Category: Crime Diary

By Chris Njoku, Owerri

A middle-aged woman simply identified as Salome who was involved in a street fight with a revenue collector over N200 levy on Tuesday lost her one-year-old baby boy to a suspected child trafficker while the melee lasted.

City&Crime gathered that the woman, a petty trader, who sells foodstuff in Eke-Onuwa Market in Owerri Municipal Council engaged in the fight when the revenue collector, simply identified as Sunday asked her for N200 being an amount payable for the space she was occupying to sell.

It was gathered that Salome did not agree to pay the said levy rather engaged the revenue collector in a fight to slug it out with them.

It was learnt that when the fight was about to begin, the woman decided to hand over her baby to unknown person who suddenly disappeared with the baby.

According to an eye-witness when the fight was over the woman could not see the man and the baby. “The man had walked away with the baby.”

This caused pandemonium in the market as traders organized themselves in search of the baby, but to no avail.

The eye-witness said that the mother of the baby was running helter skelter in the market asking passersby if they had seen the man she handed the baby over to.

“Nobody who sells in the market was able to identify the man and the whereabouts of the baby,” the witness lamented.

By Damisi Ojo, Akure

Fulani herdsmen in Akoko area of Ondo State have reportedly arrested another member of seven suspected kidnappers terrorising residents of the area.

Four of the gangsters were arrested last Saturday by soldiers and men of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) at Ajowa-Akoko, after abducting a Muslim cleric, Alhaji Jamiu Zakariyahu, who was returning from the mosque.

It  was learnt that the herdsmen apprehended one Jimoh Imoru in the forest.

According to sources, the suspected kidnapper was roaming about in the bush when he approached the Fulani herdsmen to give him direction to the nearest town.

The herders had the knowledge of how kidnappers were operating ceaselessly in the area, which were mostly linked to Fulani herders.

Read Also: Soldiers arrest suspected kidnappers in Ondo

The herdsmen were said to have suspected that Imoru must be one of the suspects who escaped arrest recently by security men after their operation.

The herdsmen immediately brought him to Ajowa-Akoko where a large number of locals trooped out to see him.

It was learnt that some soldiers led by one Captain Emmanuel and the DSS officers later led the suspect to the forest where he kept his gun which was recovered from him.

He confessed to the crime, adding that he hails from kwara State.

Residents of Ajowa-Akoko Northwest Local Government Area were said to be excited over the recent activities of soldiers on security in the area.

A monarch, the Oluro of Uro-Ajowa Akoko, Oba Michael Ipinmoroti praised security agents, local hunters and Fulani herdsmen for their performance in protecting life and property in the area.

The suspect was said to have been transferred to Akure, the state capital, for interrogation.

By Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin

Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital, yesterday sentenced internet fraudster Adepoju Tomiwa to six months imprisonment.

Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Tomiwa on a one-count charge of cheating by impersonation.

The charge reads: “That you, Adepoju Tomiwa a.k.a Paul Powell sometime in August,  2019, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court did cheat by impersonation when you pretended to be one Paul Powell a white Male with gmail account paulpowell1985@gmail.com and fraudulently deceived one Larry Gowan, an American citizen,  to send $300.00 (Three Hundred Dollars) to you through stem gift card after you made him believe same would be given to Fadex as delivery fee and and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 321 of the Penal Code and punishable under section 324 of the same Penal Code.”

The accused person “pleaded guilty” to the one-count charge.

Read Also: Police arrest suspected fraudsters who dupe Chinese contractor of N30m in Kaduna

While reviewing the facts of the case an operative of EFCC Olamide Sadiq narrated to the court how the convict was arrested in Tanke area of Ilorin.

Mr. Sadiq said, “My Lord, Tomiwa and some of his friends were arrested following intelligence reports on the 6th of September 2019, items recovered from him include,  a Laptop, Mobile Phones and a Car, his emails were accessed where some fraudulent charts and messages were printed in his presence, he admitted that he received three hundred dollars from his victim.”

Counsel to the EFCC Sessan Ola  urged the court to rely on the evidence of the prosecution witness and convict the defendant accordingly.

Presiding Judge Sikiru Oyinloye in his judgement said the testimonies of the prosecution was not challenged or contradicted by the defendant.

Justice Oyinloye also ordered for the forfeiture of the mobile phones and laptop of the convict to the federal government.

