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Young Delta mother arrested for throwing her baby into river

Published

3 months ago

December 18, 2024

Commissioner of Police, Delta State CP Olufemi Abaniwonda

Young Delta mother arrested for throwing her baby into river

The Delta State Police Command has paraded over 30 suspects involved in various crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, cultism, and murder.

Among the suspects was a young woman, Ms. Blessing Ibuku, who shocked the public with her confession of killing her 10-month-old baby, Prevail Jonathan, by throwing the infant into a community river.

The state Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, disclosed this during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Asaba on Tuesday. He explained that Ibuku’s heinous act stemmed from the emotional trauma of being mocked for having a “fatherless” child.

Commissioner Olufemi, who assumed office as the 22nd Commissioner of Police in February 2024, highlighted the command’s achievements in tackling crime.

The recent operations led to the recovery of 150 arms, including 32 AK-47 rifles, as well as the arrests of suspects linked to major criminal activities across the state.

“This incident involving Ms. Ibuku underscores the depth of societal challenges that fuel crime and violence. Our efforts are geared toward ensuring such acts are curbed,” Olufemi stated.

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The arrests and recoveries are part of an ongoing strategy by the Delta State Police Command to rid the state of criminal elements. The commissioner assured residents that the command remains committed to maintaining law and order while addressing the root causes of crime, including socio-economic pressures and mental health issues.

While addressing the media, Commissioner Olufemi called on community members to assist the police with timely information to prevent similar tragedies. He also emphasized the importance of addressing societal stigmas that push vulnerable individuals to desperate acts.

“These suspects were arrested in the past month. While we have faced challenges, the support of other security agencies, stakeholders, and the good people of Delta State has enabled us to restore peace to a reasonable extent,” he said.

One of the cases highlighted was the tragic death of a 10-month-old baby, Prevail Jonathan, reported missing on December 4, 2024.

The police later recovered the child’s lifeless body from the Aviara community river.

During the investigation, the baby’s mother, Blessing Ibuku, confessed to throwing her child into the river on November 31, 2024.

According to her confession, she acted due to mockery from friends who teased her about the child being fatherless.

The suspect is currently in custody, and investigations are ongoing.

Also on November 27, 2024, the CP said the command acted on a distress call regarding a kidnapping incident along DLA Road in Asaba.

Four hoodlums operating in a Toyota Camry with registration number BLF 490 AA abducted a man and a woman and stole a Toyota Camry belonging to one of the victims.

The command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad led by its commander, tracked the suspects to the Asaba-Benin Expressway.

Although the kidnappers had released the victims, they abandoned their operational vehicle upon sighting the police and fled into a nearby bush.

Recovered from the suspects’ vehicle was an AK-47 rifle with a defaced breach number, two pump-action guns, one magazine, eight rounds of AK-47 ammunition, and 21 live cartridges concealed under the engine.

In another operation on December 2, 2024, operatives of SAKCCS, in collaboration with the Rapid Response Squad and Buffalo Squad, raided a hideout behind Anioma Market, Asaba. Ten suspects linked to a series of robberies in Asaba, Okpanam, and Issele-Uku were arrested, and arms were recovered.

Olufemi also revealed the arrest of one Destiny Lawrence, who confessed to being hired by a native doctor, Jonah, from Otolokpo community, to kidnap a young boy for N30,000. He said Lawrence lured the victim to an uncompleted building, where Jonah reportedly slit the boy’s throat.

Providing a scorecard of the command’s achievements, Olufemi said a total of 678 suspects were arrested, while 150 arms, including 32 AK-47 and AK-49 rifles, were recovered within the review period.

He reaffirmed the commitment of the Delta State Police Command to ensuring the safety and security of residents while calling for continued cooperation from the public in providing actionable information.

Young Delta mother arrested for throwing her baby into river

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TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

Published

3 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

Bytedance’s short video platform, TikTok, said it removed 2.4 million videos posted by Nigerian users in the fourth quarter of 2024 for violating its content policy.

According to the platform, Nigeria was among the top 50 countries where videos violating its policies emanated from in Q4.

However, the highest number of violations were recorded in the United States, which has the largest number of videos removed at 8.5 million.

ikTok disclosed this in its latest Community Guidelines Enforcement report, which indicated that a total of 153 million videos were removed globally in the period under review.

