The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Five arrested for diverting 40ft generator container worth N10m

    Five arrested for diverting 40ft generator container worth N10m

    Operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have intercepted a syndicate that allegedly diverted a truck carrying a 40ft container loaded with 608 pieces of Elimax generators and 2,900grinding engines worth N9.7million.

    Five members of the gang arrested are: Onyebuchi Okeke, 30, Sunday Chukwuwike 28, Onyebuchi Ede 30, Sopuluchukwu Eze, 30, Sunday Nwachukwu, 35, while one Ozor is still at large.

    The goods according to sources belonged to Sylveohemma Petroleum Limited, Apapa, Lagos, and was diverted by the gang on December 22, 2017.

    Following a petition submitted to the office of Inspector General of Police on December 23, 2017 by the company’s clearing agent, Nickson Budu , the IRT’s Commander, Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police was asked to fish out the culprits.

    The special squad subsequently arrested the driver and the truck conductor at Nkwere, Anambra State while they were negotiating with the receiver.

    The buyers were also apprehended and all the suspects have since confessed to the crime.

    Confessing, the truck’s conductor, Chukwuwike said: ”l am the motor boy. I am from Ihiala, Anambra State. It was the driver that brought the idea to divert the container and make fast money on the 23rd December 2017 at Tin Can Island at about 8.00pm when we were to take the container to Abuluchu in Festac area of Lagos but on the way we diverted the truck to Ikorodu.

    In his confession, Okeke said: ” Yes, I brought the idea to divert the container. We later took  the container to Nkwere in Anambra State, where the receiver collected part payment from buyers which is N430,000 and gave us(the money). Four of us namely Onyebuchi, Sunday, the other Sunday and Ozor who is still at large shared the money. We and the buyers negotiated N25,000, N14,000, N17,500 for some of the stolen goods which are giveaway prices.”

    Ede said: ” the only role I played was to provide my house as the warehouse where the goods were off- loaded. I am from Nkanu, Enugu State. I am a primary six certificate holder. They promised to pay me N200,000. When I saw that there were enough goods in the container that would fetch me more money I decided to join the gang.”

    Sopuluchukwu said: ”I am from Nkanu East, Enugu state. I used to do well in my business. I used to deal on men wears and I used to make #80,000 monthly but recession came and it affected my business. When my friend Nwachukwu called me and told me about the deal I jumpED for it. I will blame the devil also.”

    Eze recalled his role in the crime saying: ” They asked me to look for a safe place to off- load the stolen goods. I called my brother Ede and he helped to provide his house because he has enough space in his house. I was also interested in buying the goods.

    ”We contributed money for advance payment. I gave them #210, 000, Sopuluchukwu brought N250,000 plus the initial N100,000 I gave them. The total money collected for part payment was N510,000.”

    Police sources said about 120,000 pieces of the stolen goods have been recovered while the remaining are still to be recovered from the gang members house in Nkwere which was used as warehouse.

    The sources further revealed that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded and that the gang member Ozor who is still at

  • Suspected smugglers hack Ogun customs officer during ambush

    Suspected smugglers hack Ogun customs officer during ambush

    A customs officer, Musa Muhammed Maigari is in a critical condition at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, after he was attacked with machetes by suspected smugglers during an ambush in Idogo area of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    According to the spokesman of Ogun State Customs Command, Mr. Abdullahi Maiwada, the ambush happened around the Igbeji River in the Idogo-Ifoyintedo axis during a joint operation by men of the Command and operatives of the Federal Operations Unit ‘A’ in pursuit of car smugglers.

    Maigari who suffered deep machete cuts on his left arm was first taken to the Idiroko General Hospital from where he was transferred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Yaba, Lagos, where doctors are battling to save his life.

    The Nation gathered that a smuggled Toyota Highlander was however intercepted by the Customs team during the operation.

