Crime

48 Days After, 67 Kaduna Train Passengers Still with Terrorists; Relatives, Sheikh Gumi Beg FG to Meet Demands of Captors

Published

3 years ago

May 15, 2022

By Derrick Bangura

The 67 passengers abducted by terrorists on March 28 after the bombing of a Kaduna-bound train habe spent 48 days in the hands of the terrorists, with families and Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, pleading with Nigeria’s federal government to meet the demands of the terrorists so as to secure freedom for their loved ones.

The terrorists had two week ago freed Sadik, the son of elder statesman and Northern Elders Forum (NEF) convener, Professor Ango Abdullahi, thus reducing the number of captives to 67.

A relative of one of the abductees, who also speaks on behalf of the affected families in Kaduna State, Dr. Abdulfatai Jimoh, told THISDAY Friday night that their plea remained that the federal government should strike a deal with the terrorists, so that their loved ones can be freed.
Popular Islamic cleric, Gumi, who spoke during a prayer session organised by Jama’iyyar Matan Arewa for the kidnapped passengers on Thursday, also challenged the federal government to meet the demands of the abductors and secure freedom for the abductees.
Dr. Jimoh told THISDAY that the traumatised families, for the first time, met with some government officials last week and reiterated that the demands of the captors must be met so that their loved ones can regain freedom.
He said: “We are sick, tired and frustrated by not having our loved ones for almost 50 days now. There are women, children and the elderly in the forest with these kidnappers. How do you want us to sleep? We can’t sleep. Government has to help us. Government must meet the demands of the terrorists.”
The affected families at a press briefing in Kaduna last Monday asked the terrorists to fear God and release them, lamenting that life had been tough without their breadwinners.

Jimoh, who spoke at the press briefing, expressed disappointment with the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, and the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), for alleged insensitivity towards the plight of the victims.
The relations also expressed disappointment that they sought the intervention of the leadership of the National Assembly, “which is the people’s Court, but nothing had been forthcoming from them.”
Also, children of the victims at the press conference by the relations, appealed to the government to do everything possible to ensure the release of their parents.

One of the children, Ismail Abubakar, 11, said life had been tough without his father, saying, “I am appealing to them to release my father and others safely. They should set them free. Life has been tough without my father since he was kidnapped.”
Similarly, 18 year old Ruqqayatu Jibril, whose parents are in captivity, pleaded with the terrorists to free their victims.
“I have my parents in captivity. This is their 42nd day in captivity and still counting. We are appealing to the government to bring back our loved ones. We have missed them so much. Some of them are breadwinners of the family. We really need them back. We, the family, are waiting in anguish,” she said.

While noting that living without them has been traumatic, she said, “It is so terrifying. We are appealing to the government to do their best possible to rescue our beloved ones unhurt. We are appealing to the bandits to please free our loved ones. They are also humans. We are humans like you. Even if you don’t share anything in religion, then, you share in humanity.
“Why should you just capture fellow citizens? You are also citizens of this blessed country. But why should you be capturing people that are your brothers and sisters and keeping them in captivity for almost six weeks. Please and please, fear God and free them.”
Gumi at Prayer Session

The prayer session, which attracted religious leaders from both the Muslim and Christian faiths, was held at the JMA headquarters in Kaduna.
Gumi, who led the Muslim prayer, assured the families of the kidnapped passengers that the prayers would make the captives feel divine presence as God would comfort them.
He urged government to meet the terrorists’ demands so that the victims, who had spent over 40 days in their den, can regain their freedom.

He said, “Whatever they (the terrorists) want, give it to them so that they can release these people and when they release them then, you are at the liberty, to deal with them the way they deserve because when they have captives, you have to tread with caution so that their captives will not be injured.”

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Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

The police in Lagos have dragged two women, Mmesuma Ofunna, and Blessing Adimekwe, before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over alleged obtaining money by false pretence.

Ofunna, 22, and Adimekwe, 25, were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr L K J Layeni, on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, stealing and conduct likely to breach peace.

They each, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, ASP Simon Uche, told the court that the defendants conspired with others now at large, to commit the offence on Oct. 26 at the Okokomaiko area of Ojo.

He alleged that they had obtained the sum of N70, 000 from one Faith Ahamefule, with a promise not to post her nude photo on social media.

