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Palpable Tension In Edo Community Over Killings Of Youths

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3 years ago

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Palpable tension on Thursday enveloped the agrarian community of Illushi, Esan South East Local Government Area of Edo State, over the alleged killing of some youths by soldiers, said to have been brought to the community by a company said to be venturing into agriculture in the area.

The community also accused one Samuel Offor of allegedly leasing 5,000 hectares of their land to the company identified as Skaff Agro Farms Limited, without the consent of the people and that he did that while a traditional rulership tussle was still pending in court.

In his reaction to the allegation, Offor said he knew nothing about the killings and that the people had been fighting him over his property, just as the Managing Director of the company, Anthony Skaff, debunked all the allegations leveled against him and his company.

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But addressing newsmen on Thursday on the incident, Youth Leader of Illushi, Mr. Lucky Chibogwu, said the incident happened on April 13, 2021, at about 3pm when he said soldiers came into the community, shooting, beating up people and leaving three persons dead.

Corroborating the account, Pa Richard Aghedo, said that on the fateful day, “A truck load of soldiers came into our community and started shooting and beating everybody before we knew it, three persons were shot dead, even till now four of our youths are still missing. We didn’t do anything, we didn’t fight them.

“Skaff Company announced its presence in the community with brute force and I-don’t-care attitude. They started by destroying communal shrines, homes, and farms of community members. As farms and homes were going down by Skaff’s bulldozers, including 100s of acres of pawpaw, banana, plantain and palm plantations were also destroyed.

READ ALSO: Just In: Vigilante Kills Two In Benin

“The community through its lawyer at the time approached the court seeking an injunction restraining Skaff from carrying on activities on the land in question pending when the dispute is resolved”, Aghedo hinted.

When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, 4 Brigade Nigeria Army, Major Ojo Adenegan, aborted the call immediately the subject matter was introduced and did not pick repeated calls made to him thereafter.

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Man, 38 Escapes Assassination Attempt In Benin

Published

9 months ago

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July 22, 2023

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Innocent Omoruyi

By Omokha Andrew

A 38-year-old activist, Innocent Omoruyi, narrowly escaped assassination in the early hours of Wednesday, July 19, 2023 as his residence at Obe Community,Sapele Road in Benin city was attacked by yet to be identified gun men.

The attack which eye witnesses say was viciously executed on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 bore the markings of a dreaded cult group terrorizing Benin City, the state capital.

The Obe, Sapale Road incident, it was learnt, happened soon after Omoruyi left the house to attend to matters of interest some few metres away from his home.

The assailants were said to have shot sporadically in their frustration as residents scampered for safety.

However, Omoruyi escaped unharmed.

One of the eye witnesses who craved anonymity said: “The felons apparently went for the kill, weilding guns and other dangerous weapons. “We are shocked that they didn’t see Innocent Omoruyi who was just some few metres away from home when they arrived”.

“How that happened, only God knows and it was obvious that it wasn’t his time to die yet and just before that not long ago his business place on Lagos Street, Benin City was burnt down in the middle of the night by unknown arsonists.

“This sequence of events is not ordinary. We know it’s politically motivated due to the role he played in the last general elections. He has been advised to go into hiding at the moment for his personal safety”, he concluded.

When contacted, the police Public Relations Officer Chidi Nwabuzor said he was yet to get any information as regards the latest incident. He promised to feed our correspondent with relevant details as soon as they become handy.

Our information source however revealed that the matter has already been incidented at the Love World Police station on Sapele Road, Benin city.

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Nigeria To Earn Over $4bn Revenue As FEC Okays Concession Of Abuja, Kano Airports

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11 months ago

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May 18, 2023

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Nigeria will earn over $4 billion in nominal revenue as the Federal Executive Council, FEC, on Wednesday okayed the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium, a Luxembourg-based company.

James Odaudu, the Special Assistant on Public Affairs to the Minister of Aviation, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

According to him, the Council also approved that the Federal Ministry of Aviation would be renamed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace.

READ ALSO: ATMs To Be Upgraded For Loans Services As CBN Gives Banks Ultimatum…

The statement noted that the company would make combined upfront payments of $8.5 million for the concession of NAIA and MAKIA.

He added that the development would spur evidential growth within the Nigerian aviation industry.

“In alignment with the Aviation Roadmap, approved by Mr President on 18th October 2016, the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace is delighted to inform all stakeholders, both local and international, and the media, that the concession of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, and Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano has been approved by the Federal Executive Council,” the statement said.

READ ALSO: Peter Obi, LP Must Pay N1.5million To Access Documents – INEC

In December 2022 and January 2023, Corporacion American Airport Consortium was announced as the preferred bidder for the airport’s concession after scaling through a series of evaluations of technical and financial bids.

Nominal revenues mean income not adjusted for inflation and decreasing purchasing power.

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Russia Expelled From Council Of Europe Amid War With Ukraine

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2 years ago

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March 16, 2022

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The Council of Europe says it has expelled Russia with immediate effect after 26 years of membership because of the Ukraine war.

The Committee of Ministers took the decision in a special session, the rights body announced in the French city of Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Earlier, Russia had already declared its withdrawal from the Council of Europe after it had taken steps to exclude it.

On Tuesday evening, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted unanimously in favour of Russia’s exclusion.

Russia joined the Council of Europe on Feb. 28, 1996.

Together with the formal notification of the withdrawal, the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe also received information from the Russian Federation on Tuesday about its intention to denounce the European Convention on Human Rights.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, the leaders of the Council of Europe once again condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

READ ALSO: Ukraine: Horror As Russian Forces Shoot People Queuing For Bread

They expressed their solidarity with the Russian people, who continue to belong to the European family and share its values.

The body said it would continue to stand by Ukraine in the fight against the aggressor.

The Council of Europe monitors the observance of human rights in its 46 member states and is not part of the European Union.

The body reacted to the Russian invasion of Ukraine two weeks ago by suspending Russia’s membership, this decision was considered historic.

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