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Court Jails Two In Onitsha Over N39.5m Fraud

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Justice Victoria Nwoye of the Anambra State High Court, sitting in Onitsha has convicted and sentenced the duo of Ikechukwu Obiekwe and Ugo Chukwudi to prison for fraud.

They were prosecuted by the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on 10-count charges bordering on conspiracy, fraudulent conversion, stealing and retention of proceeds of crime to the tune of N39,528,530 (Thirty-nine million, Five Hundred and Twenty-eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Naira).

Count two of the charge reads: “That you, Ikechukwu Obiekwe, between 2016 to 2018 in Onitsha within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to permanently deprive the owner of his money, fraudulently converted to your own use, the sum of N18,145,530.00 (Eighteen Million, One Hundred and Forty-five thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Naira) being money belonging to Rainbow Hair International Company Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 342 of CAP 30, Criminal Code Law of Anambra State and punishable under Section 353 (6) of the same Law”

READ ALSO: BREAKING: EFCC, Partners Mark 2024 African Union Anti-corruption Day With Walk Against Corruption

Count three reads: “That you, Ugo Chukwudi between 2016 to 2018 in Onitsha within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court transferred the sum of N5,399,000 (Five Million, Three Hundred and Ninety-nine Thousand Naira) to account number 0012766443 domiciled in Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc belonging to Emma Ogonna Obiekwe, a nominee of one Ikechukwu Obiekwe when you know or reasonably ought to know that the said money was stolen by the said Ikechukwu Obiekwe and therefore formed part of proceed of crime and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17 (A) of the EFCC Act 2004 and punishable under Section 17 (B) of the same Act.”

In the course of the trial, prosecution counsel, Mainforce Adaka Ekwu presented six witnesses and tendered several documents in evidence.

Justice Nwoye in her judgment on July 9, 2024, held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced both men to one year imprisonment each without an option of fine. In addition, he ordered that the sum of N39,528,530 (Thirty-nine million, Five Hundred and Twenty-eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Naira), being the proceeds of their crime be forfeited by the convicts to their victim.

The convicts’ journey to jail began on May 19, 2019 when the victim through a petition to the Commission alleged that Obiekwe, who was his apprentice, diverted the sum of N39,528,530 (Thirty-nine million, Five Hundred and Twenty-eight Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty Naira) from the company’s sales account and when confronted he denied and absconded. Upon investigation by the Commission, it was discovered that Obiekwe used Chukwudi to divert the said sum to different accounts.

The convicts were arraigned in December 2019.

Crime

Shock in Abia as NDLEA Arrests Two Grandfathers for Selling Drugs to Secondary Students

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested two elderly men aged 84 and 75 for allegedly supplying illicit drugs to secondary school students in Umuahia, Abia State, in a shocking case that has stirred public concern.

The suspects, identified as Godfrey Orji (84) and Godwin Obulunbiya Obiora (75), were arrested in separate intelligence-led operations by NDLEA operatives over their alleged involvement in drug distribution within school communities.

Drugs hidden in patent medicine shop

According to the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, Obiora was arrested on June 19, 2026, after credible intelligence linked him to selling illicit substances to students from his patent medicine store located at 4 Club Road, Umuahia.

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A search of the premises reportedly led to the recovery of 4.64 kilograms of opioids, including tramadol and diazepam.
Babafemi stated: “Pa Obiora was arrested by NDLEA operatives following credible intelligence that he was selling illicit substances to young students and others in his patent medicine store.”

Arrest at school exposes second suspect

In a separate operation, Godfrey Orji, a pensioner, was apprehended after he was allegedly caught supplying drugs to students of Saint Silas Secondary School, Old Umuahia.

Security guards at the school reportedly intercepted him and handed him over to the police, who later transferred him to the NDLEA.

One of the teenage students, a 15-year-old SS2 pupil, allegedly confessed during interrogation that the suspect regularly supplied him with drugs, which he also sold to other students.

Students moved to rehabilitation

The NDLEA confirmed that while the two suspects will face prosecution, the affected students have been placed under counselling and rehabilitation programmes as part of efforts to curb drug abuse in schools.

Nationwide crackdown continues

The Abia arrests come amid ongoing nationwide operations by the NDLEA, which also recorded major drug seizures across the country In Lagos, operatives intercepted 9.5kg of ADB-Chminaca, a synthetic cannabinoid concealed in a shipment from China.

