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Residents cry out, as beggars, hoodlums back on Lekki-Ajah roads

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Almost eight months after former Lagos Commissioner of Police, now retired AIG Hakeem Odumosu promised to rid the Lekki area of Lagos State of hoodlums and robbers masquerading as beggars, residents of the area have again pleaded with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to rescue them from the hoodlums.

It will be recalled that in August 2021, the former CP had vowed to go after the hoodlums. In a statement by the state PPRO, the former police boss in the state had said: “As concerned, dutiful and very responsible Police Officers saddled with the statutory responsibility of internal security, we are not oblivious of the apparent security challenges posed by miscreants masquerading as beggars in some parts of the country particularly in Lagos State.

“In view of the foregoing, the Command is urgently interfacing, and indeed working in tandem with the State Ministry of Youth and Social Development as well as other relevant authorities to solve this social malaise.

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“In reaction to the specific plight of the residents of Lekki and Ajah axis, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu whose primary concern is to provide robust security for the teeming people of Lagos State, has directed the Area Commander, DPOs, other field and tactical commanders to immediately embark on 24hrs stop and search and vehicular patrol of every nook and cranny of the affected axis and similar areas requiring additional police presence.”

But the people have said that there was no respite from the hoodlums, claiming that the hoodlums made a quick return to the roads soon after the vow by the police to chase them away.

A resident who pleaded anonimity for security reasons said: “The boys and these beggars are back in large numbers and more vicious than they were last year. Today, they storm the streets to harrass innocent motorists any time from 6pm. Their mode of operation is to come near your car in traffic. Sometimes, these beggars (aged between 4 and 14 years) spray your windscreen with soapy water without cleaning the screen to distract you and ask you to wind down your glass, so that the older ones can attack you. We all live in fear of these boys and street beggars everyday.”

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Another resident, who identified himself simply as Chucks, called on Governor Sanwo-olu who once live in lekki before becoming the Governor of the state,to act now and ensure that the Lekki-Ajah area is rid of the bad boys and beggars/miscreants. “I think the governor needs to act now. The people are already insuniating that he is keeping quiet because of his second term ambition, that he does not want to offend the area boys. Some are even saying that he not is doing anything to rescue the situation because of the presidential ambition of Bola Tinubu. (Simply because of Northern support.)”I don’t really know how long we have to endure this pains when even states in the north are already evacuating beggars from their streets, while Lagos State Government is allowing them on the street of Lagos” Chucks lamemted.

Supporting this claim, another resident said there is a need for the State government and the police to act quickly before beggars and hoodlums take over the entire Lekki-Ajah axis. According to her, residents live in fear of attacks on the roads by the hoodlums and beggars. “They are no respecter of anybody. In traffic, your heart skips anytime you see them. And to make matters worse, they don’t show any fear as they move from one vehicle to another with their vicious looks and threats. Please, help to call on the police and the Lagos State government to come to our rescue.”

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Police arrest 16-year-old girl for poisoning ex-boyfriend, four others

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The Edo State Police Command has detained a 16-year-old girl, Aisha Suleiman, who is accused of fatally poisoning her ex-boyfriend, identified as Emmanuel, and four other young men in Afashio community in the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The tragic discovery was reported on October 26, 2024, when Emmanuel’s father, Mr Elogie Ezekiel, arrived at his son’s apartment around 6:30 a.m. that day and saw some lifeless bodies in the house.

Ezekiel reportedly found the body of a young man, Nurudeen, in the corridor.

 

Moving further into the apartment, he discovered Emmanuel, 19, and his girlfriend, identified as Ada Samuel, also 16, lying lifeless on the bedroom bed.

 

Two other friends of Emmanuel’s, Samuel and Jeffrey Ayegwalo, both siblings, were found unresponsive in the sitting room.

All five were immediately transported to the hospital, where doctors pronounced them dead on arrival.

 

Some sources in the area noted that the victims had just consumed a pot of pepper soup prepared by Suleiman for the five friends.

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The investigation took a significant turn three days later when police received a report that Suleiman, who was alleged to have poisoned the victims, was about to be lynched by a group of young men from the community.

