Crime
Gunmen kill vigilante commander, three women in Rivers
Also killed were three women, including the commander’s sister, who were with him during the attack.
The assailants reportedly attacked the vigilante commander while he was relaxing outside his compound with the women along Oba Road in Omoku.
It was gathered that the killing may have been a reprisal following a violent clash linked to a community dispute.
A source told our correspondent that a youth meeting had been disrupted earlier on Tuesday after armed security personnel and OSPAC members allegedly stormed the venue and opened fire, leaving two youths with gunshot injuries.
Videos of the aftermath of the attack circulating on social media and seen by our correspondent on Wednesday showed multiple casualties, including the three women.
Residents, some believed to be relatives of the victims, were seen crying at the scene, while others carried the injured into a vehicle.
A source told our correspondent that the incident had caused panic in the area, with some residents fleeing to safer locations and business activities disrupted.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, said, “As I speak to you, many businesses and markets have remained shut since Tuesday.
“Many residents have also fled to neighbouring communities for safety because of fear. There is serious panic here.”
Confirming the incident in a voice note, the Public Relations Officer of OSPAC in Rivers State, Nkem Godknows, said the gunmen attacked the vigilante commander while he was sitting with his sister and her friend near his residence.
He further said two other victims sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to hospital, where they are receiving treatment.
He said, “It was about 5:05 p.m. Our commander was hanging out with his sister and friend around his neighbourhood. Before you know it, the gunmen got there and shot him dead.
“There are three women that died on the spot, while two others are in the hospital with bullet wounds.
“We reported to the police immediately. My call to the people of Omoku and ONELGA in general is that they should remain calm. Nobody should panic.
“By God’s grace, OSPAC and the security agencies are on top of the matter. I also appeal to the government and the security personnel to come to the aid of OSPAC because we are not properly taken care of.
“We are not paid. We have no source of income.”
When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Blessing Agabe, confirmed the attack and expressed sadness over the incident, describing it as a setback to the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
Agabe said the command strongly condemned the attack and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that those responsible are arrested and prosecuted.
She said, “I can confirm the incident. The Rivers State Police Command is saddened by this incident, which has disturbed the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
“The command condemns this act in its entirety and assures that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
“The Rivers State Police Command seeks credible information from members of the public that will assist us in our ongoing investigation.”
The command also arrested the alleged proprietor of the institution, who was accused of luring young people from across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries with promises of admission into a foreign university.
The operation was carried out in the early hours of Monday following days of intelligence gathering and covert surveillance by NSCDC operatives.
According to the corps, the suspected institution was operating without an official name, registration, signboard or recognised campus, while allegedly presenting itself online as a distance-learning centre affiliated with a foreign university.
Students of the fake Lagos university during the raid by NSCDC…Photo Credit: NSCDC
On Monday, the Badagry Area Commander of the NSCDC, Chief Superintendent Gbenga Ekunola, said the raid followed credible intelligence about activities at the apartment.
“We got reliable intelligence about the activities going on there. Our officers monitored the place for days before moving in. We have arrested the proprietor, who is assisting with our investigation, while the students have been taken into our protective custody,” Ekunola said.
Investigations revealed that the rescued youths, mostly between the ages of 19 and 24, came from several Nigerian states, including Kogi, Oyo and some northern states. Others reportedly travelled from neighbouring countries such as Niger, Cameroon and Togo after being recruited online.
Preliminary findings indicated that the victims were persuaded to pay admission and processing fees ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦1.5 million, while some foreign nationals reportedly paid between $400 and $500 after being promised admission into a foreign tertiary institution.
The NSCDC further discovered that the admission offer allegedly came with a recruitment condition requiring participants to bring in more students in exchange for commissions.
One of the victims reportedly told investigators that after paying $400, he convinced his brother in Kogi State to enrol and had already started receiving referral commissions.
The command also uncovered another dimension of the operation, alleging that some participants were involved in promoting unidentified products online while earning percentages from product sales and recruitment.
Expressing concern over the incident, Ekunola said many parents were unaware of what their children were actually doing in Badagry.
“We have started contacting their families. One parent told us her child informed the family that he came to Badagry to learn a trade, not to attend a university. That shows many of these parents were completely unaware,” he said.
He said all the rescued youths would be profiled before being reunited with their families after investigations.
