This week’s total featured developments as Newsmaker of the Week are two important incidents that peaked public curiosity nationally, that are the mysterious wounding of St Ann’s Bay Mayor Michael Belnavis, and the deadly taking pictures of Othniel ‘Thick Man’ Lobban, a reputed chief of the One Order gang, which led to unrest and widespread disruption in Spanish City, St Catherine.
The machete assault on Belnavis, who can be Chairman of the St Ann Municipal Company (SAMC), despatched tongues wagging throughout the nation, particularly on the north coast for days, at the same time as Lobban’s killing dominated information headlines in mid-week.
The deafening silence of the Jamaica Constabulary Drive (JCF) on the assault on Belnavis, a public official, has led to even additional hypothesis being peddled within the public area, a few of that are unfit for publication.
On Monday night time, Belnavis was reportedly at a property of his in St Mary, and sustained accidents that had been later described as being non-life-threatening.
He was discharged from hospital for a second time on Thursday, and was stated to be resting at house. {A photograph} was additionally being circulated within the media on Thursday, exhibiting Belnavis closely bandaged to the top.
Experiences said that an individual of curiosity has been hospitalised beneath police guard in relation to the matter. He reportedly has a gunshot wound, however stays silent on who shot him and the way he sustained the wound.
Michael Belnavis
Some media experiences claimed that the person broke into an unoccupied property owned by Belnavis, and was watching tv when the mayor arrived informed him to go away. The 2 then turned concerned in a dispute, with Belnavis being chopped, and the person being shot.
However none of these experiences have been confirmed or denied formally by the police, together with whether or not the now hospitalised man is mentally sick.
Experiences stated after being injured, the mayor drove himself to the hospital. Who took the injured man, who some experiences stated was mentally sick, to the hospital, stays a thriller, as additionally different features of the matter.
Native journalists tried with out success to get additional and correct particulars from each the St Ann and St Mary police, however silence remained. The standard “investigations are ongoing” statements had been offered.
The truth is, head of the St Mary police, Appearing Superintendent Anthony Wallace, informed reporters that the Police Excessive Command would he issuing a press release on the matter. However as much as the weekend, no such assertion has been issued.
The governing Jamaica Labour Celebration (JLP), in a launch final week, stated the mayor was attacked by an “unknown assailant” at his residence on Monday.
The discharge stated the mayor and his household are grateful for the outpouring of assist and good needs.
On Wednesday, the Opposition Individuals’s Nationwide Celebration (PNP), in a press release to the media, known as for the JCF to make a public assertion on the investigation into the incident “to guarantee the general public {that a} thorough and neutral investigation is being carried out”.
“This violent act is totally unacceptable and highlights the continued want for decisive motion to handle crime in our nation,” stated Jouvaughnie Byfield, Junior Opposition Spokesperson on Safety and Defence, and PNP Councillor for the Gayle Division in Western St Mary.
Whereas the matter stays a digital thriller, social media customers have reacted to the case, in addition to the police’s silence on the case.
“This story may be very unusual and filled with puzzles. And why have the police not issued a press release all now?” a lady requested on Fb.
“This sounds very fishy on the JCF half… Why all of the secrecy behind this specific case?” requested a person.
“The mayor is a public official and each Jamaican obtained the precise to investigate what actually befell and why all of the hush, hush,” he added.
“The JCF is so fast to offer particulars on different prison issues, however cannot give us the general public not even an oz of particulars on this? That is disturbing, and the JCF actions are bias when it comes on to politicians,” a lady claimed.
In relation to the PNP’s assertion on the Belnavis case, a person stated the parliamentary Opposition was being insensitive.
“The PNP as a political establishment must be conscious of stability, equality and hypocrisy if they need the general public to take them critical. No matter the circumstances (by which) that this man obtained injured, if he select to chorus from participating the police, it’s his proper so to do,” the person wrote.
Stated one other man: “Oh Lord, the Opposition believes they need to know (in regards to the Belnavis matter) earlier than all people else. Wait bro, even tho I discover the state of affairs a bit awkward, nevertheless it’s not out of concern why you (are) asking.”
