Category: Crime

A 21-year-old Greatness Auta said he stole from St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Low Level Makurdi, to escape from a homosexual.

Auta said this on Tuesday when he was arraigned before Makurdi Magistrates’ Court 3B for alleged house trespass, mischief and theft.

The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Kuegh Abugh, told the court that the case was reported by one Moses Akaaimom of Saint Peter’s Catholic Church, Low Level Makurdi at ‘B’ Division Police Station, High Level, on Sept. 27.

Abugh said that on the same date after Morning Mass, one Terpase Akaayar opened the Sacristy for people who have private intentions to enter and saw one Greatness Auta who mischievously broke into the sacristy through the window and stole the sum of N8,000 inside Saint Vincent De Poor Serving Box.

He said during investigation, Auta was arrested in connection with the crime and the said N8,000 was recovered from him.

He said investigation into the matter had been completed and called for summary trial of the accused.

The prosecutor said the accused contravened Sections 439, 327 and 288 of the Penal Code Law.

When the case came up for mention, the accused admitted stealing N11,000 inside the chapel (sacristy) and not N8,000 as charged.

Auta further revealed that he stole after he became frustrated in Makurdi town to escape from one Alhaji Sani, who had earlier wanted to sleep with him.

He claimed he hails from Akwanga, a Catholic and member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, and not a criminal.

He said what he needed from the priest was either transportation or for him to contact his counterpart at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Akwanga, where he worships so that they can come for him, but he refused to help him.

“I am from Akwanga. One Alhaji Sani promised to bring me to Makurdi to get a job but on our way to Makurdi he wanted to sleep with me inside the car which I refused.

“I even informed the driver but he did nothing about it and they subsequently pushed me out of the car.

“When I was pushed out of the car, I saw some Police officers and explained to them but they said they were handicapped and had no money to transport me back to Akwanga.

“When things became extremely tough for me, I went to St. Peter’s Catholic Church, Low Level Makurdi, and told the priest my situation and pleaded with him to contact my parish in Akwanga, which he didn’t do for good four days.

“He later told me that he has nothing to do for me. At that point, I became frustrated and went and lay down inside the Church Chapel.

“Inside the chapel, I saw several envelopes but picked only one which contain N11,000 and I was caught,” he said.

Auta said that the only thing he needed was transportation back to Akwanga and that he is not a criminal.

The Magistrate, Ms Kadoom Ghasha, in her judgment convicted the accused in all the offences.

Gbasha sentenced the accused to one month imprisonment for each offence, to run concurrently with an option of N1,000 fine.

She noted that the accused story and behaviour in court showed that he was a first timer.

(NAN)

Police officers at a checkpoint along Obasanjo-Itele road, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State were on Sunday attacked by some suspected hoodlums.

The hoodlums were said to have attacked the officers while on duty at about 3:11am.

Reports say the attacked police team was led by one ASP Nasiru Azeez, Inspector Olabisi Lawrence and Inspector Atari Friday.

A reliable source informed that the Inspector, on Friday sustained injury on his head as the hoodlums also snatched his AK-47 rifle and made away with it.

The AK-47 rifle with Breach No. 804611, was “carted away with 30 rounds of live ammunition,” it was learnt.

While the injured police officer was taken to the State Hospital, Ota for treatment, the police is said to be making efforts to recover the lost rifle.

Contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, neither denied nor confirmed the incident.

He asked our correspondent to call back, but he did not answer several other calls put across to his phone since Monday.

Daily Post

A suspected thief has been lynched by a mob in the Coker area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the suspect attempted to dispossess some commuters heading for their workplaces of their valuables in the early hours on Monday when he was discovered.

The suspect reportedly took to his heels but was caught by the angry mob.

A witness, who identified himself as Ibukun, said the crowd beat up the suspect till he lost consciousness.

He stated that the mob later set him ablaze, adding that the incident happened around 6am.

Ibukun said, “On my way to work this morning, I boarded a bus to Orile from Mile 2. We were approaching the Coker area when I saw a crowd. Apparently, an incident had happened which caused a mild traffic jam that slowed down vehicular movements on the Mile 2-Orile Expressway.

“By the time we moved closer to the gathering, I saw fire burning on a portion of the road and as our vehicle slowly advanced to the direction, I saw a young man in the midst of the fire. There was firewood around him being used to light the fire and some guys were with sticks supervising that his body got burnt.”

The witness stated that the area was notorious for robberies, adding that it was the second time in a year he would witness such a gory scene.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, promised to get back to our correspondent regarding the incident, but had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.

PUNCH.

The Nigerian Customs Service, through the Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone ‘A’ has intercepted live cartridges concealed in bags of cassava flour, popularly called garri and parboiled rice.

Theophilus Duniya, Public Relations Officer of the FOU who confirmed the incident to Channels TV on Monday, revealed that the items were loaded in three Mazda saloon cars and were seized by officers on patrol along the Igbora axis of Oyo State.

The PRO stated that on sighting the officers, the drivers abandoned their vehicles and fled into the bush before the items were recovered by the operatives.

According to him, the items impounded included 751 pieces of AAA, 70mm live Lion Cartridges, sacks of garri and that of parboiled rice.

Duniya stated that the vehicles, including the items, have been deposited at the unit’s headquarters pending further investigation.

The Acting Customs Comptroller in charge of the FOU, Hussein Ejibunu, while reacting to the development, called on all patriotic citizens of the country to provide useful and timely information that would help in combating smuggling in Nigeria.

He described smuggling as the mother of all crimes and sought the collaboration of the people to tackle the menace to the barest minimum.

“It is an act of sabotage that should not be allowed to continue for a long time, most especially with the security challenges currently facing the country,” said Ejibunu.

Daily Post

A 15-year-old boy Oghenemaro Eriana has been allegedly stabbed to death by a bouncer for picking money at a wedding reception held at Mofor, Udu Local Government Area, Delta State.

It was gathered that the boy was stabbed to death on Saturday allegedly by a bouncer drafted to the wedding reception at a popular Hotel in the area.

A witness told our correspondent that the boy was trying to pick up money sprayed on the couple during the wedding ceremony, when the bouncer, simply identified as Francis Utuedor, hauled him and stabbed him in the process.

“The boy stayed along Kolokolo Street in Udu Road and went to the party with his mother but was stabbed to death before help could come his way.

“Even they said that his mother lost her older son about two months ago before this tragic death of another son happened.

“The deceased and his mother attended the wedding reception party because they were a neighbour to the groom at Kolokolo street,” the witness said.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Edafe Bright, on Monday confirmed the murder of the teenager, adding that the suspect has been arrested.

He said “It happened at Wetland Hotel, the deceased was a 15-year-old boy. The suspect is in our custody and the case has been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). The body has been deposited at the mortuary waiting for autopsy.”