The House of Representatives on Tuesday directed the Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, and other stakeholders to produce the documents on the $195m waterways security contract awarded to an Israeli security firm within 72 hours.
The Federal Government had approved the contract in October 2017 for waterways security. It was approved for HLSI Security Systems and Technologies, an Israeli firm.
The contract involves the procurement of security equipment, training of the country’s security operatives, particularly, the Navy, to combat waterways crimes.
Ameachi himself had confirmed in Lagos during the 2017 World Maritime Day, which had the theme, ‘Connecting Ships, Ports and People.’’’
The minister gave details, “When you see the equipment on the waterways, people will know they are safe and secured. Mr. President has kindly approved that, and that is being done through the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency.
“In the three years, they will train our Navy, our Army and our Police so that we can stop spending money escorting boats and vessels on our waterways.
“Currently, Maersk told me they spend between $15m and $18m annually to those escorting their vessels from one point to another on our waterways. We should be able to deflate that by next year so that people can do their businesses on our waterways without any fear of being attacked or harassed.
“The Israelis have assured us that after the training of our security operatives, such harassment and attacks on our waterways will not happen again.
“They even said we should hold them accountable if such harassment persists on our waterways after the training. That is one achievement that has happened under our leadership in the maritime sector.” But the House resolved to probe the contract after up to 10 civil society organisations petitioned Amaechi, warning the Federal Government against proceeding with the contract.
They had observed that such contracts could have security implications for the country by exposing its waterways to foreign hands. The House Committee on Public Petitions chaired by a member of the Peoples Democratic Party from Abia State, Mr. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, is investigating the contract.
A session convened at the National Assembly in Abuja to investigate the issue was stalled on Tuesday after lawmakers could not lay their hands on the contract papers.
Expressing the frustration of the committee, Nkem-Abonta stated, “We have been demanding these documents and we have received no responses. This is about the 8th hearing on this issue. “If the contractual documents and agreements cannot be produced within the next 72hours, we will be forced to close this matter and make our recommendations to the House.”
Another member of the committee from Lagos State, Mr. Rotimi Agunsoye, expressed displeasure over the situation, saying that the House was being taken for granted. “There is no point giving the stakeholders extra 72 hours since tax payers’ money is involved. We should just close the matter.”
He argued that further giving the stakeholders another 72 hours was a waste of parliamentary time. However, Nkem-Abonta intervened, urging his colleagues to give Amaechi one last chance with the 72-hour grace.
He added, “Let us still give them the benefit of the doubt; after 72 hours we can close the matter. “For now, my ruling is that all relevant stakeholders should stay action in all activities pending the outcome of House resolution on the issue.
“We have wasted so much parliamentary time on this issue that we will close the matter immediately after 72 hours.”
An Abuja-based herbalist, 38-year-old Emmanuel Chigozie, has been arrested in the Nyanya area of the Federal Capital Territory for allegedly selling a baby to a female client for N650,000.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Chigozie, also known as Akuchi, was arrested by operatives of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Department of State Services on Saturday after weeks of surveillance.
According to NAPTIP, the herbalist, who hails from Enugu State, allegedly administered concoctions to his female clients who were seeking to become pregnant and thereafter offered to sell other people’s babies to them.
Chigozie was said to be the owner of Akuchi Herbal Concept at New Nyanya, Abuja. Our correspondent gathered that a woman, who was Chigozie’s client and paid him N650,000 for a baby, was arrested by the police at a checkpoint between Abuja and Minna, Niger State, some weeks ago.
The woman, whose name could not be ascertained, was reportedly found with the baby, who was suspected to be unrelated to her.
Based on the police’s suspicion, the woman was detained and she reportedly confessed that Chigozie sold the baby to her.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the woman confessed to be Chigozie’s patient and claimed that the herbalist administered some herbs to her after years of infertility.
It was gathered that Chigozie allegedly directed the woman to meet a syndicate in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where the baby was handed over to her.
The NAPTIP Head, Press and Public Relations, Josiah Emerole, confirmed the incident. He said, “He warned the woman not to go to any hospital and directed her to Port Harcourt where a baby was handed over to her. She confessed to paying the suspect the sum of N650,000 for his services.
“He has been arrested and he is being investigated for sale of human beings and child trafficking. The NAPTIP Director-General, Julie Okah-Donli, has warned women to stop patronising such herbalists as the sale of babies is a crime punishable by law.
“We advise couples who wish to adopt a child to go through the legal means as anything short of this is legally and morally wrong. Some of these babies were abducted from their biological parents and sold off against their wish.
A 36-year-old man, Chigozie Osuocha, has confessed to the defilement of his niece, Benita, in the Olodi Apapa area of Lagos State. Chigozie, who brought the 12-year-old from Imo State in July 2017, allegedly said he had slept with her five times.
The suspect was reported to have made the statement to operatives of the Rapid Response Squad of the Lagos State Police Command during interrogation. It was learnt that the victim had been sighted around 10pm on Thursday at Mile 2, after alighting from a commercial bus from Olodi Apapa.
She was reportedly with two of the suspect’s children, aged four and six. Benita was about to board another vehicle to Maza Maza when she was intercepted by a policeman, who took her for questioning on how she came about the two children.
She was said to have opened up to the cop, saying she was returning to her hometown in Imo State over alleged sexual assault by her uncle.
Benita noted that she was taking the uncle’s two children along because they insisted on following her. The victim, in her statement to the police, explained that since she was brought from the village, she had not been attending school, despite Chigozie’s assurances to her parents that he would enrol her upon her arrival in Lagos.
She stated that any time Chigozie wanted to defile her, he would return home early from work, lock his three children out of the house and have sex with her. Benita said the eldest of the three children, aged six, later queried her on what the father did with her anytime he locked them out of the house.
She said she told him the details and the boy leaked the secret to the mother. “His wife confronted me and I confirmed the story. I told her what her husband did to me. She threatened to pack out of the house. But they resolved the matter after he promised it wouldn’t happen again.
“I have been staying with his three children at home, while they go about their business. He has refused to enrol me in a school since July 2017 when I came. I also reported everything uncle did to me to his brother in Lagos, who informed the father in the village.
“They (the children) saw me packing my things out of the house and asked me where I was going. When I told them I was returning to the village, they started crying and said they would follow me. I took them along after stealing the N60,000 he (Chigozie) said I should give to his wife. I took his two sons with me and left the last child at home.
“I didn’t know police officers were monitoring me. One of them crossed the expressway and asked me some questions about the children and I told him I was running back to the village because my uncle was sleeping with me,” she added.
The RRS were said to have got the suspect’s telephone number from the six-year-old son, who was with Benita.
Chigozie was reportedly lured to the RRS’ headquarters in Alausa, Ikeja, where he was confronted with the allegations, which he allegedly confessed to. The suspect was alleged to have said he slept with her only five times, while blaming the act on the devil.
Chigozie reportedly said he sought the girl’s parents’ permission to bring her to Lagos to continue her education while assisting his wife with domestic chores. “I brought her to Lagos in July 2017 and started sleeping with her in December 2017. I slept with her three times in December and twice in January.
“My wife got to know about it and she threatened to move out of the house with my three children. I begged her and we resolved the issue.
“I came home yesterday and gave her N60,000 for my wife. It was the money she took as she wanted to travel to the village with my two boys,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that the victim had been transferred to the Family Support Unit of the command.
Nigerians evacuated from Libya, who arrived Port Harcourt airport, Rivers State, expressed their joy at being back to the safety of the country with these statements: “Home is sweet, there is no place like home.”
A total of 1,490 out of 5,037 expected, have been airlifted by MaxAir in three batches. They included young women, men, teenagers and children.
On arrival, the returnees were conveyed to the reception centre for profiling, refreshments and medical screening. All stakeholders were on ground for the operation. Also, the rehabilitation and reintegration team was on ground to administer on-the-spot medical treatment.
Sunday Sun discovered that syndicates of Nigerians had turned the trafficking of Nigerians into a lucrative business in Libya. The traffickers could sell and re-sell a girl several times.
All the male returnees looked pale, rough and unkempt. Their appearance showed the terrible situation they passed through, resulting in some form of mental imbalance.
In fact, when the migrants saw food, which was distributed to them by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Agency for the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), they shouted, “See food oooo with chicken!”
Unlike the male returnees, the female ones, who were mostly teenagers, looked neat. But some of them were pregnant. Some had children with them.
