ROYAL ROBBER

• Imo chief nabbed for robbery months after coronation
• I only vandalize cars –Suspect

For Mbaise people in Imo State, Ifeanyi Nwigwe is one of the respectable men in the land, hence the choice of making him the Aku enwe ebe 1 of Ezinihitte Mbaise (money is not restricted to any town). But months after he was crowned by the community, Ifeanyi was arrested in Lagos for robbery and now cooling his heels in detention.

Saturday Sun gathered that prior to his installation as the Aku enwe ebe 1 of Ezinihitte Mbaise, the suspect had been on the wanted list of the Lagos State police command whose operatives eventually arrested him along with his relative, Vincent Emezuem over a armed robbery incident in the state. Now guests at the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Ikeja, Lagos, the duo admitted to having vandalized hundreds of cars in Lagos and other states.

It was learnt that following intelligence reports on the activities of car vandals in Lagos, the state Commissioner of Police, Umaru Manko directed the commander of SARS, Abba Kyari, who deployed detectives that tracked Ifeanyi down at ASPAMDA market where he had a shop stocked with motor spare parts. Realising that the game was up, the suspect was said to have fled and resurfaced when he felt the coast was clear. Unfortunately for him, the detectives, who knew his modus operandi, caught him in the act in the Ojo area of Lagos while he was busy doing what he knows best, car vandalization.

Giving an insight into how he ventured into the world of crime, the suspect said: “Shortly after I graduated from the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede Owerri, Imo State, my elder brother requested that I should relocate to Lagos and join him in his business. He was into auto parts business at ASPAMDA market, Lagos.

“I learnt the trade for one year and while I was waiting to raise money and start up my own shop, I decided to relocate to Ladipo market where second hand products known as tokunbo are sold. I joined a group of young men who served as middle men between customers and the main dealers. All they do is to source for customers and refer them to a dealer who has the product in his shop. You will be paid an agreed commission for each customer you bring.
“It was while I was in the process that I realised that most of the goods sold at Ladipo market were stolen. Reason being that they are sold cheap to mechanics and customers who decide to come and pick themselves.”

Desperate and impatient, Ifeanyi decided to cut corners by learning how to get those cheap motor parts from the right source. “I discovered that those who were supplying these stolen motor spare parts were driving cars and building houses. I briefly learnt from one Martin, how to successfully vandalize cars undetected. So, sometime in 2010, I went into full vandalization. Initially, our target areas were in big churches where they park cars carelessly without any security man ensuring the safety of the cars.

“It was becoming risky, so we started working at night and I discovered that for every successfully operation, we will almost leave with a bag full of motor spare parts. These include motor top gasket which we normally sell to dealers at the price of N10,000, N15,000 or even N20,000 depending on the content. Others are side mirrors, the head lamps and so many other things that are in hot demand in the market. In Nigeria, there is much demand for Toyota and Honda products, so we concentrate on these two brands,” Ifeanyi further said.

For over three years, Ifeanyi made so much money and never forgot to extend the proceeds to family and friends. He also acquired so much wealth that he was able to start up his business, by securing a shop at the ASPAMDA market where brand new motor parts are sold. “God was on my side and the business flourished. I wanted to stop stealing; I saved so much money and rented a shop at ASPAMDA market. I also ordered a container load of brand new motor spare parts.

“Naturally, when you are making progress, people will love to associate with you. My community recognised me because I was so generous. This has always been my dream to help people better their lives. In recognition of my contribution to the progress of my community, I was elected as the financial secretary of our village meeting. Impressed by my performance, I was made the Aku enwe ebe 1 of Ezinihitte Mbaise in 2012.”

Unfortunately, Ifeanyi never knew that his crime was gradually catching up with him. Hundreds of his victims reported his activities to the police hence the manhunt. In 2013, they tracked him down but he escaped when he learnt that policemen visited his house and shop. “I had sincerely stopped stealing when they came for me. I wanted to hand myself over to the police but when I learnt that it was SARS, Ikeja, I decided to run for my life. For months I had nothing doing and only relied on my savings in the bank. When it finished, I had no choice but to return to the business of vandalizing cars.

“I needed to retain my honour in the eyes of my community so that I will not lose my respect. It was while on duty (vandalizing a car) on May 11, 2014 that the police arrested me. I am terribly sorry and I ask for another opportunity to get it right,” Ifeanyi pleaded.

His accomplice and relation, Vincent, confirmed his story and begged that they should be forgiven. “Our own style of robbery is different. We do not carry guns but instruments that will assist us to open a car with ease. We also go along with fireworks, this is necessary to scare anyone who dares to come close when we are on duty vandalizing cars. I am a father of three boys and I wanted to give my children a good life by sending them to school. Please, forgive us for the sake of my children,” Vincent said.
 

