‘This World Is Temporary, No Point Crying Over Herbert’s Death’ — Access Bank Ex-CEO’s Father
AFOLABIShyngle Wigwe, the father of deceased Access Bank CEO Herbert Wigwe, has explained why well-wishers and loved ones of the ex-bank boss shouldn’t cry over his death.
Mr. Wigwe said this while receiving leaders of the Ohaneze Ndi’Igbo, emphasizing that there was no point crying as everybody would eventually die someday.
The clergyman, who said that he was happy that God gave him Herbert, however, said that Herbert was not dead but had been promoted to a greater realm.
He said, “As a child of God, I’m happy with the gift of God in the person of Herbert, that gift he gave to me for 57 years, gave so much joy, and when it pleased him to take Herbert, yes he called Herbert home.”
“Naturally, one would be sad. I tell you today Herbert is not dead, indeed he has been promoted to another realm. When people come to see me crying, when you look around, there is hardly anybody who is likely to live here for another 70 years. I would want to go to that same place Herbert has gone to.
We are just crossing over; this is like a normal market that we go to, everybody goes and buys and goes back home, we are in transit here, this is a temporary place.
And here in this place, one thing we know is that death has no respect for anybody…One thing is definite, everyone of us here will go, and so there’s no point crying, and what is important is where you are going to.”
Pregnant Wife Fakes Her Own Kidnapping With Boyfriend, Extorts N2 Million From Husband In Abuja
AFOLABIThe Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command said its operatives have arrested a pregnant married woman who faked her own kidnap, demanded for N2 million as ransom from her husband.
It was gathered that when ransom was delivered, the lady shared the money with the man suspected to be her boyfriend she connived with to defraud the husband.
The FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Benneth Igweh, disclosed this to reporters on Wednesday during the parade of suspects at the command headquarters in Abuja.
He said: “On 11/03/2024 at about 19:40hrs, one Chiedozie Ubah ‘m’ of Saburi II Dei-dei, Abuja, reported at gwa gwa division that his pregnant wife Rosemary Ubah left home to the hospital on same date for a scan but did not return home. He later received a call through his wife’s phone number telling him that his wife had been kidnapped and demanded for two (2) million naira ransom before her release.
“He transferred the sum of two (2) million naira into his wife’s account as instructed by the kidnapper. He later brought his wife to the station after her release. During interrogation, the wife freely confessed to have conspired with one man named Walter Ezeala ‘m’ living in the same street with them at Saburi to extort money from her husband.
“The said Walter was arrested and he confessed that his own share was eight hundred thousand (N800,000) naira and the lady took one million two hundred thousand naira (N1,200,000). The sum of Seven hundred and ninety three thousand five hundred naira (N793,500) cash, two (2) FCMB ATM cards and two android phone was recovered from them”.
In a similar development, Igweh narrated how operatives of the command arrested a man who faked own kidnap too to test the loyal of his girlfriend.
He said: “On 14/03/2023 at about 5:30 PM, One Akuh Chinemezeh reported at APO Divisional Headquarters that his younger brother one Pascal Akuh 28 years, called him saying he was arrested by Police and taken to SCID custody. On the strength of this, the police and suspect’s family went to SCID, IRT and FCID detention facilities, only to discover that he is not in any of the aforementioned facilities.
“With the help of a tracker using coordinates, the suspect’s vehicle was traced to an area in Wumba, Apo. Acting on this intelligence, the police operatives from Apo Division swiftly mobilised to the scene, searched the entire axis and subsequently traced the suspect to a hotel in Lokogoma later in the night and arrested the suspect.
“During interrogation, suspect confessed that he only faked his own kidnap to prank the lady he intended to marry to know if she really loves him. Suspect to be arraigned in court soon.”
The police also paraded one Alex Lorjaa, a dismissed military officer who uses military uniform to rob and attempted to kidnap his victims in Abuja.
Lorjaa during interrogation confessed that a serving military man initiated and he is supporting him.
