33 states face flooding risk, NEMA warns
He stressed the need for proactive measures against the predicted 2024 flood disaster.
Scores feared dead as Pipeline explosion rocks Rivers
An explosion at an illegal oil tapping point in Omoku, Rivers State’s Ogba/Egebema/Ndoni Local Government Area, killed at least 20 people.
According to reports, the incident occurred on Sunday morning after the youngsters allegedly destroyed a pipeline belonging to one of the international oil businesses working in the region; several began scooping petroleum with jerry cans and buckets when disaster struck.
An eyewitness said while 20 persons are feared dead, many suffered varying degrees of burns and are receiving treatment in different hospitals in the area.
“It is a very terrible incident. Imagine the death of 20 people in such a time. We learned some youths bust a company pipeline.
“If you go to the General Hospital and other private clinics in Omoku, you will see many of the injured people scattered all over the place in both government and private hospitals taking treatment,” the source added.
A source who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity said the inferno occurred as a result of attempts by suspected oil thieves to light mosquito coils.
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He stated, “The leakage was from an obsolete pipeline belonging to one of the oil companies operating in the area.”
Speaking, the chairman of Niger Delta Youth Movement, ONELGA chapter, Emeka Ukwuosah, advised youths in the area to engage in meaningful activities and shun oil bunkering.
Ukwuosah stated, “Let me join in condemning the oil bunkering going on within ONELGa. And we are also calling on the security agencies to be up and doing and checkmate what is happening within that circle.
“Secondly, we are also calling on the multinationals that own the oil facilities to overhaul their ageing facilities to forestall such incidents.”
On his part, the Assistant Secretary of a vigilante group in the area, Onelga Security Peace Advisory Council, Emeka Agbabere, blamed the incident on illegal oil bunkering.
Agbabere said the vigilante group, the Community Development Committee and youths were directed by a monarch in the area to put a stop to oil bunkering activities there.
He however expressed dismay that repeated campaigns for youths to stop illegal bunkering have not yielded the result
He stated, “We proclaimed that they must put a stop to it and this is the aftermath of it. When they busted the pipeline, fire engulfed immediately and 19 of them died instantly and about 12 in two different hospitals.”
When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the incident had not been reported, adding that she would find out and get back to our reporter.
Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Tuesday afternoon.
Father of 12 found dead in Bayelsa brothel after sexual escapade
In Bayelsa State, a middle-aged man has died in a brothel after allegedly lodging with a commercial worker.
The lifeless body of the yet-to-identified man was found on Tuesday in a room at the brothel located in the State Capital, Yenagoa.
According to reports, the deceased, who is said to be a father of 12 children visited the brothel to meet his regular customer at Tombia-Amassoma Road axis of Yenagoa.
The deceased, aged 40, from Delta State, was said to be battling stroke before the unfortunate incident, residents of the area disclosed.
He was said to have left home around 8 am on Tuesday to meet a prostitute as he was of the customers to the commercial sex workers at the brothel, but he was later found dead in the quarters.
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All the commercial sex workers fled on noticing that the man had died.
As at the time of visiting the scene, people living around the area were trying to get the identity of the deceased in order to contact the relative to evacuate the corpse for burial.
It was gathered that security operatives have previously raided the brothel and earmarked it as a red-light zone.
The commander of Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN, in Bayelsa State, Mr Tolumobofa Akpoebibo Jonathan, confirmed the incident.
According to him, the deceased is a 40-year-old father of 12 from Delta State.
Man bags life imprisonment for raping 8-year-old girl in C’River
One Aniedi Mfon has been sentenced to life imprisonment for raping an 8-year-old girl in Cross River State.
25-year-old Mfon was convicted and sentenced by the Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar on Tuesday, 7th May 2024.
Justice Blessing Egwu, who delivered the judgement, bemoaned the prevalence of child defilement in the society.
Justice Egwu said the convict has no conscience and she awarded a fine of N1 million be paid to the survivor, who was not named.
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Sources confirmed that Cross River State Commissioner of Police, CP Gyogon Grimah; the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon. Ededem Ani; Principal Counsel of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI), Barr. James Ibor; and the Prosecutor, Patience Emmanuel Akpama facilitated the prosecution.
Reacting, Barr. James Ibor said the father of the survivor was intimidated and offered bribes to withdraw the case but he resisted.
“I thank the Commissioner of Police and his team, Attorney General Ededem Ani and his team, the staff of the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative, the survivor and her father who resisted intimidation and bribes to back out.”
33 states face flooding risk, NEMA warns
He stressed the need for proactive measures against the predicted 2024 flood disaster.
Addressing stakeholders at the National Emergency Coordination Forum (ECF) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, Umar highlighted the importance of early warning backed by early action to mitigate the impact of the impending disasters.
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