The fear of being kidnapped or robbed in Warri, Warri-South Local Government Area, and the neighbouring Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, both twin cities in the oil-rich Delta State, has become the beginning of wisdom.

The nightmare has also spread to the adjoining Udu Local Government Area, while nightlife is fast disappearing from the rich oil cities as residents hurry away from the streets as early as 6 pm daily. Despite the ugly situation, however, youths still hang out until 10 pm.

At the Ovie Palace Junction on the Warri -Sapele Road axis, some operators of drinking bars, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said though patronage had dropped, business was not so bad.

“We still sell, our busiest time is Friday and Saturday nights. I am aware the crime rate has gone up but it is not new. And it is not only in Warri. So, people should not blow it over, “a fish vendor, Ovo, said.

Residents identified some of the black spots as Angle Park area, off Airport Road, Refinery, Jakpa, Ekpan, Esisi roads, and Effurun Roundabout.

“From 7 pm, you have to be very vigilant when you are around these areas; they rob victims in commercial tricycles (Keke). But not all Keke operators are robbers, “Timeyin, a resident of Ugbuwangwe, said.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that, usually, the hoodlums target phones and cash. “They are after phones and cash. Some can be violent if their victims are stubborn”, Mary, another resident of Jakpa Road area, said.

Locals disclosed that some of the hoodlums lurk around ATM machines at night from 7 pm waiting for targets, particularly on Airport Road.

Kidnapping for ransom has been a reoccurring scenario. Within a space of 48 hours, they whisked away two priests, Rev Father Chochos Kunav and Raphael Ogigba, and a human rights lawyer, Dr. Akpor Mudiaga Odje, at different locations between Warri and Agbara-Otor about two weeks ago. They have since been released by their abductors.

Governor-elect and Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, was lucky on the Warri-Sapele Road when his convoy ran into some hoodlums at night a few months ago. According to reports, gunfire from his security aides made the hoodlums flee.

Locals said there was a surge in kidnapping inside Warri, particularly around the Ekpan axis. They blamed the ugly situation on the crash in the country’s economy and unemployment.

“Street has failed, that is why many boys are into crime now, and you mistake them for Yahoo Boys,” Onoriode, a resident of Udu, said.

“Many of these Yahoo Boys spend so much on drugs and since the Yahoo economy is gradually phasing out, they are using crime to sustain their passion.

“Some of these boys spend as much as N4 million monthly on drugs. They call it highness. To keep this up they indulge in crime.

“If the boys offer you a bottle of opened Coca-Cola, do not drink because it may not be only Coca-Cola that is in the bottle. Even when you go to parties organized by these boys, mind how you eat cake because they have ‘highness’ cake.

“To keep this lifestyle, they go for street crimes”.

Asked to explain what he meant by highness cake, Onoriode said, “They are event cakes made with hard drugs.”

A security operative, who wanted to be simply identified as Philip, however, said: “When you compare it with places like Auchi, it is not so bad here. Do not forget that Warri and Uvwie put together is not a very big place. We know ourselves. “Kidnappers in our midst can be easily fished out. I think more of the kidnappings are done on the highways like Sapele-Warri Road, Agbarho-Ughelli Road and all that. But kidnapping still happens inside Warri.

“The boys want quick cash and phones they can quickly sell for money. And they are getting it easy because very few people bother to track their missing phones.

“The police too are not helping matters. They charge too much to help track phones. And very few people can show proof that they own their phones because they have misplaced their receipts and phone packs”.

Safety rules

One of the safety rules in Warri, Ughelli, and environs is that people should avoid night movements in and outside Warriors, Philip said.

The police are yet to release the record of crime in Delta in the last three months. However, security watchers believe the immediate past Police Commissioner, Ari Muhammed, recorded some good success in the fight against crime in Warri and environs and expressed the hope that the new police boss, Wale Abass, will surpass the record.

In a bid to rid the areas of crime, the police took the war to red-light districts. Recently, they arrested 94 commercial sex workers and 59 male suspects for various crimes ranging from kidnapping to armed robbery, and other sundry crimes in Ughelli North local government area and environs.

