Crime Facts

Eight students travelling home for election die in Ebonyi car crash

  Eight students of Madonna University in Rivers state have reportedly been burnt to death in a road accident. The incident was said to have occurred along the Trans-Saharan road in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, on Saturday while the students were travelling to Taraba state. It is understood that the undergraduates were returning home after the school announced a break for the forthcoming elections. Their bus was said to have caught fire and got burnt beyond recognition, leaving eight dead and 10 other occupants seriously injured. Those injured were rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki, the state capital, for treatment. When contacted by TheCable Lifestyle, Benedicta Egoyibom, an official of the institution, confirmed the incident. She, however, did not go into details, insisting the matter is under investigation. “Yes, it is true. The school is trying to gather more information about how the incident happened,” she said. The development has continued to elicit reactions on social media from families and friends of those who died in the accident. Ezra Usman, a parent of one of the late students, took to his Facebook page to lament the incident. “Grace Usman Ezra, I never knew sending you to Madonna university will lead to your untimely dead. 18 of you left Madonna to Jalingo yesterday only to hear the news that your bus had an accident and caught fire, 8 out of 18 came out from the bus,” he wrote. “It is well with 10 of you and the rest that are alive, I pray for your speedy recovery and my God comfort us all that lost our children.” Chris Anyanwu, Ebonyi police spokesperson, did not respond to calls and text messages sent to him on the matter — as of the time of this report. On February 9, the federal government directed the closure of universities across the country for three weeks for the conduct of the coming elections.

2023 Election: Atiku Favoured To Emerge President In New Poll

  A new poll has revealed that Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is the favourite to win the presidential election scheduled to hold on February 25. According to the new poll conducted by POLAF, a not-for-profit organisation, the election will be Keenly contested among the top contenders. The results of the poll, which was conducted between July 2022 and February 2023, ruled out the possibility of a run-off, insisting that the Adamawa-born politician will win in most of the states. On the methodology used for the poll, the organisation said three states were selected in each geopolitical zone, with an extra state selected from the South-South and South-West to make the number of states from which samples were drawn 20 out of 36 plus the Federal Capital Territory.   It said the sample was drawn from the voter register of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that 3,123,660 respondents across 165 local government areas were contacted via telephone and were spoken to in English and any other native language they were most comfortable speaking in. The poll report stated clearly that things may change before and on election day. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has made significant inroads into the Middle Belt and other strongholds of the PDP – a development that has been confirmed by other polls. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State recently endorsed Obi. Most of the polls released so far have tipped Obi to win the election. He was predicted as the winner in all three polls commissioned by the ANAP Foundation and conducted by NOI Polls Limited. In the POLAF poll, Atiku secured 38 per cent to emerge as the preferred candidate, followed by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who got 29 per cent, while Obi secured 27 per cent to take the third position. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) is a distant fourth with only 5 per cent of the total votes. The survey also projects that the PDP and the APC are the only two parties to comfortably secure the constitutionally required 25 per cent across 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The LP and the NNPP are struggling in this regard. “The poll survey shows each candidate’s position vide parameters and voters’ concerns. Four of 10 respondents are certain that their positions on candidates are made; three of 10 believe vote buying would influence their choice for voting; while the remainder awaiting guidance direction (from religious leaders, market associations, trade unions, etc.)” POLAF said in the report. The majority of the respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the way the APC-led administration under President Muhammadu Buhari had handled the economy. Ninety-five per cent of the total respondents agree that the current government has performed worse than ever. Afrobarometer, which conducted a survey in March 2022, said there had been significant shifts in the mood and affiliations of the Nigerian public. “Citizens are overwhelmingly gloomy in their assessments of the country’s overall direction, the national economy, their personal living conditions, and the government’s performance on crime and violence, and affiliation with the two major political parties is on a rapid decline. These findings suggest a broad desire for change and a widening political field,” it said.

