EFCC Claims Amosu Set Up Hospital With Funds Looted From NAF




An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator, Tosin Owobo, testified on Wednesday that a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), allegedly set up a diagnostic center using funds he looted from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Mr. Owobo said this while testifying in the trial of Mr. Amosu, a former NAF Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun, and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo, before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The EFCC accused them of diverting N21 billion from the NAF through various companies, namely: Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, McAllan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Owobo said his team’s investigation led to an account owned by Mr. Amosu and his wife in UBA in the name of Solomon Health Care.
“We discovered that it is a hospital and diagnostic center located in Ikeja owned and operated by Amosu and his wife. Our team also visited the premises at 24 Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja when they just started operations,” the investigator said.
“Some equipment was just being installed by General Electric, such as MRI scanners, X-Ray machines and other sophisticated medical equipment,” he said.
Mr. Owobo, who had earlier testified that Mr. Amosu transferred N677 million from the NAF to Delfina Oil and Gas and other companies between March 2014 and April 2015, said that Solomon Health Care was funded with money transferred from Delfina Oil and Gas.
He explained on January 16, 2015 that N145 million was transferred from Delfina Oil and Gas to Solomon Health Care. On January 20, 2015, the sum of N45 million was transferred to Solomon Health Care, while over N93 million was transferred to the diagnostic company from Trapezites.
BDC on January 30, 2015. The witness said another N106 million was also transferred to Solomon Health Care from Trapezites BDC on the same day.
Other amounts transferred to Solomon Health Care, he said, are N55 million on April 17, 2015; N55 million on May 6, 2015 from Mcallan Oil And Gas; N78 million on June 1, 2015 and N81 million on June 1, 2015 from the same company.
He said the balance in Solomon Health Care’s account as of April 30, 2015 was N360,640,636.25.
Mr. Owobo added that the EFCC also had cause to investigate Timsegg Investment, which he said was directed by Mr. Gbadebo.
“The accounts of Timsegg Investment received direct transfers from NAF accounts. Timsegg had accounts with UBA and FCMB. We wrote the banks, and we analysed their responses and made further discoveries,” Mr. Owobo said.
The investigator said Mr. Gbadebo transferred N12 million from the NAF Airmen Subsidy Account; N25 million from the NAF Airport Operation Account and N20 million from rge NAF account on June 4, 2014.
According to him, N10 million was transferred on July 4, 2014; N24 million on July 30, 2014; N10 million on August 29, 2014; N29 million from the NAF Jet Account on October 8, 2014; and N24 million and N65 million on October 8, 2014.
Others are N14 million from the NAF Operations account on October 31, 2014; N15 million from the NAF Jet Account on December 2, 2014; N20 million from the NAF Operations Account on May 5, 2015; N19 million from the NAF account on May 27, 2015; and N19 million from the NAF Operations Account on July 3, 2015.
The money was all transferred to Timsegg’s account, the witness claimed.
“We discovered that most of the funds were being fixed on term basis. Upon expiration, cash withdrawals were made by Gbadebo. The funds were paid to him as his share from NAF and were for his personal use,” he said.
Mr. Owobo said a property on 40A Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, was discovered to belong to Mr. Adigun, the second defendant, which he said was acquired with money from Delfina Oil and Gas.
On Thursday, June 29, Justice Idris will rule on an application by Mr. Oyedepo to visit some of the properties allegedly acquired by the defendants that cannot be brought to court as exhibits.
Federal High Court of Lagos

