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Tag: Ughelli

  • #EndSARS: Okowa apologizes for not taming protest at inception in Ughelli

    #EndSARS: Okowa apologizes for not taming protest at inception in Ughelli

    Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has joined his voice to that of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in apologizing for the failure of the government to detect and address the issues concerning the #EndSARS protest early enough.

    The Governor rendered the apology on Monday in Asaba, the State Capital, while inaugurating an eight-member judicial panel of enquiry into police brutality and other human rights abuses in the State.

    He announced that the state government would establish a Special Victims’ Support Fund for the payment of monetary compensation to deserving victims of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings in the state.

    He said that the constitution of the panel was in line with the directive of the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and charged the body to bring justice to victims.

    Okowa said that it was unfortunate that those empowered to protect the lives of Nigerians were killing and brutalising them, and urged the panel to unearth all human rights abuses by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of Nigeria Police Force and deliver justice to the victims and succour to grieving families.

    He also charged the panel to evolve ways that culprits of police brutalization and killing of Nigerians would be dealt with, and expressed optimism that the enquiry would bring about total reformation and transformation of the Police Force for the good of the country.

    “Today, we earnestly commence the process of bringing about restitution and healing for countless number of Nigerians, particularly the youth, who have been victims of police brutality, extortion, unlawful detention, and/or extra-judicial killings.

    “In the more than one week that the EndSARS protests began, the news media – conventional and online – have been inundated with tales of woes that innocent Nigerians have experienced at the hands of the now dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force.

    “Some of the stories we have heard are heart-rending and it is unfathomable how these gruesome acts could have gone on unnoticed for years.

    “Interestingly, the EndSARS protests were triggered by an event in Ughelli, Delta State. It is a tragedy that so many young lives have been brutalised and allegedly wasted at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and serve the people.

    “I join my voice to that of the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, in apologizing for the failure of leadership to detect and address these anomalies early enough.

    “Rising from its meeting last week, the National Executive Council, chaired by the Vice-President, directed the immediate establishment of State-based Judicial Panels of Enquiry across the country to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings. Today’s inauguration follows that directive,” he said.

    The governor listed the terms of reference for the enquiry as “to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings committed within Delta State with a view to ascertaining their validity or otherwise, and to recommend compensation or other remedies appropriate for each case.’’

    He announced that the panel had an initial period of three months to carry out the assignment and submit its report, saying “I wish to remind members of the Panel that we are in a national emergency and, therefore, this assignment should be handled with the urgency that it requires.

    “You are to hit the ground running given the unease and tension in the country. We need to calm frayed nerves and the only way we can do it is to take appropriate and immediate action.

    “I, therefore, urge you to go the extra mile and be willing to make whatever sacrifices this job demands of you for the sake of the country and our beloved Delta State.”

    Okowa appealed to the protesters to end the action, appealing that “having made their voices loud and clear and having also made some very useful recommendations, it was in the best interest of the nation for them to give the leadership of the nation sometime to process all the requests made.

    “Many of our people live on daily income basis and this continued protest will not do our economy any good.

    “As leaders of both national and sub-national governments, we have heard their demands and we will do everything possible to ensure that the demands are met.

    “I thank them for the five-point recommendation and we are committed to ensuring that they are implemented.

    “Never again will our people have to go through this type of abuse in the hands of those who are supposed to protect them.”

    He announced that the state government would establish a Special Security and Human Rights Committee to be headed by him and would have representatives of the youths and civil society.

    According to the governor, in line with the decisions of the NEC, the Delta State Government will shortly establish a Special Security and Human Rights Committee to be headed by my humble self.

    “This committee, which will also include representatives of the youth and civil society, will directly oversee all tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force in the state to ensure that the fundamental human rights of citizens are respected and protected,’’ he explained.

    The Panel of Enquiry has Justice Celestina Ogisi (retd) and AIG David Igbodo (retd), Mr Harrison Gwannishu, Comrade Godwin Oyovweadjebore, Mr Freedom Atsepoyi, Ambassador Eris Jewo–Ibi and Alpheus Ngwu as members while Mr Omamuzo Erebe will serve as Secretary.

    In her remarks, Justice Ogisi thanked the Governor for finding members of the panel worthy to serve, and said that the inauguration of the panel was a right step in ensuring that fundamental rights of citizens were respected.