Source: Sun

30 more killed in Borno Villages

No fewer than 30 people were killed on Thursday in separate attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on three villages in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The latest attack brings the number of persons killed by the terrorists in the last five days across the troubled state to 98.

Most of the dead were killed during attacks on isolated villages.
Kirenowa town was the first to be attacked by the extremists. About 20 persons were killed during the attack that lasted nearly five hours.
Residents said scores of armed insurgents stormed the area around noon, shooting everyone at sight and setting houses, shops and vehicles ablaze.

“The militants, armed with sophisticated weapons, raided the area and proceeded to the major market and began sporadic shootings into the crowd, killing 20 people on the spot and burning most of the houses and shops in the town,” Mallam Goni Bukar, a resident said.
He told journalists on the telephone that the residents were taken unawares because they had not come under such an attack in a long time.

Bukar said, “Throughout the onslaught that lasted for over five hours, there was no single security operative to confront the attackers. The attackers snatched several vehicles and loaded them with bags of food before they fled.”
A traditional ruler in the community, who did not want his name mentioned, confirmed the incident, adding that over 60 houses were burnt.

He decried the absence of security operatives in the area, claiming they had alerted relevant authorities on the need to deploy troops to safeguard the community to no avail.
“Immediately after the Gamboru Ngala attack where over 300 people were killed, we urged the security agents to deploy their personnel but our appeal fell on deaf ears,” Bukar said.

-Punch

WE WERE BARRED FROM REPELLING GAMBORU ATTACK – SOLDIER

A Nigerian soldier currently serving in Borno state has alleged that members of the Boko Haram attacked Gamboru Ngala in their presence but that their commander instructed them not to repel the insurgents.

The soldier who did not want to be named told the BBC Hausa Service that apart from foot soldiers, choppers were seen hovering in the air while the attacks were ongoing, but no assistance was rendered to the people.

Gamboru Ngala, a neighbouring community in the Nigeria-Cameroon border was attacked on May 5 where over 300 people were killed with many houses and a market completely razed down.
The soldier said: “What I saw the day the attack took place really surprised me. Not only me, even my other colleagues were surprised, and we were all afraid. We entered Gamboru Ngala town few minutes to 5pm, we heard loud sounds and saw thick smokes from around the Gamboru market.
“We then realized that it was the market that was set ablaze. As we got to our camp at Gamboru, before our commander went to his office, he told the soldiers that nobody should dare go close to the town.

“He further said an all-round defence be deployed to guard our camp. But even when we were coming, we saw that soldiers with armoured tanks and all the weapons, police and members of Civilian JTF had already surrounded our camp,” he said.

The soldier said “Instead of him to direct us to go and face the insurgents, since we’re soldiers who know how to attack them, and the Civilian JTF are from the town who know where we would follow to enter the town so that the insurgents would not see us,” that was not done.

Asked if he suspected any foul play, the soldier said: “Exactly, we thought it was a set up. If he had allowed us to go into Gamboru town, I’m sure no member of Boko Haram would have escaped that day, because we soldiers were more than 200, and the Civilian JTF told us that only about 50 of the insurgents had guns. But we were shocked when our CO asked us not to go.”
The soldier also said that the Boko Haram insurgency could only be tackled if their “superiors remove their hands from the matter.”

“If our superiors don’t remove their hands from this issue, I can assure you the Boko Haram insurgency would not be tackled. We saw a chopper right at the point the insurgents were operating giving them cover.

“We learnt those in the chopper were instructed to attack the armoured tank brought by the insurgents, but that was not done. If they didn’t allow us to face the insurgents, why didn’t the chopper attack? That is where you’ll see complicity clearly,” he added.

However, chairman of the National Information Centre on security and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mike Omeri, said the allegations were baseless.

“You know Nigerian soldiers are experts; they know what they’re doing. If they ever get such information, they immediately swing into action and do the right thing.

“We heard about the incident of Gamboru Ngala that soldiers were initially told about the attack. But we later discovered it wasn’t true. I am sure whatever comes to our soldiers, they investigate to see what it is and tackle it,” he said.
Source: Daily Trust

I Saw Bomb Rip Fish Seller’s Stomach – Survivor

One of the survivors of Sunday night’s suicide bomb attack in the Sabon Gari district of Kano has narrated how the blast ripped open the stomach of a girl who carried a tray of fish on her head.
The survivor who gave his name as Ibeabuchi told LEADERSHIP that he was just standing at the entrance of their compound when he heard a loud explosion and suddenly fell down unconsciously. He said when he regained consciousness, he saw horrible sights that he would not forget for a long time.

