Crime Facts

ICYMI: Outrage in Owerri as police invade IMSU hostel, abduct students

Policemen attached to the Imo state police command have come under serious attack from residents of Owerri, the state capital, following the brutalization of students of Imo state university, Owerri, living at Olive hostel, The Punch reports. Our correspondent who visited the hotel located in front of the university on Friday afternoon, was told by few of the students who were still around that the cops stormed the place around 9pm on Thursday. The undergraduates said that the policemen stormed the hostel, vandalized doors of over 15 rooms, threw teargas cannisters, brutalized them, including female occupants and arrested no fewer than 21 of them. The enraged students said that some of the arrested students were made to pay N60,000, N30,000 and N20, 000 before they were allowed to go from the police station on Thursday night and Friday morning, respectively. Our correspondent’s investigation revealed that about four students who had not been able to raise bailout money were still being held in police custody. One of the students who identified himself simply as, Murphy, said ” two occupants of one of the rooms in the hostel were having issues and one of them left and invited his police boyfriend. After one hour, policemen in three jeeps stormed the hostel and started beating everybody. They used planks on us, including the female students. They broke into rooms and destroyed properties, including doors of no less than 15 rooms. They also took money and phones and arrested no less than 21 students. “Some came home after paying N60,000, N30,000 and N20,000, respectively. Some of the brutalized students are receiving treatment in undisclosed hospitals. As we speak, some are still in police custody because they don’t have money to bail themselves. “The irony of the matter is that the girl who called her police boyfriend is squatting with the girl she fought. She came on an Industrial Training from a university outside the state.” When contacted, the IMSU spokesperson, Ralph Obinjoku, said that the Chief security officer of the university and Dean students affairs had swung into action. The police spokesperson for the command, Micheal Abattam, said that the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Hussaini, had ordered holistic investigation into the incident. Source: The Punch

APGA Will Win Anambra Election – Soludo

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Soludo on Friday said the party will emerge victorious in the November 6 election. Addressing party supporters and faithful at the APGA 2021Governorship Campaign Council at the Alex Ekwueme Square in Akwa, Soludo said the ruling party is leading the state from level to level. “The difference is clear; APGA is that of the people. There are the ones who are coming with a conquering army. They want to conquer Anambra,” the governorship hopeful said. “We want to win Anambra. APGA will win Anambra, they say their own is to come and take Anambra, Ndi Anambra, are they going to come and take Anambra?” he questioned, with the people replying saying: “No.” Soludo, who is also an economist and a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, scored APGA high for delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of the state. He also commended former Governor Peter Obi, whom he said created the blueprint that enabled Governor Willie Obiano to consolidate on. He recalled that in 2010, the poverty level in Anambra was over 50 per cent, noting now that the number is below 20 per cent. “Poverty level in Anambra in 2010 was 53 per cent, Nigeria should take note. Anambra State under APGA, the poverty rate has gone down to 14.78 per cent. Which other state has that kind of record? “That is going to be on the ballot, whether Anambra State will continue that type of progress or a conspiracy by some other to haul the development of Anambra State,” he stated further. The APGA candidate also thanked the people of the state for giving him the opportunity to fly the party’s flag in the polls. This is coming 24 hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared Soludo to fly APGA’s flag in the governorship election in the state. INEC explained that the clearance followed the judgement of the Court of Appeal (Kano Division) which set aside the judgement of the High Court of Jigawa State on the leadership of APGA and the nomination of its candidates for the Anambra Governorship election.

