10 Stolen Children Recovered In Akwa Ibom

- As Police arrest girl for kidnapping 2 pupils in Aba Security operatives in Akwa Ibom State have recovered about 10 children earlier stolen from their parents and sold either for rituals or to childless couples. Two of the children were rescued just a few days ago in Aba, Abia State. More than 20 suspects, one a traditional ruler from Anambra State, have so far been arrested. One of the suspects, an Akwa Ibom man, is said to have sold one of his children through the Anambra chief to a buyer who paid about half a million naira for them to share. Two of the parents have been able to identify their children.  They are…

Imo State Goes tough on Baby factory, illegal adoption – As Police arrest another Operator

The Imo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Mrs. Mma Onyechere has expressed concern over the increasing number of baby factories and illegal adoptions in the State, warning that henceforth it is not going to be business as usual. Speaking during a press conference at the NUJ Press Centre Owerri, Mrs. Onyechere said she was worried that individuals are committing inhuman acts by keeping pregnant teenagers in their homes in order to sell their babies when they deliver.  She believed that these teenagers act out of ignorance.  She said babies are sold between N250,000 – N300,000  or even more depending on the gender. She vowed to fight this baby factory and illegal…

Police begin vehicle registration Sept 16

The Force Headquarters said in Abuja that it is set to commence the Digital Biometric Central Motor Registration (BCMR) system of vehicles, tricycles and motorbikes from the old analogue CMR, beginning from next Monday, September 16. This, the police said, was necessary to effectively combat terrorism and high incidence of car thefts, carjacking, kidnappings and other crimes and criminalities in the country.  Under the new arrangement, vehicle owners are expected to pay N3,500, while tricycles popularly called “Keke Marwa” or “Keke NAPEP” and motorbikes would pay N1,500. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, who made this known in Abuja, said the BCMR, which is designed to match over 20 million fingerprints per second,…

‘Not my Cattle’ – Commissioner of Police

Unlike Governor Okorocha who has an infectious smile and readily shows off his white teeth; the Commissioner of Police Muhammad Musa Katsina doesn’t smile easily, especially when in uniform. In fact, he looks stern when his office is crowded with people making one petition after another, when he’s pondering over the crime rate or considering the number of teenagers in custody for serious offences, including kidnapping. Meeting Katsina for the first time, you’d wonder if he ever smiles. But wait until the dark uniform is replaced with a bright caftan and the 54-year-old strikes a more relaxed pose. Then, he’s smiling, laughing, quoting his favourite Chinua Achebe and singing a hymn or two in remembrance…

Oboama Women inaugurates Security outfit – OWASU

The Women August Meeting, which usually characterizes fund-raising activities meetings, lectures, funfairs etc., throughout Mbaise and Imo State in general for Oboama Women Association (OWA) in Ezinihitte LGA, Mbaise this year took a dramatic turn by not only encompassing the obvious, but scaled to the height of inaugurating a security outfit to be known as Oboama Women Association Security Unit, OWASU, that ensures orderliness within the environs of the OWA August meetings. This OWA Police, which is the ingenuity of Mrs. Rose Anawanti, the OWA President, Mrs. Pauline Nwachukwu, Vice-President and the OWA Exco, was lauded by Imo State Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rotimi Oluwa Adelesi who represented the State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji…

Pope expands role, reach of Vatican Financial Intelligence Authority

As part of the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to ensure that all its financial activities comply with international standards, particularly those aimed at preventing money laundering and the financing of terrorism, Pope Francis has expanded the role and the reach of the Vatican’s Financial Intelligence Authority. Less than a month after he updated the Vatican’s criminal code to include all Vatican employees around the world and not just those working in Vatican City, Pope Francis issued new rules Aug. 8 broadening Vatican City finance laws to cover all the offices of the Roman Curia. The rules also apply to the non-profit organizations operating out of the Vatican, including Caritas Internationalis and Aid to the Church in…

Indian headmistress arrested for school lunch disaster

The headmistress of the Indian school that authorities say served toxic lunches, killing 23 students, was arrested Wednesday, police said. Meena Kumari, 36, was taken into custody on her way to a court where she had gone to surrender herself, police Superintendent Sujeet Kumar told CNN. She will be questioned Wednesday and taken before the court Thursday, he said. Authorities had been working to track down Kumari, who had been at large since the July 16 incident. The whereabouts of her husband, who is not named as an accused person in the case, are still not known, Kumar added. Police want to question him in connection with the case. Pesticides have been found in the…

