TheNewsGuru

Tag: rivers

  • Wike places N200m reward on masterminds of Rivers attack

    Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday promised to give N200 million reward to anyone who can give information that will lead to arrest of the suspected gunmen who attacked Moku, Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of the state on New Year day.

    The gunmen in the early morning attack killed at least 16 persons leaving the community in mourning.

    The Governor in reaction to this attack promised to reward anyone who can identify the perpetrators with the sum of N200 million, Channels tv reports.

    Wike, who visited the community, alongside heads of security agencies in the state on Tuesday assured the victims of government’s support and also vowed to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.

    One of the victims of the attack, who lost her husband and child in the attack told the Governor that the hoodlums stormed her home on the day of the attack and suddenly started shooting anyone in sight.

    A combined team of the army, the Police, DSS and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) have since wung into action to ensure arrest the suspects behind the attack.

  • How 15 Rivers residents returning from church were killed in New Year’s day attack

    New Year celebration turned tragic in Rivers State as gunmen opened fire indiscriminately at people returning from the church in the early hours of Monday where they had gone to usher in the New Year.

    The incident occurred at Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni (ONELGA) Local Government Area of the state.

    The police spokesperson in the state, Omoni Nnamdi, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said it was difficult for the police to give the exact number of people killed in the shooting.

    The rampaging gunmen were suspected to be militants working for a man the military described as “a notorious kidnapper, militant, cultist, ardent illegal oil bunkerer”, Mr. Igwedibia Johnson, aka Don Waney, who is on the run, following the raid of his camp and shrines on November 20, last year, as part of 6 Division, Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt’s continued efforts to rid the Niger Delta of criminals.

    Crude oil and gas-rich Omoku hosts the Federal College of Education (FCE) Technical, many multinational oil firms, oil servicing companies and other establishments, but most of the commercial banks in the ancient town have been closed for months, in view of insecurity, without the hope of the bankers returning to the city.

    According to a report in The Nation, an indigene of Omoku, gave details of how the 15 worshippers were gunned down but would not want his name in print, to avoid his being trailed by the criminals, said as the Christians were leaving their various churches on January 1, the gunmen were spraying them with bullets at close range.

    The source said: “Since 2014, when the crisis started in Omoku and its environs, over 500, mostly innocent people, have been killed.

    “I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nyesom Wike to take immediate action to secure the lives and property of residents of Omoku and its environs, especially with the forthcoming primaries of political parties and general elections.

  • BREAKING: 15 killed as gunmen invade Rivers community

    Not less than 15 persons were killed in Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State by a group of gunmen.
    The assailants, who raided the town in the early hours of the New Year, are suspected to be working for a former militant leader, Don Nwanee.
    The State Police Command said it was aware of the development but details were still sketchy.
    Details soon…

  • Tension as gunmen kidnap Rivers monarch on Boxing Day

    There was pandemonium on Tuesday (Boxing Day) as the paramount ruler of Mgbuolua, Rundele community in Emohua Local Government of Rivers State, Eze G.A.O. Omodu, was abducted in his home at gunpoint to an unknown destination.

    According to a report by The Nation, the monarch was taken away in his car, which was later found between Rumuji and Ndele on East-West road.

    A resident, Alex Igbeni who spoke with the paper said youths had moved to the forest in search of the monarch.

    The resident said: “Around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, gunmen invaded the home of the ruler of Mgbuolua, who travelled home with his family on Monday for the Christmas celebration. He was kidnapped. The gunmen made away with his car. We believe the kidnappers took the monarch through the bush. Let the security operatives help us.”

    Police spokesman Nnamdi Omoni, who confirmed the incident, said policemen had been deployed in the area to rescue the ruler.

  • Aged woman regains sight at Army medical outreach in Rivers

    An aged woman, Mrs Margaret Okere, on Thursday regained her sight after undergoing an examination at the ongoing Nigerian Army medical outreach at Umuokwa Community, Igboh-Etche, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Army is conducting educational and medical outreach programme in host communities where the ‘Exercise Crocodile Smile 2’ is going on.

    Okere told newsmen during the programme that she had not been able to see for a long time.

    “I regained my sight after the doctors here examined me, gave me eye drop and eyeglass.

    “My grandson brought me here when he heard that there will be a military-free medical outreach. I give God the glory, as I can see very well now.

    “God bless the Nigerian military for carrying out this exercise,” she said.

    Mrs Promise Okechukwu, a native of Umuokwa, said that she and her baby were examined and given the necessary drugs.
    “Since I put to bed six months ago, my baby has been vomiting but today she has been taken care of free of charge by the army medical team.

    “I thank god and very grateful to the army for bringing this programme to my community,” she said.

    Another beneficiary, Mr Samuel Nwankwo said that the army free medical programme was the first ever carried out in the community.

