OKADA RIDER WHO ALLEGEDLY SPECIALIZES IN RAPING HIS FEMALE PASSENGERS NABBED IN DELTA

A 35-year-old motorcyclist, who allegedly specialises in raping his female passengers, has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command. The acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, stated this on Monday in Asaba.

He said, “On March 19, 2021, around 9.30pm, after a series of intelligence gathering by cultivation of informants by the men of the Oghara Division, a serial rapist, who is a motorcycle rider and specialises in picking young girls at night as passengers, was arrested.

 “When he conveys passengers, he will divert them into the bush, rob them of their belongings and thereafter forcefully have carnal knowledge of them while threatening them with a dagger.

 “A combined team of police and Army personnel swung into action and arrested Ovie Michael, a 35-year-old man; nine telephones of different makes, including that of his last victim, who reported to the police, were recovered from him.”

 Other items recovered from him were an iPhone valued at N400,000, nine female handbags, two pairs of eye glasses, five phone chargers, two Automated Teller Machine cards and 13 SIM cards.

Edafe added that investigation was ongoing. According to Edafe, the man was arrested on Sunday based on intelligence and long term monitoring by the men of the ‘A’ Division, Warri. As at the time of this report our reporter could not have access to hear from the suspect on his own side.

EKAKPAMRE COMMUNITY BOILS AS CULTISTS KILL ONE, OTHER'S SUSTAINED INJURY

There is palpable tension at Ekakpamre community in the Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State after gunmen suspected to be cultists on Tuesday morning reportedly murdered a young man in the community.

Dependable source gathered that cultists reportedly stormed the community and went straight to the home of their target and shot him dead.

The deceased simply identified as Ebeni, believed to be in his early thirties, was murdered in a compound near the police post in the community as the incident  happened at about 3:50am.

The incident sparked outrage in the community as youths were said to have gone on rampage in the process destroying some motorcycle and tricycle.

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They were said to have also damaged a police van after a team of police officers deployed to calm the situation reportedly shot a youth simply identified as Edafe.

Sources in the community who don't want their names in print inform Smart Media Network reporter that the incident has snowballed into serious tension in the community as schools and markets have been shut down in the area.

Ebene, killed by suspected cultists on Tuesday morning in Ekakpamre community

One of the sources said Ebeni was killed over rival clash between members of the Aye and Dominion confraternities.

When contacted, the spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the murder of the victim by suspected cultists but denied police shooting anyone in the community.

“From the information available to me, one person was killed in cult related activities but it’s not true that the police shot anyone in the community. Kindly disregard that information”, DSP Edafe added.

ONE DEAD, MANY HOSPITALISED AS OIL SPILL RAVAGES DELTA COMMUNITIES

ONE DEAD, MANY HOSPITALISED AS OIL SPILL RAVAGES DELTA COMMUNITIES

One person has been confirmed dead after crude oil spill from a ruptured pipeline alleged to be operated by the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC)/ELCREST Joint Venture ravaged Polobubo (Tsekelewu) communities in Warri North Local Government Areas of Delta State.

The incident according to an eye witness occurred on Sunday which led to hospitalization of several indigenes of the Communities.

The President General of Polobubo (Tsekelewu) Communities, Mr. Paul Toruwei, confirmed the incident, pointed out that the ruptured line is a major pipeline transporting crude oil from Opuama flow station in Oil Mining Lease (OML40).

Smart Media Network gathered that the incident threw residents of the communities into confusion and mourning as the smell from the crude led to the Death of one Pa Anthony Ebiogbo of Opuama Community.

“The ruptured pipeline resulted in spillage of oil in all water bodies and swamp forest of the communities in the operational area which includes Opuama, Polobubo and their bloc/satellite communities.

“The incident has landed residents into sorrow and anguish as numerous persons are already hospitalized while Pa Anthony Ebiogbo of Opuama Community lost his life arising from the oil spillage in the early hours of Monday 15th march 2021.

 

“As we speak, economic activities have been grounded. As a matter of fact, throughout Sunday, March 14, 2021 residents couldn’t cook their food due to fear of fire outbreak as a result of gas exudates from the said pipeline, that enveloped the whole vicinity”.

The President General of the Community Mr Toruwei called on Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and the Federal Government and the International Communities to come to the aid of their communities to avert further calamity on the area.

“To forestall further damages to residents of the affected communities, I’m urgently called on the Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Sylva and the Governor of Delta State, Dr. Okowa to prevail on the management of NPDC/ELCREST to swing into action and take remedial actions by containing the further spread of the spillage.

“They should also provide medical care, food, water and other necessities in order to save the lives of residents who have been denied their source of livelihood”, Toruwei stated.

The Communities also called on NOSDRA, DPR and Ministry of Environment to activate the process of JIV to ascertain the cause of the spill as well as to compensate the affected communities

IN A LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT, PRESIDENT BUHARI COMMISSIONS NDDC BUILDING 25 YEARS AFTER

IN A LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT, PRESIDENT BUHARI COMMISSIONS NDDC BUILDING 25 YEARS AFTER

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday commissioned the headquarters building of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), 25 years after the groundbreaking ceremony, commending the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, for steadfastness in ending many years of renting by the commission, and the attendant profligacy.

