![[ICYMI] Abia LG poll: ZLP wins 15 LGs, YPP two](https://tvn.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Abia-unveils-election-timetable-amidst-party-concerns.png "[ICYMI] Abia LG poll: ZLP wins 15 LGs, YPP two")
The Zenith Labour Party emerged victorious in 15 out of the 17 Local Government Areas in Abia State during the local government elections held on November 2, while the Young Progressive Party claimed victory in the remaining two LGAs. The results were announced by the Chairman of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, Prof. George
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Justice Rahman Oshodi of the Ikeja Special Offences Court on Friday sentenced a man, Babatunde Sodiq, to a year imprisonment for possessing fraudulent documents.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Sodiq on an amended one count of possession of fraudulent documents.
According to the EFCC, the offence occurred on May 14, 2024, in Lagos State.
Sodiq was accused of having in his possession a bundle of documents that he “knew or ought to have known was false.”
The commission said that the offence contravened Section 320 of the Lagos State Criminal Law, 2015.
Upon arraignment, the convict pleaded guilty to the charge.
In light of his plea, the EFCC prosecuting counsel, T.J. Banjo, requested that the court should hear the case facts from the prosecution’s witness.
The witness, John Enemali, an investigative officer with the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate, reviewed the case details for the court.
He testified that the EFCC received intelligence about the activities of an “Organised Cybercrime Syndicate Network” operating around the Ajegunle, Apapa area in Lagos in April 2024.
“Acting on the intel, surveillance was conducted, and a raid was carried out on April 25 2024 around 06:00 hours, leading to the arrest of the convict along with others. He was subsequently taken to the EFCC office,” Enemali explained.
He stated that Sodiq later admitted to his involvement in spamming and cryptocurrency scams, using the alias “Michael Scott” and claiming to be based in Florida, USA.
Upon his arrest, officers found an iPhone 11 on him, which, according to Enemali, “yielded fraudulent documents following forensic analysis.”
Further investigations revealed that Sodiq had profited $250 from his activities, the witness said.
After the review of the case, the prosecution applied to tender as evidence Sodiq’s statements, the fraudulent documents, the iPhone 11, and a manager’s cheque for N100,000, which Sodiq used as restitution.
Defence counsel, Kelvin Emonvuan, raised no objections, and the court admitted all the items into evidence.
The defence chose not to cross-examine the witness, after which the judge pronounced Sodiq guilty.
Emonvuan then made a plea for leniency, arguing that Sodiq was a “first-time offender who did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity” and had vowed never to re-offend.
Given the chance to address the court, Sodiq apologised and explained how he created a fake Facebook account to lure his victim.
Justice Oshodi consequently sentenced Sodiq to one year in prison.
The judge also ordered that all items recovered from the convict should be forfeited to the Federal Government.
In consideration of the plea for mercy, the court allowed Sodiq the option of paying a fine of N500,000.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has revealed and insisted that the current political crisis rocking the state is for the sole control of the state resources.
This is as the governor assured Rivers people that he will continue to utilise the state resources judiciously for the betterment and overall interest of the people.
Fubara made the revelation while addressing the congregation of Omega Power Ministries, Worldwide during the 51st Birthday of the General Overseer, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, and the 18th Anniversary of the church at the headquarters, Mbodo, Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the State on Sunday.
The Governor, however, sued for continuous prayers from the church in order for his administration to remain focused with a view to achieving the purpose of governance in the State.
Fubara stated, “There is a reason for this crisis, and that reason is the control of the resources of Rivers State. Rivers State resources belong to you (the people), and we will make sure that the resources are applied judiciously for the betterment of Rivers State.
“What you owe us is just one thing: Continue to pray for us. Let us not lose focus because we know the devil is always at war to derail people in governance.
“Continue to pray for us because what is most important is the interest of the people here, and I believe that with your prayers, we will not lose focus and the purpose of governance will be achieved in Rivers State.”
