DSS arrests 21 Boko Haram suspects in Lagos, Enugu, others

ABUJA—The Department of State Services, DSS, said yesterday that it had arrested notable commanders and front line members of the notorious Islamic sect, Boko Haram, from different parts of the country, especially, those responsible for the coordination and execution of the suicide attacks in Potiskum, Kano, Zaria and Jos.

DSS, in a statement by Tony Opuiyo, said a number of the terrorists were also arrested in Lagos, Kano, Plateau, Enugu and Gombe states, following re-strategized counter-terrorism measures deployed to combat the menace of insurgency in Nigeria.

DSS noted that the group’s new pattern of movement and spread is necessitated by the pressure being put on them in their core areas of strength in the North-East.

The services gave the names of masterminds of suicide attacks in Potiskum, Kano, Zaria and Jos, currently in its custody to include, Usman Shuaibu, alias Money; Ahmed Mohammed, alias Abubakar; Adamu Abdullahi, alias Babpa; Ibrahim Isa, alias Mohammed Sani, and Muttaqa Yusuf, alias Mudtaka.

Confessions
According to the statement, “during interrogation, Usman Shuaibu revealed that he coordinated the attacks under reference with N500,000, which was provided by his Amir, one Isa Ali.
It said: “He claimed that the said Isa Ali has links to the leader of the Boko Haram sect, Abubakar Shekau, from where he collects funds for operations undertaken by their Markaz. Also, he revealed that he had participated in several Boko Haram attacks, including the attacks at Gwoza Divisional Police Station in 2014.

“Shuaibu admitted being the leader of the team of nine sect members that was dispatched from Sambisa Forest to carry out the attacks. He disclosed that four out of the nine members were used as suicide bombers.

“Another suspect, Ahmed Mohammed, who is an improvised explosives devices, IEDs, expert, confessed to the preparation of the IEDs used for the attacks. He also averred that he (Abubakar) was the one who strapped the suicide bombers, notably Sule and his wives, with IED vests, which they used in the attacks in Jos.

“Adamu Abdullahi has confessed that Usman Shuaibu motivated him to work closely with Mohammed in the preparation of the IEDs used in the attacks under reference.”
Ibrahim Isa, DSS said, confessed that he was the one who carried out reconnaissance on the targets in Jos ahead of the attacks.

Muttaqa Yusuf, in his confession, disclosed that one Aliyu, believed to be Aliyu Gombe, in Sambisa Forest, was the one that ordered the serial attacks which the syndicate carried out. He further confessed that he assisted Usman Shuaibu in planning and executing the said attacks.

Arrested in Lagos
Other terrorists suspects arrested by the service include Bakura Modu, arrested on July 20 at Kara, Isheri Berger, Ikeja LGA, Lagos State; Mustapha Alli Jamneri, arrested on July 24, at Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Alimosho LGA, Lagos State; and Abuyi Sherriff, arrested on August 7, at Ebute-Meta, Lagos Mainland LGA, Lagos State.

Others are Babagana Ali and Babagana Koloye, who were arrested on August 7, at Eric Moore, Bode Thomas Street, Surulere LGA, Lagos State; Abba Modu Sagma, arrested on August 9, at Ijora Badiya, Apapa LGA, Lagos State.

Grema Abubakar and Tijani Bagudu were arrested on August 10, at Amukoko, Ijora Badiya, Apapa LGA, Lagos State; and Baba Alhaji and Abass Ibrahim, arrested earlier on the same day, at Alaba International Market, Alaba, Ojo LGA, Lagos State.

Enugu, Kano
Also in the custody of DSS were Ibrahim Audu, who was arrested on August 19, at New Artisan Market, Enugu, Enugu State, and 30-year-old Ibrahim Haruna from Kanawa village, Sumaila LGA, Kano State, who was arrested on August 21, at Kwomi village, Kwami LGA, Gombe State.

Mal Ali Mohammodu, a 33-year-old suspect, was arrested on August 22, at Ibrahim Taiwo Road, Fagga LGA in Kano State, and Adam Wakil Abdul Jilbe, arrested on August 23, at Obanikoro Area, Mushin LGA, Lagos State. Mohammed Usman was arrested on August 25 at Atuashe Estate, Gbagada, Kosofe LGA, Lagos State.