EFCC Claims Amosu Set Up Hospital With Funds Looted From NAF




An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigator, Tosin Owobo, testified on Wednesday that a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd), allegedly set up a diagnostic center using funds he looted from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
Mr. Owobo said this while testifying in the trial of Mr. Amosu, a former NAF Chief of Accounts and Budgeting, Air Vice Marshal Jacob Adigun, and a former Director of Finance and Budget, Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo, before Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The EFCC accused them of diverting N21 billion from the NAF through various companies, namely: Delfina Oil and Gas Ltd, McAllan Oil And Gas Ltd, Hebron Housing and Properties Company Ltd, Trapezites BDC, Fonds and Pricey Ltd, Deegee Oil and Gas Ltd, Timsegg Investment Ltd and Solomon Health Care Ltd.
Led in evidence by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Owobo said his team’s investigation led to an account owned by Mr. Amosu and his wife in UBA in the name of Solomon Health Care.
“We discovered that it is a hospital and diagnostic center located in Ikeja owned and operated by Amosu and his wife. Our team also visited the premises at 24 Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja when they just started operations,” the investigator said.
“Some equipment was just being installed by General Electric, such as MRI scanners, X-Ray machines and other sophisticated medical equipment,” he said.
Mr. Owobo, who had earlier testified that Mr. Amosu transferred N677 million from the NAF to Delfina Oil and Gas and other companies between March 2014 and April 2015, said that Solomon Health Care was funded with money transferred from Delfina Oil and Gas.
He explained on January 16, 2015 that N145 million was transferred from Delfina Oil and Gas to Solomon Health Care. On January 20, 2015, the sum of N45 million was transferred to Solomon Health Care, while over N93 million was transferred to the diagnostic company from Trapezites.
BDC on January 30, 2015. The witness said another N106 million was also transferred to Solomon Health Care from Trapezites BDC on the same day.
Other amounts transferred to Solomon Health Care, he said, are N55 million on April 17, 2015; N55 million on May 6, 2015 from Mcallan Oil And Gas; N78 million on June 1, 2015 and N81 million on June 1, 2015 from the same company.
He said the balance in Solomon Health Care’s account as of April 30, 2015 was N360,640,636.25.
Mr. Owobo added that the EFCC also had cause to investigate Timsegg Investment, which he said was directed by Mr. Gbadebo.
“The accounts of Timsegg Investment received direct transfers from NAF accounts. Timsegg had accounts with UBA and FCMB. We wrote the banks, and we analysed their responses and made further discoveries,” Mr. Owobo said.
The investigator said Mr. Gbadebo transferred N12 million from the NAF Airmen Subsidy Account; N25 million from the NAF Airport Operation Account and N20 million from rge NAF account on June 4, 2014.
According to him, N10 million was transferred on July 4, 2014; N24 million on July 30, 2014; N10 million on August 29, 2014; N29 million from the NAF Jet Account on October 8, 2014; and N24 million and N65 million on October 8, 2014.
Others are N14 million from the NAF Operations account on October 31, 2014; N15 million from the NAF Jet Account on December 2, 2014; N20 million from the NAF Operations Account on May 5, 2015; N19 million from the NAF account on May 27, 2015; and N19 million from the NAF Operations Account on July 3, 2015.
The money was all transferred to Timsegg’s account, the witness claimed.
“We discovered that most of the funds were being fixed on term basis. Upon expiration, cash withdrawals were made by Gbadebo. The funds were paid to him as his share from NAF and were for his personal use,” he said.
Mr. Owobo said a property on 40A Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, was discovered to belong to Mr. Adigun, the second defendant, which he said was acquired with money from Delfina Oil and Gas.
On Thursday, June 29, Justice Idris will rule on an application by Mr. Oyedepo to visit some of the properties allegedly acquired by the defendants that cannot be brought to court as exhibits.
Federal High Court of Lagos

Fidelity Bank Admits Disbursing Diezani Bribe To INEC Staff

A staff of Fidelity Bank Plc., Mr. Timothy Olaobaju, has told the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, that his bank disbursed the sum of N264 million to two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Christain Nwosu and Isa Olarenwaju Adedoyin, who are currently standing trial for unlawful gratification.
Mr. Olaobaju, who gave testimony as a prosecution witness, told the court on Wednesday that a sum of N115,000,000 was deposited into the bank by different oil companies and some individuals on the instructions of former minister for petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke.
He stated further that more instructions came from the minister that certain individuals whose names were drafted on a list would come with means of identification and that the money be disbursed to them.
"Around 2015, there was a meeting between our MD and former petroleum minister, in which she explained that some companies and individuals will come to pay into some accounts. In addition, she said certain individuals were bringing some cash for her and a total sum of $89,000,000 was paid into these accounts. Those individuals brought $25,000,000," the witness said.
He added that the money was converted to naira, totaling N115 billion and distributed across persons from 36 states of the federation.
When the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, who lead the examination in chief, asked the witness how he knew the defendants, he said, "There was an instruction that they should be paid N264,880,000 and they were paid. The instruction to pay them came from head office as instructed by Diezani."
He also informed the court that they signed the receipt of payment which was subsequently admitted as evidence.
The defendants were arraigned on Wednesday, April 5, 2017 alongside one Tijani Bashir, who in the course of the trial entered into a plea bargain agreement with the commission.
Bashir pleaded guilty, returned property purchased with the proceeds of crime and paid a fine of N5,000,000.
They were accused of taking bribes from the former Minister of Petroleum.
The presiding judge, Justice Muhammed Idris, adjourned the matter till Thursday, June 29, for continuation of trial.
Diezani Alison-Madueke

