Police suspend two officers over TikTok videos

Nigeria Police Force has suspended two supernumerary Police officers, Obaze Blessing and Obaze Emmanuella Uju, over misconduct and violation of social media policy.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed this on Friday via his Twitter handle.

Speaking in the video he shared on his Twitter page, he said that the two female cops portrayed themselves as undisciplined and unprofessional in the viral TikTok they released.

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“Above all, they portrayed themselves in the viral video and other videos as undisciplined and unprofessional in contravention of the police social media policy.’’

NANS Executive, 39 others bag varying Jail Terms for internet fraud, impersonation among others.

The Ibadan Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has secured the conviction and sentencing of Director of Logistics, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Federal University, Oye-Ekiti Chapter, Adeyemi Israel Abiodun, to one year imprisonment for internet-related fraud.

He is among 40 persons convicted on separate one count charges before four judges of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan.

Their offences bordered on impersonation, obtaining money under false pretence, obtaining property by false pretence and forgery contrary to Sections 419, 467, 484, 516 and 508 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

Abiodun was arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima while thirty-nine others were prosecuted before Justices Bayo Taiwo, Akintola Ladiran and Olusola Adetujoye between August 15, 2022 and August 23, 2022.

The one count charge against Abiodun was based on the fact that he and Odaise Precious Abiola (aka Prezzy) (at large) on or about 30th March, 2022 at Ibadan, within the Ibadan Judicial Division conspired to forge various United States of America Banks Cheques and purport same to be genuine and thereby committed the offence of conspiracy to commit forgery contrary to Section 516 and 467 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

Abiodun and  the others pleaded guilty to the charges filed against them by the EFCC.

In view of their guilty pleas, the prosecution counsel, Modupe Akinkoye, Oyelakin Oyediran, Oluwatoyin Owodunni, Chidi Okoli, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, Mabas Mabur and Samsuddeen Bashir reviewed the facts of the cases, tendered confessional statements and documents recovered from the convicts as exhibits.

They therefore, urged the courts to convict and sentence the defendants as charged.

Consequently, Abiodun, Daniel and Ayomide were convicted and sentenced to one year imprisonment each without the option of fine, while Akiniyi bagged three months jailed term and six months community service.

Other defendants were convicted and sentenced to six months community service each.

Furthermore, the court ordered Abiodun to pay the sum of $1,000USD (One Thousand United States Dollars) in restitution and forfeit a white Mercedes Benz CLA-250 with customized NANS plate number worth N16million, a gold neck chain and one ice neck chain worth N3.6million, bitcoin worth $58,

 854.88USD.

Others include, one Apple MacBook Pro 2020 Model and an iPhone 12 Pro Max to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Other convicts were ordered to restitute their victims and forfeit all items recovered from them.

It will be recalled, that Abiodun, a 200 level student of Economics and Development Studies of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State was arrested on March, 30, 2022, alongside seventy-nine (79) others in a sting operation by the operatives of the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC at Sango area of Ibadan, Oyo State for alleged internet fraud.

Investigations revealed that, between July 2021 and March 2022, Abiodun benefited N195, 274, 331.00 (One Hundred and Ninety Five Million, Two Hundred and Seventy Four Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty One Naira) as cumulative heist from cyber-fraud involving forgery of over 25 US banks cheques.

Pay-On-Delivery: Police Trackdown Notorious Robber of Online Vendors

Going by an old saying that, "Everyday is for the thief, one day is for the owner", a day of reckoning has come for an alleged unrepentant online robber.

The suspect, 44-year-old Olumide Agboola, currently in police custody, was said to have severally dispossessed unsuspecting vendors by placing orders online, only to rob his victims at the point of delivery.

His cup of criminal acts got filled to the brim recently after dispossessing his victim of her personal Infinix Hot 9 mobile phone, assorted fabrics, underpants and singlets she went to deliver to him.

According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Benjamin Hundeyin, total value of the items amounted to N193,000.

His arrest, Hundeyin said in a press release, was sequel to a painstaking investigation  launched by detectives attached to the Makinde Police Station, after a number of reports were received about his activities, adding that, "Different CCTV footages at his various crime scenes have aided in the irrefutable identification of the suspect".

