Crime

Rapper PnB Rock fatally shot dead

Published

2 years ago

September 13, 2022

PnB Rock, the Philadelphia rapper best known for his 2016 hit “Selfish,” was fatally shot during a robbery at the Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles restaurant in South Los Angeles on Monday afternoon, law enforcement sources told The Times.

Los Angeles police Capt. Kelly Muniz said a shooting took place at 1:15 p.m. at the famous eatery on Main Street and Manchester Avenue. She would not identify the victim.

Rock, 30, whose real name was Rakim Allen, had been at the restaurant with his girlfriend, who had posted a location-tagged photo in a since-deleted Instagram post.

Muniz said a suspect brandished a firearm inside the restaurant and demanded items from the victim. Sources told The Times that Rock was targeted for his jewelry.

The victim was shot almost immediately by the assailant during the robbery, Muniz said.

“He shot the victim and ran out the side door to a getaway car and then fled the parking lot,” she said.

Muniz said the victim was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead at 1:59 p.m.

According to a law enforcement source, Los Angeles Police Department investigators are examining security video from inside the restaurant to identify the shooter. They also are checking surrounding businesses to see whether security systems captured any images of the suspect leaving on foot or in a vehicle.

Investigators were processing evidence Monday night, Muniz said. She declined to comment on what was recovered.

Rock was born Dec. 9, 1991, in Philadelphia. He told Paper Magazine he was inspired to make music at age 19 after hearing Drake’s decade-defining album “Take Care.”

Rock’s ability to blend melodies with his rapping made him a natural fit for hip-hop’s next evolution. He gained national prominence with the 2015 single “Fleek,” turning the viral Vine video into an anthem for women doing up their appearance across the country. He went on to collaborate with a bevy of artists, including Ed Sheeran and Chance the Rapper on “Cross Me.”

One of his biggest moments came alongside Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, when the two joined forces in 2016 for the victorious anthem “Everyday We Lit.” The song peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest-charting song for either artist.

“It’s like, what do you label yourself, when you still infuse rap into your s—?” he told Paper Magazine in 2017. “People can’t say I’m a rapper, but I don’t feel like I’m a singer either. I’m not hitting super high notes and going crazy. I can’t give you Chris Brown singing. I just got good melodies.”

“Selfish” peaked at No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100. Rock released his latest song, “Luv Me Again,” on Sept. 2.

Rock’s death comes as authorities say they are up against a rising trend of “follow home” robberies and other violent incidents.

In February 2020, Brooklyn rapper Pop Smoke, whose real name was Bashar Barakah Jackson, was killed during a home invasion in the Hollywood Hills.

Authorities believe social media posts, including one of a black gift bag tagged with his address, led the assailants to his location.

The LAPD’s Southeast Community Police Station, which covers the area where Monday’s shooting occurred, has seen 34 homicides this year through Sept. 3, compared with 35 over the same period last year.

The statistics also noted a 25.2% increase in robberies during that period, from 373 to 467.

Rock spoke about prior robbery attempts in Los Angeles during a Sept. 2 episode of the podcast “Off the Record with DJ Akademiks.”

The rapper said he was out with his girlfriend and daughter on Fairfax Avenue “mid-pandemic” when people tried to rob him.

“Where I’m from, we like sneaky criminals,” Rock said. “In L.A. … they bold.”

Rock and the host spoke about how robberies targeting rappers seemed to be becoming more common.

“I never got robbed, ever in my life,” Rock said. “I ain’t gonna say never because I don’t like saying never. I’m not superstitious, but I haven’t been robbed.”

“That’s why I feel like L.A.’s spooky, man,” Akademiks said. “It’s just so bold. I’m seeing mad videos, like they don’t even do it at night. Like night maybe, but broad daylight, that’s when they really do it.”

Rock said that after his oldest brother was killed, he changed — becoming more on edge and conscious of how suddenly a situation could turn deadly.

“It’s just been something in me that just let me know, like this s— real life,” Rock said. “I done seen people die. I done been around people that died…. Anybody can die.”

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Crime

2 ladies docked for allegedly obtaining money by fraud

Published

2 weeks 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

2 weeks 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

2 weeks 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.