metro
We buy military uniforms for N20,000 to operate — Kidnap gang
•Exposes identity of arms suppliers; explains why victims were raped, killed
Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau – Intelligence Response Team,FIB-IRT have arrested 14 self confessed members of a notorious kidnap gang that have been on its wanted list over series of kidnappings, armed robberies and cattle rustling in the northern region of Nigeria.
The susepcts among who were their arms suppliers, revealed how they raped female victims , with a threat to come back for them if they opened up on the rape.
They also revealed how they bought Military uniforms used during operation, from thier contact.
Luck ran against members of the gang following the arrest of one of them,Abdullahi Abubakar a.k.a Abdul Lawyer while he was having a meeting with an alleged informant on a planned kidnap operation in Plateau state.
Saturday Vanguard gathered that Abubakar, a herder was once arrested and detained at Bokkos Divisional Police headquarters for the offence of criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, cattle rustling and kidnapping. But unknown to the policemen, one of his gang members posed as a prominent person, to effect his release on bail
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During interrogation Abubakar, revealed that he was introduced into kidnapping by one Iliyasu Saidu, a.k.a. Yellow and Sky brother. He gave identities of other members of his gang as : Iliyasu Saidu (a.k.a. Yellow), Badamosi Ardo Yakubu, Sky Bokkos, Zaki Bokkos, Yakubu Joshua Bokkos and Annas Iliya, all of them living and operating from Bokkos, Plateau State.
He said: “I have participated in an uncountable number of armed robberies in all the villages around Bokkos, Mangu and others in Jos.
“We have six AK47 rifles, and some of us used to appear in Nigeria Army uniforms which we bought from one IK in Daffo village for N20,000 each. We also have a tailor that sewed the uniform for us in Bokkos.
“We have someone who supplies arms for us. He is Alli Ibrahim. I bought one AK47 rifle from him for N370,000. For the ammunition, a 30- round was sold by one Yakubu Joshua for N30,000, sometimes it could be N160,000, depending on one’s power of bargain”.
Kidnapped victims
Abubakar, who stated that he had participated in three different kidnap operations, highlighted some of them.
He said “We kidnapped one Challa in Bokkos. That work was given to us by Yakubu Joshua. We took the victim to Mangar Forest where he spent one day with a ransom of N700,000 paid before he was released. I got N75,000 as my share.”
“The second operation was at the Plateau State University ,Bokkos, where we kidnapped three female students. We took them to Mangar forest and demanded N300,000 ransom.
Six of us: Annas Ilya, Iliyasu Saidu (a.k.a. Yellow), Badamasi Ardo Yakubu, Sky Bokkos , Zaki Bokkos and myself participated in that operation. They spent a day with us. We raped them inside the bush before releasing them and gave them stern warning not to make mention of the rape, otherwise we would come the second time and do worse . I got N50,000 as my share.
“The third operation was the kidnapping of a Challa man at Ampak village in Mangar Local Government Area of Plateau State. We took him to Tamushu Forest where he also spent one day with us after collecting N300,000 ransom. Yakubu Joshua gave us the job and six of us participated.
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When the victim refused to follow us, Sky shot him dead in the compound with an AK47. Thereafter, we took his elder brother and held him captive for two days until N300,000 ransom was paid for his release. I also got N50,000, as my share”.
Robberies
Apart from kidnappings, he said, “ I also participated in armed robbery operations with Yellow, Badamosi, Sky, Zaki and Joshua, along Mbot road, where we robbed people of their cash, phones and other valuables. I got a share of N10,000 from that operation.
“ In another operation, we broke into one shop at Mangar . When the guard fired some shots to scare us, Badamosi shot him dead.
“ Again, we ambushed some herders and robbed three cows, took them to Jos Town , where we sold them to one Biran man living at Kara Jos, for N200,000 each.”
Recovered arms, ammunition Police sources hinted that an Indian-made AK47 rifle with 23 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the suspect.
Other arms and ammunition recovered from his gang included: Two locally made AK47 rifles with 10 rounds of live ammunition; one locally-made SMG Gun with 33 rounds of 9mm live ammunition; two locally-made G3 gun and two locally-made Barreta pistols.
In addition were 33 rounds of live ammunition for the AK47 rifle and 33 rounds of 9mm live ammunition for the locally made SMG.
Police sources hinted that “the suspects have been giving us useful information about their criminal activities and tactics . They would be charged to court soon.”
VANGUARD
metro
Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship
Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship
A 34-year-old lady simply identified as Blessing has committed suicide in Warri, Delta State.
The deceased was said to have taken her own life after consuming sniper, a popular insecticide, and the go-to poisonous chemical substance for suicidal people.
