Over 100 killed, vehicles razed as illegal refinery explodes in Imo – Newstrends
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Over 100 killed, vehicles razed as illegal refinery explodes in Imo

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3 years ago

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No few than 100 people were killed on Friday night after an illegal refinery went up in flames at Abaezi community in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State.

Also, six vehicles were razed during the incident which threw the community into mourning.

Hundreds of people, Sunday PUNCH observed, visited the scene of the incident on Saturday to have a glimpse of the unfortunate development.

Our correspondent counted no fewer than 50 bodies burnt beyond recognition at the scene of the fire explosion, which was said to have happened at about 8pm.

The state Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Goodluck Opiah, told our correspondent at the crime scene that the state government had declared the owner of the illegal refinery, Okenze Onyenwoke, wanted.

He advised the suspect whom he said was on the run to surrender himself at the nearest police station.

The Commissioner said, “This is a sad development. The Imo State Government has declared wanted Okenze Onyenwoke, who owns this illegal refinery. I advise him to hand himself over to the police or any security agency.

“This is wickedness; this is an economic sabotage. It is also destroying our youths. I therefore call on the youths to go away from this kind of illegitimate business. There are so many legitimate businesses one could do to make genuine money.”

An Indigene of the community, who identified himself simply as Ejike, told Sunday PUNCH that every person at the illegal refinery site was killed in the explosion, adding that over 100 people lost their lives in the incident.

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Ejike added that those who survived the explosion and were rushed to the hospital died on Saturday morning.

“No single person survived. Those who were rescued yesterday have all died this morning. The casualty figure is over 100. This is sad. People are rushing to look for their relations but the unfortunate thing is that the victims were burnt beyond recognition,” Ekije said.

Another indigene of the community, who identified himself as a local security operative, said people came from the South-East and South-South states to buy the illegal product in the community.

He said, “People come from Rivers, Bayelsa, Anambra, Abia states, even from Onitsha, to buy the product. It is a very active bunkering site. People come here in hundreds and the owner is a big man.

“This bunkering is sited right in the forest so that they will have liberty to do the illicit business. People troop from far and near to buy the product.”

A community leader, who refused to mention his name ostensibly to avoid been attacked by the syndicate involved in illegal oil refining in the area, lamented the environmental hazard caused in the communities by the illicit business.

He said, “Our community is in serious trouble. The level of environmental hazard is unbearable. Do you know that our crops are affected by this bunkering business?

“Do you know that our water now has taste as a result of this illegal bunkering? Do you know that even our cassava is affected by this activity? This is a campaign even you the media people have to help us fight. Our health, environment and means of livelihood are endangered.”

 Also, the spokesman for a vigilante group in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area, Godknows Nkem, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

The incident happened at a location between Abacheke and Abaezi communities.

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Videos and pictures of the incident were already awash on the internet.

It was gathered that some of the victims were caught by the fire while they were running and trying to escape.

Unidentified burnt bodies littered the area even as family members were seen moving away the remains of their loved ones.

A community leader and President-General of the Supreme Council of Oil and Gas Producing Areas in Imo, Chief Collins Ajie, described the incident as ‘unfortunate’.

“It is unfortunate. A tragedy no one dreamt of where about 108 people got burnt beyond recognition due to illegal oil bunkering. The state and Federal Governments should step up efforts to stop this illegal bunkering because it has claimed many lives from Ohaji/Egbema and other Niger Delta areas.

“It’s shocking to see these bodies lying down here. Most of them are bread winners of their families. Most of them are young promising people, undergraduates and graduates,” he said.

The community leader noted that the Imo Government had some time ago made efforts to stop this illegal business, but it yielded no fruit.

According to him, some arrests were made, and some trucks and some boats impounded and burnt, yet it had not been able put the situation under control perhaps as a result of the involvement of high calibre individuals involved in the illegal trade.

He advised the state and Federal Governments to step up efforts at ending the illegal business.

“On our way coming, you could count about 34 checkpoints awaiting the illegal bunkerers and traders. So, If we have that figure and this illegal bunkering continued on a daily basis, then they have questions to answer,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr David Chibuike lamented that he was at the site in search of the remains of his elder sister.

“I heard the information about the incident and I had to rush down because my sister, who was married to someone in this community, was involved. I came to identify her body but couldn’t recognize her here,” he said while shedding tears.

He also called on government and security agencies to put an end to the illegal bunkering to prevent such huge loss of lives.

CP orders probe into incident

The Commissioner of Police in Imo State, Muhammed Berde, has ordered investigation into the Friday night’s fire outbreak at an illegal refinery located in a forest at Abaezi community in the Ohaji-Egbema Local Government Area of the state which claimed no fewer than 100 lives.

Speaking to our correspondent in a telephone conversation, the police spokesperson for the Command, Micheal Abattam, told our correspondent that the cause of the fire outbreak had not been ascertained.

He therefore disclosed that the CP had order an investigation for the cause of the inferno be unravelled.

PUNCH

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

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2 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution 

 

The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.

He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.

Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.

“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.

“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”

The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.

“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.

“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.

He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.

Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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2 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

 

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…

The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.

The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.

 

Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.

 

He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”

The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.

 

He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”

 

He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.

 

“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.

Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.

 

“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.

 

On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.

 

 

“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.

 

The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A

llah is the lord of Jesus.”

 

Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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6 hours ago

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December 22, 2024

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CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.

Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.

A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.

“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.

To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.

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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.

“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.

Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.

Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.

“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.

CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m

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