In response, a person asserted that, “The police must launch a press release.
“That is an assault on an elected Authorities official,” he stated.
The deadly taking pictures of Othniel ‘Thick Man’ Lobban and unrest in Spanish City
In a separate incident, Othniel ‘Thick Man’ Lobban, a reputed leader of the One Order gang, was fatally shot by police personnel during a high-speed chase in Six Miles, St Andrew on Wednesday night.
His killing got here hours after residents and the police clashed in Ellerslie Pen as regulation enforcers tried to apprehend an individual of curiosity recognized as Roneil Hope, alias ‘Ron’. The police later imposed a curfew on that neighborhood, in addition to Tawes Meadows, to curtail the violence. Each areas had been frequented by Lobban.
The reputed One Order gangster met his demise on the overhead bridge at Six Miles, which leads onto Washington Boulevard in St Andrew, after a police chase.
Based on experiences, police signalled the driving force of a Toyota Rav4 to cease, however the driver ignored the order, prompting a high-speed chase. Through the pursuit, the Rav4 crashed right into a Toyota Prado. The Rav4 driver reportedly exited the car and opened hearth on the police. Officers returned hearth, fatally wounding the gunman, later recognized as Lobban.
The police described Lobban as one of many high 5 most needed people by the Joint Anti-Gang Process Drive, stressing his function in orchestrating violent actions and organised crime throughout St Catherine, the Company Space and different parishes.
However some residents disagreed with the police, describing him as a neighborhood chief who appeared out for his or her welfare by offering cash and meals and even fixing roadways in some communities in Spanish City.
The killing of Lobban sparked widespread unrest in Spanish City, with some residents blocking roadways as early as Thursday morning, lighting fires, and clashing with the safety forces.
Companies, together with banks, had been compelled to shut, and the Jamaica City Transit Firm Restricted (JUTC) altered its routes attributable to security considerations.
The Courts Bargain Centre in the town was also damaged by a fire that was suspected to have been caused by hoodlums, and experiences surfaced of loud and steady explosions as gunmen allegedly challenged the safety forces between Wednesday night time and the early hours of Thursday morning.
Dennis Robotham, President of the St Catherine Chamber of Commerce and Business, stated companies misplaced hundreds of thousands in income because of the flare-up of violence.
“There’s a basic fallout in enterprise, and the members are relying on the safety forces to handle the state of affairs urgently,” stated Robotham in media interviews on Thursday as Spanish City mirrored a digital ghost city.
The court docket system was additionally impacted by the disruption. The Court docket Administration Division (CAD) introduced that each one issues scheduled for the Spanish City and Previous Harbour courthouses on Thursday, had been postponed because of the state of emergency that was declared within the St Catherine South Police Division (and the unrest of Spanish City).
St Catherine Circuit Court docket issues for Thursday had been pushed to January 27.
On Thursday as properly, a number of colleges needed to resort to the web modality attributable to fears about pupil and workers security. Among the many colleges shuttered had been St Jago Excessive, Homestead Major, Spanish City Excessive, Spanish City Major, Johnathan Grant Excessive, and Eltham Excessive.
The police maintained a powerful presence within the space on Thursday and Friday, together with monitoring areas that had been beneath a curfew in Ellerslie Pen and Tawes Meadows.
Appearing Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in control of the Space 5 community, Christopher Phillips, informed reporters on Thursday that, “Final night time (Wednesday night time) we had a number of incidents the place roads had been blocked.
“There was an try and burn a number of premises, however we had been fast on location to place some management within the space,” he added.
Head of the St Catherine North police, Superintendent Hopton Nicholson, sought to guarantee enterprise house owners on Thursday that the state of affairs was beneath management, and that it must be enterprise as typical within the days thereafter.
Superintendent Hopton Nicholson (file photograph)
Nicholson stated the safety forces would keep a powerful presence available in the market district and different areas of the city to make sure that there aren’t any additional flare-ups.
In response to the claims by residents in regards to the good nature of Lobban, Phillips informed reporters that the One Order enforcer was a infamous gangster.
