Metro

Man To Die By Hanging For Kidnapping, Killing Sex Worker

Published

4 months ago

May 5, 2025

A 26-year-old man, David Isaiah, who kidnapped and killed a commercial sex worker, Comfort James, with herbicide, was in Monday sentenced to death by hanging by an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division.

Isaiah was charged with conspiracy, kidnapping and murder alongside his friend, Saviour Daniel, who died during the pendency of the court trial.

He was tried and convicted on three count bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.

While he was condemned to death for murder, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment for kidnapping and 21 21-year jail term for conspiracy.

The charge read, “The defendant and Saviour Daniel, who died during the pendency of the case on 6th of February, 2024 in Ado Ekiti, did conspire to kidnap and murder one Comfort James, a commercial sex worker.”

The prosecutor, Ibironke Odetola, had told the court that the offences committed by the defendant, who was arraigned on 18th April, 2024, “are contrary to sections 280, 279 (a) and 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021”.

In his testimony before the court, the Director of Afrika Brothel, Irona, Ado Ekiti said, “I was called by other commercial sex workers in the brothel, that they had not seen the victims (sex workers) since the previous day.

“The missing sex worker was said to have called to inform her colleagues that she had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding N100,000 ransom.

“I reported the matter at the police station and the Civil Defence office. Their telephone lines were tracked and later arrested. They took Civil Defence Officers to where they killed and dumped the dead body of the sex worker.”

The prosecutor, Odetola, called six witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, pictures of the deceased, a warrant to bury the corpse, a pair of slippers, SIM cards and herbicide as exhibits.

The defendant, who spoke in his own defence, told the court that “after having sex with the deceased, we used her number to call her colleagues that she had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of N100,000.

“Her hands and neck were tied all along, but when the ransom was not forthcoming and on realising that she had seen our faces clearly, to avoid being implicated, we poured herbicide in her mouth and she later died, the defendant said as he called no witness.”

Delivering his judgment, Justice Olalekan Olatawura said the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant conspired with his late friend (Saviour Daniel) to kidnap and murder Comfort James.

The judge said, “Consequent upon the foregoing, the defendant is found guilty as charged. Any sympathetic consideration in favour of the defendant cannot, therefore, be justified.

“Consequently, the defendant is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for conspiracy, life imprisonment for kidnapping and for murder, the judgment of this court upon you is that, you be hanged by the neck until you be dead, may God have mercy on your soul.”

Metro

Police Arrest Pastor, Wife Over Staged Self-kidnap In Ondo

Published

28 minutes ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested a 42-year-old woman, Mrs Sanmori Taiwo, and her 62-year-old husband, Pastor Sanmori Joshua, for allegedly faking her abduction to extort N10m from relatives abroad.

According to a statement released by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olushola Ayanlade on Wednesday, the drama played out on August 23 at the couple’s residence on Road 5, PowerLine, Ondo City.

According to him, Taiwo deliberately secluded herself in a room while her husband reached out to her relatives, claiming she had been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

“Suspicious of the claims, one of the relatives, Mr Fasegha O. Joseph, through a written petition, reported the matter to the Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Lawal, who directed the Command’s Special Anti-Kidnapping Squad (SAKS),” Ayanlade said.

He explained that operatives, backed by Enu-owa Division in Ondo City, stormed the couple’s residence where the woman was found.

“She falsely claimed to have just been released by kidnappers after a ransom of Five Million Naira was allegedly paid,” the police spokesman added.

Ayanlade further disclosed that during interrogation, the woman owned up to staging the abduction to raise money.

“Upon further interrogation at the Command, Mrs Taiwo confessed that the abduction was staged as a self-kidnapping scheme, masterminded to extort money from her relatives abroad under the pretense of securing her release. She further admitted that her motive was to settle debts and provide for her personal needs,” he stated.

The police said the couple remain in custody and would face charges after investigations.

“We will diligently unravel all forms of criminality, whether real or staged, in order to preserve peace, protect lives, and safeguard the integrity of communities within the state,” Ayanlade added.

Metro

Police Recover Eight Explosives, 8000 Ammunition, Arrest 33 Suspects In Rivers

Published

48 minutes ago

August 28, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said it has recovered eight explosive devices and arrested 33 suspects for various crimes, including cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and human trafficking in various parts of the state.