The President, who virtually commissioned the building from the Council Chamber of the State House, said the land was acquired by the Oil Mineral Producing Areas Development Commission (OMPADEC) in 1996, and was abandoned after series of design amendments.

“In 2015, as part of our Administration’s cardinal objectives to kill corruption, some critical reforms were embarked upon, part of which was a holistic reform of the NDDC for greater service delivery for the people of the region.

“To achieve this, I reassigned the supervision of the NDDC to the Hon. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs for administrative efficiency. Second, was the appointment of Forensic Auditors to review the operations of the Commission from inception to 2019 and to ensure that the appropriations made to the NDDC are commensurate with what is on the ground,’’ he said. 

While commending the minister for ensuring the historic completion of the building, President Buhari urged the management to commit the amounts used for renting to more rewarding benefits.

“I, therefore, use this opportunity to commend the Honourable Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for providing the required leadership that saw to the completion of this edifice.

“Today, we are handing over to the people of Niger Delta, a befitting Head Office Complex for present and future use. Consequently, huge yearly rentals would now be saved and deployed to other areas of needs in the region.

“I commend the management and staff of the NDDC for staying the course and keying into the Reform Agenda of our Administration. I am particularly pleased to note the cordial relationship between the NDDC and the National Assembly and hope that this relationship will be strengthened further for the benefit of the people of the Niger Delta region,’’ the President added.

The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, thanked the President for the completion of the building, promising that the nine governors under the NDDC would continue to support his bold steps in development.

In his remarks, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs noted that the completion of the NDDC building signals the President’s commitment to the development of the oil producing region, and ending of activities of corrupt public officials, who also negated the connection of the offices to national grid over many years in order to seek rent on fueling of generators.

“You will be remembered by this gesture, and generations will never forget you,’’ the minister said.

Sen. Akpabio urged leaders, traditional rulers and youths in the region to support President Buhari’s administration so that it would complete most of the abandoned projects by previous administrations, which include the Second Niger Bridge, warning that the persistent fights and petitions among leaders must be shelved for development.

AKWA DOUBLE EFFORT.. FOCUS MORE ON JOB CREATION, EMPLOYMENT, TO MAKE YOUTHS USEFUL ~ JARO EGBO

Addressing Large numbers of YOUTHS during the continue inspection of NDDC project embark upon by the NDDC Sole Administrator, Akwa Effiong  has said that the current INTERIM MANAGEMENT will focus more on Youths Employment, Job Creation Empowerment to engage our YOUTHS on Meaniful self reliance even in this digital era of Developement across the globe.

The SPECIAL ASSISTANT (SA) to the NDDC Sole Administrator and frontlne Governorship Aspirant under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Olorogun (Barr) Jaro Egbo Ksc who emphasized on the important of "YOUTHS SKILL ACQUISITION TRAINING" observed that YOUTHS are the Strength of any Nation and if you get it RIGHT with them, you have the NATION on the RIGHT path.

He added that the Akwa led NDDC Sole Administrator, will double it's efforts to engage more YOUTHS and all STAKEHOLDERS in the Niger Delta Region in Subsequent Training Programs where Youths will be self employed to add a valued to the Social Economy Developement of our environment in the nearest future he noted.

Speaking further he stressed the need for our YOUTHS and WOMEN to Organize themselves into Co-operatives to enable them have easier access to fund's through MICRO FINANCE SUPPORT PROGRAMMES of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). Noting that the YOUTHS would be exposed to different trainings to prepare them to BENEFIT HIGH from the Commission’s TRAINING PROGRAMMES and we will equip them to be self-employed.

In conclusion he said: "I assure you on behalf of the Interim Management that we will do everything possible to make sure that we touch the lives of everybody in the region to make a difference. Noted that empowering the people was as important as executing development projects, since, according to him, “the people have to be alive and well to use the projects.

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GROUP WARN NIGER DELTA GOVERNOR'S TO STAY CLEAR FROM NDDC'S AFFAIR FOR EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT

The Niger Delta Monitoring Group (NDMG) has warn  Governor's  of the region to stay clear from the day to day running of the commission for effective development of the region as desired by President Mohammadu Buhari.

The Group leade Comr. Emmanuel Onoriode who spoke on behalf of the group said the position of the Governor's in the region alongside theirs personal interest to divert the primary purpose of setting up the commission will no longer be acceptable.

He pointed out further that Governor's of the region has been identified as a major problem of the Niger Delta Development Commission for influencing bad policies on the Commission's management which is a clear evidence of retrogression since inception despite the huge amount of billion of Naira being allocated to the Commission annually.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, says that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, has shown focus and determination by completing its 13-floor new headquarters building at the Marine base in Port Harcourt.  

Senator Akpabio, who was addressing newsmen alongside the NDDC Interim Administrator, Mr. Efiong Akwa, at the newly completed headquarters, said that the new complex was a testimony to the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to reposition the NDDC for the rapid development of the Niger Delta region.

He declared: “The NDDC has added to the infrastructural transformation of the Niger Delta. It gladdens my heart to see to the completion of this project. It shows that, indeed, Nigeria can change with determination and focus.