Crime
2 faints as Lagos developers defraud 120 house seekers
Two developers, Oluwasegun Adewara, and one Okeowo, have gone into hiding after allegedly defrauding no fewer than 70 prospective tenants at Lawanson, in the Surulere area of Lagos State.
The prospective tenants visited the building, which was under construction, to inspect its premises and afterwards made payments to the developers.
After confirming the payments, it was learnt that the suspects issued receipts to the victims and set aside separate dates for them to take ownership of the apartments.
Things, however, took another turn when the people got to the house on 16, Zamba Street, Lawason, on the specified dates given by the developers but discovered that the number of prospective tenants outnumbered the apartments in the one-storey building.
One of the victims, Jacob Dunya, said the house had just 14 flats, adding that 120 prospective tenants paid to the developers, who disappeared after their fraudulent acts were uncovered.
The Plateau State indigene said, “I paid N600,000 for a mini-flat for a year directly to the account of the developer, Oluwasegun Olanrewaju Adewara, on April 26, 2022. When I visited the house, I noticed that the work at the site was less as it was left for them to fix only the doors and the windows.
“So, they gave last Monday to collect keys to my apartment. But when I got there, the developer told me the place was not ready and said I should return on Monday, June 20, 2022. When I got there, I saw them fixing the keys to the doors and I was told to come back again this week Tuesday.
“I never knew that last Thursday and Friday, people had come around to fight them to access their apartments. I quickly rushed down on Friday and noticed that there were hoodlums around asking people to pay N100,000 so they could break down the padlocks used in locking some of the doors so they could have access to the apartments.
“The developers are nowhere to be found and we have yet to hear from the owners of the land and their lawyers. Over 120 people paid for the 14 flats in this building and more people are still coming. The money people paid will be about N60m because some people made advance payments for five years. They also gave us receipts. The matter was reported at the Itire Police Station.”
Another victim, Jenifer Ihemeje, while lamenting the incident, said some prospective tenants cried and fainted out of shock.
The entrepreneur said, “I paid N650,000 in April to Mr Okeowo and others, but they kept postponing till June 14, 2022, when I sent a text message to threaten them. It was another person who also paid for a flat that informed me that about 10 people paid for a single flat.
“The person said a lot of people gathered at the house on Friday over the incident. So, I rushed down there on Saturday and met people crying, shouting and some people even fainted.”
“But when I returned, the developers said they had not completed work on the building. My husband died in December and we were sent out of the house we were staying because the building had cracked and was likely to collapse. So, I came here, paid the developer and left for the burial only to return to face this war. There are over 117 people stranded here,” she added.
The receipts of some of the aggrieved house seekers seen by our correspondent indicated that the developers operated with a business name, Sheedison Construction Co.
A screenshot confirming payment into Oluwasegun Adewara’s Access Bank account was also seen by our correspondent.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident, said the command had launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects.
“But they are not 120; they are 70 people. The developer collected money for 15 flats and absconded,” he added.
In 2021, a developer, Ahmed Ayinde, was arrested by men of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding no fewer than 100 prospective tenants of about N500m in the Olowo Ira area of the state.
Similarly, in 2019, over 66 prospective tenants got stranded as a landlord, Olatunji Joseph, in connivance with a developer, Aderonke Olaleye, allegedly swindled them out of over N16m paid for rents for five flats in a newly-constructed one-storey building on Abeni Close, Asa Estate, in the Gbagada area of the state.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said, “We have the Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority Law 2022. The matter is described under that law and it is a very serious offence for anybody to collect money from people and deny them accommodation.
“But the problem is that our people don’t make enquiries; anybody who puts a board outside to say ‘To let’ or to say that he is a developer, people will just gather money and give him and the person will disappear. There are some of them who have no addresses but only telephone numbers, so this law makes it compulsory for anybody who wants to practise in that space to register as a practitioner. And once you register with the agency, should you collect money from anybody, it will be very easy to grab you.
“Now, we have a team that is going round on enforcement. Many people have faced the law for duping people of their hard-earned money and the agency has recovered money for people and resolved many disputes.”