Fubara lauded the General Overseer of OPM Worldwide, Apostle Chinyere for his philanthropic works and contributions to humanity.
The governor, who noted the decay of public amenities met on assumption of office, commended the cleric for the various educational programmes in the ministry aimed at providing children with the requisite vocational and technical knowledge needed for future employment.
He said, “I want to commend you for what you are doing. Life is not about taking. What is important in life is giving, and anybody who believes that it is only taking, the person won’t go far in life.
“For all you are doing for humanity, God will continue to strengthen you. You don’t know what you are doing, but those of us who are outside understand your contributions to humanity.
“Look at what you just showed me here. How many of our schools are still functioning to provide that level of training? They are no longer there! We met a dead system which we are trying to revive. But you are doing it as a private person. Why won’t God bless you?”
Fubara further thanked the cleric and the congregation for the support to his administration, particularly the prayers, which he noted, have kept the government alive, in spite of all the challenges, urging them to continue to pray for the progress of Rivers State and defense of humanity.
He also donated the sum of N200 million to the church to support its ongoing infrastructure development projects.
“I am happy to be here, especially to celebrate this birthday with him. He has been a very strong supporter of our cause. Right from the time we started this journey, he has kept faith with me in prayers.
“I strongly believe his prayer and the prayers of the church are one of the reasons that while in the face of all our troubles, we are still standing. There is nothing God cannot do. So, I know that with your continuous prayers, we will overcome this present challenge.
“I am aware that there is a building for your TV station, and one of the dreams for that place is when you finish it, guests will be staying there when they come for programmes. Let me, on behalf of the government and every one of you here, and the good people of Rivers State, donate the sum of N200million to support the project,” he said.
Earlier, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mrs Patience, lauded the cleric for his philanthropic work, describing him as a beacon of hope, strength, restoration and spiritual guidance to many in the church and beyond.
She added, “Apostle Chinyere has been a great blessing not only to the body of Christ, and his followers in Rivers State but also to the world in general,” even as she urged him and other clerics to continue to pray for peace in Rivers State.
The OPM General Overseer, Chinyere, said giving arms is core in Christendom, saying he has established an all-girls school free to encourage the girl child and discourage prostitution.
He stated, “We have established an All Girls’ Technical College. We find out that, if you go to Casablanca (a spit in GRA, Port Harcourt) you will see so many girls and those girls if you ask them questions, you’ll find out that most of them are university students.
“So I ask, why do you people do prostitution? They can’t meet up with the university system. When they finish secondary school with their parents and they enter university, they can’t meet up with the handouts, school fees, and feeding, so they have to use what they have to get what they need.
“I said okay, how do we solve this problem? The only way to solve this problem is to empower the girl child.”
Continuing, Chinyere said, “When she’s in secondary school, while she’s still under the confines of the parents, we empower her. When you empower the girl child, as she’s finishing secondary school, she already has a trade.
“So when she enters university, she can be doing any of those trades, she will no longer use her body to generate money, she’ll use her hand to generate money.”
An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Friday convicted and sentenced a man Michael Enegbuma, to 13 years imprisonment for fraud.
Justice Rahman Oshodi sentenced him after finding him guilty of the two counts bordering on obtaining and stealing.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had arraigned
Enegbuma before the court for obtaining, stealing, and issuing a dud cheque under false pretence.
The EFCC said the convict committed the offences sometime on December 7, 2021, in Lagos.
The commission said Enegbuma dishonestly converted to his use the sum of N10m property of one David Umeh.
He was also accused of falsely presenting to Zenith Bank Plc, a Zenith Bank Manager’s Cheque No. 00060505, dated November 16, 2021, to the tune of N10m, issued in favour of David Mark Umeh and thereafter repurchased the said manager’s cheque, thereby procuring the execution of valuable security.
According to the EFCC, the offences committed contravened Sections 285(9) and 322 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
Enegbuma pleaded not guilty to both charges when he was first arraigned on October 19, 2023, prompting a full trial.