“If St Catherine is now seen because the epicentre of crime, simply think about a community that Lobban has created over a time frame. He met his demise (on Wednesday) outdoors of this division and he’s recognized to be related to a number of different communities in and outdoors of St Catherine.
Appearing Assistant Commissioner of Police, Christopher Phillips. (file photograph
“He (Lobban) was one of many fundamental targets for the Joint Anti-Gang Process Drive, primarily based on his involvement in varied acts of prison actions. He was a recognized strongman on this space and is (was) the native chief for the One Order gang,” Phillips stated.
By Friday, colleges got the greenlight to reopen, and a few companies reopened their doorways for normal actions following the tensions that gripped the previous capital the day earlier than.
Based on Nicholson, 4 of the seven individuals of curiosity who regulation enforcers had urged to show themselves in for questioning, had been being interviewed by investigators. They embody Roneil Hope, who had eluded regulation enforcers throughout Wednesday’s standoff between residents and the police in Ellerslie Pen.
“The safety forces’ vigilance, coupled with neighborhood cooperation, has restored a way of order to Spanish City,” declared Nicholson whereas talking on Friday.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Central St Catherine, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, additionally appealed to her constituents on Thursday, to keep up the peace within the space and never block the roadways.
Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange (file photograph)
When requested if she knew Lobban, Grange would solely say that she doesn’t intervene in police issues, and said that “in communities, every kind reside”.
Requested by reporters if Lobban was a troublemaker in the neighborhood, Grange responded: “To not my data, however I can’t query the police when it comes to what they might say, and I completely go away that as much as the police.”
However who was Othniel ‘Thickman’ Lobban?
Police intelligence means that Lobban was reportedly deeply concerned in prison actions, together with shootings, extortion and imposing gang dominance in varied areas of St Catherine, corresponding to Eltham Park, Jobs Lane, Cedar Valley and James Mountain, in addition to sections of Mountain View Avenue in St Andrew.
He additionally had an alleged historical past of involvement in orchestrated killings, however it’s unclear whether or not he had, in truth, been charged or convicted in relation to such allegations.
Among the many a number of crimes Lobban was linked to are:
– The Might 27, 2024 killing of Orville Reid on Wallen Avenue in Portmore, St Catherine.
– The July 26, 2023 deadly taking pictures of Anthony Harris (‘Tony Meng’) in Hill Run, Spanish City.
– The 2023 murders of Andre Dixon (‘Rum Blacks’) and Ricardo Gardener (‘Jah Jah’) in Spanish City.
In 2016, Lobban was arrested and charged for being a part of a prison organisation, however the case was subsequently dismissed.
He was additionally freed of fees in 2021 after a key eyewitness failed to look for an identification parade.
Regardless of being launched, Lobban remained an individual of curiosity, and was being sought by the police.
Many Jamaicans welcomed the police’s efforts in attempting to return normalcy to Spanish City, and recommended them, too, for bringing an finish to the reign of Lobban.
“Based on the residents, this (Lobban) was one other harmless law-abiding citizen who the police put to relaxation… I’ve to marvel if police salt so, fi all the time a get the nice law-abiding residents on them radar,” a person wrote on social media.
“I can by no means hear a set of residents or residents admitting to the sick wills of those males,” he commented.
Stated one other man: “Perhaps he is (Lobban) no angel, however he is definitely a sufferer of the wrongdoings of politicians who developed and nurtured the expansion of those political garrisons in a time lengthy earlier than ‘Thick Man’ was born!”
One other Fb person shared that, “Glad to see that the police are taking a really aggressive, daring and zealous method to crime, and coping with the criminals this 12 months.
“I commend the (police) commissioner and his workforce, as they’re clearly adopting a brand new method in an effort to result in some order and tranquility in our cities and communities,” the person stated.
Stated a lady: “The police getting higher at doing their stuff; Lord hold them secure. Hope he (Lobban) rot in hell.”
In the meantime, a person stated politicians should reduce their ties to garrison communities as soon as and for all.
“So long as the politicians endorse and stick by garrisons and dons, and negotiating with dons, locations like Spanish City in the past endlessly erupt. Give the police the information, Mr politician man, to do away with the gangsters as soon as and fi all, fi good,” the person opined.
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