₦airaland Forum

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Some internally displaced persons (IDPs) camped in New Kuchingoro, an Abuja suburb, on Wedneday lynched two yet-to-be identified persons over alleged theft of a motorcycle.
THISDAY gathered that the duo were within the premises of the camp when they were accosted by some youths who demanded their mission.

According to an eyewitness account, “When they could not reasonably explain what their business was in the camp, the youths allegedly accused them of being motorcycle thieves.
“The IDPs said they had reason to suspect the duo because they have had incessant cases of armed robberies in the camp, alleging that the police had always turned a blind eye to their complaints.”

The IDPs allegedly descended on them, beating them with wooden planks, bottles, axes, and pelted them with stones.

The eyewitness further revealed: “After beating them to a pulp, one of the youths brought two tyres and hung it round the necks of the two suspects and proceeded to pour fuel on them. They succeeded in burning the first person to death and fled into the bush when the police arrived at the scene.”

He said attempts to revive the second victim proved abortive, adding that he reportedly bled to death before reaching the hospital.

A security official, who spoke to THISDAY on the phone on the condition of anonymity, said the two men were burnt to death before policemen from the Games Village, who responded to a distress call could arrive the scene.

He said: “I went to the IDP camp to visit a friend when we saw a crowd interrogating two people. The IDPs accused them of being thieves and despite their repeated denials they started beating them up.

“I rushed to the Games Village to call in the police, but by the time we got back, they had killed the first person. The second person died afterwards from the injuries he sustained.”

lalasticlala

Gestapolee:
[s]u can never show an appreciation for the police u are such an idiot[/s]

He also alleged that the defendants raped one Adeomi Ayomide, after robbing her of all her valuables.

A randy pastor in a village in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, identified as Pastor Oliver Akpan, has been sent to the great beyond by a married woman he tried to rape during a spiritual deliverance he purportedly conducted for her.

According to a witness who sent this story to Pulse exclusively, Pastor Akpan, married with six children, had long been suspected to sleep with his church members, both married and single but he met his match in the woman identified as Ekamma, who is also married with two children.

As the story goes, Ekamma had gone to the pastor to seek his help over some spiritual attack she was facing and Pastor Akpan had recommended a three day dry fasting for the woman to be carried out in the church and on the final day, there would be a spiritual bath to ward off the evil spirit.

After going through the fast, the pastor led the hungry woman to a stream to have the spiritual bath but he had other ideas in mind as he was said to have told the woman that part of the bath included having sex with her but when she refused, she attempted to forcefully have carnal knowledge of the woman.

As the woman tried to free herself, she allegedly picked up a sharp stick and stabbed him in the stomach, before she ran to the village to alert other residents.

By the time they got to the spot, the wounded pastor had lost consciousness as he bled profusely. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors confirmed he died before he was brought in.

The woman was initially arrested by the police but was released on bail while investigations are still on going.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday fired back at critics of the appointments he has made so far. He blamed the elite for orchestrating criticisms of his appointments into government positions.

The President spoke through his deputy, Prof Yemi Osinbajo at the opening of the 21st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES) in Abuja Buhari.

He described as unfortunate that Nigerians pay more attention to sectional and religious interests, rather than the competence of the appointees, claiming that misgivings on the elite.

The President noted that those seeking the promotion of selfish interests were fuelling complaints on where government appointees come from, adding that the fact that a northerner is in government does not necessarily mean good fortune for his people.

He, however, said the fact that Nigerians unite in their conviction that the majority of the people are extremely poor remained incontrovertible.

His words: “You find out that the elite, whether from the Southwest, Northwest or wherever, are willing to collaborate in stealing the resources of the state. It is important to point out that the idea of where a person appointed into government comes from is meant to divert attention.”

The present administration, he said, remained genuinely committed to ensure that every Nigerian of good and proven integrity has access to serve in the Buhari-led government.

