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Tag: rivers

  • Rivers bye-election: Tension as thugs shoot, snatch ballot boxes

    Rivers bye-election: Tension as thugs shoot, snatch ballot boxes

    The ongoing House of Assembly bye-election in for the Constituency 3 seat in Rivers State maybe marred by reported cases of shooting and ballot snatching in some wards.

    Specifically, the shooting and ballot snatching by some thugs took place at Ward 18, Units 7, 8 and 9, Port Harcourt.

    While the Peoples Democratic Party is accusing the All Progressives Congress of using the Special Anti-Robbery Squad to unleash terror and create fear in the minds of voters, the APC insisted that the PDP engaged militants to disrupt the exercise.

    The bye-election became necessary when the former occupier of the seat, Victor Ihunwo, left to contest the local government election before the seat was declared vacant.

    Details later…

     

  • Sad! How man, Joseph Blackson died after rescuing 13 persons in boat mishap

    Sad! How man, Joseph Blackson died after rescuing 13 persons in boat mishap

    It has been revealed that the residents of Bakama in the Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State have hailed the heroic effort of a young contractor, Joseph Blackson, who saved 13 passengers, but lost his life during the boat accident that claimed the lives of six persons on Saturday.

    According to Punch, it was gathered that apart from those who were saved by the fishermen around Iborama, where the passenger boat capsized, Blackson single-handedly rescued 13 persons before he died.

    It was learnt that it was while Blackson, who was a diesel supplier, was trying to rescue the 14th person that he died in the river.

    Sources said the river was deep and going in and out of it for more than eight times could be energy-sapping.

    A friend of the deceased, who identified himself only as Benibo, told Punch Metro at the Abonnema Wharf that the 36-year-old father of two was known for helping people in need.

    “He (Blackson) used to manage a family filling station at Rumuola (before it was demolished). Until his death, he was a contractor, supplying diesel in Trans Amadi to companies there.

    “He didn’t use life jacket like others. He gave up the ghost in the process of rescuing them,” Benibo said.

  • Gunmen free kidnapped APC chieftains in Rivers

    The three Chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who were kidnapped on July 21, along Elele-Omoku road in Rivers, have regained their freedom.

    The trio are Mr John Enebeli, Mr Austin Enebeli and Mr Afam Oniyan.

    Mr Chris Finebone, Publicity Secretary of APC in Rivers, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.

    Finebone said that the trio, who regained their freedom on Wednesday were currently undergoing medicals.

    “We thank the leadership of the party under Mr Chibuike Amaechi, Minister of Transportation and security agencies for their timely intervention in various capacities that facilitated the safe release of the three gentlemen,” he said.

  • SARS officials rescues abducted medical doctor in Rivers

    Officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, have rescued a medical doctor, who was kidnapped on Sunday by unknown gunmen.

    The doctor identified as Mr. Evaristus Emekwuru was said to have been abducted in Nonwa, Tai Local Government of Rivers State and had been with his captors for four days before he was rescued.

    SARS Commander in Bori, Abdullahi Mohammed, told our correspondent that his men swung into action immediately they learnt about the incident.

    Mohammed explained that the efforts of the SARS operatives paid off when they located the whereabouts of the victim and rescued him at 2.30pm on Wednesday.

    He pointed out that one suspect, Baridon Fifii, was arrested during the rescue operation inside a bush several kilometres away from the place the medical doctor was abducted.

    He disclosed that the kidnappers had whisked their victim away from Nonwa inTai LGA to Deyon in Gokana LGA on the day the incident happened.

    “On May 30, 2018, at 1430 hours, my team rescued a medical doctor, one Evaristus Emekwuru, who was kidnapped from Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area to Deyon in Gokana Local Government Area four days ago.

    “One of the suspects known as Baridon Fifii was arrested in connection with the kidnap of the medical doctor,” a short text message from the police head in Bori read.

    Mohammed further disclosed that no ransom was paid before the rescue of the doctor, adding that Emekwuru was also in good health when he (victim) regained his freedom.

  • Court annuls Rivers APC congresses

    A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, on Wednesday annulled the congresses of the All Progressives Congress held in the state.

