Metro

[UPDATED] Official Activities Paralysed As Students’ Govt, IYC Shut NPDC, Benin Office

Published

4 years ago

October 27, 2021

Editor

Mail gate of the NPDC office, Benin

Official activities at the the Benin office of the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company, NPDC, were brought to a partial halt on Wednesday as Niger Delta Students’ Union Government in collaboration with Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, Western Zone shut down the office.

The students and IYC members who arrived the Benin office as early as 9:00am shut all entries to the office, thereby obstructing staff, contractors and visitors from going out or coming in.

The angry students and IYC members who waited at the entrance for several hours were later asked to present representives for a meeting of which they did and they were inside for the meeting which lasted for hours.

But coming out of the meeting, they all expressed disappointment as it shows all over their faces

Fielding questions from newsmen after the meeting, Comrade Romeo Emieye, coordinator, Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, workshop which was organised by the NPDC for the students, said there was an agreement reached as regards the the workshop but unfortunately what they met on ground was different from the agreement reached hence they came to express their displeasure.

He lamented that they were expecting to hold a meeting with the management team of the company but unfortunately the manager, security and other staff who do not have a say in the company came to attend to them.

Emieye who told journalists that they were told by those that attended to them in the meeting that top management staff of the company were all not around because but were out to join one of the management staff whose daughter is getting married tomorrow, further lamented, “this means they know what they are doing. Just to show us the blueprint of the workshop is an Issue. The Community Relations Department is currently running away from us.The manager, security is saying he is not aware of all the approval made.”

He continues, “At this point, we now understand that, the NPDC management is playing a game with the Niger Delta students. They are saying we should reconvene here tomorrow and that the management team will be on ground, of which we are not sure.
We will not accept a laptop bag that has no laptop but just a cord.”

The Coordinator vowed that they were going to reconvene at the office tomorrow morning, and that if they failed to yield to their demands they would shut NNPC office in Abuja and other subsidiary offices across the Niger Delta.

Also speaking, Olu-Derimon Omaghomi, secretary, Ijaw Youth Council, IYC, Western Zone, said the meeting ended in a deadlock as nothing was achieved.

Omaghomi who corroborated Emieye’s claims that there were some agreement that were reached as regards transportation fee, feeding and daily stipends for all participants, called for the sack of the Managing Director, NPDC.

Omaghomi said, “These students from the nine Niger Delta states are stranded. The workshop is supposed to end today and the accommodations will expire today. The training is in two batches of 25 persons. The first batch are stranded and the last one is also stranded.

“We want the Managing Director, NPDC to be sacked. He is a northerner. We cannot be producing crude oil, and a northerner who doesn’t have oil in his state to head the company. We call on the Federal Government to sack the MD with immediate effect.”

Also speaking, Osemudiamen Ogbidi, one of the participants and spokesperson, Nigerian Students and Youth Association (NISAYA) said “We cannot benefit and boast as Niger Deltans. Over the years, we have had series of meetings amounting to neglect and marginalization from corporate organizations. I belong to the second batch list for the workshop, but we were given a laptop bag without laptop in it.”

Another participant who does not want his name in print noted, “They promised to organise a workshop with payment of stipend and a laptop to each participant. But on the day of the workshop, they came with laptops bag that had no laptop but only charger. And the stipend they promised to pay, they have been playing prank on us.”

Metro

Court Jails Football Coach For Sodomising Minor Player

Published

7 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

A Kano State High Court has sentenced a football coach, Hayatu Muhammad, to eight years in prison for sodomising one of his underage players.

The presiding judge, Justice Musa Dahuru Muhammad, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, sentencing Hayatu without the option of a fine.

According to the prosecution, the coach, who lives in Sanka area of Kano metropolis, committed the offence twice in different locations. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charges.

To prove the case beyond reasonable doubt, the state counsel, Barrister Ibrahim Arif Garba, presented five witnesses who testified against the defendant.

In his defense, Hayatu took the witness stand alone.

The prosecution stated that his action violated Section 284 of the Penal Code Law, which criminalises sodomy.

After reviewing all the evidence and witness statements, Justice Dahuru ruled that the prosecution had successfully proved the case.

He sentenced Hayatu to four years in prison on each of the two counts, to run concurrently — meaning he will serve a total of eight years starting from the day of the judgment.

Metro

Lagos Fire Service Rescues Woman From 60-foot Well In Ikorodu

Published

8 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service has saved a 32-year-old woman who accidentally fell into an uncovered well approximately 60 feet deep at No. 14 Mustapha Bolatiwa Street, off Agric Bus Stop, in the Ikorodu area of the state.

The incident, which drew a large crowd of onlookers, was described by residents as “nothing short of a miracle.”

Eyewitnesses said the woman, whose identity had not been immediately confirmed, reportedly wandered from a nearby compound and was seated on the edge of the well before losing balance and falling in.

Following a distress call, operatives of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived swiftly and launched a well-coordinated rescue operation.

Confirming the incident, the Director of the agency, Mrs Margaret Adeseye, said the woman was pulled out alive after a tense and delicate rescue effort.

“She was immediately stabilised and transported to a nearby hospital for further medical care,” Adeseye said.

She cautioned residents to ensure all open wells and similar structures are securely covered to prevent avoidable accidents.

Adeseye also praised the professionalism and prompt response of her team, reaffirming the agency’s unwavering commitment to protecting lives and property across Lagos State.

Metro

DSS Arrests Two Dismissed Officers Over Impersonation, Fraud

Published

8 hours ago

October 16, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services, DSS, has arrested two dismissed officers, Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, accused of impersonating the Service to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.

The DSS, in a statement issued on Wednesday, confirmed that both individuals, earlier declared wanted in separate public warnings, have been arrested and will be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“The Department of State Services recently issued disclaimers on two dismissed personnel of the Service, Barry Donald and Victor Onyedikachi Godwin. These individuals were alleged to be cloaking under the Service to engage in fraudulent activities.

“The public is hereby notified that these culprits have been apprehended and will face prosecution in accordance with the law,” the Service said.

This comes after a series of alerts by the DSS warning Nigerians against dealing with the former officers dismissed for misconduct but still parading themselves as active operatives.

Recall that the secret police had raised the alarm over the activities of Victor Onyedikachi Godwin, accusing him of using the DSS name to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

In the same vein, on October 8, a separate statement was issued concerning Barry Donald, another dismissed officer alleged to be impersonating the agency for fraudulent purposes.

The DSS said it remains committed to protecting Nigerians from impostors and maintaining public trust in the Service. It also revealed plans to publish the names of other previously dismissed personnel to prevent citizens from falling victim to similar schemes.

The DSS urged members of the public to verify all official engagements through its verified communication channels and to report any suspicious activities involving persons claiming to represent the Service.