NEWS
Five Nabbed In Delta For Impersonate EFCC Operatives
Five individuals have been detained by Delta State police on suspicion of impersonating EFCC agents in order to scam members of the public.
According to a press release from the Delta State Police Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edafe Bright, the police reacted in response to a number of complaints from the public, particularly from youths, who claimed that EFCC agents frequently break into their homes at night, arrest them forcibly, take them away, and demand a sizable sum of money from them.
The police acted right away, and information acquired suggested that they might not be EFCC agents after all.
On November 16, 2022, the Command received a second complaint from a victim (name withheld) who had been the victim of a nighttime home invasion by the syndicate. They had scaled the fence to get inside the compound, broken into his apartment, and taken him by force into a white Toyota Hiace bus.
The victim added that when they arrived at Head Bridge, which marks the border between Anambra and Delta States, they took his phones and other valuables worth N3,700,000 ($2,500,000) from him and forced him to make a cash transfer of N2,500,000 ($2,500,000). They also threatened to come after him again. Five other victims came forward to the Command and described how they were stolen of around 15 million naira in their statements (N15,000,000).
The police claim that it quickly became apparent that the actions were those of criminals posing as EFCC agents.
In order to conduct an investigation and ensure that the offenders are apprehended, Commissioner of Police Ari Muhammed Ali instructed the Command Decoy Squad.
The Commander, CP-Decoy, ASP Julius Robinson then led agents on a sting operation and pursued the suspects to their hideout in a hotel (name withheld) located in Asaba where they hibernated to plan their next operation on November 23, 2022, in response to credible information.
Prince Allison, 29, the gang’s leader who claimed to be an EFCC contract employee in Portharcourt, George Chisom Onyeweagu, 29, of Owerri, who ran the POS used to forcibly withdraw money from the victim’s account, Duke Okoro, 40, of Asaba, Delta State, Joseph Osinachi, 23, of Lagos State, and Onyocha Stanley, 32, of Owerri were the other five suspects detained.
The suspects acknowledged robbing numerous people from various regions of the State. Additionally, they claimed that they kept some of their victims in hotels for days until they were able to extort large sums of money from them, primarily by having them transfer money into their mobile POS.
They turned up a white Hummer bus, two EFCC jackets made in the area, a POS system, and eight cell phones. Six of their victims have revealed that they are the group that broke into their homes while pretending to be EFCC agents.
The PPRO reports that the investigation is still ongoing and that the accused will shortly face charges in court.
A tragic building collapse in Rivers State has left a middle-aged contractor, identified as Udeme, feared dead after a two-storey structure under construction caved in at the Egbelu Mgbaraja area of Ogbogoro Community, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
This incident comes just one week after a three-storey building collapsed at the Iriebe axis of the same local government, though that incident fortunately recorded no casualties.
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The latest collapse occurred on Monday, November 4, 2024, around 2 p.m., with construction workers on site when the structure gave way.
According to eyewitness Mr. Jonathan Obey, the building’s second floor suddenly buckled, trapping Udeme beneath the rubble, while another worker managed to escape with serious injuries.
Obey, who attempted to rescue the trapped contractor, suspected negligence, saying, “We couldn’t reach him despite our efforts. An inspection revealed substandard materials had been used, with the foundation only three feet deep for a two-storey building, which is insufficient. The rebar was of poor quality, and essential supports, such as a center beam, were absent.”
The Rivers State Government has since sealed off the property and declared the developer, Vincent Nwoye, wanted for questioning.
Rt. Hon. Evans Bipi, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, visited the site and expressed his dismay, attributing the collapse to gross negligence.
“This tragedy was preventable,” Bipi stated. “The developer failed to obtain an approved building plan and used inferior materials. The government will ensure accountability and take severe action.”
Bipi extended his condolences to the victim’s family and the Ogbogoro Community, affirming that the government will facilitate the family’s recovery of their loved one’s remains. “We sympathize with the bereaved family and the entire community,” he added.
The Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Samuel Anya, also condemned the developer’s actions, highlighting the dangers posed when profit is prioritized over safety. “This loss is a direct consequence of unethical practices,” he said.
The government has committed to a thorough investigation and tighter regulatory enforcement to prevent further tragedies in Rivers State.
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye has passed on.
The news of his passing was leaked by a reliable source under the condition of anonymity.
The sad incident, according to the source, happened in Ado Ekiti in the early hours of Tuesday.
His death is being traced to a sickness which came upon him following the injury he sustained when a section of the Ekiti State High Court Complex, Ado Ekiti wall collapsed in July 12, 2023.
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The late Justice Adeyeye was at the office when the building collapse happened and sustained injuries.
While the state and his family were yet to issue statements on his demise, the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of International Female Lawyers (FIDA) has sent condolences to the family.
The condolences message read: “With deep sorrow in our hearts and in total submission to the will of God, FIDA Ekiti consoles with the family of the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye on his call to glory.
“May He find rest with his maker.
“I pray that God grants the family, the Judiciary and the people of Ekiti State, the grace to bear this irreparable loss.
Adieu great one.”
Justice Adeyeye was born 1960 in Araromi Ugbesi in Ekiti East Local Government of Ekiti State and was called to bar in 1986.
He started his career as a State Counsel in the civil service of the then Ondo State before joining the Ekiti State Judiciary Service Commission shortly after the state was created in 1996.
He was promoted to the position of a judge in the state’s high court in 2002 and has served at different occasions in the election petition tribunal.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed all charges against 76 individuals accused of participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The ruling came after the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, moved to discontinue the case under orders from President Bola Tinubu.
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Justice Obiora Egwuatu, presiding over the matter, struck out the charges after hearing a motion from the AGF’s representative, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mohammed Abubakar.
Citing Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF formally took over the case from the Inspector General of Police, then requested to drop all charges against the defendants, many of whom are minors.
The judge granted the AGF’s application without objection from defense counsel, ordering the immediate release of the accused, who were not present in court.
This decision follows a directive issued on Monday by President Tinubu, instructing the AGF to withdraw charges against the protesters.
More to follow……….
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