Crime
Family Laments, As 4 Children Handed To Keke Driver Go Missing
Parents of four children, aged between seven and two years who went missing since Monday November 27, 2023 in Umuahia when they boarded a Keke Marwa to school, are crying out for help from the authorities.
The father of the children, Chimaobi Agha, said he already sent a distress call to the Abia State Government and the Abia State Police Command.
The children, identified as Chinweotiti (7, f), Nmesomachi (7, f), Testimony (4, m), and Godswill (2, m), were last seen on Monday November 27.
In the account of Agha, (43), who hails from Amasiri, Ebonyi State but resides with his family in Umuagua Ibeku, Umuahia North LGA, Abia State, his wife had paid a Keke Marwa drive to convey the four children to school.
On that fateful day, his wife (Oluchi) put the children on a Keke Marwa on their way to their school, Great Ambassadors College, Nkwoegwu, also in Umuahia North.
He disclosed that he was away to Enugu State when the sad incident happened but had to rush back on Tuesday, when his wife informed him that she couldn’t find the children.
He recalled in anguish that when the four children did not return home after school hours that
Consequently, he and his wife became apprehensive and started looking out for them.
So, they raised an alarm over the disappearance of the four children suspected to have been abducted by the tricycle rider engaged to convey them to school.
Aghah maintained that the incident has left his family shattered and traumatized.
In his words, “She (my wife) paid a Keke (tricycle) rider to take them to school.
“In the afternoon, when the school was supposed to dismiss, they did not return home, and my wife went to their school to look for them.
“She was told by the school authorities that they did not come to school at all.
“My wife called me and I returned to Umuahia on Tuesday morning. I went to the school and was told the same story.
“So, I went to the police and reported it. They gave me four policemen and we searched for them but without success. They asked me to come back the next day and make a statement. “After that, they told me to go to a radio station and make an announcement. I have done all these and till now, I have not seen them.
“The public should please help me. God should please forgive my sins. I know I’m a sinner but I believe Jesus died for sinners like me. Please, I need my four children rescued.”
Agha said he ran to the police and having seen on solution as of Sunday, which has left crying to the state government and the police to assist in locating and saving the children.
“I am feeling bored. Losing four children is not easy. Let the Abia State Government and the police help us,” he lamented.
Acknowledging the report, the Abia State Police Command Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Maureen Chinaka, in a statement Sunday said, “On 28/11/2023, at about 1530 hrs, Mr. Chimaobi Agha and his wife, Mrs Chimaobi Oluchi, residents of Umuagu (Ibeku, Umuahia North LGA), visited Ohuhu Police Divisional headquarters to report an incident.
“According to their account, on Monday, 27/11/2023, at 0730 hrs, Mrs Chimaobi Oluchi escorted their four children identified as follows: Chinweotiti Chimaobi (7 yrs old, female), Nmesomachi Chimaobi (7 yrs old, female), Testimony Chimaobi (4 yrs old, male) and Godswill Chimaobi (2 yrs old, male).
“The children’s mother escorted them to the junction of her street to board an unknown tricycle destined for Great Ambassadors College, Ukaiuga Nkwoegwu, Ohuhu, in Umuahia North LGA.
“No one escorted or went with them, considering that the eldest is 7 years old and the tricyclist is unknown. Unfortunately, at the end of the school day, the children did not return home as anticipated.
“The police initiated an investigation into the whereabouts of the missing children. Further investigation has shown that the children were not present in school on the specified date, and the investigation to trace the missing children is ongoing.
“We urge anyone with information that could aid in locating them to promptly report to the nearest police station.”
The European Union has imposed a €200 million fine on Chinese-owned online retail platform Temu over the sale of illegal and unsafe products across its marketplace.
EU regulators announced the penalty on Thursday, accusing the e-commerce giant of failing to properly prevent dangerous items from reaching consumers within the bloc.
According to the European Commission, European shoppers were highly likely to encounter illegal products on Temu, including unsafe baby toys, defective chargers, and jewellery that failed safety standards.
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The EU said Temu failed to adequately assess the risks linked to illegal products being sold on its platform, adding that the company underestimated the level of harm such items could pose to consumers.
EU tech commissioner Henna Virkkunen said Temu’s rapid expansion in Europe made the issue more concerning, noting that millions of users could potentially be exposed to unsafe products.
