The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Suspected killers of Newswatch editor arrested

    Suspected killers of Newswatch editor arrested

    OPERATIVES of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command, have arrested four of the eight-man armed robbery gang that killed the deputy editor of Daily Newswatch, Mr Toyin Obadina, on February 1.

    The journalist was shot dead in the Lucky Fibre Area of Ikorodu at about 1.30 am. His body and vehicle were abandoned at the scene of the incident.

    The four suspects are Adeshina Festus, 21; Babatunde Makinde, 25; Sunday Samuel, 22 and Ibrahim Adeokin, 22.

    The two suspects now at large, according to police sources, are Ola Sheu and  Omo Alhaja. The remaining two members of the gang were said to have been shot dead during an exchange of fire with the police in another operation.

    Items recovered from the suspects are: two locally made single-barrel cut-to-size guns; 12 rounds of live cartridges; one Nissan Xterra Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked ISD 780 BJ, and a Toyota Yaris car marked AKD 701 CE.

    Parading the suspects yesterday, Commissioner of Police Kayode Aderanti said their arrest came on the heels of a tip the command got about some armed robbers hiding in the Mile 12 area where they were planning to unleash terror on residents.

    Based on the information, he said, “a team of crack detectives led by the officer in charge of SARS, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abba Kyari, swung into action and burst the criminals’ hideout in the Ajelogo/Akanimodo area of Mile 12 during which the suspects were arrested.

    A search conducted on the suspects, he said, led to the recovery of two locally made single-barrel short guns with 12 rounds of live cartridges.

    Aderanti also said that during interrogation, the suspects confessed to belonging to an eight-man gang of armed robbers that had been terrorising the state and its environs.

    “They also confessed to being responsible for the killing of the owner of a Toyota Yaris Salon car marked AKD 701 CE which they snatched and later abandoned with the owner’s corpse at Lucky Fibre Area, Ikorodu on February 1, 2014 at about 1.30am and the victim was later discovered to be Mr. Toyin Obadina, Deputy Editor of Daily Newswatch newspaper,” Aderanti said.

    The gang, the police chief said, used a Nissan Xterra SUV marked ISD 780 BJ, which it snatched from one Mr. Segun Afolabi to block and rob the late journalist before the gang’s leader, Oke, shot him dead.

    Their confession, he said, led detectives to Ikorodu where Adesina Festus and Sunday Samuel (aka Junior Junior) were arrested. He said they confessed to the crime and other robbery operations in and outside Lagos.

    Defending himself, Sunday said: “I was inside our operational vehicle when Oke and Benjamin, another member of our gang, went to meet the late editor in his car after we blocked him. Oke was “dragging” with him over what I did not know before Oke shot him dead. We were driving two cars, Sienna and Toyota Camry, which we snatched from other victims. We used one of our cars to block him. I am from Alaka Town in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State. I am a transporter; I stole all my vehicles, which I converted for commercial use.”

    Babatunde said: “Our intention was only to collect the man’s (Obadina’s) mobile set, but he was ‘dragging’ with Oke, hence Oke shot him.”

    Ibrahim said he was in the car with Adesina when the police arrested him, adding that he did not participate in the operation that led to Obadina’s killing.

    Adesina said he was inside their operational car when Oke shot the deputy editor, but confessed that he was the one that blocked his car before he was shot dead.

    Aderanti said that the arrest of Obadina’s killers “shows that you can only run when you commit crime but cannot hide from justice, especially within my command.”

    He also said investigation was ongoing over the killing The Sun Director, Dimgba Igwe, by a hit-and-run driver. The Commissioner urged the public to give the command information that could lead to the arrest of the culprit.

  • ‘Yes, I deal in banned narcotic’

    ‘Yes, I deal in banned narcotic’

    A 21-year-old woman, Rashidat Shehu, yesterday pleaded guilty to dealing in Cannabis Sativa, a banned narcotic.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned her before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

    She was arrested at Agbara in Lagos on July 1 with 800 grammes of the narcotic, which, according to the NDLEA, has an effect similar to cocaine’s.

    The one-count charge, dated July 24, reads: “That you, Rashidat Shehu, female, 21-years-old, on or about July 1, 2014 at Abule-Ira in Agbara area of Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without lawful authority, dealt in 800 grammes of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as marijuana, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroine, LSD, etc and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 11 (c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

    After pleading guilty, NDLEA’s counsel, Mr Orji Kalu sought to present the evidence against the accused so she could be convicted and sentenced.

    “When an accused person pleads guilty, your Lordship is enjoined procedurally to convict and sentence him accordingly,” he said.

    However, Justice Abang said he would adjourn for sentencing because he had a meeting to attend.

