Category: Crime

The Government of Ebonyi State says it has uncovered monumental fraud going on in the solid mineral sector in Ebonyi State.

Consequently, a statement by the
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Ugbala Kenneth Igwe, Ph.D.
warned that no staff of Ministry of Solid Minerals and development communities is allowed to visit any quarry/mining sites or issue demand notice for payment of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR or penalties henceforth.

The Government also advised quarry operators and miners in the state to stop colluding with some unscrupulous elements in defrauding the state by not paying their IGR and adjusting their waybill to defraud state government and members of the public.

The statement further warned that, until the Ministry of Solid Minerals is reorganised and revived, no staff of the ministry should partake in the activities of the solid minerals of the state.

Meanwhile, Governor David Umahi has approved a special committee headed by the Chief of Staff, Chief Barr. Samuel Okoronkwo, Consultant on Solid Minerals, Mrs. Nwaka-ego Nworie and Mr. Obini Samuel Nwanze, to take charge of the activities of solid mineral in the state and to reorganise the sector.

All stakeholders in the mining sector are therefore advised not to take instructions from anyone except the Chief of Staff, the Consultant and Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Ebonyi State, forthwith.

“Ebonyi State Government is seriously warning that anybody who breaks these rules, by colluding with anybody to defraud the state government or individuals will have his/her quarries or mining sites sealed and C of O revoked.

“In the same vein, nobody is allowed to collect IGR in quarries and mining sites by cash. Anyone who violates this directive will face court action. Any quarry/ mining site sealed will henceforth be prosecuted accordingly.”

An ex-banker, Ebenezer Alonge, together with his wife, Olamide Oyinlola, and his mother-in-law, Isakunle Eunice, have been convicted and sentenced to cumulative 60-year jail term at the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti.

The trio, before Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye, were convicted of 12 counts of conspiracy and bank fraud brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zone.

This was contained in a statement by the EFCC Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Friday, where it was revealed that the trio conspired to steal depositors’ fund to the tune of N21m.

“It was alleged that sometime in February 2018, the bank received a complaint concerning the financial impropriety of the sum of N62,400.00 in respect of a customer’s account,” the statement revealed.

It continued, “According to the petitioner, on February 15, 2017, a customer lodged the said sum into her account but the transaction could not be traced in the customer’s account, even after the customer presented a copy of the slip signed by Alonge.

“In the course of the investigation, the said transaction was allegedly traced to Ebenezer Alonge’s wife’s account.

“Further investigation, however, revealed that there was a turnover of over N21,000,000.00 (Twenty-One Million Naira) as a deposit from other customers in his wife’s account.”

“Also, it was alleged that other sums were traced to his mother-in-law’s account, who was also a beneficiary of the fraudulent act.”

During judgment, the convicts were found guilty on all 12 counts and sentenced to five years on each count.

The cumulative 60-year prison terms will, however, run concurrently.

Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, on Friday arrested seven fake revenue collectors operating within Enugu North Local Government Area.

The fake revenue collectors who claimed they were staff of the state Ministry of Environment and Enugu North Local Government Area were apprehended by the Executive Chairman of ECTDA, Mr Josef Onoh and a team of security operatives.

It was gathered that the suspects at the point of arrest, had confiscated building materials from different construction sites within G.R.A axis of Enugu metropolis.

Items recovered from the suspects include, 10 cartons of 60×60cm tiles, 2 bags of white cement, fake ID cards, fake Ministry of Environment tax force letter and Youth Empowerment Levy receipts of Enugu North Local Government Area.

Briefing journalists after the arrest Mr Onoh said the brutality of the suspects action in collecting property levy and other revenue has sabotaged economic development in the state. He assured the suspects would be handed over to the Police who will charge them to court.

“We intercepted them during inspection. I heard some people screaming and shouting and we were already about driving out, so we thought they are robbers. My security team intercepted them and found out they are carrying out illegal duties under the disguise of youth empowerment.

“Their excuses to me was that there was no more political thuggery since the election has ended, they don’t have any work and decided to engage on youth empowerment levy, collecting building levies and every other thing and there is no where in the law of the state because we have banned youth empowerment program and Federal Government has already created youth empowerment program and if you’re lazy and did not tap into it, you should not go down to local government and convert the name youth empowerment program to become development control.

