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Abductors abuse our deaf, dumb daughters, collected N5.5m ransom – Edo family

Published

3 weeks ago

April 14, 2024

Edo State Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Funsho Adegboye

Abductors abuse our deaf, dumb daughters, collected N5.5m ransom – Edo family

The sleepy community known as Oke Old in Sabongida-Ora, Etsako West local government area of Edo State was thrown into mourning and anxiety as kidnappers suspected to be criminal Fulani invaded a feed mill plant for their criminal activity and at the end of their operation, two deaf and dumb girls were abducted but the trainee manager identified as Elisha Udejei was not so lucky as he shot to death at close range. The community has a school and a church.

While Udejei, a young graduate of the University of Ibadan was killed, an eye witness who is also a worker on the farm and identified as Emmanuel Atafo abandoned his motorbike and ran to safety when he heard the gunshot fired at Udejei.
While Udejei was buried a few days after the incident, the kidnapped girls spent eight days in their abductors’, abused and were only released after N5.5m ransom was paid by their parents. They are 33 and 28 years old

The owner of the farm who did not want his name mentioned for security reasons said he took the girls to Lagos where they were trained in a special school in Oyo State before going back to the community to work in the factory after they graduated.

He said the kidnappers used the phones of the girls to contact their parents and negotiated for their release. They were kidnapped in Sabongida-Ora and released somewhere along Afuze road in Owan East local government area.

There is a strong suspicion that an insider may have led the kidnappers to the facility and that from the negotiation with the kidnappers, they claimed that they had sponsors who insisted that they must not collect less than N5 million.

The kidnap

The father of the one of kidnapped girls (name withheld) narrated the situation to Sunday Vanguard “It was on the 1st of April that they were attacked in their place of work and one of them was shot dead then one escaped but two of the females who are physically challenged were abducted by the kidnappers and taken into the bus, they were with them from Monday till Monday, they were calling for ransom, they started by saying that it is N10 million each that is N20m for the two of them then during the negotiation, we begged and they finally agreed on N5m per person but we said we don’t have this money and they finally accepted N5.5m for the two of them and that was the ransom that we finally paid before they were released. You know what it means for two physically challenged people to be in the midst of hardened criminals in the bush for eight days.

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Security

“When this thing happened, one of them that managed to escape got to a place where you have a military checkpoint, he got to them, but he said they didn’t show much concern about the story he was telling them, they were just questioning him here and there so he sad he left them and went to tell the people what happened. The following morning, everybody went there, the soldiers said their Commandant was coming and he never came. We were there as early as 8: am and we were there till 6: pm, there was no effort from them whatsoever even the police did not do anything, they were busy extorting money from the people, go and do this, go and bring that, let us go to the mortuary to go and see the person that you said they killed.
“The annoying part of it is that it was on Friday, this thing happened on Monday that they now said they want to go and comb the bush and it was like, what are you combing, something happened on Monday and it is now Friday that you want to go for bush combing?”

State of the girls

“When they were released after we paid the ransom, we took them to the hospital that very Monday then by Tuesday they were discharged, they are fine just that they were traumatized. We are just trying to console them and anytime they ask after their colleague that was killed we were initially telling them he was fine but we have to let them know that he died and that increased their trauma.

From medical reports, the issue of abuse could not be ruled out. Imagine small beautiful girls though they are physically challenged being in the midst of hardened criminals, drug addicts, for eight days in the bush so that couldn’t be ruled out.”

Release

“That was another funny aspect of the whole thing, one person has to go with the money to go and pay ransom in cash. We searched here and there to raise the money then the person who wanted to go and pay the ransom was told to go to Afuze area, at a time they will tell him go to a particular location, you will see police checkpoint there, they were giving him directives so he finally got to the place where they finally sighted him and directed him to ride the motorcycle into the bush with his bike then they got to a place where he met four of them and then the two girls.

“When they were going to pay the ransom, they instructed that when we are coming with the money, we should come with one pack of predator, one pack of malt and one pack of fearless drink so we bought the three items added to the money for them. They handed over the two girls to the man who went to pay the ransom. It was traumatic.”

Abductors abuse our deaf, dumb daughters, collected N5.5m ransom – Edo family

Vanguard

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Neighbour, son beat mother of four to death in Edo

Published

30 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

Edo Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chidi Nwabuzor

Neighbour, son beat mother of four to death in Edo

In Edo State, one Nata Igbinovia has been killed by her neighbour identified as Philip Ayo and his son.

