Metro

Teenagers Drug, Set Calabash On Friend, Victim Dies

Published

4 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

Edo Police Arrest Two Suspected Cultists

Published

15 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

The Edo State Police Command on Wednesday said two suspected cultists were arrested in Ohonre community, off Adolor College Road, Benin.

This was disclosed in a statement by the command Public Relations Officer, Eno Ikoedem, and made available to newsmen electrically.

Ikoedem said the arrest was possible due to operatives response to a distress report concerning the movement and gathering of some suspected cult members within the community.

The statement reads: “The Edo State Police Command has recorded another operational breakthrough following the swift disruption of a suspected cultists’ gathering in Ohonre Community, off Adolor College Road, Benin City.

“On 21st May, 2026, at about 19:00hrs, operatives attached to Ugbowo Division who were on surveillance patrol responded to a distress report concerning the movement and gathering of some suspected cult members within the community.

“Acting promptly on the information, the police team mobilized to the location. On sighting the operatives, the suspects fled in an attempt to evade arrest. The operatives immediately gave them a hot chase, leading to the arrest of two suspects identified as Victor Peter ‘M’, 21 years and Iyemoma Ogbewe ‘M’, 35 years.

“A search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of one cut-to-size gun believed to have been in their possession for unlawful purposes.

“Upon investigation, the suspects confessed to being members of the notorious Maphite cult group. Efforts are ongoing to identify and apprehend other fleeing gang members.”

She said the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, commended the swift response of the operatives and reiterated the Command’s resolve to deny criminal elements any opportunity within Edo State.

He further urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to the Police, assuring that all reports would receive prompt attention.

Metro

Troops Eliminate Two Terrorists, Foil Pipeline Attack

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

The Nigerian Army says troops have, in the last 24 hours, eliminated two terrorists, rescued four kidnapped victims and foiled pipeline attacks in a series of coordinated military operations across Taraba, Kogi and Rivers.

This is contained in operational updates issued to reporters on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the reports, troops of 93 Battalion deployed at Akate in the Donga Local Government Area of Taraba engaged suspected terrorists in a forested area, killing two of them.

According to the report, items recovered from the scene include an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, magazines, mobile phones and other personal effects.

In Kogi, it said the troops of 21 Battalion, in collaboration with vigilantes, rescued four kidnapped passengers along the Anyigba–Itobe road in Ofu Local Government Area.

It added that the victims were reportedly abandoned by their captors while attempting to cross a seasonal stream due to sustained pressure from advancing troops.

According to the military, efforts are ongoing to rescue other victims still in captivity.

The report said that troops of 12 Brigade successfully repelled an ambush along Kabba–Okene road while withdrawing from an earlier operation, forcing the assailants to flee with gunshot wounds.

“Meanwhile, in Rivers, troops of 5 Battalion acting on credible intelligence, foiled an attempt by suspected vandals to detonate a crude oil pipeline in Ahoada West Local Government Area.

“The swift response of the troops disrupted the operation before it could be executed, with the suspects fleeing the scene,” it said.

Metro

Police Arrest Private Chef Over Alleged N150m Theft, Drugging Of Employer, Burglary

Published

2 days ago

May 26, 2026

Editor

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested a chef, John Cosmos Govi, over his alleged involvement in a burglary operation at a residence in Abuja, where luxury items and valuables worth about N150 million were reportedly stolen.

The arrest was announced on Monday, May 25, 2026, by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Placid, who said the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Force Intelligence Department Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT) after investigations into allegations of criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, theft, malicious damage and administering harmful substances.

According to police findings, Govi, who allegedly gained employment as a chef at the residence, was said to have studied the movement of occupants, internal routine and security setup before allegedly carrying out the operation on April 23, 2026.

Investigators said he reportedly worked with two accomplices identified as Peter and Moses, who are currently on the run.

Police alleged that food prepared in the house was laced with a suspected sedative substance to weaken the occupants and security personnel.

After they reportedly became unconscious, the suspects allegedly broke into the property, damaged CCTV installations and stole 20 luxury wristwatches valued at about N150 million, alongside other valuables.

Speaking on the development, DCP Anthony Placid said the suspect was intercepted around the Gwagwalada axis of the Federal Capital Territory while attempting to flee to Lagos. He added that an iPhone 17 Pro Max, believed to belong to the victim, and a suspected chemical substance were recovered.

“We remain committed to dismantling organised criminal networks and ensuring that all fleeing accomplices are brought to justice,” Placid said.

Police said efforts are ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and conclude investigations into the case.