On how he succeeded in his nefarious acts, the PPRO said: "Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect’s modus operandi was to pose as a genuine buyer on social media platforms, order items and request vendors to supply the items at designated hotels, where he would then rob them".

With his arrest, the police have commenced 

investigation as to recovering other stolen items from his previous operations.

FG Considers Proscribing ASUU.

Indications emerged yesterday that tahe Federal Government may consider the option of proscribing the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU if it fails to call off the prolonged strike after an offer was made to it.

Multiple sources in the Presidency and the Ministry of Education told Vanguard that if ASUU refused to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by calling off the strike, the government would consider the option of prescribing the union.

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One of the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Because of the priority President Muhammadu Buhari has paid to education, he has approved additional N100 billion for the universities and about N57 billion for the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

“This is part of the understanding with the unions on the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement. The government has also approved 35 per cent increase in salary for professors and 23.5 per cent increase for other lecturers. Government also approved N50 billion for earned allowances for the striking unions.

“It will be unpatrotic on the side of ASUU not to reciprocate the government gesture and call off the strike for our children to go back to school. The government is not also unmindful of the cooperation of SSANU and NASU for being patriotic.

“It is part of the labour laws that the unions, especially ASUU, should apply cessation of strike once a trade dispute is apprehended and conciliation is ongoing.

“From available information, the Minister of Labour and Employment apprehended the strike on February 22, 2022, and subsequently held conciliation meeting on that day with ASUU and on March 1, whereas, the disputes with SSANU and NASU were apprehended on May 3 by the Minister of Labour and Employment.

“Why should ASUU say that the Federal Government has done nothing? You should also recall that the President co-opted his Chief of Staff, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, and the Secretary to the government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, to join in the negotiation to end the strike. Why is ASUU recalcitrant and daring everybody?”

BENUE POLICE ARREST 18 SUSPECTED KIDNAPPERS.

The Benue state police command have arrested suspected kidnappers numbering 18 in Ado Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner of Police, Wale Abbas, disclosed this in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP. Catherine Anene, and made available to journalists in Makurdi.

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The Commissioner explained that the suspected kidnappers were trying to bypass police checkpoints at Utonkon road, Ado Local Government Area yesterday at about 7:30

The police commissioners say officers deployed to the area in collaboration with members of the community were able to intercept and arrest 18 suspects all of whom were male

According to the statement  investigation is on going, with one AK-47 rifle and two magazines loaded with 30 rounds of 6.72mm live ammunition were recovered from them. 

Manual collation of results: INEC laying foundation for rigging of 2023 elections – Atiku

 

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is laying the foundation for the rigging of the 2023 election through the manual collation of results.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in an interview with the Punch on Saturday said the collation of results of the 2023 general elections will be done manually despite the adoption of electronic transmission of results.

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Okoye was quoted to have said “Section 60(5) of the Act makes it mandatory that the presiding officer shall transfer the results, including total number of accredited voters and the results of the ballot in a manner prescribed by the commission. Thereafter, the presiding officer shall after recording and announcing the results deliver the same along with election materials under security and accompanied by the candidates or their polling agents, where available to such person as may be prescribed by the commission.

“The implication of this is that the collation process of results is still essentially manual, but the collation officer must collate subject to his verification and confirmation that the number of accredited voters stated on the collated result are correct and consistent with the number of accredited voters recorded and transmitted directly from polling units, he added.

Atiku, reacting through his spokesman, Daniel Bwala, Sunday alleged that with such a statement ” INEC is laying the foundation for the rigging of the 2023 elections”.

The PDP Presidential candidate spokesman examined that “Section 60 is clear. At the close of voting at the polling unit, the voting results will be uploaded, meaning that by the time the officer from the unit goes to the ward, he cannot present a result different from the one that was uploaded, which every voter can have access to it.

According to him, the same thing applies to the local government and the state, because there is evidence that results have been sent to a server where they cannot be manipulated.

