Metro

N1.3bn Alleged Fraud Sparks Protest In Enugu APC

Published

3 years ago

January 9, 2023

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Enugu State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been embroiled in controversy over a N1.3 billion fraud allegation.

The allegation sparked a protest on Monday when aggrieved members in their numbers protested at the national secretariat of APC to seek intervention from national officers.

The aggrieved members fingered the Enugu State chairman of the party, Ugochukwu Agballah and the governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji as those behind the alleged fraud.

Leading the protest, Adolphus Ude and chairman, Concerned Members of Enugu State APC, said they were at the secretariat in Abuja to vent their concerns fearing that the APC as an opposition in Enugu will be threatened if their concerns are not addressed.

Ude who claimed to be the chairman of mainstream Enugu APC said he was the pioneer deputy chairman of the party in Enugu State, and alleged that there had been “impunity, gross misconducts, fraudulent administration, embezzlement of party funds” perpetrated by the state chairman and the governorship candidate.”

He added that their hard work to ensure a strong APC in Enugu State helped to field strong characters which in turn helped the party to generate N283 million through sales of nomination and expression of interest forms. He alleged that the fund has been embezzled.

The $1.5 million he claimed had been embezzled was meant for allowances for Enugu State delegates in the 2022 national convention and presidential election. The national secretariat, he stressed, must address the situation before things go awry in Enugu APC.

He also avowed that the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu who was the former Chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee, was aware of some ugly developments that brought about the emergence of the new state executive currently in court.

He recalled how some leaders of APC in Enugu State protested to the National Secretariat in August 2022 where they submitted a petition calling for the removal of Ugochukwu Agballah as the state party chairman and appointment of a caretaker chairman to save the state chapter of the party from destruction and disgrace.

Reacting to the allegations, the Director-General of Nwakaibe Uche Nnaji Campaign Organisation, Fidelis Edeh, enjoined journalists to ask the national headquarters of APC to confirm if such funds were released.

“APC should be the one to confirm and not the candidate,” he said.

Similarly, Enugu State APC chairman, Agballah, insisted that the claims are untrue, as the party is yet to be mobilised financially by the national leadership.

“We’re yet to get any money. The governorship candidate is the person funding the campaigns,” he said.

Metro

Retired Principal kidnapped In Edo, Abductors Demand N70m

Published

14 hours ago

October 14, 2025

Editor

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have reportedly kidnapped a retired headmaster identified as Mr. Eliaser Olorunloju near a Fulani settlement in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

The incident was said to have occurred between Sasaro and Ayetoro, along the dilapidated Igarra- Uneme-Nekhua – Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.

Olorunloiu was said to be going back to Ugboshi-ele from Igarra, the headquarters of the local government where he was said to have gone to make photocopies of documents ahead of his son’s resumption at a tertiary institution.

It was gathered on Monday that his abductors have reportedly contacted the family and were demanding N70 million.

Confirming the incident, the Director of Operations and Strategy, Concerned Minds Initiative of Akoko-Edo (CMIA), Comrade Victor Arogunyo said “The incident occurred around Aiyetoro–Somorika Junction, close to a Fulani settlement on the Ibillo–Uneme–Nekhua–Igarra Road. This is another sad reminder that Akoko-Edo is under siege.

“In the last few months, this is about the fight kidnapping that is taking place on the same spot, close to that camp which is less than five minutes trekking away from there. The government must do something about this. I called his traditional ruler and he said they called on Sunday evening demanding N70 million.”

He identified bad roads, criminal herders, poor funding of security, low morale among vigilantes and hunters, and weak prosecution of arrested suspects as key factors fueling insecurity across the entire Edo North axis.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu could not be reached as at the time of this report.

Metro

Police Bust Child Trafficking Syndicate In Rivers, Rescue Babies

Published

1 day ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a child trafficking syndicate that manipulates young mothers and vulnerable pregnant women, steals their babies, and sells them to waiting buyers.

The police said the four-member syndicate is led by an ex-convict identified as Blessing Jack, who had previously been arrested, tried, and imprisoned in Calabar, Cross River State, for a similar offence.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.

Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police, said Blessing, aged 54, was arrested by men of the Command’s C4i Intelligence Unit on October 9 in Igwuruta, near Port Harcourt, following a discreet probe into the activities of the syndicate.

She said Blessing’s arrest led to the location of her other three female partners, who were consequently taken into custody.

The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in its investigation into the activities of a child trafficking syndicate in the state, with the arrest of several suspects.

“The syndicate, allegedly led by one Blessing Jack, a 54-year-old female resident of Timber Road, Igwuruta, Port Harcourt, exploits vulnerable young mothers, stealing and selling their newborn babies for significant financial gains.

“On October 9, 2025, at about 1500hrs, operatives of the Command attached to the C4i Intelligence Unit, through technically aided policing, arrested Blessing Jack at Igwuruta in Port Harcourt.

“A conversation between Blessing Jack and one Marley Oburu ‘m’ revealed the syndicate’s modus operandi. She discussed a recent incident where her associate had taken a woman’s baby, claiming the baby had died, but had been paid the sum of ₦2,000,000 for the transaction.”

She continued, “The transaction suggested that Blessing and her associates use fake scans and manipulate vulnerable pregnant women to obtain their babies.

“Other suspects arrested include: Chinonso Raymond, a 30-year-old male of Igwuruta, Port Harcourt; Chinyere Okorie, a 32-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt; and Nkechi Nwankwo, a 50-year-old female of Pipeline, Rumuoholu, Port Harcourt.

“A preliminary investigation revealed that Blessing Jack had previously been imprisoned in Calabar for three years for child trafficking, highlighting her long-standing involvement in the illicit business.”

The state police image maker said all the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime, detailing their individual roles.

“Suspects are currently in police custody, while an in-depth investigation has been launched to arrest other members of the syndicate and dismantle the network,” Iringe-Koko stated further.

The State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their diligence in investigating and apprehending the suspects, saying the Command will continue to work tirelessly to protect vulnerable individuals and combat human trafficking in the state.

CP Adepoju appealed to members of the public to report any information that may aid in the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking cases, saying, “Together, we can build a safer and more secure society for all.”

Rivers State Police Command, in September, said its operatives have arrested three suspected kidnappers who allegedly killed two of their victims after collecting a total ransom of N10.4m.

Earlier in August, the Command said its men busted an armed robbery/kidnapping syndicate terrorising residents of Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state, and its environs.

Metro

BREAKING: Lagos Re-arraigns Kidnapper Evans Over Police Officers’ Killing

Published

2 days ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

Lagos State Government on Monday re-arraigned convicted billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

The Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja is hearing the case of the murder of two police officers by the billionaire kidnapper.

He and his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, were arraigned before Justice A. O. Ogala on a five-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.

They both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Details later…