The state police spokesman, DSP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this, said locally made guns, three suspected stolen vehicles, and hard drugs were among items recovered from the suspects, adding that some of them had been charged to court and others moved to the Command Headquarters in Asaba.

According to him, the police had stepped up efforts to flush out criminal elements from Warri and its surroundings.

“Operatives were drawn from the Command’s Operations Department, SIB, Dragon Patrol, Safer Highway, Raiders, CP, D-Coy Squad, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and led by the Commander, Dragon Patrol, CSP Graham Imade, and deployed in the affected areas”, Edafe said.

“They embarked on an intensive confidence-building patrol, stop and search, and show of force while acting on credible intelligence report.

“The Commander led raids on some identified illicit rendezvous at Evwreni, East-West Road, and other black spots all in the Ughelli North area. During the operation, 59 male suspects and 94 female suspected commercial sex workers were arrested.

“The following exhibits were recovered from them; three pump action guns, one locally made cut-to-size gun, one dagger,10 live cartridges, one suspected stolen unregistered Toyota Venza, one unregistered Mercedes Benz, one Peugeot car, nine cups of loud, codeine syrup, 20 capsules of Tramadol and 31 wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp.

“The 94 commercial sex workers have been charged to court alongside some of the male suspects, while others have been transferred to the Command Headquarters for further investigation.”

The Delta State Police Command is obviously not sleeping. Dafe appealed for timely information from residents on suspected criminals and criminal activities in their hood.

The Campaign for Good Governance group, has come out in support of Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha, for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The group which is based in Kano in a statement over the weekend, said it was proper for the women to occupy one of the four major positions of the 10th National Assembly namely, president of the senate, deputy senate president, speaker of the house of representatives and deputy speaker.

The group which is an All Progressives Congress, APC network group while appealing to the newly elected and returning members of the House of Representatives said it was “only rational that one of the six top leadership offices in Nigeria, should accommodate a woman.”

They argued that “since Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha was the only woman among the seven contenders for the seat of the Speaker, “common sense dictates that the women should be carried along by our great party.

“We appreciate the fact that our great party has zoned these seats in the wisdom of our leaders. Fortunately, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha comes from the zone given the Deputy speakership. We are saying that we have enough men there already and the women deserve the deputy speaker slot”.

Alhaji Bello Abdulkadir, the convener of the group, who signed the statement released on Saturday said “Nigeria deserves balancing in every department so as to carry every one along in both gender and religious issues.

Meanwhile, insiders in the national Assembly also informed, that several stakeholders of the party from Imo State, have also weighed in on Hon. Princess Onuoha’s ambition. According to our source, the stakeholders have reached out to President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu over the matter.

One of the stakeholders who is a close associate to the Governor of the state said the stakeholders have also put in words in support of Hon. Onuoha with the party leadership.

For those who do not know her, Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha is Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities and Special Needs.

Onuoha who represents Okigwe North/ Onuimo/Isiala Mbano federal constituency of Imo State is the only returning female lawmaker from the South East geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Hon. Princess Onuoha, is a graduate of Estate Management from the University of Lagos. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Planning and Protection (MEPP) from the University of Abuja.

Before her election into the federal parliament, she had served as a Senior Special Assistant to a former Governor of Bayelsa State on International Development Cooperation amongst other previous political engagements.

She was also a board member of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC).

The Chairman, Ugborodo Community Trust, Barrister Augustine Oborogbeyi has blamed JAD Group of Companies over the crisis in the oil-rich community in Warri South West Local Government Area of Delta State.

He said on Sunday, May 21st, 2023, in a press release that the JAD Group has been regularly awarded Contracts since 2008 but never carried out any development at all in the Community.

According to him, all Communities in Warri Kingdom are autonomous administratively under the overlordship of the Olu of Warri, adding that a Supreme Court consent judgment in 1972 put an end to some Ugborodo people assertion of autonomy from Warri Kingdom.

“Ugborodo Community as an integral part of Warri Kingdom anchored the Palace Watch, (Ghigho – Aghofen) between 17th December 2022 and 27th April 2023 and His Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse lll was in Ugborodo Community on 15th April 2023”., he said.

