Category: Crime

Kogi State Police Command has arrested a middle aged man for killing his friend Kehinde Ajayi and burying the corpse in his own house in Lokoja, Kogi state capital.

The ugly incident occurred in Felele community, Lokoja where the late Kehinde resided with his family.

It was reliably gathered that the middle-age man killed his friend, Kehinde Ajayi on Sunday, July 24, 2022 after buying a Toyota Sienna ash colour car with Reg. No. LSD 228 HJ.

The source added that the suspect, who is into air condition repair, tricked the late Kehinde about 10am on that fateful day to an undisclosed place to celebrate the new car he just bought but never returned.
The family of late Kehinde, who could not find him for three days, reported the matter to the Police and one of his friends, who is a suspect, was arrested last week and gave useful information about what happened to the deceased.

The source said, after killing Kehinde, the suspect went away with his car.

It was gathered that the suspect, Monday, took the policemen to his own house where he buried the body of Kehinde.

It was learnt that some angry youth who were around when the police exhumed Kehinde’s remains, attacked the suspect’s house.

Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ayah, confirmed the incident to newsmen, saying the body of late Kehinde had been recovered and investigation was still ongoing to arrest others who might have participated in the dastard act.

Police in Anambra State have recovered a Mercedes Benz 4matic SUV dumped by criminals during operation in Amaokpala, Orumba North Local Government Area.

Anambra State Police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed this in a press release, said a live AK-47 bullet, two masks were also discovered in the car.

It is believed that the SUV was dumped by the criminals during operation on Monday, after it was driven into a ditch, where it was abandoned.

Ikenga said: “Anambra State Police Operatives on 29/8/2022 at about 3pm, while on patrol along Amaokpala-Awgbu highway recovered one abandoned black Mercedes 4matic ML 350 jeep with Reg No Abuja RBC 527 AL, one AK-47 live ammunition and some criminal masks.

“Preliminary information showed that the vehicle is suspected to have been snatched by criminal elements who had an accident on their way to yet unidentified location. The Armed robbers abandon the vehicle inside a gutter and fled the scene.”

Ikenga said Police Operatives have intensified patrol in the area, with the aim of apprehending the criminal elements.

He also called on members of the public to come forward with valid proof/evidence of ownership to claim the vehicle, which is believed to have been snatched for the operation.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says the latest figures for disappeared persons across Africa is 64,000 cases, with Nigeria recording over 25,000 missing people.
Yann Bonzon, head of the delegation for the Red Cross in Nigeria, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists to commemorate the International Day of the Disappeared, observed every August 30.

The statement was signed by Akpa Esther, spokeswoman for the Nigerian Red Cross in Abuja.

Ms Bonzon said out of the over 25,000 reported missing in Nigeria, over 14,000 were children. According to him, there are over 35 active armed conflicts in Africa.

He added that thousands of people, including children, cross borders, the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea in search of safety and better life each year.

Mr Bonzon further stated that such movements often entailed great risk, including the risk of disappearance. He explained that documented cases of missing persons were on the rise as the society warned that the actual figures were much higher.

“Sadly, the almost 14,000 children registered does not capture the full scope of this often-neglected and tragic humanitarian issue. There is no doubt that there are more children whose fate remains unknown,” Mr Bonzon added.

He also noted that during displacement, children faced risks such as exploitation, violence, mental distress and disappearance as many also ended up alone, with no news of their families’ whereabouts.

According to him, the Red Cross has more than 5,200 documented cases of unaccompanied children in Africa.

Patrick Youssef, regional director for ICRC in Africa, said having the right policies could save lives and that it was an essential step to protect migrants and families of missing persons.

Mr Youssef also mentioned that there was a question of humanity and human dignity and that families of the disappeared faced immense pain and obstacles that often transcend generations.

“They are stuck in limbo, unable to move forward or grieve. The search for their loved ones never ends,” Mr Youssef said.

He stressed that in 2022 from January to June, the ICRC, together with the Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), assisted in exchanging 1,250 Red Cross messages containing family news.

Mr Youssef also stated that the Red Cross reunited 31 separated children and unaccompanied minors with their families, while 440 phone calls were provided to families to maintain family contact.

“In addition, families of 377 persons received information about the whereabouts or fate of their loved ones. While 146 families of missing persons received psychosocial, economic, legal and administrative support through the Accompaniment Programme for Families of the Missing,’’ he said.

Young men and women of Ebbaken community in Boje, Boki Local Government Area of Cross River State, have reportedly lynched two windows, Mrs Martina Osom and Mrs Rose Akom, for allegedly practicing witchcraft.

The incident, which occured at the weekend, is currently causing chaos in the community as some residents condemned the act.

