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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

The United States House of Representatives has passed a spending bill containing measures that would make future American assistance to Nigeria conditional on the Federal Government taking demonstrable steps to curb violence and protect vulnerable communities, including Christians.
The fiscal 2027 State Department appropriations bill was approved on Wednesday by a 217-209 vote, largely along party lines.
A key amendment sponsored by Republican Congressman Gregory Steube strengthened the proposed restriction by increasing the amount of US assistance that could be withheld from 50 per cent to 100 per cent until the Secretary of State certifies that Nigeria has taken effective steps to prevent violence, protect vulnerable communities, and hold perpetrators accountable.
Announcing the passage of his amendment on X, Steube said the measure was aimed at ensuring that American taxpayers do not fund governments that fail to protect Christians.
“My amendment to withhold 100 per cent of U.S. aid to Nigeria until its government stops the slaughter of Christians has passed. American taxpayers should never bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured, and murdered. No more wasteful foreign aid,” he wrote.
Another Republican lawmaker, Congressman Riley Moore, said the provision would ensure that US assistance is tied to measurable progress in protecting religious freedom, combating terrorism, and addressing violence against Christians and other religious minorities.
Moore alleged that thousands of Christians had been killed or abducted by extremist groups over the years and said the amendment followed congressional investigations, including visits by US lawmakers to assess the situation in Nigeria.
Speaking on the House floor, Steube argued that withholding only half of the proposed assistance would be insufficient.
“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address,” he said, adding that the amendment strengthens existing conditions by ensuring that no US assistance would continue without clear evidence of action against violence and religious persecution.
He stressed that the measure was intended to promote accountability rather than punish Nigerians.
“This is not about punishing the Nigerian people. It is about demanding accountability from their government and ensuring that our foreign aid is leveraged to defend, reflect, and uphold American values,” Steube said.
The proposed measure must still be approved by the US Senate and signed by President Donald Trump before it becomes law. Until then, it has no immediate effect on ongoing US assistance to Nigeria.
The development comes after President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act in 2025, citing allegations of religious persecution and directing Congress to investigate the situation.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims that Christians are being specifically targeted, maintaining that both Christians and Muslims have suffered attacks from terrorists and criminal groups.
Despite the differing positions, Nigeria and the United States have continued to strengthen security cooperation, particularly in efforts to combat terrorism in parts of northern Nigeria.

Lawyers representing the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, have formally written to the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, requesting that an autopsy be conducted on the late Mary Habila before her remains are released for burial.
In a letter dated July 15, 2026, and acknowledged by the Ebonyi State Police Command the same day, Roy & Associates said they were acting on the instruction of the minister.
According to the petition, Mary Habila, a staff member of the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences, Uburu, who was on secondment to the Federal Ministry of Works, died on June 27, 2026, in a staff residential building located within Umahi’s residence in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The lawyers stated that the deceased did not live in the same building as the minister, explaining that the building was reserved for members of Umahi’s staff and other personnel working with him. They further noted that on the night of her death, only Habila and another female occupant, identified as a physiotherapist, were in the building.
The legal team urged the police to ensure that a comprehensive autopsy is carried out by qualified forensic pathologists to scientifically determine the actual cause and circumstances of Habila’s death. They also requested that her remains should not be released to any person, including her next of kin, until the autopsy and all relevant investigative procedures have been concluded.
According to the letter, the request is intended to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation, eliminate speculation, and ensure that the true cause of death is conclusively established before burial.