Nigeria Military bombard Arepo in Ogun State, considered den of petroleum pipeline vandalism

Many people were feared dead, as the Military commenced bombardment of creeks in Arepo area of Ogun State, suspected to be inhabited by militants.

This is just as gunmen, suspected to be militants, stormed Isawo area of Ikorodu, Lagos, and abducted a man identified simply as Hyginius.

The bombardment, it was gathered, was carried out by the Military and police but it was not clear, if those killed included civilians living around the creeks.

 Unconfirmed  report had it that several lives were lost with about 30 houses destroyed.

 It was gathered that some helicopters were sighted hovering around the creeks around 5.30p.m., followed by sporadic gunshots.

Vanguard said residents of Elepete area, who apparently thought it was another attack from militants, scampered for safety.

 Police sources said “it was a joint operation.” It was gathered that the helicopters deployed in the operation were of the Air Force, while personnel of the three forces, comprising the Army Navy and Air Force and Police were on board the boats that combed the creeks. A source said: “These militants are responsible for the attacks on residents at Elepete and Igbolomu areas of Ikorodu. It is an ongoing operation.”

Nigerian Current reports that at least 100 suspected militants have been killed as the military on Saturday continued the aerial bombardment of Fatola, the base of militants and pipeline vandals in the Arepo area of Ogun State.

Meanwhile the army has held a news conference to formally inform the public about the bombing of Arepo creeks.

Spokesperson of the Army said, military decided to use air strikes to bombard the area because the militants blocked all access routes with tree cut outs and other obstacles, even as the creek is shallow that boat cannot go through.

Details later.....

North not scared of Nigeria restructuring--Ndume

In an interview with Vanguard, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume, representing Borno Central Senatorial District, says the north was is not in any way afraid of any restructuring of the country, while also commenting on other national issues.

He said,”there is agitation everywhere across the country. Niger-Delt militants in the creeks are clamouring for the control of oil in their region. IPOB and MASSOB in the South-East are asking for independence.

 “ If there is a need to restructure, if there is a need to redefine our existence as a nation, it should be through dialogue. We came together through dialogue. When our colonial masters wanted to give us independence in 1957, northerners said ‘hold on, we are not ready yet, let us get our house in order’. So, the independence was not by force. All I am saying is that whatever we want to do to make changes, it should not be through violence but dialogue. It should not be through threat and all the negative means that we are seeing daily. We came together by mutual consent. Why must we separate through violence? It cannot work because we didn’t force ourselves on anybody. And so, I don’t think it is right to use derogatory words on one another.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/north-not-afraid-restructuring-ndume/

•Explains how Senate escaped budget padding crisis By Olalekan Bilesanmi Senate Majority Leader, Senator Muhammed Ndume, represents Borno Central Senatorial District. In this interview, Ndume speaks on claims on the padding of the 2011 budget by some leaders of the House of Representatives. He also speaks on the agitations in the Niger Delta and the South-East for restructuring and the fate of the North should that happen. There is agitation everywhere across the country. Niger-Delta militants in the creeks are clamouring for the control of oil in their region. IPOB and MASSOB in the South-East are asking for independence. Is it not high time we restructured this country? Sen. Ndume Sen. Ndume If there is a need to restructure, if there is a need to redefine our existence as a nation, it should be through dialogue. We came together through dialogue. When our colonial masters wanted to give us independence in 1957, northerners said ‘hold on, we are not ready yet, let us get our house in order’. So, the independence was not by force. All I am saying is that whatever we want to do to make changes, it should not be through violence but dialogue. It should not be through threat and all the negative means that we are seeing daily. We came together by mutual consent. Why must we separate through violence? It cannot work because we didn’t force ourselves on anybody. And so, I don’t think it is right to use derogatory words on one another.

Read more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/north-not-afraid-restructuring-ndume/

Constitution writers had in mind only a Nigeria awash with petro-dollars – Okogie

Okogie

The Archbishop Emeritus of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, in this piece, says those who wrote the Constitution appeared to have in mind only a Nigeria awash with petro-dollars.

