What is a city without crime? thisislagos descends into the Lagos underground to search out the baddest guys committing the craziest crimes in LasGidi.
Outrage as police brutalise, extort man of N260,000 in Lagos (Punch)
Public outcry on Wednesday greeted the alleged torture and extortion of a young man, Olumide Bakare by men of the Ogudu Division, Lagos State Police Command.
Bakare had taken to micro blogging site, Twitter, late on Tuesday to lament his ugly encounter with the policemen who allegedly unlawfully arrested him, tortured and forced a video statement on him before fleecing him of N260,000.
His only offence was being inside a taxi which they flagged down, diverted and proceeded to illegally search his phones, personal items for possible incriminating materials.
Finding nothing except for a phrase “gay men dey pay” in a group chat Bakare had with some friends, the rogue officers then unleashed terror on him, checked his bank account balance and then demanded N500,000 only to settle for N260,000 which they received via Paga. Read more
Ex-NIMASA Executive Director bags 7-year jail term (DailyTrust)
A Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos has sentenced a former Executive Director at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ezekiel Agaba, to seven years in prison for laundering N1.5 billion. Mr Agaba was, at a time, in charge of Maritime, Safety and Shipping at the agency. Reps committee summons NIMASA to explain unaudited accounts Magu: PDP left behind huge corruption mess – Presidency He is also facing another trial over a 12-count charge of conspiracy, forgery, and stealing amounting to N687 million alongside Patrick Akpobolokemi, a former Director-General of NIMASA.Read more
Alleged fraud: Court grants social media influencer, ‘Adeherself’ bail (DailyTrust)
Social media influencer, Adedamola Adewale popularly known as ‘Adeherself’, charged with fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was on Wednesday granted N500,000 bail by an Ikeja Special Offences Court. In a ruling, Justice Sherifat Solebo also ordered that Adewale must provide two sureties with reliable means of income which would be verified by the court. EFCC docks ‘Adeherself’ for alleged possession of fraud documents 12 top EFCC officials suspended Solebo adjourned the case until Aug. 5 for substantive hearing. Daily Trust reports that the defendant, who had been in the custody of the EFCC following her arraignment in court on July 7, is facing a charge of possession of fraudulent document. Read more
Lagos hoodlums attack man, steal money for surgery (Punch)
An ex-employee of the Lagos State Waste Management Authority, Babatunde Akindele, has been in pain after losing the money his family put together for his colostomy reversal surgery to hoodlums in the Surulere area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that for three years, Babatunde had been passing out excreta through colostomy, a surgical procedure in which an artificial opening is made in the abdomen for excreta to pass through instead of the anus.
The 21-year-old had gone to withdraw the money from the bank and was returning home when a yet-to-be-identified person reportedly asked him for direction to his destination in the Itire area of Surulere. Read more
Cultist jailed 20 years for raping FUOYE undergraduate, friend (Punch)
Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Special Offences Court, on Monday, sentenced a cultist, Tayo Bakare, to 20 years’ imprisonment for raping an undergraduate of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, and her friend.
PUNCH Metro had reported that Bakare was arraigned on eight counts bordering on conspiracy to commit robbery, robbery, deprivation of liberty and rape.
The prosecution said the offences contravened sections 260(1) (2), 272, 297(1) and 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015. Read more
UNILAG alumnus accused of rape knows fate August 17 (Independent)
An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court has fixed August 17 as judgment date in the case involving John Otema, an alumnus of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) accused of raping two undergraduates of the institution.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Abiola Soladoye on Monday fixed the date after hearing the Final Written Addresses of the defence and prosecuting counsel.
“The case is adjourned to Aug. 17 for judgment,”Justice Soladoye said. Read more
NDLEA files drug trafficking charge against 25-year-old man Guardian)
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Monday, filed a one-count charge of drug trafficking, against a 25-year-old man, Joshua Benson, in a Federal High Court in Lagos.
According to the charge signed by the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, the defendant committed the offence on June 28.
The NDLEA alleged that Benson was arrested in Ajah area of Lagos, with 45 bags of Cannabis Sativa, which he unlawfully trafficked.
Hemp is listed in the schedule of the NDLEA as a restricted narcotics similar to Cocaine and Heroine. Read more
Lagos seals 33 social clubs (Guardian)
The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSC) has sealed 33 social and religious facilities across the state.
The facilities, comprising bars, lounges, restaurants, gyms and spas, were sealed for engaging in activities and operations against the state’s established COVID-19 reopening protocols.
The Director-General of LSC, Mr Lanre Mojola, while on an enforcement drive, affirmed that the state would not hesitate to deal with erring or non-compliant facilities that contravene the established protocols for reopening the economy. He reiterated that Lagos has zero tolerance for establishments that continue to violate the regulations. Read more
Fraudster detains American lady in Lagos hotel, defrauds her of N18.5m (Punch)
Police operatives have rescued a citizen of the United States of America who was allegedly confined to a Lagos hotel against her wish for over one year.
The victim, who came from Washington DC, arrived in Nigeria on February 13, 2019, on a visit to 34-year-old Chukwuebuka Obiaku, a native of Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, whom she met on Facebook.
The retired civil servant reportedly lost about N18.5m to Obiaku, who allegedly took control of her credit and debit cards, as well as the operation of her bank accounts.
The suspect also allegedly took receipt of the American’s monthly retirement benefits and allowances for 15 months. Read more
Lagos Govt seals medical laboratory conducting COVID-19 tests illegally (Guardian)
The Lagos State Ministry of Health on Saturday said it had sealed a private medical laboratory conducting COVID-19 tests inside a pharmacy at Banana Island in Ikoyi, Lagos.
