The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • 10 held in Enugu for ‘vandalising’ EEDC facilities

    The war against vandals in Enugu is yielding fruit as no fewer than 10 persons suspected to have damaged and stolen facilities belonging to Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) have been arrested.

    The arrests were made betweeen August and September by government security agencies and local vigilance groups across the firm’s franchise area.

    Three of the suspects have been arraigned in court.

    This was made known to reporters by the Head of Communications, EEDC, Mr. Emeka Ezeh.

    Ezeh expressed concern over the increasing rate of vandals’ attack on the company’s installations, despite series of engagement and sensitisation to the general public on the negative effects of such attacks on its operations.

    According to him, Chigozie Nwamba, aged 24, and Chibuike Igboke, 20, who were arrested for their alleged involvement in vandalising St. Dominic 300KVA distribution substation located at Umuosum  Obinagu Udi.

    The pair were last week arraigned before the Enugu State Magistrate Court. They were later remanded in prison custody at Enugu prison, while the matter was adjourned to 2September 23, 2019.

    Read Also: ‘Sniper’ suicide averted in Enugu

    Also, a 30-year-old man identified as Moredays Ambrose, who was arrested with some quantity of transformer oil at Owerrinta, Isialla Ngwa South Local Government Area, was arraigned before the Magistrate Court of Abia State at Umuvo/Umuika, where he pleaded guilty on the first three charges, but pleaded not guilty on the fourth charge. He was subsequently remanded in prison custody, while the matter was adjourned to  September 12, 2019.

    At Ihiala, five suspected vandals were arrested by a vigilance group for being in possession of some electrical materials belonging to EEDC. The suspected vandals who claimed to come from Orizu town in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are: Sunday Nwafor, Godwin Monday, Nwafor Ikechukwu, Chinaemere Oguta and Chinonso Nwafor.

    Items said to be in their possession include: Bare conductor, Intermediate cables and Feeder Pillax box, which they claim were purchased from one Ebubechukwu Ebube and Chike Obijiekwu, who are currently at large.

    In a related development, the trio of David Okpani, Agwu Sunday Alazu and an alleged buyer of the stolen items- Siraji Abubakar were arrested through the efforts of some youths of Ukpa community in Afikpo North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, for allegedly vandalising P&T 200KVA substation, belonging to EEDC.

    “We spend millions of Naira on a monthly basis to replace and repair vandalised facilities, coupled with the revenue loss incurred by the business as a result of this challenge,” Ezeh recounted.

     

     

     

  • ‘Cultists’ raid Uyo varsity neighbourhood

    THE vicinity of University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was thrown into panic as suspected cultists raided shops in the area. Residents of Udoette and other streets near the institution ran for safety as the assailants closed in on Monday night.

    The Nation exclusively reported last week that some streets close to the university and the Uyo City Polytechnic were under siege by hoodlums suspected to be cultists.

    Our correspondent who carried out a thorough investigation on the situation mentioned Udoette and Ikot Ekang streets as well as Itu Road as the black spots in Uniuyo and Uyo City Polytechnic areas.

    The report further stated that some residents of the affected areas in Uyo, the state capital, had vacated their rented apartments while landlords were selling their houses for fear of being killed.

    In a fresh attack which occurred Monday night between 8 and 9pm, our correspondent gathered that shop owners and passers-by were attacked and robbed by the assailants.

    The Nation learnt that the gangsters started their operations from Udoette and proceeded to Itu Road collecting money, mobile  phones, drinks and other valuable items from their victims.

    A source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that Udoette is a secret cults and armed robbers zone, adding that the hoodlums normally trooped out from Udoette Lane with dangerous weapons such as axes, guns and knives.

    He stated further that from 6pm the areas are very dangerous for the residents, passers-by and shop operators.

    The source said, ”Udoette is a very dangerous area because of these cultists who are bent on robbing, raping and making life unbearable for us.

    Read Also: Gunmen raid UniUyo female hostel

    “Government should send in security men to these areas and especially Ebong Essien Street.”

    Also speaking, a businessman disclosed that the perpetrators usually hide at Essien Inyang Street after concluding their their operations.

    He expressed dismay that businesses in the affected have been adversely affected due to the high cases of insecurity.

    “We are now leaving here  in morbid fear and discomfort whereas it is not supposed to be so. As I speak we don’t have peace and we can’t move freely at night.

    “We want the government to come to our aid by sending security men to this area to protect us.

    “Cultists are not stronger than the government, so they should take immediate action concerning  the menace because  nothing  has been done positively to curb the situation,” he said.

