The Delta State Police Command has arrested a Nigerian pastor known as Rev. Ignatius Ogboi of Salvation Army Church, Mbiri, suspected to be notorious kidnapper.
The police claimed that 3,871 live cartridges and a loaded English made double barrel gun were recovered from him.
The state Commissioner of Police, Muhammad Mustafa, said Rev. Ignatius Ogboi, 51, was sponsoring kidnappers and armed robbers operating within Agbor and Umunede and its environs.
Police command also said they recovered some prohibited drugs and over N4 million, believed to be ransom collected from kidnapped and armed robbery victims.
The cleric, who admitted ownership of the exhibits, however, denied the suspected case of kidnapping, illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and prohibited drugs, including Tramadol, levelled against him.
Ogboi said he only helped the vigilantes in his community to procure the recovered items found in his possession after they complained that they were buying them at exorbitant rates elsewhere.
He said: “I am still an ordained minister of God in Christ Army Church, Umunede. The bulk of the money being paraded is very small compared to what I usually have with me if my business was still booming. I am not a kidnapper as being speculated.”
A 50-year-old mechanic, Gafau Shogaolu, has urged an Iyana-Ipaja Customary Court, to dissolve his 25-year-old marriage to his wife, Maria, over alleged adulterous and fetish lifestyle.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Gafau, of No. 13, Sijuade St., Abesan, Ipaja Lagos, told the court that his wife once left him for another man and came back 15 years after, pleading for a second chance.
Gafou said, “My wife had a child for me before she left for another man, and came back 15 years after, begging me to take her back, which I did.
“I married another woman while she was away. When she came back, I got an apartment for her.
“I introduced her to the herbalist that took deliveries of the three children she gave birth to after she came back.
“Unknown to me, my wife went back and started having an affair with the herbalist,” he said.
Gafau told the court that he once caught his wife when she was about to enter the herbalist’s car.
“After my younger brother told me about my wife’s infidelity, I decided to keep a close watch on her. I caught her when she was about to enter the herbalist’s car.
“I reported the case at a police station and the herbalist was made to write an undertaken twice, never to call and have a secret affair with her again,” he said.
The petitioner further accused his wife of being fetish and failed in her responsibility to take care of the children.
“My wife is fetish. There was a time I found a padlock tied with a red cloth in her wardrobe.
“One of our children also found a small gourd in her wardrobe and brought it to me. My life is no longer save, please separate us,” he begged the court.
Responding, Maria, 44, a businesswoman, denied being fetish and adulterous, but admitted that the herbalist asked her out.
“I am not having an affair with the herbalist, he only asked me out and I rejected his offer. I felt it was not necessary to inform my husband about the issue.
“I am not fetish. The small gourd is not mine. I asked Michael, my younger brother, who came to pay me a visit and he said he is the owner of the small gourd,” Maria told the court.
The respondent, however, urged the court to save her marriage and reconcile her to her husband.
The President of the court, Mr Adekunle Hassan, urged the husband to allow his wife to remain in his apartment until the case is disposed off.
Hassan urged the wife to ensure that there was peace in the house, adding she would be held responsible if anything happens to her husband.
The crash of a German military Airbus Tiger helicopter in Mali jUNE 2017 caused by incorrect settings on the autopilot, Germany’s Spiegel Online reported.
The helicopter crashed while flying a peacekeeping mission in the West African nation’s desert north, killing the two crew members.
Spiegel Online said the Defence Ministry had informed the parliamentary defence committee about the new findings.
It said the autopilot controlled the airplane’s elevator.
It remained unclear who programmed the settings on the autopilot software, which were not found on any other Tiger helicopters.
Spiegel Online cited a report from the Defence Ministry as saying the autopilot flew the helicopter sharply lower, leaving the pilots no chance to manually take the plane higher again.
A parliamentary source confirmed the gist of the Spiegel report.
An Airbus spokesman declined comment and referred all queries to German military authorities investigating the accident.
A defence ministry spokesman confirmed that a report was presented to committee leaders on Tuesday, and said it would be discussed in greater detail with members on Wednesday.
