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…Police arrest 7 suspects
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Suspected cult members have killed five persons in Obele community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The killers were reported to have traced their targets to their various apartments, breaking into the homes and murdered them.
A native who pleaded anonymity disclosed that some of the persons killed were believed to be blood relations to rival gunmen who came on reprisal mission over death two persons earlier.
One of the local vigilance group leaders in neighbouring Ibaa and Obelle communities, Chinanu Eleonu, who raised the alarm to security agencies in the area, accused two men: Kiro and Yellow of being responsible for the dastardly act.
Eleonu while addressing the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area and commander of Joint Task Force (JTF ) in the area, dissociated himself from any form of crime in the community.
He explained that the clarification became necessary following the killing of an OSPAC (vigilance group) member that occurred late 2024, which he claimed was traced to the same gang.
He called on the Emohua Local Government Chairman, David Omereji, DPO and JTF commander to redouble their efforts in ensuring proper investigation and possible arrest of those behind the crime
Meanwhile, operatives have arrested seven suspected to be involved in the killings.
Rivers State Police Public Relations (PPRO),SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident and number of deaths to journalists.
Iringe-Koko said: “Yes, I can confirm the incident. Five persons were killed and seven suspects have been arrested and are in Police custody.
Also, Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, has directed the DPO of the jurisdiction and Area Commander in charge of the area to fish out and apprehend fleeing members of the cult groups.”
The PPublic Relations Officer (PPRO) added that the command was on top of the situation.
Over 65 % inmates in prisons are awaiting trial –NBA President
The President of Nigerian Bar Association ( NBA), Afam Osigwe, has said that over 65 per cent of inmates in the 244 correctional centres in the country are awaiting trial.
Osigwe made this known at the National Executive Council meeting of the NBA, yesterday in Akure.
“We should focus on pre-trial detainees, people who are court awaiting trials. They make up over 65 per cent of the prison population.
“We worry about those who are simply remanded in prison facilities without having their cases tried, or their case taking an intolerable length of time to come to conclusion, on account of one delay or the other.
“They are sometimes serving more time in prison than they would if the court has convicted them, or even acquiring one disease or the other in prison, or even dying.”
Osigwe said that the association had mandated its Human Rights Committee to work with the Chief Judges of the states to ensure prison visits.
He added that the committee would also urge chief judges in various states release defendants that were not prosecuted.
“ The Chief Judges should also give a directive to all magistrates that if you give a remand order, you must give a return date for a review.
“If the prosecution, Ministry of Justice, fails to file a charge, that they should order the release of such persons, so that people do not spend time in prison detention without being charged to court.
“ They should ensure that the courts, in line with provisions of the Police Act and the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, will visit detention facilities, whether of the police, of the army, of the DSS, of the NDLEA to check the length of time people have been detained there.
“People should be released on bail or be charged to court, or release them entirely.
“The bar is getting this engagement to ensure that people who have no reason being in detention are released, and that people do not spend a long time in detention without a charge being filed against them,” he stated.
According to him, NBA is embarking on advocacy to ensure that the provisions of the law to avoid the ugly situation in various detention facilities.
Speaking, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who declared the meeting open, described the NBA NEC as a momentous occasion that marked the return of the gathering to the state after a span of nearly 15 years.
Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Kayode Ajulo, said it was an opportunity to rejuvenate the professional camaraderie that bound legal practitioners and advocates for justice together.
The NBA-NEC meeting serves as a vital platform for addressing pressing issues that affected the profession, the rule of law, and the administration of justice.
“It is a time for introspection, decisive action, and a renewed commitment to the principles that have long guided our noble profession: justice, fairness, and the steadfast pursuit of the rule of law,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa said that the state government has championed unwavering commitment to a legal system that would serve the interest of all.