During the trial, the EFCC’s prosecuting counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, called three witnesses and presented several documentary evidence to support the case.
The alleged victim, David Umeh, testified as the prosecution’s second witness. He narrated to the court how he was defrauded of about N84m, in a supposed car deal.
Umeh also told the court that after he reported the matter to the EFCC, the commission launched an investigation and secured a manager’s cheque of N10m on his behalf.
“Upon attempting to cash the cheque at the bank, I was shocked to learn it held no value.
“This triggered a further investigation by the EFCC, revealing that Enegbuma had repurchased the cheque under the pretence that the original had been lost.
“Less than a week after depositing the funds into his account, which reportedly held just N10,000, Enegbuma spent the N10m, in quick succession,” he said.
Enegbuma testified in his defence, claiming he had acted on a lawyer’s advice.
However, he failed to identify the lawyer during the trial.
In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held that the prosecution had proved all counts beyond reasonable doubt.
”The judge held that Enegbuma’s actions had ‘undermined the sanctity of the manager’s cheque.’
Justice Oshodi pronounced him “guilty as charged.”
Following the plea of leniency by his counsel, G. Okoli, the judge sentenced Enegbuma to four years and two months on the first count and nine years on the second count. Oshodi said both terms were to run concurrently.
He ordered that Enegbuma serve his sentence at the Ikoyi Maximum Custodial Centre.
The lawmaker representing Rano/Kibiya/Bunkure Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Rurum, has distanced himself from Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s faction of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, aligning instead with the camp led by the party’s founder, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.
Rurum, a former Speaker of the Kano State House of Assembly, declared on Sunday that he recognized the NNPP under Dr. Aniebonam—symbolized by a fruit logo—as the authentic one, dismissing Kwankwaso’s faction, which operates under a book logo.
He also urged Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to exercise his authority independently and refrain from taking instructions from Kwankwaso.
“My loyalty remains with Governor Yusuf,” Rurum stated, assuring Kano residents and his constituents that the governor is capable of taking the right steps for the state.
In response to questions about a potential defection, Rurum asserted that he remains a loyal member of the NNPP under Boniface’s leadership, while condemning Kwankwaso for allegedly hijacking the party for personal gain.
“Dr. Boniface provided Kwankwaso with a platform, and it is wrong to take the party from him and treat him poorly,” he said.
Following this announcement, the member representing Dala Federal Constituency also left the Kwankwasiyya movement, urging his supporters to abandon the red cap—the emblematic symbol of Kwankwasiyya’s ideology.
This shift comes in the wake of a recent order by the Uzuakoli Division of the High Court in Abia State, led by Justice C.U. Okoroafor.
The court, on November 1, 2024, mandated that the NNPP be immediately placed under the control of its Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the party’s founder.
This order followed a suit filed by three NNPP members in Abia seeking resolution to the party’s leadership crisis.
The Federal Capital Territory Police Command says it has commenced an investigation into the alleged killing of a man, David Ikechukwu, in Abuja.
The spokesperson for the FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, in a statement obtained by According to Metro on Sunday, said the incident occurred on Saturday.
According to Adeh, the suspected gunmen were operating from a tricycle while wearing a blue and black uniform.
The PPRO noted that an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ikechukwu’s death had begun.
She said, “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to an incident involving Mr David Ikechukwu, who was reportedly shot by yet-to-be-identified gunmen allegedly operating from a tricycle and wearing blue and black uniforms on November 9, 2024.
“The Commissioner of Police for the FCT Command, CP Olatunji Disu, has ordered a comprehensive investigation to apprehend those responsible and to uncover the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.”
“The FCT Police Command assures the public that a dedicated team of detectives is actively investigating all aspects of the case. This investigation aims to provide clarity and hold those involved accountable for their actions.”
She disclosed that the command would ensure that justice was served on the matter.
“We urge the public to remain calm and cooperate with law enforcement efforts. The FCT Command is committed to ensuring justice is served and to maintaining the safety of all residents. Further updates will be provided as the investigation progresses,” Adeh concluded.
