TheNewsGuru

Tag: Onitsha

  • Man steals seven cars at RCCG camp, sells them in Onitsha

    A 43-year-old man, Friday Ezi, has been arrested by the men of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly stealing seven cars from the Redemption Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed these in a statement on Thursday.

    Oyeyemi said Ezi, who lives at No. 5 Adesuah Iyamo Street, Benin City, Edo State, took the police to Onitsha, Anambra State, where Onyekachi Atama was arrested.

    The PPRO stated, “The duo were arrested following a report by one Titilayo Otitodogbon, whose Toyota Camry car with number plate LND 636, was stolen on February 1, 2020, by one of the suspects.

    “Upon her report, the DPO, Redemption Camp, CSP Chris Amanyi, detailed his detectives to swing into action and bring the perpetrators to justice.

    “The detectives embarked on full-scale forensic and technical investigation, which yielded a positive result when one Friday Ezi, who actually stole the car from the Redemption Camp, was traced to Edo State, where he was promptly arrested on March 10, 2020.

    “His arrest and eventual confessional statement led the operatives to Onitsha in Anambra State, where one Onyekachi Atama, who is his receiver and an accomplice, was also arrested on March 15, 2020.

    “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects had stolen up to seven different cars from the Redemption Camp, but they confessed to have stolen only two cars on different occasions.

    “Onyekachi Atama, who is a spare parts dealer at the Motor Parts Market in Onitsha, confessed that once the vehicles were brought to him by Friday Ezi, he used to balkanise them and sell such vehicles in parts.”

    The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Ebrimson, commended the investigative team for a job well-done.

    Ebrimson directed that the suspects be transferred to the anti-car theft section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for proper investigation and prosecution.

  • Traders escape as plaza collapses in Onitsha market

    Traders escape as plaza collapses in Onitsha market

    A building reportedly collapsed on Thursday at the Ochanja market in Onitsha Anambra state.

    The collapsed structure was said to be one of the plazas partially burnt last October during the fire incident at the market.

    According to eyewitness reports, some persons who were inside the building when it collapsed around 3.30pm, fled before the structure caved in.

    A witness, who identified himself as Chuka, said none of the traders was trapped as they were fast to have escaped before the collapse.

    “I don’t think anyone was trapped inside the debris at the time the building collapsed. Most of them were fast enough to escape,” he said.

    When contacted, the police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed said nobody was trapped in the collapsed building.

    He said the scene of the incident had since been visited by the Police patrol team led by the DPO of the area.

    “Yes the building partially collapsed but nobody was trapped, no loss of life and no injury sustained by any person,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Another fuel tanker falls in Onitsha

    BREAKING: Another fuel tanker falls in Onitsha

    An articulated tanker loaded with PMS reportedly fell into a ditch along Onitsha/Enugu expressway in Onitsha, Anambra state.

    The tanker was said to have split its content along the drainages, close to Chipex filling station.

    There was record of casualties as at time of filing this report.

    The police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed PPRO, confirmed the incident.

    He advised residents of the area to stay clear from the premises in order to prevent any disaster.

    “Police patrol teams have cordoned off the area and fire Service department was equally contacted to be on standby in order to prevent fire incident,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Another fuel tanker tumbles, explodes in Onitsha

    Another petrol tanker has exploded along Enugu-Onitsha expressway by Bessoy filling station, Onitsha, Anambra state.

    The incident, coming barely 48hours after lives were lost following fuel tanker explosion in Upper Iweka and Ochanja market, was said to have occurred around Omaba Phase 2 at the wee hours of Friday.

    The tanker carrying petrol was said to have tumbled in the middle of the road, spilling its contents along the drainages.

    According to reports gathered by TheNewsGuru, some residents near the area ran out of their buildings for fear of being consumed by the inferno.

    Properties worth millions, including buildings, vehicles and other valuable were reportedly gutted by the fire.

    No casualty was recorded at the time of filing this report.

    The Commissioner of Police, John Abang confirmed the incident.

    He said, “This time around the fire service responded well after they were contacted by my men.”

     

  • PDP, Atiku mourn victims of Onitsha market fire

    The Peoples Democratic Party and its Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have mourned with the victims of the Onitsha market fire.

    The party in a series of tweets on its Twitter handle said, @OfficialPDPNig
    is shocked by the devastating petrol tanker fire outbreak in Onitsha, Anambra state, describing the incident as heartbreaking and traumatizing.

    @OfficialPDPNig is deeply saddened by the tragic occurrence particularly, the painful death of our compatriots, including the mother and child, who lost their lives in the inferno that also razed houses, shops and other valuables.

    “Indeed, our party mourns. Our hearts ache as our prayers go out to the victims and the families of the deceased, who are now in anguish over their excruciating losses.

    “Our party commiserates with the government and people of Anambra state and prays for the repose of the souls of the deceased”.

    The Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, said, “We’ve had many preventable fuel tanker tragedies. I received with sadness, reports of a tanker explosion in Onitsha, Anambra State, which caused massive destruction to lives and properties in Ochanja Market area. My prayers and thoughts are with the families of the affected”.

    The party also urged public-spirited individuals and organization to support the government in finding succour for the victims over their losses.

