Sunday, April 6, 2014 3
THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com
NEWS Police Bust Baby Factory In Delta From Hendrix Oliomogbe, Asaba HOUSE of horror where pregnant young girls are nurtured before delivery for onward sales have been busted by the Delta State Police. Located at the small town of Oko, Oshimili South Local Council of the state, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs. Celestina Kalu, who took journalists round the small house yesterday, explained that the suspected human trafficker, a lady Chienlo Ezeugo and five pregnant women were arrested while four children were rescued. She gave the pregnant women who are cramped into before delivery as Ibrahim Usman, 5, Usman Mohammed, 2, Chidera Okechukwu, 5, and Abigail Ezeugo, 1. Acting on a tip off, the police spokeswoman said that the law enforcement agents swooped on them and arrested Ezeugo who is reported to be in her forties, alleging that the suspect recruited unknown pregnant women and deliver them of their babies for sales. She further alleged that Ezeugo kept some trafficked children and pregnant women who she kept for the duration of nine months pregnancy and then sell off the offspring even before they are weaned. Kalu lamented the spate at which baby factories being discovered across the country, saying that “we have discovered one in Delta State today,” and solicited the cooperation of members of the public in the area of information volunteering. She said: “You can imagine this kind of dilapidated place. Nobody could suspect that such act would be happening here. So, people should be vigilant and observant and when they see things that are not right in the society, they should inform the police.”
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From left, the groom, Godswill Edward; the bride, Faith Sakwe; father of the groom, His Royal Highness, Elder Solomon Edward, and President Goodluck Jonathan at the traditional marriage ceremony of the president’s daughter in Yenegoa... yesterday.
Army Kills 10 Insurgents In Nasarawa, As Benue Lives In Fear Of Fulani Marauders From Msugh Ityokura (Lafia) and aimed at frustrating the military’s efforts of to comb out inJoseph Wantu (Makurdi) surgents. HE military deployed to Alumaga said the Tivs, who Nasarawa State, on Friday, have been on the receiving end allegedly, crushed to since the up rising began, have death, no fewer than 10 insur- been cleared from the area and gents while on patrol in Awe wondered why the Fulani still reLocal Council of the state. The mained behind. Guardian learnt that the solThe former magistrate, who diers ran into one of the insur- held the governor responsible gents’ hideouts in Baure and for the violence bedeviling the Tunga areas, which are state, said, “the case of the renowned settlements for the killings of police officers and opattackers, who allegedly eratives of the SSS has not been opened fire on sighting the resolved and Al-Makura is still fopresidential task force, code- menting trouble by shielding innamed ‘Operation Restore surgents.” Peace’. While raising the need for the It was reliably gathered that Tiv to return to their ancestral five AK 47 riffles were recovered homes to avoid famine, called on from the felled insurgents President Jonathan to act fast bewhile the operation continued fore Nasarawa becomes a breedto fish out more of the criminal ing ground for terrorists. elements. Meanwhile, both indigenes and The state governor, Tanko Al- residents of crisis-prone comMakura, who visited Keana munities in Benue State are still Local Council, the first port of living in fears of another possible call for the troops, since their attack by the Fulani mercenaries, deployment, where they have as many are not sure of the much killed no fewer than 50 insur- talked about return of peace to gents in their operations, said, the devastated and deserted Tiv/ while addressing the people Agatu communities. including the traditional head Listing out statistics of local of Keana, Emmanuel Elayo, councils worst hit by the Fulani that there were no insurgents herdsmen invasion to The in his domain, insisting that Guardian, the state’s Executive they are in the forest and in the Secretary of SEMA, Adikpo AgBenue valley. batse, said Guma Local Council A legal adviser to the prayer has nine wards deserted while group, Ombatse, Zamani Za- Gwer-West has five. Other local kari Alumaga, at the weekend, Governments are Makurdi with queried the governor’s visit to four, Logo three, Agatu four, Keana, which he alleged was Kwande one and Katsina -Ala
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one, just as Gwer-East Local Council also has its fair share of displacement. Agbatse said in such an overwhelming situation, government has found it difficult to create official camps, more particularly, when the security of such facilities was very dicey. According to him, SEMA’s stand on non creation of camps is also in tune with Governor Gabriel Suswam’s earlier deci-
sion, insisting that those fleeing from their ancestral homes should be made to stay back to protect them. However, during a recent peace meeting and resolution of crises between the Tiv/ Agatu and the Fulani herdsmen at the Government House, Makurdi, the aggrieved parties signed a peace accord to mark the beginning of the return of peace among the warring parties.
