Over 30 suspected kidnappers killed in Enugu – Newstrends
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Over 30 suspected kidnappers killed in Enugu

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Over 30 suspected kidnappers killed in Enugu

No fewer than 30 kidnappers, including members of the Biafra Auto Pilot, also known as Unknown Gunmen, a notorious breakaway faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)  loyal to the Finland based, Simon Ekpa, which terrorised Enugu and its environs had been gunned down in shoot-outs with security operatives at various locations across the state in the past two weeks, a police detective has disclosed.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday morning by Governor Peter Mbah’s media office which quoted a Police Superintendent, SP Onochie Ezeh, who led a joint security operation to rescue some kidnap victims at Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Road in the early hours of Wednesday.

The operation led to the killing of a seven-man gang kidnappers at Ogbeke Nike where the kidnappers used a large poultry farm to hide their hostages.

The police chief explained that Wednesday’s successful operation was part of the sustained operations in the state to flush out criminals  operating from other neighboring states, including kidnappers, unknown gunmen and other unscrupulous elements.

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“We were on the trail of these kidnappers for more than three months now. They had been operating within this axis where they kidnapped their victims and kept them at a large poultry farm at Ogbeke Nike until ransoms are paid.

“So, on a tipoff from members of the public who suspected the strange movements in the area and the accounts of some of the victims of these criminals, we swung into action. On sighting us, these men of the underworld opened fire on my men, and we quickly retaliated and overpowered them with our superior firepower,” he stressed.

Speaking further, SP Ezeh disclosed that the combined security task force, set up by the Enugu State governor, Mr Peter Mbah, as a tactical squad against kidnappings and activities of unknown gunmen, had recorded milestones in policing the state and flushing out criminal elements.

“This is a gallant crack squad with the mandate to eliminate every form of threat in the state. We have recorded huge successes over the past months. You know our role is not to rush to the media to tell our story but to ensure that every citizen and resident of the state has peace.

“I can tell you that we have already neutralized over 7 criminal gangs who were mostly kidnappers and unknown gunmen. We are going after them. We are taking the battle to their doorsteps because the governor said we should not come back home if we don’t completely rid the state of threats.

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“So we are on it. In fact, during our operations, we identified many criminal hideouts that serve as rogue premises where kidnap victims and dangerous weapons are kept. These places include New Artisan Market, Akwuke community, Akegbe-Ugwu, Four Corners, Awgu, Mgbowo, Emene, Eke and Afa in Udi and some parts of Isi Uzo local government. During rescue operations, we were able to neutralize over 30 of the kidnappers and recovered guns and valuables,” the police chief added.

One of the rescued kidnap survivors, Dr Kate Pamela, said she was traumatised by the ugly experiences at the hands of the kidnappers.

“Each time I pass through that poultry, I feel I have been denied justice by still allowing it to operate. They kidnapped us and kept us there for five days. They even killed two of the victims because their families could only afford ten million naira each against the fifty million naira demanded. Notwithstanding that I was able to identify the bodies of three of the kidnappers when they were killed, I still feel that the area should be cleared.

“Government must ensure justice by turning that place to a landfill,” Dr Pamela fumed.

Over 30 suspected kidnappers killed in Enugu

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Man remanded for allegedly defiling stepdaughter in Benue

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Man remanded for allegedly defiling stepdaughter in Benue

A Makurdi Magistrates Court, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of one Adera Sunday, 40, accused of defiling of his 16-year-old stepdaughter.

The Magistrate, Mrs Sonia Ayange, did not take the plea of the defendant, a resident of Welfare Quarters, Makurdi, for want of jurisdiction.

Ayange thereafter ordered that the defendant should be remanded at the Makurdi Correctional Centre pending further investigation.

She adjourned the case to Oct. 11 for further mention.

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Earlier, the Police Prosecutor, Insp James Ewache told the court that the teenager reported the case at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Makurdi on Aug. 30.

The prosecutor said that the complainant informed the police that her stepfather had been taking sexual advantage of her since she was 13 years of age without her consent.