One common thing with all of them is the story of slavery and hatred exhibited by their captors, particularly the moment they were out of the reach of Nigeria. Some of them claimed they were brainwashed by a syndicate of human traffickers to believe that they would have better job prospects in Europe.
There was also another group, who said they voluntarily wanted to leave the shores of Nigeria for greener pastures. This set of people said they sold off their property in Nigeria because they wanted to improve their living standard.
Ironically, the dream of having better living standard and wealth became a nightmare to all of them. In fact, some of them told Sunday Sun that their friends who deceived them with fanciful stories of how they were living in Europe, never revealed that their trip to Europe was through the desert. Several died from exhaustion, dehydration, hunger or they were killed by wild animals.
So, the echo of woes from the returnees, who vowed not to encourage any Nigerian aspiring to travel to Libya, particularly through the desert, were pathetic and touching. Their stories had no end. That was why they were filled with joy, when they arrived the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa.
Narrating his experience, Friday Okoh, from Delta State, said he lived in Libya for only six months: “The Libyan government kills our people every day, every time, everywhere, for just being Nigerians. I don’t know what caused the problem or where our people went wrong. The Libyan government hates Nigerians with passion and they do not hide their hatred.
“I left Nigeria because there was no job for me and life was difficult. So, my travelling to Libya was not because it was my planned desire. It was because I wanted to come out of hardship. Instead I found myself between life and death. I wanted to find something doing, so that I could become somebody in life. But, it didn’t work out that way. In fact, my main reason for travelling was to go and make money and return. That’s all.
“I did not know I would end up this way, becoming extremely poorer without hope of survival. That was not what I was made to believe about Libya. If I knew that my life would be turned upside down in Libya, I would never have embarked on such deadly journey.”
Okoh noted that many Nigerians, who travel to Libya through the desert do not survive the journey. He said it took him three weeks to enter the country after a journey that seemed unending. He said during the trip, he lived at the mercy of nature because there was no hope of survival.
Another returnee, Shedrack Lagarde, said he was happy to return to Nigeria alive. He revealed that six of his friends died in his presence due to hunger and severe torture. Lagarde further said that he ate only two spoons of noodle for two months. He advised people not to travel to foreign countries illegally.
Harry Musa on his part said: “One doesn’t know what he has until he loses it. Now, we know that there is no place like home.”
Another male returnee, Monday Odion, was full of regrets. He said he was a footballer and had two cars before he travelled. According to him, he sold the two cars in order to raise money to get to Europe. But, he ended up in Libya, losing his belongings.
Monday said: “When I noticed that the journey to Europe was not feasible, I was surprised. I called my friend. I told him he knew all these things and decided to put me into this condition. My friend denied and said that he did not know that the condition was like that. He said that he thought as we moved, everything would go smoothly.
“I spent about two months in the place (not Libya). The second month, the people taking us put us into two boats. The people in the two boats were kidnapped by sea pirates. People call it kalabush. I can’t really say what happened to the boats and occupants.
“Another day, I found myself in a camp. That was where they took us to and used us to make money. If you didn’t have money, they would beat hell out of the person. You would be there and watch your fellow traveller beaten to death. You could not say or do anything. They would just go and bury the person.
“We were arrested in the camp and taken straight to prison. I spent about four months in prison. People were dying daily in Libyan prisons because of torture and starvation. They were too cruel and inhumane to those of us from Nigeria.
“Life in Libyan prisons was too hellish. There was no medical treatment for the inmates. Even as I am here now, I am not feeling well. In fact, while I was in the prison, I lost hope of survival. I was surprised that President Muhammadu Buhari could be touched to bring us back home.
I am so much happy to be back to Nigeria. I don’t know how to express it. God will bless him for rescuing us from death. We can’t express how we feel. Without this gesture, most of us would have died before today.”
Also narrating his own experience, Omoh Eteh, 33, from Edo State, said: “Before I left Nigeria, I was a tanker driver working for Oando. But the money I was being paid was too small compared to the family challenges I had. I am married, but I didn’t tell my wife about the journey.
“One of my friends told me that we should travel to Europe. I told him that I did not have the money to make it. He told me that it would not take much money; he said that with just N700,000 we could get to Europe.
“He did not tell me of the suffering involved. I was only motivated to go on the journey when I saw the picture of one of my friends on Facebook, which he took in Europe. He made it to Europe within two weeks. So, my friend said that we should go.”
Eteh continued: “I borrowed some money from my elder sister in the guise that I wanted to use it to start a business for my wife. She in turn pleaded with another person in a contribution scheme she was involved in and who was to benefit before her for the chance to get first and she gave me N400,000. All together, I left with N650,000.
“I thought the journey would be an easy one. But when we went from Kano to Niger Republic to Zidan, I began to see some changes. My friend told me that he never knew the experience was like that. When we got to Agadez, we spent a month and two weeks there. I started seeing reactions, but by then coming back to Nigeria was difficult.
“We got to a point where we entered a vehicle. There were over 18 Hilux vans, and each of them carried about 30 persons. When we got to the Sahara Desert, the water we had that was supposed to last for two days finished. They told us that we would spend two days, but we spent 10 days in the desert and many people died.
“The harsh sun dried many persons. Before we got to Tomko desert, we saw only 10 Hilux vans, the remaining eight lost their way and the occupants all died including the drivers. Sometimes, when we sleep, in the morning, we will not see some people again.
“When we arrived Libya, we were camped in a place called Sopata. When people enter the boat that will take them across the sea into Europe, the Arabs would kidnap all of them. We stayed there for two months.
“Instead of putting us into the boats to cross the sea into Europe, they started using us to make money. If you didn’t give them money, they would kill you. Later, they put all of us in prison and began selling some of us.
“We are happy that God used President Muhammadu Buhari to save us. We thank Buhari for coming to save us. Our experience in the prison was terrible. I am happy we are free and back to our land.”
A female returnee, Louisa Comfort, 23, disclosed that some of the girls were sold for N200,000, to the Arabs. The distraught young lady who is six months pregnant, narrated her traumatic experience to Sunday Sun.
She said: “The Nigerians who collected our money and took us to Libya betrayed us. What they do is to sell Nigerian ladies to Arab men for about N200,000 and the Arab men would use the girls as sex slaves or housemaids. And with all these conditions, we would only be given one dry bread to eat per day without water.
“If you are sold to a black man, it is continuous resale because the black men keep selling and re-selling the individual just to make money. Human trafficking is the only lucrative business in Libya.”
She continued; “The situation there is very bad, so pathetic. It is not an experience one would wish on one’s worst enemy. The desert experience is worse than the sea experience. In my set, 14 Hilux vans with each carrying 27 passengers left Nigeria. But only 10 people survived.”
The pretty lady, from Edo State, disclosed that some of them paid between N600,000 to N800,000 to cross to Italy. But, regretted that their hopes were dashed when they were left stranded in Libya.
Louisa said when they arrived in Libya, some were arrested; some were sold out, while others were moved from prison to prison with severe torture, without being given water and food. She said the ugly experience forced most of them to begin fasting and prayers to seek divine intervention for a rescue.
“When we were going through all these experiences, we decided to turn our hunger into fasting and prayers .We fasted and prayed for three days; we saw ourselves as one. There was unity among all of us over there; so, we prayed with one mind.”
God’s intervention Continuing, she said: “It was on the third day, when our fasting ended, that we heard the cheering news that President Muhammadu Buhari, had sent a delegation to evacuate us from Libya and we were very happy. We are so glad that finally we are back to our country and we have our freedom.”
She advised those intending to travel out of the country through illegal means to have a rethink. She warned that it is better to learn skills and work with freedom in Nigeria than to be a slave in a foreign country. Comfort lamented that she left the country due to frustration, saying that the educational system in Nigeria is very costly with no jobs at the end.
“As a graduate, I was earning N8,000 monthly, where I was teaching and before the month runs half, the money would have finished. At a point, I was tired and decided to go and look for greener pastures,” she said.
Comfort also called on the Federal Government to create the enabling environment that would make people learn skills that would enable them work and become useful to the society.
Suspected fraudsters including a staff of a new generation bank, identified as Christian Amechi have told the Police how they allegedly stole millions of naira from customers using a string of impersonators.
The bank staff who, until his arrest, was serving at the ATM customers service unit, at the bank headquarters, Victoria Island, Lagos and others identified as Oyozoje Joseph, Nelson Matthew Eugari, Henry Omogbemi and Ene Mona Gabriel are currently being detained at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command.
