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metro
MONDAY , JULY 17 , 2017 ... City , Crime , Courts 08185225745 , 08055126196
UNIBEN student , pastor detained
Afeez Hanafi
Some students of the University of Benin , Edo State , have taken to the social media to protest against the detention of a 300-level Pharmacy student of the institution , Esegine Rickson .
Rickson is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department along with a pastor , a bus driver , and two member ’ s death … I won ’ t talk to
other persons because of the death of a church member .
The UNIBEN students accused the police of unlawfully detaining their fellow student and others without any proof to show that the suspects were complicit in the death .
They added that the detention had prevented
Beninoise pours hot water on Lagos neighbour
• The house Afeez Hanafi
Photo : Afeez Hanafi
A
29-year-old resident of Ogombo , Ajah , Lagos State , Flora Ekong , has been scalded after a co-tenant , Angela Amos , poured hot water on her .
The mother of one had her breasts and left hand scalded and was admitted to a private hospital in the community .
PUNCH Metro learnt that Ekong had chided Amos ’ daughter , Mary , for opening the bathroom door while she ( Ekong ) was taking a bath .
Amos , a native of Cotonou , Benin Republic , reportedly heard Ekong rebuking nine-year-old Mary , and confronted her .
In the ensuing altercation , Amos reportedly rushed to her kitchen , removed a bowl of boiling water on a stove and emptied it on the victim .
Our correspondent learnt that she attempted to flee , but was prevented by the landlady , who handed her over to the police at the Ajiwe division .
The 29-year-old widow , a native of Cross River State , who spoke with our correspondent from the hospital bed , said she had tried to avoid Amos .
She said , “ That was not the first time her daughter would barge in while I was in the bathroom and I had warned her . When she refused to stop , I reported her to her mother through a neighbour . The mother is troublesome , that was why I didn ’ t meet her directly .
“ Instead of her ( Amos ) to caution the child , she abused the neighbour . The daughter did the same thing last Sunday . I was in the bathroom on Tuesday when she repeated it . I told her that the next time she did that , I would slap her .
“ The mother dared me to slap her and we started exchanging words . She left and returned a few seconds later with a bowl of hot water which she emptied on me .”
A co-tenant , who witnessed the incident , Sunday Alo , said everybody in the house avoided Amos .
“ I was inside my room that day when I heard her exchanging words with Flora ( Ekong ). No one expected that she could pour hot water on the woman ,” he said .
A relative of the victim , who did not want his name in print said , about N100,000 had been spent on her so far .
Ekong was arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate ’ s Court on Friday on two counts of assault and was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 , with one surety in like sum .
Rickson from sitting for the ongoing exams in the school .
PUNCH Metro learnt that the detainees and the unidentified church member had attended a retreat at a parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God on Sapele Road , Benin City .
As they were returning from the service on a bus last Sunday , they reportedly encountered a truck on top speed .
It was gathered that the bus driver zigzagged to avert a collision with the truck .
In the ensuing confusion , a phone was said to have fallen from the unnamed church member , who was also said to have attended the retreat .
“ Uche picked up the mobile phone , and tried to return it to the presumed owner , a fellow church member and passenger in the vehicle . He , however , noticed bloodstains on the phone .
“ He realised that the passenger was bleeding from the mouth and head and immediately informed the driver . The bleeding passenger was rushed to the Central Hospital , Benin City , as it was the closest . But they
Olufemi Atoyebi , Ibadan
An early morning fire has gutted 32 out of 72 shops in a building located in Ogunpa Market , Ibadan , Oyo State , destroying goods and property said to be worth over N700m . The one-storeyed building ,
• The scene of the fire were immediately redirected to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital without being attended to .
“ At the UBTH , the injured passenger was immediately admitted and placed on oxygen as he had already gone into a critical stage . However , all efforts to save him proved abortive ; he eventually died . All the while , his parents had been in the UBTH to witness efforts to revive their son ,” one of the students , Ezekiel Efeobhokhan , wrote on Facebook .
Efeobhokhan stated that the family of the deceased reported the death at the BDPA Police Station the following day and the police invited Rickson , the bus driver , the pastor , a church elder and a church member to the station .
“ But they were all unjustly detained without any warrant of arrest or evidence of murder . Uche ( Rickson ) has been there since Monday July 3 , 2017 . He has been ‘ imprisoned ’ without any evidence of murder or warrant of arrest . Bail applications have been refused . No autopsy or anything has been carried out . This is unjust and inhuman . Uche is a student and his exams began July 10 , 2017 ,” he added .
The students had initiated a # FreeUche campaign following the failure of the police to come out with the autopsy report .
The Dean of Students ’
Affairs , UNIBEN , Prof . Benson Osadolor , said the school authorities had weighed in on the matter to secure the release of Rickson on bail .
He said , “ The school has intervened in the incident , but unfortunately , it was an incident that happened outside the campus . The
Fire destroys shops ,
which has adjoining lock-up shops , belongs to St James ’ Cathedral , Oke Bola , Ibadan .
Goods burnt in the fire on Sunday were agricultural produce , building materials , mobile phone accessories , shoe materials and wood products , among others .
Our correspondent
• Rickson
learnt that hoodlums took advantage of the disaster to steal aluminium roofs and other goods found in some of the shops .
Traders said they were helpless as they could not stop the hoodlums .
According to a security guard , who spoke on
Photo : Olufemi Atoyebi condition of anonymity , the fire began around 3am on Sunday from an electric spark in one of the shops , before it spread to other shops in the building .
Our correspondent , who visited the market , observed that all the shops and goods on the top floor were destroyed . The fire also affected the walls , which showed visible signs of cracks .
The security guard said , “ Electricity was restored to the market around 9pm . All was alright until around 3am when I observed a spark from one of the shops . Immediately , power went off , while the fire started . The fire must have been caused by the electrical spark .
“ We called for help , but help did not come early enough . The men of the state fire service came a few minutes before 5am ; it was too late . They only ensured that the fire did not go beyond the top floor .”
It was learnt that the Oyo State Commissioner of Police , Abiodun Odude ; the Secretary to the State Government , Olalekan Alli ; and the Special Adviser to