News

Hausa Community Petitions Edo CP, Demands Justice For Truck Driver Killed Over N1,000 Fee

Published

8 months ago

March 10, 2025

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Hausa Community in Edo State has petitioned the State Commissioner of Police, Mrs Betty Enekpen- Otimenyi, over the killing of a truck driver, Suleiman Bala.

Bala was killed by revenue collectors in Ahor Community, Uhunmwode Local Government Area of the state over alleged refusal to pay N1000.00( one thousand naira ) revenue ticket Ahor Community Development Association.

He was said to have loaded his truck with his conductor from Jos, Plateau State, to Benin City on the 23rd of February, 2025 and off- loaded his vehicle.

An eyewitness, who pleaded anonymity said on the said date, about 12.00am, some boys who were said to be revenue collectors for Ahor Community Development Association, acting on behalf of Ahor Community Development Association Chairman woke- up Suleiman Bala’s conductor, demanding for N1000.00 ticket.

The conductor, surprised by the revenue collectors’ act in such a nocturnal period offered them N400.00 but they refused the offer.

Thereafter, it was gathered, the boys in anger collected their wheel spanner, which made the conductor call the attention of his driver, Bala, who was sleeping.

The deceased, it was gathered, followed the revenue collectors alongside his conductor, pleading for the release of the wheel spanner, while he reportedly offered the revenue collectors the balance of N600.00.

However, in anger, the boys (revenue collectors) were said to have used the wheel spanner to hit the driver repeatedly until the driver fell and died, while they reportedly disappeared immediately.

Consequently, in a petition dated February 24, 2025 by the Chairman, Hausa Community, Alhaji Saleh Badamasi, appealed to the Edo State Commissioner of Police to bring the perpetrators to book.

The petition written by his lawyer, S.O. Osazuwa & Co, urged the CP to investigate and arrest the chairman of Ahor Community Development Association, on whose instructions the boys were collecting illegal revenue.

The petition reads: “That our Client informed us that Late Suleiman Bala who is a member of Hausa Community was brutally attacked and murdered in cool blood by some
boys (Agents) of Ahor Development Association Acting on the instructions of Ahor Development Chairman.

“That our Client further informed us that the Late Suleiman Bala who is a bonafide gentle member of Hausa Community, is a Businessman from Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State.

“That our Client further informed us on the 23rd day of February, 2025 while en route from Jos to Lagos and also delivered some goods in Benin which was close to 8:00pm on that same fateful day decided to stay and spent a night in Ahor Kara Market along Lagos Express Way.

“That our Client informed us that at about 12:00am midnight when Late Suleiman Bala, Driver and the Motor Boy were sleeping inside the Trailer (Truck) were woken up by a group of boys holding and parading a ticket bearing Ahor Community Development Association purporting to be acting on the
instructions of Ahor Communiy Development Chairman to collect revenue of One Thousand Naira (N1000) of any Truck even at that unholy hour.”

“That our Client reliably informed us that both Late Suleiman Bala, the Driver and the Motor Boy pleaded and offered them Four Hundred Naira (N400) in order to make peace reign even when they know they were acting illegally.

“That the boys who are Agents of the Chairman of Ahor Community
Development Association, ignored their Pleas by taking laws into their hand grabbed and seized their wheel Spanner of the Truck and were going away with it.

“That we are informed by our Client that while they were begging them
(Agents), the Boys got angry for disturbing with their insistent plea and attacked Late Suleiman Bala with the wheel Spanner by continuously beating and hitting
him with the same wheel Spanner which led to his internal injury and bleeding.

“That we are further informed by our Client that the late Suleman Bala collapse
and died on the spot as a result of the internal bleeding and injuries he
sustained from the attack particularly from the force and hitting on him with the wheel Spanner.

“We are by this Petition calling on your good Office as the Commissioner of Police, Edo State to investigate, arrest the Chairman of Ahor Community Development Association on whose instructions his boys (Agents) carried out such illegal Act to produce his boys (Agents) against the background of the banning of such activities by the Executive Governor of Edo State and more so acting at such an unholy time
to perpetuate these illegal, devious and murderous activities which has culminated into taking an innocent life who engaged in his lawful Business by name Suleiman Bala.
Be assured of our highest commendation in this regards.”

Contacted, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Moses Yamu said, he was not aware of such an incident.

He said: “I don’t know about that, such a thing did not happen in this place, I can assure you that such a thing did not happen here.”