Sunday Igboho’s stay in Benin Republic custody blessing in disguise — Lawyer

Olusegun Falola, one of the lawyers of embattled Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, has said his client’s stay in Benin Republic detention is a blessing in disguise. Checks by The Nation revealed that Igboho has spent over one month in detention since he was ‘arrested’ by the operatives of Brigade criminelle (Criminal Brigade) on July 19 in Cotonou. Falola spoke during an interview series with feelrightnewsTV monitored by The Nation. The 48-year-old agitator, who was first detained at the Brigade économique et financière (BEF), is at Prison Civile de Cotonou — Cotonou Civil Prison. In the last judgment, the Cour De’appal De Cotonou ordered that Igboho should be kept in prison custody. At the 13-hour hearing, the court ruled that Igboho be sent to pre-trial detention pending conclusion of the investigation. Speaking on efforts on Igboho’s freedom, he said: “Igboho’s arrest shows he was cheated, because he didn’t commit any criminal offense. “I plead with all Yorubas and Nigerians at large, don’t see Sunday Igboho as a convict, see him as someone who is under Benin Republic’s protection. Igboho is only staying underground for now until when there is breath of fresh air. “Nigeria did not show up in court or bring up evidence against Sunday Igboho. So there is no criminal charges against him. When Igboho leaves prison, he’ll demand asylum from other countries including France, and they we’ll be ready to receive him. “So he’ll return back to Nigeria when the administration that is against him leaves office.” On steps Igboho will take after regaining freedom, Falola said: “If Nigeria is yet to be a safe haven for him (Igboho) to return, especially for his freedom and maximum security, all his cars in Ibadan and businesses will be done in Cotonou. “The judges asked Igboho if he had land in Cotonou and he responded that he has a land in Seme. “So, there is still danger ahead. Igboho’s asylum in Cotonou is for him to stay in the country and do his businesses in country and also travel to Germany to either live there or to travel to and fro. He’ll use Benin as his new home until Buhari’s tenure is over just for his own safety. “We should be thankful to Benin Republic government for granting Igboho access to medical attention, also his wife, Ropo goes freely to see him to also interact with him and bring food regularly. “If Igboho had been captured the way Kanu was extradited to Nigeria, then we won’t be talking about him today, his health would have worsened, look at how his aides have been treated.” Falola further stated that “Once the storm is gradually coming to an end, Igboho will regain his freedom. “He is hale and hearty, and also in good condition. He is also getting more medical attention for him to be fit especially ahead of any future political ambitions.” “Sunday Igboho’s stay in the prison is not befitting for his status but it is a blessing in disguise, just to keep him protected.” He added.

Nine Bandits Killed As Rival Groups Face Off In Kaduna

At least nine bandits have been killed during a gunfight between rival groups in Kaduna State. This is according to credible human intelligence network reports corroborated by security agencies, the state government said on Friday. According to the reports, the clash occurred on Wednesday in Giwa Local Government Area of the state. A notorious bandit popularly known as Godon Mota was said to have stormed Garke village with members of his gang and clashed with a rival bandit group, leading to the killing of nine persons. While the cause of the face-off has yet to be ascertained, sources said it revolves around a disagreement over sharing of accumulated ransoms. One of the groups was reported to have felt cheated by the other – a situation that led to the clash and the killings. Kidnapping for ransom has become a normal practice for bandits to extort money from innocent residents in Kaduna and other states in the North West, as well as Niger in the north-central region. In the last one year, bandits have attacked many communities in the region, with a lot of people killed and hundreds abducted. During the period, several schools have come under attack in Kaduna, Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi where bandits abducted over 1,000 students. A large number of the victims have since returned after their families paid ransom to the gunmen, but some are still in captivity. A few of the students lost their lives during rescue operations by security forces. As the bandits continue to attack communities in Kaduna, the state government says it will no longer consider the option of negotiation with the criminals. “We have a feeling that the renewed attacks in Kaduna are not unconnected to the position that we have taken as a government that we will not negotiate with criminals,” Governor Nasir El-Rufai said during an interview with Channels Television in April. According to the security report of the state for the first quarter, a total of 323 people were killed by bandits in Kaduna between January and March. Of the 323 people killed during the period, 292 were males and 20 were females, while the criminals kidnapped 949 people.

