The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • No information about my abducted wife, says NRC MD

    The Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) Mr Fidet Okhiria on Thursday said his family was yet to receive any contact or information pertaining to his abducted wife, Francisca.

    Okhiria made this disclosure at his NRC Headquarters, Ebute-Metta Junction, Lagos home.

    He said, “No member of the family has been contacted. We have yet to receive any information from the abductors of my wife,” he lamented.

    Okhiria pleaded with the abductors to please spare his wife.

    Read Also: Gunmen abduct NRC MD’s wife

    He said his children and other family members have been calling to enquire whether there has been any development or whether he has been contacted.

    He disclosed that the Inspector General of Police Mr Idris Adamu and other top security chiefs have also been in touch, and are on top of the situation.

    Okhiria who appeared very calm as he discussed with journalists, said the family are praying for the safe return of his wife.

    He said, it was only recently that she even permitted him to hire for her a driver, adding that she loves to drive herself anytime she is at home.

    According to him; “rather than having a driver, my wife prefers to be in company of her friends. She was in company of two of her friends when the incident happened.”

    Suspected gunmen on Wednesday abducted Mrs Okhiria, in Oredo, Benin, Edo State.

    It was learnt that the gunmen who were in police uniform trailed her from the airport and kidnapped her on the way to her house.

    When contacted, the state’s Police spokesperson, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, who had confirmed the incident, added that an Army Sergeant was also shot.

    DSP Nwabuzor said the woman was kidnapped at Irhirhi along NNPC filling station in Oredo Local Government Area.

    Top management staff members of the NRC were seen in the house on Wednesday, sympathising with the Managing Director.

  • Two ‘robbers’ killed in Lagos

    Two suspected armed robbers were Monday morning killed and another injured during a gun battle with police in Lagos, The Nation learnt on Thursday.

    It was gathered that the suspects including one Toheed Fashola alias Epo met their waterloo around 5am while allegedly robbing early road users around Alakija on the Badagry Expressway.

    The suspects were said to have hijacked a commercial bus and robbed its passengers of their phones, other valuables when policemen from Satellite Division on crime patrol were tipped off about their operation.

    According to a source, the cops pursued the suspects from the scene of the crime but as they approached a dead end, they opened fire on the officers to evade arrest.

    Read Also: Police arrest four notorious ‘armed robbers’ in Lagos

    “Policemen retaliated and in the process two of the robbers died while the third one, Quadri Suleiman sustained leg injury. They are notorious in Sattelite, Tolu and environs. These boys operate up to Ajegunle and they terrorise people,” he said.

    “The injured one claimed it was his first time to join them.”

    Suleiman, it was gathered, has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) alongside the firearm recovered from the gang.

  • Suspected kidnappers terrorising Oyo arrested

    Five notorious self-confessed kidnappers who have been terrorising residents of Ibarapa area of Oyo State have been arrested, the  state police said.

    Last week, the Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP),  Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology Igbo-Ora, Mr. Opadijo Olujide, together with his secretary, Gbenga Alayande and three others were kidnapped in the Ibarapa area,  but were later released by their captors 24 hours after, on the payment of N5m ransom.

    Though, the police could not immediately link the five kidnappers with the abduction of the lecturers, they said investigation was ongoing on the latest arrest to know if they were the same people who masterminded the kidnap of the lecturers.

    The criminal elements, according to the state police command, were arrested while arranging for ransom for one of their  kidnapped victms, a 17-year-old boy, Shakiru Weti.

    They were all paraded yesterday  along with N1million cash (the ransom) recovered from them,  at the Eleyele Police Headquarters, Ibadan.

    Read Also: Police: ASP died in kidnappers’ attack on Abuja Road

    The Commissioner of Police in the State, Shina Olukolu who thanked  the people of Ibarapa for their understanding and support, said the kidnappers engaged the police officers in a gun duel when they laid siege to rescue the victim.

    According to the police boss, the family members were encouraged to agree to pay the amount demanded, while the police detectives laid ambush for the suspected kidnappers.

    Narrating how the daredevils were apprehended, the state police chief said  “On 17th September, 2019 at about 2200hr, one Alhaji Abdul Saliu ‘m’ the Sariki Fulani of Oyo State resident in Igangan reported at Ayete Divisional Police Headquarters that a Fulani called Weti ‘m’ reported to him that an unknown gunman kidnapped his son one Shakiru Weti ‘m’ aged 17 year to an unknown destination. But, on 22nd September, 2019 at about 1700hrs the abductors called and demanded for one million naira ransom .

