Local Katsina-Ala Benue news, Nigeria
Police arrest kidnap suspects who killed doctor after ransom
Police operatives of the Intelligence Response Team have arrested two suspects for the kidnap and eventual murder of a medical doctor, Audu Benedict, his son, and one of his associates in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, who disclosed this in a statement said the victims were travelling from Taraba State to Abuja on March 10, 2019, before the incident.
He disclosed that the suspects – Henry Gwa, 25, and Terhile Tsavbe, 30, – who both hail from Benue State, were arrested on June 6 and 11 this year following an intense search for the victims and manhunt for the perpetrators by the police team.
“Investigations revealed that the criminal gang collected N7.5 million as ransom from the families of the victims as a condition for their release.
“The suspects forced late Dr Audu Benedict to issue them a cheque of N500,000 which they cashed in a commercial bank in Gboko town, Benue State,” the police spokesman said.
He added that despite collecting the sum, the suspects killed the three victims and had them buried in a shallow grave at Gawa in Katsina-ala LGA of Benue.
According to Mba, efforts are being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large and the police team is on the verge of exhuming the remains of the slain victims.
In a similar development, he said 25 other criminal suspects were arrested for their involvement in varying cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and illegal possession of prohibited firearms.
The police spokesman described the suspects as members of high-profile criminal gangs terrorising communities and major highways of the North-Central and North-West states of the country.
“Exhibits recovered by the police team from the suspects include six AK47 rifles, three locally fabricated pump action guns, one locally fabricated pistol, two Dane guns, 55 rounds of AK47 ammunition, four empty magazines, one laptop computer, and one Toyota Corolla car with REG No. MKD 13 RC,” he said.
Mba said all the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations while the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has given assurance that the battle against criminal elements in the country was a continuous one.
He also called for all hands to be on deck towards decisive victory and reclaiming the public space from the criminal elements.
Latest news Katsina-Ala - here are the news of nearby cities
Benue council polls: Governor Ortom votes, urges voters to leave after voting
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday advised people who turned out to vote in the state Local Government Council elections on Saturday to leave the polling units as soon as they voted to guard against the spread of COVID-19.
Ortom gave the advice on Saturday in Gbajimba, headquarters of Guma Local Government Area of the state after casting his vote at the LGEA Primary School polling unit, Gbajimba.
“Vote and leave in order to give room for other electorate to also exercise their franchise.
“The Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC) has directed that in order to guard against the spread of Covid-19 only 30 electorate will be allowed at the polling units at a time.
“So, if you vote, you have to leave to allow others too to come and vote.
“I have the confidence that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win overwhelmingly because in most of the local government areas, the candidates are unopposed.
Meanwhile, newsmen who monitored the polls in Makurdi, Kwande, parts of Gboko and Gwer Local Government Councils report that the polls were marred by voter apathy.
NAN reports that the polls had not commenced in any of the polling units within Makurdi metropolis as at 12 noon.
At Kanshio Primary School polling unit, located in the suburb of Makurdi, electoral officials were seen conducting the polls.
An electoral officer, Ms Priscilla Ikyer, in charge of the unit, lamented the absence of voting materials especially, ink pad, ballot boxes and stamp.
An aide to Gov. Ortom, Mr Orngu Anngu, who also voted at the unit, commended the officials for ” the peaceful and professional manner the election is being conducted”.
He also commended security officials for securing the polling unit and assured that his party would win overwhelmingly.
Orngu, however, regretted that polling unit officials were not properly kitted against Covid-19.
”They are not wearing face masks and other protective kits,” he said.
At Ikpayongo market, an accredited PDP agent in Mbasombo ward, Mr Terfa Uleve, who was cited wearing the party’s tag while displaying his wares at the market, alleged that “since there is no election, I returned to the market to sell my wares.
Reacting to the non availability of electoral materials, the Public Relations Officer of the Benue Independent Electoral Commission (BISEC), Ms Mavis Toryem, said the commission would address its shortcomings
Benue Assembly suspends plenary for members to undergo coronavirus tests
The Benue House of Assembly has suspended its plenary sessions to allow lawmakers and members of staff to subject themselves to COVID-19 screening.