    Shehu’s lawyer, Mr N.B. Bakare, pointed out that the accused person had been in prison custody since she was arrested on July 1.

    Kalu said Shehu was not arraigned earlier partly because the courts were on vacation.

    Justice Abang adjourned till November 26 “for a review of the facts of the case.”

     

  • Man held for ‘raping’ minor

    For allegedly defiling a minor, a 39-year-old man, Dunstan Ukaga, was yesterday arraigned before an Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos Mainland.

    The defendant, who claimed to be a freelance journalist, was alleged to have severally raped the 11-year-old girl (names withheld) between April 24 and September 28 at his 311 Road, Block 2, Flat 6, Festac Town home.

    Prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Etim Nkankum told the court that the defendant had unlawful sexual intercourse with the victim, an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail by Magistrate A.A. Demi-Ajayi in N500,000 with two sureties.

    The Magistrate ordered that N30,000 each be deposited in the Chief Registrar’s account by the sureties.

    While adjourning the case till November 26, Mrs. Ajayi ordered that the case file be duplicated to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

  • Police parade dogs for attacking child

    Police parade dogs for attacking child

    THE Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Kayode Aderanti, yesterday paraded the two dogs, Gadaffi and Billy, which attacked a child who is now undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    The dogs are being detained in the veterinary cell of the command.

    The officer in charge of the Veterinary Department, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Usman Yusuf, said only the owner of the dogs, Mr. Stanley Whisley, will be charged with  assault. The court will decide the fate of the dogs later.

    He advised dog owners to be careful with them to avoid incurring the wrath of the law.

  • Student arraigned ‘for burgling provost’s office’

    Student arraigned ‘for burgling provost’s office’

    A 23-year-old student, Micah William, yesterday appeared before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly burgling the office of the provost of his school.

    William, a 200-level student who resides at 16, Karimu Kaka Street, Egbeda, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of burglary and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Godwin Anyanwu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), told the court that the accused on October 4 at 2.00 am, burgled the office of the provost of the Lagos State College of Health and Technology at 81, Harvey Road, Yaba.

    He said the defendant broke into the office and stole projectors, laptops, phones and printers valued at N381,000, property of the college.

    “The defendant and his accomplices, who are still at large, broke into the provost’s office, disconnected the equipment and carted them away. The equipment stolen include four projectors, two HP laptops, one Compaq laptop, two HP printers and two Blackberry phones valued at N381,000. He was arrested following a formal complaint at the police station,’’ Anyanwu said.

    The prosecutor said that some students who witnessed the break in identified William as one of the culprits.

    He also said the print of the defendant’s pair of slippers was also discovered at the scene of the alleged crime.

    The prosecutor said that when William was interrogated on how the print of his slippers got to the scene, he could not give a satisfactory explanation.

    Anyanwu said the offences contravened Sections 285 and 305 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that Section 305 prescribes a seven-year imprisonment for anyone found liable of burglary.

    Michael pleaded not guilty; hence, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Yewande Aje-Afunwa, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case till November 21 for mention.

     

  • My husband is a beast, alleges wife

    A 36-year-old woman, Yemisi Kudaisi, has prayed the Customary Court, Alakuko, a Lagos suburb, to dissolve her six-year-old marriage to Shakiru, accusing him of being bestial and irresponsible.

    Mrs. Kudaisi, an actress and trader, told the court: “For a long time after we got married, everything was almost perfect probably because we both had good jobs. However, the harsh reality of life began to dawn on us after my husband was involved in an accident that claimed his car. Consequently, there was a drastic reduction in everything we had, so we were forced to borrow money from different sources to make ends meet.

    “I was idle for six months. During the period, he kept telling me to sell all my jewellery, assuring me that things would get better. But as I speak, my husband has not refunded my money. Surprisingly, has now formed the habit of leaving home over any little argument. He even prefers to spend the money he borrows lavishly at parties. It got so bad that my mother gave me some money because she wasn’t happy about my status.

    “If you meet my husband for the first time, you will think he can’t hurt a fly because of his innocent looks. But he is worst than a beast. From the outset, my husband has always treated me with utmost disrespect; he beats me at the slightest provocation. But I have always endured all his vicious attacks, hoping that he would turn over a new leaf.”

    Yemisi further said:”My husband came home one day and accused my mother of embarrassing him at a party. When I asked him why he insulted my mother, he beat me black and blue. Since I brought our case to court, my husband has stopped giving me money. Our children have also been sent out of school. So, I don’t want to remain in this marriage anymore.”

