The Nation Newspaper

Tag: arrested

  • Man, 64, arrested for ‘raping’ minor

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ebonyi State yesterday arrested a 64-year-old man, Peter Edibgo, for allegedly raping a six-year-old girl at Agbaenyim in Izzi Local Government Area.

    The Corps spokesman, Emmanuel Nwali, said the suspect would have been lynched but for the intervention of the officers and men of the Command.

    Nwali said after investigation, the suspect would be transferred to the appropriate agency for prosecution.

    According to the spokesman, the victim raised the alarm, which attracted members of the community.

    “We are still investigating the case and after that we are going to hand over the case to the appropriate agencies.

    “The village head and villagers confirmed the incident.

    “They said the man has been in the act for quite a while, despite repeated warnings.

    “And if not for the timely intervention of our men, he would have been lynched.”

    The victim said: “The only thing I noticed when I was sleeping at night was a hard thing inside my body.

    “This is the second time such a thing is happening to me with the same man. I had to scream and it was the scream that attracted people.”

    In Ibom Arochukwu, Abia State, a 22-year-old man, Obinna Kanu, has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a 70-year-old woman to death.

    It was gathered that on August 25, the late Madam Cecilia Okoroafor left her house for a nearby bush to cut grass with which she wanted to feed her goats.

    Sources said the suspected rapist was observed to be stalking the woman.

    A few hours later, he was said to have been seen running away from the bush, where Madam Okoroafor was last seen.

    When the woman was not seen after a while, a search party was sent to look for her.

    At about 9pm, her body was discovered in the bush and the police were alerted.

    There were bruises on the victim’s face, her dress was torn and her private part was covered in blood.

    Kanu was arrested at a village near Ohafia.

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the incident.

  • Ex-Ebonyi commissioner arrested for ‘N79m scam’

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) at the weekend arraigned a former Commissioner for Health in Ebonyi State, Henry Aloh, in connection with a N79 million alleged contract scam.

    A statement by the commission’s Head of Media, Folu Olamiti, said the former commissioner allegedly committed the offence in 2005.

    The statement said: “Aloh was arraigned before the High Court of Ebonyi State presided over by the Chief Judge, Justice A.N Nwankwo.

    “Also arraigned was a manager of one of the branches of Intercontinental Bank plc (now Access Bank) in Ebonyi State, Sam Agbo.

    “ICPC investigations revealed that the offences were committed in 2005 when the Ebonyi State Government awarded a contract for the renovation and construction of Amasari General Hospital to the tune of N79 million.

    “The former commissioner was alleged to have conspired with Agbo to divert the sum to an account allegedly opened in the name of John Okoli, who was falsely presented as a representative of the company awarded the contract to renovate the hospital. This was contrary to Section 26 (1) and punishable under Section 19 of the ICPC Act 2000.

    “Part of the allegations was that Aloh procured John Okoli who was his patient and Patrick Chukwu, his personal assistant to be signatories to the account opened in the name of the company, which is contrary to and punishable under Sections 26 and 19 of the ICPC Act 2000 and Section 473 (2) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap 28 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

    “The Prosecution Counsel, Raheem Adeshina, did not oppose the bail application moved by M. Erhenede and Emeka Uwake, counsels to Aloh and Agbo.

    “The accused were granted bail of N50 million and one surety who must be resident within the courts` jurisdiction.

    “The case has been adjourned to October 22nd and 23rd.”

  • Gaiya wants culprits arrested, tried

    Gaiya wants culprits arrested, tried

    Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya, has said the clubs involved in the football match that produced 146 goals should be arrested and prosecuted.

    The incredible results of 79-0 and 67-0, totalling 146 goals, from only two matches were recorded in promotion play-offs into the Nigeria Nationwide League, the lowest tier of the Nigerian domestic league on Monday.

    Plateau United Feeders beat Akurba FC 79-0 while Police Machine FC demolished Bubayaro FC 67-0 in promotional play-offs whereby the winners would qualify to play in the Nigeria Nationwide League Division 3.

    Gaiya commended the Nigeria Football Federation’s prompt suspension of the clubs involved in the scam, but wants all the persons implicated in the scandal to be arrested.

    “I am very happy with the action of the chairman of the Nigeria Football Federation First Vice President who doubles as the chairman of the Organising Committee, Mike Umeh, who promptly directed that the four teams at the center of the scandal be grounded pending further sanctions on all involved.

