What is a city without crime? thisislagos descends into the Lagos underground to search out the baddest guys committing the craziest crimes in LasGidi.
Court remands Canadian returnee over alleged N360m fraud (Guardian)
For allegedly engaging in N360 million fraud, a Federal High Court, Lagos has ordered a Canada-based Nigerian, Joseph Ifeanyichukwu, to be remanded in the custody of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos.
Justice Daniel Osiagor, ordered his remand after he pleaded not guilty to the charge of alleged conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and fraud of the N360 million, preferred against him by the men of PSFU.
Prior to his arraignment, the prosecutor, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), informed the court that the defendant has been on the run since 2016, when he committed the alleged offence.
Jackson told the court that the defendant, who had turned down all police invitations, was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, by the police when he returned to the country to attend a friend’s marriage ceremony. Read more
Police arrest 2 men for duping woman N7.5m in Ikorodu (Guardian)
Operatives of the Lagos State Police Command have arrested two men in Ikorodu, Lagos, for allegedly duping a woman to the tune of N7.5 million under the guise of providing spiritual help.
The Command’s spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the unnamed woman realised the fraud and approached the police and the suspects were apprehended when they arranged to get another batch of funds from her.
Also, officers of Alausa Division have arrested four traffic robbers with a cutlass, dagger and axe on Otedola Bridge. They were also found with Toyota and Lexus logos.
Meanwhile, Ketu Division’s patrol team have arrested five traffic robbers who at about 11: a.m on Saturday, swooped on a motorist at Kosofe bus stop along Ikorodu Road. The suspects are between 18 and 28 years old. Read more
Teenagers drug, set calabash on friend, victim dies (Punch)
There was tension in Temu, a community in the Ikosi-Ejinrin Local Council Development Area, Epe, Lagos State, on Wednesday, following the death of a 20-year-old student, Nureni Kekereowo.
The Senior Secondary School 3 student was said to have died on October 12 after he indicated that his friends, whom he identified as Daniel, 19, and Sunday, another teenager, allegedly used him for a ritual.
Nureni, before his death, reportedly said the two friends invited him over for food, adding that after he ate the meal, he slept off.
He reportedly claimed that he woke up with a calabash on his head. Read more
Court remands guard for stoning man to death (Punch)
A 37-year-old security guard, Michael Pius, who allegedly hit a man’s chest with a stone, was on Tuesday, remanded by a Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square, over alleged murder.
The defendant, who was arraigned on one count of murder, was dragged before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the defendant and the deceased, Paul Assigno, were arguing over an issue which degenerated into a scuffle, as Pius stoned the victim to death.
When the case was called for arraignment, the Lagos State prosecutor, Olayemi Shofolu, announced his appearance, while Alexander Oshogba appeared for the defendant. Read more
Unknown attacker killed Ataga while I was out — Chidinma (Punch)
A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday resumed watching the recorded confessional video of Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged murder suspect of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, late Usifo Ataga, where she denied killing the deceased.
Ojukwu, in the video that was played before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, said that she didn’t know who killed the deceased as she just went out on Tuesday, and by the time she got back, she saw Ataga on the floor and she quickly left because she was scared.
She said, “I don’t know who entered. I just picked my things and left because I was scared”.
On the last adjourned date on October 11, 2022, when the video recording footage was first played showing the lifeless body of Ataga and later Ojukwu’s confession, she had said in the video that she killed the deceased on her own. Read more
6 men remanded over theft of N900m cosmetics (Punch)
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Monday ordered the remand of six men in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service for allegedly stealing cosmetics valued at N900m.
The defendants, Akinmade Oluwaseyi, Michael Okwu, Emmanuel Igbru, Michael Peter, Bright Ogungbeje and Kingsley Onobrakpeya, are facing three counts of conspiracy, stealing and receiving stolen goods, charges preferred against them by the Tincan Island Police Command, Apapa, Lagos State.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro remanded them after they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, Mr. A. J. Dagbo, told the court that the defendants and others now at large allegedly committed the offences between June 19 and 21, 2022, at Tincan Island Container Terminal, Nigerian Ports Authority, Tincan Island Port, Apapa, Lagos. Read more
Coroner indicts police for Jumoke’s death, cop’s identity demanded (Punch)
A coroner’s inquest at the Ogbà Magistrate’s Court, Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, revealed that the death of Jumoke Oyeleke, a salesgirl who lost her life during the Yoruba Nation rally on July 3, 2021, was caused by the police.