Nigerians are witnessing two scenes of a drama.

Scene one is the drama of clamour and resistance – clamour for restructuring and resistance to restructuring of the federation, that is, if Nigeria can be called a federation in the proper sense of the word.

 Cardinal OkogieCardinal Okogie Scene two is the drama of accusations and mutual accusations.

 The party in power today accuses the party in power yesterday of corruption, and the party in power yesterday accuses the party in power today of the same offence.

These two scenes cannot be ignored.

What is going on, underscores the need to be truthful about our past and our present, so that our future will not be a continuation of falsehood and the corresponding failure to build a just society. Terms of debate

The debate on restructuring is cloudy, the drama heightened.

What is intriguing is that neither side of the debate seems to know what the terms of the debate are.

Many of those who call for restructuring have not been able to explain what precisely they mean by restructuring.

 By restructuring, some expect the reduction of the current 36 states to six geopolitical regions.

 Some others want the local governments to be reduced or removed altogether.

At the same time, many of those who are afraid of restructuring come across as people who do not know what they are afraid of.

Certainly, there is a case to be made for shrinking the size of government prescribed in our Constitution.

This Constitution was written by persons who appeared to have in mind only a Nigeria awash with petro-dollars.

The number of government offices provided for by the Constitution can only be maintained by a stupendously rich Nigeria.

 That was the Nigeria of the 1970s, the era when the 1979 Constitution was drafted.

 And the 1999 Constitution is substantially identical with the 1979 Constitution.

They both reflect the squander mania and prodigality of the period of their birth.

The size of government we have is such that government is the largest employer of labour................Click on this link to read full story:http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/07/constitution-writers-mind-nigeria-awash-petro-dollars-okogie/

Environment Track Appreciates Followers For Reading Saturday"s Funny and bizarre Stories

Today, Saturday we tried our best to supply you funny and strange happens from across the globe.

Our intention for doing so is to draw your attention to strange occurrences in our World these days, to enable you device strategies to protect yourselves , family members, friends and colleagues from falling victims.

This is a culture that we intend to sustain every Saturday.

So, lets keep it a date on coming Saturday.

In case there is any of such bizarre occurrences in your neighbourhood, kindly send us the photos/videos to enrich our publications and serve our esteem readers better. Send via onohreal@yahoo.com

Man Rapes Church Member After Her Birthday Party in Lagos

 

The man identified only as Damilola, is now in serious trouble with the police.

 

31-year-old Damilola was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly raping a 25-year-old woman on Omole Estate, in the Ojodu area of the state.

 

According to Punch Metro, it was learnt that the victim, Favour (pseudonym) and Damilola were members of a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, and the woman had invited the suspect to her birthday party on Tuesday, July 19.

 

Favour, a National Diploma holder and fashion designer, was allegedly told by the suspect five days after the birthday party that he had a surprise gift for her. The two were said to have gone to Damilola’s apartment on Otubor Street on Omole Estate.

 

Punch Metro reports that the suspect r*ped the victim in his room.

 

It was learnt that Favour reported the matter at the Ojodu Police Division and Damilola was arrested.

 

The incident was also reported at the Lagos State Domestic and S*xual Violence Response Team, Alausa.

 

A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that Damilola had failed to show up at the victim’s birthday party and allegedly lured her to his house a week later.

 

She said, “Damilola and the lady were church friends. The lady had her birthday on Tuesday, July 19, and she invited all youths in the church who were her friends. Damilola, however, did not come. He, thereafter, called her to apologise and promised to make it up.

“On the following Sunday, Damilola called her that he had set up a makeup party and that the two were going to a restaurant. However, he took her to his house in the estate, and locked her up. He beat her up and raped her.

Bricklayer Abducts Two Children in Ogun, sells one for N1500

Ola Ibikunle

 

Ola Ibikunle, a suspected child abductor,  has been detained by the police for his grievous crime.

