The Akwa Ibom State Governor has appointed a new Secretary to the State Government to replace Umana Umana. The new appointtee Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, is an Executive Director at Zenith Bank.
Mr. Umana has resigned his appointment after he had a secret meeting between Mr. Akpabio and Mr. Umana on Tuesday at the latter's residence in Uyo.
The meeting was was held yesterday after Mr. Umana's office was sealed on monday by armed security operatives from the Government House, Uyo, reportedly on the orders of Mr. Akpabio.
The office remained sealed by the security officials as at Tuesday.Armed security men led by one A. Akiola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said to head the police security unit in the Government House, Uyo, reportedly stormed the government secretary's office block located within the government house, at about 10 a.m. on Monday and took over, after sacking civil servants working there.
The armed mobile policemen and plain clothe operatives from the State Security Service who mounted security at the entrance of Mr. Umana's office, were on Tuesday still busy checking every person and vehicle going in or out of the premises, even as movement remains restricted. Though the official reason for the unexpected siege remains unknown, as no government official was ready to talk on the issue.
Mr. Umana had last Thursday made public his intention to contest for governor in 2015, a decision that many say did not go down well with Mr. Akpabio, who cannot re-contest as this is second term in office.
Premium times
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
A $4 Million Apology To Student Abandoned In Cell For 4 Days Without Food, Water
A 25-year old college student reached a $4.1 million (N659,200,239) settlement with the U.S. federal government after he was abandoned in a windowless Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) cell for more than four days without food or water, according to his attorneys.
Chong said he drank his own urine to stay alive, hallucinated that agents were trying to poison him with gases through the vents, and tried to carve a farewell message to his mother in his arm.
It remained unclear how the situation occurred, and no one has been disciplined, said one of his attorneys.
"It sounded like it was an accident - a really, really bad, horrible accident," Chong said.
Chong was taken into custody during a drug raid and placed in the cell in April 2012 by a San Diego police officer authorized to perform DEA work on a task force.
The officer told Chong he would not be charged and said, 'Hang tight, we'll come get you in a minute.'
The door to the 5-by-10-foot cell did not reopen for 4½ days.
Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed the settlement was reached for $4.1 million but declined to answer other questions.
Since attorney fees are capped at 20 percent of damages and the settlement payment is tax-free, Chong will collect at least $3.2 million (N514,497,747).
'S'
Chong was a 23-year-old engineering student when he was at a friend's house where the DEA found 18,000 ecstasy pills, other drugs and weapons. His attorneys acknowledged Chong was there to consume marijuana.
Chong and eight other people were taken into custody but authorities decided against pursuing charges against him after questioning.
Chong said he began to hallucinate on the third day.
In the cell, he urinated on a metal bench so he could have something to drink. He also stacked a blanket, his pants and shoes on a bench and tried to reach an overhead fire sprinkler, futilely swatting at it with his cuffed hands to set it off.
Chong said he accepted the possibility of death. He bit into his eyeglasses to break them and used a shard of glass to try to carve "Sorry Mom" onto his arm so he could leave something for her. He only managed to finish an "S".
"I didn't just sit there quietly. I was kicking the door yelling," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "I even put some shoestrings, shoelaces through the crack of the door for visual signs. I didn't stay still, no, I was screaming."
Five or six people found him covered in his feces in the cell at the DEA's San Diego headquarters.
"All I wanted was my sanity," Chong said. "I wasn't making any sense."
Chong was hospitalized for five days for dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated esophagus. He lost 15 pounds.
The incident prompted the head of the DEA to issue a public apology last May, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the incident.
Mr Chong's lawyer said that as a result of the incident the DEA had introduced new policies for detention, including checking cells daily and installing cameras inside them.
Mr Chong, now an economics student at the University of California, says he plans to buy his parents a house.
washington times
Chong said he drank his own urine to stay alive, hallucinated that agents were trying to poison him with gases through the vents, and tried to carve a farewell message to his mother in his arm.
