1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements – Newstrends
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1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

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1 year ago

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Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma

1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

One person was killed and another injured while several shops and homes were burnt down during an alleged operation by government officials on some Hausa communities in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State.

Multiple sources told Daily Trust that the officials, believed to be agents of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA) and Environmental Transformation Agency (ENTRCO), alongside policemen set ablaze shops and properties in Avu Junction and Hausa market, Nekede No 1 market and Arugu market as part of the government’s efforts to remove alleged shanties and illegal structures.

“Several houses and shops belonging to northerners were burnt down, most of us are currently taking refuge in the bush and our Juma’at Mosque was equally demolished by the taskforce and the police,” said Nura Kabir Umar, a youth leader at Nekede No 1 market.

Umar, said tension started brewing on Thursday and climaxed on Sunday when policemen on the invitation of ENTRACO officials shot and killed a 35-year-old trader identified as Mudashir Muhammad and injured another.

Daily Trust reports that the Imo State Government, through the OCDA had last year declared a take-off of an enforcement order to reclaim the city capital from street trading, shanties and illegal parking.

The OCDA General Manager, Francis Chukwu, had then met with the leadership of Hausa communities in the state and urged them to cooperate with the government in achieving the plan.

Our correspondent, however, could not verify if the operations at the three markets were part of the plan as the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to his phone.

But traders at Nekede No 1 Market yesterday told our correspondent that there had been no notice or order from government agencies asking them to vacate and insisted that any allegation of crime within their neighbourhood should have been investigated.

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They alleged that government officials, with the connivance of the police, had instead set their wares ablaze and caused them to lose goods and properties worth millions of naira.

However, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, at a news conference on Sunday denied allegations that the three markets had been set ablaze. Instead, CP Barde said an inferno had gutted Avu market.

The CP, who spoke to journalists in Owerri said: “I invite you here this afternoon to clear some misleading reports making the rounds on social media, alleging that hoodlums attacked and burnt the popular Hausa Market Avu which is not true.

“For the purpose of clarity, I wish to inform you that the incident that happened at the market was a fire outbreak that led to loss of properties. No life was lost in the inferno and it’s under investigation and the outcome of our investigation will be made known to the public.

“I am pleased to inform you that, the Executive Governor of Imo State, His Excellency,  Hope Uzodinma, has been informed and directed arrangements be made for him to meet with those affected.”

Nura Kabir Umar, however, later confirmed that CP Barde had returned to the scene of the incident on Sunday evening after his men allegedly shot and killed a 35-year-old man.

“He came to the scene and urged us to exercise patience, adding that the governor was not aware of what had happened. We were at the scene assessing the damage to our property when members of ENTRACO and the police came and opened fire on us. They killed one and injured another,” he added.

Traders punch holes in CP’s statement

Traders from the three markets affected by the incident yesterday told Daily Trust that the statement by the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Barde, was far from the truth. They said there was no fire incident in any of the three markets, insisting that they had been directly targeted and attacked by government officials and the police.

Narrating the genesis of the incident, Musa Isa who had a provision store in the market said he lost goods close to N10 million in the incident.

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“It started on Thursday at about 11am. We heard that some people had stormed Onitsha Road burning shops belonging to Hausa people and injuring many. Some of their properties, goods and money were stolen. Many of them were beaten up,” he said.

“Twenty minutes later, the taskforce and the police arrived at Nekede No. 1 market. They burnt houses and shops. They beat up people and the hoodlums confiscated our money.”

He said upon realising that some of the attackers were police officers, together with members of the Owerri Capital Development Authority (OCDA), and Environmental Transformation Agency (ENTRCO), they made efforts to contact other government officials to find out what was happening.

“We were not told anything; we asked our people not to take laws into their own hands,’’ he said.

Abdullahi Umaru, a suya seller from Sokoto State said his three selling points were burnt down. “I have lost everything. My wife and I now sleep outside, we don’t know what to do.

“For the police to say it is a fire incident, is unfortunate. These people came with bulldozers on Friday and demolished our place of worship. Who would see what has happened and claim it is a fire incident?

“They did not destroy only one market, or does that mean the fire jumped seven kilometres from one market to the other? These are people we saw, they came here with a bulldozer, demolished and burnt our properties and we are surprised to hear this coming from the commissioner of police,” Nura Kabir Umar said.

The youth leaders said they had approached policemen at the scene on Friday while their place of worship was being demolished but the security agents had instead asked them to leave. “It was soon after that, that they started setting the shops and the houses belonging to our members ablaze,” he said.

One of the Hausa community leaders in the state, Lawan Fagge, when contacted by this reporter also said suspected members of ENTACO group who claimed to be in operation to remove hoodlums from the area had burnt down their markets.

He said the attacks were carried out on three markets at Nekede No 1, Avu Junction, along Port Harcourt road, and Adugbo Park along Onitsha road.

Return home immediately, CNG tells northerners living in South East

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has advised all northerners to leave the South East immediately following renewed attacks on northern communities especially in Imo State.

CNG’s spokesman, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, made the call in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, where he emphasized that no group had the power to hold innocent people to ransom.

