Category: Crime

A bus driver identified as Salvation Taylor Harry was gruesomely murdered while eight passengers were abducted in an attack on a commercial bus by deadly gunmen along Abonnema – Emohua- Kalabari road of Rivers State on Saturday night.

According to reports, the bus passengers had taken off from Mile One Park in Port Harcourt with the passenger on a trip to Buguma when the gunmen ambushed them.

The Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Onengiyeofori George, confirmed the attack on the bus, the killing of the driver, as well as the abduction of the passengers.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr John Paul Braide, on Sunday in Buguma City, the local government Council boss charged the Police to safeguard the Abonnema – Emohua- Kalabari road, the only route to Kalabari land.

Onengiyeofori George, who condemned the kidnapping incident on Saturday night, sympathized with the bereaved family of the driver over their loss.

He also ordered the closure of Buguma motor park after 6pm daily, warning all motorists and drivers alike to desist forthwith from endangering the lives of the people of Asari-Toru local government area by continuing to ply the route after the closure of the park.
He further advised passengers and all residents of Asari-Toru to be conscious of their personal safety by avoiding night traveling until security on the road is improved.

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Motorists alleged that the Policemen manning the few checkpoints on the road were only interested in the money they collect from taxi drivers and illegal refiners of petroleum products.

The Chairmen of Emohua, Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema, the four local government linked by the road had many times in the past promised to ensure improved security on the highway.

They made the same promise after soldiers were withdrawn following the killing of some of them in checkpoints by gunmen last year.

But the youths of Kalabari ethnic nationality said the chairmen are not doing enough to curb kidnapping along the Emohua/Kalabari road.

They noted that expressway is the only motorable road leading to the three Kalabari Local Government Areas veering off from Emohua.
Kalabari Clan Chairman of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Comrade Edward Asiki-Tams told journalists that the youths of the region are ready to provide lasting security on the road in synergy with the Nigeria security operatives.

“Our challenge is lack of commitment on the part of the Chairmen to provide us with the needed tools and logistics to secure that road.

“If we man that road, no person born of a woman can kidnap, rob or commit crimes on that road.”

The IYC chairman also advised politicians in the affected LGAs to empower the youths so as to bring them out of the creeks.

“No job creation, skill acquisition programmes nor any meaningful engagement for the youths. The youths are hungry and as a result prefer to remain in the creeks.

“Though hunger can not justify crime, but if they get empowerment from the politicians, philanthropistts and business moguls in our area, a lot of them will leave the creeks and that will help to reduce the crime rate,” he said.

While calling on the kidnappers to immediately release their victims unconditionally and forthwith desist from perpetrating such barbaric and criminal act.

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He noted that upsurge in kidnapping can also reduce the Kalabari voting strength if it’s not promptly and holistically addressed before 2023.

“This consistent kidnap incident mainly on the Emohua-Kalabari road will cause political fear mongering that will lead to poor participation in the ongoing INEC continuous voters registration exercise which may possibly reduce our voting strength.

“In every responsible clime, security has always been citizens duty, therefore let us give maximum support and cooperation to governments at all level devoid of political colouration, acrimony and ethnocentrism in making our environment a safe heaven, he added.

The Rivers State Police Command through its Spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident.

She assured that the adequate security has been mobilized to the road to forestall future occurrence.

An over speeding truck, Sunday night, crushed an unidentified mother, her baby and three others to death at Enugu-Agidi, Njikoka Local Government Area, Anambra State.

It was learnt that the incident which occured at about 7.20pm along Onitsha-Enugu expressway was between a black Lexus RX330 with registration number KJA182HS and a Red Truck with no registration number.

An eyewitness, Mr Nonso Ikem, alleged that the truck driver whose identify could not be ascertained at press time, was on speed, and later lost control and rammed into the Lexus SUV.

As a result, the Lexus was destroyed beyond repair with three men, one woman (probably a mother) and a female child lying in the pool of their blood at the scene of the incident.

The Acting Sector Public Education Officer, Anambra command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Miss Margaret Onabe, who confirmed the report, said the FRSC rescue team took the victims to a nearby hospital were they were further pronounced dead and deposited in a morgue.

According to Onabe, the rescue team on ground managed the traffic and ensured that the obstruction caused by the crash was removed.

“The Sector Commander Anambra State, Corps Commander Adeoye Irelewuyi has sympathised with the family of the dead victims and sends his prayers to the victims’ repose souls. He warned motorist especially truck drivers to avoid speeding and ensure they keep to recommend speed limit,” she added.

Police in Ogun have arrested a pastor for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old choir member at Agbado area.

Police spokesman in the state, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, stated on Sunday that the 38-year-old pastor is the General Overseer of the church.

His arrest followed a complaint lodged at the Agbado Divisional Headquarters of the police by the mother of the victim.

