Crime
Policeman linked to Lagos missing baby dismissed
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the development during a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said following Ukpabio’s dismissal from the Force, he would be charged in court.
He said, “The recommendation for the dismissal of Inspector Samuel Ukpabio has been approved. This automatically paves the way for his prosecution.
“The Commissioner of Police, Idowu Owohunwa, assures Lagosians of his unwavering determination to police the state within the dictates of rule of law, civility and respect for human life.”
Our correspondent had reported that Ukpabio, a policeman attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department, arrested Obhafuoso on Friday, December 23, 2022, the same day she delivered her newborn.
The policeman, thereafter, took her alongside her three children to the police formation in the Yaba area of the state, where she was accused of attempting to sell the baby, a claim she denied.
Obhafuoso said during interrogation, Ukpabio forcefully took her baby and handed him over to a yet-to-be-identified woman from a government ministry in the state.
The cop subsequently gave her N15,000 and chased her and her two remaining children out of the police formation and warned her against returning to claim her baby.
Ukpabio sent her another N170,000 after the aggrieved mother kept demanding the child.
“The last time I saw my newborn was at the SCID, where a policeman, Samuel Ukpabio, connived with people who pretended to help me and stole my baby. All I want is my baby,” the 35-year-old told our correspondent in a special report published on Friday, January 6, 2023.
Contacted to get his reaction to Obhafuoso’s allegations a day before the special report was published, Ukpabio said the government had taken over the baby.
“They wanted to sell a baby for N3m and that is baby trafficking. The child is in the orphanage home with the government. The person that wants to buy the child is now in Kirikiri (Prison),” Ukpabio said.
Asked why he released Obhafuoso as he claimed she wanted to sell her baby for N3m which is an offence, Ukpabio said, “She has two other children; they wanted to collect them from her because she can’t take care of them and she started crying and pleading and because of the way she pleaded, she was released instead of taking to the Kirikiri (Prison).”
Ukpabio declined to reveal the name of the orphanage home and the ministry involved, nor where the money emanated from when he hung up the call.
However, in a bid to locate the whereabouts of the baby and to ensure that Ukpabio and his accomplices were arrested, our correspondent on the same day Ukpabio was contacted for a reaction to the aggrieved mother’s allegations, informed the PPRO and the Officer-in-Charge of the SCID, Waheed Ayilara, about the errant cop’s shenanigans.
In his reaction to our correspondent’s revelation about Ukpabio’s illicit acts, Ayilara said, “You have given me a very detailed story. I need to look into this, I will get the person involved and do all necessary things that I ought to do professionally and will get you duly informed through the PPRO.”
The PPRO in a reaction later that same day, said, “The said officer (Ukpabio) has been taken into custody and investigation has commenced.”
Following Ukpabio’s arrest, the PPRO confirmed the arrest of two female suspects linked to the missing baby.
“Both of them (female suspects) have not denied collecting the baby but we still don’t know where the baby is. We are still working and by the end of tomorrow, we should be able to tell where they took the baby to. So, we have a total of three people in detention now; the inspector, and the two ladies,” the PPRO said.
Till date, the whereabouts of the baby had remained unknown.
In her reaction to the development, the Founding Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, while facilitating the process of locating the whereabouts of the baby, petitioned security agents to wade into the matter.
She said, “It’s a complicated case; we are concerned about the life and security of a day-old baby taken away from her (Obhafuoso) and also the complicity of the police in this matter. We call on the government and law enforcement agents to ensure that this case is properly adjudicated upon; where is the baby?”
A rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), also said it was not enough for the police to claim that Ukpabio had been arrested, adding that he should be charged and “must produce the child.”
The Bauchi State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the death of a 20-year-old man, Abdullahi Adamu, following allegations that he was assaulted while in police custody in Misau Local Government Area.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Nafiu Habib, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the police became aware of reports circulating on social media alleging that officers attached to a police outpost under the Misau Division assaulted the Sebore Village resident during interrogation.
According to the statement, Adamu was initially taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Misau, for treatment before being referred to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi, where he was confirmed dead on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
Reacting to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, directed an immediate and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, stressing that the Command remains committed to professionalism, respect for human rights, and due process.
He assured that any officer found culpable would face appropriate disciplinary and legal action in accordance with the law.
“The Command is committed to ensuring that justice is served, and appropriate disciplinary and legal actions will be taken against any personnel found culpable,” the statement read.
The police also expressed condolences to the deceased’s family and prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul.
The Command appealed to members of the public with relevant information to assist the ongoing investigation, noting that it has not confirmed the allegations against its personnel and that investigations are ongoing to establish the facts surrounding the incident.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Adeyemi insisted that the funds were obtained through loans, adding that he has yet to repay the money.