The company said the top 50 markets in terms of policy violations accounted for approximately 90% of all content removals for the quarter.

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The removed content was said to have violated one or more of TikTok’s policies, which center around Integrity and Authenticity, Privacy and Security, Mental and Behavioural Health, Safety, and Civility, among others.

Accounts removal

In the period under review, TikTok said it removed a total of 211.5 million accounts discovered to be either fake or owned by people suspected to be under 13 years of age.

Fake accounts constituted the largest number of deleted accounts for the period. According to the report, a total of 185.3 million fake accounts were removed.
In addition, 20.5 million accounts suspected to be owned by users under the age of 13 were removed, while 5.6 million accounts were removed for other reasons not stated.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to detect external threats and safeguard the platform from fake accounts and engagement.

“These threats persistently probe and attack our systems, leading to occasional fluctuations in the reported metrics within these areas.

“In Q4 2024, we also updated the way we classify fake likes and followers removed over time, which contributed to some of the overall increases observed in these categories.

“This update better reflects the scale of our existing work to promptly identify and remove any accounts, content, or activities that seek to artificially boost popularity on our platform,” the company stated in the report.

TikTok removes 2.4 million videos by Nigerian users in Q4 2024

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Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

Published

3 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Gombe State Police Command Spokesman, ASP Buhari Abdullahi

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

The Police Force Gombe State Command has confirmed the death of two children following a stampede at the Gombe main Eid Ground.

The Command’s spokesperson, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Gombe.

According to Abdullahi, the incident occurred at about 10:45 a.m. at the exit gate of the Eid Ground, immediately after the conclusion of Eid prayers.

“The stampede was caused by inadequate exit access, as a large crowd, primarily women and children, rushed to leave the venue.

“The situation, worsened by intense heat, led to the unfortunate incident,” he said.

He said that 22 individuals were affected and were immediately taken to hospitals for medical attention.

“Regrettably, two of the victims, a four-year-old boy, and six months old baby girl, were pronounced dead by doctors while receiving treatment,” Abdullahi added.

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He extended the command’s condolences to the bereaved families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.

“The police urge Eid Ground managers to ensure that all entrance and exit gates remain open to facilitate smooth movement, especially after prayers,” he advised.

In a related development, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has condoled with the families of the deceased and those affected by the tragedy.

In a statement issued by his media aide on Sunday, the governor directed a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to the stampede, with the aim of preventing future occurrences.

“The safety and well-being of our citizens remain a top priority. The state government is committed to learning from this incident and implementing corrective measures,” Yahaya said.

He also directed that all medical expenses for the injured victims be fully covered by the state government to ensure their recovery and well-being.

Two children killed, 20 injured in Gombe stampede – Police

(NAN)

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Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

Published

4 hours ago

March 31, 2025

Trends Admin

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike.jpg

Wike’s achievements will translate into electoral success for APC in 2027, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has praised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, for his outstanding performance, expressing confidence that his achievements could translate into electoral success for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 FCT elections—despite Wike still being a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Tinubu made the remarks at the State House, Abuja, on Sunday during a traditional Sallah homage by a delegation of prominent FCT residents to mark Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.

The President commended Wike’s leadership, noting that several infrastructure projects initiated under his administration, have significantly improved the lives of Abuja residents.

“I must thank the Honorable Minister of FCT. It’s worth it. It is nothing other than a privilege to be the landlord of every one of us in Abuja,” Tinubu said.

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He recalled a conversation where Wike requested exemption from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) to enable greater financial flexibility for FCT projects.

Tinubu humorously recounted his response:”I asked him, ‘Would that give me an opportunity for my party (APC) to win the election in FCT?’ If this thing goes too much in your favour, you will lose your job!’”

“Today, we are living in peace, and security is improving. The hunger is coming down. Food prices are lowering. Our people are looking for results, and Wike has delivered,” Tinubu added.

Tinubu noted that despite being from the South-South, Wike is successfully driving progress in the Northern-dominated FCT.

“Surprisingly, Nyesom Wike is not from the North. He’s not a Hausa man. Yet his ability to work in the centre of the North is yielding fruits. That is a great reflection of our diversity that we must use for prosperity.”

The President urged Nigerians to embrace unity, stating that, regardless of ethnic and religious differences, progress is only possible through collaboration and shared purpose.