The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Abductors kill dog after missing target

    Suspected kidnappers have killed a dog at the home of their target after they discovered that she was not at home.

    The abductors were said to have overpowered a security personnel on night duty identified as Abubakar Aminu and ordered him to lead them to their target, Mrs. Emily Owie.

    Family sources said the gunmen killed the dog out of frustration and tied up the guard.

    The husband of the lucky woman, Mr. Parry Owie, told reporters that he was yet to come to terms why his wife was targeted.

    Read Also: Police nab 1,154 suspected kidnappers in 8 months

    He said his wife had been a victim of several kidnap attempts and robbery attacks, which made her to lose a 12- week-old pregnancy.

    Owie said his wife was first kidnapped in 2010 alongside their three months old baby and her younger sister after which he paid N3million ransom.

    He said his wife was abducted again in 2014 near a supermarket at Ugbor in Benin City when she went for shopping, adding that she spent three days in captivity.

    He said she was released after payment of ransom.

    Owie said he and his family had gone underground for fear of being attacked or kidnapped.

    He said the matter has been reported at the anti- kidnapping section of the Edo State Police Command for investigation.

  • Guard charged with stealing N12m

    A guard, Asimiyu Lawal, was on Tuesday arraigned at an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, for allegedly stealing N12million from the safe of a hospital in Mushin, Lagos, property of his employer, Dr. Ayantola Oladipo.

    Lawal, of 6, Olawoye Street, off Kola bus stop, Alagbado, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of constructive damage and stealing preferred against him by the police before Magistrate Mrs. A. A. Runsewe.

    Prosecuting Inspector Jimoh Joseph alleged that the defendant committed the offence on the premises of the hospital on May 16, at about 12am, at 26, Fagbenro Street, Idi-Araba, Mushin.

    Read Also: Teenager jailed three months for stealing fowl

    He alleged that the defendant, with intent to steal, damaged one office safe valued at N300,000, property of  Dr. Oladipo.

    Joseph alleged that the defendant stole N12million from the safe of a specialist hospital.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Runsewe granted him N1million bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She said the sureties must be employed, show evidence of tax payment to Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified.

    The case continues on September 25.

  • Gunmen abduct governor’s aide’s mum

    Gunmen on Tuesday stormed Danladin Gumel town in Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area of Jigawa State and kidnapped the 70-year-old mother of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Political Affairs, Alhaji Yahaya Muhammed Bigman.

    The Nation gathered that the hoodlums arrived the village in large number on motorcycles, went to the home of the old woman and took her away to an unknown place.

    Read Also: Gunmen kill Catholic priest in Taraba state

    Police Commissioner Bala Zama Senchi confirmed the incident on the phone, saying: “Yes, it is true, we are on the matter.”

    He said operatives had been deployed in neighbouring towns and villages to locate the hiding place of the kidnappers.

    Senchi said the abductors have contacted the family for ransom.

  • Sales reps arraigned for ‘displaying stolen N10m rings online’

    Two sales representatives of a jewellery accessories shop, Innocent Erim and Emmanuel Ndukwe, were on Tuesday arraigned at an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly stealing 2000 rings worth N10million from their employer, Sherifat Mohammed.

    Erim, 27, and Ndukwe, 29, of no fixed addresses, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing before Magistrate Mrs. K. K. Awoyinka.

    Prosecuting Corporal Godspower Ehizoba said the theft occurred between February 2017 and March 2019 while they were still employees of the jewellery shop located at Shop 6, Estate Mall, Femi Okunnu/Jakande roundabout, Lekki Phase 3, Lagos.

    Read Also: Two unemployed men bags six months in prison for stealing food items

    Ehizoba said the defendants conspired among themselves to commit the offence.

    He alleged that the stolen rings belonged to the complainant, Sherifat.

    The prosecutor said the theft was discovered when one of them displayed the rings online.

    He said when the complainant reported the matter at the Bar Beach Police Station, Lagos, the defendants were arrested and 119 rings were recovered from them.

    Not satisfied with the investigation, the prosecutor said the complainant petitioned Area ‘A’ Command, Lion Building Police Station, Lagos Island and another investigation was launched, which led to the recovery of additional 1500 rings.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Awoyinka granted the accused N300,000 bail each, with two sureties each in the like sum.

    She said the sureties must provide a minimum account balance of N300,000, show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified.

    She adjourned the case till September 11.

  • PDP national youth leader ‘kidnapped’

    The National Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Sunday Udeh Okoye, has been allegedly abducted.

