Enugu State govt condemns murder of Catholic Priest, Eya, places ₦10m bounty on killers - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

The Enugu State Government has strongly condemned the gruesome murder of Rev. Fr. Mathew Eya of Nsukka Catholic Diocese by unknown assailants, reports ITREALMS.

The government commiserated with the late priest's family, the Catholic Diocese of Nsukka, and the Catholic faithful over the tragic incident.

MRA wants Lagos to obey court’s order, investigate reporter’s death, prosecute killers - ITREALMS

ITREALMS ... making leadership SENSE with digital news!

Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Lagos State Government to comply with the order of a Federal High Court in Lagos directing it to ensure an investigation into the death of Mr. Pelumi Onifade, a 20-year reporter with Gboah TV, who was reportedly arrested by the Police while covering the #EndSARS protests in 2020 and later found dead, and to identify and prosecute those responsible.

In a letter written on the organization’s behalf by its lawyer, Mr. Kingsley Kenechukwu, of the law firm of Charles Musa and Co., dated August 22, 2024 and addressed to the State’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, MRA urged the Government to “comply with the directives of the honorable court so that justice would be seen to be done and hope given to the common man that there is still justice in the judicial system.”

Insecurity: Dickson warns politicians sponsoring killers, says they're criminals

ITREALMS:

Bayelsa State Governor, Henry Seriake Dickson, on Monday in Yenagoa urged security agencies to treat political leaders who sponsor criminals, reports ITRealms.

According to him, such political leaders should be arrested and prosecuted like the criminals they sponsor to perpetuate crime against innocent citizens in the society.

A statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media Relations, Fidelis Soriwei, said Dickson Med the suggestion  during a courtesy call on him by the Flag Officer Commanding the Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Alhassan.

The Governor said, “It is our position in this state that Crime is crime and security agencies should arrest and treat political leaders who are sponsoring criminals as common criminals because that is what they are.”

The Governor also called on the Naval authorities to intensify efforts to improve maritime security in the waters of Bayelsa.

Governor Dickson enjoined the Navy to rise effectively to the challenge of sea piracy, kidnapping, oil theft, vandalism and related maritime crimes.

“I count on you to combat and bring down to the barest minimum, the cases of piracy in the waters, cases of kidnapping, the oil theft, the vandalism of Strategic national assets and so forth,” he added

The Governor who commended the Federal Government for the establishment of the Central Naval Command said that the Navy had a major responsibility in the maintenance maritime security and stability.

The governor stressed that his administration had always emphasized the pertinence of law and order because of the need to preserve the foundation for peace, security, stability and development established by the government over the last six years.

According to him, the Navy’s role in supporting development in Bayelsa, the Niger Delta and the entire country cannot be overemphasized.

Honourable Dickson commended the Navy’s action against the scourge of sea piracy in Koluama in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the State.

He demanded the establishment of a naval outpost at Oluasiri and Agge in Nembe and Ekeremor Local Government Areas of the state respectively to strengthen the onslaught on maritime crime.

“While thanking you for your record in Koluama, I wish to inform you we intend working with you to support the establishment of another outpost at the Oluasiri end at the Eastern part and we also need a strong naval presence at Agge in the West.

“If there is any arm of our nation’s security system whose strength is critical to the maintenance of stability, it is the Navy; so this state will continue to partner with the Nigerian Navy.”

Earlier, the FOC, Central Command, Rear Admiral Alhassan, commended the governor his sustained support to the activities of the service and indeed the military in Bayelsa.

He lauded the governor for donating a property for the building of a Naval Secondary School in Yenagoa.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Police says Tivs, killers of Zaki Biam massacre in March

ITRealms:

The Nigeria Police Force has declared that some criminal gangs with origin of Tiv in Benue State, are the suspected killers of the 17 innocent persons at Zaki Biam, recently, including two women and 17 men, reports ITRealms.

The Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood said this in Abuja at the parading of suspects arrested in connection with the merciless killings of innocent persons and wanton destruction of properties worth millions of Naira at Zaki Biam in Benue State on March 20.

The 19 suspects so far arrested, he said were all Tivs and made up of various criminal gangs on their roles in the killings of innocent persons and other violent crimes carried out by Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana in Benue State.

This was against earlier media reports that the killers were Fulani Herdsmen.

He said, follows deployment of Police Special Tactical Force and a high powered investigation team to unravel the circumstances surrounding the gruesome killings and bring the perpetrators to justice, set up by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris.