Bubble burst The gang had successfully removed over N20 million from accounts belonging to different customers before they were arrested. On their arrest, Saturday Sun gathered that they ran out of luck when policemen on patrol arrested the leader of a notorious gang of pickpockets, Akeem Apejoye in Lagos.
In his confessional statement at the police station, Akeem indicted several others including Christian, the banker as the one who encouraged him to continue to steal phones.
He alleged that Christian and his gang were mainly interested in the SIM cards of the stolen phones. He led the police to the homes of the people who were collecting the SIM cards from him.
Though, he alleged that he was not in the know that Christian and his group use the SIM cards to remove money from the accounts of customers, but added that the group often buys him drinks at joints whenever he runs into them.
A banker’s shocking confession On how he and others managed to steal from the bank customers, Christian told the police that all that is needed is the customer’s SIM card.
According to him, any customer that does online transaction has his or her BVN number stored on his or her phone. He said: “I am a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) where I read banking and finance.
Luckily for me, I was employed by the bank (name withheld) and was the ATM card system analyst at the bank headquarters, Victoria Island, Lagos. I grew up in Ajegunle and I know almost all members of the gang. I know them on the street, but I was introduced into the business by one of my friends known as Osey boy and DJ.
“What happened is that Osey boy and DJ are referred to as the gang’s ‘shooters.’ What it means is that they can remove bank secret code numbers, particular BVN from phones. T
hey will dial the USSD number and with this, they can access the owner’s BVN. That is if the owner does online banking. Once this is done, they will send me the last six digits with which I can access the owner’s account.
My job is to ascertain how much is in the account and at times help transfer money to the person who provides me the information. The gang can then transfer at least N200,000 per transaction into their own account from where they will have easy access to the stolen funds.
“The gang pays me between N10,000 to N15,000 per transfer and I have lost count of how many of such transactions we have done in the past. In all, I have made at least N150,000 and I used part of it to upgrade my certificate.”
Chris, the banker, as he is referred to by members of the gang also revealed that, aside helping the gang to generate information on account holders, he also provided the gang with telephone numbers of victims.
He disclosed in his statement to the police that, at times, the gang would do a welcome back of some of the telephone numbers he generated. He said: “What happens in this case is that the original owner of the line would not be able to make or receive calls.
The person who did the welcome back is the only one that can access all calls or text messages on such numbers. The gang members are staff of telecommunication providers. These set of people are the ones who do the welcome back for the gang on any number to be profiled.”
Regrets The 30 year old who resides at No. 80 Adekeye Street, Ajegunle, said that he joined the gang out of frustration but now regrets the steps he took.
“My greatest regret is when my aged mother came to see me while I’m police custody. I pray that God will give her the heart and courage to bear the pains because I know that she will be going through so much pains right now.”
Another member of the gang, Oyosoje Joseph, an engineer who graduated from the University of Lagos, said the he had made well over N10 million from local fraud.
At the time of his arrest, the suspect had over N5 million in one of his accounts. An account he operates with one of the new generation banks has already been frozen. Yet another suspect, Henry Omagbemi, 31, is said to have operated a network of bogus names to launder the proceeds while Chris, allegedly laundered some of the cash.
Police reaction Confirming their arrest, Lagos State Police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, said that the gang transferred money from a victim account and that the money was then laundered through a series of bogus names before being moved into their individual account to prevent it being recovered.
According to him, “one of the victims lost more than N2 million after the gang used a fake welcome back telephone number in the account holder’s name to set up two transfers over three days. They were in the process of duping a customer of N200 million when they were arrested.”
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ondo State Command, has arrested an Islamic cleric, Oladele Ayuba, for allegedly defrauding a follower of N4m.
Parading the suspect on Thursday, the state Commandant of the NSCDC, Mr. Pedro Ideba, said Ayuba was involved in advanced fee fraud.
He said, “He (Ayuba) has defrauded many of the people who approached him for prayers of various amounts ranging from N300,000 to N36m. But he was arrested following a complaint by one of his victims, Tajudeen Ekundayo, whom he allegedly duped of N4.3m.
“Immediately the complaint was lodged at the command, my men swung into action and arrested the man, who is the kingpin of a syndicate in Arigidi Akoko, while other members of the syndicate are still at large.”
The commandant added that criminal activities ranging from kidnapping, ritual killings and fraud had been traced to Ayuba, adding that the traditional ruler of Arigidi Akoko, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, had written a letter to the state command on the alleged criminal activities of the suspect.
Also paraded by the corps were one Jaiyeola Tosin and Abiodun Oluwaseun, who were allegedly involved in vandalism and fake currency business, respectively.
The commandant said Tosin was arrested in Ikare Akoko, in the North-East Local Government Area of the state, for vandalising transformer cables.
He said the suspect was arrested by men of the Nigerian Army and handed over to the corps for further investigation and prosecution.
Oluwaseun, according to the NSCDC boss, specialised in printing and spending counterfeit naira. Ideba said the suspect was arrested after using fake N1,000 notes to buy N24,000 worth of goods from a provision store. The commandant said all the suspects would soon be charged to court.
The Lagos State Police Command has arrested an acclaimed Islamic cleric, Abdulfatai Kayode, with suspected human parts on Okedumola Street, Alakuko area of the state.
Female private parts, a kidney, intestines, a heart, lap, among other human parts, were allegedly found in his apartment.
Kayode was apprehended on Tuesday when the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, led operatives to the community.
The suspect said the parts were given to him by a herbalist identified simply as Sadiq for safekeeping. He said, “Sadiq aka Ifa gave them to me. We intended to use them for money rituals for a client.
A man brought the parts to Ifa too. I don’t know where the person lives. I have been an Alfa for 10 years, but I have never prepared any money ritual with human parts before. This is my first time.”
Sadiq, who lives on Amje Igbeleyi Street, Alakuko, was not at home when the operatives visited his residence. It was learnt that Sadiq was arrested later in the day.
Imohimi attributed the arrests to effective community policing. “The recovered human parts, which included female private parts, heart, kidney and lap, were stored in a container mixed with liquid substance,” he added.
New Aare Ona Kakanfo holding staff of office.
Gbenro Adesina/Oyo Town
On Saturday January 13 2018, the ancient town of Oyo was agog as
eminent Nigerians gathered at Durbar Stadium, Oyo, venue of the
installation of the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Otunba Gani
Adams by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111.
The occasion which was witnessed by a mammoth crowd was the first of
its kind in recent times as many of those would have loved to witness
the event were asked to go to adjourning venues installed with viewing
screens. Despite heavy security presence, pick pockets had a field day
as many people lost valuables like phones, ipads and other items.
Traditional rulers and chiefs, numbering over 200, witnessed the
historic event. However, the Ooni of Ife, and some other notable
monarchs in the South West were conspicuously absent. Among the
traditional rulers in attendance were: Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu
Adetunji Aje Ogungunniso 1, who led the Olubadan-in-Council, His
Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu, who was represented by a delegate of high
chiefs in Lagos led by Chief Adesoji Ajao, the Oyo Mesi, and some of the
twenty-one Ibadan Obas newly installed by the Oyo State Government, Oba
Arigidi, Dr. Yisa Olanipekun, Olofa of Ofa, Oba Mufutau Muhammed
Oloyede Gbadamosi, Elese of Igbaja, Oba Ahmed Awuni Arepo, the Olubaka
of Okaland,Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye, and the Ahaba of Ajagba, Oba
Thomas Oluwole Adesayo.
Also in attendant was the Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola
Ajimobi, who arrived at the event at exactly 1:50pm, Deputy Governor of
Ondo State, Mr Agboola Ajayi, representing Governor Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu, Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Suraj Adekunbi,
representing Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan,
representing Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, and Osun State Secretary to the
State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, representing Governor Rauf
Aregbesola, former governors of Oyo, Ondo and Delta States; Otunba
Adebayo Alao-Akala, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, and Mr Emmanuel Uduaghan,
Senator Monsura Sumonu representing Oyo Central Senatorial District,
Chief Niyi Akintola, SAN, Elder Stateman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, activist
and spokesperson of the Pan Yoruba Socio-cultural group, Afenifere,
Mr.Yinka Odumakin, Chief Yemi Elebunbo, and Yeye Oge of Kwara and Osun
States.
New Aare Ona Kakanfo holding staff of office.