    Recall that the APC had gone ahead to hold the ward, local government, and state congresses in May despite a court order that the exercise should not hold.

    Some aggrieved members of the APC had gone to court to seek redress, claiming that some of them were not allowed to participate in the exercise, among other claims.

    However, the State High Court issued an interlocutory injunction stopping the party from using the result of the Congress on May 5, 2018, to hold the LG congress of the party on the 12th of May.

    Also, the leadership of the party at the national level had sent in a letter, which was signed by its Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, instructing that the congresses should hold on May 19, 20 and 21, 2018.

    A new Chairman of the Rivers State APC, Mr. Ojukaye Amachree, had emerged through the process.

    But Justice Chinwendu Nwogu of the State High Court, after listening to the arguments of the counsel for the aggrieved APC members, Henry Bello, and the defence counsel, Tuduru Edeh, observed that there was no evidence to indicate that an appeal had been entered on the matter, especially as it concerned the order that the congresses should not be conducted.

    Nwogu described as academic the cancellation of the state APC congress results held on May 5 and 12 and postponement of the same congresses to May 19, 20 and 21, 2018.

    He said it was wrong for the APC to disobey the court order, even as he recalled that the party attempted to no avail to lock the gate of the court.

  • Rivers community petition Buhari over incessant bunkering, pipeline damage

    Concerned youths of a riverine community in Bille, Rivers State have written an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari over the activities of bunkers in the area.

    The letter undersigned by the Bille Youth Vanguard and sent to TheNewsGuru.com on Wednesday fingered operatives of the Nigerian Army as accomplice to the criminals.

    The youths, however, want the president to swing into action before things get out of hand.

    Read the unedited copy of the letter below:

    OPEN LETTER TO MR PRESIDENT ON MASSIVE OIL BUNKERING, THREAT TO LIVES AND DESTRUCTION OF NEMBE CREEK TRUNK LINE IN BILLE

    We, the good youths of Bille Community in Rivers State, are again crying out to President to save us from a new problem that is coming from the very security people that are supposed to be saving us from the problem. Our case is now like a man who is taking medicine to cure headache and the medicine is now causing him migraine that is far worse than his original problem.

    Every single day, oil bunkering and pipeline damage is happening in Bille. Even though there are security officers in the area, this crime has increased more than ever before. Our community is normal in the day time but at night it will turn into a marketplace for crude oil, whereby oil is lifted openly like they are buying and selling in Aba market, yet we have a security base around there. Please Mr President send people to Bilie without notice at night, you will see trading activity is like that of Ojuelegba that the great Fela sang about.

    You will be shocked that armed men who are supposed to protect the pipeline have changed their job to protector of thieves. They are guiding the vessels of people destroying pipelines and loading crude oil. Sometimes, in broad day light, big vessels come in and out of BIlle freely surrounded by escorts. We have heard that security officials are making millions from protecting these criminals and participating in illegal bunkering. Some even fight for posting to Bille to make illegal money.

    Mr. President, we beg for your strong and urgent intervention. We call on the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, other security agencies and the general public to help us reduce this evil. We also request that the Head of Operation Delta Safe should be questioned immediately. These oil thieves enjoy the protection of officers throughout the long distance they cover before they get to where they offload. Bille Youths have decided to support peace but the head of Operation Delta Save, is putting our youths under pressure to join their stealing.

    We want the Federal Government to send fresh army to save us. The security officers in the area can no longer protect us, they are the ones stealing now. Oil thieves are destroying the pipeline and oil spill is destroying our land.

    Signed

    Bille Youth Vanguard.

  • EFCC arraigns Rivers SSG, others for alleged involvement in money laundering

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday confirmed arraigning the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Mr. Kenneth Kobani, and a politician from the state identified as Mr. Samuel Okpoko for alleged money laundering.

    It was gathered that Kobani and Okposo were arraigned on Monday before Justice B. Bilikisu of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    A statement made available to newsmen by the anti-graft agency on Wednesday indicated that they were brought to court on six counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N750m.

    The agency specifically said that Kobani and Okposo were docked for allegedly collecting the said amount from the Garrison branch of Fidelity Bank Plc in Port Harcourt.