Moshood in a press statement made available to ITRealms also said that the preliminary investigation and the operations embarked upon by the joint Police team revealed that one Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana, a gang leader of a vicious and notorious serial killer syndicate was responsible for the senseless killings of seventeen (17) innocent persons at Zaki Biam and for killing in cold blood of about fifty (50) people in other locations in Benue State.

According to him, Akwaza is also responsible for so many kidnappings, armed robberies and cultists violence leading to loss of lives and properties in other parts of Benue State. Further investigation revealed that he is also responsible for killing of Mr. Deneen Igbana (late) the Special Adviser on Security to the Executive Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom.

ITRealms gathered that the joint operations comprise of the personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Military and the Department of State Service, who are now tasked with the arrest of Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana and his vicious criminal gang.

The 19 suspects, Moshood said, are currently in Police custody and have admitted to be cohorts of the wanted suspect “Terwase Akwaza aka Ghana” and have facilitated the commission of some of the offences linked to him at different times in Benue and other neighbouring States.

The suspects, he said, will be charged to court on completion of investigation, 17 men and two women.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Killers of late Cynthia Osokogu to die by hanging

ITRealms:

The two-member gang of Okwumo Nwabufo and Olisaeloka Ezike charged with the murder of Ms Cynthia Osokogu, a Facebook friend, have been sentenced to death by hanging, reports ITRealms.


Ms Cynthia Osokogu, ITRealms gathered was a postgraduate student of Nasarawa State University, at the time of her death on July 22, 2012.

ITRealms recalls that Ms Osokogu was murdered by the duo convicts on July 22, 2012 at Cosmilla Hotel, Lake View Estate, Festac Town, Lagos.

Delivering judgment on Thursday, Justice Olabisi Akinlade of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, found Nwabufo and Ezike guilty as charged by the state.

Also, the judge held that the circumstantial evidence brought by the state in proof of the six counts of conspiracy, murder and stealing against the accused persons were cogent, complete, unequivocal and compelling, hence sentenced both to death by hanging.

*Ozo Nweke Ozo with additional reports from The Punch & Channels TV/GEE

ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!

Killers of 7 FRSC officers must face trial - Oyeyemi

ITRealms:

The killers of seven officers belonging to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) must face trial, says the Corp Marshal, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, reports ITRealms.

Speaking in Lagos at the weekend, Mr. Oyeyemi said that FRSC between the last four months has lost 7 officers due to reckless driving of some motorists, insisting they must be made to face the law.

This kind of killing, he said, is most regrettable because those officers were doing their constitutional job and should be respected at all times.

“FRSC lost about 7 officers between December and date,” he decried, promising that culprits will be prosecuted.

ITRealms recalled that FRSC, established in in February 1988 by the Federal Government under the statute books as the FRSC Act cap 141 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), has the functions of making the highway safe for motorists and other road users, recommend works and devices designed to eliminate or minimize accidents on the highways and advising the Federal and State Governments including the Federal Capital Territory Administration and relevant governmental agencies on the localities where such works and devices are required.

In addition, FRSC has the mandate to educate motorists and members of the public on the importance of discipline on the highway, particularly, has responsibilities of preventing or minimizing accidents on the highway; clearing obstructions on any part of the highways; educating drivers, motorists  and other members of the public generally on the proper use of the highways; designing and producing the driver’s license to be used by various categories of vehicle operators; determining, from time to time, the requirements to be satisfied by an applicant for a driver’s licence; and designing and producing vehicle number plates.

Equally, ITRealms notes that FRSC has the mandate to standardization of highway traffic codes; giving prompt attention and care to victims of accidents; conducting researches into causes of motor accidents and methods of preventing them and putting into use the result of such researches; determining and enforcing speed limits for all categories of roads and vehicles and controlling the use of speed limiting devices; cooperating with bodies or agencies or groups in road safety activities or in prevention of accidents on the highways.

Further,by making regulations in pursuance of any of the functions assigned to the Corps by or under the Act, ITRealms gathered that FRSC also regulates the use of sirens, flashers and beacon lights on vehicles other than ambulances and vehicles belonging to the Armed Forces, Nigeria Police, Fire Service and other para-military agencies; just as it must provide roadside and mobile clinics for the treatment of accident victims free of charge; regulating the use of mobile phones by motorists; seat belts and other safety devices to name a few.

+ITRealms DSA 
ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!