    Ogisi assured that the panel would be fair and just to all that would come before it for justice.

    She said that the maxim “Police is your friend” appeared to have been long forgotten, and pointed out that it was sad and that “we must return to the era where law enforcement officers carried out their duties within the confines of the law’’.

    According to her, a society without respect for the rights of its citizens is a society that is on its way to disaster.

  • Delta Govt, Police dismiss SARS killing in Ughelli

    Delta Govt, Police dismiss SARS killing in Ughelli

    The Delta Police Command on Monday dismissed a video clip alleging that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) shot a man to death in Ughelli town, in Ughelli South local government area of the State.

    The Command spokesperson, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya said in a statement on Monday in Asaba that the video, which went viral, was the handiwork of mischief makers.

    “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force, Delta State Command has been drawn to trending online videos and posts alleging SARS Operatives of shooting a young man to death in Ughelli.

    “The allegations in the online video about SARS operatives killing a young man in Ughelli are not only false, malicious and erroneous but also misleading.

    “The victim was neither shot nor killed by the policemen. The policemen involved are not SARS operatives as earlier reported.

    “The allegation is the handiwork of criminally-minded people who do not see anything good in the Police, but want Delta State to be in turmoil,’’ Onovwakpoyeya said.

    The police image maker said the Command deemed it necessary to put the record straight and to state the facts of the matter as it happened.

    According to her, operatives of Safe Delta Squad in Ughelli, who were on patrol along the Warri/Ughelli Road, Ughelli, on October 3, sighted a white Lexus Jeep which did not have a registration number.

    She explained that on sighting the police patrol team, the driver sped off in a suspicious manner and was given a hot chase by the patrol team who intercepted the vehicle and arrested its two occupants.

    “On the way to the police station, one of the suspects jumped out of the moving police patrol vehicle and sustained body and head injuries.

    “While trying to rescue him, an angry mob came out to attack the policemen, a development which made the team to leave the scene with the second suspect in their patrol vehicle to avoid violent confrontation with the mob.

    “Other police patrol teams were promptly mobilised to the scene, but were informed that the victim had been rushed to a private hospital in Ughelli by passers-by,’’ Onovwakpoyeya said.

    She added that the patrol team visited the victim in the hospital where he was being treated and saw him alive and recuperating.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, Hafiz Inuwa, therefore, urges members of the public to discountenance the online video.

    “The viral video is fake and a malicious publication as it has no connection with the incident in Ughelli,’’ Onovwakpoyeya stressed.

    The police spokesperson recalled a similar incident where some kidnappers recently abducted a woman alongside her two children in her car in same Ughelli.

    Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has also debunked social media reports that a youth was shot by the Police in Ughelli on Saturday.

    Briefing journalists on Monday in Asaba, the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu and Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr Ifeanyi Egwuyenga, said that there was no iota of truth in the report.

    Aniagwu appealed to media practitioners to always verify their stories and ensure that what was published was the fact.

    He said that the government owed it a duty to continue to promote security of lives and property and would ensure that the security agencies operate in a civil and democratic manner.

    The commissioner said that it was the duty of the police and other security agencies to protect the people, adding that people should also respect them to ensure a peaceful environment.

    He berated bloggers on social media for rushing to press without proper investigation, adding that there was need for journalists to exercise restraint before publishing their reports to avoid falsehood.

    “Nobody was killed by police or any security agent in Ughelli; the youth, who was arrested by the police jumped out of the police vehicle and hit his head against something before being rushed to the hospital.

    “The young man did not die, he is being attended to at the hospital in Ughelli.

    “As a government, while we plead with the security agencies to always be civil and democratic in their approach, we also advise the people to show respect to security personnel.

    “In as much as we appreciate that social media has done well and is a medium for youths to dissipate their energy, they must not use it as a platform for mischief and misinformation, but rather it should be used positively,” he said.

    On his part, Egwuyega, said that the Ughelli incident came with lots of backlashes, but thanked God that the youths exercised restraints by not taking laws into their hands to disrupt social and economic activities in the area due to the misleading report.

    He charged the youth to direct their energies to positive use by identifying and taking advantage of the various opportunities provided by the state government to develop themselves.

    “I want to commend the youths of Ughelli for not acting out of control based on the falsehood.

    “Youths have lots of energy and they can dissipate their energies both negatively and positively, but I want to urge the youths to use their energies positively,” Egwuyega said.

