Metro

PHOTOS: Police Shoot Protesting Women In Delta, Five Hospitalised

Published

1 year ago

May 6, 2024

No fewer than five women from Oteri community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State are currently in a critical state at the Central Hospital Ughelli as police attached to the Ughelli Area Command allegedly opened fire on them during a protest.

The protesters armed with leaves, accused the police from Ughelli Area of illegal arrest, molestation, and intimidation.

Speaking from her hospital bed, Miss Valentine Adomi, 24, a tailor, said, “I was on my way to the market to buy materials when I saw my family people at the front of the police station, and I alighted from the motorcycle to inquire from them why they were there.

“Immediately, I heard sounds of gunshots and tear gas, and I saw people running, and I was also running back. I felt something touch my leg that made me not be able to run.

“I heard people shouting that I had been shot on my right leg by the police. They rushed me to Central Hospital Ughelli after I lost much blood,” she stated.

Also speaking, Mrs. Vivian Aphiare said, “The number of police road blocks from their division to Oteri is over five, and for that reason, no tricycle or Keke would want to come towards the community.

“As if that is not enough, they would come into the community to arrest our people illegally, and when you get to the station to make an inquiry, they will ask you to bail your wards between the sum of N150,000 to N200,000.

“We were actually protesting to the palace to meet and complain to our royal father about the activities of the police, but on getting to the front of the police station, the police shot tear gas toward us, and as if that was not enough, they opened gunshots on us without any iota of provocation.

“We want the police to leave the Oteri Road because we are tired of their excesses, intimidation, and illegal arrest and molestation of our children and husbands.”

On her part, Mama Harvest Ugbuwiako said, “We are protesting against the numerous roadblocks belonging to the police, the illegal arrest of our children, and the searching of their phones for no just cause.

“The police use the PoS machine to check the accounts of our children to know how much they have in their various accounts.

“The police have roadblock at Emurotu Isodje, GRA, Back of Government College, and front of the Ughelli Police station respectively, and for that reason, no biker or Keke rider would be willing to come to Oteri.

“We don’t have armed robbers and kidnappers in our community, but the police are making life difficult for the people of Oteri-Ughelli as their multiple check points caused transportation to increase from N100 to N500.

“They opened tear gas on us, shot at us, and one of our daughters was shot on the leg, and she is currently on admission at Ughelli Central Hospital. Many others were physically injured.

“Police are meant to mount roadblocks at the end of a community and not at the center of a town. They took three mobile phones of our children, iPhone 13, iPhone 8 and iPhone 12—and beat our woman secretary with planks.

“They planked other women with wood, and they are currently receiving treatment at different places. We do not want police on our roads again.” She insisted.

Lamenting the torture of the police on them, the President General of the Oteri-Ughelli community, Hon. Erakpofoke Peter, said, “What happened today was a peaceful protest by the women to tell the world that they no longer need police in Oteri because of their illegal extortion.

“Their activities in the Oteri community are extremely inhuman, and we want to beg the government that we are no longer interested in the police station; they should look for a new site to go and leave our land.

“Our women no longer go to the market and when the new DPO was posted here, I told him about our challenges, and he saw reasons with me and promised that he was going to do something about it.

“The women came out to protest against what the police did in Oteri, they destroyed the young man’s properties, his television, and carted away so many things from the apartment.

“The activities of the police has gone so bad that as of 9:00 p.m., you will never see a bike or Keke coming to Oteri because of their extortion, brutalisation, molestation and illegal arrest and as a result, they could not go market again, and that is their grievances.”

Those currently on admission are, Valentine Adomi 24, Edith Itive 37, Akaeze Joy 22,

Loveth Brown-Tate, 42, with an injury to her right eye, Mrs. Lucky Philip, 48, with an injury to her right hand; and many others.

Contacted for reaction, Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, did not respond to phone calls to his mobile phone as at press time.
VANGUARD

Related Topics:#Police Delta Delta Police

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Metro

20-year-old Mother Buries Newborn Alive

Published

7 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

Kebbi State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old mother, Maryam Atiku, for allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby girl by burying her alive in Kamba, Dandi Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

According to a police statement, made available to newsmen on Wednesday by the command spokesman, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, “the incident occurred on June 25, 2025, when Maryam allegedly tied the baby’s neck with wrappers, covered her mouth, and buried her in a shallow grave at Malam Yaro bush.

“The following day, June 26, a farmer, Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad, while working on his farm near the area, discovered a patch of disturbed soil resembling a fresh grave.