Mr Oyeyemi explained that the pastor would have long been arrested, but the victim’s mother frustrated earlier moves as she said she did not want to offend her pastor.

He explained further that she changed her mind and invited the police after noticing that her daughter had been bleeding ceaselessly since the rape on Oct. 2021.
The victim, currently recuperating in a hospital told the police that it was the pastor who deflowered her.
The mother reported that she was away from home to seek medical treatment when her daughter went to church, but the pastor lured her into his room and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her.

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“Upon the report, police operatives were deployed to the church where the pastor was arrested.

“During interrogation, the pastor admitted to defiling the victim and pleaded for forgiveness.
“According to the pastor, his family and that of the victim are friends, but he didn’t know how and why he got himself into committing the crime,’’ he stated.

Mr Oyeyemi stated that Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has warned parents to stop shielding their daughters’ assailants as they could be charged as accessory to the crime.

A Director in the civil service of Ondo State who had been missing since last Thursday has been found dead.

The body top civil servant identified as Mr. Gbenga Olofingboyegun was discovered on Sunday with his head already cut off.

Olofingboyegun, who was the Director of the Department of Research and Statistics, Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), was declared missing on Thursday after he left the office for undisclosed reasons.

Following his sudden disappearance, family and friends had suspected that he was a victim of kidnappers.

Before the discovery of his body, the family had been waiting for the call of his supposed abductors for a ransom payment.

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His decomposing body was found in Saint Theresa Primary School beside Saint Peter’s Unity School in Akure.

According to sources, Olofingboyegun’s head was cut off and taken away with his stomach also ripped open by his assailants.

A family source said the deceased was still in his office dress of suits and tie that he wore to the office when his decomposing body was discovered.

Meanwhile, the Police spokesperson in the state, SP Funmilayo Odunlami said the identity of the decomposing body was yet to be ascertained.

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted 32 travellers around Ifon in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The victims were said to be returning from a burial ceremony in Edo State on Saturday when the incident happened.

It is not yet established whether the kidnappers have reached out to the families of the victims for payment of ransom to secure their release.

The Public Relations Officer of Ondo Police SP Funmilayo Odunlami confirmed the abduction on telephone chat.

Odunlami however disclosed that one of the victims has been rescued and is now giving the police useful information regarding the incident, in a bid ton rescue other victims.

Troops of 1 Division, Nigerian Army, on anti-banditry operations in the Northwestern part of the country, have killed three bandits and recovered two AK 47 rifles.

The soldiers also recovered nine magazines, seven Baofeng communication radios, one Tecno mobile phone, 120 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, one power generator, and one motorcycle from the criminals.

Director, army public relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, who made this known, in a statement, said the soldiers encountered the terrorists along Sabon Birni, Dogondawa-Kuyelo of Kaduna state.

The statement reads; “In sustained operations to clear the North West of banditry and terrorism, troops of 1 Division, Nigerian Army have again neutralised bandits and terrorists along Sabon Birni, Dogondawa-Kuyelo and Farin Ruwa on Saturday, 3 September 2022.

“The dogged and highly motivated troops, while on a fighting patrol, came in contact with an unconfirmed number of bandits.

“The troops in the ensuing shoot out, eliminated 3 of the terrorists and recovered two AK 47 rifles, nine magazines, seven Baofeng communication radios, one Tecno mobile phone, 120 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition, one power generator, and a motorcycle.

“The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has commended the troops for their gallantry and urged them not to relent until banditry is eradicated in the region.
“The General Officer Commanding, 1 Division, Maj Gen Taoreed Lagbaja, has urged all law-abiding citizens to continue to support the troops and other security agencies with credible and actionable information, that would assist the troops in their operations against the criminal elements.

Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mr Ahmed Ammani, has ordered the investigation of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) over alleged sexual assault of a teenager in custody.

The ASP is serving at the Awgu Police Division in Enugu State.

The order for investigation is contained in a statement issued in Enugu on Saturday by police spokesman in the state, DSP Daniel Ndukwe.

The commissioner ordered the state Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation and bring up actionable findings on the allegation.

He stated that though the alleged sexual assault took place on March 18, 2022, the family of the 17-year-old detainee brought it up only recently.

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“The commissioner further directed that the investigation be concluded within the shortest possible time.

“He assured that the case would be given the deserved attention and that the ASP or any other person or persons found culpable, would be appropriately sanctioned,’’ Ndukwe stated.

A 40-year-old woman, Mrs Joy Sunday, arrested by the police for conspiracy over the kidnap of her husband in Akwa Ibom State, said on Friday that she partook in the act because her husband starved her of sex and money for too long.

City Round gathered that the kidnappers demanded N10m as ransom and later reduced it to N2m which was paid before the police arrested them while sharing the loot.