    Okoye was alleged to have been kidnapped on Monday evening on his farm at Ohumagu, Agbogugu in Enugu State, by suspected herdsmen.

    Read Also: PDP knocks Buhari over escalating insecurity

    The national leadership of the PDP was yet to react to the news of the abduction, as our correspondent’s repeated calls to its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, early yesterday were not answered.

    An SMS sent to Ologbondiyan seeking to know if the leadership of the party had been officially informed about the kidnap was also not replied.

  • EFCC nabs 60 Internet fraud suspects

    The Uyo Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested over 60 Internet fraudster suspects and secured 37 convictions since its operation in Akwa Ibom State.

    The commission’s Zonal Head in Uyo, Mr. Garba Dugum, disclosed this on Tuesday at a news briefing in Uyo.

    He spoke about the collaboration between the commission and America’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the fight against cybercrimes.

    Dugum, represented by his deputy, Alex Ebbah, said the zonal office was acting according to the directives of its acting Chairman, Ibrahim Magu.

    He said Magu had given a marching order, which motivated them to launch an independent raid against the suspected fraudsters, culminating in strategic raids and onslaught on their hideouts.

    Read Also: EFCC recovers $690,400, N550m from suspects in Kano

    Dugum said: “In furtherance to the acting chairman’s directive to the zones, we have launched intensive investigative actions against this infamous ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’, culminating in strategic raids and onslaught on their hideouts.

    “Our efforts have recorded tremendous success, which resulted in over 60 arrests, 37 convictions and recovery of a number of posh cars and properties suspected to have been acquired through the proceeds of the crime.”

    He said the commission has gone beyond arrest, investigation, prosecution and conviction of Internet fraudsters to prevention of the act by embarking on sensitisation programmes to educate youths on the implication and the need to stay away from the crime.

    Dugum hailed the collaboration with FBI and other international law enforcement agencies in the fight against Internet fraudsters, saying his office has received about 20 cases of Internet fraud reported by the FBI through the United States Department of Justice.

    He said his office through such collaborations had received over 20 cases of Internet fraud reported directly by the FBI through the United States Department of Justice, some of which are under investigation.

    He listed the cases received through Mutual Legal Assistance by other international law enforcement agencies to include five from Hong Kong Police, five from Danish and Norwegian police and four from Israeli police.

    Others include three from Austrian police, one from Swedish police, one from Zambian police and another from Bulgarian police.

    He said the investigation of the cases had resulted in seven arrests involving a whopping sum of money in foreign currencies, which the fraudsters defrauded their victims.

  • Robbers attack The Nation driver near soldiers’ checkpoint

    Armed robbers on Monday attacked The Nation driver, Mr. Akinyele Adebayo, at Moro junction, near Ile-Ife in Osun State.

    He was attacked around 12pm while returning to Lagos from Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State.

    The incident, Adebayo said, occurred a few metres to a military checkpoint.

    He wondered why the military personnel, who mounted roadblock nearby, allowed the robbers to operate freely.

    “I suspect connivance between the military personnel and the robbers. The place the soldiers mounted a roadblock is not up to two minutes’ drive to where the robbers operated freely,” Adebayo said.

    The robbers, he said, used cattle as a decoy to attack drivers.

    Read Also: Suspected robbers cart away valuables in Oyo schools

    “There were cattle on the side of the road. I slowed down and on getting towards the place, the three robbers used their motorcycles to block the road. Before I could get to them, they came down and brought out sticks and cutlasses. So I tried to manoeuvre my car so as to go, but before I could, they broke my side mirror,  windscreen and damaged the bonnet. I didn’t stop; all I just wanted to do was to escape from them because I know that is where they rob people.

    “When I got to the front, I discovered that the road had been blocked with tyres and big sticks and some people were there, but they were not in uniform. They were about five. I looked back and saw the three men coming with their motorcycles.  They met me there and ordered me to stop and open the door.

    “I just managed to climb the tyres and sticks and drove away. Within the next two minutes, I got to another place where some soldiers mounted a roadblock. They just checked my vehicle and allowed me to go. I didn’t bother to make a report to them because I sensed that they might be working together. Other drivers have been saying they are working together. So if they could pursue me to the first roadblock, I also believe that they can pursue me even to where the soldiers are,” Adebayo said.

    He said the experience was his first since driving on that road.

    The driver said the robbers spoke English and Yoruba languages.

