EDO GOVERNMENT, NEMA, MILITARY TO END FLOODING

The Agency deputy Director of planning of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Hajia Fatima Kassim, has disclosed that the Agency is ready to partner Edo State Government in the area of flood control.

Kassim who stated this during an advocacy visit to the state, however, expressed satisfaction with Edo government and the Military for their preparedness in checkmating the annual perennial flood.

She said her team was on the my advocacy visit to Edo State, to ensure that the state government puts in place proactive strategy to mititate the prediction of 2020 flood.

On his part, the Assistant Director of Communication, NEMA, Maj. Jones Aina, said that the agency was making arrangement to provide communication gadgets to ease difficulty in reaching out during operations

He disclosed that NEMA has put mechanism in place to ensure that the South-South Disaster Response units have all the facilities in terms of logistic that NEMA can provide.

Maj. Aina recalled that a team was sent to NEMA offices in the various states for assessment purpose with a view of having installation of radio communication equipment.

He added that the relevant stakeholders which includes the Armed Forces, Police, Civil Defence and State Government, would benefit from the communication equipments.

Maj. Aina also discussed that NEMA had procured a large number of handsets for distribution to the stakeholders.

Earlier in a meeting, Lt Col. Olufemi Adebayo of DRU 322 Artillery Brigade Ekhewan Barracks and his counterpart of the Nigerian Air Force DRU 107 commander, Chris Igho, listed the units challenges to include vehicles, communication gadgets, boots amongst others.

Mr Yakubu Gowon, the SA on Special duties to Gov Godwin Obaseki said some local government areas in Edo were already faced with high risk of flooding.

Gowon listed the areas as Ikpoba-Okha, Esan South-East, Etsako Central and East local government Areas, adding that the degree was not much.

Gowon appealed to NEMA to assist the state with building materials, adding that the state has enough foodstuffs piled in warehouses in case of any disaster.

Gowon listed the areas as Ikpoba-Okha, Esan South-East, Etsako Central and East local government Areas and that the degree of flood was not so much as at the time he visited.

OLOGBO MURDER: PRINCE JOHNSON GRANTED BAIL

A Benin High Court, Criminal Division, sitting in Benin City, has been granted bail to Prince Johnson Atseleghe, who was earlier remanded in Police custody before the court for murder and kidnapping related charges in respect of Ologbo Community.

The presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, granted him bail owing to lack of facilities to manage the Applicant fo diabetics, hypertension and cataract in the Police custody where he was remanded.

The court noted that the affidavit in support of the motion for bail stated that the Applicant will be available to take his trial and that he had reasonable surety to take him on bail when granted, a position the Prosecution did not challenge.

The court then granted him bail in the sum of two million naira and a surety who must be a property owner, resident in an urban area within the jurisdiction of court and the property must have a certificate of occupancy.

Chief Johnson Atseleghe,63, was earlier remanded by the court alongside Felicia Otikpere,55, Oluwa Esimijie,38, Monday Iluwa,58, Ayokotse Robinson,54, Nosa Omoregie,54, and Mofe Samuel,40.

Others be are; Magnanimous Omawumi,40, Ayuwa More,65, Amerete Ejiro,25, Onyeburutan Jeffery,25, and Benjamin Erewa,39.O Magnanimous Omawumi,40, Ayuwa More,65, Amerete Ejir.

They were alleged to have kidnapped and murdered one Sunny Etchie the Okaighele of Kolokolo community in  Edo State.

SAW MILLER REMANDED FOR MASTER’S KIDNAPP

One 27 year old saw mill worker, Osamede Igbinidu, has been remanded in Police custody by a Benin High Court for his alleged involvement in kidnapping and secret cult related charges.

The suspect allegedly conspired with others now at large to kidnapp one Sunny Nathaniel on 18th August 2020 at Okada town, an offence contrary to section 2(1) and punishable under section 3 of the Kidnapping prohibition (amendment) law 2013 of Edo State.

According to the charge endorsed by P.O. Odion, Legal Officer attached to the Legal/Prosecution section of the state C.I.D, the suspect in the year 2019, belong to a secret cult group, punishable under section 64(a) of the Criminal Code.

The presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba made his remand order while directing that his case file be duplicated and forwarded to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for legal advice.

BOY 13, STABS 60 YEARS OLD AUNT TO DEATH

A 13 year old boy who allegedly stabbed his aunt to death with a kitchen knife, has been remanded in Police custody on the orders of a Benin High Court.

He allegedly committed the act on 16th August 2020 at Eagle Furniture Street, Uwasota Road, Benin City, while the 60 years old aunt, Esther Iyinbor, on the tommy, was asleep.

In a-two-count charge slammed against the young man, the Prosecution alleged that he also belongs to a secret cult group, an offence punishable under the law.

Presiding Judge of the Vacation Court, Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, ordered that his case file be duplicated and forwarded to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, for legal advice.

EDO “SEVEN” VIGILANTE: COURT AWARDS N350,000 AGAINST POLICE

A Benin High Court has awarded the sum of three hundred and fifty thousand naira(N350,000) against the police authorities for detaining seven members of the Edo State Vigilante without trial.

