Metro
Kogi Housewife Fakes Own Kidnap, Arrested
A middle-aged housewife, Mrs Yemi Samuel, has been arrested by men of the Kwara State Police Command for allegedly faking her own kidnap in Kabba, Kogi State.
Samuel was among the nine suspects paraded by the police in Ilorin on Wednesday.
Three other suspects, Jenmo Usman, 27; Iliashu Mohammed, 25; and Maude Umaru, 21, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, were apprehended for alleged kidnapping, criminal intimidation and conspiracy.
The trio were alleged to have conspired and threatened their employer, one Sarafa Yusuf, on the telephone that they would kidnap him if he failed to give them N2m.
The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, said Samuel, who lives in Kabba, allegedly went into hiding at her parents’ home in Ilorin and claimed that she was kidnapped by unknown persons while she was cleaning the compound, and taken to an unknown destination.
Egbetokun stated that from her hideout, the suspect demanded N5m ransom, which was later reduced to N1m.
The CP said her husband and family members was able to raise N500,000, which was taken to Iluke in the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Egbetokun said before the completion of the transaction, State Intelligence Bureau operatives had tracked the suspect to the Kulende area of Ilorin, where she was arrested.
The CP stated, “On June 15, 2019, around 5.30am, Mrs Yemi Samuel hatched a self-kidnap scenario; she left her home and went into hiding, claiming that she had been kidnapped while cleaning the compound by unknown persons and taken to an unknown destination, adding that her abductors had demanded N5m ransom for her release.
“She added that her kidnappers weren’t willing to talk to anyone on the phone due to fear of their voices been recognised. She later called and said that the ransom had been reduced to N1m.
“Effort was intensified and N500,000 was arranged by her husband as well as family members and well-wishers.
“She directed them to take the money to Iluke town, but before the transaction could be effected, SIB operatives in Kwara, led by the officer in charge, Saka Fagade, tracked the suspect to the Kulende area, Sango, Ilorin, and arrested her. She had hid herself in her parents’ rented apartment.”
Samuel, who said she was a Mathematics graduate, confessed to committing the crime in order to raise money for her husband, whom she said was poor.
“I’m a graduate of Mathematics and I live in Kabba with my husband. Things are hard for us and my husband is not finding life easy; so I decided to raise money for him from members of his family; that was why I went to hide myself thinking that his family would raise the money for him to rescue me,” she stated.
As for the three suspects, who allegedly demanded N2m from their boss so that they would not kidnap him, Egbetokun said, “On June 10, 2019, one Sarafa Yusuf of the Kebe Compound, Ilota via Idofian, Kwara State, reported that on June 9, 2019, around 6pm, he received a phone call and the caller demanded N2m from him or else he would be kidnapped and killed.
“Based on this, the complainant made an arrangement with the police on where to drop the money, which was at the Iyana Eleja junction via Idofian.
“It was later discovered that one Jenmo Usman, an employee of the complainant, was the one who picked the polythene bag containing the money at 11.30am and he was immediately arrested by the police. His arrest led to the nabbing of two other suspects, Iliasu Mohammed and Maude Umaru, who also work for the complainant.”
Egbetokun added that all the suspects would soon be charged to court upon the completion of investigation into the respective cases.
The CP also said five other suspects were apprehended in connection with last week’s protest in Ilorin by commercial motorcyclists.
He added that they were arrested for conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disturbance of the public peace, rioting with dangerous weapons, intimidation and causing grievous hurt and mischief by fire.
The Punch
Leading payment services bank, MoneyMaster Payment Service Bank (MMPSB) continues to delight its existing customers with various freebies for every transaction.
The bank recently announced the launch of a new 100MB data offer for new customers. The initiative aims to encourage people with little or no access to banking services to set up their own mobile wallets using the bank’s USSD banking platform. The promotion is available to Glo customers using the bank’s USSD bank code, *995#.
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Leading real estate and property firm, Adron Homes and Properties, has announced the postponement of the earlier advertised seventh edition of the Adron Homes Games, with the theme Fit to be the Biggest.
The postponement, according to a statement signed by the Group’s Managing Director, Adenike Ajobo, and made available to Pointblank.ng, is as a result security concerns as the company prioritizes the security of its staff, attendees and participants.
Recall that the sports fiesta, originally billed to take place on November 29 and 30, 2024, was scheduled to hold at the Lekan Salami Stadium in Ibadan.
Read the statement in full:
POSTPONEMENT OF ADRON GAMES 2024
Adron Homes wishes to announce the cancellation of the much-anticipated Adron Games 2024.
This decision, was made in the best interest of all participants, stakeholders, and the broader community. The postponement is necessitated by heightened security concerns in certain regions that could potentially jeopardize the safety of staff, attendees and participants.
As an organization that is committed to the well-being of its staffs, partners and everyone involved, priority is designated to safety and security above all else. Also, the organization is taking this opportunity to rethink and restructure its sporting initiatives to ensure public inclusivity
and as part of efforts to enhance and expand the impact of its wellness programs, the Adron Games will evolve into a broader, more inclusive sporting initiative.
This transformation will foster collaboration, unity, and healthy competition among a wider array of participants, and will embody the same spirit of excellence, teamwork, and wellness that the Adron Games has championed over the years.
We deeply regret any inconvenience this decision may cause and hereby extend our heartfelt gratitude to our valued staff, participants, partners, ambassadors and supporters for their understanding and continued trust in Adron Homes.
Adron Homes remains committed to inspiring excellence and fostering community engagement through corporate wellness initiatives such as Adron Games at all times.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Police Affairs, Mr. James Sule, has retired from service after 35 years of meritorious service to the nation, according to a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations Unit, Mr. Bolaji Kazeem, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The Permanent Secretary however, charged the directorate cadre to mentor officers in the service for effective service delivery to the citizens, as a parting advice.
He made the charge during the send-forth ceremony organized on his behalf by the Ministry staff at the Headquarters of the Ministry in Abuja.
The retired Permanent Secretary said that everything starts and ends with leadership and the need to uphold the organization’s rules and regulations without considering people’s feelings.
“We are all leaders just like I said, don’t just think the president, vice president, and governors are only leaders. What can you do in your community to impact positively on others? What are you doing to mentor the younger ones so that whatever corner you find yourself in, whether you are a union leader, whether you are an assistant director or you are a principal officer, you do your best to be fair, accountable, and transparent in your activities?
He used the opportunity to thank the management and staff of the Ministry for their support and for working with him as a team to ensure the success of the ministry.
According to James, “Indeed, it was a privilege to work alongside a talented and committed team. Together we have achieved a lot, and I am proud of knowing you and we have accomplished it while we were here although it was short, I also want to thank you for your kind words. I thank my personal staff that’s brought so much to the nation-building,” he said.
In his response, the Director charged with the Permanent Secretary Office, Mr. Yusuf Abubakar Argungu, stated that the staff has learned so much from the retired Permanent Secretary noting that the friendship and mentorship have just begun and not the end of it, just the beginning of it.
“It is the perfect time to reflect on the invaluable lessons, experiences, and memories you have shared with us and to experience our heartfelt appreciation. Retirement isn’t the end of an era but the beginning of a new chapter in life. We are wishing you a retirement filled with exciting journeys. Congratulations,” he said.