    “I don’t think they are herdsmen or people from the North. They just used the cattle as a decoy. They spoke in English and some also spoke Yoruba fluently,” he said.

    He appealed to the government to draft policemen to monitor the road, putting the cost of damage done to his vehicle at N50,000.

  • Court slams N.5m damages on ExxonMobil worker

    An Uyo High Court in Akwa Ibom State, presided over by Justice Margaret-Mary Udoma, has ordered Ms Mfon Abia to pay N500,000 to Mrs. Regina Udobong, the former manager, Public and Government Affairs, Joint Venture Operations of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, (MPNU),  as damages for libel.

    Justice Udoma, delivering judgment in Suit No: HU/375/2018 between Udobong and Abia, also ordered Ms Abia to write and publish a written apology to Mrs. Udobong in the same social media, the LinkedIn Online Professional Platform.

    The judge asked Ms Abia to pay N50,000 as cost of action.

    Read Also: Diezani paid $865,300 cash for jewellery, EFCC tells Court

    She said: “In the interest of justice pursuant to Order 20 Rules 1 and 9 of the High Civil Procedure Rule 2009 of Akwa Ibom State and the Supreme Court decision in the case of Banna Vs Telepower Nig Ltd (2007,144 LRCN pg.440 at 455 ratio), the instant motion on notice of 13/6/2019 is granted.”

    The judge ruled that the defendant (Abia) was guilty of falsely and maliciously publishing libellous materials concerning Udobong on social media in the LinkedIn Online Professional Platform to the entire world, read by numerous persons within and outside Nigeria.

    Udobong had sued Abia (a separated employee of the company in 2016) for allegedly denigrating her person and character, through sundry social media attacks between October 26, 2018 and November 4, 2018.

  • APP national chair arraigned for alleged forgery

    The National Chairman of the Action Alliance Party (APP), Kenneth Udeze, was on Monday arraigned at a Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo, Osun State, for alleged conspiracy and forgery.

    The accused was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, alteration and forgery.

    The police prosecutor from the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General, AIG Zone X1, Mr. James Famuyini, told the court that the accused conspired with others at large to forge documents of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and thereby committed an offence.

    The accused was also alleged to have altered the INEC document and presented same to the commission during the governorship primary election in Osun State last year.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Read Also: UPDATED: Court remands AA Nat’l chairman, Udeze in prison

    Defence counsel Wemimo Animasahun urged the court to grant his client bail in self recognition, noting that he is a lawyer of 15 years at the bar.

    He prayed the court to grant the accused bail in the most liberal term, promising that he would not jump bail.

    The police prosecution opposed the bail for the accused person, saying he has been evading arrest for more than one year.

    Ruling, Magistrate Rofiyat Olayemi, who noted that the offences are bailable, said bail is a constitutional right of the accused.

    She granted the accused N200,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Olayemi said one of the sureties must be a civil servant not below level 5 and must be resident in Osun State.

    She added that the second surety must be an indigene of Imo State where the accused hailed from and must live in Osun State.

    The judge adjourned the case till November 5.

  • Three rape suspects remanded

    Three students of the Ondo State College of Health Technology, Akure, who allegedly raped a female student of the institution, on Monday appeared at a Magistrates’ Court in Akure.

    The suspects, Adeboboye Damilola, Blessing Michael and Eyitayo Charles were arraigned by the police following their alleged involvement in the rape of the victim from the Environmental Health Technician department.

    The accused, who allegedly committed the crime last month at “Barristers Lodge,” Olofinlade Layout, Oda Road, Akure were arraigned on an eight-count charge, which borders on armed robbery, rape, cultism and illegal possession of firearms.

    Read Also: Suspected hoodlums rape 16-yr-old girl to death

    The suspects were also alleged to have before the incident, raped a student of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and attempted to forcefully have carnal knowledge of another woman, Miss Oladele Damilola.

    Besides, the defendants were alleged to have robbed Israel Segun and Adedayo Foluso of their money, phones and laptops at gunpoint.

    Police prosecutor Mr. Abdulateef Suleiman, who sought the remand of the accused in prison custody, was countered by counsel to the second defendant as well as counsel to the first and third defendants, Messrs. Banjo Ayelakin and Olutoye Adeyanju, as they argued that they were served with the application a few hours before the court proceeding.

    They prayed the court to adjourn the case to enable them study the application properly.

    Ruling, Magistrate Mrs. Victoria Bob-Manuel admitted the prayer of the counsel and ordered the remand of the accused in police custody.

    She adjourned the case till September 5.