Delivering judgment in the fundamental human rights suit filed by their Counsel, Osarenren Matthias Obayuwana, the court held that the Vigilante members were arrested at the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly on 6th August 2020, detained for four days at the State C.I.D only to be transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, where they were further detained for another two weeks without being arraigned before a competent court of jurisdiction.

Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, noted that though the police can arrest a suspect on grounds of reasonable suspicion to commit an offence, such suspect must be brought before a competent court of jurisdiction and failure to do so, amounts to a gross violation of his fundamental human rights.

The court observed that the Applicants made statement on the day they were arrested, to the effect that they were members of the Edo State Vigilante who were deployed to the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly to protect the government’s facilities, emphasizing that the police never investigated the claims, moreso, there was no need to have transferred them to Abuja, even as they were, at no time charged to court for the offence illegal possession of fire arms they allegedly committed.

The court, however, struck out Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 5 Benin, for wrongly joined in the suit.

Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, accordingly awarded the sum of fifty thousand naira in favour of each of the Vigilante members against the police.

The sum of ten thousand naira was also awarded against the police in favour of each of the seven Vigilante members.

Reacting to the judgment, Mr. Osarenren Matthias Obayuwana described it as victory for democracy.

EDO “SEVEN” VIGILANTE MEMBERS FREED

The seven members of the Edo State Vigilante who were arrested by the police from the Force Headquarters Abuja, at the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly, have been released on bail on the orders of a Benin High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba.

The court granted each of them bail in the sum of five hundred thousand naira and a surety in like some who must be gainfully employed and resides within the Court’s jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, judgment in their fundamental human rights action was adjourned to Tuesday, 8th September 2020.

Counsel to the Applicants, Osarenren Matthias Obayuwana, who filed a twenty four paragraph affidavit in support of his motion, submitted that the motion was aimed at enforcing the fundamental rights to liberty and personal dignity, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the Applicants by the police authorities.

He submitted that the Applicants were arrested while performing their lawful duties as Members of the state Vigilante group who were at the assembly complex at the instance of the Edo State Government to protect the place from being vandalized by hoodlums that fateful day.

Mr. Obayuwana also told the court that the Applicants were arrested by a team of Policemen led by one Supol Dahiru and taken to Force Headquarters Abuja where they were tortured and detained under unfavourable condition without food, emphasizing that the rights to personal dignity is not such that can be negotiated, waived, neglected or overlooked.

Citing sections of the law to drive home his points, the Applicants’ counsel told the court that the Respondents did not present any warrant of arrest, petition or Complaint by anyone against the Applicants on the basis of which they acted in the early hours of that day, an exercise that was ill-motivated and which smacks of partisanship in the electoral politics of Edo State.

He urged the court to accordingly, restrain the Respondents, their agents, servants and privies from further from further interference with the fundamental human rights to liberty of the Applicants in the discharge of their duties as Vigilante employed by the Edo State Government for the protection of Government properties.

Obayuwana also prayed the court amongst other reliefs to direct the Respondents jointly and severally to apologise to the Applicants in writing and publish same in at least one national daily for the unwarranted infringement of their fundamental rights to liberty pursuant to section 35(6) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).

Objecting the application, counsel to the Police, A. Adaghe, urged the court to rule against the Applicants because they were arrested with guns, an offence punishable by law.

The Applicants; Wilfred Ogbewe,52, Igbinobaro Collins,26, Salami Osayomore,25, Odion Osayande,23, Morgan Uwagboe,47, Ifeoluwa Oladele,36, and Agbonrere Festus,25, were arrested by a team of Policemen led by one Supol Dahiru Ibrahim from Abuja at the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly on 6th August 2020.

Joined as Respondents in the matter are; the Inspector General of Police, the Assistant Inspector General of Police, the Edo State Commissioner of Police and Supol Dahiru Ibrahim

PASTOR KILLS NATIVE DOCTOR

One 21-year old self-acclaimed Pastor, Uchenna Chukwuma has allegedly killed a-60 year old Native Doctor identified as Chukwudi Ogwu, with a cutlass.

The incident which occurred at Npkor, near Onitsha, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, drew a large crowd of sympathizers within and around the neighborhood who trooped in to catch a glimpse of the scene.

It was gathered that trouble started when the young man claimed that the deceased was siritually hindering his progress hence, he committed the act.

Confirming the incident, the Police Spokesperson for Anambra State, Haruna Mohammed, disclosed that the police acted a report and arrested the suspect who upon investigation, confessed to the crime.

Haruna Mohammed said, Policemen attached to the Office Division, mobilized to the scene of crime to rescue the victim who was in his pool of blood but on getting to Iyi Enu Hospital, Ogidi, the victim was certified dead on arrival by a medical Doctor on ground.

According to the Police spokesperson, the corpse of the Native Doctor has been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy while the cutlass with which the crime was allegedly committed was recovered and the case file transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.