Commonwealth Observers Visit INEC, Hopeful Of Credible Elections

  The Commonwealth Observer Mission to Nigeria has visited the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) five days to the commencement of the general elections in the country. Leader of Mission and former President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki on Monday met with INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, along with some National Commissioners in Abuja, the nation’s capital. Channels Television reports that the delegation is in Nigeria, as one of those foreign observer groups that will monitor the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls in the country. This is the 7th Election the mission would be observing in Nigeria. Stating the purpose of the visit, the former South Africa President said that Nigeria is a very important country for the Commonwealth. The leader of the delegation is hopeful that the elections will be peaceful, credible and all-inclusive. He also stated that the meeting will afford the delegation an opportunity to hear from the electoral umpire, and preparations thus far. According to him, the mission will write a report based on their observations and possibly make recommendations as well. On his part, Yakubu stresses the importance that INEC attaches to the observations of the Commonwealth Observer Mission in the past. He explained that some of the recommendations in the past have led to improvements, including the further deployment of technologies by the commission today. The INEC Chairman also reiterated the commitment of the electoral body to conducting a free, fair and credible exercise.

Victim Testifies As Ekweremadu’s Organ Harvesting Trial Continues

  The trial of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu continued on Monday at the Old Bailey court in Central England, the United Kingdom.   Ekweremadu is standing trial for allegedly plotting to harvest the kidney of a 22-year-old street trader. Also being tried alongside the Nigerian lawmaker are his wife – Beatrice, 25-year-old daughter Sonia, and a doctor, Obinna Obeta. They are accused of conspiring to exploit the man for his organ. Channels Television had on February 6 reported how the four accused persons appeared in London’s famous Central Criminal Court, known as the Old Bailey, for the start of the trial, after previously pleading not guilty. They face life imprisonment if convicted. In Britain, it is legal to donate a kidney, but not for reward. Prosecutors say regardless of whether the Lagos street trader gave his consent, a crime was committed by the wealthy Nigerians. At the continuation of the trial on Monday, Channels Television’s correspondent, Juliana Olayinka who witnessed the proceedings said the victim told the court the version of his story. The court’s gallery was filled with people who were eager to monitor the events in the temple of justice. Speaking through an interpreter, the victim said he arrived in the UK on February 20, 2022, to provide his kidney to Sonia Ekweremadu.   “For the first time ever, we have been hearing from a key witness which is a 22-year-old alleged victim who has been giving his own testimony via a video link. He has been speaking through an interpreter,” Olayinka said. “Today marks the actual day, this time last year, that he arrived in London. We know what happened after that arrival if you have been following this case extensively. “He, of course, was to come to the United Kingdom to provide his kidney for Sonia Ekweremadu who suffers from a severe significant kidney disease.” Ekweremadu and his wife, Beatrice were arrested by the British police on June 23 last year on allegations of human trafficking and organ harvesting that violate the country’s Modern Slavery Act. The Ekweremadus and the doctor are accused of conspiracy to arrange the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, under UK legislation on modern slavery. Prosecutors said the defendants allegedly planned to have a kidney removed from the man so that it could be given to Sonia.

Naira scarcity: I don’t have new note as Governor — Adeleke

  Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has disclosed that the continuous scarcity of new naira notes is creating a hardship for the people, saying even as a governor, he does not have the redesigned currency. While lamenting over the suffering the increasing scarcity has unleashed on the people of the state, he said This is as he stated that he has been deploying a state network to douse tension and ensure the safety of banks and the CBN state office. Addressing CBN officials in his office on Monday, Governor Adeleke decried the increasing shortage of the new notes, calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to sanction financial institutions involved in such anti-people activities. “The situation is getting out of hand. The CBN must act fast. Any bank hoarding the new notes must be sanctioned. We should not treat such banks with kid gloves.” “My people are patient but we should not take their patience for granted. That is why I called this meeting. Why is the new notes not available? Is the supply small or inadequate? “, the Governor queried. He expressed his administration’s readiness to partner with the CBN for the currency swap, informing the CBN team that the state is sacrificing a lot to maintain peace and calm frayed nerves. “The new notes are not available. Even as a State Governor, I don’t have the new notes. You can see how hard it is for our people to access the new currency if their Governor is not getting them. We should not overstretch the cooperation we are enjoying from the citizenry. We are expected as elected and appointed leaders to respond to the needs and aspirations of our people “, Governor Adeleke admonished. Responding, the CBN state director, Oluyemi Adeyemi in response commended the state Governor for his proactive steps that have saved the state from naira-related riots. “We must thank Mr Governor for reaching out to the people, for diffusing tension, for keeping the state peaceful. We are aware of the day Mr Governor stopped some angry youth from demonstrating and from attacking the CBN office.” “On our part, we are working hard to make the new notes available. Let me say that the CBN has issued queries to some banks. I assure Nigerians that we are working hard to make the new notes available”, the CBN official stated. At the end of the meeting, a monitoring mechanism was set up comprising state and CBN officials to ensure allocated new notes get to the populace. endorsement of Atiku/ Okowa

