Crime
China-trained medical student shot dead in Enugu, family cries for justice
The family of an ex-medical student of the Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, Evaristus Tochukwu-Aligwe, is still in sorrow after suspected gunmen shot him dead in Enugu State on May 7, 2022.
Our correspondent gathered from family sources close to the incident that Tochuwku-Aligwe went out to buy groceries when he was killed.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred at Four Corners Junction, Ozalla, Enugu State.
It was gathered that the young medical student was shot four times in the chest before his car was stolen by the criminals.
An eyewitness identified only as Ndukwe said, “I operate a Point on Sale by the junction and I was there in the shop that Saturday when it happened. It was around 9 pm and I was attending to a customer when I heard gunshots from across the road.
“I and others ran there to see what was happening and we saw a young man covered in a pool of his own blood on the floor. His car was taken by the gunmen and another man was shouting for help.
“After a few minutes, a tricycle rider offered to take him to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, but we later learnt that he didn’t make it. He died before he got there.”
Another source who gave his name as Fabian Nnadi, said the young man just returned to Enugu for an exchange programme in UNTH, Enugu before he met his death.
“He was in China but COVID-19 forced him to return. We were good friends and I knew we chatted when he was going to return to Enugu. I even advised him against it but he said he wanted to know his roots. It was not even up to two years after his return that he was shot dead,” Nnadi said.
One of the sisters of the late student who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorised by the family to speak on the matter, said the deceased was only 25 years old when he died.
“He was born on November 11, 1997. He was schooling at the University of Port Harcourt for about a year before he was offered admission in China. He was studying Pharmacy in UNIPORT but we (family) didn’t want that for him. He wasn’t able to get medicine at UNIPORT, so he was sent abroad to study.
“It is sad for us as a family that after struggling to raise millions of naira to send my brother to school in China, they (gunmen) waited for him to graduate and ended his life,” the sobbing sister said.
Explaining why the victim returned to Nigeria, the sister said, “He had returned to Nigeria when COVID happened. That was in 2020. The surge was much in Asia so many international students were urged to return to their countries where they would be taught online for the next year.
“He did that till the end of the year before applying for the exchange programme at the UNTH, Enugu, alongside some of his colleagues. He chose UNTH because we are actually from Enugu State but are not really that close to our roots.
“I remember we spoke about it and he said he just wanted to be close to his fatherland, being away for such a long time, schooling in China.”
She further said that the deceased medical student moved to Enugu and rented an apartment around the busy Four Corners Junction, Ozalla, Enugu, where he lived and was killed.
On how the family heard the news of the incident, she said, “It was one of the colleagues who called us and told us that our brother was shot and was being rushed to the hospital.
“I almost fainted. I didn’t know what to do and I didn’t want anyone to panic. So, I called my other sisters and they relayed the information to my parents. They (parents) were so devastated that they asked that we find out where he was so we could go see him.
“In fact, my mum had even fallen sick almost immediately. One can imagine sending a child to China to study medicine and when he is about to begin his life, he is cut off like a fickle flower! It is sad indeed.”
She noted that the lady who called her told her that her brother went out with a friend, who drove behind him when the gunmen attacked and shot only Evaristus.
“What we know as a family is that Evaristus had gone out that day with his friend and they ended up buying some food at a place in Enugu. It was on their way home that they were attacked by the gunmen. In fact, it was my brother who was attacked. The friend was driving behind him and he said he saw the gunmen in their car, trying to overtake my brother’s car.
“Evaristus’ friend said he was honking for my brother to run away but he (Evaristus) was not fast enough. He wasn’t able to run away. They (gunmen) overtook him, packed right in front of his car, cajoled him and shot him four times in his chest. They came with their own vehicle and some of them drove off in his car,” she added.
She also noted that an eyewitness told her that she heard Evaristus begging for his life before his attackers shot him and left him for dead.
“It happened close to his house. So, some neighbours came out and saw my brother trying to breathe. He was on the ground in a pool of his own blood. The friend was said to have run to the police station to report the case. It was on the way to the hospital that my brother gave up the ghost. He was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctors.
“They initially didn’t tell us this, but when they did tell us, my world stopped for a moment. July 7 makes it two months since he passed and you can imagine the strings of emotions going on in my mind. He was a lovely boy and didn’t deserve that kind of painful death.”
She added that his Toyota Camry car was found a few days later a few streets away from where the incident took place and all the valuables in the car were intact.
