Metro
Mob Lynches NSCDC Official, Another for Killing Nine Boys’ Brigade Members
Pandemonium broke out on Monday at the Sabonline area, Gombe, after an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Adamu Abdullahi, and a yet-to-be-identified man were reportedly lynched for the killing of nine Boys’ Brigade members.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the Boys’ Brigade members were drawn from the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Madaki, and two parishes of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Bamusa and Barunde, Gombe State.
The Boys’ Brigade members were said to be having an Easter procession when the incident happened around 1am.
Our correspondent gathered that the NSCDC official had wanted to drive through the procession, but was prevented by the brigade, which had blocked a lane on the road.
After some altercation, Abdullahi was said to have had his way.
The official, who was said to be unhappy with the initial action of the group, reportedly drove to his house and dropped off some occupants in his car.
He was alleged to have returned to the procession in his car.
Abdullahi allegedly switched off the headlamps of the vehicle and rammed into the group, killing nine people on the spot.
About 30 others were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury.
A member of the ECWA Boys’ Brigade, Michael Adeniran, said Abdullahi, a corps assistant, drove an official car of the NSCDC.
He said, “The incident happened around 1am. A salon car with the logo of civil defence was prevented from passing the road because of our procession.
“However, when our pastor prevailed on us, we allowed him to pass. After dropping off his girlfriends in his house, he drove back with his car and cleared our members. There was one other person with him in the car.”
Another eyewitness, Meshach Michael, said a mob pounced on the two men and beat them to death.
He said, “Immediately we saw what happened, we held the driver and the man with him and beat them up in anger. We wanted to burn the car, but we were stopped.”
The second occupant of the car was reported to be a policeman.
Our correspondent visited some of the survivors at the male surgical ward of the state specialist hospital.
One of them, who identified himself only as Godwin, wondered why the NSCDC official took the decision.
“This is not the first time that we would embark on this procession at the wee hours of the night,” he said.
Another survivor, Zakaria Ibrahim, said the action was premeditated.
The Gombe State Commissioner of Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, described the incident as unfortunate.
“The survivors have different degrees of injury; some have head injuries, and others lacerations,” he added.
The ECWA Secretary, Elias Tstakis, said the church was mourning the loss of its members.
“We discovered that the two men were deployed in the government house, but they chose to kill innocent teenagers,” he said.
The spokesperson for the NSCDC, Gombe command, ASC Sajid Saad, declined comment.
“I am on the road now; I can’t talk. If you are in Gombe, come to my office,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Mary Malum, said 10 people died.
She said, “There were 10 deaths and 30 injured victims are receiving treatment at the state specialist hospital and other private health institutions.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Bello Makwashi, who was said to have visited the scene of the incident, denied that the second occupant of the car was a policeman.
The Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, who confirmed 11 deaths in a statement on Monday, said the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
He, however, said the accident was caused by brake failure, adding that the driver was on Gadan Malale Road and heading for the Central Roundabout in the area when tragedy struck.
The Punch
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Leading real estate and property firm, Adron Homes and Properties, has announced the postponement of the earlier advertised seventh edition of the Adron Homes Games, with the theme Fit to be the Biggest.
The postponement, according to a statement signed by the Group’s Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, and made available to Pointblank.ng, is as a result security concerns as the company prioritizes the security of its staff, attendees and participants.
Recall that the sports fiesta, originally billed to take place on November 29 and 30, 2024, was scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
Read the statement in full:
POSTPONEMENT OF ADRON GAMES 2024
Adron Homes wishes to announce the cancellation of the much-anticipated Adron Games 2024.
This decision, was made in the best interest of all participants, stakeholders, and the broader community. The postponement is necessitated by heightened security concerns in certain regions that could potentially jeopardize the safety of staff, attendees and participants.
As an organization that is committed to the well-being of its staffs, partners and everyone involved, priority is designated to safety and security above all else. Also, the organization is taking this opportunity to rethink and restructure its sporting initiatives to ensure public inclusivity
and as part of efforts to enhance and expand the impact of its wellness programs, the Adron Games will evolve into a broader, more inclusive sporting initiative.
This transformation will foster collaboration, unity, and healthy competition among a wider array of participants, and will embody the same spirit of excellence, teamwork, and wellness that the Adron Games has championed over the years.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this decision may cause and hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued staff, participants, partners, ambassadors and supporters for their understanding and continued trust in Adron Homes.
Adron Homes remains committed to inspiring excellence and fostering community engagement through corporate wellness initiatives such as Adron Games at all times.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. James Sule, has retired from service after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation, according to a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Unit, Mr. Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The Permanent Secretary however, charged the directorate cadre to mentor officers in the service for effective service delivery to the citizens, as a parting advice.
He made the charge during the send-forth ceremony organized on his behalf by the Ministry staff at the Headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.
The retired Permanent Secretary said that everything starts and ends with leadership and the need to uphold the organization’s rules and regulations without considering people’s feelings.
“We are all leaders just like I said, don’t just think the president, vice president, and governors are only leaders. What can you do in your community to impact positively on others? What are you doing to mentor the younger ones so that whatever corner you find yourself in, whether you are a union leader, whether you are an assistant director or you are a principal officer, you do your best to be fair, accountable, and transparent in your activities?
He used the opportunity to thank the management and staff of the Ministry for their support and for working with him as a team to ensure the success of the ministry.
According to James, “Indeed, it was a privilege to work alongside a talented and committed team. Together we have achieved a lot, and I am proud of knowing you and we have accomplished it while we were here although it was short, I also want to thank you for your kind words. I thank my personal staff that’s brought so much to the nation-building,” he said.
In his response, the Director charged with the Permanent Secretary Office, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar Argungu, stated that the staff has learned so much from the retired Permanent Secretary noting that the friendship and mentorship have just begun and not the end of it, just the beginning of it.
“It is the perfect time to reflect on the invaluable lessons, experiences, and memories you have shared with us and to experience our heartfelt appreciation. Retirement isn’t the end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter in life. We are wishing you a retirement filled with exciting journeys. Congratulations,” he said.
