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Lagos based Igbo trader stabbed to death by cultists, family slams police

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A 27-year-old trader, Ekene Ogbu, has been stabbed to death by suspected cultists in the Ojo area of Lagos State.

The victim reportedly sold phones at the Alaba International Market.

His sister, Irene Daniels, asked him to buy a drink at a location close to their residence on Olusegun Mustafa Street, Igbede New Site, Ojo.

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Ogbu was said to be on his way when suspected cultists, identified as Bonaventure, T-Cash, Sugar, Bona, Choco, among others, accosted him.

Speaking to our correspondent, Daniels said she was pleading with the hoodlums to release her brother when Bonaventure allegedly stabbed him in the neck.

She said, “Around 11am on April 10, 2022, I asked Ekene (Ogbu) to buy a soft drink for me at a shop close to my house. After some seconds, a man forced his way into our compound and started shouting that Ekene would be killed. He also said he would set the house ablaze.

“I quickly confronted him to know the reason for his outburst, but he pushed me away. I ran after him and pleaded with him to leave my brother, but when I got outside, I saw that five cultists had held Ekene down.

“I was still pleading with them when one of them, known as Bonaventure, broke a bottle and stabbed my brother’s neck. He wanted to also stab me, but I dodged it and shouted for help. The suspects ran away, but I noticed one of them entering the house of a man, identified as Yinka.

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“I rushed Ekene to the Oscar Hospital in my area, where he died. My landlord reported the case at the Ajangbadi Police Station and one of the policemen took Ekene’s corpse to a mortuary in Badagry.”

Daniels said she thought the police would immediately make arrests, but nothing was done.

The married woman noted that her brother-in-law later petitioned the Police Intelligence Response Team, Ikeja, when the investigation was being delayed.

 

She said, “They requested money before starting the investigation and after I paid, they arrested Yinka and one Darlington, but they were later released on bail. I learnt that my brother was killed out of envy.

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“The case was later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, because policemen at the Ajangbadi division were reluctant to perform their duty for about a month.

“The police collected a lot of money from us, pretending that they would transfer the suspects to Abuja without telling us that they had released them. We want justice for my brother; he did not do anything wrong to them and he was not a cultist.”

The family’s lawyer, Margaret Iwuchukwu-Wilcox, while demanding justice for Ogbu, accused Yinka of orchestrating the events that led to the death.

She said, “After Yinka was released, he started announcing to people that he spent N3m to bail himself out of the police station. The police arrested some of the suspected cult members. The police interrogated them to determine the reason for the criminal act which late Ekene’s family is interested. We have not been informed that he was involved in any criminal act or if he was a member of their cult.

“Inasmuch as the police have tried their best to arrest some of the cult members, we want them to order Inspector Taiwo Adekunle to produce the two prime suspects, Yinka and Darlington, who were released on bail, so that they will be charged to court.”

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The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the police at the Ajangbadi division denied knowledge of the incident.

He said, “I called the Divisional Police Officer of Ajangbadi Police Station, SP Hamisu Magaji, and he said there was no official report about the case of the man that was stabbed to death by cultists at Ajangbadi.”

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Crime

Anambra Police Debunk Involvement In Death Of Suspect

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By Okey Maduforo Awka

Anambra Police Command has debunked the allegation that it’s officers and men had hand in the mysterious death of one Mr Paul Onwualu at Npkor in Idemili North local government area.

The Police which confirmed the arrest of the suspect however explained that preliminary investigations has so far shown that there complications in the health status of the deceased leading to his demise .

SP Tochukwu Ikenga ,who is the Public Relations Officer of the Command stated in a release that ;

“The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that it has commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate death of the late Mr Paul Onwualu in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State”

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“Preliminary information available to the Command reveals that the officers allegedly involved in the arrest before the sudden complication of the deceased’s health, which later led to his death, have been identified, but are not operatives attached to the Anambra State Police Command”

“The Command assures Ndi Anambra and members of the public that the matter is being handled with the seriousness it deserves to ascertain the facts surrounding the unfortunate incident”

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu fwc mnips PhD, urges residents to remain calm and allow the ongoing investigation to run its course, while reaffirming the Command’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, and the protection of lives and property.” he said.

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Crime

Woman Beats Stepdaughter to Death in Enugu 

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Police detectives in Enugu have arrested a stepmother, Mrs. Ogechi John, for allegedly beating her stepdaughter to death.
Mrs. John, who hails from Oderiko in Ikwo LGA of Ebonyi State, was arrested by the police on Monday morning for allegedly beating her stepdaughter, Miss Ogechi Amanda John, aged 9, to death at their Nchatancha residence in the Emene area of Enugu metropolis.

Neighbours reported that the event allegedly occurred around 3pm on Sunday, noting that the late Miss Amanda had been a victim of constant and ruthless maltreatment at the hands of her stepmother.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Enugu State, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, has expressed the state government’s anger over the incident, saying it would not relent until justice is done.

“It is on record that the Governor Peter Mbah Administration has zero tolerance for any form of child abuse, let alone child homicide. So, we swung into action on learning about this tragedy to ensure that the suspect was arrested.

