bush burning

By Peter Uwumarogie

A Gombe-based non-governmental organisation, Jewel Environmental Initiative (JEI) has cautioned residents of the state against bush burning, especially in the rural communities.

Mr. Ismail Bima, JEI Chief Executive Officer, gave the advice on Monday in Gombe in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

According to him, the advice has become imperative in view of the commencement of dry season farming which often records a surge in bush burning.

Bima said that the negative impact of bush burning on the environment had made it extremely difficult for environmentalists to keep silent on activities that could contribute to global warming.

We have always campaigned against bush burning because of its negative impact on the environment and humans. Burning bushes involve the production of air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and pollutants such as fume and smoke, he said.

The environmentalist said his NGO had started the sensitisation of farmers in villages where bush burning was very rampant.

Our message is simple, do not burn bushes. We tell them the impact of such action on their farmlands, health and environment. The dry season is not a time to burn bushes, he said.

Bima said the group has visited villages around Gwani and Bima hills to sensitise the farmers and also to some villages in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government and parts of Akko and Dukku Local Government Areas.

According to Bima, bush burning has negative effects on the quality of the soil as it takes time to recover from the effects of burning.

He decried the activities of those burning tyres in abattoirs, pointing out that a report on it would soon be submitted to the Ministry of Environment.

He commended the state government for taking proactive measures to sustain the Gombe Goes Green initiative, adding that plants needed more water and care during the dry season.

Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has made provision for the supply of water to sustain the trees already planted, especially with the commencement of the dry season while sustaining planting, especially in schools, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN News

New research by an international team has found that the sun and solar system were formed over a short time span of 200,000 years according to a U.S. federal research lab.

The reported finding published on Monday, showed that the collapse of a large cloud of gas and dust, which led to the formation of the solar system, happened very quickly, according to Greg Brennecka, a cosmochemist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

If we scale this all to a human lifespan, the solar systems formation would compare to pregnancy lasting about 12 hours instead of nine months, he said.

Although astronomers have estimated that it possibly took about 1-2 million years to collapse a cloud and start a star, this study is the pioneer that provides data on our own solar system.

The oldest dated solids in the solar system are calcium aluminum rich inclusions (CAIs), providing a direct record of solar system formation.

The majority of CAIs formed 4.567 billion years ago, over a period of around 40,000 to 200,000 years.

The scientists, who observed that the inclusions have formed within the time span of cloud collapse, were able to pinpoint which astronomical phase the CAIs formation recorded in the solar systems formation, and ultimately how quickly the solar-system material accreted.

Located in California, the LLNL was established in 1952 to meet urgent national security needs of the United States by advancing nuclear weapons science and technology. The lab also carries out projects in various fields including physical and life sciences.(Xinhua/NAN)

Source: NAN News

NYSC

By Abbas Bamalli

Hajiya Aisha Tata, the NYSC coordinator in Kano State says two new corps members out of the 826 posted to the state have tested positive for COVID-19..

The coordinator said this on Monday while briefing newsmen afterthe swearing-in of the 2020 Batch B Stream lA corps members.

She said the corps members were tested immediately upon arrival at the orientation camp and that they were taken for to relevant facilities for further medical investigation.

She said that 826 Corps members posted to the State have undergone screening on COVID-19 before they were allowed access to the camp promises.

As you have seen, we have provided all the necessary prevention facilities and ensured that all the corps members used them.

We have also ensured comprehensive fumigation to ensure that the camp remainsa clean environment for the corps members, she said.

In his message to the ceremony, Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje called on the corps members to remain calm, and participate in all activities with open minds.

My fellow compatriots, the orientation course was purposely designed to provide you with the requisite training for a better understanding and knowledge about the scheme, about your new environment and about the people you are going to be staying with after the orientation course.

I implore you to be guided by the sense of duty and discipline that saw you through your various academic programmes.

You are enjoined to shun all acts that may jeopardise harmonious relationships existing between the corps members and their host communities, he said.

He reiterated his administrations commitment to continue to identify with NYSC programmes and support it to realise the purpose for which it was set up.

Ganduje assured the corps members of their security, safety and welfare throughout their one- year stay in the state.

The governor was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Kano State Ministry of Youths and Sports Development, Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmed.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the oath of allegiance was administered on the corps members by Chief Magistrate Jibril Muhammad.