    “Consequently, in the process one Yuguda Jayum was arrested with the ransom of N1m intact while his accomplice escaped, Yuguda Jayum confessed to be the leader of the group that carried out the kidnapping, at about 0300hrs of the following day, detectives extended investigations to their hideout at Igangan where their victim was found tied and blindfolded and was rescued.

    “The victim, Shakiru Weti was rescued unhurt while one Kehinde Adeoye ‘m’ a member of the syndicate who was guarding the victim to prevent his escape was arrested. But, another cohort Taiwo Adeoye ‘m’ who was armed opened fire on the team and escaped. In the course of further investigations, one Bature Dogo ‘m’, Kazeem Sule ‘m’ and Maanu Garuba ‘m’ were also arrested in connection with the kidnapping case. Upon interrogation Kehinde Adeoye ‘m’, Yuguda Jayum ‘m’, Bature Dogo ‘m’, Kazeem Sule ‘m’ and Maanu Garuba ‘m’ all confessed to have masterminded the kidnapping of Shakiru Weti ‘m’ with Taiwo Adeoye ‘m’ and Sanda ‘m’ who are also members of the gang but presently at large.

    “One Gionee phone , two Itel phones  and One Tecno handsets were recovered from the duo of Kehinde Adeoye ‘m’ and Kazeem Sule who are members of the criminal gang that carried out the kidnapping. Effort is being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.”

    pected kidnappers, Kazeem Sulaiman denied the allegation, saying that he didn’t know anything about the incident.

    “I didn’t know anything about this issue, security operative just came to my residence last week Sunday and arrested me, I was thereafter taking to the police station, on getting to the police station, I was told that a boy was kidnapped and those arrested with me has even confessed that I didn’t know anything about the incident.”

  • Policeman killed in Ekiti bank robbery

    A police officer has been confirmed dead and many persons wounded in a bank robbery in Ise-Ekiti, the headquarters of Ise/Orun Local Government Area of the state.

    The deceased was said to be a security official with a branch of Wema Bank located at the heart of the ancient town.

    The armed robbery operation, according to sources, said  the daredevil robbers who stormed the bank around 2pm on Thursday with two vehicles were said to have entered the town through Ikere Road.

    The multiple sources said the robbers forced their way into the banking hall with dynamite and carted away huge amounts of money stacked in it five ‘Ghana must go’ bags.

    The sources said the heavily armed robbers were said to have shot into the air to scare those within the vicinity of the bank.

    Police: Police: ASP died in kidnappers’ attack on Abuja Road

    Several staff of the bank and customers who came for transaction were said to have been attacked and injured.

    The Police Public Relations officer, Ekiti Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, who confirmed the incident, said the robbers attacked the bank with dynamite and gained entry into the banking hall.

    “I can confirm to you that a bank was robbed at Ise Ekiti this afternoon. And a policeman killed.

    “The robbers broke  the security door with Explosive Material, precisely dynamite.

    “Our men are on their trail and we shall ensure that none of them escape.

    “Members of the public should go about their normal duties and be rest assured that we are ready to protect their lives and property at all times,” the police spokesmen said.

  • 10 bodies exhumed in Benue village

    Benue State police command has confirmed that four suspects have been arrested in connection with 10 bodies found buried in shallow graves in a forested community in the state.

    On Wednesday, police detectives led a suspect to a thick forest in Agbatse village, Ushonho Local Government Area of the state, and exhumed 10 bodies from shallow graves.

    The suspect, a man of about 30 years, told the police that he killed about 30 people mostly okada riders, and buried them secretly.

    Read Also: Police exhume 10 bodies from shallow graves

    The suspect said he was acting on the directives of a juju man who prepared a charm for him and said  if he killed a certain number of people he will have supernatural powers like those of wanted criminal gang leader Terwase Akwaza aka Gana.

    Police spokesperson Kate Anene confirmed the incident and said four suspects  have been arrested in connection with the crime and would be paraded shortly.

  • ‘My illness pushed me into stealing babies’

    A kidnap suspect, Oluwatoyin Lasisi on Thursday blamed her involvement in kidnapping and stealing of babies in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on her “life-threatening ailment”.

    Lasisi who was paraded for stealing a three-year-old baby, Nimotallah Sulaiman in Muslim area of Ibadan, said she did not know when she picked the baby from a dumpsite and took her to her house.

    She said the sickness usually threatens her sense of reasoning and pushes her to do unreasonable things.

    Speaking on how she stole the baby, Oluwatoyin said; “I was just going to where I beg for alms in a bakery around Muslim area of Ibadan and I saw the little baby, Nimotallah Sulaiman. I reasoned that it won’t be good of me to allow her be stolen by ritualists and that was why I picked her.

