News

Police Arrest Two over US Consular Officials’ Killing in Anambra

Published

4 months ago

May 19, 2023

Eric

The Anambra State Police Command says it has arrested two suspects in connection with Tuesday’s attack on a convoy of US Consulate officials along the Atani/Osamela Road in the Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The embassy officials, who were on a humanitarian mission in the state came under fire while they were passing through the area.

The attack, according to the police, led to the death of three US consulate officials, who are Nigerians, as well as four policemen accompanying the convoy.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra, Echeng Echeng, at a press conference in Awka on Thursday, said two suspects were arrested after a joint operation by the police, the Army and the Navy.

Echeng said, “As you are probably aware, a team of officials from the Lagos Consulate of the United States of America and their police escorts were ambushed on May 16, 2023, between 12:00hours and 14:00hours, along, Atani/Osamela Road in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State by suspected Eastern Security Network and Indigenous People of Biafra.

“Information about the incident was received by the Anambra State Police Command, through an official of the consulate, at about 14:30hours. Consequently, a joint team of Mobile Policemen and troops of the Nigerian Navy stationed in Onitsha was immediately deployed in the area.

“Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, the joint security team sighted and engaged the assailants in a shoot-out but they escaped through a nearby forest.

“On May 17, 2023, joint security forces comprising police tactical teams from the command and troops of the Nigerian Army as well as the Nigerian Navy raided a camp in Ugwuaneocha community of Ogbaru LG, which was suspected to be the hideout of the assailants, but discovered that it had been deserted.

“Two persons of interest were arrested and they are currently assisting the police in the investigation. The criminal camp was razed down by the joint security team.

“The preliminary investigation conducted by the command, following the incident, revealed that five male officials of the US consulate and four armed Mobile Police escorted from Lagos on a mission to assess the impact of erosion in the Ogbaru LG were travelling in a convoy of two vehicles when they suddenly came under attack by armed men who targeted them with gunfire and set their vehicles ablaze.”

“Regrettably, seven persons (including three of the consulate officials and four mobile police escorts) were murdered during the attack while two other officials of the consulate are yet to be found.

“Information from the USAID authority disclosed that five of their staff and four policemen involved in the attack are Jefferson Obayuwane (a retired DSS personnel), Sunday Prince Ubong, Ekene Nweke, Hassan Etila and Avwuvie Kaye Monday.”

The CP said the remains of the deceased had been recovered and deposited in a morgue while the state police command and other security agencies were working round-the-clock, in concert with the Government of Anambra State, to find and rescue the missing officials.

He, therefore called on members of the public who could provide information about the identities and locations of the culprits, to kindly assist the police with such information timeously.

“May I assure you all of the resolve and determination of the command and other security agencies to track down the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and bring them to justice,” Echeng added.

News

Adeleke Cancels Independence Day Celebration in Osun

Published

23 hours ago

September 29, 2023

Eric

Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has cancelled celebration of Independence Day slated for Sunday, October 1 in the state.

His spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, announced on Friday in Osogbo that the governor urged residents of the State to pray for the peace and prosperity of the country.

“Let us use the Independence Day to meditate and pray on the state of our nation.

“Our people are passing through tough times. It is time to take stock and seek divine intervention and guidance in the affairs of our nation.

“I greet Osun people and Nigerians in general as the Independence Day knocks at our doors.

“Here in Osun, we will celebrate with meditation and prayers,” he said.

News

Mohbad: Sam Larry Now in Our Custody, Police Confirm

Published

2 days ago

September 29, 2023

Eric

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, aka Sam Larry, over an ongoing investigation into the circumstances leading to the death of the singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, aka Mohbad.

The Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development to The Punch in a late Thursday night telephone interview.

“Yes, Balogun Eletu aka Sam Larry is now in our custody. He is currently assisting with the ongoing investigation,” Hundeyin said.

The police had earlier invited Sam Larry and singer, Azeez Fashola aka Naira Marley, for questioning over Mohbad’s demise.

The police, last week, also confirmed that pathologists had concluded the autopsy conducted on Mohbad, while they await the result.

He said, “Autopsy has been concluded. Awaiting results.” This development followed the exhumation of Mohbad by a combined team of the Nigeria Police Force and health officials.

The police had also arrested the nurse who reportedly injected the deceased singer before his demise on Tuesday, September 12.

The Punch

News

Kaduna: Tribunal Affirms Sani’s Election, Dismisses PDP’s Petition

Published

2 days ago

September 28, 2023

Eric

The Kaduna State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Kaduna has dismissed petition brought by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the 2023 election, Isah Ashiru, against the victory of Governor Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, in a dissenting judgment of two against one, delivered on Thursday, a three-member panel headed by Justice Victor Oviawie dismissed the petition on the ground that the pre-hearing notice was filed out of time, and therefore deemed to be abandoned.

The tribunal chairman and another member held that the appeal brought by PDP and Ashiru against the dismissal of their petition at the preliminary stage by the first and second defendants was not meritorious because the filing of the pre-hearing notice was abandoned and out of time, and therefore had dealt the entire petition a fatal blow.

The tribunal, however, noted that if the petition had not been dismissed for lack of merit, it would have ordered a supplementary election in 22 polling units within 90 days in the substantive judgment.

Senator Sani, during the election polled a total of 730,001 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ashiru of the PDP, who scored 719, 196 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Jonathan Asake, came third with 58,283 votes, while Suleiman Hunkuyi of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) scored 21,405 votes.

While the Labour Party and NNPP accepted the outcome of the election, the PDP and its candidate rejected the results, alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the wrong candidate winner of the election.

Besides, the PDP and Ashiru alleged that there were massive irregularities and manipulation of results in favour of Governor Ubah in some local governments by INEC. According to them, the APC candidate did not score the highest number of valid votes cast in the election and ought not to have been returned winner of the election by INEC.

In June 2023, PDP and Ashiru, however, filed a petition at the election petition tribunal to challenge the election of Governor Uba.

At the last sitting of the court on September 3rd, all parties presented their final written addresses before the tribunal, with APC’s legal team led by a former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo (SAN), arguing that the petitioners had helped in proving he won the election free and fair, pointing in particular to the admission of a star witness for the petitioner, Bonett Gwazah, a senior system analyst in the VR/ICT department of INEC in Kaduna State.