DSS said: “Nigerians and indeed the general public have to note that the arrest of Usman Shuaibu, alias Money, and the core members of his cell, stemmed the spate of bombings by the extremist sect.
“Money and his group were arrested on their way to Bauchi State, to execute another bomb attack.
“Furthermore, the sudden influx of Boko Haram members into Lagos State points to the determination of the sect to extend its activities to  other parts of the country.”
Source:Vanguard

Air Force plane crash kills 7 in Kaduna

A light military plane, Dornier 2k,  has   crashed in Kaduna with all seven on board feared dead.

The plane, which took off   from Dana Airport, operated by the Nigeria Air Force, NAF, in Kaduna, came down some minutes after at the Kantoma Army Barracks, otherwise known as the NDA Barracks, around 6. 45 am, a source told Sunday Vanguard. 

At the time of this report, all movement into and outside the barracks  was barred.
But a top military brass in Kaduna, who spoke shortly after leaving the scene of the accident, said all on board perished.

He said: “It is true. A Dornier 2k plane crashed this morning at the NDA Barracks. There were seven people on board.  None of them survived”.
It was gathered that the pilot, co-pilot, two engineers and three passengers were on  board  the plane, which was on its way to Abuja.

A  NAF statement, yesterday, by Air Commodore Dele Alonge, Director of Airforce Public Relations, confirmed the incident, saying: “A  Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Dornier-228 aircraft, with registration NAF030, has crashed into a house at Ribadu Cantonment, Kaduna.

“Though no casualty was recorded on ground, there were no survivors among the passengers on board the aircraft.
“The aircraft was Abuja bound and had taken-off at about 6:45am from the Kaduna Military Airfield before the mishap.

“Bodies of the passengers have been recovered and fire fighters are already at the crash site to curtail fire from spreading to other buildings within the vicinity”.

Last night, the Chief  of the Air Staff,  Air Vice Marshal Sadique  Abubakar, expressed deep pain over the crash, saying a board had been constituted to investigate the immediate and remote cause of the sad incident.

Abubakar, who spoke yesterday at the 97 Special Operations Group, Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, after a visit to the scene of the  incident in Kaduna, said it was tragic, adding that he will not want to pre-empt the outcome of the findings of the body set up to unravel the circumstances.
He said he had consoled the families of those involved in the crash.

“These are some of the hazards associated with flying. We  have set up a board to immediately find out the immediate and remote causes of the accident . We will look at the report of that board to see the cause. It was a very tragic one . I have gone to condole the families, the pilots that were involved in the accident. I don’t want to pre-empt the findings of the board we set up to come up with its findings”, the NAF Chief said.

Fielding questions from newsmen, he said he was in Port Harcourt  to  charge the fighting spirit of his men against oil theft and illegal oil bunkering, adding that the airforce had acquired a marine patrol aircraft to enhance its  operations around the marine environment of the country.
Source:Vanguard

Sixty-five-year-old landlord lured our daughter, raped her for rituals – Victim’s mother

In another case that has highlighted the increasing child sexual abuses in Nigeria, a 65-year-old landlord, in Akowonjo area of Lagos, Mr. Ganiyu Sani, has allegedly raped a seven-year-old girl, Blessing. But this time, the parents of the victim believe he did it for ritual purposes.

The civil servant mother of the victim told our correspondent that on Monday, August 17, 2015, when she got back from work and was having dinner with her children, Blessings started to touch her crotch and complain of pain.

“I felt the part she was touching and asked what was wrong with her. I thought she was referring to her lower abdomen and believed it must be stomach ache. But she insisted that it was her private part.

 “I asked if she fell down and hurt herself but she simply shook her head. I asked if someone hit her there while she was playing with other children in the neighbourhood, she said no. I started suspecting there was something bigger than what she was telling me.

“I pleaded with her to tell me what happened. That was when she told me about what Baba did. I could not contain my anger. I was shocked, angry and sad at the same time that such an old man could do such a thing to my daughter. My daughter had no reason to lie.”

Blessing’s father, a trader from Ebonyi State, works in the Eastern part of the country while his wife and the children live in Lagos because of his wife’s work.

He was in the East when he received a call from his wife about what had happened to their daughter. He told his wife to take a neighbour along to go and confront Baba, who denied everything immediately.

Baba Sani, a landlord who lives on renting out Danfo buses to commercial bus drivers, lives just two houses away from Blessing’s parents.