Evans Drags IGP, 3 Others To Court Over Detention

Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans, the suspected billionaire kidnapper, has dragged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and three others before the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged illegal detention.
Joined as respondents in the motion he filed by his lawyers are the Nigeria Police Force, Commissioner of Police, Lagos State and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.
In a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on his behalf by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, the suspected kidnapper is praying for the order of court to direct the respondents to immediately charge him to court if there is any case against him in accordance with Sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In the alternative, he prayed the court for an order compelling the respondents to immediately release him unconditionally in the absence of any offence that will warrant his being charged to court.

Chukwudubem "Evans" Onwuamadike

Carpe Diem: Join The Terrifying Struggle To Save Nigeria By Churchill Okonkwo

Two years after the Nigerian electorate rallied around President Buhari to push him over the line in the 2015 general elections, dividends of democracy remain a distant dream; the administration has failed to stabilize the economy; millions of Nigerians still live in poverty, with unemployment rate hovering around 20% and economic growth rates in the negative territory. The divisive politics of ethnicity and religion that followed Jonathan’s loss has left the country deeply fractured. Faith in government is waning and cultural diversity is spiraling out of control.
The extended absence of Mr. President on medical leave has added to the gloom hanging over the nation. The outcry that followed the political miscalculation of his kitchen cabinet who in an attempt to remain relevant released an audio Sallah message to Nigerians in Hausa is a pointer that the country is at the edge of a cliff. While I wish Mr. President quick recovery and good health, I have to note that things are falling apart and our democratic experiment at a crossroad.
Nigerians can perceive the pungent smell of fear and uncertainty. Elders have metamorphosed to ethnic and religious bigots. Touts are now parading themselves as spokespersons of once respected ethnic nationalities by spreading hate messages with the elders sheepishly falling in line. Political office holders are too scared of openly disagreeing with the mob due to fear of being labeled saboteurs. Professionals and intellectuals have gone hiding under their beds, rather than joining the terrifying struggle to save themselves.
Despite the current Nigerian situation, despair shouldn’t be an option. It should be seen as the enemy. Our collective failure to rise up, get involved and prevent the looming anarchy will leave everyone with a broken nation, with millions becoming destitute and homeless in the once bustling commercial metropolises like Lagos, Aba, Onitsha, PH and Kano. So, the salience of (re)connecting citizens with active participation in the political process should take on renewed urgency today.
In the “Dead Poets Society,” John Keating, played by Robin Williams of blessed memory, delivered a striking 'Carpe Diem' speech that has continued to inspire thousands of young people determined to "make their lives extraordinary". At one point in the movie, Robin Williams stood on his desk and asked, "Why do I stand up here? Anybody? I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way."
Where are you standing and how are you looking at the current situation in Nigeria?  re you looking at the Nigerian situation with yesterday’s lens? Are you standing on the banks of Kaduna River and threatening to expel the Igbos? Are you waiting at the shaky Niger Bridge Onitsha, threatening to destroy the “zoo” and then the bridge? Are you fishing at Ogun River waiting for Ndigbo to cut off their own heads before you can declare Oduduwa Republic? Are you looking at the ruins from oil spills on the creeks of the Niger Delta watching for those that have “forcefully” added you on their Biafran map to finish their hallucination before you pronounce their properties abandoned once more? Where are you standing? What is your perspective?
Robin Williams reminded his students in Dead Poets Society that “even though they're young, healthy, high-schoolers right now - eventually, they'll end up as worm food.” He challenged them to choose how they will be remembered with this powerful question: What will your verse be? The question I have for my generation is this: What will you tell your children after this beautiful country has been destroyed because you chose not to speak up or joined in the promotion of hatred? Why are you waiting for your head to be cut off before you attempt saving yourself?
Let’s be clear, Ango Abdulahi, a Professor as an ethnic bigot, Arewa Consultative Assembly, or Northern Elders Forum cannot save Nigeria. Ohaneze Ndigbo under the leadership of Nnia Nwodo that pays homage to Nnamdi Kanu only to turn around and condemn Arewa Youths cannot save Nigeria. Afenifere, Middle Belt, Ijaw and the rest of them that are neither hot nor cold cannot save Nigeria. Our governors that pronounce the “indivisibility” of Nigeria, meanwhile looting billions of Naira and refusing to pay salaries as the poor masses starve cannot save Nigeria.
I know what you are thinking; why should I care about the need to save Nigeria? You should, because if you don’t, the anarchy that will befall Nigeria will not spare anyone. The corporations, both local and multinational, currently giving you a sense of false security will flee when the katakata starts; schools, hospitals, markets, will be hit so hard that everybody will flee the cities in droves. These touts you are backing have little regard to live. They will terrorize and execute anyone with no recourse to any form of judicial process. In the cacophony that will follow, the voice of reason will be drowned out. Where will you flee to? What are you waiting for?
Here is Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society, again, "Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Break out! There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for." The present political situation in Nigeria does not call for caution, rather, it calls for breaking out from the crowd and daring to save ourselves. Everyone with an independent mind could see that to save Nigeria, we should break away from PDP and APC. The experience from the recent French election shows that all it takes is the engagement of previously apolitical citizens in the political process.
What we need is to galvanize around a new political structure that can be transformed into a political party and use that to save the soul of Nigeria. But first, we should change the way we interact with each other. Rather than dive deeper into self-reinforcing groups, we should mix with people of different ethnic and religious groups. This will give us the first hand opportunity to encounter opinions and perspectives that we did not pre-select or share on social media groups. Such physical mixing will not only reduce political fragmentation, it will present a wonderful opportunity for us to see the corrupt political class as our common enemy and then strategize on how to reclaim our country.  
I know it is terrifying to stand up to the ruthless democratic dictatorship that has held Nigeria together by nepotism, class warfare, divide and rule and sectarian loyalties since our independence. But we have to. It is a political miscalculation on our part to think we can sit on the fence and watch Nigeria unravel. Stop thinking that this political time-bomb will somehow be resolved and Nigerian economic fortunes magically restored with little pain, risk or casualties. That is wishful thinking. Nigeria can easily degenerate into an orgy of bloodthirsty sectarian violence, with depravity unfit for even animals unless we all get involved.
So, "Oh Captain! My Captain!" Do you feel taller standing under the table in your living room and sharing divisive post on social media? Why don’t you get involved in forming a new political force that will challenge the wolves and vultures? Don’t be deterred by the probability that you will fail. Carpe Diem guys, join this terrifying political struggle of saving ourselves.
You can email Churchill at churchill.okonkwo@gmail.com or follow on Twitter @churchillnnobi.


