News

Lagos Govt Charges Chidinma With Murder

Lagos govt charges Chidinma, one other with murder of Super TV CEO, Ataga

The Lagos State government has filed charges against Ms Chidinma Ojukwu and one other person, Adedapo Quadri for the murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Michael Ataga.

The suspects who were brought before a Chief Magistrate court sitting in the Yaba area of Lagos were led into the courtroom around 9 am on Monday, September 6.

It was reported that Ms Ojukwu, a 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) was arrested by the police on June 23 for allegedly killing Ataga at a short-let apartment in Lekki.

It would be recalled that Ms Ojukwu and Quadri were presented before the Chief Magistrate court on August 9 by the police to seek their remand in custody, which was granted by the magistrate.

The magistrate had ordered the two be remanded for 30 days at the first instance to allow the police to continue with its investigation of the murder case and also advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP).

Re-appearing before the magistrate on Monday Counsel to the police, Cyril Ajiofor told Magistrate Adeola Adedayo that the police has received legal advice from DPP on the case, recommending their trial for murder, saying that the suspects would be arraigned at the High Court which has jurisdiction over such matters.

According to the DPP’s advice dated August 20, after careful consideration of facts available in the case file, a prima facie case of conspiracy, forgery and murder exists against, Ms Ojukwu and Quadri, while a prima facie case of stealing exists against Ms Ojukwu alone.

The DPP also established the offence of having possession of a stolen item against one Egbuchu Chioma said to be Ms Ojukwu’s elder sister, from whom the deceased’s iPhone 7 was said to have been recovered.

“After careful consideration of facts available in the case, this office is of the firm view that a prima facie case of conspiring to murder, murder, conspiracy to commit felony to wit; forgery, forgery and making documents without authority contrary to sections 233, 222, 411, 363 and 370 respectively of the Criminal Law of Lagos State exists against Ojukwu Chindinma Adaora and Adedapo Quadri.

“Facts available also establish the offence of having possession of a thing reasonably suspected to have been stolen contrary to section 329 of Criminal Law of Lagos against Egbuchu Chioma,” the advice partly read.

We also learnt that the DPP Director, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi had gone ahead to file a charge against the three suspects at the Lagos High Court, but is yet to get a date for the hearing of the case.

Meanwhile, the DPP cleared 11 other suspects and asked that they should be released as no offence had been disclosed against them in respect to the case.

The 11 people are Ms Ojukwu’s father, Ojukwu Onoh, Babalola Disu, Olowu Ifeoluwa, Olutayo Abayomi, Nkechi Mogbo, Tony Okonye, Damilola Adekoya, Bola Adekoya, Segun Akinsanya, Oluwatoni Dada and Adams Kenneth.

Following the development, Magistrate Adedayo discharged Mr Ojukwu, Disu, Olutayo and Olowu who had earlier been arraigned by the police for obstruction of justice and failing to report a crime to the law enforcement agencies.

The Magistrate Court ordered the further remand of Chidinma and the two others to be tried and adjourned till Sept 29 to await further Information from the DPP as to the status of the case at the High Court.

News

Bandits kill one, kidnap district head, eight others in Kebbi

Bandits have kidnapped Alhaji Isah Daya, the district head of Kanya under the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The bandits kidnapped the monarch and eight others when they stormed his village on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

The bandits also k!lled one and injured three persons during the attack.

The spokesperson for the State Police Command, Nafui Abubakar, who confirmed the attack, gave the name of the deceased as Sherriff Alhaji Almu.

According to the PPRO, a combined security team led by the police has launched a manhunt on the abductors of the monarch to rescue the abducted persons.

He noted that the Kebbi State Government has provided the needed logistics to tame banditry in the affected towns, particularly Kebbi South, Zuru Emirate.

The attack came a few days after bandits k!lled the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Suru Local Government Area of the state.

News

FG mobilises Julius Berger to complete N820b road projects

The Federal Government has told Julius Berger Nigeria Plc to fast-track the completion of the rehabilitation of the 82-kilometre Section II of the Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway and the construction of the Bodo-Bonny road with bridges across the Opobo Channel, Route 430 in Rivers State.

Works Minister David Umahi said the government could not continually negotiate with the contractor over the same projects.

In a statement in Abuja by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, during a meeting with Julius Berger, represented by its Executive Director for Projects, Benjamin Bott, and the Head of Contract Management, Omonigho Brown, the minister stressed the need for contractors handling Federal Government’s projects to exhibit corporate nationalism in price negotiation in the face of the daunting economic challenges facing the country.

Umahi said the Federal Executive Council (FEC), at its meeting on September 23, approved the re-scoping and downward review of the contracts.

He said: “We have Section II, which is 82 kilometres by two, which is the section that JBN Plc is working on.

“And so, if you check what FEC approved on September 23, FEC had approved that the total contract sum within the scope of Berger would be N740 billion. This means that if you remove N391 billion paid already, you now have about N340 billion remaining. This is the scope of their work for the 164 kilometres.”

The minister urged the contractor to mobilise for work on the four sections of the Abuja-Zaria-Kaduna-Kano project to finish the job within 14 months.

News

Police thwart plan by armed men to kidnap a foreigner in Anambra, recover four dead bodies

Police Operatives in the morning of Sunday, October 6th, 2024 thwarted the abduction/kidnapping plan of a foreigner by suspected armed secessionist members in Ogbunka village.

The Operatives courageously engaged the hoodlums in a gun battle and saved the VIP.

SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer who disclosed this in a statement said during the gun duel, two Police Operatives who were hit by bullet escaped with the foreigner.

He added that they are stable and are currently receiving treatment in a hospital.

Meanwhile, Operations are ongoing in the area for the possible arrest of the Armed men.

Also, Police operatives attached to Nimo Police Station responded to a distress call on 6/10/2024 by 8:25 pm of a suspected cult clash at Umuka, Nawfia. The Operatives upon arriving at the scene, found four lifeless bodies of young men in a pool of blood with suspected multiple gunshot injuries lying on the road.

The victims were confirmed dead by a doctor on duty and have been deposited to the morgue.

They were later identified as one Ebuka Nwaonkwube Ekenta of Mmimi village Nawfia, Nnatuanya Junior A.K: A Starboy of Mmimi village Nawfia, Aniemena A.K.A Osama of Umuariam Village and one Ahmed Auwal.

Information from eyewitnesses and some villagers reveal that the victims are known for their nefarious activities and are always in rivalry with another cult group in the area.

Furthermore, Joint patrol with Operatives of the Special Anit Cultism Squad (SPACS) has been intensified in the area.

In another development, the Commissioner of Police *CP Nnaghe Obono Itam* has ordered
immediate investigations into the gruesome murder of a 17-year-old girl suspected of being used for ritual purpose.

The girl’s lifeless body was found in a bush at Omasi village on 6/10/2024 by 4:25 pm and she was later identified as one Chinasa Adigwe from Umueje village and her private parts were cut off in a bush at Omasi Village before Police were alerted. The body has been recovered and deposited in a morgue.

The CP while condoling with the family, friends and Community of the deceased states that the Police shall do everything possible to make sure that those behind the barbaric act are arrested and justice served.