It remained unclear how the situation occurred, and no one has been disciplined, said one of his attorneys.
"It sounded like it was an accident - a really, really bad, horrible accident," Chong said.
Chong was taken into custody during a drug raid and placed in the cell in April 2012 by a San Diego police officer authorized to perform DEA work on a task force.
The officer told Chong he would not be charged and said, 'Hang tight, we'll come get you in a minute.'
The door to the 5-by-10-foot cell did not reopen for 4½ days.
Justice Department spokeswoman confirmed the settlement was reached for $4.1 million but declined to answer other questions.
Since attorney fees are capped at 20 percent of damages and the settlement payment is tax-free, Chong will collect at least $3.2 million (N514,497,747).
'S'
Chong was a 23-year-old engineering student when he was at a friend's house where the DEA found 18,000 ecstasy pills, other drugs and weapons. His attorneys acknowledged Chong was there to consume marijuana.
Chong and eight other people were taken into custody but authorities decided against pursuing charges against him after questioning.
Chong said he began to hallucinate on the third day.
In the cell, he urinated on a metal bench so he could have something to drink. He also stacked a blanket, his pants and shoes on a bench and tried to reach an overhead fire sprinkler, futilely swatting at it with his cuffed hands to set it off.
Chong said he accepted the possibility of death. He bit into his eyeglasses to break them and used a shard of glass to try to carve "Sorry Mom" onto his arm so he could leave something for her. He only managed to finish an "S".
"I didn't just sit there quietly. I was kicking the door yelling," he was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency. "I even put some shoestrings, shoelaces through the crack of the door for visual signs. I didn't stay still, no, I was screaming."
Five or six people found him covered in his feces in the cell at the DEA's San Diego headquarters.
"All I wanted was my sanity," Chong said. "I wasn't making any sense."
Chong was hospitalized for five days for dehydration, kidney failure, cramps and a perforated esophagus. He lost 15 pounds.
The incident prompted the head of the DEA to issue a public apology last May, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the incident.
Mr Chong's lawyer said that as a result of the incident the DEA had introduced new policies for detention, including checking cells daily and installing cameras inside them.
Mr Chong, now an economics student at the University of California, says he plans to buy his parents a house.
washington times
KANO BLAST: Kano Bombers Disguised As Fruit Sellers
More details emerged yesterday on Monday's twin explosions by Boko Haram in Kano metropolis even as survivors recounted how they cheated death.
The Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and the police said 12 people died while 12 others were injured. Ohanaeze Ndigbo disagreed with the figures, saying 45 people lost their lives.
It was confirmed yesterday that the lone bomber hid the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in a wheelbarrow, disguising as a fruit seller before they were detonated at New and Enugu/Igbo Road, all in Sabon-Gari, populated by non-indigenes, mostly the Igbos.
One explosion went off at 41 New Road, the Christ Salvation Pentecostal Church at the peak of evening worship.
An eyewitness, Mazi Columba Ndubuisi, told Daily Sun that the Boko Haram bomber arrived in Enugu Road, with a wheelbarrow, adding that the terrorist pretended to be selling watermelon, oranges and bananas. According to him, the attacker hid the IEDs inside the wheelbarrow under the bananas and oranges, adding that after roaming innocently for a while, he parked the wheelbarrow near the shop of one Mama Ejima by the side of a parked Mercedes Benz car. Ndubuisi said he trades on fire -fighting equipment very close to the scene of the blasts, when the boy parked his wheelbarrow casually, some people were actually calling him to come and sell to them, but they surprisingly noticed that the boy, rather than selling, made his way to the main road, leaving his wares.
He said barely a few minutes after, the bomb exploded killing the woman (Mama Ejima) and several other people.
Another witness, who is simply called Mr. Eddy, said typical of the fellowship, worshippers separated themselves from their children, adding that the kids were roaming about the scene when the first device exploded near their play-point.
