Robbery is more lucrative than salary work. Suspect

Sikiru Oyebamiji and Afeez Salami, who were arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for armed robbery, confessed that robbing people was more profitable than their legal job.

They were  Mushin area of Lagos  and were found with a locally-made pistol.

They were nabbed by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on Friday, July 31, around 12.30am when they were allegedly heading for an operation.

It was further gathered that the duo had taken a cab from Oshodi, and the vehicle had got to a checkpoint around Mushin where SARS operatives asked the occupants to alight.

The suspects were said to have ordered the driver to evade the policemen, threatening to shoot him if he refused.

But the operatives arrested the suspects and recovered the pistol from them.

After their arrest, the suspects confessed that they were nine in the gang. They also told the police that there were two other locally-made guns belonging to the gang.

The suspects said that they had taken to robbery because their respective jobs were not lucrative enough.

Twenty-four-year-old Oyebamiji who hails from Apomu Ikire, Osun State, said he was a cobbler and bus conductor before he joined the gang.

He said, “I was formerly a bus conductor, and a cobbler, before joining the gang. I sold Indian hemp too. I met the gang leader at a night club, and he advised me to be a part of them. We are actually nine in the gang. In most of the operations, we stole phones, gold, laptops, jewellery, and money. I did not like robbery, but I had no option because my work did not give me enough money.”

Oyebamiji, who lives on Lawanson Road, Itire, added that he had gone for about five operations with the gang, and made at least N20,000 from each.

He said, “I have gone out with the gang on about five occasions. We robbed in Sango, Ogun State; Egbeda, Ojuelegba and Pleasure Ile Epo areas in Lagos. We collected money and property in the process. I used the money from armed robbery to send my son to school. I realised about N20,000 from each operation.”

The second suspect, 21-year-old Salami also said he took to robbery because his work was not lucrative.

He said, “I was living in the Ojuelegba area, and I was a meat seller (butcher). But, meat selling was not bringing me much money. So, I joined the gang. We make use of three guns, but the two other guns are with the boss. I realised about N15,000 from each robbery operation. I am actually an orphan. Nobody was taking care of me.”

" I killed her because she refused to marry me" Raphael Effiong.

One Gift Sunday, a  26 year-old girl, who lived at Ketu , Lagos, has been stabbed to dearh by Raphael Effiong, her boyfriend for refusing to marry him.

The sad incident took place on Monday, July 28, 2014 at Mayor guest house, the usual redenvoue of the lovers.

According to Anietie family who late Gift stayed with, the deceased left home around  8.30pm, shortly after their dinner.

While other members of the family retired early, Gift announced that she was going to meet her boyfriend, who was well known by the family

But apprehension reportedly set in when she did not return by midnight. Tension, heightened after efforts to reach her on the phone proved abortive as it was discovered to be switched off.

Next day, the family’s fear was confirmed following the visit of a woman later discovered to be a management staff of Mayor Guest house located at 10 Yusuf Eleran street, Ketu. The woman was said to have invited Gift’s sister , Mrs Ume Anietie to Fine Day hospital at Elebiju street, where she was informed that Gift had passed on!

Love gone sour

Gift, as gathered, was stabbed in the arm and breast by her boyfriend, Raphael at the guest house.

A man who claimed to have witnessed it all told Crime Guard that :“I was seeing a friend off, when I heard the shout of help from the hotel. I sensed all was not well and went to the hotel to inform the staff. They told me it was normal to hear lovers shout. But I insisted that the shout was not that of pleasure but of panic and pain. It was at that point that we all rushed to the room and forced the door open. To our disbelief, we saw a lady on the floor with a deep cut in her hand from where blood was gushing out. The man with her was holding a pair of scissors .

Delay

At first ,nobody knew what to do. We told the man to take her to the hospital but he could not carry her because she was big in size. We all carried her outside with blood still gushing out from the deep cut in her hand.

It took about 30 to 40 minutes before she was rushed to Fine Day hospital. Even when she got there, the doctors did not attend to her on time. It was not until the Police at Alapere division called and instructed them to commence treatment on her that they started attending to her and we left”, the eye witness narrated.

Her Last words

Doctors at Fine Day hospital were said to have managed to revive Gift. In an inaudible tone, she was said to have told some of the hospital staff that it was not the first time Raphael would beat her .