By Bolaji Ogundele, Abuja

Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court has fixed October 16, 2019, for Maryam Sanda, who allegedly killed her husband, to open her defence.

Sanda was charged to court by the police with culpable homicide, punishable by death, for allegedly killing her husband, Bilyaminu Ahmed Bello, son of former National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Dr Haliru Bello.

She was arraigned along with three others; her mother, Maimuna Aliyu; brother, Aliyu Sanda and housemaid, Sadiya Aminu. The three other accused, who were charged with concealment of evidence by cleaning the blood of the late Bilyaminu from the scene of the crime, were discharged for the inability of the police to link them with the alleged crime.

The presiding judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court, sitting at Maitama, Abuja,  had on April 4 ruled that Sanda had a case to answer in the culpable homicide case and subsequently ordered her to enter her defence.

The ruling followed the no-case submission filed by her counsel, Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN), and  counsel for other defendants, Hussein Musa, after the prosecution closed its case.

In proving their case against the defendants, the police called six witnesses to testify, including the late Bilyaminu’s friends and a member of the police investigation team, which investigated the alleged crime.

In directing Sanda, who is the first defendant in the case, to enter her defence, the judge held that from the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, “a thick cloud seems to form around the case of the prosecution, making it impossible at this point of time for the other side not to be considered”.

“The submissions of no-case to answer as it were in this particular situation is overruled. I call on the first defendant, Maryam Sanda, to enter her defence with respect to the offence of culpable homicide, punishable by death,” Justice Halilu held.

It would be recalled that Justice Halilu had previously adjourned the case till May 6 and directed that it should be held on day by day trial unless otherwise directed by the court, but the case could not go on due to the absence of the judge, who was on election petition tribunal duties in Ogun State.

By Chris Njoku, Owerri

A four-man robbery syndicate has been busted in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The suspects in a bid to evade arrest engaged the police in a fight and in the process the butt of the rifle belonging to one of the policemen was broken.

Speaking to newsmen in Owerri, the police spokesman, Orlando Ikeokwu, a superintendent of police,  said the suspects, Obioma Okwuoma of Ubakari Mbieri, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of the state, Chukwuemeka U of Ogbosisi Umugu Umuguma West LGA and a third suspect were arrested by operatives of the Operation Iron Gate Joint Task Force stationed at Assumpta Roundabout Control Post, Owerri.

He said the suspects were arrested on October 7 at about 12:30 pm following  a distress call from one Daniel Nwabugo, 19, who just came into the state from Onitsha and had his cell phone, a tecno Spark snatched from him.

Read Also: For the fourth time, robbers attack Abuja church’s guest house

“The operatives upon receipt of the distress call quickly swung into action, trailed the suspects and subsequently arrested them along 3rd Inland Road, New Owerri after intense struggle with the security operatives.”

In the process, he said one of the suspects while struggling to evade arrest broke the butt of the rifle of one of the operatives.

He said the suspects have so far made useful statements to the police confessing to the crime while one ‘Cash’ is at large as investigation was ongoing.

Items recovered from the suspects include N11,000 cash, one Infinix Smart 3 phone, and one Infinix Hot 9 phone.

By Nicholas Kalu, Abuja

No fewer than nine persons were on Monday abducted by gunmen in military camouflage in Pegi community in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, The Nation learnt.

The incident happened on Monday around 9 pm.

The FCT police command said they were making concerted efforts to rescue the abducted persons.

A statement by the command’s  Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, made available to reporters on Tuesday read, “The Police Command of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja wishes to inform the public that it is making concerted effort to rescue the persons kidnapped around Pegi Community on Monday 7th October, 2019 at about 2100hrs .

Read Also: Seven held for ‘kidnapping’ in Adamawa

“Though details of the incident is still sketchy, the Command is urging members of the public to be calm while the Police intensify effort to rescue and reunite victims with members of their families.

“Meanwhile, we call on the public to be security conscious and provide information to the Police and other relevant security agencies on suspicious movements and activities within their communities.

“The Command reassures members of the public of its commitment to protect lives and property in the Federal Capital Territory.”

By Ebele Boniface

The police have arrested members of a notorious syndicate who specialised in impersonating governors and top politician to defraud unsuspecting contractors in Kaduna State.

The fraudsters were said to have defrauded a Chinese contractor of the sum of N30.6 million over a phony road project.