Others were: Chairperson of Nigerian Tribune and former Nigerian
Ambassador to the Netherlands, Dr. Tokunbo Dosunmu-Awolowo, former Oyo
State Chief of Staff, Professor Adeolu Akande, a spiritual leader, Sat
Guru Maharaji, President of the National Union of Road Transport
Workers,NURTW, Alhaji Gidado Hamman, religious traditional organizations
including Osugbo, members of Nollywood including Lere Paimo popularly
known as Eda Onileola, and Segun Akinremi, alias Chief Kanran. Adding
colour to the event were: cultural troupes from Oyo, Ondo, and Osun
States, juju and fuji maestros including Pasuma, Sir Shina Peters and
Adewale Ayuba.
In his welcome address, Chairman, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland
Central Installation Committee, His Grace, Most Reverend Ayo Ladigbolu
said, “the modern Kakanfo does not need bows and arrows, guns and
daggers, but he requires courage, boldness, bravery, focus, application
of native intelligence to international issues, and the brilliance and
adaptability to response to the myriads of challenges facing our nation
and our world today. He requires the agility of youth, and the stamina
of a long distance runner, as well as the wisdom of Solomon to be all
things to all people both in season and out of season.
While it is true
that the times have changed, but human beings and their basic needs and
aspirations remain basically the same. No wonder, therefore, that the
mystique of the office of Aare Ona Kakanfo and his installation rites
needs to be preserved. The Aare does not need all the immunisation of
the 17th Century to perform his task, in these frightened and most
challenging days. But apart from the visible and tangible paraphernalia
of office, he has been given the cultural, traditional, customary and
contemporary tools essential for his effective performance in the field
of service”.
Aare Ona Kakanfor, Otunba Gani Adams and his wife.
He added, “His seclusion, retreat, and induction have been completed.
Once he is installed, any one who deals too familiar with a corpse may
find himself stripped naked by a ghost. The fact not withstanding, the
19th Century Aare Onakakanfo chieftaincy metamorphosed to peace making….
I will conclude this welcome speech by re-stating Iku Baba Yeye’s
statement about the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland: “I picked him
because he loves the Yoruba Race and all the culture and tradition of
our people.
He contributed immensely to upholding them. He has shown
enough charisma to deserve the honour. He may be young but he is also
very bold and courageous. These are traits synonymous with Aare
Onakakafo. Gani Adams is a cultural enthusiast. He projects and defends
our race wherever he goes”.
In a statement signed by Oba Adeyemi titled, “The Making of New Aare
Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland”, the monarch noted that since the demise of
Aare Moshood Olawale Kasimawo Abiola, there have been numerous pressure
from different quarters to install another Aare.
He said that he took
his time to look for another war hero known in Yoruba language as
‘Akinkanju’ pointing out, “After years of searching and consulting, it
gives me great pleasure today to announce that we have finally zeroed
our dragnet on a distinguished son of Oduduwa, a Yoruba in whom there is
no guile. He is equipped by God with the vitality of youth, and the
agility of the long distance runner, unblemished patriotism, and the
wisdom of Solomon.
His antecedents in the promotion of Yoruba culture
are unquestionable, and he has a clear vision of where the nation should
be in its cultural reawakening both at home and overseas. The Aare
Onakakanfo is Otunba Gani Adams, National Coordinator, Oodua Progressive
Congress, OPC, Founder and Promoter of Olokun Festival Organisation,
and Founder of Odua Progressive Union with active branches in Africa and
about 80 other countries of the world”.
Alaafin, who prayed never to witness the successor of Gani Adams,
urged for the unity among the people of the South West said, “Today,
Gani Adams has been rechristened and henceforth, he shall be known as,
“Aare Ona Kakanfo”.
In his acceptance speech after completing all the rites and his
installation, Adams, who noted that there could not be a more humbling
occasion for him than his installation as Aare Ona Kakanfo said, “my
installation as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo is a challenge that has made
all past challenges seem like a child’s play”.
“Though I am just stepping into the office, past occupants of the
seat, especially the 13th and 14th occupants – Aare Samuel Ladoke
Akintola and Aare Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola – brought so much
power and glamour to the office that it is obvious I have a lot of work
to do. As astute businessmen and politicians of note, they raised the
profile of the office.
There is no doubt from the reactions that followed
my pronouncement by the Alaafin of Oyo as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo
that the power and prestige of the office has not waned since it was
created centuries ago by Alaafin Ajagbo. In fact, the epoch-making event
of today is symbolic as 2018 marks the 558th anniversary of the
installation of the first Aare Ona Kakanfo – Kokoro Gangan of Iwoye. It
is of interest to note that the military, political, traditional and
cultural symbolism of the title to the Yoruba Empire, about 600 years
ago, is still of strategic importance in the 21st Century.
This
attribute reveals the uniqueness of the Yoruba race and shows that so
much is still expected of the occupant of the post, despite the fact
that physical and armed wars are no longer the order of the day”.
He continued, “In fact, despite the fact that I am an holder of 52
traditional titles, none has drawn as much comments and commendation by
way of letters and visits. The import of the Office still stands:
protection of the interests of Yoruba race, both within the country and
everywhere else people of the race exist.
While it is estimated that
there are 60 million Yorubas within Nigeria and about 200 million others
scattered all over the world, as a starting point, the preservation of
the culture of the race will occupy my attention. Pitiably, as a race,
we are gradually losing our culture. In fact, from my travels around the
world, it has become obvious that people of other races are taking more
interest in our culture than we the owners of the culture, with
Americans, Europeans and Asians now earning Degrees in the study of our
culture, beliefs and what they have come to term Doctrine.
We need to
preserve our culture to fully realise the potential of the Yoruba.
Though with an activist background, it is now clear that I have to do
more as a bridge builder with this new responsibility”.
The new Aare Onakakanfo promised to work with Yoruba traditional
rulers, grassroots leaders and have good rapport with all stakeholders,
no matter the differences of the past, for the unity, progress and
advancement of Yorubaland and Nigeria assuring, “The office of the Aare
Ona Kakanfo will project the Yoruba culture and tradition by promoting
and sustaining our identity globally.
The office will equally ensure
unity of all Yoruba sons and daughters all over the world. Also of
strategic importance to me is research and documentary to sustain the
ideals of our founding fathers. To ensure the continuation of the
leadership role the Yoruba is known for educationally, I will give
scholarships to our sons and daughters because education is light and
power.
Also, I will collaborate with security agencies and stakeholders
to ensure that Yorubaland is effectively secured through our various
organisations. I want to assure this August gathering that given the
fact that the Oodua Progressives Union (OPU), which I am also the
Convener, is now established in 79 countries, I will use this Union and
other pan-Yoruba groups abroad to invite our sons and daughters with
exceptional abilities, who have distinguished themselves in various
fields, to come home and help in our quest to ensuring that our country
takes its rightful place in the comity of nations”.
Adams appealed to Yorubas in Diaspora not to forget their home by
investing in the Yorubaland and not to give the race a bad name. He
reiterated, “I am not pleased with the level of Yoruba unity today and I
am very concerned. Therefore, my greatest priority is the unity of the
Yoruba race at home and in the Diaspora. I will, therefore, spare no
effort in ensuring the unity of Yoruba race within the contemporary
Nigeria body polity.
I will, after this installation, launch the Aare
Ona Kakanfo Foundation. This will further promote the culture of the
people and document the history of the Aare Ona Kakanfo title. Since we
are now in the era of Information Technology, we will be unveiling
historical documents obtained from the Iku Baba Yeye on the Aare Ona
Kakanfo title to a website”.
He stated further, “2018 makes it the 30th year that the last holder
of the title, Aare M.K.O. Abiola, stood before you for his installation.
He died on July 7, 1998 and the post was vacant for almost 20 years.
Same happened when the 13th holder of the title, Aare S.L. Akintola,
died on January 15, 1966. It took more than 22 years before his
successor took over. Why? There is the myth that holders of the title
will always die a violent death.
But, this is not so because many
holders of the title lived to be more than 100 years. So, apart from
setting aside the myth and projecting the image of the office,
documenting the Aare Ona Kakanfo title will also let people know that a
child born of humble beginning like me can make it. From the extreme
North of Yorubaland, Arigidi-Akoko in Akoko North West Local Government
the rural area of Ondo State, here I am emerging as the Aare Ona
Kakanfo”.
The new Aare Onakakanfo appealed to the Federal Government to attend
to some of the major roads in Yorubaland that are critical to its
citizens including Lagos-Ibadan, Oyo-Ilorin, Lagos-Badagry,
Sagamu-Benin, Badagry-Lusada-Sokoto, Ibadan-Iwo-Osogbo, Osogbo-Ilesa,
Ilesa-Akure-Owo-Lokoja and Lagos-Abeokuta.
