Crime & Court
Suspected herdsmen kill head of hunter, son in Kogi
The Chairman of Bunu Hunters and also head of vigilante, Suku community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government council of Kogi State, Caleb Oshe and his son, Sunday Oshe were murdered by unknown gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday.
It was gathered from a reliable source that some armed men invaded the residence of the Chairman of the vigillante in Suku at about 3am on Tuesday.
The source further said that they broke into his house and gunned him and his son down before escaping from the scene.
One of his daughters, Kemi Shola Caleb who was in the house when the gunmen invaded the house disclosed that they were asking for money and they even held them hostage and packed things from their shop.
She said they used both machetes and guns on her father. However, it was the sound of the gunshot that woke people up and on getting to the scene, they met the Chairman and the son in a pool of blood.
Meanwhile, Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello has condemned the killing of the Chairman of Bunu Hunters, Caleb Oshe and his son, Sunday Oshe by some unknown gunmen, saying security agencies have been charged to ensure those behind the murder are apprehended and made to face the full wrath of the law.
In a statement issued on Tuesday through his Director-General of Media and Publicity to the Governor, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo, Governor Bello said it is “unacceptable to his Government and the people of Kogi State”; urging for restraints as security agencies have been deployed to ensure the arrest of the murderers.
“As the Governor of the State, the security of lives and property is what I have sworn to protect. It is therefore unacceptable to us as a people for anyone to murder our citizens. Every life is important to us and we will stop at nothing to unravel the masterminds of the heinous crime.
“Our administration has placed premium attention on security and it is therefore unfortunate that we still have flashes of such dastardly act.
“It is too early to attribute the killings to anyone and no one should take laws into his or her hands. The late Caleb Osho was not only the head of the Vigilante Group in Suku, but also the person responsible for logging activities in the community.
“Given the centrality of Suku Community to the politics and economy of the area, we have no choice than to allow security agencies to launch a full-scale investigation into the circumstances leading to the crime. We will support them to achieve success.
“I directed the State Security Adviser to mobilize security agencies to the place which had been done. Our people must be safe from the pangs of Anti-Social criminals who will surely lose the battle against our well-woven security architecture.
“I commiserate with the family of the late Mr Oshe and the entire Suku community for the irreparable loss. All I can assure you at this moment is that we will ensure justice is done and that we will spread our security dragnet to avert this kind of security issue”.
The Governor warned the people in the affected area not to launch any reprisals; assuring them that the security agents on ground have all it takes, not only to protect them but to also apprehend the murderers.
“I have directed the Security Agencies to make sure the entire area is well combed to ensure anyone bearing unauthorized arm is made to face the wrath of the law”, he said.
Also, the Speaker, Kogi State House of Assembly representing Kabba/Bunu State Constituency, Rt Hon Prince Matthew Kolawole has condemned in strong terms the killing of the Chairman, Bunu Hunter Association, Caleb Oshe and his son, Sunday Oshe in Suku community in Bunu district of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area by yet to be identified herdsmen.
He said it is barbaric and provocative for a reasonable person and patriotic citizen to be attacking a vulnerable community and killing people at will.
In another development, the Kogi State Government has denied any herdsmen attack at a motor park in Lokoja, saying rumour peddlers are on a mission to create panic and tension in the State.
This was disclosed in Lokoja, Tuesday by the Director-General of Media and Publicity to the Kogi State Governor, Kingsley Fanwo.
He said the fake news circulating on social media platforms was the handiwork of the enemies of the State.
“Our attention has been drawn to some gory pictures on social media platforms, purporting that some herdsmen attacked a popular motor park in Lokoja and killed all passengers found there.
“We wish to allay the fears of commuters and residents of the State that nothing like that ever happened as all motor parks in the state remain peaceful. Our security operatives are also ensuring security of lives and property in the State.
“It is instructive to note that the intent of the promoters of such fake news was to create panic in the state for political reasons.
“The Governor of Kogi State wishes to assure commuters and residents of his continued commitment to guarantee their safety and security at all times.”
https://iso.keq.mybluehost.me/southwest-governors-unite-shun-political-affiliations-to-tackle-security-challenges/
Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have recovered a Toyota Highlander reported stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, five years ago.
The vehicle was recovered on June 8, 2026, during a routine verification exercise conducted by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Department in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service vehicle licensing office.
The spokesperson for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the vehicle was flagged as suspicious during the process of uploading and verifying vehicle records.
According to him, the joint team identified the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number FH823PHC and subjected it to further scrutiny, which revealed that it had been declared stolen on September 17, 2021.
