Metro

Teenagers Drug, Set Calabash On Friend, Victim Dies

Published

3 years ago

October 17, 2022

There was tension in Temu, a community in the Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, Epe, Lagos State, on Wednesday, following the death of a 20-year-old student, Nureni Kekereowo.

The Senior Secondary School 3 student was said to have died on October 12 after he indicated that his friends, whom he identified as Daniel, 19, and Sunday, another teenager, allegedly used him for a ritual.

Nureni, before his death, reportedly said the two friends invited him over for food, adding that after he ate the meal, he slept off.

He reportedly claimed that he woke up with a calabash on his head.

A resident, Olatunji Ajao, said the Epe, Lagos State indigene, was in pain while he narrated his ordeal, adding that he died the following day.

He said, “Nureni said his friends, Daniel and Sunday, called him to visit them, but he did not respond. When he eventually went, they gave him food. He said they put something on his head and that was how his neck became stiff and he could not turn it. He was in pain throughout the time he was unconscious till he died. The boys are not indigenes of this town; they are from Calabar, Cross River State.”

The victim’s relative, Atinuke, said the 20-year-old was unconscious when he was brought to her shop on Friday, October 7, 2022.

She said, “People said he was by the roadside and when they approached him, he directed them down here. Although he was unconscious when they brought him, I did not know that they had used him for rituals. I even thanked them for bringing him to me.

“It was on Saturday, October 8, that we discovered that he was still not feeling fine, as he could not talk. We took him to different places, including spiritualists, but we did not find a solution. On the night of Tuesday, October 11, we got someone who intervened. The person spoke to his ears and he started talking almost immediately. He said he went to Daniel’s house where he also met Sunday and they offered him bread and beans, after which he slept off. He said by the time he woke up, they had put a calabash on his head. He died the following morning after he said those things.”

The deceased sister’s husband, Hassan Arogundade, said Nureni’s statement led to the arrest of two of the culprits.

He said, “After he spoke on Tuesday night, we went to apprehend Daniel; we also discovered that Sunday had run away. Daniel took us to one Evans, whom he said was also involved. We went there and arrested him as well. We involved the police and they were taken to the Epe Police Station.”

In a video obtained by PUNCH Metro, Evans denied involvement in the matter while being interrogated by residents.

He said, “I went to Daniel’s house that day when I saw Nureni. He told me that his neck was paining him and that they placed something on his head. By the time he was about to leave, he fell at the doorstep. That was when Sunday, who was also there, carried him and took him away.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident.

He said, “I have checked my records. I don’t have any report on it yet.”

But a police officer, who does not want to be identified, said the case was reported at the Epe Police Division as assault occasioning harm.

“Those people tried to go into money ritual and as a result, one person died. Two were brought to the station and one of them was badly injured,” the source added.

A professor of African Traditional Religion and Director, School of Part-Time Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, Danoye Oguntola-Laguda, said what allegedly led to the victim’s death had no scientific basis.

He said, “It has a lot of metaphysical dimensions to it. You cannot just talk about putting a calabash on somebody’s head. What kind of calabash are we talking about? But for people who do not believe in African spirituality, they will tell you that a calabash cannot make anybody’s neck stiff, but the truth of the matter is that it is a possibility because the calabash you spoke about is not an ordinary one. It must have been laced with some spiritual condiments.

“The person who spoke to his ears could also be a spiritualist. In traditional African medication, the belief is that when you have the medication to cause an effect, somebody could also have a neutraliser that would neutralise the same effect that has been applied.

“Meanwhile, my argument has always been that there is nothing called money ritual. There are palliatives and fortification; there are things that can be given as incentives to people who are in business.”

The PUNCH, however, cannot tell the cause of the victim’s death as no autopsy has been conducted either by the family or the police.
PUNCH

Metro

2-year-old Boy ‘Drowns’ In Lokoja River

Published

57 minutes ago

July 8, 2025

Editor

A two-year-old boy, Godwin Kumfa, is suspected to have drowned in Meme River in the Phase 11 area of Lokoja, Kogi State capital.

The incident reportedly happened at about 7:30 a.m. on Monday.