Another raid uncovered 300 grams of cannabis (“Loud”) hidden in handbags at a logistics facility.

A drug dealer’s home in Ajah was raided, with codeine syrup and cannabis recovered.
In Kogi State, a suspect was arrested with 1.030kg of methamphetamine hidden in custard containers.

In Oyo State, operatives recovered 1,416kg of skunk during a major raid.

In Edo State, large cannabis farms were destroyed, with over 4,000kg of cannabis recovered or eradicated.

NDLEA vows stronger enforcement

NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), commended operatives across multiple states for their coordinated operations and urged them to sustain the momentum.

He reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to both enforcement and public sensitisation under its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign.

The NDLEA says it will continue its nationwide crackdown on drug trafficking networks, especially those targeting vulnerable young people in school environments, as investigations and prosecutions continue in the Abia case.

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Crime

Shock in Kano as Popular TikToker Is Detained Over Boyfriend’s Death

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Belgian Government Ban Usage Of TikTok On Official Phones

Popular TikTok personality, Fati Cele, has been detained by the Kano State Police Command following the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye, at her residence in Kano State.

The development was confirmed on Saturday by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abdullahi Haruna, who said the social media influencer is currently in custody while investigations continue.

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“Yes, it’s true, the TikToker is currently being detained over the death of her boyfriend, Isma’il Makaye,” Haruna said.

The police spokesperson, however, declined to provide further details regarding the incident, stressing that investigations are ongoing.

Fati Cele, who is originally from Borno State, resides in a rented apartment in the Danbare area of Kano.

She is a well-known content creator on TikTok, where she has built a following of more than 32,000 followers.

According to a source close to the deceased who spoke on condition of anonymity, the incident occurred after Cele allegedly raised an alarm from her residence, claiming there was a fire outbreak.

The source said Makaye was immediately rushed to Nassarawa Hospital for treatment but was later confirmed dead.

It was further gathered that officers attached to the Dorayi Babba Police Division subsequently took the TikTok personality into custody as part of ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The deceased, Makaye, was a cosmetics trader who lived in the Hotoro Tishama area of Kano.

Family associates disclosed that he was buried at Unguwa Uku Yan Awaki after his remains were released to relatives for burial rites.

The Kano State Police Command has yet to disclose the exact cause of death, maintaining that investigations are still underway.

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Crime

Fake Job Offer Exposed as Police Rescue Young Women from Alleged Sex Trade

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#Nigeria Decides: 10,000 Security Personnel Deployed In Plateau

The Lagos State Police Command has uncovered an alleged human trafficking scheme and arrested a woman accused of attempting to traffic three young women from Kaduna State to Ivory Coast for prostitution.

The victims, aged between 18 and 20, were reportedly lured from Kaduna to Lagos with promises of legitimate employment at a restaurant.

However, upon arriving in the Ajegunle area of Lagos on May 23, they allegedly discovered that the job offer was a cover for a plan to send them abroad for prostitution.

SEE ALSO: 50 Cent Breaks Silence On Sex Trafficking, Rape Allegations Against Diddy

According to information obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), one of the victims became suspicious after learning of the suspect’s alleged intentions and immediately objected to the arrangement.

A police source disclosed that the young woman informed the suspect that prostitution was never part of the agreement and that they had travelled to Lagos believing they were coming for genuine employment opportunities.

“She immediately told the suspect that prostitution was not what they had been told they were coming to Lagos for,” the source said.

The source further revealed that the suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park in preparation for their movement out of the country.

“The suspect allegedly took the girls to a motor park with plans to facilitate their movement out of the country.

“Alarmed by the development, one of the victims approached the police and lodged a complaint.

“Following the report, detectives launched an investigation and subsequently apprehended the suspect,” the source added.

Following the complaint, detectives launched an investigation that led to the arrest of the suspect.

Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Tijani, subsequently ordered that the case be transferred from the Tolu Police Division in Ajegunle to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, for a thorough investigation.

The case is currently being handled by the Anti-Human Trafficking/Gender Unit of the SCID under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the department, Mr. Dayo Akinbisehin.

Investigators are probing allegations of conspiracy, deception and human trafficking, while efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims reportedly being held by an accomplice and identify additional members of the suspected trafficking network.

The police source also disclosed that the victims were never informed about the alleged plan before leaving Kaduna and that one of them became alarmed only after learning of the intention to transport them abroad for prostitution.

Authorities said investigations have been concluded and the suspect is expected to be charged to court soon.

 

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