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Abductors of wife to former CoS of Ortom, cook demand N100m ransom

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…As Benue Governor orders security agencies to fish out kidnappers

By Titus Atondu, Makurdi

The gunmen who attacked former Chief of Staff to the ex- Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Honourable Terwase Orbunde, on Friday evening and abducted his wife and cook have demanded N100 million ransom for their release.

In a statement signed by Tahav Agerzua made available to Nigerian NewsDirect, Honourable Orbunde, who is being treated for gunshot injuries in hospital at Makurdi said the abductors spoke to him at about 8:30am on Saturday themselves and through the captives.

The former Chief of Staff said his wife and cook were very calm when they spoke with him.

He further revealed that during the attack which took place at about 6pm on Friday the gunmen spoke Fulani among themselves and communicated with him in Hausa saying they would contact him on phone.

The former Chief of Staff said they told him that he should be prepared to send money to them and that if he failed to do that they would kill his wife and cook.

It could be recalled that on Friday April 12 gunmen attacked Honourable Orbunde when he went to supervise work on his farm between Genocide Cemetery and Angus Memorial College, along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

The former Chief of Staff was shot on the forearm while his wife, Mrs Abigail Kashimana Orbunde, and cook, Patience Ogute, were abducted and taken to an unknown destination.

Meanwhile, Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has directed security agencies in the state to ensure criminal elements disrupting the peace of the state are fished out and brought to justice.

He said that he is ready and willing to continue to provide the necessary support needed by the security agencies to ensure the state is cleaned of all nefarious activities.

The Governor gave the directives when he received a briefing concerning the attack on Mr. Terwase Orbunde, former Chief of Staff  to former Governor Samuel Ortom, and the subsequent abduction of his wife and housemaid by unknown gunmen.

He condemned in strong terms the unfortunate incident, saying, “I am shocked and dismayed by this barbaric act.”

“I have said this, and I must keep saying it. Security should, and must be everyone’s concern. The law enforcement agencies and the government need information. Make it a culture that anytime you see something, you say something”, he said.

He pointed out that while insecurity has become a global issue and is not peculiar to Benue alone, he will continue working round the clock to secure every life and property in the state.

He assured all Benue residents that security is a top priority in his administration, and that matters of insecurity will soon be a thing of the past.

Crime

Man sentenced to one year in prison over inheritance fraud

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Maiduguri Zonal Command, on Tuesday secured the conviction and sentencing of one Isiyaku Ibrahim before Justice Umaru Fadawu of the Borno State High Court.

Isiyaku Ibrahim was prosecuted on a one-count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation to the tune of N12 million.

The anti-graft agency disclosed this via its X handle on Tuesday.

It said the properties involved in the inheritance fraud include three houses, two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, two bread factories, one open land, two truck tankers and one big installed generator.

The charge reads: “That you Isiyaku Ibrahim and Mallam Ibrahim sometime between 2014 to 2019 at Jajere Baga Road, Maiduguri, Borno State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being entrusted with dominion over certain properties belonging to Muhammad Isiyaku (now deceased) to wit: (1) Three Houses, (2) Two fenced lands one of which had seven shops, (3) two bread factories, (4) one open land, (5) two truck tankers and (6) one big installed generator, valued at N12,000,000.00 (Twelve Million Naira) only and thereby criminally misappropriated the said amount to your personal use, to the detriment of the family members of the deceased and therefore committed an offence contrary to section 308 of the Penal Code Cap 102 Laws of Borno State and Punishable under section 309 of the same law.”

Justice Fadawu convicted and sentenced Ibrahim to one-year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine.

 

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I have no evidence to prove that i collected money for Emefiele – Witness

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The second prosecution witness, John Ayoh in ongoing trial of the former governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele who is standing trial over an alleged gratifications and others, has admitted that he has nothing to prove that the defendant instructed money on his behalf .

The witness who was a former CBN director of Information Technology (ICT) admiited this while being cross examine by Emefiele’s counsel, Olalekan Ojo over his testimony that he collected $400, 000 and $200, 000 on behalf of the defendant from contractors.

The witness gave testimony before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court, (Special Offence), Ikeja on
23 -counts charge bordering on abuse of office, accepting gratifications, corrupt demand and others slammed on Emefiele and one other by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Ayoh was led in Evidence in Chief by the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo in which he detailed his role in the alleged offence preffered against Emefiele by EFCC

However , under cross examination by the defendant’s counsel, Ojo, the witness said his duty as CBN ICT director then, did not required running errands for Emefiele, but he worked directly with the former CBN governor then.

Ayoh testified that he began to worked directly with Emefiele when the former Deputy Governor (Mr Adelabu) resigned .

He admitted that Emefiele was not in charge of the Procurement and Support Services Department is in charge of procurement (PSSD) of CBN , which has the sole responsibility of selecting successful contract bidders.

The witness also admitted that Emefiele didn’t informed him whether the money he collected was for gratification for the award of contracts.

Ayoh also informed the court that he didn’t gave any evidence to proof that he collected money on behalf of Emefiele from contrators to EFCC.

He also revealed that it was CBN’s
Major Contract Tender Committee (MCTC) that takes final decision on award of contract with recommendation from PSSD and . Emefiele was not a member of the committee.

The witness stated that Emefiele was only a member of the Committee of Governors (COG) and their decisions are collegiate;

Ayoh further admitted that he was not told by anybody that the money given to him was briber for contract awarded but he just implied that by himself.

Besides, he also admitted that he did not acknowledge the receipt of the money nor countef it

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Crime

EFCC probes 13 suspected oil thieves in Lagos

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal Command, has commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves who were handed over to it by the Nigerian Navy in Lagos.

This was disclosed on the X handle of the EFCC on Tuesday, April 30.

The commission revealed that the suspects, alongside the vessel, were intercepted and arrested by officers of the Nigerian Navy for alleged oil bunkering and Automatic Identification System, AIS, infractions.

The post reads in part: “Operatives of the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have commenced investigation of 13 suspected oil thieves and a vessel, MT SWEET MIRI, handed over to the Commission by the Nigerian Navy NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos State.

“The suspects are: Abu Smith, Pascal Anyafulu, David Ali, Mba Okpanu, Chukuma Friday Obiazi, Miye Victor and Richard Kofi.

“Others are Monday Aidenagbon, Dele Olayemi, Boma Robinson, David George, Onos Edemefe, and Suleiman Aremu.

“The vessel was laden with about 1,322 metric tonnes of substance “confirmed to bear the attributes of crude oil without any document permitting her to be in possession of the substance.”

The commission’s Head, Extractive Industry Fraud Section, EIFS, Moses Awolusi, assured the Navy that the suspects and the exhibits would be subjected to further investigations and prosecution.

He also commended the Navy for its collaboration with the EFCC and the good working relationship both agencies had enjoyed over the years.

 

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