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Updated: Man arrested in Rivers over link with disabled son’s death

Published

1 year ago

September 10, 2023

Updated: Man arrested in Rivers over link with disabled son’s death

A father, Ejike Wilson, alongside two pastors, has been arrested by the Rivers State-based vigilance group, ONELGA OSPAC, over the death of his 24-year-old disabled son in Port Harcourt.

The young man identified as Lucky Wilson reportedly died after an operation to remove his hunchback and sell it to suspected organ traffickers.

An officer with the Planning and Advisory Committee of the security group, codenamed OSPAC, who confirmed the incident to Punch on Sunday, September 10, 2023, said the suspects were nabbed while trying to flee Port Harcourt.

One of the suspects, who was said to be the pastor of a new generation church in Osiakpo, near Omoku in the state, Olatoye Olawale, 54, said the victim was handed over to him by his father, Ejike, and Ejike’s younger brother, Pastor Paul Osiagor Wilson.

Olatoye, during interrogation, was said to have revealed that the duo brought Lucky to him for a surgical operation to enable the family to extract ‘mercury’ from his hunchback.

“Paul said his brother (Ejike) had a son who had a hunchback which he was planning to do away with. I asked him why, and he said the boy was a thief; the boy was this and that. He said when the boy was much younger, the father attempted to sell him, but it didn’t work out well

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“He asked whether I knew the people who could take up the boy. I told him that I would make inquiries.”
The suspect noted that they all agreed to a surgical procedure and contacted an associate said to be in Abeokuta, Ogun State, who promised to pay N10m for ‘mercury’ which would be taken from the victim’s hunchback.

The boy in question (Lucky) even came to meet me, begging me that if the hunchback could be removed, I should help him. He said he wanted to be like a normal human being

“I told them that he might not survive the procedure, but he said he would survive it. That was when we fixed a date for us to travel for the procedure

“My first contact was an NGO in Owerri, Imo State, which said they would extract the ‘mercury’ and pay us N5m. I asked him what would be our own percentage. At last, both Paul and Ejike accepted the N5m offer, but the NGO didn’t show up again.”

The suspect explained that he approached another ‘contact’ in Abeokuta, Ogun State, which offered to pay N10m but that the payment would be made in two or three months’ time, which all parties agreed to.

He noted that the victim’s father, Ejike, kept visiting his office and disturbing him.

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“The day we travelled for the surgery in Lagos before heading to Abeokuta, Ejike handed over the boy to me and Paul gave me N15,000 for transportation

“At the hospital, I called the father because of the document we were to sign, but he told me to go ahead and sign on his behalf. The operation was carried out, but in the end, the boy couldn’t make it,” he added.

Ejike’s brother, Paul, 38, expressed sadness at the incident, but denied any involvement, saying he only introduced Olawale to his brother.

He stated thereafter he was not involved in their subsequent discussion with Olawole and his brother, even as he also denied giving them transport as claimed by Pastor Olawale.

The OSPAC Commander, Felix Nwobakata, while addressing newsmen, said the arrest would serve as a deterrent to anyone trying to indulge in ritual acts.

Speaking through his media aide, Obed Douglas, he confirmed the arrest, adding that the two pastors and the victim’s father had been arrested.

“All three suspects have been handed over to the Assistant Inspector General, Monitoring Unit, Zone 16, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, for further investigation and prosecution.”

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.