Blessing, an exuberant, fair complexioned girl, was not shy when our correspondent spoke with her about what Baba Sani did to her.

She explained that the old man usually crossed from his house to fetch water from a tap beside their house.

She said, “On Friday, my mummy was not around and he came to fetch water (like he normally does). When he was passing in the front of our house, he asked me to follow him to come and collect biscuit.

“When I got to Baba’s house, he put off my shoes and carried me to his bed. He removed my pants and lay on my chest. When I was shouting, he said I should not shout, that he would give me biscuit and N20.

“When he finished, I saw blood coming out and Baba used a cloth to clean it. He said I should not tell anybody. He gave me biscuit and N20.”

Shockingly, without Blessing’s mother knowing, Baba Sani allegedly called the girl and raped her again the following day, a Saturday.

To dispel doubts about the girl’s allegation, she was asked to explain the location of Baba Sani’s bedroom inside the building and her description was found to be exact description when our correspondent eventually paid Baba Sani a visit.

Our correspondent spoke with Baba Sani in company of the director of Esther Child Rights Foundation, Esther Ogwu, who the case was initially reported to by the girl’s parents.

The man, who walked with the gait of someone approaching senility, started off by saying Blessing’s mother was an acquaintance, even though the girl’s mother said she had never had reason to speak to him before.

Baba Sani said, “The girl’s mother once approached me about a month ago to lend her N500. She sent her daughter to collect it and I gave it to them. Later, the girl with her younger sister came to my house that Friday to ask for money and I gave them N20.

“I did not do anything. I don’t know anything about what they have accused me of. God is my witness. I am just surprised about why I am the one the girl is accusing of such a thing.”

When asked how the girl could possibly know where his bedroom was in the house, the old man said he had no idea.

Blessing’s mother said she had many other co-tenants and neighbours and said she couldn’t have imagined asking Baba Sani to lend her any money.

A test conducted at the Mirabel Sexual Assault Referral Centre at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, confirmed that the girl was indeed raped as lacerations on her private part were consistent with sexual assault.

The case was reported at the Gowon Estate Police Division.

Ogwu explained to our correspondent that she was disappointed that initially the police did not handle the case as if they were interested in prosecuting the man. She said rather than charge him to court, they released him from custody despite the fact that they had got the report of the test conducted on the girl.

The child rights activist said, “According to the information I was given, the man was pretending that he was insane when he was arrested. Everybody in the neighbourhood could testify that nothing was wrong with him.

“It should not be too hard to enforce the law in this case. The Child Rights Act is there. It is unfortunate that the mother of the child did not monitor her daughter well. There are so many young children in that neighbourhood that could have been victims of the man.”

Baba Sani was arraigned before an Ikeja family court on charges of defilement and child abuse on Monday. He was remanded in prison custody while the case was adjourned till September 4, 2015.

 Source:Punch

HOW I DRUGGED, DECAPITATED MY GIRLFRIEND’S BROTHER OVER N750,000 – SUSPECT

UYO—THIRTY-FIVE years old Steven Anowa, from Njikoka Local Government Area in Anambra State, presently cooling his heels with the police in Akwa Ibom State, has related how he butchered 31-year-old Daniel Bassey Solomon, the brother of his girlfriend at his one-room apartment in Itu Street, Uyo, the state capital.

Solomon hailed from Uruan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. His killer, who is in the habit of changing residences, had just packed from Uruan where he met and started dating Solomon’s sister, about two years ago.

Anowa, who has no perceptible means of livelihood, but lives a showy lifestyle, confessed that he invited the deceased to his home after he refused to repay the N750,000 he allegedly used to set up a barbing saloon for him (Solomon).

The deceased came to know him through his sister, which was why he funded his barbing saloon. In fact, the suspect had just relocated to Itu Street with just a bed and mattress when the wacky incident occurred.

Drink of death
Retiring Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, Mr. Gabriel Achong, who was conceivably performing his last official job, said the culprit confessed to have committed the act after inviting his friend, Solomon, to his house. Unknown to Solomon, who dozed off after gulping the bottle of beer, the suspect had spiked the drink. Anowa admitted that he called his victim on phone for an urgent meeting in his house.

