Naval officer stabbed, shot medical doctor arrested

Scene of a truck crushed motorcyclist.

THE Naval Rating, who allegedly stabbed and shot a medical doctor two weeks ago in Lekki area of Lagos, has been arrested.

His arrest was confirmed by Director of Naval Information, Commodore Adedotu Ayo-Vaughan, weekend.

The medical doctor, Owen Edo-Ojo, who went for a spa session on Gbamgbala Street, Elegushi, Lekki, at about 7.30 pm parked his car in front of a building reportedly owned by a senior military personnel.

Explaining what happened, the mother of the injured doctor, who took to the social media to alert military authorities, said her son had barely turned off the ignition when a man in mufti knocked on the vehicle. She was seen in the video with her battered son on the hospital bed.

Explaining, she said: “He wound down the glass and asked what the problem was. The man in mufti told him to move the car or he would move him.

“My son said he should have said it calmly. The next thing the man said was that ‘I will shoot you and the Federal Government will give me thanks.’

“He (son) thought it was a joke. Then, three soldiers who were guarding the building dragged my son out of the car and gave him the beating of his life.  

“One of them brought a knife and stabbed him in the neck. He also had a cut on the hand. Nigerians, see what security men have done. They also shot him while on his way to the police station. He managed to go to the nearby police (Ilasan) and reported the matter  

“One of the bullets has been extracted. The others are still inside his body. I want the government, Navy, Army and Police to find out the man and why my son should deserve this ill-treatment meted out on him because he parked and was not resisting them not to move the car.”

The arrest

It was gathered that when the report reached the Naval headquarters, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, directed that the rating be fished out.

Director of Naval Information, Commodore Ayo-Vaughan, confirmed that the rating in question had been apprehended and detained while an investigation was ongoing to unravel the circumstances that led to the alleged shooting and stabbing of Dr Owen.

Ayo-Vaughan said: “Furthermore, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship Wey, at Navy Town, Ojo Lagos, under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred paid a visit to the Edo-Ojo family on March 24, 2022, to empathize and confirm the condition of Dr Owen. Equally as directed by the Chief of the Naval Staff, if found culpable, the rating will be appropriately punished with the extant provisions of the Armed Forces Act.

“The Nigerian Navy assures the general public that the Service is not unmindful of the place of discipline, professionalism and respect of the civil populace by naval personnel in the discharge of their duties.

“Accordingly, the general public is assured of the Navy’s commitment to the respect and protection of law-abiding citizens while ensuring that appropriate punishment is meted out on any of its personnel that violates extant regulations and Standard Operating procedure.”

3 oil workers arraigned for alleged murder, illegal bunkering

Three workers of Shebah Exploration and Production Company Ltd, in Ilaje council area of Ondo State, have been arraigned in court for murder, arson, malicious damage and destruction of property through illegal bunkering activities.

The suspects, Anthony Nwuba, Orofin Pius Yomi and Patrick Aganyebi, were charged by the police over the murder of nine persons by setting them ablaze through illegal bunkering activities in the vessel and thereby commit an offence contrary to section 316 (9) of the criminal code.

They were charged with causing an explosion that set ablaze Sheba Company vessel valued at N41.6 billion through illegal bunkering activities contrary to section 443 (b)of the state criminal code.

However, counsel to the suspects, Dr Benson Enikuomehin, who described the charges as trump-up, said: “It was callous on the part of the Police to charge workers of the company for murder when indeed they escaped death by the whiskers when the vessel they were working with exploded on the sea.

It would be recalled that explosion occurred at the Trinity Spirit floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which belongs to Shebah Exploration and Production Company Ltd (SEPCOL), a producer from OML 108 covering 750 square km (290 square miles) off the waters of the Niger Delta in Ondo State.

Nine persons were said to have died in the explosion but not all the bodies were recovered while 60,000 barrels of oil spilt from the vessel were destroyed.

However, the Police prosecutor, Adeoye Adesegun, told the court that the offences were against Sections 324, 319 (9) and 443 (b) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

In his motion, Adesegun asked the court to remand the suspects in prison custody pending legal advice from the Department of Public Prosecution s(DPP) in the state Ministry of Justice.

But Enikuomehin in a counter-affidavit said the charges brought against the defendants were smoke-screen to hide the truth.

He added that the firm was owing the staff being prosecuted for murder more than two years’ salary arrears.

According to him, it was some fishermen that helped the defendants who were working on the vessel on the night of the inferno escape being killed in the incident.

He, therefore, wondered why the charge of murder, arson, and malicious damage would be brought against those who were supposed to be in the hospital recuperating

However, Presiding Magistrate, Olanipekun Mayumi, granted the suspects bail in the sum of N2 million each and a surety in like sum.

Mayumi ordered the case file sent to the Department of Public Prosecution for legal advice and adjourned the matter to July 13, 2022, for mention.

