Crime

Man who macheted wife to death over N55,000 says ‘my mother is the cause’

Published

10 months ago

July 19, 2023

A 44-year-old man, Ejowor Augustine Golah, has put the blame of his murdering his wife with a machete on his mother, saying that she was the one manipulating him physically and spiritually.

Golah was recently paraded with other suspects at the headquarters of Delta State Police Command in Asaba. He was alleged of killing his wife with a machete.

The Commissioner of Police, Wale Abass, said at the press briefing that on June 16, at about 5pm, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ovwian Aladja Division got a report that a woman, Felicia Catibekpe, was murdered by a suspect. The police commissioner said that he fled after committing the crime.

“On receipt of this complaint, the Divisional Police Officer detailed operatives to embark on a discreet investigation. The suspect was eventually arrested on June 21 when he reported himself at Ovwian Aladja Police station. Suspect stated that he murdered the woman during the course of a disagreement, using a machete. Suspect is in custody and investigation is ongoing,” CP Abass stated.

In an interview, the suspect who hailed from Okolor Inland in Udu Local Government Area of the state, confirmed that he was arrested for killing his wife. “My wife and I got together in September 2020. We came from the same local government area. We didn’t have children together as she lost two pregnancies last year and this year. However, she had four children from her previous marriage – three females and a male, while I also had four from mine – three males and a female.

“My first wife and I divorced in 2015 because of political party affiliation. I belonged to APC while she was in PDP. I was picked as chairmanship candidate in my party but she made my party to lose to PDP because of her strength in the party and the money she got. That was what separated us. She had two boys and a girl for me.

“I got another woman who had a boy for me, and it was my mother who sent her away. I wanted to go and do a welding job and I had a quarrel with my mother before leaving. By the time I returned home, my wife had used the N300,000 I kept in her account to pack her belongings, taking the child she had for me with her. I learnt from my mother that she was accused by my wife that she was the one manipulating my life physically and spiritually, which made her to send her out of our family house where I was living.

“At the start of my living together with Felicia, we were doing very fine. We did not have any problem with each other. The cause of the problem that put me into trouble was my mother. When I married Felicia, I told her not to be close to my mother. I had noticed that I usually experience failure in whatever my mother knows of. For example, if I was asked to come and work, once my mother knew about it through my wife, I would lose the job and return home empty handed. My mother and one of her sisters didn’t like me from childhood. They used to maltreat me. I’m her third child and first son among seven children. That was what made me to warn Felicia not to be close to my mother.

“I developed a sickness when I woke up a particular day and felt my body and head as if a spiritual bomb was thrown at me. I had also gone to a native doctor who informed me that I was being troubled by my mother spiritually. There came a time I had spiritual attack and was not feeling well. It was serious, and I made Felicia to know that it was my mother’s spiritual attack. Despite this, she went to my mother and brought herbs made with leaves to rub my head. I did not agree to it. I sent my mother away, warning her not to come to my abode again to cause confusion. That was when we started having problems with each other this year.

“The sickness became worse. I told my wife to follow me to check what was wrong through divination, but she did not go with me. I went alone. As I approached the female native doctor, she asked me of my offence against my mother which made her to be after me spiritually. When I got back home, I explained what I was told to my wife. The native doctor also gave me leaves to rub on my head and hands, after which I felt a relief.

“The latest problem was about the issue of money. She later told me I was owing her N55,000 which I used in repairing my vehicle that got damaged in an accident. It resulted in a fight between us. She took a knife and I also got a cutlass. As she aimed the knife at me, I blocked it, but got injured a little. That was when I used the cutlass I held on her. I didn’t even know where it landed. When I saw that she was in the throes of death, I called my brother and told him before I ran into the bush and drank poison in order to kill myself. I died (became unconscious) but woke up again. That was when I came out of the bush and surrendered myself to the police.”

CP Abass said that the suspect would be charged to court on the completion of investigation.

Crime

Mother of five jailed for forging late Abba Kyari’s signature

Published

10 hours ago

May 17, 2024

NewsDirect

The Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Gwagwalada, Abuja, has sentenced a mother of five, Ramat Mba, to one year imprisonment for her involvement in an employment scam.