The Commissioner of Police said: “On 17/03/2023 at about 02:30 PM, following a distress call received by Mabushi Division from the victims; one Blessing Mafulul Damia and Haliru Zakari, that some men in an unregistered Toyota Hilux trailed them while on their way home from H- Medix, Gwarimpa to Gishiri village robbed them of their valuables and attempted to kidnap them.
“Upon receipt of the information, police operatives of the division swung into action, trailed the vehicle and arrested two suspects namely;
Gabriel David Elihu ‘m’ of Apo mechanic village and (a dismissed soldier from Gombe state)
Alex Iorjaa ‘m’ of Gboko L.G.A of Benue state
A black coloured Toyota Hilux with Reg No. NBB 03 AH (Nasarawa), a jack knife, and some military accoutrements were recovered from them. Suspects will be charged to court soon”.
The CP said the police is currently investigating the matter and hunt for the serving military officer is on-going.
He reassured that the FCT Police Command, under his leadership, will do all within its power to prevent crime and criminality in all of its forms and ensure the safety of all.
The naira yesterday appreciated to N1,450 per dollar in the parallel market from N1,580 per dollar on Tuesday.
Similarly, the naira yesterday appreciated to N1,492.61 per dollar in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) exceeding the parallel market rate by N42.61.
Data from FMDQ showed that the indicative exchange rate for NAFEM fell to N1,492.61 per dollar from N1,560.57 per dollar on Tuesday, indicating N67.9 appreciation for the naira. Consequently, the margin between the parallel market rate and NAFEM widened to N42.61 per dollar from N29.43 per dollar on Tuesday.
Hardship: Subsidies Food Items, Palliatives Not Reaching Nigerians - Catholic Church tells FG
AFOLABITHE Catholic Church, yesterday, tasked the Federal Government to subsidise food items and stop giving palliatives to a few individuals for selfish ends.
The church made the call through Archbishop Gabriel Leke Abegunrin, Catholic Archdiocese of Ibadan, when speaking with newsmen at the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, in Ibadan.
According to the cleric, instead of giving palliatives to a few people, who will convert them to private use, it will be better if the government subsidizes the costly food items in the markets to make them affordable for the masses.
Abegunrin said: “If the food items are subsidized, it will go round and eventually reach Nigerians. We often hear of palliatives being distributed but we never see them. We hope that the social welfare package should be extended to citizens of the state.
“We would also like to see funds allocated for the good of the people to be used for the purpose and not the endless accusations and counter-accusations that our political leaders continue to engage in, in the hallowed chambers.”
Flanked by the Coordinator, JDPC, Rev Jerome Ajakaye; former Registrar, University of Ibadan, Mrs Moji Ladipo, and other clerics of the church, Archbishop Abegunrin said the economic crisis is further compounded by much distress and anxiety occasioned by the linking of Bank Verification Number, BVN and National Identification Number, NIN.
He said: “While the government may be well-intentioned, the implementation has caused much distress and anxiety. After the cashless policy and scarcity of Naira in 2023, the banking sector must not be seen again as causing pain and stress to citizens who want to have easy access to their money.”
On the rising wave of kidnapping and banditry, he said the Federal Government is just lying to Nigerians.
He said: “They once said they have identified those sponsoring banditry and they have failed to bring them to justice. Economic hardship often leads to deviant behaviours; many communities have resorted to policing their communities, especially at night.
“The government is called upon to ensure that the various security outfits in the state provide security for all and sundry. If this is lacking, individuals will resort to jungle justice as we have been witnessing in recent times.
The church made a fresh call to the government to return schools to the churches that owned them.
“The time has come for these schools to be returned. Results from many Catholic Schools throughout the nation lend credence to this. With her track record of academic excellence and wholistic education and formation of young people, the state stands to gain if and when schools are returned to their original owners.”
