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Ogun: Arsonists allegedly set couple ablaze after returning from 2023 cross over service

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.. disappear with son, maid

…FUNAAB Acting VC describes their death as gruesome, shock

Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta

Persons suspected to be arsonists in the early hours of Sunday, January 1, 2023 set a couple, Mr and Mrs Kehinde Fatinoye ablaze shortly after they returned from Cross over service in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The late Kehinde Fatinoye was said to be a staff of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Abeokuta while his wife, also burnt beyond recognition was a senior staff of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

The sad incident, which occured at the couple’s private residence, located at Government Reservation Area (GRA), Ibara in Abeokuta, had attracted many sympathizers

The suspected arsonists believed to have trailed the couple to their private residence before setting the house ablaze, were also reported to have whisked away the son of the victims.

A source at the residence of the deceased told newsmen that, the suspected arsonists were reported to have kidnapped the son alongside the housemaid, and threw them into a river along Adigbe-Obada axis of the town.

It was reliably gathered that the husband, Kehinde Fatinoye was a staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while the wife, Bukola before her gruesome death was a staff of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNNAB), Abeokuta

The victims were burnt beyond recognition with their remains later packed by policemen and other health officials at the scene, and drove to the hospital in an ambulance, while hundreds of sympathizers at the house were seen crying over the sad development.

It was also gathered that number of church members of the couple who rushed to the house shortly after the spread of the news, confirmed that they held the crossover service together at a church located in Okejigbo area of Abeokuta.

The sympathizers from the church said they could not believe their ears on hearing the ugly development, saying they suspect that the arsonists might have trailed the couple to their home to carry out the callous crime

A cousin of the late Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official, Ambrose Somide who confirmed the sad incident, said, he could not explain what might be behind the dastard development

Meanwhile, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof.Olusola Babatunde Kehinde has paid a condolence visit to the Ibara GRA, Abeokuta private residence of a Fatinoyes, who were set ablaze by suspected arsonists after returning home from Cross-Over Service in the early hours of today.

Prof. Kehinde described the death of Mrs. Fatinoye, a senior staff of the University, and her husband as gruesome and a rude shock to the University community, which came at a time when the dawn of a new year is being celebrated globally.

The Acting Vice Chancellor who was visibly disturbed and pale described Mrs.Fatinoye as a committed staff, easy going, and friendly.

Prof. Kehinde urged security agencies to as a matter of urgency unravel and bring perpetrators of the dastard act to justice as soon as possible.

He prayed to God to give the relations and the entire members of the University community that the deceased left behind the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation with Vanguard, the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi said it was a pure case of assassination.

He said, “when the couple were killed, their remains were equally set ablaze”.

“After the dastard act, the couple’s son and their housemaid were kidnapped and threw them into a river. Though, the housemaid has been rescued alive, but we are yet to see the son”.

While confirming that one person has been arrested in connection with the incident, Oyeyemi assured that those behind the dastard act would be arrested and brought to book.

He added that investigation is in progress on the matter.

Crime

NAPTIP rescues 17 victims, apprehends 7 suspects in A’Ibom

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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Akwa Ibom, says it has rescued 17 victims and apprehended seven suspects within the past four months.
The Uyo Zonal Commander, Mr Emmanuel Awhen, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Monday.
Awhen said that eight of the victims were rescued while being taken away to Libya by their traffickers.
”We achieved this success through a collaborative effort with the NAPTIP command in Sokoto,” he said.
He further said that three female victims who were lured out of school in Oron, Akwa Ibom, were rescued at Idiroko, Ogun, after being taken away by their traffickers.
The commander said that the victims had been reunited with their families, and that some of them had been empowered with vocational skills to become self-reliant.
”We have trained them on hairdressing and equipped them with cash and starter packs to begin their own businesses,” he said.
Awhen said that the agency was currently investigating two of the suspects it arrested during the period under review.
”One person has been convicted while four others are being prosecuted in line with the law,” he said.
The zonal commander said that Akwa Ibom being a coastal state, had been a transit point for human trafficking.
”Traffickers mostly use the waterways to move their victims to their preferred destinations.
”It is also worrisome that stealing and selling of babies is rampant in the state, we need to all rise up against this,” he said.
Awhen expressed the commitment of the agency to live up to its expectation in the fight against human trafficking in the state.
He identified lack of logistic vehicles as a major challenge facing the agency, saying,” without vehicles, it is difficult to take our message to the rural communities”
”However, we shall not relent in our efforts to stamp out human trafficking, it is a crime against humanity,” he said.
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Crime

