Metro
Commuters groan over relocation of Yenagoa motor parks
Commuters in Yenagoa are groaning over the directive by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Transport to relocate all motor parks operating within Yenagoa and its environs to the new transport terminal at Igbogene in Yenagoa.
Commuters have described their ordeal before getting to their respective destinations, particularly, during this festive season distressing and have expressed dismay and outright annoyance over the insensitivity on the part of the state Ministry of Transport to their plight.
Some said the state government ought to have called all the gazetted transport unions across the state to a roundtable discussion on the matter before embarking on the forceful relocation of the motor parks to Igbogene.
A commuter, Mr Douye Wikimor, noted that the enforcement of the directive by stern-looking security operatives at the motor park at the popular Tombia Roundabout is a misplaced priority and a complete miscalculation on the part of the state Ministry of Transport.
He added that other commuters like himself will have to pay double transportation fares before arriving at their destinations.
Wikimor urged the state government and other relevant stakeholders in the transport sector to re-think and consider the stress and pains the gazetted transport unions and commuters will bear as a result of the sudden and forceful relocation.
President of the Federal University, Otuoke Students Union Government, Comrade Azubike Ekene, said the relocation will cause a lot of inconvenience and pain to students of not only the university but also those of the Niger Delta University, Amassoma.
Ekene said the policy is not bad, especially when viewed against the backdrop of sanitising and decongesting the motor parks within Yenagoa and its environs, but pointed out that the execution of the policy is ill-timed as the planners did not take into consideration the plight of students in the state.
He warned that the student union body will embark on a peaceful protest if the relocation policy is not reconsidered.
In the same vein, another commuter, Tekena Kio, condemned the relocation and centralisation policy, noting that the policy will negatively affect the gazetted transport unions in the state, commuters and small and medium-scale businesses operating within and around the various motor parks.
Kio said the policy will also create room for crime and criminality as the employees of the gazetted unions will be thrown back into the labour market and the motor parks will turn to hideouts for criminals, thereby leading to insecurity in the state.
He averred that it will also affect the internally generated revenue profile of the state from the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the National Union of Road Transport Workers.
He said, “I am a commuter going to Delta State and I used to travel with Agofure buses, but I am surprised that I came to their park this morning to see that the park is under lock and key.
“In this 21st century, the government locked up a private park and business and forced them to relocate to their park which is uncalled for. By our constitution, everybody is allowed to go about their respective businesses without harassment from any quarter.
“Other Bayelsans are in other states doing their legitimate businesses. Agofure built this property to do his legitimate business. I appeal to President Bola Tinubu to wade into the matter and solve the difficulty commuters and private park owners are going through in Bayelsa State.”
Secretary of the Bayelsa State branch of the RTEAN, Comrade Anengima Jonah, bemoaned the policy as the terminal is not built for vehicles of transport unions, but for executive and government-owned transportation schemes, noting that the policy will kill private businesses around the various motor parks.
Jonah said that the gazetted transport unions have succeeded in mopping up large numbers of unemployed youths across the state and urged the state government to have a solid discussion with the unions before going further with the enforcement order, as that is the surest way to resolve the vexing issue.
The Delta State Police Command has arrested and transferred an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Nuhu Usman, to Force Headquarters in Abuja for disciplinary action over the extrajudicial killing of a 28-year-old suspect, Mene Ogidi.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Effurun, sparked public outrage after a disturbing video went viral showing the suspect — already handcuffed and begging for mercy — being shot at close range in the head. His body was subsequently lifted and thrown into a police operational vehicle.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, Delta State Command, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, strongly condemned the killing, describing it as a clear violation of Force Order 237 and the Nigeria Police Force’s Standard Operating Procedures.
According to the police, operatives attached to the Effurun Area Command acted on credible intelligence that Ogidi was attempting to waybill a parcel containing a Beretta pistol and four rounds of ammunition. The suspect was apprehended at the scene, but ASP Nuhu Usman, who led the team, discharged his firearm, resulting in the suspect’s death.
“Upon receipt of the report, the Commissioner of Police directed the immediate arrest of ASP Nuhu Usman and his transfer to the State Headquarters in Asaba for necessary disciplinary action,” the statement signed by Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, read.
The officer has since been queried and moved to Force Headquarters, Abuja, where he will face the Force Disciplinary Committee for sanction and possible prosecution.
