Hyenas, jackals’ll be sent out of Buhari’s kingdom –Aisha

•My dad doing pretty well, Zahra
President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife, Aisha and daughter, Zahra, yesterday, gave a hint on the president’s recovery and imminent return, after a long stay in an undisclosed hospital in London.

“The hyenas and the jackals will soon be ejected from the kingdom,” the first lady said in a Facebook post, while responding to an earlier post by Shehu Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central.
Mrs. Buhari is currently in London  with her husband.

Sani had earlier posted a message in which he made a veiled reference to alleged intrigues and power play in government circle in President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence.

Senator Sani had posted on his status on Facebook:  “Prayer for the absent Lion King has waned; until he’s back then they will fall over each other to be on the front row of the palace temple. Now the hyenas and the jackals are scheming and talking to each other in whispers; still doubting whether the Lion King will be back or not…

“It is the wish of the Hyenas and the Jackals that the Lion King never wakes up or come back so that they can be kings. It is the prayers of the weak animals that the Lion King comes back to save the kingdom from the Hyenas, the wolves and other predators.”

Mrs. Buhari took a cue and alluded to some elements around her ailing husband as “the hyenas” and “the jackals,” and expressed hope that they would soon be sent out of “his Kingdom.

“God has answered the prayers of the weaker animals. The hyenas and the jackals will soon be sent out of the kingdom. We strongly believe in the prayers and support of the weaker animals,” the president’s wife replied.

Mrs Buhari’s comment attracted some comments from her followers on Facebook, who wished her husband quick recovery.

Buhari had on May 7 embarked on his second medical vacation of the year.
The First Lady returned to the UK last week after an earlier trip in June, where she spent a week before returning to Nigeria.

On her return, then, she said Buhari was recovering well and that he expressed appreciation to Nigerians praying for him.

It was the second time since October 2016, that the first lady would openly give insight into the intrigues at the seat of power, particularly against the backdrop of her husband’s ailment.

In an earlier interview with the BBC last October, Aisha had accused an unnamed cabal of hijacking the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by her spouse.

Miffed by some appointments made by her husband, she warned that she may not support his re-election in 2019 if the president failed to shake up his cabinet.

“As a person, I have my right to say how I feel about something. If it continues like this, me, I am not going to be part of any movement again, because I need to work with the people that we started the journey with collectively so that we can achieve what we want to achieve, so that he would leave a legacy.”

But the president who was away in Germany on a state visit, reacted to the interview during a joint press briefing with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He laughed off his wife’s challenge as he fired the now famous statement that Aisha belonged in the kitchen and the other room.

“I don’t know which party my wife belongs to, but she belongs to my kitchen and my living room and the other room,” he said.

Also, one of the president’s daughters, Zahra, also disclosed that he was “doing pretty good.”
Zahra disclosed this on her Twitter handle, @zmbuhari, while responding to an enquiry from another Twitter user, @flakkyBanky who wrote: “Where is your father please? I am asking on behalf of Nigerians.”

“He’s doing pretty good,” she simply replied.
She also replied, “Ameen” when another Twitter user, @ummiana58, wrote, “Masha Allah. May Allah grant him good health and may he make it easy for us all.”

Inspite of the assurances, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State said the APC and the Presidency were in dilemma as to whether to bring Buhari  back to the country with his present state or leave him in London.

“The president has become a bad business for the cabal that imposed him on Nigerians,” Fayose said  in a statement issued, yesterday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

According to him: “For a president who has spent 113 days abroad taking care of his health out of the 191 days in 2017, it is time for Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to be invoked.

“President Buhari left Nigeria for London on May 7, 2017 and today is July 10, 2017, 64 clears days since Nigerians saw their president or heard anything from him. Even the president’s handlers are keeping Nigerians in the dark.

“Even though the number of days that a president can spend outside the country is not specified in the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the makers of the laws of Nigeria envisaged this kind of situation and made provisions for how to resolve it in Section 144.

“It has, therefore, become pertinent that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) must invoke Section 144 of the 1999 Constitution by passing a resolution declaring that President Buhari is incapable of discharging the functions of his office.”

Governor Fayose, who insisted that he was not interested in the president’s death, said freeing Nigeria from the hands of those who were presently holding the country to ransom should be the major concern of all well-meaning Nigerians.

