Three children battered beyond recognition were rescued from a room filled with fetishism items and the two women who held them hostage have been arrested in Anambra state.

According to the Anambra state police, the women identified as Rejoice Raymond, 39, and Chidi Felicia Nwafor, 80, were arrested by police operatives attached to 3-3 Police Station Nkwelle.

Following intelligence report, on Friday, Feb 19, police stormed their address at NO.13 Akunwanta Mbamalu Street, Federal Housing Estates 3-3 Nkwelle Ezunaka, Anambra state, where they found three children locked up in a room.

The children – 2 boys and a girl – were badly bruised and were looking malnourished. They had broken bones and were left lying in their blood.

The entire room had blood stains alongside fetish items, including a mortar and multiples pestles, blood stained canes, concoction and more.

In the room, was also found a bucket where the children were made to poop as they were not allowed out of the room.

The children, whose parents are not known, were too battered to speak. They were barely conscious and appeared to be in shock.

According to the Anambra state police, the women had “subjected them into physical and emotional torture without feeding and inflicted several wounds on their body leaving them unconscious.”

Some sources allege the women own a ministry but also engage in fetishism, including pounding children in mortar.

The children were rushed to the hospital where they are now receiving treatment.

Consequently, the Commissioner of Police CP Monday Bala Kuryas,fsi has ordered a discreet investigation into the circumstances surrounding the case after which suspects would be brought to justice.

By John Mkom, Jalingo. 

Chairman Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT) Taraba state, Comrade Peter Jurius Vow, has urged all the teachers in the state to be carrying their guns while going to their respective schools to protect themselves and their pupils.

Jurius stated this in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital over the abduction and kidnapping of students in some states of Nigeria.

He also  credited his view on the recent statement made by the Nigerian minister for defense, Bashir Magashi, that Nigerians should be ready to defend themselves against bandits.He added that the future of Nigeria is at stake, going by the level of kidnapping and abduction of students.“These children being held by bandits are doctors, journalists, professors, governors or world leaders of tomorrow.“

With what is going on, our future is threatened, government should intensify more security efforts, we should also be watchful in our environment, let’s report unusual faces to security and monitor our areas to forestall insecurity challenges.

Credit:leadership

EFCC Chairman-nominee, Abdulrasheed Bawa

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has promoted its Chairman-nominee, Abdulrasheed Ahmed Bawa, and 88 others.

They were promoted from Grade Level 13 Principal Detective Superintendent (PDS) to grade level 14 Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent (DCDS) Grade Level 14, effective from January 1, 2021, PRNigeria has gathered.

By this promotion, Bawa is now qualified for appointment as the Commission’s chairman.

The ‘swift’ promotion offered the anti-graft agency’s nominated boss, and other EFCC operatives is coming less than two weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Bawa to replace Ibrahim Magu, the former acting Chairman.

An internal memo sighted by PRNigeria and signed by one Femi Peter Gbarufu, which was issued on Friday, and titled, “Release of Promotion List”, disclosed that promotion letters would be issued to the affected staff, as soon as possible by the Human Resources Unit.

A source in the EFCC told PRNigeria that with the promotion, Bawa’s new Rank is equivalent to the position of Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), a qualification for the position of Chairman in the agency.

“Bawa was recruited into EFCC in 2005 as one of the pioneer cadets and has spent 16 years as an operative. By virtue of his new rank, he is now equivalent to Assistant Commissioner of Police and qualified to be a Chairman of EFCC.
“The EFCC Establishment Act, especially Section 2a (ii) stated that a candidate for appointment as the Chairman of the agency should be a serving or retired member of any security or law enforcement agency not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent.”

“The DCDS in EFCC is equivalent ACP in Police. For instance, the operative cadre entry-level in the police is Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) equivalent to Assistant Detective of Superintendent (ADS); Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) is equivalent to Deputy Detective Superintendent (DDS); Superintendent of Police (SP) is equivalent to Senior Detective Superintendent (SDS); Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) is equivalent to Principal Detective Superintendent (PDS) while Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) is equivalent to Deputy Chief Detective Superintendent (DCDS).

