Photo showing the razed Abia Vigilante services building.
The building that serves as the office of Abia Vigilante services in Ahiaeke Timber market, Abia State, has been razed by hoodlums.
Properties in the building including vehicles and motorbikes were destroyed by the fire.
According to witnesses, the hoodlums razed the building of the vigilante services attached to the Ahiaeke Timber market as a result of the exchange of words between members of the vigilante service and some traders over revenue collection.
Photo showing vehicle burnt at Abia Vigilante services office.
The protest by the traders was reportedly hijacked by the hoodlums, leading to the destruction of properties belonging to Abia vigilante services.
The Unit Commander of Abia Vigilante Services, Darlynton Onuoha said despite the attack, they will continue the maintenance of peace and safety of traders.
He claimed that the attack on their office was hijacked by hoodlums who think that their continuous stay in the market is preventing them from perpetrating their criminal activities.
Photo showing vehicle burnt at Abia Vigilante services office.
“The true position of this is that no such incident happened and no such magnitude of houses and cars were burnt at Odo-Osun/Ita bale/Aderogba areas of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital,” the statement said.
“What really happened was that hoodlums from these areas came out in the early hours of 29/01/2021, in their usual manner, with dangerous weapons to loot shops and set up bonfires. A house and about two shops were looted.
“But the swift response of Police patrol teams doused tension and the hoodlums were dislodged.
“Routine patrols were intensified to forestall further attacks and lootings. Sequel to this, at about 20:15 hrs, the hoodlums from Aderogba area came out again and attempted to vandalize and loot shops at Beyerunka/Ogbori Efon areas. Police patrol teams and those of Amotekun were drafted to the area. During a hot chase by the teams, a cut-to-size dane gun was recovered from one of the hoodlums while bonfires set up were put out.
“The hoodlums thereafter fled the scene.
“Constant routine patrols have been intensified in those areas and normalcy has been restored. The Police are on the trail of these hoodlums to get them arrested and carry out prosecution accordingly.”
Hoodlums suspected to be hired thugs on Monday disrupted a planned conference organised by the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) over the rising insecurity in the region.
The hoodlums invaded the popular Arewa House, the venue of the press conference a few minutes before the event could kick-off, and attacked the organisers of the security conference.
The hoodlums also destroyed chairs, tables and also smashed windscreens of vehicles parked within the premises of the event.
Condemning the attack and disruption of the conference by the hoodlums, the national coordinator of CNG, Balarabe Rufai described the hoodlums as enemies of the North.
He vowed that no amount of attack or threat will stop the Coalition from speaking out against the rising security challenges in the north.
He explained that the aim of the security conference is for the stakeholders to come together and brainstorm on ways to address the rising cases of banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping that have taken over the northern region.
He also disclosed that they have identified some known faces among the hoodlums, and will therefore ensure that they are arrested and prosecuted for invading a lawful gathering aimed at discussing issues affecting the northern region.
Suspected hoodlums on Thursday attacked Ogun State House of Assembly and carted away the mace.
The Police spokesperson in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi confirmed the incident to Channels Television.
He said the suspected hoodlums in the early hours of Thursday broke into the House Assembly and carted away the mace which the official symbol of authority.
He, however, said the coat of the arm on the mace has been recovered but the stick is still missing.
He added that investigations have been launched to unravel those who are behind the incident and the motive behind their action.
The assembly building which is located a few metres away from the Governor’s Office complex has however been cordoned by some security agents and journalists upon a visit to the scene were denied access into the complex.
Igbosere High Court is a monument with its existence dating back to when Lagos was known as a British protectorate.
The building came under attack by some hoodlums on October 22. The buildings in the court premises and properties in it were destroyed and completely vandalized.
The hoodlums spent hours burning vehicles, vital documents, case files and looted properties including furniture, refrigerators, and air conditioners.
Chief Judge of Lagos State, Kazeem Alogba in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, October 27 said substantial records of the court were not affected as wrongly believed by many.
He said the archives remain intact.
“Fortunately, it is not all our records that are lost. In some of the key areas, we still have a substantial part of our records intact. Like our archives and the probate registry, to a reasonable extent, some of our records are still intact.
“We are working day and night to ensure that we find alternative accommodation for our judges and magistrates and they will soon start sitting,” he said.
While the impact of the damage done on the High Court is still been accessed, the Chief Judge said reconstructing the building will cost over a billion naira.
Court officials sorting the remaining documents.
He said, “in terms of equipment and other items vandalized. It is also almost one billion. We have several vehicles there. All our computers, the air conditioners, the refrigerators and all sorts of electrical gadgets. Even the furniture.”
The court is however planning a comeback soonest.
“We are going to reconstruct our case files. We are not going to look back, we are looking forward. This is a temporary set-back.
“These are trying times and we must go through it, but we are going to come out of it brilliantly,” the Chief Judge promised.
– Judicial Monument Attacked –
Igbosere High Court was one of the structures left devastated by the activities of hoodlums last week in Lagos State.
The city was ravaged by hoodlums in the days after the #EndSARS protest, leaving many parts of the state with the burnt buildings, looted shops, and destroyed properties.
Igbosere High court which is the oldest in Nigeria was not spared as the courtrooms were burnt, vandalised, and left in ruins.
There was panic and apprehension in Jos, the Plateau State capital on Tuesday as hoodlums disrupted commercial activities at Ahmadu Bello way leading to an abrupt end of businesses in the city.
Some shops were vandalised while cars were set ablaze by the miscreants who prompted the personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to maintain law and order at the commercial centre before the arrival of the police.