According to one of the hospital workers who spoke on condition of anonymity : “ She told us that was not the first time her boyfriend would beat her. She said anytime he sees her with any man, he would beat her,both in the open. She also said that was why she decided  not marry him, so that he would not kill her someday”

At a point, Gift could not reportedly speak, as she complained of weakness. Unfortunately, she could not owing to loss of blood.Had blood been transfused into Gift, she would have probably lived to share her ordeal,Crime Guard gathered.

Why I killed her

Raphael as gathered, attempted to escape, on noticing the magnitude of his action. But he was apprehended by staff of the hotel who handed him over to policemen at Alapere,from where he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department,SCID, Yaba, Thursday.

At the SCID, Raphael told operatives of the Homicide section that he stabbed Gift because she refused to marry him.

According to the Akwa-Ibom State suspect:“I never knew she would die. I never meant to kill her. I only wanted to threaten her with the scissors. We have been going out for a year and I loved her so much … I proposed to her but she turned down my proposal, saying she couldn’t marry me. I have begged her several times to have a change of mind but she didn’t.

I have invested so much on her with the hope of marrying her some day. But I never knew she was only deceiving me, by playing on my intelligence. I just could not stand her getting married to another person. The mere thought of that sends me crazy”, he said, begging the deceased’s family members to forgive him. But members of the deceased’s family are of the opinion that the act was preconceived, asking why the suspect took a scissors to the guest house in the first place.

The late Gift, as gathered, was a fashion designer. She was said to have been living with her sister since 2005, from where she went to secondary school and thereafter, learnt fashion designing. Until her death, she was said to have sewn wedding gowns for different would -be brides, including those of their bridal trains,with the hope of sewing for herself someday.

She was said to have boasted to close friends that she would make the best for herself when the time came, unaware that she would not live to witness the day. She had reportedly told close friends that her choice of husband was a God-fearing man, little wonder she accepted to go out with Raphael in the first instance , as they met in the church. But along the line, Raphael reportedly left the church, shortly after which he started demonstrating his battering tendency.

The deceased’s elder sister , Mrs Anietie, who is yet to come to terms with Gift’s demise, said amidst tears: “ She was a very hard working lady. She was cheerful and was like a daughter to me. I will forever miss her”.

Spokes person for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide , said the suspect would be charged to court at the end of investigation.

Source:Vanguard 

How Alhaji Kamoru Bankole brutalised Wife over a piece of fish

Alhaji Kamoru Bankole has allegedly battered his wife, Mrs. Fatima Bankole, for taking piece of fish from the pot to break her fast

Alhaji Kamoru and wife reside at Hasan Close, Alasia, Ijanikin in Lagos State.

According to saharareporters, the bruising attack happened on  the 16th of July, when the third wife reported to their husband that their senior wife took fish from the soup to break her fast. The husband, according to witnesses, did not listen to her excuse before attacking her.

According to the victim, Mrs. Fatima Bankole, their husband had always physically abused her, but the incidence of  July 16th was more brutal.

She narrated that they had made a roster between two wives, due to the absence of the third wife who was away at the period, to cook for 15 days each. The victim said she had completed her period, and it was turn of the last wife. She said they would normally serve the husband first, followed by the children before the wives would serve themselves.

On the day she was to be attacked, Mrs. Fatima said the last wife had finished her cooking and served their husband and the children. She then went for her own meal.

But soon after, the last wife complained to her husband that Fatima took a larger chunk of the fish in the pot. Their husband, Alhaji Kamoru Bankole, queried her, but she said that she only took a little out of it, stating that the fish was in pieces and mixed in the stew. Her explanations, however, got her in trouble with their husband. Alhaji Kamoru, she details, delivered several punches to her face. She said she bled for hours and was further locked up in a room for three days before she escaped.

She said neighbors then took her to the hospital for treatment. That was the cruelest from her history of experience of assault by their husband, Mrs. Fatima said. From experiences she recounted, she recalled how her hair was pulled out of her head, which resulted in grievous head injuries.

The police have now arrested the husband, following outcry and petitions by the Women Arise civil group in Lagos. He will be arraigned in court next week.

