Metro

Rampaging Cultists Hack Three To Death In Lagos

Published

2 months ago

July 16, 2025

Editor

Tension has begun to brew among residents and business owners in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State after three residents were killed in a suspected cultists’ attack.

The PUNCH learnt on Tuesday that the incident occurred on Sunday and Monday.

The victims were identified simply as Agbara, Butcher and a plumber whose identity had yet to be ascertained.

It was gathered that Agbara was attacked and killed in the Lagos Street area of the community on Sunday.

A resident who spoke to our correspondent on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media on the matter said the victim’s body was found lying lifeless on the street in the evening with machete cuts.

“I was at home when I suddenly heard people running for safety. When I stepped outside to find out what was happening, I was informed that someone was being attacked further down the street. After a short while, we went to the scene and found a person lying on the ground. On closer look, we saw multiple cuts on his body. He was popularly known as Agbara.”

In what appeared to be a reprisal, the two other victims of the attack were killed on Monday.

Another resident who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity confirmed that Butcher was killed in the Makoko area.

“We learnt of Butcher’s death this morning. He was killed last night. He earned the nickname because his father sells meat. His body was found somewhere around Makoko and wrapped in a cloth. Some deep cuts were also found on his neck. We were told he left a pregnant wife behind.”

While speaking on the killing of the third victim, the resident said Butcher was dragged to a location on Abeokuta Street and stabbed to death on the spot, the same day.

“We have yet to know the identity of the third person, but he was killed around the Abeokuta bridge. People initially thought he was apprehended for an offence relating to debt, given the way he was dragged along the street. It was later that his corpse was found under the bridge with his throat severed. We want the police to act on this. We want peace in our community because the situation is getting out of hand,” the resident said.

Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the incident was due to an ongoing cult rivalry in the community.

The PUNCH reported that a footballer identified simply as Kamo was on Thursday hacked to death by unidentified assailants in the community.

The deceased was observing his routine training session at a popular local football ground known as “Centre Field.”

It was gathered that the late Kamo, who was a goalkeeper for a grassroots team, otherwise known as B-Unit Football Club, had finished his morning drills when some male adults accosted him on his way home.

A resident who did not want his name mentioned in print for security reasons told our correspondent on Saturday that the attackers immediately descended on Kamo with dangerous weapons and left him with fatal cuts on his head.

He was, however, said to have succumbed to the injuries on the spot before help could arrive.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said he had yet to be briefed on the development.

“I don’t have information on it yet.”

Meanwhile, Hundeyin in a statement on Tuesday said the police command had deployed Anti-Cultism Squads in all Area Commands within the state.

According to him, the squads have been equipped to respond swiftly and professionally to cultism-related threats and are tasked with conducting surveillance, responding to distress calls, apprehending suspected cultists, and working with local communities to dismantle cultism networks.

“In furtherance to this, the command hereby makes available the phone numbers of the squads by Area Command: Area A (Lagos Island) – 08035216190, Area B (Apapa) – 08033781718, Area C (Surulere) – 08035740254, Area D (Mushin) – 08030454334, Area E (Festac) – 08036883998, Area F (Ikeja) – 08134619604, Area G (Ogba) – 08033900991, Area H (Ogudu) – 08034004076, Area J (Ajah) – 08032191689, Area K (Morogbo) – 08076134280, Area M (Idimu) – 08024248069, Area N (Ijede) – 08034806328, Area P (Alagbado) – 08090837383, SCID PANTI – 08133390333.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Olohundare Jimoh, urges members of the public to play an active role in this effort by providing credible intelligence as quickly as possible. All reports will be treated with utmost confidentiality,” the statement added.

Metro

12 IDPs Suffer Snake Bites In Benue Camps

Published

19 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

No fewer than twelve Internally Displaced Persons from Agagbe camps in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State have suffered snake bite between January and now.

Terna Ibaah, also an IDP who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday from one of the camps in Agagbe, said that the latest victim was a 14-year-old Chagu Terhemen who was bitten by a snake last Friday without medical treatment.

Ibaah said, “Snake has bitten Master Chagu Terhemen, 14 years, who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian, in the Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA.

“The 14-year-old boy was going to the farm with his father, Tse Kyomke Mbapupuu, in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward when he was bitten by a snake.”

He added that they had applied traditional treatment, but it seems not to be working, as the victim, as of Sunday afternoon, started convulsing.

He added that the fear of losing the young man necessitated the alarm raised, and added that the medical personnel only visit the IDP camps between Monday and Thursday.

When asked if there had been frequent snake bites of IDPs in Agagbe community, Ibaah said, “From January this year till now, we have recorded 12 victims of snake bites in Agagbe among the IDPs. Fortunately, no one has died.”

