No fewer than 40 fishermen have jointly killed a mother hippopotamus that killed Malam Usman Maigadi, a guard at Orchard Farm owned by the Emir of Yauri, Dr. Muhammad Zayyanu-Abdullahi on Sept. 22.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the fishermen armed with bows and arrows have killed the hippopotamus in Yauri River, Yauri Local Government Area on Monday.

Confirming the development, the Chairman of Yauri LGA, Alhaji  Abubakar Shu’aibu, said the animal was killed by the fishermen after receiving a directive from the Emir of Yauri.

”If you could recall, the hippo has killed Yauri Emir’s guard and another farmer in September.

”We can’t keep an animal that is killing people any how, and all the people it killed were not after the animal, they were doing their own fishing business.

“After they killed it, they transported it on a big canoe from the river to the palace of the District Head of Gungu, Alhaji Kasimu Aliyu, amidst applause by a crowd of people.

“The brave fishermen subsequently butchered the animal into pieces and shared the meat to the people,” Shu’aibu said.

Officers of the Anambra State Police Command have foiled an attempt by a gang of criminals to abduct a foreign national.

The spokesman of the command, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement, said the kidnap attempt occurred at the Ogbunka community in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Ikenga disclosed that the victim was rescued after police operatives engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle that lasted several minutes.

He revealed that two officers sustained bullet wounds during the incident, and are now receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

“In the morning of 6/10/2024, police operatives foiled the abduction of a foreigner by suspected armed secessionist members in Ogbunka village,” he said.

“The operatives courageously engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle and rescued the VIP. Unfortunately, during the gun duel, two police officers were injured by gunfire. They are in a stable condition and are currently receiving treatment in hospital.

“Meanwhile, operations are ongoing in the area to apprehend the armed men.”

A suspected serial killer, Philip Ogunnaike, has urged the police to ensure that he and his accomplices are sentenced to death immediately upon arraignment in court.

In an interrogation video shared by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, on her X page, Ogunnaike also appealed to security operatives to commence an immediate manhunt for Danjuma and other alleged accomplices who lured him into the act of killing after he was initiated into the outlawed Eiye confraternity.

The 29-year-old suspect was arrested in Ogun State on suspicion of killing at least three young girls, including an 18-year-old, in separate incidents across the state. According to the police, the suspect had lured his victims into the forest, tied them up, strangled them, and then abandoned their bodies after stealing their phones.

“I don’t want anything other than for the police to arrest Danjuma and others who initiated me into the Eiye cult. If we get to court, they should not bother hearing our case; they should just go and kill us.

“But before they kill us, they should give me food so that I can eat before they kill me because those that I killed may have just finished eating before I killed them,” he said.

Announcing the arrest on Friday, the command revealed that those allegedly killed by him included 18-year-old Akinsanya Habibat, 22-year-old Abigail Dina, and 23-year-old Mary Ogunyemi. The suspect also led the police’s anti-kidnapping team to multiple locations where the three victims were murdered.

The police revealed that Ogunnaike had escaped from the Ibara Correctional Centre two years ago while being taken to the Magistrate Court in Isabo for an ongoing armed robbery case.

The statement added, “On July 3, 2024, at approximately 10 a.m., the late Mary Ogunyemi, a 23-year-old lady, was sent by her mother, Mrs. Ogunyemi Esther, to buy fruits at Adatan from Asero Estate. She was accompanied by the suspect, Philip.

“Philip, a male suspect, was staying with someone in the same compound as the victim. He lured her to a nearby bush in Asero Estate and called in another accomplice to assist him in the kidnapping.

“The victim was bound with rope and robbed of an iPhone S. Philip Ogunnaike and his accomplice jointly strangled her to death. The two criminals later contacted the victim’s mother by phone and demanded a ransom of seventeen thousand naira.

“The duo abandoned the corpse of the victim inside the bush and fled to Badagry, Lagos State, to sell off the stolen iPhone S at the rate of N8,000.”

