Metro
Bayelsa Kidnap Kingpin Claims He’s Not Aware His Gang Kidnaps People
The Bayelsa State Police Command on Monday paraded a suspected kidnap kingpin, John Ewa, alias John Lion, at the Police Officers Mess, Yenagoa.
The command also paraded no fewer than 10 other suspects, who were arrested for crimes bordering on alleged cultism, murder, armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and pipeline vandalism.
Ewa, 30, was paraded alongside three members of his gang, whom the police identified as Emmanuel Angase, Innocent Kingsley and Timi Werikumo.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ben Okolo, said they were nabbed for allegedly kidnapping one Akeem Olushola on December 8, 2020, and Danjuma Emeje on June 30, 2022.
He said Ewa, Angase, Kingsley and Werikumo were apprehended “through painstaking investigation,” while another suspect, Gbalipre Gamage, was at large.
Okolo said, “This gang has been responsible for over 10 high profile kidnappings in the state over a period of seven years.
“On December 8, 2020, one Akeeb Olushola, 48, the manager of a new generation bank was kidnapped at his residence at Old Commissioners Quarters, Opolo. He was released on December 12 after paying a ransom of N80m.
“Similarly, Danjuma Omeje, 41, the manager of a new generation bank in Yenagoa was kidnapped at his residence at Okaka, Yenagoa, on July 30, 2022. He was released on July 14, 2022, after paying a ransom of N60m – N30m cash and US dollar equivalence of N30m.”
He noted that Ewa was known for his flamboyant lifestyle on social media, adding that he confessed to the kidnap of Olushola, Nancy Keme Dickson (on December 26, 2015), Chinonso Eze, and other Igbo businessmen.
The police commissioner said the suspects would be charged at the conclusion of investigation.
In an interview, Ewa said he was involved in the abduction of Olushola and Omeje, but claimed he was not aware his gang members were engaged in kidnapping.
He, however, said he showed the gang members the Yenagoa homes of the two victims and that he knew Omeje while working in his bank as a cleaner before he resigned in 2003.
“We were just driving and I showed them. I said, ‘This is my former boss’ house’. That was it,” he added.
The suspect said he received N1.5m and N3.5m from the ransoms paid by Olushola and Omeje, respectively.
Angase also confessed to his involvement in the kidnap of Olushola and Omeje.
In continuation of its programme to spread joy to Nigerians in the New Year, Globacom, on Thursday held a draw in Ibadan, Oyo State, to select a new set of winners in its Festival of Joy promo.
The draw, held at the company’s Challenge Office, was witnessed by the media and Glo customers, some of who excitedly assisted in drawing the winning numbers.
The winners who emerged from the draw will receive their prizes at a presentation ceremony to be held at the Ring Road, Ibadan Gloworld shop of the company, on Monday, February 3. They include two winners of brand-new Kia Picanto cars and several winners of sewing machines, generators and grinding machines.
Globacom encouraged customers who desire to participate in the promo to dial *611# and keep recharging (voice and data during the promo period) in order to be eligible to win the prizes on offer, while new subscribers can participate immediately by purchasing a new SIM, registering it and dialing *611#.
“Customers are required to recharge up to N100,000 cumulatively during the promo period to qualify for the draw for the Prado Jeep, N50,000 cumulative recharge for Kia Picanto, N10,000 in a month for tricycle and N5,000 total recharge in a month to win a generator. For the sewing machine, a total recharge of N2,500 in a month is required, while for the grinding machine, a recharge of N1000 in a week will be eligible for the draw”, the company explained.
In the wake of a good number of road traffic crashes that resulted into fire outbreak in recent times, and the urgent need to bring the menace to an end, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Federal Fire Service (FFS) have entered into a historic partnership aimed at eliminating fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
A statement by the FRSC’s Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the groundbreaking collaboration will witness the joint training of personnel from both agencies, joint enforcement patrol, as well as improved data sharing to enhance response times and effectiveness.
The partnership, which was formalized by the Corps Marshal, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed and the Controller-General, FFS, Engr. Jaji Olola Abdulganiyu at the national headquarters of the Corps, marks a significant milestone in the quest to reduce the incidence of fire-related crashes on Nigerian roads.
Speaking during the visit, the Controller-General noted that the Federal Fire Service is committed to protecting lives and properties, and this partnership will enable the two services to respond more effectively to fire-related emergencies on the roads. He showed optimism as he looks forward to working closely with the FRSC to achieve shared goals.
Responding to the Controller General, the Corps Marshal highlighted that the partnership is a testament to the Corps’ commitment to safety and determination to explore innovative solutions to the challenges facing the nation’s transportation sector. He noted that by combining expertise and resources, the agencies can significantly reduce the risk of escalation of fire-related crashes and make the roads safer for all users.
The joint training program will focus on equipping personnel from both agencies with the skills and knowledge needed to respond effectively to fire-related crashes. The program will cover topics such as fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency response.
In addition to the joint training program, the partnership will also involve improved data sharing and effective patrol operations between the two agencies to enforce compliance on having fire extinguishers in vehicles. This will enable them to share critical information on fire-related crashes, including incident locations, response times, and outcomes.
By combining their strengths and resources, the FRSC and FFS are poised to make a significant impact on road safety in Nigeria. This partnership serves as a model for future collaborations between agencies and underscores the importance of interagency cooperation in achieving shared goals.
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has taken more proactive action towards tackling the spate of tanker crashes in Nigeria, as he visits the national headquarters of Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch-National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Employers (NUPENG-PTD) in Abuja on Wednesday.
The visit, according to a statement by the Corps’ Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), which was a prelude to the forthcoming critical stakeholders meeting organised at the expense of the Corps Marshal to discuss possible ways of bringing to an end, all challenges confronting the safety of lives and properties in the road transportation sector of the country.
While appreciating the support the Corps has received over the years from the Union, the Corps Marshal laid emphasis on the greater need for more collaboration and partnership, especially in the area of training and retraining of Petroleum Tanker Drivers and complying with minimum safety standards in haulage operations.
The National Chairman of the Union, Comrade Augustine Egbon who received the Corps Marshal, commended FRSc’s proactive approach towards enhancing safety in haulage operations in Nigeria. He accepted the need for more collaboration with the Corps in the area of training and retraining and further registered the readiness of the Union to support the Corps through mass media sensitisation campaigns.
The visit amongst other things forms part of Corps Marshal’s ongoing effort to ensure that all stakeholders play critical role in enhancing safety on the nation’s highways.
The meeting had Members of Management of the Corps as well as the Deputy National Chairman of the Union, Alhaji Shuaibu Leba, the National Trustee NUPENG-PTD, Otunba Salmon Akanni Oladiti as well as other Excos of the Union.