    Nwankwo said that he was happy and thanked God for directing the army to come to his community.

    “Today, I have gotten the opportunity for my eye to be examined and necessary eye drop given to me.

    “I thank the army, they are not what people are saying they are, God bless them,” he said.

    Mrs Lilian Nwala, another beneficiary, said that she was at the centre for medical examination.

    “They are very friendly, as the medical personnel were attending to us one after the other.

    “I’m happy for the drugs they have given me after the examination, and I pray this continue,” she said.

    Another beneficiary, Mr Clement Emejuru urged the community to cooperate and get themselves treated.

    Emejuru disclosed that he was examined by a dentist and all the drugs he needed had been given to him.

    “What the army is doing is very fantastic, they are helping us to be healthy and live longer.

    “The army has never carried out shooting in Igbo-Etche before, so this is not a programme to scare us but to keep us alive,” he said.

    Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), represented by Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, Chief of Logistics (Army), said that the outreach was a civic responsibility to create smooth relationship with host communities.

    Buratai said that the army had always carried out positive activities in any community they were to ensure that the people were comfortable.

    “In some places that we are, if they don’t have water, we provide boreholes for them to get water, where there are medical challenges; we provide a solution for them.

    “Places where we think the primary or secondary school is lacking educational materials, we also provide for as part of our civic responsibility,” he said.

    The COAS said that the rumoured military vaccine was a creation of miscreants that were not comfortable with military’s resolve to fix them.

    “The army has the responsibility of protecting the Nigerian people’s interest, so whatever people say to tarnish the Nigerian Army, we will not bulge by that.

    “These are mere propaganda by miscreants and disloyal citizens who go about tarnishing the image of the country and the army,” he added.

    Dr Samuel Amaechi, the Eze Onyeishi-Agwuru of Igboh-Etche, commended the Nigerian Army for the free medical outreach and called on his subjects to take full advantage of the exercise.

    While urging other agencies to emulate the gesture, the traditional ruler also called for the sustenance of the programme.

     

  • Gunmen storm Rivers community, kill 10

    The Police Command in Rivers State, said that 10 persons in Mgbuosimi in Obio/Apkor Local Government Area of the state were killed by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Monday.

    Nnamdi Omoni, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt that the cause of the mayhem was yet unknown.

    “Ten people are feared dead in the violence and nobody knows the cause of the violence for now,” he said.

    Mr. Omoni said investigation into the violence had commenced, but no arrest had been made and appealed to the public to furnish the police with meaningful information that could lead to arrest of the suspects.

    According to Mr. Omoni, the gunmen demanded for the telephone handsets from their victims, adding that those who hesitated in releasing their handsets were shot.

    He denied that any chief in the community was killed.

    Mr. Omoni said: “criminals must be punished no matter how long it may take to arrest them,” he said.

     

  • Monkey Pox: FG denies running free medical care in Bayelsa, River States

    The Federal Government has denied reports that its free medical services in Bayelsa and Rivers States caused the recent outbreak of Monkey Pox in the states.

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a statement on Sunday in Abuja described the news as fake and sinister while urging Nigerians to disregard the report.

    ”The Federal Government has not conducted any free medical service or care in either Bayelsa or Rivers State, as alleged in the fake report being circulated. So that could not have been the cause of the outbreak of Monkey Pox in both states.

    “Monkey Pox is a virus found only in monkeys and it is rare in human beings. It belongs to the same family as Chicken Pox and Smallpox.

    ”It is suspected that someone may have contracted it by eating monkey meat, thus triggering the current outbreak,” the minister said.

    He said no effort will be spared in curtailing the spread of the disease.

    With the confirmation of a new case of monkeypox in Akwa Ibom State, there are now 13 cases of the disease in the country.

    The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Sunday, confirmed 12 cases, which started with that of an 11-year-old male patient reported at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    The National Coordinator/Chief Executive Officer of NCDC Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu said 11 other cases were identified.

    “All the cases are currently receiving appropriate medical care. All the patients are improving clinically and there have been no deaths. As at first of this month, 32 close contacts of the cases were identified, advised appropriately and are being monitored,” he said

    Ihekweazu explained that a Rapid Response Team (RRT) from NCDC was immediately deployed to support the Bayelsa State Government in the investigations and public health response to the outbreak.

    The team has been supporting the Bayelsa State Department of Public Health and the State Epidemiologist to respond to the outbreak. “As the outbreak investigation and response continues, the Bayelsa State Government has started an aggressive public enlightenment campaign to advise clinicians and the public on the symptoms of the disease and the steps required to manage the cases and to prevent further spread. NCDC has also collected appropriate clinical samples from the cases and these are being analysed through the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja,” Ihekweazu explained.

     

     

  • Shun politics, join me to fight crime in Rivers – Wike tells police IG

    The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday urged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to join him to fight crime to a standstill in his state.