GUNMEN, last Sunday evening, kidnapped one Nyaknobong Etuk and his wife in front of the gate of their residence at Akpasak Estate, Mbiabong, off Oron Road, Uyo, leaving their infant twins abandoned.
It was gathered, yesterday, that the couple, natives of Oruk Anam Local Government Area of the state, went shopping along Oron Road in Uyo that Sunday and left their twin babies in the care of their house help.
It was learned that when they returned home that Sunday evening and hooted the horn of their car, but nobody came to open the gate for them, until the suspected kidnappers arrived in a mini-bus decorated with camouflage tarpaulin and ordered them out of their car.
They whisked them away in their mini bus to an unknown destination.
A family source, who spoke to newsmen in confidence, yesterday, expressed concern that the twins dedicated in the church about six months ago cried uncontrollably since the incident occurred.
The source added that the babies even refused other people cuddling or feeding them.
At press time, the suspected kidnappers have not made contact with the victims’ family for any ransom.
However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko MacDon confirmed the incident to newsmen, yesterday.
His words:“We are aware of the kidnap incident of the Director of Finance and his wife. The matter had been reported to us and the state Commissioner of Police, Waheed Ayilara, has directed the appropriate unit in the police force to investigate the matter with a view to rescuing the victims.”
Dr Richard Somiari, Director of Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, on Wednesday said that results of an autopsy conducted on deceased singer Ilerioluwa Aloba (a.k.a Mohbad) would be ready in the next three weeks or four weeks.
Somiari gave the assurance while testifying during a corner’s inquest into the death of the singer.
The witness was cross-examined on Wednesday by defence counsel in the inquest.
Recall the musician died on Sept. 12, 2023, and was buried the following day.
He was aged 27 years.
His death generated controversies, prompting Lagos State Government to direct a coroner’s inquest into the death.
The inquest, which began on Oct. 13, 2023, is taking place at the Ikorodu Magistrates’ Court.
Somiari told the Coroner, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi: “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 death of Mohbad since no actual cause was mentioned.”
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.
Also testifying, Mr Sadiq Ayobami, popularly called Spendy, said that he saw the deceased last a day before his death.
He said that both of them attended a concert at Ikorodu and returned to his house after which he left before the singer’s death.
Mrs Abiodun Kolawole, an activist representing the African Women Lawyers Association, urged the parents of the deceased to channel their grievances to the court of law in respect of the paternity of the singer’s child, instead of going through the social media.
The Coroner, Magistrate T. A. Shotobi, adjourned the case until April 15.
Shotobi directed all parties in the inquest to be present on that day.
National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has linked the importation of the recently seized 23 packages of heroin at the Tin-can Island port, Lagos to the same cartel operating at the nation’s airport in Lagos.
Speaking while receiving the illicit drugs from the Tin-can Island Command of the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the Tin-can NDLEA boss, Mohammed Abubakar, said the investigation had linked the drug seizure to the same cartel that brought the recently seized heroin at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
It will be recalled that the Tin-can Island Customs Command had handed over seized items, including arms and ammunition, Indian hemp and heroin to the officials for the Department of States Security, DSS and their counterpart NDLEA.
Abubakar said: “Through the effort of the Special Intelligence Unit of the NDLEA, which provided the intelligence and processed it, resulting in what you are witnessing today.
“Some of you asked whether there was any arrest, it is the work of a special syndicate in trafficking of illicit hard drugs across different nations.”
A detective with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mahmud Tukur, denied promising the former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, leniency in exchange for indicting the former Minister of Finance and others.
The former Accountant General of the Federation had told the Federal Capital Territory High Court on February 1, 2024, that the EFCC deceived him to admit to the allegations against him.
The ex-AGF specifically claimed that the EFCC told him they wanted to use him to get the Minister of Finance and some governors to receive derivation funds.
Idris and his co-defendants are standing trial on 14 charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.5bn.
Idris was arraigned alongside Godfrey Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman, and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited by the EFCC in July 2022.
