Niger Delta

Pastor Nabbed For Murder Of Church Members

Published

8 years ago

February 26, 2018

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested and paraded one Pastor Chidebere Okoroafor for allegedly killing his fiancé, Uluoma Onweagba, Mrs Ada Concila Ezeawa and her nine month old baby, Baby Christabel Joseph who were members of his church.
Pastor Okoroafor was said to be the founder and Presiding Pastor of the Altar of Solution Church, Izuoma, Afam in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State and hails from Abariba in Abia State. It was learnt that the suspect was having an amorous relationship with one of the deceased, Uluoma Onweagba, 25, a member of his church which resulted into a pregnancy.
The suspect however in an attempt to get rid of the pregnancy and protect the image of the church decided to snuff off life from the victim so as to conceal the information from other members of the church, but unknown to him, the deceased had told their neighbours that they were visiting the pastor on that fateful day over the pregnancy.
Briefing journalists at the State Police Command headquarters in Port Harcourt last Friday, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Finance and Administration, DCP Cyril Okoro said Pastor Okoroafor in a most bizarre manner allegedly and gruesomely murdered three of his own flocks, including an unborn child.
Okoro stated that the unfortunate incident started unfolding when on 11th December, 2017 at about 1100hrs, the whereabouts of the deceased became unknown to their close ones resulting in the lodgement of a formal complaint of their disappearance at the Afam Divisional Headquarters.
He told newsmen that after preliminary investigation by the police coupled with diligent search by members of the community, the decomposing corpse of Uluoma Onweagba (F) and baby Christabel Joseph were later discovered in a bush located along Afam-Igberu road on 13th December, 2017.
According to him, their corpses were immediately evacuated and deposited at the mortuary pending further investigation, adding that six days later, the body of Ada Concila Ezeawa, the mother of the nine month old baby was recovered in an uncompleted building at Izuoma Community in Oyigbo and was later evacuated and deposited at a mortuary pending further investigation by the police.
He averred that the matter was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) for discreet investigation and report, adding that investigation commenced in earnest at the State CID with the constitution of a team of seasoned investigators headed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, State, CID, Port Harcourt.
“The above named pastor who was said to be having an amorous relationship with one of the deceased, Uluoma Onweagba was invited, interviewed and interrogated pertaining the murder of the aforementioned deceased persons. He was subsequently detained as his explanations were not convincing, particularly with the information at the disposal of the investigators that the deceased persons had on 11th day of December, 2017 informed neigbours that they were going to visit the pastor over a pregnancy issue involving the late Uluoma Onweagba”.
“On the 9th of February, 2018, faced with overwhelming evidence and facts linking him with the death of the deceased persons, the pastor confessed to the commission of the said murder of all the deceased persons. Dwelling on the trust the deceased persons had on him, he manipulated the two women on the said date of murder by first luring Ada Concila Ezeawa to an uncompleted building while telling other deceased persons to wait three poles away that he was coming to join them, he stated.

Niger Delta

Otu Orders Sanitation Operations Review In Calabar

Published

2 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, has ordered an immediate review of environmental sanitation operations in Calabar metropolis.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Linus Obogo, on Friday, the Governor said the sanitary situation of the city had become a cause for concern.

He said the review became necessary because Calabar should continue to maintain its status as the cleanest city in the country.

“The city is now littered with wastes, the cleanliness status of Calabar is almost gone, we cannot just fold our arms and watch,” he said.

The Governor continued that every resident of the city had roles to play towards restoring the sanitary status of the city.

“Every resident should live up to their responsibilities. Our reputation in sanitation was not earned overnight, we worked for it.

“It is the product of discipline, policy consistency, and civic responsibility. We cannot allow negligence to take away this reputation,” he said.

He further directed that henceforth, sanitation exercise should be supervised by the office of his Special Adviser on General Duties.

“This intervention is intended to ensure stricter coordination among contractors and government agencies that are responsible for waste management,

“Environmental sanitation is not a peripheral concern of government. It is central to public health, urban dignity, and the overall quality of life of the citizens”, he said.

Otu expressed displeasure at lapses arising from the attitude of some refuse contractors in the state.

He said breakdown of mechanical tools could not be a reasonable excuse for non-evacuation of refuse.

“Operational setbacks should never translate into visible environmental neglect. Preparedness, contingency planning and prompt response are the hallmarks of responsible service providers.” he said.