“While we are doing the searching we found out in their position that they have already disposes the owner of the property, his house and other building materials and given him receipt on how to pay.

“The State government have a consolidated account where everybody should pay in and when we look into these boys book log we found out that they have other documented details on how they collect property levy and other money. Some of them have three different fake Identity card from different local government, while some have tax force letters from Ministry of Environment and we contacted the ministry of environment and they denied the letter.

“Because of the way they are brutally enforcing it, it has amounted to broad daylight robbery. Their actions have frustrated positive development in Enugu.

Collecting property levy and other levies are illegal and against the law of Enugu State. They will be charged to court to face legal action if found guilty”, Onoh said.

When contacted, the Head of taxforce Ministry of environment, Mr Amaechi Orji who came for clarification denied knowledge of them as a staff of the ministry, stressing that the ministry do not embark on drive without a team of security agents and do not collect cash.

“None of them is a staff of the Ministry. All the documents they have here are fake. None of them emanates from the ministry of environment. We don’t go on drive without team of security agents and don’t accept or collect cash because Enugu state have a single account where we pay. The ministry also give notice of grace before confiscating any item”, He said.

One of the suspect, Mr Chukwuemeka Iloeme who disclosed that they work for Enugu North local government chairman, Hon Emeka Odunze said that he is not aware of the ban on Youth empowerment levy in the state.

Villagers in Akpawfu community of Nkanu East LGA Enugu State have fled for fear following alleged invasion of the community by men of the Nigerian Army.

The killing of some policemen at a checkpoint in nearby communities in the area, has reportedly prompted the action by the soldiers who went into the community, searching house to house, arresting scores of youths and able bodied men.

Journalists gathered that the soldiers numbering over 40, stormed the community in four armoured vehicles and other operational vehicles situated in strategic places within the community, particularly, Agudene village.

It was learnt that the soldiers were claiming that the houses belong to community members whom they alleged harbored the gunmen and accommodated them to use their houses to plan the attack of which they had no proofs.

The villagers disclosed that the gunmen, who had attacked the checkpoints, were said to have entered the community from the nearby Akpugo and in the process, one of their Hilux vans summersaulted near St Philip Catholic Church, Akpawfu.

The operation by the soldiers, it was learned, had turned the once peaceful community into a ghost town, as many youths and even old men and women have escaped to the bushes, while those still in the community live in fear, following incessant harassment by soldiers.

Sources within the community, told our reporter that there is a mass exodus of people especially youths from the community, because they fear that soldiers attached to the 82 Divisional headquarters of Nigerian Army, Enugu may likely capitalize on the current situation of dead policemen to torment the people.

A village source, who craved anonymity said, “As I’m talking to you, all young men in the community and even women have fled the community as the soldiers claimed that those houses being searched were used as camping grounds by the gunmen.

“For me, I don’t know if that is true. What I know is that the gunmen drove past our community towards Abakaliki. Why army is punishing us is what I don’t understand.

“Our youths are running away to other towns because we know that the army will see the youths here as targets”

Attempt to speak with the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 82 DV, Enugu, Col. Abubakar Abdullahi, was not successful as his phone rang out without response.

He also did not respond to text messages at the time of filing this report.

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, on Thursday, paid condolence visit to families of some of police officers who were attacked by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, at a checkpoint in Enugu.

The unknown gunmen set the police van ablaze and opened fire on the police at Obeagu-Amechi, Enugu South Local Government Area and Amagunze, Nkanu East LGA.

About six policemen are believed to have been killed in the attack.

Governor Ugwuanyi in his usual manner of identifying with the masses visited some of the families especially those residing at the suburb of Ugbo-Odogwu, Trans Ekulu and Edward Nnaji Street, Abakpa Nike, in Enugu East LGA.

The grief-stricken governor, who condoled with the families, offered automatic employment to the wives of the deceased and paid three months salaries of their late husbands including other cash donations.

Gov. Ugwuanyi announced that the condolence package is applicable to wives of other affected officers, adding that the spouses also have the option of scholarship of their children to secondary school level in place of automatic employment.

