…He was illegal occupant— ACP Dangana

LAGOS—A team of policemen from the Works Department of the Force Headquarters, in Lagos, has stormed the senior police officers’ quarters at the Government Reserved Area, GRA, Ikeja and allegedly looted and vandalised the residence of a retired Commissioner of Police, Chucks Enwonwu.

Eyewitnesses said the team of policemen numbering over 10 came to the retired officer’s residence at Quarter 33, Flat 2, Oba Akinjobi Street, G.R.A., Ikeja and embarked on massive vandalization and looting of the property inside the residence of the retired Commissioner of Police, who was absent at the time the operation was being carried out.

Speaking to reporters on the destruction carried out in the building, the distraught police officer told Vanguard: “It was my official quarters while I was in service. I had yet to move to the property I bought from Police Cooperative at Bank Anthony Way. The place is yet to be linked with electricity. I went several times to access the flat but I was frustrated.
A flat I paid for in tranches since 2019, so, I could not have dragged the GRA flat since it was to be demolished anytime.

“That particular day, they invaded the flat, I got calls from another retired officer saying that a Superintendent of Police, from the Works Department, led Mallams to eject me from the flat in GRA. I told him to hand over the phone to the officer leading the demolition exercise and I appealed to the officer to wait for me to send two SPOs to see him and pack my things to the new house at Bank Anthony.

“Unfortunately, he did not use his initiative and he went ahead to break into the flat and they began massive looting and vandalism of my items.

“In the end, all my valuables—cash, jewellery, clothes, property documents, NYSC and degree certificates were stolen before the two SPOs I sent to the place could pack my things. The modest estimate of my loss is over N15 million.

“When I tried to speak with the man in charge of the Works Department, he did not pick up my calls. However, he later claimed that he was sick and begged that I should forgive the officers who carried out the exercise.

“It is pertinent to point out that before the willful massive looting and vandalization of my property, no one served any notice on me. I don’t live there but have my loads there since I have yet to access the Cooperative Unit of the police because they are yet to connect light there.

“I have served the Police Force in different capacities and many places, including Commissioner of Police, Oyo State; Commissioner of Police, SPU and retired at 60 years after I was denied the exalted rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, by former Inspector General of Police, because of ethnicity.”

He was illegal occupant —ACP Dangana

However, when Vanguard spoke with an officer said to be in charge of the Police Works Department in Lagos, ACP Dangana, he said: “I was the person that signed the eviction notice. Adebisi Adesola, a Superintendent of Police, led our men to the location. The directive came from the police high command to eject illegal occupants. The person in question retired two years ago which makes him an illegal occupant.

“He was supposed to leave the building six months after retirement but did not and moved to the East leaving his property locked up in the building. He told me that his valuable documents and jewellery got misplaced in the process but I was not aware of it because I was not around on the day officers went to the building.”

A District Court in the United States, has sentenced a Nigerian man, Victor Uzor, to four years in prison, for his involvement in a $1.1 million business email compromise scheme.

In the judgment handed down by Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge on Tuesday, the sentence went with three years of supervised release and over $1 million in restitution.

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero disclosed this in a statement on the Department of Justice website on Tuesday.

Romero said, on January 2, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The scheme typically involved another member of the conspiracy disguising as a legitimate vendor and sending a false invoice to the victim organisation.

As reported on the website, Uzor’s involvement in the offence entailed opening a sequence of bank accounts under the identities of innocent individuals unrelated to the crime.

Another accomplice planned for the victims to transfer money to the accounts established by Uzor.

Subsequently, Uzor promptly withdrew these funds and transferred them to other accounts to avoid detection before the scam was detected.

In all, Uzor aided in the theft of approximately $1.1 million from the victimised businesses and individuals.

In the same vein, he made an attempt to steal another $400,000, which became unsuccessful.

One of the victims of the scheme was a nonprofit mental health care provider situated in Doylestown, PA.

“First, Victor Uzor victimised the people whose identities he stole to facilitate this scheme,” said Romero.

