Metro
How Lagos Accountant Burnt Wife, Brother-in-Law Alive
The Lagos State Police Command, on Thursday, paraded a chartered accountant, identified as Benjamin, for allegedly setting his wife, Chinyere, and brother-in-law, Ifeanyi, ablaze in the Abule Ado area of the state.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Chinyere and Ifeanyi were at a guest house in the couple’s residence when Benjamin allegedly set them on fire.
After perpetrating the crime, the suspect allegedly locked the duo in the guest house and went to call for help.
A source told our correspondent that Ifeanyi’s dying declaration implicated him.
The source said, “His brother-in-law was a contract worker at Chevron. He was also the only son of the family. He didn’t die immediately; he made a dying declaration that Benjamin opened the door while he and his sister, Chinyere, who was Benjamin’s wife, were in the guest house, poured petrol on them, set them ablaze and locked them inside.
“Ifeanyi struggled to come outside, but the woman couldn’t. Benjamin ran outside and started shouting that fire was burning. There may be some underlying reasons for him to have done that. The house he stays in belonged to his wife and she wanted to sell it because she heard he wanted to sell the house without her consent.
“There was also a case of jealousy because he said when his wife returned from Scotland, she kept talking to someone on the phone despite cautioning her against it, and the whole thing accumulated.
“The wife had relocated to Scotland with their children. Their children are still in Scotland; he has thrown the children into jeopardy with this incident.”
Speaking on behalf of the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, while parading the suspect at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja, said the victim’s husband set her and her brother ablaze after a minor quarrel.
He said, “This deals with a case of the murder of one Chinyere and Ifeanyi by Chinyere’s husband, Benjamin, at Abule-Ado, Lagos State, on April 1, 2022, around 3.30am. The victims were set ablaze by Benjamin after a minor quarrel. The suspect will soon be charged to court.”
The suspect, however, denied setting his wife and in-law ablaze, adding that he also sustained burns during the incident.
He said, “My wife returned from Scotland and used her Nigerian number to call me around 9pm to open the gate. I was not at home, but I told my tenant, Stanley, to help me open the gate. I also left what I was doing and rushed home. I never knew she came with her brother until I got home.
“So, after assisting in parking some of her loads, we moved into the bedroom and started talking as husband and wife. Suddenly, she received a call and told me the call concerned her brother and she needed to be with him to receive it.
“I agreed and she left the room to meet her brother at the guest house. While she was still at the guest house, I went to take a bottle of drink at a place close to our house. After I was done, I went home, and entered our room, thinking my wife would be inside, but she was not there and was still in the guest room discussing with her brother.
“I left her there, went to the parlour and switched on the television. But later on, I saw an unusual fire coming from the direction they were and as I moved closer, I saw smoke. But as I opened the door, I saw fire and screamed. I sustained burns also. I moved out and started shouting for help; I also asked a woman to pour water on me and that was the last thing I remembered as I woke up in a hospital.”
Pinheiro Calls for Charter Status, Stronger Constitution to Reposition NANTA as a Global Force
At the 49th Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Professor ’Kemi Pinheiro, OFR, delivered a compelling call to action, urging members to rally behind a vision of a “Legally Grounded, Ethically Driven, and Globally Respected Association.”
In a deeply reflective presentation,0 Pinheiro underscored the urgent need for NANTA to adopt a robust constitution and pursue charter status to secure its relevance and authority in Nigeria’s travel and tourism sector.
Speaking to an audience of stakeholders and industry leaders, the legal luminary described the Association’s current legal framework, registered as an Incorporated Trustee under Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2020—as insufficient to support its ambitions of professional regulation and global recognition.
Without a statutory charter, he said, NANTA lacks the structural muscle to effectively govern its members or regulate professional standards in the industry.
Pinheiro likened the constitution of an organization to the design of an airport terminal: “When done right, everything flows smoothly… but when done poorly, confusion reigns.” This metaphor set the tone for a presentation rooted in legal precedent, philosophical insight, and pragmatic recommendations.
Drawing from authorities such as Sebastine T. Hon, SAN, and referencing judicial pronouncements, including the Court of Appeal’s ruling in Mohammed v. Sokoto (2021), he emphasized that a constitution is far more than a formal document, it is the foundational legal instrument that legitimizes power, organizes governance, and upholds ethical standards.
Tracing the implications of NANTA’s draft constitution, Pinheiro pointed out gaps that undermine clarity and legal certainty.
For instance, he highlighted the absence of clear guidelines on who can vote on behalf of a corporate member, potentially exposing the Association to disputes and administrative inefficiencies.
Similarly, he questioned the vague status of probationary or “associate” members, asking whether they hold voting rights or can participate in governance—a lack of clarity that risks perceptions of arbitrariness.
On the issue of dormant membership, Pinheiro noted that while the constitution rightly penalizes financial default, it fails to outline the rights or restrictions of such members, nor does it clarify procedures for reactivation.
He also stressed the need for the constitution to reflect statutory provisions regarding the disqualification of trustees, particularly the exclusion of minors, as stipulated in Section 826 of CAMA.
“Good governance,” Pinheiro asserted, “is the oxygen that sustains any thriving association.”
