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UK-based Nigerian accuses brother-in-law of killing sister, alleges police frustrating probe

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Eucharia

A United Kingdom-based Nigerian businessman, Romeo Ozoagu, has expressed displeasure over the delay in police investigation into his sister, Eucharia Okonkwo’s death, and is accusing his brother-in-law, Ignatius Okonkwo, of alleged culpability in the death.

Romeo said that Ignatius, a resident of Sixth Avenue, FESTAC Town, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State, was arrested and detained by the police for the alleged murder of his wife, but was freed without an investigation.

Romeo said he was in the UK on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, when he received a call from Ignatius that his 55-year-old sister had died without an explanation as to the cause of death.

He said he immediately sent his cousin, Ezenwa, and his younger brother, Hillary, to visit his sister’s house, but they were not allowed to see her remains and Ignatius did not take them to the mortuary, where he deposited the corpse.

He said, “My brother-in-law, Mr Ignatius Okonkwo, who lives on Sixth Avenue, FESTAC, Lagos, called me around 7.03am on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, to inform me that my sister, Eucharia Okonkwo, was dead. I live in London. I had spoken to my sister three days before that day. I immediately called my younger brother, Hilary Ozoagu, and cousin, Ezenwa, to visit my sister’s house to verify the information, because I was still in shock. On Thursday, they met Ignatius to find out what really happened.

“He told them that it was raining heavily overnight and he went to his wife’s room to check if the windows were closed. The people I sent requested that he take them to the mortuary, where the corpse was deposited, but he refused. I then instructed my brother to report the case at the FESTAC Police Station.”

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It was gathered that before policemen got to his apartment, Ignatius had allegedly absconded.

Romeo added that the case was also reported at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, but the suspect was nowhere to be found when policemen from there visited his home.

He said Ignatius remained in hiding for 22 days with his location discovered to be somewhere in Ogun State and later Enugu State when the police tracked his phone, adding that he was shocked when the police asked him to provide vehicles and logistics for them to apprehend the suspect in Enugu.

Romeo said Ignatius was arrested by policemen from the SCIID when he returned to Lagos to apologise for absconding.

He stated, “The FESTAC DPO arranged for some policemen to go to Ignatius’ house and get him arrested. On their way, one of the police officers, who is his close friend, sent him a text message to escape through the fence. After this, my brother reported the case at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba.

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“When officers from Panti came to the place to arrest him, he had locked his gate and switched off his phone. He was nowhere to be found for 22 days. We paid the police to track him; his first location was in Ogun State and later Enugu State. Policemen at Panti were not as helpful as they wanted us to provide logistics, including vehicles, to apprehend him in Enugu.

“He was advised at Enugu to return to Lagos and meet with Hillary, my brother, so that they could go to the mortuary and see my sister’s corpse. He called Hilary and apologised for initially fleeing. Hillary invited him to his house in a bid to settle the matter and alerted the police of the arrangement. That was how he was arrested.”

Romeo added that he saw the suspect in police custody when he got to Nigeria on May 27, but that Ignatius was released on the same day and was rearrested and taken into custody on June 15.

He stated, “I arrived in Nigeria and went to the police on May 27 to see the suspect and demanded an autopsy to determine the cause of my sister’s death. The police said I couldn’t make that kind of demand. Meanwhile, we were unaware that Ignatius had been secretly released from Panti. One of the things that surprised me was that my sister’s doctor, Declan Nwaigwe, who pronounced her dead on the day he visited the house, said she had been dead for 48 hours before he got there, meaning that my sister died on Sunday, April 25, 2021.

“One of my sisters at FESTAC saw Ignatius in the neighbourhood and called me to ask if the case was over. I told her that nothing of such had happened and that he was supposed to be in police custody. He was rearrested on June 15.”

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The 59-year-old businessman told said that the case was eventually transferred to the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, on May 15 at the request of his lawyer, but things became more complex when the police demanded that he should pay all the mortuary, transportation and autopsy bills before an investigation into the matter could be concluded.

He told our correspondent that he declined the request, adding that the deceased’s husband should bear the mortuary cost since he deposited the corpse there.

Romeo stated, “I asked the police to tell Ignatius to pay for keeping the corpse in the mortuary. I even offered to split other bills with him, but he refused. He said I must pay the entire bills because I was the one who brought the case to the police and that he would only pay the mortuary bill if I agreed that the corpse would be buried without an autopsy.

“The police were also telling me to settle all the bills if I wanted an investigation into the case, because the government didn’t have resources for such. They are frustrating me. The police have refused to investigate the case or charge the suspect. I need all the help I can get.”

When contacted, Ignatius did not take his calls and had yet to reply to text messages sent to his mobile telephone.

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The Police Public Relations Officer, Zone 2 Command, Hauwa Idris, said the case had been transferred out of the command.

“The case is not in Zone 2. The AIG has ordered that it should be taken back to Panti, where such cases are being investigated,” she said.

The Lagos State PPRO, Adekunle Ajisebutu, declined to speak on the matter, saying the zonal PPRO had the final say.

“Talk to the zonal PPRO. Her reaction is enough,” he simply stated.

PUNCH.

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Crime

Two Policemen Killed As Gunmen Attack DPO’s Convoy in Benue

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Two police officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The latest attack occurred on Monday evening, barely four days after another deadly incident in the community reportedly left four policemen and seven residents dead.

Community sources said the DPO had travelled to Makurdi on official duty and was returning to Ayilamo when his entourage came under attack.

One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were among newly deployed Mobile Police officers stationed in the area.

