MAN DIES DURING CHURCH DELIVERANCE IN BENIN

There was confusion on Okwanga Street, around Uselu Quartres, in the Egor Local Government Area of Edo State on Tuesday when a 45-year-old man, Osayande Ekhator, died during a deliverance session at a Pentecostal church in the area.

It was gathered that the man had been taken to the church, Hope Ministry, also known as Holy Ghost Deliverance Centre, by his relatives for spiritual cleansing on Monday, due to an undisclosed ailment.
He was also said to have indicated interest in the spiritual exercise.
It was, however, learnt that tragedy struck when some residents heard a loud cry from the church only to discover the lifeless body of the deceased on the floor of the church.
 
The death of the man was said to have attracted a loud crowd of curious residents and mourners.
Some angry youths were said to have stormed the church and vandalised property.
One of the residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Osayande “probably fell on a hard object”, as there were blood stains on his head.
 
“I think he must have hit his head somewhere. I saw blood on his head when his body was placed in a vehicle,” the resident said.
The father of the deceased, Pa Ekhator, said he knew that the deliverance session had gone wrong when his late son was thrown to the ground, with his hands and legs tied.
 
“They tied him up and threw him to the ground. Then, they poured a bucket of water on his body.
“When his mother queried the action, they said that was the usual practice. Then, they said they wanted him to rest; but after about five minutes she came out crying that Osayande was dead.”
Osayande’s sister, who did not give her name, lamented that her brother was “beaten to death by his deliverers”.
She said, “They beat him to death. They removed the clothes he wore, bathed him and gave him another clothes.”
 
The Resident Pastor of the church, Mrs. Isoken Ekundaye, denied beating the sick man to death.
“We don’t kill here. We don’t beat here. If they bring insane people, we heal,” Ekundaye said.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Stephen Onwochei, said the pastor had been arrested.
 
The police spokesperson added that the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for investigation.
Source:Punch

Hoodlums turn market to battlefield, kill five

There was pandemonium at the Allison Market, in the Ikorodu Garage area of Lagos State on Monday when some hoodlums, suspected to be cultists, invaded the market and shot sporadically, killing three persons.

Not done, the hoodlums went to neighbouring Etunrenren and Ladeja streets, where they clashed with rival cult groups, and killed two more persons.

The deceased were identified as Lanre Olayiwola, Owolabi Kuti, and John Ede, while the names of the two others had yet to be ascertained.

When PUNCH Metro visited the area, it was learnt that at about 5pm on Monday, the hoodlums, said to be members of the Eiye and Aiye cult groups, came to a beer parlour, Royal Hall, and shot at three persons, while they were drinking in the bar.

Our correspondent learnt that two of them died instantly, while the third, who fled the bar, was ambushed in a public primary school by the market, and shot dead.

It was gathered that another drinker, identified only as Samson, was shot in the thigh, but escaped from the scene.

Our correspondent, who was at the bar, observed on Wednesday that the building was deserted and bullet-ridden.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the market was scanty on Monday and Tuesday, but saw that the traders had returned to normal business activities on Wednesday, after security operatives had restored normalcy to the area.

A shop owner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “At about 5pm on Monday, we heard continuous gunshots and there was panic everywhere.

“One of the people killed had parked his vehicle on the field of a public primary school on this street. He had tried to escape, but they followed him into the school compound and killed him.”

A landlord, who gave his name simply as Alhaji, said the hoodlums, after leaving the market, met rival gangs in the neighbouring streets, and two more persons were killed during the clash on Monday.

“The hoodlums went as far as the Igbogbo and Baiyeku areas to kill one another. By Monday evening, five corpses were taken to the police station,” he added.

Our correspondent gathered that a local vigilance group, Onyabo Vigilante Group, Ikorodu, and policemen from the Ikorodu Police Division raided the area on Tuesday, and made some arrests.

At the police station, our correspondent observed five vans belonging to the Rapid Response Squad and two vans of the local vigilance group leaving the premises for the Igbogbo area, where the cultists were reportedly hiding.

