The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Vigilance group members held for undergraduate’s alleged murder

    The police in Ogun State have arrested three members of a local vigilance group called Yaluwon, for the alleged murder of 24-year-old Ahmed Obisanwo, an Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State (OOU) student.

    Obisanwo was alleged to have been killed by the trio on August 9, after they apprehended him and his friend on the accusation that they were cultists.

    It was gathered that the local ‘vigilantes’, including Idowu Ayodele alias Olori Odo, Segun Ogunbanwo (Kikisore) and Salisu Akeem had that claimed they were taking the students to Ijebu-Igbo Police Division, but later released the other young man.

    The suspects allegedly killed Obisanwo and threw his body into the Osun River.

    Their arrest, it was learnt, followed a petition to Police Commissioner Bashir Makama by the boy’s father, Mr. Surakat Obisanwo, alleging that his son had not been seen since his arrest on August 9.

    He said the local guards were asked and they claimed that they took the young men to the police station, whereas, checks at the station showed that they were never taken there.

    Read Also: Four feared killed as suspected cultists resume clash   

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the commissioner ordered the anti-cultism unit to investigate and unravel the mystery behind the young man’s disappearance based on the strength of the petition.

    He said technical and forensic investigation tactics were deployed and the detectives established that the young men accused of being members of Eiye cult by the ‘vigilantes’ were never taken to the police station.

    “Instead, the security men released one of them and killed the other one who was the petitioner’s son. After killing him, they removed his clothes and threw the body into Osun River for it to flow into the lagoon.

    “Four locally-made double barrel guns, 10 live cartridges, an axe, a native dagger and one jacket with security inscription on it were recovered from them. Efforts are on to arrest other members of the group connected with the case,” Oyeyemi said.

  • Suspected cultists kill man

    A 48-year old man has been shot dead by gunmen at Edjophe community in Ughelli South Council Area of Delta State.

    The Nation learnt that the incident occurred on Tuesday evening.

    The deceased, Johnson Taiga, was reportedly killed while visiting his friend simply identified as Asatweh.

    It was gathered that the eight-man gang stormed the area and shot into the air to scare residents. They later descended on their victim, killing him.

    The deceased, said to be the elder brother of the Chairman of Delta State chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Prince Kehinde Taiga, was reportedly shot and hacked to death with a machete.

    Read Also: Four feared killed as suspected cultists resume clash   

    An eyewitness said the hoodlums stormed the area on motorcycles, causing panic and went to where their target was sitting with his friend.

    Commenting on the brutal murder of his elder brother, Taiga decried the activities of cultists and other criminals at Udu and Ughelli, saying the police should tighten security.

    Police Commissioner Adeyinka Adeleke confirmed the incident.

    He said investigation was on, adding that the suspects would be arrested.

  • Pastor ‘stabs’ mum to death

    A 30-year-old man on Tuesday allegedly stabbed his mother,

    Mrs. Grace Anaka, to death at Ifite Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.

    The suspect, Nwabueze Anaka, said to be a pastor in one of the new generation churches in the area, allegedly committed the crime at the family compound in the early hours of Tuesday.

    Read Also: Man stabs mum to death in Mushin

    The Nation gathered that the suspect took to his heels immediately he allegedly killed his mother.

    The reason for the dastardly act could not be ascertained last night.

    Confirming the incident, police spokesman Haruna Mohammed said the deceased was stabbed with a dagger.

    He said the case was being investigated, while efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspect.

  • ‘I killed my landlady out of provocation’

    The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a 39-year-old man, Tunmise Abraham, who allegedly raped and strangled his landlady, Mrs. Bukola Olanrewaju, in Ado-Ekiti.

    The deceased, a 39-year-old tailor and mother of three, was killed last Thursday in her home at Olorunda area of Ado-Ekiti by Tunmise, who hailed from Ikole-Ekiti.

    Police Commissioner Mr. Asuquo Amba said Tunmise was arrested at a church in Akure, the Ondo State capital, after linking up with the family.

    “The suspect, after committing the offence, ran to Akure. He hid in a church and that was where he was arrested.