How a woman found with dead baby was saved by the police

It was the timely intervention of  Policemen in Lagos, yesterday, that foiled attempt by a mob to lynch a middle-aged woman who was in possession of a dead child at Mile-Two, along Oshodi/Apapa expressway.
Though the woman, who gave her name as Florence, claimed that the dead child was hers, the mob said she could have kidnapped and killed the child for money ritual.
Report by Vanguard indicates that they met the dead child lying by the side of the expressway, with Florence by his side. Two Ghana must go bags were found by her side.
Inside the bags were beverages, detergents and assorted clothes.

Information gathered revealed that the woman had been sighted in the area with the child strapped at her back for three days.
An onlooker said: “One man in a commercial bus alerted us yesterday that the child strapped at the back was motionless. This attracted some curious passengers of commercial buses that were trapped in this unending gridlock. One of the passengers went close to the woman and shook the baby. Before you knew it, people had gathered around the woman, wanting to set her ablaze. But for the timely arrival of policemen attached to the Rapid Response Squad she would have been dead by now.”
When Florence was interviewed, she said: “I am from Umo in Kwale area of Delta State. I was born in Lagos and I have three children. Nothing is wrong with me. This child (pointing to the dead child) is my son. He is the last of my three children. I have a boy and a girl who are in the village. His name is Chidi and he is five years old.
“He has been very sick. In fact, he had fever and needed blood transfusion but I couldn’t afford the money for it. He died three days ago. Before he died, we wanted to travel back to the village. My husband stays in Port Harcourt.”
When asked to give his husband’s telephone number she said: “The paper where I wrote his number has been destroyed by rain. I don’t have any relative in Lagos. I was living under a staircase in one of the shops located in Alaba market. A security man allowed my son and I to sleep there at night. I didn’t steal any baby neither did I kill any child.
“I was carrying Chidi on my back after he died, only for people to gather around me this morning and started beating me. What have I done to deserve this kind of beating? If not for these policemen, they would have beaten me to death.”
Asked what her mission in Lagos was, she said she came to take care of him here. Some people were of the opinion that she was insane but the Police said that would be ascertained in the course of investigation.

AD and APC Crisis Claimed Four Lives Lagos.

Four members of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and All Progressive Congress (APC) lost their lives in an unexplained quarrel between the political parties. This caused a pandemonium in Ajegunle, an outskirt of Ikorodu town of Lagos.

A resident, Prince Eniola Ojajune told LEADERSHIP SUNDAY that the problems started as a result of fracas between supporters of two political parties in the area, saying in the end two members of a party were shot prompting outrage in the community.

According Ojajune supporters of both the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and those of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have engaged in battle of wits in the area for time and things got to a head when police tried to intervene in the latest crisis between the two groups.

Ojajune said two members of the AD whose identified as Abiodun Arowolo and Bolu Bakare got drown in the course of escaping from a detachment of policemen who storm the area when trouble begun as usual.

“Two members of the AD drown as they jumped into River Majidun when policemen stormed our area, precisely at Ajewole Street Thomas bus stop. Their names of the people that died are Bolu Bakare and Abiodun Arowolo.” He said.

He added that two other members of the community were killed by the police when they (community youth) tried to stage a protest match to the nearby Thomas Police Station.

“I personally led angry youths in the community to protest the killing of Arowolo and Bakare to the police station in the community but to our surprise, the policemen sensing danger opened live bullets on the protesters killing two others instantly.” Ojajune said.

As at the time our correspondent visited Ajegunle on Saturday, there was relative calm in the neigbourhood as the policemen seem to have restored order.

Efforts to contact the Public Relations Officer of the State Police Command, Ms Ngozi Braide were fruitless as she refused to pick her calls, she also didn’t respond to the text message sent to her as at the time of filing this reports.

How Muyideen Salaam killed and drained the blood of Rilwan Amuda for money rituals

