Metro News

Man beats brother’s wife to death over land dispute in Anambra

Published

2 years ago

August 1, 2022

admin

There is tension in Ogbunike community, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, following the killing of a 40-year-old woman, one Mrs. Nkiru Okoye.

According to reports, the deceased, who was the wife of a mechanical engineer, Emenike Okoye, was allegedly beaten to death by her brother-in-law, George Okoye, over disputed landed property.

George is the elder brother of Emenike.

The suspect was said to have invaded the home of the victim, alongside some of his family members on July 19, 2022.

Emenike, who was also inflicted with severe injuries, is currently hospitalised at the Isaac Chira Memorial Hospital and Maternity, Awkuzu, Oyi.

The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect had been arrested and investigation was ongoing.

Ikenga said, “We have a suspect in our custody and the case is still being investigated. More information will be communicated as the development continues to unfold.”

Narrating what led to his wife’s death, Emenike, who spoke on the hospital bed on Sunday, said, “I was preparing for work, while my wife was preparing the children for school and to also travel home for a meeting. George and his wife, Uzonna, and their son, Somtochukwu, and twin daughters, invaded my house around 6am on July 19. They overpowered us, beat us to stupor, and left.

READ Diya will be remembered for patriotism - Tinubu

“Later on that day, when my children had gone to school, around 7am, they returned with some persons, carrying dangerous weapons.

“They dragged my wife outside the house, hit and killed her with an axe and a chair. She fell and died. When I resisted their move to drag me outside, they broke my hand with the axe, dragged me outside and started hitting me with the axe all over my body until I passed out. You can see the cut in my eyes.

“They left me, thinking that I was also dead. But miraculously, I escaped death as some members of our local vigilantes who arrived at the scene drove me to a hospital.”

Emenike, while demanding justice for his wife, also asked for help to be relocated to a better hospital where he would fully recover.

On the cause of the crisis, he said, “George, when our mother, Mrs Adaoba Okoye, was alive, claimed to be our landlord. He is not the first born, yet he claims the ownership of the entire compound and always fights with all of us. I was not married to my wife when the crisis started in my family.So, she had nothing to do with this.

READ Angry man kills only son during argument in A’Ibom

“This crisis also led to the death of our mother and our eldest brother. The community had intervened and the property was shared, with him taking the larger part. I took mine without complaining. Later, he started laying claims to the passage that leads my house.

“When I did a perimeter fence, he pulled it down and even reported me to the kindred. I left it. A member of our kindred later intervened and wanted to pay him some money to hands off the portion, he agreed initially, but when it was time to start the construction, he rejected the offer. Only for him to invade my compound and attack me, killing my wife in the process.”

The eldest and only surviving daughter of the family, Mrs Monica Onwuegbusi, said she had initiated reconciliatory moves to bring lasting peace between the brothers, but George refused.

Onwuegbusi, a 68-year-old widow, presented some of the letters of the meeting she initiated, inviting the family to reconcile the brothers.

READ Father, mother, 3 kids die in Lagos-Badagry expressway road accident

She appealed for help in raising the five children of the deceased, who were in her custody.

Also speaking, members of the Ogbunike Daughters Association (Umuada Ogbunike), led by Mrs Nkechinyeru Nwoye and Ms Ogochukwu Okoye, described the incident as an abomination.

The younger brother of the late Nkiru, Mr Chidiebele Okelue, said the Abba people would never rest until justice was served.

Metro News

14-year-old Nigerian, Daniel Anjorin killed in London sword attack

Published

9 hours ago

May 1, 2024

admin

The teenage boy killed in the Hainault sword attack in north-east London has been identified as 14-year-old Daniel Anjorin.

Police said Anjorin died from stab wounds shortly after being taken to hospital on Tuesday.

He was the only casualty in the attack that left four other people, including two police officers, injured.

The suspect, 36, was cornered and overpowered with a Taser by officers in Thurlow Gardens.

Police were called to reports of a car crashing into a house and people being stabbed in Hainault, north-east London.

James Fernando, a witness, told the BBC that he saw the suspect asked one of his neighbours to take his phone and “tell whoever was on the phone his location”.

Fernando said the neighbour soon noticed the sword and started running.

“As she fled, the woman shouted to another neighbour, a boy on his way to school, who was then struck by the attacker as he turned around,” he said.

READ Houseboy cuts off 72-year-old woman’s genitals for money rituals in Anambra

Anjorin attended Bancroft’s, the same school where Grace O’Malley-Kumar, a stabbing victim in Nottingham, was also a student.

Holy Family Catholic School where the boy’s mother works, issued a statement naming her Mrs Anjorin and called for prayers for the family.Police said the suspect is in hospital being treated for injuries sustained when the vehicle he was in crashed into the house.The police said the suspect would be taken in for questioning immediately after he has some respite, adding that Anjorin’s family are being supported by specially trained staff.