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The lawmaker representing Niger East, Sani Musa, has strongly condemned the actions of the Inspector General of Police and certain police prosecutors over their handling of minors among the 72 #EndBadGovernance protesters arraigned in court last Friday.
Their arraignment for allegedly participating in anti-government demonstrations faced widespread calls for their release, especially after several minors were discovered among the detainees.
Activists across the country had rallied around the protesters’ cause, calling on the government to uphold their rights to peaceful assembly.
In response to growing public pressure, President Bola Tinubu issued a directive on Monday ordering the immediate release of all detained minors, emphasising the importance of reuniting them with their families.
Musa praised the President’s intervention, describing it as a compassionate and humane decision that reassured affected families and restored some level of public trust.
Musa stated, “I commend the President for his decisive and compassionate directive to release all detained minors and ensure they are safely reunited with their families across the country.
“This action demonstrates a profound commitment to justice and humanity and reflects a true spirit of leadership. It is both a relief and a source of reassurance for families affected by these unfortunate incidents.”
Musa also voiced frustration with the conduct of law enforcement officials, specifically the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and the prosecutors involved in the case.
He expressed disappointment in what he referred to as “senseless conduct” and highlighted the damaging impact it has on public trust in the police force.
“It is disappointing to witness the senseless conduct exhibited by the Inspector General of Police and the involved police prosecutors,” he said. “Such actions not only undermine public trust in our law enforcement agencies but also contradict the principles of justice and the welfare of our children,” he said.
Musa called for a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that those responsible for the mishandling of the minors’ cases are held accountable.
He emphasised the need for a justice system that respects the rights of all citizens, particularly vulnerable groups such as minors, and urged all stakeholders to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“Let this stand as a reminder that the rights of minors are to be respected and protected at all times,” the senator added.
No fewer than two people have been killed in Ogwor, a community in the Ishiagu clan, in the Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
According to Metro gathered that three others were said to have remained missing as of the time of filing this report on Sunday.
An elderly woman from the area and a labourer, who was helping to cultivate her farmland, were said to have been killed by the assailants.
A reliable community source told our correspondent that the assailants were from Omobor village, Akaeze community, in the Ivo council area, which has been having a land dispute spanning decades.
According to the source, “Akaeze people invaded our farm and killed an aged woman working on her farm and also shot a man working in the same farm.”
It could not be independently verified if the assailants were from Omobor-Akaeze as alleged.
When contacted on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the incident.
He said, “Yes, two persons were killed. The police have deployed tactical teams to the area and restored normalcy. Investigation has commenced into the matter.”
The chairperson of the Ivo council, Chief Emmanuel Ajah, condemned the killings when According to Metro contacted him on Sunday and vowed that the killers would not go unpunished.
According to him, “‘This is a resultant effect of a land dispute between the two communities which has lasted for decades, and my administration has done her best to handle this issue since we came on board.
“A committee I formed had mediated on this issue and came up with a resolution that the said land should be parcelled this November 2024; a solution adopted by the stakeholders of the two communities, but to my surprise, this evil act came up.”
The council boss noted he had visited the area alongside security agents during which he condoled with the victims’ families to foster a peaceful atmosphere in the communities involved.
A former Director-General of the Peter Obi Presidential Campaign Organisation, Doyin Okupe, has heaped praises on President Bola Tinubu for his economic reforms, saying his former principal, Peter Obi, and the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, couldn’t have done better.
Okupe gave the plaudits when he was featured as a guest on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He said, “By benefit of hindsight, none of the three major candidates who ran for that election, except for Tinubu, could have faced this quagmire we are and have the heart to breast it.
“They don’t even have the knowledge and the resources to do what he is doing now.”
When asked if he does not sound like a betrayer to Obi, who he once described as the best man for the job, Okupe shakes his head.
