Metro

Security Guard Kills Employer’s Wife, Leaves Husband In Coma

Published

5 years ago

June 16, 2020

A security guard at the Lugbe Area of the Federal Capital Territory on Saturday, June 13, killed his boss’s wife with an axe and a knife and left his boss in coma at the National hospital, Abuja.

Mr. Joseph Nicholas, Treasurer, Landlords/Tenants Association, Phase 2, AMAC Housing Estate, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Abuja on Tuesday.

Nicholas said that the unfortunate incident happened on Saturday night.

He described the victim, Mr Ralph Wilcox, a retired Director at the Federal Ministry of Information, and his wife as extremely peaceful people who lived alone with their security guard.

He said that the assailant (security guard) inflicted serious bodily and life threatening injuries on his victims, thereby causing the death of Mrs Wilcox.

He said that her remains had been deposited at the Gwagwalada specialist hospital morgue.

The security guard, who confessed to the crime, said that he killed Mrs. Wilcox while the husband was away.

He, thereafter, awaited the return of the husband from his outing to “complete his job” by trying to kill him.

“Upon arrival of Wilcox’s from his outing around 8.00 pm, the gateman attacked him with sharp axe which he previously used to hack Mrs. Wilcox to death.

“Wilcox fell down and pretended as if he was dead, the gateman went to their apartment and ransacked whatever he could lay his hands on.

”While he was inside their apartment, Wilcox was able to escape from his compound to the main street, were he was calling for help, blood was gushing over his body and he was losing strength.

”One incoming car saw Wilcox lain in his pool of his blood on Port Harcourt street and immediately zoomed back thinking it was an armed robbery attack.

”He went to the main gate to draw the attention of vigilantes, who followed him to where the man was lain in his pool of blood.

”In an attempt to find out what happened to him, the same assailant drove Wilcox’s SUV car out of their compound straight to where the man was and carried him to the National Hospital,” he said.

Nicholas further explained that it was a member of the association working at the National hospital that contacted the association that Wilcox’s security guard brought him to the hospital.

”When we (Association exco) got the information of his location, we immediately went to the hospital with a policeman.

”As we alighted from our cars the assiailant was almost making his way out of the hospital before we promptly stopped him.

”Questions upon questions were hurled at him and from there he became the primary suspect.

”We left national hospital with the number one suspect back to the crime scene around 4:36am on Sunday June 14.

”The standby policemen further threw questions at him and from there he confessed to the crime.

”Mr Wilcox is recuperating from his injuries at the hospital and we have been making several visits to him and his family members have been contacted.

“Higher authorities have taken over the case,” he said.

A Police Officer who also confirmed the incident but did not want his name mentioned said that the security guard must have been planning the crime for a long time because he felt no remorse about it.

He said that the security guard took the police to where he threw the weapons (axe and knife) he used to commit the crime.

He also added that the police did not apply force on the security guard for him to confess to the crime, as he did so willingly on his own.

NAN called DSP Anjuguri Manzah, the FCT Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), and he confirmed the incident saying that the police were carrying out further investigations.

(NAN/NATION)

(Photo:File)

Metro

Nigerian Army Suspends Statutory, Voluntary Retirement For Specific Officers

Published

2 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Army has announced the indefinite suspension of all statutory and voluntary retirements for specific categories of officers.

According to an internal memo dated 3 December 2025, signed by Major General E. I. Okoro on behalf of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, this is in response to the nationwide security emergency declared by President Bola Tinubu.

Okoro explained that the measure is intended to preserve manpower, expertise, and operational readiness while the Armed Forces rapidly expand to tackle the escalating insecurity across Nigeria.

Citing the Harmonised Terms and Conditions of Service for Officers (HTACOS) 2024, the document pointed out that officers normally retire upon reaching the prescribed age for their rank, completing 35 years of service, or after repeated failures in promotion or conversion processes.

However, Paragraph 3.10(e) permits service extensions when it is in the interest of the military.

