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The Rivers State Police Command has dismissed three policemen over the k!lling of 22-year-old Anthony Obodo, a graduate of the University of Port Harcourt.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, who disclosed this in a media briefing in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, September 2, said the decision was following an orderly trial conducted on the suspects and others at large.

Adepoju said on August 27th, a police patrol team led by one Fabian Kpeanabari, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, had shot and k!lled Anthony after it was alleged that the victim, who was driving in a tinted Lexus car, had refused to stop after the police team had flagged him down.

The victim, who was waiting for his NYSC call-up letter, was shot de@d at the popular Ada George Road in Port Harcourt by the dismissed police officers.

The development has sparked pandemonium in the state as youths from the Ndele Community in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state and other areas stormed the Agip area of Port Harcourt in heavy protest.

Speaking, Adepoju said the affected officers would subsequently be charged to court to face the appropriate criminal charges in accordance with the law.

“I am here to provide updates on some serious incidents recently recorded in the state, including the investigation into the de@th of one Anthony A. Obodo, ‘Male’, a student, following a police pursuit and unfortunate shooting incident, as well as the arrest of suspected members of a one-chance robbery syndicate operating within Port Harcourt and its environs.

Let me state clearly that the Rivers State Police Command places a high premium on professionalism, accountability, respect for human rights and the protection of lives and property.

Where allegations of misconduct or criminality are made against police personnel, we will not shield any officer found to have acted outside the law under my watch.

The patrol team consequently gave chase to the deceased, and during the pursuit, Corporal Alfred Louis, who is attached to the patrol team, opened fire at the vehicle, and a bullet hit the driver identified as Anthony A. Obodo, who sustained a gunshot injury.

The victim was immediately rushed to Palmer’s Hospital, Port Harcourt, where he was attended to and subsequently confirmed de@d by the doctor on duty.

The three members of the patrol team were immediately arrested and detained at the State Criminal Investigation, where a Department (SCID), Port-Harcourt, comprehensive investigation into the case was carried out.”

He mentioned that they will subsequently be charged to court to face the appropriate criminal charges in accordance with the law.

Adepoju mentioned that the action taken against these officers demonstrates that the Nigeria Police Force will not shield personnel who abuse the powers entrusted to them or act contrary to the law and professional standards of the Force.

‘’Let me reiterate that no police officer is above the law” he said .

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The Ogun State Government has issued a fresh flood alert ahead of the second phase of the 2026 rainy season, urging residents in vulnerable communities to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the warning followed a forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet), which identified Ogun among the states expected to experience heavy rainfall in the coming weeks.

According to NiMet’s Seasonal Climate Prediction, the second phase of the 2026 rainy season is expected to begin in September, with Ogun projected to experience intense rainfall averaging about 360mm during the month.

Oresanya said the state government would continue to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological conditions in collaboration with NiMet, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders.

The Commissioner warned that the expected rainfall could increase the risk of river and coastal flooding in parts of the state, particularly due to prolonged rainfall, controlled overflow from Oyan Dam and tidal fluctuations that could slow the flow of the Ogun River.

He explained that the combined effect of these factors could temporarily oversaturate wetlands and floodplains, increasing the risk of flooding in vulnerable communities.

Oresanya advised residents in Isheri, Arepo, Mawere, Magboro, Akute and Warewa, as well as parts of Abeokuta, to remain vigilant and relocate to safer locations where necessary.

He said the advisory also covers coastal communities including Makun-Omi, Iwopin, Oni, Ifaara and Igele in Ogun Waterside Local Government Area; Ebute-Imobi in Ijebu East Local Government Area; Tungeji Island and Agosasa in Ipokia Local Government Area; and communities located along the floodplains of the Ilo and Iju rivers.

The Commissioner also urged fish farmers operating within floodplains and river corridors to harvest their stocks promptly to minimise potential losses from flooding.

He specifically advised fish farmers in Eriwe, Yemule, Ilase and Ayegbami, as well as those in other vulnerable communities, to heed the warning without delay.

The state government said the first phase of the rainy season, which lasted from mid-March to July, recorded intense rainfall and isolated flash floods in some parts of Ogun, but with comparatively minimal impact.

Oresanya attributed the relatively low impact to proactive measures adopted by the government, including sustained public awareness and education, regular maintenance of rivers, streams and drainage channels, as well as improvements in waste management services.

“Particular attention had been given to major river channels and waterways, including Sokori River and its tributaries, Opa-Aro, Adiyan, Eruwuru, Yemule, Gbogidi Canal and Ijamido rivers and streams, among others,” he said.

The Commissioner called on relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Local Government Authorities, emergency response organisations, community leaders and other stakeholders to intensify flood-response activities, regularly monitor vulnerable locations and ensure that drainage channels remain free of obstructions.

He also urged community leaders to strengthen public awareness campaigns in their respective areas, stressing that timely information and early action were critical to reducing the impact of possible flooding.

“The state government would continue to monitor weather forecasts and hydrological conditions in collaboration with NiMet, the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority and other relevant stakeholders.”

Oresanya assured residents that the government would sustain its efforts to minimise the adverse impact of flooding across the state and appreciated residents for their cooperation with measures that contributed to the relatively low impact recorded during the first phase of the rainy season.

He urged residents to take the advisory seriously and remain responsive to further updates from the government and relevant emergency agencies.

