Crime

Alleged Fraud: Investors Protest At Rivers Christ Embassy

Published

3 years ago

August 14, 2022

Scores of victims of a forex firm, MBA Trading and Capital Investment Limited picketed the Christ Embassy Church located on Peter Odili Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday.

The protesters numbering over 50 said they invested various sums of money in the company with a promise to get their payment, but two years after, nothing has been heard from the company’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Maxwell Odum.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had declared the company’s Maxwell Oko wanted for alleged fraud in 2021, following a petition it received from the victims who stormed its premises to protest and demand the former’s arrest.

The protesters, including women, said they were going through untold hardship and suffering since the company allegedly collapsed, saying some of them had died from depression, while some had been evicted from their houses due to their inability to pay rent.

The protesters, under the aegis of ‘victims of MBA forex fraud’ gathered at the road leading to the church with placards chanting songs to drive home their demands, saying, ‘Maxwell Odum pay us our money.’

However, a mild drama occurred while they marched towards the church as a team of policemen stopped them from going further, but irked by their presence, the protesters raised their voices and continued singing.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, ‘My hard-earned money should not be your tithe’, ‘Maxwell, when will your stories expire?’ ‘Maxwell, I can’t feed well again because of you,’ ‘Our children are driven out of school for lack of school fees.’

Others were: ‘How do you even sleep at night?’ ‘Stop fraud, pay us our money. Investors are in pains,’ and many more. This was as the policemen blocked them with three patrol vans while some officials of the church trooped out to know what the situation was.

Speaking to newsmen, the leader of the protest, Christian Agadaga, said they were in the church to register their grievances because the failed firm’s boss, Odum was a member of the Christ Embassy.

Agadaga said, “Victims of the MBA forex fraud have assembled at Christ Embassy Church at Odili Road in Port Harcourt today to register our displeasure and to say how we feel.

“Our pain, agony, and our calamities are because of just one man, Odum, who defrauded Nigerians who invested in his company to the tune of N213 billion.

“He promised to pay the returns on our investment but today, he is nowhere to be found,” he alleged.

Continuing, Agadaga said, “While we were trying to recover from the shock for over two years now, recently, the EFCC has declared three persons wanted. From our findings, these persons are all members and workers of this church, Christ Embassy.

“We have come here to let the leadership of the church know our pains. We want to use this opportunity to appeal to the founder of this church, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, a man we have seen for some time now, who doesn’t tolerate misconduct.

“For him (Oyakhilome) to have, some days ago, suspended his relation from all church activities over an action he didn’t find pleasing, shows the kind of person he is.

“We are appealing to him to immediately reveal the hiding places of these persons, declare wanted those that are members and part of his church to the EFCC.

“We cannot take this anymore. Some of us have died. Some are hospitalised. Few of us that are still alive are not sure of tomorrow. Many of us are homeless as a result of this fraud meted out on us by pastors of Christ Embassy.”

He added, “Now, we are asking our money as victims whose money has been siphoned, the pastors should return the money now to the EFCC. We cannot tolerate this anymore because we cannot continue to die in silence. We must take our money back.”

The PUNCH reports that he also gave a five-point demand to the EFCC to apprehend all those allegedly linked to the fraud.

“We demand that the EFCC launch a full-scale manhunt against all persons declared wanted in connection with the MBA forex fraud and recover all assets belonging to them.

“We demand that all bank managers, directors and members of staff, who aided and abetted all illegal transactions on the MBA forex be made to face the law.

“We demand that the EFCC open all properties so far ceased for the temporary usage of all victims of the MBA forex, pending when the promises made to them are fulfilled.

“Because the MBA forex investors can no longer endure this frustration, we are giving the EFCC 21 working days to immediately swing into action and make sure all those declared wanted are arrested and prosecuted.

“It has taken almost two years and Odum has not been arrested. We demand that the EFCC show sincerity in this fight by declaring a reward to any person, group or institution across the world with information that could lead to his arrest,” he stated.

But speaking to our correspondent, an official of the church, who did not want his name in print, expressed sadness that the protesters would come to disrupt ongoing service.

“Why would they bring their protest to the temple of God? This is a church. It is completely unacceptable. This is sacrilege,” he said.

Crime

Nigeria Police Go Tough On LGBT, Vow to Extradite Suspects From Abroad

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2023

Editor

By Udiele Mercy

Men of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested two men in a hotel in Benin City for alleged involvement in homosexual activities in contravention of the laws of the State.

The men whose identities were given as Dele Thompson and Steve Omobeke were reportedly nabbed during a routine raid on suspected black spots of gay activities in the state.

This particular arrest the police authorities say has got some international dimensions as investigations have revealed that the duo has links with some LGBT exponents in Canada and the United States of America.

Although the police gave no details beyond mentioning one Osamudiamen Monday Aimiuwuriamwen said to be mutual sex partner with Dele Thompson and a funding source for their nefarious activities in Nigeria, they however vowed to do everything humanly possible to arrest every member of the illicit sex gang from wherever they are presently.