“Military service of a commissioned officer entails a period of unbroken service in the AFN from the date of enlistment or commissioning to the date of retirement. The period of service is determined by conditions enshrined in the HTACOS Officers 2024. These include attainment of age ceilings on various ranks, 35 years maximum length of service, and other criteria provided in Paragraphs 11.02(d) and 17.15, among extant regulations,” the memo partly read.

“Notwithstanding these provisions, Chapter 3.10(e) of HTACOS Officers 2024 allows for extension of service to officers in the interest of the service.

“The President and Commander-in-Chief declared a nationwide security emergency on November 26, mandating the expansion of the AFN and other security agencies. In line with this, and to rapidly expand manpower, it has become expedient to temporarily suspend all statutory and voluntary retirements from the Nigerian Army with immediate effect.”

According to the memo, the suspension affects Army officers in the following categories: Those who have failed promotion examinations three times, those passed over for promotion three times, those who have reached the age ceiling for their current rank, those who have failed conversion boards three times and those who have completed 35 years of service.

It explained that affected officers who wish to remain in service may apply for an extension beyond their original retirement dates.

However, the memo clarified that: “Officers in these categories who are not interested in extension of service are to continue with the normal retirement procedure. Officers desirous of extension should note that upon extension, they are not eligible for career progression, including promotion, career courses, NA sponsorship, self-sponsored courses, secondment, or extra-regimental appointments.”

Metro

NDLEA Seizes 7.6m Tramadol Pills, 76,273kg Cannabis In Nationwide Raids

Published

3 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the seizure of more than 7.6 million tramadol pills and 76,273 kilograms of cannabis strains in coordinated operations across several states, with multiple suspects arrested.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, the seizures were made during intelligence-led raids between 1 and 6 December.

In Delta State, operatives recovered 3,874,000 tramadol pills and 252.2 litres of codeine syrup from a warehouse at Oko market, Asaba. In Imo State, 1.2 million tramadol tablets were intercepted from a vehicle driven by 35-year-old Kelechi Nwakocha along the Onitsha-Owerri road.

In Adamawa, officers stopped a Toyota Hiace bus travelling from Jos to Mubi with 1,577,112 capsules of tramadol and exol-5 tablets concealed in jumbo bags mixed with footwear. Two suspects, Kabiru Buba, 25, and Hamza Abubakar, 32, were arrested. Another suspect, Mudansir Rabiu, 27, was apprehended in Kano with 197,000 exol-5 pills.

In Ekiti, NDLEA destroyed 14,654 kilograms of skunk in Omuo forest and 54,300 kilograms in warehouses at Asin-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the operations. In Ondo, 5,442 kilograms of skunk were seized in Igoba forest, Akure North, with five suspects taken into custody.

Further arrests were made in Niger State, where 500 kilograms of skunk were recovered from a van along Mokwa-Jebba road, and in Abuja, where 22 kilograms of synthetic cannabis known as Colorado were intercepted at Abaji expressway. A follow-up operation at Jabi park led to the arrest of a female receiver, Ali Blessing, 33. Another suspect, Aliyu Usman, 39, was arrested with 24 kilograms of skunk and 573,500 exol-5 pills along Kwali-Gwagwalada expressway.

In Lagos, 113 kilograms of Canadian Loud were recovered from Ezenwa Udoka at Ladipo market, while Izuchukwu Usulor was arrested with 351 kilograms of skunk in Onipanu. Susan Okoro was also arrested with 104.1 kilograms at Trade Fair complex, Ojo. In Edo, 447.5 kilograms of skunk were seized from two vehicles in Agho forest, Akoko Edo, and 315.8 kilograms were recovered from a warehouse in Isiefve community, Ohuwunde Local Government Area.

The Agency confirmed that sensitisation activities under its War Against Drug Abuse initiative continued during the week in schools, worship centres and communities across Kano, Benue and Rivers States.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brigadier General Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended the officers involved.

“Their operational successes and those of their compatriots across the country, especially their balanced approach to drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts, are well appreciated,” he said.
The Agency stated that investigations are ongoing and suspects will be prosecuted accordingly.