“They are always quick to tell Nigerians that there is an acting president in the person of Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and as such, no vacuum in government. However, we all know the limitations of the acting president. We know that there are so many things Prof. Osinbajo cannot do and Nigerians are the ones bearing the consequences of a bedridden president.”

Daily Sun Report.

Abducted Epe school students may regain freedom this week

THERE are indications that the six abducted students of the Lagos State Government Model School, Igbonla, Epe, may be released soon, as the abductors  have reportedly assured the parents that they are ready to  set them free.

Sunday Tribune gathered that the abductors are however requesting “a little more “money, before they can release the children.”

It was further gathered that  the abductors have, in recent times, become “a bit friendly” and that they had allowed some of the parents to speak with their children.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the abductors have already collected N30 million in two  tranches from the parents.

Ten million out of the money was said to be contributions from the parents and relatives of the students, while an unnamed institution. paid the balance later.

A police source, who pleaded anonymity, while speaking with the Sunday Tribune confirmed that “we are expecting the students soon.

Sunday Tribune also gathered that the abductors have, however, demanded more money from the parents of the school students.

“They have initially promised to release the students, but after collecting the last tranch of money they reneged on their agreement,” another police source said.

He also continued that “after collecting the second tranch, they went incommunicado, bIut they have called again and what they are asking for is small.”

The police source also said “I cannot tell you what they are asking for, but it is very small. We are hoping that in the next few days, they should be released.”

Sunday Tribune Report.

BLACK SATURDAY : Fallen container truck crushes 5 in Lagos

Cries of agony rented the air at Ojota axis of Lagos when an articulated vehicle laden with plywood fell on a 14-seater commercial bus (Danfo), killing at least five people and leaving three others with grave injuries.

Consequently, neighbours and relatives of some missing persons have been plunged into confusion over the whereabouts of their own.

All occupants of the ill-fated bus were said to be heading home from the monthly Holy Ghost Service which is held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, on Lagos/Ibadan Expressway; around 4am yesterday when the accident happened.

The truck driver, Sunday Sun learnt, wanted to overtake the bus but instead, when the accident happened, crushing the occupants.

Although the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) reported that five persons died while three survived the accident yet, the whereabouts of some occupants of the bus, dead or alive, remains unknown, plunging their relatives and neighbours into disarray.

The five corpses recovered by the agency were moved to the morgue in Ikorodu General Hospital while the three survivors, two men and a woman were rushed to the Lagos State Accident and Emergency Centre, Toll Gate, Ikeja.

While nosing around the emergency centre, our correspondent approached a group of five men who had apparently come to look for their own.

Upon quizzing the men who disclosed that they were all neighbours to the driver and four children on the bus, one of them, who would not mention his name, said “They were coming from church. Every first Friday of the month which is the monthly Holy Ghost Service of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Mr Charles takes his two children and two children of his neighbours to the camp.

When we got a call that they were involved in the accident at Ojota, we immediately started making calls and moving everywhere to know their whereabouts.

As I speak to you, we have been to Ikorodu where they said dead victims were taken and we were made to see five corpses but neither Mr Charles nor any of the four children was there. We have also been to LASUTH and we were told that two people were brought in. One died and one survived but we couldn’t still find our people there.

Another neighbour said “Everybody on that bus is known to us. They went to the Redemption Camp and we got a call that they had been involved in an accident.

That’s why we have been moving all around hospitals and morgues but then, it appears that they distributed the corpses and survivors across different morgues and hospitals in the state”

Sunday Sun gathered that the said Mr Charles and the four children he traveled with might have been dead too as some sympathizers that besieged the scene of the incident kept screaming “Where is Mr Charles? Where is Mr Charles?” Charles, was an Assistant Pastor in RCCG and lived at Gbagada with his family.

Medical attendants on duty would not speak to Sunday Sun, claiming that such is “against the rules without authorization ”. However, our correspondent quizzed a police officer, who reliably spoke in the capacity of an eyewitness, although on condition of anonymity.
“The accident happened around 3:30am and that was almost exactly the time we came from Alausa Police Station.

We started rescuing the victims and discovered that only three survived, out of all”, he said.
Shortly after, one of the victims who cheated death in the fatal accident, stepped out from the emergency hall, limping. Ifeanyi, as he simply introduced himself, narrated to our correspondent how it all happened.

