Billionaire kidnapper: Police collected over N50 million from Evans – Lawyer alleges

​Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, Counsel to billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans, has accused officers of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of extorting over N50m and other valuables worth millions of naira from his clients.

Ogungbeje made the claims in a petition to the Police Service Commission, PSC, National Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the National Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty International.

In the petition, Ogungbeje also accused the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of sexually molesting Evans’ girlfriend, Amaka Offor.

The petition is captioned: “The Evans Case and Saga: Brazen Extortion, Corruption, Gross Misconduct, Indiscipline, Sexual Molestation and Human Rights Violation Against the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team Police Officers and Policemen.”

The petition reads, “Our client has duly briefed us on the above captioned subject matter involving the police officers and policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is our secured brief that in the course of investigating our client while being detained in the custody of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on the allegation of kidnapping, the following under-listed items were forcefully and corruptly extorted from our client.

“1. The sum of N50, 000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) cash.

“2. Another sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) sent by our client’s wife as pressured by the above policemen.

“3. Twenty-five (25) Mack Trucks forcefully taken but not listed as exhibits in the ongoing criminal trial of our client.

“4. Brigade wristwatch worth One Hundred and Seventeen (117) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“5. Pendant cross worth Seventy (70) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“6. Necklace worth Twenty-Five (25) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“7. Virtu Phone worth Thirty (30) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“8. Virtu Signature Phone worth Seventeen (17) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“9. Ten (10) Thousand U.S Dollars cash extorted by ASP Phillip Rieninwa.

“10. Five (5) Pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond Rings worth One Hundred (100) Thousand U.S Dollars.

“11. Lexus 470 Jeep.

“12. Grand Cherokee Jeep.

“13. L 400 Mitsubishi Bus.

“14. Toyota Highlander (Gold Colour).

“15. Eighty-Five (85) Inches Samsung Television set worth 6.5 Million Naira amongst others.

“our client also confided in us that one (Amaka Offor) his girlfriend was sexually molested and abused by the above policemen of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT).”

Ogungbeje called on the Police Service Commission to probe his allegations and invoke appropriate sanctions including dismissal against the culpable police officers.

“Sir, you would agree with us that these allegations are too weighty to be ignored by any right-thinking Nigerian.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that it calls for prompt investigation, inquiry and appropriate sanctions. We are using this medium as our own way of galvanizing institutional sanity, cleansing and reform in the Nigeria Police Force as an institution.

“As we speak, the brother in law and other relations of our client are still being detained and tortured by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team

Nnamdi Kanu’s family reacts to ‘recovery of weapons’ in IPOB leader’s home

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The f​amily of leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu​ has dismissed claims by Abia Commissioner of Police, Anthony Ogbizi that police recovered lethal weapons when, in a joint exercise with the Army, raided their compound at Afara Ukwu on October 8.

Kanu’s family spokesman, Emmanuel Kanu​, told newsmen by telephone that if any weapon found​ within the premises must have been planted by security operatives.
The family accused Ogbizi of fabricating the story to justify
the​ ”​illegal raid” and also to appear as if he was working​.

His words: “This new CP was the same man who came to our house two days after the September 14 invasion with two Hilux vans and his Prado SUV and pulled down the car porch and destroyed the vehicles parked outside.

“This same CP hurriedly after the invasion on the October 8, issued a press release telling the whole world that they discovered bombs in my house. The army on the other hand, denied that there was no invasion and that they never went to my house, what a contradiction.

“A house that there has not been any person inside except our guard who we asked to look after the house, all of a sudden they invaded the house and came back to say they found a den gun, double barrel gun and petrol bomb. Who manufactured them? Who kept them there? That is the question to ask.”

“The policemen came to our house and ransacked the entire compound including my mum and my father’s rooms, removing my mum’s boxes, our TV and generator sets, bags of rice and many personal belongings without knowing that we had a CCTV recording their activities in the house.

“​But when they got clue about the CCTV and in order to concoct whatever that they would present to the public to label our family bad, they came back and removed the CCTV from where they were hung.
“I am telling the international community to prevail on this people. What the Police and other security agencies are doing in my house, my community, in my state and the entire Biafran Land is evil. It is clear that out of desperation, they are trying to cover their tracks and they have failed.

