A baker, Tina Ileogben, has been killed and her heart reportedly ripped out of her chest and stolen at her residence on Olowo Street, in the Alhaja Shifiwa area of Dopemu, Agege, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the victim, who was said to be working at a bakery, did not report for duty on Wednesday when one of her colleagues was instructed to check her at home.

On getting to the premises, it was learnt that the colleague met the door leading into her flat open and upon gaining entry, met her lifeless body on her bed.

A resident in the area, who gave his name simply as Segun, said the colleague quickly raised the alarm, adding that neighbours who rushed into Ileogben’s flat observed that her throat had been slit and her heart removed from her chest.

He said, “The incident has thrown people including her neighbours into confusion. People got to know what happened to Ileogben when her colleague came to her flat.

“Ileogben’s colleagues did not see her at work and one of her colleagues came to check her at home when they could not reach her on the phone. It was when the colleague got to her flat, met the door open and entered that he saw her lifeless remains on the bed.

“The person who perpetrated the crime slit her throat, put a hand into her neck to access her chest and removed her heart. People saw some of her intestines around her neck and a doctor who was also at the crime scene confirmed that her heart had been taken away.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Ileogben’s elder sister, Justina, said her sister was raped before she was killed, adding that her sister’s blood was visible in her flat.

She said, “I am dead already. I was at home when I received a call informing me that my sister had fallen and they needed my presence. I quickly rushed to her house and saw a lot of people there.

“I suspected something bad had happened, started crying and rushed to my shop. I later summoned the courage to go into her flat to find out what happened to her and saw her corpse.

“Blood stains were on the floor, wall, and her bed. When I looked closer at her corpse, I saw that the person raped her before killing her. The person used a knife to slit her throat and her heart was also removed from her chest.”

Justina, while demanding justice, urged men of the state police command to track down the suspect responsible for her sister’s death.

Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident, noting that officials of the Lagos State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit had evacuated the deceased’s remains to the Mainland General Hospital, Yaba, for post-mortem examination.

He said, “One Akeem, a coworker of the deceased, and her landlord reported the case at the Dopemu Division. The deceased, Tina Ileogben, was supposed to report on duty but when was not seen, and the senior staff on duty instructed him to go and check up on her since she lived close to the company.

“On getting there, Akeem met her room open, he entered the room with two neighbours and discovered the lifeless body of the deceased naked in a pool of her blood with her neck slit. An investigation into the case is ongoing. Regarding the missing heart, nothing of such happened.”

A 28-year-old man, Isaac Ogbonna, has been arraigned before Magistrate O.Y Adefope of the Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for alleged conspiracy to commit misdemeanours and felonies, malicious damage, assault, and stealing.

The defendant was arraigned on four counts of conspiracy to commit misdemeanours and felonies, malicious damage, assault, and stealing.

It was gathered that on March 8, 2024, Adebule Adejoke, the Chief Security Officer of Yaba College of Technology, reported Ogbonna and others now at large for assaulting one Emmanuel Elebeonu by hitting him with a stick on his head and also damaging his Tecno Pop 4 smartphone valued at N41,000.

It was also reported that he stole one HP portable laptop valued at N215,000, an iPhone 12 Pro Max valued at N470,000, Oraimo airpods valued at N26,000, an Itel power bank valued at N21,000, totalling N732,000.00, belonging to Elebeonu.

The victim was rushed to the hospital for medical attention while the suspect was arrested and taken to the police station.

Prosecutor Haruna Magaji informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences on March 8, 2024, adding that the offences contravened Section 411, 280(1), 287(1), 172, and 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the four counts levelled against him.

Following the plea, the magistrate ordered that the sum of N500,000 should be paid as bail. The case was adjourned to April 17, 2024.

The Jigawa State Police Command has confirmed the death of three students in a tragic accident on the Jahun/Kiyawa Road in the state.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Lawan Adam, confirmed the incident in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday.

He said the incident, which occurred on March 15, 2024, involved a Sharon Galaxy vehicle driven by one Rabi’u Abdullahi, 50, of Babaldo town in the Gwaram Local Government Area of the state.

