Metro

Traditional Ruler, Two Others Killed In Bloody Benue Land Dispute

Published

1 year ago

May 14, 2024

A protracted land dispute between the people of Okete in Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state and the neighbouring community of Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo LGA over the ownership of

Amla-Icho community land has claimed the lives of a traditional ruler and two others in the feuding communities.

It was gathered that the age long dispute was triggered last week when the Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu allegedly sent a bulldozer to the disputed land to enable him commence work on the creation of a layout in the area.

The presence of the earth moving equipment angered the people of Okete who moved to stop the destruction of the cultivated land.

In his account on the incident, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA said “the problem is that the Okete people lost it. It is a dispute between Amla in Otukpo and Okete in Ohimini LGA and a total of three people lost their lives in the crisis.

“What happened was that they (the Okete people) used to go and farm in Amla land but sometimes last year when we wanted to develop a layout there, the Okete people went to report to the Och’Idoma that their farm produce were there and the Och’Idoma directed that no layout should be done until they harvest their products.

“February this year, they harvested their produce and the Och’Idoma called them and informed them that by March this year, Otukpo would go ahead with their layout and that they should not farm there again.

“But when the bulldozers returned they said they had farmed there already and reported the matter to their Second Class Chief as well as their LGA Chairman who called me and I told them that the Och’Idoma asked them not to farm there again because of the layouts.

“So when the bulldozer went there on Friday, they came with their lawyer who called me and I told him everything and said if they want to go to court, it was their right.

“They demanded that the bulldozer stopped work but their lawyer advised that they should wait for him to get an injunction from the court but they said they could not wait.

“They then went to the First class chief of Otukpo/Ohimini who called Och’Idoma and the Och’Idoma said they should not stop the people doing the layout because he asked them not to farm their again.

“At that point they went there and opened fire on the people; they killed one and shot two people and burnt all their motorbikes about 10 of them.

“Then Otukpo retaliated the next day; they also burnt some houses and killed one person and killed another person in Amla making two.

“But we have maintained calm. The Police Commissioner summoned all of us for a peace meeting so we are restoring peace now among both parties. We have agreed that all the culprits will be arrested and brought to book.”

Countering his Otukpo counterpart, the Ohimini LG Chairman, Samson Okoh who also acknowledged that the dispute was over land said “there is a place called Amla, it’s close to Okete. The Otukpo Chairman took the bulldozers to the place where the Okete people used to farm for years and according to him he wanted to do a layout. So he went and destroyed their farm crops.

“When the Okete people demanded an explanation, the Amla people said the land does not belong to the Okete people but to the Amla people.

“According to what I was told, when the argument ensued somehow one of them from Otukpo pulled the trigger and shot but the bullet mistakenly hit a fellow Otukpo person.

“Then on Saturday night the Amla people went and reinforced and barricaded the Okete people, burnt houses, beat up ans killed one boy. And on Sunday around 10am when I went to take the boy they killed to the mortuary, the Alma people went to the place again and burnt 17 houses, burnt motorcycles, slaughtered a Clan Head Chief Sunday Okpe, and shot five other persons who we took to the Teaching Hospital in Otukpo for treatment.”

The Chairman who informed that the community had been deserted said the parties had been summoned by the Police Commissioner over the matter and that efforts were on to apprehend the masterminds of the crisis.

On whether the Paramount ruler of Idoma land, Och’Idoma Agaba-Idu John Odogbo asked his people not to farm on the said land again, the Chairman said, “I am not aware of that but the Otukpo Chairman claimed so. I was not told by the Och’Idoma to tell the people not to farm there.

“Moreover, the Och’Idoma cannot tell the people to stop farming where they have been farming for several years without compensation or settlement and you just take the bulldozer to destroy their crops on the hectares of land they eke a living from.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the development said the command received the report of one death though she was awaiting full details of the incident.

Metro

Police Confirm ‘Accidental’ Killing Of Inspector By 10-Year-Old Son

Published

17 hours ago

June 16, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has confirmed the death of a police inspector, Okolie Amechi, who was accidentally shot by his 10-year-old son.

It said that the incident occurred on Sunday evening.

It explained that the son, who was unaware of the state of the AK 47 assigned to Amechi, pulled the trigger and struck his father in the back.

The Command also said the the inspector’s second child was struck in the hand due to the accidental discharge.

“The Anambra State Police Command expressed sadness over the unfortunate incident that resulted in the death of Police Inspector Okolie Amechi in Awka.

“The son unaware of the state, of the AK 47 rifle assigned to the inspector, pulled the trigger and struck the inspector in the back and his second child in the hand,” a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, read in part.

It further noted that Amechi was confirmed dead at a hospital, adding that the rifle had been recovered.

“Regrettably, Inspector Amechi was taken to the hospital and was confirmed dead by the doctor on duty while the second victim is responding to treatment.

“Also, the rifle has been recovered and the remains of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue.

“The Command while wishing the second victim a quick recovery, condoles the family and friends of the late inspector.”

Metro

Boundary Dispute: One Killed, Four Injured As Protest Erupts In Edo Communities

Published

19 hours ago

June 16, 2025

Editor

One person has been reportedly killed and four others injured over a land dispute in Iyekogba, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.