Preliminary findings showed that the vehicle belonged to one Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Abdullahi said investigators subsequently uncovered a transnational movement of the vehicle, establishing that it was taken to the Niger Republic in 2023 before returning to Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025.
He added that the sport utility vehicle was later sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was detected and recovered by security operatives.
“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved,” the police spokesperson stated.
He urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles, advising intending buyers to verify ownership documents and authenticate vehicle records through the appropriate authorities before concluding any transaction.
The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating vehicle theft and other trans-border crimes, assuring residents that efforts were underway to arrest all those linked to the theft and illegal trafficking of the recovered vehicle.
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced two women linked to a slain suspected terrorist kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo, to a total of 40 years imprisonment for offences bordering on terrorism and aiding criminal activities.
The convicted women — Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi — who are said to be the mother and sister of the late bandit leader, were handed the sentence on Wednesday by Justice Hauwa Yilwa after they pleaded guilty to parts of a five-count terrorism charge filed by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
Battujo, described by security operatives as a notorious bandit kingpin, was earlier eliminated by security forces on June 10, 2026, during an operation in a forest near Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
During proceedings, the court heard that the defendants were implicated in aiding and abetting the activities of the deceased, including passing information through telephone communications and concealing aspects of his criminal operations.
According to the prosecution, both women admitted guilt to count two of the charge, which bordered on supporting and facilitating the activities of a known bandit leader in violation of Section 26 of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
Halima Abdullahi was further convicted on count four, which involved concealing information regarding illegal firearms allegedly acquired by her brother after she reportedly visited his forest hideout.
Safiya Salihu, on her part, also pleaded guilty to count five, which accused her of withholding information about terrorist activities linked to her son.
Although the charges also included allegations of receiving ₦490,300 suspected to be proceeds of terrorism and sponsorship of pilgrimage using illicit funds, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, urged the court to discount those counts while proceeding with conviction on others.
Justice Yilwa, in her judgment, imposed 20 years imprisonment on each of the counts, but ordered that the sentences should run concurrently, effectively making the total jail term 40 years for each convict.
The court further directed that after serving their jail terms, the convicts should undergo rehabilitation, underscoring the judiciary’s position on balancing punishment with reintegration.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned popular social media influencer and relationship therapist, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, widely known as Blessing CEO, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, over an alleged N36m fraud linked to a property transaction.
Blessing CEO was docked before Justice Deinde Dipeolu on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, defence counsel, P. I. Nwafor, told the court that the defendant had refunded part of the money allegedly obtained from the complainant.
According to him, the influencer had refunded N24m out of the N36m involved in the matter and was making moves to settle the outstanding balance.
“We have an application to make. The defendant approached the nominal complainant and refunded N24m out of the N36m,” Nwafor said.
“We are asking for a short adjournment to resolve the outstanding balance. The nominal complainant agreed that if the balance is paid, they can prevail on the EFCC to drop the case.”
But prosecuting counsel, Suleiman I. Suleiman, opposed the request, insisting that the anti-graft agency was not part of any settlement discussion between the parties.
“The complainant here is the Federal Government of Nigeria, and we are here for the arraignment. We urge that the defendant take her plea, as that is the business of the day,” he said.
Ruling on the submission, Justice Dipeolu held that any discussion between the defendant and the nominal complainant would not stop the criminal proceedings.
“The defence and the nominal complainant can have discussions even during the pendency of the charge. It does not affect the proceedings before the court. The defendant will take her plea,” the judge ruled.
According to one of the charges, Blessing CEO allegedly obtained N36m from one Mrs Ifeyinwa Nonye Okoye between July 14 and 17, 2024, under the guise of securing for her a six-bedroom detached duplex located at No. 1B, Tunbosun Osobu Street, off Kuboye Road, Lekki, Lagos.
The EFCC alleged that the representation was false and violated Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The second charge accused the defendant of fraudulently converting the said N36m, property of the complainant, to personal use, contrary to Sections 383 and 390 of the Criminal Code Act.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following her plea, the prosecution urged the court to remand her in a correctional facility and fix a date for trial.
However, the defence counsel informed the court that the defendant had only been served with the charges on May 14, 2026, adding that efforts were ongoing to file her bail application.
He thereafter appealed to the court to allow the defendant remain in EFCC custody pending the perfection of her bail conditions.
Justice Dipeolu granted the request and ordered that Blessing CEO be remanded in EFCC custody.
The case was subsequently adjourned till June 5, 2026, for commencement of trial.
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