 

The man was detained after he was caught with a four-year-old girl in the Oyero area of Ijoko, Ogun State.

 

According to Punch Metro, it was learnt that Ibikunle, a bricklayer, had held his victim, Eniola, by the neck and was about to strangle her in an uncompleted building when he was caught by passersby.

 

The suspect, who confessed to have stolen another three-year-old boy and sold him for N1,500, was later handed over to operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Agbado Police Division.

 

Punch Metro reports that Eniola and her 11-year-old sister, Opeyemi, were following their father, Segun Quadri, to a church in Ijoko around 2pm on Tuesday.

 

The father was said to have gone some distance ahead when the suspect ambushed the children and abducted Eniola.

 

The victim’s sister, Opeyemi, reportedly raised the alarm which caught the attention of some passersby.

 

The suspect was reportedly met in an uncompleted building while trying to strangle the girl. An angry mob had beaten him up before the police arrived on the scene.

 

Ibikunle, who hails from Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, told Punch Metro that Eniola was his second victim.

 

The suspect, who spoke in Yoruba, confessed to have stolen a three-year-old boy around the Ijoko area sometime in June and sold him to a man in the Sango area for N1,500.

 

He said, “I am a bricklayer, but I use child abduction to augment my wages. A man in the Sango area contracted me to always get children for him. I don’t know what he uses them for. Last month, I abducted a boy of about three years and sold him to the man for N1,500.

“This girl (Eniola) was the second child I would abduct, but I did not succeed.”

 

The victim’s father, Segun, said he and the children were already late for a church programme on that day which made him to walk faster than them.

 

He said, “The incident happened around 1pm on Tuesday. We had a programme in our church and we were late. Since Opeyemi is older, I thought they should be able to find their way to the church.

“I had gone some distance ahead when some people called me that Opeyemi said her younger sister had been abducted. She said the abductor escaped with Eniola to an uncompleted building and she led us there. We met him holding her by the neck.”

 

A police source told Punch Metro that efforts were being made to apprehend the buyer of the abducted children.

 

“The suspect has confessed to the crime and he stated that he sells his victims to a man in the Sango area. But he has yet to mention the name of the kingpin. Some operatives followed him to the area twice, but he did not lead them to the man’s house. We are going to ensure that we track him down,” the source said.

 

The Ogun State acting Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspect would be further investigated.

 

He said, “It is a case of suspected child stealing. The police were able to arrest the suspect with the help of residents. The Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has directed that the suspect should be transferred to the command headquarters for a thorough investigation.”

Newly-wedded Businessman Shot Dead by Trigger-happy Policeman in Kano

Tochukwu Iro was brutally murdered by trigger-happy police officer

 

A trigger-happy policeman has killed a patent medicine dealer, identified as Tochukwu Iro.

 

According to Punch, Tochukwu, 42, who just got married, was shot on Wednesday by the policeman, said to be from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, because the deceased refused to stop when ordered to do so.

 

A source said,  “The incident happened on France Road. The man was shot because he allegedly did not stop when he was ordered to do so by the police.

 

“He was shot in the thigh. Other SARS operatives immediately rushed him to the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.”

 

As a result of the untimely death of Tochukwu, 200 angry youths of Igbo extraction took to the streets in Sabon Gari to protest against the shooting.

 

Speaking about  the incident, the Chairman, Igbo Traders Welfare Association, Kano State, Chief Emmanuel Amadi, said Tochukwu died on Thursday, 24 hours after he was shot.

 

He said, “The protesters are demanding justice. On our own, we have pleaded with them not to take laws into their own hands. All we are asking for is that the killer of Tochukwu be made to face justice.”

 

 

The Kano State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Magaji Majia, said, “The Commissioner of Police Kano State, Alhaji Rabiu Yusuf, has ordered the arrest and detention of the team leader and his men.

“He also summoned the elders of the Igbo community in Kano to a meeting, where he sympathised with them and assured them that justice would be done.

“The outcome of the investigation will be made public as soon as investigation is completed.”