A youth leader, Frank Osamede Osagie, was reportedly shot dead and four others injured during a meeting between two communities – Aye and Ikpebo – all in Iyekogba – aimed at discussion a boundary dispute.

Taking protest to the secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Edo State Council on Monday, Bright Omoasuen, a leader of the Iyekogba communities said they had earlier petitioned the Inspector General of Police regarding the matter, just as he demanded the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the youth’s killing.

He, on behalf of other protesters, alleged that one Marvis Agbontaen who was suspected to have carried out the attack still goes around freely.

He disclosed that the killing occurred during a meeting meant to resolve a boundary dispute between two sections of the community—Aye and Ikpebo.

He said. “We hold our meeting two times a month and the elders hold theirs every Tuesday, and these have been on for the past 10 years. This is what we use to manage the peace of the community.

“But on the 4th of June, 2025, there was a boundary that was demarcated about seven years ago between Aye and Ikpebo.

“It was the youth leader of Ikpebo, Mr. Marvis Agbontaen, that brought the idea of demarcating the boundary, and we agreed to settle the boundary problem on the 4th of June. But on that day, we waited for Mr. Marvis Agbontaen to come for four hours, but we did not see him. Then the elders decided to postpone the meeting for the upper Monday.”

Omoasuen said the situation, however, took a violent turn after Mr Agbontaen arrived with his boys and started shooting.

“Then, what we saw was that he was coming with his car with his boys. We saw him disembark from the vehicle with AK-47 and he started shooting. Our brother, Mr. Frank Osamede Osagie, was killed instantly, while four others were injured. The four injured persons were treated in the police clinic,” he added.

He claimed this is not the first time such an attack occurred in the area.

He, therefore, called on the police authorities to take swift and decisive action.

“Even before this one in Iyekogba, it has been happening elsewhere. That is why we are here. We do not want to take laws into our hands. We don’t want this to continue. That is why we are here. Please, help us. We are pleading that the police should intervene,” they said.

Attempts made to contact the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, SP Moses Yamu were not successful.

Metro

753 Duplexes: Abuja Court Admits Emefiele To N2bn Bail

Published

1 day ago

June 16, 2025

Editor

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court on Monday admitted the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to bail in the sum of N2 billion in a fresh charge of property fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed an eight-count charge against him in respect of the disputed 753 duplexes in Abuja.

The said property located at Plot 109, Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, measures 150,462.86 SQM and comprises 753 housing units.

When the charge was read to him, he, however, pleaded not guilty.

Following his plea, his counsel, Mathew Burkaa SAN applied for bail, which was not opposed to by the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN.

Oyedepo, however, asked the court to expunge some paragraphs in the bail application, and the court granted that.

Ruling on the bail application, Justice Halilu held that bail is a constitutional right.

He added that the defendant(Emefiele) has been granted bail by two other judges and he did not go against the conditions and terms

”I admit the defendant to bail on the terms and conditions that the defendant’s travel documents which is already before justice Muazu is hereby attached as part of the condition .

“The defendant shall provide two sureties who must be residents of Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court.

“The sureties must own landed property within the jurisdiction of this court precisely in Asokoro , Maitama and Wuse 2 which valued at N2 billion” he held

Halilu further ordered that the sureties shall also do undertaking to produce the defendant in court always
all through his trial .

He added in the event the defendant jumps bail, they (sureties) will be put in prison.

He ordered that the defendant is granted from now to Wed (June 18) to vacate the ball or else risk going to prison.

He then adjourned until July 11 for continuation.

The charge number: CR/358/2025, borders on alleged having control of property reasonably suspected to be unlawfully obtained.

The offence, the EFCC said, is punishable under Section 319 of the Penal Code Law.

Emefiele was charged alongside one “Ocheme” who is at large.

Besides the housing estate, the two defendants are also charged with unlawfully keeping in their possession billions of naira in proxy accounts in Zenith Bank.

In count one of the charge Emefiele and Ocheme are being accused of knowingly having within their control the housing estate suspected to be unlawfully obtained contrary to the law.

While in count two, they were alleged to knowingly have in their possession the sum of N167 million domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915, in count three they were alleged to have held the sum of N1.23 billion in the same account.

According to the anti-graft agency, the said sums were said to be reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

In another count they were also alleged to have in their control another sum of N2.9 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc.

In count five, the commission stated that the defendants between January and December 2022, knowingly had under their control the total sum of N1.98 billion domiciled in Kelvito Integrated Services’ account No: 1016232915 domiciled with Zenith Bank Plc, which sum is reasonably suspected to have been unlawfully obtained.

In other counts they were also linked with the sum of N900 million and N600 million in Ifedigo Integrated Services’ account No: 1210750237 domiciled wit zenith Bank.

Meanwhile, in count eight, Emefiele was said to have in January 2021, forged a document titled, “Irrevocable Power of Attorney Between MG Properties Limited and H and Y Business Global Limited” with the intention of causing it to be believed that the said titled document was executed by or by the authority of H and Y Business Global Limited.

The offences, according to the EFCC, contravened the provisions of sections 319, 362 and 364 of the Penal Code.