Metro
Traditional Ruler, Two Others Killed In Bloody Benue Land Dispute
A protracted land dispute between the people of Okete in Ohimini Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state and the neighbouring community of Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo LGA over the ownership of
Amla-Icho community land has claimed the lives of a traditional ruler and two others in the feuding communities.
It was gathered that the age long dispute was triggered last week when the Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Alfred Omakwu allegedly sent a bulldozer to the disputed land to enable him commence work on the creation of a layout in the area.
The presence of the earth moving equipment angered the people of Okete who moved to stop the destruction of the cultivated land.
In his account on the incident, the Chairman of Otukpo LGA said “the problem is that the Okete people lost it. It is a dispute between Amla in Otukpo and Okete in Ohimini LGA and a total of three people lost their lives in the crisis.
“What happened was that they (the Okete people) used to go and farm in Amla land but sometimes last year when we wanted to develop a layout there, the Okete people went to report to the Och’Idoma that their farm produce were there and the Och’Idoma directed that no layout should be done until they harvest their products.
“February this year, they harvested their produce and the Och’Idoma called them and informed them that by March this year, Otukpo would go ahead with their layout and that they should not farm there again.
“But when the bulldozers returned they said they had farmed there already and reported the matter to their Second Class Chief as well as their LGA Chairman who called me and I told them that the Och’Idoma asked them not to farm there again because of the layouts.
“So when the bulldozer went there on Friday, they came with their lawyer who called me and I told him everything and said if they want to go to court, it was their right.
“They demanded that the bulldozer stopped work but their lawyer advised that they should wait for him to get an injunction from the court but they said they could not wait.
“They then went to the First class chief of Otukpo/Ohimini who called Och’Idoma and the Och’Idoma said they should not stop the people doing the layout because he asked them not to farm their again.
“At that point they went there and opened fire on the people; they killed one and shot two people and burnt all their motorbikes about 10 of them.
“Then Otukpo retaliated the next day; they also burnt some houses and killed one person and killed another person in Amla making two.
“But we have maintained calm. The Police Commissioner summoned all of us for a peace meeting so we are restoring peace now among both parties. We have agreed that all the culprits will be arrested and brought to book.”
Countering his Otukpo counterpart, the Ohimini LG Chairman, Samson Okoh who also acknowledged that the dispute was over land said “there is a place called Amla, it’s close to Okete. The Otukpo Chairman took the bulldozers to the place where the Okete people used to farm for years and according to him he wanted to do a layout. So he went and destroyed their farm crops.
“When the Okete people demanded an explanation, the Amla people said the land does not belong to the Okete people but to the Amla people.
“According to what I was told, when the argument ensued somehow one of them from Otukpo pulled the trigger and shot but the bullet mistakenly hit a fellow Otukpo person.
“Then on Saturday night the Amla people went and reinforced and barricaded the Okete people, burnt houses, beat up ans killed one boy. And on Sunday around 10am when I went to take the boy they killed to the mortuary, the Alma people went to the place again and burnt 17 houses, burnt motorcycles, slaughtered a Clan Head Chief Sunday Okpe, and shot five other persons who we took to the Teaching Hospital in Otukpo for treatment.”
The Chairman who informed that the community had been deserted said the parties had been summoned by the Police Commissioner over the matter and that efforts were on to apprehend the masterminds of the crisis.
On whether the Paramount ruler of Idoma land, Och’Idoma Agaba-Idu John Odogbo asked his people not to farm on the said land again, the Chairman said, “I am not aware of that but the Otukpo Chairman claimed so. I was not told by the Och’Idoma to tell the people not to farm there.
“Moreover, the Och’Idoma cannot tell the people to stop farming where they have been farming for several years without compensation or settlement and you just take the bulldozer to destroy their crops on the hectares of land they eke a living from.”
Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the development said the command received the report of one death though she was awaiting full details of the incident.
Metro
SAD! Police nab man for allegedly st3bbing in-law to d#ath
The Imo State Police Command has apprehended 40-year-old Uchenna Okpara for allegedly stabbing his in-law, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death during an altercation involving their children.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Imo State, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday in Owerri.
