OVER 40 DEAD BODIES FOUND IN ANAMBRA/ENUGU RIVER

More than 40 bodies have been found floating on the Ezzu River along the border of Anambra and Enugu State. The bodies, whose source or identities were not known, were suspected to have been dumped in the river by unknown persons on Friday. Suspicions are that the bodies belonged to people who might have been victims of extra-judicial killings.

According to the PUNCH. it was first noticed by fishermen and sand excavators at the Amansea section of the river, they said some of the bodies were trapped at the river bank. The traditional ruler of Amansea, Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, described the development as “unfortunate,” saying the community had never witnessed such before.

Governor Peter Obi was said to have cut short his overseas trip to enable him visit the scene.

The Commissioner for Local Government, Mrs. Azuka Enemuoh, who visited the scene with some government officials, said 40 corpses were counted. “It is obvious that these corpses are floating from somewhere and I can tell you we haven’t seen the last of it.”

The Anambra State Assistant Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka, confirmed the development and said investigations had commenced.

The Enugu State Police Command said that it would work with the Anambra State Police Command to investigate the source of the 40 corpses.

MAY THEIR SOUL RIP...

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PROPHETESS, OTHERS SELL TWO YEAR OLD BOY

A female cleric with an undisclosed Pentecostal church in Abia State, Prophetess Mrs. Ezelu (other name withheld),, is currently in the police custody about the selling of a two-year-old boy that was recently rescued in Ondo State.

The female minister was among the three women and a man that were arrested and paraded by the Abia State Police Command for alleged conspiracy, kidnap and sale of a two-year-old baby boy, Master Prosper Light, from Abia State.

The little boy was sold for N600,000 (six hundred thousand naira) but was rescued at Ore, Ondo State, while being transported to Lagos. The police boss said a popular photographer in Aba lured the little boy after promising to buy him a balloon.

The boy took the bait and was allegedly abducted by the photographer, who quickly handed him over to his customer, a female restaurant operator. Also paraded by the police boss for the alleged crime were 38-year-old Mrs. Chinaza (other name withheld), a staffer of Bende Local Government Area of Abia State said to be the buyer of the baby; 45-year-old Mrs. Anele (other name withheld), the restaurant operator, who contracted an Aba-based photographer, Nwaogu (other name also withheld), popularly called Ejima, for the kidnap. Nwaogu was also paraded.

CLERICS TOO???

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TWO PASTORS JAILED FOR ILLEGAL BANKING OPERATIONS

A Federal High Court in Asaba, Delta State, has sentenced two pastors to 10 years imprisonment each for illegal banking operations.

According to THE PUNCH, the court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, found Pastor Glory Abrefera and Rev. Vincent Okpogo, including their company, Mustard Seed Micro Investment Limited, guilty on a four-count of engaging in banking practice without licence.

A statement by the spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, on Monday said the accused collected over N1bn from different individuals and organisations as deposits in an illegal banking transactions.

They were said to have been arrested following a petition to EFCC by some of the depositors.

The counsel for EFCC, G. K. Latona, described the judgment as a milestone in the Nigerian judiciary. He said it was the first time that persons were convicted for carrying out banking practice without the required licence, adding that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to other persons engaging in such illegal act.

EVERYDAY FOR THE THEIF, ONE DAY FOR THE OWNER

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10 KILLED IN ZAMFARA AS GUNMEN INVADE VILLAGES

According to THE NATION, gunmen allegedly shot to death about 10 people during a raid on two neighbouring villages in Zamfara State, the police said yesterday.

The motive for the attack late on Saturday on the villages of Makera and Usu was not known, the police said. It was also unclear whether members of the Boko Haram or criminal gangs were behind it.

“There was an attack in these villages in Zamfara and people were killed. I think the number is around 10,” Zamfara police spokesman Hassan Usman Talba said by telephone from the scene, according to Reuters.

He said the prime suspects were gangs of Fulani herdsman but that the police were still investigating.

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MAN CHOPS OFF GIRLFRIENDS HEAD IN NIGER STATE

A 500 level student of the Federal University of Technology Minna, named Godwin Edeko has been arrested by the Niger State Police for allegedly cutting off his girlfriend's head after having carnal knowledge of her for three days.

Some of the neighbours who spoke to Channels Television explained that they became suspicious when they heard the dead girl, simply identified as Hanatu, screaming and the suspect dashing out of his room.

They further mentioned that after some time without hearing any sound from the girl who had been with the suspect for three days without coming out, they forcefully opened the door of the room only to find the headless body of Hanatu with blood stains all over the room.

Niger State Police Public Relation Officer, Pius Edoko while confirming the incident explained that although the suspect had confessed to the crime, the command is yet to establish the motive of the crime.

He however said the investigation is ongoing with a view to crack down other people involved in the crime as the severed head was recovered from an uncompleted building in Bosso.

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I5 DEAD AS FUEL TANKER COLLIDES WITH A BUS

15 people were feared dead on Sunday when a fuel tanker rammed into a commercial bus at Odo Oba in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

The tanker was said to have collided with the commercial bus at a sharp bend along Odo-Oba village, resulting in the auto crash. Eye-witnesses added that the impact of the collision made the tanker to upturn and spill its inflammable cargo which eventually led to an explosion. The explosion was compounded as another fully loaded tanker had broken down at the same scene for the past one week. The driver of the commercial bus, the eyewitness added, lost control of the vehicle and the passengers were flung out of the vehicle. Only three of the passengers were lucky to escape.

The dead bodies of the victims of the accident were later taken to Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso. As a result of the accident, there was heavy traffic jam along the Ibadan/Ogbomoso/Oyo expressway. Men of the State Fire Service, police, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had hectic time controlling the traffic.

Road accidents involving tankers have become rampant in recent months, raising concern about the safety of road users.

MAY THEIR SOUL REST IN PERFECT PEACE

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1 KILLED, 12 HOUSES DESTROYED IN LAGOS FIRECRACKER EXPLOSIONS

                                                  SCENES FROM THE INCIDENT
                                         
Chaos arose in Jankara Market, Isale Eko area of Lagos State on Wednesday after a building containing a stockpile of firecrackers caught fire, killing at least one person and injuring 40 others. It was observed that at least 12 buildings were razed by the fire while 10 vehicles were completely burnt.

According to residents, the fire started from a makeshift warehouse located on 45 Ojo Giwa Street at about 9:30am.and spread to other houses. An occupant of the building where the fire started from, Chibuzor Ukandu, said it started around 9am. Ukandu, who owned an electronic store on the ground floor of the two-storey building, said he lost all his property.

He said, “Around 9am, I was attending to a customer when I heard a loud explosion. Before I knew it, fire had started spreading very quickly.

“I tried to issue my customer a receipt before evacuating my goods but the fire was spreading so fast. The explosion occurred again and I managed to pull out only my customer. All my goods were burnt.”

It was learnt that the explosions caused pandemonium as many people thought they were bomb blasts. Fire fighters were seen attempting to put out the fire for hours as smoke billowed from the affected buildings. The fire, however, continued to rage as the explosives continued to go off.

Some of the buildings affected by the fire were warehouses and shops for traders on the Island. Items stored in those building, included electrical accessories, electronics equipment, and household items among others.

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