The witness, who was watching football in a nearby bar when the first blast occurred, recalled that following the shocking explosion, the whole scenario was thrown into confusion, with several people sustaining injuries, while many more died of the first blast.
He said that just minutes after the first blast, when they were trying to escape, the second exploded, trapping some people who had dared to run in the direction of the first blast.
Mr. Eddy, who resides in the same building where the church is located, said several people died on account of the blasts, including three persons who sat close to him at their drinking table.
"There was smoke everywhere. People were running everywhere, people were lying on the ground, many motorists jumped inside their cars and sped off. They came here with four pick-up vans to carry the bodies. I did not count them, but I know that they were many," he added.
Meanwhile, several families were yet to discover the whereabouts of their relatives. Daily Sun learnt that at least, eight wounded persons were hospitalized.
Speaking from his hospital bed at the Emergency Unit of the Armed Forces Hospital in the state capital, Mr Chika Ekenne said the blasts took them by surprise, adding that but for the mercy of God, he would have died from the explosion.
Ekenne, who had deep wounds on his left shoulder in addition to several sharp cuts, said that he was hit by the second explosion that occurred in New Road area of Sabon -Garri Area.
According to the victim, who was wreathing in pains at press time, he was a resident of Abuja, who had come to the state to finish a business, adding that he went to the particular scene in the company of a friend to give some money to his daughter, who was to transfer the same to another of his children, who is in school.
Mr. Ekenne, who hails from Etiti in Mbaino in Imo State told Daily Sun that when the first bomb exploded by the side of the church, a number of people at the drinking bar escaped, adding that unfortunately, he forgot his keys when he fled in fright.
He recalled that in the midst of the thick billowing smoke, thinking that it was a single blast, he ran back, only to be hit by the second explosion which stuck him and threw particles at him.
While pleading that they should not tell his wife about his current state and tragedy, he noted that his wife may not be able to stand the shock.
daily trust
The Joint Security Task Force (JTF) and the police said 12 people died while 12 others were injured. Ohanaeze Ndigbo disagreed with the figures, saying 45 people lost their lives.
It was confirmed yesterday that the lone bomber hid the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in a wheelbarrow, disguising as a fruit seller before they were detonated at New and Enugu/Igbo Road, all in Sabon-Gari, populated by non-indigenes, mostly the Igbos.
One explosion went off at 41 New Road, the Christ Salvation Pentecostal Church at the peak of evening worship.
An eyewitness, Mazi Columba Ndubuisi, told Daily Sun that the Boko Haram bomber arrived in Enugu Road, with a wheelbarrow, adding that the terrorist pretended to be selling watermelon, oranges and bananas. According to him, the attacker hid the IEDs inside the wheelbarrow under the bananas and oranges, adding that after roaming innocently for a while, he parked the wheelbarrow near the shop of one Mama Ejima by the side of a parked Mercedes Benz car. Ndubuisi said he trades on fire -fighting equipment very close to the scene of the blasts, when the boy parked his wheelbarrow casually, some people were actually calling him to come and sell to them, but they surprisingly noticed that the boy, rather than selling, made his way to the main road, leaving his wares.
He said barely a few minutes after, the bomb exploded killing the woman (Mama Ejima) and several other people.
Another witness, who is simply called Mr. Eddy, said typical of the fellowship, worshippers separated themselves from their children, adding that the kids were roaming about the scene when the first device exploded near their play-point.
The witness, who was watching football in a nearby bar when the first blast occurred, recalled that following the shocking explosion, the whole scenario was thrown into confusion, with several people sustaining injuries, while many more died of the first blast.
He said that just minutes after the first blast, when they were trying to escape, the second exploded, trapping some people who had dared to run in the direction of the first blast.
Mr. Eddy, who resides in the same building where the church is located, said several people died on account of the blasts, including three persons who sat close to him at their drinking table.
