The church insisted that it had no prior knowledge of the car’s stolen status, and that Daniel was merely seeking spiritual help in his trying moments.
metro
I didn’t know car parked on my church premises for blessing was stolen – Cleric
I didn’t know car parked on my church premises for blessing was stolen – Cleric
Shepherd, Celestial Church of God, Iyanu Oluwa, Prophet Joseph Shola, has denied knowledge of a stolen car brought to his church by a suspect, Amos Daniel, who was arrested alongside seven other gang members last week by police operatives.
The police had arrested several gang members in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Among the suspects was Daniel, a 36-year-old driver, who confessed to stealing a Lexus car belonging to his employer. Daniel admitted to stealing the car four days after being employed as a driver, intending to use it for Uber and earn money to support his family.
“I took the car to my pastor to bless, intending to use it for Uber for a few days, so my family could eat,” Daniel had confessed.
When The Nation visited Shola about 4pm on Sunday, he said Daniel was not his church member but had visited occasionally for prayers due to job-related challenges.
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“He told me he had challenges with his job and, therefore, would come from time to time for prayer,” Shola said.
The cleric said after a period of absence, Daniel suddenly returned with a car for dedication.
“When I didn’t see him again for a while, he came with a car for me to bless. He claimed that God had answered his prayers and requested a blessing for the vehicle, but I didn’t bless the car,” he explained.
The cleric further stated that Daniel left the car in the church premises, claiming he needed to retrieve some documents for the car, only to return later with some police men, who informed him that the car was stolen.
On July 2, while the cleric sat outside the church, a police vehicle arrived. To their surprise, Daniel returned with the police, leading to the prophet’s brief arrest. He was released after proving his innocence and denying any involvement in the crime.
metro
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
In a tragic turn of events, kidnappers who abducted a hotel owner, his manager, and a guest in Gauraka community, Tafa Local Government Area, Niger State, have executed their captives despite receiving a ransom of N25 million.
The incident, which occurred early on August 17, 2024, has also claimed the lives of two local vigilantes, Abubakar Muhammad and Ibrahim Garba, who were killed while delivering the ransom.
According to reports from City & Crime, the bodies of the victims were found in the Dogon-Daji Forest, a border area between Kaduna, Niger State, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). They were subsequently transported to an air force base near the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Hussaini Abubakar, the commander of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) in Tafa, confirmed that the remains of the vigilantes were buried on Saturday following military clearance.
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Additionally, a man previously abducted from the community about a month ago was rescued with gunshot wounds and is receiving treatment at an army medical facility in Abuja.
The abduction began around 1 am when the kidnappers raided the hotel, forcibly taking all the lodgers. Witnesses reported that the bandits fired shots while leaving, drawing attention to the crime. Despite the presence of a security hunter nearby, the individual fled upon seeing the attackers.
Community residents have expressed growing frustration over the escalating attacks, noting that the bandits frequently operate in nearby forests and along major roads, including the Ijah-Koro and Ijah-Gwari roads leading to Bwari town in the FCT.
Gauraka has experienced at least five kidnapping incidents in the past four months, underscoring the urgent need for increased security measures in the area.
Kidnappers kill hotel owner, manager, guest after collecting N25m ransom
metro
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested five Chinese nationals suspected of illegal mining activities in Ndito-Eka-Iba village, located in Ibieno Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.
The EFCC announced the arrests on Sunday, stating that its Special Task Force on Illegal Mining, operating in Uyo, carried out the operation based on credible intelligence regarding illicit mining activities conducted by foreign companies in Eket and Ibieno LGAs.
This development underscores the ongoing efforts of the EFCC to clamp down on illegal mining and protect Nigeria’s natural resources from exploitation by foreign entities.
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The agency’s vigilance in addressing illegal operations continues to support the country’s broader fight against environmental degradation and economic sabotage.
“The five arrested Chinese suspects are Zhon Qinping, apprehended on 10 September, and Li Yi, Xie Bin, Chen Mou Zhou, and Chen Zeng, arrested on 29 August.
“They were arrested at an illegal mining site, where a mineral suspected to be ilmenite, a titanium-iron oxide mineral, was being extracted.
“The suspects will face charges in court once investigations are concluded,” EFCC said.
Five Chinese arrested in Akwa Ibom for illegal mining
(NAN)
metro
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
The Katsina Community Watch Corps (CWC) has apprehended Umar Shehu on allegations of supplying illegal injections and drugs to bandits involved in kidnappings in Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The arrest was reported by Bakatsine, a security expert and Conflict and Crisis Journalist in the Northwest region, via a post on X.
Accompanying the post was a video showing a significant quantity of syringes and Umar Shehu’s confession to his involvement in the illegal activities.
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“GOOD NEWS: The Katsina Community Watch Corp (CWC) in Ɗandume Local Government Area has successfully apprehended a man named Umar Shehu, who was involved in trafficking illegal injections and drugs to supply to bandits engaged in kidnappings in Sabuwa LGA all in Katsina State,” the post reads.
“The security team gathered crucial information from Umar and others, but only Umar’s information appeared in the video while others were not recorded for security reasons, according to an insider.”
Katsina community corps arrests suspect supplying hard drugs to bandits
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