suspected member of Badoo


A suspected member of the notorious cult group, Badoo, has been apprehended by residents of Ikorodu community in Lagos state. The suspect was caught in Escobar, Ogijo, Ogun State yesterday evening. Ogijo community in Ogun State shares boundary with Ikorodu, Lagos State.
more news on it we are going to post it later


Nigeria support nuclear weapons-free world



Nigeria has voiced its support to the non-proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction mass (WMD), saying a world free of nuclear weapons is the ideal society it envisaged.
Prof. Tijjani Bande, Nigeria’s Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UN, delivered this position in his statement at the Security Council Open Debate on Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
The Nigerian envoy said: “I wish to reaffirm Nigeria’s commitment to the ideal of a nuclear-free world.
“We regard the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery as a grave threat to our collective security.
“This indeed is a global challenge that requires concerted and sustained effort on the part of the international community, including the Security Council.
“In recent times, the risk of non-state actors, including terrorists acquiring, developing, manufacturing and using nuclear, chemical and biological weapons remains a serious threat to global peace and security.
“Terrorists and their sponsors have shown the intent and, at least in the case of chemical weapons, some capability to develop and acquire weapons of mass destruction and to use them.”
According to him, Nigeria believes that the establishment of nuclear weapons-free zones across the world is a potent tool to prevent the vertical and horizontal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
He said Nigeria would continue to support efforts to establish nuclear weapons-free zones in parts of the world where they currently do not exist.
He added that “we want to reiterate our commitment to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In spite of its many known challenges and imperfections, we regard the NPT as the cornerstone of global non-proliferation regime.”
He warned that no country was immuned to the dangers posed by nuclear weapons, saying “it was essential that we all remain committed to globally agreed ideals contained in the NPT and other relevant instruments.”
According to him, while Nigeria recognises the right of any party to pursue a peaceful nuclear programme, this must be pursued within the ambit of the NPT and other relevant international instruments.
“We stress that efforts aimed at nuclear non-proliferation should tally with simultaneous efforts aimed at nuclear disarmament.
“Nigeria is concerned about the slow pace of progress toward nuclear disarmament and the lack of progress by the Nuclear-Weapon States to accomplish the task of total elimination of their nuclear stockpiles.
“We call on the Nuclear-Weapon States to fulfil their multilateral legal obligations on nuclear disarmament.
“Nigeria wishes to stress that resolution 1540 (2004) and its effective implementation remains key component of the global architecture for countering the danger posed by the threat of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.”
Bande said Nigeria was convinced that the establishment of effective precautionary measures and systems to address potential nuclear, chemical or biological proliferation was a collective responsibility incumbent upon all Member States, adding that “we must all take the lead.”
The envoy restated Nigeria’s conviction of the validity of multilateral diplomacy in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation, saying “we must remain especially vigilant to issues that may threaten international peace and security.
“We shall, therefore, continue to advocate for multilateralism as the core platform for negotiations in the area of disarmament and non-proliferation,” he said.
He also warned that the emergence of extremist groups had introduced a sense of urgency in the need for the international community to take stock of the implementation of resolution 1540 and close the gaps that could be exploited by such groups to obtain and use weapons of mass destruction.
He said it was incontrovertible that no state was immuned to the threat and consequences of WMD attack by terrorists and other non-state actors.
“This should serve as a clarion call for us to vigorously confront one of the key security challenges of our time,” the Nigerian envoy stressed.