“I borrowed the ₦400 million to pay for the appointment, and I am still indebted to those who gave me the money,” he said.
Adeyemi also dismissed allegations that he falsely presented himself as a United Nations ambassador, describing the claims as a calculated smear campaign aimed at discrediting him.
The controversy stems from earlier allegations in which Adeyemi accused Gbajabiamila of receiving ₦400 million through a proxy to facilitate his appointment and subsequently demanding an additional ₦200 million before the agency could become fully operational.
The Presidency has rejected the allegations, maintaining that Adeyemi heads a non-existent agency.
However, reports indicate that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council received allocations in the federal budget and operated from an office within the Federal Secretariat in Abuja.
Amid growing public attention, President Bola Tinubu last week directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate the bribery and forgery allegations involving the PFIPC and all individuals named in the claims.
The allegations against Gbajabiamila remain under investigation, and no official findings have been released by the anti-corruption agency.Politics
Both the Presidency and the Chief of Staff have continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Suspected gunmen have abducted several mourners escorting the remains of a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officer to Benue State for burial after ambushing their convoy along the Ososo–Ajaokuta axis of Kogi State.
The victims were travelling with the body of Deputy Corps Commander Augustine O. Ikwue, popularly known as “Etume Zero,” when the attackers struck, forcing the mourners and the corpse into the bush.
According to citizen journalist and activist Meddy Olotu, the kidnappers later abandoned the officer’s body, which was recovered around Ejule in Kogi State, while the abducted mourners remain in captivity.
Olotu said the kidnappers are demanding a ₦50 million ransom for the victims’ release.
Describing the incident as heartbreaking, he lamented the worsening security situation in the country, saying, “What kind of country are we living in? Even the dead cannot rest in peace.”
He called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue the abducted mourners and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
The late Deputy Corps Commander Augustine O. Ikwue was scheduled to be buried on Friday in Ai-Ode, Upu Community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, before the funeral procession was attacked.
Mr Gbajabiamila has been implicated in corruption scandals across borders, including in the U.S., where he was disbarred by the State Bar of Georgia.
President Bola Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajamila, illegally cornered tens of billions of naira in oil and gas royalty from Nigeria’s thriving oil regulatory commission after citing a fake law for the president’s approval, documents seen by Peoples Gazette showed.
Weeks after Mr Tinubu took the oath of office in 2023, his chief of staff began canvassing for money, knocking on the doors of highly lucrative agencies like the Nigeria Revenue Service (formerly Federal Inland Revenue Service), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (the agency in charge of the nation’s maritime operations) and Nigeria Customs Service, sources acquainted with the matter told The Gazette.
The Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission was not left out of the financial push as Mr Gbajabiamila drafted a memo requesting that four per cent of the cost of collection (annual revenue generated from the NUPRC) be split into two parts: 2.5 per cent for its operations and routine capital expenditure, and 1.5 per cent for capital expenditure.
The language ringfencing the 1.5 per cent, equal to N54 billion, was vague, as Mr Gbajabiamila said it was for “upgrading of crude oil and gas metering and transparency systems”. What he meant by transparency systems for such a humongous amount was not immediately clear.
“Mr President has directed that the Budget Office and the Accountant General of the Federation implement the approval in paragraph 2.a. above and ring fence the 1.5 per cent which may only be utilised for upgrading crude oil and gas metering and transparency systems upon obtaining relevant approvals,” Mr Gbajabiamila stated in a memo dated July 4, 2023.
Mr Gbajabiamila justified his request by citing a section of the Petroleum Industry Act 2023 to support his directive.
“The authority to collect these fees is vested in statute—Section 24(2)(c) of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) (2023). However, the specific percentage collectable is subject to presidential approval,” Mr Gbajabiamila said in the July 2023 memo.
Checks by The Gazette revealed the section contains language that does not in any way correlate with the authorisation to claim tens of billions of naira from the nation’s coffers.
“The source of the commission Fund shall be as follows–( c) cost of collection by the commission,” stated PIA 2023 Section 24 (2c) that Mr Gbajabiamila cited in a letter to the Ministry of Finance and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation to lay claim to N54 billion.
When asked for comments, the presidency defended Mr Gbajabiamila, saying he only carried out the president’s instructions, which he claimed were within the ambit of the law.
The presidency avoided commenting on the falseness of the cited law, instead insisting that the N54 billion illegally received was with the president’s say-so and that there was no “smoking gun” on the matter.
“Gbajabiamila did not commandeer any money,” Bayo Onanuga told The Gazette on Monday. “The presidential order given to the NUPRC is within the right of the Mr President as president and C-in-C.”