The attackers stormed the school at about 9 a.m. on Monday, shooting sporadically before abducting students and women selling food items within the school premises.
Confirming the deployment to PUN, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, said security operatives confronted the attackers, preventing a larger-scale abduction.
“Around 9 a.m. in the morning, ISWAP attacked Lassa Day Secondary School. They shot sporadically. An unspecified number of students have been abducted.
“Security forces confronted them. For now, we have an unspecified number of students who were abducted. The CP deployed the Area Commander in Askira/Uba. They are currently combing the bush,” Daso said.
The Special Adviser to Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, on Media and Strategy, Mr Solomon Kwamagar, a resident of Lassa, also confirmed the incident Monday morning.
He disclosed that the attackers arrived on motorcycles and invaded the school.
“Today is Lassa market day. I was informed that they came through the market on motorcycles and went to Government Day Secondary School, Lassa. They shot and killed one teacher and took away all the students who were in their classrooms,” he said.
Kwamagar added, “Lassa in Borno State is predominantly inhabited by my people, the Margi. We are in both Adamawa and Borno states. I am from Lassa, but I chose to reside in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.”
He further said, “I’m still making contacts to ascertain the total number of students and teachers who were kidnapped from the school.”
Earlier, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said that the attackers wore military and forest guard uniforms.
Kaigama said one teacher was killed while another sustained gunshot injuries.
“They killed one teacher from Chibok. They shot another, but not dead yet. They also kidnapped some students and women selling on the school premises. The numbers are not yet out,” he said.
When contacted, the Chairman of Askira/Uba Local Government Area, Mada Saidu, declined to comment.
“I am very busy now. We are in a situation,” he said.
Efforts to obtain comments from the state Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, were unsuccessful as he neither answered calls nor responded to messages.
However, residents claimed that two teachers and one student were killed during the attack.
“They killed two teachers and one female student. The student was shot in her mouth,” a resident who requested anonymity said.
On May 16, 42 students and pupils were abducted after suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area.
The senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, had said the abductees comprised four students of Government Day Secondary School, 28 primary school pupils and 10 children abducted from their homes.
The leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has wrapped up marathon strategy meetings involving its presidential candidate, Peter Obi; national leader, Seriake Dickson; National Working Committee members and other key stakeholders ahead of Monday’s (today) appeal against the court ruling that nullified its registration.
The development comes barely 48 hours after the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State, set aside its earlier judgment directing the Independent National Electoral Commission to register the NDC.
The ruling has intensified political tensions and drawn condemnation from opposition leaders who insist the decision is aimed at weakening opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general election.
A senior party official disclosed that the party leadership had been holding back-to-back emergency meetings to finalise its legal strategy before approaching the Court of Appeal on Monday.
According to him, Obi, Dickson, the party’s national chairman, national secretary and other members of the party’s leadership attended Saturday’s closed-door meeting, while another emergency session was held on Sunday to fine-tune preparations for the appeal.
“Yes, a number of closed-door meetings have taken place since the Kogi High Court judgment went viral. For instance, Obi, Senator Dickson, the party chairman, the secretary and other executives were in yesterday’s meeting.
“Even as we speak, there is another emergency meeting ongoing ahead of tomorrow’s appeal.
“However, we are not privy yet to who will lead the legal team. What I only know is that the NDC National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, will play a key role in it,” the source said.
The National Secretary of the party, Ikenna Enekweizu, who spoke to our correspondent on the sidelines of a recent press briefing, confirmed that the appeal would be filed on Monday.
Enekweizu, however, declined to disclose the identity of the counsel that would lead the legal battle.
He said, “I don’t think it’s appropriate at this time for us to announce who our legal team leader will be. By the time we file our processes on Monday, you will know those who are in the team and who the leader is. I don’t know if that answers your question.”
The lawyer described the Lokoja judgment as unprecedented and lacking any legal foundation, insisting that the party remained convinced it would secure victory on appeal.
“This is the worst thing that can happen in judiciary. That ruling has no legal basis. There is no precedent in law that can justify it.