The peace accord had DIG operation, Michael Zoukumor, and his delegation signing on behalf of government, General Atom Atom Kpera and members of his delegation signed on behalf of the Tiv people, while Miyetti Allah president, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi Bodejo, signed on behalf of the Fulani, while Agatu traditional ruler signed for his people.
Armed Youths Disrupt Ondo Bye-election From Niyi Bello, Akure XCEPT for Arogbo Ward 1 of Ese-Odo local council where suspected ex-militants prevented voting materials from being distributed, yesterday’s bye-election to fill the vacant seat of Ilaje/Ese-Odo Federal Constituency was conducted without major hitches. Reports also indicated that voters registered at the New Jerusalem unit, one of the 16 in the ward, were disenfranchised amid allegations that the register was filled with underage voters and fictitious names. Materials for Arogbo Ward 1 were said to have been seized by the ex-militants who were said to be protesting their noninclusion in the list of beneficiaries of the Federal Government Amnesty Programme.
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The armed youths were said to have arrived at the ward distribution centre as early as 6am at the time that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and ad-hoc personnel recruited for the exercise, were beginning to commence the process of distribution. Security personnel attached to the team, which had been deployed the previous day to avert the problem of lateness of materials to polling centres, were said to have been chased away by the ex-militants who insisted that the election would not take place in the ward. When reports of the distruption was made to INEC, the commission, through the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Akin Orebiyi, announced the
cancellation of the exercise in the area. Although everything went smoothly during the accreditation and the commencement of voting proper at the riverine community of Arogbo-Ibe, reports later indicated that a band of armed youths were moving around towards the close of the exercise to destroy ballot boxes and cause general confusion especially at Ojogo ward where ballot papers were scattered into the creeks. Speaking to The Guardian at RMC unit where he voted in Arogbo, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Amnesty Programme, Kingsley Kuku, expressed satisfaction on the conduct of the poll.
Cult Clash In Ekpoma Over SUG Election, One Feared Killed From Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City HERE is tension in the university town of Ekpoma; as one student of Ambrose Alli University was feared dead as a result of clash between suspected cultists believed to be members of Maphites and Black Axe. The student was said to have been shot dead as a result of clashes arising from
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Students Union Government (SUG) elections. A suspected cultist was reported to have taken over the campus gate yesterday evening shooting sporadically into the air, while he was said to have gallantly moved around the campus gate with some of his colleagues. Battle ready policemen as at yesterday have reportedly taken over the campus gate even as Edo State Police Com-
missioner, Folunso Adebanjo, confirmed that one person was shot dead and added that about seven persons have been arrested and vowed to crack down on the perpetrators of the violence. The Guardian gathered that the crisis was as a result of the battle by rival cult groups in the university to impose their members as leaders of the SUG. Some armed students were said to have
started the shooting at about 5pm Friday at the university gate. The fight was said to have later moved toward the university town as members of the rival cult groups commence house-to-house search of their targets. It was in that process that one student was shot dead. The shooting continued yesterday prompting the Edo state CP to deploy more policemen to the area.
“I am only aware that one person was killed during the SUG election. But we are investigating the matter, some students have been arrested and we are going to ensure that all those involved in the violence are brought to book. Their action is unacceptable. My men are there right now to ensure law and order and anybody causing crisis will be dealt with,” Adebanjo said yesterday.
LASWA Recovers Missing Body In Ikorodu Boat Mishap RESCUE team from A the Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA), at the weekend, recovered the body of a man declared missing after the tragic boat mishap on Majidun River in Ikorodu, near Lagos on April 2. The Managing Director of LASWA, Mr. Olayinka Marinho, confirmed the recovery of the body. He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the rescue team recovered the lifeless body of the 38-year-old shipping company executive, identified as Mr. Isaac Akere, at 7am. It was learnt that Akere was working with CMA CGM Delmas Nigeria Ltd., based in Apapa, Lagos. “Our search team discovered the wreck of the boat mishap that happened on Wednesday evening at Majidun in Ikorodu on Friday. Another team went in search of the missing body and it was recovered this morning (yesterday).