LAGOS—Business at the popular Oshodi market in Lagos was yesterday brought to a total standstill following an eruption of a violent clash between factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), in which four persons were feared dead.
The Oshodi Railway station, part of which was used as store house by some of the traders was totally razed down by the warring factions, destroying goods which monetary value are yet to be estimated. Several commercial buses belonging to rival groups were also burnt while about15 others had their windscreens shattered.
Vanguard gathered that there had been a lingering feud over leadership of motor parks within and around Oshodi between one Kunle and Olu Omo-Musiliu factions. The latter, according to sources had been in control of majority of the motor parks for several years which did not go down well with his contender. It was against this backdrop that a minor argument said to have occurred between members of factions at a carnival party on Sunday along Oshodi road which degenerated into a fight.
This snowballed into one of the bloodiest clash between the warring factions, when one of them from Mafoluku area reportedly launched an attack on their opponent at Oshodi yesterday. Dangerous weapons such as broken bottles, cutlasses, charms and amulets were reportedly used by both sides, causing what used to be an ever busy market to be a shadow of itself as both private and commercial vehicles avoided the route. Some of the shops at the market were broken into and wares looted by hoodlums who hijacked the situation.
Commuters on the other hand, were stranded as there were no buses to conveying them to their respective destinations. They were sighted afar from the war zone trying to get an alternative means of transportation.
It took the intervention of both Mobile and conventional policemen drawn from different divisions and the intimidating presence of two Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) to bring the situation under control. As at 6pm, heavily armed policemen were still patrolling the area to avoid a possible reprisal attack.
Contacted to ascertain if there was any arrest, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olubode Ojajuni gave a positive response but could not state the exact figure, saying “Glover, MOPOL 20 and Makinde divisions made some arrests.”
Gunmen Kill 10 in Lagos
by Luckey Abawuru, The Daily Champion
About 10 persons, including an 11-year old primary school pupil were separately killed, weekend, and scores of others injured at various locations in Lagos by escaping armed gunmen.
The pockets of robbery operations in the nation's commercial hub, has instilled fears in Lagosians over the security situation in the state.
This is even as residents of Shogunle Community, Oshodi, who were raided by robbers have fled their homes for safety.
Daily Champion learnt that some of them are taking refuge in mosques and churches in the area for fear of possible return of the robbers who purportedly threatened to return after few days.
But succour may have come the way of Lagosians as police have vowed to adopt high profile security measures to curb robbery menace in the nation's commercial hub.
As at press time, five persons suspected to be the masterminds of the operations have been arrested by the police.
Daily Champion learnt that four people including an 11-year old primary pupil were killed by the dare-devils robbers during the operation at Shogunle.
Our correspondent also gathered that three other persons, including a pregnant woman were killed by stray bullets of the escaping gunmen at Agric Bus stop, along Badagry expressway.
A witness told Daily Champion that the suspects were operating along the road, about 100 metres from Ojo Military Cantonment, Ojo when anti-robbery policemen, on a tip off, challenged them, forcing them to flee.
The unidentified deceased were said to have been hit by the stray bullets as the gunmen shot sporadically to pave way for their escape.
Also at Ajangbadi, Ojuelegba, Igando, Alagbado, Alausa and its environs, armed robbery operations allegedly claimed the lives of four people. At Ojuelegba, the robbers who operated on motorcycle, killed a businessman, said to be returning from the Eastern part of the country.
The robbery that took place along Lagos State University (LASU) Igando road also claimed the life of a man who was not properly identified as at press time.
However, the robbery at Shogunle, Oshodi left many families sorrowful as several homes were burgled, ransacked and property looted by the criminals.
A source at Shogunle said the bandits arrived the place in six buses and carried out a house-to-house raid.
Many people were beaten to a pulp and several others wounded. Some of the wounded ones are recuperating in a hospital at the place.
Reacting to the incidents, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olubode Ojajuni said "Anti robbery policemen from Area E, FESTAC, at Free Niger, along Badagry road ran into robbers in the act of robbing communities and arrested them.
Ojajuni, a Superintendent of Police (SP) said that another batch of policemen attached to Alausa, Ikeja also engaged another set of robbery suspects in gun duel, forcing them to abandon some of their (robbers) ammunition.
He further confirmed that some people died in the process while others sustained various degrees of injuries.
Ojajuni, who said that the command was holding security meeting, noted that the command would ensure that robbery suspects do not escape.
MEND threatens to blow up P-Harcourt refinery
By Hector Igbikiowubo & Emma Amaize, The Vanguard
WARRI — THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) is threatening to blow up the Port Harcourt Refinery over the sale, last week, of Federal Government’s 51 per cent equity interest to Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mr. Femi Otedola and Transnational Corporation (Transcorp).
The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaign, Initiative for Non-Violent Change (INVC) and other groups in the Niger Delta are also kicking against Federal Government's sale of the Port Harcourt Refinery.
Meanwhile, the Joint Military Task Force (JMTF) in the Niger Delta has summoned some leaders of Egbema and Ijaw communities in Delta State over the kidnap of four American oil workers by militants in the creeks.
Speaking to Vanguard yesterday, Mr. Joshua Minisagha, an official of the Niger Delta Solidarity Front and an operative of MEND said: “Tell them, Mr. Journalist, that what they have bought is dust. Dangote and Otedola have not bought a refinery, they have bought a war they can’t win.
