The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Gas cylinder leaks, kills two kids locked inside mum’s shop

    A pall of grief descended on Wasiu Ojulari Street in Orile-Iloye area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, after two siblings were found dead inside a shop.

    It was said that the children died in their sleep after a leaked cylinder released gas into the shop.

    The incident, according to sources happened on Thursday May 2, when the unidentified minors; a boy aged 15 his sister, aged 8, were found lifeless inside the shop belonging to their mother.

    Sources said the mother of the minors who rented the shop about three months was fond of locking her children up inside the shop when going out.

    ‘’On Wednesday May 1, the woman we gathered left for a vigil at an undisclosed church and locked up her children inside the shop, where she sells food,’’ said a source who asked not to be named.

    ‘’Unfortunately, a gas cylinder she kept inside the shop leaked and killed the children before she returned in the wee hours of Thursday, ‘’the source added.

    A resident of the area , identified simply as Akanni told our correspondent that the bereaved woman was fond of  locking the children inside her shop where she sells food.

    ‘’Unfortunately, the gas cylinder she kept in the shop started leaking while the children were asleep and they apparently died from inhaling the gas fume. It was when she returned in the morning that she found them dead after she forcibly entered the shop when she knocked on the door of the shop and got no response from her children    .

    ‘’ The fathers of the deceased children later evacuated their bodies for burial after the incident was reported to the police.’’

    Contacted, the spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the incident was reported to Sango Division,

  • Residents cry out over ritual killings in Ondo communities

    Residents of Akoko in  Ondo state have cried out over rising cases of ritual killings in the four local government areas of the section of the state.

    No fewer than six women  have been killed recently by suspected ritualists in the area.

    The  killing of an 80-year old woman, Mrs Kojusola Mogaji from the famous Mogaji family in Arigidi-Akoko last week has created panic and apprehension in the ancient town.

    Residents condemned the dastardly act, describing it as heinous.

    The octogenarian was  murdered and her breasts removed by yet-to-be-identified persons suspected to be ritual killers.

    A one- time Vicar-in-Charge of St Lukes Anglican Church, Imo-Arigidi, where the deceased worshipped until she was gruesomely killed, Revd Canon Isaac Awowole and his wife described the late woman as a committed member of the church.

    He noted that perpetrators of this evil act would meet their waterloo for spilling human blood.

    A younger brother of  the deceased, Vincent Sunday, described his sister as an asset to the family.

    He said the victim  was a mother of five who raised her children in Christian way .

    He urged security agents to do the needful and fish out the perpetrators of the dastard act.

    Another family member of the deceased, Mrs Kehinde Adewumi, urged community leaders to put an end to ritual killings in Arigidi community.

    The chairman of Akoko Northwest Local Government, Elder Samson Akande, who paid a condolence visit to the bereaved family of the late octogenarian assured that government would get to the root of the killings.

  • Poly student allegedly kills self with insecticide

    A final year student of Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Damilola Adewara has allegedly killed herself by drinking insecticide called Sniper.

    The incident, according to sources, happened two months to the end of her studies on April 27, 2019.

    Sources who spoke with The Nation described her death as shocking adding that nobody knew why she decided to take her own life.

    She was  a final year National Diploma (ND) Computer Science student.

    Her school mates expressed shock as they took to the social media, especially Facebook to mourn her.

    Read also: NUT condemns killings, abduction of school officials, students in Zamfara

    One of her close    friends identified as Yetunde Oluwatobi Omidiji, said  Damilola left no clue for her friends to know before deciding to take her life in such a manner .

    ‘’U really made me dumbfounded when I heard your death. How could u take your own life unto what. Suicide is not the solution to our problems. I still can’t believe u re gone,’’ she said.

    Another friend of the deceased, Mhiz Khadeejah Abiodun, wrote:’’RIP to my bestie for life, my roomie, gist partner still can’t believe you are gone. I can’t hold the tears back. It wasn’t fair that your life had to end. I will always keep you in my heart. May Almighty Allah Grant you Al-janat firdauis. Adewara Damilola Blessings is gone oooo. My Harikeade is gone.’’

  • EFCC arraigns graduate over alleged $6000 internet fraud

    A graduate of insurance from the Polytechnic Ibadan, Akeredolu Oluwafemi Temidayo, was yesterday arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division for  alleged involvement in internet fraud.

    Akeredolu (a.k.a. Susan Henderson) was arrested by operatives of the Ibadan zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, possession of fraudulent documents and forgery.