“It will also be a major plus if the government, as promised by
President Muhammadu Buhari in his January 1, 2018 speech, attends to
rail transportation as fast as possible. The issue of power is also
critical. This will empower artisans more. Security is equally
important. All these would aid the development of the tourism potential
of the country. Several countries, such as the United Arab Emirates,
UAE, Britain, Turkey, Singapore, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Ghana,
Rwanda, Saudi Arabia and Israel have diversified their economy to
tourism.
I want to assure you that I will work with various stakeholders
to turn our land into a viable tourist destination. To our esteemed
Governors in the South-West, I call for cooperation, no matter the party
line. The Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN, Commission,
should be empowered. And I want you all to see me as a partner in
progress”, he stated.
He concluded, “I offer myself for service once it is for the
advancement of the Yoruba race. The various groups in the South-West
should also resolve their crises. I will also persuade seven of our
elders, who are not partisan, to work with me in uniting all Yoruba and
resolve differences wherever they may arise. I want to assure all that
as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo, I will use my position, God willing, to
protect the interest of our land and our dear country Nigeria”.
Aare Ganiyu Adams was born on April 30, 1970 in Arigidi-Akoko in Ondo
State. He attended many primary schools due to the nature of his
father’s job. His education exploits started at the Army Children’s
School, Oturkpo, Benue State, where he got as far as primary 3 before
his father was transferred to Lagos, where he completed his primary
School education at the Municipal Primary School, Surulere, Lagos in
1980.
He proceeded to Ansar-Ud-Deen Secondary School, Randle Avenue, Lagos,
for his secondary education before picking interior decoration job at
an Italian Construction Company, Visinoni Stabilini, Apapa, Lagos, from
where he voluntarily resigned after some urge to establish his own
interior decoration business, Gadson Interior. He became an active
pro-democracy activist in 1992.
He pitched his tent with the Campaign
for Democracy in the struggle to end military rule in Nigeria and
install participatory democratic governance. In 1993, he became the
Public Relations Officer, PRO of Mushin Local Government Chapter of CLO
and member of Oodua Youth Movement, OYM, a Pro-Yoruba self-determination
group.
He was a foundation member of OPC when it was formed in 1994 where he
rose to the position of the first Deputy National Coordinator and now
the National Coordinator of the group.
Thirsting for self-improvement, Gani Adams returned to school to bag a
diploma in Tourism Management from the International Aviation School,
Tema, Ghana in 2003. He went further to obtain another diploma in
International Relation and Strategic Studies from the Lagos State
University, LASU, and capped it with a Bachelor Degree in Political
Science from the same university.
As a culturalist, he has carried his cultural crusade to different
parts of the world including Europe, Asia, Australia, and North and
South America. On October 14, 2017, Adams was declared as the 15th Aare
Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland by Oba Adeyemi III, The Alaafin of Oyo. The
title was last held by Moshood Abiola before his death in 1998.
The previous 14 Aare Ona Kakanfo were: Kokoro Gangan of Iwoye,
Oyapote of Iwoye, Oyabi of Ajase, Adeta of Jabata, Oku of Jabata, Afonja
of Ilorin, Toyeje of Ogbomoso, Edun of Gbogun, Amepo of Abemo, Kurumi
of Ijaye, Ojo Aburumaku of Ogbomoso, Latoosa of Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola
of Ogbomoso, and Moshood Kasimawo Abiola of Abeokuta
Barely 48 hours after the mass burial of 73 victims of the recent herdsmen attacks in Benue, the National Vice President of Miyetti Allah Cattle Herders Association, Husaini Yusuf Bosso, has warned that more blood will be shed in the state if the anti-grazing law introduced by Governor Samuel Ortom is not completely scrapped.
According to him, the herders have been sorting out their issues with farmers in the state before the Ortom government enacted the anti-grazing law without consulting stakeholders.
“We, the association wrote a letter to him, even met him. We told him that this law cannot work. We told them that there is an international cattle route from Niger to Eastern Nigeria. He said he will not allow cattle to pass through Benue state even if it is the cattle route. We told him that if he wants to implement that law, he must provide a land for us to rent.
He did not provide any land for cattle herders. They have been in that state even before colonial days and co-existing peacefully. We advised him and he refused to listen to us. We are not against that law but he has to provide a land for these people before implementing such a law. If there is no land, there is a problem.”
He accused the land guards hired by the state government of terrorizing the herdsmen in the name of implementing the law. “The land guards that he introduced who we all know as the civilian Joint Task Force, they are inflicting pain on the Fulani herdsmen.
They attack and seize their animals. They drag them to the nearest police station where huge amount of money is collected before they are granted bail. This is the cause of this problem. If you attack a cattle herder and collect his cattle, he has no choice but to attack.
“The law is saying that herdsmen should not pass through the state even if it’s a route to another area. In the past , if there was damage by the cattle , we had ways to settle the matter. When you damage a farm, you have to beg the owner , if they refuse, you pay for the damages.
This has worked for us for years till Benue State decided to implement the anti-grazing law. We have challenged the law in court and till court decides which way forward, Governor Ortom will be held responsible for any further bloodshed. ”
He further alleged that the group as a major stakeholder was not consulted when the law was being debated. “The Nigerian constitution says that everyone has the freedom to do business anywhere in Nigeria. Before you make a law, the state assembly is supposed to organize a public hearing. They did not invite anyone of us. The major stakeholders were not there. They just heard from one side. There should be a public hearing.
“After signing the law, he invited the Miyetti Allah group and we told him not to implement the law. We told him to provide the land for these people and he refused. They started attacking them, collecting their animals, collecting money from them and that led to the crisis.
“The Tiv people who are crying foul, has anyone checked how many Fulani they have killed? We don’t know who is responsible for the recent killing and that should be left for the security agencies to fish out the culprits. Luckily earlier in the week some civilian JTF were arrested with sophisticated guns. We are ready to tell our own side of the story so that the world will hear us.
“The Fulani, their animals are dying. Before any reprisal attack, they must have killed so many Fulani and their cows. We drew the attention of the government to those killings and no step was taken to punish those that were involved.”
On the way forward, Bosso called on the federal government to intervene. “We should ban the law. Benue state government has no land that they can give out. The Tivs are not ready to give out their lands. Most of the people now travel out of the state to farm. If they are serious to implement that law, let them provide land for these people first. If not, it will not work.”
On alleged rising number of Fulani herdsmen who are into crime, Bosso said that a committee has been set up to reach out to them to stop such act. “Some Fulani herdsmen have lost thousands of cattle to rustlers. Unfortunately, most of the Fulani are trained to do only one job which is cattle rearing. We have a committee with responsibility to reach out to them.
The fact remains that most of our people have fallen victim. They will kidnap their family members and force them to pay huge ransom. Most of us do not have access to journalists to tell our story and silently they victimize them.”
The Police Force Headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, paraded one of the masterminds and a senior member of the deadly cult group that massacred some innocent worshippers in Omoku village, Rivers State on New Year day.
The suspect, 32-year old Desmond Okotubo, who is a father of three, hails from Egbenma in Onelga Local Government Area of Rivers State. He said the group embarked on the deadly attack to avenge the arrest and humiliation of the mother of their leader, late Don Waney, the deceased leader of the group, the destruction of his property in the state, and to teach the vigilante group in the town a lesson for daring their leader.
Okotubo, who is now in custody of the police, however, revealed that their plan to attack the town was hatched at Owerri, Imo State and that their real target was the members of the vigilante group. He said they never planned to attack worshippers who had just closed from the cross over service, but somehow the operation just went wrong.
The suspect, who was paraded before newsmen, promised to help government fish out the rest of the members of the gang. He explained that he did not know if their late leader was being used by some politicians to cause trouble in the state.
He told journalists in an interview: “It was Don Waney that did it. We followed Don Wanny and he has a group that he gave gun to shoot called Red Squad. I did not hold any gun and I don’t know about it but he has a group called Red Squad.
“The Red Squad members are from Imo and Rivers states and they are the ones that shoot and kill. I know those that shot and killed those people. I know many people that belong to the party.
“I followed them during the killing. When Don Wanny got back, he stopped at Awara village, Imo State and it was there everybody assembled before going to Omoku. I followed them to Omoku but they did not give me gun.
Don Wanny had problem with the vigilante group because they arrested his mother and also destroyed his house. That was why he came back to take revenge and kill those people at Omoku. I did not feel fine as they did not give me gun”
“I was at Mpape in Abuja before I was arrested. I travelled to Owerri on December 28 and came back January 3. We were not given money after the attack and nobody promised to give me money. We have over 15 to 20 members in the gang. I don’t have a position in the group; I am just a member and all I do is to follow the executives of the gang.
