Metro

Delta Police Arrest 10 Kidnappers, Others

Published

2 years ago

May 17, 2023

The Delta State Police Command has arrested 10 suspected kidnappers just as it also foiled a tricycle robbers syndicate.

The operatives recovered from the suspected kidnappers a Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. WWR 353 LS, a locally made cut-to-size single barrel pistol as well as 11 rounds of live cartridges.

The PUNCH gathered that sequel to the rampant cases of reported armed robbery/kidnapping along Sapele-Warri road and its environs, which have created fear among road users.

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Wale Abass, had on assumption of duty detailed an intelligence unit of the command, the CP-Decoy squad, to embark on a discreet and an intelligence-led operation.

The Commander Decoy Squad, ASP Julius Robinson, led operatives of the squad, relocated to Sapele on a covert operation and while acting on credible intelligence gathered within Sapele and environs arrested one Nyero Sunday (29), of Okwitolo community alongside eight others all in Okpe Local Government Area of the state.

It was gathered that all the suspects who were arrested through technical intelligence-led investigation have confessed to their involvements in numerous kidnapping, armed robbery operations, and also admitted to terrorising the Sapele-Warri road.

Confirming the incident, the police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, noted that further investigation also led to the arrest of one Umar Bello (33) from Sokoto State but residing in Warri, who usually buys the stolen phones and other valuables robbed from their victims.

A Toyota Corolla with Reg. No. WWR 353 LS, a locally made cut-to-size single barrel pistol as well as 11 rounds of live cartridges, were recovered from the syndicate.

The PPRO said efforts were ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.

“In another development, police operatives of ‘B’ division Warri, led by the DPO SP Bolarinwa Alabi were on visibility, confidence building patrol along Airport road, they sighted a tricycle with three male occupants, and in their usual way, flagged down the tricycle, but the rider on sighting the police manoeuvred in a bid to escape on May 15, 2023, at about 0015hrs.

“The operatives went after them until they eventually abandoned the tricycle and took to their heels.

“One of the suspects, named Nworie Emmanuel (20), was arrested and taken to the police station.

“During interrogation, the suspect stated that he is a member of a three-man gang of armed robbers who uses a tricycle to rob innocent people of their belongings along Airport Road Warri.

“He also confessed that they had earlier that night robbed two persons along Airport road, adding that the phone robbed was with Abdul, one of their fleeing gang members and that their modus operandi is to look out for their victims standing at a lonely road at night, and Abdul (currently at large) will jump down from the tricycle, use knife to threaten their victim and rob them of their phones and other valuables.

“Meanwhile, the tricycle together with the knife they use to scare their victims are in custody alongside the suspect while the police are making frantic effort to arrest the other fleeing members of the gang,” the statement read

Also, the command crack squad on May 16, 2023, raided a criminal blackspot located around Osuani in Patani LGA, and arrested one Priscillia Amor, female, aged 35 years.

They recovered 26 wraps of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, 19 wraps of substance suspected to be Methamphetamine, eight packets of rizlas, some mobile phones and other exhibits from the female suspect.

The PPRO stated that an investigation is ongoing to arrest her other gang members.

Metro

Abuja Court Jails Ex-legislative Aide For N120m Fraud

Published

8 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi on Monday sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr Goni Yilkan, to eight years in prison for obtaining N120.58 million by false pretence.

Justice F. E. Messiri found Yilkan guilty of a two-count employment scam charge, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed in a statement issued via its X handle on Tuesday.

“Yilkan, who hails from Nguru, Yobe State, was found guilty on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act, and consequently sentenced to eight years imprisonment without option of fine,” the statement read.

According to EFCC, the convict was arraigned alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023, following investigations into a petitioner’s claims of being defrauded by the convict.

One of the charges read: “That you, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu and others at large between 3rd January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N120, 580, 550 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) from Mrs. Hindatu Bello under the false pretence that you had the capacity to secure jobs for her candidates in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

In the course of the trial, EFCC said the petitioner explained that “Yilkan deceived her between 2020 and 2021 into believing that he had the capacity to secure employment slots in government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“On this strength, the petitioner collected varying sums of money from over 60 jobseekers, amounting to N120,580,550.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira), which she allegedly remitted to the convict.”

However, the purported employment offers never materialised, prompting Bello to petition the EFCC.

The prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, called six witnesses and tendered documentary evidence, while the defence, led by J.A. Oguche, presented two witnesses, including Yilkan himself.

In his judgment, Justice Messiri held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicted Yilkan, but discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Adamu.

The judge further sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

Earlier, The PUNCH reported that the EFCC Ilorin Zonal Directorate arrested 28 suspected internet fraudsters in Kwara State.

The suspects, according to a statement on Monday, “were picked up in the early hours of Tuesday during sting operations carried out in Tanke, University Road, Oshin, and Agbabiaka areas of the state capital.”

Metro

Soldiers Who Sold Arms To Terrorists Sentenced To Death

Published

8 hours ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A special court-martial of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and another to 15 years for illegal arms deals carried out in connivance with police officers and terrorists.

The trial, presided over by Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), took place at the Officers’ Mess of the Theatre Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.

Delivering judgment, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, president of the court-martial, pronounced Raphael Ameh, a sergeant; Ejiga Musa, a sergeant; and Patrick Ocheje, a lance corporal, guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Omitoye Rufus, a corporal, was however handed a 15-year jail term.

The soldiers were convicted of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy, all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.

Ameh, who served as an armourer at the 7 Division Garrison, was found to have conspired with a deceased colleague to steal ammunition from the division’s armoury.

He worked with police officers to conceal weapons in bags of beans and smuggle them to Enugu and Ebonyi for criminals.

Abdullahi revealed that bank records linked Ameh to over 100 suspicious transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.

Musa, while serving as armourer of 195 Battalion, was discovered to have collaborated with Ocheje and police officers in selling an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition.

Records showed he collected more than ₦500,000 from the transactions before he was arrested while attempting to sell more ammunition.

Rufus was convicted for selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer, while Ocheje, who was deployed at the forward operating base in Molai, was found guilty of diverting ammunition during communal clashes at the instigation of a police officer.

He also stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a colleague.

The court held that their actions directly endangered military operations and national security, amounting to aiding the enemy.

Condemning the convicts, Abdullahi described them as “bad eggs” who betrayed the trust, discipline, and honour expected of soldiers in the fight against insurgency.

He restated the army’s zero-tolerance stance on the sale of arms or ammunition to adversaries “in whatever form or guise.”

Metro

BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Lifeless bodies of the eight policemen who were declared missing after a deadly attack on security operatives at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, have been recovered.

Dr Justin Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA disclosed this to reporters in Makurdi on Monday.

According to him, “this brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG)”.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, when a team of security operatives came under the attack of armed invaders.

Three personnel were immediately confirmed dead while eight others were declared missing.