[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Nigeria Police Command in Delta has recorded another feat in the fight against crimes and criminality in the State as a total of 182 suspects were paraded to the Public on Wednesday, May 13, 2020.

The parade of the crime suspects at the Police command headquarters in Asaba is the second of such by the Commissioner of Police, CP Hafiz Inuwa since his assumption of duty as the state Police Boss.

Briefing the Press before the tour of the suspects, CP Inuwa commended Deltans for their continued partnership with the Police Command in the fight against crimes and criminality, “indeed, your support to the command within four (4) months of my arrival as Delta State Commissioner of Police has been overwhelming”, he said.

Adding that the collaborative efforts to provide residents of the State with adequate security, protection of lives and property and prevention of breakdown of law and order has led to the arrest of many terrorists/armed robbery suspects, suspected kidnappers, cultists and many other criminals disturbing the peace of the state.

Parading the suspects in batches, the State Police Command had on March 28, 2020, arrested two suspected child traffickers,one Tolulope Bosede (female 45yrs) and Abiola Komolafe (female 20yrs) both of Akure in Ondo State while on transit in a commercial bus along Asaba/Benin Expressway in Okpanam area.

According to Police report of the case, “they were suspected to have sold a newly born male child delivered by one of them, Abiola Komolafe ‘f’ 20yrs to a trafficker in Onitsha and were headed back to their base in Akure when they were arrested by the Police acting on information.

“In the course of investigation and following the confession of Tolulope Bosede ‘f’ that she tricked pregnant Abiola Komolafe ‘f’ from Akure to Onitsha where she successfully gave birth to a baby boy, but she later took the baby from her and sold him to one Mrs Nkaneme Melife (f) 37yrs in Onitsha while she lied to the mother that the baby died some hours after delivery.

“The buyer, Mrs Nkaneme Melife later sold the child to another buyer, one Mrs Ekunno Ifeyinwa (f) 56yrs of Onora family house, Abba Village, Onitsha. Meanwhile, the two buyers have been arrested with one Josephine Unnoha ‘f’ and the stolen child was recovered. Their arrest led to the recovery of another two weeks old male child also suspected to have been stolen by same Mrs Ekunno Ifeyinwa.” The case is under investigation, the report read.

Speaking to journalists, the Mrs Ekunno Ifeyinwa dislosed that she got the baby girl for the sum of N980,000.000 and the boy for N1,300,000.00 from a welfare officer in Anambra. She added that the babies were gotten for her brother based abroad who had been married for years without a child.

Another striking case was the arrest of IPOB members at their various training camps within the metropolis of Asaba, the State capital whose activities were likened to a massive terrorist plan with acquisition of assorted weapons from murdered and maimed Police Officers in the state over the years.

Their arrest according to Police report stated, “the command’s sustained efforts in the investigation of the attacks and snatching of Police rifles and ammunition in the State yielded desired results when some principal suspects with strong link to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were arrested and made confessional statements.

“After a diligent and painstaking investigation, on April 5, 2020, while acting on the confession of the arrested key principal suspects, Police operatives recovered the following arms and ammunition snatched from Policemen from Ugwunwosu Camp of the proscribed IPOB; Ten (10) AK47 rifles, Ten magazines with Two Hundred (200) rounds of AK47 ammunition.

“Also, on April 24, 2020, one of the suspects led Police operatives to the proscribed IPOB training camp at Ibusa where one AK47 riffle with its magazine and 26 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition robbed from Safer Highway Patrol Team along Ogwashi-Kwale road by Obasanjo Farm on January 1, 2020 was recovered from where it was buried in the camp.

“Similarly, on April 29, 2020, two of the suspects led the operatives to Idumogi forest in Okpanam where the following robbed Police arms were recovered from where buried; Two AK47 riffles, One Smoke Gunner, one Smoke Canister, four AK47 magazines, two hundred and twelve (212) 7.62mm AK47 ammunition, one MP3, a set of Allen keys and one hand bag.”

Meanwhile, a total of thirteen (13) Police AK47 riffles with ammunition robbed during attacks on Policemen by suspected IPOB members in the State over the years have been recovered. Investigation is still in progress, the report added.