One Ibadan man, Muyideen Salaam, a 35 year-old apprentice at Aketegbo community in Seme, Badagry area of Lagos, has been arrested for killing a 13 year-old boy, Rilwan Amuda, for money rituals.
The suspect claimed he resorted to money ritual after his wife left with their two children when feeding became an uphill task for him.
The suspect in his confession according to vanguard explained that: “ I was alone in the video shop club owned by my master when one of my friends named Nuru came and said he knew someone who could make us rich . He told me all that was needed was just the blood of a boy of about 15 years of age.
He said all I needed to do was to get the person since he had already contacted a herbalist. In my desperation, I told him we would take Rilawan, mama elewa’s son since I had easy access to him because he usually ran errands for me and sometimes I gave him money and used closthes. We felt it was useless to go out and get someone else since Rilawan stayed in the same area with us. I made him understand that getting someone was not the problem but taking him to the herbalist’s shrine where he would be killed.
When we told baba our constraint, he gave Nuru a ring and instructed us to just touch whoever we wanted to bring with it , that the person would follow us without hesitation.
On that fateful day, I called Rilwan and touched him with the ring . To my surprise, he became dumb and followed us to the shrine. We kept him there until it was dark .
When it was midnight and there was no one in sight, we took him away from the shrine and laid him on the ground. While Nuru slashed his throat with a knife given to us by the herbalist, I held a bowl close to his neck for the blood to pour into it.
Rilwan did not put up any resistance as promised by baba because he was hypnotized. And his memory was gone.
After we collected the blood, we gave the bowl to baba and carried Rilawan’s body far away from the shrine to avoid suspicion and dumped it on the expressway so as to give an impression that he was hit by a vehicle. We thereafter, went to bath with the blood as instructed by baba.
He performed some rituals fore us and mixed the blood with a black native soap and gave us to bath with after which he said we would become rich.
But after bathing with the substance, by the third day, we did not see any money as promised by baba. We were as poor as we used to be . We were so angry and decided to go to baba’s place to fight with him.
But on our way, Rilwan’s mother held me and asked me to produce his son for him. She said she was informed that he was last seen with me. She vehemently refused to let go of my trouser even when I denied. This caused a scene and people gathered around me and started beating me. Nuru who was with me managed to escape. Policemen from Seme division came and took me away. It was at that moment I opened up.
But Nuru who lured me into it is nowhere to be found . I am left to bear the brunt alone . If I had known, I would have continued working for my master where I was paid N1,500 every month. The most painful aspect is that I do not have a mother, father, sister or brother. I am just all alone in the world. I do not want to die even though I partook in killing somebody “, he said in an emotional laden tone.
After his arrest, policemen reportedly took him to the herbalist shrine where the suspect showed them the bowl that was used to drain Rilwan’s blood. The herbalist identified as Soji Akodiya did not deny demanding for a human blood from Muyideen and his fleeing friend but he stated that the killing never took place in his shrine.
Out of curiosity , this reporter was forced to ask why he looked so haggard and tattered when he could make money to take care of himself. In response,he looked at the reporter , smiled sheepishly and said, “you will not understand”
Continuing he said : “ Yes, I told them what they needed for money ritual was human blood. Because money ritual is one of the greatest tasks in our line. I told them they could either use their own blood for it but I believe they never wanted to and brought that of the boy. I was not around when the boy was slaughtered . I did not even know when they brought him. He was not even killed in my shrine….”
But Muyideen interrupted saying “It is a lie. You knew when we brought him. It was even you that gave us knife and a bowl to put the blood. You even told us not to kill him in your shrine for security purpose and you were aware we were going to kill him that night”.
But the herbalist ignored the interjection and continued “ I am a herbalist who speacialise in attending to barren women. I also help people to get jobs and also give charms to traders to sell more than their fellow traders. I collect, N50 to N500 , depending on what the oracle demands. It is then left for my clients to appreciate me.  I got money ritual charm from a colleague ten years ago when all herbalists went for a meeting in Ijebu-ode . Usually, what we do at such meeting is to help ourselves. For instance, if I have the cure for any disease and others do not, I will give to them and vice visa.
That was how the baba gave all of us ogun owo (money ritual charm)and instructed us on how to administer  to our clients . I have never used it before, this is my first time. It was even when Nuru came to me that I realised I had the charm”.
Asked why it did work for the suspect and his fleeing partner in crime, the herbalist relied “ it did not work because they did not follow my instruction. The instruction was to bathe with the prepared concoction nine days after its preparation but they used it on the third day. Had they followed the instruction, they would have noticed a total turn around in whatever they set their hands to do . Their businesses would have been lucrative . And if they leave N1000 in the bag, they would wake up to meet triple of what was there”.

Boko haram:Police takes steps to flush out illegal aliens

In the bid to flush out terrorism in Nigeria, the police have embarked on massive arrests of illegal immigrants in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa states, among others. This measures is specifically to prevent the Boko Haram terrorist group from spreading its attacks to the states.