Traditionalist attacks late members’ residence

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…threaten to kill his children if they fail to fulfill rites

There was a pandemonium at the Alasoro Annex, Oluwo Nla, lbadan on the 1st May, 2024. At the early hours of the day, around 7am, a group described as the Yoruba traditionalists stormed the residence of Alasoro. Passersby described the incident as a very terrible one as it is highly unusual for traditionalists to invade a house in the city. Members of the group were dressed in all-white robes with their leader, possibly the head priest, holding a sort of sceptre which was believed to possess some kind of metaphysical powers.

Our correspondent interviewed an eyewitness, Mr. Tayo Akinsanya, who narrated that he watched the event unfold from a considerable distance out of fear.

According to Akinsanya, “The gate seemed to open by itself, which was strange. I can’t explain how the gate opened for these people to gain entrance. All l saw was that they got inside the house, leaving three men burning incense to man the gate. At this point, I could not see anything more. All I heard were various incantations of different kinds and so, I had to run as everyone fled for their lives.”

Further investigation by our reporter showed that the house was thoroughly ransacked, while the gateman sustained extensive injuries when he attempted to stop the traditionalists from gaining entry into the main house.

The question in the mind of everyone was why those traditionalists would invade the house in question? However, Mrs. Bukola Oni, the wife of the late owner of the residence, revealed that attackers were after the lives of her children because of their refusal to have their deceased father buried according to traditional rites.

The wife who broke down in tears while speaking with our reporter, said: “My life and my children’s lives have been miserable because of these people.”

“We have been running helter skelter in fear of these dreaded traditionalists. They want my children to surrender their father’s corpse for rituals. They also want my children to perform some traditional and occultic rites which they totally refused to do due to their Christian faith. We have been battling with this for a while and it is not a good experience at all, I must confess.”

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Crime

Delta Princess on the run alleges threat to life

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The story has emerged of a Delta princess Mrs Timi Josephine Princess who has since run for dear life following several life threatening messages and calls to her and her husband.

Mrs Timi Josephine princess, 50, a native of Ugbomoya kingdom in Delta, Delta state and the only daughter of the late king Of Ugbomoya kingdom, king Efetobo Hope, came out of her hiding place to narrate why she disappeared to seek refuge at her friends place somewhere in Abeokuta.

With over seventeen years together as a couple, Mrs Timi Josephine and hubby, Mr. Timi had relocated to Abeokuta the Ogun state capital shortly after their marriage when the husband was transferred at work to their Abeokuta office branch.

Being the apple of her father’s eyes and the only daughter, the late king had kept and entrusted all the documents of all his properties in her custody because she was believed to be the most trusted and honest of all his children. But that will be the cause and beginning of her many travails.

Trouble started for Mrs Timi Josephine sometimes around November 2023 immediately after the demise of her father. She disclosed that her father’s siblings had been after her life and that of her brothers over the property documents in her custody.

During a short interview with this reporter, while showing a copy of the affidavit deposed to by her and also a police report to that effect, Mrs Timi, revealed that his two brothers had since got missing with their whereabouts still unknown and allegedly in connection with this matter.

She disclosed that she was forced to move away from their apartment to live with a friend when they begin to notice that some people believed to be assassins have been stalking them for weeks.

According to her, her husband with whom she has enjoyed matrimony for close to two decades has just deserted her and the kids when he could no longer cope with the incessant threats and the perceived stalking.

When pressed further about the reason why she has held on to the documents in question in spite of the perceived threats, she disclosed that her father the late king had begun the process of transferring the ownership of the properties to her and her elder brothers but couldn’t finish the process before death came knocking.

She also revealed that her father warned her sternly to not relinquish the possession of the properties to any of his siblings or extended family but make sure that the properties be shared equally between herself and her elder brothers.

When contacted on phone to hear their side of the story, two of the father’s- the late king Efetobo- siblings declined comments and when contacted again as at the time of filing this report, none of them responded to the calls nor returned the calls.

Mrs Timi Josephine is however, appealing to all security agencies in the country to come to her aid and guarantee her safety and that of her husband and kids.

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