TheNewsGuru

Tag: Convoy

  • Hoodlums attack Uzodinma’s convoy with pistol, machetes

    Hoodlums attack Uzodinma’s convoy with pistol, machetes

    The Police in Imo State have arrested 15 people who allegedly attacked the convoy of Governor Hope Uzodimma on Monday.

    He was on his way to the 34 Attilary Brigade, Obinze, to inaugurate an officers mess built by the state government when the incident occurred.

    The hoodlums, armed with guns and machetes, claimed to be staff members of the Imo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (ISOPADEC) protesting non-payment of salaries.

    The government said its position that most of the protests in the state were sponsored by the opposition had been vindicated.

    Commissioner of Police Isaac Akinmoyede said the suspects claimed they were ISOPADEC employees who were “owed three months’ salary”.

    He said they were arrested with one locally-made pistol, two machetes, a mask, a chain and a padlock.

    Akinmoyede said: “They attacked the vehicles in the convoy with a locally made pistol and machetes.”

    He said the incident, which occurred around Concord area of New Owerri, did not claim any life.

    “But in the process, windscreens of some of the vehicles in the convoy were smashed and the vehicles damaged,” he said.

    The Police chief said the suspects have been handed over to state Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

    Commissioner of Information and Strategy Declan Emelumba said the fact that people claiming to be the staff of ISOPADEC could arm themselves with guns and matchets validated the state’s position that most of the protests were politically-motivated.

    The commissioner said the opposition, rattled by the public ovation that greeted the governor’s successful commissioning of new roads in Owerri last Friday, must have hired the thugs.

    “The opposition is smarting from the irredeemable shame the government’s successes is rubbing on their face.

    “They quickly thought of another protest to take the shine out off the increasingly unbeatable trajectory of Governor Uzodimma’s success stories. But, luck ran out of luck this time,” Emelumba said.

    He urged the police to unravel the real motive behind the action of the hoodlums and their sponsors.

  • Police detain Afenifere chieftain for obstructing Osinbajo’s convoy

    A chieftain of pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere has apologised for unknowingly obstructing the convoy of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo earlier today in Ikoyi, Lagos state, police sources have said.

    The National Organising Secretary of Afenifere, Abagun Kole Omololu, was earlier held by Lagos Police for breaching the convoy of the Vice President.

    Omololu explained to the police that he had no sinister intentions and did not plan to harm the Vice President or his convoy.

    He added that it was dark and he did not know that the convoy was long so he decided to drive on.

    According to the police, he breached the convoy of the Vice President without knowing he had done so. He was then stopped and informed that he had driven into a moving convoy.

    In what the police sources termed a security breach, the Afenifere chieftain drove his vehicle and obstructed the movement of the convoy.

    “This is a security matter. He didn’t know it was the Vice President’s convoy before he drove his vehicle into the convoy.

    “This was seen as a security breach and action needed to be taken immediately,” the police sources said.

    Another police source said he was never arrested, he was only held for questioning.

    “We needed to be sure he didn’t have a motive for his action. This is standard police protocol and he was not harassed either.

    The police source explained that he was released afterwards and allowed to go.

    An eyewitness at the scene, Olasunkanmi Oladele explained that other commuters were also warning the owner of the car.

    In a tweet, he said was also behind the convoy in Ikoyi.

    “I was following from a distance the convoy of the Vice President in Lagos when a man broke into the convoy. We should respect authority and stop trying to make people look bad,” he said.

    The police said the matter has since been resolved and that the Vice President was unaware of what happened.

  • DISASTER: Five adults, two children killed in Obaseki’s convoy crash

    DISASTER: Five adults, two children killed in Obaseki’s convoy crash

    Five adults and two children, were on Saturday morning killed in an auto accident involving the advance team of Governor Godwin Obaseki on Benin-Auchi Expressway.

    Several other persons including one of the Governor’s driver were also injured in the accident which occurred at Ehorin Uhunmwode Local Government Area.

    The accident occurred when a Toyota Hilux van on the Governor’s advance team had a head-on collision with a passenger Audi car.

    The advance team were said to be on their way to Ambrose Ali University, AAU, at Ekpoma for the convocation of the university.

    Three other survivors were said to have been rushed to the Central Hospital in Benin City for medical attention.

    It was learnt that a good Samaritan rushed the survivors and the dead to the First SAVAN Centre at the hospital.

    At the Central Hospital, a source confirmed that accident victims were brought in but declined to give details.

    As of the time of filing this report, arrangements were on to evacuate the driver of the Hilux van to a private hospital for adequate medical care.

    The State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, described it as “very unfortunate.”