According to Saturday PUNCH the police Force embarked on the arrests of large number of aliens in Lagos State as a way of flushing out those perceived to be security threats.

This followed an attack allegedly carried out by a female suicide bomber in Apapa area of the state on June 25.

The source indicated that hundreds of such aliens had been raided by the police from different parts of the state.

Though Boko Haram has been operating only in northern Nigeria, latest security reports indicate that the sect’s foot soldiers had infiltrated other parts of the country.

It was learnt that since the attack in Lagos, police as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service stepped up efforts armed at arresting illegal immigrants by visiting parks and areas heavily populated by these immigrants.

But the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, told one of our correspondents that the arrest of the aliens and illegal immigrants was not unusual, describing it as a “routine.”

She said, “It is not new. We go to uncompleted buildings regularly to raid aliens. It is just part of our normal exercise targeted at ridding the state of illegality.”

Spokesperson for the Ogun State Police command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said, “We are aware that there may be pockets of Boko Haram insurgents here. We are working based on that knowledge. It is only sensible to think that if the North is becoming too hot for the insurgents, they may want to come down South. But the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, has put in place strategies for this reason.

“Arresting illegal immigrants is just one of the many options available to us. Other security agencies are currently working with us on these strategies to ensure that we do not experience any violent attack.”

Saturday PUNCH investigation also revealed that the police had embarked on about 50 raids of identified hot spots in Kwara State within the past six months to forestall the incursion of members of the Boko Haram fighters.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Kwara State Command, Mr. Ajayi Okasanmi, in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, stated that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ambrose Aisabor, had invigorated strategies aimed at preventing the deadly sect from infiltrating the state.

He said, “We are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that there is no infiltration of insurgents in the state. We have raided some hot spots in the state for over 50 times within the last six months. We have good relationship with members of the public who provide us with useful intelligence.” The Ondo State Police Command, in same vein, said that it was working with the Nigerian Immigration Service to ensure immigrants were scrutinised to prevent criminals from gaining access to vital areas and threatening the security of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, Wole Ogodo, said, that viewing centres considered unsafe were advised to close down so that terrorists do not find them as soft spots to cause mayhem during the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

“It is not just a blanket shut down; we advised them not to open because such places may not be safe. It is an advice,” Ogodo said.

In May, a joint taskforce in Akwa Ibom State raided markets and stalls in Itu and arrested dozens of immigrants who were later handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for verification and possible repatriation.

Saturday PUNCH investigation revealed that 612 irregular immigrants were arrested in Akwa Ibom and repatriated to their various countries of origins in May, 2014. The state NIS Comptroller, Mr. Abdullahi Garba, in Uyo during the week warned employers of labour against patronising the services of irregular immigrants, adding that they might be baits used by terrorist groups to carry out attacks on innocent citizens.

The Public Relations Officer, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Mr. Etim Dickson, said, “We have a bomb disposal unit that takes care of anything gaseous or more. Although this incidence has not occurred in the state, we have taken a number of precautions like positioning our bomb disposal unit in public places such as motor parks, churches, airports, seaports or any other place that attracts large gatherings.”

According to Saturday PUNCH investigation, Oyo State Police Command are also working underground to rid the state of aliens, illegal immigrants and people of questionable characters.

In the last few weeks, plain clothed policemen have been present at major markets and bus stations. They mingle with the crowd but look out for their targets. The targets are people who could be standing idly in public places.

A detective, who asked not to be named, said, “The police will not tell you what they are doing to ensure security. Such information is classified. It is top secret. But one of the measures the police are putting in place is to pick people suspected of being idle, especially in markets, bus stops and public places where many people are found at the same time. That is the kind of target that the terrorists pick as target points in order to get maximum casualty figure.

Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, said the police authorities in the state had sensitised members of the public to monitor their environment, homes and business premises.

On raiding of aliens, the police boss said the command was liasing with the Immigration authorities in the state.

Opara added, “Actually, the Nigeria Immigration Service has apprehended persons that do not have genuine papers residing in Bayelsa.

“Those who have uncompleted buildings have been asked to either complete them or evict those living there illegally.”

