10 men gang-rape student during cult initiation rites

The Police  in Ekiti State have arrested a student of College of Health Technology, Ijero Ekiti, Busayo Kayode, who allegedly took her bossom friend to be gang-raped by 10 suspected cult members in a bush on the school premises.

The police said Kayode, who is a member of AVE (Act Very Effective) cult, was in charge of recruiting female students of the institution.

According to a detective, who pleaded not to be named, part of the initiation process is that female students are blindfolded and gang-raped by cult members.

“They are thereafter warned to shut their mouth as initiates or risk losing their lives. But the last victim defied the threat and reported to her parents who informed the police, which led to the arrest of three of the cult members,” he added.

A source in the school said many female students had suffered similar fate, but kept their mouths shut to avoid stigmatisation.

Kayode and three of the suspected rapists were among the 26 suspects paraded on Wednesday by the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti, Wilson Inalegwu.

The CP said the command also arrested a man, Olalekan Ezekiel, for allegedly parading himself as a police inspector.

According to him, Ezekiel was arrested on February 20 on Esure-Awo road, Igede, by a patrol team and later confessed to the crime.

He said one unregistered red Honda motorcycle was recovered from the suspects.

The CP said the police also arrested six persons in Kano and Kaduna states in connection with the killing of the police paymaster in Ekiti, Mr. Idowu Taiwo, and one Kunle Enisan, as well as the kidnap of a Turkey-based Emmanuel Adeleke.

He said, “The operatives successfully recovered a Samsung Galaxy Note 4, Motorola Android Phone and BlackBerry Passport belonging to the late OC MSS . Also, Infinix and Itel phones belonging to the waitresses working at a joint where the late officer was abducted before being killed were recovered.”

The Police Commissioner added that he had established a squad to smash criminal hideouts in the Atikankan, Adebayo, Ajilosun and Ojumose areas of Ado Ekiti.

Inalegwu disclosed that the command was partnering sister commands in Ondo, Kwara, Kogi and Osun States to curtail activities of kidnappers in the zone.

He said his men were also mapping thick forests in the Ikere-Igbara Odo-Ogotun and Ise-Emure areas, where kidnap victims were being regularly kept in the state, to reduce the “nefarious act.”

“We are also enlisting the services of local hunters and vigilante groups for constant patrol of the forests, so that when we occupy their hideouts, they will have no option than to run,” he said.

On herdsmen, Inalegwu said, “We are working to ensure peaceful co-existence among herdsmen and farmers.

“Also, the cult members who gang-raped a student and their accomplice would be charged to court.”

Buhari, It Was Gathered, Asked Him To Handover

Barely 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari told Nigerians he would stay back in London, United Kingdom for a longer rest, Kano State Governor, Alhaji  Abdullahi Ganduje, has spoken to him on phone in vernacular.

According to a press statement by Alhaji Salihi Tanko Yakassai, Director General (Media & Communications) to Kano State governor, the conversation between President Buhari and Governor Ganduje was on speaker, which other participants in a special prayer held at Kano Government House, for the quick recovery of the president, heard.

It was gathered that while the prayer was on, an associate of Buhari called him for a private discussion, after which he told the president he was at a prayer session organised by the Kano State government on his behalf.

Buhari, it was gathered, asked him to handover the phone to Governor Ganduje and spoke with him for three minutes.  As they spoke, the governor put the phone on speaker, to the hearing of others.

The statement said the president expressed his appreciation to Nigerians for their goodwill and prayers, saying his condition had improved.

It quoted Buhari as saying: “Alhamdulillah (all praise be to Allah),” when Ganduje enquired: “How are you feeling now, Your Excellency?”

The statement said Governor Ganduje told President Buhari that Islamic scholars and Imams in Kano were praying for his speedy recovery. The governor also told the president that the over 7, 000 Juma’at mosques in Kano had been directed to pray for him, said the statement.

To this, the president remarked: “Maa shaa Allah,” meaning: “God willed it,” an Arabic phrase used to show appreciation for a person or happening evoked upon hearing good news.

