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Witness Tells Panel How Police Tortured Man To Death

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Muhammad Adamu

 

Alhasan Bala,Abuja

 

One Mr. Okechukwu Jonnah had expressed fear before the IPP-SARS Panel that his brother Obinnah Jonah must have been killed by police when the case was part heard in November, a witness on the invitation of the panel revealed how the late Obinna Jonnah died in police custody.

 

The witness, Abbah Onoja said it all happened in January when he has arrested with his friend Chizoba Samuel at a friend’s house in Karmo a suburb in the FCT, over an allegation of belonging to a cult.

 

Onoja told the Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) led panel that late Obinna and several others were later arrested the same day after his (Onoja’s) arrest over the same allegation. He said they were all tortured to admit that they were cultists.

 

According to Onoja, the severe beating received by Obinna must have resulted in his death because Obinna was unable to walk after the severe beating so he has to offer him support to manage his condition.

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IIP-SARS: Woman Testifies How Her 21-Year-Old Son Was Killed By SARS

Speaking further, Onoja said, they were later taken to police command ‘when we go there, Obinna could not walk again, I was the one who held him he could not also talk again when he was asked some questions, the officer in charge who was asking the questions began to severely hit Obinna with his baton saying he was not ready to talk.

 

He said they were later moved to the popular SARS detention center in an abattoir for further investigation.

 

On getting to the abattoir, Onoja said one DSP Jumbo who seems to be the head of the place instructed that Obinna should be dropped.

 

“He was kept in the cell and by the next morning he was dead, the inmates were asked to bring his corpse”.  Onoja insisted that Obinna was in a good state of health when he was arrested.

 

Earlier, another witness Josef Akinola informed the panel that he was present at the mechanic workshop as at the time Obinna was arrested and taken away by the police operatives on the day of the said arrest.

 

According to him, SARS operatives came to the workshop under the pretext that they wanted to repair their vehicle and when Joseph stepped forward to undertake the job, they specifically requested for Obinna. And when Obinna appeared they forcefully took him away, however before they left, one of the SARS men dropped their number with Joseph.

 

Continuing, Josef said that when the family members of Obinna called the phone line given by one of the police operatives who arrested the victim, the person who answered the call identified himself as a road safety officer.

 

Out of curiosity, Obinna’s family members went to Jabi-Mabushi police station possibly to ascertain the identity of the person who said he is a road safety officer and to unravel the whereabouts of their missing son, Obinna.

 

In view of this development, the panel requested that Police through the FCT Command should provide the Officer-in-Charge of Operation Anti-One Chance and all the personnel of the anti one chance unit in Jabi  on February 9 2021 to enable the panel to arrive at an informed decision in the matter.

 

In his response, the Police Liaison Secretariat for the panel and a member of the police legal defense team, Fidelis Ogwobe assured the panel that efforts will be made by the police to get the name of the Officer-in-Charge of Anti-One Chance and other members as requested by the panel.

 

Meanwhile, the police legal defense team led by James Idachaba said that they cannot cross-examine the witness until they carry out the necessary investigations into some of the statements made by the witness.

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Former Defence Minister General Abbe Passes On At 75

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Former Military Governor of Rivers and Akwa Ibom States, Major General Godwin Osagie Abbe, has passed away. He was 75.

Abbe served as the Military Governor of both Akwa Ibom State from 1988 to 1990, and River State from 1990 to 1992. He also held the position of Minister of Interior under President Umaru Yar’Adua’s administration where he was later redeployed to the ministry of defence

He died in Abuja on Saturday after a long illness.

His academic achievements include a Postgraduate Diploma in International Relations from Obafemi Awolowo University and attendance at the United States Army Infantry School, the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies.

He rose through the ranks to become the General Officer Commanding of the 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, and commanded both the Training and Doctrine Command and the National War College.

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Abbe retired in 1999 at the rank of Major General and subsequently joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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World Bank Project in Kano Trains 1,000 Healthcare Personnel to Combat Malnutrition

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Dr Umar Yahuza addressing news men

 

Dr. Umar Yahuza, the Project Coordinator for the World Bank-assisted initiative in Kano, known as Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRiN), has announced the training of 1,000 healthcare personnel in a bid to provide preventive nutrition services to pregnant and lactating mothers.

During a workshop held for the training of healthcare workers, Dr. Yahuza addressed newsmen, highlighting the significance of the ANRiN project, which is funded by the World Bank. He explained that the project aims to change behavior from the grassroots and reverse the negative trends of malnutrition.

Kano State has made significant progress in reducing severe stunting by 9 percent, a notable achievement that underscores the need for continued improvement. Dr. Yahuza emphasized that the N774 being used to train frontline healthcare workers was initially unstructured.

The journey began with MYCN facilitators in Kano and Lagos, followed by the training of a critical mass of facilitators. Subsequently, 120 healthcare professionals from various health facilities in Kano, including medical doctors and dieticians, were trained.

Currently, training is underway for 484 apex healthcare facilities in Kano. The training is being conducted at eight different points, with 60 healthcare workers being trained at each location, totaling 1,000 trained healthcare personnel under the MYCN initiative.

Dr. Yahuza expressed optimism about seeing an end to malnutrition in the region. He stated, “We are near to seeing an end to malnutrition. We are not late.”

One of the beneficiaries, Rahinatu Ado Ibrahim, shared her experience, saying, “We received capacity building, and there are available resources.”

The ANRiN project is designed to provide comprehensive support to healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to address malnutrition effectively. With continued efforts and collaboration, the project aims to improve the overall health and well-being of the population in Kano State.

 

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Stampede at Catholic Church in Maitama Claims Ten Lives During Food Distribution

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Ten people have been confirmed dead in a stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Maitama, on Saturday, 21st December 2024, during the distribution of food items to vulnerable and elderly individuals.

The unfortunate incident, which occurred around 6:30 am, resulted in the loss of ten lives, including four children, and left eight others injured with varying degrees of severity. Four of the injured have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving medical attention.

The FCT Police Command, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the tragedy, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and wished the injured a swift recovery.

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