“The accident occurred on March 15, 2024, involving a Sharon Galaxy vehicle heading to Gwaram when the incident happened,” he said.

He explained that the vehicle, carrying students from Government Girls Secondary School Kaugama on vacation to Gwaram, overturned after a tyre burst at Kadirawa Village.

He noted that while eight students were treated and discharged at Jahun General Hospital, the driver and six others were referred to the Federal Medical Centre in Birnin Kudu for further treatment.

Adam added that preliminary investigation suggested that overloading and worn-out tyres contributed to the accident.
He stated that the corpses of the deceased students were received by the Education Secretary of the Gwaram LGA on behalf of their families.

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested 58 suspected criminals after a raid across different locations in the state.

The Adamawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr Dankombo Morris, said this when he addressed newsmen in Yola, the state capital, on Tuesday.

Morris said the suspects included 40 young men who were believed to be members of a notorious group ‘Shila boys’.

“Eleven of them were arrested for kidnapping, while seven were arrested for armed robbery.

“We have since commenced discreet investigations on their cases, and we would soon prosecute those found culpable in court of law,” he said.

He said that a Toyota Prado Jeep with registration No.ABJ344HX and one 18-seat bus with registration No.RSH79FA were recovered from the suspects.

“Other items are two AK 47 rifles with 25 rounds of live ammunition, N10,690.00 cash, a leather containing charms and rings,1 power bank, and two GSM Handsets.

“I hereby solicit for the cooperation and understanding of the general public, especially by volunteering useful information to the police,’’ he said.

He assured of working in close collaboration with sister security agencies for effective service delivery.

The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested a 16-year-old boy who allegedly defiled his 11-year-old female schoolmate in the school premises at Rumukwurusi, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt last Friday.

It was gathered that, while the randy student carried out the act, his friends watched the scene as he pushed down the girl from behind and had his way inside the school premises.

Shortly after committing the act, the boy was said to have scaled the school fence to escape but was later held by the school authorities, while the girl was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

The report sparked outrage as photos of the schoolgirl bleeding profusely circulated online.

Meanwhile, the mother of the girl, while speaking to a radio station (Nigeria Info) in Port Harcourt, monitored by our correspondent, called on the school authorities and the state government to ensure the perpetrator is brought to book.

The distraught woman, said to be a widow, narrated that she got a distress call from the school to come over immediately, saying when she got there she saw her daughter bleeding profusely.

She said, “The school should provide the boy that did that thing and I want justice for my daughter. I’m a widow and I don’t have anybody. It is just me and my children. They should provide the boy. He should not go free at all because maybe he has been doing it to other people, but he will not go free this time. And I want people to help me.”

The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday secured the conviction of six persons charged with offences related to cybercrime and fraud.

The convicts, who were prosecuted on separate charges, stood trial before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, and Justice Adebayo Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court, both sitting in Ilorin.

The convicts included Aransiola Stephen, Owoeye Ezekiel, Idris Kayode, Abdulrahmon Abubakar, Rafiu Adisa, and Raheem Monsur.

A statement signed by the Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, made available to the press in Ilorin on Tuesday, said their conviction brought the total to 24 out of 50 suspects, comprising 48 students of the Kwara State University, and two residents of Malete, arrested during a sting operation by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Command of the agency over offences related to Internet fraud, on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

Following the “guilty pleas,” Innocent Mbachie, Adebayo Aliyu, Charles Oni, and Rasheedat Alao, who represented the commission in the cases, reviewed the facts of the cases and tendered the statements and items recovered from the defendants at the point of arrest, which were admitted in evidence.

Having considered the facts placed before the courts and the admission of guilt by the defendants, the justices found them guilty and accordingly sentenced them to various jail terms.

The courts also ordered that the phones and laptops used as instruments of the crime by the convicts and the money brought by them as restitution be forfeited to the Federal Government.

The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned one Mukailu Mohammed before Magistrate O.Y. Adefope of the Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly conspiring to commit a felony and stealing.

The defendant was arraigned on two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and stealing bags of flour worth N3.6m from Golden Penny Flour Mill, Apapa, Lagos.