According to him, the ongoing war against corruption would be waged by by example, pointing out that the President has insisted that all officials of government must demonstrate this leadership virtue.

He said the government was already demonstrating this by not interfering in the operations of anti-graft agencies. “What is required now is the national orientation and the will to curtail corruption both in the public and private sectors”, he said.

The President said that only merit will be recognised and rewarded in what he called the ‘New Nigeria”, urging the citizens to realise that there must be discipline in all spheres of life.

He disclosed that from government’s calculations, it will spend approximately N51 to N60 to feed every school pupil in keeping faith with the administration’s campaign promises.

With the projection, the President noted that it would not cost the government as much as being speculated to implement the school feeding programme.

In his introductory remarks, Chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) faculty of economics, Dr. Temitope Oshikoya, stated that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was at the cross-road because of slowing Gross Domestic Product and rising unemployment, noting that the all require “lowering of the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR), Liquidity Ratio (LR) and the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)” .

These decisions, he said, could however “stoke inflation and banking liquidity with inflation at 9.3 per cent – a 10 per cent foreign exchange gap of $30.4 billion in the external reserves – and as a result, monetary policy is complicated with rising inflation and unemployment.

He urged the Federal Government to enhance tax administration reform by increasing Value Added Tax (VAT) rate to 10 per cent, diversify its base and close loopholes.

With these measures, Oshikoya noted that “VAT revenue could increase from $5.1 billion to $18 billion or one per cent of GDP to 3.5 per cent.

He also called on the government to initiate a $40 oil price benchmark and zero-based budgeting for next year.

Dr. Oshikoya noted that it will cost the country over $300 billion or N60 trillion to execute equity and efficiency programmes and warned that “there is no free lunch.”

Oshikoya gave a breakdown of what it will cost to implement these two programmes to include: equity programme, social inclusion programmes of social welfare (N1,250 trillion), unemployment allowance (N65 billion), one meal per day (N435 billion), National Identity Card Scheme (N100 billion) and Regional Growth Fund (N300 billion) – all totalling N2.150 trillion

He listed other programmes as education and health for six universities (N120 billion); new vocational schools (N36 billion); special education (N6 billion); world-class hospital (N500 billion) and for national health expenses per year (N8. 800) –all totalling N9.462 trillion.

To execute a nationwide efficiency Programme Oshikoya stated that infrastructure projects like will cost N18.000 trillion, electricity (N5.400 trillion); petroleum refinery (N100 billion) and the environment (N20 billion)- all totaling N23.520 trillion, aside from the national mortgage scheme, expected to cost N16.000 trillion; Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) Loan Guarantee (N10.000 trillion) and Agric Commodity Trade Board (N250 billion)

He put the yearly projection at N61.3 trillion.

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The battle over paternity of a 16-year-old girl, identified simply as Edith, has pitted two families against each other in the Isoko South local Government Area of Delta State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the battle between the two families ─ Owhigho and Emokpor ─ in Iri community might result in bloodbath.

A source, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the mother of the girl, identified simply as Omovie, had been summoned by Owhigho family, whose member she had a relationship with before her marriage to a member of Emokpo family.

He said, “The Owhigbo family she had been pregnant for two months before marrying her husband. The family members said apart from the facial resemblance between the girl and other members of Owhigho family, there was a generational birthmark discovered within the neck region of the girl as also seen in some of the family members.

“But the woman, who is from Enwhe community, said she had the daughter for her husband, who she had been legally married to for 16 years.

“The explanation was rejected as the Owhigbo family insisted on taking the child after 16 years of being raised by Emokpor family. This has continued to generate serious argument, which could explode into violence anytime. The issue has also divided the community.”

Meanwhile, the familes have been advised by concerned persons to seek medical clarification through the DNA test to prove the paternity claim, despite the woman’s rejection of the suggestion.

A leader of the community, Chief Robert Akporah said both families claiming the paternity of the girl would be taken before the community shrine.

