Metro

Trader Slumps, Dies After Brawl In Abuja Market

Published

8 months ago

February 6, 2025

Editor

A trader identified as Ifeanyi on Wednesday died, after slumping during an altercation with a fellow trader, one Eze Onuh, at the Utako Ultra Modern Market located in the Abuja Municipal Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.

In a Facebook post, an eyewitness, Dr Uche Nworah, narrated that while no one was certain of what led to the fight, both men who sold underwear, exchanged blows, before Ifeanyi slumped and died, adding that Eze had been taken to the market police station.

The post read, “I called at Utako Market Abuja this morning to sort out my phone screen guard and a fight suddenly broke out between two Igbo brothers (Ifeanyi and Eze) who sell underwear. No one knows exactly what led to the fight. Blows were exchanged and Ifeanyi suddenly slumped and died. Eze himself has been taken to the market police station. Terrible thing anger in this challenging economic time.”

When The PUNCH contacted Nworah on the telephone, he further stated that both men were said to be origins of Ebonyi State and may have been fighting over allotted spaces in the market before the incident occurred.

“I was at the market when it happened. They said they were brothers from Ebonyi State, and it was like they were fighting about space. When it happened, some of the other traders gathered there so I didn’t go close. They took Eze to the Market Police Station. But later, I saw two officers taking him away in a tricycle, maybe to the FCT Police Command. And they took Ifeanyi’s body to a hospital,” he said.

A trader who shares a stall with the late Ifeanyi, but declined to be named in this report, told our correspondent that other traders had made efforts to resuscitate him, and rushed him to the hospital, where it was confirmed that he was dead.

“I was not around. But when I returned, I was told some people fought, someone fell and they poured water to revive him. When they could not revive him, they took him to the hospital, and they said he was dead,” the trader said.

He added that the rift between both men had been on for over five years, noting that the fact that both men were into the sale of men’s underwear didn’t help matters.

“It was Ifeanyi who brought Eze here. Before, Ifeanyi’s goods were slightly different. But when they started selling almost the same brands, they started having contentions. They’ve been having the issues for nearly five years before today,” he added.

The Chairman, Dynamic GSM Association at the Utako Market, Isa Adamu Goma, said he was informed of Ifeanyi’s death, at about 9 am on Wednesday morning, adding that the altercation started after arguments about the demarcation between both shops.

“This morning, around 9 am, the management of the market called me and said something happened to my deputy, Mr Ifeanyi. They said that somebody had killed him. I asked who killed him, they said it was his neighbour, one Eze Onuh. They said he held Ifeanyi by the neck and was pressing it. People tried to separate them, but he refused.

“I had my bath and rushed to the clinic where he was taken. I met the police and they narrated everything to me before we took him to the mortuary. Then, I went to the police station and met the Divisional Police Officer. They asked him what happened, and he said it was just a little demarcation between both shops that caused the quarrel. There’s only a small board that separates their shop, and they accused each other of encroaching. That was when Eze grabbed him by the neck and then pushed him, and he fell. They poured water but he couldn’t be revived. Eze is in the custody of the police at the Utako Division until tomorrow, because they want his family to come first,” Goma stated.

Confirming the incident, the Public Relations Officer of the FCT Police Command, SP Josephine Adeh, in a statement made available to our correspondent, said operatives who responded to a distress call from the market at about 9:30am, arrived to the find Ifeanyi’s lifeless body on the ground, adding that the suspect was currently in police custody.

“The FCT Police Command has arrested one Onu Simeon following a fatal altercation that led to the death of Ifeanyi Chukwu at Utako Market, Abuja.