It was gathered that an investigation was initiated on a report filed by the complainant on August 9, 2023.

The complainant alleged that Mohammed, one of their drivers, was entrusted with a truck carrying 600 50 kilogrammes bags of flour for delivery to a customer in Agbara, Ogun State. However, it was later discovered that Mohammed did not deliver the flour as instructed. Instead, he diverted 120 bags, valued at N3,606,790.40, and abandoned the truck at the Golden Transport Company on the Oworoshoki Expressway, Gbagada.

Following the report, a team of detectives was assigned to the case.

They attempted to apprehend the defendant at his registered residence; however, he was not present. A court order was subsequently obtained to trace the defendant’s phone, which revealed his location in Plateau State.

Additionally, a court order was procured from the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Yaba, to freeze the defendant’s bank account. With the cooperation of the bank, the defendant’s details were retrieved, facilitating his apprehension.

The arrest took place on February 7, 2024, in Plateau State.

The Commissioner of Police for Plateau State, Hassan Yabanet, directed the detectives to the Divisional Police Office where the defendant was detained. He was subsequently transferred to the Lagos State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, for interrogation.

Prosecutor Haruna Magaji informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences on August 9, 2023. He added that the alleged offences contravene Sections 411 and 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

He informed the court that the bank statement and the police report were evidence that the defendant committed the alleged offences.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the two charges levelled against him.

Magistrate Adefope ordered that bail of N500,000 should be paid and two sureties must be provided with evidence of residing in Lagos State.

The case was adjourned to April 17, 2024.

The Ondo State Police Command, on Wednesday, said it had arrested a 17-year-old girl, simply identified as Wumi, for allegedly stabbing her foster mother, Mrs Funmilayo Adelayi, to death.

The incident, which reportedly happened at Oda, Akure residence of the deceased, occurred last Wednesday.

It was gathered that the lifeless body of the deceased, who was said to be working at the Ondo State Ministry of Finance, was found at her residence decomposing last Sunday, three days after she was killed.

A neighbour of the deceased, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she was stabbed in her belly area, and the doors were shut against her to prevent her from getting any help.

“There was blood everywhere from her bedroom to the living room as she struggled to get out and find help, but because the doors were shut against her, she could not make it,” he said.

“The knife her attacker used to kill her was found beside her. This is really very sad.”

Another source said the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the morgue of a hospital in Akure.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the deceased’s family claimed that the suspect was suffering from mental illness, but the command had not received the medical report to affirm the claim.

The PPRO said, “The suspect is in our custody, and we have started an investigation into the matter, but the family told us that the suspect had a mental health issue. So, we are waiting for the medical report to ascertain that.

“The deceased is a foster mother of the suspect; she had been taking care of her since her childhood.”

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a man, Dennis Okubiat, to 20 years imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl for three months, which caused urinary incontinence.

Justice Ismail Ijelu held that the victim had testified that she went for evangelism and, in the process, went to check on the convict, who had not been coming to church after the pastor of her church said they should visit members who had not been seen in church for some time.

He said that she testified that because she respected Okubiat as an elder of their church, she went to check on him and then helped him wash plates and clean his house.

The victim further testified that after she was done, the convict offered her Garri because she loved Garri so much.

“So, he gave me garri and groundnut to drink, and I slept off. When I woke up, I saw a white substance in my private part, and I woke Okubiat up and asked him what happened to me; he said if I told anybody, he would kill me.

“He did it several times for three months, and on September 6, 2021, he came to my house and said we should do it; I said I don’t know what you have been doing to me, so he started shouting and calling me to come and do it; that was how our neighbours heard and caught him.

“After he raped me, whenever I sit down, my private part is always itching me, and it makes me look like a mad girl in the street. When I wake up in the morning, I’m always wet, but during the day, I can control myself.

“This never happened to me before Okubiat raped me; I always woke up by myself at night to urinate, but after the rape, I’m not able to control myself, especially at night,” the victim had testified, according to the judge.

Justice Ijelu also stated that when the victim was cross-examined by the defence counsel M. O. Kareem about the white substance she saw on her private part, she repeated that the convict said if she told anybody, he would kill her and told her that the pastor of their church was a wicked man who did not care about anybody, saying that was why he stopped going to the church.