“We have one Tuga, who is in charge of our armory and we have over 20 guns and I am the only member of the gang living in Abuja. It was when I traveled for the Christmas that I was told Don Wanny was back and that he wanted to take revenge on how they burnt his property.
I met them at Owerri, where all the Red Squad gathered and he shared the guns amongst them. After that, we proceeded to Awara village and stayed there for sometime before traveling to Omoku to kill.
“I meet Don Wanny in 2015 through one of his brothers, Pruchukwu. The brother used to live in Owerri but I don’t know where he is now because I have not seen him since his brother died. I cannot tell weather or not the killings were politically motivated. I cannot speak on that. May be it was Don Wanny that did that negotiation, not me.
“We, in the group, have not reached the level of negotiating with politicians. It is Don Wanny and his executives that do that. All the meetings we had before the attack were held at Awara. “Before the Omoku attack, we had carried out an attack after the 2015 elections.
Even before the elections, many things happened in the state because we carried out many operations. I am married and I have three children. My wife is in the village at Egbema.
“We actually went to attack the village and not the church but Don Wanny changed the plans when we got there and I feel so bad that so many people died. But from the way I am now, I am ready to work with government and help them to fish out all the people that are members of the gang.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, said the suspect was arrested by men of the IGP-Intelligence Response Team attached to the Joint Police Special Investigation Team, which engaged some of the suspects in their hideouts in Awara forest, a boundary between Imo and Rivers states, in a shoot out that lasted several hours.
Jimoh said six of the suspects were killed while others escaped with bullet injuries to other locations in Rivers, Delta, Imo and Bayelsa states. He added that the police teams are currently on their trail.
He said: “The IGP-Intelligence Response Team working on an actionable intelligence further identified Desmond Okotubo, who escaped on January 3, 2018 to Abuja after a shoot out with the Police Team in a location in Imo State.
A newly married man, Francis Azukwo, is in trouble after he was arrested by the police in Lagos for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl, Ngozi, in the Ikotun area of the state.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the 32-year-old allegedly penetrated the victim’s private parts and anus during the sexual assault which occurred on Owoodu Street, Ijegun. Our correspondent gathered that Azukwo and the victim’s mother were neighbours and had been living together in the house for some time.
Ngozi’s mother, Joy, who was pregnant at the time, was said to have been rushed to a hospital in the community where she was delivered of twins. When she returned home, she reportedly observed that her daughter’s movement was altered and she checked her private parts.
She reportedly queried the girl on seeing bruises. Ngozi was alleged to have accused Azukwo of defiling her. The matter was subsequently reported to the police at the Ikotun division and the Akwa Ibom State indigene was arrested.
It was gathered that Ngozi was taken to Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where tests were conducted on her. The results reportedly showed that there was penetration and her hymen was broken. A source said the incident created confusion in the neighbourhood.
She said, “The two of them are neighbours. The suspect stayed upstairs, while the complainant stayed downstairs. The girl’s mother said she had gone to the hospital to give birth, while her husband was away from the house. So, Ngozi was left in the care of a cousin, who was about 16 years old. The cousin was babysitting her.
“She said when she returned from the hospital, she observed that the girl was not walking properly and she checked her private parts and saw bruises. When she interrogated the daughter, the girl said it was the suspect that defiled her.”
Joy, who confirmed the source’s account of the incident, said she could not tell the motive for the alleged assault, adding that she did not know much about Azukwo. “I did not challenge him. I just went to report to the police. He denied the allegation, but my daughter kept pointing at him that he was responsible,” she added.
The suspect was arraigned before an Ogba Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. However, the Magistrate, Tope Ojo, on seeing the charges, invited the parties into her chamber. Our source, who was also present at the meeting, said the basic one pupil insisted that the suspect was responsible for the defilement.
He was arraigned on two counts of defilement and indecent assault. The charges read, “That you, Francis Azukwo, sometime in the month of September 2017, at Ikotun, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully and indecently assault one Ngozi (not real name), thereby committing an offence.
“That you, Francis Azukwo, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district, did defile one Ngozi, thereby committing an offence.”
The police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, said the offences were punishable under sections 135 and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011. The defendant pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial. The defence counsel, Godwin Ohaekwe, appealed to the court to grant the defendant bail in liberal terms.
Holding a watching brief for the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender was Mrs. Ibukun Ibikunle, who represented the complainant. The magistrate, Ojo, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum.
“One of the sureties must be a level 12 officer in the Lagos State Civil Service and the other must be a registered property owner in Lagos State. The sureties should present evidence of three years’ tax payments to the state and their addresses must be verified,” she added.
The defence counsel, Ohaekwe, appealed against the condition of the level 12 civil servant, saying the defendant hailed from Akwa Ibom State and it might be difficult for him to meet such a condition. The magistrate rejected the appeal and adjourned the case till February 12, 2018 for advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The Federal Government on Tuesday demolished a multi-million naira mansion at Omoku, in the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, belonging to the slain Niger Delta militant and notorious kidnapper, Don Waney.
Southern City News learnt that the house was bulldozed under the watch of heavily-armed security agents, who mounted guard at different angles of the militant’s palatial home.
Waney and two members of gang were shot dead on Saturday in Enugu State by a combined team of soldiers and operatives of the Department of State Services.
A resident of the area, who identified himself as Ukandu, told our correspondent that the bulldozers came in on Tuesday morning after over 15 Hilux vehicles had brought in security operatives, including soldiers and policemen.
Ukandu explained that the security agents took position in different parts of the mansion and outside, in the bush, ostensibly to stop any intruder from obstructing their operation. He pointed out that the demolition, which began in the morning hours, ended in the afternoon, adding that the entire building was reduced to rubble.
“Nobody was allowed to enter the place, especially those who wanted to take photographs of what was going on. More than 15 Hilux vehicles brought in security agents and after that, six bulldozers came in and brought the building down,” Ukandu said.
When contacted, the spokesman for the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, told our correspondent that Waney forfeited the property and other things to the government after he became a fugitive and refused to come out and defend himself over allegations of killings in ONELGA.
However, several calls to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, for him to confirm the demolition of the late militant’s house, were not answered.
A teacher at the Ijagba Community High School, Sotubo, Sagamu, Segun Durojaiye, has been apprehended for alleged serial rape of his daughter.
The 52-year-old father was held along with his brother, Emmanuel Durojaiye, for the offence. The victim lived with her father on Baba-Benja Street, Oreyo, Igbogbo Ikorodu.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Segun took the victim into custody after her mother died when she was an infant.
He and his second wife were said to be taking care of the girl until sometime in 2014 when the stepmother died and the victim relocated to Abuja to live with a relative.
Segun reportedly asked the victim to return home after a few months and started having sex with her, with a threat that she must not reveal the act to anyone.
It was gathered that the victim had visited her uncle, 42-year-old Emmanuel, in his apartment on Durojaiye Street in Oreyo one day when he also allegedly raped her.
Emmanuel was said to have subsequently subjected her to sexual harassment alongside her father. Our correspondent learnt that sometime in December 2017, the girl defied the threats and confided the incestuous relationships in her stepsister, who informed their grandmother.
“The grandmother tried to manage the matter, but some residents got wind of it and involved a lawyer. The lawyer petitioned the Lagos State Police Command on behalf of the girl. The girl’s father and her uncle were arrested and the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.
“The suspects confessed to have had canal knowledge of her on three occasions respectively. In the course of investigation, one Adenike, the second child of Segun, corroborated the victim’s claims.
She said her sister complained to her about how their father was sexually molesting her. Adenike said she cautioned her father, but he continued. The father teaches at Ijagba Community High School,” a police source said.
The source explained that the victim told the police that her father impregnated her twice, while the uncle did once, adding that they took her to places where the pregnancies were aborted.
He said, “She said the father started having sex with her when she was 13. She was impregnated by the suspects, but the pregnancies were aborted on three occasions. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the nurses who carried out the abortions. The father and the uncle took advantage of her through constant threats.”
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, adding that the command had zero tolerance for sexual abuse.
He said, “The case was brought to the attention of the police through a petition and the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, directed that the case be referred to the SCIID for discreet investigations. ‘The CP and the command have zero tolerance for all manner of sexual molestation.
The command will continue to work with relevant agencies of the state government in ensuring that the rights of people, especially the girl child, are protected. Anybody caught violating, abusing or exploiting minors will be brought to justice.” The suspects were arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrate’s Court on Monday on eight counts bordering on assault, rape and abortion.