 

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, said that police officers from the Jattu Division were quickly mobilised to the scene, intervened, and transported Suleiman safely to the station.

 

“The case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department to conduct a thorough investigation,” Yamu added.

 

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Umoru Ozigi, has ordered a detailed investigation, instructing officers to pursue every possible lead to determine the true cause of death in the case.

He also warned against any form of mob action, urging the community to allow the police to carry out their duties. CP Ozigi reassured the public that justice would be pursued diligently.

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Court grants N10m bail each to 72 #EndBadGovernance protesters

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A federal high court in Abuja has granted N10 million bail to 72 defendants arraigned over their participation in the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.

 

Obiora Egwuatu, presiding judge, specified that each defendant must provide two sureties in like sum.

He added that one of the sureties must be a civil servant of grade level 15 or higher, with a verifiable address within the court’s jurisdiction, while the other surety must be a parent of the defendant.

The court had fixed Friday for the arraignment of 76 defendants — who are mostly minors.

At the commencement of proceedings, the children, who looked ill and malnourished, were asked to come forward to take their plea.

While some huddled in the dock, others stood outside the cubicle due to insufficient space.

However, four minors were rushed out of the courtroom after they collapsed and writhed in pain.

The judge had to rise abruptly before calm returned to the courtroom.

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When the court session resumed, the prosecution asked that the names of the four ill children be removed from the charge.

The other defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty.

The 76 defendants, who were arrested in Abuja, Kaduna, Gombe, Jos, Katsina, and Kano states, are being accused of treason, among other offences.

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BREAKING: Court orders final forfeiture of $2.04m, properties, shares linked to Emefiele

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The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday ordered the final forfeiture of the sum of $2.045m, seven choice landed properties and share certificates linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.

 

Justice Deinde Dipeolu ordered the permanent forfeiture of the monies and the two share certificates of Queensdorf Global Fund Limited Trust, after holding that the former CBN governor or any other interested party did not contest same after the initial interim forfeiture.

 

The court also forfeited the seven choice landed properties on the ground that the former CBN Governor, Emefiele,was not able to connect his lawful earnings from Zenith Bank and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to the acquisition of the properties.

 

The court held that the former CBN Governor failed to provide documents or links to show that he owned the properties.

 

Emefiele had denied any connection between him and the companies in whose names the properties were purchased and the companies had also failed to appear before the court to claim the properties.

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The EFCC had listed the companies as; Amrash Ventures Limited, Modern Hotels Limited, Finebury Properties Limited, Fidelity Express Services Limited, H & Y Business Global Limited and SDEM Erectors Nigeria Limited.

 

Justice Dipeolu held, “the conclusion that can be deduced is that there must be something dark about the acquisition of the properties which Emefiele and the companies does not want to come to light.”

 

The judge further held “that the interested party has failed to demonstrate any lawful interest in the properties and that they were aquired from his legitimate earnings”.

 

“I therefore order the final forfeiture to the Federal Government of Nigeria of all those properties…which are reasonably suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.”

 

The properties are: two fully detached duplexes of identical structures, lying being and situated at No. 17b Hakeem Odumosu Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos; an undeveloped land, measuring 1919.592sqm with Survey Plan No. DS/LS/340 at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos; a bungalow at No. 65a Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, (Formerly Queens Drive), Ikoyi, Lagos and a four-bedroom duplex at 12a Probyn Road, Ikoyi.

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Others are an industrial complex under construction on 22 plots of land in Agbor, Delta State; 8 units of an undetached apartment on a plot measuring 2457.60sqm at No. 8a Adekunle Lawal Road, Ikoyi, and a full duplex together with all its appurtenances on a plot of land measuring 2217.87sqm at 2a Bank Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

 

On August 15, 2024, the court had authorised the EFCC to temporarily take custody of the cash sum of $2.045million, seven choice landed properties and shares linked to Emefiele after hearing an Exparte application filed by lead counsel to the Commission, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN).

 

The court’s ruling followed the EFCC’s assertion that the money and other items sought to be forfeited were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities.

 

However, counsel to Emefiele, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo had urged the court to stay proceedings and not grant the final forfeiture of the properties.

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