He said, “All of them, including the woman would swear before the shrine to ascertain the veracity of their claims. As far as I am concerned, that is the only way peace can reign.”

lalasticlala

There was pandemonium in different parts of Apapa, in Lagos State, on Thursday and Friday when people accused and attacked various people over missing private parts.

The first victim was said to be a soldier who boarded a motorcycle to Liverpool area and got off close to the Signal Barracks.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that after the soldier in mufti paid the transport fare to the rider, the commercial motorcycle operator raised the alarm that the man had snatched his private parts.

Other operators were said to have invited their colleagues to the scene where they beat the soldier black and blue but was rescued alive by policemen attached to Apapa police station.

A police corporal who spoke under the condition of anonymity said the anti- robbery policemen moved swiftly to the scene and arrested seven suspects and impounded 15 motorcycles and moved them to the station.

The police corporal attached to the station disclosed that the man that raised the false alarm at the station claimed that his penis had returned.

Jerry, the police orderly of the divisional police officer of Apapa police station, SP Rotimi Odutona escaped death by the whiskers when a motorcycle operator accused him of snatching his private part on Friday night

A police sergeant attached to the station who spoke under the condition of anonymity said Jerry wanted to buy something and boarded the motorcycle. He said immediately he alighted at place called Underground, the rider raised an alarm that Jerry had snatched his penis.

Other commercial motorcycle operators were attracted to the scene and some of them brought out their daggers, ready to kill Jerry.

Some of the riders who know Jerry stopped them from doing so, arguing that the man is a good man and could not have done what he was accused of. The divisional police officer of the station, SP Odutona was alerted and he swiftly led a team of policemen to the scene.

The sergeant said three suspects were arrested at the scene, including the man, Jerry who allegedly committed the offence. At the station the man said the snatched penis had returned to normal.

The next day, a man identified as an army captain was said to have boarded a motorcycle to a bank.

Immediately the man stepped into the bank some motorcycle riders called the security men to call him out. The man came out to see the fierce looking riders, accusing him of snatching their colleague’s penis.

Unknown to the riders the man is a captain in the army. The soldier quickly called policemen attached to Apapa police station to the scene and they moved swiftly and his accusers fled the scene.

A police inspector at the station said a civilian who got off from a motorcycle at Duala Road would not forget last Friday in a hurry as he was almost killed by motorcycle operators who attacked him over missing private part of the rider. He was also rescued by the policemen attached to Apapa police station.

lalasticlala

In fact, let me tell you, as the Majority leader and chief marketer of the nominees, I have been lobbying my colleagues.

Tongues are currently wagging in Ibusa community, Oshimili north local government area of Delta State following the death of a 23-year- old undergraduate of the state- owned university.

The victim, Josephine Igbokwe, it was reliably gathered, had gone to visit her boyfriend in the same community when she was mysteriously hacked to death by unidentified gunmen.

It was further gathered that the victim had passed the night with her boyfriend, Nnamdi Okolie, last Friday and on the following morning was on her way home to her parents’ house when she was allegedly attacked by suspected ritualists who removed a vital part of her body.

Sources said that the parents of the victim was not informed early enough of the incident as the boyfriend allegedly took the corpse to the state -owned mortuary claiming she was sick and died.

But this was not to be when during nightfall, the victim was yet to return home. Confirming the incident, police public relations officer in the state, Mrs Celestina Kalu, said the police acted on a tip off when the incident was reported at the Ibusa police division and the police swung into action to confront the boyfriend who could not give details of her whereabouts.

She said that the boy was arrested and upon interrogation, confessed that the girl was hacked to death on her way home by unidentified ritualists who removed vital parts of her body. While saying that investigation was ongoing, Kalu said that the suspect was currently helping the police in its investigation and would be charged to court when investigation was completed.

In a related development, the police in Onitsha, Anambra State at the weekend arrested a man identified as Chukwudi Eugene, for allegedly stealing a six- month- old male child at Ose-Okwudu market in the area.