“So, obviously, we see it as part of the attempts by the powers that be to further shrink the democratic process in Nigeria.
“I’m sure we are aware that recently, some parties, by virtue of a judicial ruling, were ordered to be deregistered.
“What they were attempting to do was to ensure that we do not take part in the democratic process that is still ongoing. But I can assure you that it will not happen. Our candidates will definitely participate in the forthcoming elections.
“Of course, we have a strong conviction that the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man in Nigeria. The court that delivered the ruling is not the highest court and it’s not the last court in the land. We’ll see our appeal process through to its ultimate end.
“I can assure you that all our candidates, from presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, his running mate and all our candidates up to the House of Assembly level, will all be on the ballot,” he stated.
Kwankwaso meets Dickson
The National Leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that no temporary setback would weaken the Nigeria Democratic Congress as the party grapples with the recent court ruling setting aside its recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Kwankwaso stated this after paying a courtesy visit to the National Leader of the NDC, former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, in Abuja on Sunday.
The former Kano State governor disclosed the visit in a post on his verified Facebook page, saying the meeting formed part of efforts to strengthen the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Today, I paid a courtesy visit to the National Leader of our party, the NDC, His Excellency Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Abuja,” Kwankwaso wrote.
“The engagement forms part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen the party’s unity, resilience and strategic readiness as we prepare for the 2027 general elections.”
He expressed confidence that the party would overcome its current legal challenges, insisting that its members remained committed to democratic principles and the rule of law.
“As true democrats, we remain committed to the rule of law and have absolute confidence in the judicial process,” he said.
“No temporary setback can weaken the spirit of a movement built on hope, justice, equity and the collective aspirations of the Nigerian people.”
Kwankwaso also appealed to members and supporters of the party not to be discouraged by the recent developments.
“I urge all party members, supporters and well-meaning Nigerians to stay calm, resolute and focused on our shared mission. Together, we will rise above every challenge,” he added.
“Nigeria will be OK.”
…Hails Gov Mbah’s investment in modern security infrastructure
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Tunji Disu, has hailed the Governor Peter Mbah Administration for setting up what he described as a state-of-the-art Command and Control Centre for effective surveillance of the state.
Disu, who expressed surprise at the sophistication of the security infrastructure, wished every other state could come over to understudy the Command and Control Centre and set up one to boost security of lives and property in every part of the country.
The IGP spoke during a tour of the facility on the sidelines of the inauguration of the Centre for DNA Forensics and Criminal Investigation, Enugu, strategic partnership between the Mbah Administration and the Godfrey Okoye University to promote scientific evidence-based justice and war against criminality.
“I must confess that I am surprised we have this kind of facility here in this state because you know I worked for Lagos. I know we had something like this in Lagos, but the advancement of this present one amazed me.
“This is a control room that has a lot of facilities with the ability to see almost everywhere in this state. There is no place that is left ungoverned from the control room. We can see the forest. We can zoom in – I think over 40 per cent – to be able to see far away. We can zoom in close to 30 kilometers away. That is great security.
“I wish every state in Nigeria will come here and emulate what is happening. I have seen AI-embedded cameras. I have seen officers dedicated to certain areas of the state watching, seeing what is happening.
“I have also seen records of the successes recorded through this control room. One more time, I wish all the states in Nigeria will come around, see what is happening here and emulate it,” Disu said.
He equally commended the Distress Response Squad, a special police unit with over 150 security vehicles installed with AI-enabled cameras and also linked to the Command and Control Centre.
“I moved around. I saw the state’s DRS and then we put them to test. They did not know I was listening to them. We put them to test. We asked them to move to a certain part of the town and within two, three, four minutes, they were there. It shows their efficiency.
“Then I am sure you know I was the former commander of the Rapid Response Force in Lagos too and then I do not want to mention here which is better – whether the DRS here or the Rapid Response Force. But the most important thing is that they have shown efficiency. They have shown capacity and I thank the governor of this state for investing in security of the people of the state,” he stated.
It is recalled that the Command and Control Centre was formally inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu during his official visit to Enugu State on January 4, 2025.