The prosecutor alleged that the defendants later posted the nude photo of the nominal complainant on social media, knowing that their promise was false.

He alleged that they stole the N70, 0000, thereby conducting themselves in a manner likely to breach public peace.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 168(d), 287, 314, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

The court granted the defendants bails in the sum of N500, 000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 8, 2025 for mention.

Crime

Mechanic jailed 15 months for pickpocketing passengers

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday, sentenced a 26-year-old Mechanic, Sadiq Umar to 15 months imprisonment for pickpocketing from passengers.

The Magistrate, Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos in his judgment, ordered the convict to pay an option of N100, 000 fine or spend one year in prison.

He also asked him to pay a compensation of N15, 000 or an additional three months in prison in default.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Ijuptil Thiawur, told the court that the case was reported on Nov.16, at the “A” Division Police station by Moses Pam, Alexander Bakshak and Simon Justice the complaints.

Thiawur said that the convict attempted to steal from them before he was caught in the act and when the driver stopped the vehicle to search him he fled but was caught.

The Police said that the offence contravened the Plateau Penal Code Law.

Crime

Police detain 2 suspected fraudsters, reject N66m bribe in Lagos

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

Saadatu Sahabo

Police rescue 14 passengers from bandits in Jibia

The Zone-2 Police Command in Lagos says it has detained two suspected international fraudsters that allegedly specialised in forging foreign certificates in Lagos and Ghana.

The AIG in charge of the zone, Adegoke Fayaode, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.

Fayoade said that the suspects allegedly offered N66m to the operatives with a view to free them but the offer was turned down.

NAN reports that the same zone operatives rejected a N174m bribe offered by a suspect in November to set him free.

Fayoade said that the suspects simply identified as Elvis, 23 and Kelly, 24, allegedly specialised in forging certificates of different nations and African Universities and defrauding their unsuspecting victims on the internet.

He said that the suspects have succeeded in acquiring exotic cars and erecting mansions in different parts of the country with the proceeds of their loot.

The AIG pointed out that luck ran out of the suspects after detectives at the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Zone received credible information from Nigerians in diaspora concerning some group of boys that specialised in forging foreign certificates.

According to him, on getting the information, he detailed the anti-corruption unit to investigate it and arrest the suspects without delay.

Fayoade said that based on his directives, the detectives stormed Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos waiting for the arrival of the suspects, whom they trailed to a five star hotel at Osapa-London in Lekki Area.

He said that the operatives arrested the suspects at a bus stop while they were about to escape secretly from the hotel, after monitoring their activities.

“Searching their luggage, one certificate of Blue Crest College, Ghana, belonging to Elvis and a student identity card of Academic City College belonging to Kelly were recovered.

“Further search revealed a transcript of an academic record from Blue Crest University belonging to Elvis.

“A letter of English proficiency from the said college and a letter of recommendation from the same Blue Crest College were recovered,” he said.

The AIG said that the suspects made useful statements to the police and confessed that they never got any admission into the school, stressing that they only procured the degree certificates through the help of a female Nigerian resident in Ghana.

“The suspects further confessed that the major aim of doing that is to enable them to get Ghana resident permit, which they got.

“The resident permit is showing them also as a student of Academic City University and that none of them has ever been admitted in the school.

“They claimed they paid a total of 26,000 Ghana Cedis for all the documents procured.

“They confessed that they procured all the documents to evade arrest in Ghana since they don’t have any means of livelihood.

Whenever police intercepted them, they showed their passports that they were students in Ghana.”

Fayoade said that the suspects were also allegedly involved in online romance scam, provision of foreign bank accounts for fraudulent transactions on the internet through what they call ‘Facebook bombing’.

He said the suspects presented themselves as an American soldier by name Captain Donald Rowe, serving in Syria, whom they impersonated on Instagram, using his name to defraud innocent persons.

The AIG said that while detectives were making frantic efforts to get more credible information from the suspects, they started negotiating to bribe the operatives for them to be set free.

“I directed my men to play along and recover the money as an exhibit. Subsequently, the detectives played along and the suspects paid them a sum of N66m, which they collected and kept as an exhibit.

“The Nigeria Police authorities have written to the Ghana embassy to get more information about the result and their suspected partners in Ghana said to be spearheading the fraud.

Fayoade said that they had also spread their dragnets through the International Police, Interpol, to round up their foreign accomplices.