“But it doesn’t end there. We will be pressing for thorough and expedited investigation to ensure that justice is not just done, but done really fast.

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“Nobody should take another’s life and certainly not the life of any child in Enugu State. We condemn it in totality,” she stated.

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Crime

Fake Pastors Arrested in Anambra as Soludo Begins Crackdown

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By Okey Maduforo, Awka
As suspected fake native doctors continue to face the long arm of the law in Anambra State, the government has now commenced a crackdown on alleged fake pastors who preach salvation without the gospel.
Already, scores of suspected fake pastors are reportedly in custody, with some said to have confessed to deceiving unsuspecting members of the public.
Governor Charles Soludo disclosed this during this year’s All Knights Day celebration held at St. Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral.
In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Christian Aburime, the governor said:
“The Governor also revealed an ongoing crackdown on fake pastors who exploit the vulnerable by preaching a gospel of ‘salvation without the cross,’ confirming that several are already in custody and confessing.”
He emphasized that a “New Anambra” is emerging and must be rid of deception and criminality, while reinforcing the church’s teaching that hard work remains the pathway to success.
The statement further read:
“In a firm demonstration of fiscal discipline, Governor Soludo granted a request from the Knights to support their charity visits to orphanages but declined a request for public funds to sew uniforms, stating he would not deploy state resources for private institutional regalia.”
The governor also urged the Knights to remain “the light of the world and the salt of the earth” by living according to principles rather than titles.
The event featured a Pontifical Mass celebrated by the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Paulinus Ezeokafor, while the homily was delivered by the Diocesan Secretary, Rev. Fr. Evaristus Iheanacho.
In his sermon, Iheanacho reflected on the work of the Holy Spirit, describing knighthood as a process of “sober reflection, stock-taking, and reckoning” guided by strict tenets and discipline.
He reminded the Knights that true love for Christ is demonstrated through obedience to His commandments, discipline, humility, and courage.
The cleric also cautioned against elitist isolation, urging the Knights to remain connected with the people and preserve their human face and prophetic voice within the community.

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Crime

Anambra Police Burst Gunmen Armoury in Orumba

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By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Violent Crime Response Unit of the Anambra State Police Command has uncovered and destroyed an armoury belonging to suspected separatist gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government Area.
The operation, led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Orebe Chidubem Matthew, followed intelligence obtained from a member of the gang currently in police custody.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police disclosed that the camp had previously been dislodged by a Joint Task Force on security operations. However, some members of the gang who escaped during the earlier raid reportedly regrouped and attempted to resume operations.
According to the statement, items recovered from the armoury include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with about 2,000 rounds of live chain ammunition, two fabricated rocket launchers with 25 propellers, 10 locally-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one locally-made Beretta pistol, two pump-action guns, three hand grenades, 10 rounds of K2 live ammunition, one gas cylinder, and one black Ecolac box.
“Recall that the camp was earlier destroyed by a Joint Security Team. Before the confession by the suspect in custody, intelligence had been received over time on how some escaped gang members were attempting to regroup. However, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit resisted and dismantled the camp following a gun duel with the unrepentant members,” the statement read.
The police further stated that some of the armed suspects fled the scene with varying degrees of bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect in custody confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across Anambra State, including attacks on police facilities, the killing of security personnel comprising police, military, and civil defence officers, attacks on government facilities, and the murder of security operatives on stop-and-search duties on various roads in the state.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that with the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit, operatives of the command are now better positioned and more motivated to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.

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Crime

Enugu Assembly Orders Salary Suspension Over Alleged Land Fraud

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The Enugu State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of the salary of Dr. Kate Okolo, a staff member of the Enugu State College of Education, over her alleged involvement in a controversial land deal.
The directive was issued on Tuesday in Enugu by the Chairman of the House Special Committee on Land Conflicts, Mr. Okey Mbah, as part of an ongoing investigation into a decade-long land fraud.
Mbah emphasized that the suspension is not a witch-hunt but a clear signal that the era of impunity in land administration in the state is over.
The committee, currently probing petitions from staff of the institution and members of the public, accused key figures in the Women in College of Education Organisation (WICE) of engaging in land racketeering and fraudulent sales.
According to petitioners, the scheme—introduced between 2009 and 2011 under the leadership of the late Mrs. Ugoma Ndubisi and Dr. Okolo—encouraged individuals to market plots of land known as “WICE Land” to colleagues, friends, and family members.
One victim, who pleaded anonymity, told lawmakers they invested in the scheme because it was presented as a credible internal arrangement.
“We paid in full and have receipts, but for over 13 years, we have not been allocated any land,” the petitioner said.
Testimonies further revealed that the situation worsened following the death of Mrs. Ndubisi, with allegations that Dr. Okolo altered the original terms of the transactions.
“She changed the name from Ukano to Ukano Bold, increased the prices, reduced plot sizes, and claimed that many of us did not pay.
“We are now being asked to pay again for land we already purchased.
“All we want is either our land or our money back,” another petitioner stated.
In response, Mbah assured the petitioners that the Assembly remains committed to ensuring justice.
“We have listened to your grievances, and this committee will see this matter through to a logical conclusion.
“No one found culpable will be shielded,” he said.

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