July 2021 – Page 55 – Crime Facts

Post Date : July 16, 2021

BREAKING: 5 feared killed as boat capsizes in Lagos

A boat carrying five passengers has capsized in Lagos State. The PUNCH gathered that the boat was heading to Badagry when the incident happened on Friday. An official of the Lagos State Waterways confirmed the incident, saying that the five passengers have been rescued. “No Cause for Alarm! The boat was going to Badagry but unfortunately stopped 5 minutes after casting out of Five Cowries Terminal. “All passengers have been successfully rescued while the boat moved to safer harbour till the heavy rain stopped and will be taking to dry dock for technical assessment,” the official said. Details later…

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Police arrest two notorious armed robbery suspects in Imo

The Imo State police command has announced the arrest of Darlington Ogubike and Ihuoma Emeriole suspected to be notorious armed robbers. CSP Micheal Abattam, Police Public Relations officer in a statement on Friday said that both suspects were arrested after reports that a gang of armed robbers terrorizing Mbasie were sighted in the community. The command’s tactical team raided the hideout of the gang where both suspected robbers were nabbed. Two English-made pump action guns, seven rounds of live cartridges and two locally-made pistols were exhibits recovered from the suspects. CSP Micheal stated that both suspects are currently undergoing interrogation and have made useful statements that will help the police arrest other members of their gang. The State Commissioner of Police, CP Abutu Yaro in the statement, commended residents of Imo State for providing credible information that has led to the arrest of the suspects.

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Stella Oduah: Why I was absent during voting on e-transmission of election results

Stella Oduah, senator representing Anambra north, says she abstained from voting on the electronic transmission of election results because she didn’t want to reject the work she was part of. Oduah, a member of the committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was among 27 senators who were absent when voting was held. The provision for electronic transmission of electronic results is contained in section 50(3) of the electoral act amendment bill which was passed on Thursday. The upper legislative chamber retained an amendment by Sabi Abdullahi, senate deputy whip, who proposed that the Nigeria Communication Communication (NCC) must certify that national coverage is adequate and secure, while the national assembly must approve before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can transmit election results electronically. Albert Bassey, senator representing Akwa Ibom north-east, had kicked against the motion and said the initial proposal made by the committee should be retained. The recommendation of the committee reads: “The commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.” To adopt Abdullahi’s proposal, the senators had a 52-28 vote using the “division” method which is provided for in order 73 of the senate rule book. In a terse statement on Friday, Oduah said she abstained from the voting by walking out of the red chamber because it would be “unjust” if she rejects her committee’s work. “We took time to arrive at that decision at the committee meeting and coming to plenary to reject it will be unjust, that was why I walked out,” the senator said. “In as much as number is a very significant decider in parliament, we should also take decisions having future projection and nation development in mind.”

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Man Beats Pregnant Wife To Death In Adamawa

Robert Mede, a resident of Adamawa, has been arrested for allegedly beating his pregnant wife to death. The suspect, who hails from Bodere village in Ribadu District of Fufore Local Government Area of the state, is currently being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police headquarter s in Yola. He confessed to Daily Trust that his 30-year-old wife lost her life during a scuffle. He reiterated that Mustapha his friend had on the 4th July, 2021, pleaded with him to assist in convincing his wife whom they had a problem and packed to her parents house to return to her matrimonial home. The suspect said while waiting for his friend to plead on his behalf around 8:00pm, the deceased wife came out, held his neck and accused him of cheating on her. He said the deceased dragged him into their house, force him to the ground and when he rose up, he hit her with a stick on her waist. Robert said the beating affected her condition and she was rushed to a hospital, where she was diagnosed. He said she was supposed to undergo blood transfusion but her health deteriorated and she died on the 9th of July, 2021. He added that he regretted his actions. The Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Adamawa Command, DSP Sulaiman Yahaya Nguroje, confirmed the incident, saying the accused will soon be charged to court.