The judge further held that Okubiat didn’t deny the testimony of the victim, nor did he challenge it. He said he knew the girl and that he knew that she was a 12-year-old child.

In his defence, Okubiat said the victim came to his house because her mother was working in a hotel and she abandoned the victim and her other siblings, and that he used to give the victim and her sisters food whenever they said they were hungry.

He also testified that he had known the victim’s family since the time they came into the community.

A nurse, Oluchi Nwoke-Okoi, a staff of the Women At Risk Foundation, had also testified during the trial that the victim was brought to their office on September 14, 2021, by her relatives on account of the sexual defilement of a minor.

According to Nwoke-Okoi, the victim said when she entered his house, he offered her garri and groundnut, and after she took two spoons, she became drowsy and slept off.

Because of a rise in dollar supply and the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s (CBN) clearing of all foreign exchange backlogs, the value of the Nigerian Naira has climbed by 4.55% relative to the United States dollar.

N1,492.61 was the price for the naira on Wednesday at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM), up from N1,560.57 on Tuesday.

While the intraday low solidified at N1,350/$1, the intraday high concluded at N1,620/$1.

On Wednesday, the dollar supply from FX market participants rose by 37.49% to $268.29 million.

Governor Olayemi Cardoso promised to settle all legitimate foreign exchange arrears, including $7 billion inherited claims.

In order to satisfy its debt to bank clients, the CBN completed $1.5 billion payment, which eliminated the remaining amount of the foreign exchange backlog.

Nigeria’s external reserves have grown steadily over the past month, which has eased the pressure on the naira/dollar exchange rate.

https://samsunblog.com/2024/03/21/naira-maintains-appreciation-after-cbn-clears-fx-backlog/

Gunmen suspected to be cultists have shot dead one Mr Bobby Kabah and his pregnant wife in Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

The incident, which happened on Wednesday night, is coming against the backdrop of the ongoing cult war between members of rival cult groups in the community.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident has thrown the community into confusion and mourning.

A community source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, explained that Kabah was relaxing with his pregnant wife at home in Agidiasei quarters when two gunmen walked into his house around 8.35pm and opened fire on them.

He said, “Bobby was at home with his woman because he is nursing an injury in his leg as a result of a motorbike accident he had recently.

“The gunmen entered his home from the back, met him and his pregnant wife and opened fire, killing both of them instantly.”

PUNCH Metro reports that the ongoing cult war in Ogwashi-Uku has so far claimed six lives in the last two weeks.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, confirmed the killings on Thursday.

Edafe said, “Yes, it is confirmed. They are not husband and wife, but they were living together and killed in the same house.

“The Commissioner of Police has ordered to direct the matter to the state CID.”

The Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday, announced that its operatives busted a fake drink factory in the Agege area of the state and arrested four suspects connected to the illegal factory.

This comes as the police stated they had initiated an investigation into the alleged production and distribution of counterfeit drinks by the suspects.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, revealed this in a brief message on his X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday.

According to Hundeyin, during the raid, the four suspects believed to be the masterminds behind the illegal distillery were apprehended, and fake drinks were seized, among other items.

Hundeyin further noted that fake drinks, empty bottles, and labels of various brands were also confiscated during the operation.

“Officers of Isokoko Division, acting on credible information, raided a house in Agege where fake alcoholic drinks were being produced.

“The police arrested four people behind the illegal distillery and recovered fake drinks, empty bottles, and labels of different brands. The investigation is ongoing,” the PPRO stated.

Meanwhile, netizens, while reacting to the arrests, emphasised that the circulation of fake drinks could result in the loss of lives of residents of the state.

@MA_Dibola commented, “Wow, that’s some impressive police work! It’s great to hear that the officers of the Isokoko Division acted on credible information and raided a house in Agege where fake alcoholic drinks were being produced. The fact that they arrested four people and recovered fake drinks, empty bottles, and labels of different brands shows their dedication to combating illegal activities. I hope the investigation leads to further actions against those responsible for this illegal distillery.”

