News
Imo massacre: Soldiers on rampage on us – community cries out *They’re not our men – army
As expected from past incidents, residents of Oriendu in Umualumaku Umueze in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area in Imo State are currently bearing the brunt of the deadly attacks, which left eight soldiers and some policemen dead in their community on Tuesday, as they are being made the scapegoat for the carnage.
Military men are said to have thrown a cordon of fear in the community, leaving them in fear for their lives, their offence – being unfortunate members of a community where the soldiers were attacked and lost their lives and not actually being linked to the commission of the crime itself.
In the last 48 hours since the incident, which attracted the prompt visit of the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, who claimed the attack was politically-induced, the community is said to have witnessed wanton destruction of property by security personnel believed to be soldiers.
In yet another incident of attack by hoodlums popularly referred to as Unknown Gunmen (UGM), who have been destroying lives and property in the South East generally and the South East in particular, a patrol team comprising soldiers, policemen and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were waylaid, killed and their two patrol vehicles set ablaze, on Tuesday.
Bemoaning the situation in a video, which went viral on Wednesday, residents were seen bewailing the destruction of property in the community, alleging that the act was perpetrated by the armed officials and that the people of the community were currently living in fear of their lives.
Wondering what their offence was, especially as they were equally victims, the voice on the tape, which lamented that they were being punished for what they knew nothing about, showed images of several shops, buildings, properties, food shops and bars were allegedly razed by the rampaging soldiers seeking justice for their colleagues.
PUNCH Metro, which reported that the roads of the quiet village looked deserted after the soldiers allegedly wreaked a devastating havoc on the community with only a handful of countable residents whose properties were destroyed seen, also reported that in one of the shops, uncountable crates of alcoholic drinks were destroyed, several lockup shops set ablaze, while in another shop also showed broken pots, plates, chairs.
The voice was heard lamenting: “We have suffered in this community. What do they want us to do in this community? That a crime was committed in this community does not mean that it is Ehime Mbano people that did it. You people should come to our rescue.
“Shops, bars, event centres and food stalls were all burned down today by the military men of the Nigeria. The people they destroyed their shops; were they the ones that committed the crime? Please, we are suffering in this community; leave us alone because things are bad. People are crying and asking what did we do?”
The paper, which also reported that some indigenes of the community had fled into the bush, quoted a resident of the community dealing on building materials in the area, as saying that the shops and other property destroyed by soldiers belonged to innocent people who knew nothing about Tuesday’s incident.
He was quoted as saying: “The destruction of some shops and drinking joints today in Ehime Mbano by soldiers is not necessary. Shops and tents belonging to pap sellers were destroyed. They should investigate, arrest those behind the killing of the soldiers and bring them to book and not going setting traders shops and buildings on fire. The entire place is boiling; I had to close my shop and leave to avoid problem. The heavy presence of soldiers along the road is worrisome.”
But the authorities of the Nigerian Army, were said to have denied involvement in any attack or destruction of shops, including drinking joints and restaurants, in Ehime Mbano, Imo State, following the gruesome murder of some security personnel in Umualumaku community on Tuesday.
Joseph Akubo, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations Officer, 34 Artillery Brigade, Obinze, was quoted as saying in a telephone interview, he was unaware of any destruction by the men of the force in the area, adding: “Is it that military men came to destroy? Let’s be sure of what you are asking. I am not aware of anything like that. We don’t have a report of anything related to this.
“Unfortunately, everybody is bringing on whatever they like, but for now, the military is not conducting any operations around there. I will suggest you speak with the Police PRO. I think you should speak with the police; they are the ones in charge of internal security. They should be the ones speaking about whatever is taking place.”
Tukur Gusau, a Brigadier General and Director, Defence Information, was also quoted as washing the hands of the institution of the development, adding: “I am not aware.”
Heads must roll, Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State Governor, fumed on Tuesday, as he has inaugurated seven-man Judicial Commission of Inquiry to investigate the arson, killings, and destruction of property at various local government council secretariats in the state, following the outbreak of violence that erupted on Monday on the heels of the swearing-in of 23 newly-elected local government executives a day before.