“We were coming from Camp. Right now, I don’t have an idea of where the rest are, but I can only say that the driver and all the children on the bus with us died instantly. The lady beside me was sleeping but she was lucky, like me”,he said.

LASEMA reacts

Sunday Sun gathered that the Agency’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) received a distress call regarding an accident at Ojota bus stop which prompted the immediate activation of the Agency’s ERT to the scene of the incident.

According to the General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Adesina Tiamiyu, “Investigation carried out by the ERT at the scene revealed that an articulated truck with registration number AKD 663 KF conveying 40ft container laden with plywood fell on a Volkswagen commercial bus (Danfo) with registration number FST 944 XR where the passengers were trapped.

“The prompt intervention by the LASEMA Response Unit led to the rescue of three victims who were taken to the Trauma Centre Toll Gate, while 5 dead bodies trapped in the bus were extricated by the LASEMA team and were taken to the mortuary at Ikorodu General Hospital.

“Other agencies on ground included the Nigeria Police Force led by the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni; Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Sunday Sun Report

Evans vanishes

•Billionaire kidnapper’s whereabouts unknown

•Moved out of Lagos midnight by 30 heavily armed men

After weeks of public furore and media frenzy, a sudden blackout has descended on the case of Chukwuduneme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, Nigeria’s infamous billionaire kidnapper, thus fuelling speculations that he’s escaped, or dead.

Saturday Sun has however gathered that Evans is not dead as his family now fears but has been moved from the Lagos police command headquarters cell by about 30 heavily armed men at midnight few days ago to an undisclosed destination. Some senior police officers in the know told Saturday Sun he was moved to Abuja

Indeed, in the last few days, a palpable silence seemed to have enshrouded the Evans phenomenon. Where is Evans? It is a question the police is not prepared to officially answer right now. A man who hitherto divulged the details of his criminal life to the public almost on a daily basis is suddenly no longer accessible to even the press corps.

All a Saturday Sun reporter who visited the state police command was told was that Evans is no longer allowed to talk to the press till further notice. The secrecy surrounding his whereabouts in the official quarters baffles those who have closely followed his story since his arrest.

After days of sniffing around the Lagos police formations to get information on Evans whereabouts, it was gathered that the kidnap kingpin had been moved out of the Lagos command headquarters days ago by heavily armed policemen and is yet to be returned.

Police had last week said they had got a court order to detain him for three months to give them enough time to complete their investigation. This followed two suits filed by Evans lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, at the High Court seeking   his release and claiming N300m damages from the police.

Some senior police officers who spoke to Saturday Sun on condition of anonymity expressed fears that Evans might not make it to the court. They argued that he might plot his escape from prison, or get across to some of his members who are still on the run.

Their concerns are not farfetched, given that several inmates in the past had reportedly committed much heinous crimes even while in prison.
Some of the officers confirmed that Evans was no longer in the police cell in Lagos.

“He has not been returned since he was moved out. Evans is a broken man; police can’t resort to extra-judicial killings at this point. He is cooperating, and he is ready to help return all his ill-gotten wealth as soon as possible”, one of the officers said.

Another reliable source at the police command told Saturday Sun “Evans is not an ordinary criminal. I guess that they took him out for further investigation but I don’t know why they are yet to return him to his cell.”

The source further assured: “No one is planning to kill Evans. I believe that they will return him later. He could be in any good cell in the state for security reasons, but I can assure you that he is not dead yet. Even if anything happens to him, if he dies in custody, it will be as a result of cancer which he claims  he is suffering from.”

Yet another senior police officer who preferred anonymity assured that Evans is okay. “He is okay and seriously cooperating with the police in its investigation. From the look of things, he might not spend up to three months in detention before he’s charged to court. As for his location, I assure you that he is in a protective custody somewhere out of town.”

The officer who reinforced fears within the police circle, said that “a criminal is always a criminal,” adding that, “with the number of robbery cases and kidnappings to his credit, he is well known among criminals.”

He told Saturday Sun: “Within the short period that he spent in our cell, he is already controlling inmates in the cell. They fear and respect him; we do not want to run the risk of allowing him to form another notorious group which is common amongst them.”

On why his family is yet to get access to him, the officer said that they are yet to approach the police. “A lot of his family members benefitted from his ill-gotten wealth, so they are afraid to come close to the police station.

Evans confirmed that he bought a car for his father and also gave him N3m. The police will recover such money and properties.