@_taymi added, “Good job on this. I think more of this should be continued and should not be taken lightly. People like this should be used as scapegoats.”

@OIvwa stated, “Their criminal tendency is capable of ending Nigerian lives. This is wickedness.”

The PUNCH reported in December 2023 that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control intercepted counterfeiters involved in the production of various fake beverages, including wine, soft drinks, and other products estimated at over N750,000,000 in the Eziukwu market in Aba, Abia state.

In the same month, officers attached to the Ojo Division of the Lagos State Police Command arrested two suspects, Magnus Nwonka, 42, and Imo Lawrence, 35, for possessing fake drinks.

The suspects were reported to have led the detectives to a multi-room factory in a filthy environment where the fake drinks were produced.

The Rivers State Police Command on Friday said it foiled an armed robbery at Prisigbara/Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Road in the Khana Local Government Area of the state, killing three suspects in the process.

The spokesperson of the state command, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the incident occurred on Thursday, March 21, 2024.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, explained that policemen from the Bori division and the anti-cultism unit in Bori, both in Khana, responded immediately to a distress call on the robbery.

She further said on arrival at the scene, the robbers opened fire on the policemen resulting in a shootout but were subdued and fatally wounded.

She said one of those killed was a notorious armed robber nicknamed ‘Oyoyo’ aged 25 who had been involved in a series of cult activities and armed robbery incidents in the Ogoni axis of the state.

The statement read in part, “Tragically, during the exchange, three of the suspects sustained injuries and were immediately rushed to the police clinic in Bori. Regrettably, their injuries proved fatal, and they were pronounced dead on arrival.

“The deceased has been identified as Monday Sulole, a notorious armed robber and cultist, also known as “Oyoyo.” Sulole, aged 25 and hailing from Yeghe in the Gokana Local Government Area, was responsible for numerous cult clashes and armed robberies in the Ogoni axis of Rivers State.

“As a result of the operation, the police recovered several items from the robbers, including one locally made revolver pistol, with three live ammunition, one locally-made shotgun with three cartridges, a machete, and several charms.

“We assure the community that the area has returned to normalcy, and we have implemented increased police patrols in and around the vicinity to ensure the safety of residents.”

The police in Kwara State have arrested a soldier identified as PTE Suleiman Sadiq for allegedly injuring a divisional police officer, DSP Morufu Keji, serving in the Baruten Local Government Area of the state.

City Round learnt that the soldier, said to be serving at Sector 3 Garrison, Mongunu, Maiduguri, Borno State, had reported a land dispute to the police at Sinawu town near Ilesha-Baruba but later became unruly and attacked the Divisional Crime officer, Okeowo Joel, and Keji at the station.

The police command, while confirming the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, DSP Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, said Sadiq assaulted the policemen as seen in a trending video circulating on the Internet.

“The attention of the Kwara State Police Command has been drawn to a disturbing video in circulation on the Internet. A policeman is seen being assaulted by a man holding a dangerous weapon. On March 20, 2024, at about 1720 hours, a report was received from one PTE Suleiman Sidiq, a soldier serving at Sector3 Garrison, Mongunu, Maiduguri, regarding a case of mischief in the Sinawu Town area of Ilesha-Baruba Kwara state.

“During investigation, it was discovered that the case stemmed from a land dispute, parties involved were warned to maintain peace and return the following day, March 21, 2024, for further resolution.

“However, the situation took a violent turn when the complainant, Suleiman Sidiq, who was under the influence of intoxicating substances became so unruly. All efforts and persuasion to calm him down proved abortive, he attacked the divisional crime officer, ASP Okeowo Joel,” the statement read partly.

The PPRO said that in the course of intervention by the DPO, “Suleiman Sidiq brought out a Jackknife and inflicted severe injury on the head and stabbed the left hand of the DPO”.

“Following the assault, Suleiman Sidiq fled the station by scaling the fence. Immediately, he was given a hot chase in a bid to arrest him. Subsequently, he was apprehended and transferred to the state CID in Ilorin for thorough investigation”, the statement added.

