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THURSDAY JUNE 23, 2016 • T H I S D AY
CRIME&PUNISHMENT
In Brief 33 Kidnappers Arrested Gunmen Kill One, Kidnap Foreigners, Two Inside Mosque in Kogi Three Others in Cross River Two victims paid N1.5m ransom
Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja A crack team of police detectives from Abuja has arrested 33 kidnappers in a mosque at OdoApe along Obajana-Kabba road in Kogi State, while holding a meeting for their next operation. THISDAY gathered that the kidnappers drawn from all the axis of Obajana road were exposed by ‘one of them’ who happens to be a police detective planted in the group. According to a source, the police detective was the one who allegedly summoned an emergency meeting of all the kidnappers on the highway to discuss how to tackle the issue of Police breathing down their necks. The meeting was to hold
immediately after prayers on Friday. However, the crack team from Abuja was called in during prayers after two of the three doors of the mosque had been shut. All suspected kidnappers were identified and handcuffed and taken to Abuja. Even the ones who shot and killed people during their operations were also identified by the undercover police officer. The Special Adviser on Security to Kogi State Governor, Commodore Jerry Omodara (rtd), who confirmed the arrest to journalists yesterday said all the 33 suspects were taken to Abuja for further interrogation, stressing that the state government was committed to the crack down of crime in the state.
He mentioned that the effort of the Police crack detective team from Abuja was yielding good result, pointing out that the state government will do every thing possible to protect lives and property in the state. Meanwhile, Mr. John Orenibi and Mr. Salman Idris that were kidnapped along Lokoja- Okene road last week Saturday have been released by the kidnappers after paying N1.5 million as ransom. Orenibi, while speaking with THISDAY yesterday, said he and three other persons namely Salman Idris, Mr. Kolade Fagbemi and Mr. Idowu Omole were on their way from Abuja to Ogidi to attend the Ogidi Day last Saturday when they came across some six masked men heavily armed with dangerous weapons before Mark
Farms. He noted that the suspected kidnappers had already robbed passengers in a Siena bus parked by the road side, adding that immediately they saw them coming in a Hilux van the kidnappers flagged them down. According to Orenibi, the incident took place some few kilometres from a police check point, noting that the kidnappers shot Idowu Omole on his hand and head but survived, while Kolade Fagbemi ran into the bush and then escaped. He said the kidnappers then marched him and Mr. Salman Idris into the bush and they were made to trek for four hours before they got to their hide out closer to Fulani settlement.
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE
Catholic Bishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan (right), presenting an award to Sheikh Ahmed Lemu for his contributions to peace in Nigeria, at the fifth UFUK Dialogue and Peace Awards ceremony in Abuja...recently
Court Bars Journalists, Parents as Ese Oruru Begins Evidence in Private Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa Journalists as well as the parents of Ese, Rose and Charles Oruru, were yesterday barred from the court room as the Justice Njiya Ngajiwa-led Federal High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, began taking evidence from the minor in private. Justice Ngajiwa had earlier yesterday morning “stood down’’ the case for about four hours to allow him dispose of all other matters for the day before acceding to the prosecution’s plea for the teenager’s evidence to be extracted in camera. At the time of filing this report, Ese who was brought to the court and was heavily shielded from journalists, was still being grilled by lawyers to Yinusa Dahiru, his alleged abductor, who reportedly impregnated her. Only lawyers representing Dahiru, who is facing a five-
count charge in case No FHC/ YNG/17c/2016, between the Inspector General of Police (IG) versus Yinusa Dahiru and the legal team representing the federal government were allowed inside the chambers. Dahiru, a Kano indigene is being accused of abduction, inducing Miss Oruru, aged 14, by the use of deception and coercion, illicit intercourse, sexual exploitation and unlawful carnal knowledge. While the IG was represented by Mr. Kenneth Dika, Deme Pamosoo and Joy Wokpe of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, a nongovernmental organisation, stood in for Miss Ese. The defendant, Dahiru, also known as yellow, was represented by Mr. Kayode Olaosebikan, Abdul Mohammed and Oyebiyi Towo. Before the private session,
Dahiru, who was jokingly asked how he was feeling after he heard that Ese had given birth, insisted that Ese was his wife. “I don’t want to talk, but she’s my wife,’’ he told journalists, before he was kept shut by the prison officials who accompanied him to the court. Parents of the alleged victim, Charles and rose, who were obviously agitated that they were not allowed into the chambers, waited outside the court premises, while their daughter’s evidence was being taken. Ese recently gave birth to a baby girl and is still in the protective custody of the Bayelsa State Police Command, which has taken responsibility for her upkeep in collaboration with the state government. But a source who was privy to the goings-on during the private session told THISDAY that Ese was asked questions relating to
her alleged abduction and journey to Kano. “She told the court that she didn’t know how she got to Kano. That she only woke up to find herself in Kano,’’ the source said. It was also learnt that the judge acceded to the request of the defence team to vary the conditions for Dahiru’s bail. The defendant had been in prison custody over his inability to meet the bail conditions of a level 12 civil servant, a traditional ruler from Bayelsa axis and a surety of N3million. While the judge reduced the conditions to a level nine civil servant, he also reportedly granted the prayer of the defendant to allow a Hausa traditional ruler from any community to stand surety. Justice Nganjiwa eventually adjourned the case to July 1 for further hearing.
