metro
Lagos police hunt for Hefty, suspected drug lord who rapes women in their homes
“Anytime he knocks on my door, I would quickly pull my pants to avoid his anger. Hefty must have his way or you will be killed,” claimed Chidinma Madu, a 32-year-old woman who resides around Lumark area in Ijegun Satellite town, Lagos State.
Chidinma was arrested by Lagos State Police Command when the community alerted the police of the activities of a gang popularly known as Crack Squad that had been raiding the community with impunity. She was believed to be an accomplice because of the regular visits to her by a notorious cultist known as Hefty currently on the wanted list of police.
According to police sources, the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi had sworn that he would leave no stone unturned until Hefty is picked up. Hefty, whose real name is Nduka, is believed to be a hard drug peddler and responsible for most of the recent raids on hotels, residential homes and business centres in the area.
Some of the other suspects who were arrested alleged that he is the founder of the group and is respected by several security agencies. Other members of the group are alleged to be Aleke Onyeka aka Valentino, Offor Celestine Igwe, Ikechukwu Chikwa, Umaru Galadinma, Anthony Nwachukwu, Odo Solomon and Gabriel Blessing.
I became his sex slave
According to Chidinma who hails from Anambra, she was forced to comply when Hefty stole everything from her. “I relocated to Lagos with my younger brother in search of greener pastures. I was selling soft drinks and handbags. With the money I raised; a friend introduced me to the business of selling hard drugs known as ice (Mkpurumiri). Immediately Hefty heard about it, he invaded our house and stole everything. He also forced me to transfer the entire money in my account to him. He was holding a gun, so I had no choice to obey him.
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“He raped me that day and said that I was now his property. I was scared and ran to the police area command in Festac to report the matter. I also reported the matter at the Agboju Police Station and was waiting for results. That night, Hefty came with some of his boys and kidnapped me after beating me up. He kept shouting that someone saw me inside the police station and informed him. He used the butt of his gun to give me this mark on my face. I was kept in an uncompleted building for three days while he and some of his boys took turns to rape me.
“When they finally released me, I could not report them again but to accept my fate. I am not lying, you can go and ask questions. If you have a daughter around that area, the best thing is to take them far away from Ijegun. The people fear him. So many girls have been raped by that man and he brags that most of the security operatives in the area are his friends. He is not only a rapist and robber, he also sells drugs in large quantities. I am afraid of leaving the police station because he can attack me,” she pleaded.
Chidinma who is popularly known as ‘Sweet’ among the street touts, claimed that she was evicted from her former house because of the constant visits by Hefty. “My former landlord was attacked several times during one of such visits. This was why he evicted me from his compound. I do not have a nickname. They call me ‘Sweet’ because Hefty calls me that. You are sweet and most of his gang members whom he forced to sleep with me, joined in calling me that name. I am his sex slave and there is nothing I can do about it,” she said in tears.
The second lady, Blessing Gabriel who was also arrested during the raid, admitted that she is a member of Vikings Queen Confraternity. She said it was necessary for her to identify with one cult group, else the likes of Hefty would oppress her.
Popularly known as Star Girl, Blessing, who resides in Olasuloye Street, Ijegun Egba, Satellite town alleged that Hefty formed the Crack Squad to oppress other drug peddlers in the area.
Hear her: “I am from Edo State and I read Mass Communication at the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria in Kaduna State. After my OND (Ordinary National Diploma), I couldn’t further my education because my father died. My mother, who was a full-time house wife, could not help out and I moved down to Lagos to hustle. Meanwhile while in school, I got pregnant for my lover but he refused to marry me. He said that he was too young to be trapped with raising children. I had no choice but to carry my cross alone. I also joined the Viken Queens Confraternity.
“I left my children with my mother and entered the street to hustle. I initially started hawking drinks at Alaba International Market at Ojo area till I discovered that most of the people living in Ijegun area in Satellite town lived on hard drugs. My boyfriend then was also a drug dealer and he taught me the business. I used to get the supplies from Alabarago area. I make up to N5000 gain on a daily basis.
