Metro

Tension As Vigilante Arrests Suspected Herdsman In Delta Forest

Published

1 year ago

May 6, 2023

Editor

Tension, Saturday, enveloped Agbor-Nta, Ika South Local Government Area, Delta State, following the arrest of a suspected Fulani herdsman by members of the community vigilante group in the forest.

The suspect whose name was given as Abu Alli, was said to be lurking in the community’s forest where he was apprehended with charms and cut-to-size cutlasses.

The vigilante group led by its chairman, Mr Francis Ofuonyeafuzor, raided the forest after it was tipped off by a female farmer in the community, alleging that the young Fulani boy was an informant to herdsmen who have been reported attacking residents and travellers in the area.

Military refutes allegation of compromise in Southern Kaduna
A community source who pleaded anonymity alleged that the suspect had on several occasions stolen yams, pepper and other crops to feed himself in the bush.

Saying that the suspect was taken to the community head who directed a team of the community youths, hunters and the vigilante to comb the forest with a view to apprehending his gang members, the source said the suspect confessed that he has been living in the bush for some time now.

The source who said the suspect claimed that he was producing herb, said the suspect also confessed to have lived in the bush of other communities in Agbor but was chased out by indigenes.

Chairman of the vigilante group, Mr. Francis Ofuonyeafuzor who spoke to newsmen, narrated how the boy was arrested in the bush, disclosing that his makeshift hut was brought down.

He said; “raiding of the forest will serve as a signal to his gang members (herdsmen) that Agbor-Nta farms and forest is not a safe place for criminal act.”

While saying that Agbor people are hospitable, he held that it was a crime for a complete stranger to live in the bush, adding that the suspect has been handed over to the police for further investigation.

Effort made to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the State, DSP Edafe Bright to speak on the matter, proved abortive as press time.

Metro

JUST IN: Truck Rams Into BRT On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

3 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

The PUNCH correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Details later

Metro

Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

Published

13 hours ago

May 18, 2024

Editor

A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”

Metro

Three Children Rescued As Fire Guts Storey Building In Delta

Published

14 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Editor

Three children have been rescued as fire gutted a-storey building at the Obi Onuorah Crescent back of Okowe plaza in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the fire scene on Friday, observed that the roof and the two apartments were razed down as property worth millions of naira was damaged.

However, the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filling this report

Speaking, a widow and mother of four children, Mrs Gloria Sado who wept profusely appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid.

She said, “I came back Thursday night around 9 pm when I saw a fire burning in our house.

“My three children were in the house, one went with me to market, thank God, it was a lot of effort for my children to be rescued. I didn’t know the cause of the fire

“All the three fire services that came did not have water to quench the fire, our property was burnt to ashes”

Also, her neighbor, Simon Amalimen, and father of two said, “I was in my apartment when I heard fire, fire, I came out and noticed that the fire was coming out from my neighbor’s apartment.

“When learned that the three children were inside the apartment sleeping, we immediately moved into the fire to rescue the children, then, the fire had to gut my apartment.

“Before we could rescue them, the fire had entered my apartment and my two children and my wife were rescued. Only the boxers I wear are the clothes I came out with.”

He said before the third fire service could arrive, the two apartments and property had been burnt.

The victims were currently homeless as sympathizers were said to have gone to buy some clothes for them.

An official of the state fire service who did not want his name mentioned confirmed the incident.