“There are other senior officers in EFCC who are not detective operatives but with routine civil service ranks for administrative purposes. The Detective operatives currently in the service of EFCC are either course mates or junior to the Bawa who has just been promoted to qualifying level for the position of the Chairman,” the officer concluded.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that a lawyer, Osuagwu Ugochukwu, has filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking to stop the Senate confirmation of the chairman-designate.

The court document marked FHC/ABJ/CS/196/2021 was received at the Office of the Senate President on Thursday, according to an acknowledgement copy obtained by our correspondent on Friday.

It was learnt that the leadership of the Senate, the Presidency and the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation were holding talks as to how to address the issue in order to avoid a repeat of the last screening exercise where the then nominee, Ibrahim Magu, was rejected twice by the Senate.

Bawa is also believed to be a kinsman of the AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN). Malami played a major role in the removal of Magu and reportedly recommended Bawa’s appointment to the President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the originating summons filed by Ugochukwu, it was argued that Section 2 of the EFCC Act states that the EFCC shall have a chairman who shall be the chief executive and accounting officer of the commission; be a serving or retired member of any government security or law enforcement agency “not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police or equivalent; and possess not less than 15 years cognate experience.”

Ugochukwu asked the court to determine whether a Level 13 officer is the equivalent of an ACP.

The plaintiff subsequently sought two reliefs, including “a declaration that the 2nd defendant (Bawa), who is a Grade Level 13 public service officer and not an Assistant Commissioner of Police or its equivalent is not qualified to be the chairman of the EFCC” and “an order of perpetual injunction restraining the first defendant (Senate) from confirming the appointment of the second defendant (Bawa) as chairman of the EFCC.”

Meanwhile, the Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership has written a letter to the Senate asking the upper legislative chamber not to confirm Bawa as the EFCC chairman.

This is according to a letter titled ‘Don’t Confirm Abdulrasheed Bawa’s Appointment as EFCC Chair until He Clears His Name of Corruption Allegation; Appeal to the Nigerian Senate,’ which was signed by the Executive Director of CACOL, Debo Adeniran.

CACOL said Bawa was alleged to have diverted 224 forfeited trucks while he was the Port Harcourt zonal head of the commission and is also rumoured to be a cousin of the AGF.

The group further argued that Bawa is not up to the level of an ACP and is thus not qualified to be chairman of the EFCC.

“The EFCC law is an Act of the National Assembly, hence the Senate must not overrule itself by breaching a critical provision in the appointment of EFCC Chairman.

“It is against this background that CACOL is appealing to the Senate to please take the pains to dig deep into Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa’s record of overall performance, as well as that of corruption allegations levelled against him.

“Howbeit, if the rumour making waves in some quarters, which has also been confirmed by some sections of the media, is anything to go by, we would say Nigerians’ hope for a corruption-free society has been dashed with the nomination of Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa as the chairman of the EFCC,” the letter read.

Bawa, who was accused of diverting recovered assets, was, however, absolved of any wrongdoing by the EFCC in a statement signed by its spokesman, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, on Tuesday.

Credit: sundiatapost

An Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta has slammed N500 million damages against UK-based blogger Maureen Badejo over libelous publications through her channel GIO TV against the general overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) Daniel Olukoya and the church.

The claimants are the incorporated trustees of MFM and Olukoya.

Badejo, who is the anchor person for GIO TV on Facebook, had before the judgement made 52 separate allegations against Olukoya.

In one of her allegations, she claimed £4 million was stolen in MFM and that Olukoya was aware. She also claimed he was fully involved in all the alleged frauds being perpetrated by MFM church.

Ruling in a N10 billion libel suit against Badejo, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi awarded N250million to each of the claimants bringing the total to N500million as aggravated and exemplary damages for libel.

Justice Akinyemi, in the ruling, frowned at Badejo’s campaign against the claimants and described it as the worst case of reckless defamation and evil use of the internet and social media.

