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Crime

Shock as Housemaid beats Boss to coma in Lagos

Published

6 years ago

March 8, 2018

Sahara Weekly

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Doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, are battling to save the life of a civil servant in the state, identified only as Mistura, after she was allegedly attacked by her maid in the Ejigbo area.

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PUNCH Metro learnt that Mistura had been in a coma since Monday, March 5, 2018, when she was attacked with blended pepper and a wine bottle by the maid, identified as Susan Samson.

Our correspondent was told that despite a three-hour surgery on Wednesday, the victim had yet to come round and was in the intensive care unit of LASUTH.

It was learnt that Mistura, who taught in a public secondary school in Lagos, had employed Samson on February 4, 2018 to assist her with domestic chores.

The 18-year-old suspect was reported to have stolen her boss’ money last Friday and Saturday.

After the stolen money was recovered from Samson’s bag, Mistura was said to have alerted the agent who brought her.

The Ogoja, Cross River State indigene, in a desperate bid to escape from the house, which Mistura had locked, allegedly poured blended pepper on the boss while she lay on the bed.

She then grabbed a champagne bottle and smashed it on the victim’s head repeatedly until she passed out.

The suspect was reportedly apprehended by residents who heard the victim’s scream for help.

PUNCH Metro was told that the suspect was handed over to policemen from the Ejigbo division.

The victim’s husband, who identified himself only as Alhaji Sikiru, said he had gone to work when the incident happened.

He said, “An agent brought her to my wife on February 4, 2018. The girl said although she was from Ogoja, Cross River State, she had her primary and secondary education in Ikorodu, Lagos State, where she had lived the better part of her life.

“I had gone to work around 6am on Monday when my wife was attacked. But when I was called, I went to make a statement at the Ejigbo Police Station where the girl was being detained. That was where she told me everything that happened.

“She said last Friday, my wife accused her of stealing some money. Again on Saturday, there was an allegation she stole another money. I was surprised because my wife did not tell me that the maid she employed was stealing her things.

“After I left the house on Monday, my wife asked her to buy balm for her down the street. While she was away, my wife went to her room and found the stolen money in her bag, including some other items which she (Samson) stole from her shop.

“My wife called the agent that brought her and asked him to come over to the house. The agent immediately called the girl to know what happened. The girl said she didn’t know why she (Mistura) called him.

“At this time, she had become suspicious. So, when she got back to the house, she went to her bag and discovered that the stolen money and other items had been recovered by my wife.”

He said Mistura, while awaiting the agent, locked up the two gates in the house and kept the keys.

She was said to have lain on the bed.

“When the girl saw that her secret was about to be exposed, she wanted to escape. On discovering that the pedestrian and drive gates had been locked, she became desperate.

“She went to the kitchen, took a bowl of blended pepper, and poured it on my wife on the bed. My wife could not see again, but she groped to the main gate. She started calling for help because she could not also open the gate.

“The girl went inside the house and found a bottle of champagne, which I had kept for an occasion. She smashed it on my wife’s head five times. And she collapsed.

“Some residents, who had gathered outside the gate after hearing my wife’s call for help, caught her as she tried to escape. They also found my wife in a pool of blood and rushed her to a hospital,” he added.

He noted that during a visit of the police to the house, they found more stolen items in the suspect’s room.

Alhaji Sikiru, while expressing fear over the condition of his wife, said he hoped she would make it out alive.

“She lost a lot of blood and I had to get six pints of blood yesterday (Tuesday). Because her blood level was low, the doctors gave her four pints so she could go through a surgery which started from 1am and ended around 4.30am on Wednesday. The surgery didn’t bring out anything. She is still in a coma.

“My wife is in the intensive care unit of LASUTH. Her brain has collapsed and has been removed from the body and kept somewhere. Her kidney is already packing up. I hope she makes it out alive,” he added.

A source told PUNCH Metro that the couple had a disagreement late 2017 over the issue of getting a maid as the husband was against the idea.

The source said the dispute was so intense that some relatives had to wade in.

“The woman has high blood pressure and her personal doctor told the husband in January that the woman’s BP was still high but she said she would be better if he allowed her to have a maid. That was when the man succumbed. But see what it has caused,” she said.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Chike Oti, said it was a case of attempted murder.

He said, “The said Susan Samson suspected that her boss had discovered some items she stole and hid in her room. She subsequently mixed a large quantity of pepper in water and poured it on the woman’s face to render her defenceless.

“She subsequently hit her head repeatedly with a big bottle of wine which grievously harmed the woman. The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, has decried this act wickedness and ordered a thorough investigation and diligent prosecution of the case.”

The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Professor Wale Oke, said the victim was receiving treatment at the hospital.

