagie-Uwafiokun community persons, who protested to Government House in Benin City, claimed that the deceased was murdered at his mechanic workshop on March 13 on the alleged orders of the Speaker.

But in a statement on Wednesday which was made available to journalists in Benin City, the Coalition for Justice, said the allegation was a mere fabrication of political detractors and some persons who are out to rip where they did not sow.

The group, in a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Mr Andrew Uwe, regretted that rather than seeking a legitimate job, the protesters were seeking to malign the name of a man who is working hard to see to the development of the state.

Uwe explained that the crime being ascribed to the Speaker was an incident that had occurred days before he (Speaker) visited the community.

He noted that the Ogida Divisional Police Station had already concluded preliminary investigation on the alleged murder matter and transmitted the report to the state Police Command before the visit of Mr Speaker to the community.

The group further explained that the Speaker had on Sunday, March 14, visited his land to monitor the development process when a young man, who was identified to be the brother of the deceased came to accost him that he was the owner of the land.

The statement read in part, “As a matter of fact, Mr Speaker had gone to the community to start work on his property he had bought in 2016 when a young man met him to tell him that the said property was not his or belong to the community he claimed to have bought it from.

“The Speaker got the plot of land in Iguogboe community around Upper Siluko from one Aghedo, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, who is the Edionwere of the community. The Edionwere denied knowing the man and it was after that that the Speaker went with the man to make a written report and submitted it to the Divisional Police Officer. He told the DPO to investigate the matter after which he left the police station.

“On Monday, the DPO called to say the Onogie of Obagie and some chiefs were the station to bail the young man that was being investigated. He invited the Speaker to come.

“When he (the Speaker) got to the police station, he was taken aback when he saw women and other youths protesting that their brother had been killed, but when the Speaker entered the station, he sighted the young man he brought to the station standing in front and wondered what they meant by killing someone.

“He went to the DPO’s office with the Onogie of Obagie and other chiefs and the DPO asked if they had met the Speaker before and if they had an issue with him, they said no. The Speaker had to tell the DPO what the people outside were saying about the death of someone.

“It was at that point that the DPO said an incident happened some days earlier where a young man died and that the station had concluded its preliminary investigative report on the matter and that the incident did not happen anywhere close to the land that was being cleared. He said he had even given the preliminary report on that matter to the state Police headquarters in Benin City.

“At that point, the Onogie of Obagie said he agreed with what the DPO said, but that the agitation was that the man being detained over the land matter is a brother to the deceased. He said their anger was the detainment of the man who lost his brother a few days before.

“So, the DPO now instructed the Onogie of Obagie and his chiefs to go outside to correct the wrong impression, which they did. They went and came back to apologise to the Speaker on behalf of the Onogie and the community over the embarrassment they tried to cause. They did this in front of the DPO.

“At that point, the Speaker made peace with the chiefs and those around and left the station, at that point the people who were outside were already sober after realising that what they did was wrong.
“Somehow, on Tuesday, we started seeing another narrative being dished to the public.”

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Tension As Unknown Gunmen Kill Police Informant In Imo Community

Published

2 months ago

April 25, 2025

Editor

By Qosim Sulaiman

Palpable tension engulfed the residents of Nkwogwu community, Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State following the killing of an elderly man, Pa Albert Nwanchukwu, believed to be a police informant.

The assailants, numbering about eight, who reportedly stormed the home of the late Nwanchukwu at about 10pm on Tuesday, 22 April, 2025, were said to have met him where he was relaxing in his compound and immediately opened fire on him.

According to our source who pleaded anonymity, before his assassination, the late Nwanchukwu, had reportedly went to a police station in the locality to inform them of the activities of the gunmen, just as he pleaded to the police to get them arrested.

Our source disclosed that the late Nwanchukwu never knew that some policemen are accomplished in the act, adding that the policemen no doubt informed the gunmen who in anger came and killed him.

Our source narrated: “They were about eight in number. They came with different weapons – guns, machetes. They were all masked except their leader.

“It was late but the floodlight from the streetlight was bright. They drove dangerously and went straight to Mr Albert Uwandu Nwachukwu house. The man was relaxing in the front of his house. Immediately they saw him, they opened fire,” he died on the spot”, an eyewitness who saw the entire scene from the balcony of his house recounts.

Our source added: “Further investigations proved that the spy had informed this notorious gang of late Pa Nwachukwu’s visit to the police, thereby leading to the attack on his household.”

After killing the man, the gang reportedly went inside the house searching for other family members.

While it was evident that the gang intended to eviscerate the entire members of the family, three of his children – Victor Onyedikachi Nwachukwu, Promise Rita Nwachukwu Yakubu and Blessing Nzebechi Nwachukwu escaped.

“I saw the three of them. They ran through the back door. Since that time, we have not seen them again”, the same eye-witness disclosed to our correspondent.

This particular incident has thrown the entire community and Aboh Mbaise Local Government in general, into mourning.

While some questioned the safety of police informants, other believed the incident shows the rot in the police force of the country.

