Ijaw youths kick as navy arrests seven members of security outfit in Delta

The Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS Delta, says it has arrested seven members of the Coastal Watch & Anti-Seapirate fighters, an illegal security outfit along the creeks in Delta State.

The Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu confirmed the arrest to us on Thursday.

Commodore Dewu, who spoke through the Executive Officer of the Base, Capt. A Adewuyi, also disclosed that the Navy recovered some weapons from seven suspects.

He listed the weapons to include: one locally-made rifle, one pump action gun, 14 cartridges, 30 charms, two machetes and N39,000 believed to have been extorted from market speed boats.

Adewuyi stated that the seven suspects were arrested during a routine patrol by officers and ratings.

He said, “Our patrol team heard gun shots in the creeks and they moved in swiftly and caught them wherein the items were recovered from them.”

Adewuyi said members of the security outfit are not registered anywhere for the job they do in the creeks.

He stressed that, “the Delta State Government does not recognise them.”

Adewuyi noted that the seven suspects were interrogated by the Navy before they were handed over to “Operation Delta Safe” Yenagoa, for further interrogations and possible prosecutions in line with stipulated laws of the land.

Earlier, the Ijaw Youth Council, IYC in Ogbe-Ijoh community in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, in a statement signed by its chairman, Amb. Smart Okosun, raised the alarm that seven members of the Coastal Watch & Anti-Seapirate fighters have been arrested along the Warri Waterways by Officers and ratings of the Nigeria Navy Ship, NNS Delta on May 3.

The IYC gave the names of the seven arrested members of the security outfit as Mr. Amos Aaron, Kenneth Edongha, Oluwa Michael, Joseph Michael, Michael Tubor, Rachael Ikilowei and Stephen Dio.

The IYC said six days after, the whereabouts of those arrested is still unknown, stressing that the arrest of members of the security outfit is a “conspiracy from alleged enemies of Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri to cause havoc and to execute their evil plans in the Ogbe-Ijoh river and communities. We won’t allow this in our jurisdiction.”

It noted that the emergence of the group led to a drastic reduction of piracy, cultism, robbery, kidnapping and other nefarious activities in the waterways.

“It is amazing on how these same security group had held criminals with 200x power boats operating in the river and handed over to the NNS who has now turned to their enemies today.

“Recently, the same boys, handed over some criminals that were operating in the Ogbe-Ijoh river on daily basis to the Nigeria Police, Ogbe-Ijoh Division and the 200x power speed boats and other materials were transferred to Naval bass Warri for official report.

“This is another plan to permit sea piracy, criminality and cultism in the Ogbe-Ijoh river by the NNS.

“This security group is working for the interest of our beloved Kingdom in ensuring crime free environment.

“As a council, we call on all security agents especially the commander HQ operation Delta safe Igbere, Yenagoa Bayelsa State to intervene and give unconditional release of our boys to avoid increase of crime in our jurisdiction.

“The Delta state government should also call the Naval C.O to order for professional security plan over the Ogbe-Ijoh Coastal Watch & Anti-Seapirate Fighters and henceforth, support this group to achieve and to happily address the threats of sea piracy, cultism and kidnapping around the waterways.”

BREAKING: Court of Appeal nullifies Adeleke’s tribunal victory

The Court of Appeal on Thursday in Abuja nullified the victory of Ademola Adeleke in the Osun State governorship election petition tribunal.

This was after the appeal filed by the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, challenging the declaration of Ademola Adeleke as the duly elected governor by the state election petition tribunal.

The appellate court also set aside the judgement of the tribunal of March 22, which declared Mr Adeleke winner of the election.

A five-member panel of the appeal court led by Jummai Sankey delivered the judgement with three members of the panel agreeing with the lead judgement.

A panel member, Justice Mbaba, is currently giving a dissenting judgement.

Mr Adeleke contested the governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Mr Oyetola winner after a supplementary poll but the tribunal said Mr Oyetola won the election at the first ballot.

Specifically, he faulted the judgment as unknown to the law because Justice Peter Obiorah who prepared and read the lead judgement did not participate fully during the hearing of the petition.

Mr Oyetola whose appeal was first heard by the court of appeal drew the attention of the court to the February 6 proceedings in which Mr Obiorah was absent at the tribunal and did not sign the proceeding of that day.

