Crime
7-Year-Old Girl killed By Suspected Ritualist In Ogun
A suspected ritualist has killed a seven-year-old girl yesterday in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, Ogun State.
According to reliable sources, the incident took place on Kilani Street in the Iyana Iyesi neighborhood of Ota at about 7 am.
The deceased was killed while on a mission from her mother’s neighbor to fetch something from the residence.
According to reports, the suspected ritualist attacked the girl and used a pestle to smash her head when she entered the house. He had been hiding somewhere in the structure.
The girl’s cry for help attracted the neighbor’s attention, but she was dead before anybody could arrive at the scene.
A resident of the area, who simply identified herself as Abefe, told our correspondent that neighbors searched for the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found.
The source added that police had visited the area to assess the scene of the incident.
The police have taken away the body of the little one. I know the girl very well, we used to call her ‘Mama’. The suspect killed her in cold blood. At first, we thought it was a thief, but further findings revealed that the guy is a ritualist,” she said
Our correspondent further gathered that the unknown ritualist had been hibernating in an empty building in the area.
“When we searched further, we discovered that the man had charms and a goat hidden in an empty building close to his victim’s house. When we got there, we saw the charm and a goat. The goat attacked one of us, but it was later killed. This is a sad occurrence,” another source stated.
Abimbola Oyeyemi, the public relations officer for the Ogun State Police, expressed shock upon learning of the occurrence.
However, he promised to get more information from the relevant police division and get back to the newsmen.
Crime
$345,000 Fraud: EFCC Withdraws Arrest Warrant For Mercy Chinwo’s Ex-Manager
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has withdrawn the arrest warrant issued against Ezekiel Thankgod, the former manager of renowned gospel singer, Mercy Chinwo.
Biztellers reports that Thankgod is facing allegations of involvement in a $345,000 fraud case.
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The arrest warrant had been issued by Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court on January 16, 2025, following an ex parte application by the EFCC seeking to compel Thankgod’s appearance in court.
During a court session on Friday, EFCC counsel, Mrs. Bilikisu Buhari, applied to withdraw the warrant, stating that the charges had already been served on Thankgod’s lawyer, Mr. Monday Ubani, SAN, during open court proceedings.
She argued that the warrant was no longer necessary.
Justice Owoeye granted the application and formally vacated the bench warrant.
Crime
Counsel To Otudeko Protests Alleged N12.3bn Fraud Charges
Oba Otudeko, Chairman of Honeywell Group, appeared in the Federal High Court in Lagos on Monday to challenge charges of N12.3 billion fraud.
Biztellers reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 13-count indictment against Otudeko, along with Olabisi Onasanya, former Managing Director of FirstBank Plc., Soji Akintayo, a former board member of Honeywell, and Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
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During the proceedings, the defendants’ lawyer, Mr. Bode Olanipekun (SAN), raised an objection, stating that the charge had not been properly served to Otudeko or his co-defendants.
Olanipekun emphasized this issue as a reason for protest in court.
The EFCC has accused the individuals and the company of fraudulently obtaining N12.3 billion under false pretenses.
More to follow………..
Crime
Arrested Boko Haram Suspects: Adeleke Commends Security Operatives, Assures Safety Of Residents
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has commended the personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), on the successful operation, that led to the arrest of 10 suspected members of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Ilesa, Osun State.
Gov Adeleke expressed his feelings in a statement on micro-blogging site, X, on Saturday.
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According to the statement, Gov Adeleke hailed the alertness of security operatives, to eliminate the threats posed by the suspected terrorists, which gives further assurance that our security agencies are up to the task of sustaining peace and security of every part of Nigeria.
He particularly commended the intelligence gathering of the personnel of the State Service, who have painstakingly monitor the activities of the suspected criminals and moved swiftly to cut off their dastardly act.
“This is a welcome development and a big relief, not just for us as a government but to the people of the state and Nigeria in general. I commend the security operatives for their alertness and intelligence driven operation. We have absolute confidence in our security forces to keep protecting us”, Gov Adeleke declared.
He assured that his administration will continue to cooperate with security agencies and support their operations to ensure maximum protection of lives and property of Osun people, noting that this remains top of his priority.
“As the Chief Security Officer of Osun State, I will continue to give priority to issues of security of my people. I will continue to support efforts of security agencies to guard against any breakdown of law and order in any part of Osun. We will sustain the good relationship and collaboration that currently exists between our administration and the security agencies in the state” the Governor noted.
Gov Adeleke enjoined residents of Osun to continue to be watchful, and report any suspicious activity in their neighborhoods to relevant security agency, while assuring that Osun will continue to be a peaceful state under his watch.
“I hereby call on my people to continue to live in peace and harmony and be at alert to report any suspicious activities or behavior around them to the relevant security authorities. Together, we will ensure that Osun remains the most peaceful state in Nigeria” he concluded.