Vanguard, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015—7
Gunmen kill 2 workers at Okomu Oil Palm By Gabriel Enogholase
B
ENIN—TWO workers of Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Okomu, Udo, in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State have been killed by unknown gunmen. The gunmen were said to have invaded the palm plantation, where about seven workers, said to be weeding around the premises of the company were shot at and two died instantly. Five others escaped with bullet wounds and are currently receiving treatment in a medical facility. Vanguard gathered that a large portion of the plantation was set ablaze by unknown youths over alleged refusal of the company's management to settle them. A worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said several workers had been attacked in the past but the management usually kept mum about the incidences. He said the killing of the two workers occurred at a place not far from where security operatives were based. He said: “This matter does not concern us. We are just workers, but the boys always attack us and leave the management staff alone. “The boys need something from the management, but this managing director is too stubborn. The security men on ground have not exchanged gunshots with the attackers since trouble started last year. “We decided to cry out so that management can do something about this.” Public Relations Officer for
Okomu Oil Palm Plc, Ikponmwosa Osunbor, confirmed the killing and said the hoodlums had been warning the oil firm to leave the land. Ikpomwosa said the gang had not made any demand for cash, but only threw leaflets into the firm asking them to leave.
He urged the state government to intervene in the situation, because relatives of the slain workers were spoiling for war. He said: “They have burnt 300 hectares of matured rubber and oil palms. We have 120 army personnel in our plantation, but the boys are still attacking our
workers in the bush.” “Government should provide us with more security. Our fear is that it will turn tribal.” The story was also confirmed by Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Joseph Edoigiawerie, who said that police had step up investigations into the incident.
FREE CAMPAIGN: Persons with disability at the Goodluck 2015 Vision for Persons with Unique Abilities campaign in Abuja, yesterday. NAN PHOTO.
NDLEA arrests 6 suspects, seizes 300.7kg drug By Boluwaji Obahopo
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OKOJA—THE National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, in Kogi State has arrested six suspected drug dealers and seized 300.7kg of Cannabis Sativa and some psycotropic substances. State Commander of NDLEA, Alhaji Idris Bello, while parading the suspects at the State Command Office in Lokoja
ARRESTED: From left: Illyasu, Ogede and Manga. PHOTO: Evelyn Usman.
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JEH Smith Ogede, the 27year-old man allegedly tortured alongside his wife by policemen in Ikoyi area of Lagos last year, is in the news again. This time, he was arrested for allegedly buying 100 litres of stolen diesel from a private guard in Park View Estate, Ikoyi Lagos. His arrest followed indictment
By Esther Onyegbula
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yesterday, said the drug dealers wanted to hide under election period to distribute the illegal drugs. The suspects are Isiaka Umaru, Haruna Ismaila, Yahaya Salami, Abubarka Muftau, and Nurudeen Salami. Bello, who stated that the arrest of the suspects was made possible by intelligence gathering, said the command will continue to work hard to rid
the state of illicit drugs. He said one of the suspects, Isiaka Umoru, a bus conductor, was arrested when the command intercepted a J5 bus in Kabba-Aiyere, which was coming from Owo in Ondo Stated and found it loaded with 36 bags of Cannabis Sativa. He said: “The J5 bus was parked beside the road and my men accosted the bus, searched and discovered 290.5 kg.”
Soldiers, not policemen tortured me, says suspected diesel thief
By Evelyn Usman
Four shot as land grabbers go on rampage in Ogun
by the private guard, identified as Mathias Manga. The bubble burst after owner of the building located at Layi Ajayi Road, one Mrs Aretha Njoku, said to have been complaining about missing kegs of diesel in her compound, reportedly sighted her private guard, Mathias, handing over some 25 litres jerry cans to someone, from her Closed Circuit Television,CCTV
camera, last Sunday. Also arrested was one Adamu Illyasu,whom the main suspect alleged that he had been selling the stolen diesel to since last year. However, when Vanguard met the suspects, it was discovered that Ejeh Smith identified himself as Smith Ogede at the Ikoyi Police Division. It was gathered that the guard and the duo of Smith Ogede and Adamu Illyasu were handed over to some military men by the owner of the building, who thereafter, brought them to policemen at Ikoyi Division, Monday. During an encounter with the suspects, they admitted culpability. But Ogede (Ijeh) alleged that he was brutalized by the Military men before he was brought to Ikoyi Division. He said: “On my way to church last Sunday, Manga, the guard, stopped me and said he was hungry. I told him I had no money on me.
“But he said that was not what he wanted, that he had some diesel to sell. “I told him I do not buy ordinary diesel. He said it was not the ordinary one, but the condemned one. “I went back to the house where I work as Personnel Assistant to its owner, brought two jerry cans of 50 litres each and gave to Manga. “I waited for him at the designated place until he brought the diesel in two jerry cans. I paid him N8,000 for both. “I was not aware it was stolen. I usually buy diesel and resell to truck drivers. But I ended up paying N23,000 for the 100 litres.” Asked how, he said: “I paid extra N15,000 to Manga’s boss. I paid the money out of torture. “This was because her husband invited some soldiers, who arrested me and tortured me before bringing me to the police station.”
HE Ogun State Police Command is currently investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting of four persons and maiming of several others by some land speculators at Igushi area of Abule Oke in Ifo Local Government Area of the state. Vanguard gathered that the four victims shot by the land grabbers sustained injuries, while others are in critical conditions. Those not in critical condition were treated at the police cottage hospital and discharged. Also, thousands of naira and some handsets were lost to the hoodlums during the fracas. P r e l i m i n a r y investigations by the Police Area Command in Sango revealed that a paramount ruler and one prince, among others now at large, were behind the attack. The police said the prince had earlier engaged one Otunba Kehinde Adeosun in a battle over the ownership of a parcel of land. Otunba Adeosun, in a statement to the police, had stated that his family owned the disputed parcel of land located at Abule Oke and Ogan Communities in Ifo Local Government. The large expanse of land, according to his statement, is covered by a Certificate of Occupancy, issued by the state government. One of the victims, Saheed Oladeinde, said: “I had gone to commence the development of my plot of land, when I was attacked and shot by the hoodlums. “I lost over N150,000 which I had on me to pay for tippers of sand, gravel, bags of cement and other items to commence the foundation of my house.” Olumide Adeniji, a passenger on a motorbike, said he was on his way to inspect ongoing works at his building site when the hoodlums attacked him and shot him in the head, shoulder and arm. The commercial bike operator, according to him, “managed to escape.”