Okada rider in Calabar paid N10,000 to kill nurse for rituals

A commercial motorcycle rider, also known as okada rider in Bekwara, Cross River State, southsouth Nigeria, identified as Ifeanyi alias Koboko, played the devil’s role when he kidnapped a nurse, Mrs Helen Ilonge and she was killed for ritual.
P.M.NEWS investigation revealed that Helen, who headed the Public Health Unit in the Bekwara local government council, was taken to ritualists who beheaded her for rituals after her relatives had paid a ransom.
Ifeanyi, whose father is Igbo and mother from Ogoja, in Cross River, was allegedly paid N10,000 by the ritualists to bring the victim for them. Ifeanyi allegedly abducted the 51-year old woman at Okpogrinya Junction along the Ogoja –Calabar highway. He reportedly took the nurse, who was returning from Assemblies of God programme in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to Ukpe, a village along the Ogoja–Ikom highway where she was beheaded and later cut into pieces for money making ritual.
The victim’s neighbour, Mrs Theresa Idagwu, told P.M.NEWS yesterday that “she called her daughter, Victoria Agah, at about 9 p.m. on the fateful day and told her that she was at Okpogrinya junction and that she is taking a commercial motorcycle to Ogoja and when she gets to Ogoja she would call again so that she can boil water for her because she was catching cold following the rain which was falling all day. That was the last call.”
According to Mrs Idagwu, the deceased neighbour at Abuochiche estate where the nurse had an apartment, the phone remained silent until the next day when a call came through from the kidnappers demanding for a ransom of N50,000 naira which should be sent through MTN and Glo recharge cards.
“And since she could not raise the money for the recharge cards, she rushed to the Bekwara council headquarters where the Head of Administration, Mr Bisong Bogbo and the chairman of council, Mr Linus Edeh, provided the money and sent it to the kidnappers.
“Initially, they said they were at Ishi Eke near Abakaliki. The voice claimed that he needed the recharge so he could sell and run away from his master who is a ritualist whom he has been serving for a long time and was tired. He said once he gets the cards they will release the woman,” she added.
Tears streamed down Mrs Idagwu’s cheeks while narrating the tragic incident.
According to Mr Bogbo, “the cards were sent to the kidnappers by the daughter to the victim online and he said he will confirm and immediately after that the phone went dead. But later we heard that the woman was cut into pieces.
“It was through a tracking device that the place was located and it was in Abuochiche and some people confirmed that Ifeanyi was selling the MTN and Glo recharge cards there. And when the police swooped on him, they discovered that it was those cards sent to them that he was selling.”
At the council headquarters, the victim’s colleague, Mr Gabriel Emeka Ogar, said she is probably the kindest woman she has worked with.
“I have worked with five coordinators but I know that she is the best so far,” Ogar said.
According to him, the lady had worked to the satisfaction of the governor and now she has been killed, leaving her five children without a helper.
“Her husband died five years ago and since then she has been the one taking care of the children. Only one has graduated. Please let the government do something for those poor children,” he added.
The Cross River State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP John Umoh, said the matter is under investigation and four suspects, including Ifeanyi, are in their custody in Calabar. He said the Homicide Unit is handling the investigation and when that is completed they shall be taken to court.
“We have taken confessional statements from them. They claim the dismembered body was buried in a swamp. We shall exhume the body for autopsy,” Umoh said.
Meanwhile, trouble is brewing in Obanlikwu, her local government of origin as youths have for three days running been blocking the road leading to the Obudu Ranch Resort asking that justice must be done.
 DailyPost