4 killed as POS operators are robbed in Oyo

Armed robbers were reported to have killed four on Friday in Ladeowo area of Omi-Adio in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

It was gathered that the robbers stormed the community on motorcycles shooting sporadically as they went round robbing Point of Sales (POS) machines operators from shop to shop.

According to a resident, “in a commando-style, the armed robbers stormed our area and killed four people. The people that were killed are not POS operators but residents and Okada riders, who were chasing them. We called police in Omi-Adio command but they didn’t come until Saturday morning.”

A police source at the Omi-Adio police command confirmed the incident to our correspondent in Ibadan, yesterday.

The state Police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, said an investigation was ongoing. “Investigation is ongoing, updates would be provided in due course, please,” he said.

Man arrested for sexually exploiting 13-year-old step-daughter

Operatives attached to the Family Support Unit (FSU) of Isokoko Police Division, Lagos State Command are currently investigating Friday Uloko for sexually exploiting his teenage step-daughter.

Uloko, a native of Ador in Benue State was arrested Friday following a complaint by his wife, Chiedeberem, to an official of Advocates Children Venerable Persons Nigeria (ACVPN).

Sequel to the disclosure, Coordinator Advocates for Children and Vulnerable Persons Network, Ebenezer Omejalile, reported the case to the FSU, Isokoko police division, which immediately initiated an investigation and arrested the suspect.

Vanguard learned that the suspect married   Chiedeberem, who had three children for him. Chiedeberem had a 13-year-old daughter in her previous relationship.

Suspect wife’s account

According to the suspect’s wife, Chiedeberem, “my husband, Uloko, often beat me at the slightest opportunity.

“He kept threatening me until I discovered he has been sexually violating my 13-year-old daughter. My daughter revealed that he violated her severally in the bathroom when she is having her bath.”

During police interrogation, Uloko admitted he collected over N200,000 from a certain Mallam who was caught sexually violating the victim.

When contacted, the spokesperson, Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, said investigation is ongoing, adding: “The victim has been rescued while the suspect is in custody.

Truck crushes motorcyclist to death

A motorcyclist with no known identity was last Thursday crushed to death by a truck at Mgbabano Junction in Eziama Obaire in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State.

An eyewitness alleged the truck had brake failure while plying the Orlu/Anara/Amaraku road before it skidded off to the Mgbano junction destroying property.

According to the eyewitness, “Apart from the Okada man, who was crushed to death, many other people were injured while running away. The truck driver used some of the tables, chairs, and other property around the junction market to wedge the truck.

“Many market women lost their wares and other valuables when they were trying to escape as the truck skidded off towards their direction.”

However, another source said the incident angered the residents, who attempted to burn down the truck, but with the intervention of some stakeholders in the area the situation was calmed down.

Man beats ex-wife, mother-in-law to pulp over school attire

A middle-aged man, Mr Thaddeus Otarurhor, an indigene and resident of Adagbrassa-Ogolo, in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State, has allegedly beaten his ex-wife and mother-in-law to a pulp over school cultural attire bought for their children.

Otarurhor, who is said to be short-tempered with a history of allegedly beating up his ex-wife and mother-in-law, which lead to the crash of their marriage in 2019, again descended on the defenseless women for daring to bring clothes for the children’s school cultural day.

It was gathered that trouble started when the children under the custody of the Otarurhors called to inform their mother of their upcoming cultural day celebration at school.

It was gathered that the mother, who is now Miss Hope Epini, had earlier objected to buying the clothes for the children, but on second thought and following the kids persisted begging, she had a change of mind.

Knowing the   attitude of her ex-husband and his abysmal unprovoked anger, she decided to hang around and wait for the kids in her mother’s house to give them the money, clothes and beads.

While waiting for the kids, it was alleged that her ex-husband went to her family compound to drop a note of warning, telling her not to go near the compound where the ex-husband is living.

He allegedly threatened that if he sees her or the mother anywhere near the building, both of them might not live to tell their story.

Otarurhor, it was gathered, also called her and her mother unprintable names and provoked by his actions, she defied his warning, as the house which the estranged ex-husband currently leaves belongs to her and the land as well belongs to her father.

Speaking with journalists later, Hope Epini stated that as soon as she got to the compound, the said Otarurhor, who was miffed with the purported violation of his orders, immediately pounced on her and her mother and in the process punched her.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Mr Thaddeus Otarurhor denied all the allegations, describing them as baseless. He said their marriage crashed because the ex-wife was not submissive.

“The problem I had with my ex-wife is that she is not submissive and she wants to be the man of the house. I told her not to come see the children without calling me first. I don’t want her to influence my children negatively, but she refused. That is what led to this current fight and her mother and some of her brothers jointly fought me,” he said.

Culled from Vanguard.