News

Police Arrest Nollywood Production Manager For Assaulting Crew Member

Published

2 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police have arrested a Nollywood production manager, Anierobi Courage, for allegedly assaulting a crew member.

Anierobi Courage, better known as Nwa South, reportedly assaulted the head of makeup, Mary Chizzy Eze, on October 28, 2025, while on the set of the film “Lagos to Opulence.”

A trending video of the physical altercation showed the production manager pressing Mary’s throat after slapping her, an act that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

Reacting to the public condemnation, the Nigeria Film Crew Community (NFCC), in a statement released on Thursday, described Courage’s actions as “animalistic behaviour.”

Announcing his arrest, NFCC called on Nollywood producers and other stakeholders to blacklist Courage across all productions.

“The production manager violently hit and strangled Mary Chizzy Eze for speaking up against unequal treatment among the crew. While she has received medical care, he has been arrested.

“This level of disregard for human dignity is unacceptable. We stand firmly against all forms of abuse, assault, and crew maltreatment,” the NFCC said.

News

‘EFCC Collected N10m Before They Released Me’ – Oladips Alleges [VIDEO]

Published

3 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian singer, Oladips has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of collecting N10 million from him.

The rapper made this known nearly a year after he was arrested by EFCC during a midnight raid in his estate.

Oladips was arrested with some of his neighbors for alleged fraud in November 2024.

He was released after spending five days in detention.

Speaking about his experience with the EFCC, Oladips in his latest interview on Trending podcast, stated that nothing was found on him after the EFCC investigations.

While revealing that the EFCC collected N10 million from him before his release, he lamented that “Nigeria just happened to me”.

“It’s just one smelling place like that. They just packed us there like sardines and they gave us nonsense food. Funny enough it was Zlatan that was sending me food. Zlatan is not even a friend, that’s my blood.

“He was sending someone to buy good food for me because the food there is bad. They just packed us there like sardines. I’m not even supposed to be there first of all. Like, why did I spend four to five days there when you people (EFCC) didn’t find anything on me, not even a single thing. And they still collect N10 million from me before they released me.”

When asked “Is it a thing you can take up against the EFCC later, or you will just allow the sleeping dog lie?”, the singer responded “Who is my father?”

“Who is my father now? At the end of the day, who is my father? It’s just me and my truth. It’s not something I will want to. I don’t just know how the system works. I for dey their page now if to say I dey do Yahoo. They didn’t find anything on me. If they are watching this, they know that I’m saying the truth.

“They collected money from me before they released me. They didn’t find anything on me. So, what was the money for? What was all that stress and suffering for? It’s just Nigeria. Nigeria just happened to me,” he said.

https://x.com/i/status/1983504280972615813

News

Bank MD Jailed Five Years For N32m Fraud

Published

4 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured a five-year conviction of a former Managing Director of Bonghe Micro Finance Bank, Grace Karka, for her role in a N32m fraud, with an option of fine.

The PUNCH learnt in a statement by the EFCC on Thursday that the agency received a petition from the bank alleging that the defendant transferred N32m while she was the bank’s MD to an unknown account.

The statement noted that the petitioner said the fraudulent act was discovered during an audit of the bank’s account domiciled with a commercial bank.

She was subsequently arraigned before Justice Benjamin Lawan Manji of the Adamawa State High Court on counts of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

One of the charges read: “That you, Grace Andreas Karka and Prince Moses Batalu, between August 2020 and March 2021 in Yola, Adamawa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree amongst yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit theft of N66,792,960.00 from Bonghe Micro Finance Bank Nigeria Limited (account number 2013668857 domiciled with First Bank Nigeria Limited) by dishonestly moving the said sum without necessary approval, contrary to Section 61(2) of the Adamawa State Penal Code Law 2018.”

According to the statement, the defendant was arraigned in November 2024, but she pleaded not guilty, which led to a full trial.

The EFCC said during the trial, the prosecutor presented witnesses and tendered several documents, while the defendant presented three witnesses.

Following the trial, the judge found the defendant guilty and sentenced her to five years’ imprisonment.

“Justice Manji, on October 17, 2025, while delivering judgment, said the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted the defendant accordingly on counts one and two.

“The judge also sentenced Karka to five years’ imprisonment with an option of N3m each on counts one and two. The sentence is to run concurrently.

“In addition, the court ordered the convict to restitute the balance of N29,877,040 to the petitioner,” the statement added.

This is not the first time a former bank MD has been jailed for fraud.