Of the 826 corps members deployed in Kano State, 387 are females, while 439 are males. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

COVID-19 test

More than eight months after the emergence of the novel Coronavirus in Nigeria, many people no longer observe the safety measures put in place by authorities to keep safe.

Since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was announced on Feb. 27, 2020, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), along with the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, evolved measures to check the spread of the virus.

The centre, therefore, while following directives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), recommended the use of face mask, frequent washing of hands, social distancing, respiratory hygiene and stopped large gatherings as basic safety measures.

Even though Nigerians had observed the measures, especially during the lockdown that followed the announcement of the pandemic as global emergency and to check its spread, many are gradually dropping their guard.

A check by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja saw many residents moving about without wearing a face mask, while some even doubt the existence of the pandemic in the first place and others just carry a face mask in their bags just in case.

Chief Ugochukwu Nnam, the President of Initiative for Leadership Development and Change (ILDC), an Abuja-based NGO, told NAN that while many resident had stopped observing the COVID-19 protocols, others doubt the existence of the Coronavirus.

Nnam, who decried the unsafe attitude, added that many people in the FCT dont care; even in Churches and gatherings, they dont wear face masks, while some wear the mask on their chins instead of the face.

I wonder if they really know the dangers of this pandemic; I wonder if they know that countries like Germany have entered into another phase of lockdown.

As for me and my family, we use our face masks, I gave hand sanitisers to all my children as they go to school, I ensure they wash hands regularly even in their school through a steady reminder to their teachers.

Mrs Ogechi Osuoha, a teacher, called for intensive advocacy to change the perception of people about COVID-19, especially in markets.

Osuoha, who emphasised the imperatives of sensitisation and awareness to contain community spread, said that the carelessness of some market women could trigger another phase of community infection.

Many women in the market dont use face masks and do not wash their hands or use hand sanitisers or wear hand gloves like they did at the heat of the pandemic before or after selling their wares.

Mr Nurudeen Ahmed, a resident, attributed the attitude to ignorance and some sort of cultural beliefs.

Ahmed said that he had at a time doubted the existence of the pandemic until he saw those that died of the disease.

Honestly, I used to live my life freely without protection until I heard of a person I know very well that died of symptoms and complications from the disease in Spain.

Mr Nelson Udunna, a laboratory scientist, said that the pandemic was real and capable of wiping out communities.

Udunna said that he had cultivated the culture of washing his hands more than four times a day, as well as protecting his nose and mouth with face mask whenever he mingled with other people.

He decried the manner some persons threw caution to the wind by not observing the safety rules.

He said I went to the Nyanya orange market in Abuja, I discovered that it was only me and two other persons that wore face masks. I was shocked.

Mr Peter Nzeli, a trader also in Nyanya, Abuja, said COVID-19 is a thing of the past, I have not
seen or heard of someone who died from the virus again. Do we still have the virus in this country?, I dont think so.

Mr Emmanuel Ekechukwu, a businesman in Wuse, Abuja, said it had been long since he wore a face mask, adding that most times, he put the face mask in his pocket in case he was forced to wear it like in banks and some offices.

However, Mr Simon Abel, another businesman in Wuse, said he always obey the COVID-19 guidelines because he had seen someone who suffered from the virus.

According to him, he lost his uncle to COVID-19 in Italy.

He, therefore, cautioned residents, especially commercial drivers to observe the rules by wearing face mask and observing social distance, and encourage their passengers to do same.

Mrs Rita Okoro, a civil servant living in Garki, Abuja, said I wear face mask once in a while because of my health condition. I also keep a distance with others when in public and always carry my hand sanitiser.

In some Churches at Mpape, Abuja, NAN also observed that people no longer wash their hands at the designated points, nor use the hand sanitisers and do not wear the face mask.

When asked why they dont observe the COVID-19 protocols, a worshipper, Mr Osas Osagie, said that the believe is that COVID-19 has gone.

According to Osagie, at the pronouncement of the protective measures earlier by government, 100 per cent of members obeyed, but now believe that the virus has gone.

Another resident of Mpape, Abuja, Miss Alice Ijeh, said that the virus was not real, adding that everything about it was a rumour. Nobody had been pronounced dead in Mpape through the virus for me to believe, even when everybody knows that Mpape is a crowded area.