Football news Barcelona to host Chapecoense in friendly at Nou Camp in August



Spanish football giants FC Barcelona will host Chapecoense in a friendly on Aug. 7 to pay tribute to those who died when the Brazilian club’s plane crashed last November.
Only three of the club’s players survived the crash on Nov. 29 in the Medellin region of Colombia when 71 of 77 people on board died.
FC Barcelona, in a statement, said the game would help Chapecoense “rebuild institutionally and recover the competitive level it had before the tragedy”.
The winner of the game at the Nou Camp will receive the Joan Gamper Trophy.
The annual invitational game is traditionally where FC Barcelona unveil their team for the new season to home fans.
The crash happened as Chapecoense were travelling to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final match of the Copa Sudamericana.
Defenders Neto and Alan Ruschel, and goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, who had his leg amputated, were among the six survivors, while 19 players and the coaching staff died.
They signed 25 new players this season and promoted nine from the youth team.







work and be A successful man


 
 

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend" Nigerian big boy Escoba Smith writes as he shows of his lavish home

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Istanbul, Turkey-based Nigerian big boy and CEO of Muccon Resources Ltd, Escoba Smith took to Facebook this morning to share photos of himself relaxing in the lavish living room of his Umuahia mansion. He captioned the photos thus:

"A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man" - See more photos after the cut...


Bayelsa denies owing LG workers 16 months’ salary arrears


The Bayelsa Government said on Thursday in Yenagoa that it was not owing council workers 16 months’ salary arrears as claimed by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
NULGE had in a statement issued on Monday listed Bayelsa and Kogi as states with the highest level of indebtedness to council workers.
Its National President, Mr. Ibrahim Khaleel, alleged that Bayelsa owed between 10 and 16 months while Kogi owed between seven and 15 months to lead the list of 23 states owing salaries.
Dr. Agatha Goma, Bayelsa Commissioner of Local Government Administration, in a statement described NULGE’s claims as false and misleading.
Goma said that the indebtedness to council workers in Bayelsa stood at nine and half months.
“The claim is not true. The local government councils in the state owe nine and half months’ salary with the exception of Ogbia Local Government Council, whose debt is 10 and half months in salary arrears.
“This regrettable situation is not deliberate as no responsible government will intentionally deny its workforce their legitimate rights to salary as at when due.
“The failure of local government councils to meet their financial obligations arose principally because of the unexpected economic recession.
“The recession has greatly affected the economic fortune of the country as well as the monthly allocation to the local government coffers and indeed all tiers of government,” Goma said.
The commissioner said that the government was in a dilemma of whether to `right-size’ the workforce or continue to manage the situation until there was an improvement.
“As a responsible government that is conscious of its social responsibility, rather than throwing people into the employment market, the state government will continue to seek workable avenue to ameliorate the delicate situation.
“The local government component of the Paris Club loan refund also came handy in effort at assisting the councils to meet their obligation.
“The state government has also provided financial support to help out the councils pay the arrears of salary,” Goma said.
She said that the government remained committed to ensuring that the outstanding salaries were offset, adding that various memoranda have been signed with relevant unions on payment of all pending arrears.

the Obamas vacation

 

 

The former first family wrapped up their vacation on Indonesia's resort island of Bali then headed to Yogyakarta where Barack lived for several years as a child when his mother, Ann Dunham, moved there for her anthropological research. Before leaving Bali, Obama and his family were seen on a river rafting on Monday. Then on Wednesday, they were all spotted sightseeing in the historic city of Yogyakarta.