“Nobody can tag IPOB a terrorist organisation. We don’t carry arms and arms never solved any dispute. They should engage IPOB leadership genuinely. We are not violent. We don’t give life and we can’t take one. They have rubbished the name of the country called Nigeria, that’s why we are called Biafrans.
“They invaded the house and took away the CCTV now they said that they discovered petrol bomb and the rest of it, when we had only one person in the house. How possible is that? Who planted them?”

Kanu further stated, “If Ogbizi was serving in his Cross River State, he wouldn’t have raided the palace of the Obong of Calabar under any guise the way he raids my father’s palace and boasted he would raid it again, this can only happen in Igbo land.

“And let me tell you something, the reason they removed the former CP (Adeleye Oyebade) was that he knew that IPOB has been non-violent in their activities and he stood on the side of truth, he refused to be compromised that was why they removed him and brought this one from Cross River State who is on a mission he will never accomplish.”

2019 election: South West APC planning to replace Buhari with Tinubu – Dele Momodu

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Publisher of the Ovation Magazine and former Presidential aspirant, Dele Momodu has given interpretations to recent comment by an All Progressives Congress chieftain, chief Bisi Akande.

Akande during a meeting of the South West leaders of the ruling party had made it clear that there was no automatic ticket for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Reacting to the matter in a long article he shared on social media yesterday, Momodu pointed out that Yoruba leaders are preparing a former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bolaji Tinubu for presidency come 2019.

He said the decision is borne out of frustration, adding that the Yoruba leadership will no longer support any other tribe for presidency.

Part of his article reads, “What Baba Akande has not said is simply that the days when the Presidency would be voluntarily zoned to exclude most sections of the country in favour of another section, whether the candidate presented and supported by the people is competent or useless, are over.

“The truth is zoning never worked anyway, as some Presidential candidates left their original parties for other parties in defiance of the zoning formula of their own party.

“Without mincing words, it is obvious that the Yoruba leadership has decided it would no longer support other tribes, zones or regions to attain to power to the exclusion of their tribe.

“They would rather work hard, reach out, and join hands with like minds to get power.
“Their decision is borne out of the acute frustration and disappointment that makes them feel cheated about the Nigerian configuration which does not throw up the best but regularly favours the dregs of society who have only contributed to drawing Nigeria backward, in most cases.

“The campaign has probably started in earnest, culminating in the search for a Yoruba Presidency.
“Though the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose has controversially but ceremoniously thrown his hat into the ring, it is the fact that the capo di tutti capi, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may be warming up for his turn to take a major shot at the race of his life that is most significant.
“Mark my words. One of the greatest political strategists in Nigeria, Tinubu is tired of being a kingmaker and he would rather be the king.

“Indeed, that has always been his ambition but this has been largely curtailed by circumstances.
“Like many of those who supported Major General Muhammadu Buhari to attain power, after so many attempts, the former Senator and former Governor of Lagos State, feels he’s not gotten the respect and relevance he deserves for his monumental effort. Accordingly, he seems determined to make a personal push.

“Apart from the virtues of Baba Akande that I have enumerated above, a lesser known one is his deep sense of loyalty.”

Afenifere chieftain, Oloruntoba speaks on kind of restructuring Nigerians will accept

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Afenifere chieftain, Olusegun Oloruntoba, has called on the Federal Government to come up with a new constitution that will be acceptable to most parts of Nigeria.

According to him, the new constitution was necessary to enable the country embark on geopolitical and economic restructuring.

Oloruntoba, who was one of the soldiers framed up in the 1995 phantom coup, said in a interview with Punch newspaper: “We support the restructuring of Nigeria so as to engender economic advancement and infrastructural development.

“However, it is unwise to embark on creation of new states under our present economic situation. All unviable states should be disbanded and merged with fairly viable ones.

“What is the sense in keeping states that cannot pay workers’ salaries for months and even years in some cases? We should restructure or reconfigure the present 36 states to a minimum of six regions or geopolitical zones; or, a maximum of 12 geopolitical zones.”

