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Tag: Chiefs

  • 2 village chiefs, 5 others arrested over Edo train attack

    2 village chiefs, 5 others arrested over Edo train attack

    The Edo Government has confirmed the arrest of two village chiefs in connection with the Jan. 7 train attack which resulted in the kidnap of 20 passengers at the Igueben train station.

    Chris Nehikhare, the state’s Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, said this when he briefed newsmen shortly after the state executive council meeting in Benin on Wednesday.

    Nehikhare said that seven other suspects had also been arrested in connection with the incident, saying that the two remaining passengers in captivity had also been rescued by security agents.

    “The success story in the kidnapping is that five persons and two village chiefs have been arrested in connection with the incident and they are helping with investigations,” he said.

    Speaking on the Lassa fever outbreak in the state, Nehikhare said that the Federal Government and its agencies had failed to moblise to the state in spite of all appeal for help from the government.

    ”Over 50 persons have been infected with the Lassa fever since the outbreak in the state, we have five percent fatality rate which is very high compared to COVID-19.

    “All appeal and entreaties to the federal government has been rebuffed

    “We are constrained to reach out to the World Health Organisation (WHO)and other International Agencies to intervene in the infectious disease in our state.

    “We have written letters to the Ministry of Health, National Centre Disease Control (NCDC), and all the people involved in disease matter to come and help us fight this disease but unfortunately they refused to come to our aid,” he said.

  • CRUDE OIL THEFT: Militia group in Bayelsa allegedly recruits youths

    CRUDE OIL THEFT: Militia group in Bayelsa allegedly recruits youths

    A militia group said to belong to a militant identified as General Endurance Amagbin, in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, has allegedly started recruiting youths for the illegal crude theft operations in the communities.

    It was gathered that the Militia group subjected traditional rulers of Igbemotoru, its satellite communities Lasukugbene, Beberegbene and Peremabiri communities, to an unofficial oath of allegiance for his operations or get dethroned or killed.

    According to residents of Igbomotoru, Oyeregbeni and Peremabiri communities, there was palpable fear in the area over the rising cases of attacks and forceful takeover of traditional institutions by some gunmen.

    It was also gathered that the affected communities are hosts to multi-million dollars Trunk 18 inches diameter Crude Oil Tebidaba/Igbomotoru/Brass pipeline belonging to the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Limited.

    Furthermore, many security personnel deployed to the area have allegedly been compromised by the operations of General Endurance Amagbin and his boys while he has started his cooking of crude oil known as “Kpo fire” in the area.

    The Paramount Ruler of Igbomotoru (West Bomo) Community of Southern Ijaw Local Government Council, HRH Asemighen Ayibaikie Ofongo, BUO X, in a petition sent to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, to come to the rescue of the Bayelsa communities as the militia groups have continued to molest, beat up, vandalise houses and loot properties of those who go against their illegal activities in the area.

    Ofongo, in the letter with reference number IGBO/Security/10102/Vol.1/32/22, pointed out that he was also a victim of the wrath of these gunmen with their leader, self-styled Amagbin subjecting him to the personal oath of allegiance to their operations and announcing his dethronement on state radio without the approval of the state government.

    According to the petition, “The youths and elders of Igbemotoru community have become refugees in their community. The people of the Community and surrounding communities have not had any positive change since the self-styled General Endurance arrived. And he has also boasted that he has a connection to the top and that petitions sent out are sent back to him promising anyone writing such petition to be ready to accept any consequences of their actions.

    “This has emboldened him to recruit jobless youths into his army in other to vandalize houses, loot properties therein.”

    The worried monarch recounted that on the 11th of December,2021, the militia leader, Amagbin, ordered his squad to bring him at gunpoint, “Ammanawei was escorted under gunpoint by six gunmen into a waiting horsepower speed boat to a bush and into a shrine.

    “I was ordered by the militia leader to take an oath of allegiance to him. When I protested and insisted I have earlier before my ancestors and even God sworn to be impartial in the discharge of my duties, he ordered his gunmen to fire several rounds of bullets above my head as a warning.

    “I realized I could be shot dead in the shrine, so I succumbed to save my life and took the oath. Again, on the 12th of December, 2021, the Igbomotoru 1 community chiefs under the directive of the militia leader convened a meeting of all people of the town.

    “The meeting has no other agenda besides the dethronement of the Amananawei. Some persons who attended the meeting queried the veracity of such a dethronement exercise. While many walked out of the meeting and the meeting ended on that note. Within days, a special announcement was sponsored by the militia leader and his boys of the dethronement on two radio stations in the state capital.