“All was well till Hefty became a terror. He is a known drug peddler and hates competition. He formed a gang and started oppressing everyone, especially single women. He would just invade my house and rob me. He will seize my drugs and steal my money. I had no choice but to join their gang known as Crack squad. I did it to protect myself. To secure myself, I share the ice popularly known as Mkpurumiri to them.”
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On her arrest, Blessing claimed that she was indicted in the kidnap of her ex-boyfriend. “Offor was my boyfriend. He is a married man but he relocated his family to the east when his business started crumbling. I was around the club when he was kidnapped. This was why he concluded that I am the one who planned his kidnap. He reported the matter and the police raided the area. Unfortunately, when they came, I was holding a pistol that Hefty left in my house,” she narrated.
On life as a drug peddler, Blessing claimed that she had been arrested by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) but was released after some weeks.
“That was sometime in January. The NDLEA operatives asked me to name all those who used to sell drugs in our area. I can’t do that because somehow the news will leak and they will kill me when I return. When they could not find a single drug with me, they had no choice but to release me. One Obiora who is my friend advised me to go and settle NDLEA since they have noticed me.
“I sell handbags online and I used my room as pick-up point or I send it through dispatch riders. I sell the drugs on the street and most of my customers have my phone number. The most lucrative of all the drugs is the ice, popularly known as mkpurumiri. It sells very fast because it is very affordable. An individual can use N1500 worth of the drugs for one week,” she alleged.
Crack Squad
According to police sources, Hefty is the leader of the Crack Squad made up of different suspected cultists from different fraternities and his main base is at Ijegun Egba in Satellite town. Their activities became known when business owners reported that a new gang has been raiding the area with impunity. The State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi deployed the police special squad and in less than 48 hours, seven suspects were arrested. The seven confessed to be part of the gang and have participated in one robbery operation or the other. They alleged that Hefty formed the group initially to control the drug business in the area but decided to add robbery and kidnapping. Currently at large are Hefty, Amadi popularly known as Black diamond and Walter. They are said to have fled the community when they learnt that most of their members had been arrested by the police.
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Umoru, who hails from Borno State, claims to be a member of Vikings Confraternity while Onyeka is a member of Eiye fraternity. Their leader, Hefty is of the Aiye fraternity.
According to Onyeka, the coming together of different cult groups to form a squad reduced clashes in the area. “Since 2019 that Hefty formed this group in Ijegun, I have not heard of any sort of clash. Initially he formed the group to crack down on hard drug peddlers because he wanted to be in control of the drug market in Ijegun. Gradually, he started introducing us to armed robbery. He is powerful and well connected. I don’t know why he has not come to save us. He can sleep with any woman that he admires in that area and if you refuse, he will carry the gang to rob your family and rape you in their presence. He is good at kidnapping girls, and he will keep them for days until he gets tired of raping them. He is known in the area but they fear him because the military, police or Nigerian Civil Defence operatives cannot arrest him,” he alleged.
He confirmed that Chidinma was kidnapped severally by Hefty and his men anytime he is sexually starved. “If they send for her and she fails to come, he will send boys to grab her,” he alleged.
SUN
metro
NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution
NURTW scribe felicitates Nigerians on Xmas, urges caution
The General Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Kayode Agbeyangi, has enjoined Nigerians to imbibe the virtues of peace, love and compassion as taught through the birth of Jesus Christ.
He stated this in his Christmas and end of the year goodwill message to felicitate members of the union and Nigerians in general.
Agbeyangi urged Nigerians to use the festive season to reflect on the values of love, compassion, and sacrifice that Jesus Christ embodied.
“This period is not for merry making alone; we should also spare time to reflect on the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
“His birth teaches humility, love compassion and sacrifice. As Nigerians, we must show love to our fellow county men. We must love our country. As Nigerians, we must be ready to make sacrifices for the nation.”
The NURTW scribe also used the opportunity to appeal to members of the union and other road users to always exercise caution and adhere to all safety protocols while travelling during the festive season.