    In a statement, Maiwada said:” On Wednesday February 7, at about 8 am and-9 am, a joint patrol team of Crack Squad and FOU ‘A’led by CSC Abdullahi. M; Ogbonna A.E; Musa T; Habu .I; Musa.M.M; C.A Ahmed and others went on information patrol . In the process, ambush was laid at Ibeji River around Idogo-Ifoyintedo axis of the Command. This led to successful interception of a Toyota Highlander with chasis number: STDJKRFHESO59484.

    ”An officer Musa Miagari of FOU ‘A’ sustained a life-threatening injury (having been butchered with a machete) from the suspected armed smugglers. The officer was taken to Idiroko Gneral Hospital for preliminary treatment and has since been transferred to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Lagos, for in-depth treatment. The team managed to escape from the scene and brought the said vehicle to sentry at Idiroko for custody and further investigation.

  • Imo NSCDC denies shooting security guard

    THE Imo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense (NSCDC), yesterday described as unfounded and misleading, the report of shooting a security guard attached to a popular hotel in Owerri by one of its personnel.

    The middle aged security guard, Mr. Chizorom Anayo, was allegedly shot on the leg by a Civil Defence Officer attached to a politician.

    But the state Commandant, Stephen Lar, told reporters that the Command has concluded preliminary investigations into the matter, adding that the victim was not shot as “mischievously” insinuated but sustained minor injuries why struggling with the armed officer.

    According to him, “the report that the security guard was shot is untrue, we have concluded preliminary investigations and discovered that what happened was that the security guard and his cohorts tried to disarm the officer and he was injured in the ensuing scuffle”.

    He explained further that “the officer in question is attached to the Commissioner for Public Safety (Chidi Nwaturuocha) and while trying to protect his principal from hoodlums and keke riders who flouted the state government order on the ban of Keke, some of them tried to disarm him that was when the said security guard sustained some injury. Our men are strictly instructed on the use of firearms because we do not condone indiscriminate use of firearms”.

  • Notorious robber caught with live snake stripped in Ogun community

    Notorious robber caught with live snake stripped in Ogun community

    A suspected member of a burglary gang that specialised in breaking into residential buildings, when owners are away was stripped last Sunday at the Iyesi area of Ota, Ogun State.

    It was learnt that the suspect and members of his gang had been terrorising residents of the area for sometime.

    Residents told The Nation that no fewer than eight houses had been burgled in the last two weeks.

    The suspect, Deji Oladeluyi was said to have broken into a house at Famous Estate, Iyana Iyesi, while the occupants of the building were away.

    He was said to have broken into the apartment through one of the windows of the apartment after vandalising its burglar-proof iron.

    He was however intercepted by vigilant neighbours while he was about taking away some valuable items from the building.

    He was said to have fled after he was accosted by a resident while he was removing valuable items from the apartment.

    The suspect allegedly scaled the fence into another compound and hid himself inside a soak away pit.

    The suspect was found inside the soak away pit with a live snake.

    He was removed from the soak away pit by angry mob while the snake was killed.

    When The Nation visited the scene, the suspect was found naked and tied to a stake while he confessed.

    The suspect was on the verge of being lynched but for the arrival of men of Obasanjo Farm Police Division, Ota.

    A resident, identified simply as Omotunde said: “For about two weeks now, the suspect and his gang members have robbed over seven houses at Famous and Pacesetter Estates while occupants of the buildings were away. They usually carry out their robbery operation on Sundays while many of the residents are attending church service.

    “Today, the suspect again broke into an apartment in this estate while the occupants had gone to church. He had succeeded in packing valuable items from the apartment after he vandalised the window’s burglary-proof iron bar when he was accosted by a resident who was returning home from church.

    “He immediately abandoned his loot and scaled the fence into a building and hid himself in a soak away pit that has no water. What surprised us was that he was caught beside a live snake inside the pit. We just killed the snake and apprehended him at once.”

    Before he was whisked away by the police, the suspect said: “My name is Deji Oladeloye, I live at Iyana Iyesi. I don’t know anyone in this community; I have only come here to rob people. I am an indigene of Ondo State. I don’t belong to any robbery gang but I carry out my operations alone.”