An eyewitness told Vanguard that the victims, who were devout members of the Catholic church, were returning from early morning prayers when the youths descended on them accusing the widows of initiating a member of the community into witchcraft.

He said the hoodlums tortured the victims to confess “but their passionate appeal to them that they were innocent fell on deaf ears.”

“They were both tied with strong ropes and beaten in the rain all through the day until they died,” he added.

By: Michael Adesina

Spanish newspaper El Pais has reported that there was a terrifying attack in the home of Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on Monday morning.

According to the report the Gabonese was physically assaulted during an armed robbery.

At least four men are reported to have entered the garden of Aubameyang’s home in the Castelldefels area of the Catalan capital, armed with firearms and iron bars.

Aubameyang was threatened with the weapons before being beaten, with the men also intimidating the footballer’s wife to ensure they gained access to a safe inside the property.

The men are said to have taken multiple valuable items from the safe, including pieces of jewellery, before fleeing in a white Audi A3.

The details are outlined by a report in Spanish newspaper El Pais, which claims that the incident took place at 1am on Monday morning with Aubameyang and his wife submitting statements to local police, who are now trying to identify and find the robbers.

This is coming 11 days after Aubameyang’s teammate Robert Lewandowski was robbed on his way to training.

According to Barca Universal, Aubameyang and wife have refused to go to the holspital after the attack inorder not to scare their children.

Meanwhile Bracelona are reported to be preparing a psychologists to talk to the kids.

Arikuyeri, an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Lagos, has been murdered.

Real name Sulaimon Onaolapo, the deceased was the NURTW chairman in Mile 12.

In a trending video, Arikuyeri is seen on the ground as some young men repeatedly hit his body and smash his head.

He had been chased to the spot after hours of fighting that resulted in the use of guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons.

It was gathered that a lingering disagreement over the leadership of the motor park degenerated on Sunday.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the incident and assured that normalcy has been restored by operatives.

But tension has enveloped the area amid fears of reprisal attacks by warring factions and Onaolapo’s supporters.

Ironically, the meaning of Arikuyeri, a Yoruba word, is “one who sees death and avoids it”.

The Edo State Police Command has arrested 30 suspects connected to cult killings.

In a statement on Friday by the Deputy Spokesperson, Jennifer Iwegbu, the command swung into action after reported killings in different parts of the state.

Iwegbu stated that, irked by killings by rival cult groups in some parts of the state in the last 72 hours, the state command responded through massive raids and arrests of suspected cultists associated with the killings.
The statement noted, “Following credible information that cult activities were ongoing along Oho Street, Uselu, Benin City, on August 25, 2022, operatives of the command immediately mobilised to the scene. On arrival at the scene, the operatives of the command met the body of a young man later identified as Taiwo Edigie ‘M’ 40 years with his head severed and dropped at a different location from where the body was found.

“Also, a similar report was received on the same day that along Imuetiyan Street off Ojo Road, Ugbowo, a yet-to-be identified young man was killed also in connection with the ongoing cult fight. Intense raiding was carried out around the axis the incident occurred where the 30 suspects were arrested

“Profiling is still ongoing and anyone found culpable or related to any of the killings would be arraigned in court as soon as profiling is concluded.’’

On Wednesday evening, a commercial driver, simply identified as Bello, was killed by terrorists during an ambush along the Katsina/Jibia highway in Katsina State.

Babangida Kachile, 56, and Halimat Shuaibu, 50, were kidnapped by the attackers.

According to a source, the victims were on their way home when they were ambushed by terrorists at Kadobe village.

According to the source, the incident happened around 5 p.m. on a stretch of highway, sending motorists into a frenzy.

The source went on to say that during the operation, the kidnappers allegedly shot Bello dead, but in an attempt to flee, Kachile and Shuaibu abandoned their vehicle and ran into a nearby bush.

He said that the terrorists reportedly chased after the two persons, apprehended them and moved them to an undisclosed location.

SP Gambo Isah, the State Police Public Relations Officer, when contacted, confirmed that a driver was killed and the two travellers were abducted by the kidnappers.

He admitted that the terrorists were two in number and were firing shots indiscriminately when the two vehicles ran into them on the highway.

He added that the commercial driver was not that lucky as he was shot and killed by the terrorists, while the two occupants of the private car abandoned their car and escaped into a nearby bush.

The PPRO also confirmed that security operatives, who arrived at the scene, rescued other passengers who were inside the commercial bus but had escaped into the bush.

He said that they came out when they saw the security operatives and they escorted them away from the scene.

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, have arrested 11 undergraduates of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma over alleged criminal conspiracy, cultism and unlawful possession of prohibited firearms.

The Force Public Relations, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said this during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

He said the suspects were arrested in July at different locations in Epkoma following credible intelligence on activities of cult groups in the area.

