Metro

Motor Boy Searching For Bucket Drowns In Well

Published

3 years ago

February 20, 2023

The family and colleagues of a 27-year-old motor boy have been thrown into mourning after he drowned while trying to remove a bucket that fell in a well at Alaja community, in the Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State.

It was gathered that a truck driver and the motor boy were heading to a destination in the state when the truck developed a mechanical fault around the Powerline/Moniya end of the new Ibadan/Oyo Expressway.

It was learnt that the driver, after parking the truck, was assessing it to trace the source of the problem when the motor boy reached for a bucket and went in search of water to fill the radiator.

In the course of searching for water, our correspondent, who visited the community on Sunday, discovered that the motor boy went to one of the mechanic shops in Alaja community where he found a well.

An eyewitness, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the motor boy, upon sighting the well, moved closer and started searching for a fetcher to get water from the well but did not find any.

In a bid to get water, the resident said the motor boy tied a rope to the bucket and threw it in the well, adding that in the process of fetching the water, the rope cut and the bucket fell into the well.

Desperate to get the bucket, the resident said the motor boy entered the well and drowned.

The resident said, “I saw the young man yesterday (Saturday) when the driver parked the truck. I think the truck developed a little fault. As a motor boy, he must look for water for the radiator.

“He searched for a drawer and didn’t see one; he then tied a rope to a bucket. But unfortunately, the rope suddenly cut into two and the bucket fell inside the well. So he drowned when he entered the well to remove the bucket.”

The resident said people got to know that the motor boy had drowned when the truck driver raised the alarm after finding his slippers close to the well, adding that emergency rescue operatives that were alerted visited the area to retrieve the victim’s corpse from the well.

“Nobody was aware until a few minutes later when his boss was looking for him. He saw his slippers beside the well and raised the alarm. At that time, nobody was courageous enough to enter there to pick up the corpse until the arrival of the officials of the fire service with the assistance of police officers.

“We don’t know his identity, we only heard that the victim joined the driver through the driver’s friend and the driver has contacted his family members through his friend and the corpse has been taken away,” the eyewitness said.

As the investigation into the case commenced, PUNCH Metro gathered that the well had been sealed.

It was observed that an iron sheet had been used to cover the well and a stone was placed on the sheet to prevent people from fetching water from the well.

When contacted on the telephone, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, confirmed the incident.

“We had a case of drowning yesterday in the area,” he simply said.

The General Manager of the State Fire Service, Yemi Akinyinka, also confirmed the incident but declined further comment.

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

30 minutes ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of five suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, including a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army, in Awka, the state capital.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operation was carried out on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu.

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

The police spokesperson said that, acting on credible intelligence, police operatives stormed the gang’s hideout at Notoko, Awka, leading to the arrest of the confessed deserter soldier and four other suspects.

Ikenga identified the suspects as 38-year-old Dominic Oraz, a confessed deserter of the Nigerian Army; 30-year-old Michael Nwobodo; 29-year-old Eze Friday; 23-year-old Uche Okolo, and 29-year-old Chinedu Gilbert.

“Exhibits recovered from the suspects include six automatic pump-action guns, 63 rounds of live cartridges, one microscope, five machetes, one military cap, two police teargas canisters, handcuffs, a robber’s rocket launcher, criminal charms, three Motorola walkie-talkies, one jack knife, one power bank and cash sum of N26,000,” Ikenga stated.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

He said the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for the operation and urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and to continue to report suspicious activities to the Police for prompt action.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Police Arrest Ex-Soldier, Four Others Over Armed Robbery, Kidnapping In Anambra

Published

49 minutes ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Ikenga said the operation was carried out after the Command received intelligence on the abduction of a farmer at Isiagu, Awka.

The victim was reportedly released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid.

He said that during interrogation, Oraz admitted abandoning the military in November 2024.

Ikenga noted that investigations are ongoing, particularly regarding the deserter soldier, in collaboration with military authorities, to guide further police action and prosecution of all suspects.

The commissioner also assured Ndi Anambra of the Command’s unwavering commitment to combating violent crimes.

Metro

Enugu Vigilantes Beat Young Man To Death Over Alleged Stealing Of Woman’s Clothes

Published

55 minutes ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

Members of the Neighbourhood Watch in Amagu Iwollo Oghe community, Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, have allegedly beaten a young man, Mr. Nosike Madueke, popularly known as Wojuwo, to death over a false theft allegation.

Community sources told SaharaReporters that the vigilante group was led by the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of the community, Mr. Chukwuebuka Hillary Ngwueche, also known as Osuofia.

According to one of the sources, the incident occurred on Monday, August 25, 2025, when the local security men attacked Madueke with “dangerous weapons” after he was accused of stealing a box of clothes belonging to Mrs. Nneka Nwankwo.

The source explained that Nwankwo had earlier hired Madueke and his co-workers to repair or dig her septic tank and soakaway, but later raised an alarm claiming her box of clothes had gone missing.

“Instead of handing Madueke over to the appropriate authority, especially the police, they decided to jointly and severally take the laws into their respective hands by arresting Madueke, dragging him to his house for a search, bringing out his clothes, and burning all the clothes,” the source said.

“They tied Madueke on both his hands and legs and started profusely, taking turns by using offensive weapons such as guns, machetes, and irons, to beat him up till he died.”

“This happened in public at Iwollo Oghe Square. How can a trained CSO and his men kill a whole human being on a mere allegation by a woman of stealing her cloth, which was later found,” the source said.

“The young boy was from Imeziolo, Ezeagu LGA of Enugu State.”

According to another source, this marks the third time residents of Iwollo Oghe, either directly or through its purported security outfits, have been linked to the killing of people from the deceased’s community.

“Sometime in 1987, they shot Hyacinth Adinde with a gun and asked the people of Madueke community to do their worst.

“Also, years later, they killed Engr. Christopher Aniagbaoso, and yet they asked the people of the community to do their worst.

“The people of Iwollo Oghe are in the habit of killing the people of Imeziolo on mere suspicious grounds,” the source alleged.

“We call on the Enugu State command to do justice to this case as information reaching us revealed that the men are on the run after killing the young boy,” the source added.

A video obtained by SaharaReporters showed the deceased being beaten with sticks by men believed to be members of the Neighbourhood Watch, who were seen parading him along a community road.

Moments later in the footage, his lifeless body appeared on the ground, surrounded by residents, some of whom lamented, “See how they killed somebody’s only son for nothing.”

According to a source, the case has since been reported to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) of the Enugu State Police Command.

However, repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain the reaction of the Police Command were unsuccessful.

Calls to the mobile phone of the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, went unanswered, and a WhatsApp message sent to him also received no response as of the time of filing this report.