Confirming the incident, the divisional police officer,central police station, Onitsha, Mr Isah Abubakar, said the suspect was arrested around Abuja motor park when vigilante group members intercepted him with the baby.

lalasticlala

An aggrieved housewife, Annabel Owhoghovo, of Owohelogbo community Isoko axis in Delta State, on Friday, allegedly dumped her six-month-old baby at a dump site after having a quarrel with her husband.

By Esther Onyegbula
Modinat Ododfin, the 28-year-old woman who narrowly escaped being hacked to death by her neighbours at their compound in Igbesa area of Ogun State, over the week, gives a vivid account of how she survived the attack.
Speaking from the hospital bed where she is undergoing treatment, the mother of one told Crime Guard that she was lucky to be alive after the ordeal she passed through in the hands of her neighbours and the daughter.

How the trouble started
Trouble, according to her, started after she returned from the popular Igbe market last penultimate Sunday, and met her seven year-old son, Hassan, crying profusely. “When I inquired from him, he told me that Alhaja’s grand-children beat him up. While I was scolding the children who had beaten my son, their grand-mother, Alhaja, rushed out. Angered that I was cautioning her grand-children, she began to abuse me. Later, Alhaja and her daughter attacked me with razor blade during a scuffle that ensued in Ipodo compound, Igbesa area of Ogun state.”

My ordeal
Modinat said the Alhaja who lives four buildings from her compound slapped her several times, tore her clothes and made away with the wrapper where she tied money from sales she made from the market. “I warned her to stop insulting me but she continued. When the insult became unbearable, I insulted her too. Immediately, she attacked and slapped me. I slapped her back and we began to fight. She tore my clothes, took the head tie of my wrapper in which I tied the N10,000 I made from sales from the night market and my phone. Although the scuffle was temporarily brought to an end when neighbours intervened and separated us, all attempts made by them for Alhaja to return my head tie fell on deaf ears.

The attack
“Later in the night, she brought some miscreants popularly called area boys to my compound which is about four houses from hers. Luckily, the main entrance to the compound had already been locked so they could not enter to attack me. The next morning, some elders in the community who took it upon themselves to broker peace said they would resolve the issue early in the morning after our usual prayers in the mosque. Obviously, still brooding over the fight, Alhaja and her daughter attacked me again on Wednesday evening with a blade which they used to cut my hand, neck and belly. The attack took place while I was going to buy candle.
She kept shouting that she was going to pluck out my eyes. I didn’t know she was holding a razor blade.

When she attempted to cut my face, I used my hand to defend myself and the blade cut my hand. It was at that time that Alhaja held me and her daughter slashed my neck and belly with the blade. I was lucky that the blade didn’t slit my artery if not, maybe I won’t be alive today. They timed the attack because people were praying inside the mosque and could not come to my rescue even when I was shouting and calling for help. I kept shouting till people who were praying in the mosque finished their prayers and rescued me. By the time they arrived the scene, it was already late as I was bleeding from different parts of my body.”

Eyewitness account
When Crime Guard visited the community, some residents who pleaded anonymity gave their own account of the incident. One of them who witnessed the incident said, “we were at the mosque praying when we heard people shouting. By the time we concluded the prayers and came out from the mosque, it was already late as Modinat was bleeding from different parts of her body. We had to call the police from Igbesa division who came and arrested Alhaja Barsira Akinde and her daughter, Saheedia Akinde. The case was later transferred to Agbara divisional police station. It was the police that took Modinat to the private hospital where she was admitted.”

Pleas for amicable settlement
While the victim is still receiving treatment at Agbara Medical centre, the suspect and her daughter have been granted bail.
It was, however gathered that family members of the victim have decided to withdraw the case following pleadings from the suspects for amicable settlement. Husband of the victim , Baba Odofin, confirmed that much and stated that “we initially wanted to go to court but due to the pressure from the people who attacked my daughter, we decided to settle the case. We hand the case over to God.”

lalasticlala

malawi14:
She said YES

“It was heavy on me that I asked God what my sins were that I should deserve that. Each time I sat with the other children, I felt something was missing. It even affected one of the children that he started acting strange­ly that we had to send him to a school where they were counselling and rehabilitating him to put Austin’s death behind him. It was re­ally very difficult.”

