Metro

Oro Worshippers, Church Members Clash, Lagos Tailor Dies

Published

3 years ago

August 25, 2022

A clash between Oro traditional worshippers and worshippers at the Truth and The Spirit Prophetic Church has led to the death of a tailor, Akeem Adebisi, in the Oko-Oba area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that Akeem alongside other Oro worshippers were performing sacrament when they got to know that the church members were conducting a vigil.

The Oro worshippers, upon approaching the prophetess, Mercy Okocha, and her church members, reportedly instructed them to stop the vigil but they disagreed.

It was learnt that the disagreement caused an argument that degenerated into a clash between the Oro traditionalists and the church members who stood their ground on Tuesday.

During the clash, the church members allegedly stoned Akeem to death as some other persons involved in the fight sustained varying degrees of injury.

Our correspondent who visited the scene on Wednesday observed that the church had been deserted.

Property including fans, chairs, and instruments in the church were scattered.

Speaking with The PUNCH, a resident, who gave her name simply as Alhaja Sariyu, said an announcement was made for the Oro procession.

She said, “After the announcement, we went indoors very early only to wake up the following day to discover that there was apprehension everywhere.

“The Oro procession has been on for years. So, nobody expected that this particular one was going to be bloody. As a matter of fact, the church has been there for close to five years.”

A trader in the area, who declined to mention her name for security reasons, said the church led by Okocha was fond of conducting vigil every day, adding that it must be “the reason why the confrontation happened.”

An eyewitness, Jamiu Issa, who participated in the procession, alleged that members of the church instigated a mob action against his colleagues on their way back.

Issa said, “We hold our procession every August 22. Before we started our procession that night, we saw some members of the church outside around 10pm, and Akeem went to meet the woman (prophetess) to suspend their programme and instruct her members to go inside.

“So, when we started at midnight, we saw them again and chased them inside the church. Around 1am on our way back, we saw them again and they started throwing stones, bottles and coconuts at us.

“The prophetess asked her female members to go inside, while she and the male members attacked us. They smashed a coconut on Akeem’s face; he collapsed and started bleeding on the spot.

“We rushed him to about three hospitals but he was rejected. We were told he had lost a lot of blood. He died around 4am on our way to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.”

The PUNCH also visited Akeem’s father, Wasiu Adebisi, who had been distraught over the death of his son, said he got to know about the attack at midnight.

The 62 year-old said, “Akeem is my first male child. He is the one who always announces the preparation of the Oro festival in the town. When the incident happened, his colleagues rushed to call me in the middle of the night, and when I got there, I was told that they hit his head with a coconut.

“If they actually threw it at him from a distance, the impact would not have been that much. It looked like they held him and broke the coconut on his head. I could not bear the sight of him when I got there, I just returned home while his colleagues took him to hospital. It was in the morning that they told me that he died.”

The Baale of Gbirinmi, Oko Oba, Razaq Alawode, while condemning the attack, demanded justice for the deceased victim, adding that the police were invited to restore normalcy in the community.

“Even when the police came to arrest her, they were scared to enter the church. I was the one that led them inside the church where we found some strange spiritual items. We want the police to ensure that justice is served,” Alawode said.

Efforts by our correspondents to speak with a member of the church proved abortive.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the prophetess alongside nine members of the church had been arrested in connection to Akeem’s death.

“The prophetess, Mercy Okocha, 50, and nine other members of the church, have been arrested. The corpse was deposited in a mortuary for autopsy. An investigation is ongoing,” Hundeyin said.

However, in his remark, a lecturer in the Department of Religious and Peace Studies, Lagos State University, Professor Kabiru Paramole, told one of our correspondents that the incident was avoidable.

He lamented that the clash happened though both religious groups were chasing a common good for society.

Paramole said, “Religiously, what the Oro people were doing, according to them, was nothing but religion. They were being religious because they wanted to fortify their city from several calamities, pains and negativity happening in the society.

“The Christians too were also having a vigil to achieve the same purpose the Oro worshippers were after. I’m very sure that before any Oro comes out, especially in Lagos State, the news is always everywhere; everyone must stay indoors.

“I don’t know if the same kind of news went around the city this time around. If truly the news went around and the Christians still went ahead to hold their vigil, to me as a scholar of religious studies, that’s a wrong step taken by the Christians because they knew people might come towards where they were having the vigil. A clash would be expected in this kind of case.”

Paramole, however, said the clash would have been avoided if the Oro worshippers and church members explored the option of peaceful engagement.

Metro

Court Sentences 11 to 79 Years Improvement In Edo

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The Federal High Court in Benin, Edo State, has sentenced a forty-nine year old drug baron, Alaba Monday and 10 others to 79 years in prison.

They were convicted by Justice B. O. Quadiri and Justice Prof. C. O. Obiozor.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA who disclosed this to newsmen in a statement on Thursday, said those convicted were nine male and two female suspects.

Ofoyeju stated that those convicted were nine male and two female suspects.

According to apart from Monday, others that were convicted are Okpiaesi Abraham (52 years), Atari Isreal (45 years) Emmanuel Nwosu (46 years) and Samuel Samson (26 years).

