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How 50-year-old father of three butchered estranged lover

Published

2 years ago

July 7, 2023

Austin Gola Ejewor

How 50-year-old father of three butchered estranged lover

Tragedy struck at Okolor Inland, a community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, where a 50-year-old father of three, Austin Gola Ejewor, allegedly murdered his estranged lover, 45-year-old Felicia Citibekpe.

Ejewor, a welder, allegedly used a machete to hack Felicia during a fight, which led to her death. The suspect initially escaped after the incident but later surrendered to the police.

Narrating what transpired while being paraded in Asaba, the state capital, by the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, the suspect accused his late lover of sundry offences, including having an affair with his relative just to slight him.

He told Daily Sun that Felicia had held on to his money meant for the purchase of a tricycle for commercial purposes, since the welding business was no longer profitable.

He said: “We had saved money in the cooperative with the intention of buying a tricycle for commercial operation, since the welding work was no longer viable. She seized the money. The money we saved was about N700,000.00 and the cooperative gave us over N1 million.

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“When I asked her to bring out the money during the currency swap earlier this year, she said she was holding on to it for her own business.

“So, after the naira crisis, I asked her again to produce the money, she insisted that she had seized it, and that I should approach the bank for loan to buy the tricycle. After persisting and she was not yielding, I had to let go and move on.

“Then later I inherited one of my late brother’s wives, which she rejected. Then she took one of my boxers to a spiritual place with the intention of making me impotent.

“As if that was not enough, she went to sleep with the late man’s son and asked me to go and commit suicide if I like.

“It was after that we started fighting, which led to her death. The day she came, she carried masquerade with the intention to kill me but since she was holding a knife and I was armed with a cutlass, a superior weapon, I had the upper hand.

“I defended myself with my hand as a man, so we cut each other and she died.”

According to him, Felicia’s relatives were enraged by the development, and they razed his dwelling place, stole his motorcycle, “destroyed my cousin’s storey building and my father’s house. As we speak now, I have nothing.”

The suspect claimed that he met the deceased about three years ago, adding that they were living together until she overstepped her bounds.

“She was earlier pregnant for me but lost it this year. So, we don’t have any child between us, and we have been together for three years now. However, before I met her, one woman had given me three children.

“We were together but she overstepped her bounds because I gave her boundary that she should not relate with people, and people advised her wrongly,” he added.

Parading the suspect alongside others, Abass said, on receipt of the reported murder case, the Divisional Police Ofiicer in Ovwian detailed operatives to embark on investigation.

Abass said the suspect was eventually arrested when he turned himself in at Ovwian Aladja Police Station.

“The suspect stated that he murdered the woman during the course of disagreement, using a machete,” he added.

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Court orders FG to take over 7 properties of ex-FBN personnel

Published

46 minutes ago

April 11, 2025

Trends Admin

Court orders FG to take over 7 properties of ex-FBN personnel

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has granted an order for the permanent forfeiture of seven properties linked to Muiz Tijani Adeyinka, a former employee of First Bank Plc.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday, April 10, 2025, by Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, followed a motion filed by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The assets in question include residential apartments and parcels of land across various parts of Lagos and Abuja. Among them are: Plot 9, Block 28 Itunu City, Veritas Homes & Properties Ltd., Aiyetoro, Epe; a three-bedroom flat at Le Moriah Residences Estate in Ikate, Lekki; and land in Amen Estate Phase III Extension, Abomiti Zone, along Lekki/Epe Expressway. Others are located in Idera Scheme, Arizon Estate, Itunu Residential, Tiara by Amen City, and Ochacho Real Homes in LifeCamp, Abuja.

According to a statement released by the EFCC, the court’s decision came after no objections were raised within the 14-day period allowed for interested parties to challenge the interim forfeiture, which had been previously ordered.

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“No one showed cause within the 14 days window granted after the publication,” EFCC counsel Zeenat Atiku informed the court.
Supporting the application was an affidavit sworn by EFCC operative Isah Yusuf Nadabo, who stated that Tijani, during his tenure in the bank’s settlement office, exploited privileged access for personal gain.

“He, therefore, carried out illegal, unauthorised and fraudulent activities against First Bank Nigeria Plc,” Nadabo declared in the affidavit.

He further revealed that investigations had traced N35 billion allegedly obtained by Tijani and associates through these activities.

“Investigation has thus far revealed and traced the sum of N35 billion (Thirty Five Billion Naira) benefitted by Muiz Tijani Adeyinka and his cronies,” the affidavit stated.

Atiku urged the court to grant final forfeiture, arguing that the properties were suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of financial crime.

