The Nigeria Labour Congress has called for the abolition of security vote for the president and governors in the country.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja that security vote had become an avenue for siphoning public funds.
“The issue of security vote is another form of corruption; in fact, there was a particular state which took N1bn in one month as security vote.
“It is an avenue for corruption. In good governance, all monies spent by government are budgeted and transparently applied.
“That is what happens in other spheres; so for our sake, the issue of security vote should be done away with.
“All monies to be spent should be transparently budget for, including the so-called security vote, so that it can be tracked, to prevent corruption.’’
Also, Waba called for the removal of the immunity clause from the constitution, to enable the president, the vice-president, governors and their deputies to be prosecuted for a criminal offence.
He noted that such political leaders in other parts of the world did not enjoy immunity against criminal prosecution, adding that Nigeria should not be an exception.
The NLC president said that immunity was hindering the fight against corruption and decried a situation whereby political office holders could not be prosecuted for criminal offence.
He said, “Even after they leave office, they use their influence and resources they have accumulated to frustrate prosecution.
“I have seen cases that lasted for eight to 14 years and were inconclusive. Some of these cases outlived the life of the administration that started the probe, due to this particular challenge.”
“There are some cases that started before the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo till now, it is still ongoing.
Waba said that nobody should be given immunity against criminal prosecution while in office.
He, therefore, stressed the need to review the constitution to address loopholes that gave room for some political leaders to steal the commonwealth.
A doctor allegedly raped a woman during an abortion procedure two weeks after he masturbated in front of her during a physical examination, a court has heard.
According to Tribune 242, after Dr. Gerald Mark Forbes informed the 20-year-old she would need a medical examination to work at his clinic in Freeport, the Bahamas, last February, he was alleged to have rubbed her vagina and masturbated before her.
The report added that two week’s later, after the victim asked him to terminate a pregnancy, he was accused of raping her during the procedure.
The 47-year-old is also said to have given the alleged victim a packet of Methotrexate, a drug used to induce abortions.
The defendant told the police as heard by the Grand Bahama Court that the woman was a ‘friend of a friend’, who simply worked at his office for two months. He denied the allegations of rape and indecent assault.
However, he refused to answer officers when asked about the alleged incidents, telling them he ‘had nothing to say’.
The court was told that in a WhatsApp exchange that took place after the alleged rape, the doctor told the woman he didn’t owe her salary because he had provided her with medication.
During the police interview an officer told him, “The virtual complainant informed you that she will not return to work because she was uncomfortable that you violated her, and you said you were sorry she felt that way and you told her to still come in for follow-up and medication.”
The trial resumes at 11am on Friday
Some hoodlums on Friday robbed and killed a 35-year-old ‘suya’ seller, Habibu Maude, after robbing the deceased.
The late Maude, a father of four, was shot dead at his suya spot along White House Street in Calabar, Cross River State.
Shops and other businesses in Bogobiri, an Hausa settlement in Calabar, were closed on Saturday and Sunday as a result of the incident.
It was gathered that the deceased, an indigene of Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State, did not argue with the hoodlums before he was shot.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident, saying investigation was ongoing to unravel the killers.
“Yes, we got the investigation that a suya seller was shot by an unknown gunman along White House streets. We have not made any arrest yet, but I can assure that we would track the killers,” she said.
How married woman died in a hotel-Residents
Afeez Hanafi
Neighbours of a woman, who died last Friday in a hotel in Ikotun, Lagos State, have opened up on what transpired shortly before her death.
They said the deceased, who was identified only as Iya Ginika, had left home around 9pm on the day, telling her husband that she wanted to visit a friend in the neighbourhood.
The residents told our correspondent on Tuesday that the woman, in her 50s, had claimed that she wanted to collect something from the friend.
They added that they were shocked when news filtered in that she was found dead in Taola Hotel on Prince Adeyemi Street, Ikotun.
The deceased lived on K & S Street, Abaranje Road – a few kilometres from the hotel.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Monday that the woman and her lover had stayed in the hotel around 9.30pm on Friday and paid to spend an hour.
However, workers of the hotel became apprehensive when it was 12am the following day and the lovers did not check out.
One of the workers was said to have entered the room to discover that the woman was dead while her lover had fled.
The case was reported to the police at the Ikotun division.
A neighbour of the deceased told PUNCH Metro on Tuesday that she had lied to her husband, identified simply as Henry, that she wanted to visit a friend who lived on Prince Adeyemi Street.
The neighbour, who did not want her name in print, said she was shocked when she learnt that the woman died in the hotel.