Barack, Michelle, Malia, and Sasha arrived on a private jet then drove to a luxury hotel in downtown Yogyakarta. They later went to visit the ninth-century Borobudur Temple in Magelang. A local official disclosed that about 650  Indonesian security forces were deployed to secure the family for the duration of their stay in Yogyakarta.

Obama moved to Indonesia in 1967 when he was six-years-old after his divorced mother remarried an Indonesian man.  After the marriage broke up, she remained there, working as an anthropologist and development aid worker, but Obama returned to Hawaii when he was 10 to live with his grandparents.

More photos below.

NEWS OF THE DAY Badoo kills three family members in Ikorodu


   
•One injured, another missing
The notorious Badoo ritual gang struck again in Ikorodu, Lagos, killing three members of a family. The fourth member of the family, sources said, was seriously injured.
The gang attacked three other buildings on Aliyu Adesanya Street, Olopomeji Bus Stop, Odogunyan, Ikorodu.
The slain family members lived at house 9; occupants of houses 10, 11 and 12 were said to have fled when the gang struck around 3am.
Those killed were David Ikehi, his wife, Priscilla and son Moses. The family’s four-year-old boy Sunday is battling for his life in hospital. Its two-year-old son is reportedly missing.
The killers were said to have smashed their victims’ heads with grinding stone, splashing their blood all over the place.
It was gathered that a resident, Baba Chukwuemeka, who escaped, raised the alarm around 4am.
He was said to have told neighbours that an intruder entered his home through the window, carrying a grinding stone.
The man, residents said, claimed to have dodged being hit with the grinding stone and wrestled with his assailant. The assailant, the man claimed, fled when he could not overpower his victim, leaving the grinding stone behind.
It was gathered that Baba Chukwuemeka’s scream alerted others, who came out to secure their neighbourhood.
In the ensuing melee, it was gathered that a loud cry came from house 9, prompting the crowd to rush there.
Upon getting there, they found that it was the landlord who screamed, but the door to his apartment was fastened with a wire. They were said to have rallied round to rescue him and found the Ikehis while combing the house.
The residents contacted the Shagamu Road Police Division, which evacuated the bodies and took the injured to the hospital.
In anger they stormed the palace of the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Adewale Shotobi, to protest the incessant killings.
Soldiers and the Department of State Services (DSS) operatives were deployed to assist the police control the crowd. The crowd pelted them with stones and other missiles
The residents took a swipe at the monarch, demanding his dethronement. They also demanded “thorough investigation” into the killings.
The Command spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) said the incident was being investigated. He however, declined to comment on steps the command is taking to prevent future attacks.

Evans asks court to order his release or arraigned

 

  
Suspected kidnapper Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, has sued the Inspector-General of Police at the Federal High Court in Lagos for alleged violation of his fundamental rights.
He is praying the court to compel the police to charge him to court rather than detain him indefinitely.
In a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed on his behalf by a Lagos lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje,  the suspected kidnapper said his continued detention without trial was illegal.
He is praying for an order directing the respondents to immediately charge him to court if, there is any case against him in accordance with Sections 35 (1) (c) (3) (4) (5) (a) (b) and 36 of the 1999 Constitution.
The Police, Lagos Commissioner of Police, Special Anti-Robbery Squad and Lagos State Police Command are the other respondents.
Alternatively, Evans is seeking an order compelling the respondents to immediately release him unconditionally.
Evans is contending that his continued detention since June 10 without charge amounts to an infringement on his fundamental human rights.
He argues that the respondents ought to have charged him to court in line with Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.
A 27-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Evans’ father, Stephen Onwuamadike, averred that the applicant had been subjected to media trial.
The father said the media trial and news orchestrated by the respondents continued to generate reactions in both print and electronic media without his son being afforded fair hearing and trial before a court of law.
The deponent also averred that since his son’s arrest, all his family members have been denied access to him while media practitioners have been granted unfettered access to him.
The matter has not been assigned to any judge and no date has been fixed for the hearing.