He declined to comment on the reported cause of the crash. (Reuters/NAN)
A suspected internet fraudster has been arrested after he was caught using his young nephew for rituals in Lagos. According to online reports, the alleged Yahoo boy named Tunde Owolabi popularly known as 'Money Talks' was caught using his elder sister's 7-year-old son for money rituals in Ikoyi, Lagos State.
The suspect who took security operatives to where he dumped the boy's corpse - is currently in custody and helping the police with investigation.
His arrest has sparked outrage on social media. See below;
Troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade conducting EXERCISE AYEM AKPATUMA have arrested 5 suspected cultists at Katsina Ala local government area of Benue State.
This is contained in a statement Monday night by Major Olabisi Ayeni, Assistant Director Army Public Relations.
It said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were students of College of Education, Katsina Ala, who were about to be initiated as new members.
“Troops acted on credible information followed by raid operations which led to their arrest”, the statement added.
“The suspects arrested are, Mr Dennis Victor Terfa, Mr Emmanuel Daniel Akpagher, Mr Akuse Jacob Aondongu, Mr Kpo Isaac and Mr Idika Kelechi”, he added.
Similarly, troops operating at Sector C carried out cordon and search operations at Ukum Local Government Area which also led to the arrest of gun runners and a cattle rustler.
Among the suspects arrested is a 55-year-old Samuel Gaza and one Jato Aontoseer, a weapon fabricator.
Items recovered are: one Fabrique National rifle, 3 Fabrique National and AK 47 magazines, one locally made pistol, 3 dane guns, 4 mobile phones and one axe, military belt, lanyard and a beret, charms, some quantity of indian hemp.
Renewed cult clash has claimed two lives in Cross River State.
One each died in Calabar south and Calabar Municipal.
DAILY POST gathered that the killing was done on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
An eyewitness who gave his name simply as George told our correspondent on Sunday that “two young men were killed in the renewed cult clash between two rivalry cult groups in Calabar on Saturday and Sunday.
“One was killed at Nyahasang close to a transformer (Calabar Municipal) while the other was killed at Dr Dean in Mbukpa in Calabar South local government area.”
He further said that the Nyahasang incident occurred on Sunday morning while the Dr Dean incident occurred on Saturday by 7pm.
When our correspondent called the Police Public Relations Officer, Ms Irene Ugbo, she did not pick calls, neither did she respond to text message.
But a reliable Police source who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned said that three young men had been arrested with machetes and a locally made pistol by Mbukpa Police station.
“The two cult groups are Klans and Axe men. Somebody from Klans killed an Axe man on Saturday and this morning there was a reprisal from Axe men,” he stated.
An appeal is being made online to help locate the family of a young pregnant woman who was almost used by suspected ritualists. According to an online report, the woman identified as Janet Oyewole from Osun state managed to escape from her alleged captors and is said to have lost her memory in the process.
She revealed that a car dropped her at a roundabout in Ado Odo area of Ogun state.
The lady who claimed she can't remember much - is hoping to reunite with her family.
Princess Akapo Temitope who shared her pictures online, wrote;
Pls help this fortunate young pregnant lady,she was almost used by ritualist....we don't really know how she managed to escape,she's Janet Oyewole by name and she is from Osun state, that's the little information we were able to get from her for now.pls save a soul today by sharing this post till it gets to her family members or someone who can get in touch with her parents.
A disaster was reportedly averted at Umuohu Okpula, Ndume community, Ibeku in Umuahia North Local Government area of Abia State, when a vigilant grandmother prevented a four-day-old baby from being carried away by a hawk.
The grandmother, who gave her name as Adeline Emmanuel, explained that she was lying down, when she heard the loud flapping of bird’s wings.
According to her, she heard noise of a struggling object as the bird was trying to fly through the window, but fell down on the floor of the one-storey building, prompting her to shout at her daughter, mother of the baby, to shut the window.
She said: “I saw the hawk drop down where my four-day-old granddaughter was sleeping and was trying to carry the baby who was probably too heavy for it.