The charges read in part, “That you, Segun Durojaiye of Baba-Benja Street, Oreyo, Ikorodu, Lagos, and Emmanuel Durojaiye of 10 Durojaiye Street, Oreyo, Ikorodu, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony,- to wit: having unlawful intercourse with a 16-year-old girl.
“That you, Segun Durojaiye, sometime between 2014 and 2017 did have unlawful sexual intercourse with one 16-year-old, your daughter, impregnated, and procured abortion on her, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 145(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
“That you, Emmanuel Durojaiye, sometime between 2014 and 2017 did have unlawful sexual intercourse with one 16-year-old, your niece, impregnated her, and procured abortion on her, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 145(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The presiding magistrate, Oluwatoyin Oghre, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1m each with two sureties each in like sum.
She said one of the sureties should be a Level 15 civil servant who had a titled document or a traditional ruler, adding that the sureties must show evidence of three years’ tax payments to the state government.
She ordered that the duplicate case file be sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and adjourned the case till March 12, 2018.
Nigerian returnees from Libya have continued to recount the harrowing ordeal they experienced while in that country, including a day when 20 of them were sold for just $730 (N260,000).
The Nigerians gave their accounts in interviews with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), at a hotel in Benin, where they are being accommodated by the Edo State Government.
One of the Nigerian returnees, Agen Akhere, looked like he might well up with tears. He was held for two months in a detention centre in a place called Gharyan.
He was registered by the United Nation’s migration agency (IOM), released from the detention centre and flown home – but his friend did not make it.
“It’s because of money. My friend, he’s still there. His name is Samson. He’s still there, in Gharyan,” he said.
Gharyan is a prison in the mountains about 100 kilometres (60 miles) south of Tripoli and it is the place where all of the migrants said they were taken before they made it home.
According to another returnee, Lucky Akhanene, “they came to our caravans (cells), they pick six persons to do their dirty jobs; to do farming, brick-laying work.”
He returned in the same group as Akhere and was held in Gharyan for four months.
“They give us out to their friends. They don’t pay us. It’s just hard labour; if you’re not fast with your job, you get beaten,” he added.
Three separate people spoke about being leased out by the prison for day labour like this.
Others said they were sold.
Jackson Uwumarogie and Felix Efe were arrested “on top of the sea,” off the coast of Libya and taken to Gharyan.
They said one night, a prison guard came and counted out 20 men, took them outside and blindfolded them. Uwumarogie overheard the men talking about a price – 1,000 dinars ($735; £550). They were put into a van and taken to a farm.
Uwumarogie and Efe were forced to work, harvesting onions and feeding cattle. They slept in a plywood hut and were guarded day and night by men with guns.
They were never paid.
Uwumarogie’s baggy tracksuit bottoms hang from his tiny waist and a tight woollen polo neck highlights his skinny frame and slightly puffy, swollen cheeks. He is clearly not well.
On the farm, they were only given food every few days, he said, and sometimes, given sea water to drink.
After six months, they and five others were loaded into a pick-up truck and taken to the desert.
“They dumped us there. It was with the help of God that we found the man that rescued us,” Uwumarogie said.
They were there for two days.
The man brought them to his house and then took them to Tripoli, to meet the IOM.
Stories of black slavery in Libya have been circulating for the past two years. But, the number of accounts heard from recent returnees seem to suggest it has become endemic in the detention system.
And, it is tied to something that has been going on for much longer: a dark but thriving industry in which migrants are extorted for money by traffickers and prison guards. Wrists tied with barbed wire.
Says it’s devil’s work Victoria Ulaha is in a dilemma. If it were possible, she would turn back the hands of time and wish all that happened to her never did.
This native of Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, is married to John Ulaha, 45, of Awe Local Government Area of the same state, a farmer and carpenter in Lafia. Both husband and wife are in agony as you read this.
The problem is that in sowing his wild oats, John Ulaha impregnated another woman. What makes his sin so obnoxiously unforgivable? The woman in question is his mother-in-law! Right now, his wife is in a great fix as to what to do about the ugly and shameful development.
Victoria, blessed with a daughter, lives in Lafia where she manages a provision store while her husband runs a carpentry workshop. But by way of augmenting their incomes, they are heavily involved in farming activities in Awe, where they hire labourers to work on their farms.
Inviting trouble in an innocuous way After the implementation of anti-grazing law in Benue State pushed over 85% of Fulani herdsmen from Benue to settle in Awe, they started destroying, at an alarming rate, farmlands belonging to others.
This situation made Victoria to invite her mother who is a widow to come over and help her husband harvest their farm produce of yam and guinea corn since she was very busy with her shop business in Lafia. In the course of time, sometime in mid-September 2017, John and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Ashetu Igbasue, 42, relocated to Awe in order to fast-track their harvesting.
Three months into the pair’s sojourn, the bubble burst and Victoria found a big scandal on her hand when her mother came reporting dejectedly that she was pregnant. For whom? Her daughter’s husband!
“I’m distressed, I don’t know how to handle this matter,” Victoria told Saturday Sun as she threw her hand helplessly into the air. “I got married to my husband nine years ago. The marriage is blessed with a baby girl and my mother used to come around to spend some time with us especially when she lost her husband.
“But this time around, I personally requested that she should come and help us do some work on the farm. Since then she had been in the village with my husband helping on the farm, though both of them used to come to Lafia regularly to pick supplies and go back because they were determined to evacuate all crops from the farm to the house before herdsmen could come to destroy them.
“There was a time my husband came to Lafia to get some cooking ingredients and I asked him whether they were feeding well. He told me lightheartedly that my mother’s cooking was more delicious than mine. I did not suspect anything bad. I believed my husband. And, moreover, the woman in question is my mother, not a rival.” The disastrous deed “The last time my mother came to Lafia from my husband’s village, she shockingly told me that she did not see her period for the first and second month running which implies that she is pregnant and said that my husband is responsible for it. She said she wants it aborted because it would be a shameful thing for her to be pregnant at her age when her husband is not alive.
“I invited her to come and assist me to take care of our farm work since Fulani people have been destroying it, but I did not know that my husband had established a love relationship with her. She confessed to me that my husband was responsible for her pregnancy.”
Expressing her disappointment at her husband’s behaviour, Victoria remarked: “It would have been better for him to get a second wife who will be stationed at home or even look for a girlfriend to satisfy him in my absence rather than going into a love affair with my own mother; it is a very shameful thing and an abomination of the highest order; it is wrong.” Victoria who said she is ashamed and rattled by the development, promised to take proper action after she recovers from the shock. But for now, she had ruled out the option of opting out of the marriage.
How and why the devil struck The mother-in-law, Mrs. Igbasue, said that it all started in the farm during a joke which led to sex later in the night when they returned from the farm. “I agreed to his demand for sex and thought it was just to satisfy his sexual feelings, but somehow, it became a daily thing,” she confessed.
“I never thought I could get pregnant due to my age. I told my daughter the truth so that we can get a solution to it and out of anger she went public with it. I have since regretted my action. My intention is to find a way and abort it. My daughter earlier agreed to look for somebody to abort it for me because I can’t keep it. The whole thing was temptation and I completely regret it. I have pleaded for forgiveness from her.”
When our correspondent confronted John with the issue, he was furious that his wife had let the cat out of the bag to Saturday Sun on what he considers to be a “family affair” and, therefore, supposed to be resolved internally. He claimed that his mother-in-law seduced him by always exposing herself while they worked on the farm, especially, whenever both of them came together to eat.
“She would always sit half-naked before me; at first, it was embarrassing to me,” he said. “But I later discovered that her actions were an open invitation and as a man, I was tempted at a point, and that led to something else. And we both continued in that order until our actions resulted in pregnancy.”
Recall, regret and retribution John who attributed the whole scandal to Satan’s work, added that he never imagined that the woman could become pregnant. He admitted that he has deeply offended God as well as his wife for going too far by sleeping with his mother-in-law to extent of getting her pregnant, adding that the pregnancy won’t stand as he will do his best by pleading with his wife to accept aborting it.
“I have regretted what happened. It is not in my character and the shame this very act has brought to me, my wife and the entire village as well as those who know me is unbearable,” he lamented. “Since my wife leaked this out, I have not been comfortable and have lost appetite for food. I have been pleading with her to forgive me because it is the devil’s work.”