    Speaking during the National Security Summit in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Wike also urged politicians to join him in putting an end to the issue of insecurity in Rivers State.

    Wike called on all stakeholders to put aside politics in the fight against insecurity in his state.

    The governor also used the opportunity to declare that he has nothing personal against the police boss.

    According to Wike, “If we don’t work together, how do we fight crime? I have told everybody who cares we are all politicians. Join me to fight crime in my state. When the time for politics comes, don’t worry, I know how to do it, but for now fight crime for me.

    “I keep emphasizing, fight crime for me when the time comes for politics the people will decide. Insecurity stemS out of not allowing the people exercise their will. If you want to do things against the will of the people, they will resist and this will resort to violence.

    “If tomorrow, INEC, decided to conduct election and they bring a struck load of mobile police men, army civil defence to carry the ballot boxes and the people says it will not happen here and if they want to show their superiority, anything can happen.

    “I came here to support the IG and I want to say nobody has any personal thing against you. I want to assure you that if you send your boys to the streets to fight crime, I will continue to give them my support.”

  • How JTF rescued two soldiers, 4 civilians in Rivers kidnappers den

    Troops of the Joint Military Task Force in the Niger Delta, codenamed Operation Delta Safe, say they have rescued two abducted soldiers and four civilians from a kidnappers’ den.

    The OPDS, with headquarters in Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, also said the troops found human skulls and bones during the raid on the kidnappers’ camp in Rivers State.

    The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre, OPDS, Major Ibrahim Abdullahi, said in a statement on Thursday that the operation followed a report of the kidnap of two soldiers who were in transit for banking services in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers.

    He said after the report, the OPDS immediately swung into action by mobilising troops for the rescue operation.

    The outfit’s spokesman said when the suspected militants sighted the troops approaching their den, they engaged the troops in a gun battle.

    He, however, said during the gun duel, the troops overpowered the kidnappers with superior firepower, leading to casualties on the side of the militants, while others escaped with gunshot injuries into the forest.

    Abdullahi said, “On September 18, 2017, at about 7.30am, OPDS headquarters received a report of the kidnap of two soldiers while in transit for banking services in ONELGA, Rivers State.

    “Troops were immediately mobilised into action. They discovered a militant camp with several shrines in a forest at Obiozimini community in Rivers State.

    “On approaching the forest, the suspected kidnappers opened fire on the troops, who subsequently engaged them with superior firepower, leading to casualties on the side of the suspected kidnappers, while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injuries into an adjoining forest.

    “The operation successfully rescued the two abducted personnel. Further search of the campsite led to the rescue of four more civilians who were earlier kidnapped, including a lady.’’

    He said items found in the camp and shrines were three pump action guns, eight empty cartridges, human skulls and some bones.

    Abdullahi said the camp and shrines were subsequently destroyed, while the rescued victims were taken to one of the military’s medical facilities in the area.

    He said troops were trailing suspected perpetrators of the crime, who fled into the forest.

    He urged members of the public to provide any useful information to identify the criminals and their whereabouts in order to face justice.

  • Flood: Fishermen takeover abandoned Winner Chapel’s church in Rivers…worshippers relocate

    Once use to be awash with worshippers every Sunday, Living Faith Church, Winners Chapel situated at Km. 18, Port Harcourt/Owerri Road, Rukpokwu area of Rivers State has turned to a fishing destination for young fishermen following incessant rain in the state which submerged the church and its environment.

    During a visit to the Church at the weekend, TheNewsGuru.com gathered that the Church has not held its services at the flooded worship centre for the past three weeks.

    Further findings reveal that the church has relocated to a temporary site, at McDonalds International Institute, a private secondary school located at Igwuruta, where it is now managing one of the school’s halls for some of the church’s activities.

    After the worshippers abandoned the church premises, young fishermen have now taken over the environment as their fishing field.

    Speaking with TheNewsGuru.com, one of the anglers who refused to disclose his name said fish now thrive in their hundreds around the church, boasting that he once caught a very big one on the day he was interviewed.

    When asked how and what he does with the fish after catching them, the source replied “We eat the small ones, and when we get the big ones, we display them and commuters buy from us.”

    “For me, all I need to do is place a frog or worm on my hook, drop my lines in the water and the fish comes for it. But there is a man we all call ‘King fisher’ he paddles his canoe around the church environment and uses net, so he gets more bigger ones”

    Meanwhile, a resident of the affected area who identifies himself as Charles Agburuka, whose home was also flooded, said apart from the church, there are other several property belonging to residents in the area that were destroyed in the flood.

    Agburuka lamented that the case would not have been so if the government had created proper drainage system to channel water into the canal.

    He said: “We have been rendered homeless by the flood. The problem is not the rain; the major issue is that there are no big drainage systems to contain the rain waters.