The PPRO further said that the officer assaulted had been taken to the hospital for medical treatment for the injuries sustained in the incident.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have seized over 44,948.1kg of illicit drugs and arrested eight suspects in multiple raids across Lagos, Edo and Ondo states.

The anti-narcotics agency also seized 11 vehicles owned by the drug cartels.

This was revealed by the agency’s Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday.

The statement noted that “no less than 14,310.8625 kg of psychoactive substance was razed on 5.7 hectares of farms in Ohosu/Ugbogui forest, Ovia South West Local Government Area, Edo State on Tuesday, March 19.”

Five suspects including 67-year-old Sunday Otulugbu; Agbayeogor Joshua, 39; Kelvin Ofuasia,45; Williams Peter, 37; and Kamaru Onimisi, 44, were arrested.

It added that 7, 687.8kg of cannabis was destroyed in a warehouse in Ala forest, Akure, Ondo State with another 670kg evacuated, on Saturday, March 23.

The statement read in parts, “In another operation in Uzebba/Avbiosi forest on Thursday, March 21, over 6,500kg cannabis was destroyed on 2.6 hectares of farms where three suspects: Kabiru Idris, 36;

“Alaba Jimoh, 40; and Lekan Asobere, 35, were arrested. In the same vein, 5,000kg of same substance was razed in a warehouse in Okpuje forest, Owan West LGA by NDLEA operatives with support from the military on Friday 22nd March.”

The agency stated that in a well-coordinated operation on Wednesday, March 20, in Lagos State, its operatives seized “10,534 kg (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis in Ajah area of the state where 11 vehicles were seized from the drug cartel.

“The recovered vehicles include: Iveco truck marked KRD 522 YE; Toyota sienna marked AAA 338 GL; Toyota sienna marked AAA 308 EP; Toyota Sienna marked FKJ 381 JC; Nissan bus marked EKY 846 YG; Mercedes bus marked EPE 743 XT; an unmarked Iveco J5 bus; Toyota sienna marked LSD 744 GP; Toyota highlander SUV marked KTU 280 FN; Toyota sienna marked AAA 333 GH and Toyota sienna marked FKJ 208 HV.”

Personnel of the Nigerian Army have killed no fewer than five terrorists during clearance operations in Borno State.

The clearance operations by the Combat Team on Friday resulted in the rescue of 78 kidnapped victims comprising 35 women and 43 children.

Six villages where the terrorists were operating were successfully cleared by the troops.

The villages cleared are Ngurusoye, Sabon Gari, Mairamri 1 and 2, Bula Dalo, Bula Dalo extension, Yamanci, and Gargaji all in Borno State.

A statement on Saturday by the Director, Nigerian Army Public Relations, Maj. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu said the feat was achieved after a fierce gun battle with the terrorists.

The statement read, “Troops of 7 Division Nigerian Army have continued to pounce on the vestiges of the Islamic State of West African Province and their JAS counterpart in North East Nigeria.

The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad has uncovered a massive illegal oil refining site at a forest in Odagwa Community in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The site comprises over 10 illegal refineries with an estimated 500,000 litres of crude oil contained in about 50 illegally constructed reservoirs, while five suspects engaging in the illicit act were arrested.

The spokesman for the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Olufemi Ayodele, disclosed this while parading the suspects and conducted newsmen around the site on Monday.

Ayodele said the discovery was based on credible intelligence.

He said, “The Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr Ahmed Audi, has reiterated over time that all acts of economic sabotage would be fought to a standstill as suspects arrested would face the full wrath of the law, irrespective of their sponsors.

“In furtherance, the CG gave a marching order to the Special Intelligence Squad, charging them to be more thorough and results-oriented in their operations

“Based on credible intelligence, the CG’s SIS swung into action and uncovered 10 illegal local refineries in a forest located at Odagwa Community in Etche LGA of Rivers State where five suspects were caught in the act of illegally refining of crude oil.

“While conducting an operational tour across the large thick forest, about 10 different cooking pots of 50,000 litres capacity were seen with one big pumping machine, receiver tanks, 25 rubber hoses used for pumping crude oil and many long galvanised pipes with unquantified litres of crude oil and illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (diesel) stored in six large reservoirs and other 20 smaller reservoirs drugged in the ground.”