She pointed that the failure of Nigerian authorities to act in the case of Austin led to such other tragedies to Nigerian students in foreign countries – Dubai, London, etc.

chocofizzy:
He's a Faithful GOD. The kids are bless in JESUS' Name Amen!

When our correspondent spoke with Tomilola, there was no doubt that the girl was in serious distress. Saturday PUNCH learnt that she is a sickle cell patient. Her brother, Rahman, also suffers from the disease.

Tomilola told our correspondent that her stepfather had formed the habit of sleeping with her at any slight opportunity and threatening her never to divulge the secret or face death.

In yet another case of defilement that seems to be spreading across board like a wildfire, it was the turn of an eight-year-old girl, identified simply as Nnena, penultimate weekend when she was violated by a man, Atipo Larry, whom she described as a customer in her mother’s shop.

As Nnena would tell Saturday PUNCH, the incident, which happened around Oparo Street in Fagba area of Lagos, on a Sunday afternoon, shortly after she and mum came back from church, was not the first time Larry would sleep with her, saying he had done ‘it’ with her on many occasions but that she was too scared to tell her mum, identified simply as Janet.

The little girl, whose father is no more, told our correspondent that Larry, who is said to be an ex-convict, used to come to buy things from her mum’s shop, which is outside Larry’s house. She recalled that her mum was not around the first time he did ‘it’ to her.

In the presence of her mother, who was visibly disturbed by the incident, Nnena said, “It started one afternoon when my mum was not around. I was the only one in the shop. When he came out of the house and saw me sitting in front of the shop, he gave me N50 to help him buy cigarette, pure water and Tom Tom and asked me to come and give him the items in his house.

“When I entered the sitting room, he told me not to tell anyone about what he wanted to do and that if I told anyone, he would kill me. He carried me and lay me on the floor, removed my dress and removed his. He lied on top of me and ‘did something.’ I was feeling pains in my body and I tried to shout but he covered my mouth.

“When he finished, he picked his cloth and cleaned the blood on my body and on his own body. He then told me to go and warned me not to tell anyone about it. I wanted to shout but he covered my mouth. I left the house crying but there was nobody around.”

Nnena, who seemed not to know what Larry was doing to her, said she felt serious pain when he penetrated her private part, saying she kept screaming because of the pain but that there was no one in the house and then he covered her mouth.

Too scared to ‘die’, she went about her normal activities and never said a word to her mother. She recalled that her mother had told her that if she allowed anyone to touch her private part, she would die, which was to alert her on the need to be protective, but Larry’s threat seemed to outweigh that. He didn’t stop there; he did the same thing the following day and allegedly continued in the act; sending her on errands anytime her mother was not around, luring her into the house, where he was allegedly squatting and sleeping with her.

On the day he was caught, she explained that she was with her mum when Larry signalled to her and told her to lie to her mum that she was going to use the toilet, which she did.

“When I left where my mum was, he dragged me into his house, carried me and took me to the back of the chair (sofa) and did it on the floor. He covered my mouth so I could not shout. He had just stood up and was about lying on top of me again when my mum came in. I quickly took my gown and ran away.”

Asked why she had to go back after repeated assaults, she said she was afraid to die and that she had to run away so her mum wouldn’t beat her.

Visibly angered by the development, Janet explained that she was outside her shop washing plates on the Sunday afternoon when her daughter told her she was going to use the restroom. “I told her to go and that was not the first time she would go to the toilet alone.

“I waited for her to return, but she didn’t. I went to check the toilet, she wasn’t there. Meanwhile, I had been seeing Larry walking around earlier, so I went inside his house and saw my daughter on the floor, naked. He was also naked but when he saw me, he ran away. It took the intervention of neighbours to track him and we handed him over to the police.