However, at the proceedings, Tukur, who was the second prosecution witness in the trial-within-trial, denied that the commission made such a promise to Idris.
The trial-within-trial was ordered by the court following the objection raised by counsel for Idris, Chris Uche (SAN), alleging that his client did not make his statements to the EFCC voluntarily.
Led in evidence by EFCC counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, Tukur insisted that all the 13 statements involving Idris and his lawyers were voluntarily made.
He added that the ex-AGF was interviewed in the presence of his lawyers before filing 11 statements at different times.
Tukur added that two out of the 13 confessional statements were volunteered willingly with Idris waiving his right to have a lawyer present.
He said, “Idris signed on the back of the page of the statement sheet and it was witnessed by Barrister Haruna Isa.
The statement of May 21, 2022, was written by Idris.
“The statement of July 5, 2022, was made by the first defendant in the presence of Mr Gbenga Adeyemi. He was cautioned, interviewed, before those volunteered statements.”
While being cross-examined by the ex-AGF’s lawyer, Chris Uche (SAN), Tukur said the EFCC had a standard procedure for getting a statement from a suspect.
He said, “My lord, he(Idris) requested that he wanted to come and volunteer his first statement, and at the management level, it was approved. At that time, he was the serving AGF. It was based on his request my lord.”
The witness, however, admitted that the EFCC did not send a letter of invitation to Idris following the second statement he made.
The witness said he would not know if Idris’ statement in Kano on May 10, 2022, was done in the presence of his lawyer as he was not there.
When quizzed about promising the ex-AGF soft-landing, Tukur described the allegation as “absolute falsehood”.
“I never promised him that he would not be prosecuted.
“ I never did as a unit head and the first defendant is a very senior civil servant, in my capacity I can not do that. “
The trial judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu, adjourned till May 15 for the continuation of trial-within-trial.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended seven individuals suspected of producing illegal rifles and pistols within the Abuja metropolis.
According to a statement released on Wednesday (today) by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, the criminal activity was thwarted thanks to a tip-off.
Afolabi noted that the NSCDC Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation promptly responded to the information and successfully arrested the suspects.
“Acting on a tip-off that a group of individuals were manufacturing semi-automatic rifles and pistols at Moshood Abiola National Stadium area in Abuja, the DII-SM acted based on credible intelligence, and the 7 suspects were caught in the act,” Daily Trust quoted the NSCDC spokesperson saying.
The suspects were identified as Amos Iyawo (M) aged 29 years, Jonah Mannaseh (M) aged 27 years, Ezekiel Nannim (M) 20 years, Naifa Pando (F) 26 years, Euphemia Peter (M) 26 years, Faith Gadang (F) and Philemon Karam (F) 26 years.
“From the confessional statements volunteered by the suspects, we gathered that Amos Iyawo is the leader of the team and that he recruited others to participate as manufacturers of the rifles,” the statement added.
Findings by the security agency revealed that rifles and pistols has just been made and none of them have been sold yet.
Naija News understands that the suspects were found in possession of five completed rifles, one pistol, one unfinished rifle, seven empty cartridges, two boots, rods, a welding machine, a filling machine, two searchlights, three pliers, a shovel, cutlass, axes, a hunter’s ID card, and a belt.
According to the statement, all the seized items will be handed over to the Nigerian Police for further investigation and potential prosecution.
The NSCDC Commandant General, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has since instructed all Zonal Commanders, State Commandants, and formation heads to prioritize the gathering of timely intelligence.
The Senate has passed the Student Loan, Access to Higher Education, Act 2024.
The senate’s resolution followed its consideration of the report of the senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse presented the report during plenary.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu transmitted the Bill to the National Assembly for its consideration and passage.
The Upper Legislative chamber had given the Bill an accelerated hearing by suspending relevant sections of its standing rules and referred the Bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.
After debate on the Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work and to report back in one week.
The Bill seeks to provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established in the Act to provide education for all Nigerians.
