Metro

Police Arrest Two Notorious Robbers While Stealing From Church In Rivers State

Published

5 months ago

December 25, 2023

Editor

The Rivers State command of the Nigeria Police Force has put in custody two individuals who were caught while trying to deface the iron on the fence surrounding Emmanuel Anglican Church, located at Okoro-Nu-Odo by Rumuokoro Roundabout in Obio-Akpor local government area of the state.

It was learnt that the duo were nabbed by the security guards at the church around 2 am yesterday.

According to reports, there was mild drama on the church premises while questioning the burglary suspects before they were eventually handed over to the police at approximately 9 am.

The PUNCH reported that one of the suspects, who identified himself as Henry, a 19-year-old resident of the Awalama community (the host community of the Church) but originally from Oguta in Imo State, revealed that he had been a frequent inmate at Degema prison in Rivers State.

“I have been in prison at the Degema Correctional Centre, where I was jailed for stealing cartons of noodles from a shop in the Awalama community. For that offence, it was because of hunger. But for this one (stealing iron on the Church fence), the Church security guards arrested us between 12 am and 2 am today while stealing iron fence protectors.

“I’m a school dropout. I stopped at Primary Two at Okoro-Nu-Odo Primary School. I was selling pure water (Sachet Water) before and stopped and later delved into selling of scraps,” the suspect confessed.

Henry further disclosed that scraps of iron are quantified in kilograms. A single kilogram is priced at N200.

While appealing for mercy, he requested that the Holy Bible be brought to him so that he could take an oath not to steal again.

However, the second suspect, who refused to disclose his true identity, confessed to being caught in the act of stealing church belongings, particularly iron protectors. He stated that he is from Obele in Ikwerre local government area of the State.

He claimed that Henry had invited him to partake in the crime, but the Church’s security guards apprehended them.

The suspects narrated further that they have willing buyers for stolen items, particularly individuals who own scrapyards in the nearby Rumuokoro neighbourhood.

On two occasions, Naija News learnt that criminal scavengers cut the iron on the back gates of the church worth more than N200,000 several times.

The Church at the popular Rumuokoro Roundabout had to replace its gate due to its strategic location. The Church and the Diocese of Niger Delta North, DNDN, Anglican Communion Security Company bore the cost of the replacement.

It was also revealed that there was another raid by scavengers between 12 am and 2 am recently. The criminals reportedly managed to cut off the newly replaced gate, which led to the implementation of additional security measures. These measures proved to be effective.

Subsequently, detectives from the Rumuodomaya Divisional Police Station identified and arrested two suspects on Sunday.

These suspects are habitual criminals who have been involved in various crimes such as burglaries, pickpocketing, and robberies in the Rumuokoro area of the State.

Sources within Emmanuel Anglican Church Okoro-Nu-Odo, who wished to remain anonymous, told journalists that there had been an increase in the theft of Church properties. The management has taken appropriate measures to protect these properties.

The two suspects have been handed over to the Special Area Divisional Police Station at Rumuodomaya for further investigation.

Metro

Okuama/Okoloba Impasse: Women Protest In Black Attire, Raise Issues [PHOTOS]

Published

4 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

The protesting women of Okoloba community

Protesters who are majorly women from Okoloba community, Delta State, on Saturday, May 18, 2024, took to the street to protest what they called the return of armed youths of Okuama in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

INFO DAILY reports that Okoloba community in Bomadi Local Government Area and Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area, all in Delta State have been at loggerhead over land dispute and others.

The protesting Okoloba women in black attire staged the peaceful protest along the coastal fringe of Koloba community, chanting against violence and bloodbath.

The placard carrying women, led by the chairlady of Okoloba Community, Mrs Timipakebi Goodwin, and secretary, Mrs Mary Koibi, alleged that the armed youths of Okuama were threatening the peace of the riverine area.

Some of the protesting Women

Some inscriptions on the placards read: ‘We say no to violence’; ‘enough of the killings on our land;’ ‘armed Okuama youths returning in a commando style;’ ‘we say no to the return of armed youths of Okuama;’ ‘resettle Okuama people among their Ewu brothers in Ughelli South LGA;’ ‘we mourn the killing of the 17 soldiers,’ among others.’

Reading a letter to newsmen, a copy of each she said was submitted to the police, DSS, NSCDC, JTF as well as the acting chairman of Bomadi Local local Government Council, Mrs Goodwin noted that the latest killing by the youths of Okuama showed that they could kill human beings at the slightest provocation.

The letter which contained an S.O.S. to the Federal Government, further reads: “First, we the women of Okoloba Community sympathize with the killing of 17 soldiers and officers of the Nigerian army on peace and rescue mission to Okuama, following the kidnap of our son. We sincerely mourn their untimely death and pray for the repose of their souls. We also pray for their families.

The protesting women

“However, less than 24 hours after the exit of the troops from Okuama, a fresh crisis erupted with another neighbouring community, culminating in the killing of one person while three other persons were seriously injured. The person who was killed and those sustaining machete wounds were alleged to have gone there to loot.

“The latest killing showed that the people of Okuama can kill a human at the slightest provocation; the sanctity of human life means nothing to them. It also shows that neighbouring Ijaw communities like Okoloba are not safe.

“So, resetting the people of Okuama in their present location, which is in-between communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, is an attempt to encourage further communal clashes and bloodbaths.

“Just last week, youths of Okuama Community came out of the Mein-toruabubor creek, which leads to Ewu, on three speedboats and all of them on camouflage. They shot sporadically in the air before proceeding to OKuama. They moved to and fro the creek three times, and at every time they shot their guns in the air at the entrance of the creek.

“We are calling on the federal government to come to our aid, and the panacea to these incessant clashes and killings is for the government to relocate Okuama to Ewu clan in Ughelli South Local Government Area, where they truly and rightly belong.

“Resettling them among their own people in Ewu clan of Urhobo land will foster mutual trust among themselves as they are of the same ancestry and speak the same dialect”.

Metro

JUST IN: Truck Rams Into BRT On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

The PUNCH correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Details later

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

17 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”