The police spokesman said the suspects had allegedly confessed to being members of a secret cult, the Black Axe Confraternity, during police investigation.

He said two AK47 riffles, three pump action short guns, one locally made pistol, two AK47 magazines and 22 live rounds of AK47 ammunition were recovered from the suspects.

According to him, other items recovered from the suspects are 17 rounds of K2 live ammunition and three live cartridges.

He said police IRT operatives had also arrested four suspects in Bauchi State over alleged criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and kidnapping.

Mr Adejobi said the suspects were arrested in June following credible intelligence on activities of a notorious bandit group operating within Bauchi state and its environs.

He said police investigation had shown that the group actively participated in several kidnapping and armed robbery operations in the area.

According to him, further investigation revealed that the suspects, in Aug. 2020, masterminded the murder of one Musa Mante, 58, a former member of Bauchi State House of Assembly.

He said the gang was also responsible for the kidnap of three family members of the late House of Assembly member when they attacked his residence.

Mr Adejobi said the gang had also confessed to the gruesome murder of a retired police officer who served as the Divisional Police Officer in Tafawa Balewa, Bauchi state.

The FPRO said the suspects were among the 21 people arrested in connection with offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, culpable homicide, theft and unlawful possession of prohibited fire arms.

He said 10 AK47 riffles, one G3 riffle, eight pump action guns, three locally made pistols, one locally made revolver, three double barrel guns and one single barrel gun were recovered from them.

He added that four cutlasses, 48 AK47 ammunition, 100 pistol ammunition, 471 K2 ammunition, 14 live cartridges and eight expended cartridges were also recovered.

A lawyer, Igwe Ifeoma, has been arraigned before Chief Magistrate P.E Nwaka sitting at the Magistrate’s Court, Yaba, Lagos State, on Wednesday, on charges bordering on child trafficking, assault of an 11-year-old girl, Esther Onwa.

Ifeoma is facing six counts of conspiracy to traffic a child, child trafficking, inhuman treatment, unlawful assault, and inflicting bodily injuries.

The charges read in part, “That you, Barrister Igwe Ifeoma, on the said date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did take away one Esther Onwa, 11, in order that she would be held or treated as a slave or servitude under your custody.

“That you, Barrister Igwe Ifeoma, on the said date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did unlawfully assault one Esther Onwa, 11, by repeatedly inflicting various degrees of bodily harm on her ears, left eyes, her back, neck, laps, buttocks, and other parts of her body.

“That you, Barrister Barrister Igwe Ifeoma, on the said date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did grievous harm to one Esther Onwa, 11, by injuring her in her eyes with a wire capable of rendering her permanently blind.”
The prosecutor, Olofin Williams, said the offenses were punishable under Sections 411, 276(a), 172, 173, 246, and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

The accused pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Magistrate Nwaka granted the accused a bail of N200,000, with two sureties, and ordered that the victim should be taken to the state’s social welfare office.

The matter was adjourned till September 23 for mention.

The Economics and Financial Crime Commission on Wednesday arraigned a manager with Cubana Group, Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, for an offence bordering on conspiracy to launder and money laundering.
Ndukwe, known better as Cubana Prime Minister, was arraigned alongside one Precious Omonkhoa Ofure before Justice Justice O.A. Fadipe of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, by the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC.
The suspects were arrested recently by EFCC operatives following credible intelligence received about their involvement in the fraudulent activity.
Items recovered from them include the sum of $164, 000. 00 (One Hundred and Sixty-four Thousand Dollars), iPhone mobile devices and laptop computers.
The charge against the suspect reads: “That you, Precious Omonkhoa Ofure and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe, sometime in 2021 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves and laundered an aggregate sum of $164,000 which form part of $256,314 fraudulently obtained by false pretence from one Elena Bogomaz, a Canadian Citizen, and converted the fraudulent money into the United States Dollars with the help of a Bureau De Change Operator, which was then credited into the bank account of Casa Cubana Estate Limited and Lucky Uchechukwu Ndukwe respectively for the purchase of two and landed properties and committed an offence contrary to Section 330 of lhe Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
During their arraignment on Wednesday, Ndukwe “pleaded not guilty”, while Ofure pleaded “guilty” to the charge.

Consequently, the prosecution counsel, M.K.Bashir, reviewed the facts of the case and prayed that the defendant, Ofure, be sentenced accordingly.

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Delivering judgment, Justice Fadipe found Ofure guilty and sentenced him to three years imprisonment on two counts of conspiracy and money laundering, with an option of fine in the sum of N2,000,000.00 and 100 hours of community service.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture of all the items recovered from the convict.

Counsel to Udukwe, Chuks Arubalaeze, told the court about an application for bail on behalf of his client.

