Crime Facts

Campaign turns bloody as lawmaker narrowly escaped death in Lagos

A Lawmaker representing Amuwo Odofin Constituency 2 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Olawale Rauf Age-Sulaiman has narrowly escaped death on Thursday. The Lawmaker, who confirmed the unfortunate event to Tribune Online via a telephone call on Friday, said it occurred during the flag-off of the re-election campaign for the Council Chairman, Honourable Ramota Akinola Hassan at Oriade Local Council Development Area Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Satelite Town. He explained that the bullet shot by gunmen hits another party chieftain, Kayode Samuel popularly called Epo and died immediately. ‌ Age-Sulaimon, who also confirmed that he is hale and hearty, urged the state government to investigate the event in order to bring the perpetrators to book. Also, a group of Concerned Oriade Youths, in a statement, called on the state government to investigate and bring to book the perpetrators of the heinous act. The group described the deceased as a promising young man who was loyal and committed to the development of APC While giving a clearer explanation as to how it happened, an eyewitness said that the gunmen stormed the venue of the campaign launch towards the end of the event and aimed directly at the lawmaker. “The bullets missed him and hit another person, who is also a party chieftain, Kayode Samuel popularly called Epo and he died immediately,” the eyewitness stated. Editor’s Note:This photo is for illustrative purpose

Akeredolu: TB Joshua gave me money after my governorship election victory

Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo state governor, says TB Joshua, late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nation (SCOAN), “put something” in his pocket after he was elected into office. Akeredolu visited the church in Ikotun area of Lagos state on Friday to witness the funeral service of Joshua, an indigene of Ondo state. The pastor passed away on June 5 at the age of 57. In his remarks, Akeredolu describes the deceased as a “special child” and a man of peace and love. He said the late prophet visited him after he won the governorship election, but did not say if it was when he was first elected in 2016 or reelected in 2020. “He touched lives of special people economically and spiritually. We want to recall him for the great works he did on this side of the divide,” Akeredolu said. “I can testify personally to the good things I have benefitted from him. When I won the governorship election in Ondo state. He drove to Owo and something went wrong with his vehicle in his Akure.” “He told me he has come to wish me well and pray. And when he was leaving he put something in my pocket. I won’t tell you how much he put in my pocket.” Akeredolu added that Joshua paid the electricity bills of four local governments in Ondo state and donated electrical transformers to some communities without power. He urged followers of the Synagogue church to emulate his “originality” and engage in good deeds. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos who was represented by Olanrewaju Elegushi, commissioner for home affairs, said Joshua will be “greatly missed”. He said Joshua lived “a purposeful life”, adding that he is a “man who lived with the common man and became an uncommon minister”. The Lagos governor urged Joshua’s family and church members to “celebrate this evangelist by fighting the good fight of faith” and continue with his philanthropic initiatives. Present at the lying-in-state event is Evelyn, Joshua’s widow, and her children. Other dignitaries at the event include Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos commissioner of police; Samson Ayokunle, president of the Christian association of Nigeria (CAN) who was represented by Biodun Sanyaolu, the general secretary of CAN; among others.

90-Year-Old Drug Dealer Arrested In Katsina

A 90-year-old man, Yusuf Yarkadir, has been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for selling drugs to the youths in his Yarkadir village in Rimi Local Government Area of Katsina State. Under interrogation, the nonagenarian reportedly confessed that he has been selling cannabis sativa to the youths in his community for eight years. According to the spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, though the suspect failed to disclose his source of supply, he vowed to back out of the business having tried in the past to stop the illicit trade without success. In the same vein, narcotic officers in the Ondo State command of the agency arrested two teenage siblings along with other suspects for dealing in assorted illicit drugs in the state capital. The teenagers; Onyema Sunday, 16, and his sister, Onyema Amaka, 15, were said to have been arrested in Car Street area of Akure with 1.894kgs of Tramadol on Monday 5 July. While 23-year-old Kazeem Oluyede was nabbed in Eru Oba area of the capital city with 300grams of cannabis and 3grams of methamphetamine. Also, a lady Maryam Musa, 35, was arrested in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore local council area of the state, with 5.5kgs of cannabis, all same day. Elsewhere in Bauchi State, at least seven persons were arrested and 28.091kgs of assorted drugs such as Diazepam, Exol-5, Rophynol, Tramadol, Codeine, and cannabis recovered from them, according to NDLEA. Those arrested in two separate raids by operatives of the Bauchi State command of the Agency include Sunday Obi, Abba Abdullahi, Samuel John, Chijioke Agu, Sani Musa, Alhaji Alhaji Baffa, and Abubakar Saidu.

Bandits attack Zamfara communities, kill 42

Forty-two people have been killed by bandits in five communities of Faru district in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Thursday evening. The affected communities are Tsauni, Gudan-Baushi, Gidan-Adamu, Wari and Gudan-Maidawa. An indigene of the area, Malam Buba Faru, said the bandits, who were riding over 100 motorcycles, stormed the communities located few kilometres at the eastern part of Faru town. Buba said the bandits shot indiscriminately at the people and burnt their houses and food stores. “They were shooting sporadically at people they came across in the five communities. They also attacked farmers who were in their farmlands cultivating their crops. “So far, 42 dead bodies have been recovered by the security and volunteer groups in the area.” The bodies, according to Buba, were expected to be buried on Friday, according to Islamic rites. The spokesperson of the state Police Command, Mohammed Shehu, confirmed that only 35 people were killed in the five communities in a telephone interview with The PUNCH. According to him, their corpses were taken to Faru town where they were buried. Shehu stated that the police could not reach the affected communities on time when they were informed of the bandits’ attack due to the road network. “The police personnel tried their best to reach the affected communities on receiving the information that the bandits were there but unfortunately they could not reach the places because of the bad roads,” he said. He maintained that the “police are currently working tirelessly” to arrest the bandits.