The medical doctor stated that he had previously worked on faulty assumptions until he saw the courage and passion with which Tinubu was trying to steer the economy out of the woods.
“That was why I said by the benefit of hindsight. There is no betrayal. Has Peter Obi told you what he would do if he was president? Talk is cheap.
“It is not as if I don’t believe in Peter Obi. He was a damn good candidate when we got him. But we lost that election, and a better man won. It is a competition. I thought Obi was better than Tinubu. That was what I thought.
“But seeing what Bola Tinubu is doing and his disposition, especially after meeting him yesterday (Sunday), I am more than convinced that if this gentleman is given understanding and time, he is going to get us out of this problem,” he stated.
When asked if he has a problem with Atiku, whom he was also close to while working for former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Okupe denied having anything against him.
He, however, faulted the former Vice President’s proposition on how he could have performed better than the current President if he was voted by Nigerians.
He said, I am telling you, none of these other two people (Atiku and Obi) could have done better than him. That is why I said talk is cheap. Fuel subsidy has been on the table for the last 20 years. Nobody had the nerve to even try to do it.
“I read Atiku’s proposition. He said if he was the President, he would borrow $10bn and another $25bn to do something. That makes $35bn. Who is going to lend you money? By the time Buhari was leaving, Nigeria was not sellable. Nobody was going to give Nigeria $1 bn anywhere.
“Because we could not borrow money anywhere, the Buhari administration went ahead and did an illegal and unlawful thing through the ways of means and printed $21trn. So when you are faced with that, it is a quagmire. That is confounding. Only a brave man, one with mental resources and confidence in himself, can do what Bola Tinubu is doing.”
A Lagos-based mother of four identified as Mrs Alabi has appealed to the Commissioner of Police, Ishola Olanrewaju, to help retrieve the sum of N50,000 allegedly extorted from her family by operatives in the Elere Division in the Agege area of the state.
Alabi made the appeal to the CP through According to Metro on Sunday while narrating the circumstances behind the alleged extortion.
According to Alabi, her family had yet to recover from the debt incurred after having to take a loan of N50,000 to bail his son, Quayum Alabi, who was detained by the Elere Police Division in the Agege area of the state.
She revealed that her son was on his way back from work when he was accosted by police officers who claimed he was arrested for late-night crawling sometime in September.
She added that her son was searched by the police but found with nothing incriminating about him yet they proceeded to detain him. She alleged that her son was kept in custody for several hours before allowing him to communicate with the family.
She said, “The police searched my son and they did not find anything incriminating on him. They took him to their station and did not allow him to communicate with anyone. It was the second day that he had to beg one of the officers to allow him to call his dad.
“When my husband visited the station, he was asked to pay N100,000 as bail fee but several appeals to make them to realise that we are a poor family proved abortive.
“After several back and forth, they asked us to pay N50,000 which I had to borrow from a contribution group I belonged to so that I could secure the release of my son.”
The mother of four added that the money that she had been struggling to pay back through her petty trading had subjected her family to debt and hardship.
She continued, “Though the N50,000 may seem small to some, to me and my family, it is a life-saver whose debt has brought us to hardship.”
She however appealed to the Lagos Commissioner of Police to intervene and ensure that her plight is alleviated.
“I will be grateful if the Commissioner of Police can help me get my money back because I am still paying the debt back to the lender,” Alabi said.
When contacted for his reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, did not respond to calls and messages.
He also did not respond to a WhatsApp message after more than 48 hours of reading the message.
According to Metro reported on Friday that the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, condemned the spate of extortion allegations against some officers of the force in various areas across the country.
He specifically referenced a recent case involving officers from the Zone 16 Zonal Headquarters in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.
Some officers identified as ASP Emmanuel Ubong, Inspector Nse Okon, Inspector Adiewere Collins, and Inspector Kuromare Marine were accused of extorting the sum of N10 million from some youths.
The Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, had in a statement said the money was recovered through the efforts of the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 16 and that the officers had been detained and subjected to an orderly room trial.