Crime
Abductors of Mike Ozekhome gets 20 years imprisonment sentence each
A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Friday, convicted and sentenced two of the four defendants alleged to have kidnapped Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to a 20-year-jail term each.
Justice Binta Nyako, in a judgment, held that the prosecution had been able to establish the counts preferred against Kelvin Ezeigbe and Frank Azuekor, who were 1st and 2nd defendants, beyond reasonable doubt.
Justice Nyako held that the sentence would run from the day of their arrest.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna, who were 3rd and 4th defendants, of the counts leveled against them in the terrorism charge.
She held that though some of the counts against Ezeigbe and Azuekor attracted punishment ranging from death sentence, life imprisonment to at least 10 years jail term, she said she had found that the accused had been remorseful of their criminal act.
She said she also found that they had been in custody for about 10 years from the day of their arrest.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that while Omonigho, who was said to be the chief priest was in court, Haruna was not.
When Nyako warned Omonigho to be careful as people worship in his shrine in the open court, the chief priest responded thus: “I have repented my lord.”
The judge, however, directed that Haruna, who was at large, should be brought to court to face the sin of his escape from lawful custody, even though he was discharged of the counts against him.
The judge commended the defence lawyer, Bala Dakum, and the prosecution counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, for their industrious input in the course of the trial.
NAN reports that the defendants; Kelvin Ezeigbe, Frank Azuekor, Michael Omonigho, and Momoh Haruna were first arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a FHC, on June 9, 2014, on a 13-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and acts of terrorism.
While the three defendants were in court, Haruna was said to be missing after the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists on July 5, 2022.
They were accused of committing acts of terrorism, contrary to Sections 1, 8, and 10 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.
They were alleged to have, on Aug. 23, 2013, kidnapped Mr. Ozekhome at Iruekpen on his way to Iviukwe in Agenebode, Edo.
Ozekhome was held in captivity for about three weeks before his release allegedly following the payment of N28 million ransom.
They were also accused of kidnapping Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof Hope Eghagha; Attanasius Ugbme, and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe, and killing five policemen and two prison officials.
The defendants were also alleged to have compelled Eghagha to pay N7 million, Ugbome paid N20 million, and Omorogbe to paid N3.5 million.
The five police officers allegedly killed were Paul Ajaka, Sunday Ewanshiha, Michael Akpada, Bakary Ekong, and Innocent Odoh.
They also allegedly killed Lawrence Edora and Oyibo Okoye who were prison officers and made away with their service rifles.
The four suspects were refused bail filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Bala Dakum.
While Ezeigbe and Azuekor were held at the facility of the Department of State Service, Omonigho and Haruna were held at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.
NAN
Crime
Ghana’s anti-drug agency nabs Nigerian drug kingpin, Uchechukwu Chima, seizes $2.1m worth of cocaine, heroin
Ghana’s Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC) has arrested a drug kingpin of Nigerian origin from the South East , Uchechukwu Chima.
The commission operatives raided his hideout in Accra.
Chima, who is 56 years was arrested on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, following the discovery of 192kg of cocaine and 0.42kg of heroin, valued at $2.1 million on the streets.
The acting Director of of Public Affairs and International Relations at NACOC, Francis Amoah speaking on the matter in Accra, confirmed that the substances seized were indeed cocaine and heroin.
Authorities believe Chima has played a significant role in previous drug-related operations in the country.
He said the operation marks a critical success in the ongoing fight against drug trafficking in Ghana.
“NACOC remains committed to making the country a hostile environment for drug trade and ensuring the safety of both Ghanaians and the international community.”
The Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, attached to Police Mobile Force, 70 Squadron, Kabba today Friday 14th March, 2025 foiled abduction of passengers along Ayere road. This is consequent upon a distress that some armed hoodlums blocked the road in an attempt to abduct some passengers in a Vehicle.