“I saw a young boy burning helplessly. There was a girl I saw on the ground whom I knew was selling fish along that street; the bomb ripped her stomach open. I also saw a dead man on the floor. He used to sell ‘Suya’ and his leg was cut off.”
Ibeabuchi who has not stopped thanking God for what he called “deliverance from the hands of the wicked” told LEADERSHIP that the state and federal governments must find a lasting solution to the wave of terrorist attacks.

Our reporter who was at the scene of the blast at about 11pm saw a young man at the scene of the blast, wailing and rolling on the ground as he agonised over his brothers killed and wounded by the blast. “What did we do to them that they are bombing us like this?” he asked.
The young man was later picked up by security agents who comforted him and kept him in protective custody.

An eye witness, Raymond Chibueze told our reporter that his sister, Gloria Ibe was seriously injured with sharp nails all over her body as the blast left her with broken bones.
Raymond, who had blood all over his trouser, said he took his sister to the military hospital and she was responding to treatment.

Raymond said by the next day when he was at the military hospital, he was told that out of the injured persons brought to the hospital, three persons had died. According to him, there was only an injured lady left at the military hospital.

Meanwhile, the president of Ohaneze Ndigbo in Kano, Chief Pascal Passover Nwosu described the incident as unfortunate and very callous, saying there is no religion that preaches killing people.
Pascal said religion preaches the sanctity of human life, adding that wasting people’s lives in the name of religion is an abomination.

He appealed to security agencies to step up security measures in Sabon Gari area where non-natives are the majority.
Source: Leadership News

POLICE SAY 46 PEOPLE KILLED IN JOS BOMB BLASTS

At least 46 people were killed when two car bombs ripped through a busy market in the central Nigerian city of Jos, police said on Tuesday.

Plateau state police commissioner Chris Olakpe told reporters that 45 others were injured in the blasts, which happened in the New Abuja Market area of the city.

Also the Plateau State Government says it is “not in a hurry’’ to release the casualty figures from Tuesday afternoon’s two bomb blasts which hit the Terminus Market in Jos.

“The casualty figures have not been ascertained because the figures are still being collated from various hospitals,’’ the state’s Information Commissioner, Olivia Dazyam, told newsmen in Jos on Tuesday.

She however said the figures would be made available “as soon as possible’’.
The commissioner said security agents had been drafted to the scene of the blasts, and advised hospitals to accept the victims and begin treatment immediately.

“Full investigation has begun on the incident. But we want people to be calm and pray, especially for the victims.

“We also want everyone to support the authorities in these trying times,’’ she said
Source: Vanguard

MEND claims responsibility for P’Harcourt blast

THE Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta has claimed responsibility for the explosion around the Port Harcourt Refinery Jetty on Sunday.

MEND, in a statement released on Monday by its spokesperson, Jomo Gbomo, said the attack on the pipelines was part of its ongoing operation codenamed ‘Hurricane Exodus’.

Dismissing claims that oil thieves and pipeline vandals were responsible for the explosion, the militant group said that the facility was infiltrated by some of its fighters with the aide of agents within the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

MEND pointed out that a thorough investigation into the incident would reveal some fragments of explosives similar to the ones used in the Warri Refinery explosion on October 22, 2013.

“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta takes responsibility for the sabotage on Sunday, May 18, 2014, on the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Refinery Jetty pipelines in Okrika, Rivers State of Nigeria.

“This attack is in line with our ongoing operation ‘Hurricane Exodus’, which was intended to bring down the entire refining facility. This facility was infiltrated by a few of our fighters with the aid of our internal agents within the NNPC.

“This is contrary to speculations that the sabotage was carried out by pipeline vandals and oil thieves, which is a very convenient phrase used in shielding the truth from the public.

“Thorough investigations will reveal bomb fragments are the same used in the Warri Refinery explosion of Tuesday, October 22, 2013,” MEND’s statement partly read.

Explaining that the attacks on the Nigerian oil industry would persist as a result of the inaction of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“We will persist with our attacks on the Nigerian oil industry due to the inaction of President Goodluck Jonathan who continues to rely on an unsustainable and fraudulent Niger Delta Amnesty programme, which is only a guise to line the pockets of Goodluck Jonathan, his wife Patience, Jonathan’s cronies and members of the Amnesty Committee whose sudden wealth remains unchallenged by the Nigerian media.

“The entire amnesty process is a fraud on the people of Nigeria who are being promised peace in the Niger Delta, in the absence of justice. ‘Hurricane Exodus’ is still on course,” the militant group added.

Meanwhile, following the explosion near the jetty on Sunday, the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited said none of its facilities was gutted by fire following the boat explosion near the jetty on Sunday.

The company on Monday explained that none of its staff was killed or injured during the incident.

-Punch