He said, “She had a surgery yesterday, which was successful. She is, however, not out of the woods yet. She is still in a coma. We have to wait for the brain to heal from the injuries.”

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Crime

Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos – CP Idowu Owohunwa

Published

7 months ago

September 19, 2023

Sahara Weekly

Blame Judiciary for crime increase in Lagos – CP Idowu Owohunwa

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By Ifeoma Ikem

Sahara Weekly Reports That The Lagos state Commissioner of Police, CP Idowu Owohunwa says the judiciary should be blamed for the increase of crime in the state.

The police boss made the disclosure at the State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja while parading the three suspects arrested in connection with the killing of Adeniyi Sanni, an aide to the Senator representing Ogun West; Solomon Adeola (a.k.a. Yayi).

While briefing journalists on the painstaking efforts made by officers and men of the Lagos Command in tracking down the three men, Owohunwa bemoaned the emerging trend of giving light sentences or freeing such suspects arrested and prosecuted in the past by the judiciary.

“Through painstaking intelligence and investigative activities, we have succeeded in arresting the syndicate of the robbery and murder. The three suspects directly involved in the robbery and murder were arrested with three firearms including the killer’s weapon were recovered.”

The suspects Fred Azeez Okuno, 43-year-old Lagosian; Lucky Idudu Michael, 33-year-old from Delta State, and Adedigba Segun, 26-year-old from Oyo State.

Owohunwa said investigation so far revealed that the three suspects were directly involved in the robbery and murder of Sanni.

He said that on multiple occasions the security agencies have tried their possible best to reduce crime and the activity of criminals across the state metropolis but that after they had been processed through the judicial system and they always found a way to remain a menace to the society.

“As much as we are interested in advancing the process of justice, it is expedient that we also appeal for the process to strike a balance between Justice administration, criminal Justice delivery and overriding internet security situations across the country.

“It will lessen the load in terms of dealing with recycled criminals which is the major problem we’re facing in Lagos.

He noted that there have been instances where the judiciary neglected the gravity of the crime committed and chose to give soft landing to such criminal elements who in turn come back to perpetrate more vicious crimes like in the case of the three paraded suspects whom he described as “jail birds.”

“Investigations revealed that the three suspects had at one time or the other been arrested, tried and jailed over criminal offences and their years in correctional centres had only helped to harden them”.

In their confessions to journalists, the suspects who were masked by police to avoid being accused of human rights violation during the parade said they did not intend to kill Sanni whose identity they did not initially know.

They had stopped him presenting themselves as security agents wearing army uniforms with intention to rob him of his vehicle which had no plate number yet.

“It was a tokunbo Camry car, black in colour. We only rob tokunbo cars which we normally take to Alhaji in Republic Benin to sale,” said one of the suspects.

According to their confession, Sanni was shot when he raised alarm seeking help from people when he noticed that they might not be genuine military men after they had checked his vehicle documents and yet refused to free him.

After shooting him repeatedly with pistol, they dumped his body at the booth of the vehicle but when they noticed he was still alive, they stabbed him to death and subsequently dumped his corpse on the way. When they drove near Nigeria’s border with Republic of Benin, they called Alhaji to come and take delivery of the vehicle.

The police commissioner also bemoaned the lapses going on in Nigeria Correctional Service facilities as confessions made by the paraded suspects revealed that their gang was formed while they were serving jail sentences.

One of the suspects, Lucky Idubu told journalists that it was in the correctional centre (prison) that someone gave him the phone number of one Alhaji he could work with on completion of his earlier sentence.

The three of them meet in prison and built their network, they were connected to the Alhaji and up till now still have some elements in custody operating from the center.

He that the Alhaji was incidentally the one behind activities of the gang soon after they were released from their earlier sentences.

The Alhaji (name with-held) currently at large is said to be a Nigerian but resident in Republic of Benin from where he coordinated the car robbery and murder gang.

The suspects confessed that they negotiated with Alhaji to pay them N3million which he promised to remit soon after he must have sold the vehicle.

According to them, Alhaji had requested them to come with another vehicle when coming for their N3million, but they became unfortunate as police arrested them before they could embark on the second mission.

During their arrest, police recovered one brand new pistol with three live ammunition, one Baretta pistol with three live ammunition, one locally made pistol with six live cartridges, six expended cartridges, military gear comprising a military camouflage vest, jungle hat, pistol hose and a red Honda CRV from the suspects.

According to the police commissioner, investigation has revealed that the gang members were on narcotics as at the time they carried the act.

He has raised alarm on the growing trend of criminals impersonating military personnel wondering where they procure the uniforms and other accoutrements. “This portends great danger as members of the public might not easily know who is a genuine military personnel or not.”

At the parade were representatives of the Nigerian Army from 9th Brigade who were there to observe and listen to the confessions of the suspects and possibly fashion out how best to form synergy with the police in curbing crimes.