On receipt of the distress call, reinforcement teams from Sharper Corner pindown were promptly mobilized and sent to the scene which equally engaged the hoodlums, and owing to the superior fire power of the Police, the hoodlums fled into the bush and abandoned their victims who were rescued by the Police.
The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Miller G. Dantawaye, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and tactical assets of the Command to embark on thorough combing of the surrounding bushes with a view to apprehending the hoodlums and bringing them to deserved justice.
The CP while commending the unwavering dedication by the men of 70 PMF, Kabba, assured the public that the Police will not rest on its oars in the fight against criminality in the State.
Crime
Akogun Elijah Adeogun calls on IGP Egbetokun to investigate land speculators over blackmail, murder charges against him
Mr Akogun Elijah Adeogun is calling on the Inspector General of Police IGP Kayode Egbetokun to come to his rescue and investigate blackmail and murder charges levelled against him by land speculators in Osuke Ogun state
Mr Adeogun n stated that his trouble started with the land speculators after he was selected as a member of the Land committee in Living Faith Church as the land speculators linking him to the unrest in Osuke community are unhappy since he become a member of the land committee.
Mr. Adeogun who spoke during a press conference in Abuja said those linking him to the unrest in Osuke which claimed the life of one Obasanjo Jinadu Saheed have resorted to blackmail and using the police to arrest him incessantly despite the fact he was not in Osuke community when the incident happened as well as the fact that he has no hand in the incident.
He said ‘ This issue started about three week ago after I was selected by the Living Faith Tabernacle church aka Winners Chapel Ota as a member of the church’s Land Committee . I am not from Osuke community .
“I am from Ilasa community. I have been to Osuke only once in my life . I don’t have a land in Osuke community and I am not the Winners Chapel that owns land in the area. I was included in the Land Committee three weeks ago because they got wind of the kind of job I do. We were having a meeting of the committee where it was resolved that everyone should steer clear of all the lands belonging to the church at least for now because despite having a subsisting court injunction which was gotten on the lands, the land speculators still continued to dredge the land for commercial purposes. So, it was resolved that we should write a petition to that effect.
We were at Police command at Elewaran Ogun state last week for the petition we wrote on the case while one Ibrahim Ibuoye also wrote his own petition. It was at the DCP’s office we resolved through an undertaking that all parties should maintain status quo on the land as the court ruled. Is Winners land a plot of land or half plot of land that I can encroach with the aim of selling? So, how will I go there to cause trouble?”
Speaking on the blackmail and concerted efforts to malign him using the police, Mr. Akogun said ”I was in court on Monday February 24th when the blackmail started. . One Mr. Julius Aghahowa called me that he heard there was shooting at Osuke community and I asked him of what concern that is to me and told him not to call my line again. When I returned from court in the evening, I got another call from Zone 2 police command Onikan Lagos because Winners’Church land matter is being handled there with the IGP Monitoring Unit, so I told them that they should call Winners because I don’t have land in Osuke community and I am not at loggerheads with anyone in the community. My role in Winner’s land committee is just to advise them on what to do to resolve the land dispute they have with land speculators.
“After I returned from the Magistrates’ court in Ota , I found out about the news report linking me to the unrest and killing of one Obasanjo Jinadu Saheed at Osuke community . I was shocked as I was not in anywhere near Osuke community that fateful day. The matter was reported at the Elewaran police Headquarters in Ogun state and the police went to the court to investigate and they found out that I was indeed in the court when the unrest and killing took place in Osuke community. I am very sad that due to my membership as a land committer member of my church, some land speculators are out to destroy my name and link me to a terrible crime like murder. I have learnt that they have petitioned the Assistant Inspect General of Police AIG Zone 2 Onikan Lagos to arrest me .
“This is all in a bid to continue to soil my reputation. I will not hesitate to report these persons to the police authority over this blackmail and linking me to murder. I am therefore appealing to the IGP Egbetokun to save me from these desperate land speculators as I call for a thorough investigation into this matter because I am innocent’’
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