The statement quoted Buhari as expressing hope that Allah would accept the prayers and asked the governor to extend his best wishes to the Islamic scholars.

Governor Ganduje, who was highly elated, remarked that going by the voice of the president, his health had greatly improved, while expressing the hope that he would get well soon, the statement stated.

“We prayed for Buhari to win and he won. It is now mandatory on us to rally round his government and pray for his well-being,” the statement quoted Ganduje as saying.

The prayer session, which brought together about 300 Imams and Islamic leaders from all Islamic denominations across the state, was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Professor Hafiz Abubakar, Chief Imam of Kano, Professor M.S. Zahraddeen;  state Commissioner of Police, Rabi’u Yusuf, legislators and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, the statement revealed.

5 killed as armed robbers attack bank in Imo

Five persons were yesterday killed when armed robbers attacked a branch of a new generation Bank located along the popular Wetheral Road, Owerri, Imo State capital

Sources said the armed robbers trailed someone who wanted to deposit large sum of money to bank premises and instantly shot him dead.  The robbers also shot three security guards, but lost one gang members, who was shot dead by policemen guarding the bank.

When Daily Sun visited the scene yesterday,  armed policemen had cordoned off the bank premises and refused everybody entry, except bank staff.

A witness told Daily Sun that the robbers, who came in three cars, had opened fire on their target, as soon as he alighted from the car that brought him to the bank.  The target was hit as well as three other victims.

“The robbers, who were about 12 in number, had trailed the man who wanted to deposit large sums of money. They came in three cars, but it was one of the cars that followed him into the bank premises.  As soon as he came out of his car, the robbers shot him dead and took the money. They also shot dead three of the security guards and one bank customer. But one of the policemen guarding the bank killed one of the robbers.”

Another witness said the police arrived the scene after the robbers had left.

Spokesman of the Imo State Police Command, DSP Andrew Enwerem, confirmed the incident.

Rivers re-run: Police lambasts INEC over indicting report

The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) report on the police during the Rivers legislative re-run election, describing it as a disservice to the police.

INEC in its 37-page report on the December 10 Rivers legislative re-run elections, indicted personnel of the police.

Reacting, Force spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood, said the report was misleading, adding that all the issues raised by the INEC were discovered by the Joint Investigative Panel set up by the police and had been dealt with accordingly.

“The story is, therefore, misleading, malicious and capable of misinforming members of the public on the statutory roles of the Nigeria Police Force in election security,” he noted.

He explained that after the violence that followed the election, the police acted promptly and proactively by setting up a joint investigative panel.

Moshood said that the panel in its reports indicted six police officers who were arrested, investigated, subjected to internal disciplinary measure and dismissed.

“Other agencies whose personnel were also indicted by the Joint Investigation Panel are expected to do the same to their personnel indicted in the report without any further delay,” he said.

He said that 23 INEC Electoral Officers and two Administrative officials who were also indicted by the panel had been granted bail and released to the Director of Human Resources, INEC Headquarters, Abuja.

Moshood pointed out that N111,300,000 million, part of the money allegedly given to them by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was recovered from them.

“The Nigeria Police Force is apolitical and will not engage in any political partisanship, and will continue to ensure that election security is guaranteed across the country”, the statement concluded.

Explosion rocks gas pipelines in Rivers

An explosion has rocked the Right of Way housing two gas transmission system pipelines, one of which belongs to the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited.

The explosion occurred Thursday night about 3km from Rumuji in Rivers State.

A statement by the General Manager, External Relations Division of NLNG, Kudo Eresia-Eke, said the cause of the explosion was yet to be determined.

It added that no injuries or fatalities had been reported.

Eresia-Eke said emergency response procedures were immediately activated and the relevan authorities notified.

“Communities closest to the area of the incident have been advised not to approach the site in the interest of safety.

“Other measures and engagements have also been initiated to ensure that the situation does not escalate. In the meantime, investigation into the incident is ongoing”, he disclosed.

The NLNG said further updates on the explosion would be provided in due course.