    The offence, according to the charge sheet, contravened Sections 1, 2 and 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

    The commission alleged that the accused had been posing online as a woman under the name Susan Henderson through which he fraudulently obtained gift cards worth $300  from one Ross Kirkley.

    Read also: EFCC accuses businessman of stealing $59,220 erroneous transfer

    It further stated that investigations carried out after his arrest revealed that the accused had obtained sundry amounts netting about $6000 from other unsuspecting victims using the same gimmick.

    Akeredolu pleaded not guilty.

    The EFCC’s counsel, Mabas Mabur, prayed the court for a trial date and an order to remand the accused in prison custody.

    Akeredolu’s counsel, Toyese Owoade, however, moved an oral application praying the court to admit him to bail or be returned to the EFCC custody.

    Mabur, however, opposed both prayers, arguing that since the defendant was already before the court, it was only appropriate that he was remanded in prison custody.

    The presiding judge adjourned the case to May 17 for trial and presentation of formal bail application for consideration, while the accused was remanded in prison.

  • 47-yr-old abandoned cancer patient seeks N5m for surgery

    A 47-year-old cancer patient, Mrs Yinka Popoola, has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance to enable her undergo surgery in a hospital in India.

    Popoola, who had been battling with facial tumour for eight years, needs a sum of N5million for the surgical operation.

    She  has been under the care of a charity organisation, Solomon for Jesus Foundation, after she was allegedly abandoned by her husband and five children.

    Her face has become disproportionately bigger as a result of the disease.

    A medical report issued by doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi Araba, Mushin, describes her medical condition as malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the face.

    The corrective surgery is expected to be carried out at Fortis Memorial Research Hospital in India.

    Donations can be forwarded to  account number 0102312594 opened in her name at Access Bank.

     

  • Ogun Police launch ‘Operation Puff Adder’

    To ensure adequate security of lives and property in the State, the Commissioner of Police (CP) in Ogun State, Bashir Makama has launched ‘Operation Puff Adder’.

    The launch of the special crime combat operation is in line with the operational directive of the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu towards ensuring adequate security across the country.

    The commissioner said the police  in the state will not tolerate any form of breakdown of law and order in the state.

    He said the operation became necessary in order to assure investors of safe environment to operate and invest in Ogun State.

    Makama warned policemen in the State to exhibit professionalism when carrying out their duties and warned that he would not condone any act of indiscipline.

    He noted that cultism, ritual killings and kidnapping are some of the major crimes in the State.

    The police boss assured residents that the new special operation would reduce crimes to its barest minimum and warned those planning to engage in criminal activities to desist from it.

  • Abia CP says extra-judicial killings, lawlessness among police personnel shameful

    The Abia State Police Commissioner ,Mr Ene Okon, yesterday  decried the rate of extra-judicial killings and lawlessness among the police operatives, saying the development has brought shame to the Police Force.

    Addressing officers and men of Eziama Divisional Police Station in the Aba Area Command,Okon warned the police operatives to be cautious with the handling of their fire arms in order not to become victims of its mis use.

    He said: “We are suffering from self-inflicted injury. We have deflated our ego.

    “We have become subject of ridicule because this gun they bought for us to protect people, we’ve turned to use it for killing innocent people.

    “In one or two weeks in Lagos, police killed about four innocent persons and some in a bizarre manner.”

    The police boss recounted how some unscrupulous police operatives abused their power, citing the recent killing of a girl who was allegedly returning from a club.

    Read also: Ogun Police launch ‘Operation Puff Adder’

    He wondered when going to club became a crime in Nigeria and warned operatives against indiscriminate arrest and attack on innocent citizens.

    “The gun you should use against  kidnappers and armed robbers, you now  use to kill innocent persons.

    “This is happening often. By doing this, you are carving a bad image for the police and yet we have a law guiding the use of fire arms’’.

    He reminded them that the first day they joined the police, they were told about Force Order 237, which guides policemen on the use of fire arms.

    He frowned at the attitude of some policemen, who usually fire shots into the air during an arrest, adding that there was no need for such wastes.

    “Even when you are on the range, you’ll always be told to aim your fire on the knee.

    “But your own knee has disappeared as all you now see is the heart and head.

    “You neglect the existence of Force Order 237 and so I think you must be taught again, if you still don’t understand it.

    “I don’t want to hear accidental discharge here in Abia. Extra-judicial killings must be avoided because it dents police image.”

    He admonished officers and men of the command to be civil with members of the public and treat them with courtesy so that they would get the same respect from the public in return.

  • NURTW chieftain evicted us from my husband’s house, demolished building

    A 57-year-old woman, Mrs Shade Raji, has blamed the police authorities for failing to arrest a suspect who allegedly unlawfully demolished her husband’s house at No 7, Adelere Street, Shomolu, Lagos State.

