Images of Ebiraland

By Ismail M. Kabir We lost another soul to the terrific traffic on Okene-Lokoja highway today. A youth identified as Ilyas Ajah was crushed to death along Eika road when he fell off the motorcycle he boarded on his return from work. A trailer conveying cattle to Abuja instantly crushed him to death. Until his death, late Ilyas Ajah was a staff of Itakpe Iron Ore Mining Company. His body just arrived his family house at Idoji for burial as at the time of filing this report. May his gentle soul rest in peace. We must rise to collectively clear our roads of this unbearable congestion.

By Ismail M. Kabir There was confusion in Enyinomo community of Adavi LGA today when a man attempted to forcefully steal a three week old baby from her grandmother's arm. The suspect, a man of about 30 years old who claimed to be on facilitation visit to the family over the newborn was said to have appeared from nowhere and dashed into the living room and tried to grab the baby from the arms of the grandmother. The woman who felt he was one of their church member was about handing over the baby to the intruder when Mrs. Princess stopped her and raised alarm. "My wife quickly stopped my mother from releasing her baby to a stranger as the man was neither from our church, nor from this community", Mr. Job Sule, the baby's father said while speaking with EbiraView in their home this evening. He noted that the strange man who claimed that he received the news  of the newborn from his church suddenly took to his heels as soon as the women raised alarm. The incidence w

Following concerted efforts by our elected political office holders including members of house of representatives, the speaker KGHA and others, EbiraView can authoritatively report that the federal ministry of works has directed Chinese construction company, CGC to resume work on the affected parts of the highway tomorrow, Monday 13th October 2014. We are particularly grateful to Hon. Ahmed Tijani Yusuf, Hon. AbdulRahman Badamasuiy and every other elected officials who have gone extra mile to ensure speedy response from the appropriate quarters towards restoring free traffic flow on the congested Okene-Lokoja highway where hundreds of travellers, commuters and haulages have been stranded for over 72 hours. We will keep our readers posted with the development. Thank you for staying tuned to EbiraView. Signed: Ismail M. Kabir

By Ismail M. Kabir There are mixed feelings from various quarters as Ebira people experience the worst traffic congestion on the highways running through Okene and Adavi local government areas of the towns. The heavy traffic jam that started since the early hours of Friday 10th October has escalated to what is now considered the worst traffic Jam on Ebira roads. The sorry state of the roads especially between Nagazi and FCE Okene is largely blamed for the traffic. While hundreds of travelers are stranded on the stretching traffic, Okada riders and traffic hawkers are making quick money. Cost of fast foods, related wares and transport fares have skyrocketed. A commercial motorcycle rider who rode me from the popular Total filling station junction in Okene to Kaba junction in Adavi LGA charged N300, 100 percent hike above the normal N150 charge. The unbearable gridlock has ushered windfall for the Okada men who are exploiting passengers who throw caution to the winds in their bid

By Ismail M. Kabir Our highways have been blocked since morning leaving the entire stretch of the road from Idakoyivo to FCE Okene in a standstill. While many people blamed the gridlock on the large potholes around Nagazi axis of the Okene-Lokoja highway, others placed it squarely on the horrible accident involving a Dangote truck that crushed an unidentified woman to death at Okunchi area. The woman whose mutilated body remains on the road as at the time of filing this report appeared to be heading to a church service when she met her untimely death. Attempts by the youths in the area to vandalise the Dangote Cement truck was quickly contained by men of the Nigerian army deployed to the area. Also, men from the Okene Unit of the Federal Road safety corps who were battling the exhausting traffic jam around FCE immediately re-deployed to the accident scene where the traffic jam has escalated beyond control. People heading for various social events have resorted

Report of the Convocation of Ebira Associations and Groups on the incursion into Ebira Territory by People from our  Neighbouring States conveyed by the Ohinoyi of Ebira land at the prestigious Azad Palace, Okene on Wednesday, October 8th 2014. By Ismail M. Kabir I arrived the Azad palace about 90 minutes behind schedule due to my primary assignment with EbiraView. The crux of the matter is the excesses of the people Okpella who molest and abduct Ebira farmers and settlers in Oguda in their bid to forcefully annex the territory as part of Edo state. Though the matter has since been charged to court with petitions submitted to Kogi state government and the national boundary commission, the okpella people and the Ososos are forcefully allocating the lands; planting trees and erecting signpost right within Ebira settlements which they have since uprooted. One of the Oguda farmers delegation narrated their ordeals in the hands of the usurpers. He said there were occasions when unknow

By Ismail M. Kabir The Ekuku cave, located about 200 meters from Ekuku Dam in Okene is an amazing site. Historically, it was a hideout for Ebira warriors but now provides shelter for farmers in the present day Ebira land. The entirely natural landscape is an awesome vista covers about 15 hectares, stretching through the Upogoro forests. The beautiful valley of Uruku-Are, as the landscape is locally called is covered with tall palm trees and ever-green shrubs that reminds one of the spectacular view from the popular movie, Journey to the Mysterious Island. When EbiraView team visited the cave some years back, three farmers were taking shelter after the long day of their usual non-mechanised tilling and cultivation. One of the farmers, an elder in his early 70s said that he has farmed in the area for about three decades. "In the early 80s, I was returning from the farm with a heavy bunch of Banana. A white tourist suddenly appeared from the bushes with a camer