Metro

Kidnap Of Oil Workers In Lagos: Family Of Victims Weep, Besiege Company Office

Published

2 years ago

June 29, 2023

Editor

Barely 48 hours after the Managing Director and seven employees of a Lagos-based oil company were kidnapped while in a boat heading towards the highbrow Lekki area of the state, anxious family members of the victim reportedly besieged the premises of the oil company in Apapa, demanding to know the fate of the victims.

The oil workers were kidnapped last Monday while in the boat and the boat they boarded was discovered later drifting in a different area from where they were headed without them. Eyewitnesses said they were forced out of their boat into another that took them away. Their boat did not capsize and their belongings were intact.

Sources said the family members who were wearing gloomy faces made frantic efforts to have audience with authorities of the oil company without success. They reportedly nearly created an ugly scene at the company but for the intervention of one unnamed top official of the company who pleaded for time to enable them take decisive action towards locating the victims safely.

It was also learned that so far, the kidnappers have not gotten in touch with family members of the victims but, sources hinted that they may be in serious discreet negotiation with the oil company where they targeted to get huge sums of money as ransom.

One of the sources that pleaded for strict anonymity told Vanguard that authorities of the oil company have instructed members of the family of the victims not to take any step that will jeopardize their secret negotiations with the kidnappers in other not to endanger the lives of their relations.

On their part, Lagos State Police Command stated unequivocally, through their spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin that investigation into the kidnap of the oil workers is still in progress. Hundeyin further explained that because of the sensitive nature of the incident which involved human lives, he would not give more details of the efforts police is making towards rescuing the victims in other not to endanger their lives.

Metro

Police Detain 3 Nsukka Masqueraders For Allegedly Assaulting Residents

Published

4 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

8 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

11 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