I dont believe that the virus really exist, how many people have you heard of that died of the virus in Mpape here, even though Mpape is a crowded area, there is nothing like Coronavirus, she said.

The story is the same in the Apo area of the FCT, as many defy the COVID-19 protocols and move about as if the global health emergency is over.

Some residents said the non-compliance is due to poor enforcement and sanctions by authorities, while others say they believe in the efficacy of herbal treatment for the disease.

Malam Usman Aminu, a taxi driver, said when the disease surfaced some months back, you dare not go out without a face mask or even take more than two passengers at the back seat of a vehicle and one in the front seat because you will be arrested and fined.

But now, nobody even cares if you carry more passengers or whether or not they put on face mask.

Mrs Rose Emmanuel, a food vendor in the Apo area of the FCT, said some customers come to eat without putting on face mask but I cannot ask them to leave or force them to wear one because it will be difficult for them to eat wearing one and I will be left with food and with no customers.

However, I make sure they wash their hands at the entrance and leave the windows and door opened to enable ventilation inside the shop.

On his part, Mr Andrew Ezekiel, a civil servant, said people now have access to the medications used in isolation centres to treat infected persons, while others use herbs.

He added that some people who tested positive and got cured made public the medications they took, so most people who have symptoms, rather than go for test, just decide on their own to self-medicate.

Others have now adopted daily consumption of garlic, ginger and lemon if they have any symptoms, he said.

At the Apo Resettlement area in the FCT, there was high compliance with the guidelines in some places, partial in some places and non-compliance in other places.

NAN observed high compliance on wearing of face masks at the Shoprite Supermarket, Apo Resettlement, while a small percentage are not wearing or wearing it on the jaw.

Some of the residents, customers and passengers who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity admitted that COVID-19 is real but that they are tired of wearing face mask.

A male security officer working at Shoprite said I believe COVID-19 is real and I wear my face mask but it is just that I am tired of wearing it. I am not wearing now so that I can receive fresh air.

A female customer, seen adjusting her face mask on her jaw, told NAN that I try to wear my face mask but it is not easy to wear it always, it is choking, that is why I am wearing it like this to get fresh air.

However, at St. Charles Lwanga Parish Catholic Church, Apo Resettlement, on Sunday, there was high compliance of wearing face mask in the Church, although some parishioners did not wear it.

A female parishioner, who had her face mask on, told NAN that she tried to comply with the COVID-19 protocol by wearing mask always, especially in public places.

I am committed to wearing face mask to Church; it is part of my Christian obligations to obey the authority- the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and it is for my own good to keep safe.

NAN also observed that an announcement was made at the Church, encouraging parishioners to wear face mask in Church.

Meanwhile, there was non-compliance of wearing face mask by Keke Napep drivers and motor bike riders at Kabusa junction close to Apo Mechanic village.

According to a rider, he wears his face mask because of dust not COVID-19, saying I dont believe there is COVID-19 in Nigeria.

Similarly, a Pet trader at Zone C, Apo Resettlement Estate, said there is no COVID-19 again in Nigeria. There is no need for me to wear face mask.

Mr Felix Uche, the St. Gabriel Catholic Church Chaplain, Durumi, Abuja, who was one of the few seen putting on a mask on Sunday, said we must be careful. We must remain vigilant. We mustnt drop our guard.

As reverend fathers, pastors and bishops, we need to tell our congregations to remain safe to stay alive.

Clerics must protect the well-being of their congregations. Everyone must play their part and remain vigilant and take proper precautions.

Pastor Timothy Dogara said that most Nigerians think that because they were no longer in lockdown, they were free from the danger of the virus.

Mrs Sarah Aziz of Grace Church, Apo, Abuja, said that the Church observed physical distance but worshipers could take off their masks during service.

She said like during praise and worship, you dont expect people to have their mask on. Truly the discomfort is something else.

Some other Churches which comply with the COVID-19 protocols included the Family Worship Centre, Living Faith Church, Durumi and the Holy Trinity Catholic Church.

Meanwhile, NCDC had stated that till date, 65,148 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed, 61,073 patients discharged and 1,163 deaths recorded in 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

It also disclosed that there were 2,912 active cases across the country.

The agency, therefore, advised Nigerians to continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols to stay safe, stressing that the Coronavirus pandemic was not over yet.

Wear a face mask properly; avoid large gatherings, maintain physical distance from others.