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Floods Leave At Least 126 Dead In Europe

The death toll from devastating floods in Europe soared to at least 126 on Friday, most in western Germany where emergency responders were frantically searching for missing people. Unsuspecting residents were caught completely off guard by the torrent dubbed the “flood of death” by Germany’s top-selling daily Bild. Streets and houses were submerged by water in some areas, while cars were left overturned on soaked streets after flood waters passed. Some districts were completely cut off from the outside world. “Everything was under water within 15 minutes,” Agron Berischa, a 21-year-old decorator from Bad Neuenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate state, told AFP. “Our flat, our office, our neighbours’ houses, everywhere was under water.” Residents were shocked by the damage as floodwaters continued to rise overnight. “We rushed home and found ourselves waist-deep in water. And overnight another 50 centimetres were added,” said Christoph Buecken in Eschweiler in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW). Adding to the devastation, several more people were feared dead in a landslide in northern Germany on Friday triggered by floods. Hundreds were unaccounted for in the country, while the death toll in Belgium jumped to 23 with more than 21,000 people left without electricity in one region. Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also hammered by heavy rains, inundating many areas and forcing thousands to be evacuated in the city of Maastricht. Fearing the worst An aerial view taken on on July 14, 2021 shows a flooded intersection in Hagen, western Germany, after heavy rain hit parts of the country, causing widespread flooding. INA FASSBENDER / AFP In Germany’s hard-hit Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, several houses collapsed completely, drawing comparisons to the aftermath of a tsunami. At least 24 people were confirmed dead in Euskirchen, one of the worst-affected towns just to the north. “I fear that we will only see the full extent of the disaster in the coming days,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said late Thursday from Washington, where she met with President Joe Biden. “My empathy and my heart go out to all of those who in this catastrophe lost their loved ones, or who are still worrying about the fate of people still missing.” The number of casualties in Rhineland-Palatinate has reached 60, bringing the national toll to at least 103, authorities said Friday. In Ahrweiler, around 1,300 people were unaccounted for, although local authorities told Bild the high number was likely due to damaged phone networks. Regional interior minister Roger Lewentz told local media that up to 60 people were believed to be missing, “and when you haven’t heard from people for such a long time… you have to fear the worst”. “The number of victims will likely keep rising in the coming days,” he added. Bad Neuenahr, western Germany. Ferdinand MERZBACH / NEWS5 / AFP Several people were dead and missing after a landslide in Erftstadt-Blessem in NRW, local officials said Friday. “Houses were largely swept away by the water and some collapsed,” the Cologne local authority said on Twitter, while a spokeswoman for the local government told AFP there were “confirmed” deaths. Gerd Landsberg, head of the German Association of Towns and Municipalities, said the cost of the damage was likely to run into “billions of euros”. In Belgium, the army has been sent to four of the country’s 10 provinces to help with rescue and evacuations. The swollen Meuse river “is going to look very dangerous for Liege”, a nearby city of 200,000 people, warned Wallonia regional president Elio Di Rupo. In Switzerland, lakes and rivers were also swelling after heavy overnight rainfall. In Lucerne in particular, Lake Lucerne had begun to flood the city centre. Some parts of western Europe received up to two months’ worth of rainfall in two days on soil that was already near saturation, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Climate change? The severe storms have put climate change back at the centre of Germany’s election campaign ahead of a September 26 poll marking the end of Merkel’s 16 years in power. Speaking in Berlin on Friday, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany would “only be able to curb extreme weather situations if we engage in a determined fight against climate change”. The country “must prepare much better” in future, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said, adding that “this extreme weather is a consequence of climate change”. Because a warmer atmosphere holds more water, climate change increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall. In urban areas with poor drainage and buildings located in flood zones, the damage can be severe. North Rhine-Westphalia premier Armin Laschet, the conservative running to succeed Merkel, called for “speeding up” global efforts to fight climate change, underlining the link between global warming and extreme weather. AFP

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Seven dead, nine unconscious as strange disease hits Enugu market

A strange disease on Friday killed seven persons and left nine others in critical conditions at the New Artisan Market, Enugu. It was gathered the bodies of the deceased, four men and three women, were discovered by shocked residents on Friday morning. Chairman of the Livestocks Market, Alhaji Danladi Abubarkar, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, said residents of the market woke up to discover the dead bodies. He said that all the affected persons, including tricycle riders, artisans and others from different households were stooling and vomiting. “We have already taken the bodies to the cemetery to bury the Muslims among them while the Christians have deposited their relations in a morgue,” he said. Abubakar also informed officials of the Enugu Ministry of Health had already visited the market to investigate cause of the deaths. Residents expressed fears the development could be a possible outbreak of epidemic in the area. Executive Secretary, Enugu State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr George Ugwu, said it was premature to speak on the matter as no one was sure of the cause of the deaths. Ugwu said a team of health experts had been sent to the place to get more information on the reported disease.