“It was then that I started shouting, asking my daughter to close the windows.
“My shouting and that of my daughter coupled with others, who were by then aware of what was happening, attracted the community youths.”
She said the youths were able to catch the hawk and break its legs and wings.
In her account, the mother of the four-day-old baby girl, Mrs. Joy Emmanuel, said she was outside when her mother-in-law’s shouting made her rush in, only to be confronted with the unusual sight.
According to her, it was only the grace of God that made her to survive the shock, as she had never seen such an incident in all her life.
She explained that they live upstairs in one of the apartments in the building, but “because the weather on that Sunday was unbearably hot, we decided to leave the windows open, which was how the hawk flew into the room and tried to carry my baby.”
For the landlord of the building, Mr. Aaron Ibeji, he has never seen or heard that a bird, no matter its size, tried to carry a baby.
He said the incident nearly shattered the peace of the community.
Ibeji, however, expressed happiness that the youths of the community were able to catch the bird. He said that they were waiting for the elders of the community to decide on what they are going to do with the bird.
A Petty Thief got the beaten of the year, yesterday after he was caught trying to burgle a home at Rumukpokwu, Port Harcourt, Rivers State in a broad daylight robbery.
Eyewitness says the yet to be identified suspect jumped through the fence a about 10am, to steal money and some jewelry, Infact he even stole the stuff successfully but was caught while he was trying to escape.
He was heavily beaten him, tied and stripped unclad, there after handed over to the police.
see the pictures below.
Even though the Kaduna state government through the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency, KASUPDA, has owned up and given reasons for the demolition of building belonging to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna-North, some Nigerians have used their Twitter handle to upbraid Governor Nasir El-Rufai over the pulling down of the structure ) being used as APC factional secretariat.
There was a report that the office located at Sambo Road, Unguwar Rimi in Kaduna on Tuesday pulled down by officials of KASUPDA due to none payment of ground rent for eight years.
Shortly after the news broke, some Twitter users faulted the demolition with one of users stating that the development calls to mind instances of demolition that happened in the Federal Capital Territory while El-Rufai was the minister in charge. DAILY POST brings you reactions…
@Habib_Mdk Ganduje was demonized for plotting against RMK’s visit to Kano. I can’t believe the same people that did that are finding the El Rufai demolition amusing. If it was Ganduje now, they would have descended on him.
@NgugiEvuti KASUPDA, not el-Rufai, is responsible for demolition of illegal structures in Kaduna state.
@mkpayakanga Demolition of Kaduna APC factional office, a replication of what obtained in Federal Capital territory, Abuja yrs ago, when under El-Rufai. the present Governor of Kaduna State. This is a slap on the face of democracy. Someone shld answer for it.
@Ecyassin I was a reporter in NTA and El-Rufai was FCT Minister, I was detailed to cover the demolition of Sen Zwingina’s
@whiitetiger THE SURGE OF TYRANTS I condemn the TYRANT Gov of Kaduna State Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai @elrufai on the Demolition of factional office of the APC in Kaduna State led by Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi @HunkuyiSuleiman. THIS IS A Democratic DISPENSATION AND OPPOSITION MOST BE TOLERATED.
@effalixumab El rufai Ordered The Demolition Of That Senator’s Property Bcos Of Internal Party Differences If He Becomes A President Then…..
@Ade_Nurayn Now let’s put the banters and jokes aside, I’m not a fan of that demolition. Kaduna APC is factionalized, the building belongs to Hunkuyi, if I were El-rufai, I’ll do everything possible to stand down & prevent KASUPDA from demolishing it.
@jesugbodofo It is dangerous politics of intolerance for El-Rufai to have ordered the demolition of opposition Sen Hunkuyi’s building that housed an APC faction in Kaduna State
@Ade_Nurayn For those that hate El-rufai or Kaduna obviously because of him or APC, you can have the floor and OD yourselves with the demolition matter.
@RealDearComedy How many buildings will Malam El Rufai demolish before he turns 60 years. As minister of FCT 2000, as governor of Kaduna state 3000 marked for demolition 1000 already in progress none without compesation. How do you describe terrorist?