He also called on the federal government to take more urgent steps in disbanding militias, and armed groups in Imo State and the South East.

1 killed, several shops burnt as Imo govt demolishes Hausa settlements

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Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

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2 hours ago

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December 29, 2024

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Oba Adesuyi Haastrup

Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

ILESA — Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Sunday presented the staff of office to Oba Adesuyi Haastrup as the 41st Owa-Obokun of Ijesaland in a ceremony marked by mixed reactions.

Oba Haastrup’s selection follows the passing of the 40th Owa-Obokun, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, in September, after which the mourning period and succession process commenced. Last Friday, Prince Haastrup of the Bilaro Olu-Odo ruling house was elected by the Ijesa kingmakers and subsequently approved as the new monarch despite an existing court injunction restraining stakeholders from proceeding with the selection process.

At the installation ceremony, Governor Adeleke urged the new monarch to foster unity among Ijesa people and leverage his experience and connections for the development of Ijesaland and Osun State.

“Kabiyesi, now that the time of competition is over and you have become the father of all, I urge you to rally all citizens of Ijesaland for the development of the area and the State at large,” Adeleke said.

He emphasized the importance of collective efforts, stating, “There is much work to be done, and the Government alone cannot bear the responsibility. I call on all Ijesa sons and daughters to prioritise the development of our fatherland. Our administration is intensifying developmental efforts across the state, including Ijesaland.”

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The selection and installation of Oba Haastrup were met with opposition from two royal families, Ofokutu and Fajemisin, within the Bilaro Olu-Odo ruling house.

In a statement signed by Prince Adetoyese Adegbohungbe, Secretary of the Ofokutu royal family, the process was described as a desecration of Ijesa traditions.

“We have witnessed not just compromise but the desecration of the noble tradition of the Ijesa, with the blatant disregard for the most sacred tradition, which is the selection of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland,” the statement read.

The family expressed shock at the selection, citing a pending court case, and accused stakeholders of undermining due process.

The Fajemisin family also condemned the process, describing it as flawed and unlawful. In a statement by Olufemi Fajemisin, the family rejected Oba Haastrup’s selection and demanded a transparent process that respects Ijesa customs.

“We categorically reject the purported elected Owa and demand a transparent, lawful process that honours our customs and traditions,” the statement said.

Both families have vowed to pursue legal action, dissociating themselves from the new monarch and alleging imposition in violation of tradition. They pledged to defend the rights of the Ijesa people and restore the integrity of their heritage.

As the controversy unfolds, the installation has spotlighted the delicate balance between tradition, legality, and governance in the selection of traditional rulers in Nigeria.

 

Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

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Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

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2 hours ago

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December 29, 2024

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Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine.

Mr Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that Orizu was intercepted while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja to Paris, France.

He said that the suspect was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday, Dec. 22 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France.

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“When he was pulled aside for a body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him.

“He was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days.

“In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travel bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris.

“He left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection,” he said.

Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

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Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

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3 hours ago

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December 29, 2024

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Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

Police Rescue 13 Kidnap Victims in Lagos and Kwara

In the past week, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) successfully rescued 13 individuals who had been abducted and held for ransom in Lagos and Kwara states.

The operation underscored the police’s commitment to combating kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities nationwide.

A statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relation Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “In a determined effort to sustain the fight against  kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of criminality across the country, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have further intensified and reinvigorated their strategies, resulting in the successful rescue of numerous victims and the apprehension of several suspects.

“Over the past week, coordinated operations were conducted in various states, including Lagos and Kwara States, leading to  the rescue of 13 individuals who had earlier been kidnapped and held for ransom, and the arrest of several armed robbery suspects.

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“On the 27th of December 2024, Police operatives attached to the Kwara State Command mobilized and stormed a den of kidnappers in the Idofin-Igbana area of the state, after receiving a distress call of the abduction of 13 persons. The operatives encountered resistance from the kidnappers but successfully overpowered the kidnappers, causing them to flee the scene with various degrees of injuries and leading to the successful rescue of the 13 kidnapped victims.

“Similarly, on the 28th of December 2024, following a report of a public disturbance at Pinnacle Depot, Lekki, Police operatives attached to the Lagos State Command visited the scene and accosted two individuals identified as Lawan Mustapha ‘m’ 38 years, and Aina Daniel ‘m’ 38 years. A thorough search was carried out, resulting in the recovery of one double-barrel rifle, 90 live cartridges, and five model rifles.

“The suspects are currently in custody for further investigation and possible  prosecution. Furthermore, on the same day, at about 12:45 PM, Police operatives of the Lagos State Command arrested 3 suspected armed robbers at GRA Ikeja. A subsequent search led to the recovery of 1 locally made pistol, 4 live cartridges, and 2 cutlasses. These suspects are likewise in custody and will face prosecution upon the conclusion of the investigations”.

He said the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has reiterated the Force’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.

Egbetokun said the Force will continue its operations, leveraging all available resources to eradicate these heinous crimes from our society.

He said the Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its mission to create a safer environment for all Nigerians.

Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

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