EXTRA: Akwa Ibom bans pupils older than 12 years from admission into secondary schools

To in schools, Governor Udom Emmanuel has banned schoolchildren older than 12 years old from being admitted into secondary schools in Akwa Ibom. The directive is contained in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ini Ememobong, at the end of the State Executive Council meeting in Uyo. “Investigation has revealed that the surge is caused mainly by over-aged students who are on a mission of mass recruitment of students into cult groups. “However, any student above this age with a genuine reason will have their parents sign an undertaking of good behaviour before their admission,” he said. He added that the governor also charged council members to mobilise people to participate in the Enumeration Area Demarcation and Continuous Voter Registration. Mr Ememobong said the council also declared August 21 as the state’s ‘coconut day.’ He added that the government would plant about 300,000 coconut seedlings to boost coconut production in preparation for the start of operation of the coconut oil refinery. (NAN)

Haiti Police Indict 26 Colombians, Two Americans In President Moise Killing

At least 28 people carried out the assassination of President Jovenel Moise, Haitian police said Thursday, adding that 26 of them were Colombian and two were Americans of Haitian origin. “We have arrested 15 Colombians and the two Americans of Haitian origin. Three Colombians have been killed while eight others are on the loose,” national police director-general Leon Charles said at a news conference. On Wednesday police said four of the suspects had been killed. Charles did not explain the discrepancy. He also said the “weapons and materials used by the assailants have been recovered.” Charles spoke a day after Moise and his wife Martine were attacked by gunmen at their private residence in the capital Port-au-Prince. Moise was shot dead in the early morning attack, and his wife was wounded. She has been taken to Miami by air ambulance and authorities have said her condition is stable. The poorest country in the Americas now has no president or working parliament and two men claiming to be in charge as prime minister. Charles vowed the hunt for the other alleged assassins would continue. “We will strengthen our investigation and search techniques to intercept the other eight mercenaries,” he said. -AFP

Imo PDP kicks against suspension of lawmakers

The Peoples Democratic Party in Imo State has condemned the suspension of some members of the State House of Assembly, describing it as undemocratic. In a statement issued through the Publicity Secretary, Ogubundu Nwadike, the PDP said it found the action absolutely unacceptable while urging those responsible for the ill-advised suspension to rescind the decision and recall the lawmakers without any delay. According to him, the party recognised that the suspended lawmakers are elected representatives of the Imo people. ‌ They noted that to a very large extent “the lawmakers are answerable to the people, whose mandates they are exercising, and should seamlessly be exercising.” The party said that it was quite aware that the rules and regulations of the House do not envision the witch-hunt of the lawmakers by their equals that are privileged to be organizing the running and working of the House as is the case in the 9th Assembly. “PDP considers it as not cogent enough the reasons floated by the leadership of the House for the act of suspension of elected lawmakers,” it stated. While describing such action as too vindictive, highhanded, dehumanizing and provocative, the party said that the legislature “is an arm of government and not a department of the executive arm of government.” According to the party, “the system in Imo State where the executive arm arrogates so much power and authority over the legislature is undemocratic and must be jettisoned, to allow democracy to blossom and flourish in the state.” It assured that PDP would further study the circumstances that led to the show of shame in the Imo Assembly. “We keenly observe how the powers that be in the House are going to handle and manage the latest slap on democracy,” it stated. The party warned the executive arm of government to desist from its meddlesomeness in the affairs of the legislative arm, adding that the warning was coming because of their privileged information that the leadership of the House is composed by rubber stamp stooges of the executive in the state. The PDP frowned at the prevarications of Governor Hope Uzodinma, “who pontificates on the need for a peaceful atmosphere in the state, but directly and indirectly, continually sponsors acts that are capable of breaching the peace of the state and the people.” It asked the governor to leave Imo State House of Assembly alone to make useful laws for Imo people, adding that witch-hunting and hounding elected lawmakers, particularly those of the opposition PDP, is not in tandem with the governor’s much talk about restoring peace in the state. The party called for genuine efforts to keep Imo State peaceful.

Kaduna State Govt Seals Four Fidelity Bank Branches Over N43.3m Tax Liabilities

The Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service has sealed four branches of Fidelity Bank in the state for tax Liabilities amounting to N43.3 million. The branches are located at Ali Akilu Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, Polytechnic Road by Maimuna Gwarzo Junction, and Kachia Road, all in Kaduna metropolis. The Executive Chairman of the Revenue service, Zaid Abubakar, said the bank’s branches were closed based on a court order after the bank refused to settle outstanding tax returns of N43.3 million owed the state government from 2011 to 2020. According to her, the action taken against the bank is in line with Section (3) and (4) of the personal income tax Amendment Act 2011 and Section 37 (3l and (4) of Kaduna state Tax Codification And Consolidation Law, 2020 as amended. She said the management of the bank was served with notices of the tax assessment five times, but the notices were ignored. The move is part of efforts by the state government to encourage voluntary settlement of all tax liabilities by taxpayers.

Kidnapped Kaduna Poly Students, Staff Members Released

The six students and two staff members of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic in Zaria Kaduna State, who were kidnapped by bandits have been released. They were released on Thursday night at an undisclosed location in Kaduna. The Public Relations Officer of the Polytechnic, Abdullahi Shehu, who confirmed the development to Channels TV, said the kidnapped students and staff members regained their freedom after their parents and relatives negotiated with the bandits. He, however, did not say specifically if any ransom was paid or not. The school authorities will receive the students later in the day at a location where they were kept after their release, he added. Bandits had attacked the polytechnic on June 11, 2021, kidnapping the victims from their hostels and staff quarters. They also killed one student during the operation.