We will soon get a warrant to pick his father up and possibly his mother, who also benefitted.”
Calls and text messages to both the Lagos Police Spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole and the Force PRO, Moshood Jimoh on the official position of the Police on Evans’ whereabouts were neither answered nor responded to as at 10pm yesterday.

Saturday Sun Report

Lagos driver blinded after soldier’s attack

A commercial bus driver, Christopher Chimezie, has been living in pain since he lost the use of his left eye after a soldier reportedly attacked him at Abule Ado bus stop, at the Mile 2 end of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim had parked to pick passengers at the bus stop when the unidentified soldier repeatedly hit him with a baton in the eye.
He was said to have visited different hospitals in Lagos before he was referred to Ancilla Catholic Hospital, Agege.

After a surgical operation at the hospital, the victim’s condition reportedly became worse, as he started experiencing pains in the eye, which later went blind.

Chimezie, who spoke with our correspondent on Thursday, lamented that since the eye was operated on in November 2016, he had been placed on drugs.
The 54-year-old Imo State indigene said he regretted that he did not get the name of the soldier that started his ordeal.

He said, “The problem started on Tuesday, March 22, 2016. I drove to the bus stop to pick some passengers. I was in a hurry to go to church that day and so, I didn’t spend up to one minute at the bus stop.

“As I was driving out, I saw the soldier coming in my direction with a baton in his hand. I was not worried since I knew I didn’t do anything wrong.

“I was caught unawares when he started hitting my eye with the baton. He said, ‘Come down and fight me’. I have never met this man in my life and I didn’t have any issue with anyone on the road. I was also not causing any obstruction.

“My eye went blank and people brought me down to pour water on me as blood gushed out of my left eye. The soldier disappeared after the attack.”

He said some residents took him to a private hospital, from where he was referred to the General Hospital, Badagry.

He noted that afterwards, he was referred to different specialist hospitals, adding that the eye problem became worse.

After reportedly visiting four hospitals, he said he was advised to go to Ancilla Catholic Hospital.
“ I was told at the eye centre of the hospital that my eye lens was damaged and I would need an artificial replacement.

“After the surgery, which was done on November 22, 2016, I could not see again with the eye. I started having itching, headache, tears and some movements in the eye.

“The hospital told me that they discovered that I couldn’t use the artificial lens because of damage in another part of my eye. I have been living on drugs since then.

The pain relievers I am taking is affecting my health and I have been warned that it can affect my liver,” he added.

Chimezie, while lamenting that he had spent over N400,000 on the problem, said he had become bankrupt and could barely feed his family.

He said his concern was no longer about seeing with the eye, but stopping the pain, which he said the hospital was nonchalant about.

When our correspondent contacted the hospital, a receptionist, who identified herself as Sandra, asked our correspondent to call back.

About 30 minutes after when our correspondent called back, another female receptionist, who refused to identify herself, demanded a recount of the complaints.
She subsequently said the hospital would not talk without the presence of the patient.

 She said, “Are you related to him? Are you the patient? We cannot discuss anything concerning our patient with anybody. I am not even aware of any case like this; we don’t have any case like this. If you want to find out anything, please come to the hospital with the patient.”

When our correspondent advised that the receptionist speak with the medical director or a doctor at the facility before making any conclusion, she refused.

The spokesperson for the Nigerian Army, 81 Brigade, Sydney Mbaneme, did not pick his call and had yet to respond to a text message on the incident as of the time of going to press.

Punch Report

Ritual killings in Ikorodu : Why OPC joined forces with police, by Gani Adams

•How security agents, vigilantes took fight to Badoo gang’s hideouts
Last weekend, a team of police operatives, members of Gani Adams-led Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) and men of the Onyabo local vigilante stormed communities in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

They raided dark spots in the communities, picking suspected criminals. At the end of the raid, which took many hours, about 138 suspects were picked up for interrogation by the team.

And with the success of the raid, many people in Ikorodu are nursing the hope that the strange killings purportedly perpetrated by the Badoo group in the area would soon become a thing of the past.

The joint operation was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Edgal Imohimi.
The deadly group has in the last year been terrorising Ikorodu and its neighbouring communities, killing over 30 persons. Residents of the town who spoke with Daily Sun commended the police for the raid.

National coordinator of the OPC, Otunba Gani Adams, told newsmen that police authorities in Lagos State invited the group for a joint operation to rid Ikorodu of the violent crimes that had lately wreaked havoc on the sprawling community.

