metro
Fear grips Benue community over bandits N20m tax demand
Fear grips Benue community over bandits N20m tax demand
Residents of Torough community in Ukum Local Government Area are grappling with fear and desperation as bandits have threatened an attack unless a tax of N20 million is paid within days.
The audacious demand has forced locals to sell their farm produce and livestock, with each household tasked with raising N500,000 to meet the bandits’ ultimatum.
Sources within the community, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, revealed that the levy has been distributed among households, with the smallest amount being N50,000. “Some have started disposing of their farm produce and livestock to raise the levy, while others have contacted their relatives outside to avert the attack,” one source disclosed to Punch.
The gravity of the situation is such that even the village head is reluctant to report the threat to security forces, fearing further provocation of the local militias.
Victor Iorzaa, chairman of Ukum Local Government, confirmed the threat and identified the notorious militia leader known as Full Fire as the mastermind behind it. “He has been terrorizing the area for the past five years, working with Fulani herdsmen to attack our people,” Iorzaa said. He recounted a recent military assault on Full Fire’s house, illustrating the ongoing efforts to curb his influence.
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Iorzaa reported the extortion attempt to both the police and the state security council, highlighting the pervasive fear that grips the community. “The people of the area are living in fear; it’s the most troubled place in the local government,” he noted.
State Police Public Relations Officer SP Catherine Anene mentioned that such an incident had not been officially reported to the command. Meanwhile, Joseph Har, the Security Adviser to the Governor, dismissed the likelihood of bandits successfully collecting the tax, stating, “The criminals have been having a very tough time recently and can’t have the balls to wait and collect any tax.”
Har acknowledged the global trend of bandits imposing illegal levies but assured that the state government and security operatives are actively working to dismantle these criminal activities. “The criminals have been feeling the heat and most have fled their camps. We intend to sustain the momentum until we run them down or they surrender,” Har asserted, noting a recent reduction in bandit impunity.
Despite the government’s efforts, the threat remains imminent for the people of Torough, who continue to raise the demanded funds in a bid to avoid the feared attack.
Fear grips Benue community over bandits N20m tax demand
metro
19-year-old transformer vandal electrocuted in Enugu
19-year-old transformer vandal electrocuted in Enugu
A yet-to-be-identified suspected electricity vandal has been electrocuted while attempting to steal transformer cable which belong to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.
A statement on Friday by the Head, Corporate Communications of EEDC, Emeka Ezeh, said the incident happened in the early hours of Friday.
Ezeh, who described the incident as “tragic and very unfortunate,” lamented the increasing rate at which vandals attack electricity installations within the EEDC’s network daily.
Ezeh said, “In the early hours of today (Friday), the lifeless body of a yet-to-be-identified vandal suspect was found within the space of a distribution transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company Plc located around Missionary Avenue, Coal Camp, Enugu.
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“From all indications, it is presumed that the power supply must have been restored while the deceased was cutting the armoured cables, which resulted in him being electrocuted.
“Vandalism has been a big challenge to the company, and there is no way this can be addressed without the support of critical stakeholders.”
Ezeh lamented the increasing rate at which criminals plunder electricity installations within EEDC’s network daily, noting that it has adversely impacted not just the quality of service to its customers but also its revenue.
Meanwhile, the organisation in a statement on Friday, said, “The attention of the EEDC has been drawn to a video circulating on the social media space, made by one Mazi Okechukwu Cyril Nwuche who claims to be a lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, and the Anambra State Chairman of South East Electricity Consumers Association, purporting that EEDC is calling on its customers to apply for a free prepaid metre.
“This information is not only incorrect but laced with mischief aimed at misleading unsuspecting customers and creating confusion within the space.
“Whilst EEDC encourages its customers in need of meters to apply and have their premises metered, it is important that they are armed with the right information, and that they also understand the procedure in place for metre acquisition.”
19-year-old transformer vandal electrocuted in Enugu
metro
Court remands man for defiling eight-year-old daughter in Ondo
Court remands man for defiling eight-year-old daughter in Ondo
A Family Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State, has ordered the remand of a man, Mufutau Taiwo, for allegedly defiling his eight-year-old daughter.
The 35-year-old defendant was arrested by policemen for committing the offence at Ayedun Quarters, Akure, a few weeks ago. He was later charged in court on one count charge of rape.
According to the police prosecutor, Mr Martins Olowofeso, the defendant was apprehended on June 18, 2024, following a report made to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the command at Alagbaka (Akure) that the defendant was involved in an incestuous act with his daughter.
The charge sheet reads, “That you, Mufutau Taiwo, 35, male, on June 5, 2024, at about 4 pm at No. 40 Egbe-Road, Ayedun Quarters, Akure, did have carnal knowledge of your daughter, (name withheld), female, aged eight years old, of the same address, and thereby committed an offense contrary to and punishable under Section 25(a) of the Ondo State Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law 2021.”
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- Eight killed as one-storey building collapses in Kano
Olowofeso informed the court that the Investigating Police Officer conducted a test in Akure, which revealed that there was penetration into the victim’s private part and she had been bleeding for three days.
He added that the defendant had confessed to the alleged crime during interrogation by the IPO.
The prosecutor, through an application, urged the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the issuance of advice from the Department of Public Prosecutions.
The counsel to the defendant, G.O. Omoedu, told the court that his client had just served and he would need time to respond on points of law, urging the court to adjourn the case to enable him to reply to the remand application.
In her ruling, the magistrate B. A. Alipohul ordered that the defendant should be remanded in police custody and adjourned the case till July 4, 2024, for a hearing.
Court remands man for defiling eight-year-old daughter in Ondo
metro
Eight killed as one-storey building collapses in Kano
Eight killed as one-storey building collapses in Kano
At least eight people were feared dead when a one-storey building collapsed in the Kuntau area of Gwale Local Government Area, Kano State.
The incident occurred early Friday morning while laborers were working on the construction site.
Sources from the area reported that at least 15 individuals, including the building owner, were trapped when the structure gave way.
The owner, referred to as Sharu, was constructing the new storey to attach to his existing home. Some of the trapped individuals were passersby who had sought shelter from the rain.
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Upon hearing the news, Sharu’s wife reportedly rushed to the site, crying for help. Neighbors and passersby quickly mobilized to rescue those trapped under the rubble. Seven people were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, and one person died on the way.
A staff member of the Kano Fire Service, who sought anonymity, confirmed that the building trapped 15 people, with seven fatalities reported so far. Buses from the Kano State Fire Service, along with police personnel from the Dorayi Division, left the area around 7:30 p.m. to ensure no one remained trapped in the building and as a precautionary measure.
Preliminary reports suggested that the collapse was due to the use of substandard building materials. Efforts to reach the Kano State Fire Service’s public relations officer were unsuccessful.
Eight killed as one-storey building collapses in Kano
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