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Rivers

CP Gives Parting Gifts To Rivers With Arrest Of Criminal Elements

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The outgoing Rivers State Commissoner of Police, CP Olatunji Disu, has presented a parting gift to the State as the police operatives in a sting operation across the State arrested fake employment raceteering and a notorious dreaded criminal gang leader, ChukwumelaImela, known as Boy Satan as well as recovering of various assualt riffles and ammunition.
This appeared a major breakthrough in the ongoing assault against banditary and criminal activities in the State under the watch of the immediate past Commissioner of Police.
Briefing newsmen in Port Harcourt at the police command recently, CP Disu said the operatives of the State command arrested a gang of online employment racketeering syndicates that specialises in obtaining money by pretence from unsuspected members of the public with intent to secure fake job employment opportunities in an oil and gas company in the State collecting from them the sum of N450,000 to N850,000 each.
According to him ,the operatives of octopus strike force of the state command ,on August 29, 2024, at about 3 pm, acting on a credible piece of information about a possible hostage situation in a compound at Igwuruta, swung into action and arrested one of the suspects, Chukwudi Okoli ‘m’, who posed as a staff of a company, Qjoseansel International Global Limited , adding that during the operation, Amiye Joseph and 15 other victims comprising 13 males and two females (2) were rescued and led to the station.
He said preliminary investigations revealed that the unsuspecting victims had each paid monetary sums ranging from N 650,000 to N 850,000.00 each to the phoney company with vain assurance that they would be given jobs within the oil and gas sector and receive payment in US Dollars.
“The fraudsters operated in such a way that they would call their unsuspecting victims over the phone after a random selection of phone numbers. They would then introduce them to job opportunities and invite them to Port Harcourt where they would undergo fake interview processes.
“The victims are extorted huge sums of money and held in a facility where they would be keenly monitored. After this is achieved, the victims will be subjected to training where they will be taught to convince potential victims about the job opportunities with a pay of USD 450 per week.”
“New entrants were tasked to pay USD 25 to facilitate a registration process.
The suspects designed an online platform that generated a username and password for registrants upon completion of registration.
Throughout the process, the victims are instructed to alienate themselves from other people.”
CP Disu further sophisticated gadgets and items revealed that were recovered from the operational office of the suspect including phones, laptops, television sets, generators, industrial fans and office furniture, stressing that the suspect and the exhibits are in police custody while the investigation is ongoing.
“We have intensified efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate.”he stated.
Again, the state Commissoner of Police said that operatives also arrested a five-man notorious criminal gang said to have been responsible for car snatching and burglary in the Ada-George, Iwofe and Ogbogoro areas of Port Harcourt as well as Egbelu, Diobu, D-line, GRA II and Borikiri.
The gang has been responsible for snatching, at gunpoint, over 10 cars in the past 3 months and responsible in terrorising residents of the state seeking to enjoy their comforts and thrills of nightlife in the GRA II axis of Port Harcourt.
The state Commissioner of Police, disclosed this while parading the suspected twelve suspects at the command headquarters in Port Harcourt , Tuesday that were allegedly arrested by the operatives of the command in various operations across the State.
Disu disclosed that the gang was led by a recidivist, one ChukwumelaImela, aka Boy Satan, who had been to prison on four occasions for various crimes, ranging from cultism to raping and armed robbery along side with his childhood friend and companion, Precious Adiele, he joined the Iceland cult group in 2009.
He averred that the duo iare famed for being merciless in killing both rivals and allies, thus, earning him the moniker, ‘Boy Satan’.
“In 2022, he disagreed with the Iceland cult group over loot sharing from a robbery and angrily moved to join a rival group, ‘La Mendians Bobos’. To celebrate his defection, he decided to make a bold statement by accosting his friend, Precious Adiele and macheting him to death in his residence. After killing his friend, he boasted that he was not afraid to hurt even his family to prove a point.