    However, 40-year-old Kudaisi, who deals in kerosine, denied the allegation. He said: “When I met her, she had no job. Each time there was a lull in my business, she misbehaves at home. At times, she goes to locations and returns home at odd hours. I had to sell my vehicles because things weren’t going well. I don’t owe her any more. In fact, I once gave her N300, 000 to start a business. The day I advised my wife to quit acting so as to have more time for our children, she slapped me. Though I don’t have any good means of livelihood, I still care for my children and attend to their needs when I have money.

    The court’s President, Chief Awos Awosola, advised the couple not to invade each other’s privacy and ordered Kudaisi to locate a school for the children. He adjourned till October 28 for judgment.

  • ‘Spread fruits of democracy to grassroots’

    ‘Spread fruits of democracy to grassroots’

    •Senator Tinubu inaugurates school

    The senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu yesterday challenged politicians to spread the dividends of democracy and good governance, especially at the grassroots.

    She spoke when she led other chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and residents of Ebute-Ero, Lagos Island, to open the twin three-storey Holy Trinity Primary School, Ebute-Ero, which was refurbished by the Chairman,  Lagos Island Local Government, Mr. Wasiu Eshinlokun-Sanni.

    The senator, who praised Eshinlokun-Sanni for championing the party’s grassroots objectives of educational development and good governance, urged him not to rest on his oars but to continue to march forward in the task of evolving a new society.

    She said: “Of all the gifts a nation or parent can give, education is the greatest. It empowers, it builds self confidence and restores dignity. Above all, it equips to face challenges. In spite of the existing challenges, we must all help the Nigerian children and youths to find, pursue and achieve their purpose in life through education.”

    Though the council, she said, had upgraded no fewer than six dilapidated public primary schools, she observed that much still needed to be done at the grassroots and other levels before the nation could enjoy the full benefits of democracy.

    She said the council chief was not only opening the new school, but was also presenting/distributing school kits (writing materials, notebooks, mathematical sets, school bags and uniforms) to pupils of the 11 primary schools and students of the five secondary schools within the council area.

    The council also delivered Church and Oba Esinlokun roads, which it recently completed, to the people.

    Eshinlokun-Sanni, a former head boy of the school, said the renovation was part of his commitment to bequeathing a good learning environment to the coming generation of pupils of all primary schools in the council.

    He said that apart from refurbishing the physical structures of the primary schools, the council constructed new classroom structures equipped with modern learning aids.

    Eshinlokun-Sanni described the Holy Trinity School as one of the Legacy Schools on Lagos Island, and one which had produced eminent Nigerians who had continued to do the state and indeed Nigeria proud.

    Handing the projects over to the Lagos Island people, the council chief described them as “a great improvement on what they used to be.”

    He said the council had rehabilitated about 70 roads across all the wards in the area. He said Imaro, Church, Oba Eshinlokun, Iga Iduganran and Orisan streets were rehabilitated to underscore the impact that the council under his leadership had masw on his people.

    In his goodwill message, a former Minister for the Interior, Ademola Seriki, praised Eshinlokun-Sanni for wonderfully delivering “not only educational hardware, but also software to the people of the council.”

    Seriki, a former student, recalled the period he sat for his West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE) in the school, adding that the council chief was leaving a legacy that the whole people of Lagos Island would be proud of.

    Another chieftain, Hon. R.F. Balogun described the event as a confirmation of the confidence of party leaders who had opted for Eshinlokun-Sanni as their candidate six years ago.

    A former Secretary to the Lagos State Government (SLG) and leader of the APC in Lagos Central, Hon. Omotilewa Aro-Lambo, urged other council chairmen to emulate the good works of the council chief, adding that Esinlokun-Sanni had always shamed detractors who were eagerly looking for the failure of the party.

    He equally charged the pupils to take good care of the materials presented to them, saying: “Don’t spoil these materials you are being presented here today because this is not done everywhere.”

    The chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Alhaji Abdulsaheed Lawal, praised the council chief for upgrading the school like other schools in the council. He said the parents and the entire pupils of the school were grateful for the gesture, adding that it would be treasured and maintained.

    The school’s head-teacher, Mrs. Grace Oguntoye, said the pupils would make judicious use of the desktops provided by the council, adding that the council’s gesture was beyond imagination.

     

  • Group lifts widows’ children

    A non-governmental organisation, Human Development Initiative (HDI) has donated educational materials to children of widows in Lagos State.

    The donation was made during the group’s launch of its Empowerment Trust Fund for Education of Orphans/Widows’ children in the state.

    The materials included: two sets of school uniforms, pairs socks, pairs of school sandals, 15 exercise books, ties, berets, mathematical sets, core subjects’ textbooks and government-approved associated costs or fees.

    Chairman of HDI-ETF, Prof Bolaji Owasanoye said the trust fund gives N50,000 soft loans at 10 per cent interest to beneficiaries through widow support groups/cooperatives.