At the Ugbo-Odogwu residence of late Inspector Timothy Tion, an indigene of Benue State, Gov. Ugwuanyi consoled the wife, Janet Okuma, offered her automatic employment and gave her three-month salaries of her husband with other cash donations.

The governor, who was accompanied by a team of senior police officers led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), ACP Fidelis Ogarabe, prayed for the repose of the souls of Inspector Tion and other victims, assuring that their death will not be in vain.

At Edward Nnaji Street, Abakpa, Gov. Ugwuanyi met with the father and siblings of one of the slain police officers, Inspector Emeka Nnaji, from Owo in Nkanu East LGA, and consoled them.

He equally offered automatic employment to the wife of the deceased, Mrs. Nwadi Nnaji, who was at his husband’s residence at Agbani, and announced the same amount of money with other packages for her.

Responding, the wife of late Inspector Tion, Janet, thanked Gov. Ugwuanyi for his kindness in coming to console them, and for offering her automatic employment.

The aged father of late Inspector Nnaji, Mr. Christian Nnaji, also thanked the governor for the rare gesture and asked God to continue to bless him.

The Enugu State Command of the Nigeria Police Force, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, had disclosed that “preliminary investigations have commenced”.

Not less that 6 policemen were shot dead on Wednesday when unknown gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Obeagu-Amechi Community in Enugu South LGA

Many others were also said to have been killed by stray bullets in the ensuing gun duel even as police were said to have repelled the attack.

According to eyewitnesses, the attack which started at about 5:30pm on Wednesday at a busy spot at Mmiri Ocha Amodu lasted till 7pm.

The heavy gun battle led to the death of several bystanders and commuters while others sustained various degrees of injury.

It was also learnt that the Police at Amagunze who were promptly alerted laid ambush on the fleeing gunmen, killing some of them.

When contacted, the police spokesman in Enugu, Mr Daniel Ndukwe said “Information surrounding the shooting incidents in the evening hours of today, 21/07/2021, where Police Operatives were allegedly attacked by yet-to-be identified gunmen at checkpoints in Obeagu-Amechi in Enugu South LGA and Amagunze in Nkanu East LGA are still sketchy.

He however, noted that preliminary investigations have commenced and further development will be communicated.

The Police in Jigawa said kidnappers have abducted a 38-year-old man in Kiyawa Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Jigawa Police Command, ASP Lawan Shiisu, confirmed the incident to newsmen in Dutse on Wednesday.

Shiisu said the suspects allegedly abducted the victim identified as Lawan Zakar at his residence at Dankoli quarters, on July 17.

“On July 17, at about 5:50 a.m., one Aliyu Zakar of Dankoli quarters in Kiyawa LGA came to the police station and reported that:

“On the same date at about 3 a.m., a gang of five criminals jumped into the house of his brother one Lawal Zakar, aged 38, of the same address.

“The suspects demanded for 60 million from him whereas it was N60,000 that was brought to him on the fateful night by his boy.”

He explained that the suspects ransacked the whole house, seized the phone of the victim and those of his wives.

The PPRO added that the suspects, who used a car, later took the victim away.

According to him, efforts were on top gear to rescue the victim, as well as arrest the suspects.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that suspected gunmen had on July 14, kidnapped a 47-year-old housewife in Marke village, Kaugama Local Government Area of the state. (NAN)

The people of Amaeze Ishiagu community in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have accused the council chairman, Chief Onyebuchi Ogbadu, of protecting criminals in the area.

The community which lost about three persons recently through acts of violence identified the Council Chairman as the brain behind their travails.

An elder and Community leader specifically accused the Council boss of shielding the group behind the recent killing of innocent people.

The community had in a petition to Governor David Umahi through their lawyer, Patrick Egwu, lamented that it lost over three persons to acts of violence between March and June this year while many others sustained injury.

One of the community leaders, Chief Gilbert Okorie, who briefed reporters in Abakaliki, blamed a group of thugs said to be working for one of the prominent politicians in the community.

He listed those killed in the attacks as Denis Chibueze Igwe and Orji Paul, saying the later’s corpse was dumped in a quarry.

Insisting Ogbadu was shielding the group, he said: “People that are not from Amaeze wouldn’t have been coming from another community to attack the people of Amaeze and be killing them without the council chairman knowing it and the chairman has been mute in all these things.”