The suspects include Favour Chukwu, 29; Desmond Umeh. 25; Godwin Amos, 22; Bineace Galion, 38; and Goodnews David, 23.



While noting that further investigation is ongoing, the state NSCDC spokesman said the suspects would face prosecution.

Meanwhile, the Commandant of the NSCDC, Rivers State Command, Basil Igwebueze, has condemned what he termed the ‘’unrepentant’’ act by these ‘’unscrupulous elements’’ who tapped into the Oil Well Head of Heirs Energies Limited and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited located around Imo River 2 Oil and Gas field at Odagwa in Etche.

Igwebueze said through different channels, the criminals inserted their galvanised pipes and siphoned crude oil while processing the same within the premises without recourse.



He emphasised that the site would be destroyed to ensure the perpetrators don’t return there to continue the illicit business.

“The uncovering of this massive illegal oil bunkering site is a landmark achievement and an indication that the NSCDC, as the lead agency in the protection of all critical national assets and infrastructure, will continue to combat crude oil theft with a renewed vigour even as we work in synergy with sisters security agencies to salvage the nation’s economy from saboteurs,” Igwebueze said.

He added that a “thorough investigation has commenced to unravel those behind the scene while all suspects arrested in connection with this act of vandalism and crude oil theft would be charged to a court of competent jurisdiction and their sponsors or cartels would be trailed and brought to book without compromise. ”

Our correspondent reports that several pipes were connected to tapping points with high-pressure crude oil flowing therein, while a crude-laden abandoned wellhead was destroyed by the miscreants.

A middle-aged man, Kenneth Nwangu, has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Children, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Court sitting in the High Court, Awka, Anambra State, for defiling his nine-year-old daughter and only child.

The judgment was delivered in a three-count brought against the defendant by the state government following compelling evidence proving him guilty as charged.

He was consequently sentenced to seven years imprisonment on count one – having sexual intercourse with a nine-year-old, an offence punishable under Section 34 of the Child Rights Law of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2004.

The court also sentenced the defendant to two years imprisonment on count two – inflicting physical injuries on his victim and one-year imprisonment on count three – causing emotional and psychological abuse on the victim.

The two offences are punishable under Sections 4 and 16 of the Violence Against Persons, Prohibition and Protection Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2017.

In its ruling, the court relied on evidence presented by prosecution witnesses, including the victim, and also took cognizance of evidence that the defendant had been taking care of the victim from about one year after the mother left them, among others.

The court allowed the defendant to explain why he was raping his child and should not be given the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Responding, the defendant initially denied defiling his child, claiming it was a woman he usually left the child with following the wife’s separation that got him arrested by the police over the allegation.

He, however, later admitted to the crime and pleaded for leniency, and his defence counsel also pleaded for mercy of the court, on the premise that the defendant was a first-time offender and had the victim as his only child, among others.

The court ordered that the seven, two- and one-year prison terms should run concurrently and that the victim should remain in the care of the Anambra State Government.

Reacting to the judgment, the Anambra State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Sylvia Ifemeje, who led the prosecution team in the case, described the judgment as a welcome development, saying it would serve as a deterrent to other offenders.

Ifemeje stressed that the state government’s zero tolerance for sexual assaults is non-negotiable.

No fewer than 48 repentant cultists in the Sagamu area of Ogun State have surrendered their arms to the Nigeria Police Force and renounced their membership in the various cult groups they belonged to.

The ceremony to profile the repentant cultists and take stock of the arms and ammunition was held at the Palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adewale Ajayi, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro had reported in January that two cult groups, Neo Black Movement, popularly called Aye, and the National Association of Airlords, also known as Eiye Confraternity, Sagamu chapter, wrote letters of apologies to the Akarigbo of Remoland, asking him and other traditional rulers in Remoland to forgive them of their wrongdoings.

The two groups had, in a viral letter, pleaded for mercy and promised to abide by the laws of the country.

While the letter from the Eiye Confraternity was dated December 22, 2023, that of Aye was dated December 26, 2023.

