Crime
Man’s Shocking Attempt To Use Son For Money Ritual Uncovered
The Zone 2 Police Command has apprehended a 50-year-old man from Benin Republic, Pome Banda, along with three accomplices, on suspicion of luring a nine-year-old boy from the same country with the intention of performing a money ritual.
According to Mr. Mohammed, during the course of their plot, the Zone 2 Criminal Investigation Department received information about the group’s activities.
As part of their operation, the police posed as a herbalist willing to assist them in using the boy for the money ritual.
Under this pretense, the operatives engaged in discussions with the boy’s father, Benjamin Balobi, who resides in Nigeria, as well as two Nigerian nationals, Segun Shile, and Ige Koshelu.
Mr. Banda left his hometown, Ajah Jakatome in Benin Republic, and arrived in Nigeria on May 30, 2023, with his son. He convinced the young boy that they were coming to secure a housemaid job for him.
Once in Nigeria, the boy was handed over to a man known as Baba Shina, who is currently on the run, to work as a house help.
Mr. Mohammed disclosed that following a month of living with Baba Shina, the boy was taken back to Cotonou, and a sum of N35,000 was given to his father in his presence, disguised as a salary to confuse the young boy.
Between June 17 and 23, Mr. Banda, after finalizing arrangements with the other suspects, brought the boy back from Benin Republic to Nigeria for the purpose of conducting a money-making ritual.
The four suspects involved in the crime were apprehended at Sango Ota in Ogun State, Nigeria, which was the presumed location of the native doctor they were working with. The suspects have all confessed to their involvement in the nefarious act.
The AIG stated that the four suspects involved in the crime were apprehended at Sango Ota in Ogun State, Nigeria, which was the presumed location of the native doctor they were working with.
He further said that the suspects have all confessed to their involvement in the nefarious act.
The authorities stated that the investigation is ongoing, and once it is completed, the suspects will be charged to court to face appropriate legal consequences for their actions.
During the interrogation at the Zone 2 Police Command Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, the boy’s father, Mr. Banda who communicated through an interpreter confessed that he resorted to attempting a money ritual using his fifth child because of his impoverished condition.
In his quest to execute this sinister plan, he contacted his brother, Mr. Balobi, who resides in Nigeria, seeking his assistance in finding a job as a house help for his son.
However, Mr. Banda’s ulterior motive was to also involve his brother in the money ritual scheme.
Mr. Balobi managed to secure a person named Baba Shina to act as the master of the boy, who was to be employed as a house help.
Furthermore, Mr. Banda connected with a Nigerian individual named Ige Koshelu and discussed with him the specific details of what he wanted his son to do in relation to the money ritual.
He said he met Mr Koshelu in the Ilaro area of Ogun, who then contacted Mr Shile, who allegedly made arrangements for a herbalist in the Owode Yewa area in Ogun.
Mr Banda said Mr Shile became the middleman and coordinator between Mr Ige, himself and the suspected herbalist, who they never knew was a policeman.
On the part of Mr Balobi, the boy’s father called him to know what he was doing in Nigeria and wanted him to help get a place where his son would work as a house boy.
Mr Balobi said he told Mr Banda that the job he saw paid N5,000 salary monthly.
“It was later he opened up to me that he wanted to use his son for a money ritual; that is when I connected him with one Baba Shina, who is on the run now. The boy was taken to Baba Shina’s house,” he said.
According to Mr. Koshelu’s statement, when Mr. Banda brought his son from the Benin Republic, it was Baba Shina, the boy’s master in Nigeria, who contacted him. Baba Shina informed Mr. Koshelu about their plan to use the boy for a money ritual.
Mr. Koshelu, however, claimed that he had no knowledge or expertise in rituals. Despite this, he assured Mr. Banda and Baba Shina that he would try to help them by reaching out to a friend who might know a herbalist or be able to assist them in their quest for a money-making ritual.
He said “It was a friend of mine whom I contacted that promised to get someone for them in the Oja Odan area of Ogun, who finally helped them.
“It was that my friend who later took us to the herbalist’s house at Owode Yewa, and from Owode Yewa, we moved again to Sango to meet the herbalist. Unfortunately, we were arrested at the scene where the policemen were already waiting.”
Crime
Court Orders Woman To Pay ₦150,000 For Failing To Visit Boyfriend After Collecting Transport Fare
An Ilesa Magistrate Court in Osun State has ruled against a woman, Rhoda Adu, ordering her to pay ₦150,000 to her boyfriend, Olapitan Sola, for breach of agreement and emotional distress.