@olufisa The Espee Retweeted Juliet ‘Kego No Restructure will stop what we just had in Kaduna by El-Rufai, the demolition of Hunkuyi’s house, one reason I say NO to state police.!
Two young men got more than they bargained for after they were caught stealing a goat in Nsukka area of Enugu state. According to reports, the suspected thieves were caught by eagle-eyed villagers who spotted them after a "successful" robbery operation.
They were humiliated and disgraced as the villagers paraded them in public with the stolen animals.
The police on Wednesday arraigned a 38-year-old driver, Peter Edialu, before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly molesting a 13-tear-old physically challenged girl.
Police charged Edialu, whose address was not stated with abduction, breach of peace and sexual assault.
Police Prosecutor Clifford Ogu told the court that the offences were committed on Jan. 31 at 12, Anuoluwapo St., Ogba, Lagos.
Ogu said that the accused met the girl, a 13- year -old physically challenged, outside playing alone.
“The accused lured the girl to an uncompleted building and molested her.
Ogu said that the accused attempted to escape when neighbours raised an alarm.
He said the neighbours caught up with the accused and handed him over to the police.
The offences, he said, violated Sections 141, 262, 263 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chief Magistrate Taiwo Akanni admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
A husband, Mr Lamidi Adebayo, on Thursday, asked an Ado-Ekiti Customary Court to dissolve his 28 years marriage with his wife, Bose.
The petitioner is accusing Bose of adultery, drunkenness and dishonesty.
Adebayo, 48, a commercial driver and resident of No. 89, Isato Street, Ado-Ekiti told the court that the couple had not conducted any marital rite but they have four children.
He further told the court that his neighbours had informed him several times that his wife and one of her friends were “touring the houses of men” but he never believed the information.
The petitioner said the nature of his job as a driver made it difficult for him to be at home always.
“I was shocked on November 7, 2017 when my childhood friend, named Lateef, a herbalist, invited me to his house and told me that I should forgive him that he has been having secret affairs with my wife.
“He told me that my wife told him that her husband had died a long time ago, whereas am still very much alive,” he said.
The petitioner also alleged that the respondent was a drunkard who takes gin, assorted wines and palm wine to stupor every morning.
Lamidi said he had tried every possible means to stop his wife’s adulterous act and drunkenness but to no avail.
The petitioner, therefore, urged the court to dissolve the marriage because of her behaviour and dishonesty.
The plea of the woman was not immediately taken, but the President of the Court, Mrs Olayinka Akomolede, after hearing the petitioner’s testimony adjourned the case to Feb.15, for further hearing.
Style tips are essential in a woman’s life. More often than not, they don’t have to be difficult to do or remember but because ladies can get be inevitably busy, they tend to forget or act carefree.
These tips are so easy to remember that you don’t have to put in so much effort before you shine brightly:
Get a silk pillowcase to prevent hair breakage. Although it doesn’t stop hair loss, silk pillowcases are anti-absorbent. This means that all the moisture in your hair is retained. It prevents wrinkles too.
Silk Pillowcase. Photo credit: amazon.co.uk
Breast contour was made popular by the Kardashians. Now this new has caught up with a lot of celebrities. Contouring your breasts makes it look fuller by adding up to two cups. All you need is your highlighter and concealer and brush, a V-shape and some blending. The trick is, the higher you go, the fuller it looks.
Most times, we want to look fabulous but our routine won’t just allow it. We feel the impact more if we have an impromptu event to attend to. To get an instant bright skin, you’d need organic honey, milk and turmeric. Add all three and stir till it becomes a paste. Leave to stay on the skin for 30 mins. Wash off with warm water and pat dry. Not only will you look brighter, your skin will look matted.
