Tag: arrested

The Anambra State Command of the Department of State Service (DSS) has arrested a native doctor accused of being a ritual killer.

The suspect, Sunday Asika, aka Aboy Ekwensu (Satan) and his accomplice, Uchenna Ibeh, were accused of killing John Nwosu from Ahiazu Mbaise in Imo State and burying him in a sitting position.

The incident reportedly occurred on November 6, 2013 at Obinabo village, Nkpologwu community in Aguata Local Government.

Asika and Ibeh, who were handcuffed and paraded yesterday on the premises of the DSS, argued over who killed and buried the victim.

The native doctor confessed that he was a member of the Ogboni fraternity, adding that he had been in ritual killing for over 20 years.

The Nation learnt that the victim was killed by the suspects because he demanded the refund of the N500,000 his brother in South Africa paid to them for charms.

Briefing reporters, State Director of (DSS), Mr. Alex Okeiyi, said the suspects used an English double-barrel gun with serial No-8773180 to kill their victim.

When security operatives, who acted on a tip-off, combed his shrine, 10 live cartridges and a locally-made handcuff were recovered.

Okeiyi said: “Ibeh confessed that the native doctor asked the deceased to stay back for a sacrifice, only for him to kill him later, while (he) Ibeh buried him in a pit.

“Investigation showed that the deceased was an intermediary between his brother in South Africa and the native doctor.

“The brother, identified as Julius, sent him to the native doctor for a charm to make his business flourish, but the charm seemed not to be effective.

“The development forced the brother to demand the refund of his money, except the charm was made effective. That was Nwosu’s mission in the native doctor’s home before he was murdered and buried secretly.”

He said a homicide team from the police command led by a pathologist exhumed the deceased’s body.

Okeiyi described the native doctor as a terror, alleging that he gave spiritual protection to criminals in the Southeast.

He appreciated the assistance of the police command led by Usman Gwary and the courage of the operatives, who he said searched the shrine.

The deceased’s wife, Ndidi Nwosu, an expectant mother, was delivered of a baby girl in April.

She told reporters that being a housewife, things had not been easy since the death of her husband, a vulcaniser at Uga in Aguata Local Government.

The native doctor admitted that he killed Nwosu, but he claimed that he was buried by Ibeh.

Asika said the N500,000 he charged them had not been paid, while he borrowed N250,00 to prepare the charm.

He said he had never killed anybody except Nwosu.

Ibeh said he joined Asika in the act because he threatened to kill him if anybody heard of the incident.

He said he worked for Asika by repairing  things in his home.

Members of the Nkpologwu community rejoiced yesterday when they learnt of the arrest of the native doctor.

Two of them, who spoke to The Nation on the phone on condition of anonymity, alleged that Asika was a terror.

THE police have arrested 63 suspected members of ‘Black Axe’ fraternity in Akwa Ibom.

Police spokesman Etim Dickson said the suspects were arrested during their initiation at Effoi village forest near Eket.

Dickson said the police acted on a tip-off from the public.

Two locally made pistols; five live cartridges; two axes and two drums were recovered.

Other items are five black berets with ‘Aye’ insignia; three cars; one bus; two motorcycles; 10 phones; and one jerry can containing substance suspected to be blood.

Dickson said  the suspects confessed to being ‘Black Axe’ members.

He said they would soon appear in court.

A final year student of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, ThankGod Itepu, has been arrested for duping people while posing as an agent of Dangote Group of Companies.

He was said to have through the Internet informed people that Dangote is selling cement at a giveaway price of N1,200. He always disappeared after payment has been made.

Itepu, who was among suspects paraded by the Directorate of State Security (DSS), was arrested while trying to collect N30,000 paid into an account belonging to his girlfriend’s sister.

DSS State Director Bakori Tukur said Itepu and his gang used another person’s bank account to conduct the illegal transactions.

The suspect denied being a fake Dangote agent, saying he is a newspaper vendor.

The DSS also paraded Micheal Onyekachi, who allegedly specialised in procuring fake visa for unsuspecting travellers.

Onyekachi was arrested following a petition to the DSS that he collected N1.5million from a victim to secure a Germany visa.

He, however, said he collected N950,000 from the victim and not the amount stated in the petition.

Onyekachi told reporters that he used to procure visas for people, adding that some were successful in the trip.

His words: “We were told at the Enugu Airport that they have cancelled the visa and some persons demanded for $1000 each if they were to board with the visa. I don’t collect cash, people pay into my account.

“They are six in number, some made it to Turkey and others said I should change it to other countries before I was arrested at Abuja.”

Four kidnap suspects, who were involved in the abduction of an hotelier, three children of an aide to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, a pastor, a doctor and a female student of the Benson Idahosa University, were paraded.

They are Sunday Okperame, Joshua Igbinovia, Ibende Ibrahim and Christian David.

Okperame said they owned one gun which was kept by one of their leaders called Ejiro.

Three of the suspects said they were only looking after the victims at a house rented by the gang leaders.

They said the house is located at Osajie Street, off Sapele Road in Ikpoba Okha Local Government Area.

David denied being a member of the gang and said he allowed the gang members to sleep over at his house on the day he was arrested.