His words: “The police invited us to a meeting to see how we could complement their efforts in getting rid of the group. I was invited personally, but I told them I was coming with six of our coordinators in Ikorodu. They understand the terrain and could provide useful information needed for the job. And the police authorities obliged.

“It is sad that things got to this stage before we were invited. In an ideal environment, people at the grassroots take the centre stage in ensuring effective security of lives and property in their communities. That is community policing at the grassroots.”

Adams explained that the meeting had started yielding positive results with the recent raid of the area, even as he said the move by the police should have taken place earlier than now.

He, however,applauded the police boss for the initiative and asserted that the brief of the OPC was to assist the police in information gathering and strategy that could lead to the arrest of the criminals.

“Security of life and property is beyond the security agencies alone. There should be a good relationship between residents of these crisis-prone communities and all the security agencies, including NGOs and other groups. This is very important because they all have different but complementary roles to play in ensuring effective security in various communities,” he said.

Adams noted that the raid was successful, with investigations still in progress; moreover, some of those that were arrested have been released based on police findings after interrogation.
He also spoke on the barbaric killings of innocent families by members of the Badoo cult, who he said were obviously killing their victims for rituals.

Adams said: “From our findings, there are reports that the Badoo group have been terrorising Ikorodu and its environs for the past two years. They have been killing people for rituals and some prominent Nigerians are allegedly behind this criminal act.

From our findings, the Badoo boys don’t use guns or machetes. They use big grinding stones or pestles to kill their victims in the wee hours of the night. So it is sad, but now the police are investigating and we are supporting them with information and strategies to ensure that Ikorodu remains safe for residents.”

Beyond the Badoo group, Adams said the OPC was also collaborating with the police to rid Ikorodu of other criminals. In his opinion, Ikorodu had for along remained a haven for a number of criminals, including kidnappers, oil thieves, cultists and perpetrators of sundry other vices.
“Ikorodu has gradually become a safe hideaway for criminals. Of all the cultists in Lagos State, Ikorodu alone has about 30 per cent. That is bad.

Unfortunately, secret cults have shifted their base from the universities to our homes. Artisans, like vulcanisers, mechanics and others are now members of dreaded secret cults. Young boys in their teens are being initiated into cults and that is bad and it is a very dangerous signal and threat to the security of life and property in our society.

All these cultists are being recruited by prominent people in the society, especially politicians and leaders, who use them to perpetrate evil in the society.
“In this vein, we must do something to stop this trend, because it is going out of proportion. The public transporters, including their unions and associations, have to be checkmated.”

Some people have accused the OPC of having cultists and thugs as members, but Adams vehemently denied such accusations. He said, “For us in the OPC, under my leadership, it is a new dawn. We have got rid of all those with criminal tendencies in our group and we have a brand new OPC with educated members across board.

So, as far as I am concerned, different leaders should train and retrain their followers. Insecurity in our society has huge implication for us as a country, especially in the area of tourism. It affects us badly because no tourists will come to an insecure and volatile country.

“The situation in Ikorodu at the moment will affect us definitely because it is sending a wrong signal to the entire world. All these killings are reflected in our newspapers, which are read globally.

And, mind you, anything that affects Lagos, as the commercial nerve of the country, affects the entire country. The federal government should join hands with the Lagos State government and other security outfits to stop this senseless killings by the Badoo gang.”
Adams restated the commitment of his group to ensuring effective security of lives and property in the country, particularly in areas like Ikorodu.

He also noted that the case of the Badoo cult was spiritual and should be treated as such.
The OPC leader had a word for members of the killer gang: they either desist from their criminal activities or face the wrath of the law.

He also appealed to residents of Ikorodu to stop taking the law into their hands by mobbing and lynching suspected Badoo members. Some of those lynched have been discovered to be innocent members of the public.
“I urge residents of Ikorodu never to take the law into their hands. In a civilised country, whenever a suspect is apprehended over a criminal act, he or she is handed over to the police for investigation.

Lynching or killing a suspected criminal is outdated and we shouldn’t encourage jungle justice in our society. A situation whereby innocent citizens are killed over trumped-up allegations is absolutely bad and unlawful, therefore, we should be mindful of how we react to situations like this,” he counselled.
He advised residents to come out with vital information that could help the police in their investigations.

