Metro

[ICYMI]Rivers: Siblings Flog Teacher, Lock Up Admin Officer For Flogging Brother

Published

1 year ago

May 7, 2024

There was pandemonium on Monday morning at a secondary school in the Agip axis of Port Harcourt, when the family of a J.S.S.1 student simply identified as Favour, allegedly accosted a female teacher, Sonia Amadi on her way to work and whipped her for allegedly flogging their child inappropriately.

Also, they allegedly went into the school compound and locked up the Admin Officer identified as Joy Ajayi, inside her office and threatened to do the same to her.

It was gathered that it took the intervention of other parents to prevent the family who had physically assaulted the female teacher from beating up the Admin officer.

Speaking with newsmen, an Admin Officer of the school, ‘Silver Bird International School’ Agip, Mile 4, in Port Harcourt, Joy Ajayi said she was in her office on Monday morning when three boys matched in, locked the door and said they wanted to flog her.

She stated, “One of the boys carried the scissors we used in doing school work and threatened to stab me. He asked why should they flog his brother in this school.

“All the teachers came out that there was no need for them to take this thing to that extent. But they refused to open the door. There was a parent inside here with me and we were resolving an issue.

“So the parent had to start begging them that they should calm down. They were here for more than 15 to 20 minutes. My teachers were outside trying to get inside but they could not.

“They were saying they would flog me and that we should go and call the Police or lawyer. I now said I have a right to defend myself. As I was talking, that was when their father came, and said they should open the door. They opened the door and their father now said he wanted to take his family and that he would come back later.”

She narrated how the group used a cane on one of the teachers, saying, “Before they came to my office and locked me up, a teacher was flogged, my English teacher Sonia Amadi when she was coming to school.

“They flogged her seriously. She is in the office and I have to ask her to calm down. The mother of the boy also slapped her as she was coming to school.

“The same people who came to my office had already accosted my teacher and flogged her seriously. As she was entering the gate they followed her and matched straight to my office, “she added.

It was gathered that the management of the school has lodged a formal complaint at the Ada George Police Division where the teacher was issued a medical form to visit the clinic for treatment.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she was yet to receive a report on the incident but promised to find out and get back to our correspondent.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a rights group, the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, has condemned the alleged assault on the female teacher and invasion of the school by the student’s family.

The National Coordinator of the group, Price Wiro, in a statement, said the parents of the student should have reported to the Ministry of Education if they felt their child was treated inappropriately or the Police in case of physical assault rather than taking laws into their hands.

Wiro called on the Police to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident and anybody found culpable should be made to face the law.

He stated, “We condemn the invasion of the school by the student’s brothers and the locking up of an admin staff on account that she flogged their child in a manner that they considered inappropriate.

“I want to advise parents that if you feel that the way your child was treated in school is not right, there are channels for seeking redress. If there are physical signs of assault you can go to the police or the Ministry of Education to make a formal complaint.

“Resort to self-help by taking the laws into your hands is not the way to go. I therefore call on the Police to thoroughly investigate this matter anybody found culpable no matter how highly placed should face the law.”

PUNCH

Metro

Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate In Rivers, Rescue Babies

Published

14 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a child trafficking syndicate that manipulates young mothers and vulnerable pregnant women, steals their babies, and sells them to waiting buyers.

The police said the four-member syndicate is led by an ex-convict identified as Blessing Jack, who had previously been arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Calabar, Cross River State, for a similar offence.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said Blessing, aged 54, was arrested by men of the Command’s C4i Intelligence Unit on October 9 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, following a discreet probe into the activities of the syndicate.

She said Blessing’s arrest led to the location of her other three female partners, who were consequently taken into custody.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of a child trafficking syndicate in the state, with the arrest of several suspects.

“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their newborn babies for significant financial gains.

“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the Command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technically aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack at Igwuruta in Port Harcourt.

“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died, but had been paid the sum of ₦2,000,000 for the transaction.”

She continued, “The transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to obtain their babies.

“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Igwuruta, Port Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been imprisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.”

The state police image maker said all the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles.

“Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network,” Iringe-Koko stated further.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their diligence in investigating and apprehending the suspects, saying the Command will continue to work tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and combat human trafficking in the state.

CP Adepoju appealed to members of the public to report any information that may aid in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure society for all.”

Rivers State Police Command, in September, said its operatives have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed two of their victims after collecting a total ransom of N10.4m.

Earlier in August, the Command said its men busted an armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate terrorising residents of Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Metro

BREAKING: Lagos Re-arraigns Kidnapper Evans Over Police Officers’ Killing

Published

17 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Lagos State Government on Monday re-arraigned convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja is hearing the case of the murder of two police officers by the billionaire kidnapper.

He and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were arraigned before Justice A. O. Ogala on a five-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Details later…

Metro

Lagos Demolishes 17 Houses For Encroaching On Waterways

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

At least 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government for encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, led a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists, to the site on Saturday.

Wahab cautioned residents against actions that threaten the environment, warning that nature inevitably retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation of wetlands.

He disclosed that the ministry had received reports months earlier about illegal reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural path.

“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.

The commissioner said the government had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and clear all illegal structures along the alignment.

He added that those behind the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Speaking on the perennial challenge of flooding, Wahab noted that while it is impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government continues to invest in infrastructure to mitigate its impact.

“What we can do is reduce its effects through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.

Despite ongoing efforts to desilt and maintain drainage systems daily, Wahab lamented that some individuals persist in obstructing waterways for personal gain.

He cited property number 156 as an example, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment and disrupted the natural flow of water.

“That property will be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon,” he added.

Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as the government often explored corrective measures.

“Sometimes we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he said, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private developers who profit from violating environmental regulations.

During an inspection tour of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands originally designed to retain excess rainwater.

He said drone surveillance had exposed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, including the destruction of coconut trees planted for soil stability.

According to him, violators were issued demolition notices on 26 September, ahead of planned transport infrastructure works on the same route.

He explained that the inspection was intended to align environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.

Additionally, the Commissioner for Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe, is anticipated to commence in December following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.

Osiyemi said some car dealers who were granted temporary approval to use power line spaces had violated terms by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.

“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.

He added that the Green Line project, which is expected to last approximately three years, forms part of Lagos State’s integrated transport solution aimed at easing mobility across the metropolis.

Other areas visited during the inspection included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.

(NAN)