Mr Tertsea Gbiseh, the Chairman House Standing Committee on Information and Orientation, announced this in a statement issued to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi.
The statement said the decision to undergo COVID-19 screening by members was arrived at after the noticeable spike in cases around the state.
“Going by the nature of the Assembly’s functions which warrant us to interact closely with constituents at the grassroots on one hand and top government functionaries in Ministries, Departments and Agencies, on the other hand, it has become imperative to embark on regular COVID-19 tests due to the risk of exposure encountered in the discharge of our duties,” the statement read.
The Assembly commended members of the State Action Task Force on COVID-19 for their efforts thus far and urged them to do more by making test centres readily accessible to all those willing to confirm their status in the state.
The Assembly also sympathised with all those who had tested positive to the virus and wished them a speedy recovery.
They urged all citizens of the state to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols and stay safe.
The statement said that plenary session would resume as soon as the leadership of the Assembly determined it was safe enough for members and staff of the assembly.
Two Detained Nigerian Air Force Personnel In Benue Cry Out For Help, Allege Plot To Murder Them Over Cooperative Society Activities
Two detained officers of the Nigeria Air Force in Makurdi, Benue State, have cried out for help over what they described as false accusations levelled against them by senior officers in the service.
The men, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji and Warrant Officer Paul Atteh, were detained after they set up a Multipurpose Cooperative Society to service soldiers and interested civilians outside of the Nigeria Air Force to the disdain of their superior, one Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, a family source said.
Air Commodore Oluwatoyin, who is not a member of the cooperative, SaharaReporters gathered subsequently launched an audit of the accounts of the independent group.
“The headquarters, Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi, was asked to audit the account and they did and found nothing wrong with the cooperative management. Not satisfied, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin requisitioned another audit to be conducted and the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force Accounts & Budget commissioned a private audit firm and they re-audited the cooperative society and still found nothing,” a source said.
He added that failing to prove any wrongdoing, Air Commodore Oluwatoyin commissioned a private auditing firm, Abba Adadu & Co. who alleged that over N41, 286, 056.57 (Forty-One Million, Two Hundred & Eighty-Six Thousand, Fifty-Six Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo) had been misappropriated as at June 2019 even though records show that the sum was captured as the value of the investment as at June 2019.
SaharaReporters gathered that one Group Captain AO Akinbuwa working in cahoots with Air Commodore Oluwatoyin sent an allegedly false report through a Nigeria Airforce Signal Message accusing one of the detained persons, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji of stealing fifty million Naira from the cooperative society.
The Nigeria Airforce was again called in and one Captain L. I Nansok who is the Commander Provost of Investigations alleged that Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji misappropriated the sum of forty million, two hundred and seven Naira, seven hundred and sixty Kobo.
On the combined strength of these conflicting figures, the two airmen MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh have been in detention for the past one year under the guise of a court-martial trial which is suffering endless adjournments just to allow time for them to suffer severely.
Based on the alleged findings of the investigator, the two men have been in detention for one year facing court-martial with “endless adjournments” leading to their suffering, a source said.
The two airforce personnel are now crying out for help after another airman who was detained in a guardroom at the Nigeria Airforce base in Sokoto allegedly committed suicide.
“Because of the incident, they have removed basic personal hygiene materials like toothbrush & paste, beddings and loin clothes all carted away on grounds that they may do something untoward to themselves.
“But the real question is why are they detained for so long without releasing them to attend the court from their official quarters or from the Mess as is required by the service extant laws? Why would people who have devoted their entire youth in the service of the Air Force be made to sleeping on the bare floor in this 21 century? Even the little beddings provided by their wives have been confiscated from them. Their cream, their comb, toothbrush/paste, loincloth including their food all removed.
“One Air Police Corporal Galadima planted by Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin and Group Captain AO Akinbuwa has been a torn on their flesh in executing the instructions of his masters. He has of late openly told them to their faces that he is going to poison their food so that they will die and nothing will come out of it.
“How on earth can a man who has declared to the hearing of the public that he will kill the duo of MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh be allowed to still attend to them if the authorities of the Air Force are not working in collusion with the man to ensure he does their hatched job?,” the Oyebanji family said.