NSCDC personnel told Channels Television that four people were injured and have been taken to the hospital for treatment.
The incident at the city centre is not related to the #EndSARS protests going on in some parts of the city, but protesters restricted their activities at the Old Airport Roundabout and the Polo roundabout axis where they have been gathering for almost five days.
The murder of a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officer, Ola Oyeshina, has been condemned by the agency’s General Manager, Olajide Oduyoye, who described his death as ‘unfortunate’.
The LASTMA General Manager revealed in a statement that Mr Oyeshina was attacked on Friday by suspected hoodlums who threw a big stone at the officer during the course of sanitising Iganmu-Sifax axis of Apapa. He was later taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital where he died on Saturday morning.
“He was immediately rushed to Area “B” police station along with two of the people that attacked him, ACP Bayo Sulaimon thereafter ordered the detention of the two (2) attackers that were arrested while a letter of medical referral was issued for the victim’s attention at the hospital.”
He assured that the perpetrators of the dastardly act that were caught will be prosecuted in the court of law to serve as a deterrent to other members of the public who may harbour committing such crime in future.
“LASTMA was established to manage and control traffic in order to reduce the people’s travel time on our roads, increase economic growth through increased productivity and ensure the populace safety and security, a situation where road users will now turn against any government official in order not to answer the consequences of breaking the law is unacceptable and would not be condoned henceforth.”
Mr Oduyoye stated that with the recent inauguration of a committee on war against traffic and environmental offenders, there is no more hiding place for Lagos residents or visitors that go against the law.
Suspected hoodlums have invaded the All Progressive Congress (APC) office in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital carting away important documents.
The attackers struck in the early hours of Friday.
A chieftain of the party, Derin Adebiyi said although nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident, the action has been reported to the security agencies for investigation.
“The attack was massive. All offices were broken into, including the office of the chairman, the state secretary, the organising secretary, among others.
“All offices were ransacked and important documents were taken away. Properties were vandalised,” he explained.
Although Adebiyi did state the value of properties destroyed he said the intention of the attackers remains unknown but suspicious.
According to him, this is because the attack was carried out at the end of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration.
Two people have been reported dead with several others injured after unknown gunmen opened fire at a polling unit in Amukpe, near Sapele in Delta state.
Channels Television gathered that the deceased were voters trying to cast their votes along Old Eku road Amukpe when the attack took place.
According to the police, the gunmen stormed the polling units when the voting was still ongoing and rained bullets at the voters leaving two persons dead on the spot while several others were badly injured.
Those injured were rushed to a nearby hospital where they are being tendered to.
The police say investigations are underway, assuring that those who carried out the attack will be apprehended.
Fifteen suspected political thugs have been arrested by the Nigerian army in Ikebiri 1, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
The army said the hoodlums has planned to disrupt the presidential and national assembly elections in the region.
Jonah Danjuma, a spokesperson of the Nigeria Army, noted that the arrest of the thugs by the troops of the 5 Battalion, 16 Brigade was achieved on the objective of operation ‘Safe Conduct’.
He said, “In our determined efforts to ensure peace and security in our Area of Responsibility especially in pursuant of the objectives of Operation SAFE CONDUCT, troops of 5 Battalion, 16 Brigade Nigerian Army today arrested 15 armed men suspected to be political thugs at Ikebiri 1 in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.”
“It was a successful operation that led to the recovery of large cache of arms, ammunition and other items. This feat was achieved as a direct response by vigilant troops in Operation SAFE CONDUCT 2019 in 16 Brigade Area of Responsibility.”
The army spokesman said the arrested thugs would be handed over to the Nigerian police after initial interrogation for onward prosecution.
Sequel to the flag off of Exercise EGWU EKE III (Python Dance) by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen TY Buratai in 1 Battalion, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State on the 8 of January 2019, the exercise simultaneously became activated in the North West geopolitical zone with the deployment of troops in all Divisional Areas of Operation for internal security which has started yielding dividends.
According to a statement by the army spokesperson, Major Clement K Abiade, Troops of 8 Division, Nigerian Army in Sokoto on the 9th of January 2019, at about 6.30pm while on routine patrol for the safety and serenity of the metropolitan ran into a group of hoodlums causing mayhem, extorting and threatening the lives of innocent citizens along Sokoto – Gusau road.
Seven (7) of them were apprehended and were being profiled.
The suspects are: Auwalu Shehu, 32 years – Carpenter, Muritala Garba, 41 years, Driver. Jamilu Bello, 30 years – Trader, Abubakar Aliyu, 29 years – Trader, Musa Abubakar, 32 years – Bricklayer, Zayyanu Aliyu, 28 years – Iron Bender, and, Bashir Sarkinpawa, 27 years – Cow Butcher.
The Items recovered include, five machetes, two Knives, two catapults, two long sticks (Gora), one tyre ream, three bottles of Codeine and, sizeable numbers of stones.
A preliminary investigation is ongoing and the suspects will be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution on completion. Members of the public are hereby enjoined to cooperate with the security agencies by reporting any suspicious persons and activities.
Some hoodlums have stormed the venue of the State Congress of the All Progressives (APC) faction loyal to the suspended Chairman, Isaacs Kekemeke in Akure, the state capital.
The hoodlums armed with sticks and clubs attacked party delegates and members as well as newsmen at the venue.
The hoodlums also set a bonfire built with automobile tires in front of the venue.
Some of the delegates had earlier arrived at the venue and were waiting for the exercise to start while the hoodlums arrived and disrupted the venue.
The Congress, therefore, ended abruptly as delegates and everyone present ran for cover.