Boko Haram has killed over 2,800 people in just 3 years – Report

No fewer than 2,800 persons have been sent to their grave by the radical Boko Haram sect since 2009, Human Rights Watch (HRW), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has said.
The group, while announcing the figure yesterday blamed the perpetual crisis in the country on prevalent poverty, corruption and police abuse.
The African Director of rights group, Mr Daniel Bekele said this at the launching of a report in Lagos on Thursday, while calling on the government to find solution to the Boko Haram insurgence.
The 98-page report, entitled, ‘Spiralling Violence: Boko Haram attacks and security force abuses in Nigeria,’ accused armed forces, which, it alleged, engaged in numerous abuses, including extra-judicial killings in the country.
Bekele said, “The unlawful killing by both the Boko Haram sect and armed forces only grows worse. Both sides need to halt this downward spiral.”
According to Human Rights Watch, the report was based on a field research conducted between July 2010 and July 2012, and close monitoring of media reports of the Boko Haram attacks and statements for the past three years.
It added that 135 people, including 91 witnesses were victims of the Boko Haram violence or armed forces abuses, as well as lawyers, civil society leaders, government officials, senior military and police personnel.
The group disclosed that in the first nine months of 2012 alone, more than 815 people died in some 275 suspected attacks by the group – and equally more than the aforementioned figure in all of 2010 and 2011 attacks.
While lamenting that five days of clashes between the group and armed forces left more than 800 people dead in July 2009 and precipitated further violence, the group recalled that security personnel, in 2009, arrested and allegedly executed the group’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, with at least several dozens of his followers in Maiduguri.
The report said, “When the group reemerged in 2010, under the leadership of Abubakar Shekau, Yusuf’s former deputy, it vowed to avenge the killings of its members.”
Quoting media reports in Nigeria, the group further added that at least 211 policemen lost their lives in the attacks orchestrated by the Boko Haram foot soldiers.
The group however called on the government to address the security situation before the entire nation is wiped out.

DailyPost

“God will strike those saying I’ve joined Illuminati, I am a king wherever I am” – D’Banj

In a major interview to the Lagos State based radio station, Cool FM, Mo Hits, DB/Good Music/Mercury/IDJ artiste, Dapo Oyebanjo, popularly called D’banj, sought to lay to rest various allegations and rumours being peddled about him.
The artiste also spoke on chances of reconciling with former partner and friend Don Jazzy. Asked if there were chances that both parties may reconcile, he said: “We can always work together, and Don Jazzy still produced some songs on my forthcoming album. Yes, we can work together in future. Maybe a big company can pay a lot of money for us to perform, and yes, it has to be a lot of money for me.”
Although the separation remains fresh in the minds of the public since the break-up made public in March this year, the singer appeared to be still be nursing the wounds. He appeared overwhelmed with emotions when the interviewer referred to Don Jazzy as his friend. To this he replied, “What do you guys call friends? I mean, I had friends for nine years, and you guys saw what happened after the divorce. I lost custody of my children apart from the one I had out of wedlock.”
D’banj also said he was boss of defunct Mo Hits Record by claiming that it was his record label D’Banj (DB) Records that went into partnership with Kanye West’s G.O.O.D, and not Mo’Hit.
Ever since the singer was officially signed on to West’s G.O.O.D music label in July, he was rumoured to have joined the dreaded Iluminati Cult, which is alleged to be home to a number of American celebrities, including West.
In defence, D’banj said, “I don’t know anything about the Illuminati. When I wanted to travel out of Nigeria for the first time, I collected my international passport from Bishop David Oyedepo. That shows that I owe my success to God. If my success is too fast for people or they cannot understand it, please don’t attribute it to illuminati. I feel very offended when that is being said, because it simply translates to giving God’s glory to another person which He does not share with anyone. God will strike anyone who attributes my success to someone else.”
To the allegations of an existing relationship with Nollywood actress, Genevieve Nnaji, he said, “I am very single, and Genevieve is my friend. I have been saying this for over a year since we shot the Fall in Love video. Can’t you people just see fine boy and fine girl in a video kissing each other and not think anyhow?”
Although the singer, who released his debut album “No Long Thing” in 2005, was recently featured on West’s Cruel Summer CD inlay and a couple of other singles, he has been criticised for ‘leaving his kingship in Nigeria to become a prince in America.’
Amidst laughter, D’banj replied, “Did I change the crown? I only carried my crown to the US. People are just confused but the truth is I am still a king wherever I am. Being in a different country and culture I had to study the environment which is what I am still doing. I actually thought I would release my album in America, but my label thought UK would be better because I have a bigger fan base there. I weighed my options, remember everything did not come from me, so I had to do what I did to move on.”
The singer, who revealed that his mother allowed him to travel to the UK in 2002 with a condition that he would spend just two months there, describes social media network as platform for idle talk.
“I am too busy for social media, please. If you people want to talk to me go to TV or radio, I don’t go to social media except I have something to say. I never give out recharge cards on Twitter (laughs), even when I was with Globacom, I never did that. If you want to do that, why not help a charity instead?”
 DailyPost