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Police constitute committee to arrest fake lawyers in Imo

The Imo State Police Command on Friday constituted a committee to apprehend fake and quack lawyers in the state. The state Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro, who spoke when a team from the Owerri branch of Nigeria Bar Association visited him at the command headquarters in Owerri, said quackery was a crime in law. Yaro announced that the officer in charge of legal matters in the command, Stephen Onwochei, would chair the committee while a member of the Owerri branch of the NBA, Thaddeus Okey, would serve as the secretary. The CP, who reiterated his commitment to ending quackery in the state, disclosed that a fake lawyer was last week remanded at Owerri Correctional Centre. Five cops facing trial for corruption, says Imo CP Insecurity heightens in Imo as gunmen raze five police stations within one week Increase your shooting power, Imo CP tells cops He vowed to deal decisively with legal infractions in the state, adding that only qualified lawyers would be allowed to practice in the state. Yaro said, “Under my watch, we are committed to having only qualified lawyers practice in the state. I have therefore set a Committee against fake lawyers and it is headed by the officer in charge of legal matters at the command while a member of the NBA who is a former police officer Will serve as secretary. “Already, a woman who was parading herself as a lawyer is already in prison for impersonation. In our laws, impersonation is a serious crime and we won’t allow fake lawyers have their ways in Imo State.

Post Date : July 16, 2021

BREAKING: Despite being dropped by INEC, Soludo vows to contest in Anambra governorship election

Chukwuma Soludo, one of the candidates of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra, says he is still in the race. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had excluded him from the list of governorship candidates. In a statement which his campaign organisation issued on his behalf, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said he remains the valid candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA). “Honourable Chukwuma Umeorji has been published as the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the November 6 2021 gubernatorial election in Anambra State. ” “The INEC publication is based on a judgment by a High Court in Jigawa State, and the electoral body sensibly wrote that its inclusion of Umeorji as a candidate in the election is By Judgment. “Our millions of supporters in Anambra State and elsewhere in the world are advised not to be dispirited by the publication seriously. Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo will participate in the governorship election as the APGA candidate. “His nomination was strictly in line with the Electoral Law and INEC guidelines. INEC observed the APGA Congress on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, where he was nominated after winning 93.4 per cent of the valid votes cast in a free, fair and transparent manner which was broadcast live on national television networks as part of deepening the democratic process in Nigeria.” Judgement will be set aside He expressed confidence that the judgement which INEC relied upon to produce its list would be set aside. “The judgment will be set aside the way orders by Mr Justice Stanley Nnaji of the Enugu State High Court and Mr Justice Egbo Egbo of the Federal High Court in Abuja were thrown out when they embarrassed the legal profession with their decisions on the struggle for the governorship of Anambra State a few years after the inception of democratic governance in 1999. “Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state were then toying with the destiny of a great state. “Desperate politicians are determined to go to any and every length to acquire power for its own sake. We thought that the state had passed the stage where some of its politicians were moving from one end of the country to the other in the dead of the night in search of judicial orders to impose themselves on the people as their rulers, not leaders. “Our supporters and indeed all Anambra people, who have been waiting patiently for Soludo’s leadership of the state, are advised not to be deterred by the Jigawa State Court order. They should rather remain supremely confident of not only Soludo’s participation in the November 6 gubernatorial vote but also his triumph in the polls with a big margin which will lead to a new era in our state for the benefit of all. “The campaign for Soludo’s emergence as the successor to Governor Willie Obiano has become a movement of the people through and through. The movement will come to fruition.” Credit: Daily Trust