“As we celebrate, let us not forget the importance of road safety. The roads can be treacherous, especially during the festive season.
“I urge our members and all road users to drive safely, avoid overspending, overtaking at dangerous bends and overloading, and be courteous to other road users,” he stated.
He also advised drivers that all their vehicle papers should be up to date to avoid embarrassment from law enforcement officers on the highways.
Comrade Agbeyangi prayed for a peaceful and joyous celebration, and wished members of the union and Nigerians, a happy prosperous New Year.
metro
Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody. The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an…
The Chief Imam of Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos, Ridwanullah Jamiu, has said the “Jesus Christ is Not God” banner placed on the fence of the mosque was not intended to provoke anybody.
The banner became a source of controversy after a picture of it was shared on social media, with many calling it an attack on the Christian faith.
Addressing his congregation, Jamiu said the banner was displayed to educate Muslims.
He said, “When you come to Lekki Central Mosque, at least you should learn something. You pass by the banners outside, you look here and there, you learn something because Islam treasures knowledge.”
The Imam said all the banners displayed outside the mosque contain Quran and Hadith verses.
He said after a photo of one of the banners went viral, he “received calls from the government, local government, and area command appealing to us to please remove the banners because of the festive period.”
He said the display of the banners was not to provoke anyone, noting that there’s a difference between propagation of Islam and provocation.
“It was not placed there just yesterday. It has been there for about two months or thereabout. We are peace loving people, we don’t provoke anyone. We only propagate our name,” he said.
Jamiu further stated that nobody can monopolise Jesus because Muslims also have what they believe about him as backed by the Quran which calls him Isah.
“If you don’t believe in Jesus, you are not a Muslim. We are Muslims and anything we believe must be in consonant with the Quran and the Quran says Jesus Christ is not God, he’s a messenger of God. We quoted this verse in the banner. Is there anything wrong if we paste what we believe on our territory to educate our congregation? It’s a verse of the Quran. This is freedom of religion, freedom of speech,” he said.
On the removal of the banner, Jamiu said he received multiple calls ascribing the gesture as cowardice.
“It is not cowardice. We removed it to let peace reign, to obey our government because we are peace-loving people and also because we know it’s a festive period, people may think it was actually calculated to enrage others. We are going to modify it and put it back. We are not cowards,” he said.
The banner has since been replaced with another which says “A
llah is the lord of Jesus.”
Why we displayed ‘Jesus Christ is not God’ banner at Lekki mosque -Imam
metro
CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has imposed a N150 million fine on a commercial bank for failing to dispense cash through its Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
This action follows an unannounced inspection by the apex bank, which uncovered deliberate cash hoarding and ATM manipulation by the erring bank.
Sources within the CBN revealed that the sanctioned bank was caught disabling its ATMs, thereby denying customers access to their funds while prioritizing cash disbursements to select VIP clients.
A staff member of the CBN stressed that the apex bank would not tolerate such practices.
“The Bank will not spare any Deposit Money Bank (DMB) caught in the act of hoarding cash or found favoring VIP customers over other customers,” the official stated.
To this end, the CBN has intensified spot checks on banks nationwide, exposing various illicit cash-handling practices by some unscrupulous financial institutions.
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For now, the CBN is imposing financial penalties on defaulting banks. However, according to the official, the next phase of enforcement will include publicly naming and shaming offending banks and prosecuting implicated bank officials.
“This fine is just the beginning. The CBN is determined to hold banks accountable for any actions that undermine public trust and the integrity of the banking system,” the official added.
Despite the ongoing challenges, the CBN has reiterated its commitment to promoting cashless banking in the country.
Another senior official disclosed that the apex bank’s management is intensifying efforts to encourage the use of electronic channels for transactions.
“The frustration faced by account holders is undermining our push for a cashless economy. We are doubling down on initiatives to restore public confidence in electronic banking solutions,” the official said.
CBN fines bank found hoarding cash N150m
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