Nigerian soldiers waged war on BRT and Lagosians for the death of a colleague

It was like war zone at Onipanu area of Ikorodu Road, Lagos, on Friday after a soldier was allegedly knocked down and killed by one of the buses in the fleet of LAGBUS on the BRT lane.

The soldier was said to have been knocked down after he allegedly rode on the BRT lane and subsequently died as there was no immediate medical attention.

The driver of the bus, it was gathered, fled after the accident.

It was learnt that a few hours after the soldier, identified as Matthew Ishaya, a lance corporal, was knocked down, some military men from the Intelligence Unit of the Nigerian Army at Yaba, stormed the Onipanu area of the highway, demanding to know the circumstances surrounding the death of the soldier.

The military men were said to have been incensed that their colleague was allowed to die after he was knocked down when he could have been rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

Hell, however, broke loose shortly after the soldiers sighted the lifeless body of Ishaya in the bus that knocked him down.

They allegedly blocked one side of the ever-busy road, stopping any BRT buses plying the route, four of which were allegedly set ablaze.

The shed at the bus stop was also not spared as it was razed.

Some commuters and pedestrians, passing through the area alleged that they were manhandled by some irate soldiers, who equally barred journalists and itinerant photographers and social media enthusiasts from recording or taking pictures of the mayhem and that of the deceased.

A spokesman for the Army formation in Yaba, Lagos, Rightman Ogeh, however, denied that the soldiers from the unit burnt buses or harassed passersby or commuters.

Ogeh, who spoke to a radio station in Lagos on Friday, admitted that the soldiers from the unit were aggrieved that the man, who was knocked man, was allowed to die because no one took the initiative to rush him to any hospital.

He said, “A soldier, who was passing through the bus stop, saw the soldier and called the office because he could recognise him. By the time we got there, we realised that our colleague was inside the bus already dead.

“They said it was a BRT bus that knocked him down. He was riding a licensed motorcycle. So, why was he not taken to the hospital until he died? Of course, our men were angry and we decided that no BRT bus would be allowed to pass through the road. We did not stop others.”

Ogeh denied that the soldiers burnt the busses, accusing some miscreants in the area of perpetrating the act.

“When things like this happen, you will hear different versions, but I can tell you that soldiers did not burn the busses. It is possible that some area boys carried out the act. No one was harassed by soldiers; we only stopped some people who were taking pictures and wanting to film the area,” he added.

Source : punch

Prince Ayinde Oniru and Usman Arrested, Charged For stealing

One prince Ayinde Oniru, a 24-year-old man and Adekunle Usman were arraigned  before a Lagos chief magistrate’s court, sitting at Ebute Metta, for allegedly stealing from two women under the pretence of importing and delivering some goods to a Lagos Oba, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi.

The accused are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, stealing and impersonation.

The prosecutor, Feddy Asu, told the court that the self-acclaimed prince, his co-accused and his other accomplices, who are at large, had sometime in September 2013, in Surulere area of the state conspired to fraudulently obtain N470,000 from one Adeola Babatunde on the pretence that they would assist her to import some goods from abroad, which they failed to do.

He said the defendants fraudulently obtained some goods worth N3.5 million between March and May from one Princess Adeleke with the pretext that the goods would be delivered to a Lagos monarch, His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Ademola Elegushi.

Asu also stated that the items that were collected from the victims included some note books, one i-phone 5, one i-pad tablet, assorted wrist watc hes, gold jewellery and cash sum of N250,000.

The duo were also said to have obtained N500,000 from one Jelli Elias with a promise that they would help him to buy a landed property at Lekki.

The prosecutor further informed the court that Oniru, falsely represented himself to a Diamond Bank branch as one Adeniyi Elegushi.

According to the prosecutor, the offences, committed, is contrary to sections 409, 311 (1) (a) and punishable under section 285 (1) and 378 (1) of the criminal laws of Lagos state of Nigeria 2011.

Section 285, prescribes 14 years imprisonment for any offender.

Earlier the defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

However Magistrate F.I Adefioye, admitted the defendants onr bail, in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum.

He adjourned the matter till August 4, for mention.

Source:  vanguard

End time: how a 'prayer warrior' woman was caught stealing neighbor's child

One Rosemary Chukwu of No. 33, Omo Ologede area in Majidun, Lagos has been alleged to have stole the seven-year-old child of her neighbour, Mrs. Gloria Emeka.