How Super Eagles star turned me into sex slave – Tina Okpara

Tina Okpara, the teenage girl who was serially raped by Super Eagles star, Godwin Okpara, has released a book, detailing how the sexual assault went on for two years.
In the book titled, “My Life Has A Price”, the victim narrates how she was adopted at age 13 by the Okparas and taken to France.
Linda, Okpara’s wife, then enslaved her for five years and turned a blind eye to the sexual abuse, she says in the book.
Tina’s decision to write the book seven years after she regained freedom, aims at raising awareness and helping other girls who might be going through the same horrendous experience, she said in an interview with TheNews magazine.
“One day, I told myself that if I refused testifying, other girls will continue to experience modern slavery,” she said.
She explained how her biological father was tricked by the Okparas into believing that she would be sent to school in France where the Super Eagles star was playing for Paris Saint Germain.
However, once in France, she was used as a sex slave. She was also prevented by Linda from attending school.
“The day she spat it on my face that schooling was not for me because I was too stupid, I lost all hope,” she said.
As the abuse worsened, Tina kept secret notebooks where she could “dump all my sorrow”.
“These notebooks were used to dump all my sorrow, all my hatred for Linda. It was my lifeline and my friend,” she said.
The 188-page book, originally written in French, has just been translated into English.
Godwin is currently serving a 10-year jail term in France, while his wife, Linda, will be in jail for 15 years.
 DailyPost

Gelegele: A Sore In Our Democracy

By Victor Omoregie
GELEGELE is said to have been founded by its first ruler of the village, Ikpiti and his elder sister, Kunemor, sometime in 1403. Both were said to have been attracted to the area because it was located on a hill, which makes it almost impossible to be flooded by the river around the place.
According to oral history, the name ‘Gelegele” means a place on the hill. It seems to have history and importance entrusted upon it. Gelegele began as an ancient seaport which existed even before the coming of the colonial masters and long before the birth of Nigeria as a country.
Apart from the British expedition in Benin, Gelegele was one of the seaports through which the colonial masters passed in their quest for the exploration and partitioning of Africa. They used it to access the ancient Benin Kingdom. It became a major route for slave trade, cocoa, cowries and other precious items for the colonial powers and now it has become an oil-producing community.