The court also ordered the defendant to “immediately pull down and erase each of the offending online publications/posts concerning the claimants from the internet.

“Tender a written apology and retraction of the offending publications and posts in a form and content acceptable to the claimants and published prominently in her Facebook, YouTube and Instagram accounts and in at least three nationally circulating newspapers in Nigeria and two international magazines including Time International, FORTHWITH.”

The court also issued perpetual injunction restraining Badejo, her agents, servants, privies or other persons from further making, publishing and/or disseminating defamatory stories and statements about the claimants.

Reacting to the judgement, counsel to the claimants Ime Asanga said a certified true copy of the judgment and a certificate of the judgment with Form 35 endorsed thereon had been served on Badejo through courier and that the proof of service indicates that she personally signed on them at 09:20 am on Thursday, February, 18, 2021.

Credit: cknnigeria

John Ogunlela

All those behind Sheik Gumi or emotionally drawn to his peace plan should go and read the history of Appeasement and how it proved crucial in the final rise of Adolf Hitler in 1938.
The summary is this: Hitler had made a foray into a region of Czechoslovakia known as Sudenteland and insisted it was part of the German empire. Neville Chamberlain, the the PM of Britain went to see Hitler and a few European leaders where he agreed that the best deal was to allow Hitler to have Sudenteland as long as that will bring peace. Hitler was later to remark that it was with trepidation he faced up to European leaders on that matter because his army was subpar at the time and was not ready for combat. He said he would have ran tail between leg had Europe stood up to him.
Neville Chamberlain returned to London and addresses a crowd from Downing Street that he had procured “peace for our time”, a statement which was to become the albatross of the world. By September that year (or was it 1939) Hitler’s Blitzkrieg (Lightening War) had smashed through the defences of Poland and was sweeping through that country. All the doubts Europe had had evaporated.
We are witnessing a significant transfer of wealth to bandits and people who have declared war against the nation. They are strengthening their forces slowly but surely using the resources of Nigeria. They understand the psychology of many of these leaders that they are soft and inept people and have zero understanding of strategy – only El-Rufai has spoken and analysed that part of the issue the way a leader must.
If this Maghreb militia keeps receiving financial encouragement this way, they will be across River Niger within a year from now or less. Leaders everywhere ought to understand what is going on and act firmly and strategically.

Nigerian Ramon Olorunwa Abbas-  Hushpuppi, now incarcerated in California as he awaits trial for cyber fraud was linked Friday by the FBI to North Korean hackers, said to be the biggest bank robbers in the world.

The Justice Department in a detailed statement released Friday, said Abbas took part in a “North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019.”

His role was as a collaborator with a North Korean money launderer, Ghaleb Alaumary, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

The 37 year-old Alaumary was one of the people charged today by the FBI for many criminal schemes. The others are three North Koreans.

“Alaumary agreed to plead guilty to the charge, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 17, 2020”, according to the statement.

“Alaumary was a prolific money launderer for hackers engaged in ATM cash-out schemes, cyber-enabled bank heists, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and other online fraud schemes. Alaumary is also being prosecuted for his involvement in a separate BEC scheme by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

“With respect to the North Korean co-conspirators’ activities, Alaumary organized teams of co-conspirators in the United States and Canada to launder millions of dollars obtained through ATM cash-out operations, including from BankIslami and a bank in India in 2018.

“Alaumary also conspired with Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, aka “Ray Hushpuppi,” and others to launder funds from a North Korean-perpetrated cyber-enabled heist from a Maltese bank in February 2019.”

Abbas already has a case of his own.

Last year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles charged him in a separate case alleging that he conspired to launder hundreds of millions of dollars from BEC frauds and other scams.

In a July statement, the Justice Department referred to the Maltese bank attack as “a $14.7 million cyber-heist from a foreign financial institution.”

“Both the date and amount match that of the attack on Malta’s Bank of Valletta in February 2019,” reported Forbes.