The ministry, through its Twitter account, said that the lab; Acouns Medical Laboratory and Diagnostic Centre, situated inside a pharmacy,
was carrying out COVID-19 tests without required government approval.
It advised residents to desist from patronising health facilities not accredited by the state government for testing or management of COVID-19 cases. Read more
Our deadly robbery operations in Oyo, Osun, Lagos – 23-year-old gang leader (Punch)
The ringleader of a notorious gang terrorising Ibadan, Oyo State, Osun and Lagos states, Enioluwa Adebayo, has opened up on his four-year stint in robbery.
Popularly known as Judgement, an alias he earned for killing victims who put up resistance, 23-year-old Adebayo led a three-man gang operating mostly on motorcycles.
It was learnt that the gang also carried out ‘brisk operations’ early morning and in the evening, robbing passersby of their valuables.
City Round gathered that Adedayo and a member of the gang, Sunday Olubushe aka Ajegunle, were arrested recently by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team in Oyo State.
Detectives went after the suspects after they engaged in a shootout with some soldiers who attempted to foil their robbery operation at a popular supermarket in Mokola area of the state in March 2020. Read more
DisCo charges three to court over electricity fraud, wrong installations (Guardian)
Three persons have been arraigned before at Ojo Magistrate Court in Lagos on a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit fraud, impersonation, forgery and tampering with electricity installations within the Ojo District of Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC).
The three, identified as Magnus Obinali, Success Akamoye, and Jolayemi Oluwatomi, reportedly received a sum of 70,000 from unsuspecting customers who wanted to get their prepaid meters repaired and placed them on a direct connection.
EKEDC General Manager Corporate Communications, Godwin Idemudia, condemning the acts of impersonation, forgery, tampering and conspiracy to commit fraud, said the company’s commitment to bringing perpetrators of such acts to book. Read more
EFCC arraigns 10 over alleged unlawful deal in 100 metric tonnes of fuel (Guardian)
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arranged 10 men before a Federal High Court in Lagos, over alleged illegal deal in petroleum products.
The defendants were arraigned on Thursday alongside a vessel, MV CX Fleet, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on a three-count charge bordering on illegal deal in petroleum products to the tune of 100 metric tonnes of Automative Gas Oil (AGO).
The defendants are: Christopher Ewgeregor, Emeka Chidiebere, Erekedomene Lawrence, Collins Okorie, Julius Makingbene, Ededeni Bassey, James Joshua, Kingsley Tamumobelema, Iyobasogie Victor and Ajenu Michael. Read more
2 oil thieves bag 3 years jail term (DailyTrust)
Justice L. N. Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos has convicted and sentenced two oil thieves to three years imprisonment. According to Dele Olawale, EFCC spokesman, the convicts, Paul Ovie and Frank Okuba, were arraigned alongside a vessel, M.V. Agbeke, by the Lagos Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC) on Thursday, July 9, 2020, on three-count charges bordering on illegal dealing in petroleum products. They were arrested by the Nigerian Navy and subsequently handed over to the Commission for investigation and prosecution. One of the counts read “That you, Paul Ovie, Frank Okuba and M.V. Agbeke, on the 21st day of January, 2020 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without appropriate license, dealt in 100 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 4 of the Petroleum Act, Cap 10, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.” They pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against them. Read more
Police arrest 4 suspects over car theft (DailyTrust)
The police have arrested four armed robbery suspects who they alleged to be specialists in snatching exotic cars in Lagos and Abuja. The police said they trailed the suspects, whose operational base was said to be located at Agege, to a suspect who had bought a stolen car from them. Policemen described the buyer, whose operational base was said to be at Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Lagos, as a specialist in recycling stolen cars. The police said that on June 5, 2020, detectives attached to the State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), acting on a tip-off, discovered a mechanic workshop where stolen cars were refurbished and later sold to unsuspecting buyers. Read more
Lagos police arrest suspected cult gang leader, Iron man, 8 others (DailyTrust)
A suspected leader of Eiye, a dreaded secret cult gang in Lagos State, Francis Diamond, alias Iron Man, has been arrested. Diamond’s arrest followed acts of violence, murder, and armed robbery in the Ikorodu, Epe and Ajah areas of the state. Lagos police arrest suspected cult gang leader, Iron man, 8 others Lagos police arrest 179 violators of inter-state travel lockdown, impound 43 commercial vehicles The Lagos State Police Command linked the crimes to the gang of the arrested suspect. The police disclosed they also arrested eight other members of the gang in different parts of Ikorodu on the strength of a voluntary statement Diamond made to them. Read more
Mother, daughter arraigned for energy theft (Guardian)
Two residents of Fatokun Street, in Abule Taylor, off Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Lagos, have been arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court for energy theft under the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company network.
The duo of Latefat Shofidiya, aged 65 and Ekundayo Taiwo, aged 40, were nabbed after initially absconding from their residence for stealing power supply by illegally tapping from a source and passing it underground for more than 100 meters into their home.
A few weeks ago, a video had gone viral showing some workers of the company uprooting a long cable hidden under the ground. They were arraigned before Magistrate Ogunsanmi of Ogba Magistrates’ Court 2 on a three-count charge bothering on conspiracy to commit felony punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, unlawful tampering with the private property of the distribution company, punishable under Section 340 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, and unlawful underground connection of electricity, punishable under Section 52 of the Lagos State Electric Power Sector Reform Law, 2018. Read more