In their own little way, traditionalists in Ikorodu are currently carrying out a weeklong series of nocturnal rites to stop the spate of criminal acts in the community. Publisher of a community newspaper and an Ikorodu indigene, Chief Monsur Olowosaago, expressed satisfaction at the development in the town. He said the partnership between the police and the OPC would go a long way in solving the security issues in the town.

“I am happy that the police have done the needful. With the new strategy, I believe the issue of Badoo in Ikorodu will soon become a thing of the past,” he said.
Some members of the public are wondering, however, why men of the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps have been silent and seemingly inactive since the outfit was launched by the state government.

Daily Sun Report

Badoo gang kills 3 in Lagos church

There was pandemonium yesterday at the Owode Omirin area of Mile 12, Lagos, as the Badoo cult group killed three people in a church.

The police had, at the weekend, raided the Ikorodu axis and arrested 100 over the criminal activities of  the gang.

The Badoo gang beared its fangs yesterday, attacking a ‘white garment’ church on Anibaba Street, Owode. In the attack, three people lost their lives, bringing the number of people killed by the gang to 34.

It was gathered that the latest victims, slaughtered inside the church, included  a two-year-old boy.
A resident, Taiwo Animashaun, said: “The victims’ heads were smashed with grinding stones. Some parishioners, who came to sweep the church, discovered their bodies around 7am.

“As you can see, there is fear and apprehension in the community. We are afraid that the cult group, which concentrated in Ikorodu previously, has moved to Owode. They are moving down gradually from the suburb to Mile 12. This is a dangerous trend.

“We heard that after the weekend arrest by the police, the group wrote a letter threatening to deal with the people for inviting the police. We also heard that a Badoo suspect had confessed that over 160 members were recently initiated.”

Spokesman for the state police command, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole, who confirmed the attack, said: “There was a murder case reported at the police station, but we don’t have to narrow it to Badoo killing. What we are investigating is murder.

We will investigate the modus operandi of those behind the killing. We will look at the way the victims were killed before we can know whether it was Badoo killing or another form of murder.”

Meanwhile, the command has advised members of the public, especially residents of Ikorodu and environs, to move around with valid forms of identification.

Famous-Cole said: “This has become necessary following series of police operations lined up in the area. The command is deeply concerned about the criminal activities in the area, which is not only unlawful but also affecting the integrity of the state.

“The planned police operations demand residents to carry on them valid form of identification, which would be verified in order not to be restricted or face apprehension as adequate security arrangements have been put in place for the safety of citizen throughout the state by the police and other security agencies.”

Similarly, the Ogun State police command has warned the Badoo cult group to steer clear of the state or risk its wrath.

Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ahmed Iliyasu, said: “The command has made tactical and strategical deployment to deal with any form of security threat. Crime is crime; crime is dynamic, crime has no mark. Whether, it’s advance fee fraud, Badoo or any other crime, we are going to demystify you.”

Daily Sun Report

Adeboye, Oyedepo, Kumuyi order Christian students to boycott Arabic classes

Top Christian religious leaders in the country have condemned the subtle moves to convert Christian secondary school students to Muslims by imposing Arabic Studies on them by the Federal Government.

The Christian leaders who are all members of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) include Pastor Enoch Adeboye of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor W.F. Kumuyi of Deeper Life Bible Church, Bishop David Oyedepo of the Living Faith Church, Bishop Mike Okonkwo of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM) and Reverend Felix Omobude.

The religious leaders reject the imposition of Arabic studies on Christian students in Secondary schools in Nigeria and ordered Christian students to boycott the compulsory Arabic classes.

Vanguard newspaper in a report said the pastors at a meeting called for immediate reversal of the revised Basic Education Curriculum, especially the removal of Christian Religious Studies as part of a subject known as Religion and National Values, and maintained that Christian Religious Studies should stand on its own as a separate subject just as it has always been.

They criticised the move to impose Arabic Studies on every secondary school student in the country, stating that the federal government has no right to force any Nigerian student at any level to study Arabic Studies.

The leaders urged the Christian students all over Nigeria to “not attend Arabic classes” claiming that the government has no authority to force the children to attend the classes.

Omobude, who is the PFN national president, Oyedepo and Okonkwo all said: “We are aware of orchestrated plans to subtly use this policy as a means of forceful religious indoctrination and we maintain our stand against it.”