Gelegele community road…under construction

Most importantly is its role in the history of the Benin Kingdom. It was through Gelegele that the British punitive expedition passed in 1897, which resulted in the total annihilation of the empire. It was through this same port that the reigning monarch of the Benin Kingdom, Oba Ovoramwen was deported to Calabar.
British expedition
The British expedition team was led by its Consul-General, James Phillips. The large canoe which Phillips and his team arrived Gelegele is believed to be buried by the sand in a particular spot at the port. There is also a mass grave site where the British colonial masters were reportedly buried. The names of those killed and buried along with Phillips are Peter W.C. Copland-Crowder, Arthur I Maling, Kenneth C. Campell, Robert H. Elliot, Harry S. Powish and Thomas Cordon.
With all these it would have been expected that Gelegele would have acquired some form of development, but alas, that is not the case. Like every other community in the Niger Delta, Gelegele is a graphic contrast to its economic and historical significance. Despite hosting the oil flow station of Dubri Oil Company since 1979, socio-economic activities in Gelegele are seemingly non-existent.
The mere mention of Gelegele usually evokes a picture of a far-flung, under-developed, inaccessible community in the heart of the rain forest. The village is situated near a large expanse of tropical rain forest, deep in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, with a network of rivers, creeks, streams, canals and springs linking up to the River Niger which flows into the high seas.
Pockets of jetties and shrines being patronized by the people keep the area alive. Expectedly, low level fishing and trading in condensate (mistaken by the local people as diesel) go on in the area and serve as the major sources of revenue for the people.
The journey to Gelegele for Vanguard began at the new-look Ring Road in Benin City. The Ring-road of today wears the modern look of a real urban business centre and epi-centre of the Benin Kingdom.
The Ring-road structure is the representation of the ancient road networks constructed in the glorious days of the Benin Kingdom. All roads around the city empty into the ring road. It is worthy of note that popular and historical roads converge at the Ring Road.
These include such roads as the Sakpoba road, Sapele Road, Airport Road, Ekenkhuan, Mission Road, Ewaise (formerly called Forestry) Road, Akpakpava. Also noticeable round the Ring road are very important historical sites of the Benin Kingdom that serve as historical pointers of days of yore. First among these sites is the Palace of the Monarch of the Benin Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpokpolokpolo, Oba Erediauwa.
Then comes the Urhokhota Hall (the traditional meeting hall of all Binis). Next is the Oredo Local Government offices. The most important market in Benin, which is the Oba market lies close-by. Directly opposite is the State House of Assembly Complex, with the General Hospital as its next door neighbour. The Benin Baptist Church is close also. The Central Bank Building is also located in front of the Ring road. To complement the beauty and tourist attraction of  the Ring road is the National Museum, which is located directly at the centre of the road.
The new beauty of the Ring road is a testimony to one of the achievements of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State. In the not too recent past, the Ring road could have been likened to the former Oshodi area in Lagos, where the citizenry dreaded to pass after dark.
At the Ring Road Bus Terminal, vehicles going to different parts of the city can be found. Governor Oshiomhole’s impact on the transport sector is evident in the presence of numerous long luxurious buses popularly called ‘Oshio Baba’ in the local parlance, heading to different parts of the city. These buses are the exact replica of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s BRT buses.
Upon the location of the bus terminal, Vanguard was informed that buses go to Gelegele twice a day, in the morning and in the evening. It was by a stroke of luck that Vanguard got a space into one of the buses heading to Gelegele. With the bus filled to capacity with passengers, it began its journey.
Residential layout
From the Ring road the bus passed by the Ekenkhuan campus of University of Benin on the right and the Garrick Grammar School on the left. Then it meandered through the new residential layout of Ugbiokho. As the bus passed through the Ekenkhuan village the scenery changed from those of buildings on both sides of the road to that of luxuriant tropical rain forests. Surprisingly the journey was smooth thus far, courtesy of the NDDC, that had built a two-lane asphalt road that would terminate at Gelegele.

Gelegele port

As we approached the Ughoton community, Vanguard was informed that we were entering the oil-producing region of Edo State. From inside the bus we could see oil-capping facilities on both sides of the road. In all, we counted over 20 oil-capping facilities before we got to Gelegele. The scenery for the rest of the journey was virtually the same, with few houses interspacing the green tropical rain forest. The journey ended when the bus came to a halt in front of the ‘Health Centre’ in Gelegele, where there were passengers already waiting to board the bus back to Benin.
Upon disembarking from the bus, we approached two young men we noticed who sat in front of the steps on the clinic.. We informed them of our intention to have an extensive tour of the Gelegele community. We then followed the youths towards a location that had the sign post indicating the direction to the proposed new sea port.
As we progressed we suddenly entered into a clearing, only to be confronted by a group of youths. One of them told us that we had to obtain permission from their “General” before any tour or facility visit within the Gelegele community could be taken. The journey took another dimension when we were shepherded into a footpath that could barely take one person at a time. What this meant was that everyone had to walk in a single file.
Stern looking young men
We were sandwiched by a group of youths. Suddenly, we emerged again at another clearing, but this time, it had houses. Seated under what could be described as an earthen porch were eight stern-looking young men. After introductions, the spokesperson of the group finally introduced us to ‘General’ Richard Obei who we later had an interview with.
After the interview with ‘General’ Obei, he assigned two youths to serve as our guides and to also keep an eye on us. They then took us to the house of one of the elders of the community. The residence was also located within the clearing we had just entered. The residence was modest enough to house a man of the standing as a Chief. It had its generator running, to provide electricity. After the interview with Chief Kokoroko, we now set out for the survey proper of the community.
We followed the youths through the thick tropical rain forest, to every oil-capping site. In all we counted 15 oil-capping facilities scattered in the forest. It would seem as if the Gelegele community is sitting virtually on a crude oil basin.
After a hectic walk through the forest, we came out close to the ‘famous’ Gelegele sea port. Commercial activities were about rounding up for the day. Vanguard was informed that boats and ferries carrying human and commercial cargo went to any part of the country that was linked by waterways. We saw some women loading their wares into one of the speed boats. What we could identify were kegs of local gin, dried fish, snails, plantain, salt, garri and palm oil.
Otedo News