The area commander added that anyone found culpable in operating the alleged fake institution would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The NSCDC said investigations had been expanded to uncover the full network behind the operation, identify other collaborators and determine whether similar schemes are operating in other parts of the country.
The discovery has renewed concerns over the growing number of fraudulent online admission schemes targeting young Nigerians and foreign nationals seeking opportunities to study abroad.
“I am not going anywhere. I have never discussed this. I don’t even know who the person is that brought that information.
“But whoever it is, we will take legal action against them,” Musa said after emerging from closed-door talks with President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
Musa arrived at the Villa at approximately 3pm and departed well after 4pm on Tuesday, amid the swirling rumours about his tenure.
Emerging from the meeting, the minister denied any discussion of resignation and said the reports were the handiwork of people uncomfortable with the administration’s improving security record.
“Whoever it is, we will take legal action against them. I am sure we will get them.
“He will come and explain who gave him such information,” Musa said.
He described the rumours as a deliberate attempt to undercut public confidence in the administration’s security gains.
“We are surprised. I was shocked when I saw that. I don’t know where that came from.
“Security is improving, things are getting better, and for them, that is a sad point. They always want to make it look as if it is not so,” he said.
He said the private meeting with the President was a routine security briefing and that Tinubu had expressed satisfaction with the military’s performance.
According to him, “I just came back from briefing Mr President on the current security situation, and he is very happy with us. We are going to continue doing well.”
He also appealed for continued civilian cooperation with security forces, framing it as indispensable to the campaign against terrorism and banditry.
Musa stated, “I want to seize this opportunity to appreciate Nigerians for all the support.
“The support has been massive. To defeat the terrorists and the bandits is a whole-of-society approach. Nigerians have keyed into it, and things are getting better, and they will continue to improve.”
Musa was nominated as Defence Minister by the President on December 2, 2025, having previously served as Chief of Defence Staff from July 2023.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested seven suspected kidnappers linked to separate kidnapping and armed robbery operations across the state, in what authorities described as a major breakthrough in the ongoing fight against violent crime.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on July 15, 2026, arrested one Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, popularly known as “Bone,” aged 32.
Ikenga said the arrest followed investigations into the kidnapping of a victim at Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State, where the victim was abducted, robbed, and forced to pay a ransom before regaining his freedom.
A search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, an axe, and an Itel Android phone bearing the victim’s photograph as its screensaver.
The police spokesman said the suspect allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, adding that efforts were underway to apprehend other members of the gang who remain at large.
In a related operation on July 16, 2026, operatives of the RRS, Awkuzu, in collaboration with detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, foiled an attempted kidnapping in Ogbaru Local Government Area.
During the operation, the police arrested three suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate identified as Chekwube Chukwu (32), Amarachukwu Nwobosi (34), and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor (30). Officers also recovered a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows bearing Lagos registration number LND 789HR, believed to have been used by the gang in its operations.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were intercepted while allegedly attempting to abduct a female POS operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani. The victim reportedly raised an alarm, attracting residents and prompting a swift police response following a distress call.
The timely intervention foiled the kidnap attempt, rescued the victim, and led to the arrest of the suspects.
Further investigations linked the suspects to the June 3, 2026, kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha. In that incident, the victim was allegedly abducted, dispossessed of two POS machines and Android phones, and forced to pay a ransom of ₦3.5 million before regaining her freedom.
Ikenga said the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement during interrogation and are providing useful information to assist investigators in identifying criminal receivers and other members of the syndicate operating within and outside Anambra State.
He noted that the operations underscore the Command’s determination to dismantle criminal networks and enhance public safety across the state.
The Police Command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts to combat crime.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the conviction of a self-styled prophet, Godwin Sunday Ajuluchukwucheya, popularly known as Prophet Sunday Koboko, for fraud involving over ₦136 million.
Ajuluchukwucheya was arraigned by the EFCC’s Enugu Zonal Directorate before Justice H.O. Eya of the Enugu State High Court sitting in Independence Layout on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing to the tune of ₦136,436,000.
The offences contravene Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and are punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following his guilty plea, EFCC counsel, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE II), Rotimi Ajobiewe, urged the court to convict and sentence him accordingly.
The Prophet
Justice Eya subsequently convicted the defendant and sentenced him to one year imprisonment, with an option of a ₦500,000 fine.