Weapons submitted by the cultists, who have promised to turn a new leaf, include one pump action gun, four double barrels, seven single barrels, two English pistols, four locally made pistols, and 35 cartridges.

Speaking at the event, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the approach of the police to engage in moral persuasion as a way of curbing the incessant cult crises that have ravaged the part of the state led the cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

Alamutu, while urging the repentant cultists not to go back to their old ways, stressed that the police would also work with the Ogun State government and the traditional rulers to convert them into an Anti-Cultism Vanguard that would preach the dangers of cultism to others still engaged in the act.

The CP said, “You will recall that last year, this community witnessed disturbing incidences where cultists were on rampage and disturbing the peace of the community that I had to partially relocate to this community.

“It was the persistent nature of this crisis that brought the idea of having a second look and approach to the crisis and we thought of using moral persuasion and engagement to see if we can get results and thank God this is the outcome.

“By giving them this Olive branch, the idea is for them to turn a new leaf. I have had a closed-door meeting with Kabiyesi on how we can engage these youths. Now that we have convinced them that the right thing to do is hard work, we are going to see how we can assist them to be of use to themselves and be our vanguard so that others will have a reason to embrace peace.”

In his reaction, Oba Ajayi said the amnesty for the cultists was a result of several engagements and discussions during when many of the cultists regretted their nefarious acts and promised to turn a new leaf.

The monarch added, “Not satisfied with the killings and disturbance of these cultists in the town, the community re-strategised and moved against them. The heat was so much that some of them were even forced to leave the town, but they continued to beg, sending emissaries that they were ready to turn a new leaf.

“We have engaged them and told them point-blank that cultism is not the way forward, that they will only ruin their lives, ruin their family names and the plans of God for their lives.

“We told them to submit their weapons and stay away from cultism, and we have promised to integrate them into the society. It is an ongoing exercise, and we hope that their colleagues in other parts of Remoland and Ogun State as a whole will draw a vital lesson and follow suit as well.”

He thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun, security agencies, and the Sagamu Security Committee for working round the clock to ensure the success of the amnesty deal for the former cultists.

He begged the residents of the community to show the repentant cultists love and support and not treat them as outcasts.

The Nigerian Navy has intercepted 193 bags of cannabis sativa and arrested a suspect, Asamani Emmanuel, along the Badagry waterways.

According to a press statement released to our correspondent on Tuesday, Commander NNS BEECROFT, Commodore Rafiu Oladejo, while briefing newsmen, disclosed that the contraband and suspect were intercepted by the NNS BEECROFT patrol team through the effective utilisation of the state-of-the-art Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment.

He stated that the NNS patrol team intercepted the large wooden boat laden with narcotics, comprising a total of 193 bags of cannabis sativa, weighing about 7,443kg on March 16, 2024.

He said, “The Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT, in furtherance of the ongoing Operation Water Guard, intercepted a large wooden boat laden with a total of 193 bags of cannabis sativa, weighing about 7,443 kilogrammes, and arrested suspect Mr Asamani Emmanuel along the Badagry waterways on March 16, 2024.

“The arrests were made possible through the effective utilisation of the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness facilities, Falcon Eye Alignment, and Regional Maritime Awareness Capability Centre, as well as human intelligence.

“This effort is in line with the strategic directive of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, to maintain a credible presence along Lagos waterways and adjoining creeks to rid the maritime environment of all forms of crime and criminality.”

Commodore Oladejo further warned perpetrators to desist from such acts, promising that the navy would not stop pursuing culprits found guilty of such activities.

He also added that the narcotics and the suspect have been handed over to the appropriate agency for further investigation.

“This successful arrest of a large quantity of narcotics underscores the unwavering commitment of NNS BEECROFT to curtailing the spread and use of illicit drugs among the teeming youth, which negatively affects their health and threatens national security.

“I hereby warn perpetrators of illicit drugs to desist from such acts as NNS BEECROFT will not rest on its laurels in pursuing all criminal elements operating within its area of operation.

“The arrested narcotics and the suspect were handed over to the officials of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Marine Command today, March 26, 2024, for further investigation and possible prosecution.”