Lets work together to protect ourselves and our country, the centre stressed.

Source: NAN News

Captain of the victorious Lintex Polo team lifting the COAS Cup, alongside the Rep. of COAS, Maj. Gen. Haruna Momoh, the Deputy Chief of Policy and Programmes and Amb. Sani Bala, the Chairman, Guards Polo Club, Abuja

By Victor Okoye

Maj. Gen. Haruna Momoh, the Deputy Chief of Policy and Programmes at the Nigerian Army Headquarters says the Army plans to re-invigorate and revive its full-time participation in the game of polo.

Momoh said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, while representing the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai at the ground breaking ceremony for a proposed club house for the Guards Polo Club.

The ceremony took place on the side lines of the ongoing 11 edition of the Nigeria National Carnival Polo tournament in Abuja, in which the Nigerian Army polo team is playing alongside over 28 other teams.

NAN reports that a special cup known as the COAS Cup was also instituted at the club in this years edition in honour of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai.

Abuja-based Lintex polo team emerged winners of the COAS Cup after defeating Hon. Ahmed Wadada-led Keffi Ponies 6 goals to 3 goals on Saturday.

Momoh, who doubles as Director, Staff duties, said the game of polo had always been the exclusive preserve of the army, adding that its interest had, however, waned as soon as civilians also became interested and got involved.

The Army owns polo. The game was introduced into the country in 1904 by British colonial military officers and is a game the Nigerian army has always driven. We, however, kind of relaxed when the civil populace became interested in the game.

But good a thing the current COAS has decided and rightly so, to reinvigorate and revive the Nigerian armys full time participation in the game and thats why we are here today, he said.

Momoh expressed appreciation to the COAS for his initiative and achievements so far, saying that the Army was looking forward to achieving greater things in the sport.

I have always passed here but I never knew there was anything like this until I entered today and its all the handiwork of the current COAS for which we must appreciate him, he said, adding, We are also looking forward to greater things happening in the game of polo as far as the Army is concerned.

As you can see, there are a lots of developments taking place. We have the Nigerian army team here, who have gone through series of trainings both locally and abroad.

We recently took part in some matches in South Africa and Morocco. We are also currently building the headquarters of the Nigerian Army Polo Association (NAPA) here at the Guards Polo Club, which was inaugurated in January by the COAS.

We also have the Nigerian Army Farms and Ranches Ltd. We have horses being groomed there. So, these are some of the developments currently going on, Momoh said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Tony Oli, Chairman of Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC)

By Chimezie Anaso

Mr Toni Oli, Chairman, Anambra Sports Development Commission (ASDC), says 225 athletes are in camp ahead of the National Sports Festival scheduled to hold in Edo from Dec. 3 to Dec. 17.

Oli told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Awka that the state hoped to surpass its previous records at similar outings.

He said the early preparations were to enable Anambra contingent to surpass previous record of five gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals which placed the state in the 16th position on the overall medals table at the last edition in Abuja.

The commissions chairman said the athletes would be camped in three sites; Rojenny Stadium Oba, Otuocha Township Stadium, Aguleri, and Bishop Obiefuna Retreat Centre, Awka.

He said that camping the athletes which includes 50 officials would last till Dec. 3 when the contingent would depart for Benin, the Edo capital.

He said the states target was to ensure that the success in Abuja was consolidated upon, assuring the people of Anambra that the athletes would be supplied all their needs to excel at the Games, tagged Edo 2020.

We are working to better our last performance which was five gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze, he said.

Oli said that the COVID-19 lockdown affected sports activities in the state negatively just like in other states.

He noted that apart from the Nigeria Police Games, which held in February, other state events like Academic Football Competition, Community Shield, Security Games and School Sports did not hold.

He, however, praised the athletes for keeping fit individually in spite of the ban on sports, especially the contact games during the lockdown.

Oli urged sports administrators and officials to be fair and ensure that the best emerged in the competitions so that Nigerian athletes would have better chance at the global stage.

Officiating should be fair, there should not be the desire to have some persons or states win instead of the best and that is why we have problems outside the country.

There was a case where an Anambra athlete was made to come second after clearly beating his opponents but the same boy went ahead to give Nigeria a bronze medal at continental level, he said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Former England and Liverpool goalkeeper Ray Clemence has died aged 72, the Football Association (FA) in England said on Sunday.