  • Presidency dismisses reports of attacks on Osinbajo’s convoy in Kwara

    Presidency dismisses reports of attacks on Osinbajo’s convoy in Kwara

    The Presidency has dismissed media reports that the convoy of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was attacked on Thursday in Ilorin, capital of Kwara.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media & Publicity, Office of the Vice President, ‘Laolu Akande described the media and social media as false.

    He also explained that VP Osinbajo did not make his scheduled trip to Abia because of time constraints. “Let me clarify two issues,” Mr. Akande tweeted on Friday.

    “VP Osinbajo’s convoy was not attacked yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara. The reported gunshots were after the VP left the venue.

    “Secondly, due only to time constraints yesterday, VP couldn’t go to Abia from Kwara as earlier billed. He will surely make the Abia State trip soonest,” he added.

    Prof Osinbajo was in Kwara State on Thursday in continuation of the Next Level engagements after the Independent National Electoral Commission had lifted a one week ban on campaigns across the country.

    This is the second time in two days that the Vice President had had to dismiss fake news peddled against him.

    On Wednesday night, speaking at a meeting with young Christian leaders in Lagos, Prof. Osinbajo debunked the fake news of his purported resignation being circulated on some social media platforms.

    The VP emphasized that he has not resigned his position in the Buhari administration, and described the false information as “deliberate propaganda.”

    He said, “Today (Wednesday), they’ve been spreading some information around that I’ve resigned. They said I didn’t attend a security meeting yesterday. I was too busy in my office.

    “The same security people were meeting with me that same evening. Must I attend every meeting? Can’t the President hold a meeting with the security chiefs without me? They said I was so angry that they didn’t bring me to that meeting, that I was excluded, then I resigned! I have not resigned.”

  • BREAKING: Drama as police block Saraki, Ekweremadu’s residences [video]

    Operatives from the Special Anti Robbery Squad unit of the Nigeria Police, on Tuesday morning, have blocked the convoy of Senate President Bukola Saraki from leaving his Maitama Residence.

    The stern-looking policemen, it was learnt, stormed the residence at about 6:00a.m. and prevented vehicles from coming in or going out of the expansive residence of Nigeria’s third citizen.

    Also, a similar incident played out at Apo residence of Saraki’s deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu in Abuja.

    More photos:

  • Doctor, mother, child, others severely injured in Obaseki’s convoy accident

    The convoy of the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, was on Wednesday involved in a accident at the ever busy Ugbowo-lagos Express road.

    The accident which occurred in front of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Maingate, left the bus conveying the governor’s press crew marked (EDGH 278) badly destroyed and some journalists sustained various degree of injuries.

    A statement by the Special Adviser to Governor Obaseki, on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr Crusoe Osagie confirmed the accident.

    The statement reads in part, “A number of people in the bus and three other vehicles that were involved in the accident, including a medical doctor and a mother and child, sustained varied degrees of injuries, and are currently receiving treatments at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

    “An official of the state government has been sent to the hospital to ascertain the degree of injuries sustained by the victims and we are also in touch with the doctors managing the victims, who are in stable condition.

    “We have undertaken to pay the medical bills of all the victims. No life was lost.”

  • [PHOTOS] Tambuwal, convoy ferried across River Benue

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal on Wednesday led a delegation to Ibi Local Government Area of Taraba State to pay a condolence visit to the former chief whip of the House of Representatives, Isiaka Bawa, who lost his mother, Hajiya Hadiza, recently.

    In the accompanying pictures, the governor and his convoy were ferried across River Benue into Ibi town on boats.

    The pictures were shot and released on Thursday by Tambuwal’s spokesperson, Imam Imam.

     

  • Boko Haram ambushes military, police convoy, kills two, injures several others

    Suspected Boko Haram fighters on Tuesday ambushed a large convoy of travellers being escorted by armed soldiers killing a police officer and one of the truck drivers.

    The ambush, which occurred about 10 a.m. on Tuesday, was on a large convoy of commercial, private and government vehicles travelling from Maiduguri to the southern part of Borno State, passing through the Damboa road.

    The road, which also has a link to the gates of Sambisa forest, had been closed for about two years after Boko Haram captured towns and villages along its axis. It was only opened for commercial motorists in February 2016.

    But since its opening, Boko Haram gunmen have staged several attacks on vehicles plying the road.

    The latest of such attacks was that of Tuesday morning, which occurred at Abbari-Dalwa village located about 30km from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

     

    The Borno State Police Commissioner, Damian Chukwu, informed journalists that only one of his officers died in the ambush that also claimed the life of a Borno State government truck driver conveying drugs to an IDP camp in Damboa.