    Efforts to reach the state police public relations officer, Odiko MacDon proved abortive as he did not respond to phone calls and text message sent to him.

  • ‘I paid N127,000 to join police’

    OPERATIVES from the Federal Capital Territory police command have arrested one Samuel Ogabiadu for impersonating a police corporal.

    The suspect was arrested in Gwarinpa area of the FCT after he was stopped by operatives and asked to introduce himself.

    The suspect who introduced himself as a policeman could not go further with his identification as he could not give his Force number or say which unit he works with.

    Narrating how he was arrested, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, DCP Sunday Babaji said: “On 30th August 2029 at about 0200hrs, Police operatives on patrol at Gwarimpa arrested one Samuel Ogabaidu for impersonating to be a police officer.

    “The suspect who was arrested while driving against traffic introduced himself to the patrol team as a Police Corporal. However, when questioned he confessed that he was not a policeman.”

    The DCP further said the command is yet to ascertain his mission and also unravel the source of the security gadgets found in his possession which include one jack knife, a fake police warrant card, improvised bullet proof vest, some security gadgets and accoutrement.

    Narrating how he was arrested, Ogabaidu said: “I am a security personnel in my project security outfit. I was coming from my duty post around 2am and I was intercepted by policemen. When they intercepted me, I introduced myself to them as a policeman who was coming back from duty.

    Narrating how he was arrested to The Nation, Ogabaidu said: “I showed them my police warrant ID card as a Corporal. I told them I was a policeman because they had already seen an ID card which had my passport on it.”

    Giving details of what led him to impersonate police, he said: “It all started in 2014 when a man told me he was an ASP. I usually meet him in Nyanya at the barracks. He told me he wanted to help me to join the police since I was interested in it.

    “I paid him N127,000 to join the police and I thought the man was genuine though I have never seen him in police uniform. I always see him wear black on black. We met four times and during those meetings, he will call some people and ask: “That thing I did for you, did it work?” and the people will respond yes. After they leave, he will now tell me that he helped them get recruitment and even promotion into the Force.

    “With the nature of conversation he had with them, I thought he was real. He gave me my ID card and promised to come later with my uniform and other kits.

    The suspect continued: “He also told me that the Nigeria Police Force have already made bus available that would convey us to Osun state where I have been posted to. He later gave me uniform and asked me to wear it and he snapped me. After three days of snapping me, he invited me and gave me the ID card but he collected the uniform from me. He also told me we would be going to Osun state the following day.

    Read Also: Police arrest ‘fake’ EFCC official in Lagos

    “On the day we were to depart to Osun, I called him and he refused to pick. When he eventually picked, he told me that I was very stupid and unserious that I was late to the departure venue. He said if I was a serious person, I would meet them in Osun State. I took the next available bus to Osun but I did not see him.”

    He also told The Nation that he has passion for uniform work though he had tried couple of times without success.

    “I would love to join the police because I love the uniform. I made attempt to join in the past but it was not fruitful. I also tried to join the Army but I was not recruited.

    “When the policemen stopped me, one of them asked for my number and the unit I belong to but I did not know the response to give because the man did not sensitize me on what to say.”

    The Police said he will be arraigned in court after investigation is concluded.

  • Housewife remanded in prison for allegedly pouring hot water on 10-month-old baby

    A Chief Magistrates’ Court, sitting in Zaria, Kaduna State, has remanded a housewife, Mrs Nnennaya Edmond in prison for allegedly pouring hot water on a nursing mother and her 10-month-old baby.

    The woman is standing trial on a two-count charge of criminal offence and causing of grievous injuries on one Gloria Cyril and her 10-month-old baby, Bright Cyril.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both the accused and the complainant are living in the same house at ECWA Church area of Wusasa, Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abubakar Aliyu-Lamido, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody and adjourned the case to Oct. 15, for the complainant to present witnesses.

    Read Also: Court sentences ex-convict to 6 months in prison for stealing car battery

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Mannir Nasir, had told the court that on Sep. 10, at about 1:00am, one Mary Ijeoma, reported the case to Danmaaji Police Division.

    He said that Ijeoma had the accused the defendant of pouring hot water on her daughter, Gloria and her 10-month-old grandson, Bright.

    The Prosecutor added that the complainant had narrated that the action caused grievous injuries on the nursing mother and baby who were rushed to St Luke’s Hospital, Wusasa for treatment.

    He said that the offence was contrary to sections 223 and 216 of the Penal Code Law 2017.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The prosecutor, then asked the court for a short adjounment to enable him present witnesses.