According to the statement, the tragic incident occurred on January 16, 2025, in Ubomiri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State.
Okpara allegedly attacked Unakalamba with a broken bottle after a disagreement between their children escalated into a heated argument.
“The anti-kidnapping unit operatives arrested the suspect, Uchenna Okpara, on January 16, 2025, for allegedly stabbing his in-law, Uchenna Unakalamba, to death.
The altercation, which began as a minor dispute between their children, turned fatal when Okpara used a broken bottle to attack the victim,” Okoye said.
Police officers, responding to a distress call, apprehended the suspect and recovered the weapon used in the attack.
Okoye added that the victim was confirmed dead at the hospital, and his body had been deposited in the morgue.
“The suspect is currently in custody as investigations continue. He will be prosecuted once the investigation is concluded,” the police spokesperson noted.
In a related development, the Imo Police Command has arrested a suspected member of a notorious kidnap syndicate, Ozioma Dike, during an operation in a forest near Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area.
Okoye stated that on January 16, 2025, operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit acted on credible intelligence and raided the hideout of the syndicate.
The operation led to a gunfight, during which Dike was arrested while other gang members escaped into the bushes.
Recovered from the suspect was a pump-action rifle loaded with seven live rounds of ammunition and an iPhone belonging to a victim kidnapped on January 8, 2025, in Ubomiri.
During interrogation, Dike confessed to being part of a group responsible for multiple kidnappings in the Ubomiri, Ogbaku, and Ohii communities in Mbaitoli Local Government Area.
Okoye assured the public that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing members of the gang.
“The arrested suspect remains in custody and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations,” he added.
The Police Command reiterated its commitment to eradicating criminal activities in the state, with the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, pledging to sustain peace and ensure the safety of residents across Imo State.
Metro
Police foil bandits attack in Katsina, neutralize 7 suspects
The Katsina State Police Command said its operatives successfully foiled a bandits’ attack on Ruwan Doruwa village, Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State. Seven suspected bandits were neutralized in the foiled operation. While 61 cows, 44 sheep, two donkeys, one goat, and one dog were recovered.
Spokesperson, of the Command, DSP Sadiq Abubakar said the incident occurred on January 18th, 2025, at about 9:00 AM. A distress call was received at the Dutsinma Divisional Police Headquarters that some suspected bandits, armed with dangerous weapons such as AK-47 rifles, sporadically attacked Ruwan Doruwa village, Dutsinma LGA, Katsina State.
Following the report, the DPO, in collaboration with the military, DSS, members of the KTSCWC, and the vigilante, mobilised and responded to the scene swiftly.
Upon arrival, the team engaged the bandits in a fierce gun battle, which resulted in the neutralization of seven (7) suspected armed bandits as the remaining fled the scene with various degrees of injuries, abandoning all the suspected rustled animals.
The Commissioner of Police, Katsina State Command, CP Aliyu Abubakar Musa, commended the police operatives for their exceptional display of gallantry, act of valour, and professionalism. He also reiterated the commitment of the command towards ensuring the safety and security of members of the public.
CP further called on members of the public to continue to support the command by providing timely and useful information that will help the command in the ongoing fight against all forms of crime and criminality in the state.
Metro
Father And Daughter b3headed Over Land Dispute In Delta Community
…angry mob b#rns man found with victims’ heads
A 70-year-old man, Mr Aghanti, and his daughter, Mrs Atagoshi, 50, were reportedly beh3aded over a land dispute in the Amai community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.
It was gathered that Mrs Atagoshi, a secondary school teacher and a pastor’s wife, had earlier purchased a piece of land in the community, which some individuals subsequently claimed.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, who confirmed the incident said that the assailant lured the victims into the bush under the pretext of discussing the land issue and beheaded them.
“The suspect called the woman, saying he wanted to discuss the land issue. He then took her and her father into the bush, killed them, and beheaded them,” the PPRO said.
“On the same day, vigilantes apprehended one Emeke with two human heads. He was mobbed and set ablaze by angry residents. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the human heads belonged to the father and daughter.
“Their headless bodies were found in the bush.”
Edafe added that the main suspect is currently on the run, while efforts are ongoing to arrest him.
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