Metro

Police Parade Notorious Abuja Kidnapper, Philip-Okoye, 15 Others

Published

2 years ago

January 20, 2024

The police, comprising operatives from the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and the Anti-Violent Unit of the FCT command, have arrested three kidnappers responsible for various abductions in the Bwari Area Council.

The three kidnappers, including one who carries out surveillance on people of commercial value, Idris Ishiaku, aka Yellow; Bala Umar; and Dahiru Salisu, are among the 16 criminal suspects paraded by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, supported by the IRT Commander, DCP, on Saturday in Abuja.

According to the Force PRO, the kidnapping gang was apprehended following the deployment of technology, which was used to intercept a call by Yellow informing his gang that they had successfully kidnapped a wealthy civil servant.

During the telephone conversation, Yellow told his gang members that the civil servant should not be let go unless the family pays the sum of N50 million as ransom.

Asked where he came from and his job, Yellow said he hails from Kaduna but rented a house in Bwari, where he works as a security guard and does farming.

He said that last year he took part in one kidnapping attack but that this year he has taken part in two kidnappings, adding that in one of the kidnappings he made N600,000 and in another he made the sum of N500,000.

It was his insistence that the latest kidnapping (Civil Servang) must yield the sum of N50 million and the process of waiting for the collection of the ransom that led to their arrest.

He said he has no guns or arms, but when they have an operation, he usually gets in touch with another gang that has guns to come join them.

ACP Adejobi used the occasion to advise residents of the FCT to be mindful of the persons they employ as security guards or housekeepers, noting that many of them have questionable characters while others are there to carry out surveillance for criminal gangs.

“Always get information about somebody before renting your house out or employing people as security guards. Contact the police and get the profiles of those you want to employ. We should be vigilant and more careful,” he said.

On the arrest of Chinaza Philips in Kaduna and his handover to the FCT Command, the FPRO said the police did not kill the notorious kidnapper to hide information about his other gang members as being insinuated.

Showing the injured kidnapper, Adejobi said that Chinaza and three other armed members of his gang disposed of his ATM card while on their way to Kano and withdrew N500,000. At Kaduna, they stopped at a petrol station to buy fuel before the police swooped on them.

During the shootout, Chinaza was shot in the leg; three other gang members escaped; the kidnapped victim was rescued, and the Hilux jeep was recovered.

While disclosing that Chinaza was presently on bail from a high court in Kwali, having been earlier arrested for a kidnapping offence, the Force PRO said he jumped bail to commit the latest kidnapping crime.

Three gunrunners involved in selling arms and ammunition to criminal gangs, namely Ayuba Kamson, Samuel Musa, and Magaji Everest, who had sold over 100 arms, including pistols and AK-47 rifles, were paraded. The police recovered 11 pistols and rifles from them.

Another gang of gunrunners and kidnapping kingpins paraded were Usman Yinusa and Samina Haruna, who have their operational base in Obajana and are behind gangs terrorising Kogi and Kaduna states.

Two AK-47 rifles were recovered from them after their arrest by the IRT.

PUNCH

Metro

NDLEA Arrests 54 Suspected Traffickers, Seizes 1,506.57kg of Drugs In Edo

Published

50 minutes ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

Operatives of the Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested 54 suspected drug traffickers with 1,506.57kg of various narcotic drugs.

The state commander of the agency, Mitchell Ofoyeju disclosed this on Tuesday while presenting the operational scorecard of the command in Benin City.

Ofoyeju said the seizure of the drugs and arrest of the suspects took place in the month of September.

He added that a total of 66,078,57kg of skunk cannabis were destroyed by the Command in the period under review.

The Commander, who said that the command recorded significant successes in its operations within the month, added that it was part of its concerted effort to combat drug trafficking and abuse in the state.

He gave the breakdown of the arrested suspects to include 43 males and 11 females.

He also added that during the operation six illicit plantations spanning over 26.43 hectares were destroyed.

Ofoyeju explained that the destroyed plantations were located at Ugbogui Forest, Ovia South West, Ataroro Forest, Owan West, Urohi Forest, Esan West, and Ogu Forest, Igueben Local Government Areas of the State with an estimated yield of 66,078.5715 kg of skunk cannabis.

“The command also intercepted 1,506.57kg of illicit drugs,” Mitchell stated while emphasising the command’s commitment to dismantling drug trafficking networks operating within the state.

“The breakdown of the seized drugs is as follows: Cannabis Sativa 1,502. 26 Kg, psychotropic substances 4.27kg including tramadol 3.964kg, nitrazepam 0.087kg, Swinol 0.0445kg, Danabol (Molly) 0.1163kg, methamphetamine 0.0184 Kg, cocaine 0.028 Kg and heroin 0.014kg”, he said.

The NDLEA Commander in the state while expressing determination in the command’s campaign against drug trafficking, reiterated the importance of strategic operations in safeguarding communities and reducing drug demand.

He posited that the successs signified a critical step toward reclaiming the safety and health of citizens, as Edo State continues to grapple with the pressing issues of drug trafficking and abuse.

Metro

Army Officer Dies After Wife Allegedly Sets Him Ablaze In Akwa Ibom

Published

1 hour ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

A Nigerian Army officer, Lieutenant Samson Haruna, has died after sustaining severe burns when his wife allegedly set him on fire during a domestic dispute in Akwa Ibom State.

The incident reportedly occurred on September 22, 2025, at the Wellington Bassey Barracks in Ibagwa, Abak Local Government Area of the state.

According to a report shared on X by counter-insurgency expert Zagazola Makama on Tuesday, the late officer, who served as a Regimental Medical Officer with the Army’s 6 Battalion, had a heated altercation with his wife, identified as Mrs. Samson Haruna, which escalated violently.

Sources cited by Makama alleged that during the argument, the woman doused her husband with petrol and set him ablaze.

Lt. Haruna was first treated at the military medical unit within the barracks before being transferred to the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, where he later died from his injuries despite efforts by medical personnel to save him.

Military sources confirmed that the suspect has been arrested and remains in custody as investigations continue into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Metro

Stop Using Edo Money For Federal Roads, Residents Tell Okpebholo

Published

6 hours ago

October 7, 2025

Editor

Residents of Benin, the Edo State capital have urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to stop using money accruing to the state on federal government projects.

The residents, who frowned at the governor’s unrelenting efforts in fixing federal roads, lamented that most state-owned roads are in the state of disrepair.

According to the residents, roads in the Government Reservation Area (GRA) have failed and are not motorable, adding that several other state-owned roads have failed and are in need of urgent repairs.

An Activist and head of Talakawas Parliament, in Edo State, Kola Edokpaiyi, said it was ‘busy body’ that made Okpebholo to abandon state-owned roads that are crying for attention in favour of federal roads.

He said, “There are so many deplorable state roads in Edo State that are not motorable. We expect the Governor of Edo State to quickly give attention to them all before considering Federal Roads if the state is too rich.

“The Minister of Works, Mr. David Umahi has visited federal roads in Edo State about two times to ascertain how deplorable the roads are. He has already given the brief to Mr. President. We expect the Minister to swing into action based on the huge finance allocated by Federal Government to get the work done.

“I want to appeal to His Excellency, Senator Monday Okpebholo to address the so many state roads that are bad.”

Also, a commercial driver, who plies between Ring Road and Ebvuotubu, Joseph Ikpigho, said he spent more money to fix his car due to bad roads.

Recall that Okpebholo has embarked on reconstruction of 23 kilometres of the Sapele Road axis of the East-West road.

He is also assisting the Federal Government to fix failed portions of the Benin-Ekpoma-Auchi highway.