He stated that; “The PIA as stated by Perry Atete is Community based and after the Setlors series of meetings with the stakeholders from the oil bearing Communities, which these characters participated in, the sub Communities of Ode-Ugborodo, Ogidigben, Ajudaibo, Madangho and Ijaghala submitted nominees for the PIA Board of Trustees which has since been registered. Ugborodo Community is not the property of these agitators no matter how highly placed they think of themselves, including the persons in the positions of the Eghare-Aja and Olajori”.

“These same persons have been frustrating the Ugborodo Community Trust Executive under the Chairmanship of Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi for no other reason but for not being in charge of Ugborodo Community affairs, as they are used to. Their modus operandi is propagating violence and frustration of the development of the Community”, he added.

He disclosed that; “Since 2008 they recommended the Lebanese JAD Group of Companies as Ugborodo Community Contractors for Contracts in NNPC/ Chevron Joint Venture and SPDC to provide from the proceeds of Contracts funds for the development of Ugborodo Community. The JAD Group has been regularly awarded Contracts since 2008 but carries out no development at all in the Community. That is not of concern or interest of these characters but theirs is to fleece the Community and thus the frustration by all means, of the Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi Trust Executive championing the cause that the JAD Group should pay all entitlements
due Ugborodo Community from the proceeds of Contracts being awarded to the JAD Group on behalf of Ugborodo Community since 2009. Can these people show us the benefits to Ugborodo Community on the execution of the Chevron multi billion Dollars EGTL Project”.

“The gain of a new Ugborodo Town during acquisition of the land for the EGTL Project was by the Sandys Omadeli Uvwoh led Trust in which Barrister Augustine Oboroegbeyi was Secretary. Furthermore, where are the hundreds of housing units for the Ugborodo new Town that Delta State Government contracted and budgeted Billions of Naira for. What of the Billion Naira shore protection Contract awarded to one of these agitators? As usual, the JAD Group is behind the current agitation which is a smoke screen to divert attention from several Investigations on its fraudulent activities”, he said.

Our Correspondent reports that there is an ongoing protest in which Ugborodo youths have occupied the Escravos Crude oil tank farm and loading terminal of Chevron. It started almost one week ago, with logistic supplies to the facility stalled.

A South West women group-Women Leadership Forum, WLF, has condemned the constitution of the leadership table in Nigeria as presently constituted.

In a communique issued after a meeting of the Group in Abuja on Thursday, the women said the All Progressives Congress, APC leadership has reneged on the 35 percent affirmative on gender equality with no woman found in the first six of the country’s leadership table.

According to the group, it was “outrageous that women in Nigeria are not considered for any of the too first six positions in the country.”

The communique signed by chairperson of the forum, Chief Mrs. Funke Ariyo reads in part, “We are surprised that a personality like the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will preside over the marginalization of women in this dispensation. The President-elect, vice President-elect are men. The President-elect is right now supporting an all male senate president and deputy. He is also supporting an all male speaker and deputy of the House of Representatives. This is absurd to say the least”.

“We are particularly worried that President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu whose wife, Senator Oluremi, is a distinguished senator of the federal Republic, will allow this marginalization,” the statement concluded.

By: Tino Kevwe 

President Muhammadu Buhari has granted automatic employment in the Federal Civil Service to 65 former members of the National Youth Service Corps NYSC.

Out of the 65 recipients, 52 individuals received the Presidential Honours Awards, while the remaining 13 were physically challenged ex-Corps Members recognized under the “NYSC Hope Alive programme”.

In addition to the employment, President Buhari disclosed that both groups would be awarded scholarships to pursue their education up to the Doctorate Degree level at any university of their choice within Nigeria.

The Orodje of Okpe Kingdom His Royal Majesty Major General Felix Mujakperuo (Rtd.) JP, the Orhue 1, has charged the General Manager of Life Flour Mills Limited Mr. Alexander Verhees to give more employment opportunity to the host community as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

The first class monarch gave the charge while speaking on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee (50th – year ) anniversary of the Life Flour Mills Limited held Tuesday May 16 in Sapele, Delta State.