"There was smoke everywhere. People were running everywhere, people were lying on the ground, many motorists jumped inside their cars and sped off. They came here with four pick-up vans to carry the bodies. I did not count them, but I know that they were many," he added.
Meanwhile, several families were yet to discover the whereabouts of their relatives. Daily Sun learnt that at least, eight wounded persons were hospitalized.
Speaking from his hospital bed at the Emergency Unit of the Armed Forces Hospital in the state capital, Mr Chika Ekenne said the blasts took them by surprise, adding that but for the mercy of God, he would have died from the explosion.
Ekenne, who had deep wounds on his left shoulder in addition to several sharp cuts, said that he was hit by the second explosion that occurred in New Road area of Sabon -Garri Area.
According to the victim, who was wreathing in pains at press time, he was a resident of Abuja, who had come to the state to finish a business, adding that he went to the particular scene in the company of a friend to give some money to his daughter, who was to transfer the same to another of his children, who is in school.
Mr. Ekenne, who hails from Etiti in Mbaino in Imo State told Daily Sun that when the first bomb exploded by the side of the church, a number of people at the drinking bar escaped, adding that unfortunately, he forgot his keys when he fled in fright.
He recalled that in the midst of the thick billowing smoke, thinking that it was a single blast, he ran back, only to be hit by the second explosion which stuck him and threw particles at him.
While pleading that they should not tell his wife about his current state and tragedy, he noted that his wife may not be able to stand the shock.
daily trust
US Tourist Killed In Thailand Over 'Singing'
An American tourist was allegedly stabbed to death by three Thai musicians after he refused to stop singing at a bar in a popular tourist resort, police said Wednesday.
Bobby Ray Carter, 51, died after he was stabbed twice in the chest while his son Adam, 27, suffered a stab wound to his arm, during a fight with members of the house band from the Longhorn Saloon early Wednesday at Ao Nang beach in Krabi.
Police said the three musicians were arrested at the scene and confessed to stabbing the Americans.
Carter had joined the musicians on stage for a singalong, but a row broke out when he refused to stop singing as the band took a break.
On its website the Longhorn Saloon advertises "jam with the band" as one of its attractions, along with "good music, funfunfun and friendly staff".
"He and his son quarrelled with all three musicians because he wouldn't stop singing despite the musicians taking a break," said Lieutenant Colonel Attapong Seanjaiwuth of Krabi tourist police.
"He then demanded the money he had already given as a tip back. But the real fight broke out outside of that pub. He was stabbed twice and died while on the way to local hospital."
Thailand has come under scrutiny in recent months over its treatment of foreign tourists, who are a mainstay of the economy.
Tourists have registered a series of complaints with authorities over their treatment ranging from jet ski scams, drink spiking, robbery, assault and even police extortion.
vanguard
Bobby Ray Carter, 51, died after he was stabbed twice in the chest while his son Adam, 27, suffered a stab wound to his arm, during a fight with members of the house band from the Longhorn Saloon early Wednesday at Ao Nang beach in Krabi.
Police said the three musicians were arrested at the scene and confessed to stabbing the Americans.
Carter had joined the musicians on stage for a singalong, but a row broke out when he refused to stop singing as the band took a break.
On its website the Longhorn Saloon advertises "jam with the band" as one of its attractions, along with "good music, funfunfun and friendly staff".
"He and his son quarrelled with all three musicians because he wouldn't stop singing despite the musicians taking a break," said Lieutenant Colonel Attapong Seanjaiwuth of Krabi tourist police.
"He then demanded the money he had already given as a tip back. But the real fight broke out outside of that pub. He was stabbed twice and died while on the way to local hospital."
Thailand has come under scrutiny in recent months over its treatment of foreign tourists, who are a mainstay of the economy.
Tourists have registered a series of complaints with authorities over their treatment ranging from jet ski scams, drink spiking, robbery, assault and even police extortion.
vanguard
Akwa Ibom crisis: Akpabio, Umana in secret meeting
The government secretary’s office was still sealed by security operatives as at Tuesday evening.