“Then he helped prey upon the primary targets of the business email compromise, including a nonprofit organisation in Bucks County dedicated to providing behavioural health care for the underprivileged and underserved — a safety net for those in need of care.

“In stealing from this provider, he shortchanged its employees, patients, and the community. My office is committed to holding accountable anyone involved in such a clear-cut case of fraud,” said the U.S. attorney.

Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia, Wayne A. Jacobs, said, “The FBI works each and every day to dismantle fraud schemes that affect our citizens.

“Alongside our partners, we will continue to bring to justice criminals who orchestrate these scams, and protect the hard-earned assets of our citizens.”

The Swedish government has disclosed its resolved to return 39 pieces of Benin Artefacts in its museum to the custody of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.

Daily Trust reports that the return followed the Federal Republic of Nigeria Gazette No. 57, Volume 110 issued on March 23, 2023, which recognized ownership and vested custody and management of repatriated Benin artefacts in the Oba of Benin.

The Swedish Ambassador to Nigeria, Annika Hahn-Englund, conveyed the Swedish government decision when she paid a courtesy visit to Oba of Benin in his palace.

Ambassador Hahn-Englund informed the monarch that Sweden and Nigeria are trading partners in infrastructure, telecommunication, energy and other businesses that supported the economies significantly.

“Also, I would like to mention that with cooperation we have in culture, education with Nigeria, I would like to mention the decision of why the Swedish government has to return 39 artefacts to Benin Kingdom,” he said.

Responding, Oba Ewuare II expressed his deepest gratitude to the Swedish government for the intervention, saying “Edo people also welcome this decision”.

He disclosed that the federal government-backed Benin Royal Museum project was on course, and commended partners for their support towards the project.

The Oba also commended the National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM), responsible for the preservation, promotion and development of Nigeria’s cultural heritage.

He said the demand for the return of looted Benin artefacts had been on since the reign of Oba Akenzua II,

“And you are here today (Wednesday) telling us that it has been approved. This has been my request long time ago. God’s time is always the best,” he added.

The Ambassador in the accompany of her husband and a member of the diplomatic mission presented a souvenir to
Oba Ewuare II, who in turn, gave a copy of the federal government gazette on all Benin artefacts to the envoy.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wahab Shittu said the pathologist in his submission in court established that the toxicology test carried out on late music star, Ilerioluwa Aloba popularly known as Mohbad revealed that the singer’s cause of death cannot be ascertained.

Shittu made this revelation while speaking to newsmen after the Coroner Inquest on Wednesday. 

The senior lawyer said, at the time the test was carried out, the body of the singer had already decomposed.  

“According to him, the cause of death cannot be determined,” Shittu told newsmen outside the court.

“He gave a lot of reasons. He said by the time they conducted the test, the body had decomposed and that it is not possible for them to determine the cause of death.

“So the summary he is saying is that the cause of death cannot be ascertained and when you say the cause of death cannot be ascertained, it means it is suspicious, it is not clear, no particular reason.”

The lawyer also said the pathologist also said the cause of the death could be attributed to reaction to certain drugs administered on him before he died.

“He also went further to say that it may be attributed to reaction to certain drugs administered on him before he died. Again he then qualified that to say he does not know whether it is those drugs that actually led to his death,” he added.

Recall that on March 20, the Director of Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, Richard Somiari, said that the toxicology result of Mohbad would be ready in the next three to four weeks.

Somiari, while testifying during a coroner’s inquest into the death of the singer said, “We expected to get the first set of autopsy results in three to four weeks and re-confirm to authenticate the cause of the death. 

“We searched for multiple possibilities, to check if poison was involved in the death of Mohbad since no actual cause was mentioned,” he said.

The forensic expert assured the public of adequate security and monitoring of samples for the autopsy.

“We have a place where items are stored for safety and security of results. There is a procedure for monitoring samples moved abroad,” he said.

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

A former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022. 

The Lagos State Police Command had, on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

His death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, among others.

The singer’s body was on September 21, 2023, exhumed for autopsy.