The command stated that the suspect was responsible for the death of his employer’s 18-year-old daughter, Akinsanya, in an incident that took place at Mile 6, Abeokuta, on August 30, 2024, around 5 p.m.

Ogunnaike had allegedly kidnapped the victim, raped her, and then strangled her to death with a rope on her father’s farm in the community. He later called the parents to demand a ransom before fleeing the scene.

“The father received a phone call on his daughter, Habibat Akinsanya’s phone, informing him that she, aged 18, had been kidnapped and that he needed to pay a ransom of N1 million for her release.

“The victim’s father subsequently paid N30,000 to the Moniepoint account number given by the kidnapper. Later, her body was discovered on her father’s farmland in Obasa village, Mile 6, Abeokuta, Ogun State, along with her PoS machine found beside her.

“The suspect admitted that the victim’s father employed him and was working on the farm when he saw the victim passing by. He lured her to the farm and then tied her legs with a rope.”

A man known as Mr. Charles, a father of nine, has allegedly taken his own life in Delta State’s Jeddo community.

PUNCH Metro learned that the tragic event took place early Monday morning.

It is believed that the man ended his life by consuming an insecticide.

According to sources familiar with the situation, Mr. Charles, who resided in the Jeddo community within Okpe Local Government Area, ingested the insecticide at his home before heading to his in-law’s residence in nearby Ugbokodo, where he eventually passed away.

It was learned that prior to the event, Charles, a member of the Jeddo Community Vigilante, had a serious argument with his wife, begging her not to leave him.

However, his wife was said to have ignored his request.

Though Charles did not leave a suicide note, empty insecticide bottles were reportedly found in his pockets.

The spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, was unavailable for comments on the incident at the time this report was filed, as he did not answer his phone when our reporter attempted to contact him.

The PUNCH

Five persons are feared dead following chaotic shootings at some local government secretariats in Rivers State after police vacated the council.

Suspected political thugs on Monday morning invaded the Eleme, Ahoada East, Obio-Akpor, Emohua, Khana, and Ikwere secretariats among others protesting against the recently held Local Government elections.

The thugs insisted that officials sworn in by Governor Siminalayi Fubara on Sunday would not access the secretariat after police vacated the councils and declared that the elections were illegal.

It was gathered that the hoodlums shot sporadically within the council buildings and bullets hit and killed about five persons in separate locations.

In Khana Local Council, Benson Ndoonee from Zor Sogho community, who was the assistant Chief Security Officer, and CSO of Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Bori, was shot on active duty in front of the Polytechnic Rector’s Lodged.

The Guardian gathered that Mr. Ndoonee was a father to one of the newly elected councilors in the area and had prepared to attend the swearing ceremony of the elected councilor before the sad incident occurred.

The State Commissioner for Environment, Sydney Gbara, who hails from the area confirmed the incident to The Guardian.

Also, in Ahoada East Local Council, it was learnt that gunmen reportedly shot one dead, the victim is said to be a brother to the Chief of Staff to Government House, Edison Ehie.

Three persons were also allegedly killed in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.

It was learnt that the victims mainly youths in their early 20s were gunned down during a sporadic shooting by the suspected political thugs in the area.

There were also shootings in Obio-Akpor Local Council shortly after the Chairman, Chijioke Ihunwo, inaugurated the newly elected councilors.

Friends and well-wishers who came for the inauguration escaped by scaling through the back fence of the secretariat and fled for their lives.

The hometown of the Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Ordu, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area was not left behind as protesters besieged the secretariat, and used sticks, and iron to destroy plastic chairs outside the complex.

This came after some protesters blocked the gates in an attempt to stop the newly elected chairman, Mr.Prince Isaac Umejuru from entering the premises.