Clemence, who played 61 times for England, began his professional career with Scunthorpe United before joining Liverpool and he made over 450 appearances in 14 years at Anfield.

He was part of the dominant Liverpool side of the 1970s, winning three European Cups, five English top-flight league titles and two UEFA Cups.

Clemences last appearance for Liverpool came in their 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the 1981 European Cup final.

From there he joined Tottenham Hotspur and added another UEFA Cup and FA Cup to his trophy cabinet.

After fighting so hard, for such a long time, hes now at peace and in no more pain, his family said in a statement.

The family will like to say a huge thank you for all the love and support that hes received over the years. He was loved so much by us all and he will never be forgotten.

Clemence became the first goalkeeper to captain England since Frank Swift when he took the armband in a friendly against Brazil in 1981.

Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s Clemence vied for the England number one jersey with Peter Shilton who ended up with 125 caps to his name.

Im absolutely devastated to be told of the sad news that Ray Clemence has just passed away, Shilton said on Twitter.

We were rivals but good friends. Ray was a brilliant goalkeeper with a terrific sense of humour. I will miss him a great deal as weve kept (being) friends long after retiring. RIP my friend.

After his retirement as a player, Clemence held coaching positions with England and Spurs.

So sad to say goodbye to a true legend, a brilliant goalkeeper and my great England goalkeeping coach Ray Clemence, former England and Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman wrote on Twitter.

Former England and Liverpool goalkeeper David James said: Im deeply saddened to hear the passing of Ray Clemence.

Clem was my coach with England for more than a decade. A lovely man with a wicked left foot, I had a poster of him on my bedroom wall as a kid.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Britains Lewis Hamilton choked back the tears as he won a record-equalling seventh Formula One world championship on Sunday and became the most successful driver in the sports history.

The Mercedes ace put on a masterclass in wet and slippery conditionsHamilton takes seventh Formula One world title in style to take a record-stretching 94th career win at a rollercoaster of a Turkish Grand Prix.

He secured the title with three races to spare.

Only Ferrari great Michael Schumacher has seven titles to his name, a number once thought unlikely ever to be matched, but most of the Germans records have passed to Hamilton.

So complete was Hamiltons domination that he lapped sole rival and teammate Valtteri Bottas with 12 laps to go on a nightmare afternoon for the spinning Finn who finished 14th.

Hamilton already had more race wins, pole positions and podium finishes than anyone in the history of the sport.

But, in spite of starting a season-low sixth, the 35-year-old was determined to add to the tally.

Thank you so much guysthats for all the kids out there who dream the impossible. You can do it too man, I believe in you guys, he whooped over the radio after taking the chequered flag.

The Briton finished a massive 31.6 seconds clear of Racing Points second-placed Mexican Sergio Perez in a race run behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Seven is just unimaginable but when you work with such a great group of people and you really trust each other, there is just no end to what (you) can do together, said Hamilton, who has yet to sign a new deal for 2021.

I feel like Im only just getting started.

Hamilton was congratulated after parking up by Perez, who still has no seat for 2021, and Ferraris Sebastian Vettel who completed the podium in a race full of spins and changes of lead.

I told him that it was very special for us because we can witness history being made today, said Vettel, a four-times world champion with Red Bull and on the podium for the first time this year.

There is no doubt Lewis is the greatest in terms of what he has achieved.

Bottas, who said over the radio four laps from the end that he wished the race was already finished, also went across to extend his hand.

Mercedes had already won the constructors championship for a seventh year in a row, an unprecedented feat.

While Perez started third and eked out his tyres, Canadian team mate Lance Stroll saw his dreams of a first win disappear after leading from his first pole position.

He finished ninth, the slide down the order starting when he pitted on lap 37.

Ferraris Charles Leclerc took fourth place, after passing Perez on the last lap but then sliding wide, with Spaniard Carlos Sainz fifth for McLaren and Red Bulls Max Verstappen sixth.

Red Bulls Alexander Albon was seventh with Lando Norris eighth for McLaren and taking a bonus point for the fastest lap. Australian Daniel Ricciardo was 10th for Renault.

Hamilton said there was a point where he thought the race was slipping away from him.

Even as the leaden skies and constant threat of rain added to the sense of uncertainty, he kept believing.