Temu, however, disagreed with the decision and described the fine as “disproportionate.” The company stated that it had cooperated with regulators and already introduced additional measures to improve platform governance and user safety.
The sanction was issued under the European Union’s Digital Services Act, a major law aimed at holding large digital platforms accountable for illegal content and consumer risks online.
The platform, which entered the European market in 2023, has grown rapidly and now boasts about 130 million users within the EU.
Regulators also disclosed that investigations into other suspected breaches by Temu are still ongoing, including concerns over addictive app features and its recommendation systems.
Temu has been given until August 28 to submit a compliance plan outlining how it intends to address the violations or risk facing further penalties.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, over his alleged involvement in a N33.8 billion fraud linked to power sector projects in Nigeria.
The arrest comes months after Mamman was convicted in absentia on multiple counts bordering on the alleged diversion of public funds meant for critical electricity infrastructure, including the Mambilla Power Project and other national power initiatives.
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EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, confirmed that the former minister was apprehended at about 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the Rigasa area of Kaduna State following weeks of intelligence-led surveillance operations.
According to him, Mamman had evaded arrest since his conviction and sentencing, prompting a sustained nationwide search by EFCC operatives.
He said the arrest represents a major breakthrough in the commission’s efforts to ensure that all individuals found guilty of financial crimes are brought to justice, regardless of their status or influence.
Two suspects arrested for allegedly harbouring ex-minister
The EFCC also disclosed that two other individuals were arrested during the operation for allegedly assisting and providing shelter to the former minister while he was on the run.
Investigators are currently questioning the suspects to determine the extent of their involvement in aiding a convicted fugitive.
Properties and assets under investigation
The anti-graft agency further revealed that it has identified additional properties suspected to be linked to Mamman, adding that asset recovery processes are already underway.
EFCC boss Olukoyede noted that the case has exposed weaknesses in monitoring high-profile corruption trials, adding that reforms would be introduced to prevent similar lapses in future cases.
Prosecutor confirms enforcement of court order
The Director of Public Prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said the arrest marks the enforcement of a court judgment, stating that Mamman’s conviction and sentence are now being fully implemented following his capture.
He added that the next step would be the ex-minister’s transfer to a correctional facility in line with legal procedures.
Bizteller recalls that Saleh Mamman was convicted over allegations of diverting funds allocated for major power projects, including the Mambilla hydroelectric scheme, one of Nigeria’s largest and most strategic energy investments.
The EFCC says the arrest underscores its commitment to tackling corruption and recovering stolen public funds across the country.
Operatives of the Kebbi State Hisbah Board, an agency under the state Ministry of Religious Affairs, have arrested a man allegedly found hiding inside a “Ghana Must-Go” bag at the residence of a married woman in the Badariya area of Birnin Kebbi.)
The Director of Sharia at the board, Sirajo Kamba, confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi.
According to Kamba, residents of the community alerted the Hisbah Board around 12:15 a.m. on Monday, May 18, after noticing a man entering the woman’s residence under suspicious circumstances.
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He explained that the residents suspected the pair were involved in an illicit relationship considered contrary to Islamic teachings and therefore decided to formally notify the authorities.
“Upon receiving the report, the Kebbi Hisbah Board swiftly deployed officers to investigate the matter,” Kamba said.
He disclosed that when officers arrived at the residence and requested permission to search the premises, the married woman initially denied that anyone else was inside the house.
Kamba, however, noted that the woman later allowed the operatives to conduct a thorough search, which led to the discovery of the suspect allegedly concealed inside a large “Ghana Must-Go” bag.
Further investigations, according to the Hisbah official, revealed that the suspect allegedly had a romantic relationship with the married woman.
He added that both suspects allegedly admitted to the claims during interrogation and would be arraigned before a Sharia court to face legal proceedings under Islamic law.
The incident has since sparked reactions among residents, many expressing shock over the unusual manner in which the suspect was allegedly hidden inside the bag.
Meanwhile, the development comes days after the Kano State Hisbah Board arrested two women and a 35-year-old fish seller over an alleged attempt to engage in immoral acts in the state.
The Director of Public Enlightenment of the Kano State Hisbah Board, Auwalu Sheshe, had disclosed in a statement that operatives found the fish seller, identified as Ali Abubakar from the Kano Cooperative area, alongside his female companion, Fatima Abubakar, a 28-year-old woman from the Niger Republic, inside a room allegedly preparing to engage in immoral conduct.
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