Crime
Man who burnt stepchildren blames temper, more victims die
One of the stepchildren died on the spot, while two others died at the hospital.
Parading the suspect, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the suspect would be charged at the completion of investigation.
Odunlami confirmed that three of the five victims were confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where they were receiving treatment.
Speaking, the 64-year-old suspect said he committed the act out of anger because his wife and her children ganged up to beat him up in his house.
He said, “On that day (last Friday) around 7pm, I had a quarrel with my wife and those children joined my wife to beat me up; I was even injured. That was how they were doing whenever we quarreled. So, after they had all slept, out of anger, I went to get petrol and poured into their room and put fire.
“Before now, my wife was no longer taking care of me and yet, whenever quarrel happened between us, she and her children would gang up to beat me up.”
Akinfolarin stated that he separated from their mother after she packed out of their matrimonial home, left the children to him and married the suspect.
He said, “I work on the farm as a tractor driver. The children used to stay with me whenever I did not go to the farm. At times, I would stay on the farm for three to four days before coming home and during that period, the children stayed with their mother till I come back from work.
“When I’m back from the farm on Friday, I would call their mother and they would stay in my place till Monday, when they would return to school. After closing, they would go to their mother till when I’ll be around.
“On that fateful Friday, I returned home late from work, so I couldn’t call them because I knew they would come to my place on Saturday. But around 4pm, I received a call from an unknown person who told me that the house of my former wife’s husband was on fire. But I did not answer the person because the woman is no longer my wife.
“My phone rang again around 6pm, and the person said my children wanted to speak with me. I heard my first daughter’s voice that their stepfather set them ablaze with petrol and they had been taken to the general hospital in Ondo.
“On getting there, I saw my children writhing in pain. Some were burnt beyond recognition. Their corpses have been deposited in a morgue.
“The remaining children are at FMC, Owo, with the support of oxygen. I have promised them that after this trip to the farm, I will stop going and look for something else to do so that I can take care of them properly. They only stay with their mother in her husband’s house whenever I’m not at home. All I want now is justice.”
A young woman identified as Messioma Nwaora, who was earlier reported missing, has reportedly been found dead in Uga, Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Unverified reports circulating on social media allege that her former boyfriend, identified as Chima Emmanuel and said to be from Ebonyi State, killed her after she ended their relationship. The reports further claim that he strangled her with clothing, placed her body in a bag and transported it on a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada.
The alleged confession and the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death have not been independently verified. Therefore, it cannot be conclusively established that the former boyfriend killed her.
As of the time of filing this report, the Anambra State Police Command had not issued an independently confirmed statement establishing the cause of death, confirming the identity of the deceased or stating whether a suspect had been arrested.
The reported death has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. Outstanding questions include where the body was recovered, how the woman died, whether Chima Emmanuel has been detained and whether investigators have obtained evidence linking him to the incident.
Further details are expected as reliable information becomes available.
A birthday party organised by popular Enugu socialite Nnaji Izuchukwu, popularly known as Stone, at Bull Hotel, Asata, Enugu, reportedly turned chaotic following a misunderstanding that allegedly prompted the hotel management to invite the police.
Stone, who was the celebrant, reportedly died from gunshot injuries sustained during the ensuing police operation.
Information available to Everydaynewsngr.net indicated that the misunderstanding at the birthday party degenerated into chaos, prompting the hotel management to call in operatives of the police Anti-Cultism Section.
In the confusion that followed, Stone was said to have attempted to escape through a window alongside another person before he sustained gunshot injuries.
However, the exact circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The Enugu State Police Command has since confirmed Stone’s death and ordered an investigation into the incident.
In a press release issued on Friday, October 23, 2026, the command said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, had directed a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the death and determine whether the operation and use of firearms complied with established operational standards and applicable laws.
According to the police, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Section of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) stormed Bull Hotel during an intelligence-led operation targeting Nworie Chidera Kelvin, popularly known as Akidi, an alleged drug dealer and member of the Vikings Confraternity.
The police said Akidi was suspected of involvement in several cases relating to cultism and unlawful possession of firearms.
The operation reportedly led to the arrest of Akidi and nine other suspects, comprising males and females aged between 17 and 28.
The police also said quantities of dried weeds suspected to be cannabis, a weighing scale allegedly used for measuring illicit drugs, and ₦43,400 in cash were recovered during the operation.
Giving its account of how Stone died, the command said preliminary findings indicated that he and another suspect jumped through a window in an attempt to escape.
The statement added that an operative pursuing the two suspects was allegedly confronted by them as they attempted to disarm him.
According to the police, the officer’s firearm discharged during the ensuing struggle, leaving Stone with gunshot injuries, while the other suspect escaped.
Stone was rushed to a hospital, where he was later confirmed dead. His remains have been deposited in a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
CP Giwa has directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department to establish the facts of the incident and determine whether the officers involved complied with operational standards and applicable laws.
The commissioner assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary action.
He also urged Stone’s family, associates and members of the public to remain calm, stressing that professionalism, ethical conduct and strict adherence to operational standards, particularly those governing the use of firearms, must be upheld during police operations.
The police statement was signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on October 23, 2026.
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Edo State Command, has launched a manhunt for a 28-year-old awaiting-trial inmate, Osita Thomas, who escaped while being taken to court for trial.
Thomas, an inmate of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Auchi, reportedly escaped last week during a court appearance over charges bordering on conspiracy and stealing.