The appellant contended that what Mr Obiorah did amounted to judicial hear-say because the proceedings of February 6 when he was not in court was copiously copied in his lead judgement.

Insisting that judicial hear-say has no place in law, Mr Oyetola asked the appeal court to quash the judgement, allow the appeal and uphold the governorship election.

On his part, the counsel to APC, Akin Olujinmi, also faulted the judgment of the tribunal led by Ibrahim Sirajo, on the ground that the petition was based on the rerun election of September 27.

Engineer Absolves Self From Slapping Lawyer Says ‘Matter Was Overblown By His Detractors’

Engineer Toyin Omotosho Absolves Self From Slapping Lawyer Says "Matter Was Overblown By His Detractors

What started as a small issue between this industrious and easy going engineer and property merchant, Engineer Toyin Omotosho and some of the executives of the estates inside the Maplewood Estate, Oko-Oba, where he resides and has business, may have been turned into spectacle in the social media by Engineer Omotosho's detractors, who simply are not comfortable with the man and his rising status in the society, nay, the many pies he legitimately has his hands into.

The annoying part of the unfolding story is the fabricated and concocted lie that the amiable and extremely courteous Engineer Omotosho viciously slapped a lawyer; an accusation which he has denied vehemently, saying, the whole story of slapping and engaging thugs to wreck havoc as being one that emanated from the pit of hell, and actually orchestrated by his enemies and detractors, who will never see anything good in an upwardly mobile person like him that has never been offensive or vindictive to anyone throughout his life.

Engineer Toyin Omotosho, who says the whole matter was overblown by these enemies of progress, claims, whatever the situation might have been, he couldn't have degenerated so low as to slapping a fellow individual, given his status in the society and the consequences of such offensive act. He claimed the issue started when he was going out of the estate to meet up a medical appointment in the hospital. Surprisingly, he got to the gate, the estate securities locked up the gate at his sight while some executive members were with the keys. He further claimed no reason whatsoever was given for the closure of the gate. At first, he was angry, but they were able to mend fences before it got out of hand.

At the Maplewood Estate, where the contrived face-off took place, it is well known that Toyin Omotosho has for years been a peace-loving and very accommodating individual, where he even has a flourishing private school, 'Eye On The Future'; an institution that has over time been providing quality learning and education to pupils and providing job opportunities for teachers and non- academic staff alike. How could he have descended so low as to causing mayhem for whatever reason at the  expense of his immesurable contribution to the community, he queried.

Corroborating his denial of the slapping as being phantom and cook-up, Engineer Omotosho said that the video clip that was posted in the social media that has gone viral, did not even have any bearing of his name or particularly his identity, except for his picture that was graphically super-imposed in the story to give him a bad name. "The whole matter was outrageously overblown and misdirected by those who posted the malicious story, with my picture surreptiously embossed to give it a plausible outlook especially in this age of social media technological breakthrough where any perceived enemy can be easily maligned and debased".

Since the video clip went out, the peace-loving Omotosho has been receiving messages and phone calls from friends, family and loved ones, who simply could not come to terms with what was reported. "It is very absurd and outright demeaning of my person and I am already making moves to get to the bottom of the matter, if these character assassins do not make a rethink by setting the records straight. " I did not slap anyone  for whatever reason and I stand by my word" the obviously embittered and enraged Omotosho retorted .

Police money fraud: ICPC closes its case against ex-IGP Ehindero, others

The ICPC on Wednesday closed its case against former Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, and former Commissioner of Police, John Obaniyi, after calling four witnesses in the alleged N16.4 million fraud charge preferred against them.

The ICPC counsel, Zainab Nass, at the resumed hearing, told an FCT High Court Apo, that the prosecution has rested its case.

NAN reports that Ehindero, who succeeded the convicted Tafa Balogun as IG in 2004, was said to have allegedly diverted funds from the account of the police.

He was arraigned in 2012.

The ICPC alleged that Ehindero and Obaniyi allegedly conspired and criminally converted public funds totalling N16. 4 million being interests generated from the sum of N300 million police money he had placed in two fixed deposit accounts at Wema Bank Plc and the defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc.

Following Nass’ information, counsel to Ehindero, Kelvin Omoraw, moved to file a no-case submission and requested to be given 14 days to file, while Samuel Odariko representing Obaniyi also aligned with him and made the same request.

After listening to the two counsels, Justice Sylvanus Oriji, ordered the defence counsel to take 14 days to file his no case submission.