Aluu Killings: “The policemen said they should burn them alive” – Tekena’s sister

A sister of one of the four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) students brutally murdered last Friday in Umuokiri village, Aluu, Rivers State, has narrated how her younger brother and his friends were lynched.
Miss Ibisobia Elkanah, elder sister of Tekena Friday Elkanah, revealed yesterday that policemen visited the scene where the students were burnt to death after they were severely injured and that one of the law enforcement agents told the perpetrators of the dastardly act “to burn them alive”
The murdered students, Chiadika Lordson, Ugonna Kelechi Obusor, Mike Lloyd Toku, and Tekena Elkanah, all part two students, were murdered in cold blood over alleged theft of a laptop computer and a blackberry phone. Ibisobia, a part-time final year student of Marketing, at the same university who witnessed the incident, said on that fateful day, at about 7.30 am, she was at the house of her girl friend in the community when she heard people shouting outside. “I dashed out and beckoned on my friend to come since she lived in the area.
The thing attracted much noise and attention. I went there but did not actually see or recognize any of them, due to the crowd. “I heard when people were saying the people they (vigilance group) caught were strangers; that they want to burn them.
They said they were asking them questions, so that they could know their senders.” She said after that, she went back to her friend’s house, but could not stay there. “I went back again. I went through the bush path so that I could see them properly. I started jumping to see if I could see them. I jumped again but saw nothing. I jumped the second time and I saw Tekena. Tekena happened to be my brother. “I told myself that I was not seeing well, this thing is a lie. I jumped the third time, I saw Lloyd (one of the victims). So, I started shouting.
From what I gathered, the first time I came, they said they were not known; that they were strangers. As I identified them, I started shouting. Ibisobia said she continued shouting that Tekena was her brother, saying that he came to her on Thursday in school and she gave him his school fees. “I told them that somebody should allow me to ask him what happened and what he came to do. He would confide in me. He was wailing and in a pool of blood.”
“Tekena has been my younger brother for many years. I saw them as they lay in the water naked with leaves covering their nakedness.” His elder sister said she struggled and entered the crowd. Somebody shouted “Who is that? What is she doing inside?” “People were pushing me and I started crying. He is my brother! He is not a thief! Somebody behind me said O’girl run for your life.
About two persons turned and asked, are you sure he is your brother, and said may be I was the person that sent him to go and steal.” Ibisobia replied them that how could she send him, that she did not look as such. ‘They said I should run for my life that I would be the next one, fifth person.” The young lady lamented that before she could get to her friend’s room to call her family members, she learnt that the mob had taken them to the burrow pit. “So, I went there again.
I called my family and they started coming. The police van came, went into the mob and they were talking to them (youths). The people kept quiet as police were making statements. “I heard them laughing. You know, they were happy. They kept quiet again. Police talked and they laughed again. The next was for me to see three policemen coming out of the mob, boarded their van. And, one of the said “burn them alive”. “I must confess, I was gripped with fear.
I had the intention to talk to the man that said they should be burnt alive. As soon as they (police) drove off, I saw the flames. I was thinking they burnt them after they had killed them. Later, I discovered that they were burnt while they were alive.
 DailyPost

Chief Justice of the Federation caught driving on BRT lane

Reports reaching us says, ” The Chief Justice of the Federation broke the Lagos State Traffic Law today by driving on the BRT lane. She was seen ‘driving’ against the law by 12:40 pm today and the case was reported live on Lagos traffic FM 96.1.”
The fine for taking BRT lane is N25, 000. Does that mean she will pay the mandatory fine or continue to ‘drive’ against the law?
Let’s keep our fingers crossed for continuous updates on the matter.
DailyPost