Crime & Court
Alleged Drugs Lord ‘Bishop’, Few Worshippers Turn Up For Service Today
Unbelievable, though it seems, the man believed to be the cause of killing of innocent worshipers at a Catholic Church in Anambra State, a week ago, Aloysious Ebubechukwu Ikeguonu Alias Bishop, has reportedly worshiped in the same church today.
Few members of St. Phillips catholic Church Ozubulu, according to reports found courage to be at the worship center today notwithstanding the gory incident that occurred at the church the previous week.
The church began service at exactly 9am shortly after the Presiding cleric opened the church’s main gate, doors and widows
There were initial apprehensions that no one would turn up for the Sunday service for fear of another strike by a gang of drugs lords alleged to have killed close to 20 people during last Sunday service.
The Service, it was reported still held notwithstanding the initial fear exercised by worshipers said to have trickled into the Church shortly after the doors were thrown open.
An online news hound, Time News reported that most of those who worshiped at the church are members of Anambra State government.
The Catholic Bishop of Nnewi Diocese, Most Reverend Hilary Odidi Okeke had last Saturday dedicated the church, according to reports.
This is coming as another gang of gunmen on Sunday killed two men, a policeman and an okada rider, in another church in Anambra State.
According to reports, the church attacked today, was the Assemblies of God Church in Oguta area of Onitsha, the commercial nerve center of the state.
Available information had it that the policeman killed was one of those guarding the church.
He was said to be the only armed one among his colleagues.
His gun was taken away by the attackers.
An okay rider, who was close by when the attack took place, was also gunned down by the gang, who, some reported, were dressed as masquerades.
The spokesperson of the Anambra State Police Command, Nkiru Nwode, however, said the attack was on policemen who were on foot patrol along Oguta Road in Onitsha.
Nwode said the attackers were hoodlums who disguised themselves as masquerades to dispossess innocent citizens of their belongings and in the process killed a policeman and injured some others.
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested 105 suspects, including four Chinese nationals, in connection with an alleged internet fraud scheme.
The arrest took place at a business apartment in the Gudu area of Abuja on Thursday, January 9.
The EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the development in a statement released on Friday.
According to Oyewale, the operation is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to curb internet fraud and other corrupt practices across the country.
“In its ongoing efforts to clean the nation of internet fraud and other acts of corruption, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested four Chinese and 101 Nigerians in a business apartment in the Gudu axis of Abuja,” the statement read.
Among the 105 suspects are 67 males—including the four Chinese nationals—and 38 females.
Preliminary investigations reveal that the group is allegedly involved in a sophisticated hotel review job scam that targets victims and businesses in Europe and other regions across the globe.
The EFCC assured the public that the suspects would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of its investigations.
Two Nigerian nationals, Olutayo Sunday Ogunlaja, 39, and Abel Adeyi Daramola, 37, are facing a combined 40-year prison sentence for their roles in a romance scam that defrauded a victim of $560,000.
The pair were convicted in a U.S. federal court following a four-day trial and less than three hours of jury deliberation.
A statement by U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez and FBI Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda revealed that the scheme, which began in January 2016, involved a fictitious persona, “Glenn Brown,” created on the dating site eHarmony.com.
The duo, along with an accomplice, used this fake profile to manipulate a victim in Albuquerque, New Mexico, into sending large sums of money under the pretense of aiding a construction project in Malaysia.
Between January 2016 and April 2017, the victim transferred $560,000 to accounts in the U.S., Canada, and Malaysia. Evidence presented in court highlighted specific transactions, including a $28,000 wire transfer to an account linked to Daramola.
Daramola then funneled the money to other parties, including a seafood importer in Denmark.
Daramola denied involvement, but FBI investigations revealed incriminating text and WhatsApp messages on his phone, showing he provided bank accounts for multiple fraud schemes.
Ogunlaja, on the other hand, used his Bank of America account to receive fraudulent funds, including $40,000 deposited by the victim in March 2016. Ogunlaja subsequently withdrew and transferred funds to Daramola’s account.
Despite their denials, the weight of evidence led to the duo’s conviction. Both defendants remain on conditional release awaiting sentencing, where each faces up to 20 years in prison without parole. Sentencing dates have not yet been scheduled.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed 27 officers from its workforce over allegations of fraudulent activities and misconduct.
In a statement issued on Monday, the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, disclosed that the dismissal followed the recommendations of the Staff Disciplinary Committee and subsequent ratification by the Commission’s Chairman, Ola Olukoyede.
Oyewale stated that the identities of the dismissed officers would not be disclosed, but the Commission remains committed to maintaining accountability and integrity within its ranks.
“Every modicum of allegation against any staff of the Commission would always be investigated, including a trending $400,000 claim of a yet-to-be-identified supposed staff of the EFCC against a Sectional Head,” the statement read.
“The core values of the Commission are sacrosanct and would always be held in optimal regard at all times.”
The Commission also warned the public about the activities of impersonators and blackmailers exploiting its name for extortion.
According to the statement, two alleged fraudsters, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashim, were recently arraigned before Justice Jude Onwuebuzie of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja.
They allegedly demanded $1 million from a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, under the pretense of offering a “soft landing” from a non-existent investigation.
“Olukoyede remains a man of integrity that cannot be swayed by monetary influences. The public is enjoined to always report such disreputable elements to the Commission,” the EFCC emphasized.
The agency reassured Nigerians of its commitment to the fight against corruption, promising to uphold transparency and discipline within its operations.
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