The Command’s Public Relations Officer, Aminu Suleman, disclosed the development in a statement dated October 21, 2026, and made available to journalists in Benin City on Thursday.
Suleman said the Controller of Corrections in Edo State had directed intensified efforts towards apprehending the fugitive, assuring residents that security measures across custodial facilities had been strengthened to prevent similar incidents.
The Command appealed to members of the public with useful information about Thomas’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station or custodial centre.
It also released two telephone numbers, 08038075882 and 08039243704, through which information could be provided to security authorities.
Meanwhile, an official of the Correctional Service attributed the escape to inadequate manpower, explaining that the officer escorting Thomas to court could not abandon other inmates in his custody to pursue the fleeing suspect.
According to the official, pursuing Thomas would have exposed the remaining inmates to possible escape.
The official further raised concerns over worsening personnel shortages in the Service, alleging that more than 1,000 officers were expected to retire this year without corresponding plans for fresh recruitment.
He called on the Federal Government to urgently address the manpower deficit, warning that inadequate personnel could continue to undermine the effective management and security of custodial facilities across the country.
An alleged employment racket involving 21 job seekers and N8.29 million has landed an Enugu-based businesswoman, Stella Ezinne Egotanwa, in the net of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The 45-year-old businesswoman is being investigated for allegedly collecting money from unsuspecting applicants under the guise of securing employment for them at a psychiatric hospital in Enugu State.
The EFCC, in a statement posted on its official X handle on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, disclosed that the suspect allegedly collected the money between December 28, 2025, and June 30, 2026, through bank accounts belonging to different Point of Sale (POS) operators.
According to the commission, trouble began for Egotanwa when 16 aggrieved job seekers petitioned the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), accusing her of collecting N6.193 million from them without delivering the promised jobs.
The petition subsequently led to her arrest by NSCDC operatives in Anambra State on July 30, 2026.
However, the case took another dimension when five additional victims approached the EFCC, alleging that the businesswoman had similarly defrauded them of N2,098,200 through promises of employment at the same hospital.
The fresh petitions brought the number of alleged victims to 21, with the total amount involved rising to N8,291,200.
One of the victims, who narrated his ordeal to investigators, claimed to have paid Egotanwa N1.05 million on December 28, 2025, believing that she had the connections to secure the promised employment.
“I made the payment in good faith because I believed that the employment opportunity she presented to me was genuine.
“However, after making the payment, the promised employment did not materialise. I subsequently experienced difficulty reaching her and there were periods she did not respond to my calls or messages,” the petitioner stated.
The anti-graft agency further disclosed that Egotanwa was already awaiting trial in a separate case involving a similar alleged employment scam.
It added that the suspect had admitted to the alleged offence during interrogation and would be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The EFCC maintained that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the alleged fraudulent recruitment scheme.
Clarify the EFCC’s role in her arrest
Use consistent language for alleged victims
Tighten the opening for stronger impact
A Foundation Member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has lauded the Federal Government through the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for acknowledging that military operations alone cannot end banditry.
Okechukwu said that the recent acknowledgement of the NSA reflected the reality on ground on the protracted activities of banditry in the country.
The APC chieftain said this in a statement he signed and issued to newsmen in Enugu on Sunday.
Okechukwu reacted directly to Ribadu’s remarks at a brainstorming session on coping with banditry, organised by the Sokoto Advancement Forum in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
Aligning himself with the NSA’s position, he stressed that building community trust, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing youth recruitment into criminal networks are indispensable complements to military operations.
He said, “We must measure progress by more than arrests, weapons recovered or territory cleared.
“Success must also mean safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets and the restoration of public confidence.”
Okechukwu argued that this broader understanding of national security must inform the Federal Government’s economic and political policies if Nigeria is to achieve sustainable peace.
He urged Ribadu, as one of the closest presidential advisers, to appeal to President Bola Tinubu to rejig his economic programme to improve living standards, stimulate production, expand employment opportunities and alleviate the hardship confronting ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, economic insecurity, widespread hardship and unemployment can undermine community trust and create conditions that criminal networks exploit to recruit vulnerable youths.
He maintained that restoring livelihoods, strengthening rural economies and creating productive opportunities for young people must go hand-in-hand with security operations if the country is to achieve lasting peace.
Okechukwu also advised the NSA to recognise that the conduct of free, fair and credible 2027 General Elections as a foremost instrument for rebuilding public confidence nationwide.
The APC chieftain stressed that democratic legitimacy, public trust in institutions and confidence in the electoral process are essential to national cohesion and security.
Okechukwu further advised Ribadu that politicians, whether from APC or opposition parties, who incite violence, promote political intolerance or embrace a do-or-die approach to elections should be treated as threats to democratic stability.
He urged the appropriate authorities to investigate and prosecute those who engage in criminal conduct, irrespective of their political affiliations, in accordance with the law.
“Those who beat the drums of political violence and turn elections into a do-or-die affair are, in effect, political bandits.
“They threaten our democracy from within and must be held accountable before they pull down the roof of our democratic house,” Okechukwu warned.
He concluded that Nigeria could no longer afford to ignore the connection between economic hardship, political alienation and insecurity.
He said, “Hunger has awakened Nigerians who had hitherto resigned themselves to fate.
“The answer is not to dismiss their grievances, but to restore hope through economic opportunity, accountable governance, credible elections and a security strategy that protects both lives and livelihoods.”
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