Metro News

Gas explosion rocks Lagos community

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2024

admin

One yet-to-be-identified pregnant woman and eight others have sustained varying degrees of injuries following a gas explosion that occurred at Alaba Lane, Alayabiagba Community, in the Ajegunle-Apapa area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the incident occurred on Tuesday at about 12:39 p.m.

Confirming the incident, the Head, Public Education, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Amodu Shakiru, stated that preliminary inquiry revealed that a number of different gas cylinders that were traded in the area had one that was set off by a possible leak that broke a high-tension cable and started a fire.

He added that the fire destroyed four commercial tricycles, six lock-up stores, and a portion of a bungalow building.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that a number of various gas cylinders traded within the neighborhood have one triggered by a suspectable leakage leading to the snapping of a high-tension cable and resultant fire.

“Four commercial tricycles, six lock-up shops, and a bungalow part of the properties were razed down while salvaging adjoining structures, including a major fuel service station.

READ 2024 UTME: 77% of 1.8M candidates score less than 200

He stated that the Federal Fire Service, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the fire stations in Ajegunle and Sari-Iganmu quickly contained the incident.

Shakiru noted that the pregnant woman and the other victims are currently receiving treatment at the Gbagada Burn & Trauma Center and Ajeromi General Hospital following initial care provided by the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

“However, nine people reportedly suffered different degrees of burn injury, including a pregnant woman, children, and adults, male and female, who are recuperating at the Ajeromi General Hospital and Gbagada Burnt & Trauma Centre after some first aid by the Lagos State Ambulance Service.

“The incident was curtailed in record time through the combined efforts of the Ajegunle and Sari-Iganmu Fire Stations of the LSFRS with the compliment of the Federal Fire Service.”

Emefiele collected $600k kickback in cash from contractors, former CBN director tells court

Published

2 days ago

April 29, 2024

admin

John Ikechukwu Ayoh, a former director at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has testified against Godwin Emefiele, ex-governor of the apex bank, in the ongoing case of abuse of office at the Lagos high court.

Emefiele and his co-defendant, Henry Omoile, are currently facing trial on a 26-count charge.

The former CBN governor and Omoile pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

At the court proceedings on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) presented Ayoh as the second witness in the case against Emefiele.

Ayoh told the court that he worked at the apex bank from June 2014 to April 2019 noting that he did not work directly under Emefiele.

Ayoh added that he used to report to Adebayo Adelabu, a former deputy governor of CBN, who is now the minister of power.

The witness said he was the head of procurement and support services (PSS) of the apex bank, which was vested with powers to receive bids and select successful bidders.

READ 2024 UTME: 77% of 1.8M candidates score less than 200

The former CBN director said he collected money from contractors as gratification of awarding contracts to them based on the instruction from Emefiele.

The witness said Emefiele usually sends his personal assistant (PA) — John Adetona — to collect the contractors’ kickback from him.

Ayoh said he collected $400,000 and $200,000 in cash from contractors on two different occasions and handed them over to Emefiele’s PA.

“The first transaction was $400,000 and the second one was $200,000 in cash. I was in my house when the first envelope was brought to me. His assistant was asked to collect the money,” he told the court.

“One of the vendors had a contract with CBN which involved the implementation of data storage and infrastructure.

“The first package was collected in my residence at Lekki phase one, while the second package was collected at the head office in Lagos.”

READ Electricity Tariff hike: Adelabu apologises to Nigerians over ‘freezer’ remark

During cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, counsel to Emefiele, Ayoh said he was under duress from the former CBN to accept gratifications on his behalf.

“No, I was under duress from my boss (referring to Emefiele). We were faced with tremendous pressure to bend the rule,” the witness said when asked about aiding the commission of a crime by collecting the money.

Asked if he indicated in his statement with the EFCC that the money was meant to influence the award of contracts, the witness said some parts of his statement implied that.

“Who told you that it (the money) is for gratification,” Emefiele’s counsel asked.

“The cash is for gratification to the governor for awarding the contracts. He (Emefiele) asked for it. He won’t approve the contract without gratification,” the witness said.

On whether he was arrested by the EFCC, the witness said the anti-graft agency invited him and was granted bail afterwards.

READ Father, mother, 3 kids die in Lagos-Badagry expressway road accident

Emefiele’s counsel told the court that the witness must have traded being charged by the EFCC to become a witness against the former CBN boss.

INTERIM BAIL

After the cross-examination of the witness, Emefiele’s counsel sought a fresh interim bail for the former CBN governor, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions earlier stipulated by the court.

Ojo told the court that the initial interim bail granted to Emefiele ended today (Monday), adding that the defence team has not been able to meet the bail conditions.

He urged the court to grant Emefiele another interim bail that would end on May 17.

Rahman Oshodi, the presiding judge, granted the request and ordered that Ojo swear to an affidavit to provide Emefiele in the next adjourned date.

Oshodi adjourned to May 3, 9, and 17 for the continuation of the trial.