  • VIDEO: Angry youths match against SARS in Delta, bring coffins

    VIDEO: Angry youths match against SARS in Delta, bring coffins

    There was tension in Delta State on Sunday following an alleged killing of a yet to be identified man by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

    Some aggrieved youths in Ughelli, Delta State on Sunday came out en masse to protest against police brutality in the Southern state.

    The irate youths as seen in a viral video hired a truck and loaded it with coffins.

    In the video, some of the protesters demanded that the government should ban SARS officials from operating in the Ughelli part of Delta State.

    Watch video:

    Meanwhile, the Hon. Minister of State, Labour & Employment, Festus Keyamo in a series of tweet on Sunday clarified some of the controversies surrounding the incident.

    According to Keyamo (a) The outfit involved in this case is called Operation Delta Safe and not SARS (b) the victim was not shot as confirmed by his brother, but fell out of the Police vehicle when being taken to the station after arrest. The brother said he was pushed; the Police said he jumped.

  • Herdsmen attack: 17 persons injured at Ughelli Government College

    No fewer than seventeen persons were injured as herdsmen invaded the Government College, Ughelli, Delta State, the Principal of the College. Mr. Godspower Odenema, has revealed.

    TheNewsGuru reports Mr. Odenema raised the alarm over herdsmen attack on students and staff of the school while speaking with newsmen in Ughelli.

    “My school has been invaded by herdsmen, security agents should come to my rescue. The students and staff of Ughelli Government College in Delta State are living in fear following the attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen,” he said.

    He revealed that his staffs were attacked on Monday on their way home from school by herdsmen with seven of them sustaining injury.

    The Principal described the activities of the herdsmen as “hell fire”, alleging that their constant incursion to the school premises in an attempt to look for grass for their herds has destroyed many of the school’s facilities.

    While appealing to the Delta state government for the construction of a perimeter fence around the school’s athletic field, as well as the deployment of security staff to always be on guard, and prevent the herdsmen from coming to the school’s compound, the principal said, “We have suffered lots in the hands of the herdsmen, our injured staffers are still lying critically ill in the hospital over their injuries. Thank God they were not killed”.

    He explained that since a portion of the school fence was broken, hoodlums including herdsmen activities have continued to unsettle members of the school community.

    Police Spokesman in the State, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed the development and said, “We are investigating the act, though no arrest has been made, but the police will do everything possible to bring the herdsmen to book”.

    Sources said that the frequent “wicked activities of herdsmen” in Ughelli, Abraka and its environs, have created sleepless nights for the residents who “currently sleep with their two eyes open”.

     

  • DPR sanctions 6 erring petrol stations in Warri, environs

    The Warri Zonal Office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sanctioned six erring petrol stations in Warri and its environs.

    The Warri Zonal Operations Controller, Mr Antai Asuquo, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday in Warri shortly after a surveillance exercise.

    Asuquo, who led the surveillance team, said the petrol stations were sealed for under-dispensing and over-pricing.

    He said the team, comprising two groups, visited 17 petrol stations in an exercise that lasted over six hours.

    Though the controller expressed joy at the level compliance to the government-approved pump price of N145 per litre, he however said the regulatory agency would keep monitoring the marketers until there was full compliance.

    The DPR officials, accompanied by security operatives, covered Warri, Ughelli and Udu Local Government Areas, and also, some filling stations that dispensed slightly above the approved pump price were compelled to sell at N145 per litre to consumers.

    “We visited 17 stations and six were sealed for various offences bordering on over-pricing and under-dispensing and appropriate sanctions have been meted to them.

    “We will continue this process; as we observed, the level of compliance is gradually increasing; there are products and we expect that in the next two weeks, it would have normalised completely.

    “However, we want to solicit the support of the security agencies to ensure that appropriate law is enforced, particularly violation of the sealing of filling stations by DPR, which contravenes the law of the land.

    “We are only a regulatory agency; we do not enforce the law.”

    Asuquo said that DPR would keep monitoring products lifted from private depots and ensure they reached their approved destinations with the exact quantities discharged.

    The controller appealed to the public to assist the regulatory agency with useful information about sharp practices by marketers, in order to the address the situation.

    “The public should call the DPR whenever they notice infractions with regards to over-pricing, under-dispensing among other anomalies.

    “We will take appropriate actions immediately,” he said.