The political crisis in Akwa Ibom may be on the verge of being resolved as Governor Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday held a secret meeting with the embattled Secretary to the State Government, Umana Umana.
Mr. Umana’s office was sealed on Monday by armed security operatives from the Government House, Uyo, reportedly on the orders of Mr. Akpabio. The office remained sealed by the security officials as at Tuesday.
Armed security men led by one A. Akiola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said to head the police security unit in the Government House, Uyo, reportedly stormed the government secretary’s office block located within the government house, at about 10 a.m. on Monday and took over, after sacking civil servants working there.
The armed mobile policemen and plain clothe operatives from the State Security Service who mounted security at the entrance of Mr. Umana’s office, were on Tuesday still busy checking every person and vehicle going in or out of the premises, even as movement remains restricted.
Though the official reason for the unexpected siege remains unknown, as no government official was ready to talk on the issue, sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the crisis is caused by the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Mr. Umana had last Thursday made public his intention to contest for governor in 2015, a decision that many say did not go down well with Mr. Akpabio, who cannot re-contest as this is second term in office.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Akpabio, who had sent Mr. Umana on an official assignment in Abuja, was himself out of town when the take-over by the security details occurred on Monday.
Since his return to Uyo late on Monday, Mr. Umana has reportedly been operating from his private residence even as his aides maintained that he has not been sacked or asked to resign.
Sources close to the Government House, Uyo, told our reporter that after the governor returned to the state late on Monday, he summoned a meeting with his close aides to get the full briefing of what transpired in his absence.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the governor, accompanied by his close aides, reportedly drove in his official convoy to pay an unscheduled visit to Mr. Umana in the latter’s private residence at Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. The two men had a closed-door meeting that lasted for over an hour.
Details of the meeting were not made public, but indications are that it may have bordered on how to find a way to calm frayed political nerves and douse the palpable tension that has since engulfed the state.
The Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Information has declined comment on the crisis saying he is currently in Abuja on an assignment and not in Akwa Ibom.
Mr. Akpabio and Mr. Umana have remained political allies dating back more than a decade to when they both served as members of the State Executive Council under the Victor Attah administration. Mr. Attah was Akwa Ibom governor between 1999 and 2007, and was succeeded by Mr. Akpabio.
The political bond between Messrs Akpabio and Umana was so strong that many believed there was an existing agreement that suggested Mr. Umana would succeed Mr. Akpabio in 2015.
Current happenings in the state, however, indicate that is not the situation.
Premium times
The political crisis in Akwa Ibom may be on the verge of being resolved as Governor Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday held a secret meeting with the embattled Secretary to the State Government, Umana Umana.
Mr. Umana’s office was sealed on Monday by armed security operatives from the Government House, Uyo, reportedly on the orders of Mr. Akpabio. The office remained sealed by the security officials as at Tuesday.
Armed security men led by one A. Akiola, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said to head the police security unit in the Government House, Uyo, reportedly stormed the government secretary’s office block located within the government house, at about 10 a.m. on Monday and took over, after sacking civil servants working there.
The armed mobile policemen and plain clothe operatives from the State Security Service who mounted security at the entrance of Mr. Umana’s office, were on Tuesday still busy checking every person and vehicle going in or out of the premises, even as movement remains restricted.
Though the official reason for the unexpected siege remains unknown, as no government official was ready to talk on the issue, sources told PREMIUM TIMES that the crisis is caused by the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Mr. Umana had last Thursday made public his intention to contest for governor in 2015, a decision that many say did not go down well with Mr. Akpabio, who cannot re-contest as this is second term in office.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that Mr. Akpabio, who had sent Mr. Umana on an official assignment in Abuja, was himself out of town when the take-over by the security details occurred on Monday.