Expressing his disappointment in the police, the chairman of Aboh Mabise LGA; Honourable Barrister Iheukwumere Henry Alaribe vowed a major crackdown on the unknown gunmen.

The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma promised a total clampdown and return of sanity to the community.

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Protect Oil Palm Host Communities; Address Spate Of Kidnapping, Violence, Govt Told

Published

4 months ago

February 26, 2025

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

A non-profit organization – African Law Foundation (AFRILAW), has appealed to the government at levels to ensure the protection of oil palm host communities and address the spate of kidnapping and violence in such areas.

AFRILAW further urged the governments to ensure that communities’ rights and privileges are respected in land deals with oil palm companies to avoid human rights violations.

Okereke Chinwike Esq,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AFRILAW, made the appeal in Benin on Tuesday at the Public Presentation and launching of ‘The Community-based Report on Human Rights Violations in the Palm Oil Supply Chain in Edo State.’

INFO DAILY reports that the event is part of AFRILAW activities under the “Promoting Human Rights in Palm Oil Supply Chain in Nigeria Project,” being implemented by AFRILAW in partnership with Zero Tolerance Initiative (ZTI) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) with funding support from True Cost Initiative (TCI) USA.

According to the AFRILAW founder, addressing companies’ human rights violations from their operations in host communities require evidence-based research, hence the research and report presentation.

“The Report we are presenting today documents evidence of community rights violations by major oil palm companies operating in the state. The research is informed by the increasing spate of violence and community protests against the operations of oil palm companies operating in Edo state, and provides greater understanding of the prevailing cases of community and human rights violations and nature of conflicts,” he noted.

He, therefore, urged the government to
“put in place a mandatory binding CSR laws and guidelines for companies to ensure that community rights and privileges are protected.”

He further appealed to the government to “ensure effective implementation of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights and set forth clear expectations for business enterprises regarding the importance of respecting the rights of human rights defenders, indigenous people and communities in Nigeria.”

On his part, Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Anthony Ojukwu (SAN), described the report as essential, stressing that beyond normal advocacy, research-based advocacy is more efficient and effective.

Represented by Mrs Mary Okoh, Deputy Director, Legal/Focal Point Business and Human Rights, NHRC, Ojukwu said beyond Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) organization should take seriously major issues of mainstreaming human rights into their operations.

“That means anyone who wants to set up a business must put into consideration the needs of the people and not what the organization or company needs. We have found out that this is where human rights violations start.

“Let them be part of the discussion and planning in the setting up of the business. Let them know what is at stake for them,” he said.

Goodwill messages were delivered by government agencies and ministries, while the presentation and launching also attracted security agencies including the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Customs Service, and the Nigeria Immigration Service among others.

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#EndBadGovernance: Police Manhunt Activists, Others, As Artist Cries Out For Help In Benin

Published

10 months ago

August 15, 2024

Editor

The suspect, Osarenkhoe Destiny Oghosa,

The Nigeria Police Force has launched a manhunt for suspected sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest that swept round the country last week.

Though police had arrested scores of such protesters across the country, many, especially vocal personalities and civil rights activists who have been criticising policies of the Tinubu administration in Nigeria have been penned down for arrest.

Also of interest to the police are those alleged to have massively produced and supplied Russian flags that were displayed during the protests, as they have vowed that none of the suspects would be spared.

It was gathered that undercover policemen are closing in on the social critics including one Osarenkhoe Destiny Oghosa, a vocal music artiste in Benin City.

This has raised fears and trepidation in that circle with many going underground for fear of being arrested by the police.

Oghosa is accused of masterminding an attempted jail break in the Benin metropolis similar to the End SARS protest in 2020, experience that resulted in the prison break and escape of prisoners and detainees alike.

Oghosa, in an interview with our correspondent, lamented that his music which focuses social justice, equality, societal ills among others in Nigeria, is now being as a crime.

He further lamented that despite several tactics to beat the security tab on him by agents of the government, he had faced persecution from invincible nocturnal groups.

Further lamenting how the government is hell bent in silencing voices speaking for the masses, Oghosa recalled how he was called at midnight to stop production of his song titled “OBI”, adding that he was seriously warned .

In a related development, Ahmed Bello, one of the suspect producers of the Russian flag hoist in some cities in Nigeria has been attested.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee joint press briefing.

He added that the police were on the trail of other suspects, especially the sponsors of the protest which led to the destruction of government properties in Kaduna and Kano States.

Adejobi said the suspects committed a treasonable felony, offence by waving a foreign country’s flag in Nigeria.

He said: “So, we need to set the record straight. It is important for us to know, so far so good we have been able to arrest some individuals who were engaging themselves in what I call a treasonable felony, while we are still going after their sponsors.

“To carry the flags of a foreign country in another country is a criminal offence. We have them arrested. Just this morning, we arrested one Ahmed Bello from Kano State fuor producing a large quantity of Russian flags given to young Nigerians to hoist for reasons best known to him.”

The police added that protesters in Benin City had made attempts to invade the DSS office in the state with the intention to free persons who in their opinion were being unjustly detained there-in forcing the law enforcement agencies to disperse them.