Metro

Man Gets Life Jail For Setting Ex-boss Ablaze In Ekiti

Published

3 months ago

April 2, 2025

An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has sentenced a 41-year-old man, Olasunkanmi Kareem, to life imprisonment for attempting to murder his former boss by setting him ablaze.

Kareem was arraigned on November 18, 2024, on a one-count charge of attempted murder, contrary to Section 241 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.

According to the charge sheet, “The defendant, on August 11, 2024, at Ifaki Ekiti, attempted to murder one Omoboriwo Bashiru by setting him ablaze.”

Narrating his ordeal before the court, the victim said, “The defendant was once my apprentice at my mechanic workshop. Even after he graduated, I continued to assist him whenever he had issues with customers’ cars.

“On that day, he called me around 8pm, asking about a carburetor I had helped him repair. When I told him I didn’t see it, he became abusive and threatened to set me ablaze wherever he found me. I thought he was joking. Later, I called him, and he told me where he was.

“We met at a vulcanizer’s workshop, and an argument ensued. Unknown to me, he had a gallon of petrol in his hand. Since it was dark, I didn’t see it until he poured it on me. When I realized it was petrol, I tried to run, but my body was already on fire. I fell into a drainage before some passersby rescued me and put out the fire. I suffered severe burns and was rushed to the hospital,” Bashiru recounted.

The prosecution, led by Kunle-Shina Adeyemo, presented four witnesses and tendered Kareem’s statements, pictures of the victim, and a medical report as evidence.

The defendant testified in his own defense but did not call any witnesses.

Delivering judgment, Justice Jibril Aladejana held that Kareem had lured the victim to a location, ambushed him behind an electric pole, and doused him with petrol before setting him on fire.

“The facts before the court show that the defendant deliberately set out to harm the victim. But for the intervention of passersby, the victim would have died. This intentional act of causing grievous bodily harm amounts to attempted murder,” the judge ruled.

“In my view, the defendant does not deserve leniency. He should face the full wrath of the law,” Aladejana added before sentencing Kareem to life imprisonment.

Metro

NDLEA Arrests 650 Suspects, Seizes 6, 634 kg Illicit Drugs In Nasarawa

Published

4 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Nasarawa State Command, says it arrested 650 suspects for drugs related offences and seized 6,633.667 kilogrammes of illicit substances in the state between July 2024 and June 2025.

The State Commander, Mr Dachi Elisha-David, made the disclosure at the grand finale of the 2025 UN International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday in Lafia.

He attributed the feat to the renewed approach to the fight against drugs, championed by the Chairman of NDLEA, retired Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Marwa.

According to the Commander, the arrested suspects comprised 632 males and 18 females, while the seized illicit drugs and psychotropic substances include Cannabis Sativa, Cocaine, Methamphetamine and Diazepam.

Others were Tramadol, Rohypnol, Pentazocine injection, and Codeine.

Elisha-David also said that the command secured the conviction of 105 drug traffickers and filed 70 charges in Court within the period under review.

In the area of drug demand reduction, he said that the command through its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) campaign reached a total of 90,943 persons across schools, motor parks , communities and workplaces in the state.

The commander, however, mentioned some of the challenges facing the NDLEA in the state to include lack of operational vehicles and other logistics, and paucity of funds to procure credible intelligence on the activities of drug dealers from confidential informants.

“Lack of willingness from the public to volunteer information on the nefarious activities of drug dealers in their midst is bad enough.

“More troubling are the youth in some of these communities who fight our operatives on raid operations that are targeted at drug dealers. This has been a concern to the command,” he said.

He said the theme of the 2025 commemoration ” The Evidence is Clear; Invest in Prevention” was instructive as it conforms with the ideal notion of UN framework to prioritise prevention, treatment and rehabilitation as against punishment and incarceration.

Drug Trafficking: NDLEA intensifies crackdown at Port Harcourt International Airport
He thanked Gov. Abdullahi Sule, his wife, traditional institution and other stakeholders in Nasarawa for their support to the agency in the fight against drugs in the state and urged for its sustenance.

