Metro

PHOTOS: Police Shoot Protesting Women In Delta, Five Hospitalised

Published

2 weeks ago

May 6, 2024

Editor

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

Tragedy Struck In Osun As Three siblings, Mother Die In Auto Crash

Published

11 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

Three siblings and their mother, identified as Cecilia were reported dead in a ghastly auto accident in Osun State on Saturday.

It was gathered that a car heading to Ibadan from Osogbo had a head-on collision with a motorcycle carrying a woman and four of her children back home from a vigil at Odeomu in Ayedaade local government area.

According to an eye witness Usman Ademola, the motorcyclist carried two of the children in front, another one in the middle while a toddler was wrapped behind the woman.

According to VANGUARD, the two children died on the spot in the incident that occurred between Odeomu and Oogi where the motorcycle was headed.

Also, the woman and the motorcyclist identified as Abraham died while the child behind the woman seems to have survived the incident.

Meanwhile, it was gathered that a mob that gathered at the scene set the car ablaze along with two of the occupants after the driver had escaped from the scene.

Osun police command spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola added that the two occupants were rescued from the car by police operatives and were rushed to a hospital in the state capital.

She added that policemen were deployed to the area to maintain peace and order.

Metro

Soldiers, Traders Clash In Abuja Market

Published

12 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has deployed its operatives to Banex – an electronics and telecommunications gadgets market, in Abuja, after a fight broke out between soldiers and some traders on Saturday.

Some civilians were seen in a viral video overpowering some soldiers in a fight at the popular market, while some scampered for safety over the fear of reprisals.

The Defence Headquarters, and the spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, Onyema Nwachukwu could not be reached for comments as of press time.

A source present at the scene of the pandemonium said the fight occurred over the sale of a mobile phone.

“There’s a problem at Banex now. Some soldiers came to complain about a phone, and during an argument with the traders, a fight ensued,” the witness said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Benett Igweh has deployed officers of the FCT Intelligence Response Team to the scene of the incident.

Metro

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

20 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.