Since his return to Uyo late on Monday, Mr. Umana has reportedly been operating from his private residence even as his aides maintained that he has not been sacked or asked to resign.
Sources close to the Government House, Uyo, told our reporter that after the governor returned to the state late on Monday, he summoned a meeting with his close aides to get the full briefing of what transpired in his absence.
Later on Tuesday afternoon, the governor, accompanied by his close aides, reportedly drove in his official convoy to pay an unscheduled visit to Mr. Umana in the latter’s private residence at Ewet Housing Estate, Uyo. The two men had a closed-door meeting that lasted for over an hour.
Details of the meeting were not made public, but indications are that it may have bordered on how to find a way to calm frayed political nerves and douse the palpable tension that has since engulfed the state.
The Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Information has declined comment on the crisis saying he is currently in Abuja on an assignment and not in Akwa Ibom.
Mr. Akpabio and Mr. Umana have remained political allies dating back more than a decade to when they both served as members of the State Executive Council under the Victor Attah administration. Mr. Attah was Akwa Ibom governor between 1999 and 2007, and was succeeded by Mr. Akpabio.
The political bond between Messrs Akpabio and Umana was so strong that many believed there was an existing agreement that suggested Mr. Umana would succeed Mr. Akpabio in 2015.
Current happenings in the state, however, indicate that is not the situation.
Premium times
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Lagos Govt accuses traders, drivers of causing gridlock
Lagos State Government has accused street traders and commercial vehicle drivers operating within the Ikotun area of causing gridlock.
The government said if something was not done about the selling of wares and parking indiscriminately on the roads, defaulters would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
This warning was given by the Chairman, Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, CSP Bayo Sulaiman, during a meeting with stakeholders in Alausa, Ikeja.
The task force chairman said, "Government has identified street trading and indiscriminate parking on the major roads, especially by commercial vehicles loading and offloading goods, as the main cause of gridlock in the area. It is necessary to convene this meeting to intimate you on government's displeasure over the situation and a possible solution to it."
Sulaiman said government did not want majority of the residents to suffer to please a few number of traders and drivers who, in their bid to make brisk business, cause untold hardship for other road users.
He urged property owners who were letting public road to street traders to desist from such act, saying the walkways, drainages and roads were not extension of their property.
He said, "A road that is free of encumbrance is not only beneficial to the citizenry, but also an advantage for the traders in terms of patronage."
A leader of Ikotun market, Alhaji Shakiru Amballi, said the traders also wanted an end to street trading. He pledged that the unions would do more to ensure that things moved on accordingly.
Punch
The government said if something was not done about the selling of wares and parking indiscriminately on the roads, defaulters would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
This warning was given by the Chairman, Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, CSP Bayo Sulaiman, during a meeting with stakeholders in Alausa, Ikeja.
The task force chairman said, "Government has identified street trading and indiscriminate parking on the major roads, especially by commercial vehicles loading and offloading goods, as the main cause of gridlock in the area. It is necessary to convene this meeting to intimate you on government's displeasure over the situation and a possible solution to it."
Sulaiman said government did not want majority of the residents to suffer to please a few number of traders and drivers who, in their bid to make brisk business, cause untold hardship for other road users.
He urged property owners who were letting public road to street traders to desist from such act, saying the walkways, drainages and roads were not extension of their property.
He said, "A road that is free of encumbrance is not only beneficial to the citizenry, but also an advantage for the traders in terms of patronage."
A leader of Ikotun market, Alhaji Shakiru Amballi, said the traders also wanted an end to street trading. He pledged that the unions would do more to ensure that things moved on accordingly.
Punch
Police, hoodlums accused of killing undergraduate, friend
Policemen attached to the Badagry Police Division, Lagos State, and some hoodlums have been accused of killing a 25-year-old undergraduate of Delta State University, Ifechukwude Nwainokpor, and his friend, identified simply as Kazeem.