He said, what Okoye said means they are creating the room and possibility for somebody to manipulate the result without prejudice to the counting and the result as announced at the unit.

The PDP candidate cautioned INEC that Nigerians are not interested in litigation, but in a free, fair, credible election where their votes will count.

According to him, If INEC relies on manual collation, they will be going around the provisions of the Electoral Act to take the country’s electoral system backwards.

He continued “Sadly, they are trying to find a solution where there is no problem because this same electronic upload and transmission has been done in Anambra, Ekiti, Edo and Osun and they were successful, that procedure has not been challenged.

“If you go to court all the challenges in court were around certificates of individual and whether that individual is qualified or not. But that procedure has worked.

“So why are you trying to fix something that is not broken? It means something is fishy, we smell coffee. And that’s why we’re calling all well-meaning Nigerians and lovers of democracy in Nigeria and beyond to raise their voices and speak with one voice.

“There must be strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act with respect to electronic upload and transmission of result, without prejudice to what INEC is thinking about bringing”.

He warned that INEC must never try to change the procedure that has worked in these states mentioned.

Emphasising that, the 2023 election must be free and must be transparent.

“We don’t want litigation. We want the voice and the will of the people to prevail in Nigeria,” he added

staff shortage: resident doctors down tools, begin two-week warning strike in ondo

Medical doctors under the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, have commenced a two-week warning strike at the Federal Medical Centre in Owo, Ondo State due to what they described as a shortage of personnel.

Shortly after the association’s general meeting in the Owo, headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of the state, the doctors announced their decision to down tools.

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According to Dr. Olaopa Olutobi Gideon, President of the ARD, FMC Owo branch, the strike action was unavoidable because doctors were working “under extremely stressful conditions.”

Only 80 resident doctors and health officers are currently employed by the hospital, according to Dr. Olaopa, who also noted that there hasn’t been any new hiring there since 2018.

He stated no fewer than 300 doctors and house officers used to work at the hospital, but many of them have since left.

“One person is now doing the job of five persons. We have been on this issue since last year. The situation keeps getting worst because a lot of people are leaving the system.

“There has not been any employment in the FMC Owo, since 2018. The employment of additional 200 doctors and health officers will solve the problem.

“They are also not paying for our extra work. We are doing duty call every day.”

The doctors also complained about the low quality of the hospital meals and the absence of secure housing for their colleagues employed at the Akure hospital annex.

Olufunsho Ijanusi, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer confirmed the industrial action, saying that the hospital’s management had been keeping an eye on development.

Ijanusi stated that Dr. Liasu Adeagbo, the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, had just arrived from Abuja and had met with the ARD leadership, pleading with them to be patient.

He clarified that several bureaucratic bottlenecks were delaying the hiring of extra staff members at the hospital but pledged that management would soon find a solution.

Honour comes home for Commonwealth gold medalist, Adekuoroye with Ikale Archive and Museum centre

Honour comes home for Commonwealth gold medalist, Adekuoroye with Ikale Archive and Museum centre for bringing smiles to Nigerians across the world and ensuring Team Nigeria ended the Commonwealth Games on Day 8 in Birmingham on a good note, honour has come home for Odunayo Adekuoroye, who successfully defended her Commonwealth gold medal.

Having started late in the contest, Adekuoroye defended her medal which she won in the Gold Coast in 2018 with a 7-3 victory over her Indian opponent Anshu Malik in the Women’s 57kg Freestyle Wrestling.

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Among the torrents of accolades is the one coming from the President of the Union of Ikale Indigenes, Lord Isaac Omowole Omogoroye.

In a statement yesterday, the Ikale-born Adekuoroye, who hails from the Ilutitun Osooro community in Ikale nation, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State, was praised for not only putting the nation in the global spotlight but making every Ikale citizen proud of her feat.

Oqmogoroye said: “The Union of Ikale Indigenes (UOII) receives with immense pride and jubilation the news of Odunayo Adekuoroye wrestling conquest at the international arena. UOII proudly celebrates you and rejoices with your parents, your sponsors and your coordinators.