    Read Also: ‘I stole baby because I wanted male child’

    “I didn’t know when I backed her and took her to my house. When I got to my house, a woman in my neighbourhood was challenging me where I got the baby from. I told her that the baby belongs to my brother who had a matrimonial problem. When she started disturbing me, I told her that I would take the baby back to her parents that night. I was heading to police station when some people stopped me and started beating me. That was when they took me to police station,” she recalled.

    The father of the victim, Sulaiman Dauda who described the situation as pathetic, said the baby was stolen at a refuse dump where she went to defecate.

    “The baby told her mother that she wanted to defecate and she took her to site where we dump refuse close to her shop. When she left her in the site, this woman came and stole the baby. That was when we knew there was a problem.”

    The state commissioner of police, Shina Olukolu who had earlier briefed the journalists about the development said; “upon information received from the members of the area, police arrested her and investigated the case.”

    He said when interrogated, she informed the police that she was in the area to beg for alms when she sighted the baby who was later identified as Nimotallah.

  • Internet fraudster jailed six months in Kwara

    An Ilorin, Kwara State High Court on Thursday sentenced internet fraudster Stephen Olarewaju Odanye to six months imprisonment. The 35 years old Odanye had earlier pleaded guilty to the one count charge preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The charge reads: “That you, Stephen Olarewaju Odanye (a.k.a Raymond Sullivan) sometime in September 2019 or thereabout at Ilorin,  Kwara State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court attempted to commit an offence of cheating by pretending and presenting yourself to one Lynn Smith,  to be a white man,  supplier of Engineering and Construction equipment,  living in Washington as it is contained in your email gmail account: raysulivan@yahoo.com and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 95 and 321 of the penal code law and punishable under section 322 of the same act.”

    Read Also: Suspected internet fraudster on FBI’s watch-list paraded

    Delivering his judgement, Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar said that “the defendant was arraigned on one count charge of attempt to commit an offence of cheating by pretending and representing one Lynn Smith, an offence contrary to section 95 of the penal Code Law.

    “The prosecution called one witness, Olamide Sadiq, an operative of EFCC who narrated to this honourable Court of how the defendant was arrested and items recovered from his laptop computer.”

    Justice Abdulgafar added that the prosecution was able to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt as the evidence of the sole witness was not challenged.

    “I found you Stephen Olarewaju Odanye guilty of one count charge of attempt to cheat by impersonation and hereby sentence you to six months imprisonment without an option of fine,” he said.

    He directed that the convict’s laptop and mobile phones of the convict be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

  • Police: ASP died in kidnappers’ attack on Abuja Road

    THE police on Thursday, in Lokoja, Kogi State, confirmed the killing of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and another victim when suspected kidnappers opened fire on  travellers on their way to Abuja.

    The incident happened on Tuesday in the Koton-Karfe  section of the Abuja-Lokoja Road.

    The police command said investigation into the shooting has started and that the perpetrators will be apprehended.

    Suspected kidnappers had on Tuesday evening, opened fire on an Abuja-bound passenger bus, around Koton-Karfe, killing an unspecified number of perssengers. Others escaped with bullet wounds.

    They shot several times into a Sharon bus, said to be coming from Port-Harcourt.

    The occupants of a Toyota Camry going from Ibadan to Abuja, who escaped the scene, sustained various degrees of injury.

    Speaking with our correspondent yesterday in Lokoja, the state’s police image maker, William Aya, said that the commissioner of police has ordered a manhunt for the suspects and rescue of the victims.

    Aya, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said two people, including a senior police officer, died from the shooting.

    “On yesterday’s incident at Gegu Beki, only two people lost their lives while others sustained injuries. The victims are one ASP and one yet-to-be identified person. They died as a result of accident and not gunshot. The vehicles ran into kidnap scene and as a result summersaulted, and that led to the death of the two persons, as against eight as earlier reported.”

    He said that other victims were receiving treatment at the hospital.

    “The Commissioner of Police has ordered for a complete manhunt of the kidnappers and to rescue the victims,” added Aya.

    Read Also: Police exhume 10 bodies from shallow graves

    One of the survivors said that the incidental happened around 5.58 pm.

    He said that he and four others that were in the Toyota Camry, were on their way from Ibadan, and heading for Abuja, when suddenly they cited some masked men in military gears, about two kilometers away.

    He said that the attackers wore military camouflage, with black mask, and were stopping vehicles.

    According to him, some of the occupants of the vehicles they stopped were marched into the bush.

