metro
Fraudster hunts Islamic cleric with soldiers after failed prayers
Fraudster hunts Islamic cleric with soldiers after failed prayers
A man, identified simply as Hamzat, has cried out after suspected soldiers allegedly invaded his block factory located at Bankole Estate, Magboro, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, and seized his Toyota RAV 4 vehicle.
Hamzat who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Saturday said the soldiers numbering up to five in a pick-up van were looking for his younger brother, Sulaimon, who is an Islamic cleric.
He noted that the matter began after he introduced a yet-to-be-identified suspected Yahoo boy, who is a brother to his girlfriend to Sulaimon for special prayers.
He said after the prayer was successful, his girlfriend’s brother wanted more special prayers and Sulaimon introduced him to another yet-to-be-identified Islamic cleric in the Agege area of Lagos.
Hamzat said, “After my brother introduced him to another Alfa for special prayer, maybe he was duped (or he didn’t get the expected returns after payment), I don’t know. My brother also said he did not know what transpired between the boy and the other Alfa.
“On Tuesday, I was called by someone that some people were at my block factory and they wanted to buy blocks. So I rushed down. I told the person the price of my blocks. In the course of that, I just saw some soldiers coming into the estate. They came to me and said they wanted to see me. I asked them what happened, but they started grabbing me.
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“When I looked into their car, I saw the guy I introduced to my brother and his sister, who is my girlfriend. Then the soldiers said I should follow them. They said they would drive my car with them, but I refused, I said I couldn’t give them my car key but I would drive along with them since I did not steal or commit any crime.”
He added that the soldiers took him to their barracks at Ebute where they allegedly collected N10,000 from him and seized his car pending when he would produce his brother.
Hamzat noted that one of the soldiers kept calling him and asking him to produce his brother.
The number said to belong to the soldier was contacted by our correspondent but the recipient asked our correspondent to come to the Army base at Arepo.
Contacted, the spokesperson for the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt Col Ayeni Olabisi, promised to find out about the matter.
On her part, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, said the matter was being investigated.
“The case is being investigated,” the PPRO told our correspondent on Sunday.
Fraudster hunts Islamic cleric with soldiers after failed prayers
metro
Troops raid terrorists’ camp, rescue kidnap victims in Taraba, Benue
Troops raid terrorists’ camp, rescue kidnap victims in Taraba, Benue
Troops from the Nigeria Army’s 93 Battalion Sub-Sector 3B Operation Whirl Stroke at Fikyu cleared a terrorist base and recovered one AK-47 magazine with ten rounds of 7.62MM special ammunition in Taraba State.
The accomplishment came after people reported suspected terrorists firing intermittently in the Pukun village of Fikyu in the Ussa Local Government Area of the state on Monday, April 29.
Oni Olubodunde, the acting assistant director of 6 Brigade Army Public Relations, issued the following statement:
Similarly, troops deployed to Kofai Ammadu and Kasuwan Haske, in collaboration with troops from Sub-Sector 1A OPWS, acted on intelligence regarding the hideout of terrorists in Vingir Village of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, and arrested a suspected kidnapper Dogo Manu.
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According to the statement, troops of 20 Model Battalion Sub-Sector 3A OPWS, while on night patrol around Gangdanbana and Kwanar Maliki in Bali Local Government Area on 27 April 2024 apprehended one Junaidu Isiaka with four sacks of substance suspected to be cannabis sativa.
The suspect has been on the watchlist of security agencies for his involvement in illegal drug deals and supplies to terrorists and other criminal elements operating within the general area.
The operation according to the Nigeria Army highlights the commitment and dedication of the troops in combating terrorism and all forms of criminality while ensuring the safety and security of the citizens.
“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in its efforts to rid the region of criminal elements and restore peace and stability, not just in Taraba but the nation as a whole,” the statement added.
Troops raid terrorists’ camp, rescue kidnap victims in Taraba, Benue
metro
16 passengers burnt to death on Enugu road accident (PHOTOS)
16 passengers burnt to death on Enugu road accident (PHOTOS)
Sixteen travellers tragically lost their lives in a motor accident in Enugu State on Tuesday evening, with two others narrowly escaping the same fate.
According to a statement by Enugu State Police Command spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the accident occurred along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road, where 16 out of the 18 passengers in the bus were burnt beyond recognition.
Ndukwe confirmed that the deceased victims comprised 14 males and two females, with the survivors rushed to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
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The accident involved an 18-seater white Toyota Hummer bus with a Bauchi State commercial registration number DAS 215 XA. Preliminary investigations suggest that the bus, laden with edible vegetables and other food items, lost control at high speed, veering off the road and crashing into the fence of Maduka University in Ekwegbe, Igbo-Etiti local government area.
Sadly, the vehicle burst into flames upon impact, leading to the tragic loss of life. The Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu, along with officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), visited the scene to assess the situation.
While expressing condolences to the families of the victims, the CP appealed for assistance from individuals who can help identify the deceased or provide information to trace their family members.
16 passengers burnt to death on Enugu road accident (PHOTOS)
metro
Ogun frees 49 inmates to decongest prisons
Ogun frees 49 inmates to decongest prisons
The Chief Judge of Ogun, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu, on Tuesday granted pardon to 49 inmates as part of efforts to decongest correctional facilities in the state.
Ms. Dipeolu pardoned the inmates during a jail delivery exercise at Oba, Ibara, and Ilaro correctional centres in Ogun State.
Thirty-one inmates were released from the Oba correctional centre, 15 from Ibara, and three from Ilaro correctional centre, bringing the total number of inmates granted amnesty to 49.
Ms. Dipeolu said that the exercise was to decongest the facilities, adding that cases of inmates were reviewed, leading to the freedom granted to those deemed deserving.
When she visited the Ilaro correctional centre, she said correctional facilities needed improvement.
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”We cannot afford to have deaths on our hands due to overcrowding. The conditions here at the correctional centre have not improved. It is evident that overcrowding is rampant, even without official statistics. Dipeolu expressed particular concern about the overcrowding among those awaiting trial, highlighting their suffering without a conviction.
Also at the Oba correctional centre, the chief judge expressed concern with the overcrowding and condition of the facility.
“We cannot ignore the plight of those awaiting trial, many of whom have been incarcerated for years without conviction,” she said.
At the Ibara correctional centre, the CJ commended the managers of the facility for their efforts at maintaining a relatively better environment, urging them to do more to address the other challenges.
She, however, emphasised the need for swift justice and rehabilitation, rather than mere punishment, to address the root causes of congestion.
In his remarks, controller of the correctional centre, Saliu Adepoju, commended the chief judge and her entourage for exercising and upholding the judiciary’s ethics.
The CJ was accompanied by a team of judges from the state high court, the director of public prosecution management, and some officials, including the state controller and assistant controller of the correctional centre.
Ogun frees 49 inmates to decongest prisons
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