He also appreciated the NDLEA boss, Marwa, and personnel of the agency for their commitment in fighting the menace of drugs in Nigeria.

Metro

JUST IN: Gospel Singer Sentenced To Death For Killing Girlfriend

Published

9 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

The High Court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has sentenced gospel musician Oluwatimileyin Ajayi to death by hanging for the murder of his girlfriend, Salome Adaidu.

Justice Simon Aboki on Thursday found Ajayi guilty of culpable homicide after months of trial.

Ajayi was convicted under Section 221 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria, which prescribes the death penalty for culpable homicide.

“The evidence before the court clearly shows that the accused intentionally caused the death of the deceased. The law is clear on this, and the punishment is death. Therefore, the accused is hereby sentenced to death by hanging,” Justice Aboki ruled.

Adaidu, 24, was a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving at Nicon Insurance in Abuja.

Ajayi was caught with Adaidu’s severed head in January.

He told Channels TV that he did not regret his action. “I killed her because we don’t have each other all the time. It’s not something I planned. It happened on that day and it happened. Not that I have the plan in mind,” Ajayi said.

“She was cheating. She hides most of the things from me most times. I got to know from her phone. I saw her chats with other guys on the phone, that was why I decided.

“I don’t have any regrets because life is reciprocal, that is what I thought. If you must do something to someone, you have to be reciprocal with that person.

“You have to understand what that person is going through so that you can actually put yourself in the position that the person is going through. That is why I don’t have any regrets because we were actually compatible.”

However, the victim’s elder sister, Esther Adaidu, denied that any relationship existed between Adaidu and Ajayi.

Metro

Woman Killed, Five Others Injured In Imo Market Explosion

Published

12 hours ago

June 26, 2025

Editor

A landmine has killed a market woman, Mrs Ngozi Umeh and injured five others after it detonated inside the Eke Ubaheze Market Square, Awo-Idemili in Orsu Local Government Area of Imo State.

The explosion occurred at 2:40 pm on Tuesday while trading activities were going on at the market, killing one woman, Mrs Ngozi Umeh, from Ubaheze village, after she stepped on a planted landmine though locals said it was two people who died from the explosion.

The Imo State police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, explained to The PUNCH, on Wednesday, that the landmine was planted by suspected members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra and Eastern Security Network.

Okoye who confirmed the incident to our correspondent said Mrs Umeh was rushed immediately to the hospital where she gave up the ghost adding that the five injured persons are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

According to him, the state Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, upon receipt of the incident, immediately deployed operatives from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit who swept the area for yet-to-be-identified explosives and after screening, declared the place safe.

Okoye said normal business activities had resumed under increased police surveillance.

He said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the explosion occurred when Ngozi Umeh ‘F’, a middle-aged woman from Ubaheze village, stepped on a landmine suspected to have been planted by IPOB/ESN terrorist. She was critically injured and later confirmed dead at the hospital, while five others sustained varying degrees of injuries and are receiving medical attention.

“Upon receipt of the distress call, the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, Aboki Danjuma, swiftly deployed operatives of the command’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit, tactical teams, and personnel from Orsu and Orlu Divisions to cordon off the area, evacuate victims, and sweep the market vicinity for any other planted IEDs. The area has since been declared safe, and normal activities have resumed under enhanced security surveillance.”

Meanwhile, the Imo police boss, Danjuma, has commiserated with the family of Mrs Umeh and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured victims.

He however restated the commitment of the Imo State Police Command to weed out all criminals threatening the peace of Orsu and Imo State as a whole.

The police spokesperson assured the state that adequate security measures had been put in place against a recurrence adding that they should go about their lawful activities.

Furthermore, he called on Imo people to strongly report any suspicious items, persons, or movements to the nearest police station or via the Command’s emergency number 08034773600.

Also, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department has been directed to commence a comprehensive investigation to unmask and apprehend the perpetrators.