The Orodje who praised the founding fathers of the company for their vision in establishing the Life Flour Mills in Sapele, also praised the Managing Director, the General Manager, the management team, staff and the directors of the company for their good management initiative that kept the company running 50 years after it’s establishment.

The Okpe Monarch explained that part of the reason Life Flour Mills Limited was brought to Sapele was to bring development and employment to the area and thank the management of the company in this aspect of their corporate social responsibility to the people.

The Orodje maintained that apart from Life Flour Mills Limited, there are other companies like the African Timber & Plywood (AT&P ), Eternit Limited, Zarteck , etc established in the area but due to bad management and lack of adequate raw material these companies folded up and remarked that as Life Flour Mills Limited is celebrating it 50th – year- anniversary, the company should ensured adequate backup in terms of raw material by growing wheat in Nigeria.

Earlier in an opening remark, the CEO of the Seaboard Group, Mr Jack Bresky, described the people of Sapele as wonderful and hospitable.

He stated that when his father and the late Alfred Rewane, was planning to establish the Life Flour Mills in Nigeria, it was the hospitality of the people and the conducive environment that attracted them to the area.

The Seaboard CEO praised the founding fathers for their initiative, in establishing the company, just as he also praised the directors, management and staff of Life Flour Mills Limited for keeping the company running for the past fifty years.

He also single out the customers of the company for praise, remarking that their dependable behaviour motivated and inspired the company.

Mr Bresky, maintained that though the company is celebrating the 50th years anniversary , it will continue to grow stronger.

Meanwhile, the general manager of Life Flour Mills Limited Mr Alexander Verhees, has stated that the trust of the customers of Life Flour Mills Limited and the believe of the end users on their products have been the driving force keeping the company growing. He thanked the customers and the end consumers for their loyalty and promised that together they shall grow together as strategic partners.

The General Manager, while reacting to the advise of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, also hinted on the possible plan of growing wheat in Nigeria, as a backup in ensuring that the issue of lack of adequate raw material is tackled.

Highlight of the event was the cutting of the anniversary cake and the presentation of cash award to some customers who have shown absolute loyalty and commitment to the progress of the company.

The National award No 1 with a cash prize of N3m was presented to Friday Ovie Limited, National award No 2 with a cash reward of N2m was presented to Veremy Global Limited, while Electrese Limited received the National award No 3 with a cash reward of one million naira.

The Federal Executive Council FEC on Wednesday approved the sum of $4.713 billion for the development of port projects in Delta, Lagos, and Ondo States.

The Minister of State for Transportation, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The Minister of State for Power, Mr. Jerry Agba, was also at the briefing.

He said the council approved the development of Ondo Multi-Purpose Port in Ilaje, Snake Island in Lagos, and Burutu in Delta State.

The projects, according to him, will be executed through Public-Private Partnership PPP arrangement at no cost to the Federal Government.

The minister added the projects would be financed and operated by private firms for 45 to 50 years.

Adegoroye said: “The Ondo port will cost the private developers the sum of $1,480,465,253 and will be concessioned for a period of 50 years

“The accruals to the concessionaire and the Federal Government are expected to be $50 billion and $ 2.6 billion respectively.

”The Burutu port will cost $1,285,005,818; concessioned for 40 years with the concessionaire and the Federal Government expected to reap $125 billion and $9 billion respectively.

“The Snake Island Port will gulp $974,185,203 and be concessioned for 45 years with the concessionaire and the Federal Government receiving $18 billion and $5.23 billion, respectively in accruals within the period.”

On his part, Agba said the council approved N140 million as an argumentation for the procurement of 33 KV circuit breakers and 120 numbers of surge arrestors for systems used by the Transmission Company of Nigeria TCN.

He said: “You know, we are bent on providing improved services of electricity to Nigerians.

“TCN is the main body that has to do the transmission. You know generation and distribution are in private hands now so government is only responsible for transmission.

“So, most of the equipment have become obsolete over the years which is why you have break in transmissions, low power supplies, and outages here and there.

”With these refurbishments and new procurements, we should be able to improve services and see the power supply get better by the day.”