    She accused one Mr. Femi Akinboyeku of using suspected cultists to chase her and her husband out of their house before demolishing the building.

    The woman, who works as a cleaner with the Lagos State Government, said that her family ran into trouble with Akinboyeku when one of her sons, who is a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) had a clash with him and he ordered him to leave the area.

    She said the NURTW chieftain also accused her family of giving out information about his activities within the area to their son. Hence, on December 17, 2018, Akinboyeku allegedly chased out all the tenants in the 16-room apartment before pulling down the building.

    She disclosed that the matter was reported to both Onipanu Police Station and Area H Police Command Ogudu, but the suspect was not arrested.

    She claimed that she was told by policemen attached to the stations that Akinboyeku was very powerful and that he cannot be arrested by men of the division.

    The distraught woman also said she wrote a petition to the Lagos State Attorney General’s office, following which the suspect was invited but he did not honour the invitation.

    “I am a cleaner. I work for the Lagos State Government. I am part of the team sweeping the expressway.   I am married to Billi Aminu Raji, who is the owner of the building at number 7 Adelere Street, Shomolu.

    ‘’My trouble started two years ago when my son came to me and said that Akinboyeku had chased him out of his place of work at Jibowu.

    ‘’I asked my son what the issue was and my son said Akinboyeku was angry that he had built a house and also bought a car. I told my son to leave the job; that God would give him another one.

    Read also: Ajimobi warns NURTW against violence in change of leadership

    ‘’On May 13, 2017, my son and I were in front of our house discussing and Femi (Akinboyeku) came with his men and asked my son to leave my house and never to return to our area, where he was born, or he would kill him.

    ‘’My son left quietly, and out of fear, I couldn’t talk to him. These threats against my life and that of my family continued until August.

    “To my greatest surprise, that same year, five boys came to my house with guns and they arrested my husband and took him to Femi’s office and forced my sick husband to do a video calling my son a thief, and it was posted on Facebook.

    “My son and I wrote a petition against these threats from Femi to the Police at Zone 2 Command Onikan, Lagos and the police promised to get him arrested, but they didn’t.

    “His office was raided and two pistols were recovered, while two of his boys, who were part of the group that kidnapped my husband, were arrested.

    “But they were later released without being charged to court and the police didn’t even bother to look for Femi again. Zone 2 released all of them. I then took people in my community to him and we started begging him and he still refused.”

    On February 11, 2018, Akinboyeku allegedly led his boys to the house and they were all armed with guns.

    “There and then, they dragged me out of the house and Femi (Akinboyeku) told me that he didn’t want me to stay in my husband’s house anymore because he felt that I had been the one giving out information about his activities to my son.

    ‘’I told him that I had no business with the issue between him and my son, and that I went to the police because of his threats against my life, which had been too much to be left unreported. There and then, he ordered his boys to beat me up and they dragged me completely out of our area. They vowed to kill me if I set my foot in that area again.

    ‘’I took my grandchildren along with me and we started squatting with one of my friends. I also took up a street sweeping job from the Lagos State Government so I could fend for my grandchildren.

    ‘’We were helpless as nobody could fight for us and there was no one we could run to. Everyone is scared of Femi (Akinboyeku). My sick husband was also thrown out of his house by his thugs and he went squatting with his brother in Abule Egba area of Lagos. On December 15, 2018, we took him to Ikeja General Hospital for treatment. But while we were at the hospital, we got news that Femi had chased away all the tenants in our house.

    ‘’We learnt that he also brought a carpenter living within our area and ordered him to remove the roof of our building and the windows. Our tenants told us that all their property were thrown away. Two days later, we got news again that Femi and his boys had commenced demolition of our house.”

    “When we left the hospital, I went to our house and I had meetings with some of our tenants to know what actually happened. When Femi got information that I was on ground, he sent his boys after me and they chased me out of the area.

    “We couldn’t carry any of our property because my children and I went to Onipanu Police Station and we reported what was happening. But the policemen told us that they could not handle the matter because Femi is a very powerful person. They referred us to Area H command Ogudu.

    ‘’When I went there, I was taken to a senior officer. After reporting my case to him, he told me that they could not handle the case, and he said Femi is a very powerful person and advised me to write a petition to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti- Yaba, Lagos.

    ‘’I became confused and wondered how the man could be so powerful that the police cannot deal with him for committing brazen crimes. I then went to a human rights organization at Yaba and pleaded for their assistance. They advised me to go to Land Grabbing Department at the office of the Attorney General of Lagos State, and I went there and reported the matter.