He said the officers were attacked at about 6pm while travelling from Ayilamo to escort the DPO back to the community from Makurdi.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said two officers attached to the DPO’s entourage were killed in the attack.

“The DPO came to Makurdi to collect some things, and while returning to Ayilamo, he was attacked and lost two of his men in the attack,” Aondongu said.

The latest incident has raised fresh concerns over the security situation in Ayilamo, where repeated attacks have resulted in casualties among security personnel and residents.

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Crime

Police Place Nigeria on Red Alert Over Planned Attacks

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The Nigeria Police Force has placed its formations nationwide on red alert following intelligence reports of planned terrorist attacks on worship centres, schools, NYSC orientation camps and other public places.
The alert followed fresh intelligence indicating increased mobilisation of terrorist elements for possible coordinated attacks on vulnerable targets across the country.
Police authorities also reportedly received intelligence on the movement of armed elements from Katsina through Kaduna towards Plateau State.
The operational order was contained in a police wireless message dated September 13, 2026, with reference number CB: 0900/FDPS/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL38/68, issued by the Department of Operations at Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Marked “Security General” and tagged “Treat as Very Important,” the message was circulated to Assistant Inspectors-General of Police overseeing Zones 1–17, Mobile Police formations, counter-terrorism and other specialised units, as well as Commissioners of Police in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The police directed formations to intensify vigilance and take proactive measures to prevent criminal and terrorist elements from carrying out attacks.
The warning specifically highlighted places of worship, educational institutions, NYSC orientation camps and other vulnerable public locations as potential targets.

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Crime

Kidnappers Dump 16-Year-Old Enugu Boy Near Onitsha Checkpoint, Police Rescue Him

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A 16-year-old boy, Favour Ayogu, who was allegedly abducted in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, has been rescued in Onitsha, Anambra State, after his abductors reportedly abandoned him near a security checkpoint.

Ayogu was rescued on the evening of September 13, 2026, by a joint security patrol team operating along Oguta Road, Onitsha.

According to the Anambra State Police Command, the teenager was found at Ekene Junction after unidentified persons reportedly pushed him out of a black Toyota Highlander SUV close to a security checkpoint.

The patrol team immediately intervened and rescued the victim, thereby preventing what the police described as further danger to his life.

Following the rescue, the Command said it had intensified surveillance and intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend members of the suspected criminal gang responsible for the abduction.

The police also appealed to residents of Igboeze South and Ibagwa-Aka in Enugu State who may have useful information about Ayogu or his family to contact the nearest police station or the Anambra State Police Command in Awka.

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, commended the security personnel involved in the rescue and directed officers to sustain strategic checkpoints, intelligence-led patrols and coordinated security operations across the state.

The Command assured residents and visitors that it would continue to intensify efforts to prevent criminal elements from using Anambra as a safe haven.

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Crime

Gunmen Attack Commercial Bus, Kill Nine Passengers

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At least nine passengers have been killed after gunmen opened fire on a commercial bus at Dungus Junction in Kuru community, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

The attack reportedly occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the bus, which was travelling towards Jos, stopped at the junction to drop off some passengers.

Several other passengers were reportedly injured in the attack and rushed to hospitals for treatment.

Lawan Suleiman, a neighbour and teacher of one of the victims, identified the driver as Ibrahim and said three of the victims were from his community in Bukuru.

“The driver is Ibrahim and he was my student. Three of them are from our community here in Bukuru. Their bodies have been deposited at the hospital. But relatives are preparing to collect them for burial,” Suleiman said.

The bus was reportedly riddled with bullets, with bloodstains visible inside the vehicle after the attack.

Rwang Tengwong, spokesman for the Berom Youth Moulders (BYM), also confirmed the incident, saying the victims were passengers travelling to Jos when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle.

Tengwong said one of those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow.

“The incident happened around 9.40 p.m. The victims were all passengers travelling to Jos when the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle. Among those killed was a member of Operation Rainbow. It is a very sad development and we lament the loss of lives,” he said.

He added that some passengers sustained gunshot injuries and were taken to hospitals, while some of the injured reportedly later died.

The attack has raised fresh concerns over the safety of commuters travelling along the route at night amid continuing security challenges in parts of Plateau State.

As of the time of filing this report, the Plateau State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

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Crime

Enugu Police Probe Alleged Disruption of Political Gatherings, Warn Against Violence

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Maduka University

The Enugu State Police Command has ordered an investigation into two separate incidents of alleged disruption of political gatherings in Nkanu West Local Government Area of the state.

The incidents reportedly occurred on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at Ndiuno-Obuoffia community and St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to thoroughly investigate the incidents and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

According to the statement, armed hoodlums allegedly disrupted a National Democratic Congress (NDC) ward meeting at Ndiuno-Obuoffia with sporadic gunshots, leaving two attendees injured.

In a separate incident at St. Joseph Primary School, Agbani, hoodlums allegedly destroyed canopies and chairs arranged for a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rally.

The police said operatives were promptly deployed to both locations after receiving reports of the incidents to prevent further breaches of peace and track down the fleeing suspects.

The Command, however, noted that neither of the political gatherings had been formally brought to the attention of the police for security coverage.

CP Giwa reiterated his warning that all political activities in the state must be conducted peacefully and in accordance with the law.

He stressed that electoral offences are punishable under the law and warned political parties, candidates, supporters and other stakeholders against violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other acts capable of disrupting public peace or the electoral process.

The Commissioner urged political parties and other stakeholders to notify the police ahead of campaigns, meetings, rallies and other political gatherings to enable the Command to make adequate security arrangements.

He assured residents that the police would continue to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for lawful political activities while dealing decisively with anyone found violating the law.

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