In Bayelsa, corps member drowns while taking selfie

A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who recently completed his service, at the weekend drowned in Nembe River, Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

It was gathered that the tragic incident occurred when the deceased, simply identified as Taofeel, who hails from Osun State, went to the Ogbolomabiri jetty to take pictures of the waterside as part of his service fun memories.

A source from the community, Igbogi Aprebo, said Taofeek was preparing to go home after completing a skill acquisition training on tailoring, which he started for self-development, before his death. The source said the deceased collected his vocational certificate on tailoring two days before the unfortunate incident.

“This corps member passed out among the recent set this year. He bought crayfish from my neighbour in preparation to return home joyfully. Unfortunately, he accompanied his colleagues to a waterfront.

He set himself at the edge of the jetty to take a photograph possibly with the aim of uploading on Facebook or to show his people when he return home on how he had safely ended his service in riverine area.

“He fell into the river as the steps were slippery. Indigenes rushed to the scene having heard the deceased shouting for help. They searched for him for more than 30 minutes before he was finally found.

“They applied all the efforts to revive him but he gave up the ghost. Indeed, it is a painful exit. The people of Opu-Nembe sympathise with the corps members of Nembe Local Government Area and his bereaved family,” our source added.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is probing the alleged extrajudicial murder of the late Ifeanyi Okafor by the police at Okwelle, Onuimo local council of Imo State. 

The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, during the plenary session of the House presided by Speaker Yakubu Dogara. 

Condemning the killing of the teenager by an unidentified officer of the Nigeria Police Force attached to the Okwelle police station, Onuimo, the House condemned all acts of extortion and harassment by policemen, and further mandated its Committee on Police Affairs to investigate the incidence surrounding the killing and ensure that the family of the deceased gets justice. 

Onyejeocha explained that it was unfortunate that the deceased met his untimely death on February 9, this year while working as a bus conductor to earn money required to pay his school fees. 

The lawmaker, who represents Isuikwato/Umunneochi Federal constituency of Imo on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claimed the killer police officer snuffed the life out of Okafor when his request for a bribe of N500 from the deceased was politely turned down. 

“This boy was from a poor family background yet was hardworking. He was in dire need of money to pay his school fees, which was why he felt he could serve as a bus conductor for a few days to be able to achieve the goal. I am told that when the policeman asked for N500 bribe, the boy simply said he doesn’t have such money on him. He was shot dead immediately,” Onyejeocha said.

Recalling the recent outcry against extra-judicial killings by men of the Police Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), she remarked that extra-judicial killings erode the confidence of Nigerians in the police, leading to a direct adverse effect on the cooperation between the police and the members of the public in combating crime. 

In another development, fresh crisis erupted in Kwandere, Shabu development area of Lafia, Nasarawa State, on Friday over failure of the state government to pay land compensation to indigenes.

The traditional ruler was alleged to have been ambushed alongside over 5,000 worshipers at the Kwandere central mosque.
 
According to one of the protesters, who prefers anonymity, he lamented that the state government had grabbed their lands without due compensation hence the peaceful protest.

“Our lands have been grabbed from us by the state for some projects like the construction of the airport, comprehensive primary health care center, modern market and others without compensation. We had made efforts to express our dissatisfaction but all fell on deaf ears, so we decided to embark on a peaceful protest to tell our Emir that we are not happy with what the government is doing”.

The eyewitness expressed shock at how the peaceful protest attracted the wrath of the Emir, who allegedly ordered his orderly to fire at the protesters. He said one person died immediately and four persons were critically injured and are receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. 

Reacting to the allegation, the Emir, Almakura, told journalists that there was a protest over land compensation by indigenes of Kwandere, but denied that he ordered his orderly or anybody to shoot at the protesters. The Emir said he was shocked that the protesters regrouped and laid ambush on his convoy.

“All I observed was that as we left the prayer ground, I saw some youths with stones, cutlasses and sticks throwing stones at my car and broke my windscreen”, the traditional ruler narrated. He said he never knew what happened after that until he was later briefed that somebody was killed.

When contacted, the police spokesman, DSP Kennedy Idirisu, said he has not been briefed on the crisis. The deceased, whose name is Hussain Yehuza, was buried on Saturday.