Guns other weapons recovered as Police arrest 10 Suspects over assassination attempt on Monarch

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested ten suspects in connection with a foiled assassination attempt on the traditional ruler of Igoba community in Akure North Local Government Area, Oba Adinlewa John.

The armed assailants reportedly stormed the community around 11:30 a.m., wielding guns, machetes, charms, and other dangerous weapons, leaving residents in fear as they launched a coordinated attack.

Before targeting the monarch’s palace, the gang allegedly assaulted a resident, Mrs. Ogunoye Oluomo, who sustained serious injuries and was robbed of her personal belongings.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers made their way to the palace with the intention of killing Oba Adinlewa John.

The monarch, however, managed to escape unharmed, though the incident caused widespread panic throughout the community.

Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Adebowale Lawal, said a tactical response team was immediately dispatched to the area, leading to the arrest of ten suspects at the scene.

Recovered from the suspects were two locally made pistols, a single-barrel gun, live ammunition, charms, and other assorted weapons.

Lawal revealed that the suspects had already confessed to their involvement in the plot and would be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.

He added that efforts are underway to apprehend other members of the gang who fled during the operation.

“Ondo State will not be allowed to become a breeding ground for violence and criminality,” the police commissioner said. “Security has been reinforced in Igoba to restore calm and ensure that no such incident occurs again.”

This attempted assassination comes just a day after another disturbing incident in the state, where the Onidogun of Idogun, Oba Moses Bakare, his wife, and their son, Prince Victor Bakare, were attacked by angry youths in Ose Local Government Area during preparations for the community’s new yam festival.

The monarch was assaulted, his wife stripped partially naked, and the crown prince reportedly injured.

The police have launched separate investigations into both incidents, which have sparked concern over rising threats to traditional institutions in the state.

Meanwhile, those injured during the attacks are currently receiving treatment at medical facilities in their respective communities.

Authorities say normalcy has returned to Igoba following the swift police intervention, with a heightened security presence now in place to maintain order and deter further violence.

Student arrested, remanded for unlawful possession of firearms

A 25-year-old student, Obinna Igwe, a suspected cult member, found in possession of a gun, on Thursday, appeared before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State

The police arraigned Igwe, a resident of Oremeji Street in Bariga, on three counts of conspiracy, unlawful possession of a gun, and unlawful possession of cartridges.

The Prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Bassey told the court that the defendant and his accomplices, still at large, committed the offences on Sept. 9, at 11:00 p.m. at Shobande Street, Akoka, Bariga, Lagos.

He said the police received a distress call that some suspected cult boys had gathered in the area, prompting the Divisional Police Officer of Bariga Division, CSP Godwin Okploko, to lead a patrol team to the scene.

According to him, the suspects fled on sighting the police, but Igwe was arrested with the help of a security guard.

Bassey said one locally-made cut-to-size double-barrel gun and two live cartridges were recovered from Igwe during the operation.

He said the offences contravened Sections 411 and 330 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and Section 27 of the Firearms Act, Cap F28 Laws of the Federation, 2004.

The Magistrate, Mrs. O.A. Daodu, who did not take the plea of the defendant, ordered that the case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

She further ordered that the defendant be remanded in custody and adjourned the case until Oct. 28, for mention.(NAN)

Soldier sentenced to death by hanging over armed robbery murder

A High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced a former Nigerian Army soldier, Corporal Stephen Iweh, to death by hanging for the murder of a 42-year-old man, Christopher Enobong Jimmy.

Justice Bassey Nkanang, who delivered the judgment, ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that Iweh deliberately killed Jimmy and stole his vehicle and personal belongings while armed with an illegal firearm.

The tragic incident occurred on May 23, 2021, along the East-West Road in Ikot Abasi Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. According to court findings, the victim, Jimmy — a manager at a clearing and forwarding company in Port Harcourt — had offered Iweh a ride in his Toyota Matrix after encountering him at the Trailer Park in Onne, Rivers State.

Dressed in full military uniform, Iweh was offered a lift to Akwa Ibom. During the journey, the pair stopped at Oboro Junction in Ikot Abasi, reportedly to rest and eat. It was there that the 39-year-old soldier fatally shot Jimmy before fleeing with the car and valuables.

Investigations revealed that Iweh, a dismissed officer from the Nigerian Army’s 6 Battalion, Ibagwa, in Abak, had been in illegal possession of an AK-47 rifle, which he claimed to have recovered during military operations in Dambou, Borno State, in 2018. He admitted to keeping the weapon as a personal arm, without any official authorization or license.

On the day of the crime, Iweh had abandoned his official duty at the Army Store in Abak. He was later tracked and arrested at Andy Guest House in Ukanafun, several kilometers from the crime scene. The AK-47 rifle used in the killing was recovered at the time of his arrest.

Justice Nkanang, in his ruling, noted that Iweh, a native of Ameke Nkor in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, acted with clear intent when he murdered Jimmy, a native of Ikot Abasi, and stole his car and belongings.
The court found him guilty of murder, armed robbery, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Justice Nkanang convicted him on a three-count charge. He was sentenced to death by hanging for murder, death by hanging for armed robbery, and 10 years imprisonment for unlawful possession of firearms.

In his plea for mercy, the convict begged the court for what he described as a “soft landing,” but his allocutus was rejected.

The late Christopher Jimmy is survived by his 34-year-old widow, Arit, who tearfully recounted that her husband had left Port Harcourt to visit his sister and family in Ikot Abasi, but did not return home.