Against all odds, including the withdrawal of the police ostensibly on the orders of the court, Fubara went ahead to conduct the council polls, on the explanation that the state needed to join others in constituting elected officials to manage the councils to beat the window of grace granted by President Bola Tinubu to stop federation allocations to all states without such structure in place.
Inaugurating the seven-member commission, which has Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri as Chairman at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, a visibly angry Fubara, swore that the full weight of the law would be brought down on anybody found culpable in the act, no matter how highly placed.
Members of the commission, which also had Inyingi Brown as the Secretary; and Uzor Ikenga as the counsel, included Felicia Nwoke; Blessing Didia; Sir Samuel Egbe; and Venerable Alex Usifor, are expected to conclude its function in one month, a statement by Nelson Chukwudi, Fubara’s spokesman, said in a statement.
Bewailing the devastating attack, which also resulted in the burning of no fewer than four LG secretariats, the governor recalled that action mimicked a similar scenario in 2014, months to the general elections of 2015 when courts were set ablaze, residences bombed and people killed, leading to the closure of courts in the state.
Declaring that his administration would not look away while ill-guided youths and sponsored political thugs turned the state into a theatre of violence without being made to pay for such crimes against the state, the governor, said: “So, I have decided to take this action to find out the immediate and remote causes of this arson, most importantly, no matter the personalities involved, we must bring them to book.
“So, this assignment is very important. It is an assignment that, if it is not done rightly, would give the enemies of this State opportunity to continue. And if we are right, it is going to be the end of further destruction of public property in the state. I know it is going to be very tasking. I can assure you that there will be threats, but you have to be strong.”
Explaining that Tuesday’s measure was actually long overdue owing to incidences that have been witnessed since his administration came on board, he cited the case in October, 2023, where a similar incidence was experienced, which he ignored believing that everybody was of the same political family, adding that the persistence of the violence and differences between people who had once worked together had destroyed chances of settling any misgivings internally.
He said: “It has become very clear that rather than getting close to the path of peace, this state is gradually turning into a kingdom where law and order is no longer the order of the day and we cannot fold our hands and allow such thing to happen. On the 5th of October, 2024, about four days ago, we had an election in this state.
“Before the election, we also heard from a lot of quarters, songs of war, (and) threats but we never took them seriously because we believed that a local government election is a prerogative of the state government. It has nothing to do with anybody anywhere that is outside the confinement of our state. And for that reason, we believed strongly that whatever it is, we could manage it to produce the purpose of that election.
“But, it is very unfortunate that after the election, even while the election was going on, several things happened, which we managed, thinking it was going to end there. The day after the election, there were also more threats from people, and we also thought it was just a normal threat, believing that it was not going to be out of hand but it did.”
To the commission, he said: God has not made any mistake to find you suitable for the assignment given to you. I urge you to work with the mind of actualising the purpose of the assignment. History will not forget this responsibility given to them. Your job is to: “Determine the underlying causes of the violence and identify the individuals or groups reasonable for the attacks on some Local Government Council Headquarters and the harm caused to citizens.
“Evaluate the extent of damage to property, infrastructure, and human lives and estimate the financial losses incurred. Examine whether the violence was politically motivated, and if so, identify the key players and their roles in instigating the violence. Assess the effectiveness of the security agencies’ response to the violence and identify areas for improvement.
“Investigate the actions of individuals and groups involved in the violence in the face of the relevant laws, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, etc. Advise on adequate compensation and support for victims and their families, as well as measures to prevent future occurrences.
“Make recommendations on long-term strategies to prevent similar incidents in the future, including recommendations for policy reforms, community engagement, and conflict resolution mechanisms. Recommend appropriate sanctions for individuals and groups found culpable. Make other relevant recommendations in light of its findings which the commission may consider appropriate,” and also mandated the commission to submit its report within “one month.”
Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), on Tuesday denied flatly ever directing the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to halt the operation of its refineries and instead focus solely on equity participation in other refineries, stating that the account that was credited to him was false.
In a statement personally signed he personally signed the Minister maintained that the claims attributed to Kamoru Busari, Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who represented him at a recent conference in Lagos, were false and did not reflect his position or that of the Federal Government.
His words: “My attention has been drawn to statements attributed to Engr. Kamoru Busari, Director of Upstream in the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, who represented me at a recent conference in Lagos. I wish to categorically state that the claim that I directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to stop running its own refineries and focus solely on equity participation in other refineries is false.