“He raised an alarm and, with the help of nearby residents, exhumed the baby, who was found alive. The infant was rushed to General Hospital, Kamba, where doctors confirmed her condition as stable after receiving medical attention”

The statement said police detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department promptly arrested Maryam, who confessed to the crime during interrogation.

“Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Sani, described the act as “inhuman and unacceptable,” reiterating the Command’s zero tolerance for child abuse, exploitation, and gender-based violence.

”He urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to protect children under their care and not compromise their future due to poverty or other pressures.

“The Police Commissioner commended the wife of the Kebbi State Governor, Hajiya Zainab Nasir Idris, for supporting the welfare of the rescued baby and praised Alhaji Kabiru Muhammad for his timely intervention.

“The suspect will be arraigned in court, where she will face prosecution aimed at serving as a deterrent to others.”

Metro

Fresh Boat Accident Kills 29 In Niger

Published

8 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

29 persons have been confirmed dead in a boat accident that occurred on Tuesday in Niger State.

The incident happened in a community called Gausawa in Borgu LGA. at about 11:30am.

The boat was loaded with 90 people including women and children who were going for a condolence visit in another community.

The cause of the accident was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stomp, according to The PUNCH.

It was learnt that the passengers were not wearing any life jacket when the boat accident occurred.

An anonymous source in the ministry of transport disclosed that the boat passengers were not wearing life jacket, pointing out that if they were wearing life jackets more people would have been rescued.

“The passengers were obviously not wearing life jackets, because if they had been, more, if not all of them would have survived the accident.

“Borgu is very far and a lot of these passengers do not like to wear the life jackets for reasons best known to them,” the source said.

As at the time of filing this report, 29 corpses had been recovered with 50 persons rescued alive while two people are said to be still missing.

The Director General of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Abdullahi Baba-Arah confirmed the accident saying search and recue operation was still ongoing.

He said, “NSEMA has received a report of boat mishap incident at a community called Gausawa in Malale area/ward of Borgu LGA.

“According to our desk officer who led the search and rescue operations, the boat took off from a community called Tugan Sule in Shagunu ward with 90 people on board which includes women and children on the boat heading to Dugga for a condolence visit”

NSEMA DG added that, “The incident happened yesterday, 2nd September 2025 at about 11:30am and the cause was attributed to overloading and collision with a tree stomp.

“As at the time of filling this report 29 dead bodies have been recovered with 50 persons rescued alive while 2 people are still missing.

“Search and rescue operations are still on going for possible recovery of missing persons.”

This is the second boat accident in Niger State in 2025.

The first one happened in July and was attributed to tree stomp.

The National Inland Waterway Agency had distributed life jackets in Mokwa after the flood incident which killed over 200 people.

Metro

Three Lagos Labourers Found Dead In Makeshift Apartment

Published

10 hours ago

September 3, 2025

Editor

Three yet-to-be-identified male adults have been found dead in their apartment on Olateju Street in the Lekki Phase One area of Lagos State.

According to The PUNCH, the incident happened in the early hours of Sunday, where the victims reportedly lived together in a makeshift room.

It was gathered that the deceased were casual workers who earned a living by running errands and taking up daily labour within the neighbourhood.

A resident who identified himself simply as Alfred but pleaded not to be identified because he was not permitted to speak with the media said the victims were asleep when the attackers stormed their room.

According to him, the attackers dragged them out of the room and macheted them to death in the process.

He said, “The boys lived in a makeshift structure erected on the premises of a building on the street. We knew them to be labourers who also ran errands for people. But on Sunday morning, one of their colleagues who also stayed around there raised the alarm over an attack on the boys. When people rushed there, the three of them were found lying in a pool of blood with machete cuts all over their bodies. We were told the assailants dragged them out of the room before killing them.”

Another resident, who is a member of the Lekki Estate Residents Association but asked not to be named, said the incident threw the area into panic.

He said no such incident had ever been recorded on the street, adding that the police were immediately invited to the scene of the incident.

“We are now more cautious with the security situation around here. Security measures are also being stepped up as I speak to you,” he added.

As of press time, the motive behind the killing was still unclear.

However, it was learnt from other sources in the community that it might be linked to cult clashes or a dispute involving the deceased.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, could not be reached for confirmation, as calls to his phone were not responded to.

A text message sent to him had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.

The PUNCH reported in August that a skit maker identified simply as Austin was found dead with machete cuts in the Lakowe community of Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that some suspected cultists stormed the area in the early hours of the day in search of the deceased

On locating his apartment, they allegedly dragged him out of his room and hacked him to death on the spot.