Cultists clash claimed 10 souls

Photo; Vanguard/

NO fewer than 10 persons were reportedly killed when two rival cult groups clashed in Ilesa, Osun State, Monday.

A source said the killings were a reprisal attack for the killing in Odogbo-Ijesa on Saturday.

An eyewitness, Adeosun Azeez, said the clash started from the Irojo area of the town around 7 pm before it spread to other communities like Brewery, Ifofin, Idasa, where the cultists have a stronghold.

The source said: “Some guys on a motorcycle started shooting around Irojo inflicting injuries on residents, who scampered for safety. Then in what looks like a revenge attack, another set confronted them and both groups engaged in a shootout.

“Other cultists from other hideouts joined in the fracas, thereby spreading the crisis to other parts of the town. About 10 people were killed in different parts of the town, majorly cult members.”

Shop owners quickly locked their shops, while residents also ran for safety, thereby deserting the major streets in the town.

However, while confirming the incident, Osun police command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said only five persons were killed in the cult war.

“More special police units have been deployed to the hotspots to further curb breakdown of law and order,” she said.

Unknown assailants kill 2 guards at Ogun filling station

Unknown assailants, Sunday night, slaughtered two night guards attached to the Total filling station around Delabo Junction, Ilisan Remo, in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The night guards, who were residents of Ilisan Remo, were discovered in the pool of their blood, Monday.

It was gathered that the assailants allegedly took nothing away from the filing station, fuelling suspicion that it might be a pure case of assassination.

The incident had caused some palpable fear in the town, coming on the heels of the reported Hausa clash with police on Friday.

It would be recalled that the Hausa residents in the town had on Friday clashed with the police for refusing to hand over the two armed robbery suspects who attempted to steal a motorcycle belonging to one of them.

The Hausas had demanded that the two suspects be handed over to them so that they could deal with them despite the police assurance that the robbery suspects would get the deserved treatment under the law.

The police had, however, rebuffed this primitive attempt but the Hausas had reportedly insisted to have their ways, hurling stones and sticks at the police officers. The police were said to have been forced to fire shots into the air to disperse the rampaging Hausa youths.

Efforts to get a reaction from the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, proved abortive as calls made to his lines were not connecting.

Policeman ‘accidentally killed’ by driver

 One of the police officers attached to residence of former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Sergeant Adeleke Ogunsola, was ‘accidentally killed’ while opening a gate at the Asoludero residence of he former governor.

It was gathered that the policeman was opening a gate for the former governor’s driver when he was reportedly involved in an accident that led to his death.

Our correspondent learned that the gate being opened by Sgt Leke “bounced back” and he was mistakenly knocked down by the former governor’s driver.

He was rushed to a hospital, where he eventually died.

Police sources, who spoke with newsmen, said their colleague died in a mysterious way, accusing the Ogun State command of plots to sweep the incident under the carpet.

The policemen, who did not want to be mentioned over fear of retribution, were not happy that Ogunsola was turned to a gatekeeper instead of the job he was posted to do in Daniel’s house.

According to them, an officer was once ‘sent out’  of the building over his refusal to be reduced to a gatekeeper in police uniform.

“Why will an armed policeman be the one opening a gate? Why will politicians turn the police into their slaves. When an officer refused to be used as a gateman in the house, they called the DPO that he should change him and he was redeployed. 

"A policeman bearing arm will be asked to open gate; drivers, civilians and Daniel himself will be telling officers to open gate. If there is a gatekeeper in that house, this will not happen. This was a man who left his home for work on Saturday morning, but he died in a mysterious circumstance.

“It is so unfortunate that our bosses in this job are not speaking the truth because of what they want to eat. Imagine, officers posted to that Gbenga Daniel’s residence are paid N2,500 weekly. Now that guy has died. What will he give to his family that will replicate the life of that officer? We are tired of this job.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, saying, however, that it was an accident.

“That was an accident. He was opening the gate, the gate bounced back and the driver mistakenly hit him with the gate. It’s an accident, it can happen to anybody.”

Asked if a policeman should be the one opening a gate, Oyeyemi replied: “Well, we don’t know the circumstances that led to him opening the gate. We were not with him on duty. It maybe that the gate is of two arms, somebody will be open the first arm, another person opens the other. It’s possible." 