Orji adjourned the case until June 19 for adoption of written address for no case submissions.

NAN reports that on March 25, while testifying, a principal witness, Mr Aibangbe Maifuwa, a Business Development Manager with WEMA Bank Plc, said N10.3 million was part of proceeds from the N300 million police fund he allegedly kept in a fixed deposit account with the bank.

The banker, who was led in evidence by Nass, told the court that the retired police boss had fixed the money at a 10 per cent interest rate per annum, between July 11, 2006 and January 19, 2007.

In his response to questions put to him during cross-examination by Ehindero’s lawyer, the banker said the former IGP had written to the bank requesting that the accrued interest on the N300 million fixed deposit, amounting to the sum of N10.3 million, be paid to him in cash, while the principal sum be paid through a WEMA bank cheque in his favour.

BREAKING: Kano Assembly Passes Bill To Create Four New Emirates

This follows the approval of the amendment of the local government and chieftaincy affairs law by the lawmakers, during their sitting on Wednesday.

The bill, if passed into law, will pave the way for the decentralisation of the Kano Emirate council thereby reducing the number of the emirates under the influence of the sitting  Emir of Kano

Abdullahi Ganduje, the state governor has vowed to assent to the bill.

He gave the assurance while speaking to newsmen on Wednesday ahead of the 136th executive council meeting.

SaharaReporters had exclusively reported step by step plans by Ganduje to dethrone the reigning Emir of Kano HRH Sanusi II over a call by Sanusi for free and fair elections in the state.

Details Later...

Reps inaugurate panel to investigate alleged fraud in Presidential Amnesty Programme

The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged fraudulent activities taking place in the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

The resolution followed a motion presented by Rep Tajudeen Obasa (PDP-Lagos) at the plenary on Wednesday.

Moving the motion, Obasa expressed concerns over the outcry by some people, alleging massive looting at the Kaiama Amnesty Centre in Bayelsa State between February 14 and 16.

“The coordinator of the centre, in collaboration with security agents and other unknown persons, allegedly took away equipment worth billions of naira with the knowledge of the Special Adviser on Amnesty to the President.

“It has become imperative to investigate these allegations for the good of the Niger Delta people and that of the nation at large.

“The failure of the House to act in time will lead to the wrecking of the amnesty programme and the essence of it will be eroded,’’ he said.

Obasa noted that the programme was a lofty initiative by the Federal Government to quell arms struggles by the Niger Delta agitators.

He said the programme was meant for a better deal in the nation’s oil producing areas and the cardinal objective was to grant pardon to the agitators.

The lawmaker said further that it was meant to rehabilitate the agitators through productive ventures and build the capacity of the youths in the area.

Obasa said that government had spent huge resources in training the youths locally and abroad, adding that recently, N8.5bn was paid into the programme’s account to further implement the initiative.

In his ruling, the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said that when the committee is finally constituted, it will turn in its report to the House within two weeks for further legislative action. 

(NAN)

Final year Engineering student dies celebrating Liverpool’s defeat of Barcelona

A final year student of Engineering at Akwatia Technical Institute, Ghana, collapsed and died as he and others celebrated the 4-0 defeat of Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals second-leg match at Anfield on Tuesday

The Liverpool fan, identified as Hebert Danso Atiko, a Ghanaian, was found lying on the floor unconscious, following a jubilation session for the fourth goal at a pub in Eastern Ghana.

An eyewitness said Atiko was rushed to the Akwatia St. Dominic’s Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead after other soccer fans at the pub had tried but failed to revive him.

Hebert was reportedly writing his final exams as of the time of the incident.

He was staying in a rented apartment outside the school campus.

The News Agency of Nigeria quoted the principal of Akwatia Technical Institution, Maxwel Owusu-Afriyie, as having told the Accra based radio station, Starr FM, that the incident is being investigated.

Owusu-Afriyie said: “We will get the details and see if there was something the student did that suggests that his behaviour was in excess.

“On that, we can really talk to the students. We have a system in place where we talk to the students and their behaviour these days.”

Hebert is believed to be a teenager. Liverpool’s win over Barcelona on Tuesday has been ranked among one of the greatest comebacks in world football.

They beat the Spanish champions despite losing the first leg 3-0.

The victory has shocked many soccer fans, as Liverpool will now be playing in the Champions League final in Madrid for the second year in a row.