Nigerian ex-carer jailed for eight years in UK after robbing vulnerable elderly victims

A Nigerian former care worker, Ediongseyene Essien, has been sentenced to eight years in prison in the United Kingdom after carrying out a series of burglary and robbery offences against elderly, disabled and other vulnerable people in Liverpool, including some individuals he had previously cared for.

Essien, 32, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, August 28, after being convicted of multiple offences committed in the city.

According to Merseyside Police, he received three years for burglary and five years for robbery, with the sentences ordered to run consecutively, resulting in an eight-year custodial term.

Police said Essien, who is a Nigerian national, will serve 30 per cent of the sentence before being deported from the UK. A restraining order covering his six victims has also been imposed.

The offences began shortly after Essien was suspended from his job as a carer following allegations of theft.

Police said he was suspended by his employer on March 9. The following day, he carried out four separate burglaries in the L6 area of Liverpool, targeting elderly and vulnerable people, including individuals for whom he had previously provided care.

In the first incident, Essien stole a bank card from a blind and vulnerable man and subsequently used the card to make several transactions in the surrounding area.

Investigators later established that Essien was familiar with the property because of his previous care role. He was able to gain entry using information connected to a coded key safe outside the home.

Essien subsequently entered the home of another elderly resident and went into the person’s bedroom. Police believe nothing was stolen during that incident.

Later that evening, at about 7.30pm, he gained entry to the home of a severely disabled, bedbound resident. Police said Essien searched through the property but apparently left without taking anything.

The most serious incident that day occurred at about 9pm when Essien smashed the rear patio door of an elderly couple’s home.

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The couple were inside when they saw him enter their living room. Essien stole a wallet containing cash before leaving the property.

The incidents did not end with the March burglaries.

After being arrested on March 16 and later released on conditional bail while investigations continued, Essien was linked to two further robbery offences on May 15.

At about 2.20pm, he reportedly forced his way into the home of a vulnerable man with several health conditions and stole cash from the living room.

Later that day, around 5pm, Essien approached a vulnerable woman carrying a walking stick in the Fairfield area of Liverpool and forcibly took her handbag.

The woman attempted to defend herself with her walking stick, but Essien managed to take the bag, which contained cash and bank cards.

Police arrested Essien again on May 17, after which he was charged with the robbery offences and remanded in custody.

The case highlighted the particular vulnerability of some of Essien’s victims, several of whom were elderly, disabled or living with serious health conditions.

Police also said his previous employment as a carer gave him knowledge of some victims and their living arrangements, making the offences particularly concerning.

Detective Inspector Kevin O’Rourke of Merseyside Police condemned Essien’s actions, describing the offences as particularly reprehensible because he had previously cared for some of the people he targeted.

“Essien committed a series of reprehensible burglary and robbery offences against people he had previously cared for, and other vulnerable victims,” O’Rourke said.

He said it was difficult to comprehend that someone whose professional responsibility was to care for vulnerable people would subsequently target some of those same individuals, as well as other elderly and unwell people.

The detective said the victims had experienced significant distress as a result of the offences and praised them for their patience and cooperation throughout the investigation.

“Essien has today been given a significant prison sentence, which we hope brings a measure of comfort to those he harmed,” O’Rourke said.

Merseyside Police also highlighted the role of CCTV and doorbell camera footage in investigations into burglary and robbery offences, encouraging residents to report suspicious activity and take appropriate steps to secure their homes.

The case has renewed attention on the importance of safeguarding elderly and vulnerable people, particularly those who depend on professional carers for assistance in their homes.

For some victims, Essien’s previous position of trust meant he was familiar with their homes and, in at least one case, had knowledge that enabled him to gain access to the property.

Beyond the financial losses, the offences caused significant emotional distress to victims who were confronted in their homes or physically targeted in public.

Merseyside Police confirmed that a restraining order has been imposed in relation to all six victims.

The eight-year sentence represents the conclusion of the criminal proceedings against Essien, although he is expected to serve only part of the sentence in the UK before being deported.

The case underscores the serious consequences of exploiting positions of trust to target people who may be particularly vulnerable to crime.

It also highlights the need for effective safeguarding measures and careful monitoring when individuals are placed in positions that give them access to vulnerable people and their homes.

Nigerian ex-carer jailed for eight years in UK after robbing vulnerable elderly victims

Igboho, Iru Èkùn: Act Now Before Parallel Authority Emerges — Agunbiade

‘No individual, group should be above law’

A member of Al-Rabwa Islamic Propagation in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, has called on the Federal Government and security agencies to urgently investigate the reported confrontation involving Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Igboho, members of Iru Èkùn and the attempted arrest of Tani Olohun.

Agunbiade warned that Nigeria must not wait until resistance to state authority becomes entrenched before taking action, stressing that the rule of law must remain supreme.

He made the call in a statement issued on Sunday, titled, “Before the Leopard’s Tail Metamorphoses into the Leopard: Igboho, Iru Èkùn and Tani Olohun: Why Nigerians Must Speak Before Parallel Authority Takes Root.”

According to him, the reported incident raises a fundamental question: whether a private group should be allowed to prevent the police from executing a lawful court order simply because its members disagree with an arrest.

He said the issue should concern all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnic, religious or political affiliations.

“This is not about whether Igboho is popular or unpopular. It is not about whether Tani Olohun is guilty or innocent. Every accused person deserves due process and a fair hearing.

“But due process also means allowing lawful institutions to perform their duties,” Agunbiade stated.

He advised anyone who believes that an arrest warrant is defective to challenge it in court, while those who believe the police have acted unlawfully should seek redress through the appropriate legal channels.