Many feared dead as security operatives, gunmen clash

AN unspecified number of people, including policemen and a soldier, were feared dead, yesterday, at the now dangerous Ihiala axis of Anambra State during a clash between security operatives and gunmen.

The incident happened at the Imo State border towns of Orsumoghu, Lilu, and Azia in Ihiala Local Government Area.

It was not clear at press time if the clash had any link with the weekly Monday sit-at-home order, although an indigene of one of the communities in Ihiala said the gunmen were suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, the military arm of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.

There were unconfirmed reports that among those killed, were four policemen, a soldier, and some gunmen.

Anambra Police spokesman, Ikenga Tochukwu, did not respond to calls for the confirmation of the incident, but a police source said there was indeed a clash that lasted for hours.

He said: “There were shootings between the hoodlums and security operatives at Orsumoghu, which lasted for hours. Some people lost their lives while others got injured, but those hoodlums who are alive will live to regret their action

“Our special forces have been there to rout the insurgents who have been abducting and killing people on that road.”

It was also gathered that the state Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng, had ordered immediate deployment of special forces to the area.

Only on Sunday, a prominent Estate Surveyor based in Port Harcourt was killed in the area after visiting his hometown, Nnewi.

Herders invade Suswam’s home town, destroy farms, sack 4 council wards, villagesArmed herdsmen have reportedly invaded Senator Gabriel Suswam’s home town, sacking four council wards and several villages in Yonov, Tombo, Turan and Nenzev in Logo as well as communities in Guma and Buruku Local Government Areas of Benue State.

The invaders, who were reported to have marched into the communities with over a thousand cattle from neighbouring Taraba State, were said to have destroyed large cassava farms and yam seedlings in the affected communities.

Vanguard gathered that the invasion by the herders, which started at about 8 pm on Sunday created pandemonium in the area leading to the mass movement of members of the communities, who have been fleeing their homes in droves.

Confirming the development, a stakeholder in the area, Joseph Anawa, told newsmen, yesterday, that the invasion had created tension in that axis of the state.

According to Anawah, “On February 20, 2022, at about 8 pm herdsmen arrived Tse Ikyegh in Yonov council ward of Logo Local Government Area with over one thousand cows and settled beside the Logo stream.

“They migrated from Tombo council ward in Logo and proceeded straight to Yonov community in the interior part of Ugondo geopolitical axis after causing a lot of destructions on cassava farms and seed yams in Tombo and Turan Council Wards.

“They are so hostile and do not want anybody to come close to them.  The locals on sighting the arrival of cows started packing out of their villages for the fear of the unknown.

“When the Kindred Head of Mbaifu, Zaki Gbamga Nengem, went to them to know their mission in his community, they outrightly told him that they have come to settle there.

“They warned that any attempt to evict them either by the host community or government agencies would invoke their anger and they would be left with no option than result to physical and open confrontation. 

“They were also heard in their language calling their brothers from Nasarawa State to cross over and meet them at Tse Gabo in Nenzev where they killed 13 people in years past as there is enough grass and water for the cows.

“Unless and until these bloodthirsty armed herdsmen are flushed out, there will be no peace in Yonov and Nenzev council wards in Ugondo community as well as the neighbouring communities in Buruku and Guma LGAs.” 

Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Cathrine Anene was unsuccessful.

Police confirm abduction of 2-yr-old

The Abia Police Command has confirmed the abduction of a two-year-old baby at Umuobiakwa in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state.

The command’s spokesman, Geoffrey Ogbonna, who confirmed the incident in Aba, yesterday, said the child, known as Precious Akataobi, was reportedly abducted by suspected child traffickers at her mother’s shop in Umuobiakwa on Saturday.

Narrating how the incident happened, he said the child’s mother was with her and his elder brother in the shop until she went into the compound to bring something.

He said the woman left the girl in the custody of her elder brother.

Ogbonna said the command further learned that at that point, some persons came to the shop, bought something and gave the boy a N500 note to get change.

He said as soon as the boy went into the compound to get the change from their mother, the abductors fled with the baby.

He said the command had commenced preliminary investigation into the matter.

He, therefore, appealed to residents of the state to assist the police with credible information that could help in tracking down the baby and her abductors.

He warned parents to be vigilant and guard against exposing their children to danger.

Culled from Vanguard.