The Coroner, Magistrate Mukaila Fadeyi, said the police were liable for Oyeleke’s death, adding that the deceased deserved the country’s sympathy.
Delivering the findings of the inquest, Fadeyi said, “The only logical conclusion is that the deceased died from a weapon by the Nigeria police.”
He asked the Federal Government to compensate Oyeleke’s family. Read more
Court remands phone technician over alleged kidnap (Punch)
A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Monday remanded a 33-year-old phone technician, Wilson Goodness, in prison over alleged kidnapping.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya remanded the defendant after he took his plea.
Goodness is facing two counts bordering on kidnapping and obtaining property.
He was alleged to have demanded a N5m ransom from the family of the victim, Sefiu Kolawole. Read more
Police arrest Lagos bizman over wife’s death (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a 37-year-old Lagos car dealer, Ikechukwu Ogbonna, aka IVD, over the death of his wife, Abimbola, in the Lekki area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this to our correspondent on Monday.
He said, “He was arrested on Saturday, he’s with us.”
Ikechukwu and Abimbola had been married for 16 years, with the union blessed with five children. Read more
Fraudster forfeits N40m Bitcoins, iPhones to FG (Punch)
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday ordered the final forfeiture of 1.982, 022, 84 units of Bitcoin worth N40m, property of a suspected internet fraudster to the Federal Government.
In addition, Justice Nicholas Oweibo ordered the final forfeiture of iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 7, and all funds found in two bank accounts of a suspected internet fraudster, Alkali Tanimu, popularly called Yahoo Boy.
On July 19, 2022, the court made an interim order of forfeiture of the listed items, which have now been finally forfeited to the Federal Government.
Justice Oweibo made the final forfeiture order on Friday after listening to the submission of Sulaiman I. Sulaiman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who moved and argued the application for forfeiture and the affidavit in support and a written address. Read more
Lagos female driver kills pregnant woman, two passengers (Punch)
There was panic on Saturday on Iju-Ishaga Road in the Agege area of Lagos State after a female motorist reportedly crushed three passengers, including a pregnant woman and a girl, to death.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident happened around 4pm when the woman’s car hit a tricycle conveying the passengers inward Agege.
Our correspondent learnt that while the passengers lost their lives, the tricycle rider sustained
injuries and was rushed to a hospital.
An elderly woman was also said to be among the three victims. Read more
Clearing agent bags 10-year jail for importing tramadol (Punch)
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State has convicted and sentenced a clearing agent, Cyril Ogunna, to 10 years’ imprisonment for unlawful importation of 657.5 kilogrammes of tramadol.
Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the jail term on Friday after the convict pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and unlawful importation of tramadol preferred against him by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The NDLEA prosecutor, Mrs Lily Wifa-Aranyeli, told the court that Ogunna was arrested with the drug on December 1, 2021, at ESS Libra, Bonded Terminal, Ikorodu, Lagos, which was unlawfully brought into the country from India.
The convict did not deny the allegations, as he pleaded guilty to the charges.
4 arraigned for allegedly stealing firm’s N5m property (Punch)
Four men who allegedly stole their company’s reinforcement steel valued N5.1 million on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the defendants are 42-year-old storekeeper, Olaleye Akintola; 27-year-old driver, Michael Taiwo; 52-year-old iron bender, Femi Olaoye; and Wasiu Bashiru, 44.
They are being tried for conspiracy and stealing. The prosecutor, ASP Raji Akeem, told the court that the offences were committed on September 16 at a company on Wemco Road, Ogba, Lagos.
Akeem said that the defendants stole 10 tonnes of reinforcement steel belonging to the firm. He said that the defendants were to deliver the steel to a site in Ilorin, Kwara State but diverted it to their own location. The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravene Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Read more