He drew from philosophical traditions, including Hobbesian political theory, and quoted experts like Mark Goyder to underscore the balance required between leadership and governance.
A strong constitution, he said, bridges these two, enabling NANTA to navigate change, prevent abuse, and maintain its integrity.
The presentation also compared NANTA’s governance framework to that of other professional bodies such as the Nigerian Bar Association and the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), both of which enshrine ethical standards and participatory governance in their foundational documents.
Pinheiro advocated for similar codification in NANTA’s constitution, especially in an industry where trust and professionalism are paramount.
Crucially, he called on members to actively engage in the constitutional review process, invoking the words of Indian philanthropist Rohini Nilekani: “We cannot be mere consumers of good governance; we must be participants; we must be co-creators.” Participation, he emphasized, ensures that the constitution reflects the collective will and aspirations of its members.
With a powerful reminder, Pinheiro said, no association can rise above the unity, vision, and commitment of its membership. If NANTA is to evolve into a global force in travel and tourism, it must first ground itself in a constitution that commands respect, enforces ethics, and withstands the test of time.
The Zion Prayer Movement Outreach has debunked media reports attributing the continued detention of a blogger, Harrison Ofoegbu (Ijele Speaks) to the ministry.
At a press conference in Lagos on Saturday, the ministry’s Media Adviser, Dan Aibangbe, and members of the legal team described reports by Sahara Reporters that Ofoegbu had been detained by its Spiritual Director, Evangelist Ebuka Obi, for one year as completely false and misleading, explaining that the blogger’s release order was signed by the court on August 15, 2024, after he perfected his bail conditions.
However, Ofoegbu is being held for other cases unconnected with Zion Ministry including a case at the Federal High Court, Awka, Anambra State. Zion said Sahara Reporters was fully aware of this but has instead chosen to mislead the public with falsehood, Aibangbe explained. He also clarified that Ofoegbu was on trial for threatening the life of Evangelist Ebuka.
Mrs Ugonna Okpara of the Zion Legal team who showed journalists at the conference the release papers signed by the court, explained that the blogger’s defence counsel had confirmed to the judge who tried to find out why he was still in detention that their client was being held for another case at the Federal High Court in Awka which has nothing to do with Zion Ministry or Evangelist Ebuka Obi.
Other members of the ministry’s Legal team, Kingsley Okigbo and Gerty Iloegbunam, who spoke at the briefing also called on the journalists to carry out their investigation at the Correctional Center to confirm why the blogger was still in detention. They equally advised the media not to be deceived by the false and misleading account being circulated by Sahara Reporers.
Watch the video below:
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The Minister of Police Affairs, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, has reiterated the need to establish a seamless and secure mechanism for real-time intelligence sharing, enhancing capacity for proactive and preemptive responses to threats.
He stated this, according to a statement by Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Unit, Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the during an Interagency Security Seminar with a theme: Multiplicity of Operations in Nigeria’s Contemporary Security Landscape: Optimizing Multi-Agency Efforts for Effective Treat Response, organized by the Army War College Nigeria Course 9/2025 held at the TYB Auditorium, ACWN, Wu Bassey Barracks, Asokoro, Abuja.
The Minister, who was the Special Guest of Honour, pointed out that to optimize multi-agency efforts for effective threat response, they must tackle critical gaps in our security architecture.
“Institutionalizing cross-agency training exercises and scenario-based drills will improve operational interoperability and foster mutual trust. By leveraging modern technologies – such as advanced surveillance systems, artificial intelligence, and digital forensics – we can enhance our operational effectiveness.”
He said the security environment in Nigeria has undergone a profound transformation. We face a complex web of threats, from insurgency and terrorism in the North-East to banditry and farmer-herder conflicts in the North-West and North-Central regions. Additionally, we grapple with separatist movements in the South-East and organized crime in the South-South and South-West.
Gaidam opined that this multiplicity of threats necessitates a comprehensive approach that engages the entire government and society.
“These challenges are compounded by economic disparities, governance deficits, and the increasing sophistication of criminal enterprises that exploit technology, porous borders, and ungoverned spaces,” he stressed.
According to him, “The traditional view of security, limited to military or law enforcement responses, is no longer adequate. We must embrace an integrated approach that brings together all stakeholders, including military forces, law enforcement agencies, intelligence services and civil society.
The Minister expressed that the multi-agency collaboration is not merely an option; it is a necessity. Effective security management today requires a robust interagency coordination framework.
The complexity of contemporary threats demands that the Nigeria Police Force strengthen operational synergies with other agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and Nigerian Customs Service (NCS).
Gaidam stressed the role of the civilian population as a vital asset in security management. Strengthening police-community relations and fostering public trust through community policing initiatives will significantly improve our intelligence-gathering capabilities and preventive security measures.
Earlier, the Guest lecturer, Major General Babagana Mohammed Monguno (Rtd) stated that globally military operations play a significant role in restoring peace and stability, noting that nations implement security strategies to minimize the security threats to their economic and diplomatic relations.
“With the Nigerian military operations currently being conducted across all geopolitical zones despite the success recorded by the ongoing operations, security threats continue to persist across the country, disrupting daily livelihood and instilling fear among the citizens and there is the need for comprehensive approach to mitigate contemporary security threats across Nigeria,” he said.
