Metro

Okomu Oil Boss Destroying Our Land, Maltreating Our People’, Ukomu Natives Cry For Help

Published

6 years ago

December 6, 2019

…Accuse Him Of Land Grabbing

…Call On Edo, Federal Governments For Intervention

Ukomu and its adjoining communities have called on the Federal and Edo State governments to prevail on Dr. Graham Hefer, Managing Director, Okomu Oil Palm Company PLC, from destroying and seizure of their god-given land.

Hefer was also accused of environmental violation, maltreatment of host communities, encroaching and grabbing of the Ukomu National Park by his company.

This call and revelations were made recently during a combined visit by journalists and civil society organisations to the communities and the National Park located in the Ukomu forest reserve of Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State.

Speaking to journalists in Ukomu, an elder in the clan, Chief Augustine Yanky, chided Dr. Hefer for what he called attempts to further destroy the Ukomu communities.

Chief Yanky, who is founder of Ekerikete community under Ukomu clan, specifically accused Hefer of destroying the only bridge at the expense of his company’s plantation which leads to the heartbeat of the clan.

In his own part, Mr. Tony Okhale, Secretary of the Protection of Ukomu National Park and the Environment (PONPE), a civil society coalition, was also definite in his call to the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Park Service to save the park from Dr. Hefer’s violation.

Also contributing, Mr. Olopele E. Olopele, a native of Nikorogha, lambasted the Okomu Oil boss for alleged destruction of the park, saying this is evidenced with the recent killing of a young rare elephant by workers of his company.

He joined Chief Yanky and others in calling on Edo State and Federal governments to immediately come to rescue the National Park and the local communities from the firm’s grip.

The accusations against Dr. Hefer was also confirmed at Makilolo, one of the communities under Ukomu clan by the traditional head of the village and his second-in-command, respectively.

Both men told journalists that the village and several others live without basic socio amenities and services, stressing that either government nor Okomu Oil has provided them any amenities.

They also alleged threats of environmental hazards, seizure of their ancestral land and threats of eviction from the land by Dr. Hefer and his company.

In corroborating the allegations, a fisherwoman (name withheld) who hails from the same Makilolo village, also alleged that the Okomu Oil, with Dr. Hefer as its present boss, had brought more hardship to her community than the past bosses of the plantation firm.

She accused Hefer of hostility to her village and the entire host forest communities, citing “unending harassment, demand for body pass, bodily search and flogging of the villagers by soldiers, on the order of Dr. Heifer”.

Metro

Gunmen Kidnap Businessman In Ibadan

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.

Metro

Tragedy As Suspected Kidnappers Kill Young Entrepreneur In Edo

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

A 30-year-old entrepreneur and CEO of Principle Takeout, Justice Abu Oshioke, has been killed by suspected kidnappers in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State.

He was reportedly attacked by the suspected kidnappers on Saturday while on his way to pick up an order made for his child’s dedication on Sunday morning.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers attempted to force him into a nearby bush in a kidnapping attempt. However, he reportedly resisted and tried to escape.

In the course of the struggle, the assailants opened fire, shooting him multiple times.

Concerned residents quickly rushed him to a nearby medical facility, but he was confirmed dead on arrival.

The deceased was said to have recently gotten married and welcomed a baby boy.

The tragic event has turned a joyous occasion into a moment of grief for the family.

The shocking development has left the Ekpoma community in deep sorrow, with many residents expressing outrage over the growing insecurity in the area.

Edo State Police Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem confirmed the incident and said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika has ordered a “full-scale investigation and intensified manhunt for those responsible.”

According to her, the Police, in collaboration with the military, local vigilantes, and hunters, are actively pursuing the perpetrators through coordinated operations.

Metro

Grandfathers Arrested For Drug Trafficking

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Two grandfathers, aged 83 and 78, are among several suspects apprehended by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in a fresh nationwide crackdown on illicit drug trafficking.

Pa John Ofiel, 83, was arrested on Tuesday, 28 April during a raid in the Aba region of Abia State.

The NDLEA said that operatives acting on credible intelligence recovered 700 grams of skunk, a potent strain of cannabis already packaged into retail sachets.

The octogenarian, who claimed to be a professional shoemaker allegedly confessed to delving into the illicit trade.

In Ekiti State on Thursday 30 April 78 year old Ogunjobi Samuel was detained at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti where officers seized 350 grams of cannabis from him, identifying him as a local peddler.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, (CCEO), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Marwa (Rtd), commended the various state commands for their drug supply reduction efforts.

He urged officers to maintain the current momentum, balancing enforcement with the agency’s War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation activities.
The enforcement drive also led to the arrest of a notorious drug dealer in Oyo State Taofik Adeyemi, 49.

He was apprehended on Saturday, 2 May, at his residence in Ibadan after months of evading the authorities.

He was caught alongside his salesman, Mustapha Oyerinde, with 3.085kg of cannabis and a getaway vehicle.

Across other states, the NDLEA recorded significant seizures including over 140,000 pills and capsules of Tramadol intercepted in separate operations targeting transit routes from Damaturu to Hadejia.

A raid on Awolowo Market in Mushin area of Lagos state resulted in the recovery of 740kg of cannabis while in Kaduna, two suspects were caught on the Abuja-Jos highway with 290kg of compressed cannabis concealed in a Honda Ridgeline.

A 65-year-old driver was intercepted at the Ile-Ife toll gate in Osun state conveying skunk and methamphetamine, leading to a follow up arrest of the consignment’s owner in Ilesha.

In line with it’s mandate, the NDLEA continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) advocacy, holding enlightenment lectures for students, Islamic schools, and commercial motorcyclists in Niger, Kano, Anambra, and Lagos states.

The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, noted that the agency remains committed to “cleansing the streets” of both notorious distributors and those who use age as a shield for criminal activity.