The senate’s resolution followed its consideration of the report of the senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Muntari Dandutse presented the report during plenary.
Last week, President Bola Tinubu had transmitted the Bill to the National Assembly for its consideration and passage.
The Upper Legislative chamber had given the Bill an accelerated hearing by suspending relevant sections of its standing rules and referred the Bill to the Committee of the Whole for consideration.
After debate on the Bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the Bill to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND for further legislative work and to report back in one week.
The Bill seeks to provide easy access to higher education for indigent Nigerians through interest-free loans from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund established in the Act to provide education for all Nigerians.
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Salawu, Akingbolu & Co., the legal representatives of Mrs. Wunmi Aloba, wife of the late singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, known as Mohbad, have refuted a publication by UK-based Nigerian blogger Bukky Jesse. The claim made by Jesse alleged that the law firm had conducted a DNA test on Mohbad's son, Liam.
According to a disclaimer issued on Wednesday and signed by Kabir Akingbolu, the blogger had made a publication alleging that the law firm was involved in carrying out a DNA test on Mohbad’s son in connivance with one Latona Hospital and later, Lagoon Hospital, all in Lagos State.
SaharaReporters had reported how Bukky Jesse, a blogger and social media influencer who is based in Manchester, had intensified her cyberbullying of Mohbad’s wife.
Bukky Jesse had in a Facebook and Instagram live of over three hours accused Wunmi of killing her husband and taking possession of Mohbad’s properties, and using the media to gather the records she will use at the embassy of a foreign country to seek asylum and flee Nigeria with her son, Liam.
SaharaReporters had also reported how Bukky Jesse embarked on cyberbullying of renowned human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), for requesting the intervention of the Nigeria Police Force over death threats coming to Mohbad’s wife.
She had in a Facebook post used derogatory words for Falana and his co-workers for taking the brief of MohBad’s wife.
Akingbolu said that the allegation has no iota of truth but one made by a “self-serving, jobless attention seeker and overseas fugitive” who believes in making money by maligning people with integrity so as to attract followers on the Internet
The disclaimer read, “The attention of the law firm of Salawu, Akingbolu & Co. has been drawn to an online publication by a Blogger named Bukky Jesse, who, in her desperate quest to garner more online followers threw caution to the wind by making an unfounded allegation that our Law Firm was involved in carrying out a Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) test on one Liam, the son of late Hip-hop Singer Aloba Ilerioluwa Promise popularly known as Mohbad in connivance with one Latona Hospital and later Lagoon Hospital.
“For the record, we state and maintain that we are Professional Litigation Lawyers of repute and our integrity in that light has never been in doubt since the inception of our Law Firm, for we are Lawyers who believe strongly in ethics and professionalism.
“As a matter of fact, our track records in defending the masses and fighting poor government policies and corruption are testimonials to what we do.
“Although Mrs. Wunmi Aloba, the wife to the late Singer, Aloba llerioluwa Promise (Mohbad), recently briefed our Law Firm and our service was retained to represent her in her cases and we have been doing our job strictly as Lawyers, we are, therefore, surprised by the unfounded allegation made by the so-called Blogger that we are into Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) test when we are not medical practitioners.
“NOTICE is hereby given to the general public to disregard the unsubstantiated publication made by the said Blogger. We have never, at any point in time, carried out any Deoxyribonucleic (DNA) test for Mrs. Wunmi Aloba nor any person whosoever because we are not running a hospital but a Law Firm.
“This is an allegation that has no iota of truth but one made by a self-serving, jobless attention seeker and overseas fugitive who believes in making money by maligning people with integrity so as to attract followers on the Internet.”
“We hereby urge the general public to discountenance and jettison the spurious, unfounded, baseless and puerile allegation by Bukky Jesse who has been dishing out falsehood and contradictory information to the general public under the pretence of seeking justice for the death of late Aloba Ilerioluwa Promise (Mohbad).