Police arrest fake doctor over rape of 5-yr-old in Kebbi

  Kebbi state police Command, Birnin Kebbi, has arrested one Yunusa Adamu of Tungar Tawaye in Koko town for raping one 5-year-old Fatima Musa. The suspect was alleged to have been using N20 to N30 naira to lure her into his mother’s room and forcefully had sexual intercourse with her, the suspect has confessed to the crime and will be arraigned before the court after the conclusion of the investigation.   Similarly, a fake medical Doctor who works with a private hospital DDG located at a mechanic village in Birnin Kebbi was arrested by the police after he was caught with a fake certificate and was reported by the Kebbi state ministry of health, upon investigation the fake Doctor one Yusuf Omotayo AbdulFatah from Kwara state confessed to have been working as a medical doctor at the hospital for undisclosed years. The fake doctor’s certificate reads Ahmedu Bello University Zara instead of Zaria to prove the extent of forgery, CP Ahmed Magaji Kontagora, added that other forged certificates were recovered from the suspect house. In another development, one Faruku Zubairu and Faruk Musa from the Gumawa area in Koko town were arrested by police detectives with old fake currency notes worth N17m, the suspects have confessed to the crime and will charge in court. Magaji added that one Sani Abubakar 28 years of Tudun Wada area in Kalgo local government was arrested for attempting to sodomise one Mustapha Aliyu of five years of age. CP Magaji further call on politicians in the state to play according to the rules and warn their supporters against violence or any act of thuggery stressing that the police are ready to give security to voters and INEC officials while urging the police to be civil he admonished them to exhibit high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their primary duties.

‘Naira redesign, calculated attempt to ridicule Tinubu, APC’

  Senator representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Smart Adeyemi, has described the Naira Redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN as a calculated attempt to ridicule the ruling All Progressives Congress APC and its presidential candidate, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu ahead of Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections. Adeyemi spoke on Monday in Abuja when he visited the National Secretariat of the party to obtain his N50 million Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms to participate in the April 10 Kogi State Governorship Primary Election of his party. Adeyemi who said his experiences as a journalist and ranking lawmaker has prepared him for the onerous task of governance, added that he would ensure to put a stop to frivolous foreign trips by state officials, saying for the past nine years he has not travelled abroad. He also dismissed the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, saying he is not in the equation for the presidential contest. According to him, the presidential race is between Tinubu and Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party who he said would come a very distant second. He said; “I am supporting Asíwájú and Shettima not because they are APC but because of their past records and down contemporary issues in the Nigerian nation. “We must commend the Northern Governors for supporting power shift to the South. “Are you aware that Emefiele aspired for the presidency? When he lost out, he felt he had put in so much money in politics. So he wanted a cover and so he brought his cousin, Gov. Okowa to come and contest election and he bankrolled them. What audacity will a person (Atiku) who wants to be president of Nigeria ignore 5 of his own party governors? The audacity was not out of courage. The CBN governor should explain the role he played in the PDP convention and the emergence of Okowa. This is why Atiku cannot also remove the party chairman, Ayu because all of them were involved in the discussions which brought in Okowa. “The Naira redesign was a calculated attempt to ridicule the APC government and manipulate the people to vote for the PDP but Nigerians are wiser today. They now know why you are having this problem. Why do you think a ruling party will work against the interests of the people who we are asking to reelect us? “Why will anybody ask you to vote for Atiku? Was he not in charge of privatisation? Was he not the one who sold out assets to non performing companies? All those who do not know the history will be shouting Atiku. Atiku is not in the equation. “Northern governors in the APC insisted on power shift to save Nigeria from crisis. History will forever be kind to them. This election is between Asíwájú and Obi. Atiku is not in the race. Atiku cannot be in the race. They brought this redesigning of our currency to ridicule APC. Asíwájú creates wealth. Atiku sold our wealth and resources. I pity Peter Obi because politics is it the way you are seeing it. Just yesterday, the entire Labour Party structure in the Northwest collapsed its structure for the APC. So, how is he going to win election? Maybe he is a man for the future but on this election, the strength is not there. It is beyond street politics. I am from Kogi. There is no Labour Party presence in my constituency. Winning election is about strategic thinking and planning not about talking too much”, he added. Speaking on his ambition, Adeyemi promised an all-inclusive administration, saying he would place special emphasis on women, children and persons with disabilities. He added that he would build technology hubs for the youth and ensure to consolidate on the achievements of the present administration in the state.