    “The state government reacted spontaneously and denounced the dethronement as an exercise in futility and of no effect whatsoever. The paramount ruler as well went on air and denounced the purported dethronement. As it is now, I and some others who are against the notorious activities of Endurance Amagbin in the Igbomortoru community are not allowed access to our own community. We are calling on the Government to convene a peace meeting and in synergy with the Federal Government to please mop up all illegal arms and ammunition in the possession of non-state actors like the militia group now terrorizing the innocent people of Igbomotoru community.”

  • Obosi killings: Chiefs disagree with monarch over suspension of Chidoka, others

    Some members of Obosi Council of Chiefs have disagreed with the traditional ruler of the town, Igwe Chidubem Iweka II, over the suspension of Chief Osita Chidoka and two others from their fold.
    Iweka on Saturday announced the suspension of Chidoka, Chief Linus Mgbakaogu and Chief Hyacinth Udemba for their alleged involvement in bringing the corpse of two Obosi youths killed during the March 9 re-run election to the palace.
    Their sack from the council, convey in a statement by Dr Benneth Mozie on behalf of the monarch and his chiefs in council, said the act was a sacrilege in the tradition of Obosi kingdom which forbids the king and his council from seeing human corpse.
    He said: “On arriving at the palace, these chiefs in council instructed that the corpse be off loaded and dumped in the palace, an insulting and dishonouring act; an abomination of the gravest magnitude.

    “After due consultations and deliberations with all relevant ancient traditional bodies of Obosi, the Igwe Iweka II in council, hereby announces the indefinite suspension from his cabinet of the above mentioned three chiefs.
    “This suspension is for their acts of sacrilege against the revered age-old customs of the people and Obosi ancient kingdom.”
    But some members of the title holders and ruling class or members of the Igwe’s cabinet (“Ichie”), said the suspension could not hold as there was never a meeting where the monarch and his cabinet deliberated on the issue of the two slain Obosi youths or made a resolution to suspend the three members.
    Chief Anthony Nwabude, the Traditional Prime Minister of Obosi (Onowu Obosi), who was at the palace when the suspension was announced, told journalists that there was no time the content of the statement was discussed or resolved by the council.
    Nwabude, an octogenarian and one of the oldest members of the council, said he could not sit back and watch a decision he was not part of foisted on him without talking.
    He said: “There was never a meeting where the cabinet met to discuss and come up with the resolution that was read.
    “Since the killings, the cabinet has never met to discuss it; so, I am not in support of it.”
    Chief Charles Umolu (Akpe Obosi), described the suspension as a “sham”.
    Umolu said he was surprised that the monarch could hurriedly suspend Chidoka, Mgbakaogu and Udemba, who actually calmed the irate youths who were grieving over the death of their brothers without condemning the killings.
    Umolu said that the statement read to the media was already prepared before the meeting and was signed by someone who was not a member of the council.
    “The entire exercise is a sham, how can you suspend people without inviting them to give them fair hearing, many people were not invited, moreover, we are about 31 cabinet members and it is grossly inadequate for seven persons to take such decision for us.
    He said: “I was invited but could not make it, but I told them in writing that the suspension of cabinet chiefs should be the least of our worries, considering that Obosi had lost over 76 youths since 2011 due to growing cultism.
    “The press statement was prepared before the meeting, the person that signed and read it is an impostor because the Igwe cannot get members to sign it.
    “However, monarch cannot de-robe anybody; he lacks such powers because the traditional chiefs are representatives of their families.”
    Reacting, Mgbakaogu one of the affected persons, dismissed the news of his suspension as a kangaroo exercise, saying he remained the (Atta Obosi).
    Mgbakaogu said the monarch could not suspend any member of the cabinet without convening a general meeting of the council.
    He accused him of delving into partisan politics which had made him to mishandle the affairs of Obosi.

    He said: “Two Obosi sons were killed because of election and the youths of the town insisted on taking their corpse to their king in protest of numerous deaths we have witnessed, and the three of us were there to witness what happened.
    “The Igwe has had running battles with Obosi community and presently there is a panel of inquiry looking into these issues, we are still expecting the white paper from Anambra Government.
    “I am not surprised at the purported suspension which cannot stand, I have been in the traditional cabinet for nine years and eight months, long before he became an Igwe, so I remain Atta Obosi.”