Justice Dipeolu, in granting the order, ruled that the EFCC’s application had merit and subsequently ordered the properties be forfeited to the Federal Government.

Court orders FG to take over 7 properties of ex-FBN personnel

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Judge, son shot as bandits kidnap 13 in Katsina

Published

2 hours ago

April 11, 2025

Trends Admin

Judge, son shot as bandits kidnap 13 in Katsina

Bandits have attacked Mahuta town in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State, shooting a Shari’a court judge, Rabiu Mahuta, in the hand and his son.

During the attack, which occurred late Tuesday night, the assailants injured three people and kidnapped 13 others, including the judge’s wife and five of his children.

A resident who spoke to Daily Trust said the bandits arrived around 11:30 p.m. and headed straight to the judge’s residence, where they spent nearly an hour attempting to break down the door.

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Despite the judge’s call to the local Divisional Police Officer for help, no security personnel arrived in time.

“When they eventually broke in, they shot him in the hand, and he collapsed. One of his sons was also injured, with a bullet grazing his forehead,” the source said.

A neighbour, who is a member of the state-owned Community Watch Corps and tried to intervene during the attack, was also shot and is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in Katsina.

Daily Trust gathered that the attackers also abducted five people from the household of one Shehu Maishayi, along with Malam Sufi Nahi and the wife of Malam Abdurrazak, who lives on the outskirts of Mahuta.

Sources said soldiers arrived only after the bandits had fled the scene.

Judge, son shot as bandits kidnap 13 in Katsina

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EFCC plays confession video of ex-power minister in court

Published

2 hours ago

April 11, 2025

Trends Admin

Former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman

EFCC plays confession video of ex-power minister in court

The trial of former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, continued on Thursday, April 10, 2025, before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, with the prosecution presenting further evidence in a trial-within-trial to justify the admissibility of the extra-judicial statements of the defendant, who claimed that he volunteered them under duress.

Mamman is facing prosecution in relation to the Mambilla Power Project by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on a 12-count charge, bordering on conspiracy to commit money laundering to the tune of N33,804,830,503.73 (Thirty-Three Billion, Eight Hundred and Four Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Five Hundred and Three Naira, Seventy-three Kobo).

Led in evidence by prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, Abubakar Muhammed Kwaido an EFCC investigator maintained that Mamman made his statements to the Commission without intimidation or force.

“There was at no point I harassed or intimidated him with detention. My boss was even asking him if he could write, but he said he would ask his lawyer to write on his behalf,” he said.

In a video clip of Mamman’s statement to the Commission which was played in court, the defendant was seen clarifying to investigators in a convivial atmosphere that he chose to avoid payment for an Abuja property through financial institutions to evade detection, considering his position in the government.

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“Honestly, I gave him N5million about three times. I didn’t transfer or put it in his account. I gave him cash. Why I didn’t do a transfer was because I am a civil servant and I have left my business and some of my things, so I have been very careful,” he said.

He further disclosed that the payments were made to Abubakar Mustapha Bida in relation to a house he acquired through him. Bida is the Mambilla Project Accountant. “After the payment, he then gave me the house, that is why I didn’t bring up that issue. Then I accepted the house at Kado,” he said.

Mamman was also seen in the clip narrating how he discussed the property with one Sam. “I said to Sam that there’s a house in Kado, but I have to collect the documents of the house. That’s why I told you that there’s no issue between me and him.”

He was also seen claiming that he jointly purchased another property in Wuse, Abuja with a friend who is a member of the House of Representatives, who chose to register the house with a different name. “We went together and bought the house in Wuse. It was me and my friend that joined and bought the house, but he gave another person’s name instead of his. Now I’m even struggling to get the papers for the house,” he said.

Speaking further in the clip, he said, “We bought the house from N30 to N35 million and we agreed I will be giving him the money in tranches. Things became somehow and I then left the office. He didn’t give me the papers and that’s how I left office.”

Mamman in the video, repeatedly accused Abubakar Mustapha Bida of dishonesty. “Mustapha is a liar. It was his PA that did all these things,” he said, referring to one Musbahu Idris.

Nonetheless, he admitted benefitting from the transaction. “Whether I like it or not, I benefitted, because my people have benefited from the money. That was why I was all involved in it,” he said.

In the video, he was also seen explaining to Kwaido that his lawyer has his nod to write his statements on his behalf because he was a bit under the weather.

Asked by Kwaido if he could write, he replied: “Honestly I can’t write, I’m not too strong, but as you can see, I’m about to take my medication. That’s why I spoke to him to write because I don’t want to stress myself. The doctors warned me not to stress myself. I was advised by my lawyer to come so that it will all be easy,” he said.

Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter till Monday, April 14, 2025, for continuation of trial.