One of the protester in Onelga said, “the Rivers state assembly under Martins Amaewhule extended the livespam of the Former Council chairmen with six months , the six months is still running and the governor woke up and did a kangaroo election, that is why we say, we will not accept it”

In Eleme Local Government Area, a section of the State secretariat complex was set ablaze. The chairman of Eleme Council, Brain Gokpa, arrived the secretariat with his councillors and realised that the complex has been engulfed with fire.

A visit to the scene later showed youths using water to put out the fire, while the council chairman and some of his supporters including, a former Council Chairmen, Orji Ngofa were seen sitting in front of the burnt office of the newly elected chairmen.

However, the Chairman said, the destruction of the secretariat would not affect his efforts to deliver dividends of governance to the people.

Also, the newly constructed Ikwere Local Government Secretariat was set ablaze while sporadic shootings reigned in the area.

Earlier, the Council chairman, Isreal Abosi, was chased away with his supporters by the thugs but later, the Simplified Movement, mobilised, moved in and displaced the thugs, and took over the secretariat.

There are also reports of invasion and heavy shootings in Emohua, as protesters attempted to take over the complex.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted N9 billion worth of opioids in Rivers State following a recent raid.

The NDLEA confirmed the successful operation on Sunday morning in a statement on its official X account signed by spokesman, Femi Babafemi.

“NDLEA operatives at the Port Harcourt Ports, Onne, Rivers State have intercepted 13,298,000 pills of opioids including Tramadol, Tramaking Quick Action Tramadol, Tamol-X, Royal Tapentadol and Carisoprodol as well as 338,253 bottles of codeine based cough syrup all worth  N9b in street value,” Babafemi said. 

“The opioids were recovered in three containers coming from India targeted by the NDLEA during a 100% joint examination of the cargoes with men of the Nigerian Customs and other port stakeholders on Wednesday, 2nd and Thursday, 3rd October, 2024.”

Similarly, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan seaport in Lagos on Thursday, 3rd October intercepted 100 parcels of Canadian Loud weighing 50kg. 

The consignment was packed in 20 parcels each in five jumbo bags concealed in a container with four units of imported vehicles that came from Canada. 

Though, the container had earlier been cleared out of the ESS Libra Bonded Terminal in Ikorodu but based on credible intelligence, NDLEA operatives were able to trace it to a warehouse in Ikorodu where the illicit consignments were discovered in one of the imported vehicles, a Toyota Sienna bus.

The suspect, Abubakar Shuaibu Ibrahim has already been taken into custody in connection with the seizure.

In Taraba, NDLEA officers on Thursday, 3rd October intercepted a commercial bus marked JAL 198 YQ coming from Onitsha, Anambra state to Jalingo. 

Large quantities of opioids: tramadol, rohypnol and codeine-based syrup concealed in body compartments of the vehicle were recovered when it was searched, while two suspects, Pako Thomas and Emmanuel Anyigor were arrested. 

Another suspect, Chibuzor Okafor was arrested at Wukari on Wednesday, 2nd October with 80 blocks of cannabis weighing 38kg hidden in bags of garri.

In Lagos, a suspect, Bolanle Ajenifuja was on Friday, 4th October arrested at Afro – Media area of Ojo where 700 litres of skuchies, a mixture of local chapman and cocktail of illicit drugs were recovered from her.

Mesn, three suspects namely Ezekiel Akpele;, Elijah Michael and Goddard John were nabbed same day when NDLEA operatives raided two cannabis farms located at bridge camp, a boundary community between Edo and Ondo States. 

Not less than 9,966.332kg of the substance was destroyed on over three hectares of farmland with 48kg of the already processed psychoactive substance recovered.

With the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

These include WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Musawa, Katsina; students and teachers of Akanu Ibiam Memorial Seminary School, Abakaliki, Ebonyi; students and staff of Community High School, Ile Ogbo, Osun and students of Dominion Secondary School, Okon, Akwa Ibom state among others.

While commending the officers and men of MMIA, Tincan, PHPC, Lagos, Edo and Taraba commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts are well appreciated.