Gunmen Kidnap Cleric, Son, Sibling; Demand N100m

Published

3 years ago

November 20, 2022

Editor

Gunmen, again, struck at Oko-Olowo, a suburb of Ilorin, Kwara State, in the early hours of Saturday and kidnapped three persons.

Meantime, relations of the victims are already begging Kwara state government to intervene.

The fresh victims are a young cleric, Alfa Sofiu Amolegbe, his son, Aliyu, and his sibling, Fansasi.

The trio were abducted at their private residence in Oko-Olowo along Ilorin- Jebba expressway in Moro Local Government area of Kwara state.

It was reliably gathered that the suspected kidnappers removed the burglary of a window in the building through which they gained access into the room and abducted the trio at gun point.

Vanguard further gathered that a bold nattempt by Fasansi to escape was meant with stiff resistance from the kidnappers who reportedly rained bullets on him and also matcheted him.

Confirming the incident,the father of the victims, Imam Amolegbe of Dada, Okelele area, Ilorin who spoke with journalists said that the kidnappers later abandoned Fasansi thinking he was dead.

Imam Amolegbe also said that the victim is now recuperating at a private hospital in Ilorin.

The Cleric further said that the kidnappers have contacted the family demanding for N100m ransom.

”The kidnappers have contacted us and they are asking for N100m ransom. We have begged them to accept N10m from us, even though we don’t have the money.

”I am appealing to the state government and men of goodwill to assist us in getting my two sons and grandson out of the den of the kidnappers,” the cleric said in a shaky voice.

Since the news of the sad event broke out on Saturday, sympathisers have been thronging the Dada ancestral home of the victims to commiserate with their father who is a popular cleric in the area.

Some of the cleric’s associates have also been holding special prayers that could aid the safe return of the victims.

Contacted, the spokesman of Kwara State Police Command, Okasanmi Ajayi also confirmed the abduction of the victims,adding that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the matter.

“The Command is already investigating the matter. Effort is also at an advanced stage to get the victims rescued. Meanwhile, two suspects already arrested, please,” he added.

Police Detain 3 Nsukka Masqueraders For Allegedly Assaulting Residents

Published

2 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The police command in Enugu State has detained three masqueraders in the Nsukka area of the state for allegedly assaulting law-abiding citizens.

The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that police operatives, with the assistance of members of the community, led to the arrest of the suspects on June 23 at 3:30 p.m.

He said that the arrest of the suspects was in connection with the alleged physical assault of citizens by the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade group on June 22 as seen in a viral video.

“The suspects, along with others still at large, took advantage of the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade celebration to assault several innocent members of the public, inflicting bodily injuries on them.

“One of the victims was hospitalised for treatment due to injuries sustained during the attack.

“The masqueraders initially resisted police arrest and fled the scene.

“However, with the assistance of law-abiding community members, the three suspects were later identified and apprehended,” he said.

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had ordered a thorough investigation into the case to ensure that justice was served.

Ndukwe quoted the commissioner as saying that masquerade celebration was a sacred and symbolic aspect of the nation’s culture.

He said that the state police chief, however, decried the actions of those who exploited the occasion to commit criminal acts.

Ndukwe said that the commissioner warned against the use of cultural festivities as a cover for fomenting trouble and committing crimes against fellow citizens, as perpetrated by the ‘Oriokpa’ masqueraders.

“The command is assuring the public that all those involved in the assault of law-abiding citizens will be brought to justice,” he added.

(NAN)

Metro

Edo Police Arrest Four Suspected Cultists

Published

5 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

Metro

Chaos In Court As Ex-convict Attempts To Escape

Published

9 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday in an Ilorin Area Court as an ex-convict, Segun Samuel, attempted to escape from the court premises, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Samuel Mayowa, who witnessed the incident, told NAN that the ex-convict cunningly removed the chains from his leg with a broomstick, walked towards the restroom and scaled the court fence.

“He has four different criminal cases in this court. One of the cases was heard on Monday, and he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

“In the second criminal case, he was sentenced to six months of community service, and the third case was supposed to be heard today, before he pulled that stunt,” he said.

Luckily, he said, the police officers in the court premises and the prison warder swung into action and pursued him.

He said that after a thorough search, and with the help of the community, the ex-convict was found in a dilapidated building at Oke-Suna Area, Ilorin.

The Correctional Service officer, he said, was called, and the ex-convict was captured and returned to custody