Suspected armed Men block Expressway, Kidnap unspecified number of Travellers
Suspected armed Men block Expressway, Kidnap unspecified number of Travellers
Bandits yesterday blocked the ever-busy Gusau-Funtua Highway and abducted an unspecified number of travellers.
The bandits blocked the road between Kucheri and Magazu communities in Tsafe local government area of the state, shooting at moving vehicles.
According to Channels Television, the spokesman of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incident via a telephone conversation.
He said an unspecified number of travellers were abducted during the attack, adding that the police and other security agencies are currently on joint rescue operations in order to rescue the abducted victims.
“The incident happened this afternoon. The bandits blocked the road and started shooting at the commuters, they kidnapped some of them,” Abubakar said.
“The command in collaboration with other security agencies are working hand in hand to make sure the kidnapped victims are rescued.”
Abubakar, however, denied the report that five mobile policemen were abducted during a shootout with the bandits Recently, armed bandits have carried out a series of attacks along the highway.
Akingbaso was first arraigned in September, 2022 before Justice Blessing Ajileye on a two-count charge of rape and coercion.
Delivering her judgment, Justice Ajileye said, “in conclusion, this court has found the defendant guilty on the two count charge of rape and coercion and convicted him accordingly.”
She said this would serve as deterent to others in the class of the convict who have not been caught up with by nemesis.
” On Count one (rape), the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment and on count two (Coercion), the defendant is sentenced to three years imprisonment, both terms are to run concurrently,” Justice Ajileye declared.
During trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Taiwo Ajibulu told the court that the convict committed the offences sometime in July 2022, in Ado-Ekiti.
He said that the defendant raped the 13-year-old girl (names withheld) and also coerced the victim to engage in sexual acts to the detriment of her physical and psychological well-being.
According to him, the offences contravened Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and Section 4 of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No.18 of 2019.
In her testimony before the Court, the girl said “Prophet Adeleye was my mother’s man-friend, he comes and sleep in our house often, but on a particular day, my mummy was on night duty, Prophet Adeleye came to sleep in our house.
“He woke me up midnight and said I bedwet, I said no. He brought out a bottle of sheabutter and rubbed it on my virgina, that was all I knew.
“I later discovered I had been raped that night, he threatened me that he will curse me and I will die if I tell anybody.
” On the second day, my mother was not at home, he came to our house again.
“I was in the kitchen, he told me he wanted to complete what he started yesterday. He was trying to rough-handled me, but I managed to run out and shouted for help and our neighbours came to my rescue.
“They called my mother and narrated what happened to her, she slapped the Prophet when she came and later reported the case at the Police Station, she concluded.”
To prove its case, the prosecutor called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement and the girl’s medical report as exhibits.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the counsel to the defendant, Mr Adelanke Akinrata, called no witness. (NAN)
Crime
JUST IN; Six Persons arrested over brutal killing of two Police officers
JUST IN; Six Persons arrested over brutal killing of two Police officers
In a breakthrough development, six suspects have been arrested in connection with the brutal killing of two police officers in Kolere village, located in the Fune Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Operations, Yobe State Police Command, Abdu Abubakar Ozo, confirmed the arrests during a press briefing after a routine State Security Council meeting, which was chaired by the state Deputy Governor, Idi Barde Guban.
DCP Ozo revealed that the suspects are linked to the tragic deaths of two officers, DSP Ali Pindar and DSP Jantuku Philibus, who were killed earlier this year in separate incidents while attempting to arrest suspected gang members in the Kolere community.
The suspects are currently in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further interrogation.
In an effort to bring all responsible parties to justice, the state police command has intensified its search for additional suspects involved in the officers’ killings.
Crime
NDLEA operatives arrest Businessman with 120 wraps of cocaine
NDLEA operatives arrest Businessman with 120 wraps of cocaine
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has arrested a 42- Year-old Angolan businessman, Mbala Abuba at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano for attempting to traffic 120 wraps of cocaine, which he ingested to Istanbul,Turkey.
The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.
Babafemi said that Abuba who is from the Zaire province in Angola was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at the screening point of the Kano airport while trying to board Egypt Air flight MS 880 to Istanbul, Turkey via Cairo.
This, he said was after his body scan result confirmed he ingested illicit drug.
“The suspect was thereafter, placed under excretion observation during which he expelled 120 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.829 kilograms in seven excretions.
“In his statement, the suspect claimed he was into the business of township delivery services in Angola before delving into the illicit drug trade,”he said..
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives stopped a similar attempt by an auto spare parts dealer, Okeke Ebuka, to send two parcels of 1.10kg cocaine concealed in vehicle propellers to Angola.
Babafemi said that the drugs were to be sent through the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
He said that the suspect was arrested by the NDLEA operatives on Monday, Feb. 25 following credible intelligence.
“During an interview, the suspect, claimed that he is a businessman selling auto parts in ASPANDA, Trade Fair Complex, Ojo area of Lagos, “he said.
Also, Babafemi said that the NDLEA frustrated the bid by another suspect, Ezechi Iyke to move a large consignment of cocaine weighing 5.40 kilograms to Owerri, Imo state.
The NDLEA spokesman said that Iyke was arrested in his Toyota Sienna bus on Sunday, Feb. 23 by operatives of a special operations unit of NDLEA following weeks of intelligence and surveillance.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA), sensitisation activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.
These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Ansarudeen Junior Secondary School, Ojuelegba, Lagos; Loretto Girls Special Science School, Adazinnukwu, Anambra and Tudun Murtala Special Primary School, Nasarawa LGA, kano state, among others.
Babafemi quoted the NDLEA Chairman, retired Brig.- Gen. Buba Marwa as commending the officers and men of Tin-can, Delta, Edo, Oyo, Kano, Osun, Borno, Zamfara and Kwara Commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures.(NAN)