A neighbour  of the kidnapper by name Biola Odunsin, narrated how he, in conjunction with other neighbours, caught Chukwu.

He said, “It was around 6.30am today (Wednesday), when the mother of the child raised the alarm that she could not find her son, Emmanuel.

“We all rallied around her to find out what happened. She informed us that she had sent him to fetch water from the well in the compound. She raised the alarm because her son took too long and when she went to the well, she only saw the empty bucket the boy took there.

“While we were looking for the child, Rosemary (Chukwu) even came out to join in searching for the child as well. She was pitying her mother, showing concern and asking us to check some other parts of the compound.”

According to Punch,  another  neighbours who also took part in the search for the child said that Rosemary Chukwu even asked him to see whether the child was in another compound not far from the house.

Two other neighbours named Yakubu and Vincent told our correspondent that they entered the well where the child was sent to fetch water.

“We entered the well to see if the boy fell inside but we found nothing,” they said.

But while the search for the child was going on, Chukwu was said to have gone inside her apartment and came out with a large luggage.

“She carried the luggage on her head and passed by us as we searched for the child. She said she needed to drop the bag somewhere and that she would come to join the search later,” Odunsin said.

But a suspicious woman, the wife of the landlord of the house, alerted the search party, telling them to search the bag Chukwu had on her head before she was allowed to leave.

When the residents called after her to tell her to bring the bag for a check, she reportedly began to run. But a moment later, she was caught.

“We immediately opened the bag and inside was Emmanuel with a cloth used to gag him. The child would have died because he could not speak again. We tried hard before we could resuscitate him,” Odunsi explained.

However, the infuriated neighbours descended on Chukwu and while they were beating her, she screamed out that they should spare her because she was only a messenger.

“Pastor Ernest sent me! Please don’t kill me, Pastor Ernest sent me o!” she was reported to have told the party of residents.

Then Chukwu took the party to the church of the pastor who she claimed sent her, which turned out to be Pastor Ernest Nwankwo of the Holy Family Happy Family Ministry (House of Mercy), Majidun.

One of the residents who took Chukwu to the church said by the time they got there, the pastor was nowhere to be found. She was later handed over to the police who took her away.

Chukwu is a plump, fair complexioned woman with a motherly face. She is said to have four children – two boys and two girls.

Neighbours said they had not seen her husband, as he was usually away from home even though they are still together.

When our correspondent visited the church on Wednesday, a crowd of residents had besieged the place, barely kept at bay by some sternly looking policemen who were said to have prevented the church from being burnt down earlier by angry residents.

Despite this, some youths had succeeded in entering the church before the police came and seized hundreds of audio CDs of an album recorded by the pastor.

The youths publicly and excitedly sold the CDs on the Ikorodu Road to motorists and passers-by for N50 each.

The policemen rebuffed every attempt to gain access to the empty church, while residents of houses nearby could not provide any information about the whereabouts of the pastor.

Some residents who pleaded anonymity informed Saturday PUNCH that the church was not a conventional one.

“They don’t hold service on Sundays, only on Tuesday and Thursday. The pastor claims to treat mad men,” one of them told our correspondent.

An eyewitness, who entered the church before police intervention, said when they stormed the church earlier, they met a man with his hands and legs shackled in chains.

“I am not a mad man. Please help me! I was taken from around Redeemed Church Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. Pastor Ernest kept me here. There were many of us but they usually come to take away,” the man, who gave his name as Onuora Okeke, was reported to have said. The man also revealed to the people that he was from Anambra State and had been locked up in the church since 2012. Our correspondent learnt the man was taken away by the police.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide, said the Chukwu would soon be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba for investigation.

She also confirmed that the pastor of the church has not been found.

Our correspondent attempted to contact the Nwankwo through two phone numbers found on his church’s website but none of them were available as of press time.

Lagos based child trafficker arrested for selling 2 months old baby

One Mrs. Victor, living at Sabo Ilaje are of Lagos state has been arrested by the Lagos State Police command  for allegedly selling a two-month-old baby for N30,000

Police sources at the State Criminal Investigation Department where the suspect is currently being detained, told newsmen they received a complaint that the suspect was engaged in child trafficking. When she was arrested, she confessed to have sold a two month-old baby for N30,000. She is yet to state the name of the buyer nor give us her contact. She still insists   she did not know the person. Investigation is still on-going Police sources said

A man bites a woman breast over a stove burner

Uche Afokaigbo, a 34-year-old man, has been arraigned for allegedly biting  a woman’s breast over a stove burner. He was on Monday brought before an Itire Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

According to daily post : Afokaigbo, who resides at No. 20, Enoma St., Ago-Palace Way, Ago-Okota, Lagos is facing a one-count charge of assault.