Details of Blessing’s demise is still hazy but her friend simply identified as Ejiro, said the deceased had been battling chronic depression.
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The deceased also was said to have left behind a note, explaining why she took her own life.
In the note, she disclosed that life has been hard and no one has reached out to help her.
According to her: “She bought Sniper and drank it without anyone knowing. Before she drank it, she wrote a letter near her dead body, and she said in the letter that she was depressed. No help from family members and friends.”
At the time of filing this report, the remains of the deceased had been buried by her family members
Depressed Delta lady kills self over hardship
metro
Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters
Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters
One middle-aged woman was shot while many others sustained varied degrees of injury in Ughelli on Monday as operatives of the Delta State Police Command resorted to forceful dispersal of a group of protesting women.
The women from Oteri-Ughelli in the Ughelli North Local Government Area were protesting against alleged incessant harassment and extortion by policemen in the community.
Eyewitnesses said what started as a peaceful protest turned bloody when the aggrieved women, in their hundreds, who had mobilised to the Police Area Command office in Ughelli to register their grievances, were rebuffed by the men and officers of the area command.
The women protesters carried placards with assorted inscriptions such “Oteri-Ughell is a peaceful community with law-abiding citizens, stop making life difficult for us”; “Police are making life difficult for our poor and innocent citizens”; etc.
But security operatives reportedly used heavy teargas against the unarmed women and shot one middle-aged woman in her left leg while others were beaten to stupor.
Two leaders of the protesting women, who volunteered to speak with journalists, Harvest Ugbhwiako and Mrs. Vivian Aphiare, alleged that the police unlawfully arrested and detained their children and wards who were on errands. She said they were made to part with between N150,000 and N200,000 to secure their release on bail.
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Also addressing newsmen at the emergency ward of the General Hospital, Ughelli, where some victims of the police gunshots were admitted, the President General of the community, Efe Peter, berated the police “for using guns with live ammunition against the peaceful protesters”.
He said, “The women from Oteri community were in peaceful protest to the palace of the Ovie (monarch) of Ughelli kingdom and the Area Commander to register their grievances.”
Efe stated that the Area Commander called him to appeal to the protesting women to go home, promising that he would look into their complaints, “but before I looked back, policemen started shooting and teargassing the women, thereby shooting one in the leg and injuring many.”
He lamented that “people of the community had come to notice, with worries, that they could no longer access their community nor come out from the community without experiencing extortion by policemen.”
“Whenever you come out of the community to Ughelli main town, once it is 8 o’clock in the evening, you cannot get motorcycles or tricycles to convey you any longer because of the police extortion.
“Consequently, our mothers and women trek home from Ughelli main market every day as a result of police harassment and extortions of money from motorists.
“Recently the police embarked on incessant arrest and vandalism of houses belonging to youths of the community and carted away their personal belongings, detained them and collected a huge amount of money from them without offence.”
When contacted, the Police Area Commander in Ughelli, ACP Adebayo, told journalists that his office “is looking into the complaints of the community with a view to sanctioning erring police officers and men.”
Many injured as Police teargas Delta protesters
metro
Six NSCDC officers arrested over N6bn fraud
Six NSCDC officers arrested over N6bn fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested six senior officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps over alleged N6bn fraud.
The senior officers are currently being grilled by EFCC interrogators at the commission’s headquarters, Jabi, Abuja, The PUNCH can confirm.
Though details of the probe are still sketchy, our correspondent gathered that the NSCDC officers were handed over to the EFCC on Monday on the order of the NSCDC Commandant General, Ahmed Audi.
Impeccable sources privy to the development but who were not authorised to speak to the press revealed that the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier written a letter to the NSCDC CG, demanding the officers’ release for interrogation.
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A source revealed, “Six senior NSCDC officers are currently in our custody. They’re being grilled by our investigators over alleged fraudulent activities running into over N6bn.”
Confirming the development, another source said, “The EFCC did not arrest the NSCDC CG, neither is he being probed. We only have six senior NSCDC officers in our custody, and they’re being probed over alleged N6bn fraud.
“The EFCC Chairman had earlier written to the NSCSC CG to provide the officers, and the CG did. Now they’re in our custody and are being grilled by EFCC interrogators.”
The spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, could not be reached for comments on Monday as phone calls and text messages to his phone lines were not responded to nor returned.
Meanwhile, when contacted for comments, the spokesperson for the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, said he was not aware of the development.
“I’m not aware of this,” Afolabi said in a terse WhatsApp message sent to our correspondent on Monday.
Six NSCDC officers arrested over N6bn fraud
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