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Killing of monarchs: Ekiti group demands signing of Hunters Bill, seeks Ooni’s intervention

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Ekiti Parapo Renaissance Movement, EPRM, a group made up of youths from the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State, South West Nigeria, has condemned the killing of two traditional, the Elesun of Esun Ekiti and Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti who were shot dead on Monday by suspected bandits.

The traditional rulers were attacked alongside the Alara of Ara Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba who however escaped death.

They were said to be travelling on the Oke-Ako Road in Ikole local government area in a car driven by Alara on their way back from a security meeting at Irele Ekiti.

The attackers were said to have taken their belongings and dragged their bodies into the bush.

Also on Monday, some school children were reportedly kidnapped in Eporo Ekiti, Emure LGA as the armed men ambushed a school bus.

Rising from an emergency meeting Tuesday morning at the Spring View Hotel, Ado Ekiti, EPRM condemned the killing of the traditional rulers and abduction of school children in their state.

In a statement signed by its national president, Comrade Oladapo Bamidele Tosin, EPRM said it was getting by the day, that because of insufficient manpower and other logistics constraints, the various security agencies in the country are overwhelmed by the many sponsored terror groups attacking different parts of Nigeria, especially South West Nigeria.

Bamidele Tosin said that in the interim, the only visible solution to the worsening insecurity in Nigeria is the deployment of hunters into the forests, farms and bushes across the country, and that the personnels to be so deployed should be indigenes of the communities who should know the local terrains.

He therefore called on President Bola Tinubu to as a matter of urgency, sign the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) Bill into law and sought the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, to lead other traditional rulers, especially from the South West on a mission to accomplish it, as according to him, that would be the best way to secure their communities.

He also alleged that those sponsoring terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other nefarious activities as well as those benefitting from them are resisting the signing of the NHFSS Bill into law, saying the enemies of Nigeria are afraid that their evil business would end if hunters are empowered and unleashed to secure forests, bushes and farms across the country.

He said- “Rising from an emergency meeting this morning, which centered on the killing on Monday, of two of our most respected monarchs, the Elesun of Esun Ekiti and Onimojo of Imojo Ekiti who were shot dead by suspected herdsmen as well as the abduction of innocent school children from a local school in Ekiti State, we hereby condemn, in strong terms, these killings and abductions in the South West of Nigeria, especially in Ekiti State.

“We call on the federal government, through the various security agencies to, as a matter of urgency, rescue the innocent pupils and to go after the killers of our traditional rulers, apprehend them and bring them to book.

“We also seize this opportunity of mourning in Ekiti State, to call Yoruba people of South West, to rise up to the occasion and protect our motherland. Our leaders, governors, senators, representatives and traditional rulers should provide leadership and save our people through improved security measures.”

According to EPRM, various reports from the Nigeria Police, the Army, Civil Defence and other security agencies have it that over 90 percent of those abducting, raping and killing people of the South West are from outside the region. It therefore means that an indigenous approach to security is the answer to the challenge.

“As it stands how, the only solution we can see, is to employ and empower young men and women from each community to secure their local areas. This is because it is only the people in the community that understand their terrain and can identify the criminals among them. That way, it would be easy to identify strangers and criminals.

“In appreciation of those facts, we are in support of the President’s position to set up peculiar agency that would specialise in fighting crimes that are planned and executed within and around the forests, farms and bushes.

“We believe that when that Bill is signed into law, the organization is expected to recruit personnel from local communities to secure their area and their states.

“Apart from helping to tackle insecurity, the engagement of these young people would engender massive employment which in itself, is one of the best means to tackle crimes.

“It is on that note that we call on His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife and other traditional rulers in the country, to rally round and support the signing of the NHFSS Bill into law as that would be the best way to secure their communities,” EPRM stated.

 

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Crime

UK serial rapist jailed 12 years

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Aiden Phipps, a serial rapist from Sutton, United Kingdom, has been jailed for 12 years and six months for assault and rape of five young girls.

The 18 years old was aged between 15-17 at the time of the attacks on the girls.

Derby Crown Court heard that several of his victims had tried to take their own lives since their ordeals and the youngest victim was aged just 12.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he knew “very clearly” that the girls were not consenting to his advances “but that didn’t matter” to him and his victims were “just objects.”