Further checks by The Gazette showed that even the president lacked such powers to direct NUPRC’s revenue accrual and capital expenditure appropriation.
That responsibility was assigned to the National Assembly under Section 24(1) of the PIA 2023, stating, “The commission shall maintain a fund into which money accruing to the commission shall be paid, and all expenditures of the commission shall be subject to appropriation by the National Assembly.”
The president, according to the cited law, has no business with directing how the cost of collection is shared, let alone laying claim to its 1.5 per cent.
The cost of collection, which was N98 billion in 2022, increased significantly to N145 billion following Mr Tinubu’s unification of the official and black market exchange rates.
Whether Mr Tinubu’s action constitutes an overreach of his constitutional powers remains to be seen and can only be determined by a competent court.
Mr Gbajabiamila has been implicated in corruption scandals across borders, including in the U.S., where he was disbarred by the State Bar of Georgia after allegedly stealing money from a client.
For months, Mr Gbajabiamila ignored summonses from the State Bar to answer questions regarding the theft. He subsequently stopped paying his membership fee after his client reported him to the Bar.
His actions led to a five-year suspension from the Bar in 2015 and ultimately led to outright termination in 2020 after the Bar determined it could no longer condone Mr Gbajamila’s ethical lapses.
In 2022, Mr Gbajabiamila was accused of accepting $2 million in cash bribes (as the speaker of the House of Representatives) to secure passage of the new Petroleum Industry Bill, despite protests from host communities.
In his latest financial scandal, the president’s chief of staff is battling fraud allegations and fighting to survive a N400 million bribery scandal that has engulfed his political career.
Adeniyi Adeyemi, director-general of a controversial Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), accused Mr Gbajabiamila of collecting N400 million through a proxy and demanding an additional N200 million to secure his appointment as director.
The allegation arose after Mr Gbajabiamila released a statement on June 11 denying that the PFIPC (which appeared on pages 50 and 51 of the appropriation budget) existed and that the president was unaware of Mr Adeyemi’s appointment.
Mr Adeyemi said Mr Gbajabiamila was stung by his refusal to give him 48 per cent commission of PFIPC ‘s N27.7 billion grant and hence, sought to discredit the council and humiliate his person.
“The major rationale behind the disagreement between myself and the chief of staff is because he allegedly requested 48 per cent of the take-off grant (N27,395,510,136) from the same agency, which he denies, to which I rejected after he collected a total sum of 400 million by proxy, with a remaining balance of 200 million to secure the said appointment,” Mr Adeyemi said in a statement last month.
Mr Adeyemi said it was impossible for an agency that did not officially exist to be issued such a grant at the president and chief of staff’s directive.
He said, “If the agency does not exist, yet found its way into the Nigerian national budget, what that means is that the entire 2026 appropriation budget is a fraud and should be discarded.”
The president has ordered that the allegations be thoroughly investigated and concluded within 30 days. He said persons found culpable in the corruption would be prosecuted.
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By Okey Maduforo Awka
An Awka Magistrate Court has remanded a blogger , Mr Ejike Ofoegbu following an Experte Order brought by the Police for his remanded.
Recall that Ejike Ofoegbu was arrested by the Police on the account of defermation and invasion of privacy through his Media platform Igbo News Magazine.
Contained in the said platform was a report on the disowning of Soludo’s son Ozo Nna and the other report that Ozo Nna had accused his father of maltreatment on his mother.
Shortly after Ejike Ofoegbu was arrested, he went on air to tender an apology to Governor Charles Soludo and the rest of the family members stating that the stories were false and unfounded adding that no such disagreements took place within the Soludo family.
Delivering his ruling the presiding Magistrate Ozekwele in Suit No M/ W 3136/ 2026 stated that the Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter adding that the issue under contention is wheather the accused should be granted bail or remanded .
Ozekwele further stated that the matter should be referred to the State Attorney General for his input on the case before the matter would be entertained at the High Court.
Earlier counsel to the accused (Ofoegbu) S.A Machie in response to the Experte Order prayed the Court to consider the application for bail which the Court did not grant .
The matter was adjourned to the 27th day of July waiting for the submissions of the state Attorney General and ordered for the remand of Ejike Ofoegbu.
Also in a statement the Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga said that the arraignment of Ejike Ofoegbu followed the Command’s receipt of the suspect from the Department of State Services Awka, and the conclusion of Police investigations into a petition alleging the publication of false information capable of causing reputational harm and inciting public disaffection.
Ikenga noted that the Command will refrain from making further comments, as this may prejudice the ongoing Court proceedings.
“Furthermore, the Command advises members of the public, media practitioners, and publishers to exercise due diligence in verifying information before publication and to adhere to the ethics of responsible journalism and the provisions of extant laws governing the dissemination of information” he said.
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