Abbas, 38, was arrested in Dubai last year.

He arrived in the U.S. on July 3 to face criminal charges over allegations that he made “hundreds of millions of dollars” from business email compromise frauds and other scams.

His trial was to have commenced late last year, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read the full US Justice Department statement on the indictment of three North Korean military hackers involved in cyber heists running into over $1.3billion

A federal indictment unsealed today charges three North Korean computer programmers with participating in a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy to conduct a series of destructive cyberattacks, to steal and extort more than $1.3 billion of money and cryptocurrency from financial institutions and companies, to create and deploy multiple malicious cryptocurrency applications, and to develop and fraudulently market a blockchain platform.

A second case unsealed today revealed that a Canadian-American citizen has agreed to plead guilty in a money laundering scheme and admitted to being a high-level money launderer for multiple criminal schemes, including ATM “cash-out” operations and a cyber-enabled bank heist orchestrated by North Korean hackers.

“As laid out in today’s indictment, North Korea’s operatives, using keyboards rather than guns, stealing digital wallets of cryptocurrency instead of sacks of cash, are the world’s leading bank robbers,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.

“The Department will continue to confront malicious nation state cyber activity with our unique tools and work with our fellow agencies and the family of norms abiding nations to do the same.

“Today’s unsealed indictment expands upon the FBI’s 2018 charges for the unprecedented cyberattacks conducted by the North Korean regime,” said the FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate.

“The ongoing targeting, compromise, and cyber-enabled theft by North Korea from global victims was met with the outstanding, persistent investigative efforts of the FBI in close collaboration with U.S. and foreign partners. By arresting facilitators, seizing funds, and charging those responsible for the hacking conspiracy, the FBI continues to impose consequences and hold North Korea accountable for its/their criminal cyber activity.

“The scope of the criminal conduct by the North Korean hackers was extensive and long-running, and the range of crimes they have committed is staggering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison for the Central District of California.

“The conduct detailed in the indictment are the acts of a criminal nation-state that has stopped at nothing to extract revenge and obtain money to prop up its regime.

“This case is a particularly striking example of the growing alliance between officials within some national governments and highly sophisticated cyber-criminals,” said U.S. Secret Service Assistant Director Michael R. D’Ambrosio. “The individuals indicted today committed a truly unprecedented range of financial and cyber-crimes: from ransomware attacks and phishing campaigns, to digital bank heists and sophisticated money laundering operations. With victims strewn across the globe, this case shows yet again that the challenge of cybercrime is, and will continue to be, a struggle that can only be won through partnerships, perseverance, and a relentless focus on holding criminals accountable.”
(biesloaded.ng)

There are indications that the government might consider releasing some arrested bandits as a part of the bargains to secure the release of 27 pupils and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, kidnapped on Wednesday.

There are indications that the government might consider releasing some arrested bandits as a part of the bargains to secure the release of 27 pupils and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, in the Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, kidnapped on Wednesday.

It was learnt on Friday that the group of bandits responsible for the abduction wanted their gang members in custody of security agencies released as a swap deal to free the abductees.

Bandits in military uniform had reportedly stormed the school around 2am on Wednesday, and seized their victims, killing a Senior Secondary School 3 pupil who raised the alarm in the process.

They consequently led their victims – tied in pairs – to a nearby spot around Attahiru Secondary School where they had reportedly parked their motorcycles and whisked them into a forest.

In a bid to secure their release, a reliable source told The PUNCH that officials of Niger and Zamfara state governments met some bandits at Dutsin Magaji of Kotonkoro Forest in Rafi on Thursday evening.

The forest reportedly connects the four states of Kebbi, Zamfara, Niger and Kaduna.

It was also said that a popular Kaduna-based cleric, Ahmad Gumi, met some bandits in Niger State as part of efforts to rescue the victims

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, had also deployed 252 additional operatives and a helicopter to reinforce the ongoing rescue operation for the abducted pupils and staff members of the school.