    He said that the driver of the Sharon bus coming from Port-Harcourt, on sighting them, tried to escape, was shot at, deflating the tires.

    According to him: “It was at this point we noticed that they may be kidnappers. Our driver then engaged reverse gear and they started firing at our car.

    “The driver was hit on the shoulder with the bullet coming out at the other side, and it hit the man at the back seat on the head.”

    He said that they drove to the Gegu police station, from where arrangement was made for their evacuation to the Koton-Karfe General Hospital, from where they were taken to the Federal Medical Center Lokoja.

    He said the driver was referred to the National Hospital Abuja, while another occupant who sustained bullet wounds to the head was referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, to remove bullets lodged in his head.

    According to the Police Extract diary obtained by our correspondent, the incident was reported on Wednesday by one of the victims.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hakeem Busari while confirming the incident, said that he got a report that a car stopped by kidnappers dressed in camouflage was shot at, which made it to summersault, killing all the occupants, including an ASP, from Edo State.

    Efforts made to report on the progress of the two survivors that were taken to the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, for treatment, was to no avail, as the hospital’s spokeswoman, Blessing Ajayi, who sought to receive clearance from the management before knowing what to do, did not give a go ahead to speak with the victims, as at the time of filing this report.

  • EU supports Nigeria with 150m euro

    The European Union (EU) has supported Nigeria with 150 million euro to tackle the challenges of climate change in the country.

    The EU ambassador to Nigeria and Head of delegation, Mr. Ketil Karlsen, disclosed this at the European Union Climate Sustainability Event with the theme: “Renewable energy for a sustainable future”, held on Wednesday at the Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano.

    He said the union would also give Nigeria additional eight million euro for technical support for effective implementation of renewable energy projects so that the country could be in tune with the issue globally.

    “We are supporting Nigeria with €150 million for the renewable energy programme. Another €8 additional millions specifically targeting technical assistance on non-climate change issues. It is a huge priority for us and one of our biggest priorities.”

    Read Also: Lagos, NCC, EU, others support innovation

    Karlsen said there was an urgent need for the Federal Government to rise up to the challenges of climate, which could affect agriculture and the environment as well as human beings.

    “I want to urge the Federal Government to take the issue of climate change seriously so as to find a way forward and the biggest players should rise to the occasion by coming on board where everybody should play their roles and responsibilities.”

    Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said the government would partner and continue to support EU to ensure success in the renewable energy project.

    Ganduje, represented by the Head of Service, Dr. Kabiru Shehu, noted that electricity was in bad shape in the country and stressed the need to take urgent steps and action that would ensure that Nigerians benefit from the renewable energy project.

  • Davido to make Hollywood debut in ‘Coming to America 2’

    Nigerian international music superstar, Davido, is set to make acting debut in Hollywood, with a performance role in the sequel of the 1988 romantic comedy classic, “Coming To America”.

    African-American comedian and actor, Michael Blackson disclosed this on his verified Twitter handle @MichaelBlackson, congratulating Davido.

    Blackson wrote: “Davido told me he has a performance scene in the movie #ComingToAmerica2, congrats homie.”

    Although, Davido has not confirmed or debunked the report, industry watchers are taking the post seriously, as fans are already congratulating the “Assurance” crooner.

    Filming for the sequel, ‘Coming to America 2’, has begun in Atlanta, Georgia, and it is scheduled to be released on Dec. 18, 2020 in the United States.

    It is produced by Kevin Misher and directed by Craig Brewer, from a screenplay by David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, and Kenya Barris, based on characters created by Eddie Murphy.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ”Coming to America” is a blockbuster romantic comedy film directed by John Landi, based on a story originally created by veteran actor Eddie Murphy, who played the lead role.

    The film also co-stars Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, Shari Headley and John Amos, and was released in the United States on June 29, 1988.

    Read Also: As Don Jazzy marks one year of not smoking, Davido plans quitting

    Eddie Murphy plays Akeem Joffer, a crown prince of a wealthy African nation of Zamunda who grows weary of his pampered lifestyle on his 21st birthday and wishes to do more for himself.

    When his parents, King Jaffe and Queen Aeoleon, present him with an arranged bride-to-be, Akeem takes action.

    In his quest for an independent woman, who loves him for himself and not his social status, Akeem and his best friend/personal aide, Semmi, travel to the New York City borough of Queens.

    They rent a squalid tenement in the neighbourhood of Long Island City under the guise of poor foreign students beginning their search for Akeem’s bride.

    The film ended in the lines of Prince meets Princess and they live happily ever after. (NAN)
    JOSH