Meanwhile, the state government’s call for residents in vulnerable areas to relocate has generated mixed reactions, with some residents appearing unprepared for the possibility of flooding.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, who also doubles as the General Manager of the state Waste Management Authority, Akintunde Farook, called for improved attitudes among residents towards waste disposal and other measures to help mitigate the expected impact of flooding.

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A Nigerian Air Force personnel, Daniel Dominic, has narrated how armed men invaded his residence in Rimi Village, Kaduna State, abducting two of his children and briefly taking his wife captive during a night raid.

Dominic said the incident occurred between 10pm and 11pm on Sunday after he had left home for work, where he was scheduled for a night shift.

According to him, his wife first called to alert him that suspected kidnappers had entered their neighbourhood, but she did not initially realise that the attackers had already broken into a neighbour’s compound and were moving towards their residence.

He said the attackers, numbering more than 10 and armed with rifles and machetes, first abducted a neighbour, identified as a laboratory scientist working at the General Hospital, Sabon Tasha, Kaduna.

The victim, according to Dominic, is the brother-in-law of Gurara TV Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Ernest Thyek Maidawa.

The Air Force personnel said the attackers subsequently broke through his fence and gained entry into his house through a window after dismantling the burglary protection.

Narrating the incident, Dominic said his wife hid their three children—Derick, Damina and Dominion—in a kitchen cabinet before the gunmen entered the house.

“My wife hid the children in my kitchen cabinet. They are three children – Derick, Damina, while the third one is Dominion,” he said.

He said his wife attempted to deceive the attackers by presenting herself as the only person in the house.

“When they came in, they now asked her, ‘Where is the money? Where is the money in this house?’ She said there was no money. They then asked her about her husband and she told them that her husband had gone to work.

“They asked her about the children and she said the children had gone for holiday to their uncle’s place. She was just lying to them, trying to distract them.”

Dominic said the gunmen, however, became suspicious and took his wife outside, where they had already tied his kidnapped neighbour.

He said the attackers later returned to search the house and discovered the three children hiding inside the kitchen cabinet.

According to him, Derick is 13 years old and would turn 14 in December, Damina is 11 and would turn 12 on Saturday, while Dominion is seven years old.

“They now took the first one and the second one and went to where my wife was,” he said.

Dominic said the gunmen accused his wife of lying to them after discovering the children, before forcing her and the two older children to move with them into nearby farmlands.

He said the attackers used tall crops in the area as cover while moving towards the bush.

However, Dominic said his wife, who was reportedly struggling to keep up with the attackers, eventually fell repeatedly along the route.

“After they had trekked many miles, my wife was not feeling too well. She was just falling down on the road. So, maybe they felt that this one was going to slow us, so they asked her to go back,” he said.

According to him, the kidnappers instructed his wife to return home and tell him to begin raising money, after telling her that they knew he was a soldier and considered him a “big man” at his workplace.

He said he arrived home shortly after the attackers had left, initially unaware that his children had been abducted

“I saw my gate locked, I saw the hole. My thinking was maybe they tried to come into the fence and enter the house, maybe they heard some noise and left,” he said.

Dominic said his suspicion changed after he inspected his neighbour’s compound and discovered that the gate was open and a large hole had been created in the fence.

He subsequently went towards the rear of his house and called out to his wife, but received no response.

He said his seven-year-old son, Dominion, who had been left behind by the attackers, eventually opened the gate.

“The next thing he told me was, ‘Daddy, they’ve carried Mummy, Derick and Damina. They kidnapped Mummy, Derick and Damina,’” Dominic recounted.

He said his wife later returned and confirmed that the two children had been taken into the bush.

The family subsequently spent the night at his mother’s residence before returning home the following morning, according to him.

Dominic said the kidnappers later contacted him around 9am this Monday morning using his wife’s mobile phone, which they seized from her.

He said he immediately recognised that the callers were the same men who had abducted his children.

“When I saw it, I knew that they were the ones,” he said.

The father said he asked to speak with his children and was allowed to do so.

“I asked them, ‘Are they beating you? Are they dragging you? Are they maltreating you guys?’ My children said no,” he said.

Dominic said the kidnappers subsequently told him that they would not kill his children and promised to contact him later.

“They said they were not going to kill my children. They said I should not worry and that later they would call me,” he said.

However, he said the abductors had not contacted him again as of the time of the interview, leaving the family uncertain about what would happen next.

Dominic said he had officially reported the incident to his superiors and that security personnel had visited the area to obtain information that could assist in locating the victims.

He appealed for urgent intervention to secure the release of his two children and ensure the safe return of his kidnapped neighbour.

The incident comes amid renewed concerns over attacks and kidnappings in vulnerable communities across Kaduna State.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that armed bandits invaded Rimi Village in Kaduna under the cover of darkness on Sunday and abducted the brother-in-law of Gurara TV Chief Executive Officer, Comrade Ernest Thyek Maidawa.

Gurara TV had appealed to security agencies and other relevant authorities to treat the abduction as an emergency and deploy necessary resources to rescue the victims.

The station also urged residents with credible information that could assist security agencies in locating the victims or apprehending the attackers to immediately report to the appropriate authorities.

Efforts to obtain an update from the Kaduna State Police Command were unsuccessful, as its spokesperson, DSP Mansur Hassan, neither answered calls to his phone nor responded to a message sent to him.