    “The department invited Femi twice and he refused to honor their invitation, and they gave me a letter asking the Area Commander, Area H to arrest Femi and bring him to them and all the boys involved, yet the police refused to follow the order.

    ‘’I accosted the carpenter who removed our roof on the road and held him and called the police and he was arrested and taken to the police station. While at the police station, his case was assigned to one Moses and he confessed that it was Femi and his boys who ordered him to remove the roof of our house before it was demolished.”

    She added: ‘’The police ended their investigation at his level and released the carpenter without going after the people who ordered him to do such job. As I speak with you, all the gates leading to the streets linking our house have been locked, and Femi and his boys are always standing by the gate to prevent any stranger from gaining entry into our house so that they will be unable to see the level of destruction he has done to our property.

    ‘’I am calling on the Inspector General of Police, Assistant Inspector General of Police in Charge of Zone 2 Commaned and the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command to come to our aid and end the tyranny of this man called Femi Akinboyeku.”

     

    Contacted on the phone, Adeboyeku said: “My name is Femi Akinboyeku a.k.a Jplum. I am a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Chairman of Jibowu/Yaba branch. I am not involved in the demolition of any building in Fadeyi. No police authority invited me and I am not wanted by any person from any security agency.

    ‘’If anybody is claiming that I was invited by police and I did not honour the invitation, let the person give you documented evidence to prove what he is talking about. They are merely lying. There is no truth in what they are telling you.

    I can see that the thing has a political undertone and I am suspecting that some people are out to tarnish my image which I have built over time. But I know that my God will not allow them.

    ‘’I don’t play dirty politics, but nobody will just wake up and start talking rubbish because of selfish interest. I value my name more than gold.

    ‘’Anybody who hears the false things they are spreading should also spare time to visit the place they are talking about. It is not even a building.

    “What they are talking does not in any way concern me. I don’t know why anybody will be talking something that does not concern me, and that is why I told you that it has political undertone.

    ‘’I know I have good name and people see me as a good leader. But I will not allow anybody to play with my hard-earned good image. Thank you. All they are talking is not correct.’’

    Contacted, the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Mr Bala Elkana, said nobody was above arrest or invitation.

    He said: “Nobody is above arrest or invitation. Section 308 of 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended only gives immunity to the President and the Vice President, the governor and the deputy governor while still serving.’’

  • How my wife’s friend lured me into internet fraud

    A suspected internet fraudster, Ugochukwu Loveday, has been arrested for allegedly impersonating the Acting Inspector General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, on a social media site, Facebook.

    Loveday was said to have posed  as the IGP to defraud unsuspecting members of the public of their hard earned money.

    The 31-year-old, who was arrested alongside a Taxi driver, Ugochukwu Ohia, by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, ran into trouble after he allegedly  defrauded a police contractor, Shuiabu Semion, of the sum of N800,000, under the guise of helping him to  renew his contract of supplying gas to the Nigeria Police  Force (NPF), which was terminated in the year, 2002.

    Semion, sources revealed, started communicating with Loveday on Facebook, from January 23, 2019, a few days after President Mohammadu Buhari appointed and decorated the new IGP, pleading for his gas renewal contract with the police.

    Loveday quickly asked Semion to call his accomplice, Luka Abraham, who introduced himself as the IGP’s Protocol Officer, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    The suspect, who was also the person acting as the protocol officer, then told Semion to pay the sum of N800,000 for paper work and documentation and an account number was sent to  Semion, who quickly made the payments as agreed.

    But trouble started shortly   after Semion made the payment and the ‘protocol officer’ kept on asking for more money to perfect the papers work and when Semion informed the fake IGP about the development, he insisted that Semion should deal with his ‘protocol officer’.

    The development made Semion to report the incident to the IRT office in Abuja, where he met the officer in-charge, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, who advised him to play along with  the suspects with a view to luring them out for arrest.

     

    A few days later, Loveday was said to have demanded  additional money and he told him that the only money he had with him was just N30, 000 cash.

    Semion then advised Loveday to send his boys to collect the money on his behalf.

    Loveday was said to have quickly called out his accomplice, Ohia, and they headed straight into Abuja Central Business District, where they were supposed to meet Semion.

    With joy that his plan had worked out perfectly,the suspect and his accomplice arrived at the agreed location to collect the money  not knowing that an ambush had been laid for them.

    They made attempts to escape after they sensed that danger was lurking around the location, but were quickly apprehended at the Abuja City Gate, after a hot chase by IRT’s operatives.