    (NAN)

  • NGO appeals to Imo governor to grant amnesty to condemned man

    A Non-Governmental Organisation, Global Society for Anti-Corruption (GSAC) has appealed to Imo State Governor Emeka Ihedioha to consider  granting amnesty to one Paul Egboluche who is on death row in Enugu Maximum Correctional facility.

    All convicted persons in the Southeast are taken to Enugu to serve their sentences.

    The South East/South-South Regional Director of the organisation, Mrs Amaka Nweke said Egboluche has been on death sentence since January 27, 2014 when he was convicted.

    Nweke said Egboluche, a native of Akokwa in Ideato Local Government Area of Imo State was convicted alongside his father, Celestine Egboluche.

    Read Also: Ihedioha: I have done my best in 100 days

    “Through our intervention, former governor of the state, Rochas Okorocha granted state pardon to the senior Egboluche who at the time was the oldest prison inmate in Nigeria,” she said.

    She said the senior was 100 years of age at the time of his amnesty.

    Nweke said Egboluche is the only surviving child of his father.

    “The long incarceration of the centenarian worsened his health condition due to lack of proper care. Currently, the sick old man is in admission in an Enugu-based hospital. We believe that his release will facilitate the psychological recovery and healing of his sick father,” she said.

  • Four arrested for ‘murder’ in Edo

    FOUR persons have been reportedly arrested over the murder of a woman, her daughter and her grandson.

    The victims were identified as Mrs. Alice Omorogbe aged 52, Mrs. Blessing Efe, 25, and her six-month-old baby boy.

    They were killed last week Thursday at their residence at Iguadolor community in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.

    A two-year-old daughter of the late Blessing identified as Gift Efe was spared as he was seen in the apartment where the three mutilated bodies of the victims were discovered.

    Among those arrested is Pa Iguma Amasowomwan, the Deputy Odionwere Assistant village head) of the community.

    Sources in the community said Pa Iguma was picked up by operatives of Ogida Divisional Headquarters following allegations of complicity leveled against him by the deceased’s family.

    He was interrogated at the anti-cult unit of police headquarters in Benin City, the state capital.

    Eldest son of Odionwere of Iguadolor Community, Mr Enaruna Omorogbe said the victims were the wife and children of his late brother.

    Read Also: Fire razes 15 shops in Edo

    He said the Okaighele (youth leader) of Iguadolor Community, one Perrick Egbon, recently threatened to eliminate his late brother’s wife for having the guts to report him to some elders in the community for demolishing her uncompleted building with a bulldozer.

    Egbon who denied the allegations appealed to the police and relevant authorities to unravel the killers and prosecute them.

    He said he travelled out of town and did not even know the victims.

    “All they are saying are allegations. It is not true that I killed those people.

    “The world will soon know the truth about the incident and I call on the police to investigate the matter.”

    Spokesman for Edo Police Command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments.

  • Rescuers of Bayelsa accident victims kidnapped in Rivers

    GUNMEN at the weekend abducted four travellers, who rushed to an accident scene in Elele, Rivers State, to rescue the victims.

    It was learnt that victims of the accident were persons from Bayelsa State, who were returning from a traditional wedding in Mbaise, Imo State.

    They were reportedly travelling on a Toyota Sienna car when the vehicle crashed into another.

    A popular Ijaw youth and social media activist Prince Elayo Ekete and the driver of the Sienna car were said to have died on the spot.

    Eyewitnesses travelling  from Bayelsa were said to have rushed to the scene to rescue the victims when kidnappers seized them and took them away.

    Another source said the kidnapped victims were abducted after they had successfully rushed other victims of the accident to a hospital.

    Read Also: No mosque was demolished in Rivers- Northern youths

    A source, who witnessed the incidents, said, “The wedding was attended by most social media activists from Bayelsa across political party lines. Ekete and seven others were returning from the occasion and they got to Elele when their vehicle had a head-on collision.

    “Ekete and the driver died on the spot. But five others were rushed to a hospital in the area. But four of the rescuers were abducted by kidnappers.

    “The kidnappers went to the accident scene, recovered personal effects of some of the victims and called one of the rescuers asking him to come to a particular place to collect them. When they got there, the gunmen seized them”.

    One of the injured victims of the accident, Dina Adiva, confirmed that some persons, who came to rescue them were kidnapped by unknown gunmen and prayed for their freedom.

     

     

  • Adamawa director held for ‘certificate forgery’

    The Director of Administration in Adamawa State Health Management Board (ASHMB), Halilu Abba has been taken before the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly forging a Master’s degree certificate.

    Abba is alleged to have tendered the document issued by the Adamawa State University, Mubi, in 2013, to gain promotion into the office of Director of Administration in the Board, following which the ICPC, after a complaint to it, made its investigations and found that the degree was not validly issued to him.