“The union believes that this singular achievement is indeed a community pride and a persuasive signal and message to Ikale youths that out there, there is a gamut of trophies on sports to be picked to bring fame, riches and well-being to your community.

“Odunayo Adekuoroye, the wrestler, must know that she has unknowingly set the record from where the Union will take – off on its plan to create an Ikale Archive and Museum within the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, for the documentation of community attainments and feats as well as the keeping of Ikale cultural and historical artifacts. This was one of the three major projects the Union arrived at to embark on, during her first Annual General Meeting held on April 30, 2022 at the university auditorium.

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“While Odunayo from Ilutitun Osooro has made her wrestling prowess international, Ikale youths must know and be convinced that international feat does not segregate nor discriminate, it comes to any deserving individual desirous of conquest in any area of human endeavour. In this regard, the Union has the plan to commence in earnest Community Football Competition, with a view to fetching out football stars of Ikale origin.

“At this juncture, UOII wishes to rejoice with all parents, especially of Ikale origin home and in Diaspora, on account of the victory of our daughter Odunayo and admonished that fullest support where needed should promptly be rendered to our children in their chosen areas of struggle to conquest,” the statement added.

Police nab suspected abductors of Ondo traditional head

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested and paraded a group of kidnappers who kidnapped High Chief Mukaila Bello, the traditional head of Iku quarters in Ikare-Akoko, along with four others, on the Owo-Ikare route two weeks ago.

The suspects were Mohammed Mosere, 25, Ilyasu Lawal, 27, Mohammedu Abubakar Sidi, 26, Garuba Bature, 36, and Abubakar Dangy, 20.

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Three barrel guns, five live cartridges, two face masks, and two jack knives were among the items retrieved from them.

They were captured in various areas of Ondo State and Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The gang received N4m in ransom but only declared N2m, according to Dangy, who claimed to have given them the ammunition used in the operation.

Dangy claimed that he felt shortchanged by the group and decided to expose them when they were captured.

After the ransom was paid, two of the suspects, in his account, fled to Ibadan, but they were apprehended after one of them was recognized by the victims, which led to the arrest of further suspects.

He said that after another member of the group was apprehended, he only got to know that those who collected the ransom had short-changed him.

Abdul Muritala, who took the ransom to the kidnappers, stated that the abductors had initially demanded a N500m ransom, but the victim’s families were able to raise N4m, adding that the entire community contributed the money.

The suspects confessed to committing the crime, according to Ondo Police Commissioner Oyeyemi Oyediran, who also stated that they will soon be brought before a court.

Oyediran added that one of the kidnappers responsible for the murder of a soldier and the kidnapping of a Lebanese in Owo had been nabbed and charged to court.

He claimed that Yusuf Hamza, the suspect, was captured after a forensic investigation, and that efforts were being made to arrest others.

FCMB Customer Seeks Refund Of N7m Stolen From His Account

 

The advent of technology that seems to have reshaped the nation’s banking sector in the quest to meet up with its peers all over the world has created issues and has always made it easy for money belonging to customers disappears from their accounts.

In the past all the banks had to do was to lock up the funds in highly secured vaults. It was always a tough job for the bank robber to reach them, secured by all manner of metallic barriers and human guards. 

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That’s why they would often target the bank tellers or hope to march the branch manager to lead them to the vault. Even here banks often had measures to make it a most onerous task.

All that has changed in the digital era as criminals can breach the computer systems of financial institutions to reach the digital equivalents of the good, old vaults, and move large sums of money that would’ve made the bank robbers of old quite envious. 

A customer of First City Monument Bank (FCMB) who has an account with the bank at the Aba Road by GRA branch of the bank in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Port Harcourt is asking the bank to refund his N7 million which was taken from his account digitally within three days.

The customer of the bank, who preferred to be called George Braide to maintain some confidentiality due to an ongoing police investigation, said what he first noticed on a Saturday early July 2022 was that his MTN phone line was no longer working and he went to an MTN service centre to log a complaint.

Then he began to wonder if something had gone wrong with his linking of his phone line to his national identity number which caused it to be suspended, as he had heard other people complain.