“If a warrant is defective, challenge it in court. If the police act unlawfully, seek redress through the courts. If an allegation is false, defend it before the appropriate authority,” he said.

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Agunbiade warned that the use of organised groups to obstruct law enforcement could gradually undermine state institutions and create what he described as “parallel authority.”

He said dangerous developments often begin with genuine grievances and popular movements, but could eventually evolve into situations where loyalty to a group becomes stronger than respect for established institutions.

“A movement may begin with genuine grievances. A popular leader emerges. Followers rally around him. With time, loyalty may become stronger than respect for institutions.

“Eventually, the group may begin to determine which laws it will obey and which government officers it will recognise. That is where the danger lies,” he said.

However, Agunbiade was careful to distinguish his concerns from any allegation that Iru Èkùn or Igboho was associated with terrorism.

“Let me be clear: I am not saying that Iru Èkùn is Boko Haram, nor that Igboho or its members are destined to become Boko Haram. Such a claim would be irresponsible,” he said.

He argued that Nigeria should nevertheless learn from the evolution of violent extremism in the country, particularly the emergence of Boko Haram, by addressing early signs of the erosion of respect for lawful state authority.

According to him, the country should not wait until a group becomes powerful enough to challenge the authority of the state before responding.

“If a group can stop an arrest today, what happens tomorrow when another group decides to stop an investigation, resist a court order or establish its own rules of enforcement?

“That is how parallel authority takes root,” he warned.

Agunbiade also called for equal application of the law, stressing that no individual should be above the law because of his popularity, political influence or social standing.

“No individual should be above the law, not an activist, politician, traditional ruler, religious leader or social-media influencer,” he said.

On the case involving Tani Olohun, Agunbiade said the allegations against him should be tested through the judicial process.

“If Tani Olohun has committed an offence, let the evidence be tested in court. If he is innocent, let him be cleared.

“If Igboho or any member of Iru Èkùn unlawfully obstructed the police, the allegation should equally be investigated and, where established, prosecuted.

“Justice cannot be selective,” he said.

The Islamic scholar also cited Qur’an 5:2, which urges Muslims to cooperate in righteousness and piety but not in sin and aggression.

He said the principle demonstrated that Muslims could defend an individual’s legitimate rights without supporting unlawful conduct.

Agunbiade urged the Federal Government and security agencies to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident, respect lawful judicial orders and protect the rights of all persons involved.

He said Nigerians should speak up now to protect the rule of law rather than wait until private groups become powerful enough to challenge state authority.

“We must speak now, not because we have concluded that anyone is a terrorist, but because the rule of law must never become negotiable,” he stated.

Agunbiade concluded by calling for stronger institutions and lawful activism, rather than what he described as mob power and parallel authority.

“Let us not keep silent until the leopard’s tail metamorphoses into the leopard.

“Nigeria needs strong institutions, not private armies. We need justice, not mob power. We need activism within the law, not parallel authority.

“The gavel must remain stronger than the crowd. The Constitution must remain stronger than the personality. And the law must remain stronger than the group,” he said.

Igboho, Iru Èkùn: Act Now Before Parallel Authority Emerges — Agunbiade

After Communal Clash Kills Four, Lagos Moves to Clear Ikola Power-Line Shanties 

The Lagos State Government has launched a controlled demolition of shanties and other illegal structures beneath high-tension power lines in Ikola, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, barely two days after a communal clash in the area claimed four lives.

The demolition, being led by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in partnership with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), is aimed at removing structures located within the statutory right-of-way of high-voltage electricity transmission lines.

The government said the deadly violence had exposed not only the security challenges confronting the community but also the potentially fatal environmental hazards created by the proliferation of informal settlements under the power lines.

In a statement on Saturday, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the recent confrontation between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities had heightened concerns over the safety and security of residents in the area.

According to him, the extensive informal settlements beneath the high-voltage lines posed serious risks, including electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural collapse, and violated applicable national and international safety standards.

He said emergency and security agencies were immediately deployed to Ikola following the unrest to restore order, protect lives and prevent further escalation.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the demolition operation commenced only after residents affected by the exercise had been given adequate notice to evacuate and remove their belongings.

“The operation was preceded by adequate notice to affected residents. Communities were granted ample time to safely evacuate and recover personal belongings before the commencement of any demolition activity,” he said.

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LASEMA said heavy recovery equipment was deployed to ensure that the structures within the power-line corridor were removed in a controlled and coordinated manner.

The agency also stressed that the operation was not directed at any ethnic group, despite the communal nature of the violence that preceded it.

“This intervention is therefore not targeted at any ethnic group or community, but at a dangerous structural reality that threatens everyone living in its path,” Oke-Osanyintolu said.

The state government acknowledged that residents had legitimate needs for shelter and means of livelihood, but maintained that such considerations could not override the obligation of authorities to prevent avoidable deaths.

The government argued that no development could be regarded as sustainable where it exposed residents to foreseeable and preventable dangers.

The intervention followed a deadly clash at the Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, on Thursday, in which four adult males were killed after a disagreement reportedly escalated into communal violence.

LASEMA had also reported that several makeshift structures were burnt during the unrest, while a number of people sustained injuries.

The Lagos State Police Command subsequently confirmed that calm had been restored in the area.

The state government said it would continue consultations with community leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Ikola to strengthen peaceful coexistence and enforce urban planning and safety regulations.

It urged residents to cooperate with the demolition exercise, stressing that the objective was to eliminate dangerous structures, restore order around the power-line corridor and prevent another avoidable loss of lives.

After Communal Clash Kills Four, Lagos Moves to Clear Ikola Power-Line Shanties