Campaign promises: Buhari, APC have failed already ― PDP

Following President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration Friday that he will not leave office a failure, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has told him that he and his ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) are already at that point as they could not fulfil their campaign promises to Nigerians. In a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary on Saturday, the main opposition party said: “President Muhammadu Buhari that he is already a failure in governance and will leave a failure, adding that his attempt at political damage control cannot help his fizzling All Progressives Congress (APC).” The PDP described the statement by President Buhari that he will not leave office as a failure as “medicine after death,” noting that as long as he is a product of the corrupt, inept, directionless and anti-people APC, he will leave as a failed leader. ‌ The party asserted that President Buhari’s veiled admission of failure, “which smacks as a tactic to exonerate the APC, is an exercise in futility as the APC, which now only exists on paper, will soon fizzle from our political firmament, having shown itself as a perverted platform that cannot be entrusted with governance at any level in our country.” The PDP declared that President Buhari and his APC have failed in their three-pronged promises of security, anti-corruption and economic development. It added: “They have instead wrecked all sectors of our nation’s life with no hope in sight. “What explanation can the Buhari Presidency and the APC offer for failing to decisively tackle terrorists, insurgents and bandits, who are daily ravaging our communities, killing and maiming our compatriots in various states across the country, despite the huge resources at their disposal? “How do President Buhari and APC leaders sleep at night when they know that due to their incompetence and compromises, hundreds of Nigerians, including school children are languishing in kidnappers’ den at the mercies of their assailants and the elements? “President Buhari has so failed as a Commander-in-Chief that non-state actors have taken over, with regions now resorting to their own security outfits while state governors, including his home, Katsina state governor, Aminu Bello Masari, telling helpless victims of terror attacks to defend themselves. “On the economy front, President Buhari has only succeeded in ruining the once robust economy handed over to him by the PDP administration in 2015 and turned Nigeria into the poverty capital of the world, where over 82.9 million once-thriving Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals and other necessities of life. “Moreover, the Buhari Presidency cannot point to any landmark project it conceptualized, started and completed in the last six years. “All it can boast of is the mortgaging of the future of our nation with accumulated N33.107 trillion debt with nothing to show and no clear repayment plan. “More atrocious is that Mr President is seeking to borrow additional N5.62 trillion when he knows that he has less than two years in office. “Rather than fighting corruption, the APC-led Buhari administration has become the citadel of corruption where over N15 trillion naira have reportedly been stolen by APC leaders from various agencies under the cover of government. “Nigerians can recall how the PDP recently held a strategic meeting where suggestions on how to entrench unity, reduce tension, fight insurgency, curb corruption and restore our nation to the path of economic progress, were placed at the behest of Mr President and how he failed to listen to the voice of reason. “What is expected of Mr President and the APC at this point is for them to end their media orchestrations, apologize for their failure and allow Nigerians to chart a fresh course as they rally with the PDP to salvage our dear nation.”

PSquare’s Paul Okoye’s marriage in trouble as wife asks for divorce

All is not well in PSquare half, Paul Okoye’s marriage to Anita Okoye. The wife of the singer has petitioned an Abuja court to dissolve their marriage after seven years. This is coming a few days after Rudeboy released his debut album as a solo act, ‘Rudeboy Kill Us.’ In a court document published by Pulseng, Anita requested for dissolution of her marriage to the ‘Reason with me’ singer. In the document, Anita’s lawyers advised the singer to challenge the claims and petition petition if he feels disgruntled. In April 2021, Anita sparked divorce rumours when it was reported that she relocated with their three children – Andre, Nadia and Nathan, to the United States of America. In 2019, Anita was accused by a popular aphrodisiac vendor of buying items to keep her marriage together. The vendor later took down the story from Instagram. Anita and Paul got married in 2014 in a very flamboyant wedding ceremony in Port Harcourt.

FG can’t prosecute repentant insurgents -Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government has admonished “naysayers” to stop spewing negative and false narratives around Boko Haram members who are surrendering in droves in the North-East. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed gave the admonition in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Washington. NAN reports that no fewer than 1,000 Boko Haram fighters and their families have handed themselves over to army units in recent weeks in the southern Borno towns of Konduga, Bama, and Mafa. The minister berated those who were alleging that the surrendered insurgents were not actual Boko Haram fighters and if they were, they should be shot rather than granted amnesty. He also described as “false and demoralising’’ the claim in certain quarters that the surrendered insurgents would be recruited into the Nigerian military “The fact that we are witnessing insurgents submitting in droves calls for commendation of our military for their doggedness. “We must not forget that two months ago, Nigerians were putting pressure on the President to recruit mercenaries to fight the war against terror because they said we were losing the war. “The President, however, remained focused and confident in his belief in the Nigerian military that they have what it takes to defeat the insurgents. “We thank God that Mr President today has been proven right. “We were able to achieve this, largely because of the leadership of Mr President in providing the wherewithal continually to the military and ensuring that their fighting morale is sustained by way of welfare packages,’’ he said. Mohammed added that the call for the prosecution and killing of the repentant militants rather than granting them amnesty was against global best practices. “I personally spoke to the military authority before I left Nigeria and they said what they were doing is what the global practice dictates about soldiers that surrendered that should be treated as prisoners of war. “You cannot just shoot them because there are international conventions that give rights also to prisoners of war “What the military is doing is that, when they surrender, they profile them to ensure that they are genuine and reintegrate them into the society,’’ he said. NAN