The suspects, Rita Waziri and Adamu Garuba, alias Hon. Ibrahim, were arrested by personnel of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).

The suspects were arrested after they defrauded a Chinese engineer identified simply as Su, of the sum of N30.6million under the guise of helping him to procure a road construction contract from the Kaduna State Government.

Su, who is based in Abuja, according to sources, was approached in July 2018 by one Mayowa, a member of the syndicate who is currently serving a jail term at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, over a separate fraud case, that the Kaduna State Government was searching for contractors to rehabilitate a 14 kilometer Road in Kagoro area of the state.

In a bid to convince Su, Mayowa, brought in Garuba, and introduced him as ‘Honourable Ibrahim’, a serving member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly and the Chairman of Budget and Planning Committee of the House.

Read Also: Troops kill three terrorists in night ambush

Garuba was said to have told Su, that he would have to register his company with the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority and he would pay the sum of N1.6million for the processing.

After paying the money, the suspects invited Su to the Kaduna State Government Secretariat, where they took him to a makeshift office which had photographs of members of the syndicate as representatives of the Kaduna State Government.

Rita was said to have presented herself as the Commissioner of Works and Housing, while another member of the syndicate identified as Captain, who is presently at large, presented posed as Commissioner of Finance.

It was said that the sum of N28million was collected from Su, following which they issued a fake contract awarding letter was issued to him.

Su, however, demanded a refund of his money after he became suspicious of the deal.

In order to cover their tracks, Garuba allegedly lured Su to an undisclosed location in Kaduna, where he was kidnapped and a ransom of N2 million was collected from him before he was freed.

IRT operatives stepped into the matter following a petition received from Su, and Rita, who turned out to be Garuba’s sister-in-law was apprehended leading to Garuba’s eventual arrest.

Garuba,51, said he got the sum of N15million as his share which he used in building a house in a choice area of Kaduna State.

He also disclosed that he gave the sum of N200,000 to Waziri as her own share.

He said: “I went into fraud seven years ago and it was one late Otunba Obanla from Lagos State, who introduced me to the business.  I met Otunba  at a hotel in Kaduna, where he was drinking and we became friends. He taught me how to defraud people looking for contracts and my first job was in 2013, where I defrauded one Alhaji Sani of the sum of N200,000.

‘’I took the money from Sani, under the guise of helping him to process the registration of his company with the Kaduna State’s Tender Board, where he intended to secure road contracts.

“In 2015, I defrauded one Alhaji Tijani, of the sum of N400,000, who also wanted to get contracts from the Kaduna State Government. I also defrauded a Lebanese national of the sum of N7 million who but this time I wasn’t the only person that executed the job and I got N1.5million as my share from the deal.

‘’I was later arrested by policemen from the Kaduna State Police Command and after my release, policemen from the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos State arrested me  again and I was made to repay the money I got from the deal to the Lebanese man.

‘’In July 2018, Mayowa, brought the Chinese man’s job. He told me that the man needed a road construction contract.  We collected the sum of N1.5 million from the man for the registration of his company and then we took the man to Kaduna State Government House and we used the reception of an office to execute the job.

‘’ Rita, who is my elder brother’s wife acted as the Commissioner of Works and Mayowa enlarged Waziri’s  picture and placed it (on the wall) beside that of the Governor and the President, making it look like the office of  the Kaduna State Government.

‘’There is a man called Captain,who played the role of the Commissioner of Finance Kaduna State,  while I acted as the Honourable member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, but Mayowa was the facilitator.

‘’We told the Chinese national that the (state) governor wanted him to rehabilitate a 14 kilometer road at Kagoro area of Southern Kaduna, and he was to construct a seven kilometer road first, which will cost N2 billion, and we told him that we were going to get five per cent of the total cost as our share immediately he is mobilized for the contract.

‘’We also showed him contract agreements between his company and the Kaduna State Government, and he paid us the sum of N28 million. He stopped paying us more money when he realized that he had been defrauded.

“I got N15million as my share because I was the person that organized the office that was used for the job and Mayowa got N13million because he has other people including the Captain to settle.  I was the person that settled Waziri and I gave her N200, 000.  I used the rest of my money to develop my landed properties in G.R.A, Kaduna State.

‘’I also built a three bedroom flat in the same G.R.A.  I want to quit this business and I am ready to sell all my houses so that I could raise money to pay back the money I took from the Chinese man.  I feel very ashamed of myself that I got myself into this mess now that I have a grandson and I don’t want him to know that I am a fraudster.”

