Missing lady: Bolt driver surrenders to Rivers police to prove his innocence – Newstrends
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Missing lady: Bolt driver surrenders to Rivers police to prove his innocence

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Miss Elizabeth Edoukumor
Missing lady: Bolt driver surrenders to Rivers police to prove his innocence
A Bolt driver, Kelechi Uzor, has voluntarily turned himself in to the police in Rivers State to prove his innocence following the disappearance of a lady, Miss Elizabeth Edoukumor.
It was gathered that Elizabeth went missing on October 9, 2023 after Uzor dropped her off at Harmony Estate in Obio-Akpor Local Government area of the state.
Her family posted a plea for information on Facebook, stating that she left her aunt’s place at Harmony Estate to return home but never made it home.
Elizabeth’s last known location was at Harmony Estate, and her phone became unreachable and switched off.
Uzor, accompanied by Prince Wiro, a human rights activist, visited the Okporo Police Station, Rumuodara, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, and denied any involvement in the lady’s disappearance.
Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt on Friday, October 28, Uzor explained that he decided to contact the police due to persistent calls and threats from the missing woman’s family.
According to him he had provided a ride to Elizabeth Edoukumor on October 9th, taking her to Harmony Estate.
He stated that he had parked outside the estate, as entry required authorization. After Miss Edoukumor got permission to enter the estate, he dropped her off, and she paid in cash.
Uzor noted that he followed security procedures and was checked both when entering and leaving the estate.
After the drop-off, Uzor received calls from individuals inquiring about the lady’s whereabouts.
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He explained that he had only provided transportation and was not privy to her conversations.
The driver said he started receiving threats and requests to meet with individuals, including a man who claimed to be the girl’s uncle.
‘On October 9, 2023, she booked a ride at Eastern By-Pass (in Port Harcourt). I took her to Harmony Estate at Eliozu. When I got to the estate, I parked because you cannot enter the estate without the authorisation of someone inside,” he explained.
“When the lady (Elizabeth) got the permission to enter, I entered the estate, parked at the residence she was going to, she offloaded her bags because she came with some goods, paid me in cash and I drove off
“When I entered the estate, I was checked by the security men,  when I was leaving, I was also checked. They checked everything in my car  gave me permission to leave the estate
“Later that night, a lady called me and was asking whether I picked her (Elizabeth) up from the estate, I said no. That what I did was to drop her at the estate and left the place
“After that day, another man called and asked me if I heard anything, if she (Elizabeth) made any call that I could remember. I told him no, that I didn’t listen to her conversation.”
He explained that the next day, some people were calling to lure him to a certain area, saying, “They will call me and ask if I’m a Bolt driver. I should come and pick them so, so place.“
“I said no, I cannot that they have to book Bolt first before I can pick anyone. They have been calling, and I now discovered that one of them is the supposed uncle to the girl
“So, after I refused to meet them, they are now telling me that I am the Bolt driver who took Elizabeth to so and so place. I told them yes that I have explained to them that I dropped the girl and left
“Since then, I have been getting threat calls and like the uncle threatening me that I should better bring the girl alive that this one is bad market. He was saying other threats. I have not received any call from the police to come but I went to the police station to say my own side of the story because the calls and threats are becoming too much
“So I came to find out why the parents of the girl are threatening me because I have no hand in the disappearance of the girl. So I came to the police station to complain.
Wiro, the human rights activist, advised the missing girl’s family to report the case to the police rather than arranging a private meeting with the Bolt driver.
He stated that Uzor had approached him seeking assistance, and they visited the police station to cooperate with the investigation.

Missing lady: Bolt driver surrenders to Rivers police to prove his innocence

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Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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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

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

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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.

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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

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