Post Date : July 16, 2021

Reps pass electoral bill

The House of Representatives has passed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, maintaining the controversial Clause 52(2) as presented. The clause allows the Independent National Electoral Commission to determine when, where and how voting and transmission of results will be done. Clause 52(2) reads, “Voting at an election and transmission of result under this bill shall be in accordance with the procedure determined by the commission.” Earlier, there was a rowdy session in the House as the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, skipped Section 52 where consideration of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill was suspended on Thursday. After asking officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission a series of questions, the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said the information from the agency would guide the lawmakers on the controversial Clause 52(2) which is about voting and transmission of election results. The House reverted to Committee of the Whole, which was presided over by Wase, to continue with the consideration. Wase, however, called for a vote from Clause 54, which generated protests. The Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, raised a point of order to recall that the session on Thursday was halted when the consideration got to Clause 52. He also recalled that several members called for division of the House, which Wase overruled. The Deputy Speaker, however, denied blocking division of the House, adding that Clause 52 had already been voted on and passed. Recall that Wase had ruled that the nays had it even when the ayes were louder than the nays, a development that ended normalcy in the chamber. The PUNCH had reported that there was tight security at the National Assembly especially around the House of Representatives chambers on Friday morning. The House is currently making inquiries from top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigerian Communications Commission, who are addressing the lawmakers in plenary, on the possibility of transmitting election results electronically from every part of the country. Passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill at the House was stalled on Thursday, forcing the chamber to continue consideration of its clauses today. The National Assembly does not hold plenary on Friday and the House was to begin the two-month annual recess on Thursday, but for the development. The Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had to adjourn plenary till Friday when Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu; and Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof Umar Danbatta, are to brief the chamber on the implication of having election results transmitted electronically. The House spent about two hours on clause 52(2) of the bill as several attempts to have it amended were overruled by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the Committee of the Whole to consider the clauses of the bill. The clause caused a division in the House, with the lawmakers polarised along regional lines, causing rowdiness in the chamber for several hours, during which several lawmakers engaged themselves in shouting matches.

Post Date : July 16, 2021

BREAKING: Court discharges, acquits ex-NBA President Usoro of N1.4b fraud charge

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday discharged and acquitted the immediate past President of the Nigerian Barr Association (NBA) Paul Usoro SAN, of the N1.4billion money laundering charge filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC). Justice Rilwan Aikawa held the anti-graft agency failed to establish any prima facie case against Usoro that could warrant him to enter a defence. The judge made the decision while ruling on Usoro’s “no case” submission. He noted that the penal code, under which the NBA chieftain was charged, is not applicable to southern states, i.e Lagos and Akwa-Ibom, which were said to be the locations of the alleged offences. “On the whole, I hold that the prosecution has failed to establish any prima facie case. “Accordingly, the defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted,” Justice Aikawa held. The defendant had on February 25, filed a no case submission where his counsel Effiong O. Effiong SAN contended that the EFCC called only two witnesses and closed its case because, according to him, it knew it didn’t have any case against the defendants. The EFCC had on February 18 closed its case after calling two witnesses. Effiong prayed the court to allow the no-case submission. But prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo opposed his prayer. Oyedepo prayed the court to dismiss the no-case submission, citing the “overwhelming evidence” he said the EFCC had adduced and exhibits admitted in evidence. He also asked the court to order the defendant to enter his defence. The agency arraigned Usoro on December 18, 2018 before Justice Muslim Hassan on a 10-count charge. He pleaded not guilty to all the counts. The case was transferred to and the lawyer was subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Aikawa on a charge marked FHC/418c/18, which alleged that he committed the offence on May 14, 2016. Also mentioned in the charge, was the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Emmanuel Udom, who was described as being “currently constitutionally immune from prosecution”. Others are Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Finance, Nsikan Nkan; Accountant-General of Akwa Ibom State, Mfon Udomah; the Akwa Ibom Attorney-General, Uwemedimo Nwoko and Margaret Ukpe. The aforementioned names were described in the charge as being at large. But on July 17, 2020 the Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos struck out four of the 10-count N1.4billion money laundering charge which particularly alluded to the governor’s involvement in the alleged crime. Thus, Udom was excluded from the proceedings. In what was left of the charge, Usoro was alleged to have conspired to convert the sum of N1.4 billion, property of Akwa Ibom State Government, which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity. In his testimony before the court, an EFCC investigating officer Abdulrahman Arabo said that Udom hired Usoro who, in turn, invited other SANs to join him at the Election Tribunal where his victory was being challenged in 2015. The EFFC witness also testified the sum of N1.4 billion legal fee paid to the SANs was drawn from the treasury of the Akwa Ibom State’s account. Usoro vigorously denied involvement in any crime.