    The suspected robber, according to an impeccable police source has been arraigned before an Ota Magistrate’s Court.

    “The suspect was arraigned on Monday at Ota Magistrate’s Court and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Obasanjo Farm Division held a meeting with the leadership of the affected community and assured them of adequate security and police patrol of the area,” the source said.

  • Police kill suspected kidnapper in Ogun forest

    Police kill suspected kidnapper in Ogun forest

    OPERATIVES of the Federal Special Anti – Robbery Squad (FSARS) have gunned down a suspected kidnapper during a search for members of a kidnapping gang at a forest in  Ilaro.

    One of the gang’s victim, Sanni Dan Nasarawa, who escaped from their gang’s den after he was kept there for one week in the forest, reported his abduction to the Police in Abeokuta, following which FSARS stormed the forest and shot dead a member of the gang while seven others escaped with bullet wounds.

    It was learnt that Sani Nasarawa escaped from the forest when the rope used to tie him snapped in the night while his abductors were fast asleep.

    An AK47 riffle loaded with 15rounds of ammunition was recovered at the gang’s den

    In a statement, the Police spokesman in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the suspected kidnapper was shot dead on Friday morning on discovering their hide out after the FSARS combed the forest all through Thursday night.

    He said the dead suspect was a member of a kidnap syndicate terrorizing Ilaro and its environs.

    “He was a member of kidnapping syndicate when in the early hour of Friday February 2, 2018 he was shot dead by men of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad led by Uba Adam.

    “The gang have earlier kidnapped one Sanni Dan Nasarawa, took him to a thick forest where they tied him down for seven days waiting for his people to pay them ransom.

    “Luck however smiled on him when the rope they used to tie him got loose while his abductors were fast asleep. He subsequently escaped and ran to FSARS office in Abeokuta where he lodged complain.

    “Upon his report, the officer –in charge of FSARS quickly mobilized his men and followed the victim to the forest. The team combed the forest from 6 pm of 1st February up till about 4:00am of 2nd February before they came across the gang who engaged them in serious gun battle which lasted for almost an hour.

    “At the end of the encounter, one of the suspects was gunned down while others numbering about seven escaped with various degree of gunshot injuries.

    Oyeyemi appealed to the public, especially hospitals and traditional healers, to report anybody they see with gunshot injury in their vicinity.

  • Wicked uncle cuts off 12-yr-old cousin’s manhood

    Wicked uncle cuts off 12-yr-old cousin’s manhood

    A man identified simply as Aliyu has allegedly cut off the male organ of his 12 year- old- cousin,  Farouk Ibrahim in Babana area of Borgu Local Government Area of Niger state.

    Sources told The Nation that Aliyu accosted Farouk who was taking food to his siblings at a farm and strangled him, following which Farouk became unconscious.

    It was gathered that Farouk later regained his consciousness amid pains and returned home to narrate the story to his parents, after which he fainted as a result of exhaustion.

    Speaking with The Nation in Minna, Farouk recalled that Aliyu attacked him at about 6 a.m about 200 meters on his way to the farm.

    “I did not know what was happening, I woke up in the afternoon and was feeling pains in my manhood. When I looked down, I noticed that I was bleeding and my manhood have been cut off. I had to gather my strength and struggled to get home. I walked and in some places, I had to rest because the pain was much. I never knew one can feel such pain and survive. The pain was unexplainable. ”

    One of Farouk’s uncle, Usman Dutte Aliyu explained that the incident took place December. He said Farouk was taken to a Teaching Hospital in Ilorin, where a temporary surgery was done on him and a catheter was inserted in his body to allow the boy pass out urine.

    He asked for assistance from government and individuals to enable Farouk undergo a comprehensive plastic surgery so that he will have a functional manhood.