The police command also said its operatives recovered about 8000 ammunition resulting from an aggressive clampdown on crime and criminality in the oil-rich city.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, disclosed this during a joint security briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

Adepoju said the feat was achieved in collaboration with sister security operatives within the last seven months (January to August), but disclosed that most of the high-profile crimes were smashed within the period of the State of Emergency declared in the state.

He said some of the arrested suspects include seven daredevil cutists who killed a Port Harcourt-based lawyer, Bright Owhor, in the D/line axis of Port Harcourt.

CP Adepoju stated, “In the past months, the Rivers State Police Command, working in close synergy with the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Services and other critical security stakeholders, have made remarkable progress in our sustained operations to curb criminal activities across the State.

“Through this united effort, we have intensified our crackdown on violent crimes, leading to the arrest of numerous suspects involved in heinous offences such as armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, human trafficking, and murder, as well as the recovery of vital exhibits.

“Arrest of vandals at an oil-spilled well in Kpean community, Khana Local Government Area). The crime was committed on 10th August 2025.”

He gave the names of some of the suspected vandals as, Joseph Nsukpe, aged 38, James Nkpogio, (20), Godspower Ngbam (28), Happy Mdor (27) and Apolebabari Ibede (35) among others.

Adepoju said among the eight explosive devices recovered were ‘Three GXI Dynamites’.

He listed the suspect who murdered the lawyer and withdrew his funds after collecting his Automated Teller Machine Card as Prince Samuel, aged 30, Daniel Godwin (25), Henry Peter (24), Godfrey Emmanuel a.k.a. Ibu (30), gang leader, Chukwu Nneji (34), Justice Dimkpa (27), Promise Wikere (22).

The CP further said eleven MTN SIM cards, four locally made pistols, seven rounds of 9mm ammunition, two live cartridges, one mini bus and one Toyota Camry were recovered from the suspects.

CP Adepoju gave a breakdown of the arrest and recovery as follows: ’21 AK 47 rifles, 66 locally made guns, 800 ammunition, four magazines, eight Revolver Pistols, 115 Vehicles, 34 Pump action and two Dane guns’.

Others listed include’ Two Scorpions Sub-machine Gun, one
Lar Riffle, eight explosives, 33 arrested suspects, 10 English-made pistols, two GMP, 67 Cartridges and 15 Conventional ammunition.

Speaking further, Adepoju lauded the synergy amongst the various security agencies in the state, saying the State Police Command under his watch remains committed to the safety and security of the lives and properties of all citizens and residents.

He said, “These operations reflect a broader strategy to dismantle criminal networks and ensure public confidence in law enforcement agencies, especially as it concerns the upcoming chairmanship/councillorship elections.”

He therefore appealed to members of the public to partner with the security agencies in giving credible information to enable the outfits to serve the people better.
(PUNCH

Metro

Man Stabs Colleague To Death In Lagos Over Money Dispute

Published

15 hours ago

August 27, 2025

Editor

A deadly confrontation occurred on Wednesday in the Mandilas area of Lagos Island, leaving one person dead after a stabbing incident.

The Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja, through CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, Police Public Relations Officer, clarified in a statement made available to The PUNCH that there was no tribal clash or ethnic conflict at Balogun Market, where the incident took place.

According to the police, “The Lagos State Police Command hereby wish to inform the general public that there was no tribal clash or disturbance between any ethnic groups and others inside Balogun Market today.

“There was an incident of a free-for-all fight between some hoodlums and miscreants in the Balogun Market in the early hours of today at around 11 am.

“During the fight, one Ebuka Adindu from Abia State stabbed one Sodiq Ibrahim from Kogi State to death, and the said Ebuka Adindu in turn stabbed himself on the shoulder and became unconscious. He is currently under arrest in the hospital, where he is being treated.

“Investigation into the matter will be concluded, and he will be prosecuted after he has been discharged from the hospital. There was no loss of innocent lives or injury to any person or damage to the goods and properties of marketers inside Balogun Market.”

The police emphasised that no innocent lives were lost beyond the victim, no other injuries were reported, and there was no damage to goods or property at the market.

Normalcy has been restored, and residents and traders have been urged to continue their activities without fear.

Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, called on residents to remain law-abiding and cooperate with the police to sustain peace in the state, stressing that Lagos remains generally peaceful.

Eyewitnesses said the conflict began as a disagreement between the two men over the division of money from a recent job. The argument escalated, resulting in the fatal stabbing.

Bystanders reportedly restrained the attacker before handing him over to authorities. Tensions briefly flared again when friends of the deceased protested, but order was quickly restored.