When the team suggested he pit for fresh tyres towards the end, given the safety of his lead and the amount of laps done on the worn intermediates, he over-ruled them.

I lost a world championship in the pit-lane. I learned my lesson from 2007, thats for sure. I felt like I really had it under control and I was going to deal with the rain if it dropped, said the former McLaren driver.(Reuters/NAN)

Source: NAN News

Nigeria Police logo

By Oladapo Udom

The Lagos State Police Command, on Sunday, carried out simultaneous raids on areas believed to be harbouring criminals and hoodlums, across the 14 area commands in the state.

The commands Public Relations Officer, SP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement issued in Lagos, said that 720 suspects were arrested, with various weapons and substances suspected to be Indian hemp and cocaine.

In its bid to solidify the security architecture of the state, the Lagos Command re-launched its anti crime strategies to curb crimes and criminality across the state.

In the swift operations, police operatives arrested 720 suspects with incriminating items, including locally-made guns, cartridges, charms and substances suspected to be Indian hemp and cocaine.

Also, some items suspected to have been looted from various shopping outlets within the state during the recent EndSARS violence were found within the suspected criminals, he said.

Adejobi said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, had earlier warned and directed police officers and men to move against lawlessness and criminality in the state.
Odumosu affirmed the zeal of the command to sustain the operations, even beyond the yuletide season.

The police chief commended the officers and men of the command for the successful operations, while he urged them to be at alert for more operations across the state, the police spokesman said.

Adejobi said that Odumosu had also directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SCID, Panti to commence discreet investigation on the arrested suspects for immediate prosecution.

Odumosu urged those whose items were looted during the recent EndSARS violence to come up for claims of their items, with prove of ownership, Adejobi said. (NAN)

Source: NAN News

Gov. Godwin Obaseki

Igbaugba Ehigimetor

The security situation in Benin, the Edo capital, has taken a turn for the worse following a jump in cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and cult-related killings, NAN checks have revealed.i

The upsurge in the crimes was first noticed since the #ENDSARS protests that led to the release of no fewer than 1900 from two Correctional Centres, burning of at least eight police stations and the looting of their armouries by hoodlums.

Night life in the capital city, in the meantime, has since ground to a halt as incidences of kidnappings and armed robbery have escalated.

NAN reports that while residents of the capital city were still reeling from the high crime rate, cult related killings, mostly linked to clashes between rival Vikings and Aye confraternities, have only heightened the fears of the residents in different parts of Benin.

The tally from the cult related killings indicated that no fewer than 30 people were killed within the past week, with three others similarly killed on Sunday by suspected cultists in the city.

Two of the bodies were discovered at Urohra Junction, one by pipeline junction in Eyaen. and on Saturday, two bodies were found around Uselu, while Evidence Street by Isihor accounted for three others.

Before then, several people lost their lives in different parts of the city, including Idogbo, Y-Junction, Nomayo, Three House all along Sokponba Road, Ogida Barracks, Siluko road, Costain area in New Benin, Aduwawa near Oando filling station, Upper Mission, near Ewa Road junction, Cherubim and Seraphim area of Upper Mission.

Meanwhile, the police are soliciting for information from the public that would help them recover stolen arms and ammunition from the police stations that were looted, trashed or burnt in the state.

When contacted, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Babatunde Kokumo, said the attack on police facilities, burning of police stations and patrol vehicles during the EndSARS protests, that turned violent, had affected their operations.

He, however, assured that the police will gradually resume work at their duty posts to check crime and criminality in the state.
According to him, in Upper Sokponba in Ikpoba-Okha axis, three police facilities were burnt down displacing the DPOs and other police officers in these divisions.

These officers now report at the state command headquarters, we now send them on patrol from there so you should expect some hitches, but we will continue to work and get things right.

The EndSARS protests, which were hijacked by hoodlums, has actually impacted negatively on police operations and unleashed attacks on police facilities, he said.

How do you expect, where 200 inmates escaped, for things to be normal? Kokumo asked, saying, We were doing our best to arrest the criminals in Edo before the jail break and we are equally trying our best now to see that the escapees are re-arrested and brought to book.

He urged the media to cooperate with and appreciate the efforts of the Police, especially now that they are expected to stem the tide of crime, whereas they lacked operational vehicles, arms and ammunition. (NAN)

Source: NAN News