A storey building of four flats used by the kidnappers of the children of Oshiomhole’s aide would be demolished this week.

This will be the first time houses used by kidnappers would be demolished, since the anti-kidnapping law was passed last year.

Oshiomhole, who was present at the parade, said he would personally supervise the demolition of the building.

His words: “I am obliged to obey the directives of the law which is that any property use for kidnapping has to be brought down.

“With the narratives I have got from them those properties that they have used for these heinous crimes they will be demolished under my supervision and we are doing it this week.”

Two Customs officers have been arrested for allegedly raping a 23-year-old lady.

The suspects are expected to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), in Panti, Lagos Mainland today,  for further interrogation.

The victim told policemen from Area K Police Command, that she met one of the suspects on Facebook and decided to visit him on invitation. The visit, she claimed, turned nasty as her Facebook friend, with his colleague, allegedly raped her.

It was gathered that the suspects were picked and quizzed by operatives from Area K Command.

The incident was said to have occured at Limca Bus Stop, Badagry Expressway, where one of the suspects lives.

The victim reportedly said: “I met one of them on Facebook and became friends with him. After a while, he invited me to his house. He invited his friend over to his place when I came to visit him.

“He made love advances, but I told him that I was on. When his friend came, they raped me.”

The victim reported the matter to the police and the suspects were picked.

The police allegedly found blood stains on the bed and a boxer.

The National Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Wale Adeniyi said: “I’m aware of this case but details are still sketchy. The Area Commander has been notified and he is working with the police for a thorough investigation. We will await a formal report from the police to enable the Comptroller-General take appropriate action. While we await this, we must state that the Service frowns at such heinous crime and perpetrators if found guilty, will be dealt with.”

Command spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), confirmed the arrest but said that the lovers did not meet on Facebook. She explained that they met at a location in the area.

Braide said the matter would be transferred to the SCID today, adding that investigation is.

The police have arrested a man two years after he allegedly killed a 27-year-old final-year student of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Kazeem Bamijoyi.

Bamijoyi was killed on August 22, 2012 on his way to the Doyin area of Orile Iganmu, a Lagos suburb, to collect feeding allowance from his elder brother, Taiye Bamijoyi, before returning to school. He was said to have been caught up in a fight between two rival cult groups.

The suspect, Sekiru Yusufu (32), a father of two, was arrested last week by the police. He is said to be a Junior Secondary School (JSS2) drop-out of Iganmu High School, Orile Iganmu.

Sources at Orile Police Station said the incident occurred during a clash between the Adeleye and Alhaji Jimoh cult groups.

The suspect, who is a member of the Adeleye group, was said to have relocated to Iyana-Iba, abandoning his wife and two kids.

A source said he was arrested at Chemist bus stop around Sari Iganmu when he went for another operation.

It was gathered that in his statement, the suspect said he hit the deceased with iron but never knew he died. “After I hit him with the iron, some small boys came and started beating him. I had to leave the place. I was working as a motor park tout at Iyana-Iba, while living in Orile, but after the incident, I relocated to Iyana-Iba, pending the settlement of the matter,” the suspect said.

The deceased’s elder brother, who witnessed the incident, said: “I saw when Yusufu hit his head with a big iron. That was when I ran towards where he was lying helplessly. The injury was so deep that I knew he would not survive it. Yusufu ran away after the incident and did not return to Orile until he was arrested by the police”.

He said their mother was yet to recover from the shock of the incident, adding: “He was the hope of our family. We invested in him and hoped that one day, he would lift the family. As a tricycle operator, I suffered to take him to school. It is unfortunate he died that way.

“My brother was gentle, responsible and a devout Muslim. He was not a cult member. He was supposed to start his Industrial Training (IT) programme with the Nigerian Breweries, Iganmu, in the week he was killed.”

Expressing joy over Yusufu’s arrest, the bereaved family urged Commissioner of Police Umar Manko not to allow him go unpunished.

The suspect has been transferred to the homicide section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Panti, Yaba Lagos Mainland.

A former member of the Oyo State House of Assembly, who just resigned his appointment as a Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Legislative Matters, Mr. Michael Okunlade, has been arrested by the police for allegedly using forged documents to secure American visas for some people.

Okunlade was picked up last Friday in Ibadan, the state capital, by men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU), Lagos.

He was detained at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Iyaganku, Ibadan.

Okunlade was later released on bail to a notable Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) figure. The PDP chieftain worked with a former governor to secure his bail.

A source said Okunlade would appear at the Lagos office of the SFU today for further investigations.

It was learnt that Okunlade allegedly used forged documents to secure visas for some individuals on the pretext that they were Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s aides and were traveling with the governor to the United States (U.S.) for a programme.

House of Assembly Speaker Alhaja Monsurat Sunmonu said: “It is a problem between him and the American Embassy. He resigned in January. He was not with us at the time of the issue in question. So, there is nothing to comment on as far as the Assembly is concerned.”

Police spokesperson Olabisi Ilobanafor said she did not have details of the arrest because it was carried out by men of the Federal Special Fraud Unit.

Okunlade resigned from the Ajimobi administration on January 6 for personal reasons.