There is tension in uneme-Erhurun, in Akoko Edo local government area of Edo state
– The paramount ruler of Uneme-Erhunrun, HRH Oba Moses Omoarelogie Braimah accuses a neighbouring community
Five persons have been reportedly seriously injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed at uneme-Erhurun, in Akoko Edo local government area of Edo state, following an alleged attack launched on the community by Okpella-Ogute community, in Etsako East local government of the state allegedly over felling of wood on a disputed land.
Following the attack, there is serious tension in the area as both communities jointly lay claim over the disputed land, with heavy presence of armed security agencies including soldiers and policemen deployed to maintain peace.
As at the weekend, carcases of burnt motor-cycles, partly damaged houses and vehicles, were seen at Erhurun community.
The paramount ruler of Uneme-Erhunrun, HRH Oba Moses Omoarelogie Braimah, who lamented the attack while speaking to journalists in the town, said it was a deliberate provocation to harass him and his subjects.
“What happened was that the Okwokpelagbe invited BUA [cement company] to go and prospect minerals which is in our area in Uneme land in Akoko Edo LGA. I personally stopped the BUA not to prospect anything because I am the appropriate authority to deal with such issues.
“This led to my series of protest letters sent to the state Governor, DSS, the police and other relevant agencies. In-fact this brought a stop to the company’s activities.
“On the 11th of February, one of our brothers, a registered timber contractor duly registered in Akoko-Edo was attacked. Each time the Okwokpelagbe wants to foment trouble, he uses his vigilante people to come and terrorise us. He is claiming that this is his land; but it is not true.
“He cannot come from Etsako East local government area to own a land in Akoko Edo. He took the vigilante boys to where our kinsman was sawing his wood in my own area. This is a place where my great grandfather lived and died, it is over 300 years that we settled here. He is from Agenebode and we have no connection with them at all. Since the colonial era was abolished, Erhurun-Uneme has been on its own. We don’t do anything with them. We have nothing in common.
“We have minerals in that land. The police invited us on the 2nd of February. When we got there, they said we should be peaceful that land case is never the responsibility of the police but that any of us who felt cheated should go to court. And I told them I am ready to go to court.
“In 1981, we had a dispute on this land which led to a commission of inquiry. The white paper released by that commission blamed the Okpella people to have entered our land. Even the forest officer who gave them permit was dismissed from service.
“I want the government to come and give us a boundary so that every body will know his area. Since he jumped from Etsako East to come to Akoko-Edo to drag our land, it means he does not know his boundary. So I want the government to come and demarcate the boundaries so that he will know,” the Erhurun monarch said.
On his part, the Okwokpellagbe of Okpella, A.Y Dirisu, said the immediate cause of the recent fracas was the sawing of wood in the land, adding that it was not the entire Okpella that has problem with Erhurun but only Ogute.
He said the wood they were brought was sawn by somebody from Okpella and Erhuhun people attacked the person, prevented the boy from carrying the logs of wood out of the community as they claimed that the land belong to Erhurun.
According to the traditional ruler, the report on the land showed that the land belong to Okpella not Erhurun, and Okpella has boundary with Damgbala.
Meanwhile, a sudden increase in the price of sachet water, otherwise known as ‘pure water’ in Benin city, the Edo state capital, has caused heavy protest.
READ ALSO: Activist on trial for blocking entrance to governor’s office
Naij.com reported that the sudden increase has led to many patrons of local eatery joints, popularly called ‘mama put’ drinking untreated borehole water kept.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
Friday, February 26, 2016
UTME:: LAGOS GOVERNMENT CANCELS ENVIRONMENTAL THIS WEEKEND
Reports just coming in have it that the Lagos state government has canceled the monthly environmental sanitation for February.
According to Nigerian Bulletin, this cancellation means there is no restriction of movement for humans and vehicular movement during tomorrow, Saturday, February 27 because of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Dr Babatunde Adejare, the state commissioner for Environment, in his address in Alausa, Lagos on Friday, February 26, noted that this new development is to allow students, invigilators and other stakeholders participate effectively in the exam organised by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) which begins Saturday.
He stated, however, that the usual sanitation exercise would still be observed by residents in their homes, albeit with movement.
According to Nigerian Bulletin, this cancellation means there is no restriction of movement for humans and vehicular movement during tomorrow, Saturday, February 27 because of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Dr Babatunde Adejare, the state commissioner for Environment, in his address in Alausa, Lagos on Friday, February 26, noted that this new development is to allow students, invigilators and other stakeholders participate effectively in the exam organised by the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB) which begins Saturday.
He stated, however, that the usual sanitation exercise would still be observed by residents in their homes, albeit with movement.
SUPREME COURT OKAYS REV.KING TO DIE BY HANGING.
ABUJA – The Supreme Court has okayed the convicted General-Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Rev. King to die by hanging.
In a unanimous judgment Friday afternoon, a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, upheld the death sentence that was earlier handed to Ezeugo by the Lagos State High Court.
Consequently, the court in its lead verdict that was delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, dismissed the appeal the convicted clergy lodged before it.
General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King
Justice Ngwuta who noted that “the facts of the case could have been lifted from horror film”, resolved all the 12 issues Ezeugo raised in his appeal.”