The men and their family called on the Nigeria Airforce and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the men and ensure their release before it is too late.
“The offense they are alleged to have committed is not treasonable felony neither are they facing murder charges. The cooperative society in issue does not belong to the Air Force. The Air Force is not a shareholder. It is society owned by some soldiers, retired soldiers and some civilians including the detained airmen. So what exactly is the interest of the Nigerian Air Force and why are they hell-bent on ensuring that these men die in detention?”, the family queried.
They called on the Nigerian public and government to hold Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, Group Captain A. O Akinbuwa, Air Commodore Aliyu the President of the Court Martial and Squadron Leader Umuoh the Judge Advocate responsible if harm comes to the men.
The men, Military Warrant dSocietyetainedOfficer Oyebanji and Warrant Officer Paul Atteh, were after they set up a Multipurpose Cooperative to service soldiers and interested civilians outside of the Nigeria Airforce, to the disdain of their superior, one Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, a family source said.
Air Commodore Oluwatoyin SaharaReporters gathered who is not a member of the cooperative subsequently launched an audit of the accounts of the independent cooperative society.
“The headquarters, Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Makurdi was asked to audit the account and they did and found nothing wrong with the cooperative management. Not satisfied, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin requisitioned another audit to be conducted and the Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force Accosourceunts & Budget commissioned a private Audit Firm and they re-audited the cooperative society and still found nothing,” a said.
He added that failing to prove any wrongdoing, Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin commissioned a private auditing firm, Abba Adadu & Co. who alleged that over N41, 286, 056.57 (Forty-One Million, Two Hundred & Eighty-Six Thousand, Fifty-Six Naira, Fifty-Six Kobo) had been misappropriated as at June 2019 even though records showed that the sum was captured as the value of the investment as at June 2019.
SaharaReporters gathered that one Group Captain AO Akinbuwa working in cahoots with Air Commodore Oluwatoyin sent an allegedly false report through a Nigeria Air Force Signal accusing one of the detained persons, Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji of stealing N50m from the cooperative society.
The Nigeria Air Force was again called in and one Captain L. I Nansok, who is the Commander Provost of Investigations, alleged that Military Warrant Officer Oyebanji misappropriated the sum of forty million, two hundred and seven naira, seven hundred and sixty Kobo.
Based on the alleged findings of the investigator, the two men have been in detention for one year facing court-martial with “endless adjournments” leading to their suffering, a source said.
The two air force personnel are now crying out for help after another airman who was detained in a guardroom at the Nigeria Air Force base in Sokoto allegedly committed suicide.
“Because of the incident, they have removed basic personal hygiene materials like toothbrush & paste, beddings and loin clothes all carted away on grounds that they may do something untoward to themselves.
“But the real question is why are they detained for so long without releasing them to attend the court from their official quarters or from the Mess as is required by the service extant laws? Why would people who have devoted their entire youth in the service of the Air Force be made to be sleeping on the bare floor in this 21st century? Even the little beddings provided by their wives have been confiscated from them. Their cream, their comb, toothbrush/paste, loincloth including their food all removed.
“One Air Police Corporal Galadima planted by Air Commodore LI Oluwatoyin and Group Captain AO Akinbuwa has been a thorn on their flesh in executing the instructions of his masters. He has of late openly told them to their faces that he is going to poison their food so that they will die and nothing will come out of it.
“How on earth can a man who has declared to the hearing of the public that he will kill the duo of MWO Oyebanji & WO Atteh be allowed to still attend to them if the authorities of the Air Force are not working in collusion with the man to ensure he does their hatched job?,” the Oyebanji family said.
The men and their family called on the Nigeria Air Force and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of the men and ensure their release before it is too late.
“The offense they are alleged to have committed is not treasonable felony neither are they facing murder charges. The cooperative society in issue does not belong to the Air Force. The Air Force is not a shareholder. It is society owned by some soldiers, retired soldiers and some civilians including the detained airmen. So what exactly is the interest of the Nigerian Air Force and why are they hell-bent on ensuring that these men die in detention?”, the family queried.
They called on the Nigerian public and government to hold Air Commodore L. I Oluwatoyin, Group Captain A. O Akinbuwa, Air Commodore Aliyu, the President of the Court Martial and Squadron Leader Umuoh, the Judge Advocate responsible if harm comes to the men.