    Investigations showed that he had actually been a student in the university but did not complete the Master’s programme.

    Concerned citizens blew the matter open in a letter dated May 28, 2019, alerting the ICPC, which in turn wrote to the university on June 11, 2019, to verify the truth.

    The management of the university, in a letter signed by its registrar, Yahya J Bobboi, said the candidate who was of the Department of Public Administration of the Postgraduate School of the university, had MPA 7091 (Research Methodology) as outstanding carryover as of July, 2019.

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    “The statement of result issued on 4th September, 2013 was issued without the candidate completing the MPA programme,” the university said.

    The ICPC has evidently responded to the reply from the university by demanding Abba’s immediate prosecution.

    The whistleblowers are said to have told Governor Ahmadu Fintiri through the Head of Service to act appropriately, especially against a history of forgeries in government circles, including a celebrated case just before the exit of the last administration, of a secondary school leaver who, using someone else’s medical qualification, practiced for years as a doctor under the state government.

    Abba could not be reached for comment, as he repeatedly shifted requests for interview.

  • Visitor ‘rapes’ host’s daughter

    The police in Lagos have arrested a 34-year-old man Innocent Ifunayachi for allegedly drugging and raping a teenage daughter of his host.

    The suspect was said to be a family friend and had visited the family at their Bariga Lagos residence on September 11.

    He was said to have met the 14-year-old victim eating noodles and laced the staple with dried Marijuana when the teenager left her meal to get him a drink.

    The teenager was said to have returned to her meal and eaten it not knowing that it had been drugged.

    She was said to have lost consciousness afterwards and he allegedly took advantage of her.

    Similarly, the police arrested 24-year-old Dayo Maker for allegedly raping a 13-year-old girl and threatening to do same to her younger sister.

    Read Also: Police arrest ‘fake’ EFCC official in Lagos

    Maker, a resident of 26, Oresegun Street, Ilaje Bariga, was said to have conspired with one Kazeem Bello, 26, to rape the victim last November. The victim was said to have become  pregnant after the incident and was delivered of the baby five weeks ago.

    Although the girl never told anyone how she got pregnant following threats from Maker, it was gathered that she opened up to her family when the suspect threatened to rape her younger sister.

    According to police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), the suspects were arrested by detectives attached to the Family Support Unit (FSU) Bariga.

    He said the 14-year-old victim was taken to the hospital for treatment and forensic examination.

    Elkana said efforts were on to arrest Bello, who is currently at large, adding that the suspects in custody would be charged to court.

  • Council chief inaugurates road, streetlight

    THE Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Chairman Apostle Oloruntoba Oke, has assured residents of his commitment to safety of lives and zero tolerance for crime and criminality in the local government.

    He spoke on Friday at the commissioning of streetlights on two major roads, launched two school buses and inaugurated one of the roads constructed by his administration.

    Oke, while commissioning the streetlights on Barrister Kunle Fadipe Street (formerly General Hospital Road), off College Road, Ifako, stated that his administration took a decision to illuminate the  area to prevent incidences of bags and cars snatching, as well as armed robbery attacks on unsuspecting members of the public under the cover of darkness.

    He said, “Besides this road being host to one of the foremost secondary hospitals in the state, we decided to light up this road, to arrest cases of  bags and cars snatching, armed  robbery attacks in the area. It is our believe that with this area well illuminated especially at night, it would not only complement the illumination done by the state government on the Jonathan Coker/College Road, and with this entire area fully illuminated, residents and commuters would feel safer.”

    Launching the two 49-seater capacity school buses for pupils of the council, after inaugurating the streetlights, the council boss said; “the reason for the project was to further boost education and relief parents and guardians especially of public school pupils of the burdens of having to provide transport for their children/ward”, adding that his administration would continue to give education the desired priority.

    He said the buses, which would ply the two entry points of the council, which is Agege and Ishaga, would not discriminate between pupils of public or private schools.

    At Moshalashi Alao Street, where Oke commissioned both the road and streetlights, he said it’s the fulfilment of his electioneering campaigns to the people of the area, saying that; “the whole essence of governance is to give people what they want and motivate them to perform their civic obligations to the government.” He added that  in a couple of weeks, the ongoing road construction in Eyiowuawi Street, would  be delivered while pledging to also work on Omomo Street and others as soon as possible.

    The Baale of Ibari, Chief  Akeem Muraina, who amongst other residents  lauded the chairman for living up to his promise and their expectations, pledged to ensure the safety of the facilities put in their domains.