“He lures her into taking noxious drugs and while under the influence, forcefully takes advantage of her,” the prosecutor said.

Ewache said that investigation into the matter was still ongoing and prayed the court for another date for mention.

He said that the offence contravened Sections 284 of the Penal Code, Laws of Benue State, 2004.

Man remanded for allegedly defiling stepdaughter in Benue

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FG worries over Abuja tremor, says it’s monitoring situation

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Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji

FG worries over Abuja tremor, says it’s monitoring situation

The federal government has said it is monitoring and analysing earth movement in and around Abuja to forestall any further earth tremor in the federal capital territory.

The Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology, Uche Nnaji, who disclosed this at an emergency press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, said the government would soon implement measures to mitigate the seismic risks.

Over the past week, a series of earth tremors have been reported in some parts of the Maitama, Katampe, and Mpape areas, causing concern among residents.

Tremors are small, mild shaking or vibrations of the ground, often caused by minor movements in the earth’s crust.

It could be recalled that Mpape experienced a similar sequence of earth tremors from September 5 to 7, 2018, which drew significant local and international attention to Nigeria’s increasing seismic activity.

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The recent tremors were accompanied by loud noises and ground shaking, causing widespread alarm among residents.

The minister said “The government is currently processing and analysing comprehensive datasets from its Seismological and GNSS stations to provide relevant recommendations to the FCT Administration.

“We urge the residents of Mpape, and by extension the wider Abuja area, to remain calm and continue their normal activities,” Nnaji said.

Also, the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA) has urged residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to remain calm.

NGSA Director General, Prof. Olusegun Ige, made the call in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

He urged the residents of the affected areas and other parts where the tremors were felt not to panic, as the tremors were generally minor and did not pose any threat to the environment.

He said the agency was closely monitoring the situation across Nigeria and would provide updates as required.

The NGSA boss stated that a team from the agency had visited the affected areas for an on-the-spot assessment of the various incidents.

FG worries over Abuja tremor, says it’s monitoring situation

(NAN)

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Police parade suspected ritualists, armed robbers in Osun

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Police parade suspected ritualists, armed robbers in Osun

The Osun State Police Command has said that it has arrested seven suspects for possession of human body parts.

The police made this revelation to journalists while parading the suspects at the Command headquarters in Osogbo on Wednesday.

The suspects paraded include Johnson Daniel, Adetunji Okunade, Olaniyan Azeez, Balogun Temitope Asimiyu, Oladapo Hammed, Kazeem Rasak and Asaka Rauf.

Addressing journalists, the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Giwa-Alade Emmanuel also said suspected human bone fragments, a female pant and note books were recovered as exhibits from the suspects at the point of arrest.

He said, “The above named suspects were arrested upon a credible information from a good spirited individual that, one Johnson Daniel ‘m’ a mortuary attendant at lpetu-ljesa sells portions of human remains deposited at the mortuary to native doctors whose names are listed above.

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“The said suspects use these remains gotten from the mortuary attendant (Johnson Daniel) for different ritual purposes. Daniel also confessed that, he conspired with one other mortuary attendant named Adetunji Okunade ‘m’ to sell remnant of water used in bathing corpses to interested native doctors.

“In the course of investigation, search were conducted at the residences of these suspects which led to the recovery of fragment of substances suspected to be human skull at Asaka Rauf ‘m’ and Oladapo Hammed ‘m’ residences while a female pant and a note book containing instructions on ritual practices were recovered from Balogun Temitope Asimiyu’s residence.”

Giwa-Alade hinted that the suspects have been charged to court.

Similarly, the police paraded Taiwo Adekunle, Adebayo Opeyemi, Hasan Ibrahim, Oba Wasiu and Olajide Oladapo for alleged armed robbery.

Exhibits recovered at the point of arrest include a Ford Jeep with registration number SMK945OS, Hunter motorcycle with registration number WWD604QF, one empty shell cartridge, one Iphone and one magnet.

Police parade suspected ritualists, armed robbers in Osun

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