The leader of the vigilance group, Kamorudeen Bombata, said four persons among the suspects arrested had confessed to the crime.

He said, “So far, four of them have confessed to be cult members. They struck Allison Street and killed two people. They killed others in Ladeja. Four persons also sustained gunshot injuries. They are Eiye and Aiye hoodlums, with other smaller factions.”

Our correspondent learnt that during the raid on Tuesday, the cultists, who reportedly had hideouts in the Igbogbo and Baiyeku areas, engaged the vigilance group and the policemen in a shootout before some of them escaped through the waterways.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said the police picked three corpses in the area.

He said, “Three are confirmed dead by the police, and their corpses have been moved to a morgue for autopsy.

“On report of the incident, a team of patrol visited the scene, and combed the area for arrest. Further investigation is ongoing on the matter.”

Source:Punch

Update: 30 killed in Zaria bomb blast

As attempted attack by female suicide bomber failed in Kano
NO fewer than 30 people were reported to have been killed, while several others sustained injuries  when bomb exploded at Sabon Garin Local Government secretariat of Zaria, Kaduna State, on Tuesday morning.

Reliable source told the Nigerian Tribune that the blast occurred around 9.00 a.m, when the new sole administrator of the local government reported to office and the biometric verification exercise was going on at the secretariat.

The state government had, two weeks ago, announced  to undertake the biometric data of its workers with the view of ascertaining the exact number of its workforce for future planing.
The biometric verification, it was gathered, was going on intermittently at Zaria, Kafanchan and Kaduna and it was expected to be completed on July 8.

It was gathered that the civil servants were already on the queue, waiting for the commencement of the exercise, when the bomb exploded.
“Immediately, I ran out of the secretariat for safety. Later, when the dust settled, I saw bodies of 30 people, with several others groaning on the floor.

“Those who survived the blast sustained serious injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals,” the source further declared.
As of the time of filing this report, security personnel had been deployed to the secretariat and the whole area had now been cordoned by security operatives.

Even though no one or group claimed responsibility for the bomb blast as of the time of filing this report, the blast might not be unconnected with the activities of insurgents. The renewed attacks had led to the death of hundreds of people.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Zubairu Abubakar, confirmed the incident, saying the police were at the scene of the blast.
On the number of casualties, he said they were yet to know the exact number of those who were killed, promising to call back when he had got the number.
Meanwhile, the state governor, Mallam Nasiru el-Rufai, has condemned the attack, describing it as an inhuman act.

He made his feelings known in a press statement issued to the Nigerian Tribune and signed by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Samuel Aruwan, on Tuesday.
While commiserating with the bereaved families, the governor remarked that Zaria, on Tuesday, suffered a terrible act of infamy. Terrorists detonated explosives which killed 25 people, including a two-year-old child, while 32 injured people were being treated at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria and other hospitals in the city.

In a related development, luck ran against a female suicide bomber, on Monday,  when in an attempt to kill people who were in a Mosque for prayer got herself consumed by the bomb she planted in her body.
According to a source, who was close to where the incident occurred, at Dengi in Dyadi-dyadi roundabout, Kano, at about 9.30 p.m, said the female suicide bomber may have been targeting the mosque to detonate the explosive and kill innocent people who were there for Ramadan prayer, but luck was not on her side, as the bomb on her dismembered her.

It was gathered that aside the fact that her move was not successful, no casualty was recorded as of the time of filing this report.
The image-maker of the police, Magaji Musa Majia, confirmed the incident, saying only the female suicide bomber killed herself.
He, however, added that the area had been cordoned-off by the security operatives.
Source:Tribune

We took N80m from banks, but I got N2m, says Ikorodu banks robbery suspect

A member of the armed robbery gang which invaded branches of two banks in Ipakodo area of Lagos State has given graphic details of how members of the gang invaded the banks and the police station in front of one of the banks.

Bright Agbojule, one of the four suspects paraded before newsmen by the outgoing Commissioner of Police in the state, Kayode Aderanti, on Monday, also disclosed that the gang made away with about N80 million from the banks.

