6—Vanguard, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2016
08023019505 08034073107
Policeman dead, 46 arrested for murder, kidnap, cultism in C-River By Ike Uche & Emma Una
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ALABAR—A 300 level undergraduate of Estate Management, Cross River State University of Technology, CRUTECH, is among the 46 suspected criminals involved in different criminal activities ranging from murder, kidnapping and cultism across Cross River State. The state Police Commissioner, Jimoh Ozi Obeh, who disclosed this to journalists, said the command lost a police sergeant, Ekerette Dick, during a shootout with the armed robbery gang, with his AK-47 snatched. According to Obeh, 33 suspects were arrested for murder, two for kidnap and two for armed robbery. Others are eight cultists and one other for unlawful possession of .9mm ammunition. He added that fourlocally made pistols and other dangerous weapons were also recovered.
Gunmen kidnap GSM dealer in Aba By Ugochukwu Alaribe
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BA—A four-man gang, yesterday, abducted a GSM dealer, identified as Pastor Okey from his shop at St. Michael’s Road, Aba, Abia State. Pastor Okey, who is Chairman of St. Michael’s Road Phones and Accessories Dealers Association, was said to have barely opened for the day’s business when the gunmen struck. Vanguard gathered that the gunmen, who drove a black Lexus 300 at about 10a.m., pretended to be waiting for someone and on sighting their victim, pounced and whisked him away. Though no shot was fired by the kidnappers, the incident caused tension as other dealers scampered for safety, while commercial banks located within the area shut their doors.
Lagos task force nabs Awawa cult kingpin, 2 others By Olasunkanmi Akoni
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PERATIVES of the Lagos State Task Force, Environment and Special Offences Unit, yesterday, arrested the notorious Awawa Boys cult leader, identified as Tobi Akinbayo, 28, alias, Scorpion, and two other suspected members, at Aluminium Village, Dopemu, Agege area of the state. Chairman of the Task Force, Superintendent Olayinka Egbeyemi, while parading the three suspects, confirmed that the nefarious activities of the dreaded group had posed serious challenge to his agency and other state security services. He stated further that reported cases of rape, armed robbery and killing of innocent citizens by the cultists had become worrisome to security agencies in the state. According to Egbeyemi, the agency received lots of petitions about the activities of the Awawa Boys and, based on the petitions, directed the surveillance unit of the agency to closely monitor their activities in different parts of the state, which later paid off with the arrest of the suspects in Agege. He admitted that the group had been terrorising the area, saying that other gang leaders, who were at large include One Paul, alias Bouncing, leader of ‘Nokia Group’ and Habeeb, alias Oluwa, of ‘Shita Boys’ who have killed, raped and robbed innocent citizens of their valuables in the area. Egbeyemi said wraps of Indian hemp, also known as cannabis, were recovered from the suspects during the operation, adding “all those arrested will be charged to court as soon as possible.”
Confessions
During interrogation, Akinbayo, a.k.a.Scorpion, who lives at 10, Salako Street, Alluminium Village, Dopemu, confessed that he and his boys raped, burgled and killed innocent citizens who confronted them during any of their operations around Dopemu area. Tobi confessed: “We sell Indian hemp to commercial bus drivers and area boys around Dopemu and its environs.” According to him, the group during one of its operations raped one Miss Rufia Ogunbowale, daughter of one Mrs. Taiwo Iyabo, who lives at 26, Bello Street, Dopemu, Agege on May 5, at about 12 noon. Akinbayo, a native of KutaIlegbo Town, Abeokuta, Ogun State, disclosed that Awawa
END OF AWAWA BOYS? From left—Tobi Akinbayo, alias Scorpion; Ibrahim Olaniran and Muyideen Olayinka and their packects of Indian hemp, at the Lagos State Task Force Headquarters, Alausa, Lagos. Boys is an umbrella name and that they only have branches at different parts of the state and that he is the leader that controls Dopemu and its environs.
‘He gagged, then raped me’
Meanwhile, a 12-year-old Rufia said Akinbayo jumped the fence to enter their room
on that fateful day, when her mother had gone to the market. He gagged her with the scarf on her head before raping her. She said her mother, who could not do anything for fear of being attacked, quickly took her to Abeokuta, where she was treated and she had since been living in Abeokuta at her late father’s house.
She said: “Akinbayo threatened to kill my mother if I dare report them to any security agencies.” Her 46-year-old mother said: “They raped my daughter. But as they threatened to kill me and other children if I report to the police, I took her to her late father’s house at Abeokuta for treatment and she has been staying there since.”
Man, 33, defiles 5-yr-old girl; 4 men gang-rape 13-yr-old By Peter Okutu
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BAKALIKI—EBONYI State Police Command, yesterday, said it arrested a 33-year-old man, Nweke Monday, for allegedly defiling a five-year-old girl in Amuzu Amuda community of Ezza North Local Government Area. Just as four other suspects were arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court for allegedly gang-raping a 13year-old girl in Umunaga Agu-Ugwu Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area. Contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP George Okafor, said the defilement of the five-yearold was reported to the police by the youth President of the community, Uchechi Elechi. He noted that the youth President reported that Nweke Monday lured the girl (names withheld) to an abandoned Isuzu SUV, where he defiled her. According to him, Elechi also reported that the victim was rushed to a hospital in
Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state, but that the girl’s parents have refused to officially report the matter to the police. Okafor said: “The youth President decided to bring the matter to the fore. Though the parents of the child may be afraid of the stigma, the culprit will never go unpunished no matter how long he runs. “We must charge him to court. We know that God himself will punish him. I wonder how someone could ever think of defiling her; it is unheard of and is complete wickedness.” Meanwhile, the four persons that allegedly defiled a 13-year-old girl, Emmanuel Okereke, 27; Chukwuebuka Okoro, 22; Christopher Nwaeze, 31 and Obinna Njoku, 25, were arraigned on two count charges. The suspects pleaded not guilty and were remanded in Abakaliki Federal Prisons. Also, one Henry Ngwuta has been arraigned by an Abakaliki Magistrate’s Court for alleged defilement of a
nine-year-old girl. The suspect, Ngwuta, in a one-count charge, was said to have, on May 10, at Onoko village in Ishinkwo, Onicha Local Government Area, raped the girl (names withheld).
28-yr old dismisse By Evelyn Usman
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28 year-old dismissed soldier has been arrested in connection with the abduction
Emmanuel Audu