The retired army officer also suggested that the bicameral National Assembly should be made unicameral and operated on a part-time basis.

“Also, members should be entitled to only sitting allowance. By adopting the unicameral system, billions of naira will be saved annually. Federal ministers should be appointed from elected members of each regional House of Assembly. Membership of each regional House of Assembly should not exceed 20.
“A limit must be set as to the number of political appointees a regional governor should have a max
imum of 10 commissioners and 10 special advisers. This will curb the recklessness and impunity of governors in appointing political aides,” Oloruntoba said.

2019 election: Nigeria will collapse if North, Buhari continue ruling – Arewa Consultative Forum Secretary, Mohammed

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The Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum and member of the National Executive Committee, NEC, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulrahman has expressed anger that some people are clamouring for President Muhammadu Buhari’s return in 2019.

Abdulrahman told Sun that, “We must not lose sight of the fact that it was an alliance that brought him in.
He further said that Nigeria will crash because of North’s supremacy and any attempt by Buhari to hold on to power will be disastrous.

Noting that President Buhari came to power through alliance with the South, he said the agreement must be respected, adding that Nigeria does not belong to the North alone.

He added, “The North and Buhari must get serious and behave themselves. Nigeria does not belong to the North because if you maintain the position, grandstanding that the North is powerful in Nigeria, you are wasting your time and Nigeria would collapse and crash.

“Why is the North asking for eight years? It is because of incapability to put in a leader. After Buhari, the best is Buhari. I am telling you now; go and write it down.

“The best the North can ever offer is Buhari. He failed three times woefully until the South West came and they had an alliance. Why are they trying to abuse that alliance?
“Four years is enough for the North. Let us respect each other.”
He said 2019 is not for Buhari and CPC but for the south west and ACN.

Nnamdi Kanu’s Family Reacts To ‘Recovery Of Weapons’ In IPOB Leader’s Home

The ​f​amily of leader of proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu​ ​has ​dismissed claims by Abia Commissioner of Police, Anthony Ogbizi that police recovered lethal weapons when, in a joint exercise with the Army, raided their compound at Afara Ukwu on October 8.

Kanu’s family spokesman, Emmanuel Kanu​, told newsmen by telephone that if ​any weapon found​ within the premises must have been planted by security operatives.

The family accused Ogbizi of fabricating the story to justify ​the​ ​”​illegal ​raid” and also to appear as if he was working​.

​His words: ​“This new CP was the same man who came to our house two days after the September 14 invasion with two Hilux vans and his Prado SUV and pulled down the car porch and destroyed the vehicles parked outside.

“This same CP hurriedly after the invasion on the October 8, issued a press release telling the whole world that they discovered bombs in my house. The army on the other hand, denied that there was no invasion and that they never went to my house, what a contradiction.

“A house that there has not been any person inside except our guard who we asked to look after the house, all of a sudden they invaded the house and came back to say they found a den gun, double barrel gun and petrol bomb. Who manufactured them? Who kept them there? That is the question to ask.”

“The policemen came to our house and ransacked the entire compound including my mum and my father’s rooms, removing my mum’s boxes, our TV and generator sets, bags of rice and many personal belongings without knowing that we had a CCTV recording their activities in the house.

“​But when they got clue about the CCTV and in order to concoct whatever that they would present to the public to label our family bad, they came back and removed the CCTV from where they were hung.
“I am telling the international community to prevail on this people. What the Police and other security agencies are doing in my house, my community, in my state and the entire Biafran Land is evil. It is clear that out of desperation, they are trying to cover their tracks and they have failed.

“Nobody can tag IPOB a terrorist organisation. We don’t carry arms and arms never solved any dispute. They should engage IPOB leadership genuinely. We are not violent. We don’t give life and we can’t take one. They have rubbished the name of the country called Nigeria, that’s why we are called Biafrans.
“They invaded the house and took away the CCTV now they said that they discovered petrol bomb and the rest of it, when we had only one person in the house. How possible is that? Who planted them?”

Kanu further stated, “If Ogbizi was serving in his Cross River State, he wouldn’t have raided the palace of the Obong of Calabar under any guise the way he raids my father’s palace and boasted he would raid it again, this can only happen in Igbo land.