    He also said “Happy and Sad” boxes were placed in partner schools to have an insight into what makes students happy or sad. The information collected, he said, is analysed for response and intervention programmes.

    A beneficiary, Christiana Omaseye, who used to hawk water sachet, thanked the organisers for the gesture.

  • ‘Help, my daughter is dying’

    ‘Help, my daughter is dying’

    •Woman needs N7m to tackle daughter’s ailment

    What have I not sold to see my daughter regain her peace since a year now? Where else will I run to, God?” Mrs Hawawu Moronkola, a teacher, fought back tears yesterday as she bemoaned the worsening plight of her ailing daughter.

    Three-year-old Sofiyyah Moronkola, according to her mother, was full of life until about a year ago, when it was discovered that her brain was harbouring a tumour. She has since remained in pains.

    The girl needs an urgent corrective surgery in an Indian hospital where her problem is being handled. Her helpless mother is hoping that Nigerians will come to her aid and give her daughter the opportunity to live well again.

    She first underwent a surgery at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State, but her condition later relapsed, hence her referral to India.

    Doctors attending to her in an Indian hospital said the successful removal of the tumour would gulp a whopping N7 million.

    Dr Shibu Pillai of the Department of Neuro Surgery, who is attending to her at the hospital, told her family that because of her age, Sofiyyah would “need chemotherapy instead of radiotherapy.”

    Also Dr Sunil Bhat of the Paediatric Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Department of the hospital said she needs urgent attention to make her live.

    “I wish to state that Moronkola Sofiyyah is under our care for tumour of the brain. She has undergone surgery and has significant neurological impairment. The prognosis of this condition is poor. In view of her young age, we are not planning radiotherapy for her at this point of time. She needs to have chemotherapy in order to cure her,” Bhat said.

    Mrs Moronkola, who said the family had so far spent about N7 million on the girl’s ailment, urged kind-hearted Nigerians to come to their aid to save their child’s life. For donations, an account, Moronkola Sofiyyah, with number, 3084586338, has been opened with First Bank Plc.

    “Since the doctors at the UCH discovered the tumour in her, we have been borrowing, begging and spending. So far, we have spent about N7 million on her medical bills. It has been rough. We are crying out for help again because the tumour still persists and doctors have said we still need N7million for the treatment. I have lost my sleep because I don’t want to watch her die. This is why we need urgent help from anybody or organisation and time is fast running out on her,” she said.

    Saying that she could be reached on 07046302898, the embattled woman also gave her husband’s number as: 07084845018.

     

  • ‘How church can fight crimes’

    ‘How church can fight crimes’

    The desperation for quick wealth can be checked even without much ado by the police and other law-enforcement agencies, a cleric said yesterday.

    The Bishop, Diocese of Lagos Mainland, the Rt. Rev Isaac Ayo Olawuyi, said if religious organisations de-emphasised prosperity preaching, which, he said, breeds morbid materialism, and harp on salvation, people would learn to wait on God.

    He condemned the rising spate of various crimes across the country, especially armed robbery, kidnapping ritual killing, assassination, looting of public treasury, corruption, prostitution and exploitation/oppression of the poor.

    Maintaining that the police would have less jobs in their hands if people turn to God and cease struggling for the vanities of life, the frontline cleric added: “Open any newspaper today, watch the television, listen to the radio or get to any gathering, what you hear are scary news of one crime or the other to the extent that the capacity of our security agencies has been over-stretched. This is where the church needs to play its role.”

    “Our bible teaches us that if we seek first the Kingdom of God, he would add to it, all the good things of life that we now daily crave. This is where some sections of our religious organisations are getting things wrong. Rather than emphasise the ultimate salvation of people’s souls after their earthly sojourn, all we hear now are sermons about how to drive posh cars, pay heavy tithes and build mansions all over the place.

    “It is time we woke up from our pathetic illusion to realise that life is not only ephemeral but vain without Christ. Therefore, our brethrens must be made to realise that in order to live a Christ-like life and ultimately secure a place in heaven, they must eschew the habit of get-rich-quick-at-all-costs,” Rev Olawuyi admonished.

    He urged the rich and the highly-placed at all levels and strata in the society to spare a thought for the less-privileged, whom he said, constitute the majority of the nation’s populace.

    “How righteous are you in your relationship with God? How fair are you to your fellowmen? How do you treat your maids and servants? Do you think about your next destination after this life? Does your heart harbour hatred and malice? Do you cheat? These are among the questions we must address to puncture the worsening tension in the land,” Rev Olawuyi said.

    The government at all levels, he however advised, must stop treating the welfare of the masses and the unemployed with levity because according to him, when a person is deprived and hungry, he is naturally predisposed to crimes in order to eke out a living.