“Government has no right to force subjects on any any Nigerian child neither does it have the authority to drop Christian Religious Studies at the Senior Secondary School level while asking him/her to continue to read Islamic Studies which he/she cannot do at university level,” Bishop Oyedepo said, emphasising that by stopping Christian Religious Studies, CRS, automatically meant that it would not be embraced at the tertiary institutions.

Meanwhile, the Christian Association Nigeria (CAN) has called on the Federal Ministry of Education and the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) to publish the full details of the controversial new curriculum of education if they have no hidden agenda.

Speaking through its president, Dr Samson Ayokunle, CAN alleged that there is discrimination against Christian students in the curriculum.

PM NEWS Report

100 arrested as crackdown on Badoo gang continues

• Police investigate prominent politicians
The war on the Badoo cult group by the Lagos State government paid off at the weekend, as 100 suspected members have been arrested.

The suspects were nabbed by a joint security operation led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations in the Lagos State Police Command, Mr. Edgal Imohimi.

Joined in the combined security operation were the Department of State Security (DSS), the Rapid Response Squad, led by ACP Olatunji Disu, Lagos State Task Force, local vigilance group, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), led by the national coordinator, Gani Adams.

Daily Sun gathered that the suspects were picked up in Ikorodu, Ibeshi, Ita Maja, Ijede, Ikpakodo and other areas.

For some time now, members of the Badoo cult group have been terrorising the people of Ikorodu area of the state, killing over 25 persons in the most horrific manner.
Following the gang’s activities,  residents of Ikorodu and nearby suburbs have been living in fear, to the extent that many have relocated from the axis.

Confirming the arrests, Lagos State police PRO, Mr. Olarinde Famous-Cole, said: “We can confirm the arrest of 100 suspected members of the dreaded cult group, Badoo, and they are helping the police with ongoing investigation into the activities of the gang.

“The combined operation was led by DCP Edgal Imohimi. We carried out the operations on Saturday morning. Government is on top of the situation and we like to use this medium to caution the people against jungle justice. Members of the public should go about their normal duties, as security agencies are poised to make the state uncomfortable for criminals.”

Meanwhile, a police officer has revealed  why the end may not be in sight to the menace of the Badoo cult group in Ikorodu.

The top police officer told Daily Sun that the group sells handkerchiefs, which its members  use in cleaning the blood of their victims for  N500,000 each to some highly-placed Nigerians for rituals.
Said he: “We heard they sell one handkerchief dabbed in  the blood of their victims for N500,000 to highly placed Nigerians, especially politicians who use it for ritual in preparation for the 2019 election.

“We are  investigating the veracity of the claim. That was why we  engaged in joint operations with the commander of the RRS, DSS, Lagos State Task Force and vigilance groups. DCP Edgal Imohimi led the operation. We  raided the group’s black spot at Igbobo/Bayeku, Ibeshe, Ijede, Imota and Ikorodu.
“At the appropriate time, the police would unmask the prominent Nigerians who are behind the dastardly and shameful act.” 
 
He confirmed that there was a meeting between security agencies and local vigilance groups at Ipakodo division before the raid kicked-off from Ibeshe, where majority of the suspects were nabbed.
  An OPC member, Mr. Abiodun Akerejola, aka Ojolebua, who spoke to crime reporters, said the raid on Bodoo hideouts was a welcome development.

According to him, “a few days ago, there was a closed-door emergency meeting of officials of Lagos State  Police Command and OPC members, led by Gani Adams, and other vigilance groups over the security challenge in Ikorodu axis.

  “The issue of Badoo and other cult activities in Ikorodu and environs should give everyone concern, not only the police. We do not know the next family or person they may attack. We appreciate the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, over his support and assistant.”

Balogun Moses, a resident of one of the communities, said: “If such raid is maintained on a monthly basis in our community, crime rate would  reduce.  We commend the efforts of all the security agencies and local vigilante. Everyone can have peace and sleep with two eyes closed. For the past eight months, Ikorodu has been  in  the news on a daily basis.”

On how residents’ crackdown on the gang started, an eyewitness, Tony Ayim, said some local vigilance group members stopped a SUV with some occupants who looked suspicious.

He said: “The occupants were dressed in boxers and when they were questioned they claimed they were going to tow a vehicle, but could not say the specific area where the vehicle was parked.