    He said a unit of soldiers who normally carry out such exercise once in a day was escorting the convoy of over 200 vehicles.

    He also explained that in the convoy were 63 personnel of the Nigeria Mobile Police Force on a special duty in Askira-Uba Local Government Area in southern Borno State.

    He also said a team of police officials from the state command were also conveying the corpse of a police sergeant who died of natural causes about four days ago, to the same local government area.

    Chukwu explained that due to the increasing demand for more police presence especially in the liberated areas of Borno State, his command made a request for more hands, and the Inspector General of Police okayed the demand.

    “It was based on that approval by the IG that one officer and 62 men of the Nigeria Police Mobile Force were deployed from Delta State to Askira,” he said.

    “And the vehicle conveying the deployed unit who were in an 80-sitter bus, had to join the convoy of civilian travellers being escorted by the soldiers.

    “They started the trip around 10 a.m.; and by 11.30 we received information that they were ambushed. Suspected insurgents who were firing anti-aircraft rifle on the bus conveying the policemen ambushed the whole convoy of about 200 vehicles. They had to scamper for safety and in that process six of them were injured.

    “The rest 56 of our special deployment managed to escape without any injury and their guns were intact.

    “But from what we gathered, the Borno State government driver who was driving the policemen left the vehicle and ran away. The gunmen attempted to take the bus away, but later left it after ridding it with bullets.”

    Chukwu said the deceased police officer was one of those escorting a corpse.

    “The story is not the same with our men that are in the burial party.

    “The driver (of the ambulance) was shot and injured, but a sergeant, Bala Tiiseh, who was escorting on the front of the lorry was killed. One Mustapha Modu, a driver of Borno State government’s truck, was killed.

    “There are lots of other civilian occupants of the lorry, comprising relatives, friends and well-wishers of the deceased, who are still missing in action.

    “We learnt that in that attack, there was a stampede; people ran in different directions for safety,” Chukwu added.

     

  • One feared dead as trailer rams into NDDC’s MD convoy

    One feared dead as trailer rams into NDDC’s MD convoy

    One of the policemen attached to Mr Nsima Ekere, Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), has been feared dead in a motor accident involving the commission’s convoy.

    The incident was said to have occurred on Thursday at the Akwa Ibom axis of Calabar-Ituran when the convoy ran into a trailer.

    The Director of Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Mr Toye Abosede, who confirmed the incident, said that the managing director was on his way to Calabar to receive the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

    The acting president begins a two-day visit to Cross River on Thursday.

    Abosede, in a statement released in Uyo, said that the pilot vehicle conveying police escort was smashed in the incident and that one of the policemen was feared dead.

    He said that other policemen injured in the crash were taken to the nearby hospital and were responding to treatment.

    “Members of the entourage in other vehicles were unhurt in the unfortunate incident. Unfortunately, one of the policemen could not be saved,” Abosede said.

  • Amosun escapes death as CBN bullion van rams into convoy

    Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun on Thursday escaped death in an auto accident at the Ibafo axis of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    The governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Mr Juwon Soyinka, said in a statement that the incident happened when a bullion van belonging to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) ran into Amosun’s convoy in the area.

    He said: “The incident which occurred around Ibafo while the governor was travelling to Lagos for an official assignment, resulted in damage to the escort vehicles in the governor’s convoy.

    “The CBN convoy drivers, driving dangerously, attempted to overtake the governor’s convoy without regard for the safety of other road users.

    “On sensing danger, the governor’s escort commander used a public address system mounted on his vehicle to warn the CBN convoy drivers to desist from such reckless driving.

    “Not only was the governor’s escort commander ignored, the CBN convoy drivers went ahead to crush his vehicle and subsequently went after other vehicles in the governor’s convoy, including his official car.

    ” The CBN convoy was later brought to a halt by the security team attached to the governor,” Soyinka said.

    Amosun, according to Soyinka, described the manner of driving of the drivers in the CBN convoy as reckless.

    “We will not allow such senseless and reckless behaviour in Ogun State,” Soyinka quoted Amosun as saying.

    Soyinka also said: “ If this could happen to a governor within his territory, you can imagine what they would do to our citizens who are simply going about their legitimate business.

    “Governor Amosun, who expressed disappointment at the reckless manner in which the CBN bullion van convoy moved on the road, warned that such act of impunity will no longer be tolerated within the borders of Ogun.’’

    He explained that the governor had cause to personally caution reckless CBN convoy drivers in the state on a number of occasions.

    “On several occasions, the Ogun State governor had to personally turn back reckless CBN bullion van drivers who often drive against traffic with impunity on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway,” he said.

     

     

     

    NAN