The deceased, a mother of four, was reportedly hacked to death by the suspects while trying to mediate in a rift.

The incident occurred on Saturday at Okpagha-Ewuare, a community on the outskirts of Benin City.

Patience, the deceased’s daughter, confirmed the brutal murder of her mother to newsmen.

According to her, she lost her life when she intervened in a dispute between her cousin and the neighbours.

Speaking to newsmen, Patience said the suspects resorted to using a knife and an axe to take her life.

“As he went to bring the small dagger, the son brought an axe that they usually use to split firewood. As he wanted to stab my cousin brother, my mom intervened, and that’s when the knife ended up in her hand.

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“As my mom fell to the ground near their gate, the man took the axe and struck her back. While he was doing that, he took the opportunity to stab my mom in her side ribs,” she said.

She added that upon seeing the lifeless body of her mother on the ground, the culprits escaped the scene.

She stated that a nearby neighbour heard about the occurrence and brought a vehicle to transport her to the hospital.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Chidi Nwabuzor, confirmed the incident to newsmen.

He said the suspect has been arrested and investigation is ongoing.

When asked why the son, who was reportedly involved in the suspected murder, was not arrested, he said the detective would determine that after the investigation

“He will be charged to court shortly after the public holiday,” Punch quoted him as saying..

Neighbour, son beat mother of four to death in Edo

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London sword attack leaves British-Nigerian teenager dead

Published

37 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

Daniel Anjorin

London sword attack leaves British-Nigerian teenager dead

A 14-year-old boy, Daniel Anjorin, was fatally attacked with a sword in London on Tuesday while on his way to school.

The British-Nigerian student attended Bancroft’s private school. A 36-year-old man, who was not previously known to police, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

The attack began when the suspect crashed a van into a house fence, injuring a 33-year-old man, then stabbed him in the neck.

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He then attacked a 35-year-old man, causing arm lacerations, before killing Anjorin. Two police officers were seriously injured while apprehending the suspect, who was eventually detained 22 minutes after the initial call. The attack is not believed to be terror-related.

The independent school attended by Anjorin said in a statement Wednesday that they had been left in “profound shock and sorrow” at the pupil’s death.

“He was a true scholar, demonstrating commendable dedication to his academic pursuits. His positive nature and gentle character will leave a lasting impact on us,” Bancroft’s, in Woodford Green, near Hainault, said.

London sword attack leaves British-Nigerian teenager dead

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Lagos uncovers 86 rooms under Ikoyi bridge where tenants pay N250,000 rent

Published

43 mins ago

May 2, 2024

Trends Admin

Lagos uncovers 86 rooms under Ikoyi bridge where tenants pay N250,000 rent

A bridge in Lagos beneath which 86 rooms were located have been discovered, authorities in the State have disclosed.

The 86 partitioned rooms, sized 10×10 and 12×10, were found under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, on Lagos Island.

The tenants sheltering in the makeshift wooden accommodation are said to be paying N250,000 a year.

Lagos State’s Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the disclosure on Wednesday.

Sharing the development in a post on X on Wednesday, along with videos, Wahab disclosed that all structures, including a container used for various illegal activities, have been removed from beneath the Dolphin Estate bridge.

He stated that the clearance exercise was carried out by the enforcement team of the Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had successfully removed.

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Sharing videos he wrote, “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphin Estate Bridge.

“They have all been removed by the enforcement team of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources”

A Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, further confirmed the eviction of squatters from beneath the bridge towards Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi over illegal settlement and environmental violations.

Rotimi-Akodu disclosed that 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction, which was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI on Tuesday.

He wrote, “Squatters dwelling under the bridge leading from inward Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi were evicted today Tuesday, 30th of April, 2024 by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps LAGESC (aka KAI).

“These people created their illegal settlement under the bridge, thereby exposing the critical infrastructure to impending destruction. 23 persons have so far been arrested and MoE/KAI will continue to monitor the place. The law will take its course.”

He also confirmed that the bridge has hitherto housed 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10 with squatters paying an average rent of N250,000 per annum.

“Continuation of the removal of abode under Dolphin bridge. 11 more persons were arrested. It is important to note that wood materials were used to construct the shelters, some occupants used gas cylinders, and some had stored fuel for their generators, these are recipes for disaster,” he added