One of the five Badoo cult suspects paraded on Thursday at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja, 18-year-old Chibuzor Igwe, says he was tricked into joining Badoo cult. Igwe explained that he had approached one of the alleged leaders of the cult, Obamoyegun Omotayo, for a driving job, but was lured into the gang.
Chibuzor said, “I am a Badoo member. Around November, I told Obamoyegun (Omotayo) that I wanted to be his driver because I saw him with new cars. He told me that it would take some time before he would give me the job. During that time, he called me….”
But what could have been a full-blown revelation from the teenager, who has injuries on his hands, was aborted by the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, who stopped the interview and ordered that Chibuzor and the other suspects be taken away.
Imohimi claimed that the suspects’ confession would jeopardise police investigations and efforts to arrest other members of the gang.
Earlier, while briefing journalists on the arrests, the CP identified other Badoo suspects as Chibuzor’s elder brother, Uche Igwe; a welder, Samuel Akaeze, aka Samito; his wife, Gift Akaeze; and a herbalist, Fatai Adebayo, aka Adaripon. According to Imohimi, Gift provides information on the targets whom the assailants consequently attack.
He said Chibuzor was apprehended while he wanted to escape from Alabo Street, Abule Osorun, Ibeshe, Ikorodu, where the gang smashed the heads of a couple and their five-month-old baby on December 30, 2017.
Imohimi explained that Chibuzor, Samuel and Omotayo carried out the attack, adding that by the time a joint team of policemen and a vigilance group responded to a distress call, Samuel and Omotayo had fled.
He said, “The gang of three murderers comprises Chibuzor Igwe, Samuel Akaeze, aka Samito and Obamoyegun Omotayo. Omotayo usually sprays a powdery substance into victims’ dwelling places that would make them to fall into deep sleep before they end their lives by smashing their skulls with grinding stones.
“Omotayo, having satisfied that the victims are dead, will use white handkerchiefs to mop their blood for ritual purposes. However, luck ran out on them when one of the victims raised the alarm which attracted the local vigilance group.
The group in turn alerted the police in that area and the compound was cordoned off, leading to the arrest of Chibuzor Igwe at the scene. “Also arrested is one Gift Akaeze, wife of Samuel, who provides information about where to strike for the group.”
Imohimi said Chibuzor confessed to being a member of the ritual gang and gave the police information that led to the arrest of Samuel and Omotayo. He said a bloodstained grinding stone, suspected to have been used by the suspects, had been taken to a laboratory for forensic analysis.
“Recall that during my last press briefing on December 11, 2017, I mentioned that a blue Nokia Asha phone belonging to the murdered pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ikorodu, Victor Kanayo, who was killed on November 25, 2017, was recovered from Uche Igwe. He confessed that his younger brother, Chibuzor Igwe, gave him the phone.
“The said Chibuzor was the one arrested on Alajo Street, where he and his gang members murdered Shakiru Yekini and inflicted grievous bodily harm on his wife and six-month-old baby,” he added.
The CP stated further that Chibuzor told the police that Omotayo usually took them to Adebayo, the herbalist, in Imosan-Ijebu, Ogun State, where he (Adebayo) administered oaths on them in his shrine before they went on operations.
He said the herbalist also fortified them with charms and blessed the grinding stones with which they smashed people’s skulls. Imohimi said the command would not relent until all members of the gang were rounded up, adding that the suspected kingpin, Alhaji Abayomi Alaka, remained wanted by the police.
He said, “I am aware that some sections of the press have opened communication with him. In his own interest, he should report at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, to answer the charges against him. He will have his day in court.
“I don’t place bounties on criminals. I have asked him to report. He has been declared wanted. If he believes he is innocent, wherever he is, he should report to the police. They will bring him to the right place to answer the charges against him. The police in Nigeria are one.” Alaka, in a telephone interview with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, had said he was ready to submit himself to the police for investigation.
He, however, insisted that he would not go to the Lagos State Police Command, alleging that investigations under Imohimi’s supervision would be compromised. Our correspondent, who visited Alaka’s residence on PSSDC Road, Magodo GRA Phase II, on Thursday, saw four men at the frontage, chatting.
When asked about his whereabouts, his security guard said he had travelled out of Lagos. The guard, Usman Zibo, said, “He travelled this morning (Thursday). A wanted notice was pasted at the entrance gate of the Magodo GRA Phase II, but nothing was pasted here. No policeman has come to ask for him from me.”
Suspected Badoo kingpin, Alhaji Alaka Abayomi, has said he is ready to submit himself to the Nigeria Police Force for investigations.
Alaka, who had been declared wanted by the Lagos State Police Command, however, said he would not appear before the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi. He alleged that investigations would be compromised if carried out under Imohimi’s supervision, urging the Force headquarters in Abuja to take up the matter.
Alaka spoke to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday on the heels of the arrest of a herbalist, Fatai Adebayo, who allegedly administered oaths on Badoo members before they went on operations.
On Wednesday, the Lagos State Government also sealed off Alaka’s filling station and hotel on Ijebu-Ode-Itoikin Road, in the Sabo area of Ikorodu, saying the facilities violated the state’s Urban and Regional Planning Law of 2010.
Alaka, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said he was not apprehended and challenged the police to come up with evidence against him. He was, however, evasive when asked where exactly he was.
The embattled businessman, who spoke in Yoruba, said, “What evidence did the police have before calling me Badoo (kingpin)? Did any suspect mention my name? What does sealing my property have to do with this case? I applied and paid for the Certificate of Occupancy for the filling station five years ago, but I have not got it. I have evidence of payments.
“Since the police declared me wanted, no policeman came to my house or office to invite me. The police have my number, but they did not call me on the telephone for invitation. I don’t believe I am wanted because no invitation was sent to me. Since the police said they were looking for Badoo members, they have not arrested any prime suspect.
“I want the government to intervene. I am ready to appear before the police or any investigative body, but not before the Lagos State Police Command and Edgal (Imohimi). A team should be set up to investigate the matter, particularly from Abuja. He (Edgal) declared me a Badoo kingpin, but what evidence does he have? About five security men guarding the filling station have been arrested.”
Alaka explained further that he had sued the police command and Imohimi at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, for blackmail, but the respondents had yet to appeared before the court.
He alleged that the court had also delayed ruling on an injunction application filed by his lawyer, seeking that the police be restrained from arresting him (Alaka) pending the determination of the substantive suit – blackmail.
The 51-year-old claimed that his issues with the police started when he declined to pay N10m bribe an Investigating Police Officer reportedly demanded from him.
He said, “I can no longer walk freely around Ikorodu for fear of area boys administering jungle justice on me. I have read about the herbalist that was arrested. I don’t know him. Why didn’t police allow him to talk to journalists? The case should be transferred from the Lagos State Command; they have dented my image. I sleep in my house in Magodo; no policeman came to arrest me.
“I will not show up at the Lagos State Police Command for three reasons: one, they don’t have evidence against me. I was arrested and released the following day without being told to write a statement.
“Secondly, the CP has refused to appear in court. The case has been in court since August 2017. For three adjourned dates, the court was said to be on vacation. During the last sitting, the judge adjourned till February 2018 for ruling on the injunction, which is very suspicious.
“Thirdly, I will not surrender myself to the CP because he will compromise investigation. But I am ready to appear before the Inspector-General of Police and the National Assembly.
“The genesis of this issue was when the IPO requested that I should pay N10m to settle some police officers at the command. It was when I refused to pay the money that I was arrested. I have petitioned the National Assembly and the IG on this.”
When contacted for reactions to the allegations made by the suspect, the Lagos State Police Public Relations, SP Chike Oti, said he had no comment.
He said, “I have no comment to make because the case is under investigation. Everything concerning the subject is under investigation. The command won’t bandy words with him. He is being wanted by the police and he should turn himself in.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Lagos State Government sealed off Alaka’s filling station, hotel and event centre. The state government in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, said the outfits belonged to “a suspected Badoo cult kingpin, Alhaji Alaka Abayomi Kamal.”
The commissioner said the structures were sealed off for violating the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning Law of 2010. The statement read in part, “The police, had on December 22, 2017, declared Alaka wanted in connection with series of well-orchestrated killings and nefarious activities of the Badoo cult in the Ikorodu and Epe areas of the state.
“Alaka is believed to be the ringleader of the Badoo menace. “The Lagos State Government is joining the Nigeria Police Force in asking Alaka to come out of hiding and submit himself to the law in his own interest. “The state government has also enjoined the police to offer the public a reward for any useful information on the owner of the Alaka Filling Station, hotel and the event centre in Ikorodu.”