The incident occurred after Rhoda collected ₦3,000 as transport fare from Sola but failed to visit him as promised.
According to reports, she switched off her phone after receiving the money, leaving Sola unable to reach her.
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Feeling cheated and emotionally distressed, Sola reported the matter to the Ayeso Police Station, prompting Rhoda’s arrest and subsequent trial.
During the court hearing, Sola presented evidence including the mobile money transfer receipt and WhatsApp messages exchanged between the pair.
In her judgment, Magistrate Akogun Oludare ordered Rhoda to refund the ₦3,000 and pay an additional ₦100,000 for breach of agreement, alongside ₦50,000 as special damages for emotional distress.
“This court seeks to uphold accountability and fairness in personal agreements. Let this serve as a warning to others,” Magistrate Oludare said in her ruling, stressing the need for such decisions to deter similar acts.
The case has sparked widespread discussions, with many debating the implications of the judgment and its impact on personal relationships.
Human rights activist and vocal government critic, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of plotting to detain him following his criticism of the extension of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun’s tenure.
Biztellers reports that Sowore arrived at the Force Intelligence Headquarters in Abuja on Monday at 9:58 a.m., responding to an invitation from the police.
The summons was issued after Sowore uploaded a viral video alleging extortion by police officers at a checkpoint in Lagos.
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The activist was questioned over multiple allegations, including resisting and obstructing public officers, disobedience to lawful orders, cyberstalking, and actions allegedly aimed at preventing arrests.
In a Facebook post, Sowore accused the police of relying on “rehashed information” sourced primarily from the internet.
He revealed that he refused to provide a written statement during the interrogation, citing the lack of a clearly defined crime.
“The police relied on a rehashed set of information sourced mostly from the internet. When I asked them to identify the location of the alleged ‘crime’ in Lagos, they provided a vague response, stating it was along the airport road,” Sowore said.
The activist further alleged that the police intended to detain him and transfer him to Lagos for what he described as a “kangaroo trial.”
“I chose not to provide a written statement, as we informed the Police team that, in the absence of a defined crime, the process to determine such was unnecessary,” he explained.
“They took a break and later informed me that they were awaiting instructions from their superiors. It seems their plan is to detain me and take me to Lagos for a kangaroo trial.”
Sowore maintained that his case stemmed from his criticism of IGP Egbetokun, whose tenure, he argued, was illegally extended.
“I made it clear to the team that the matter revolves around my publicly stated view that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who is due for retirement and clearly tired, had his tenure extended illegally. I maintain that we are entering a promising era, and our fight for justice will persist. #RevolutionNow,” Sowore added.
The police have yet to issue an official response to Sowore’s allegations or confirm the next steps in the case.
Chikakore, a community in Kubwa, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was rocked by a violent attack on Sunday night, when at least 20 armed bandits stormed the area, kidnapping five residents, including an entire family.
According to police sources, the assailants struck at around 11pm, targeting the Health Centre extension area of Chikakore.
The attackers barged into the homes of their victims, abducting Adesiyan Akinropo, a Southwesterner, his wife, son, and a visitor.
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They also kidnapped another neighbor, bringing the total number of people taken to five.
In the midst of the raid, a woman was struck on the head with the butt of a gun, causing severe bleeding. She was rushed to the hospital for treatment following the brutal assault.
“The bandits kidnapped the man (Akinropo), his wife, and his son, their visitor. The bandits then took away another neighbor to make five persons. They also injured a woman on the head with the butt of the gun. She bled profusely and had to be rushed to the hospital,” a police source said
While the police operatives from the Byzahin division responded to the incident, the assailants had already escaped by the time they arrived at the scene.
Residents expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed response, revealing that the police took over an hour to reach the area.
“The bandits have resumed attacks in Chikakore. We need a police division here in this community. We have land and a five-bedroom apartment already built to accommodate the police, but there is no deployment yet,” a resident lamented.
This attack follows a similar one earlier in January, when bandits fleeing from Kankara Local Government Area in Katsina State detonated explosives in Kuchibuyi, a neighboring area.
The explosion, which targeted an Islamic school, claimed at least two lives, according to the police.
A community meeting is scheduled for Monday, where local leaders and police officials will discuss the ongoing security concerns in Chikakore.
Efforts to reach the FCT police command for comment were unsuccessful, as spokesperson Josephine Adeh did not respond to calls.
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