Gunmi on Friday told one of our correspondents that he had met with an influential leader of a bandit group to broker a negotiation with the bandits responsible for the kidnapping.

The cleric emphasised that banditry was turning into an insurgency which must be urgently addressed, noting that the abductors were demanding the release of their members arrested by security agents as well.

He said, “I met with people who know the people responsible (for the abduction), which is one step ahead. Before now, when there was a kidnapping, we wouldn’t know those responsible, but now, we have met a leader who knows (these people) because he is commanding a large area and knows the person who did it and he is going to speak to him and plead with him (to release the abducted pupils and other victims. Since there is a peace process going on, they should release them. They (the bandits) too have people arrested by security agents. So, I am telling people, this is turning into an insurgency.”

Asked if the bandits were demanding the release of their arrested members as a condition to release the victims, Gumi said, “They did not really give it as a condition. We are just saying, ‘Please release them,’ and they said, ‘Okay, we will release them (the pupils and staff members of the school) but we also want you people to consider our people (bandits) that were arrested.’”

On how soon the victims would be released, the cleric said, “We hope they (students) will be released soon because he (the influential leader) said he knows the man and he is going to talk to him.”

He maintained that the latest kidnapping by the bandits had reinforced his call for amnesty, adding that he was happy that people had started seeing reason with him.

Gumi said, “It is not magic, I am telling you. I am not a criminal and I am not cajoling any government but I want peace in this country.

“People now understand me more and more. These people are harmed; just tell them: ‘Drop your arms, I will not pursue you legally; repent, I will rehabilitate you and I will build schools for you.’ You can’t go by force or with confrontation.”

Also, a top security official in Niger State who is privy to efforts being made to free the hostages confided in one of our correspondents that a meeting had been held but it appeared the kidnappers wanted to see readiness on the part of the government before taking the next line of action.

The source said, “The bandits are saying they want to see readiness on the part of the government before they can release the kidnapped victims. The bandits want some of their gang members that have been arrested by security agencies to be released.”

Lay down your arms, Niger government begs bandits

Meanwhile, the Niger State Government has appealed to bandits across the state to lay down their arms and embrace dialogue for peace to reign.

In a statement issued by Tanko Lawal, Information Officer to the Secretary to the Government of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Matane, on Friday, the state government told the bandits to surrender their arms.

Matane, who was part of the Sheikh Abubakar Gumi delegation, made the plea in Dutsen Magaji, Mariga Local Government Area of the state while addressing bandits and their commanders terrorising the state.

Matane, who was in company with the renowned Kaduna-based Islamic scholar, Gumi, called on other criminal elements, including kidnappers and cattle rustlers, to join in the peace dialogue in order to put an end to the security challenges bedevilling the state.

He enjoined the gang leaders to support the government in securing the release of the abducted pupils and workers of Government Science College, Kagara, as well as about 20 passengers of Niger State Transport Authority kidnapped on Sunday.

“The unfortunate incidents in recent days called for a sober reflection,” the SSG added.

Some of the bandit commanders in their separate remarks applauded the state government for the peace process, stressing that it would go a long way in restoring peace across the state.

They appealed to the government to assist with the release of their members arrested by security agencies and detained across the state for the peace process to thrive.

The highlight of the occasion was the distribution of Islamic books to the bandits by Gumi to teach them the doctrine of Islam.

Meanwhile, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State said that the government was interfacing with security agencies, community leaders and relevant people to ensure the safe release of the kidnapped students, staff and family members of the school as well as the NSTA bus passengers.

The governor stated this on Friday when he gave an update on the abduction at the Government House, Minna.

Bello appealed to the parents of the pupils and the people of the state to remain calm, assuring them that the government was making frantic efforts to ensure the release of the students and other people.

He said, “I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can. We are interfacing with the local communities, federal authorities and our own state authorities to ensure that we recover the victims safely.

“Our utmost priority right now is to make sure we bring them back home safely, and that is exactly what we are going to do.”

Punch