24032021 - Insecurity threatens 2023 elections, Ortom tells Buhari

6— Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021
Bandits kill
4 in Kaduna
villages
By Ibrahim
HassanWuyo
BANDITS reportedly killed
three people in Ungwan Lalle
village, Igabi Local Government
Area, while another person was
killed at Niima Clinic in Golgofa
village, Jema’a Local Government
Area of Kaduna State, Monday.
Confirming the killings,
yesterday, Kaduna State
Commissioner for Internal
Security and Home Affairs,
Samuel Aruwan, said the bandits
initially attempted to barricade the
Kwanar Tsintsiya road, along
Kaduna-Zaria highway but were
repelled by troops and vigilante
patrols.
He said: “As the bandits
retreated to their camp, they
attacked the village and killed the
following locals: Dayyabu Yarima,
Dalhatu Ashiru and Suleiman
Samatu."
In another incident, troops of
Operation Safe Haven reported
that gunmen attacked Niima
Clinic in Golgofa village, Jema’a
Local Government Area, late
Monday night. A staff of the clinic
was killed, and three others
sustained gunshot injuries.
One dead as
C-River youths
attack A-Ibom
community
shops
By Chioma Onuegbu
UYO— ONE person was
reportedly killed in a clash
between residents of Oku Iboku
community in Itu Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom
State and armed youths of Ikot
Offiong community in Odukpani
Local Government Area of Cross
River State over a boundary
dispute.
It was gathered that the Ikot
Offiong warriors invaded Oku lboku
community, overpowered the
military at the beach area popularly
known as Esuk Oku, entered some
villages, torched some houses and
shops including the clan head's
House.
It was also gathered that scores at
the beach area were injured while
fleeing from the armed youths.
Many families, according to
sources from the area, are currently
taking refuge in neighbouring
communities in the local
government area and Uyo, the state
capital for fear of the unknown.
It was gathered that the Ikot
Offiong youths stormed the Oku
Iboku community in two speedboats
and engaged the military men
positioned at the beach in a gun
battle for about 25 minutes.
A source, who spoke to
newsmen yesterday said the
military officers fled because the
Ikot Offiong youths came with
sophisticated weapons, stressing,
“Since the military could not stop
them it means we are not safe,
please pray for our community.”
When contacted, the Police
Public Relations Officer, Akwa
Ibom State, Mr Odiko MacDon,
confirmed the incident, adding
that the police have not received
any report of loss of life.
Bandits kill 3 policemen, cart away rifles in
Abia
By Ugochukwu
Alaribe
THREE policemen were,
yesterday, killed by suspected
bandits and two of their rifles carted
away in Abiriba community, Ohafia
council area of Abia State.
It was gathered that the three
policemen, Inspector Austin Ugwu,
Inspector Longinus Ugochukwu
and Constable Ama Ifeanyi, serving
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—A
five-year-old
primary school pupil (name
withheld) has narrated how her
father (name withheld) strangled
her mother, Wayesola, in her sleep
in Ondo town, Ondo State over a
minor disagreement.
She told police detectives that
when she woke up around 5 am to
answer the call of nature, she saw
her father on the bed turning her
mother’s neck.
She said: “My mother was
struggling to free herself from the
grip of my father but she was
overpowered."
Police detectives told Vanguard
that the daughter of the deceased,
who witnessed how her mother was
murdered, gave evidence against
her father, hence his arrest by police
for further interrogation.
The ugly incident occurred at
at the Abiriba Police Division, were
ambushed by the bandits when they
arrived at Agu Eze Amaogudu area,
Abiriba, at 8.30 am.
The killing of the policemen
caused panic in the community as
some of the residents stayed indoors
for the fear of mass arrest by the
police.
Abia State Deputy Governor, Sir
Ude Chukwu, who visited the crime
scene, sympathised with the families
and friends of the officers, who lost
their lives.
He promised that the state
The late Wayesola.
Salvation Army Street, OdojÍmu,
Ondo town.
Reports had it that the couple had
a disagreement, which resulted in
a shouting match the night
preceding her murder.
According to the police source, the
daughter of the deceased said her
father threatened to kill her when
government would deploy
necessary resources available to
ensure the protection of the people
and all law-abiding citizens.
Oko Chukwu, who was
accompanied on the visit by the state
Commissioner for Information, John
Okiyi-Kalu, called for support for
security agents to ensure that the
perpetrators were quickly identified
and brought to justice.
He also visited traditional rulers
of the community and assured them
of government’s support to ensure
that the perpetrators were brought
How man allegedly killed wife in Ondo
— Police
she made an attempt to raise alarm
and wanted to run out of the room
to seek the help of their neighbours.
The source said: “The little girl
said she later saw her mother’s
lifelessly body beside her father on
the bed and their neighbours came
into the room and covered her with
clothing."
The police source said it was the
neighbours that alerted the
deceased brother on phone.
It said: “The neighbours locked
up the man and the lifeless body of
his wife inside the room so that he
won’t escape. lt was the deceased
brother, who went to Enuowa police
station in Ondo town to report the
incident."
Contacted, the image-maker of the
state Police command, Tee- Leo
Ikoro confirmed the murder, saying
the matter had been transferred to
the state CID for further
investigation.
According to him, the suspect
would be charged for murder after
the completion of the investigation.
2 killed, 2 injured in Anambra, Delta communities'
cult clashes •Suspected robbers shoot one in Lagos
By Bose Adelaja,
Vincent Ujumadu &
Ochuko Akuopha
RENEWED
cult
activities at Okija in Ihiala Local
Government Area of Anambra State
have reportedly claimed one life
while another is in a critical condition
in the hospital.