The CP said that the parade event has also established that the security agencies have in their hands a high notorious criminal international network and unfortunately most of their transporting equipment are transported from Nigeria to Cotonou.

“This is a very high possibility that they will be recycled back into the Nigerian market and buyer who fall victim of such purchase stand the risk of being brought to Justice

“We have activated our unique Interpol’s and network to break the trans border components of these crimes.

“I can assure you that in due course success will be achieved and the so called alhaji will be brought to Justice”.

The CP said that the component problems is the inpersonation of the military in order to perfect these crimes.

“when it first occurred there was a wild concern that military men are now involved but today through the painstaking intelligence activities of the police we’ve been able to prove that the brain behind these crimes only took advantage by acquiring the military kit in order to deceive members of the public and perfect their crimes.

The Senator’s aide Adeniyi Sanni was killed on August 5, 2023 when he was stopped by ‘fake security’ agents wearing Nigerian Army uniform at a checkpoint in Ojodu Berger area on his way to his home in Isheri, Lagos.

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Crime

102-year-old WWII veteran Breaks Records at Great North Run

Published

8 months ago

September 11, 2023

Sahara Weekly

https://twitter.com/i/status/1700904680618873175

102-year-old WWII veteran Breaks Records at Great North Run

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A 102-year-old veteran of World War II has become the oldest man to complete a half marathon after finishing the Great North Run.

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Bill Cooksey, who served in the RAF between 1941 and 1951, covered the 13.1-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields with the aid of walking companion Gavin Iceton in five hours and 41 minutes.

The centenarian had previously completed 10 miles a day for 10 days for his 100th birthday and cycled 1,000 miles for his 101st birthday, and took on the challenge to support the County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust.

“I’ve always wanted to do it,” MR Cooksey told ITV ahead of the event. “I’ve been up here 30 years and always walked, and when I heard about the Great North Run I thought ‘I’ll be able to do that surely,’ because there’s the additional impetus of the NHS.

“Actually I don’t think I would have done it if it wasn’t of benefit to the NHS.”

A true inspiration. 💙

At 102 years old, Bill Cooksey has crossed the AJ Bell #GreatNorthRun! 👏

Huge congratulations, Bill! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Ssu1cShr6e

— Great Run (@Great_Run) September 10, 2023

The Great North run was hit by torrential downpours after a week of heat in the United Kingdom.

Some runners were forced to walk home after flash flooding hit roads and the Tyne and Wear Metro system.

Mr Cooksey, though, managed to survive the conditions to complete his challenge and raise more money for the NHS. “I am glad I have done it,” he said to the Daily Mail. “I wish we didn’t have to go through all that rain – but we did it.”

Pat Chambers, charity development manager at the trust, added: “What a hero Bill Cooksey is.

“He continued walking through a thunderstorm to become a record breaker completing it in just over five hours 40 minutes. We are so proud of him.”

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Crime

Favour Oladele: Prophet, Owolabi Sentenced To Death Over Murder Of LASU Student

Published

10 months ago

July 17, 2023

Sahara Weekly

Favour Oladele: Prophet, Owolabi Sentenced To Death Over Murder Of LASU Student

Mother jailed for eating human flesh

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An Osun State High Court sitting in Ikire, headquarters of Irewole Local Government, on Monday, sentenced 42-year-old Prophet Philip Segun and Adeeko Owolabi (23) to death over the murder of a 400-level Sociology department student of Lagos State University (LASU), Favour Oladele.

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The mother of Owolabi, Adeeko Bola (46), was also sentenced to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh cooked for her.

Prophet Segun was the owner of Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Solution Chapel, Ikoyi-Ile, where Owolabi and his mother went to seek wealth on 8th December 2019.

The convicts were arraigned on 15th November 2021 on two counts charge of conspiracy and murder contrary to sections 324 and 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Laws of Osun, 2002.

Led by the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Adekemi Bello, the prosecution team from the state Ministry of Justice told the court that Owolabi lured the victim, killed her, while her heart was cooked and other parts of the victim were used to make ‘victory soap’ for Bola.

The prosecution called nine witnesses and tendered exhibits, while the convicts, who had no witnesses, testified before the court and Owolabi confessed that he used his girlfriend to prepare a ritual meal for money ritual.

The presiding Judge, Justice Christiana Obadina, agreed that prosecuting counsel has proven her case beyond a reasonable doubt and found the convicts guilty as charged.

Counsel to the convicts, Adeshina Olaniyan, urged the court to temper justice with mercy in passing her judgment.

The court, thereby, sentenced prophet Segun and Owolabi to death by hanging for murder and 14 years imprisonment for conspiracy.

Justice Obadina also sentenced Bola to two years imprisonment for eating human flesh.

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