The Command reiterated its commitment to professionalism, respect for human rights, and zero tolerance for recklessness and extrajudicial killings.
CP Oyeniyi extended his condolences to the family of the deceased, friends, and concerned members of the public, assuring them that justice would be served.
The video of the shooting surfaced barely two days after soldiers attached to the Guards Brigade in the Federal Capital Territory were accused of killing a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member inside his room. The army had claimed the corps member was caught in crossfire during an armed robbery response, but the deceased’s parents debunked the claim, insisting he was shot in his locked apartment.
Human rights activist Harrison Gwamnishu had earlier alleged that Usman Nuhu, a former Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operative with a history of alleged extrajudicial killings, was involved in the Effurun incident and that other officers might be shielded.
The police statement identifies only ASP Nuhu Usman as the officer who fired the fatal shot and confirms he is now in custody facing disciplinary proceedings.
Gunmen suspected to be bandits invaded a Christ Apostolic Church in Eda Oniyo, headquarters of Ilejemeje Local Government, opening fire on worshippers gathered for a special revival programme.
A pastor identified simply as Aregbe was killed on the spot.
Several others were injured.
An unconfirmed number of congregants are missing.
Witnesses said the attackers stormed the church around 6:45 p.m., shooting into the congregation.
Worshippers scattered into the surrounding bush. Some made it out. Others were hit.
Ilejemeje Local Government Chairman Pius Alaba confirmed the attack.
He said the pastor in charge reported that several worshippers remain unaccounted for, and the exact number of those abducted is still unknown.
“The corpse of the slain pastor has been deposited at the morgue,” Alaba said.
At least six worshippers are declared missing, raising fears they were taken by the gunmen.
Others are nursing gunshot wounds.
Panic has gripped Eda Oniyo.
A community member said residents are living in fear and appealed to government to urgently deploy security personnel to the area.
As of press time, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attack.
Metro
Boko Haram Issues One-Week Ultimatum, Threatens To Kill, Marry Off 176 Abducted Women And Children In Kwara
Residents of Woro community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State have raised alarm after suspected Boko Haram fighters reportedly issued a one-week ultimatum to the Nigerian government to secure the release of 176 abducted women and children or face mass execution.
Community members and families of the victims told SaharaReporters that the abductees delivered the message after a Jumu’ah prayer session held with their captors on Friday.
According to them, one of the victims was allowed to contact her family on Saturday and confirmed that all the abductees were alive. She also said the captors had been teaching them Arabic and Islamic studies.
A community source said the captors accused the government of not taking negotiations seriously, claiming they were spending resources to keep the victims. The militants allegedly warned that if no agreement is reached within one week, they would begin forcing some of the girls into marriage and kill others they consider “unimportant.”
Residents say the threat has heightened fear in the community, with families of the abducted living in distress as the deadline approaches.
Earlier reports indicated that the victims were shown in a video released by the captors in April, appearing weak and pleading for rescue. In the footage, an armed man claimed responsibility for the abduction of residents from Woro and nearby Kososo communities, saying the victims had been “indoctrinated.”
The group had also previously demanded a ransom of N20 million per victim, but negotiations reportedly stalled as the Kwara State Government refused to meet the demand.
Families of the abducted say they are increasingly worried about the survival of their loved ones, especially children and pregnant women, as captivity continues under harsh conditions.
Photos: Appellate Court Advocacy Demands Precision, Discipline — Wike
2027: My opponents are arming terrorists against me — Tinubu
Lawmakers Move To Establish Military Strategy Hub
-
Metro19 hours agoDelta police arrest officer who shot handcuffed suspect to death in Effurun
-
Metro19 hours agoGunmen invade Ekiti church, k!ll pastor, abduct members during revival
-
Sports19 hours agoPSG Beat Bayern Munich In Historic 9-Goal UCL Semifinal Thriller
-
News19 hours agoEx-Zamfara Senator Marafa Joins NDC, Citing Court Cases Within ADC
-
News11 hours agoCourt bars INEC from recognising ADC congresses conducted by Mark-led C’ttee
-
News11 hours agoUnbelievable: Police say officer who publicly executed handcuffed Delta man was under “spiritual attack”
-
News6 hours agoReps back digital overhaul of election petition procedures
-
News11 hours agoPolice nab suspects over alleged removal of 19-yr-old girl’s womb
You must be logged in to post a comment Login