Daniel Peter (20 years), Margaret Amuludu (40 years), Abel Edah (31 years) Bella Fedrick (29 years), Lucky Aligbe (50 years) and Benson Uponi, 65 years old were also convicted.

He added, “Among the standout cases was the conviction of Alaba Monday, who was caught with 115 kilograms of cannabis. He got a 15-year sentence with a fine of N3 million. Another convict, Lucky Aligbe, was sentenced to 25 years in prison over unlawful possession of drugs, including cannabis, tramadol, swinol, and diazepam.

“In this case, the presiding judge, Hon. B. O. Quadiri, noted that the quantity and types of drugs and the convicts’ previous conviction record involved warranted a severe sentence, especially as the need to deter similar future offences remains paramount.

“In another case, Bella Fedrick was sentenced to two years in prison or the option of paying a fine of N5 million for unlawful possession of 29 grams of methamphetamine.

“This case highlights the ongoing battle against synthetic drugs, which have become increasingly prevalent in communities.

“The court also dealt a heavy blow to cannabis cultivation with the conviction of Abel Edah, who, alongside charges of unlawful possession involving 5 kilograms, was found guilty of cultivating a cannabis farm spanning 0.678 hectares. Edah received a concurrent two-year sentence on both counts or the option of a 5 million Naira fine for each count.

“Also, Samuel Samson and Daniel Peter, who were both sentenced for unlawful possession and cultivation of cannabis sativa. They each received a sentence of two years or the option of a N5 million fine.

“Emmanuel Nwosu got 15 years for possessing 276 grams of cannabis with an option of N750,000. Also noteworthy was the conviction of Atari Israel, who got two years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession and transportation of 9 kilograms of cannabis with a 2.5 million naira fine. The court, however, authorised the forfeiture of his navy-blue Audi station wagon, linking it directly to his illegal activities.”

Ofoyeju, reaffirmed the commitment of the agency to a drug-free society, sending a clear message to offenders that the rule of law would prevail in the fight against narcotics.

He urged community members to remain vigilant and report any suspicious drug activities in their neighbourhoods as part of a collaborative effort to combat substance abuse and trafficking.

Metro

Police Arrest Suspect For Raping Woman To Death In Rivers

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have arrested a suspect who allegedly raped a young woman to death in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday when the lifeless body of the woman, said to be an orphan, was found in her room.

The case came to public attention when a user on X, claiming to be a family friend of the deceased, raised the alarm and called on the police to intervene immediately.

The poster added that occupants of the compound where the woman lived reportedly fled after the shocking discovery, possibly for fear of being implicated.

The statement, which was reposted by popular blogger Lindaikeji, partly read, “Nigerians, I need your help. Please help me call the police. I’m heartbroken as I type this. My family friend was raped and strangled to death in her room at Oyigbo on Monday night.”

The user also said the remains of the woman, simply identified as Ugochi, had been deposited in the morgue.

“Ugochi and her sister are helpless orphans who have nobody to fight for them. We are heartbroken. It’s unending tears and agony. Please help our voice get amplified. Please help us get justice,” the user added.

Although the full details of the incident could not be ascertained as of Thursday evening, it was gathered that the case caused panic in the densely populated area on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and the arrest of the suspect to our correspondent on Thursday, saying he is in custody.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, stated, “Yes, I can confirm the incident, and the suspect has been arrested. The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department.

“The body of the woman has been deposited in the morgue, and investigation is ongoing. Further details will be made known in due course.”

Rivers State has in recent years witnessed multiple cases of sexual violence and attacks on vulnerable individuals, prompting the state police command to intensify surveillance and community policing in high-risk areas.

Residents in some parts of the state have in the past expressed concerns over rising criminal activities, leading to heightened security measures by law enforcement.

Metro

Lagos To Divert Traffic For 10th Women Run Saturday

Published

1 day ago

November 6, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to divert traffic ahead of the 10th edition of the Lagos Women Run, scheduled for Saturday, starting at 6am.

According to The PUNCH, the Lagos Women Run is an all-female running event, organised by the Lagos State Sports Commission in partnership with other stakeholders.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in a statement on Thursday, noted that the 10km race will start at Tafawa Balewa Square and end at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

“As a result, there will be partial road closure of TBS, Water Board, Old NITEL, Outer Marina, Officers Mess, Bonny Camp Bridge, State House, and Ahmadu Bello Way.

”Others are Akin Adesola Street, Falomo Bridge, Falomo Roundabout, Awolowo Road, Onikan Roundabout, and Mobolaji Johnson Arena,” he said.

Osiyemi said officials from LASTMA, the Police, FRSC, and Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps will be deployed to manage traffic and ensure the safety of participants and motorists.

He advised motorists to make use of alternative routes during the event.

“Traffic from Ozumba Mbadiwe heading to Third Mainland Bridge is to go through Bonny Camp to Onikan Underpass to link Marina Exit to Force Road to connect Outer Marina to Third Mainland Bridge and continue their journeys.

“Motorists from Apongbon heading to Ikoyi are to use Odunlami Street to link Igbosere Road to Moloney Street to connect Ikoyi Road and continue their journeys,” he said.

The commissioner appealed to residents to cooperate with traffic officials, assuring that the diversions would be temporary.