    The Head of Surgery of the General Hospital, Minna, Dr. Adamu Bala who examined Farouk said although the Teaching Hospital in Ilorin tried to save the situation, Farouk may never have a functional manhood unless he goes for an elaborate plastic surgery which is not done in Nigeria.

    He said: “I reviewed the case of the boy. He was taken to the Teaching Hospital in Ilorin, they were able to save the situation at that moment. They were able to do some kind of plastic surgery to stop the bleeding and they inserted a catheter so that the boy would be able to pass urine. The only unfortunate part was that the amputated part was not seen and could not be sutured back.

    “For this boy to have a functional penis, he will need an elaborate plastic surgery, a kind which I do not think we can do here in the country,  he will have to be taken abroad where he would be assessed and examine to see how they can fashion a functional penis for him”, Bala said.

    “Right now, there is the psychological and physical disturbance that the young boy is going through. Before now, he would have experienced erection but it cannot happen again. Before the incident, he was passing urine normally but now, he is passing urine through a pipe which is very abnormal and can be depressing. He needs urgent help. ”

    According to Usman, the suspect who initially fled has since been caught by the police.

    He said the suspect had made confessional statement to the police and taken detectives to the site where he buried the boy’s male organ.

    Usman said the cost of changing the catheter every month and antibiotics for the victim is gradually telling on the finances of the family especially when they have to transport the boy from New Bussa to the hospital where the catheter would be changed monthly.

    He appealed for interventions from the state government and individuals to assist the family.

  • Special squad uncovers new smuggling technique

    Special squad uncovers new smuggling technique

    The surveillance unit of the compliance team of Comptroller General of Customs has uncovered a new technique used by a syndicate to smuggle rice, second hand vehicles, deodorant, vegetable oil and used tyres into country.

    The syndicate, according to sources, had been using 40- ft containers to deceive Customs men while bringing in contrabands. The container is usually divided into two, using the inner side of it to store smuggled poultry products while the exterior was kept empty; the inner container has an iron door welded to it.

    At the Customs check-points, the smugglers would quickly open the exterior which is empty to the officers on duty. It will however took the ingenuity of the officers at the check-points to detect  that a big space created inside the big container for the purpose of smuggling.

    Most of the containerized goods seized according to sources were also based on wrong declarations while their means of conveyance were not left out.

    It was learnt that the discovery of the smuggling trick has led to seizure of contraband worth over N5 billion in the last nine months.

    It was also gathered that the surveillance unit in the last two weeks made seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) totalling N70 million.

    The Head of the Surveillance Unit, Chief Superintendent Hassan Bello said his men had been trailing those behind the syndicate for about six months until the middle of this month when they were finally arrested.

    Bello said two suspects arrested in connection with these trade malpractices are in their custody.

    It will be recalled that the Customs Unit recently impounded two trucks of foreign parboiled rice smuggled into Lagos through one of the busy trading corridors with 816 used tyres.

    Drugs worth millions of naira including Newdol Diclofenac, Sodium capsules, Analgesic /anti-inflammatory and Chaka pain Diclofenac (50mg) and Jimbuwol, were also intercepted while they were being taken to the eastern part of the country.

    A source said: ”Just few months ago, the Surveillance Unit intercepted more than 20 Sports Utility Vehicles worth more than N20 billion. They still parked at the Customs training school Ikeja, with no owners coming forward to claim them.

    ”One other spectacular seizure made by the Unit include 72 containers of wood heading for export at the Premier Port, Apapa. After examination, 51 containers were discovered to be unprocessed wood which by Nigerian law is prohibited for export while 21 containers were found to be processed wood and qualified for export.

  • Suspected cultists remanded in prison for allegedly smashing teenager’s head

    Two suspected cultists,  Sikiru Ajibade and Gafar Isah, who allegedly smashed the head of a teenager, have been remanded in Kirikiri Prisons on the orders of an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Ajibade, 34, a.k.a. Farakin and Isah,25, a.k.a. Eti, who allegedly belong to O-Strong and Ijikenji Confraternity, were brought before the court on a charge of murder.

