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Masked thugs storm Ogun community, rape housewives, kidnap two

Published

3 years ago

November 14, 2021

Agbaakin community

•My baby cried as three men raped me – Nursing mother

About 50 masked persons, armed with different weapons including guns, cutlasses, and axes have reportedly attacked residents and business owners in Agbaakin community, close to Mowe, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

City Round gathered that during the two-day raid, the hoodlums destroyed property in the community, attacked passersby and broke into homes and shops to dispossess the occupants of their valuables.

According to the aggrieved members of the community, the armed men also took advantage of the tension created during the attacks to rape housewives and whisked away two residents to an undisclosed location.

A landlord in the community, Ibrahim Meshioye, said the kidnapped victims had yet to be reunited with their families, adding that residents deserted their homes due to the insecurity occasioned by the incessant attacks on the community.

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Meshioye said, “Around 2pm last Friday, about 30 hoodlums, who wore black masks and armed with weapons such as guns, cutlasses, axes and daggers, stormed Agbaakin community to attack residents and business owners. They came in commercial vehicles, mini buses, private cars and shot into the air.

“Everyone scampered to safety but some were unlucky. They robbed residents, business owners and passersby of about 15 phones, cash and other valuables. They operated for over one hour, stole and destroyed a lot of property belonging to people in the community. When they were leaving, they kidnapped two residents, Akorede and Monday.

“We have yet to see the kidnapped victims but we reported the invasion at the Mowe Police Station. Surprisingly around 3pm on Monday, this set of armed hoodlums, more than 50 of them, attacked the community again.”

Meshioye said during the second attack, the assailants used cutlasses and axes to inflict injuries on farmers and stole their goods, adding that they allegedly raped two housewives.

The 43-year-old said, “The second attack was more intense; and the people involved were more than those attacked last Friday. A lot of men were not around as they had gone to work. Some men also abandoned their homes as it appeared that the hoodlums were aiming at kidnapping them

“They broke into homes, robbed residents and raped housewives whose husbands were not at home. After raping one of the victims, they stole her phone and money. After the attack, we saw them crying and had to rush them to a nurse for treatment.

“The matter was reported to the Area Commander in the Obafemi Owode LGA. People have deserted their homes because of the situation; I have abandoned my house; my family is scattered everywhere despite having a house in the community. We want the government and police to come to our rescue.”

One of the victims, a nursing mother of two, told our correspondent that three hoodlums raped her in her shop while her baby cried.

She said, “I was in my shop when about 10 of the people that attacked us entered. They robbed me of my Infinix phone, N25,000, and the N50,000 my husband kept with me. After that, they started making advances to forcefully have sex with me but I resisted them. They were armed with guns, cutlasses and axes and said they would kill me if I didn’t cooperate with them. They spoke in Yoruba and English but I can’t identify them as they wore masks. I struggled with them but they overpowered me. They removed my pants and raped me. I was raped by three men. My baby was crying but they continued.”

The nursing mother’s husband, while shedding tears, demanded the arrest and prosecution of the suspects who perpetrated the crime.

However, overwhelmed by the insecurity in the community, the residents reported to a human rights organisation, Balanced Measures Impact Initiative.

A video clip in possession of our correspondent showed one of the bullets reportedly fired by the hoodlums. Pictures of some of the injured victims were also sighted.

The state Chairman, BMII, Taiwo Yemi, urged the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, to intervene and restore normalcy to the community.

He said, “There are laws to govern how people behave in society. The residents said the attacks were instigated by someone but how can someone just bring people to attack residents in the community? He used the people he brought to chase everyone out of the community.

“He said the community belongs to him; what the concerned residents want is that the Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and the Commissioner of Police should intervene. They want security so they can return home.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, had yet to respond to calls and a text message sent to his mobile phone as of the time this report was filed.

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

1 min ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

11 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

36 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.