“Since the loss of the income that accrues to our people and the total destruction of the facility from which the income accrues approximates to the same situation, we shall level it to the ground instead of allowing strangers to become our masters in our own land.
“In a few days, the ‘buyers’ of this refinery shall find out the subtle difference that gave Gboko and the Niger Delta their different names and identities,” he said.
He emphasised that shortly, “the facility known to the Nigerian public as the Port Harcourt Refinery shall cease to exist.
“We hope that President Obasanjo’s international allies who worry more about the stability of oil prices than the miserable existence our people are compelled to endure were duly consulted before he embarked upon this journey of no return?” he admonished.
The Reverend David Ugolor, Co-ordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaign, speaking separately to Vanguard noted that the process leading to the sale of the refinery failed to meet the pedigree of transparency, especially against the backdrop of the time-frame within which it was concluded.
“What criteria was used by the Bureau of Public Enterprises in the selection and who is the sale benefitting— the Nigerian people or a select few individuals? How did the bureau arrive at the value for which it was sold?” he queried, and recalled that massive debt which the country accumulated under previous governments was as a result of enterprises such as the refineries which fell into disrepair, adding: “Who benefits from such state assets now being privatised for the benefit of few individuals?”
In another reaction to the sale of the refinery, Mr. John Owubokiri, National Co-ordinator of the Initiative for Non-Violent Change (INVC) in the Niger Delta, said the transaction leading to the sale was motivated by selfish consideration.
“It is immoral and falls short of the parameters of transparency this government lays claim to. It is simply not acceptable to the people of this region. This is an act of provocation which portends to undermine the work the INVC has embarked upon for the demilitarisation of our home region.
“At a time when militant agitation for control of our resources has assumed desperation in the Niger Delta, the President made a parting gift of a huge income enterprise in the region to his cronies, the very financiers of his library project and some other fancies of his presidential palate,” the Co-ordinator said.
He said if the political elite of the Niger Delta had any illusion about President Obasanjo’s contempt for their fawning loyalty, “if they expected gratitude for funding his political adventures, for giving him the highest number of votes in 1999, 2003 and support for third term debates and if they mistook the tragedy of Odi as the product of an overzealous field commander, the sale, two weeks to the expiration of his tenure, to two of his known financiers— Dangote and Otedola— should bring them to the realisation rather late in the day, that Obasanjo was the region’s worst enemy.”
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) had last week, sold 51 per cent of the Federal Government’s equity in Port Harcourt Refinery to Bluestar Oil Services Limited Consortium, a Nigerian consortium comprising Dangote Group, Zenon Oil, Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) and Rivers State for $561 million (N71.808 billion).
Task Force summons Egbema leaders over kidnapped Americans
Vanguard learnt that the invitation of Egbema leaders by the Task Force was to discuss with them how to peacefully ensure the release of the abducted oil workers, who are being held by the militants since May 8.
Commander of the militant group who spoke to Vanguard in the camp of the militants in the creek, weekend, said: “We are aware that some Egbema leaders have been invited by the Task Force. We want to warn that no harm should come to any Egbema leader on account of our action to draw government’s attention to our neglect because any such development will make things worse.”
But the chairman of the Egbema Community Development Committee, Chief Evans Abulu, who is one of the leaders summoned by the Task Force, said it was a consultative meeting with Egbema leaders to dialogue on how to free the hostages.
“On our part, the leaders of Egbema are doing everything possible to ensure the release of the hostages. We condemn the act of hostage-taking and experience in the region has shown that kidnapping of expatriates is not the solution to the problem.
“I urge the militants to release the hostages and embrace dialogue. They should dialogue. We have contacted them and negotiations are on. We have told government the demands of the militants and the Delta State government is willing to address their grievances but the hostages have to be released without any condition,” he said.
Vanguard learnt that since the incumbent state governor, Chief James Ibori, will leave office on May 29 for the governor-elect, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, the militants were being prevailed upon to relax, and give the new governor, who is also from the riverside area of the state like them, some time to settle in office to tackle the issue of road, water and electricity in the areas.
Kidnap ordeal of oil tanker worker
AN oil worker who was kidnapped and held at gunpoint by terrorists has described his terrifying experience.David Flounders, 56, was one of six men captured after his oil processing tanker was stormed around 30 miles off the coast of Nigeria earlier this month by 40 Nigerian rebels.The kidnappers demanded a ransom for the release of the workers, who were forced onto a speedboat and taken to Port Harcourt on the West African coast. But they were eventually released unharmed a matter of hours later.
"They took the four crew from the conference room and two of us from the radio room and left a demand.
"Our captors made us crawl over the ladder between vessels, put us on speedboats.
and then spent four hours at sea being taken somewhere in the swamps. Once we had been captured, I felt relatively safe because Westerners are a valuable asset. But once we were heading towards the shore I became scared.
"The Nigerian patrol boats would not hesitate to fire at our speedboat and at that point that prospect was more terrifying than being a hostage.
"There were some negotiations before we were exchanged and transferred to Port Harcourt in a speedboat and handed over to the River State Security Service."
Rebel leader Jomo Gbomo, of the group Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), claimed responsibility for the kidnap.
Speaking to the Al Jazeera news channel, Gbomo said: "All the hostages were released. We did not intend to take any more."
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