Reacting on the matter, however, the spokesperson of the Ebonyi State Police Command ASP Loveth Odaa, said the crisis stemmed from a power tussle within the town union and that Ogbadu was not responsible.

She said the crisis claimed only the life of one person. She said the investigation was still going on and that normalcy has returned to the town.

Efforts to reach the Chairman failed as he refused to pick his calls.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has recovered 548,000 tramadol tablets branded as “Tarkadol” at Nkwelle, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State.

Its Director, Media and Advocacy, Mr Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said the drugs were seized at the warehouse of a major drug kingpin, Okeke Chijioke, of No. 3, Atunya street, Maryland Estate, Nkwelle.

He said Okeke’s arrest on Saturday 10th July, followed credible intelligence and surveillance, which confirmed he stocked his warehouse with the illicit drug.

According to him, after the search of his warehouse, 548,000 tablets of Tarkadol weighing 302.500 kilograms were recovered.

“The suspect accepted ownership of the substance recovered. Preliminary investigation has established that Tarkadol is a brand of Tramadol that has just been introduced into the market to evade attention.

“The substance has also tested positive to amphetamine. The drug was equally labeled 100mg pain reliever on its packs to avoid scrutiny, while laboratory tests confirmed it’s a 225mg drug.

“It was further discovered that the drug was manufactured in India and smuggled into Nigeria without NAFDAC number or certification.

“During the search on the warehouse, a double barrel pump gun with three live cartridges, which licence expired since 2019, was also discovered and recovered, ” he said.

Babafemi said this was even as operatives of the Benue State command of the agency on road patrol in Apir village on 14th July intercepted and seized 28,400 capsules of tramadol from one Dankawu Madaki, who hails from Misah LGA, Bauchi State.

In a related development, a notorious interstate drug dealer, Godiya Linus, based in Taraba who supplied narcotics to dealers in Adamawa had been arrested in Numan area of the state.

Babafemi said Godiya, an ex-convict, was in jail between 2012 and 2018 following his conviction on drug related charges.

He said a drug dealer, Mohammed Ali, had earlier been arrested on 10th July with 1.150kg of diazepam in Numan.

“A follow up operation led to the arrest of Godiya who supplied Ali, while investigation has since revealed that he is based in Mayolope village in Lau local government area of Taraba.

“This was where he supplied Jambutu park in Yola and other parts of Numan, using an unregistered boxer motorcycle for distribution.

“Few days after Godiya’s arrest, another dealer, Emmanuel Ishiwu was nabbed with different quantities of tramadol, exol-5 and diazepam, totalling 6.103kg also in Numan on 14th July.

“This also was followed by the arrest of Muhammadu Garba and Shaibu Haruna with 48.500kg of cannabis in Gurin area of the state on Friday, 16th July 2021, ” he said.

Babafemi quoted the Chairman, NDLEA retired Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of the Anambra, Benue and Adamawa state Commands.

Marwa applauded them for sustaining the offensive in the ongoing efforts to mop up illicit drugs from every community in all parts of Nigeria, charging them to remain unrelenting in the discharge of their duties.

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the murder of Major General Hassan Ahmed, a former Provost Marshal.

A source close to the family said the ambush occurred close to the Abaji area of Abuja.

The aggressors kidnapped General Ahmed’s sister, Safina Ahmed (initially mistaken for the wife).

The siblings and the deceased’s driver, Sergeant Bukar were returning to the nation’s capital from Okene when they were attacked.

DAILY POST gathered that General Ahmed made the trip without his guards.

Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu announced the death in a statement early Friday morning.

The spokesman said the incident occurred when the top officer’s vehicle, “was attacked by gunmen while transiting along Lokoja – Abuja”.

Nwachukwu disclosed that an Army delegation, led by the Chief of Policy and Plans, Major General Anthony Omozoje, had visited the widow and other members of the bereaved family.

Members of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), led by the Deputy National President, Stella Omozoje have also paid a condolence visit.

“The remains of the deceased senior officer will be accorded a befitting burial at the Lungi Barracks Cemetery on Friday, 16 July 2021 by 10 a.m.”, the statement added.