    “He had called his family and told them why he did not come to their place. He said he had killed somebody in Ado-Ekiti.

    “We have already done our homework and gathered that her sister is selling chemicals. Detectives had to trick her that they wanted to buy something from her. It was her sister who later led us to where he was,” Amba said.

    He said the suspects would be prosecuted to act as a deterrent to others.

    Read Also: My landlady sent me packing for greeting her `enemy’ – tenant tells court

    Confessing that he actually committed the crime, Tunmise said he did it out of provocation.

    He said the deceased had allegedly provoked him over a disagreement on rent with the husband of the woman, Mr. Raphael Olanrewaju, an indigene of Igogo- Ekiti from Moba Local Government.

    He denied the accusation that he raped the landlady to death, explaining that he only hit her on the head with a big stick before making efforts to tie her hands to make her weak during a fisticuff.

    “I called her that day that I wanted to leave the house after paying N23,000 in June and this will last till next year May for one year rent and I said  that the husband needed to refund part of my money to get another apartment, but the woman said that would never happen.

    “We started the argument and she called me names. She abused me by calling me derogatory names, which angered me. She later held my clothes and I slapped her and pushed her away from me.

    “The woman then came with a stick and I overpowered her and collected the stick, which I used to hit her on the head and she fell.

    “When I realised that she had died, I became worried and escaped to a church in Akure.”

    The deceased’s husband, Raphael, said the disagreement he had with the suspect was resolved when his family paid N23,000 rent, comprising the new and backlog of debt he owed.

    “He had a misunderstanding with my wife, but it was settled. I never knew he had the intention to kill her. He killed my wife around 11am when everybody had left home.

    “It was my daughter who discovered that he was the one who did it. When the police came to search his room, we saw a lot of incriminating goods that suggested that he was an armed robbery. I never knew I was harbouring a robber.

    “All I want is justice,” Raphael said.

  • ‘How CMD was abducted in Edo’

    Details have emerged on how the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbeni, was abducted.

    The Nation learnt that Okogbeni was kidnapped by gunmen, who blocked his car at the Ramat Park in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State.

    Two policemen were killed and their guns carted away, while drivers of the two vehicles in his convoy escaped with bullet wounds.

    The two policemen were identified as Sergeants Odion Jonathan Ajibola and Etinosa Erhuegbea, both of Irrua Police Divisional Headquarters.

    Read Also: ‘Nabbed suspected kidnapper of toddlers is a specialist’  

    An eyewitness, who was controlling traffic at Ramat Park, said the attackers wore police uniforms and T-shirts.

    He said the operation lasted for about six minutes, adding that the shooting made everyone to run for safety.

    The source said the gunmen riddled the Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) of Okogbeni with bullets before taking him away in their car.

    Police sources said the two drivers in their brief said they first saw their attackers at Ehor town.

    The driver of the abducted CMD, Mr. Edewele Thadeus, said the vehicles started trailing them from a bad spot at Ehor town, but they didn’t realise that the occupants had criminal motives.

    He said the CMD was on his way to catch an Abuja bound flight where he was expected to attend a conference.

    Police spokesman Chidi Nwabuzor said information about the incident was still sketchy, “but the command has begun investigation.”

  • Teenager killed at ex-Speaker’s home

    Gunmen have shot dead a 20-year-old man, Aondowase Tagher, at the Northbank home of the first Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, the late Him Ayua Num, in Makurdi.

    The Nation learnt that the incident occurred on Sunday night.

    The hoodlums, about 30, reportedly stormed the Federal Low Cost Housing Unit Northbank home of the late Speaker at about 10:30pm.

    Narrating the incident, the son of the late Speaker, Mr. Cosmos Num, told The Nation that he was sleeping in his house at a different location within the Federal Housing Low Cost Housing Estate when he was called on the phone that gunmen had invaded his father’s house.

    Read Also: Death toll in attacks on Benue communities hits nine

    Num said the incident shocked him, adding that his mother, Mrs. Patricia Àyua Num, narrowly escaped death, as the gunmen shot directly on the window side of her bedroom, but the bullets missed target.

