Amotekun member dismissed, faces prosecution for killing 21-year-old man – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

Amotekun member dismissed, faces prosecution for killing 21-year-old man

Published

on

A member of the Oyo State Security Network Agency also known as Operation Amotekun is now in police net for allegedly killing a 21-year-old man identified as Tosin Thomas, in Ibadan.

The suspect was said to have fired gunshots at a crowd in the Mokola area of Ibadan on Wednesday night that killed Thomas.

The victim, according to the police, was confirmed dead at the hospital where he was rushed to.

Angered by the action, Amotekun said on Thursday that it had dismissed the suspect for acting outside the corps’ protocols and handed him over to the police for prosecution.

Commandant of Amotekun in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), in a statement, gave the name of the suspect as Kazeem Afolabi and expressed regrets at the killing of Thomas.

His statement read in part, “At about 10pm on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, operatives of Amotekun, led by Team Leader George Idowu, got an alert of a purported armed robbery operation at the Total Filling Station, Mokola, Ibadan.

“Following the distress call, the team leader and his team of seven members, arrived at the scene. On arrival at the scene of the alleged crime, it turned out that it was not an armed robbery operation, though a crowd had gathered.

“The team leader, sensing no immediate danger to anyone at the scene, immediately proceeded to speak with the station manager. While he was with the manager, he heard a gunshot.

“As it turned out, one of his team members, by the name Afolabi Kazeem, who felt sufficiently threatened by the crowd, which included some hoodlums armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, opened fire to supposedly scare away the crowd.

“Unfortunately, his shot hit one Mr Tosin Thomas, who was subsequently confirmed dead. The corps has found that Afolabi Kazeem with ammunition number AM031849 acted outside the Amotekun Corps’ protocols.

“For this reason, he has been summarily dismissed from the Corps and handed over to the police for prosecution. Also, his team leader, George Idowu, is being thoroughly investigated and will face all necessary sanctions.

“We want to reassure members of the public of our internal mechanisms for dealing with erring officers. We will continue to train and retrain our officers on best practices and rules of engagement. The corps deeply regrets the loss to the Thomas family, and we are already in touch with the family.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that they had commenced investigation into the matter.

metro

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

Published

on

FCT Police Command Spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

A 27-year -old man, Rabiu Suleiman, has reportedly stabbed and inflicted serious injuries on his friend, Yunusa Muazu, during a fight over a woman at Tipper garage area of Gwagwalada in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Sanusi, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a fight broke out at a viewing centre at Unguwar Dodo area of the town.

He said Suleiman had accused his friend, Muazu of dating his friend, Jamila Yakubu, who he intends to marry.

He said trouble started when Jamila left Suleiman’s house on Tuesday around 8:34 pm, only for him to meet her with his friend, Muazu, discussing at a viewing centre, where he had gone to watch football.

He said Suleiman, upon sighting his woman with his friend, angrily walked straight to them and slapped him, a situation, which resulted in a fight between them.

He said in the process, Suleiman allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed his friend in the back, which attracted the attention of people at the viewing centre.

READ ALSO:

According to him, some people at the centre, who tried to separate them, were overpowered, not until when some vigilantes rushed to the scene and arrested Suleiman.

He said his friend, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood, was rushed to a nearby hospital.

He said the lady quietly left the scene when the fight broke out.

A member of the vigilante, Salihu Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect had been arrested and handed over to security personnel in the area.

He said the vigilantes were making efforts to trace the woman’s location and arrest her.

He said, “The vigilantes even went to the family house of the girl on Wednesday morning but could not find her but we are still trailing her movement to ensure she is arrested.”

Bala said the injured victim was recuperating at the hospital, alleging that the victim and his friend were into drugs.

The spokeswoman of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, did not respond to the calls and text messages sent to her on the incident.

 

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

Continue Reading

metro

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

Published

on

Timothy Omotoso

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

A High Court in the Eastern Cape division of South Africa has acquitted Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, accused of raping young women in his church.

Omotoso and his two co-defendants were arraigned on a 32-count charge bordering on rape and human trafficking.

News24 reported that Omotoso would be deported to Nigeria immediately after the judgment.
The co-defendants are Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

READ ALSO:

Several young women had accused the pastor of luring them into his home in Umhlanga, a town in South Africa, where he allegedly molested them.

In April 2017, the Nigerian pastor was arrested shortly after he landed at an airport in South Africa.
He is the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International based in Durban, South Africa. He is also the founder of Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Day Broadcasting Network

According to News24, Irma Schoeman, the trial judge, yesterday, ruled that the state prosecutor did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Nigerian pastor had been in South African prison since his arrest in 2017.

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

Continue Reading

metro

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Published

on

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday,  convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.

Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, said, the convict was arrested on March 28, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.

The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC,Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigations.

Consequently, he was arraigned yesterday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and Punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

READ ALSO:

Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”

Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000 to the EFCC.

Okozie ,then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.

Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that: “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”

Okezie thereafter, prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.

Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant,“is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”

He also prayed the court to, “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.

Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States, had declared that he was not in possession of any  money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk. 

However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.

He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Continue Reading

Trending