Gallant store-keeper disarms armed robber in Mbano

A store-keeper at Umualumaku-Ehime Mbano took a risk of a lifetime recently as he disarmed an armed robber. The bizarre incident took place at a pharmacy store situated at Umuiregbu at 7pm. Narrating the incident, the attendant simply identified as Chimezie, told THE LEADER that on the eventful day, two young men parked a motorcycle near the pharmacy.  One stood on while the passenger alighted and walked into the store. According to him, he enquired if he had vitamin C tablet and requested for N60 worth of the medicine to him, which he did.  He paid the sum and as he turned back, the armed man pulled a pump-action gun at him. He ordered Chimezie…

INEC blacklists Imo over Electoral violence

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it would not conduct elections in Imo State until the violence and unruly conduct by some politicians that led to the inconclusiveness of the Oguta constituency in the State Assembly re-run on June 29, 2013 are addressed by politicians in the state. Chairman of the electoral body, Prof. Attahiru Jega announced this at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room organized by Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC). Jega, who insisted that eight polling units remained canceled, indicted officials of Imo State Government and some members of the National Assembly for flouting the restriction order on the Election Day. He said, “the commission received reports that the election…

Egyptians awake to uncertainty as Adly Mansour is sworn in as New Interim President

Egyptians awoke up on Thursday to an uncertain new political order, a day after the military deposed and reportedly detained the country’s first democratically elected president, put a top judge in his place and suspended the constitution. The coup that toppled Mohamed Morsy as president on Wednesday prompted hundreds of thousands of people in the streets across Egypt to both applaud and assail the generals’ decision to step into the country’s political fray for the second time in a little over two years. It also left a series of significant questions unanswered. What will happen to Morsy, who insists he remains the country’s legitimate leader, and his key supporters? Will the sporadic outbreaks of violence…

Abia Police discover 20 skulls at borrow pit

The Abia Police Command has discovered a dumpsite near the commercial city of Aba containing over 20 human skulls and decomposing bodies, including those of school children in an area called, “No man’s land”. The terrifying site is located at about Kilometer 15 on the Aba/Azumini Highway after Akpa village in Obingwa Local Government Area. According to the Daily Sun, the discovery followed the arrest of four policemen attached to the Federal Highway Patrol Unit of the Nigeria Police, Aba Section, who allegedly killed a 26year-old man in Aba. Our source said that the policemen led by their officer-in-charge, Hyginus Omeze, who were ordered to be detained by the Area Commander for Aba, Rabiu Day…

Police kill seven suspected kidnappers

Seven out of the nine suspected kidnappers who abducted the Chairman of Ejigbo Local Government Development Area, Mr. Kehinde Bamgbetan recently were shot dead by the police.  Two other suspects have been arrested and are currently facing interrogation at the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) Ikeja, Lagos. The leader of the gang was a Chinese national whose mother is a Nigerian. The suspects met their waterloo after they had abducted an Indian and the police stormed their hideouts.  The police were said to have condoned off the kidnappers camp in Agbara Area of Ogun States for over 72 hours before the gun battle ensued between them and the law enforcement agents.  After the smoke settled,…

Woman disappears on daughter’s wedding day

The whereabouts of a widow, Mrs. Kate Onwuhara, a lecturer at Novena University in Delta State is still a mystery following her disappearance on the day she was to give out her daughter in marriage. Her daughter, Ugonne Onwuhara’s wine-carrying was to take place on the evening of Thursday, June 20, 2013.  Earlier that day, it was thought that some persons from her own family in Imo State were supposed to be at the event and so she went to inform and invite them.  She was said to have driven in her Toyota Corolla car (marked Rivers, WY433PHC) to Umuelemai in Isiala Mbano LGA.  It was around 11am. Speaking to the press (not The Leader)…