“I have always told him never to come to my shop again. He owes me some money but I told him to leave it so he could stop coming to my shop. I didn’t know he was doing such with my daughter.”

Even though Larry, who is allegedly an ex-convict, is currently helping the police with investigations at the State Criminal Investigation Department at Yaba, Nnena is left with some infections she might have to battle with for some time. “I just want him to die in prison because of what he did to me,” she said.

The Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Joe Offor, said the case was still under investigation, adding that the necessary action would be taken as soon as the investigation was completed.

lalasticlala

otokx:
This will make for a nice nollywood script, quite a complex story, it appears 3 adult males slept with a 13 year old house help of which 1 got her pregnant.

By Dayo Johnson
ONE of the most revered names of God is “ the unquestionable God”. Succinctly put that no one can query whatever he does. If mortal beings have their ways they would want to question some of those things that God does that seems “unfair or unreasonable” to them. But God in his infinite wisdom has not given anyone the right to question him or to sue him to a law court for any alleged unfairness.

This is the situation that a couple; Mr and Mrs Felix Nweze, find themselves in as what happened to them, made them to question God. And the question in the mouth of the mother of the triplets is “Why us.” The father, Mr Felix Nweze is also querying God for the additional” burden” of triplets when he knows they have feeble hands and could hardly take care of the three children they had already.
He is blaming God for blessing his poor family with a set of triplets ( two boys and a girl) despite having a full house already. The wife, Confidence said those who have the wherewithal should have been favoured with such a blessing, not a family like theirs who can not even afford three square meals a day.

Consequently, the father of the triplets, Felix after reviewing the pathetic scenario has absconded in the last one month after the news of the birth of the babies reached him. Both parents who are jobless hail from Ezza Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Felix according to his brother Friday is an unemployed graduate but could not remember from which institution he graduated from while the wife is a primary six school leaver.
South West Voice, visited the one room apartment of the couple located at No 39 Arakale area of Akure metropolis and spoke with the mother of the triplets.
Confidence told Vanguard that her husband took to his heels when the news of the birth of the triplets hit him. Asked if he did a scan before the birth of the babies, Confidence said that if they have such money they will use it to feed. “ We were actually leaving from hand to mouth. Every money we have we spend it wisely because we do not have a Job.

According to her “ my husband left the house seven days to the day of delivery that he was going to look for a job. Before the delivery he kept calling us on daily basis but after the babies were delivered and he was informed by his brother he switched off his phone. “ Since then we have not been able to reach him and he has not called over a month ago.
She gave birth to the triplets free of charge through caesarian section at the Mother and Child hospital in Akure, the state capital. The couple already have three babies ( two boys and a girl) Uchena 7 years, Akachukwu 5 years and Bethel 2 years before these three additions at a go. Speaking with South West Voice, Confidence said “My husband went looking for money to take care of the family but when we called him that I was delivered of three children he was shocked and shouted.

“ Since then he has switched off his phone and we do not know his whereabouts and how we can reach him. “ I must confess to you that I have not eaten any good food since I gave birth and even the children have nothing good to eat and that is the reason I am using this opportunity to appeal to government at all levels and well meaning Nigerians to come to my rescue.
“I am begging you to help me tell my husband to come back home and see the triplets. I know that God will send help. Please help me publish in our newspaper and help me beg my husband to come back home and see his children. I know it is not easy for him but all the same he should not abandon us just like that. When he comes back we will manage whatever is available until God will send help.

“Because our God lives. He knows why he gave us triplets and I am sure he will make provision. Who can say, those triplets may open doors for our family. “God knows we have three children before giving us this additional three. We are surprised because nobody from both families have twins. Why us at this time that we can not even feed well.
Confidence appealed passionately to the wife of the governor, Mrs Olukemi Mimiko to come to their aid saying that the burden was too much for them to bear. She also pleaded with the caring heart governor Dr Olusegun Mimiko to assist the husband by providing a job for him. “ We appeal to the governor, his wife and the Ministry of Women Affairs to please as a matter of urgency come to our rescue by giving us some money and a job for my husband.