Akujobi Amadi

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Niger Delta

CSOs, Bille Community Urge Solution To Persistent Underwater Gas Eruption

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Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the people of Bille Kingdom in Degema Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State have called for government’s urgent intervention to end the suspected underwater gas eruption in the community.
The groups, under the aegis of the Environmental Rights Action and Social Action, made the call during their advocacy visit to the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), in Port Harcourt.
The Programme Manager of Environmental Rights Action, Mr. Kentebe Ebiaridor, said the visit was to seek clarity on the response efforts of the regulators to the development in the community.
Ebiaridor expressed concern over what he described as “inadequate response from regulatory agencies and the government concerning the incident”.
He said discussions with some officials revealed that there was still no clear timeline for action to address the situation.
According to him, in the absence of clear ownership of the facility linked to the incident, companies operating within Oil Mining Lease (OML) 18 should be held accountable.
The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) had in a statement issued on March 20 by its Chief Executive, Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan, said the commission had commenced an investigation into a gas bubbling incident in Bille Community.
Eyesan said the commission expressed concern over the development and assured residents of its ongoing efforts to address the situation.
Also, the Resource Justice Manager of Social Action, Dr. Prince Edegbuo, warned that the situation could escalate into a public health emergency, if urgent steps were not taken.
Edegbuo called on relevant authorities to release the results of the tests reportedly conducted in the area, stressing that residents had the right to know the condition of their environment.
He also said CSOs were prepared to intensify advocacy on the matter, urging the development of emergency response measures, including possible evacuation plans.
A legal practitioner and community stakeholder, Mr. Commission Deinbo, had, on March 20, said residents had continued to witness unusual signs on the waterways in the area.
Deinbo said the signs included boiling and bubbling from the ground and river, sometimes within residential areas, as well as fire outbreaks, which the residents had always managed to contain.
He appealed to relevant authorities to come to their aid and find a lasting solution to the problem.
In a response, the Port Harcourt Zonal Head of NOSDRA, Mr. Bello Augustin, assured the community that he would relate its concerns to the appropriate quarters.
Augustin also commended the CSOs for their advocacy and concerns to community development in the state.
By: Wokoma Emmanuel & Theresa Frederick
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Rivers

Dep Gov Seeks Collaboration, Transparency Between RIVCHPP, PHCMB

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The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, has called for renewed commitment, transparency, and stronger collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, particularly between the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP) and the Primary Health Care Management Board.
She made the call today, during the First Quarter Review Meeting of the Task Force on Primary Health Care, held at Government House, Port Harcourt.
She emphasized the importance of honesty in addressing challenges within the healthcare system, urging all parties to remain open and truthful in their engagements.
According to her, transparency is critical to identifying and resolving underlying issues affecting service delivery.
“If we are not truthful, we will not cure the disease, but merely cover it up,” she stated.
The Deputy Governor recounted a personal experience at a primary health centre, where a patient, despite being duly registered under the RIVCHPP scheme with completed biometric capture, was still asked to pay for services.
She explained that intervention by relevant authorities later confirmed the patient’s eligibility, thereby exposing a communication gap between the scheme and healthcare providers.
Prof. Odu warned that such incidents could discourage community members from enrolling in the scheme and ultimately undermine its objectives.
“When this happens, we are disenfranchising our people. The message that goes back to the community is that even when you register, you are still made to pay,” she stated.
While commending the leadership and staff of the Primary Health Care Management Board, the Ministry of Health, development partners, and other supporting units for their efforts, Prof. Odu cautioned against complacency.
She urged stakeholders to continuously strive for improvement, raise standards, and ensure lasting positive impact within the healthcare system.
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Rivers

Experts Converge To Tackle N’Delta Business Challenges

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As part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s economy, about 600 experts are billed to converge in Port Harcourt in a business conference to uplift middle-class businesses in the Niger Delta region.
The convener of the convergence, Lanre Oluseye, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Port Harcourt, said the conference, scheduled to hold in Port Harcourt for the first time, would equip middle-class businesses with the knowledge required to overcome challenges and scale up their businesses.
He explained that the convergence was conceived in response to challenges stalling business growth, particularly at the mid-level.
Oluseye noted that while Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) benefited from various interventions, middle-class businesses were often neglected despite facing significant constraints.
He added that the conference would bring together accomplished professionals and business leaders to mentor mid-level entrepreneurs on how to overcome barriers and attain greater heights.
“Convergence is a conference where thoughts, ideas and strategies come together to create a catalyst that enables business people to move to the next level.
“It is a platform that accelerates growth by bringing great minds together to chart a course for others to follow.
“Our objective is to move the Port Harcourt-based middle-class businesses to cross the barriers that are holding them down”, he said.
Oluseye continued that the conference, slated for April 18,  would attract about 600 Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and middle-level managers to address business challenges in the Niger Delta through innovative ideas and strategies.
He emphasised that the event would not be a mere social gathering, but a knowledge-driven platform designed to transform participants and provide networking opportunities to enhance their businesses.
He assured that participants would gain new insights, build valuable networks and engage with like-minded professionals.
Oluseye further said that top industry leaders expected at the conference included the Managing Director/CEO of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG),  Leye Falade; former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the MD/CEO of Aradel Holdings Plc., Gbite Falade.
Others are Tope Aladenusi of Deloitte Africa; the Partner, Chief Economist and Lead, Strategy and West Africa, Segun Zaccheaus; and a global thinker and futurist, Olakunle Soriyan.
Theresa Frederick & Charity Amiso
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