Rita, a native of Kagoma area of Kaduna State, said she was lured into the syndicate by her brother in-law(Garuba).

She said: “I am a trader and I sell white yam flour; I am married with a 7-year-old child. I have only school certificate.  I have never done this before and  it was my brother in-law that got me involved into this business.

‘’My brother in-law is the younger brother to my husband and he was the person that took me to where I snapped the picture at Banawa shopping complex in Kaduna State.

‘’I was also present at the office where I introduced myself as the Commissioner of Works and after we exchange pleasantries I told them that I would not be staying around and I left in  Garuba’s car to my house.

‘’Later that day, Garuba gave me the sum of N200, 000 and he didn’t tell me that the money was from the deal I did for him and I thought the money was just a gift.  I didn’t know that the Chinese man was defrauded of the sum of N30.6million.”

 By Kunle Akinrinade

A truck driver identified as Kazeem has allegedly killed his wife, Raimot, for visiting her mother.

The incident happened penultimate Monday at their residence at Agbalagada compound in Adatan area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

Sources said the couple had been engaging in scuffles following which Raimot reported Kazeem to her mother. Kazeem was said to have warned his wife against visiting her mother.

It was said that Raimot who previously had a son called Farouk with an unnamed man visited her son who lives with her mother.

The visit was said to have angered Kazeem who told Raimot on her mobile phone not to return home in her own interest for defying his order against visiting her mother.

The deceased however returned home to Kazeem, who descended on her leading to a fight.

It was in the middle of the scuffle that Kazeem subjected Raimot to brutality, dragging her on the street till she passed out.

Read Also: Truck kills eight-year-old boy in Ondo

Sources told The Nation that Kazeem on realising the consequences of his action rushed his breathless wife to a nearby hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

A source said: ‘’After a private hospital had rejected Raimot because doctors there said she was brought in dead, her husband took her to a public hospital at Ijaiye area of Abeokuta, but doctors again told him to take her body to mortuary because she was dead.

‘’Before now, she had constantly subjected his late wife to beatings and molestation, so much so that his mother in–law had to invite policemen from Adatan Division to arrest him. He however did not stop to brutalise her despite the warning by the police.

It was learnt that Kazeem lied to men of a police division at Lafenwa, Abeokuta, that Raimot died after she collapsed while fetching water in the neighbourhood.

Family members and neighbours of the deceased however explained to the police that Kazeem actually killed his wife.

It was gathered that Kazeem has since bolted without any trace, while the remains of the deceased have been buried according to Islamic injunctions.

Confirming the incident, police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi said operatives were still on the trail of Kazeem.

‘’We are still looking for the suspect, Kazeem. He rushed to the police claiming his wife had an accident. But family members of the deceased and sources in the neighbourhood later revealed that he was actually the one who allegedly beat his wife to death.

‘’ The mistake the family members made was to raise the alarm on sighting Kazeem instead of alerting the police to arrest him, which made the suspect to run away. However, we are not going to relent until we arrest him.’’

By Kunle Akinrinade

A boat snatched by suspected kidnappers from marine operatives of Ogun State Police Command at Ode Omi area of Ijebu Waterside, has been recovered.

The boat was snatched on August 11, which coincided with Salah celebration, when the hoodlums abducted a Muslim cleric and two other residents.

The recovery of the operational boat, according to the spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi was carried out by men of the command following the arrest of the suspected kidnappers few weeks ago.

Oyeyemi, in a statement said: ‘’The kidnappers stormed the community on Salah Day through the river and abducted the son of the Chief Imam of the town and took them to the creeks. They equally seized a boat belonging to the marine police and escaped with it. The victims were rescued unhurt from their abductors few days later.

Read Also: Police arraign 2 fuel attendants for allegedly stealing N100m

‘’ On August 21, policemen who have been on the trail of these hoodlums accosted them and three members of the gang were gunned down during an exchange of gunfire between them and the police , while two members of the gang were arrested alive.’’

Oyeyemi added that four other boats were recovered when the police stormed the gang’s hideout.

‘’Having decimated the gang, the Commissioner of Police , CP Bashir Makama ordered the invasion of their hideout where four boats including the police boat earlier seized by the hoodlums were recovered.

‘’The boats have since been handed over to the marine police at Ijebu Waterside.’’