Tumeric, Milk And Honey. Photo credit: Pinterest
Eyebags can be such a horrible, horrible thing. Imagine the frustration after applying the makeup and your eye bags would refuse to be concealed. The cheat code is getting enough sleep or placing sliced cucumbers on your eyes for at least 25 mins.The cucumber will reduce the fluid causing the puffiness on your eyes. If cucumbers are unavailable, use damp teabags
There is an agitation of who suppose to pay school fees between the parents , assuming the parents are working in a reputable organisation or the father have a good job and the mother is a business woman who suppose to pay the children's school fees. Please share your opinion
HINT: Should it be the father every time?
The 39-year-old man had taken his wife to court over her penchant for unbridled procreation.
Mr Michael Ayinde had earlier told the court that his wife, Glory, enjoyed “giving births at will’’ without consideration for the prevailing economic situation.
According to him, Glory has had six children within the nine-year duration of their marriage.
“Before I married Glory, I warned her that I needed only two kids irrespective of their gender so that I can afford their upkeep. She agreed only for her to discard the agreement after marriage.
“My Lord, my wife wants to kill me with children. She is giving birth to children like rats. In nine years, she was been delivered of six babies.
“She was sacked from her workplace just because she gets pregnant immediately after she resumed from maternity leave,’’ Ayinde said.
He said that he had sold his cars and some of his property to cater for the children.
“After she had the fourth baby, I begged her to go for family planning, she refused.
“I had to force her to the hospital for a family planning device but she went secretly to remove it without my consent.
“Some months later, she went to her parent’s place and sent me text message that she was pregnant.
“She did not return home until after delivery and also did the naming of the baby in her parent’s place.”
He said, on Dec. 24, 2016, Glory left home again for her parent’s place where she called again that she was pregnant and that she would be back after birth.
“Last month, she called me that she had delivered and named the baby, David.’’
The father of six also alleged that his wife was not washing his clothes and her children’s clothes.
Ayinde, however, pleaded with the court to dissolve the marriage so that the estranged wife would not continue to have more children.
The President of Igando Customary Court, Mr Akin Akinniyi, said that it was obvious from available testimony and the respondent’s refusal to appear in court that the marriage had hit the rocks.
Akinniyi said “Throughout the duration of this case, the respondent (Glory) refused to honour court processes.
“Therefore, the court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage; the court hereby pronounce the marriage between Mr Michael Ayinde and Mrs Glory Ayinde dissolved.”
Akinniyi ruled that “Both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife and are free to go their separate ways without any hindrance or molestation.”An Igando Customary Court, in Lagos, has dissolved a nine-year-old marriage between one Mr Michael Ayinde, and his wife, Glory Ayinde.
Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is among 14, 771 persons expected to receive honours at the 7th convocation of National Open University of Nigeria(NOUN), Prof. Abdalla Adamu, NOUN’s Vice-Chancellor, has said.
The former president is expected to receive a doctorate in Christian Theology, Adamu said at a news briefing on the institution’s 2018 convocation scheduled for Jan. 20 at its s headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.
He said that Obasanjo would be considered for an appointment as a facilitator or supervisor as PhD was the least qualification for one to teach in the institution.
The vice-chancellor said that 14,771 was the highest number any institution in Nigeria had ever graduated at a convocation ceremony.
He said that in spite of being a former president, Obasanjo conducted himself properly and deservedly bagged Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Theology.
“One of the graduands is the first PhD graduate the institution will produce; a university must graduate students at academic Masters Level before graduating PhD.
“Only one candidate has been able to do that and that is Obasanjo; the Senate has found him worthy of the award and approved the conferment of PhD on him.
“There are lessons to be learnt from Obasanjo’s feat – one is never too old to learn; Obasanjo was about 80 years when he started the programme and has finished it at 82.
“Again, one is never too powerful to learn; he was the president twice and yet subjected himself to learning; learning is a humbling process.
“We will consider him for the post of a facilitator or supervisor; maybe for our Abeokuta Study Centre; we will suggest it to him.’’
Adamu said that that because of Obasanjo’s achievement, NOUN had received requests from other older citizens.
He said that the institution was able to graduate such a huge number of students because it had created its own internal data management which was previously handled by external vendors.
The vice-chancellor said that students who were hitherto not cleared by the external vendors had been cleared.