Three foreign nationals were kidnapped at about 7a.m. yesterday while they were being conveyed to work at the United Cement Company Limited (UNICEM) factory in Mfamosing, Akamkpa Local Government Area of Cross River State. Apart from the foreign nationals, two other workers said to be Nigerians were also kidnapped. However, it is strongly suspected that another foreign national, a white man, escaped the kidnappers drag-net during the incident. However, the driver of the bus that was conveying the foreign nationals; all white skinned persons, and other staff of Unicem, an arm of Lafarge Group, was shot and killed during the incident. The identity of the driver, believed to be a Nigeria could not be established by THISDAY as at press time. The incident occurred at Akansoko community in Akpabuyo Local Government Area, near Calabar after the kidnappers waylaid the bus carrying them to the Unicem factory. A staff of the company who pleaded not to be mentioned gave an account of his experience about the attack by the gunmen. The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, who commented on the incident said three foreign nationals believed to be expatriates and two Nigerians were kidnapped. Ozi-Obeh said the police have stepped into the matter and were on the trail of the kidnappers.
EFCC Arraigns Judge, One Other for Obtaining N58.5m under False Pretence The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Gombe State Zone has arraigned Hon. Suleiman Elkana, an Area Court judge in Adamawa State and another person before Justice Balkisu Aliyu of Federal High Court, Yola, Adamawa State on three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining the sum of N58,550,555 by false pretence. The person arraigned with Sulaiman Elkana, the Chairman of Justice Multi-purpose Cooperative Society Limited Adamawa State, is Solomon Philip the Secretary of the co-operative. The complainant, Israel C. Nwagbo of Coscharis Motors, had alleged that he entered into contract with the Justice Multi-purpose Co-operative Society for the supply of 1,846 units of TVC motorcycles for its members with the payment to be made from monthly deductions from the members but the accused persons diverted the said amount for their personal use. The count two of the charge read that, Elkana, Solomon Maken and Amina Musa now deceased, sometime in September 2010 in Yola, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court did obtain by false pretense 446 units of TVC motorcycles valued at N57,980,000.00 from Coscharis Motors under the false pretence that the said TVC motorcycles would be disbursed to members of the co-operative society, which you knew to be false, thereby, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under sections 1 (1) ( a) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 respectively. The two accused persons pleaded not guilty when the charges was read to them.
Abducted Priest Found Dead Near Council Secretariat
The abducted Catholic Priest and Vicar General of Otukpo Diocese, Rev. Fr. John Adenyi, has been found dead by the police in a bush few kilometres away from the Ogbadigbo Local Government Area Secretariat in Otukpa. The Vicar General was abducted on April 24 by unknown persons along Otukpo-Enugu road while returning to Otukpo, his base, after a church service in Otukpa area of Ogbadibo Local Government Area. The state Governor, Samuel Ortom, disclosed this during the town-hall meeting he held with Igede people yesterday at the College of Education Oju, auditorium as part of his ongoing stakeholders’ meeting. Ortom said the cleric’s skeleton was discovered last Tuesday in Otukpa, three kilometres away from the road, adding that he had directed the police and medical personnel to collect the skeleton for post-mortem. Paying respect to the dead priest, the governor asked the people to observe one minute silence for the repose of the soul of Adeyi, as he vowed that the abductors and killers of the Reverend must be brought to book. The families of the Catholic priest had paid the N2million ransom agreed by the suspected kidnappers three days after he was kidnapped only for the suspects to switch off contacts. The state governor had announced N5million reward for information about the discovery of the priest.