“The NNPCL is an independent entity governed under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA), and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run its operations. It is important to clarify that NNPCL is a company governed under CAMA, with a functional board and management. The Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not control or run NNPCL, as it operates independently like any corporate entity.”
Reaffirming his commitment to supporting the growth and independence of NNPCL, ensuring that its operations are in line with international standards for efficiency, transparency, and profitability, Lokpobiri reiterated FG’s commitment to promoting in-country refining and supporting the independence of companies operating in the oil and gas sector, including the NNPCL, adding that the oil and gas sector is fully deregulated, and the government only provides strategic guidance, while companies are encouraged to follow global best practices.
“The Nigerian government remains committed to promoting in-country refining. We encourage companies, including NNPCL, to operate independently and follow global best practices. While we provide strategic guidance, we do not interfere directly in the operations of these companies,” the minister noted.
They’re listening to me now. Everybody is listening to me saying I’m not in support of violence. Nobody in his right senses will support what is going on in the state,” were the words with which Nyesom Wike, former governor, exculpated himself and his supporters from the mayhem which engulfed various parts of Rivers State on Monday.
Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, who was a guest of Politics Today, a public affairs programme on Channels Television, however told his host that whoever was in search of lasting peace in the state should tell Siminalaye Fubara to obey court orders, one of which barred him from conducting last Saturday’s local government election in the state.
The former governor, who has been fingered in the crisis, which has engulfed the state since October last year, including the alleged attempt impeach Fubara, by a group of House of Assembly members in the state, flatly denied any sort of involvement in the crisis, adding that he decided to leave the governor alone to his devices to run the state in the manner he wished.
Against the backdrop of Fubara’s revelation on how he had continued to beg him over the matter, including kneeling before him to allow him a breather, Wike said such a thing never happened, wondering what could cause the governor to kneel, saying the issue was all about he (Fubara’s) decision to disobey President Tinubu.
“What did he kneel down to me for? That’s the question you should be asking me. First of all I deny it happened. Never! He never knelt down for me, why should he kneel down? What offence did he commit? Did he commit an offence to kneel down? If he knelt down, what did he kneel down for? It is not correct.
“The point I’m making is about the intervention by Mr. President. And I said, the President cannot, as the father of the nation, Mr. President cannot come and call you and say, look, this should be done, this should be done. We said okay, Mr. President, we’re going to comply and we did comply. And then you started playing games. And we said, okay, if that is the case, we’re out of it.”
Reacting to Monday’s violence, which led to the burning down of four local government secretariats in the state Wike, who attributed it to the propensity for Nigerians to always ignore the rule of law, insisted that the people must always obey court orders, adding that Fubara and his supporters had gotten up to 31 judgements from the Rivers State judiciary, which were obeyed without resorting to self-help.
“The problem is that Nigeria is a country where anything goes and anybody can do anything and go scot-free. This country is a country where anybody can do anything and go free. You fall back to social media, to carry blackmail, to carry propaganda without telling people this is what is happening.”
Fubara: Enough is enough! Heads must roll *Raises inquiry over Rivers violence
We’re not abandoning refineries – FG *I was misquoted on NNPCL – Lokpobiri
Wike: Fubara never knelt down for me *I’m a man of peace
BREAKING: Supreme Court on fire! Judges’ offices razed days after Atiku, Obi’s appeal!
Soyinka, Obi, Tinubu: When repayment of mafia debt is inescapable
In the military, INEC boss and his team would be executed – Bode George *Why put Tinubu’s boy in charge of IT?
-
Columns3 weeks agoDangote fuel: Nigeria will get mercy when they deserve it!
-
News2 weeks agoEdo polls: Our position – US *Speak on INEC, Obaseki,
-
News4 weeks agoI’m ready to lose money to give Nigerians cheap fuel – Dangote
-
News3 weeks agoBREAKING: Sowore arrested, released on arrival from US
-
News5 days agoEnugu community accuses LP chieftain of inciting communal crisis
-
News3 weeks agoYes! I’m Wike’s cousin, but I’ll conduct clean election – Edo REC
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Rivers council HQ goes up in flames, hours after police exit
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Fubara beats Wike again, swears in new LG bosses