“This appeal has no merit. The judgement of the court of appeal is hereby affirmed. The prison sentence that was earlier handed to the appellant is no longer relevant in view of the death sentence passed on him”, Justice Ngwuta held.
It will be recalled that Ezeugo was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007, for the alleged murder of his church member, Ann Uzoh. He was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder.
The charge against him was at the instance of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
During the trial, the prosecution had argued that the convict poured petrol on the diseased, Uzor and five others. Uzoh died on August 2, 2006, exactly 11 days after the incident.
In her judgment, trial Justice Joseph Oyewole who is now a Justice of the Court of Appeal at Calabar, said there was sufficient evidence linking the accused person to the commission of the crime.
Consequently, Justice Oyewole convicted and sentenced Ezeugo to 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder and death by hanging for the offence of murder.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Ezeugo took the case before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
The condemned clergy, in his notice of appeal dated January 16, 2007, prayed the appellate court to set aside the judgment.
Aside 16 grounds of appeal he raised through his lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, he was subsequently granted leave to argue additional 16 grounds based an amended notice of appeal he filed on June 15, 2008.
Ojo argued that his client did not commit the crime and was not at the scene of the incident.
He insisted that the deceased, Uzoh, had in two statements she made after the incident and before her death, stated that she got burnt in a generator accident and that the cleric was not responsible for her injuries.
Ojo said the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, had tendered statements which stated that Ezeugo was not responsible for the burns that led to Uzoh’s death.
He alleged that the trial Judge refused to admit in evidence, the statements he said exonerated Ezeugo of the crime.
The lawyer further contended had those “vital exhibits” been admitted rather than expunged by the trial judge, they would have operated to cast serious doubt on the case of the prosecution.
He maintained that Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits in evidence “occasioned a great miscarriage of justice” against his client.
Meanwhile, after due consideration of the case, a three-man panel of justices of the appellate court, in a lead judgment that was delivered by Justice Fatimo Akinbami, dismissed Ezeugo’s appeal and upheld the high court verdict.
The other members of the appellate court panel that equally concurred with the lower court’s verdict were Justices Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa.
Determined to save his life, Rev Ezeugo lodged an appeal before the Supreme Court.
His appeal was challenged by the Lagos state government which through its Attorney General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem and Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, urged the apex court to dismiss it and uphold the concurrent verdicts of the two lower courts.
In a unanimous judgment Friday afternoon, a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court led by Justice Walter Onnoghen, upheld the death sentence that was earlier handed to Ezeugo by the Lagos State High Court.
Consequently, the court in its lead verdict that was delivered by Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, dismissed the appeal the convicted clergy lodged before it.
General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King
Justice Ngwuta who noted that “the facts of the case could have been lifted from horror film”, resolved all the 12 issues Ezeugo raised in his appeal.”
“This appeal has no merit. The judgement of the court of appeal is hereby affirmed. The prison sentence that was earlier handed to the appellant is no longer relevant in view of the death sentence passed on him”, Justice Ngwuta held.
It will be recalled that Ezeugo was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging on January 11, 2007, for the alleged murder of his church member, Ann Uzoh. He was arraigned on September 26, 2006 on a six-count charge of attempted murder and murder.
The charge against him was at the instance of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
During the trial, the prosecution had argued that the convict poured petrol on the diseased, Uzor and five others. Uzoh died on August 2, 2006, exactly 11 days after the incident.
In her judgment, trial Justice Joseph Oyewole who is now a Justice of the Court of Appeal at Calabar, said there was sufficient evidence linking the accused person to the commission of the crime.
Consequently, Justice Oyewole convicted and sentenced Ezeugo to 20 years imprisonment for the attempted murder and death by hanging for the offence of murder.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, Ezeugo took the case before the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal.
The condemned clergy, in his notice of appeal dated January 16, 2007, prayed the appellate court to set aside the judgment.
Aside 16 grounds of appeal he raised through his lawyer, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, he was subsequently granted leave to argue additional 16 grounds based an amended notice of appeal he filed on June 15, 2008.
Ojo argued that his client did not commit the crime and was not at the scene of the incident.
He insisted that the deceased, Uzoh, had in two statements she made after the incident and before her death, stated that she got burnt in a generator accident and that the cleric was not responsible for her injuries.
Ojo said the Investigating Police Officer, IPO, had tendered statements which stated that Ezeugo was not responsible for the burns that led to Uzoh’s death.
He alleged that the trial Judge refused to admit in evidence, the statements he said exonerated Ezeugo of the crime.
The lawyer further contended had those “vital exhibits” been admitted rather than expunged by the trial judge, they would have operated to cast serious doubt on the case of the prosecution.
He maintained that Justice Oyewole’s refusal to admit the exhibits in evidence “occasioned a great miscarriage of justice” against his client.
Meanwhile, after due consideration of the case, a three-man panel of justices of the appellate court, in a lead judgment that was delivered by Justice Fatimo Akinbami, dismissed Ezeugo’s appeal and upheld the high court verdict.
The other members of the appellate court panel that equally concurred with the lower court’s verdict were Justices Amina Augie and Ibrahim Saulawa.
Determined to save his life, Rev Ezeugo lodged an appeal before the Supreme Court.
His appeal was challenged by the Lagos state government which through its Attorney General, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem and Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Idowu Alakija, urged the apex court to dismiss it and uphold the concurrent verdicts of the two lower courts.
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