Metro
Woman Sells Sister’s Child for N600,000 in Rivers, Arrested
The police in Rivers State have smashed a child trafficking syndicate and rescued a five-year-old girl sold for N600,000 to an undisclosed buyer in Imo State.
The child was said to have been kidnapped from Omagwa community in the Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State after she went missing on May 20, 2022.
The state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, disclosed this while parading 30 suspects arrested for various crimes at the police headquarters in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Eboka said the suspects would be charged to court at the conclusion of investigations.
The CP said, “On May 20 this year, a lady called Peace Emmanuel reported that her five-year-old daughter was missing. The case was reported at the Omagwa Police Station.
“But later, it was transferred to the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Team at the Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt. They went into investigation and eventually, it was discovered that it was her sister who arranged to steal her child and she eventually sold the child to a lady in Imo State for the sum of N600,000.
“So, we went and we were able to rescue the little girl; we also arrested two suspects. The major suspect’s name is Ejike Edith, aged 30; she also mentioned others who did that crime with her. They are Prince Ugwu and Nkiruja Samuel, 26. These suspects were also arrested and are here with us. But the person who received the baby is in Imo State and we are making arrangements to ensure that he is arrested to face the law.”
He said men of the command also busted a kidnappers’ den in a forest in Kaani community, Khana LGA of the state, rescuing victims and recovering several AK-47 rifles used by the suspects.
“Similarly, on May 27, the same anti-kidnapping unit also arrested one Messiah Wisdom. The suspect would invite girls to his house, drug them, make love to them, video them and threaten them to bring the sum of N1m or risk the chance of the video going viral.
“This morning (Wednesday), we also got information that some people were looking for AK-47 rifles to buy. We worked on that piece of information, developed it and sent our men to go and pose as those wanting to sell the rifles.
“Eventually, two men came up to buy the rifles. They agreed to buy the rifles for N850,000 per rifle. They wanted to buy four pieces; they came with a boat and had with them the sum of N1.3m, which they wanted to pay as a deposit.
“They promised that when we follow them to the river, they would give us the balance in the river. But these two people were arrested and the money was recovered.
“The third person escaped with their boat. The suspects confessed and said they wanted to buy the rifles to protect their community. I don’t know who gave them permission to bear AK-47 rifles to protect their community,” Eboka added.
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#.
A few weeks ago, MoneyMaster introduced a 10 percent data bonus on top-ups of 1,000 naira and above for existing and new customers on the Glo network. The offer was rated as one of the best offers in the country in terms of the amount of data offered. Data purchases are valid for 30 days, and any unused data can be rolled over to your next plan.
Commenting on the data offer, Julius Arhebun, head of agency banking at MoneyMaster, said: “as a payment service bank, one of our core mandates is to promote financial inclusion. This offer builds on the various financial education we have been providing online and across our various customer touchpoints.
“With this new 100MB offer, we want to encourage Nigerians in the unbanked and underbanked pools to be financially included by having at least a mobile wallet. The account number of this mobile wallet is derived from their mobile number, and can be easily recalled,” he noted.
MoneyMaster PSB is a leading provider of innovative digital financial products and services that transform lives and contribute to sustainable living. With a mission to deepen financial inclusion, MoneyMaster has been instrumental in providing financial technology services to bridge the gap between the banked, unbanked and underbanked.
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.