“For us, we know that under the law, it is only the father of a child, in this case, MOHBAD, that can question the paternity of the child, LIAM, but he never doubted the paternity of the child when he was alive.
“As a matter of fact, he had two lands, one was bought in the name of LIAM. This is more so because even if MOHBAD had adopted another child out of wedlock when he was alive, so far as there was/is such acknowledgement, the whole world cannot gang up to deny such a child of his inheritance even though he was born out of wedlock.
“So why would I bother myself with DNA (to prove what?) instead of facing the legal issues involved?
“Having said that, we assure the public that the long hands of the law will catch up with this impostor and accidental blogger of infinitesimal value with no traceable address in Nigeria, as soon as we are able to unveil her identity which has been shrouded in secrecy and we dare her to come out if she can defend any of her gutter vituperations.”
Chioma Adeleke, the wife of Afrobeats singer, Davido has shared the story how she met the singer.
She spoke during a question and answer throwback video with her followers.
Chioma disclosed that she met the father of her twins during their university days.
She shared that their meeting happened through a mutual friend who was dating one of Davido’s close associates at the time.
She said: “I met him when I was in school. My friend used to date his friend so from there it just happened.”
Nollywood actress Bimpe Oyebanji Adedimeji aka Mo Bimpe has revealed the problems she faced just for marrying popular actor Lateef Adedimeji.
According to her, she was insulted and cursed online for marrying her husband.
In a recent podcast, Mo Bimpe said she has been getting trolled daily since she married her husband. Her words: “Since I got married to my husband, the trolls have increased, from one troll to another. In fact, I get trolled on my social media accounts every day since I got married to Lateef Adedimeji.”
Mo Bimpe gave an instance of a lady, who trolled her and went to her husband’s page the next day to ask him to marry her as a second wife.
“An instance was when a lady came to my page and asked when I was going to get pregnant or something and I was like what kind of comment was that and fans took her up and she was responding to the fans, insulting and cursing some others. One thing I am sure of is that trolls don’t have a happy life.
They are not happy, they are sad, they don’t have a life and don’t have anything doing or going good for them. I feel like trolls are miserable and they just want to talk.
They just want other people to be sad like them. So, this instance I gave earlier on, after all this lady did on my page, she went on my husband’s page a day after and asked him to marry her as his second wife. At the end of the day, I am living well, I am happy and it is the trolls’ loss.”
Continuing, the actress said, “As a public figure, people will have different opinions about you. There is no way you can avoid it as long as you are great unless you are not out there. I am a public figure and got married to a star myself, how would I not be trolled? I am a private person and before I got married, I was not as outgoing as I am now but with marriage, you can only find me on the red carpet probably supporting my husband doing my wifely duties. It is impossible for me not to be out there and I am not going to shrink myself because of some certain individuals, this is my life, I chose it and can’t avoid all that comes with it.”
A 42-year-old driver, Ifeanyi Okafor, has been arrested by the Edo State Police Command, with 11 wraps of Indian hemp and other illicit drugs in the state.
Parading the suspect on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, the state Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, said he was arrested by Operation Safer Highway while on stop and search along the Benin-Lagos Road on his way to deliver the drugs to someone in Onitsha, Anambra State.
“The police intercepted Okafor’s vehicle and when a search was conducted on the vehicle, three well-conceived substances later found to be Indian hemp and other drugs were recovered from him,” the CP stated.
"But upon thorough search of the vehicle, another eight wraps were found concealed inside the vehicle spare tyre bringing the total recovered drugs to 11 wraps.”
"The driver of the vehicle one Ifeanyi Okafor was arrested and he has confessed that he was asked to deliver the items to someone in the Easter part of the country
In an interview with journalists, the suspect who hails from Anambra State, said he was not aware of the content of the waybill.
“The items were given to me as a waybill to be delivered to someone at Onitsha. The owner told me it was clothes and shoes inside the waybill," he said.
“But on getting to Edo State, I discovered it was drugs when the police arrested my vehicle.”