This prompted the vigilantes to search the vehicle and they discovered some grinding stones similar to the ones used by Badoo cult members in hacking their victims to death. When the stones were discovered, the vigilance group members raised the alarm, which attracted other passers-by.

“The angry mob lynched the suspects and set them ablaze. This was after a mob also set ablaze some suspects three days ago.”

In a related development, the Lagos State government yesterday cautioned residents to desist from carrying out jungle justice on suspected members of the Badoo gang and other criminals, as government would leave no stone unturned to bring them to justice.

Daily Sun Report

37 days in captivity: Why we’re yet to release Lagos pupils –Militants

Militants who abducted six students from the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, 37 days ago, have given reasons they are yet to release the students despite collecting N30million ransom in two instalments from some parents.

The gunmen who stormed the school in the early hours of Thursday, May 25 were alleged to have collected the second tranche of the N30million, which is N20million with a promise to release the students in the early hours of Sunday, June 25. They had earlier collected N10million jointly contributed by parents with a promise to free the students.

For the second time within a month, expectations of the victims’ families and friends were dashed when the militants reneged again and like the first instance, closed all lines of communication with the families.

Saturday Sun gathered through a chat with one of the sources close to the kidnappers that the rumored plans by security operatives to invade the creeks as soon as the students are released have created apprehension in the militants camp.  The planned military raid is expected to cover Lagos, Ogun and Ondo creeks.

“From our own information network, we learnt the military and other security agencies are planning to bombard the creeks through air and land attacks and we are no fools to just release the students without proper planning for our own escape and safety.

For now, the students will serve as our shield”, the source who spoke from the militants camp revealed.

He further stated that if the plan to attack their camp in the creeks is not quickly dropped, the militants would have no option but to relocate their captives to the more dangerous camps in Delta creeks.

Meanwhile some of the militant commanders in Ondo State who have since accepted amnesty are frustrated by the continued delay in the release of the children.

“The tension is mounting as America has succeeded in convincing everyone that he is going to be a strong commander. Many militants who are opposing his authority especially from Agbala camp are showing allegiance to America.

(Agbala is an ex-militant who has since accepted amnesty and is allegedly working for Government)  Agbala and some others in Ondo are working with government and they assured them that they will see to the safe return of the children. Since they have not kept to their promise, everyone is frustrated. America has officially taken control of the creeks,’ the source added.

On the possible new location where the children will be taken to, our source said that plans are on for immediate relocation of the children either to Delta or Bayelsa.

“They are still awaiting the arrival of a strong boat and well armed men who will escort them. There are still creeks that are safe in the Niger Delta region where they intend to move the students. They are likely to be released over there,” the source stated.

Saturday Sun learnt that for more than five days, the militants are yet to get across to any of the families or anyone concerning the fate of the children.

According to one of the parents, “We are gradually losing hope in this country. If they picked up a local government chairman’s child, I am sure that the current government will do the needful to hasten their release.

They have stopped calling us despite their promise to release the children. We are begging them (militants) to have mercy on us and release our boys to us.”

When contacted to ascertain efforts by the Lagos State command, the police spokesman, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole said “the command is working hard on all clues that will lead to the rescue of the children.” Another senior police officer in the command who spoke on condition of anonymity said everyone is simply praying for the safe return of the students.

“Our concern is the safe return of these students. No one is combing anywhere anymore because it is risky and could jeopardise the life of those boys.

“We will wait for them outside because they are not going to remain in the creeks forever. If the likes of Ossy, TK, Kelly and Millions are no more, their current commander popularly called ‘America’ will surely fall one day.

No one is interested in raiding creeks for the security of those students and other possible victims. One day nemesis will catch up with him (America) and others.”

After collecting the first tranche of N10m, parents who were anxiously awaiting the return of their children however got a rude shock when the kidnappers backtracked as soon as they collected the money. Rather than release the students as promised, Saturday Sun learnt that they sent a text message to one of the parents threatening to kill their children if the balance of N40m was not paid.

In an unedited text message to one of the parents, the militants said: “Mr man, Our message is dat inform ur other people should look 4 our balance. B4 any disscusion by next wk Thursday gather the balance or else u people will cry…” (Mr man, our message is that you should inform other parents to look for our balance.

Before any further discussion by next week Thursday, get our balance or else you people will cry…).
It was gathered that the militants who initially demanded N400million ransom had reduced it to N50million.

Saturday Sun Report.