An eight-minute video clip of the gruesome killing, which was made available to PUNCH Metro, showed the two victims handcuffed together. They were covered in their own blood and beaten to death with sticks. Tyres were also put round their necks.
An irate mob could be seen in the video, shouting, "die, die, burn them, burn them."
At some points in the video, a policeman was seen interviewing the boys. He asked who sent them (victims) to rob the area, an accusation they denied. One of the hoodlums, holding a sharp object attempted to cut off the private part of one of the victims.
Nwainokpor could be seen pleading with the hoodlums and policemen to spare his life, saying he could identify himself if given a chance. His plea, however, fell on deaf ears.
Our correspondent, who visited the family of Nwainokpor on Tuesday, learnt that the lynching took place around 3pm on July 21, 2013 in Ajara area of Badagry, a community not far from Nwainokpor's family home.
His father, Samuel, told PUNCH Metro that his son was arrested while passing through a street in the area but a misunderstanding later ensued and the hoodlums pounced on him and Kazeem.
He added that Nwainokpor, who was nicknamed Ify, was a final year student of Geology and Mining.
He said, "On that particular day, I was in Ghana when I received a telephone call that I should come immediately. My wife was in Delta State taking care of her mother.
"When I arrived two days later, my relatives and the caretaker of my house told me that my son was killed in the Ajara area along with his friend. I was devastated.
"I got my son a temporary job with a Customs licensed agent since their lecturers were on strike. He worked everyday except on Sundays when he visited his friends. On that day, he went to see Kazeem and they were strolling around Ajara."
Samuel said because there had been a robbery in Ajara four days earlier, some of the residents were on the lookout for strange faces.
He added that when the youth saw two unknown young men, they accosted them and an argument ensued.
He said the youth called the head of the vigilante group in the area, one Asiribo.
He said, "Asiribo came to the scene with a locally-made pistol and handcuffs. He handcuffed my son and his friend before asking them questions.
"Later, it was decided that the boys be taken to the Baale, Agano Oniyon of Agamade Ajara. But as they were going, Asiribo, while trying to return his gun into its pouch, mistakenly shot himself in the stomach and died."
Samuel said Asiribo's death infuriated the youth, who blamed the boys for his death.
"The mob picked up sticks and beat them to death. Policemen were there," he said.
Holding back tears, the retired immigration officer added that the police treated the matter as a robbery case. Beating his chest, Samuel said there was no way his son would have been involved in armed robbery.
He said, "I have been living in Badagry since 1982. I have only two children and Ifechukwude is the first. Ironically, he was born in that same area where he was killed.
"I have lived in this area without any trouble and the residents can tell you that my sons are good boys."
Nwainokpor's boss, Aloysius Onyenibedi, described him as an honest and hardworking person.
"I trusted him to the extent that I used to keep a lot of money with him. He was good to my children and was honest," he said.
The Nwainokpor family berated the Divisional Police Officer, Badagry Police Station, Dankoli Mohammed, for the manner he treated the case.
Samuel said when he approached the DPO, he was told that his son was killed at midnight for armed robbery.
He said, "When the policemen came to take the corpses, guns were planted on them. Policemen at the station told the DPO that they were robbers. Their corpses were taken along with that Asiribo to Badagry General Hospital's mortuary.
"The following morning, the DPO released Asiribo's corpse for burial without investigation. My relatives went to the station and after showing the DPO the video, the matter was transferred to the Area K Command.
"At Present, Asiribo's son has fled, while the DPO has been unable to identify the policemen who were present at the scene when my son and his friend were killed."
PUNCH Metro however learnt that through the video, some people had arrested one of the perpetrators. The suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said, "The incident is quite pathetic. Even if they were armed robbers, no one has the right to take the life of another. Why then do we have the police and the judiciary? The Nigerian police as well as the law condemn mob action and jungle justice. The commissioner of police has set up a high- powered investigation body to investigate the matter."