Ibaah, who is also a displaced person who claimed that most of the victims of snakebite were being treated with traditional medicine, accused the representative of the State Emergency Management Agency in the camp of neglecting the victims of the snakebite.

“The camp manager said that they cannot treat him because he is not staying in the camp, but he knows that due to congestion in the camps, some of the registered IDPs stay with the host community. The victim registration number is 81XO1649,” Ibaah said.

Ibaah said that there are five places where IDPs are camped in Agabe, namely, RCM Primary School, Sisters Convent, Saint Francis Secondary School, the old police station and Adzequa store, all in Agagbe and added that they were all congested.

When contacted, the Information Officer of SEMA, Tema Ager, said that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding with the State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where they could rush the patient for treatment.

Ager said, “But SEMA has an MOU with the State University Teaching Hospital, where they can rush the patient for treatment.”

The Information Officer, however, said that as long as the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taken for treatment at the Teaching Hospital.

Metro

Mob Lynches Woman Over Alleged Blasphemous Utterance In Niger

Published

19 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Niger State command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed a lady, simply known as Ammaye, was burnt to death by a mob over an alleged blasphemous utterance against the Islamic faith before security reinforcement could arrive.

Spokesman of the Command, Wasiu Abiodun, who revealed this in a statement on Sunday, said efforts are ongoing to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

Ammaye, a food seller, was lynched and set ablaze in Mariga Local Government Area of the state by suspected angry youths over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at Kasuwan Garba in the council area, when the lady, a Muslim faithful and well-known food seller, was said to have engaged in an exchange of words with a young man said to be her nephew.

The young man was said to have jokingly told Ammaye that he wanted to marry her to “fulfil the Sunnah”. The lady was said to have made comments considered blasphemous.

This was said to have outraged the young men in the neighbourhood. The matter was taken to the palace of the District Head of Kasuwan Garba, where the lady was interrogated, and she allegedly repeated what she had earlier said.

The District Head was said to have handed Ammaye over to security operatives for further investigation, but a crowd of agitated youths overpowered the security operatives, insisting on her immediate execution.

It was learnt that before security reinforcement could arrive, the mob, made up of young men, had stoned Ammaye to death.

Niger State Police spokesman disclosed that the tragic incident occurred on 30th August, 2025, at about 2:00 pm.

According to him, “a report was received that one Amaye, a female resident of Kasuwan-Garba in Mariga LGA, allegedly made some utterances considered offensive to the Islamic faith. Her comments quickly provoked anger among members of the community.

“Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and the woman was set ablaze before the reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene,” Abiodun stated.

The spokesman said that while normalcy has since been restored to the area, the Police Command strongly condemns the act of jungle justice and assured that efforts are underway to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

Abiodun appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and allow security agencies to handle sensitive matters in line with the provisions of the law.

The Chairman of Mariga Local Government, Abbas Adamu, who also confirmed the incident, reaffirmed that calm has since been restored to the area.

Metro

Police Arrest Suspected Fake Lawyer In Ogun

Published

20 hours ago

August 31, 2025

Editor

The Zone XI Police Headquarters has arrested a suspected fake lawyer identified as Emmanuel Odeh, parading himself as a qualified attorney for almost 10 years mostly in Lagos and Abuja.

According to The PUNCH, Odeh has been allegedly duping unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of legal representation, estate agency, and public consultancy.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Ade Ogunyemi, who disclosed Odeh was arrested by operatives of the X-Squad Section of the Zone, led by ACP Akinloye Oyegade.

He explained that Odeh was arrested on Thursday at a court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while appearing as counsel for a client.

“Emmanuel Odeh was arrested on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at a court premises in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while standing as a legal representative for an unsuspecting client.

“ACP Oyegade stated that the self-acclaimed lawyer had been under investigation for impersonation and fraud.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect operated under the name A O EMMANUEL, LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND PUBLIC CONSULTANT,” the statement partly read.

Ogunyemi said the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, Emuobo Ekokotu, urged Nigerians to always verify the authenticity of legal practitioners before engaging their services.

AIG Ekokotu described the case as another clear example of why Nigerians must be vigilant.

“This case underscores the dangers of dealing with unverified legal practitioners.

“Victims of such impostors risk losing their hard-earned money, suffering inadequate legal representation, having their cases compromised, and even facing damage to their reputation,” he said.

He warned that the police will not hesitate to bring impersonators to justice.

“This incident should serve as a deterrent to criminal-minded individuals who falsely present themselves as lawyers in order to exploit innocent citizens.

“The long arm of the law will always catch up with them,” Ekokotu stated.

Ogunyemi confirmed that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.