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Police confirm kidnap of Kwara monarch’s children, driver

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The Kwara State Police Command, on Friday, confirmed the abduction of five persons on transit from Osi to Obbo Aiyegunle in Kwara South Senatorial District of the state.

According to the spokesman of the command, Mr Okasanmi Ajayi, in a statement in Ilorin, the captives include the driver of the Olobbo of Obbo Aiyegunle, simply identified as Kunle; the monarch’s security aide, named Lawrence Abiodun; and his maid, identified as Bukunmi Akanbi.

Others are the monarch’s six-year-old twin girls, Taiwo and Kehinde.

The monarch, Oba Samuel Adelodun, personally reported the incident to the police which occurred at about 1830 hours on Thursday.

The police spokesman said the five victims were kidnapped by unknown gunmen while the monarch’s Toyota Sienna minivan, with registration number bearing Owalobo of Obbo Aiyegunle which was conveying the victims, was abandoned on the road.

“On receipt of the information, the state Police Commissioner, Amienbo Tuesday Assayomo, dispatched the anti-kidnapping and other tactical units of the command alongside local hunters to immediately commence a search and rescue operation in the area for possible arrest of the abductors and safe rescue of the victims,” the statement added.

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The Commissioner advised members of the public to provide useful information that could aid the quick rescue of the victims.

He urged citizens to avoid movements in isolated and lonely routes at odd hours of the day while assuring the security of lives and the safety of citizens and residents in the state.

 

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Fubara visits scene of tanker explosions, promises support for families of victims

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Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, says the state government will support he families of victims affected by the multiple tanker explosion.

 

Fubara spoke on Saturday when he visited the scene of the accident alongside Olatunji Disu, commissioner for police in Rivers, and Maximus Nwafor, commissioner for energy.

 

On Friday night, tankers laden with petroleum products burst into flames on a section of the East-West road in Eleme, Rivers state, leaving an unspecified number of people killed.

 

The inferno which had also left travellers stranded for hours, engulfed over 50 vehicles, with some bodies found burnt beyond recognition in cars and in a nearby drainage.

The governor directed security agencies to conduct a thorough assessment of the accident to facilitate the provision of aid to families of victims.

 

“Yesterday around 7-8pm, we got information about a very serious inferno that was caused by a tanker conveying PMS,” he said.

 

“I got the information through the MD of Indorama and immediately alerted the security agencies. From what we are seeing this morning, it was not a very pleasant case.

“We recorded, from what I am seeing, a huge number of vehicles being destroyed and souls lost.

 

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“I have already asked the security agencies to give us a full brief. So that we can come into the situation fully by seeing how much we can support the families of the bereaved and see how we can cushion the effect of the losses.”

 

The governor also lamented the deteriorating condition of the Eleme section of the East-West road.

 

“We all know the situation of this road; it is unfortunate. Most of our people when plying this road do so with caution,” he added.

 

 

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Many feared dead in multiple petrol tanker explosions in Rivers

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An unspecified number of people have been killed after tankers laden with petroleum products burst into flames on a section of the east-west road in Eleme, Rivers state.

 

The incident, which left travellers stranded for hours, occurred on Friday night.

 

Some of the victims of the multiple explosions were said to have been trapped in their vehicles as the blasts raged.

 

The cause of the explosions are not clear at the time of reporting. However, eyewitnesses have pointed to “dangerous driving and negligence”.

The Nation quoted Segun Owolabi, an eyewitness, as saying that one tanker collided with a vehicle before bursting into flames, leading to a domino effect.

 

“I saw four dead bodies burnt. Some may have been in the bushes because many ran away. I saw a whole stretch of vehicles burnt down, trailers burnt down,” Owolabi said.

“There seems to be a truck carrying substances and it was as if it had collided with another vehicle that may have ignited the fire. Over 20 vehicles burnt down and several people trapped.

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“There may be more bodies. Oh my God this is a tragedy. A stretch of vehicles burnt.”

 

Another eyewitness said he heard a loud explosion from a petrochemical complex in the area.

 

“I heard a very loud sound about 20 minutes ago, and people were shouting,” he said.

 

“The sound came from the petrochemical company area. So when I came out I saw thick smoke with fire from a distance.”

The inferno reportedly raged for hours before it was put out by firefighters.

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EFCC arrests 34 suspected currency speculators for ‘FX fraud’

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says 34 suspected currency speculators have been arrested for foreign exchange (FX) fraud.

The EFCC, in a statement on Friday, said the arrest was carried out by its operatives attached to its task force on currency mutilation, dollarisation of the economy, and FX malpractice.

 

The anti-graft agency said the suspects were arrested in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, on April 26, in a sting operation following credible intelligence about illegal sales of dollars.

 

“Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, attached to the Taskforce on Currency mutilation, Dollarization of the Economy and Forex Malpractice, have arrested 34 suspected currency speculators for alleged foreign exchange fraud,” the EFCC said.

“The suspects are: Usman Mohammed, Abdullahi Nasir, Abubakar Saleh, Mohammed Kabir Ibrahim, Abubakar Ghadafi, Muktar Usman, Umar Abubakar Abba, Yakubu Sani, Aminu Abubakar, Muhammed Suleman Abara, Yusuf Tahir, Usman Lawal, Usman Lawal.”

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The agency also arrested Usman Umar, Amina Garba Rola, Muhammed Aliyu, Murtala Haruna, Sani Mohammed, Umar Farouk, Muhammed Sagiuru, Aminu Salisu, Lawal Bello, and Munzali Hashim.

 

Other include: Jamilu Suleiman, Mustapha Umar, Mubarak Tanimu, Adamu Garba, Mohammed Usman, Bello Musa, Saleh Mohammed Naseer, Zaharadeen Yau, Musa Umaru Adamu, Usman Machido, and Abdulaziz Abubakar Abba.

The EFCC said the arrest occurred following its ongoing efforts to clean up and stabilise the FX market, adding that the suspects will soon be arraigned in court upon conclusion of investigations.

On February 24, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the office of the national security adviser (ONSA) sealed a partnership to investigate and penalise those involved in illicit activities within the foreign exchange market.

 

The decision was on the backdrop of the unending depreciation of the naira and its accompanying negative impact on inflation and economic instability.

 

Following the partnership, which also involved the EFCC, the commission froze over 300 accounts linked to illicit FX trading.

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The EFCC had, on January 24, launched a probe on 52 companies over forex transactions.

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