The court also ordered the forfeiture of the convict’s landed property, covered by a Customary Certificate of Occupancy dated July 25, 1989, and registered as No. 92 at Page 92 in Volume 512 of the Enugu Land Registry, to the Federal Government through the EFCC.
According to the judgment, the property is to be sold and the proceeds used to compensate victims who lost money to the fraudulent scheme.
The EFCC said the investigation began after a petition by Mrs. Ngene Nkiruka Jane, who alleged that the convict falsely presented himself as a genuine man of God and convinced her he possessed the spiritual power to raise her late husband from the dead.
She claimed she was persuaded to pay into a bogus investment scheme that promised financial returns while also contributing money for the supposed resurrection of her husband, resulting in a loss of ₦6.7 million.
Another victim, Mr. Okey Uwakwe, alleged that the self-acclaimed prophet collected ₦6,231,400 from him after claiming he could spiritually influence his brother, who had travelled abroad in 1997, to return to Nigeria.
The anti-graft agency disclosed that as investigations progressed, more members of the convict’s ministry came forward with allegations that they had also been defrauded.
Investigators further uncovered that Ajuluchukwucheya’s scheme involved persuading followers to purchase so-called “prosperity products” with promised spiritual and financial benefits. The items included “Miracle Sticker,” “Spiritual Dragon,” “Holy Ghost Thunder,” and several other products marketed as possessing supernatural powers.
Crime
Fake Native Doctor Onyeze Jesus Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison, Seven Fake Pastors Remain in Custody
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
An Anambra State High Court sitting in Awka has sentenced self-acclaimed native doctor, Onyebuchi Okocha, popularly known as Onyeze Jesus, to six years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₦20 million after finding him guilty under the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
The judgment comes as seven pastors previously arraigned on related allegations remain in custody pending the determination of their cases by the court.
Another suspected native doctor, popularly known as Eke Hit, also appeared before the court, where his case was adjourned to September 26 after both the prosecution and defence adopted their final written addresses.
Onyeze Jesus had spent about one year and six months in detention after being charged with promoting wealth through supernatural means, contrary to Section 18 of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
He faced a three-count charge bordering on allegedly promoting money-making through supernatural means on his social media platforms, operating the controversial Oke-Ite practice, and claims of money doubling.
In his judgment, Justice Jude Obiora discharged the defendant on counts two and three, holding that the prosecution failed to establish allegations relating to ritual practices and money doubling. However, the court convicted him on the first count, finding that he openly propagated the idea of acquiring wealth through supernatural means rather than lawful enterprise.
The judge noted that the defendant admitted being the individual featured in the viral videos and acknowledged ownership of the social media accounts used to disseminate the messages.
Justice Obiora held that there was no credible evidence or testimony proving that Onyeze Jesus engaged in ritual killings or successfully doubled money for anyone, leading to his acquittal on those counts.
Before sentencing, Onyeze Jesus broke down in tears, kneeling in the witness box as he pleaded with the court for leniency.
“My Lord, temper justice with mercy. This is my first offence and the first time I have appeared before a court,” he said.
He added that since his arrest in February last year, he had lost contact with his wife and twin children, who depended on him, and claimed that three widows he had been supporting died while he remained in custody.
Reacting to the judgment, defence counsel, Sir Bath Okafor Ezedinobi, described the sentence as the maximum prescribed by law and said the legal team would obtain the Certified True Copy of the judgment before deciding on its next line of action.
“We will study the judgment carefully and determine the appropriate legal steps. The court convicted him on count one and discharged him on counts two and three,” he said.
Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Law Mefor, welcomed the judgment, describing it as a strong affirmation of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law.
He said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to those promoting practices that encourage the false belief that wealth can be acquired without legitimate work.
“The law is now fully operational, and today’s judgment demonstrates that it will be enforced. Anyone involved in practices prohibited under Section 18 of the law, including Oke-Ite, will face the full weight of the law,” Mefor said.
He stressed that the Soludo administration was neither against traditional religion nor Christianity but against individuals who exploit religion or traditional practices to deceive people, especially young Nigerians, with false promises of instant wealth.
Mefor also confirmed that the seven pastors earlier arraigned under the same law remain in custody in accordance with the court’s directive.
“The pastors are still in detention and will remain so until their cases are concluded and the court reaches its verdict,” he said.
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