No fewer than five persons had
lost their lives in the community
under similar circumstances since
November last year.
Only last week, the head of a
young man was cut off in the
presence of his aged mother and
taken away by suspected cultists.
Vanguard gathered that the latest
victim, who hailed from
Umuatuegwu village, was hit by a
stray bullet while the rival cult
groups were firing at each other.
A source at Okija said the groups
had created tension in the area as
they have continued to harass each
other at the busy Nkwo Okija
market.
The source said: “As I am
speaking, there is a commotion at
Nkwo market and the disturbing
thing is that these boys are using
the opportunity to extort money from
people.
“Those who refuse to give them
money usually have their cars
torched. The development has
forced many people to hurriedly
leave the market for their houses.”
According to him, the new
Divisional Police Officer, DPO, and
Divisional Crime Officer, DCO,
have been deployed to the area,
adding that the expectation was that
they would return normalcy to the
town.
Police Public Relations Officer in
the state, Mr Tochukwu Ikenga, said
he was yet to get the report of the
incident.
One killed as cultists
go on rampage in
Delta community
Another violent clash between
rival cults claimed one life and
another inflicted with bullet wounds
at Ekakpamre community, Ughelli
South Local Government Area,
Delta State.
The clash, which began Monday
night, continued yesterday, as the
deceased was killed at about 4 am.
A source said: “Presently, there is
tension in the community. Shops
have been closed down and people
can barely move around.”
Contacted, the state Police Public
Relations Officer, Bright Edafe,
confirmed the incident, saying the
Divisional Police Officer of the Otu-
Jeremi divisional headquarters had
led his men to restore normalcy to
the community.
He disclosed that the police were
on the trail of those behind the
killing. He, however, could not
confirm if the incident was cultrelated.
Suspected robbers
shoot one in Lagos
Also, scores of commuters,
yesterday, scampered for safety at
Carwash bus-stop, Lagos State, as
some suspected robbers opened fire
on a commuter around 6.10 am
outward Third Mainland Bridge.
An eye witness said the victim was
with some of his colleagues
awaiting a staff bus when the
unfortunate incident occurred.
It could not be ascertained if the
gunshot led to his death.
A commercial driver, Adeyinka
Abdulkareem, said he was about
dropping passengers at the busstop
when he witnessed the
incident.
He told our correspondent that the
suspected robbers were four in
number and all were dressed in
blue/black T-shirts when they
arrived at the bus-stop.
At press time, the spokesperson,
Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State
Command, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi
could not be reached.
to book.
Responding, the Enachioken in
Council, which spoke through Eze
Eme Uguru Ikpoka, assured that the
community would fully cooperate
with security agencies to protect the
people and prevent the perpetrators
from escaping justice.
Ikpoka urged the government to
prevail on security agents not to
engage in mass arrests, assuring
that the community has dispatched
hunters and youths into the
surrounding forests to track down
the bandits.
3 die,
4 hospitalised
in Osun in
suspected
cholera
outbreak
By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO—There is palpable
fear in Ede, Osun State as
three persons reportedly died in the
Hausa community in the town due
to alleged outbreak of cholera.
Vanguard gathered that the
victims, beggars, reportedly died
between Monday evening and
yesterday morning at the Oke-Gada
area of the town, while four others
were taken to the hospital.
Sources in the town said the
incident was a result of food
poisoning, claiming that about 15
beggars died after eating food given
to them by unknown persons.
However, Serikin Hausa in Ede,
Alhaji Gambo Ibrahim, said the
incident was due to an outbreak of
cholera within the community and only
three persons died.
He said: “There is nothing like food
poisoning in the community, it is the
outbreak of cholera. Three persons died
before they were taken to hospital, while
four other persons were hospitalised.
“We have informed the state
government about the development
and health officials have visited the area
and collected samples from both the
dead and the sick victims. Only three
persons died and I led their burial rites.”
Also, the state Police Command
spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola,
confirmed that three persons died from
the incident, adding that investigation
is ongoing to ascertain the cause of their
death.
Efforts to get a reaction from the state
government proved abortive.
Police arrest alleged serial rapist,
others in Delta
By Festus Ahon
ASABA—A 35-year-old alleged
serial rapist, Michael Ovie, was
yesterday, arrested by the Delta
State Police Command at Oghara,
Ethiope West Local Government
Area of the State.
It was gathered that the suspect,
who is also a motorcycle rider,
specialised in picking young girls
at night as passengers, divert them
to the bush, rob them of their
belongings and forcefully have
carnal knowledge of them after
threatening them with a dagger.
The command in a statement by
its acting Police Public Relations
Officer, Bright Edafe, said it also
arrested one suspected cultists and
one illicit drug dealer, adding that
it rescued a kidnap victim.
Edafe in the statement said:
“When arrested, nine mobile
phones, including that of his last
victim, were recovered from him.
Also, an iPhone valued at N400,000,
nine female handbags, two pairs of
eyeglasses, five phone chargers,
two ATM cards and 13 SIM cards
were recovered.
“On 19/3/2021 at about 0846hrs,
some vigilante members led by one
Kess Opia reported that one of their
members, Monday Mila, was
kidnapped by suspected herdsmen
along his farm road in Umutu.
"The DPO Umutu Division, CSP
Patience Ugbe, immediately
mobilised a combined team of
Policemen, vigilantes and some
youths to the bush in search of the
victim. Due to the pressure, the
suspected kidnappers abandoned
the victim and fled. The victim was
rescued and reunited with his
family. An effort is ongoing to arrest
the feeling suspects.