    It, however, called for an investigation into the remote and immediate causes of the accident as well as the circumstances that may have frustrated timely intervention in the tragedy.

    The PDP called for measures are put in place to forestall a reoccurrence, as the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians remain paramount to ‘our party’.

  • Onitsha tanker explosion not ordinary – IPOB

    Onitsha tanker explosion not ordinary – IPOB

    The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has described Wednesday Onitsha tanker explosion that claimed lives as a terrorist attack.

    It said nobody should be deceived that such incidents were mere accidents, insisting that it was designed to exterminate Biafrans from the face of the earth.

    In a statement by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB said the repeated mishaps in the southern part of the country were a clear demonstration that they were being clinically executed by certain people.

    Commiserating with the families of the deceased, the group wondered why such incidents were not happening in certain parts of the country where even the owners of such articulated vehicles hail from.

    The statement partly read, “With a profound sense of deep sorrow and sadness we commiserate with all the families and communities that lost loved ones over the terror attack in Onitsha on the 16 October 2019.

    “This is not the first time an articulated lorry or a tanker driven by terrorist laden inflammable liquid has been involved in mass fatalities in Onitsha or other parts of Anambra State.

    “The story is always the same, it’s either their trailer had brake failure or their tanker exploded, all resulting in massive loss of lives and destruction of individually owned businesses.

    “We the Indigenous People of Biafra call these callous and wicked acts for what it is- a cowardly terrorist attack designed by those evil men determined to exterminate we Biafrans from the face of the earth and carried out by those that think they are serving a Jihadi cause that will bring about the Islamisation of Biafraland through terrorism.

    “At a time when herdsmen sponsored are actively engaged in the forceful acquisition of our lands in Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra and Abia, aided by the Nigerian Army under the guise of Operation Python Dance 4, this massive loss of lives and businesses in Onitsha is most unwelcome.

    “The question we keep asking is, why are there no exploding tankers in crowded streets of Kano, Kaduna or Sokoto?

    “Why must tankers driven by northerners always explode in the south or the brakes of their trailers always fail in Biafraland?

    “It is time now for our people to wake up to this new reality of population reduction by those intent on the destruction of the Biafran race”.

  • Buhari sympathises with victims of Onitsha tanker explosion

    Buhari sympathises with victims of Onitsha tanker explosion

    President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the death of a mother and her child as a result of an oil tanker accident in Onitsha, Anambra.

    Reacting to the incident in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, on Wednesday, President Buhari said: “I am profoundly touched by the sight of the charred remains of an innocent mother and her child who are victims of this tragedy.”

    The President also extended his sympathies to other victims of the explosion whose houses, shops and other property were destroyed in the mishap.

    He said: “While I express sadness over this tragedy, I must at the same time call for urgent action on the part of those concerned to stem these frequent fatal disasters on public roads.”

    The President decried the way and manner safety precautions and routine maintenance were taken for granted by vehicle owners.

    “I call on the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders to urgently address the issue of safety standards in the country, with a view to stemming the embarrassing frequency of these tragedies,” he added.

  • JUST IN: Three-storey building collapses in Onitsha

    JUST IN: Three-storey building collapses in Onitsha

    A three-storey building on Wednesday collapsed at No. 22 Nkisi Aroli street, Onitsha, Anambra state.

    The building said to belong to one Chukwuma Njeka, reportedly collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday following heavy downpour.

    According to reports, no casualty was recorded, property of value yet to be ascertained were reportedly damaged in the calamity.

    Similarly, the rear fence of the Onitsha custodial centre (formerly known as Onitsha prison) also collapsed on Wednesday at about 6:30 am following heavy downpour.

    No casualty was said to have been recorded, neither was there any inmate escapee due to the collapsed fence.

    The Police spokesperson, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed both incidents, saying the scene was cordoned off by the Police to prevent looters from taking advantage and to clear the rubrics.

    He said the Commissioner of Police, John Abang had ordered for immediate deployment of Police personnel to secure the area.

  • Gunmen invade Onitsha church, kill assistant pastor

    A 26-year old man, on Wednesday, was reportedly killed by unknown gunmen in Christ Holy church at No 30 Orumba Street Okpoko, Onitsha, Anambra State.

    The deceased, Justice Njigbo, the assistant pastor of the church, was said to have been shot dead by the suspects after inflicting severe injury on him.

    According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen, numbering three, had gained entrance to the cleric’s apartment, around 4am after scaling through the fence of the church premises.

    A source close to the church, said the suspects carted away valuables, including phones from the apartment.

    When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed confirmed the incident.

    He said the corpse had been deposited at the mortuary after the body was confirmed dead by the doctor.

    He said, “Three unknown men, at about 4am, scaled the fence of Christ Holy church located at No 30 Orumba Street Okpoko and forcefully entered the room of the Assistant Pastor one Justice Nonso Njigbo ‘m’ aged 26 years.

    “They inflicted a deep matchete cut on his fore head, shot and injure him on the left thigh and made away with phones of the occupants.

    “Police detectives attached to Okpoko Division visited the scene and rushed the victim to St. Charles Boromeo hospital where he was confirmed dead on arrival.

    “Corpse deposited in the same hospital morgue for autopsy while effort is being intensified to apprehend the assailants and bring them to Justice.”