The police said they have material evidence in the form of pictures and videos obtained from the suspect’s phone, implicating enough for them to prosecute the suspects.

According to the police, “we have photographs and videos extracted from the suspect’s showing where the outlaws in very compromising positions indicative of their involvement.

“We are surprised that despite efforts by the force and other security agencies to stamp out LGBT practices in the state, many are still indulging in the unholy behavior.”

The command has communicated with the Force Headquarters to activate its extradition agreement with the Interpol to extradite members of the syndicate outside the shores of Nigeria,” said Chidi Nwabuzor, PPRO Edo State Police Command.

Besides the Nigerian State prohibiting same sex relationship through the enactment of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013, the Nigerian society frowns seriously at it to the extent of mobbing suspected LGBT exponents to death when caught in the act.

The law that prescribed 14 years for convicts is considered too lenient by citizens who often prefer to take the laws into their hands.

Crime

Suspected Gay Men In Trouble As Tradition, Police Hunt Them

Published

2 years ago

July 10, 2023

Editor

A young man identified as Festus Igbineweka is in serious trouble over his alleged participation in a gay party that went sour at his father’s house on 14 Oguola Road, off Siluko Road Benin City, resulting in his being beatien up along side his partners in crime, causing bodily injuries.

Festus and Osarugue it were allegedly caught in the act kissing and expressing love towards each other, with others including Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli, John Opakunle and Felix Obasuyi who were also having similar fun in their separate room in the same apartment, doing the same thing and later began to have sex on June 30, 2023.

Eye witness account said that Festus Igbineweka reportedly got entangled with an old gay lover Osarugue Austine Edobor,now at large in an after party sex rump in Oguola, the traditional puritan enclave of the legendary Benin tradition which forbids same sex relationship.

The abominable secret meeting came to the open when Festus’ next-door neighbor Benard Akpata was knocking at the door because he was to drive out of the compound and Festus’s car was blocking the drive way. It was learnt that the renegades behaving to type had put on some loud music in the house to mask the pleasurable sounds from within.

Having knocked severally with no response, the said neighbour Bernard reportedly walked in and saw what was happening and promptly raised an alarm that drew the attention of distraught neighbours who descended on them with clubs and other dangerous weapons and repeatedly shouting, abomination!!!.

The alarm caused confusion and rage as more persons got attracted to the crime scene and joined in the beating.

The suspects Festus Igbineweka, Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli,Felix Obasuyi and John Opakunle, after the mob attack were handed over to the police by the vigilante group in the area while the rest suspects Osarugue Austine Edobor and Darlington Itoya managed to escape.

The duo of Osarugue and Darlington who
managed to escape the mob attack, took advantage of the power outage that left the house in total darkness.

Festus and his co travellers including Osarugue,Vincent Obi, Frank Okoli and John Opakunle are also wanted by the Edions (elders) of the area to perform some rituals meant to cleanse the land of the abominable act which can have dire consequences on innocent people if not exorcised.

The gay love birds including those on the run and those arrested are expected to present the atonement items which include, a live spotless white cow, 1000 cowrie shells, seven bottles of red palm oil, 100 pieces of kolanuts, 14 cloves of alligator pepper etc, while the host Fedtus Igbineweka and others arrested are also in the battle of Police prosecution.

Meanwhile, the gay exponents are unable to report the gang beating they suffered in the hand of the natives to the police because their involvement in same sex relationship, is a practice that has been criminalized in Nigeria under the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013.

According to our crime reporter who visited the Ogida Divisional Police Headquarters,the suspects denied involvement in the alleged same-sex practice.

Crime

Police Declare Man Wanted Over Homos*xual Act

Published

2 years ago

June 22, 2023

Editor

A 50-years old man, Edo Omusi, has been declared wanted by the police in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, for disappearing after being ‘caught’ in a same s*x act in Ogiso community.

A source close to the police in the state, told our correspondent that the suspect, and one of his male friends, whose name was not given, were sighted at an undisclosed location by some youths as they were comitting the act.

Under Nigerian Laws, any person caught in the gay act is liable to 14 years in prison and if found by the community could be killed.

The duo were said to have been deeply engrossed in the act when they were found but before the person who saw them in the , “sinful and abominable act”, went for back up, they had escaped the location.

The incident which occurred on 25/4/23 at Ogiso area of the town almost threw the community into a turmoil as irate youths welding sticks and cudgels rampaged the community in search of the duo to lynch them.

It was also learnt that worried by the trend the youths in the community had to set up a surveillance team to monitor his movements. It was on one of the surveillance trips that he was reportedly caught on the fateful day, with the unidentified male partner.

It was gathered since the community reported the incident to the police, the whereabouts of the suspect, Edo Omusi has since remained unknown by all and sundry.

Speaking on the development, a top Police official confirmed the matter and explained that the Crime Investigation Department of the command is working round the clock to arrest the suspect, having declared him a wanted person.