    “This is a right step in the right direction because at least the suspension of the erring clubs gave us some respite in the face of (the outrage) of the global football community.

    “But I think it should go beyond this. The officials, players and coaches of the four teams involved should first be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law if they are eventually found guilty of match-fixing.

    “Match fixing is a very big offense and detested by FIFA. Nigeria is a big member of the football family and should be seen not to be condoning this illicit act.

    “The erring clubs must be tried by the appropriate department of the Nigeria Football Federation and the offenders should even be handed over to the Nigeria Police,” the legislator disclosed in Abuja yesterday.

  • Suspected cult leaders arrested

    The leader of a cult group in Obudu, Cross River State, has been arrested a police source said yesterday.

    The suspect, identified as Edward, was arrested with his lieutenant, Otogo in Obudu and is being questioned at the State Police Headquarters on Diamond Hill, Calabar.

    Bloody clashes between two rival groups, the Vikings Confraternity and the Ku Klux Klan, in Obudu reportedly left five people dead.

    The clash, it was learnt, was a supremacy battle and was related to the September 21 local government elections.

    According to the source, the suspects have mentioned other cult members, who are being trailed by the police.

    The source said: “Some of them are known politicians and we have left a message with the council chairman and paramount ruler to tell those we are looking for to report at the Obudu Police Station or the police headquarters today because if they fail to do so they would be declared wanted.”

    In Edo State, the police shot a robbery suspect, who was operating on the Benin by-pass of the Lagos Benin Highway.

    Police spokesman Moses Eguaveon confirmed the killing. He also confirmed a clash among cult groups at the College of Education, Ekiadolor.

    Eguaveon said: “Yes, there was an event at the school and there was a little quarrel but police went there immediately to quell the fight. There is no truth that anybody died. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) confirmed to me that he even held a meeting with the students’ representatives yesterday.”

  • Fake Army Officer, two others arrested by SSS

    The State Security Service (SSS) in Anambra State yesterday apprehended a 23-year-old boy, Solomon Samuel, for parading himself as an army officer.

    Also arrested were 34-year-old Ikechukwu Okorowu from Awomama in Imo State and 18-year-old Ogwa Ogochukwu from Ebonyi State.

    The three suspects were allegedly involved in vandalising 32 pieces of Nigerian Telcommunications (NITEL) equipment at the organisation’s facility at Upper Iweka axis of Onitsha.

    The State Director of SSS, Alex Okeiyi, said the arrest was facilitated with the assistance of a vigilance group.

    The suspects, he said, have been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

    Solomon reportedly confessed that he intimidates his victims with the army uniform and daggers.

    He said they operate at 3am, adding that he only participated once in the operation.

    Ogwa said he was at his duty post when security operatives arrested him.

    But the SSS claimed that Ogwa had been shielding the suspects involved in crimes in Onitsha.

    Okorowu said he delivers the goods for the suspects and receives N5,000 for each trip.

    Okeiyi said: “Invesigation show that Solomon wears the army uniform to facilitate nefarious activities of the gang.

    “He and Okorowu were comfirmed to be among the vandals who escaped arrest in Onitsha on May 30, abandoning six sacks of vandalised NITEL cables which were recovered.”

  • Beninoise, Ghanaian arrested for pipeline vandalism

    Beninoise, Ghanaian arrested for pipeline vandalism

    Operatives of the Inspector- General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-pipeline Vandalism have arrested three Beninoise and a Ghanaian for alleged involvement in vandalising the pipelines of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) located at Akaraba Atlas Cove, Lagos.

    The suspects, Fufo Soglo, a Ghanaian, Christopher Suso, Matilda Idowu and Yovo Itoh, all from the Republic of Benin, were arrested on May 24 following a tip-off. Police sources told The Nation that the suspects and their leader, Mr. Chukwuma, now at large, approached somebody at the pipelines location to help them convince the police officers on duty to allow them operate that night.

    It was learnt that the suspects agreed to give the policemen N520,000 if they allowed them operate.

    We gathered that the informant allegedly played along with the suspects and agreed to bribe the police officers and also asked them to come so that he could introduce them to the policemen.

    The sources said it was when the informant took them to the police with the N520,000 that the suspects were apprehended.

    Confirming the incident, the officer in charge of the IG Special Task Force, Mr. Friday Ibadin, said the suspects were arrested with valves that had 12 holes.

