Metro

JUST IN: Four Die As Gunmen Attack Uzodinma’s Hometown Police s Station Again

Published

2 years ago

March 20, 2022

Editor

Gunmen, on Sunday, morning attacked the Omuma Divisional Police Headquarters in the Oru East Local Government Area of Imo state.

Omuma is the home town of the governor of the state, Hope Uzodinma.

The attack came just 24 hours after yet-to-be identified gunmen attacked Umuguma Divisional Police Headquarters situated in the Owerri West LGA of the state, killing two police constabularies on duty, burning vehicles and freeing suspects in cells.

Same night, gunmen also attacked the country home of the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Prof George Obiozor, at Awo-Omanma in the Oru East LGA.

Our correspondent gathered that the attackers engaged policemen in a gun duel on arrival at the Omuma Divisional Police Headquarters.

This is not the first time gunmen were attacking the Omuma Divisional Police Headquarters.

Gunmen had in 2021 attacked the Omuma Divisional Police Headquarters, killing the Divisional Police Officer and four other policemen on duty.

Confirming the latest attack, the police spokesperson for the command, Micheal Abattam, said that four of the attackers were killed as policemen and the operatives of the Department of Security Service engaged the gunme in a gun battle.

Abattam, a Chief Superintendent of Police said, “Sequel to the modified and invigorated strategies emplaced by the Command under the watch of the indefatigable Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Rabiu Hussaini psc, to forestall all criminals activities within the state, especially attacks on police station, on the March 20, 2022, at about 0300 hours, Hoodlums suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra/Eastern Security Network terrorist group came in large numbers with various calibres of Improvised Explosive Devices to Omuma police station shooting sporadically, but were swiftly repelled by the ever gallant and combat-ready Imo Police Command’s tactical teams and operatives of the DSS who responded immediately, positioning themselves professionally and strategically.

“The Police operatives engaged the hoodlums in fierce gun duel and in the process four of the bandits were neutralised on the spot, while other scampered into the bush having suffered a huge defeat, with a number of them sustaining various degrees of bullet wounds. There was no casualty on the side of the joint security operatives.

“On the spot, five undetonated different capacities of Improvised Explosives Devices were recovered from the neutralised bandits, and charms. The Police Bomb Unit have taken custody of the bombs for detonation.

“Meanwhile, the Command’s Tactical Teams are conducting a vigorous and aggressive combing of the bush to arrest the fleeing hoodlums and to recover their arms/ammunition since they cannot go far because of the huge damage done to them.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Rabiu Hussaini psc, while commending the officers and men for their gallantry, urged them not to relent in their efforts until all criminal elements and their partners are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“He then appealed to Imolites for the continuous support and collaboration by giving security agencies especially the Police, credible and timely information and to report any person seen treating bullet wounds or hiding within the community to the nearest police station for prompt action.”

PUNCH.

Metro

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.

Metro

JUST IN: Truck Rams Into BRT On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

The PUNCH correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Details later

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

17 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”