He said that NOUN’s Business School would soon take off and would run nine professional programmes.
Adamu said that the institution had created Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies which would generate employment opportunities for the graduates.
According to him, NOUN has opened linkages with foreign universities in order to broaden its scope.
“Sussex University in the UK has reached out to us-to be its hub in Nigeria; Open University of UK, University of South Africa among other are partnering with us.
“We are expanding to create Diaspora study centres in Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Gambia, Senegal, among others.
“These are still subject to approval from the National Universities Commission, the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,’’ he said.
On the standoff between NOUN and the Council for Legal Education over the status of Law graduates, he said that the Senate had passed the NOUN Act Amendment Bill.
He said once both chambers harmonise the bill, it would be sent for presidential assent.
Adamu said that once the amendment was signed into law, all controversies surrounding the Law programme as well that concerning the National Youth Service Corps would be resolved.
A 20-year-old man, identified as Abdullateef Ibrahim, arrested by the Niger State Police Command for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl, has revealed how he started the act.
While pleaded for forgiveness, Ibrahim said he started raping children after his girlfriend left him.
The Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Muhammad Abubakar, said on Sunday that the suspect was apprehended by operatives attached to Nasko police division, adding that he had been charged to court.
The PPRO said that the suspect confessed to the crime during interrogation, noting that the victim had been taken to the General Hospital, Magama, for treatment.
Punch reports that the victim, while on an errand for her mother, was dragged to an isolated place by Ibrahim where he had sex with her.
Ibrahim told the newspaper that he had forcefully had carnal knowledge of more than six underage girls in the community.
He said, “Since my girlfriend left, I have been in the act and I enjoyed doing it, but at times I will ask myself ‘why am I into this mess and the urge still continues?’
“It is quite unfortunate that I found myself in this hopeless predicament.”
He begged for forgiveness and advised other youths to shun “ the wicked act that may mar their future.”
The mystery behind the reign of terror of killer cult group known as badoo in Ikorodu area of Lagos, is gradually unfolding following the recent arrest of five suspected key members of the sect.
The group started its operations late 2016 with pockets of killings in different communities within Ikorodu. By 2017, its name, badoo was not only established but the gruesome murder of defenseless and helpless residents also established the killing as ritual purpose related. .
Its members killed at will, without consideration to the age or sex of victims. In one of the instances, a grandmother with her two grandchildren were murdered in cold blood in their sleep. The entire members of several families were also wiped out by these evasive killers.
The sanctity of worship centres like the church were disregarded as members of the blood thirsty group killed some victims right inside the centres. One baffling aspect of its operation was that none of its victims nor members of the neigbourhood where they invade was usually awake during the operation.
Residents only woke up to discover the lifeless bodies of victims in their rooms with their head smashed. At a point, residents concluded badoo members were invincible beings.
But with the latest arrest of Igwe Chibuzor (20), Obamoyegun Omotayo (45), Samuel Ameze (38), his wife Gift, and Adebayo Fatai (34), it has been established that members the group are human beings after all. The arrest however, revealed the use of diabolical means in the group’s operation.
What gave the gang away
From the confessional statements of the arrested suspects, it was revealed that badoo members operated only at midnight while every one would have retired to bed. Also, during operation, they would spray a powdery substance within the targeted building. The powdery substance which was given to them by their herbalist was expected to put victims to deep sleep.
The powdery substance was also sprayed close to buildings around the targeted building to avoid any intrusion during operation.
Thereafter, they would smash their victim’s head with a grinding stone, and dab their white handkerchiefs in victim’s blood before leaving the scene. But Vanguard gathered that the only antidote to this charm is when a victim wakes up at the time members storm the apartment, or sets his or her eyes on members.
On December 30, 2017, the trio of Omotayo, Chibuzor and Ameze stormed a building at Alajo close , Abule Osoru in Ibeshe community in Ikorodu to carry out their usual operation. They had succeeded in smashing the head of the breadwinner, Shakiru Yekini (38) with their arsenal- the grinding stone.