    Said he: “With this kind of technology connection, the vandals can siphon over 50,000 litres in less than 30 minutes.”

    Ibadin said the task force is determined to curb the activities of vandals.

    “We are determined, with the assistance of the residents of the communities where these pipelines are located, to reduce the activities of the vandals. I urge Nigerians to desist from patronising them as anyone caught will be regarded as an accomplice,” he added.

    Ibadin hailed the efforts of the Sector Commander, Lagos, Onaghise Osayandein and those of his men in the fight against vandals.

  • Man arrested for trying to sell daughter

    The police in Abia State have arrested a 32-year-old man, Obinna Obu, from Umudim Imeziowa in Ezeagu Local Government of Enugu State for allegedly trying to sell his six-year-old daughter.

    The suspect was arrested at Umuode Osisioma Local Government while ‘negotiating’ with the suspected buyer, Eze Ochiegbu, from Isiala Ngwa South Local Government.

    The little girl would have been sold for N500,000.

    The Commissioner of Police, Usman Tilli Abubakar, said his men acted on a tip-off and swooped on them, adding that the victim had been rescued.

    Obu said Ochiegbu may have charmed him as he was haggling the price between N300,000 and N500,000, when they had earlier agreed on N500,000.

    His wife, he said, was not aware of the deal.

    Abubakar said some suspected child traffickers were also arrested at an eatery in Osisioma Local Government.

    Four people -three women and a man- were trying to induce an expectant mother into labour with the intention of selling the baby.

    The commissioner said the suspects were caught as they were about to carry out the act on Mrs. Ogechi Eberendu, who lives in Owerri, Imo State.

    Mrs. Eberendu was lured to Abia State by her friend, Nkiruka Ogbodo.

    The commissioner named the suspects as Uchechi Duru, Ngozi Obasi, Tochukwu Uwakwe and Ugochukwu Okafor.

    Abubakar said two fake soldiers were arrested after they allegedly robbed and stopped a duo who were trying to take a little boy, Husseni Musa, to Sokoto State to be sold.

    The commissioner said his team learnt that Dambala Yahaya from Birni Kudu in Kano State was driving a Toyota land cruiser with registration number AJ 953 AHD and others from Niger Republic were travelling to Sokoto State, when they were stopped by the fake soldiers.

    He said: “The fake soldiers made away with the vehicle, their luggage and little Musa.

    “But we rescued the boy and recovered the vehicle and everything in it.”

    Abubakar said his men went after the suspects and arrested Emmanuel Aroh from Awgu in Enugu State.

    “He was seen in an army uniform and he is suspected to be a member of the gang that robbed and kidnapped little Musa.”

    Also paraded was an expectant mother, Ngozi Aroh, from Abiriba in Abia State, who was caught selling substances believed to be Indian hemp.

    Ms Aroh said she had been in the business for three years and that she receives her wares from a supplier, who lives in Benin, Edo State.

     

  • Two arrested for N1.5m theft at Lagos airport

    Two arrested for N1.5m theft at Lagos airport

    Two passengers on an Abuja-bound MedView Airline flight were yesterday arrested for allegedly attempting to steal N1.5million from the aircraft’s hand luggage compartment.

    They were arrested by security officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), following an alarm raised by the owner of the money whose luggage was tempered with.

    FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Yakubu Dati, said the flight was scheduled to leave the Murtala Mohammed Airport Ikeja (MMA 2) for Abuja at 9.00am, but was delayed because of the incident.

    Dati said FAAN’s security personnel’s attention was drawn to the aircraft by the airline’s crew.

    The passengers who were suspected by the owner of the luggage were searched and the money was found on them.

    The suspects, Dati said, were taken away and were undergoing interrogation at FAAN’s Crime Investigation Bureau. They will be handed over to the police after investigation.

    Dati said: “FAAN wishes to assure the public, especially passengers, that people engaged in nefarious activities at our airports, will no longer find life comfortable at our airports, as adequate security measures have been put in place to make our airports safer.”

    Sources at the airport said the suspects trailed the owner of the money from the bank where he collected the cash, to the airport.

    On arrival at the airport, the suspects were said to have monitored him to Medview Airlines’ counter, where they bought tickets and asked the counter staff to give them seats close to the unsuspecting passenger.

    A source said when the suspects stood up to steal the money from the overhead cabin compartment, the owner observed that his bag was open and his money had disappeared. He quickly raised an alarm.

