Crime
Anxiety as Mercy Aigbe’s sister burns down mother’s house, accuses her of witchcraft
By Funmilayo Olusanya
Mercy Aigbe’s older sister, Dr. Patience, has taken drastic measures to vent her resentment toward her mother by setting her home on fire.
Dr. Patience’s accusation that their mother is a witch and her use of her witchcraft activity against her in favor of her other well-liked daughter, Mercy, is the source of their argument.
She further claimed that the elderly woman refused to assist her in repaying a N800,000 loan that she had taken out and had to repay.
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The house on Adebayo Mokuolu Street, across from Anthony Village Recreation Center in Lagos, is said to have been set on fire by Dr. Pat. Nothing could be saved, and the house was completely destroyed.
People in the neighborhood claim that the house belonged to their mother’s deceased spouse, for whom the elderly woman had only one son.
She was residing in the mini-duplicate that his father had given to her son, who happened to be Dr. Pat’s half-brother.
The structure is separate from the main structure, which is in front and has additional apartments.
Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the other apartments that belonged to the deceased man’s other children from his previous marriage.
Dr. Pat reported herself to the police after destroying the structure.
Their mother was reportedly with Mercy when she started burning the house; Mercy subsequently arrived at the residence with her in a black SUV to assess the damage done to the house.
Before setting the house ablaze, Dr Pat was heard shouting that she is the one that will kill their mother, confirming people’s suspicion that she had planned to burn the old woman in the house if she was in the house that morning.
Those in the area said she had been manifesting mental instability for a while, insisting that her mother is the one deterring her progress.
The children of the late man, to whom the old woman was married, are now worried that Dr Pat might come back to do worse to their father’s property if they don’t take any action against her quickly.
As things stand, Mercy’s mother doesn’t have a house to go back to, as the house is totally destroyed.
Earlier on Friday, 30th September, residents had woken up to the noise and screams of Dr Pat, who went on a rampage, destroying her mum’s car.
Her mother, who suffers from arthritis, stayed inside while her enraged daughter tore up her car while cursing at her mother.
Later, after her daughter had departed, the elder woman emerged to inspect the harm done to her car’s windshield, wipers, and front and rear lights.
Many others watched in disbelief as the visibly enraged woman wrecked the car while berating her mother and yelling “destiny stealer” at her.
This may help to explain why she wasn’t home when Dr. Pat arrived and started the fire, as she had turned the house over to Mercy’s because she thought her life was in danger.
Those in the know claimed that Mercy and Dr. Pat are actually half-sisters who have separate fathers but the same mother.
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Basil Iwoba Ochili, Managing Director of Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, over alleged fraudulent activities involving N128 million.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday.
According to the commission, Ochili was arrested for allegedly using his company for fraudulent activities, including “obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-eight Million Naira).”
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The EFCC said Ochili was arrested based on a claim by a petitioner who alleged that sometime in September 2022, the suspect falsely presented himself as the owner of five plots of land situated beside Anambra State Secretariat by Stamford Hotel, Aroma Junction, Awka, Anambra State, and falsely offered the property for sale.
“Relying on the suspect’s representation, the petitioner purchased the said plots in the sum of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million Naira), which was paid into the suspect’s company account,” the EFCC said.
However, the commission said the petitioner was unable to take possession of the land.
Preliminary investigations, according to the EFCC, showed that the suspect knew that the land “encroached on Anambra State Government Secretariat’s land” but allegedly went ahead to sell it to the petitioner.
The commission further said that instead of refunding the petitioner’s money, Ochili “offered him two dud cheques.”
“Further preliminary investigations showed that the suspect used part of the money to settle his debts,” the EFCC said.
The commission also stated that Ochili’s company, Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, “has never been tax compliant.”
The EFCC said the suspect will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
“The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the commission stated.
The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine convicted crude oil thieves to 10 years in prison without an option of fine following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).
The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier this year after security operatives caught them allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil well head identified as Asabo-D in Ibeno Local Council of the state.
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Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to face further legal proceedings.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DSS in collaboration with the NN as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom.
The conviction was described by a security source as another significant step in the sustained campaign against oil theft, particularly along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.
According to the source, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while inflicting serious environmental damage on host communities.
The source said the latest conviction underscored the determination of security agencies to ensure that those involved in the theft of the nation’s crude resources are brought to justice.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on legal practitioners in the country to desist from the illegal and unethical practice of charging clients in foreign currencies.
The Commission disclosed this in a post on its official X account on Monday.
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The call was made on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Lagos by the Acting Zonal Director of the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC, ACE I Bawa Usman Kaltungo, when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Lagos Task Force on Illegal Practice of Law, led by its Head, Moshood Abiola.
Speaking during the interactive session, Kaltungo expressed concern over the activities of lawyers who engage in “illegal and unethical practices,” stressing that the Commission would not hesitate to prosecute anyone found culpable.
He also urged legal practitioners to desist from charging their clients in foreign currencies, warning that such practice could attract regulatory action.
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