Crime
FCT: 7 Family Members Kidnapped, 1 Killed, Police Injured In Bandits’ Attack
In the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a group of bandits carried out a disturbing attack, kidnapping seven members of a family.
During this heinous act, two policemen sustained bullet injuries.
Tragically, a middle-aged man known as Alhaji, who courageously led the police in an attempt to thwart the abduction, lost his life in the encounter with the bandits.
This incident is part of a concerning trend in the region, as bandits have been increasingly targeting villages within the Bwari Area Council.
Residents have faced the harrowing reality of abductions and even fatalities due to these repeated incursions by the bandits, causing heightened fear and concern among the community.
According to Isaiah Samuel, a resident of Bwari, the distressing incident occurred during the early hours of Wednesday in Zuma 1, located within the central ward of the Bwari Area Council.
Samuel described how the bandits meticulously planned their attack, positioning themselves strategically after singling out their target’s residence.
He stated that when the victim sensed something amiss upon hearing an unusual sound, they promptly contacted a relative known as Alhaji for assistance.
According to him, Alhaji swiftly organized a response, mobilizing the police to the scene in an attempt to intervene.
Samuel said “It was when the man suspected a strange sound in front of his house that he immediately called his brother, popularly called Alhaji to alert the police.”
Isaiah Samuel recounted that Alhaji, at the forefront with a team of policemen headed towards the targeted house, fell victim to a hidden bandit who fatally shot him from a concealed position which led to an intense exchange of gunfire between the police and the bandits, resulting in two officers sustaining gunshot wounds during the confrontation.
He said “The bandits eventually succeeded in whisking away the man and his family members, because the distance from the victim’s house to where the police engaged the bandits is far,”
Samuel further recounts an incident from the early hours of Tuesday when the bandits struck Barangoni, also within the Bwari central ward.
During this attack, three individuals were abducted, and a vigilant community member sustained injuries while trying to intervene.
Expressing concern and urgency, Samuel appealed to the authorities of the Area Council to step in and support the residents.
He emphasized the critical need for collaboration between local authorities and security agencies to address the relentless wave of kidnappings plaguing the area.
He added “The truth is that Bwari area council is under siege, because for the past two weeks now, bandits have been moving from one community to another killing and abducting people.”
However, the FCT Police Command had not responded or issued any statement regarding the recent attacks in Bwari.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Kano State Zonal Directorate, has arrested popular TikTok influencer Murja Kunya for allegedly abusing the Nigerian currency.
According to a statement released on Monday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, Kunya was taken into custody for spraying naira notes for fun during her stay at Tahir Guest Palace, a hotel in Kano State.
Her latest arrest follows a dramatic attempt to evade justice after she allegedly jumped administrative bail earlier granted by the commission.
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Kunya was initially arrested in January 2025 for violating the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act, which prohibits the abuse and mutilation of the national currency.
Although she was granted bail pending her arraignment before the Federal High Court in Kano, she failed to appear in court and instead went into hiding.
“After weeks of intensive investigation and surveillance, EFCC operatives successfully re-arrested the TikTok Influencer on Sunday, March 16, 2025,” the statement read.
Kunya is now in custody at the Kano Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, where she is awaiting arraignment.
The commission reiterated its commitment to enforcing laws protecting the integrity of the naira and issued a warning against all forms of naira abuse, including spraying, stamping, or mutilating the currency at social events.
A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the arraignment of former First Bank of Nigeria Plc chairman, Oba Otudeko, and the bank’s former managing director, Bisi Onasanya, over an alleged ₦12.3 billion fraud.
Justice Aneke, delivering the ruling on Monday, stated that under Nigerian law, a defendant’s plea must be taken before any application or objection can be entertained.
“The issue before the court is whether the processes before the court can be taken before the arraignment of the defendants. Any preliminary objection to the validity of a charge can only be heard after the plea is taken; this is now a condition precedent, and this court is bound by the decision,” the judge ruled.
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The prosecution had opposed any attempt to delay the arraignment, with counsel Bilkisu Buhari-Bala insisting that legal proceedings must follow due process.
Following the ruling, Otudeko’s counsel, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), informed the court that all parties, including the prosecution, had met with the Attorney General of the Federation on March 12 to explore an out-of-court settlement.
He urged the court to allow time for discussions, a request supported by other defense lawyers, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), Yinka Fusika (SAN), and Charles Adeogun-Phillips (SAN).
However, the prosecution maintained that the case should either proceed to arraignment or be adjourned for a settlement report.
After hearing both sides, Justice Aneke adjourned the case to May 8 for an update on the settlement discussions or the formal arraignment of the defendants.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed a 13-count criminal charge against Otudeko, Onasanya, a former board member of Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, Soji Akintayo, and a company linked to Otudeko, Anchorage Leisure Ltd.
The EFCC alleged that between 2013 and 2014, the defendants fraudulently obtained ₦12.3 billion from First Bank through multiple transactions, including payments of ₦5.2 billion, ₦6.2 billion, ₦6.15 billion, ₦1.5 billion, and ₦500 million.
A couple, Baba Sule Abubakar Sadiq and Hafsat Kabir Lawal, along with two accomplices, Abdullahi Bala and Ladani Akindele, have been arraigned before Justice Amina Bello of the Kaduna State High Court on charges of fraud, money laundering, and stealing totaling N197,750,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought the defendants before the court on Monday, March 9, 2025, on a six-count charge.
They are accused of conspiring to defraud victims by impersonating the wife of the Katsina State Governor, Fatima Dikko Radda, and offering fake foreign exchange deals.
According to the EFCC, Hafsat Kabir Lawal allegedly posed as the Katsina First Lady to lure victims into fraudulent currency exchange transactions.
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Using SIM cards registered under the name “Fatima Dikko Radda” on True Caller, she reportedly contacted a bureau de change operator, Aminu Usman, and convinced him to transfer N89 million in exchange for $53,300.
Investigators further revealed that another victim was defrauded of N108 million under a similar scheme involving a supposed exchange of $118,300.
The funds were allegedly deposited into the bank account of the third defendant, Abdullahi Bala, before being laundered and shared among the conspirators.
Hafsat’s husband, Sadiq, is accused of providing the SIM cards used in the fraud. He allegedly enlisted the help of Ladani Akindele, a former bank colleague, to secure the contact details of Unity Bank Chairman Hafiz Bashir. The contact was then used to gain the trust of the victims.
When the charges were read, all four defendants pleaded not guilty. Prosecution counsel Bright C. Ogbonna requested a trial date and urged the court to remand them in a correctional facility.
Defense counsels, led by M.S. Katu (SAN), argued for bail, stating they had already filed applications.
However, the prosecution opposed the requests, stating that the applications were not yet ready for hearing. When the defense requested an oral bail application, Justice Bello ruled in favor of the prosecution and ordered the defendants to remain in custody.
The case was adjourned to March 17, 2025, for the hearing of bail applications.
The suspects were initially arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) before being handed over to the EFCC when the case was determined to be financial in nature.
The EFCC has vowed to ensure that justice is served in the case, emphasizing the need for vigilance against fraudulent schemes involving high-profile impersonation.
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