Niger Delta
Police Nab Pupil For Threatening Schoolmates With Pistol
The Police in Akwa Ibom State have apprehended a 13-year-old pupil, suspected to have threatened the schoolmates with a pistol at St. Paul Primary School, Ikot Ibiok, in Eket Local Government Area.
The Commissioner of Police (CP) in the state, Mr. Baba Azare, disclosed this during a press briefing in Uyo on Wednesday.
Azare said the operatives of the Command acted on credible information, on January 30, at about 0800 hours, that the boy was going about with pistol in the school, threatening to fire his fellow pupils.
“The operatives of the Command immediately swung into action, arrested the suspect and recovered a locally-made pistol.
“On interrogation, the suspect confessed that he had been with the said gun since November 2024 and that he got it from a ward in his father’s bedroom”, the CP explained.
The CP said the father of the suspect had been arrested and investigation had commenced on the matter.
Azare also disclosed that the Command arrested two young girls who conspired and stole a child in Obong Itam, Itu LGA in June 2024 and sold their victim for N200, 000 to someone in Cross River.
He said the suspects confessed to the crime, adding that they used the proceeds to purchase refrigerator, television and fan.
The CP continued that the items had been recovered from them and investigation was ongoing to arrest the buyer of the child.
In another development, the CP said two young girls reported a woman who attempted trafficking them to some men in Cross River for baby-making, selling of the expected babies and sharing of the proceeds.
He said based on the complaint on Feb.1 at about 0800hrs, the operatives of the command swung into action and arrested One Gift Essien Tommy (f) and One Peace Ekanem (f) while investigation was ongoing.
Azare also disclosed that on Feb.1, a woman from Afaha Offiong village in Nsit Ibom, reported that her nine-year-old daughter she sent on an errand on January 31 at about 1600 hours was defiled.
According to him, one Aniefiok Edem (male), age 60, dragged the nine-year-old girl into the bush, removed her clothes, had carnal knowledge of her and later gave her N200.
The CP said the suspect would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
Azare added that the Command also apprehended other suspects involved in cult- related activities, unlawful possession of firearms and illicit drugs among others.
He said the command would not relent in its efforts to rid the state of all crimes and criminalities.
The CP urged residents of the state to continue to support the police with useful information to succeed.
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Stakeholders in Delta State convened in Asaba for a leadership workshop organised by Otdel Health Heritage and Environmental Initiative (OHHEI), focusing on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and women’s participation in decision-making processes.
OHHEI Project Director, Mr. Peter Olayinka, represented by a consultant, Juliet Obiajulu, urged participants to contribute meaningfully toward advancing women’s leadership and combating GBV across communities in the state.
He said the workshop aimed to strengthen participants’ capacity to influence policies, challenge harmful cultural norms, and reinforce initiatives designed to prevent and respond to GBV.
Olayinka said women often faced bias even when they occupied leadership positions, and stressed that gender diversity improved the quality of decision-making and promoted innovation and accountability in governance structures.
Speaking, the Chairperson of the Association Against Child Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Mr Eris Jewo-Ibi, identified cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, political resistance, and grassroots barriers as constraints to women’s participation.
Delta State GBV Desk Officer, Mrs. Rosemary Okpuno, emphasised that effective decision-making required women’s perspectives, adding that inclusion remained critical to addressing persistent gender-based challenges.
Voke Angbagh of the Delta State Ministry of Justice outlined penalties for rape and called for the establishment of special courts to handle sexual offences cases.
Angbagh said frequent adjournments delayed justice for survivors, stressing that dedicated sexual offences courts would ensure timely trials and stronger protection for victims in Delta State.
The Tide’s source reports that facilitators identified cultural acceptance of violence, unequal power relations, discrimination, poverty, limited education, and low self-esteem as major drivers of GBV.
They emphasised that violence and exclusion resulted in social, physical and emotional harm, imposed economic costs, reinforced harmful stereotypes, and widened existing gender inequalities.
The source also reports that OHHEI, a local non-profit organisation, focuses on education, health, environment, and social justice, promoting sustainable development initiatives with gender equality at the centre of its interventions.
The Cross River State Government has suspended all taskforce activities connected to commercial transportation and ticketing across the state.
The State Governor, Bassey Otu, announced the suspension at an emergency stakeholders meeting on Friday in Calabar.
It would be recalled that commercial drivers in Calabar metropolis took to streets on Thursday to protest alleged multiple taxation and extortion by government agencies.
During the protest, the drivers alleged that taskforce groups claiming to represent the state government openly harassed and extorted them.
Represented at the meeting by Ekpenyong Akiba, his Special Adviser on General Duties, Otu said the suspension would subsist pending further review of the situation.
The Governor stated that the state government did not commission anyone to extort drivers in the name of task force.
He urged commercial drivers and other road users to remain law-abiding while government worked out a lasting solution.
On his part, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Calabar Metropolis, Mr. Sunday Dennis, expressed optimism that the dialogue would yield positive results.
He said the meeting had provided an opportunity for the aggrieved commercial drivers to present their concerns directly to the state government.
Also speaking, the Chairman, Unified Drivers Association, Mr. Nta Henshaw, described the harassment on drivers as worrisome, and urged the state government to be decisive in resolving the matter.
The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Committee on Nutrition and Food Security has called for more private sector investments in agriculture.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Moses Essien, made the call when the committee visited Aviclaire Farms, a private establishment in Usung Idem, Uruk Usoh in Abak Local Government Area.
Essien, who represents Ibiono Ibom in the Assembly, commended the Management of the farm for partnering an NGO, ECEWS, to promote private investment in agriculture.
He commended the partners for adopting climate-smart agriculture initiatives in their operations, adding that such move would promote food security.
“Your interest in using transformative intervention to promote food security is a veritable way of complementing the efforts of the state government,” he said.
The lawmaker continued that adopting practical climate-smart agriculture model would help to generate employment, improve nutrition outcomes, and strengthen food sufficiency.
He further said he was impressed with the strides recorded by the partners, saying, “your investment has created jobs for no fewer than 2,000 youths.
”You are an example of an environment-friendly investor. I urge Akwa Ibom residents to embrace environment-friendly and technology-driven agriculture models,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer, ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, who conducted the committee round the farm, said the collaboration was conceived to demonstrate the viability of climate-smart farming in ensuring food sufficiency.
Eyo said the farm, which commenced operations with four greenhouses, had expanded to 14 within two years, and currently supplying high-quality produce to major markets in Uyo and neighbouring communities.
He said ECEWS was exploring cooperative frameworks to enable rural farmers and women’s groups to adopt greenhouse technology for sustainable livelihoods.
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Aviclaire Farms, Mrs. Victoria Eyo, said the controlled-environment ensured precision cultivation and consistent yields.
She further said the farm served as a capacity-building centre for students, interns, and agri-business trainees.
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