Also speaking with South West Voice, her sister Chinyere who has been helping her to take care of the babies said she had abandoned her work to assist the mother of the triplets. Chinyere said a letter and photographs have been to the wife of the governors office and the Ministry of women Affairs but that they have not gotten any response.
While saying that they were sure that their matter was yet to be brought to the attention of the caring heart wife of the governor appealed that she should through the medium come to the aid of the Nweze family. She said that she is aware of those the wife of the governor had helped in the past once their case is brought to her attention.
The brother of the father of the run away father of triplets Friday who has been feeding Confidence said his brother has disappeared after he informed him about the delivery of the babies. Friday who said that he has been feeding the mother and have been buying all the babies needs in the last one month also asked his brother to return home.
Friday said he has exhausted his savings taking care of his brothers wife and six children and his own wife and two children. According to him” the burden is getting too much for me to bear. I appeal to government to please help my brother with a job. If he is sure of getting a Job he will resurface. “ He is only natural that when a man does not have money he would not be happy and he can do anything to protect his ego.

“ I think that is what has happened to my brother. How can he be here, no job and he will looking at his family members to suffer. “ But what he has done is not the solution to this problem. If he is here he will be bale to run around and ask for help from well meaning Nigerians. “ Now it’s the wife, her sister and my wife that are running around looking for help. Friday said “ Please help us beg my brother to come back home. You do not run away from your problem you face it and solution will come.

lalasticlala

The residents who spoke with Vanguard said their initial reaction was that they took it as a mere rumour, but, the reality dawned on them when the forty-eight year-old night guard, Sunday Uche was paraded by the state Police Command for robbery.

By Daniel Anokwuru

A serving police sergeant in Lagos, Mr. Akan Jackson, and another resident have accused some soldiers of subjecting them to extreme torture, and inflicting severe injuries on them.
Daily Sun gathered that on Saturday, October 3, along the Alaba International Market Road in Ojo, Lagos, three soldiers believed to be from Ibereko Barracks, Badagry, savagely brutalised Jackson and his friend6. The policeman said he and his friend were subsequently abducted and taken to the riverside where the soldiers threatened to kill them and dump their bodies.

According to the policeman, it all began when a soldier he later identified as Okon who carried no identification whatsoever, accosted him, and started flogging him with a horsewhip. He said the incident happened as he tried to turn his vehicle at a point close to Alaba Market, to avoid a traffic snare. He said as Okon was flogging him, two other soldiers, including one Abu and another, joined in the beating.
Jackson said he tried to identify himself as a policeman, but noted that Okon flew into a rage. He said the soldiers dragged him and his friend out and began pummelling them. He said that it was when Okon removed his overalls that he identified him as a soldier. He said owing to his show of rascality, he had thought that the soldier was an area boy because of the way he conducted himself. And to make matters worse, they beat them up as if they were entertaining the crowd.

He said the soldiers had already removed the ranks on their victims’ uniforms before they descended on them. He said the three soldiers later took them to their barracks where one Lieutenant Colonel Gora, after seeing how they were bleeding, directed that the policeman and his friend be treated immediately. His words: “At about 4pm on Saturday, October 3, I was driving with my friend along the Alaba International Market road.