Crime
Anambra Community Leaders Meet Police Over Murder of 23-Year-Old Female Student as Police Smash Cult Hideout in Awada
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Community leaders from Alor in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State have met with the Anambra State Police Command over the murder of a 23-year-old female student in her residence.
The meeting comes as operatives of the Command’s IGP-led Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) uncovered a suspected cultists’ hideout in Awada, Idemili North Local Government Area.
The delegation visited the Police Command to discuss the ongoing investigation into the suspected murder of the student and to reaffirm the community’s support for efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga:
“The visit was also aimed at supporting the Police investigation and ensuring that justice is served. During the engagement, the delegation provided useful information to assist investigators, reaffirmed the community’s commitment to collaborating with the Police, and expressed their collective resolve to support all lawful efforts geared towards uncovering the circumstances surrounding the incident and bringing the perpetrators to justice.”
He added:
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, during the interactive session, reassured the stakeholders of the Command’s commitment to unraveling the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring that all persons found culpable are brought to justice in accordance with the law.”
The Police Commissioner also urged members of the public to remain calm, avoid speculation, and provide credible information that could assist the ongoing investigation.
Speaking after the meeting, the President-General of Alor Community, Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, commended the Police for their prompt response and professionalism in handling the case. He expressed confidence in the investigation and pledged the community’s continued cooperation to ensure justice is served.
Meanwhile, operatives attached to the IGP Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), on the evening of June 20, 2026, recovered two AK-47 magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, and other police-related items during a sustained raid on a suspected cultists’ hideout at Nwaziki Street, Awada, Idemili North Local Government Area.
Although no suspect was arrested during the operation, the Police said investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects, establish ownership of the recovered exhibits, and dismantle any criminal network linked to the items recovered.
ABUJA — The Senate has passed the State Police Bill, introducing a new policing structure across the country, but with strict provisions preventing existing local and regional security outfits from automatically transforming into state police agencies or bearing firearms.
The bill, which is part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process, stipulates that security outfits such as Amotekun in the South-West, Ebube Agu in the South-East, Hisbah in parts of the North and other community-based security groups will not automatically assume the status of state police services once the law takes effect.
Under Section 25(5) of the proposed legislation, no existing state, local, community, vigilante, neighbourhood, traffic or other security outfit shall become a State Police Service merely by virtue of the constitutional amendment.
The provision further states that such organisations will not be permitted to exercise police powers or carry firearms unless specifically authorised under the Constitution and an Act of the National Assembly.
The clause is designed to ensure that any future state police formation follows a formal constitutional and legal process rather than evolving from existing regional security structures.
The Senate also included safeguards against abuse of the proposed state police system.
Under the bill, each state police service will be headed by a Commissioner of Police, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State House of Assembly. Governors may issue lawful policy directives on matters relating to public safety and order.
However, the legislation expressly prohibits a state police commissioner from arresting, detaining, investigating or deploying force against any individual, political party or group merely for criticising the government, except in accordance with the law.
To strengthen accountability, the bill allows either the Inspector-General of Police or a State Commissioner of Police to seek a review of any directive considered unlawful or inconsistent with national policing standards. Such disputes may also be challenged in court.
The proposed law further provides that a state police commissioner cannot be suspended or removed arbitrarily. Removal must be based on stated grounds, follow the principles of fair hearing, receive a recommendation from the National Police Council and secure the approval of at least two-thirds of members of the State House of Assembly.
The legislation also outlines circumstances under which the Federal Police Service may intervene in the operations of a state police service. These include situations where public order has broken down, where a state police service becomes incapable of performing its duties, or where there is evidence of systematic abuse of powers, partisan intimidation, ethnic or religious persecution, or threats to national security.
Any federal intervention must be temporary, proportionate and authorised by the President, with the action remaining subject to judicial review.
The bill additionally proposes the establishment of a State Police Service Commission in every state to oversee recruitment, promotions, discipline and accountability within state police services.
Having secured Senate approval, the bill will now proceed to the House of Representatives for concurrence before being transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for ratification. For the constitutional amendment to take effect, it must be approved by at least 24 state assemblies.
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