Punch
An eight-minute video clip of the gruesome killing, which was made available to PUNCH Metro, showed the two victims handcuffed together. They were covered in their own blood and beaten to death with sticks. Tyres were also put round their necks.
An irate mob could be seen in the video, shouting, "die, die, burn them, burn them."
At some points in the video, a policeman was seen interviewing the boys. He asked who sent them (victims) to rob the area, an accusation they denied. One of the hoodlums, holding a sharp object attempted to cut off the private part of one of the victims.
Nwainokpor could be seen pleading with the hoodlums and policemen to spare his life, saying he could identify himself if given a chance. His plea, however, fell on deaf ears.
Our correspondent, who visited the family of Nwainokpor on Tuesday, learnt that the lynching took place around 3pm on July 21, 2013 in Ajara area of Badagry, a community not far from Nwainokpor's family home.
His father, Samuel, told PUNCH Metro that his son was arrested while passing through a street in the area but a misunderstanding later ensued and the hoodlums pounced on him and Kazeem.
He added that Nwainokpor, who was nicknamed Ify, was a final year student of Geology and Mining.
He said, "On that particular day, I was in Ghana when I received a telephone call that I should come immediately. My wife was in Delta State taking care of her mother.
"When I arrived two days later, my relatives and the caretaker of my house told me that my son was killed in the Ajara area along with his friend. I was devastated.
"I got my son a temporary job with a Customs licensed agent since their lecturers were on strike. He worked everyday except on Sundays when he visited his friends. On that day, he went to see Kazeem and they were strolling around Ajara."
Samuel said because there had been a robbery in Ajara four days earlier, some of the residents were on the lookout for strange faces.
He added that when the youth saw two unknown young men, they accosted them and an argument ensued.
He said the youth called the head of the vigilante group in the area, one Asiribo.
He said, "Asiribo came to the scene with a locally-made pistol and handcuffs. He handcuffed my son and his friend before asking them questions.
"Later, it was decided that the boys be taken to the Baale, Agano Oniyon of Agamade Ajara. But as they were going, Asiribo, while trying to return his gun into its pouch, mistakenly shot himself in the stomach and died."
Samuel said Asiribo's death infuriated the youth, who blamed the boys for his death.
"The mob picked up sticks and beat them to death. Policemen were there," he said.
Holding back tears, the retired immigration officer added that the police treated the matter as a robbery case. Beating his chest, Samuel said there was no way his son would have been involved in armed robbery.
He said, "I have been living in Badagry since 1982. I have only two children and Ifechukwude is the first. Ironically, he was born in that same area where he was killed.
"I have lived in this area without any trouble and the residents can tell you that my sons are good boys."
Nwainokpor's boss, Aloysius Onyenibedi, described him as an honest and hardworking person.
"I trusted him to the extent that I used to keep a lot of money with him. He was good to my children and was honest," he said.
The Nwainokpor family berated the Divisional Police Officer, Badagry Police Station, Dankoli Mohammed, for the manner he treated the case.
Samuel said when he approached the DPO, he was told that his son was killed at midnight for armed robbery.
He said, "When the policemen came to take the corpses, guns were planted on them. Policemen at the station told the DPO that they were robbers. Their corpses were taken along with that Asiribo to Badagry General Hospital's mortuary.
"The following morning, the DPO released Asiribo's corpse for burial without investigation. My relatives went to the station and after showing the DPO the video, the matter was transferred to the Area K Command.
"At Present, Asiribo's son has fled, while the DPO has been unable to identify the policemen who were present at the scene when my son and his friend were killed."
PUNCH Metro however learnt that through the video, some people had arrested one of the perpetrators. The suspect had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Ngozi Braide, said, "The incident is quite pathetic. Even if they were armed robbers, no one has the right to take the life of another. Why then do we have the police and the judiciary? The Nigerian police as well as the law condemn mob action and jungle justice. The commissioner of police has set up a high- powered investigation body to investigate the matter."
Punch
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)