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BREAKING: Court convicts 2 vandals who killed 7 DSS operatives

Published

7 months ago

October 11, 2023

BREAKING: Court convicts 2 vandals who killed 7 DSS operatives

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, convicted two members of a group of pipeline vandals for the murder of seven operatives of the Department of State Service (DSS).

The duo, Clement Ododomu and Tiwei Monday, were convicted after Justice Oshodi found them guilty of a 10-count charge of murder and possession of firearms contrary to Sections 223 and 298 (3) of the Criminal Law, Cap. C. A Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The court found Ododomu (first defendant) guilty of conspiracy to murder, murder and possession of firearms with intent to commit a felony.

While Monday (second defendant) was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and failure to report a felony.

The Lagos State government had accused the duo of killing and burying the DSS operatives, namely; Uzor Nwafor, Kayode Oladimeji, Luke Akande, Adebayo Adeniyi, Benjamin Mafo and Simeon Owolabi while in the line of duty in 2015.

Saheed Adetunji, an investigation officer with the DSS, had told the court during the trial, that seven out of a team of nine personnel sent on a kidnap rescue mission were ambushed by vandals and taken as captives at Abule Oba.

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He stated, “The first defendant said they took the seven DSS personnel to their hideout, into the Creeks, called Barracks. He also identified the 2nd defendant, Monday, as a member who used the teargas on the personnel. He also recalled one Godwin Oweli and Prince Sunday as other perpetrators.

“He said that when they got to their Barracks, he shot two of the DSS personnel with a pump-action rifle, while one Agbala shot the remaining five with an AK47.

“The dead bodies were buried in three separate graves. The first defendant said that some Ijaw boys dug the graves, and three slim operatives were packed in one. And the bigger ones were put in twos into the other graves.”

In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution could prove part of the charge against the two convicts beyond all reasonable doubt.

The judge also rejected their alibi, describing it as an afterthought and not credible.

He further held that their attempts to deny their confessional statements were not convincing and that evidence before the court confirmed that the extra-judicial statements were made voluntarily.

The court has, however, adjourned its sentencing till November 14, 2023.

BREAKING: Court convicts 2 vandals who killed 7 DSS operatives

(Leadership)

metro

Rainstorms kill seven, many others injured

Published

31 seconds ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Rainstorms kill seven, many others injured

No fewer than seven people have been confirmed dead as rainstorms affect Houston, Texas, authorities announced Friday.

The three new deaths occurred after Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, was slammed Thursday by severe rain and winds gusting up to 100 miles (160 kilometres) per hour, leaving downtown streets coated in glass from broken windows.

Residential areas were littered with downed trees and power wires, and the National Weather Service reported that a tornado had touched down in Cypress.

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According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the new victims included an 85-year-old woman who died after her mobile home was struck by lightning and caught fire.

A 60-year-old man was found unresponsive and pronounced dead after going to his truck to try and power his oxygen tank after electricity was cut across wide swaths of the storm-hit area.

A 57-year-old man collapsed and died while trying to move a downed power pole. Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Thursday.

Rainstorms kill seven, many others injured

metro

Police inspector dismissed, three others demoted over N29.8m theft

Published

28 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi

Police inspector dismissed, three others demoted over N29.8m theft

Adabo Mohammed, a police inspector has been dismissed over alleged involvement in robbery and kidnapping in the federal capital territory (FCT).

Announcing this on Friday, May 17, the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said Mohammed and five others were members of an armed robbery gang allegedly responsible for the stealing of N29.8 million from a victim during a robbery operation in the Gwagwalada area of Abuja.

The dismissed officer was also part of a gang that kidnapped one Ikechukwu Emmanuel Okafor, in the Tunga Maje area of Abuja and collected N4.4 million in ransom. He further revealed that Mohammed has been charged to court.

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Adejobi also disclosed that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun has also approved the demotion of three inspectors to the rank of sergeant over alleged extortion.

The demoted officers as Osagie Efford, Semiu Agbekin, and Francis Ahuen, who were attached to the special tactical squad (STS) in the FCT. It was gathered that they intercepted an unregistered Mercedes Benz at the Gwarinpa area of the territory and “forced the occupants to part with the total sum of N29.4m”.

Adejobi added;

“While the monies have been returned to the complainants, the officers were subjected to orderly room trial in line with extant laws, and have been demoted.”

Police inspector dismissed, three others demoted over N29.8m theft

metro

Breaking: Women protest against return of armed Okuama youths (+ Photos)

Published

49 mins ago

May 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Breaking: Women protest against return of armed Okuama youths (+ Photos)

The women of Okoloba community in Bomadi local government area, weekend, protested against what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South local government area, who they alleged were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, staged a peace protest on black attires along the coastal fringe of Okoloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath, as well as sending an S.O.S. to the federal government to come to their aid.

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say No to violence’, ‘Enough of the killings on our land’, ‘Armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style’, ‘We say No to the return of armed youths of Okuama’, ‘Resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA’, ‘We mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers’ and among others.

The chairlady of Okoloba, Mrs Goodwin, speaking to newsmen with a written address that was made available to security apparatuses, which include the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi local government council, noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

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The women’s presentations as well as the written address read in part: “First, we the women of Okoloba community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on a peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi local government area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbath.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.