The cerebral Royal Father of Issele-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM Agbogidi Obi Nduka has been sworn-in as Justice of the Peace (JP), by the Chief Judge of Delta State, Hon. Justice Theresa Diai.

In a well attended court session at the State High Court, Onicha-Ugbo, Hon. Justice E.G. Timi (Mrs), administered oath of office on the Issele-Uku Monarch, alongside two others on behalf of the CJ.

In reading the CJ’s address, Hon. Justice Timi congratulated the newly sworn-in Justices of the Peace, particularly Obi Nduka, reminding them that their appointments were well merited.

She said the authorities concerned carefully went through their records and, after due consultations, considered them suitable for recommendation to be appointed as Justices of the Peace.

Hon. Justice Timi affirmed that under Section 12 (1) of the Magistrate Court Law which states that “The Governor may appoint any person to be a Justice of the Peace in and for the State, and for such part of the State as he may specify, and may remove any person so appointed from the office of Justice of the Peace”.

On the strength of the above, Justice Timi submitted that the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, graciously approved the recommendation and appointed them as Justices of the Peace, thereby feigning the hope that the appointees would live up to expectation and not betray the confidence which the Government and people of Delta State had by the appointment reposed on them.

According to her, “The necessity for the appointment of Justice of the Peace in the State was informed by the yearning and need to bring justice closer to the people and minimise crime in our society. To this extent, Government expects nothing but the best from you. You will not only be transparent in your actions and decisions, but you must be seen to be so”.

She further enlightened the new JPs about their powers and functions, which include: To preserve the peace, To suppress riots and affrays, To dispense all forms of disorderliness, To direct post mortem examinations under Section 12 of the Coroners Law, Issue summons and warrants for the purpose of compelling the attendance of accused person or persons as witness before a court, Issue search warrants, Take solemn affirmations and statutory declaration, and, Any other functions that may be assigned to them by the Governor of the State from time to time.

At the end of the swearing-in exercise, the Traditional Ruler of Issele-Uku Kingdom, Obi Nduka addressed the press, where he appreciated the Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for finding him worthy for the office of Justice of the Peace.

He pledged to use the office in addition to his roles as a Traditional Ruler, to continue to advance the course of peace and justice in his domain and even beyond.

Furthermore, Obi Nduka promised to use the platform to continue to engage all segments of his immediate community to embrace peace and unity, maintaining that he would be fair, firm and just in carrying out the functions of his office as JP.

As the President General of Issele-Uku Development Union (IDU), Mr. Ofordile Ugeh congratulated His Royal Majesty, Agbogidi Obi Nduka JP, on his well deserved appointment and swearing-in into the office of Justice of the Peace.

He said that the people of Issele-Uku are proud of their king and would do everything humanly possible to support him to succeed in all his community development agenda.

In the spirit of solidarity, the Obi of Onicha-Ugbo Kingdom, HRM Obi Victor Chukwumalieze was in court to identify with his brother and counterpart on his swearing-in as JP.

Meanwhile, Diokpa Okonkwo Isimchei (Ogbelani of Issele-Uku), led the elders while Chief Victor Isiekwanamgbu (Ozah of Issele-Uku), led the chiefs to be with their king on the auspicious occasion of his inauguration as JP.

Other personalities who accompanied Obi Nduka to the Justice of the Peace swearing-in ceremony, include; Chief Sunday Ebite (Agujiegbe of Issele-Uku), Chief Sunday Monye (Osodi of Issele-Uku), Chief Ignatius Memeh (Oloton of Issele-Uku), Chief Brian Odiakosa (Osigie of Issele-Uku), Chief Fidelis Jigide (Esogba of Issele-Uku), Chief Victor Egbune (Inwengwe of Issele-Uku), Chief Barr. Mrs. Josephine Ada Kachikwu (Ezinne of Issele-Uku), Diokpa Abolo (Okpalabisi of Ogbe-Owele Village), Mr. Ofordile Ugeh (PG of Issele-Uku Development Union), Priest Pius Osiegbu (JP) and others too numerous to mention.

In a nutshell, the celebration continued at the Issele-Uku Royal Palace where Agbogidi Obi Nduka JP, treated the people with him to sumptuous meal with enough to drink.