‘Why I cut him to pieces’
He said: “At about 3a.m, I decided to kill him. I gave him the first cut and the guy got up. I gave him a second one and then he died and I butchered him to parts.” He said he was riled because the deceased dared to raise his voice at him when he demanded payment of the N750,000 he purportedly loaned him over two years ago.

“We reported the matter to SARS about two years ago and he agreed on a time frame to pay up the N750,000, but till today, he has refused to pay the money. “So when I invited him to my house that day, he started shouting and getting angry with me, so I killed him. I am not dealing on body parts, I only cut him to pieces to be able to carry him.”

The suspect said convinced that he had overpowered his victim, he brought out a rope and tied his neck to a bed in the one-room apartment so that even if he suddenly regained consciousness, he would not be able to escape. Subsequently, he stabbed him on the chest with a knife sharpened and kept for the purpose. He said Solomon died without much resistance. He said he used the machete to cut off the head and dismembered each of the body parts of his friend.

…abandons body
Achong confirmed the suspect’s claim that he entertained Solomon with a drugged beer, adding that it was not long before the deceased dozed, giving him the opportunity to tie him to a bed and stabbing him to death. He said police were able to track down the suspect because of the support of an informant, who kept contacting him on phone, just as the police kept tracking the calls.

He packed the parts in a sack and dragged it to Itu Road. He removed some body parts, dumped them in a place along School Road and hid the head in an abandoned dump site on the same Itu Road.”
Source: Vanguard

NDLEA occupies Arik attendant’s house, grills co-workers

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Wednesday stormed and occupied the Lagos house of Chika Egwu Udensi, a crew member of the Arik Air flight W3101, who was arrested with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine at the London Heathrow Airport.

The NDLEA moved to the house after they had interrogated pilots and flight attendants of the flight that left the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for London on Monday night. The interrogation lasted for several hours at the NDLEA head office in Lagos.

It was gathered that soon after the interrogation, the NDLEA moved to the suspect’s house in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State.

A source, who did not say if there were occupants in the house, told one of our correspondents that the NDLEA men were “currently occupying the house, and we will not leave here until we get all the evidence that we want.”

It was gathered that although the operatives had seized the suspect’s Range Rover, the NDLEA was still of the opinion that Udensi had other property.

The source said, ‘We are investigating if he has other property in Lagos or elsewhere. Some of them (suspected drug courier) live simple lives, but have other valuables stashed everywhere. We are searching for incriminating documents.”

On the interrogation, the NDLEA in a statement said the entire crew members including some support staff that worked on the flight before it departed Lagos appeared before narcotic investigators at the Ikoyi headquarters of the agency.

They include two pilots and members of the cabin crew comprising an Australian and a South African.

The statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, read in part, “The invitation which was made by the agency was swiftly complied with by the management of Arik Air.

“The crew members were conveyed to the NDLEA office in an official bus belonging to Arik Air. This is part of ongoing investigation to determine their level of involvement in the smuggling of 20 kg of cocaine found with Chika Egwu Udensi, a member of the cabin crew in London.

“The latest Range Rover car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had also been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.”

Ofoyeju also confirmed to one of our correspondents that the operatives went to the attendant’s house, adding, “Wait till tomorrow (Thursday). We will make a comprehensive statement on it.”

Meanwhile, the Chairman/ Chief Executive Officer, NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, was said to have promised to carry out an elaborate investigation into the ongoing case, stressing that all persons involved would be exposed and prosecuted.

“The agency has made remarkable progress in it counter-narcotic efforts and will resist any act capable of reversing the gains so far recorded,” he said.

However, findings by our correspondent revealed that the NDLEA and other aviation security officials were seriously grilling an Arik staff member working in the catering department who is believed to have assisted the suspect.

Security officials, it was learnt, believed that the suspect was assisted by some staff members of Arik catering department to move the 20 kilogrammes of cocaine into the aircraft.

One of the top security officials, who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity, said, “Security officials believe strongly that the 20kgs of cocaine might have been moved into the aircraft through the Arik’s catering department. There is a prime suspect in that department that is being interrogated specially.

“Normally, staff members of the catering department carrying foods from the airline office to the aircraft are not usually screened. Officials believe the bags containing the 20kgs of cocaine may have been taken through this route.”

“The reason for this is that there is a machine that searches the cabin crew members at the airline’s office before they go to the airport terminal to board the plane. So if the suspect carried it himself, he may have been caught. A major suspect in the catering department is going through series of interrogation.”