“Our family is in mourning. I call on the Inspector General of Police, the Minister of Police Affairs, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Youth and others who can help us to come to our aid.
Contacted on June 25, 2022, the state police spokesperson, ASP Daniel Ndukwe-Ekea, said he was driving and would get back to our correspondent when he alighted. He, however, asked our correspondent to narrate the incident to him, which he did. He later said he was unaware of the incident and would get across to the Divisional Police Officer for information.
“I don’t know anything about any young man shot dead in that place,” he said.
Our correspondent called again on July 27 but the phone line rang out. Text messages were sent on that day but they weren’t replied. It was for Saturday, July 2 and Wednesday, July 6, when this reporter called the police spokesperson for the command’s reaction.
Reacting to the development, the victim’s sister said, “The police cannot say they are not aware of the matter. No one has been arrested.’’ The victim was buried a few days after the incident in his hometown in Enugu.
A colleague of Evaristus, Najeeb Maigatari, in a tribute, on behalf of his colleagues, said Evaristus was the Assistant Class Representative for his class, noting that it was devastating for the class to hear of his demise.
Some human rights lawyers urged the family to petition the Inspector General of Police if the state command was not attending to the matter.
An Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Hussani Hussani, said the nation’s security system was seriously failing to guarantee safety of the citizens. He said, “Nonetheless, the law is what holds our bond together as law-abiding citizens. I advise the family of the victim to urgently report the matter to the police station where the incident is suspected to have occurred. Information should also be given about any suspected individual to the police. However, if the police failed to take action, a petition should be written to the Inspector General of Police, and where there is no action, the family may go to court to seek an order compelling the police to act.”
Another lawyer, Mrs Selena Onuoha, said the family should not only petition the IG but also sue the state command if it failed to carry out its duties.
“The job of the police is to protect life and property. They did not do so and this young doctor-in-the-making lost his life at a junction that is supposed to be manned by police officials. Two months is enough time to launch a probe into the matter and if the police are cooperating, the family should take them up. It’s human life we are talking about. We should not joke about it,” she said.
The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.
The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.
According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.
In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.
The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.
The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.
CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.
He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.
The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.
He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.
The Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed by a suspected attacker after Friday prayers in Sokoto.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Rufa’i Ahmad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that the deceased was among those involved in the incident that followed the stabbing of prominent Islamic cleric, Malam Musa Lukuwa.
According to Ahmad, the suspect used a knife to stab Lukuwa in the stomach immediately after the Jumu’at congregation.
He said the suspect was subsequently killed by a mob, while Lukuwa was rushed to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), where he is receiving treatment.
The PPRO added that no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, saying the situation was under control and urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding.
The incident reportedly followed allegations that Lukuwa made remarks considered blasphemous against Prophet Muhammad, which had generated anger among some Muslim faithful.
A Sokoto-based gangster, Dahiru Maibarewa, had also reportedly threatened to kill Lukuwa over the alleged remarks, while demonstrations had taken place in parts of Sokoto metropolis.
NAN further reported that a coalition of Islamic groups had petitioned the Sokoto State Government and security agencies, calling for action against Lukuwa over remarks they described as capable of provoking violence.
At a September 4 press conference, Islamic cleric Sheikh Abubakar Yagawal urged Muslims to oppose what he described as blasphemous content by clerics, while calling for peaceful coexistence.
Yagawal, Leader of the National Sufi Council of Nigeria and a National Commissioner at the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), said Lukuwa’s alleged utterances were unbecoming and capable of triggering violence among Muslim communities.
He said the coalition had called on the Federal and Sokoto State governments, as well as security agencies, to investigate and take appropriate action over the matter.
The Nigeria Police Force has allegedly arrested the General Manager of JKD Television/Hamada Radio Network, Kaduna, Charles Abah, and a security guard following a video produced by the station about Ibrahim Kabir Masari, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Political Affairs.
The station’s management, in a statement issued on Friday, alleged that police operatives invaded its premises while searching for a staff member, Zainab Salihu Yabagi, who presented the video explainer.
According to the management, the officers insisted on seeing Yabagi in connection with the video before arresting Abah and the security guard.
The two men were subsequently taken to the Kaduna State Police Command, the station alleged.
The management described the arrests as unacceptable and called for their immediate release.
Amnesty International Nigeria also condemned the incident, describing the alleged raid as an “unlawful and outrageous invasion” of the station’s premises.