The suspect who was among 29 others paraded for various offences including kidnapping, robbery and child theft by the state Commissioner of Police, Olatoye Durosinmi, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said she had been subjected to menial jobs to fend for herself and the children since her husband got married to another woman.

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She added that when one of her children completed secondary school there was no money for him to further his studies.
She said, “I arranged my husband’s kidnapping because for a long time he abandoned me with his children. Even when my father and mother in-law were alive he abandoned me. He never cared for his children. I did n menial jobs such as weeding people’s farms to feed my children and pay their school fees.

“One of the children completed secondary school and I approached my husband to plan how to send him to learn a trade since he refused to send him to university but his husband shunned me. The major reason I arranged his kidnap is that because he refused to have sex with me and does not take care of me and the children.”

She added that she never collected her share of the money before they were arrested by the police

No fewer than five passengers were killed along the waterways by suspected Sea pirates on Friday morning while traveling from Bille community in Degema local government area of Rivers State, to Port Harcourt, the state capital.

An indigene of the community, Bebe Oyibo Jacob, who disclosed this on Friday while speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, said several others passengers were missing as a result of the incident.

Jacob said the incident occured when the suspected Sea pirates opened fire on a passenger boat which was travelling from Bille to the state capital.

He said: “This morning (Friday), our passenger boat that was going to Port Harcourt was attacked by some boys, killing about five persons. We have entered the water and succeeded in rescuing one person and also recovered one corpse, which we have taken back to Bille.

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“Let Governor Wike know that these boys have started again. They have blocked Bille River and no other way to come to Bille and no way to go back to Port Harcourt.”
Jacob called on the Rivers State government and security agencies to act fast to restore sanity on the waterways.
He added: “The state government and agencies should send a team to come and see what is happening. We wanted peace on the Bille River and we made peace but they have started again. Government should send a team to come and investigate otherwise, we, the Bille people will not accept this”

The Rivers State Police Command is yet to react to the attack as at the time of filing this report.

The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Police have arrested three of suspected cultists and serial killers who are allegedly members of the dreaded Eiye confraternity and are known for terrorising Ijebu Ode and its environs.
It was reported that the suspects, Odukoya Odushina, Subomi Popoola and Itunuoluwa Taiwo, were reportedly responsible for many cult killings in the community.

In a statement on Saturday, the Police Spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspects were arrested following a tip-off received at the Obalende Police divisional headquarters Ijebu Ode, on activities of the suspect.

Oyeyemi revealed that members of the gang were “holding nocturnal meeting at a black spot known as Sanga at the back of Central Mosque, with the plan to unleash terror on members of the community.”

He said operatives of the command, from Obalende division, immediately stormed the black spot, adding that “on sighting the policemen, the hoodlums attacked them with dangerous weapons, but they were subdued and the ring leader Odukoya Odushina a.k.a Odus who is the no 1 eiye confraternity, Subomi Popoola a.k.a Oyan and Itunuoluwa Taiwo were apprehended.

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“Preliminary investigation revealed that the arrested suspects were not only into cultism, they were into armed robbery as well.”

He said the first suspect had been arrested and charged to court previously, but was granted bail.
According to him, three days after the bail he (Odushina) went with his gang to rob at Ayegbami area of ijebu Ode where he killed one man simply known as Baba Njo.

He said some of items such as jewellery, phones and suspected hard drugs were recovered from them.

The Police Spokesman disclosed that the Ogun State Police Commissioner has ordered a full scale investigation into their activities as well as “a massive manhunt for other members of the group with the view to charging them to court as soon as possible.”

Pastor Michael Abiodun, 48, of The Light House Gospel Church, Oluwo, Owode-Egba, in the state’s Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, was arrested by men from the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly defiling and impregnating a 12-year-old member of his church (name withheld).

SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, announced this in a statement on Friday.

Oyeyemi explained that the pastor was arrested after police officers at the Owode Egba Divisional Headquarters received information about him.

According to the PPRO, the victim’s mother joined the church as a result of a spiritual problem that resulted in the deaths of two of her daughters.

Oyeyemi added, “In order to prevent the victim from the same calamity, she ran to the church for deliverance.

“On the fateful day, the pastor, a father of three, asked the victim’s mother to send her to him for special prayer, but on getting there, the pastor took her into a room within the church and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her, which resulted to pregnancy.
“Upon the information, the DPO of Owode Egba Division, CSP Olasunkanmi Popoola, detailed his detectives to the scene where the randy pastor was promptly arrested.

“On interrogation, he confessed to the commission of the crime but blamed it on the devil.

“He further confessed to being the person who deflowered the victim who was a JSS 2 student.