She said, “Around 9pm on Friday, she told her husband that she wanted to visit a friend on the street where the hotel is located. The husband and her children became confused when she did not return.
“It was the following day when the news of her death was broken that the husband realised he had lied to him. She was about 50 years old.
“Her husband is a motorcyclist and he tries his best to provide for the family. She used to run a lotto shop but later stopped. She sold fish and soup ingredients before her death,” he added.
When contacted, the deceased’s husband, Henry, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said she would be buried later this month. He, however, declined comments when asked where her late wife told him he was going on the day.
“She suffered from high blood pressure before her death. We will bury her later this month,” he said.
But the deceased’s daughter, who collected the phone from her father, said the family did not want to dwell on the incident in order to protect its image.
“We don’t want to be discussing this matter. We have our future to protect and we don’t want the incident to destroy the image of the family. Please, don’t call this number again,” she added.
The Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Dolapo Badmos, said the police were still on the trail of the fleeing lover.
A launderer, Monday Eze, has stabbed his 55-year-old uncle, Ebere Akpu, to death in the Orile Agege area of Lagos State.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Eze and Akpu had an argument over a minor issue on Sunday around 11pm.
After the disagreement, the suspect was said to have gone to a pub, where he became drunk.
While Akpu slept, the suspect allegedly stabbed him in different parts of his body.
Our correspondent gathered that Akpu died on Omotoye Estate where policemen from the Elere division recovered his corpse around 1am on Monday.
It was learnt that Akpu and Eze, who were married with children, hailed from Ebonyi State.
While the suspect had lived for more than 15 years in Lagos, the uncle, Eze, had lived for a few years.
Both men were said to be putting up with another relative, identified as James, who had a laundry on Omotoye Estate where the incident happened.
PUNCH Metro, in a visit to the estate on Monday, saw bloodstains on the road and in James’ laundry.
A trader, who did not give his name, said Eze was in the habit of making trouble when drunk.
She said, “I have known him for more than 15 years now. He makes trouble with everybody, especially when he is drunk. He would sometime strip and start misbehaving.
“When Ebere (Akpu) newly arrived from the village, I particularly advised him against arguing with Eze. I never knew Eze would kill him.”
A family member, who did not give his name, said Eze and the deceased had had a disagreement on Sunday.
Although he did not reveal the cause of the disagreement, he explained that the suspect felt slighted and decided to revenge.
He said, “Ebere sold bags; he didn’t have anything to do with the laundry where this incident happened, except that he kept his wares there. But Monday (Eze) lived there.
“Ebere was there to pass the night and he had washed the shirt and jean trousers he intended to wear on Monday for his business.
“They had a minor disagreement, which led to an argument. Ebere thought that was the end, but Monday stabbed him while he was asleep.”
The suspect was said to have fled as the victim staggered out, seeking help.
He was reportedly taken in a tricycle to a private hospital in the area by a resident.
However, when he was rejected due to the severity of the injuries, he was dumped on the road.
A resident, who did not want to be identified, said he saw Eze in a pool of blood on the road.
“I fled at the sight of the body on the road. I later called a security man to join me to identify and probably rescue him. When we got there, he was dead. The security guard identified him as one of the launderer’s family members,” he added.
Policemen from the Elere division were said to have removed the corpse and took it to their station.
It was learnt that the suspect later submitted himself to the police.
A relative told PUNCH Metro that the police put the corpse in front of the suspect at the station.
“He was in handcuffs. He looked round and saw a lot of family members and burst into tears. He said he never knew Ebere was dead. But we have decided that the matter is now between him and the government,” he said.
Another family member said the suspect was the third in the family to be held for murder.
“There is a curse on the family; it is not ordinary,” he added.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident, adding that the case had been transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba.
She said, “Around 11pm, one Ebere Akpu was assaulted by one Monday Eze with a machete. The victim died on the way to a hospital.
“His corpse has been deposited at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos for autopsy. The suspect has been arrested and the case transferred to the SDCI.”
Gunmen arrived hours before Lagos monarch’s abduction –Residents
Oseni’s Palace Photo: Olaleye
Some residents of Iba community, Lagos State, where gunmen abducted the monarch, the Oniba of Iba land, Oba Goriola Oseni, say they saw the attackers in military uniforms about three hours before the attack.
The residents told our correspondent that three of the gunmen, who walked into the community around 5.30pm, wore military camouflage, while others wore black police vests as if they had come for an investigation.
PUNCH Metro had reported on Monday that the gunmen, numbering about 16 men, attacked the monarch’s palace around 8.30pm on Saturday, whisking away the 73-year-old ruler in two speedboats which they stationed by the water. It was reported that the gunmen killed the palace guard, Sunday Okanlawon, an unidentified motorcyclist and shot at the monarch’s wife, Kuburat, who was still recuperating in a government hospital.