“And let me tell you something, the reason they removed the former CP (Adeleye Oyebade) was that he knew that IPOB has been non-violent in their activities and he stood on the side of truth, he refused to be compromised that was why they removed him and brought this one from Cross River State who is on a mission he will never accomplish.”

Inside Ogun Church Where Satan Is A ‘Brother’ & Worshippers Are Served Alcohol

Without doubt, churches have denominations and patterns of worship differ, but when you stumble on one, where weird activities are the order of the day and alcohol, animal sacrifices and biblical villains like Nebuchadnezzar, Ahab and even Satan are deified, then you’ve just encountered worship redefined. Tabitha Pearl writes.

A Christian worship centre or church is a place where you expect everything but the absurd and the weird. But this was precisely what this reporter beheld few weeks back when she went snooping at “As God said, It Must Be Done, The temple of the Most High God,’ located in Oke-Aro in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

A mere N100 bus ride from the popular Agege/Pen Cinema Bus-Stop, took this reporter to As God Said Street – the street is named after the church. A short commercial motorcycle ride took this reporter to the church’s doorstep.

The temple is flanked on one side by what used to be a mosque and the other by a Celestial Church of Christ, which, strangely, wasn’t holding any service this Sunday. This reporter was however to soon discover during the nearly 10-hour-long service, that the mosque and the Celestial church had to evacuate their locations because of the new “Sheriff” in town.

The first thing that catches your attention as you walk into the church premises, depending on your keenness of sight, would either be the rather heavy use of the colours red and white; or the slaughter slab on the far right corner, though carefully concealed by the gigantic red gate. Beside the slab this fateful Sunday was a black goat waiting to be slaughtered and served to worshippers. Makes some sense though. If worshipers have to stay in church up to 10 hours or more, it just might be normal to consider feeding them.

Inside the temple, the love for red is even more pronounced. The floor has a fading red colour, which tells you it had originally been painted with glossy red paint; even the choir and a few members bear a touches of red on their dresses. No usher is seen ushering people in; there actually is no need for one, as the sitting arrangement is glaring enough, even to a first timer. Male worshippers sit to the right while female worshippers sit to the left.

Another thing you cannot miss as you walk into the temple is the altar. It is divided into two sections: a very high one, probably the holy of holies, reserved for the Most High, should he come visiting; and then a lower one, possibly where the seer, fondly called Papa, preaches from, whenever he returns from a visit to the Most High, which he claims he does often.

“I still communed with the Most High last month. I sit and discuss with Him often. I know his form. Who says we can’t see God?” he boasted amidst wild cheers from his followers.

On the higher altar is a massive chair, the type you find in kings’ palaces. That’s probably where the Most High sits when he visits. On the lower altar is a replica of that same seat, possibly for the Papa. On the far left of the lower altar is a seat like the earlier ones, only smaller in size. This is where the wife of the seer sits during service, albeit only on the invitation of her husband.

Right above the higher altar or holy of holies, is a line-up of some relics, the sort you’re only likely to find in a herbalist’s shrine. The most conspicuous of these would be an elaborate form of a skull, placed in the middle of two crossed bone-shaped pieces of woods – pretty much like the familiar skull and bones image, used to depict danger and death. There is also something like a big calabash, placed in the middle, leaving a first-timer wondering if this is a shine or a temple where God is worshipped.

Sunday Nation’s visit coincided with the 6th Anniversary Celebration of the worship centre. It was with great excitement that the seer, Blessed Dike-Oji-Ofo Chukwu announced to the dance-intoxicated congregation that, “Today, we are celebrating our sixth year of moving to this temple.”

This announcement was followed by an excited cheer from the worshippers.
The service, which was said to have begun at 8:30 am, ran for hours unending, with more than half the time spent singing and dancing, and – wait for this – spraying those perceived by the seer to have danced best with money. Interestingly, the children seemed to be more favoured in the money rain, above the adults. In order to be sure if this was the general mode of worship or just a one-off thing to commemorate the anniversary celebration, our reporter sought the opinion of a female congregant.