Metro

Hundreds Rendered Homeless As Rainstorm Destroys Houses In Edo Communities

Published

3 months ago

March 17, 2025

Hundreds of persons have been reportedly rendered homeless in a rainstorm that destroyed over 100 houses in communities in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area Of Edo State.

According to reports, some of the victims sustained various degrees of injuries.

Yekini Idaiye, lawmaker, representing Akoko-Edo I in the State House of Assembly disclosed this on Monday during plenary in his motion of urgent public importance.

Idaiye said the devastating rainstorms happened on Monday, March 10, 2025.

He listed the affected communities to include Ojirami, Dagbala and Ojah, all in ward 5 in the local government.

According to him, Ojirami, Dagbala and Ojah people are mainly farmers and contribute to the economic development of Edo State and Nigeria at large, as they produce cocoa, cashew, garri, maize and palm oil.

“The rainstorms left in its wake the destruction of over 100 houses.
Many of them had their roofs blown off in Ojirami,Oja, Dagbala, all in Akoko Edo Local Government area of the state.

“The people are traumatized by the destruction of their homes with many roofs blown off, making the children, aged and the women vulnerable to varying pandemic.

“Hundreds of persons were affected and various degrees of injuries, depression and anxieties recorded,as they have been exposed to harsh conditions.

“The children who ought to be in school have lost their books to the rainstorm disaster and are looking for shelter to lay their heads,” he said

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, lawmaker called on the federal, state and local governments to urgently undertake an on the spot assessment to ascertain the level of damages caused by the rainstorm.

Idaiye, who is the Chief Whip in the House, also called on federal and state relief agencies to provide immediate palliatives to those affected.

He urged the lawmakers at the National Assembly from the state to help by raising similar motions on the floor of the Senate and House of Representatives.

In their various contributions, the majority leader and member representing Ovia North East I, Charity Aiguobarueghian and member representing Owan East constituency, Eric Okaka, who is also the Minority Leader of the House, said that the rainstorm also wrecked havoc in some communities in their constituencies.

They equally called on relevant authorities to expedite action by way of cushioning the effects of the rainstorm disaster on the victims.

Speaking, Blessing Agbebaku, Speaker of the House, who sympathised with the victims, advocated the need for residents to always plant trees, noting that it would help mitigate the effects of rainstorm disaster.

The House, in its resolution called on the National Emergency Agency, NEMA and State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, to provide palliatives to the victims.

The House also called on other relevant authorities to assist the victims of rainstorm disaster in the state.

Metro

JUST IN: Many Killed As Soldiers, Bandits Exchange Gunfire In Kaduna

Published

1 hour ago

June 25, 2025

Editor

Scores of bandits and some military personnel have been killed following a gun battle in Niger and Kaduna States.

Nigerian Army Headquarters made the disclosure in a statement posted on its official X handle on Wednesday.

The statement said the operations were carried out in Kwanar Dutse Mairiga and Boka, Niger State, and Aungwan Turai, Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State.

The daredevil terrorists had launched an unprovoked attack on the aforementioned areas.

REAS ALSO:Police Neutralise Bandit, Rescue 5 Kidnapped Victims In Katsina

According to the statement, in response to the attacks, “land and air component troops launched several counter-attacks that eliminated scores of bandits in the encounters.

“Sadly, some gallant warriors paid the supreme price in the day-long battles, while four wounded in-action troops are currently receiving treatment for their gunshot wounds. Additional updates later.”

Metro

Police Detain 3 Nsukka Masqueraders For Allegedly Assaulting Residents

Published

14 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The police command in Enugu State has detained three masqueraders in the Nsukka area of the state for allegedly assaulting law-abiding citizens.

The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that police operatives, with the assistance of members of the community, led to the arrest of the suspects on June 23 at 3:30 p.m.

He said that the arrest of the suspects was in connection with the alleged physical assault of citizens by the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade group on June 22 as seen in a viral video.

“The suspects, along with others still at large, took advantage of the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade celebration to assault several innocent members of the public, inflicting bodily injuries on them.

“One of the victims was hospitalised for treatment due to injuries sustained during the attack.

“The masqueraders initially resisted police arrest and fled the scene.

“However, with the assistance of law-abiding community members, the three suspects were later identified and apprehended,” he said.

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had ordered a thorough investigation into the case to ensure that justice was served.

Ndukwe quoted the commissioner as saying that masquerade celebration was a sacred and symbolic aspect of the nation’s culture.

He said that the state police chief, however, decried the actions of those who exploited the occasion to commit criminal acts.

Ndukwe said that the commissioner warned against the use of cultural festivities as a cover for fomenting trouble and committing crimes against fellow citizens, as perpetrated by the ‘Oriokpa’ masqueraders.

“The command is assuring the public that all those involved in the assault of law-abiding citizens will be brought to justice,” he added.

(NAN)

Metro

Edo Police Arrest Four Suspected Cultists

Published

17 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”