A woman and her three-month-old baby and a businessman, identified simply as Christian, were also reportedly abducted by the gunmen.
When PUNCH Metro visited the area on Monday, it was learnt that the gunmen entered into the community through an abandoned forest path leading to the waterway.
Residents of the street leading to the waterway said they saw the strange men around 5.30pm, who greeted them and passed by.
Oba Goriola Oseni
One of the residents, who gave his name only as Lukman, said, “Our king has spent 41 years on the throne and no such thing has ever happened in his palace. On Saturday around 5.30pm, I sat in front of my house with a neighbour, and I saw three men passing by. The one in the front wore a military uniform; two wore black police vests.
“They greeted us and we replied. I did not see any gun with them. Around 8.30pm, we heard gunshots from the palace area. I did not suspect the men.”
Another witness said, “I suspect the gunmen were people who knew Kabiyesi’s movements. They knew the times he would go to the bathroom, remove his clothes and other personal effects. When they were bringing the king out, two of the gunmen carried him by each thigh, and did not allow his legs to touch the ground. Others were shooting sporadically.
“They did not escape through the route they came from. They went through a road behind the palace that only an insider would have described to them. While the operation lasted, most residents stayed indoors because of the gunshots, thinking the king hired operatives to arrest suspected cultists troubling the community.”
Our correspondent learnt that apart from the palace guard and the motorcyclist, another resident – a barber identified only as Riliwan – was killed by the gunmen while leaving the community.
At Riliwan’s house, a relation, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the barber was returning from his shop around 8pm when a stray bullet hit him.
It was learnt that Riliwan, who was initially rushed to a hospital, but did not make it, was buried on Sunday.
At the palace, one of the monarch’s daughters, Adedayo Oseni, a former Iba Local Council Development Area chairman, said the gunmen had yet to contact the family.
She said, “The gunmen have not contacted the family. They did not leave with Baba’s phones, but they took two phones belonging to my sisters.
“The king’s wife, who was shot, is responding to treatment. She has been operated on by the doctor at the hospital. We do not know when she will be discharged.
“Although the police have been on the ground, we appeal to them to expedite action to rescue my father.
“He is an elderly person. He was abducted without putting on any clothes. He is on drugs and he needs to be attended to.”
One of the monarch’s sons, Saheed Oseni, said the gunmen had switched off the phones they took from the palace.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who spoke to PUNCH Metro at the palace, said the police were collaborating with other security agencies to rescue the monarch.
He said, “I came to the area for an assessment and you also saw the terrain the gunmen came through. Accessibility to such terrain could be a challenge. We do not want to destroy forests, but some men use them for heinous crimes.
“We have been telling kidnappers to get legitimate jobs from platforms created by the government. The police are joining hands with other security agencies and members of the community in this operation.
“How soon the police will rescue the monarch is within operational strategies. You don’t give all you have in your arsenal to enemies.”
Meanwhile, the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Tunji Bello, said the government had placed security agencies in the state on a red alert to curb rising cases of kidnapping and armed robbery.
In a statement on Monday, the SSG said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would not relent on the primary responsibility of ensuring security of lives and property, adding that residents should promptly report suspicious activities to authorities.
He said, “We assure Lagosians that the government will not allow evil doers to prosper at the expense of innocent citizens.
“Residents should use 112 and 767 lines to report any case of crime and suspicious movements to security agencies. Most of the crimes are perpetrated through persons who work with friends, family members or close associates of the victims.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has launched a nationwide manhunt for a woman believed to be in her 20s, Tofunmi Akinade, who is alleged to be a serial Automated Teller Machine fraudster and identity thief.
The EFCC said on its official Facebook page that the suspect recently stole the ATM card of a woman and stole over N1m from the account.
The commission said Akinade’s modus operandi was to stand near ATMs under the guise of helping old or physically-challenged people to withdraw money only for her to swap their ATM cards and convert them to her ownThe anti-graft agency said the suspect “does not work during the official hours of the week”, adding that she operated late in the night when all bank transactions had closed and preferably at weekends when her prospective victims might not be able to alert the banks to their missing ATM cards.
The anti-graft agency said, “The Ibadan zonal office of the EFCC is on the trail of a suspected ATM fraudster, who goes by the name Akinade Tofunmi. Her trade in stock is identity theft. Her duty post is any ATM point and Point of Sales (POS) machines across the country.