Speaking to some of the suspects, they admitted being members of IPOB who  volunteered to be part of Biafra Security Service (BSS) and had engaged in the gun snatching in order to beef up their arm cache in their quest for territorial succession.

Another case was the arrest of suspected ritualists and unlawful possession of suspected human bones and used children pads in Udu local government area of the state.

The Police report on the case declared that, “on April 6, 2020, one Stephen Oyibare ‘m’, the vigilante leader o Igbogidi Community in Udu reported at the station that Two (2) suspected ritualists pretending to be of unsound mind were accosted under the DSC Expressway Bridge by Igbogidi.

Upon search, the suspects were found with suspected human bones. Consequent upon the report, the Divisional Patrol Team was deployed to the scene and the vicinity was enveloped with offensive stench of decomposing items.

Further search on both suspects and scene by the Police led to the recovery of nine (9) suspected human bones, fifteen (15) used baby pads, a pair of skating shoes, red-brownish powdered substance wrapped in three black polythene, a sack containing clothing, documents and two voters’ cards belonging to one of the suspects. The suspects gave their names as Yakubu Bala Dagann ‘m’ 33yrs of Shamshitta Street, Takum, Taraba STate and Emmanuel Obughor ‘m’ 30yrs from Ahoda East LGA of Rivers State.

Both were very coherent in their speech when interviewed, they neither appear to be sick nor able to justify why they were residing under the bridge or their mission in the area. Meanwhile, the recovered bones are still subject to laboratory confirmation as to ascertain their origins. The suspects were arrested and are in custody while the case is under investigation.

Other suspects arrested by the command between 11th February, 2020 to 13th May, 2020 include; 53 suspected armed robbers, 23 suspected kidnappers, 66 suspected cultists, 8 murder suspects, 28 protesters at Abraka Market Asaba and 4 suspected thieves.

Moreso, 14 AK47 riffles, 1 AK49 riffle, 5 pump action gun, 1 Beretta Pistol, 7 locally made pistols and 15 cut-to-size barrel guns with a total of 3,323 live cartridges and 584 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered.

Other exhibits recovered are, 13 stolen vehicles, 5 motorcycles, 16 mobile phones, cutlasses, recharge cards and gun manufacturing equipment.

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]eltans have continued to breach all COVID-19 precautionary protocols announced by Delta State Government at the Ogbeogonogo Ultramodern Market.

The state government’s COVID-19 regulations which took effect from April 20, 2020, read that, ‘’traders are all required to wear facemasks while carrying out their businesses’’ adding ‘’they must all adhere to social distancing and other sanitation protocols and modalities for operation.’’

Our correspondent gathered on Wednesday that social distancing, compulsory wearing of facemasks and the provision of water-stations at strategic points among other measures were not enforced as at press time.

Some of the traders, who spoke with News men, but preferred not to be mentioned in print, said that they felt uncomfortable with the masks as it tended to inhibit their breathing.

Reacting, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the market , Mr. Christopher Ajufo, told reporters that ‘’the problem we are faced with is that most of the traders think this coronavirus is a fluke’’.

Ajufo said that the market authorities had been strict with the compulsory wearing of masks and gloves before transactions in the market but stressed that stiffer measure will have to be employed to deal with dissidents.

The Chairman attributed the seeming negligence of social distance to the unavailability of space in the market due to the ongoing construction of new structures around it, which had temporarily displaced some traders from their stores.

According to him, Oshimili South Local Government might consider reopening some of the provisional markets in some of the schools to ease the crowed Ogbeogonogo market.

[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari has appointed renowned diplomat and former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Ibrahim Gambari as his new Chief of Staff.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation Mr. Boss Mustapha announced the appointment before the commencement of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday.

Professor Gambari appointment comes after the death of the former Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, who died of coronavirus (COVID-19) complications on April 17, 2020.

Professor Gambari served as the Minister for External Affairs between 1984 and 1985.

He held several leadership positions at the national and international levels and has built extensive contacts with governments, as well as public and private institutions, especially in Africa.