When I realised that there was traffic build up, I decided to turn and go through the expressway. As I attempted to turn, I saw a man in blue overalls. He accosted me and asked why I wanted to turn. I told him I wanted to get on the expressway. Instantly, he drew his koboko and started flogging me. I asked him why he was doing that, explaining that I was a policeman and that I did not do any wrong, but he was adamant. Not done, he forcefully dragged me out of the vehicle and continued flogging me, insisting that the police were not officers in Nigeria. When I held the koboko, his colleagues instantly came and joined him. “I told them to ask their colleague what happened rather than beating me, but they didn’t listen. One of them, Abu, gave me a savage head-butt in my eye and instantly I sustained a serious injury. They now forced my friend into their patrol van, and bundled me in too. I asked them where they were taking us to but they warned me to ask no more questions. But I persisted so that I could call my people to our plight. Then one of them said they were going to hang us. When we got close to my station, I saw my colleagues mobilising to rescue me. I wanted to signal to them because the information had already got to the station, but the soldiers pressed me down so that nobody would see me.

They took us to an unknown place near the river where I summoned courage and asked them why they brought us that far. They said they missed their way, but we should thank God they had no jack knife, that they would have killed us and dumped our bodies in the river. Shortly after, they drove us away. When they got to their checking point, they started flogging us again. One of them picked up a pebble and broke my friend’s head. They bundled us out and kept us at a spot. When it grew dark, they forced us into the vehicle, saying that they were taking us to their barracks. “On arrival at their barracks, they drove directly to their clinic. When one Colonel Gora saw us, he mandated that anybody on duty should start treating us immediately because the wounds they inflicted on us were much. Instantly, they started stitching us. After the treatment, they asked us to enter their patrol vehicle again, stating that they were taking us to the police station. One of them began to ask me if I wanted them to settle the matter or they should go and lock us up in the station.

I asked him why he would lock us up, and challenged him to take us to the station and see whether any policeman would lock us up in the condition that we were. “At that moment, their boss, Colonel Gora began to blame them, warning that what they did was absolutely wrong. He wondered why they beat us the way they did. Thereafter, they took us to the Badagry Police Station to establish if I was actually a policeman. “Luckily, the man on duty knew my Station Officer (SO). They asked him if he knew me, and the SO told them that I was serving under him, and that I was supposed to be on night duty. Then they told my SO that something happened, that they were at Badagry Police Station.

They later called my DPO who promised to send a patrol vehicle there to meet us. But they refused, saying that they would drop us by themselves. “When the policeman on duty put us behind the counter, the soldiers went outside and began to discus among them. Then they called me and told me that Colonel Gora said what happened had already happened, and that we should forget about it. “What pained me most was that he did not care to listen to me. All he was asking was, why did I fight the soldiers. I asked him how I could fight soldiers in uniform. “At the point they wanted to leave, the officer at the Badagry Police Station told them that the matter did not happen in Badagry, and that they should take us to Ojo or Ajangbadi, but they refused. Then, the colonel left us and drove away. After that, his boys followed him, abandoning us. “We begged for money to return to Alaba where I abandoned my vehicle. As we were trudging along, we were like mad men. When we arrived at the spot where I left my vehicle, I noticed that my two phones and the money I had inside the vehicle were missing. My friend also lost his own phones and money. I later made an entry at Ajangbadi Police Station. “I want the Chief of Army Staff to bring these errant soldiers to book. It was when they discovered that I am truly a policeman that they became confused.” Giving his own account, Jackson’s friend, Mr. Balogun Idris, said he was stripped naked like a common criminal by the soldiers. He said he lost much blood when one of the soldiers broke his head.

“I was surprised at the attitude of the soldiers. Incidents like that happen daily in this area. No day passes without a soldier brutalising a civilian on this Badagry road. They treated us like common criminals, and people stood there to watch. They didn’t even want to know what would happen to us after. They were not even there to know what we lost. They believed they were soldiers and they could do anything and get away with it.” When our correspondent contacted Colonel Anka, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 81 Division Nigerian Army, Lagos, he told the reporter that there was no one called Colonel Gora in Badagry. He said the army had only one colonel in Badagry, adding that his name was not Gora.
“We don’t have anybody as Colonel Gora at Badagry Barracks. That person is fake! Kindly send me a text a message so that I can reply properly,” he said.
Colonel Anka did not respond to the message sent to his mobile line.

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