Wike signs bill on VAT collection into law

GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Thursday signed into law the bill on Value Added Tax (VAT) collection in the state. Wike signed the recently passed bill by the state House of Assembly at the Government House, Port Harcourt. He maintained that the judgment of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had sufficiently addressed the illegality perpetrated by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS). ‌ The governor also signed into law the Open Rearing and Grazing Prohibition Law No 5 of 2021; The Child’s Rights Amendment Law No 2 of 2021. Others are the Residents Registration Agency Law No 6 of 2021 and the Naming and Renaming of Infrastructure Law No 3 of 2021. Wike pointed out that when agencies of the Federal Government are allowed to illegally demand and collect taxes meant for states, they strangulate the states financially and turn them to be beggars. “But we (Rivers State) are standing on the part of history as representatives of the state to have taken the bull by the horn to challenge the illegality of the Federal Government through the Federal inland Revenue Services (FIRS). “Of course, we are all aware that the states have already been strangled. Most states depend on allocation from federation accounts. “States have been turned to beggars, hardly any day will pass that you will not see one state or others going to Abuja to beg for one fund,” Wike said. He said no campaign of calumny or blackmail on the part of FIRS would make what was illegal to become legal.

Cultists kill final year student in Rivers varsity

There was panic, yesterday, at Rivers State University (RSU), in Port Harcourt, following the death of a final year student, who was allegedly shot within the school cafeteria by suspected cultists. The Guardian gathered that suspected cultists had trailed the victim to a cafeteria near the faculty of Management Science about 9:20a.m., where one of them brought out a gun and shot the unidentified student on the head severally. The victim, a source in the University disclosed, was allegedly shot by one ‘Peruzi’, a 200-level student. According to an eyewitness, who gave his name simply as Emmanuel, “the victim died on the spot and the situation led to panic. Students, who were writing their examinations and people started running helter-skelter.” Emmanuel disclosed that ‘Peruzi’, the alleged assailant, was suspected to be a member of Vikings cult group, while the victim was a member of Ku Klux Klans(KKK) cult group. The source noted that the killer student was about fleeing from the scene, when the school security operatives and police officers attached to the Nkpolu Divisional Police headquarters, Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt, apprehended him and one other. Meanwhile, security officers have intensified patrols inside the varsity to forestall reprisals and total breakdown of law and order. The Public Relations Officer for the University, Harcourt Whyte, confirmed the incident, saying: “Those guys have been arrested and the police are investigating.” Contacted the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, SP. Nnamdi Omoni, said the police have launched a manhunt to arrest other fleeing suspects.

Herdsmen kidnap two ABSU professors, others

The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, Victor. U. Nkemdirim has explained how two Professors of the university and others were late Thursday robbed and kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be herdsmen along ABSU-Isuikwuato road. According to him, the lecturers involved are Rev. Professor S.O Eze of the Department of Industrial Chemistry and a Methodist minister, and Professor Chris Afulike of the Department of Mass Communication, who were travelling in their different cars. The ASUU boss revealed that the incident took place at about 6.00 pm when the two lecturers ran into the herdsmen as they were robbing a vehicle, adding that after the robbery, the herdsmen ordered all to lie down, then took the two professors and some others away. As at the time of this report, the Toyota Camry car belonging to Professor Afulike has been seen with his phone inside the vehicle, while the victims were yet to be seen. The ABSU ASUU boss said the families of the lecturers had confirmed the incident, and that the University management had stepped into the matter. “ASUU national body has been contacted through ASUU Calabar zone, while the university Vice-Chancellor, Professor Onyemachi Maxwell Ogbulu has moved into the matter and necessary security agencies have also been contacted”, he said. Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO Geoffrey Ogbonna has confirmed the incident, stating that the police was investigating the incident.