“In her last operation, within 24 hours, this fraudster who operates with the identity of her victims succeeded in racking in about N3m.
“On Friday, June 3, 2016, at about the close of work, a woman, identified simply as Alhaja and her husband, who was waiting in the car, wanted to use an ATM somewhere in Ibadan, Oyo State, when Tofunmi noticed that the woman limped.
“Pretending to be polite and cultured, she offered to assist her with the transaction on the ATM. Unaware of the intention behind the pious approach, she gave the fraudster her ATM card and divulged her PIN.
“Smartly, the fraudster quickly checked the balance in the account which had N1, 749, 026.07. After the intended withdrawal of N20,000, the fraudster swapped the card and gave Alhaja a fake ATM card. Oblivious of the swap, she left with her husband.”
The EFCC said before midnight, the fraudster started withdrawing money from her victim’s account.
It alleged that she withdrew N130,000 and having exceeded the daily withdrawal limit for that day, she waited for a few minutes into the following day which was a Saturday and withdrew another N150,000.
It added that in a desperate attempt to empty the balance in the account, the suspect went to a night club where she met a motorcycle rider, popularly called okada rider, whom she approached for help.
The EFCC added, “She told the okada rider that she had enough money in her account, but could not access it having exceeded her daily withdrawal limit. She showed the okada man her balance and pleaded with him to give her his ATM card, account details and PIN for a quick teller transfer from her (Alhaja’s) account to the okada man’s account.
“With that, she was able to transfer some of Alhaja’s money in the okada man’s account, thereby stealing the identity of the unsuspecting okada man.”
The commission said in the early hours of that Saturday, she asked the okada man to take her to a hotel with an intention to further steal the identity of the hotel for another movement of the money.
It added, “At the hotel reception while paying for her accommodation which was N10,000 for one night, she deliberately credited the hotel’s account with N101,000 feigning a mistake and demanded a refund of N91,000 balance of an overpayment. This was also done with Alhaja’s ATM card through the POS machine at the hotel.
“To further conceal her identity, she provided fake personal details in the hotel and gave the hotel the okada man’s account detail when the hotel management requested an account to deposit the refund.”
The EFCC said the suspect left the hotel and fled to Ilorin, Kwara State, with Alhaja’s ATM cards.
It said the okada rider had since been arrested and was helping detectives with investigation
GUARD ARRESTED FOR RAPING PUPIL ON SCHOOL PREMISES
Apapa Magistrate’s Court
Afeez Hanafi
The police have arrested a security guard of a public school in Lagos, Adeniyi Primary School, Itire, for allegedly raping an eight-year-old pupil.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the 40-year-old suspect, Friday Oshoba, aka Mopol, committed the alleged crime while the primary 2 pupil, Mercy (pseudonym), was waiting for her sister to pick her up after the school closed around 2pm.
Oshoba was said to have persuaded her to follow him to a deserted spot within the school and removed her underwear. He reportedly raped her afterwards.
It was gathered that a class five pupil, identified only as Bukola, who was sent on an errand by a schoolteacher, caught the guard in the act and reported to the teacher.
Our correspondent learnt that Mercy, on getting home, recounted the incident to her parents. An uncle of the girl followed her to the school the following day and reported the matter to the head teacher.
The head teacher was said to have invited policemen from the Itire division, leading to Oshoba’s arrest.
Mercy, in her statements to the police, said, “I was in the school on May 11 at about 2pm when Mopol (Oshoba) called me to a place on the school premises. He removed my underwear and put his thing (manhood) inside my bum-bum. Bukola, who is in primary five, saw us and reported to her teacher. I also told my daddy when I got home.”
The suspect, an indigene of Ekpoma, Edo State, denied raping the girl, saying he did not know her name. Oshoba was, however, silent in his statement on whether he took Mercy to any spot as alleged.
He said, “The girl is one of our pupils in Adeniyi Primary School.
“I did not know her name, but I know she is in Primary two. I did not do anything with her. I was married, but my wife left me and I don’t have any child.”
However, a social worker at the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where medical examinations were carried out on the victim, said Mercy had bruises in her private parts.
The worker, who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said, “The result of the test conducted on the girl shows that she had bruises and fresh lacerations on her hymen. These suggest that the suspect forcefully penetrated her private parts as she claimed.”
Oshoba was subsequently brought before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court by a police prosecutor, Francisca Job, on one count of rape.
The charge read, “That you, Friday Oshoba, on May 11, 2016, at about 2pm, at Adeniyi Primary School, Itire, Lagos State, in the Apapa Magisterial District, did defile an eight-year-old girl… thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge. The presiding magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Adegbite, admitted him to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