The organisation alleged that Abah and the security guard were arbitrarily arrested, adding that police authorities had been seeking Yabagi over the video and had previously declared her wanted.
Amnesty International said the incident reflected a wider pattern of alleged attempts to intimidate newsrooms and create a climate of fear among journalists in Nigeria.
It maintained that public officials, regardless of their positions, should remain open to scrutiny and criticism in the public interest.
JKD TV/Hamada Radio Network is chaired by Yusuf Mamman, a former Nigerian ambassador to Spain and former spokesman for former military Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.
A 20-year-old woman has recounted how a Nigerian man dragged her into a wooded area in Wrexham, Wales, and raped her after offering to escort her home from a night out.
The victim, whose identity has been withheld, said the attack occurred on September 7, 2025, after 24-year-old Gift Oladele approached her while she was walking home.
According to an account published by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, Oladele told the woman that he was heading in the same direction and offered to accompany her.
However, when they reached an isolated area, he allegedly grabbed her over the mouth and dragged her into the woods.
“He was a lot bigger than I was. I tried pushing him away, but he overpowered me,” the woman said.
She said Oladele covered her mouth and prevented her from calling for help before violently assaulting her.
The victim said she feared that she would be killed after Oladele allegedly asked if it was her first experience of rape.
“My brain just switched into survival mode. It was weird. It was either I do what he says and get home to my mum, or he is going to kill me,” she recalled.
She said the attacker struck her six times on the head and left bruises on her body.
According to her, after the assault, Oladele allegedly told her, “I think you’ve had enough now. At least you have been raped by someone good-looking.”
She also alleged that he threatened to track her down if she reported the incident and warned that he could take photographs of her and publish them online.
Despite the threats, the woman immediately told her parents what had happened after arriving home at about 3:30am, prompting her father to contact the police.
“I felt numb. I was hysterical. My brain couldn’t figure out what had just happened,” she said.
Oladele was arrested the following day at his cousin’s residence in Wrexham. Police reportedly discovered that he had attempted to conceal a mobile phone, which subsequently revealed internet searches relating to sexual attacks.
Oladele was sentenced at Caernarfon Crown Court in April to 17 years in prison after being convicted of rape and sexual assault. He was also given an extended licence period of eight years, bringing the total sentence to 25 years.
He had been convicted at Mold Crown Court in March after denying the offences and claiming that the victim had consented.
The court also imposed an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a restraining order protecting the victim for life.
At the time of the Wrexham attack, Oladele was reportedly on bail over another rape allegation in Manchester dating back to November 2024. He had also previously been jailed in 2022 for a sexually motivated attack.
Oladele, a Nigerian citizen born in Italy, had previously challenged attempts by UK authorities to deport him to Nigeria on human rights grounds.
Following his earlier prison sentence, the authorities sought to deport him, but he argued that removal would violate his right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
An immigration tribunal subsequently ruled in his favour, holding that his deportation would be disproportionate. Two subsequent appeals by the Home Office were also rejected.
Reacting to the decision, the victim’s mother questioned why her daughter’s rights appeared not to have received similar consideration.
Wrexham Chief Inspector Caroline Mullen-Hurst described Oladele as “a dangerous predator” and commended the victim for her courage in reporting the attack.
She said Oladele showed no remorse for his crimes and forced the victim to relive the traumatic experience during the trial.
The victim said the assault had continued to affect her physical and emotional wellbeing, including making it difficult for her to eat.
She added that there were times when she cried uncontrollably and struggled with thoughts about continuing to live.
A suspected motorcycle thief has been beaten and burnt to death by a mob in Ikpe Ikot Akpan Village, along the Ikot Ekpene–Uyo Road in Akwa Ibom State.
The incident occurred at about 7:05 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, after the man was allegedly caught attempting to steal a motorcycle belonging to a resident, identified as Idoroenyin Udo.
According to the police, the motorcycle owner resisted the alleged theft and raised an alarm, prompting residents to chase and apprehend the suspect.
Instead of handing him over to the police, however, the mob allegedly attacked him and subsequently set him ablaze. He suffered severe burns and died at the scene.
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has launched an investigation and deployed operatives to the area to identify and arrest those involved in the mob action.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Mohammed Azare, condemned the incident and warned residents against jungle justice.
He stressed that an accusation does not amount to guilt and urged residents to hand suspected criminals over to law enforcement agencies for proper investigation and prosecution.
The police said efforts are ongoing to apprehend everyone connected with the incident, adding that those found culpable will face the full weight of the law.
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