Falana gives CBN 7-day ultimatum, requests details of new naira notes

  Foremost right activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has written the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, demanding details of the new naira notes disbursed to commercial banks nationwide. Falana also demanded that the CBN provide the list of customers who have withdrawn more than the N100,000 maximum sum required by the CBN. Recall that the apex bank had maintained that it printed enough new N200, N500, and N1,000 notes to go around, with claims that politicians are hoarding the new notes. But, in a letter from Falana Chambers signed by Femi Adedeji, ESQ, dated February 16, 2023, Falana demanded that the CBN provide details on how the new notes were disbursed to commercial banks. According to Falana, there is an unprecedented social dislocation, pains and pangs for the masses of Nigeria at the present time as a result of the twin problem of currency and fuel scarcity. “In other to bring the situation under popular control, it is considered imperative for the CBN to urgently disclose the amount of new currency notes printed and distributed through the commercial banks for public knowledge, on the following grounds,” he stated. The letter partly reads, “Our attention has been drawn to your statement wherein you claimed that some unnamed politicians have mopped up the new naira notes made available to all commercial banks by the Central Bank of Nigeria. “We are compelled to request you to furnish us with information concerning the amount of the designed notes of N200, N500, and N1,000 denominations made available to each commercial bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria. “Furthermore, we also request you to furnish us with the list of customers of the commercial banks who collected more than N100,000 approved by you from the commercial banks,” it stated. Falana also threatened to take legal action should the CBN fail to provide the information in seven days. “As this request is made pursuant to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, you are required to accede to our request within seven days of the receipt of this letter. “TAKE NOTICE that if you fail or refuse to furnish us with the requested information before the deadline of seven days we shall not hesitate to pray the Federal High Court to compel you to accede to our request.”

Naira Swap: Adamu, El-Rufai, 2 other APC Govs meet Malami

  Ahead of Wednesday’s hearing by the Supreme Court of the case between the Federal Government and three Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC regarding the Naira swap policy, APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has meet with the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami. The barely an hour meeting which held at the APC National Secretariat on Monday also had in attendance the plaintiffs, Governors Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state; Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State. Details later…

Anambra Station Attack: Two Gunmen Arrested-, Says Police

  The Anambra State Police, have disclosed that four officers paid the supreme prize in a vicious attack on one of their stations by gunmen in the early hours of Monday. However, three of the attackers doesn’t make it alive while two were arrested, according to DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State In a statement made available to newsmen, Ikenga stated that the gunmen attacked Awada Police Station in Idemilli North LGA of Anambra State using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and automatic firearms, at about 2:20am on Monday. “In response to the attack, police operatives attached to Anambra State Command engaged the assailants jointly with troops from 302 Artillery Regiment of the Nigeria Army, in a gun duel and three members of the outlawed group were fatally wounded while three Kalashnikov rifles and one Automatic Pump Action gun were recovered from them. “Other items recovered from the assailants include a brown Lexus 330 with reg no. GWA 415BB ABJ, one unregistered KYMCO motorcycle suspected to be stolen properties, charms and other incriminating items.   “During a mop-up operation by police/military operatives, two male suspects reasonably believed to have participated in the attack were apprehended. Regrettably, four police operatives paid the supreme price while a section of the station, one police patrol vehicle and three exhibit vehicles parked in the premises were set ablaze by petrol bombs thrown into the station by the assailants. “Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police CP Echeng E. Echeng* has since visited the incident scene, and after conducting spot assessments, ordered the immediate deployment of all the command’s operational/investigative assets to track down fleeing members of the murderous gang. The CP further appeals to residents of Awada and the good people of Anambra State to remain calm as the police, in collaboration with sister agencies, will not rest on its oars until the criminal elements tormenting the state are brought to justice.