“On February 5, 2025, at about 09:30 AM, the command received a distress call regarding a fight in Utako Market. Police operatives swiftly responded to the scene, where Ifeanyi Chukwu was found lying unconscious on the ground. He was immediately rushed to the NNPC Hospital, Utako, by police operatives, where a medical doctor confirmed him dead.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that Simeon Onu of Anguwan Biggy, Jabi Daki Biyu, and one Ifeanyi Chukwu of Kuchigoro, Lugbe, had earlier engaged in a dispute over a space to display their goods for sale. The disagreement escalated into a physical confrontation, during which Ifeanyi Chukwu suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. His remains have been deposited at a general hospital for further investigation, while the suspect, Simeon Onu, is currently in police custody as investigations continue. Further updates will be communicated in due course,” the statement read in part.

Meanwhile, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, has urged residents to “adopt peaceful means of resolving disputes”, adding that violence often leads to tragic and unpredictable consequences.
(PUNCH)

Metro

Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate In Rivers, Rescue Babies

Published

5 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a child trafficking syndicate that manipulates young mothers and vulnerable pregnant women, steals their babies, and sells them to waiting buyers.

The police said the four-member syndicate is led by an ex-convict identified as Blessing Jack, who had previously been arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Calabar, Cross River State, for a similar offence.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said Blessing, aged 54, was arrested by men of the Command’s C4i Intelligence Unit on October 9 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, following a discreet probe into the activities of the syndicate.

She said Blessing’s arrest led to the location of her other three female partners, who were consequently taken into custody.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of a child trafficking syndicate in the state, with the arrest of several suspects.

“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their newborn babies for significant financial gains.

“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the Command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technically aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack at Igwuruta in Port Harcourt.

“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died, but had been paid the sum of ₦2,000,000 for the transaction.”

She continued, “The transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to obtain their babies.

“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Igwuruta, Port Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been imprisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.”

The state police image maker said all the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles.

“Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network,” Iringe-Koko stated further.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their diligence in investigating and apprehending the suspects, saying the Command will continue to work tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and combat human trafficking in the state.

CP Adepoju appealed to members of the public to report any information that may aid in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure society for all.”

Rivers State Police Command, in September, said its operatives have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed two of their victims after collecting a total ransom of N10.4m.

Earlier in August, the Command said its men busted an armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate terrorising residents of Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Metro

BREAKING: Lagos Re-arraigns Kidnapper Evans Over Police Officers’ Killing

Published

8 hours ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Lagos State Government on Monday re-arraigned convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja is hearing the case of the murder of two police officers by the billionaire kidnapper.

He and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were arraigned before Justice A. O. Ogala on a five-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Details later…

Metro

Lagos Demolishes 17 Houses For Encroaching On Waterways

Published

2 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

At least 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government for encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, led a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists, to the site on Saturday.

Wahab cautioned residents against actions that threaten the environment, warning that nature inevitably retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation of wetlands.

He disclosed that the ministry had received reports months earlier about illegal reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural path.

“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.

The commissioner said the government had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and clear all illegal structures along the alignment.

He added that those behind the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Speaking on the perennial challenge of flooding, Wahab noted that while it is impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government continues to invest in infrastructure to mitigate its impact.

“What we can do is reduce its effects through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.

Despite ongoing efforts to desilt and maintain drainage systems daily, Wahab lamented that some individuals persist in obstructing waterways for personal gain.

He cited property number 156 as an example, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment and disrupted the natural flow of water.

“That property will be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon,” he added.

Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as the government often explored corrective measures.

“Sometimes we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he said, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private developers who profit from violating environmental regulations.

During an inspection tour of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands originally designed to retain excess rainwater.

He said drone surveillance had exposed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, including the destruction of coconut trees planted for soil stability.

According to him, violators were issued demolition notices on 26 September, ahead of planned transport infrastructure works on the same route.

He explained that the inspection was intended to align environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.

Additionally, the Commissioner for Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe, is anticipated to commence in December following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.

Osiyemi said some car dealers who were granted temporary approval to use power line spaces had violated terms by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.

“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.

He added that the Green Line project, which is expected to last approximately three years, forms part of Lagos State’s integrated transport solution aimed at easing mobility across the metropolis.

Other areas visited during the inspection included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.

(NAN)