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Police Arrest Vigilante Commander, Others Over Robbery In Rivers

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The Rivers State Police Command has arrested the Commander of Isiokpo Community security outfit, popularly called vigilante group, Mr. Ododo Kingsley Obubochi, and three other members of the outfit for alleged vandalism and armed robbery in the State.
A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the State, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said among those apprehended are the local vigilante Commander in Isiokpo, Ododo Kingsley Obubochi, along with three other executive members of the local vigilante group on 26th March, 2024.
She named others arrested as Mark Prince, Destiny Onuigbo, and Azubuike Orlu, stressing that they utilised their positions as executives of the outfit to access the group’s armoury, which they used in perpetrating the said criminal acts.
According to the statement, “the sequence of events leading to their arrest unfolded when a scrap dealer, known as Prince, approached Ododo during a vigilante group member’s burial of one of their members.
Prince used the venue of the burial to present himself as a businessman from Omagwa, proposed a joint venture involving the dismantling and sale of a mast belonging to Globacom, located on a secluded road in Elele.
“Following negotiations, Ododo agreed to provide firepower and monitoring during the operation for the mast’s disassembly. A fee of NGN500,000.00 was set for Ododo’s participation.
“The operation commenced as planned, with Ododo and his accomplices providing cover and supervision”, it stated.
The statement contained that their criminal activities were disrupted when they were intercepted by a police patrol unit during the operation, adding that confrontation ensued, resulting in their arrest. Two of the vandals escaped, while four were arrested.
The items recovered from the arrested individuals include three automatic pump-action guns, one live cartridge, one plier, one machete, and two Qlink motorcycles without registration numbers.
In response to this development, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, expressed concern over vigilante members’ involvement in criminal enterprises.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to apprehending all individuals involved in criminal activities, regardless of their affiliations or positions within law enforcement structures.
“The ongoing investigation aims to apprehend the remaining fugitive suspects involved in this criminal network.
“The Rivers State Police Command urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station”, he said.

By: Akujobi Amadi

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Rivers

MNCH Week Ends Today … As Rivers Prepares For Malaria Vaccination In Jan

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December 13, 2024

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The 5-day Maternal and Neonatal Child Health (MNCH) Week, which started last Monday, comes to a close today in Port Harcourt.
The MNCH Week, which is part of healthcare campaign and interventions for Rivers people, witnessed interventions for pregnant women, non-pregnant women, children under five years old, and men as well.
Disclosing this during the 2024 last quarter strategic meeting of the “Media Advocacy For Health in Rivers State”, the State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, of the Primary Health Care Management Board, said, the MNCH Care Week, is part of several health campaigns and interventions planned for Rivers people.
“We call it MNCH Care Week. Our ‘one-stop-shop’, from 9th to 13th December, we will be in the health facilities, we hope that our care givers and mothers will bring their children, and partners/spouses to come amd access care in our facilities”, she stated.
According to the State Health Educator, the second part of the campaign and intervention is the roll out of MPox or Monkey Pox vaccination which is a targeted immunisation campaign, and scheduled to last for ten days in Rivers State.
Dr. Babbo, said the Monkey Pox vaccine will be rolled out in six states: Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa, FCT, and Benue States.
She stated that the MPox vaccines roll out, which started on the 2nd of December, will also end today.
She explained that the MPox vaccination is targeted at communities, health workers, who are the frontline workers, and key population.
Such key populations include: commercial sex workers, People Living With HIV, transgender community, People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), and Men who have Sex with Men (MSM).
“We’re also saying that after the COVID-19 year, we noticed that there was a drop in immunisation generally worldwide. So, the world is trying to catch up”, she explained.
Towards this end, she stated that a team of Nigerians have been put in place with an aim to quickly close the gap, through intensification of routine immunisation.
Dr. Babbo said, “we will go to different communities where they are found and carry out what we call ‘Zero Dose Children'”.
Zero Dose Children, Babbo said, “means that they have not got their series vaccines, which are pental vaccines. They are those that have not completed their vaccines despite having started. So, we are going to target those categories of children”.
She further disclosed that in continuation of the interventions, malaria vaccines will be rolled out in Nigeria in January 2025, with Rivers State being one of the beneficiaries to have the vaccines in the public space.
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Expert Advocates  IT Driven Security In Rivers

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December 13, 2024

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A security expert and analyst, Charles Inkoh-Tariah, has recommended an Information Technology (UT) Communications driven security network in Rivers State.
Speaking during a live interview, “Viewpoint”, on radio, he said IT is very useful in reducing all forms criminality.
According to him, IT driven security  is proactive and not reactive, while expressing regret that weakness in the security system stems from failure to adopt a modern and updated relevant IT-driven technology like other developed climes.
He also observed that there’s a lot of gap between the people and security  agencies leading to weakness and failure.
Inkoh-Tariah, therefore, recommended a consolidated intelligence gathering system that will enhance effectiveness  through adoption of technology and support of the people.
The security expert emphasized the need to revive the Neighborhood Watch , which, he said, is backed by law made by the State Assembly in 2008.
He insisted that there is need to also upgrade security facilities and improve performance of security personnel.
Furthermore, he called for adoption of Artificial intelligence, “which is more effective than all local or former security systems”.
By: Kevin Nengia
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Diaspora Group Wants Respect For Ogoni Traditional Rulers

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December 13, 2024

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A United States of America-based socio-cultural organisation, Gbaaloo Nyo-Khana, which is an umbrella body of Ogoni, in Rivers State, Nigeria, has called on the  people of Ogoni Kingdom  to accord traditional rulers their deserved respect.
A statement jointly signed  by the group’s President, Comrade LeBari Nzidee, the  Secretary-General, Comrade Samuel Nwibana, and the Public Relations Officer,  Barineka Akponi, condemned several utterances and derogatory statements by some youths against traditional rulers in Ogoni land, who they described as  “natural custodians of Ogoni cultural heritage”.
The organization said such statements and behaviour doesn’t accord the high respect due traditional rulers in Ogoni land and called for a change of attitude towards traditional rulers who have the traditional blessings of the land.
According to the statement, the association condemns in  its totality, recent unwholesome statements against a frontline traditional ruler in Nyo Khana Kingdom, saying it does not demonstrate a show of respect for traditional institutions in the area.
The statement said, “in as much as the organization will not support the ills or misbehavior of any traditional ruler, there’s the need for their subjects to address any act of misconduct with serious caution.
“If traditional rulers in other parts of the country are treated with dignity, such treatment should be accorded Ogoni traditional rulers and leaders at home and in the diaspora by the Ogoni people.
The group also accused some Ogoni indigenes in diaspora who are believed they be sponsoring the charade to get political recognitions because of their selfish interest to contest for elective positions in 2027.
Describing their intentions as “wild elephant dreams”, the group promised to expose such people.
The statement read in part: “some disgruntled ogonis in the diaspora are disrespecting our traditional rulers to score cheap political recognitions.
“We have come to realize  that their intentions are borne out of the fact that they have an intention  to contest  2027 elections, using falsehood, unscrupulous allegations to instigate fake news, through which they seek popularity in Ogoni”.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to “stand against any action that is not healthy in Ogoni land, especially when it has to do with not according traditional rulers their due respect and honour, specifically in Nyo-Khana Kingdom, and Ogoni at large”.
By: Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
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