Niger Delta

Lawyer X-rays Consequences Of Court Injuction Suspending INC Polls … As Diri Intervenes

Published

2 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

A Bayelsa-based lawyer, and candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary in the suspended National Executive Council (NEC) elections of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization, the Ijaw National Congress (INC), Barr. Abraham Marshall, has said the court order, which restrained the conduct of the March 7th, 2026 polls, was a setback to stakeholders of the INC.

He expressed his worries about the plights of delegates who travelled from various parts of Ijaw land to come for the elections in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, only to be disappointed by the court order.

While thanking other candidates for maintaining orderliness and brotherliness all through the campaign processes, Marshall said the court injunction has devasted candidates vying for various positions.

He described the cost of what has already been spent on campaigns and sundry arrangements for the elections as huge.

Marshall noted that already he was a leading candidate for the position of National Assistant Secretary as he was optimistic of victory.

“First of all I’ve great confidence in the ability of the Electoral Committee headed by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, HRM, Justice F.F Tabai, which was eager to conduct a seamless election.

“Some of us have campaigned through the three zones and clans of the INC. Some of us went to the Western Zone, Eastern and Central Zones to meet delegates.

“That is how it happenes atimes when there are contest, some persons who are aggrieved, rather than take laws into their hands, go to court to seek judicial redress. So, I want to commend all candidates for maintaining decorum throughout the entire process.

“I like to also call on stakeholders to quickly seek for ways through internal mechanisms of the INC to end this problem so that the elections can be conducted because as candidates we’ve incured lots of expenses leading to the process”, he stated.

Meanwhile, in a bid to proffer solutions to the issues bedeviling the smooth conduct of polls, Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, on Friday met with stakeholders of the INC and its six Presidential candidates, as well as other major stakeholders of the Niger Delta region in Government House, Yenagoa.

In his remarks, the Governor commended individuals and institutions, including the presidential candidates and the Conference of Ijaw Traditional Rulers and Elders (CITRE), for their efforts towards actualising a peaceful and seamless transition of leadership in the Ijaw National Congress (INC).

The Tide gathered that at the meeting, the presidential candidates agreed to withdraw all subsisting litigations concerning the election.

Represented by his Deputy, Dr. Peter Akpe, Diri also expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ambassador Godknows Bolade Igali, the Chairman and members of the INC National Electoral Committee, and other stakeholders who contributed to the resolution reached at the meeting.

Drawing an analogy from the scriptures, particularly 1 Kings Chapter 3, he likened the unanimous agreement of the candidates to withdraw all pending court cases to the decision of the true mother of the disputed baby who pleaded with King Solomon not to cut the child into two.

According to the Bayelsa helmsman, the resolution reflects the enthusiasm, love and patriotic fervour in all the presidential candidates to move Ijaw nation forward.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting, the candidates, including High Chief MacDonald Igbadiwe, who secured the injunction from a Port Harcourt High Court stopping the INC Elections billed for last weekend, confirmed the agreement and pledged commitment towards the peaceful emergence of the next President of the apex Ijaw socio-cultural organization.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa

Niger Delta

Police Rescue 7 Trafficked Victims In A’Ibom

Published

2 days ago

March 16, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State has rescued seven victims and detained four suspects linked to human trafficking along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road.

The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Uyo on Saturday.

John said police operatives dismantled a human trafficking syndicate operating within the state, rescuing seven victims and arresting four suspects involved in the network.

She said acting on credible intelligence, operatives swiftly mobilised a patrol team for a coordinated stop-and-search operation along Ikot Ekpene–Aba Road on Friday.

The operation, conducted at about 8 a.m. on Friday, targeted vehicles suspected of transporting victims of human trafficking.

“During the operation, the suspected vehicle was intercepted and four victims were immediately rescued, while the suspect conveying them was arrested and taken into custody.

“Following reports that a vehicle was conveying young persons suspected to be victims of human trafficking, our operatives quickly moved to intercept it,” John said.

She said interrogation of the suspect led to the expansion of the operation to Itam and Ibaka in Oron Local Government Area.

John said three additional victims were rescued and three more suspects apprehended during the follow-up operation.

This brought the total number of rescued victims to seven and suspects arrested to four.

According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the trafficking syndicate specialised in recruiting and transporting young persons across borders for exploitation.

“Intelligence gathered further disclosed that one of the ringleaders earlier escaped through waterways from Ibaka in Oron to Cameroon and Gabon with some victims”, she said.

John said investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged in court upon completion of the probe.

The police spokesperson reiterated the Command’s commitment to combating human trafficking and other organised crimes in the state.

She assured the public that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate.

John urged residents to remain vigilant and provide timely information to the police to help protect vulnerable persons and strengthen community safety.