The court heard how Phipps, aged 15 at the time, forcefully raped a 12-year-old girl having pursued her on Snapchat and persuaded her to meet him.

On another occasion in 2023, he “dragged” a girl aged 17 into an abandoned area before having forced intercourse with her.

Prosecutor Dawn Pritchard described how every time Phipps’ victim tried to get up, he “pushed her back down.”

In November last year, another girl aged 17 approached Police about Phipps, telling them he had groped her sexually over her clothing.

Phipps, the court heard, committed several of the offences while already on bail, having been arrested and interviewed by Police for previous ones.

In a statement read out to the court, the mother of one of the girls said since the assault, her daughter had “shut down” and no longer left the house, going into “shock” when she saw a male.

The young girl had tried to take her own life in November 2022, the court heard.

Judge Jonathan Bennett told Phipps he posed a “significant risk of serious harm,” adding: “You have devastated the lives of these five victims and caused what for some will be irreparable damage.

“To hear the effect your offending has had is distressing to all of us who heard it. It has also had a huge impact upon all the families of the victims.

“Even when on bail you continued to offend. That is a particularly aggravating feature. All of these young girls made it absolutely clear to you they did not consent to what was taking place.

“You knew very clearly these young girls were not consenting but that didn’t matter to you – what was important to you was what you wanted.”

The court was told by Phipps’ defence Barrister that he had suffered a “very difficult” childhood having been fostered from the age of four and having been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

However Judge Bennett told Phipps after reading a psychologists’ report he concluded the defendant posed “a significant risk” of committing further similar offences against young girls.

 

 

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Crime

Nigerian military kills notorious terrorist Halilu Sububu who trained Bello Turji

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A notorious bandit leader, Halilu Sububu who trained wanted terrorist, Bello Turji has been killed by the Nigerian military.

He was killed in an operation by the Nigerian Air Force, NAF alongside 38 of his foot soldiers.

Sububu and his men were killed in Zamfara state by NAF Special Forces on Thursday, near the Mayanchi area of the state.

The operation, according to a statement by a Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations NAF Headquarters, Group Captain Kabiru Ali, was part of an ongoing effort by NAF and ground forces to “exploit intelligence and secure the area” following contact with the adversaries.

The statement said: “NAF Special Forces of Operation HADARIN DAJI in the company of other ground troops initiated a follow-up exploitation mission after troops encountered terrorists in the vicinity of Mayanchi.

“During the mission, it was confirmed that 38 terrorists had been neutralized, with 4 bodies retrieved for verification.”

Sububu’s death was also confirmed by a lot security analyst and counterterrorism expert, Zagazola Makama.

Posting on X, Zagazola wrote: “Halilu is a notorious bandit kingpin who trained Bello Turji. He commands hundreds of bandits and also engaged in gun running activities. He also engaged in arms trade and owned a House in Niger Republic.

“The killing of Halilu is a biggest blow against the terrorists.”

 

 

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Crime

Three killed in Anambra communities

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Three persons have been killed in Nawfi and Enugwu-Ukwu communities of Anambra State.

Many people also sustained varying degrees of injuries inflicted on them by assailants. The incident happened at Isionye, aboundary between the two communities.

People from the Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu rushed to the scene of the crime when news broke out about the killing.

Sources claimed that the killing of the three victims may not be unconnected with tussle over Isionye land.

A source who pleaded for anonymity said that Nawfia and Enugwu-Ukwu communities have been on a dagger drawn over the ownership of the land.

Meanwhile, Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Nnaghe Obono Itam(CP) has ordered investigation into the murder of three persons.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the command, Tochukwu Ikenga (SP) said that the incident actually happened at about 2pm on Monday.

He confirmed that three persons were killed and five others seriously injured at Isionye land.

The PPRO said that preliminary information, revealed that the victims were lured by some individuals through a phone call to the land in guise of a land transaction and attacked them with guns and matchet.

“Meanwhile, the CP has sued for calm as police operatives have recovered the abandoned Sennia vehicle used by the murders. Also, the testimonies of the injured victims who are currently receiving treatment in the hospital is aiding the investigation while the bodies of the deceased have been deposited in the morgue,” Ikenga said.

 

 

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