Community denies kidnap of 18 pupils

Leaders of Ngor Autonomous Community in the Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State, have described as false and misleading, newspaper reports (not THE LEADER) that a commercial bus driver (name withheld) and a female teacher (name withheld) were intercepted by eagle-eyed security men as they were conveying 18 abducted pupils. According to newspaper reports, the children who are pupils of Umuohie Primary School in the Ngor-Okpala LGA, were being ferried to Rivers State before the abductors were caught. In a reaction to the news, the President General of the community, Mr. Justus Ugochukwu Okoh, who told our correspondent that he followed up the case from Umuneke Police Station to the State Criminal Investigation Department…

Police discover gun depot in Mbaitoli

In another development, the Imo State Police Command has uncovered a gun depot at Idume-Ogwa in Mbaitoli LGA with at least 13 brand new AK47 rifles. Also recovered from the depot are pump action guns, double barrel guns, assorted rifle parts, 750 live cartridges, one carton of security torchlight, rifle accessories and vehicles. State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Katsina told journalists on Wednesday that the bullet proof jacket with the inscription, “Nigeria Police” was also recovered by the reconstituted illegal arms mopping squad. Some suspects have been arrested in connection with the discovery and investigation is ongoing to arrest others implicated in the gun deal. Katsina also disclosed that the fight against crime and criminality…

Parishioners pray for kidnapped choirmaster -As gunmen abduct two in Owerri

Kidnappers appear to have staged a come-back in Imo State after about one month break. On Friday, June 23, 2013 the hoodlums struck at Ubomiri in Mbaitoli Local Government Council at night and abducted two prominent members of the community – a Lagos-based retired bank director and an Owerri-based contractor, who is also a choirmaster at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri. Reports said that the choirmaster had gone to the Ubomiri residence of the former bank director, who is his brother-in-law when they were kidnapped. Both of them hail from Umuabali Ubomiri. The Imo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Joy Elemoko Ugo confirmed the incident saying that the police are on top of the…

Family of six die in fire explosion in PH

Tragedy struck in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when a fire explosion claimed the lives of a couple and their four children while sleeping. Sunday Sun learnt the fire incident, which cause was yet to be ascertained at press time, occurred about 1.45am. Head of the family was said to be a commercial taxi driver while his wife was a petty trader. The victims, who were living at No. 17 New Estate Road, Railway Quarters, near the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), hailed from Anambra State. An eyewitness said the children were three boys and a girl. Sunday Sun gathered that survivors of the family were their two daughters cur4ently sitting for the West African Examination Council…

Police retirees decry neglect by pension managers

Retired personnel of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at the weekend in Benin, Edo State, expressed concern voer what they termed “gross isolation and neglect by their pension managers of the PENCOM Act 2004”. They said they were in the dark on what accrued from their contributed pension scheme after 35 years of service in the country.  President General of the association, Dr. Moses Ajeka, made the lamentation while inaugurating Edo State Chapter, Elders Club of Nigeria (PENCOM retired police officers) in Benin.  According to him, the club, which came into being in October 2010, was an umbrella body of the retirees aimed at correcting the challenges arising from the PENCOM Act. “We are the…

Should Nigerian Public Employees (Government Workers) also accept TIPS?

Whether you are cashing a cheque over the counter, going through immigration at the airports, making a complaint to a police officer, renewing your driver’s license, receiving a title from a royal father, ordering a drink in a bar, obtaining your transcripts from your college, arranging for a funeral with a clergy or even being rushed into the emergency room in Nigeria, be prepared to TIP. Technically, tip means “a sum of money given to someone as a reward for their services”.  It is not to be confused with wage or salary, which is a sum of money due to someone for their services.  Generally, tip is often optional and the amount determined by the…

War in Enugu Catholic Church – Youths invade Catholic Church with masquerades, destroy altar, crucifix

Uneasy calm reigns in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ogugu in Awgu Catholic Diocese, Enugu State, following an attack on worshippers by some youths during an evening programme held as part of this year’s Easter celebration. The parishioners had been working hard to rehabilitate the Church that was recently handed back to the Catholic Church by the Governor Sullivan Chime administration before hell was let loose by the dissident youth allegedly sponsored by three prominent members of the community. The youths who allegedly refused to acknowledge the leadership of the town union, Ogugu Progressive General Assembly (OPGA), were said to have placed the town under siege for some months. “They have organized themselves to ensure there…