    The Imo State-born suspect, who is married with a child, said:” I am a gym instructor, but I went into internet fraud because my wife was delivered of a baby through caesarian section but  we later lost the baby after I paid the sum of N320,000, which eventually made me broke.

    Read also: Nine Nigerians arrested in US for multi-million dollar fraud

    ‘’One of my wife’s friends, one Ihuoma, who came to sympathise with me over the death of my child, lured me into internet fraud. I started by using DIG Peace Igbokwe’s  photographs on Facebook and people were coming to look for job through me, while many others, including policemen, came to  seek for opportunity to attend peacekeeping missions; others  came to seek for promotions.

    ‘’I charged between N70,000 to 60,000 for people seeking for peace keeping missions and N200,000 for policemen seeking promotions. Whenever they started chatting with me, I usually referred them to my ‘protocol officer’ that would help them process it.  I usually gave them the name of the officer, which was ACP Luka Abraham, with this phone number 08098306171 which was my phone number and when the person called and we were done with negotiation on how to assist them, I would then send an account name bearing Sunday Aduyikodu with account number 2083471724 and  then they would pay me.

    “But after DIG Igbokwe retired, I opened another account because I knew people would no longer want to do business with her again. I later set up  an  account with the photographs of the new IGP Abubakar Adamu and with it, I started using the profile on  January23, 2019 and it was just two persons that have  paid into that account.

    Continuing, Loveday said: ‘’One of them who requested for peacekeeping paid me N15,000, while another person, who is one Mr. Semion,was requesting for the renewal  of his gas contract with the police and he  paid N20,000 only .

    ‘’I went further to demand an additional N30,000 from the man for general processing and the man told me he had  no money with him but he had  a brother who lives in Abuja who can get me the money in cash. I told him that I was going to send my orderly to his filling station and then hired a taxi driver to take me to that location.

    ‘’When I got there,  I asked the driver to call the man with his (phone) line and when he did, the man came to me with an envelope and I asked the driver to receive it. Surprisingly, a vehicle showed up from nowhere and it wanted to block my way.  Then I sensed danger and people were also coming to surround the car; then I asked the driver to move out of that place and we zoomed off immediately.

    ‘’While we were running, our vehicle had a minor accident at the City Gate; we stopped to check it but some mobile policemen at that place saw us, arrested us and handed us over to the  policemen who were  chasing us,” he added.

    In his confession, the 38-year-old Ugochukwu Ohai, said: “I am a taxi driver and I reside in Lugbe area of Abuja.  Ugochukwu (Loveday) is my friend;  we have known each other since 2012 and he told me that he is a gym instructor.

    ‘’I am aware that Loveday was also into internet fraud, but penultimate Tuesday, he told me that someone was owing him money and that the person who was owing him wanted him to come to a filling station within the area and that when we got there, I would be the one to call the person with my own phone and when the person showed up, he would receive the money from the person.

    ‘’When we got there, I made the call and when the person came out, he came towards our car with an envelope and when he sighted us, he shouted and   people came out and  their vehicle  tried to block us, but I drove dangerously and escaped from the scene, but,  unfortunately I had an accident and we were arrested.’’

  • Human parts thieves caught inside church’s cemetery in Ogun 

    A bricklayer, Kunle Adewunmi, an alleged specialist in breaking into cemeteries to steal human body parts, and his two accomplices have been arrested in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    They were arrested penultimate Saturday after allegedly Istealing human body parts from no fewer than 35 tombs in recent times.

    It was said that nemesis caught up with the trio while they were digging up graves at a cemetery belonging to a parish of the Methodist Church at  Ogbe, Abeokuta.

    They were said to have been sighted by a female member of the Odua People’s Congress (OPC), who was attracted to the scene by the loud sound of diggers used by the suspects.

    Read also: Court remands two for allegedly attempting to kill Ogun APC chair

    The woman, sources said, raised the alarm which attracted other OPC members in the area who apprehended the suspects.

    Members of the church were said to have identified Adewunmi as the bricklayer usually hired to plaster graves after burial of bodies at the graveyard.

    ‘’The bricklayer is very known to the church members. He is the one usually contracted to plaster tombs inside the cemetery and took advantage of that to carry out his nefarious act at the cemetery.’’

    The suspects were handed over to the Ibara Police Division, where the suspects allegedly mentioned a trader at the Itoku market as receiver of human parts stolen from the graveyard.

    Meanwhile, the suspects have since been arraigned before an Isabo Magistrate’s Court, Abeokuta, and granted bail in the sum of N200, 000 each.

    A source however said only one of the suspects had been able to perfect his bail at press time.