Source: Punch

NDLEA probes Arik attendant caught with N105m cocaine

OPERATIVES of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency on Tuesday night stormed the headquarters of Arik Air in Ikeja Lagos following the arrest in London of a crew member of the airline for allegedly being in possession of cocaine.

The Arik crew member, identified by the anti-narcotics agency as Chika Egwu Udensi, was arrested on Monday night by operatives of the United Kingdom Border Force with 20 kilogrammes of cocaine in London.

The NDLEA agents were said to have searched Udensi’s latest Range Rover parked on the airline’s premises. Arik spokesman, Adebanji Ola, confirmed the visit by the NDLEA’s operatives.
Udensi was arrested at the London Heathrow Airport shortly after an Arik Air flight W3101 that departed from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, touched down in the UK.

Udensi’s arrest came barely two years after two crew members of the Arik Air were similarly nabbed by the UK Border Force in London.
Officials of the NDLEA on Tuesday put the street value of the drug found with the suspect at £350,000 (N105m).

The Arik Air on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of its cabin crew member by the UK Border Force.
The airline, in a statement which read like the one issued after the 2013 incident, said it had commenced investigation into how the banned substance got into the suspect’s possession.

The statement by Ola, read, “A member of Arik Air cabin crew was on Monday night arrested at the Heathrow Airport, London, by the UK Border Force in connection with alleged possession of item suspected to be a banned substance.

“The airline is presently carrying out its private investigation to determine how the cabin crew member came about the suspected banned substance.
“Arik Air will also be cooperating fully with the UK authorities and other appropriate agencies in their investigations.”

The statement added, “The airline again reaffirms its commitment to the fight against drug and illicit substances trafficking and will not tolerate the use of any of its aircraft or crew for the courier of banned items and substances.

“Arik Air carries out very stringent checks on all members of staff and its travelling guests ahead of all flights. The airline will continue to focus its attention on measures to prevent the possibility of any future similar incidents.
“Arik Air is a responsible Nigerian company, always seeking to maintain and uphold the integrity and proud reputation of the nation.”

Our correspondent learnt that the Managing Director of the airline, Mr. Chris Ndulue; and the Director of Flight Operation, Captain Ado Sanusi, were onboard the flight.
A top official of the airline, who spoke to The PUNCH in confidence, said that Ndulue and Sanusi travelled on the flight for a “special meeting” in the UK.

Details of the said meeting were not known as of press time.
When asked whether Ndulue and Sanusi were onboard the flight and their mission in the UK, the airline’s spokesperson, Ola, simply answered, “I don’t know; I don’t know.”

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, on Tuesday ordered investigation into the operations of Arik Air following the development.
The Nigerian anti-narcotics agency said in a statement that it had notified the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom of the arrest.

The statement quoted Giade as saying, “The agency will carry out full scale investigation into this case to ascertain those behind the criminal act. We shall work closely with our international collaborators on the matter. Arik Airline will be sanctioned if found wanting.

“The agency shall invoke section 25 of the NDLEA Act against the airline, which states that it shall be the duty of every commercial carrier to take reasonable precaution to ensure that its means of transport are not used in the commission of offences under this Act.

“Every commercial carrier is expected to comply with appropriate security measures at points of entry and exit in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other customs control areas, to prevent unauthorised cargo in its means of transportation.

“The law refers to the precautionary measures to include training of personnel, promotion of integrity of their personnel, submission of cargo manifests in advance, use of tamper-resistant, individually verifiable seals on containers and reporting to the agency at the earliest opportunity all suspicious circumstances relating to drug trafficking.

“Nigeria has a cordial working relationship with the United Kingdom in drug control. This has resulted to a drastic reduction in the number of arrests made in the United Kingdom from flights originating from Nigeria over the years.”

In December 2011, another Arik Air cabin crew, Ms. Chinwendu Uwakaonyenma Ogbonnaya, was similarly arrested in London for drug trafficking.

She was subsequently jailed for five years in London.
Also in 2013, precisely on May 21,   two female crew members of the airline were arrested at the same Heathrow Airport in London for suspected drug trafficking.

The two had been arrested after a package of drugs was discovered by Border Force officers on a bus which had been used to transport air crew.
The street value of their haul as of the time had been put at around £600,000.
Source:Punch