    He said the incident was an attempt to kill his mother.

    Num urged security agencies to fish out the killers of his cousin and bring them to book, to act as a deterrent to others.

    Police spokesperson Kate Sewuese Anene confirmed the incident.

    She said investigation has begun.

  • Missing High Court judge found

    A missing Federal High Court judge, Idrissa Saleh, has been found.

    The judge, who was declared missing last weekend, was found at Nyanya in Abuja.

    Read Also: Anxiety over whereabouts of FHC judge

    Confirming to The Nation in a phone conversation, FCT Command spokesman Anjuguri Manzah said: “The man was missing, but we can confirm to you that he has been found. He was found on Tuesday at a filling station at Nyanya area of Abuja. “It was, however, unclear whether the judge was found by operatives of the command, as Manzah refused to comment further on the matter.

    Manzah, however, stated that the judge’s disappearance had nothing to do with kidnapping.

    The judge went missing after he allegedly discharged himself from a hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

  • Housewife ‘kills’ husband to remarry ex-hubby

    A housewife in Bagudo Local Government Area of Kebbi State has allegedly killed her husband so that she can remarry her former husband.

    The police said the housewife, whose name was given as Auta Dogo Singe, conspired with Garba Hassan and Sahabi Garba at Sabon Gari village, Illo district area of Bagudo to kill her husband, Abdullahi Shaho, to enable her remarry her former husband.

    Briefing reporters on Tuesday at the command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, Police Commissioner Garba Muhammed Danjuma said the woman’s ex-husband was Idris Garba, a resident of Tugar Bature village at Illo district area of the local government.

    Read Also: ‘My husband slapped me for asking him to wash plates’

    He said the housewife and the two men she conspired with have been arrested. “They will soon appear in court,” the CP added.

    He said Yahuza Ibrahim of Gotomo village in Argungu, Murtala Abdullahi, Malam Nasiru and Dansilami, who were at large, forcefully entered the home of Adamu Yaro with weapons at Kalgo area of the state and robbed him of his motorcycle valued at N253,000 and other valuables.

    Danjuma said “The command SARS and Puff Adder personnel attached to Kalgo division investigated the incident and the suspects were arrested at their hideouts.”

  • Man arraigned for alleged threat to kill priest

    39-year-old man, Yemi Falana, has been arraigned at an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ekiti State for alleged threat to kill a priest.

    Prosecuting Inspector Johnson Okunade said the defendant committed the offence on August 22, 2018 around 12pm at Araromi Obo in Igbemo-Ekiti.

    He said: “The defendant threatened to kill Rev. Father Theophilus Olaiya with a knife.

    The defendant also caused a breach of the peace with his attitude on the Rev. Father, which made him commit an offence contrary to Section 86 (2) of the Criminal Code, Cap C 16, Laws of Ekiti State 2012.”

    Chief Magistrate Aderopo Adegboye granted the defendant N200,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    The case was adjourned till September 18.

  • Navy impounds rice-laden boats

    Operatives of the Nigerian Navy (NN) have seized two wooden boats laden with 502 bags of rice in Akwa Ibom State.

    The items, valued at over N10million, were said to have brought to 919 the total number of bags of rice intercepted by the Navy this month and 9,489 since January.

    The Director, Naval Information, Commodore Suleiman Dahun, said the arrest was made by the operatives attached to the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Ibaka around Parrot Island waterways and Mbo River.

    “During the operation, nine suspects were arrested, three outboard engines and two pumping machines were seized,” he said.

    Read Also: Navy transfers suspected oil thieves to EFCC

    Dahun said the Naval Headquarters (NHQ) hailed the sustained efforts of the base in checking smuggling, urging it to continue to stamp out illegalities.

    “In a related development, FOB FORMOSO has handed over an impounded barge EBIZARH and a tug boat HEBIZARH with three crew members to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    “The two vessels were impounded at the Nigerian Agip Oil Company Terminal in Brass, Bayelsa State, for conveying 600 metric tonnes of suspected illegally refined AGO,” he said in a statement yesterday.