Unfortunately for them, his wife who had gone to ease herself was just entering the room when she beheld the assailants. Her scream alerted neighbours, particularly members of a vigilante group established by the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command, Imohimi Edgal.
They also used the same stone on the woman and her 11-year-old son, Samat and dabbed their white handkerchiefs in the victims blood before leaving the scene. However, in their rush, one of them, Chibuzor was abandoned while others zoomed off in their operational vehicle. He was subsequently apprehended and handed over to the police, while the victims who were found in the pool of their blood were rushed to the hospital.
Sadly, the breadwinner was confirmed dead on arrival but his widow and son were still being treated at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, following the severe bodily harm inflicted on them.
Grinding stones
We drink water used to wash dead bodies during ritual
Another starling revelation about these killers is that they usually performed rituals before, during and after each operation. This was disclosed by Chibuzor in his confessional statement to the Police. Determined to put an end to the reign of terror of the sect, Chibuzor, on the directive of CP Edgal, led an advance party of operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad , SARS, including the Commander, CSP Muhammed Sanusi, to identify the shrine where members were fortified spiritually.
Thereafter, Edgal with a joint operatives of the Rapid Response Squad and Lagos Task Force personnel, stormed the shrine in Imosan area of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state, Tuesday. The native doctor alleged to be carrying out the spiritual work on the suspects, Adebayo Fatai (34) was subsequently arrested and his shrine demolished on the directive of the CP with the consent of the community leader.
Some grinding stones similar to that used by members of the group were recovered in the shrine. Crime Guard reliably gathered that members got the grinding stones, took them to the shrine where rituals known as ipakuare were performed on them. The ritual, as gathered, was meant to snuff life out of victims immediately. However, any victim who was able to sight members of the gang before they were attacked were likely to survive it except their heads were smashed more than four times.
Members also went through series of rituals to enable them escape scenes of operation whenever alarm was raised. Before the operation, members were advised to abstain from having sex with their spouses, as that could erode the potency of the rituals and thereby give them away.
In an interview with Chibuzor who claimed to have joined the group in June 2017, he revealed that an oath of secrecy was also taken inside the Imosan, Ogun state shrine. Blaming his indulgence on his desperation to eke a living, he said :”never in my wildest imagination did I envisage I would be involved in this. In my search for a job, I approached Mr Omotayo. He told me to be patient that he would get one for me. But he said that before he would give me the job as a driver, he would first take me somewhere for an oath of loyalty.
“We drove to Ogun state, where three of us: myself, himself and Samuel were administered the oath. Thereafter, we went through another round of rituals. Part of the ritual entailed drinking of water used to wash dead bodies.
Thereafter, the priest would say some incantations before rubbing some oily substance from a calabash on us. We were also made to drink concoctions prepared with animals’ blood. I was told that the rituals were meant for protection. The water used to wash dead bodies was meant to prevent the spirit of those killed from harming us.
“The first operation I went with them after the rituals was the house of a man we later learnt was a Pastor, on December 25, 2017. After the operation, I was given N20,000 and the deceased’s phone. But I gave the phone to my elder brother, Uche. Few days later, we went for another operation where a woman saw us and raised the alarm. I was arrested not because I violated any of the instructions given by the herbalist but because I was left behind and I did not know the terrain.”
Vandal turned badoo leader
During preliminary investigation, suspected leader of the gang, Obamoyegun Omotayo, according to Police sources was discovered to be a former pipeline vandal. He was however forced to stop the illegal activity when the heat by security operatives became unbearable, as well as the resultant death of several vandals during the bombardment of their creeks in Arepo, Ogun state and Ikorodu, Lagos by the Nigerian Air Force, last year.
His arrest and alleged involvement in the killings of several residents within Ikorodu axis came as a rude shock to many. This is because the 45-year-old father of two was well known in Agbowa community, as he owns a block industry there while the street where he lived was named after him.
Saturday Vanguard was reliably informed that he usually went out between 9pm and 10pm whenever there was an operation, to a pub where other members converged before setting out for their target’s abode as from midnight. At times they would meet in a hotel around Ikorodu from where they set out. On his way back from the operation, he was usually allowed passage within the area because of his popularity.