“The mother of the victim explained to the police that since her daughter has not been menstruating before, it was difficult for her to know that she was pregnant until seven months after.

“The victim, who was delivered of a baby three months ago, informed the police that she was threatened by the pastor of the dare consequences if she informed anybody about what happened between them, and that was the reason she didn’t inform her mother.”

The PPRO, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, had ordered the transfer of the suspect to State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra State Command, has apprehended 13 private security guard operatives working for unregistered companies, or with companies operating with expired license in the state.

The State Commandant of NSCDC, Chukwudi Chikere, who stated this on Wednesday in a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Edwin Okadigbo, said the arrest followed the resolve of the corps to rid the state of quacks and streamline the private guard business by ensuring strict compliance with the law governing the sector.

Okadigbo said, “Today’s operation is in line with the statutory mandate of NSCDC to inspect, license, train and monitor the activities of private guards companies. Our aim is to uproot all illegal private security guards in the state thereby creating a conducive atmosphere for registered ones to operate without hindrance.

“Most of those apprehended are operating without valid registration and licenses by the Federal Government through NSCDC. With the current security challenges affecting our nation, there is need to conduct background checks on whoever is operating or working as a private security guard.”

The statement quoted one of the arrested guards, Sopuruchukwu Chinemerem who worked for Accurate Guard as pleading for mercy, saying he just resumed work with the company in January without prior information that the company was not registered.

The command said the intelligence and Investigation department had been mandated to conduct a thorough investigation as soon as possible before the suspects would be charged to court.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commandant, Francis Obinna Nnadi, Head of Private Guard Company Department, who led the operation said the Corps would not relent in its efforts in clamping down on the activities of illegal private security outfits who were yet to register with the corps as stipulated by the law.

Nnadi declared that those engaging the services of unregistered guards were endangering their lives and property, saying the corps as part of the registration requirements would conduct background checks to obtain information on the characters and identity of key players floating the company.

Some of the illegal security outfits personnel arrested included those from: Accurate Guard, Finotel Security, Halogen Security, St. Christopher Security Ltd, Albertina Security Guards, Superior Force, and Mega Guards.

A 21-year-old man was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command’s Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

Temple Samuel was apprehended while networking to sell his boss’s Lexus ES 330 car.

Samuel revealed that he intended to use the proceeds of the sale to ‘japa,’ which is slang for travelling abroad in search of greener pastures.

He was apprehended alongside three other people involved in the plot: Benjamin Bassey (32), Chukwuemeka Okorie (29), and Joshua Agboche (37).

After stealing the vehicle in Egbeda around midnight last Saturday, the suspect was apprehended in Ogba.

Samuel also stole an iPhone X and an iPhone 13, as well as N75,000 from his boss’s bank account.
He told the police that he started nurturing the idea of leaving Nigeria several weeks ago.

Samuel confessed that he drove the car to Bassey’s residence in Ikeja while his boss was sleeping.

Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi has directed that the case be transferred to the State CID, Panti for further investigation and prosecution.

The police in Delta State’s Agbarho Division have arrested Emeka Richard, a man who fled after allegedly burning his twin sons with a hot knife in the community.

He was arrested on Wednesday evening after the incident was reported. He is being held at the police station and has yet to speak.

Comrade Israel, Delta State Secretary of the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, told our correspondent in Warri about this.

It had reported that a middle aged man simply identified as Emeka Richard fled after he allegedly burnt his seven-year-old twin sons with a hot knife just as he attempted the murder of his ten-year-old daughter at Agbarho Community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State on August 29.

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two members of a vigilante group for allegedly raping a housewife at gunpoint in the state’s Ningi Local Government Area.

The Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, said in a press statement issued on Tuesday at the Command that another 27-year-old man had been arrested for defiling a 3-year-old girl in Jimbin Village, Ganjuwa Local Government.

According to Wakil, the incidents occurred on August 24 and 25, 2022.
Wakil said that the incidents happened on 24 and 25 of August, 2022.

The vigilante members, according to the PPRO, are Lawali Sule (30 years) Babangida Shehu (30 years) all of Dogon-ruwa village.

The PPRO added that, “On 25th August, 2022 at about 0200hrs, the two suspects who were all armed, conspired, stormed the house of one Alhaji Gare and broke into his wife’s room, one Hadiza Alhaji (not real name). They asked for her husband’s whereabouts but he was not at home. Thereafter, they threatened her with dane-guns with the view to have carnal knowledge of her. She succumbed out of fear.”

Wakil also said that one Mato Yohannah, 27 years of Jimbin Village, Ganjuwa LGA was arrested by the detectives of Ganjuwa Divisional headquarters after he had carnal knowledge of a-3-year old of the same village.

He said that all the three suspects confessed to have committed the crimes after grilling.

He said that the Command would be charging them to court for prosecution.