Other suspects paraded along with him were Monday Omoboye, Monday Ikuesan and Promise Abiwa, who have all allegedly confessed to have participated in the bank robberies in Ikorodu and the Lekki areas of Lagos State.

Agbojule, while speaking with Tribune Online, said the leaders of the gang, whom he named as Million and Kakada and who he said were based in Warri, Delta State, perfected the plans and provided the logistics for the operation.

He also said that the two leaders of the gang, who are now at large, got the highest amount stolen from the banks. He added that the leaders only used to called them whenever there was any robbery to carry out, adding that he did not know where they resided.

Agbojule, who said he was working in a sawmill before he joined the gang,  said: “I was introduced to Million, our leader, by my friend, Akpan, but I only followed them to the Ipakodo robbery. I did not go with them to Ijede and Lekki."
He also stated that some members of the gang stormed the Ipakodo police station, thinking that policemen would resist their plan to attack the banks but the policemen instead fled.

"When we were at the banks, some of us – the boys from Warri-- entered the police station in front of the bank. They thought that the policemen would attack them, but the policemen ran away.

 “After we got to the jetty, two boats were waiting for us and we went to Abule where Million and  Kakada gave us our share of the money.  They gave me N2 million but my friend told me that all the money was N80 million."
He denied the report that the gang was led by a woman, saying: “there was no woman in that gang, it was Million that led the operation."

Another member of the gang, Monday Omoboye, a boat operator, said that he took the gang to the two robbery operations in Ikorodu and Lekki and got N2.8 million in the two operations.
Omoboye said that he got N200,000 each for the operations in Lekki and Ijede and that he was rewarded with N2.4 million for the Ikorodu operation. He said he bought a Sports Utility Vehicle with the money.

Recovered from the gang were a Lexus Sports Utility Vehicle L300 with the registration number KRD 29 DA, Infinity SUV with registration number EKY 641 DB and Lexus L300 SUV with the registration number  EKY 642 DQ.
Source:Tribune

How Suicide bomber killed RCCG pastor, 5 others in Yobe

Potiskum — A suicide bomber blew himself up, yesterday, inside a church in Potiskum, Yobe State killing five worshippers in the latest series of attacks, a police officer and witness told AFP. The bomber entered the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, at 9:55 am located on the outskirts of the city and detonated his explosives. “Four worshippers died instantly while the fifth victim gave up shortly after she was taken to hospital,” a police officer involved in the evacuation told AFP.

 “The victims included a woman and her two children, the pastor and another worshipper,” added the officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. An eye witness, Garba Manu, told AFP: “The bomber arrived on a motorised rickshaw and as soon as he entered, a loud explosion ripped through the church which is under construction. I saw him walking in and he didn’t raise any suspicion. The dismembered body of the bomber was also recovered.”

It will be recalled that Potiskum last suffered a twin suicide attack on June 15, in which 10 people were killed and several others injured. The insurgents have launched a series of attacks on mosques, villages and markets in neighbouring Borno State in the past few days, claiming more than 200 lives.
The use of improvised explosive devices and suicide bombings have increased since May 29 when President Muhammadu Buhari took office vowing to crush the rebellion.  According to the AFP, at least 450 people have lost their lives since that date.

Support Buhari to end Boko Haram attacks, Jonathan urges Nigerians
Meanwhile, former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in tackling the Boko Haram insurgents in the country. Jonathan, who lamented the continuous attacks of the terrorists in the country, noted that the death of any Nigerian at the hands of Boko Haram is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces

“The death of any Nigerian at the hands of terrorists is a sad reminder that the war on terror is a task for all Nigerians not just the armed forces,” he posted on his Facebook account to his almost two million followers. He also urged Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in the country and support the government of Buhari in taming the acts of terror.

“I urge all Nigerians to continue to pray for peace in Nigeria and to support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari as the government does its best to bring an end to these acts of terror and secure all Nigerians. May God bless Nigeria,” Jonathan added.
Source:Vanguard