The prosecutor, Insp. Olakunle Shonibare, told the court that the accused had on May 12, attacked one Kemi Oluwaja of the same address by viciously biting her on the breast.

He added that a fight broke out between the wife of the accused and the complainant, Oluwaja, over a stove burner, which consequently led to the intervention of the accused.

Shonibare said the accused bit the complainant on her breast, after which he snatched the stove burner from her.

The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Gbajumo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

How a 41 year old killed 86 years old dad over a parcel of land.

Yusuf Akinbiyi, 41, was reminded by Ebute‑Meta Chief magistrate’s court in Lagos, yesterday to lkoyi Prisons for allegedly killing his father, Agboola Akinbiyi, 86 years old.

The accused, who resides at Madon village, Ijede Ikorodu, Lagos, is facing a one‑count charge of murder.
The magistrate, Miss A.O. Komolafe, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions.
The court did not take the plea of the accused.
The prosecutor, Inspector Frank Inah, said the crime was committed on May 21 at about 11.05 p.m. at the residence  of the  deceased.
Inah said the deceased and the accused lived together, adding that the deceased had provided for the accused as he was jobless.
He said: “The accused wanted to sell his father’s land to enable him travel out of the country, but his father held on to the documents.
“The accused and the deceased had an argument during which the accused beat the deceased with his hands and covered his mouth and nostrils with pillow.”
He said this made the accused to suffocate to death, adding that the accused was later arrested by the Police.
Inah said the body of the deceased had been deposited at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Komolafe adjourned the case till August 11 for mention
Source: vanguard.

How Paul Obiefule Killed a 12 year old boy and hid The Body Underbed

Information reaching us indicates that one Paul Obiefule ‘m’ of No.22, Omitola Street, Agege Lagos and his wife beat a 12 year old boy,Onyedikachi Mbanozo, living with them to death for no reason.

How Bashir Shuaibu Beats His Eight Year Old House Maid Until She Passed Out

Bashir Shuaibu from Kogi State  has been fingered for child abuse for whipping an eight year old continuously and causing her grievous injuries on her buttocks and using her as house maid  took a while to rouse eight-year-old Sophia Shaidu, as she lay on her stomach on a bed in the children’s ward of the Aniyun Hospital, Gbagada, Lagos.

students hospitalised in Lagos after inhaling poisonous fumes

13 students of Ogba Junior Grammah School, Ogba, in Ojodu Lagos collapsed yesterday March 6th after inhaling an unidentified poisonous fumes discharged from one of the cottage factories in Ogba Shopping Arcade, Vanguard reports.

We Had Sex, But I Didnot rape Her---- Obesere Discloses

Abass Akande, aka Obesere, has vehemently refuted the rape claim by Olanike Olaiya, a 29-year-old business woman. Obesere claimed it was devious plan set up to smear his image and destroy his career.

Graphic photos: Brothers kill Half brother over Inheritance

In  Satellite Town, Lagos, three brothers, Fatia, Sakiru and Tunji Osun, strangled their brother, Yusuf, to death over the property of their late father. According to witnesses, their father willed the house to Yusuf, who wasn't the eldest, but the eldest, Fatia decided to sell the house for N17m. His plan was to take N10m and give his brothers N5m to share. Yusuf did not agree.

The Mother of The Boy That killed a 12- Year Old Girl For Money Ritual Says Son Has Evil Spirit

Esa Egbo is the mother of the 18-year-old boy, Ikechukwu Lucky, who was arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly strangling a 12-year-old girl, Bose Ogoja, to death for money ritual, in Badagry area of Lagos state.

Esan Egbo said her son is possessed of an evil spirit that has been tormenting him. 

A Drunken Police Officer Kills Two Innocent Boys In Lagos

Information available shows that this boy and others were gruesomely murdered by a drunk police officer. But the police is currently mute over the matter. Read details in punch below