    In the ensuing melee, the pilot directed that the aircraft could not take off, until some security checks were carried out, which led to the discovery of the money on the suspects’ seats.

  • We’ve arrested ‘gang rapists’, say police

    The police have unravelled the mystery of the gang rape case, which was alleged to have taken place at the Abia State University, Uturu (ABSU) , it was learnt yesterday.

    Four men defiled a girl and posted the act on social media.

    A report, which was contained in the police newspaper, The Dawn of March 11-24, said policemen have identified the perpetrators of the act, which was committed in 2010.

    The act was alleged to have taken place in ABSU and posted online in 2011.

    The police said on September 7, last year, detectives from the Rivers State Criminal Investigation Department traced the husband of the victim, whom they identified as Mr. S, to Obite town in Etche Local Government.

    The report said Mr. S confirmed that the victim was his wife and that the suspects were from his community.

    “After painstakingly tracing the identities of the suspects, they were arrested.

    “They are Uchenna Ukulor, Chizoba Nwosu and Nwazuo Nmezi. The fourth is on the run.”

    The police said the suspects and the victim’s husband were invited and the video clip was played.

    “It was clearly established that three of them with another at large committed the crime. The suspects are Mr. S’ cousins.

    “They have been charged to Magistrate’s Court 9, Port Harcourt.”

    The Abia State Government said the state has been vindicated by the report.

    The chief Press Secretary to the governor, Ugochukwu Emezue, said detractors were behind the castigation of the state.

    Emezue said: “They wanted to run both the university and the state down.

    “Even when the school and the government said it never took place in the state.

    “We should always get our facts right before making any allegation.

    “I recall that the coordinator of a rights group said she had spoken with the victim and her mother.

    “Some members of the National Assembly are also guilty of this.

    “They had castigated both the school and the state and jumped to conclusions.

    “Thank God, the government and the university have been vindicated.”

    The aide praised the police for the investigation that led to the unravelling of the allegation.

  • ‘Fake’ medical doctor arrested

    For 10 years, he paraded himself as a doctor, treating people and making money. Then, the bubble burst. Today, Ibukun Ojo, 50, is in the net of the Special Fraud Unit (SFU), on Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos. His offence: He is a suspected quack medical practitioner.

    He was not alone in the business. His alleged accomplice, Steve Olusoji Fakolujo, is on the run.

    It was gathered that Ojo, who hails from Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo State, was studying medicine at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, Osun State before he dropped out.

    According to the police, after his exit from OAU in the early 80s, he came to Lagos and one of his friends assisted him to secure a job in a hospital as a clinical assistant. However, after some years, Ojo established his own hospital, Mount Zion Clinic, at 2, Mukandasi Street, Oja-Oke, Mafoluku-Oshodi, Lagos. He had reportedly operated the clinic for about five years.

    Police operatives, who sealed off the clinic, said the place had no sign to identify it as a hospital, adding that patients had to go through some rigours to locate it.

    According to them, the hospital has four “dirty beds” for admission, and a dingy tiny room which he used as operating theatre. They suspected that he used the theatre for quack abortions and may have also killed some people in the process.

    Confirming the arrest, the Public Relations Officer of SFU Ngozi Isintume-Agu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said on March 6, a petition was received from the Canadian High Commission, alleging suspected fraud against Mount Zion Clinic/Hospital.

    Isintume-Agu said the petitioner stated that “Steve Olasoji Fakolujo, a Nigerian resident in Canada, came to Nigeria some time in May, 2012 and approached Ojo who parades himself as a qualified medical doctor, to assist him procure some forged medical bills which would enable him claim health insurance from the Canadian Government.”

    She noted that Ojo obliged him with forged documents covering “consultation, drugs and medications, ambulance fees, accommodation and feeding and miscellaneous expenses totaling N89,989,742.46.” Fakolujo, the petition added, “travelled back to Canada and presented the forged documents for the claims.”

    When Ojo was arrested, it was gathered that he made “useful” statements to the police and also confessed that he forged the documents for Fakolujo with claim No: 216316 for N1,500 and his unregistered hospital’s letter-head and payment receipt.

    Recovered from the suspect were two stethoscopes, some cards and patients’ case notes and some other “funny” hospital equipment.

    Isintume-Agu said investigation was ongoing, adding that the suspect would soon be charged to court.

    The Commissioner of Police in charge of SFU, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, called on the public to beware of quack doctors.