Badoo Chief Herbalist, Fatai Adebayo alias Alese arrested by the Lagos Police at his shrine in Imosan Village, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, on Tuesday
Information also revealed that after the last operation, where Chibuzor was left behind, he found his way back home owing to his mastery of the terrain, driving past members of local vigilante whom he cheerfully greeted and hailed for their effort at keeping the axis calm. To cover his track, when the heat on the group was getting unbearable, Saturday Vanguard learned that he sold his Pathfinder jeep which was allegedly used during the operation, sometimes last year
How he was arrested
When he got wind of the arrest of Chibuzor, his driver, he reportedly went into hiding on the water around Ikorodu, pretending to be a fisherman. His wife was said to have contacted him, informing him that the Police came looking for him. From his hiding place, he reportedly contacted one of the community leaders to ascertain the reason for the Police visit. The community leader (names withheld) revealed that it was in connection with the attack on a family by badoo members . He also advised Omotayo to show up if he was sure that he had no hand in the attack.
Policemen were said to have been deceived by the suspect’s wife who said that her husband had gone for a burial ceremony in Ogun state when they visited his home. But his telephone was tracked to the river, where under cover SARS operatives on the directive of the CP , eventually arrested him while attempting to escape.
During interrogation, Police sources disclosed that he admitted to being a member of the deadly group. He also confessed that his role during any operation was to spray the powdery substance which puts victims to sleep. He further stated that it was his responsibility to dip handkerchiefs on victims blood.
But he also claimed to be a mere errand boy and that the handkerchiefs were given to some persons whose names he did not mention. Earlier investigation revealed that the handkerchiefs were sold to some politicians and eminent personalities within and outside Lagos State. The blood stained handkerchiefs were thereafter used for money rituals and protection. Each handkerchief reportedly sold for N500,000 to the end user.
Impeccable security source disclosed that some names had been mentioned as ‘big boys ‘ behind badoo cult. Already, some of them had left Lagos and the country in order to evade likely arrest by the police.
A resident in Ikorodu who gave his name simply as Tunde revealed that during the naming ceremony of one of Omotayo’s children, three human skulls were found in his apartment. But when asked how the skulls found their way to his apartment , he told detectives that they were for his Ifa oracle
Woman also involved
A woman, Mrs Gift Ameze was also one of the arrested suspected badoo key members. She was paraded alongside her husband, Samuel Ameze alias Samito. Samuel’s role during operation was to break victims burglary after the powdery substance would have been sprayed. Samuel, a welder, who also has a street named after him in Agbowa village, confessed that he usually went for operation with his welding machine and iron cutter.
On the part of his pregnant wife, she confessed to be responsible for sourcing victims. Police sources said : “She would leave in the day time, look for houses that were isolated and those which terrain were difficult to access by vehicles. When she got one, she would inform the group. But she would not join them in the operation proper. When approached, the pregnant woman only gave this reporter a blank stare, refusing to speak .
We will get those behind this -Edgal
In his determination to end the reign of badoo terror in Ikorodu, CP Edgal said that investigation was still ongoing with a view to arresting everyone, no matter how highly placed they were. As first step, he has held several meetings with traditional rulers in Ikorodu, where he sought their support at eradicating the killer cult , threatening also, that he would not to spare any of them that would be found culpable.
The effect of that meeting led to the renunciation of cultism by some youths in Ikorodu and surrendering of arms and ammunitions in their possession to the Police. Also, some shrines in that axis were demolished with several arrests made during raids of the groups hideouts by operatives led by Edgal.
At the moment, a suspected badoo kingpin, Alhaji Abayomi Alaka has been declared wanted . He however claimed in a telephone conversation with Saturday Vanguard, Thursday, that he did not have any link with the killer cult group and therefore had no question to answer. But the CP insisted that he should report to the nearest police station to clear himself and also have his day in court.
Police command also said they recovered some prohibited drugs and over N4 million, believed to be ransom collected from kidnapped and armed robbery victims.