Because he was able to continue using his WhatsApp to make calls and reach people, the incentive for immediate rectification wasn’t there. So, he waited until early Monday morning to go to an MTN office to find out what had gone wrong with his phone line.

Braide, the 60 year old retiree, after reporting the incidence of phone blockade at the MTN office was told that his phone had no issue that could warrant the blockade and his phone was subsequently unlocked. 

After the phone was unlocked, and on his way to his car, messages started pouring in. There were multiple transfers to Opay accounts, binge purchases and all manner of withdrawals from his account starting from Saturday morning when his phone first went off.

Then the climax was the transfer of N4 million from the account done just that Monday morning, probably while he was to the MTN office. In all N7 million was withdrawn from the account that has his retirement benefits between Saturday morning and Monday.

1,640 decampees join PDP in Adamawa

Former Vice President of Nigeria and the Peoples Democratic Party PDP presidential flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, has received about 1,640 decampees, including two members of the Adamawa State House of Assembly.

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Speaking at a mini rally in Yola, Abubakar thanked the people of Adamawa State for always standing for him in the past 30 years of his political life.

He said the people of Adamawa have invested in him so much and he was ready to reciprocate their kind gesture.

Atiku, however, used the forum to appeal to the people to vote for the State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri in the next elections, saying that it would help him a lot if they re-elect Fintiri.

National Chairman of PDP Dr. Iyorchia Ayu equally noted that all grievances within the party would be resolved for the party to win the Presidency in 2023.

NDLEA uncovers 442 parcels of Crystal Meth in heads of smoked fish in Lagos.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have uncovered no fewer than Four Hundred and Forty Two (442) parcels of Crystal Methamphetamine concealed in heads of fishes packed in cartons for export to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates through the SAHCO shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja Lagos.

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NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, August 14, said that the  11.90kg consignment was brought to the SAHCO export shed of the airport on Friday 5th August by a freight agent, Adekunle Oluwapelumi Paul, 32, from Yagba West LGA, Kogi State.

He was however promptly arrested upon the discovery that the seven cartons he presented for export contained parcels of the dangerous drug wrapped with foil paper and concealed in the heads of hundreds of smoked catfish

Nigerians were warned about Buhari – Former Ambassador, Farounbi

A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi has disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari is God’s punishment for Nigeria.

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Farounbi who is a veteran broadcast journalist also said he was not surprised that this is happening because Nigerians were warned during the 2014/2015 presidential campaign about President Buhari’s past.

Farounbi who made these revelations while featuring on a live weekly radio show in Ibadan explained that imprisonment of politicians was one of the bad sores inflicted by the president while a military Head Of State.

In his words, “In 2014/2015 when we were campaigning, when Nigerians decided to accept the campaign of one chance, they were warned of the history of Muhammadu Buhari and how he imprisoned many politicians including Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

God is a wonderful being. He decided to use Buhari to punish Nigerians for their evil deeds and Nigerians deserve these punishments.”

While reiterating that he has optimism that Nigeria will be better, he accused corrupt politicians of not looking forward to seeing a better Nigeria.

Ambassador Farounbi, however, stated that Buhari can still redeem his image by becoming Nigeria’s best president if he could sincerely restructure the country into six geographical zones.

This, he said, will help to strengthen the country’s economy and political space.

soldiers, Police clash in osun

There was anxiety at Ajegunle, Osogbo on Saturday evening as some soldiers beat a Police officer.

The soldiers and the police officer, it was gathered, were not in uniform.

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According to an eyewitness who spoke with our correspondent, the soldiers and the police officer in a different vehicle refused to allow each other pass through in the Ajekunle spare part market.

“Both of them did not want to reverse for the other to pass. The police officer identified himself while one of the three soldiers in the car still directed the policeman to reverse. His refusal lead to the fight.

“The police officer called Dugbe Police station while another three personnel joined the soldiers.

“The matter degenerated and there was an exchange of gunshots for some minutes. We closed our shops and fled the scene to escape being shot,” an eyewitness, who craved anonymity, said.

The spokesperson for Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the clash but said the matter had been resolved.