    Their pleas were not taken by the magistrate, who said the court lacked the jurisdiction to try murder case.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr M.O. Olajuwon, said the accused should be kept behind bars pending  advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    Earlier, the police prosecutor, Inspector Babatope Julius, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in October 2016 on Lagos Island.

    He alleged that the accused, suspected cultists had unlawfully killed a 19-year-old, Charles Igbinovia, by smashing his head with a stone.

    The offence violates Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The case has adjourned until Feb. 28 pending the DPP’s advice

  • Ogun customs intercepts 276 kegs of petrol, N67.2m contraband

    Ogun customs intercepts 276 kegs of petrol, N67.2m contraband

    Operatives of Ogun Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) have intercepted about 278 kegs of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol from smugglers.

    Two drums of diesel, 221 kegs of vegetable oil, 13 second hand vehicles, and 383 bags of rice were also seized from smugglers.

    The seizure, according to Ogun Customs Area Controller, Mr Sani Madugu, was recorded following impeccable intelligence at the disposal of the command.

    Speaking with reporters at the Idiroko Area Customs Command on Friday, Madugu said his men would continue to pursue smugglers wherever they are hiding.

    The seized fuel were later auctioned to security forces including the police, army, Directorate of State Security(DSS) and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA).

    Madugu said: ”It is pertinent to inform you that , we have reinvigorated our efforts not only to sustain the tempo we have achieved in the previous year(810 seizures with Duty Paid Value of N1,581,410,058 and total revenue of N6,162,559,790.13 from January to December,2017), but rather strategies have been put in place to improve our performance. This assertion can be justified with seizures of 13 tokunbo(second hand), two means of conveyance, 17 motorcycles,383 bags of foreign rice(50 kg each), six sacks of second hand clothing, shoes, bags, 221 kegs of vegetable oil with DPV of N67,247,153, among others within the last two weeks in Idiroko axis of Ogun Area Command.

    ” In an effort to curb the menace of smuggling of petroleum products outside Nigeria by some unscrupulous, unpatriotic and desperate members of the public who are determined to enrich themselves illegitimately to the detriment of other Nigerians, we have succeeded in intercepting 276 kegs of petrol(PMS), nine drums and 32 kegs of diesel and five drums of kerosene. We will continue to explore intelligence and surveillance in monitoring filling stations along the border areas so as to avert any form of diversion. We will like to use this medium to appeal to all members of the public to be patriotic by availing the (Customs) service with plausible information , so as to assist in mitigating the menace of smuggling of petroleum products and other prohibited goods.

    Madugu disclosed that 291 vehicles have been released to successful bidders who participated in the electronic auctioning system put in place by NCS.

    He said further that 11, 990 bags of rice, 1,129 jerry cans of 25 liters vegetable oil and 29 jerry cans of 25 liters of palm oil were evacuated from Customs’ warehouses by the Nigeria Army Transport and Logistsics for delivery to internally displaced persons in Yobe State.

    Commendation letters were later presented to two officers of the command, Chief Superintendent  Jamairi Ali Mamza and Superintendent  Ya’u Habeeb for their outstanding exploits in curbing smuggling activities within Idiroko and Abeokuta axis of Ogun State.

  • Man remanded over possession of cannabis

    A Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has ordered the remand of one Ali Bello in prison custody over alleged possession of cannabis.

    Counsel to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA) ,Mr Charles Nwagua told the court that the defendant committed the offence on December 14, 2017 at Ise -Ekiti

    He alleged that the defendant, on the said date,without lawful authority possessed 1.6kg of Cannabis Sativa, otherwise known as Indian hemp.

    According to him, the offence contravened Section 19 of the NDLEA ,Act.Cap N30,Laws of Federation of Nigeria. 2004.

    The defendant pleaded guilty to the offence while his counsel, Mr Tunde Falade prayed the court for a liberal ruling since he didn’t waste the time of the court.

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo consequently ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

    He adjourned for judgment to February.