Mba also forged the signature of the late Abba Kyari, the Chief of Staff to the former President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The presiding judge, Honourable Justice Ibrahim Muhammad, had last week deferred the sentencing of the convict till Thursday but directed that she should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission had arraigned Mba in June 2022 on a 5-count bordering on cheating, fraud and forgery, contrary to Section 13 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000 and Sections 320(b), 366 of the Penal Code Cap 89 laws of Northern Nigeria.

n the course of the trial, the commission, through its prosecutor, Hamza Sani, had led Mba in evidence before the court on how the convict committed the offence sometime in 2020 when she collected N4.5 million from several job seekers, promising to secure jobs for them with the ICPC and National Air Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA).

Also, the documentary evidence tendered showed that the convict fraudulently forged the letterhead of the Office of the Chief of Staff to former President Buhari and his signature.

The letter, addressed to the ICPC Chairman, was a request for the recruitment of three individuals by the commission.

However, the late CoS, in a written correspondence that was also tendered in court as an exhibit, distanced himself or his office from authorising the letter.

The spokesperson for the ICPC, Demola Bakare, revealed the development in a statement on Friday.

Bakare revealed, “The trial judge, Justice Muhammad, in his judgment on May 9, 2024, convicted the mother of five children on counts 1, 2, 3 and 5 that border on cheating and forgery, while she was discharged on count 4 which borders on felony.

“Justice Muhammad, during the sentencing on Thursday, pronounced a six-month jail term or N100,000 option of fine on counts 1, 2 and 3 on the convict.

“The presiding judge, who stressed the status of the convict as a first-time offender and a mother, also sentenced her to one-year imprisonment or N150,000 option on fine on count 5 which borders on forgery.”

Crime

15 worshippers die in Kano mosque attack — Police

Published

14 hours ago

May 17, 2024

NewsDirect

The Kano State Police Command on Friday confirmed the death of 15 persons in the mosque attack in Gadan village in Gezawa Local Government Area of the state.

A man on Wednesday allegedly sprayed the mosque with petrol, locked its doors, and set it on fire, trapping worshippers.

The state Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, told the News Agency of Nigeria in a telephone interview that so far, 15 out of the 24 victims of the incident died.

Initial reports said one worshipper had died from the attack but the death toll later rose after more victims died while receiving treatment at the Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital in Kano.

Gumel said that the incident occurred during a dawn prayer at a mosque in Gadan village, leaving 24 worshippers injured.

He said the injured victims were currently receiving treatment at the Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital, Kano.

The suspect, Shafi’u Abubakar, 38 is currently in police custody.

The motive behind the attack was believed to be a family conflict over the sharing of family inheritance.

The commissioner said that the police are continuing with their investigation into the attack.

Crime

Buying pre-registered SIM cards criminal, NCC warns

Published

15 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Anita Anyanwu

The Nigerian Communications Commission has warned Nigerians against buying pre-registered SIM cards, citing the illegal nature of the practice, and could attract severe consequences.

In an advisory note sighted on its X platform on Friday, the telecom regulator emphasized that the use of pre-registered SIM cards compromises the accuracy of consumer information.

“Buying pre-registered SIM cards is criminal and may lead to imprisonment, implication in identity theft, financial fraud, kidnapping and armed robbery,” part of the advisory noted.

The NCC explained that using a pre-registered SIM card undermined the reliability of data collected on consumers, making it challenging for authorities to identify and apprehend the actual perpetrators of crimes.

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The warning aims to educate the public on the risks associated with pre-registered SIM cards and encourage compliance with legal guidelines to enhance national security.

The commission urged to follow the proper procedures for registering SIM cards to avoid any legal consequence.

The NCC made the linkage compulsory, directing all telecommunications operators to enforce complete network barring on all phone lines for which subscribers fail to link their SIM cards to their NINs.

There have been two phases of barring SIM cards not linked to NIN by the telcos – the first occurred on February 28 and the second one occurred on March 29.

The regulator, however, has extended the deadline for linking SIM cards to NIN (last phase) to July 31, 2024, from April 15. This extension applies to subscribers with more than four SIMs.