His father, Mr Mamtip Kumfa, who revealed this said that he received a distress call from a neighbour around 7:30 a.m. that the boy was missing.

Kumfa, a security guard at a private school, said he returned home to find his wife searching frantically at the riverside.

He explained that his wife had left Godwin sitting by the river while she went to collect sand, only to find the boy gone on her return.

“Godwin was left alone by the river while she gathered sand,” Kumfa said, his voice filled with grief.

“Later, we found one of his shoes near Arigbede, about 10km downstream. I’m lost. Godwin is my only son,” he added.

A family friend, Mr Seun Babalola, said they trailed the river path, but could only find the boy’s shoe downstream.

He revealed that a similar tragedy had happened at the same river two years ago, involving another young boy.

“Two years ago, a seven-year-old named Goodluck Friday also drowned here. It’s painful.

“We don’t know if it’s natural or something else. Only God knows,” he said.

The boy’s mother, Mrs Lovina Kumfa, cried uncontrollably, pleading for help and divine intervention.

“I left him just for a while. When I came back, he was gone. Please God, help me find my child,” she sobbed.

The community remains in shock, as family, friends, and neighbours rally around the grieving parents.

At the time of filing this report, efforts to recover the child were still ongoing by local search parties.

Metro

JUST IN: Gunmen Kill Policeman, Abduct Other In Imo

Published

22 hours ago

July 7, 2025

Editor

Gunmen launched a deadly attack on a police patrol team in Imo State on Sunday, resulting in the death of a police constable and the reported abduction of an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

The Imo State Police Command confirmed the incident on Monday and has launched a manhunt to apprehend those responsible.

The incident occurred around 9:00 a.m. near Finas Gas Station, along the Okigwe-Umuahia Road, specifically in the Old Gariki area of Okigwe, which sources described as a “dangerous zone.”

During the ambush, Police Constable Oluebube was fatally shot, and his service rifle was stolen by the attackers.

ASP Casmir, who was leading the patrol team, has been missing since the attack, leading to fears that he may have been abducted and possibly killed. Other members of his team managed to return to base with their rifles and are currently receiving medical attention.

Police spokesman Henry Okoye stated that preliminary findings suggest the attackers are affiliated with the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

“An intense operation is ongoing to apprehend the miscreants responsible for the attack,” Okoye said. He added, “We are aware that some may question why IPOB is being mentioned, but we cannot ignore confessional statements by suspects who openly associate their actions with the group. As a law enforcement agency, it is our duty to report facts as uncovered during investigations.”

Metro

Police Declare Two Wanted Over Attack On Ahoada-East LGA Administrator, Theft

Published

2 days ago

July 6, 2025

Editor

The Rivers State Police Command has declared two top officials of the Ahoada-East Local Government Area wanted over their alleged involvement in the brutal attack on the LGA’s Sole Administrator, Hon. Goodluck Iheanachor.

Declared wanted are Mr. Hector Ekakita, Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Ahoada-East LGA, and Mr. Aloni Olodi, Chief of Staff (COS) of the LGA.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the police said the duo is wanted for alleged criminal conspiracy, stealing, assault occasioning harm, and attempted murder. The offenses stem from a violent incident that occurred on June 20, 2025, at the Ahoada-East Council Secretariat.

According to the statement, Ekakita and Olodi, alongside a group of about 30 others, allegedly conspired to assault the Sole Administrator, inflicted injuries on him, forcibly obtained his signature under duress, stole his mobile phones and sensitive documents, and carted away both personal and official property from his office.

The police revealed that despite repeated invitations, the suspects have failed to appear for questioning, prompting the declaration.

“The Rivers State Police Command has declared the following individuals wanted… Mr. Hector Ekakita – Chief Security Officer (CSO), Ahoada-East LGA, and Mr. Aloni Olodi – Chief of Staff (COS), Ahoada-East LGA,” the statement read.

“Their actions resulted in bodily harm to the administrator, who continues to receive medical treatment.”

The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, psc, mnips, has urged the suspects to report to the Police State Headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, without further delay.

He also warned that anyone found aiding or shielding the suspects would face the full weight of the law.

“The Rivers State Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to justice and maintaining public peace and safety,” the statement concluded.
(VANGUARD)