Benue university deputy vice chancellor dies of coronavirus
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the Benue State University (BSU) and Vice Chairman of the State Action Committee on COVID-19, Prof. Godwin Achinge, is dead.
Achinge died on Sunday afternoon in Jos, Plateau State.
A source in Makurdi Benue State, told newsmen that he died due to complications arising from the disease.
Recall that Governor Samuel Ortom had on Saturday confirmed that Achinge and 32 others tested positive for the deadly disease.
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the uefa champions league Also called European cup is annual club football competition organised by uefa European football association,and contested by top division European club.
Introduce in 1955 as the European champion club cup which was initially a straight knockout tournament open only for the champions of Europe domestic league. In 1992 some features were introduce such as
Allowing multiple entrants from certain countries. Introduction of group stages, and changing the name to uefa champions league
Some intresting facts about the champions league are:
1 the winner gain automatic tickets to the group stage of the next coming champions leagues regardless of their position in there domestic league.
2 the winners qualified for the uefa super cup which is contested between champions leagues winners and Europa league winners
3 world club cup which is contested between seven club that emerge champions from the seven region of the world.THE CURRENT HOLDERS OF THE UEFA SUPER CUP AND THE CLUB WORLD CUP IS LIVERPOOL.
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Police commissioner warns criminals to repent or leave Ebonyi
The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi, Mr Philip Maku, has warned criminals operating in the state to repent from their evil ways or leave the state.
Maku, who gave the warning on Sunday in Abakaliki while interacting with newsmen, stressed that the command, under his supervision, would make the state uncomfortable for criminals to operate.
He also urged the people of the state to support and cooperate with the community policing initiative to curb the state of crime and criminal activities.
“I want to urge people with criminal tendencies and those indulging in different kinds of crimes to think twice and repent or leave the state, because we are going to make the state uncomfortable for them.
“We appeal for the people’s cooperation through communities to rid the state of crime, because communities have vital role to play in combating crime.
“The command has put in place all the necessary strategies needed to flush out criminals from their hideouts and our men are battle ready for the task.
“I am calling on criminals and those indulging in different crimes to repent so that they will be integrated back into the society.
“Let me reiterate here that there is no room for criminals in the state and anyone caught perpetrating crime will be made to face the law,” Maku said.
While soliciting for the support of the people, he assured that the safety of their lives and property remained the top priority of the police.
The police commissioner noted that his officers and men had been equipped with necessary equipment, adding that they would make the state hot for criminals.
He further urged members of the public to report to the command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) any police personnel who intimidated or assaulted them unlawfully, for appropriate disciplinary action.
Maku stressed that members of the police force were not trained to bully people that they were trained to protect, but to protect them and their property.
Maku further explained that the command would give full backing to the community policing programme, noting that the scheme would enable communities to be fully in charge of policing their areas and assisting the command in combating crime.
According to him, every member of the community has a role to play in the formation by giving vital information that would expose criminals in their areas so that immediate action would be taken.
On the recent inter-communal crisis between Ekoli Edda Afikpo South and Biasie LGA over Erel palm, Maku said that the five missing persons had not been found.
He added that the command was not relenting in its investigation to unravel their disappearances.
“We are on top of the situation and hopeful that we will soon unravel the mystery behind the disappearances of the missing persons.
“We are also relying on those in the Cross River axis for any useful information but we have not seen any of their dead bodies. So we believe they are still alive,” he said.
“The National Boundary Commission should come and do proper demarcation of the disputed area and other disputed areas in the border areas across the state.
“We assure that the police will do everything possible to ensure that the missing persons are reunited with their families and relatives,” he added.
Ebonyi Governor, Umahi, Aides Test Positive For COVID-19
Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, has tested positive for Coronavirus.
The governor broke the news in a statement he personally signed on Saturday.
He said the result of the test conducted by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control came back positive.
Umahi, who said some of his aides also tested positive for the virus, noted that they remained asymptomatic but have since self-isolated in compliance with the NCDC protocols.
The governor further directed Kelechi Igwe, his deputy, to take over the frontline coordination of the state’s fight against the pandemic.