The 75-year-old diplomat was also the Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid (1990-1994).

He later served as Under-Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Department of Political Affairs between 2005 and 2007.

[dropcap]G[/dropcap]overnor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has said that the demolished Abraka Market in Asaba constituted security risk as it was a hideout for criminals involved in heinous crimes.

The governor gave the explanation while fielding questions from newsmen last Saturday after inspecting the demolished market and disclosed that the government had ordered the relocation of the traders in order to nip in the bud, the security challenges posed by the market and give Asaba a facelift.

He assured that the large expanse of land which housed the market would be put into adequate use rather than the illicit activities hitherto going on there.

Okowa warned that any unauthorized person found there henceforth would be arrested and made to contend with the law.

He advised former traders at the market to relocate as government was strategizing on how to put the hectares of land into good use.

According to the governor, the demolition was not to witch hunt anyone but was a deliberate effort to avoid using the land as den of crime and criminality.

He sued for peace and unity among residents of the state, and assured that his administration would continue to take decisions that would be to the advantage of all.

“The place was such that it was already creating a security problem for us and unfortunately we have found that a lot of people were developing brothels in that place and beyond that, it has become a criminal hide-out and we took that decision at the state security council that we needed to ensure that we are able to secure Asaba.

“And, in our plan to secure Asaba, we agreed that there was the need for the whole of that place to be bulldozed and people there relocated to another part of Asaba; that relocation has already been done and the place has been brought down.

“Now, we are going to think through and see what development we can bring to that place to put it into good use.

“But apparently, the aim for which it was done has already been achieved; we want to put processes in plan, working with various ministries and our Delta Investment Development Agency (DIDA), to see what we are going to put in that place because it’s a sizeable land in a prime location that can be used for something useful,” he stated.

The governor who was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, Commissioner of Police, Mr Hafiz Inuwa and Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, was conducted round the demolished market by the Director-General, Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, Mrs Onyemaechi Mrakpor.

He also inspected the remodeled Koka junction on Benin-Asaba highway, with park and monument, executed by his administration through the Ministry of Urban Renewal and was conducted round the project by the Commissioner in charge of the ministry, Chief Arthur Akpowowo.

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, said Monday the Catholic Church in Nigeria had offered its 425 hospitals and clinics nationwide as isolation centres for COVID-19 patients.

Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, disclosed this at the PTF media briefing in Abuja.

He said the rising COVID-19 cases across Nigeria were due to the increased testing capacity in the country.

Mustapha said: “During the first week, the country generally recorded high cases. This is attributable to our expanded capacity for testing with the opening up of more testing centres and laboratories. As at today, there are 21 laboratories nationwide including private laboratories.

“We have encouraged states to have at least 300-bed isolation centres including intensive care units. However, with the increase in cases, we have begun to experience some shortages of bed spaces in the isolation centres.

“As part of efforts to support the states in the establishment of isolation and treatment centres, I wish to remind our state governors that the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has offered and volunteered all the 425 hospitals and clinics that belong to the Catholic Mission nationwide for adaptation and use as an isolation centres. Governors are encouraged to approach Catholic Bishops and Arch-Bishops in their states to access these facilities.”

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Socio-Economic Right and Accountability Project, SERAP, has reacted to the demolition of two hotels by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, describing the action as executive rascality.

The rights body condemned the demolition of Prodest Hotel by Wike, and vowed to take action.

“We condemn the reported demolition of Prodest Hotel by Gov Wike, Rivers State.

“Using COVID-19 to perpetrate human rights violations is executive rascality & Mr Wike must stop this now.

“We’re taking legal action to hold him & his govt. to account for illegal actions.

“The demolition of Prodest Hotel is forced evictions and in violation of article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and other human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party,” SERAP said on its twitter handle.

Wike had on Sunday supervised the demolition of two hotels in Eleme and Onne for violating the Executive Order 6 of the state government, which banned the operations of hotels amid the lockdown in order to check the spread of coronavirus.

“Government has no alternative but to apply the Executive order, which I signed before the lockdown of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt. I called all the traditional rulers and council chairmen and told them to ensure that no hotel operates in the state,” he said.