    The money, according to the EFCC, was part of the infamous $115m Diezani Alison-Madueke scam involving several politicians and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

    It was alleged that the money was received on the eve of the general election in 2015 when Kobani was the Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

    Charges against the duo read, “That you Samuel Johnson Okposo on or about the 27th day of March, 2015, in Port Harcourt, within the jurisdiction of this court, did conspire and aid other persons yet to be charged, to acquire and take possession and control of the sum of seven hundred million naira ( N700m) from Fidelity Bank located at Garrison, Port Harcourt, reasonably knowing and or ought to have known that such funds or property formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful act, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) and punishable under section 15( 3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended.

    However, Kobani and Okposo were said to have pleaded not guilty after the charges were read to them.

    Justice Bilikisu admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N50m and a surety each in like sum before she adjourned the matter till 4th-8th of June, 2018 for trial.

  • Court stops Rivers APC council congress

    A High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has stopped the All Progressives Congress Local Government Congress earlier scheduled for Saturday, May 12.

    Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu gave the ruling in Port Harcourt on Friday after the Police quelled a riot by unknown persons within the court premises.

    The riot led to a temporary closure of the State’s Judiciary Complex and the brutalisation of some journalists, litigants and lawyers by thugs around the court premises.

    Senator Magnus Abbe (APC), representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in the Senate, had filed a motion on notice to stop the congress.

    The motion followed a controversial ward congress on May 5 in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the riot in the court complex was an attempt to stop the court session.

    However, the Police responded by shooting into the air to disperse the rioters alleged to be supporters of a faction of APC in Rivers.

    Many glass doors, windows and cars’ windscreens were smashed in the court premises by the rioters who were alleged to have earlier locked all entrances to the court to stop the court from sitting.

    Eyewitnesses said t the padlocks were later destroyed to allow judicial workers into the premises.

    Justice Chiwendu Nwaogu later sat to grant an order restraining the APC in the state from holding its local government congress scheduled for Saturday.

    He also adjourned until June 26 for hearing.

    Meanwhile, about 50 armed policemen have been deployed to maintain peace in the complex.

    A Deputy Superintendent of Police and spokesman for the command, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed the incident.

    He also told said the Police personnel were on the field collecting detailed information on the incident.

    “Our men are still on the field collecting information about the incident,” he said.

  • Commotion in Rivers as APC supporters invade, shut down court [video]

    Commotion in Rivers as APC supporters invade, shut down court [video]

    There wa commotion in Rivers State on Friday when hundreds of youths suspected to be loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) faction loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, with the aid of the police shut down the Rivers State judiciary Friday morning.

    The youths reportedly stormed the judiciary as early as 6.45am and locked the gates of the High Court Complex, beating up both lawyers and litigants who tried to gain access into the complex while the police who came in several vans watched.

    The Chief Security Officer of the complex, Mr. Douglas, said that the youths locked the gates by 6.45am and beat up several persons.

    According to TheNewsGuru’s findings, the move by the thugs was to forestall the court from sitting so that it would not grant an injunction sought by Senator Magnus Abe to stop the local government congress of the APC slated for Saturday.

    Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers south east, had gone to the court to seek an injunction restraining the faction under Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation, from holding local government congress of the party on Saturday.

    Abe had alleged that there was no congress across the 319 wards in the state but Amaechi said the exercise held peacefully.

    The youths on arriving at the court premises padlocked the gates and chased the judges, lawyers and litigants away and laid siege to the complex.

    However, the incident took a turn for the worse when another group of youths suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and backed by another set of policemen stormed the place to open the gates.

    Violence erupted as both set of youths attacked one other with bottles and other dangerous weapons and in the process destroyed some structures within the complex.

    Video: Wike

    Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, visited the court to inspect the havoc wreaked by the suspects.

     

     

  • Photos: Corps member drowns while taking selfie in Bayelsa

    Photos: Corps member drowns while taking selfie in Bayelsa

    A yet to be named corps member has died after falling inside the river while trying to take a selfie in Bayelsa State.

    It was gathered that the incident happened yesterday in Ogbolomaibiri, Nembe. The deceased was said to be trying to take a selfie at the top of a jetty when he slipped and fell inside the river. His corpse was recovered about 30 minutes later.