Justice Fadipe granted him bail in the sum of N5,000,000.00 with two sureties in like sum.

Justice Fadipe also ordered the remand of Udukwe in the correctional facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions and adjourned the case to October 28, 2022, for commencement of trial.

In Akwa Ibom, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) apprehended one suspect and impounded two vehicles transporting 1,500 litres of suspected adulterated Automotive Gas Oil.

Mr Suleiman Marafa, the state Commandant of the Corps, stated this during a media briefing in Uyo on Wednesday.

According to Marafa, the suspect, 36, was apprehended by NSCDC operatives in Akwa Ibom on August 19 along the Ikot Abasi-Port Harcourt highway while transporting the product from Ogoni creeks in Rivers.

He stated that the second suspect abandoned his vehicle and fled when he saw corps operatives, and that the two vehicles seized were registered AKD 940 EG and ART 994 AA.
The commandant said that the suspects concealed the product in cellophane bags tucked inside the booths of their vehicle to beat security checks.

Marafa assured that the NSCDC would continue to pursue and apprehend criminals sabotaging the nation’s economy.

“The Corps under my watch will not relent in hunting oil thieves and vandals who are sabotaging the Nigerian economy.

“We have increased surveillance and patrol in identified flashpoints. I want to assure you that it’s not going to be business as usual for criminals and enemies of the state.

“The suspect will be arraigned in court soonest, where he will answer for his crime. I want to appeal to our youths to desist from crime,” Marafa said.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Yobe State Command, said its operatives have arrested an underaged syndicate who specialized in ‘pickpocket’ on market days in Damaturu.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASC Bala Garba, disclosed this in a press statement made available to newsmen in Damaturu.

“An organized syndicate of pickpockets involving underaged boys was busted by the NSCDC operatives on 14/08/2022 while carrying out routine crowd control and surveillance duty at the market.

“A boy aged “11 yrs old” was first arrested while attempting to pickpocket an unsuspecting person. He later tipped off nine other members of his syndicate and were arrested at the market in different locations”, he said.

Similarly, the NSCDC PRO in the statement said three other underaged boys were handed over to the men of the Command in the market by civilians for pickpocketing.

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According to him, findings revealed that the boys were initiated and inspired into pickpocketing by some senior drug pushers at the drug-dealing joints of the market and the popular bypass and Mass Transit Park drug peddling joints in the town.

“The initiators were revealed to be benefiting from the proceeds of the pickpocket, as those boys take stolen cell phones to them for disposing of.

“It was revealed that all the boys indulge in abuse of substances such as rubber solution (solisho) and other hard drugs. Two rubber solution packs, one Tablet of D5 drug and a locally abused substance, known as Kiska were seized from four (4) of them”, he disclosed.

In furtherance to encourage non-custodial sentencing on petty offences by the Corps, ASC Garba in the statement, noted that the State Commandant Sa’idu Aliyu tasked the Peace and Conflict Resolutions Unit of the Corps to profile the underaged suspects and ensure they are remanned and deradicalized for reintegration into the society.

ASC Bala Garba in the statement, also revealed that the Command has recently launched a special operation, codenamed, ‘Operation Flush’ to nip in the bud all nefarious activities in the state.

According to him, “the Operation has so far yielded a tremendous result where arrests of unscrupulous elements and prosecutions have been achieved from the onset of the Operations to date”.

Bandits are said to have stormed Dutsinma town, the headquarters of Katsina State’s Dutsinma Local Government Area, and kidnapped six people, mostly relatives of gubernatorial aspirant Umar Tata.

According to some sources, the victims were wedding guests at a house near the popular politician’s home, who ran for governor in the recent APC primaries.

A reliable source told our correspondent that informants were suspected to have played a role considering the way the incident played out.
“The woman whose children were mostly kidnapped is the sister of the politician (Tata) and the way the attackers went straight to the house and kidnapped the women, was really questionable,” he said.
A resident of Dutsinma who pleaded for anonymity said the terrorists initially kidnapped nine people at Unguwar Kudu quarters of the town but three were later released.
“First they abandoned an elderly woman who could not trek with a small boy who was continuously crying. Then when they went further they also left another woman who was worn out.
“Recently there was a time the bandits came to Dutsinma for four consecutive days and kidnapped people. The situation has become worse lately and we are really disturbed,” the source said.
Also, a traditional leader who wouldn’t want his name in print confirmed the incident, saying “We have just returned from the house where the incident happened, where we commiserated with the families of the victims.
“It is really becoming worrisome (banditry) and we are appealing to the security agencies to rose to the occasion,” he added.
Police spokesman, SP Gambo, could not confirm the incident as at the time of filing this report, saying he was yet to be briefed on the matter, but promised to get back to our reporter as soon as he received the information.