Some yet-to-be-identified hoodlums, suspected to be cultists, have stabbed and butchered a ‘mentally challenged’ man to death in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

It was gathered that the incident happened on Sunday while the victim was sitting at his usual base at Dike Park, near Zik Avenue, when the suspected cultists invaded the place.

An eyewitness in the area said the suspected cultists shot severally at the man before using various sharp objects to stab and dismember parts of his body.

The reason for their action has yet to be ascertained, but it was gathered that the suspected cultists might have gone after him because of his alleged involvement in cult-related activities before his mental illness began.

Although, some residents living around the area were of the opinion that the man was not “mentally challenged”, while others believed he was “mentally challenged” as, according to them, “he always ate his excreta whenever he stayed at his usual base”.

One of the sources said, “The suspected cultists fired many bullets at him, but the bullets did not penetrate. They resorted to stabbing and using all manner of sharp objects on him and even stoning him until he died.

“He used to be a member of a cult before he became mentally ill recently. No one knows what caused it, but you know these cultists, once you are committed, you are committed, and they must come for you.”

There have been rising cases of cult-related killings among various rival groups over the years, especially in Awka and environs.

As a result, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Aderemi Adeoye, had recently declared a showdown on the cultists and threatened to go after them and their sponsors if they continue.

The state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, when contacted, confirmed the killing of the man, adding that the Divisional Police Officer of Central Police Station in Awka deployed men promptly to the scene to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

Ikenga said, “The DPO immediately swung into action, retrieved the corpse, and deposited it in a morgue.

“I cannot confirm that the man was mad, but when the family comes for the corpse, we will be able to ascertain the mental health of the deceased.

“For now, police are liaising with eyewitnesses to ensure that the perpetrators are tracked and arrested.”

Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested two armed robbery suspects who specialise in robbing victims of their valuables on the Second Niger Bridge.

A statement on Monday by the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the police officers attached to Harbour Division, who were on a surveillance patrol on the bridge carried out the arrest on Sunday.

According to him, the surveillance patrol team were stationed on the bridge to prevent the stealing of expansion joints on the bridge.

“The police team on surveillance patrol on the bridge to prevent vandals from stealing expansion joints were alerted to the gang’s activities near the Obosi end of the bridge.

“The Covert Police Team monitored the gang and swooped in on them arresting two of the gangsters while others fled.

“When searched, two daggers and five sim cards removed from previously stolen phones were recovered from the suspects aged between 20 and 22 years.

“One of the suspects hailed from Enugu State and the other from Ebonyi State”, Ikenga said.

He added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, commended the patrol team for its vigilance and courage in confronting the gang.

“The CP has directed that owners of the recovered sim cards be located to assemble evidence for the successful prosecution of the arrested suspects,” he added.

The Federal Government has appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress to shelve its planned two-day warning strike slated to commence on Tuesday.

The appeal was made on Monday by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong, in Abuja.

He identified the reverse of the gains already made by FG, among others as the reason for the appeal while promising to attend to the contending issues raised by the NLC holistically if given some time to settle into the office.

Lalong said, “It has become pertinent to appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to suspend its intended two-day warning strike, as such action would be detrimental to the gains already being recorded on our course to securing a greater future for Nigerian workers and citizens at large.

“Furthermore, I would request that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress gives this government some time to settle and address the issues on the ground holistically.

“It should be realised that the cabinet of this administration was only recently sworn in by Mr. President and all cabinet members have hit the ground running by receiving briefings from their MDAs.

“Therefore, the issues raised by the leadership of the NLC are some issues that I and the Hon. Minister of State for Labour and Employment are being briefed upon. In the next few weeks, we intend to address them holistically.

“Consequently, I use this opportunity to reassure Nigerian workers that this government would never take them for granted nor fail to appreciate their support and understanding.

We shall continue to pursue policies aimed at massive employment generation in all sectors of the economy as well as look into immediate challenges that have emerged from the policies of the government. We cannot do this in an atmosphere devoid of industrial peace,” he added.

Meanwhile, the minister noted that although the ministry was yet to get a notification of the planned strike as required by law from the NLC, the ministry would be having a meeting with the labour leaders by 3 p.m. on Monday with a view to stopping the planned strike.

French authorities were on Monday imposing a newly-announced ban on the abaya Muslim dress for women in schools, with over 500 establishments under scrutiny as children across the country returned to class.

The government announced last month it was banning the abaya in schools, saying it broke the rules on secularism in education that have already seen Muslim headscarves banned on the grounds that they constitute a display of religious affiliation.

The move gladdened the political right but the hard-left argued it represented an affront to civil liberties.

“Things are going well this morning. There is no incident for the moment, we will continue all day to be vigilant so that the students understand the meaning of this rule,” said Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne as she visited a school in northern France.

But she added that there was a “certain number” of schools where girls had arrived wearing an abaya.

“Some young girls agreed to remove it. For the others, we will have discussions with them, and use educational approaches to explain that there is a law that is being applied,” she added.

The hard-left has accused the government of centrist President Emmanuel Macron of trying with the abaya ban to compete with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and shifting further to the right.

Education Minister, Gabriel Attal, told RTL radio that authorities had identified 513 schools that could be affected by the ban at the start of the school year.

There are around 45,000 schools in France, with 12 million pupils going back to school on Monday.

He said work had been done ahead of the start of the school year to see in which schools this could present a problem, adding that trained school inspectors would be placed in certain schools.

Attal however said he was against imposing a ban on parents wearing clothes that had religious significance when they accompanied their children on school outings.

“There is a difference between what happens in school and what happens outside school. What matters to me is what happens in school,” he said.

Some leading figures on the right have called on the government to make children wear school uniform in state schools and Attal said he would announce a uniform trial in the autumn.

“I am not sure it’s a miracle solution that will solve all school problems. But I think it merits testing,” he added.

A law introduced in March 2004 banned “the wearing of signs or outfits by which students ostensibly show a religious affiliation” in schools.

This includes large crosses, Jewish kippas and Islamic headscarves.Unlike headscarves, abayas — a long, baggy garment worn to comply with Islamic beliefs on modest dress — occupied a grey area and had faced no outright ban until now.

President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the service chiefs.

The meeting holding at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja is being attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja, his Navy counterpart, Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla and Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar.

The President is expected to be briefed about the security situation in the country by the service chiefs before leading a high-powered delegation later in the day to attend the G-20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi, India.

Nogeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), says they have discovered a plot to organize violent protests over “sundry socio-economic matters” in an effort to tarnish the federal administration and security services.

According to the security agency, student leaders, youths, ethnic-based associations, and resentful groups are being mobilised for the protests.They also assured that they have identified the “ring leaders of the plot” and are currently monitoring them.

According to a statement made on Monday by the agency’s spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, intelligence inputs suggest that politicians are part of the people behind the violent protests.

Afunanya said the “masterminds” would be stopped from “plunging the country into anarchy”.The DSS also advised vice-chancellors of universities and heads of tertiary institutions to discourage their students from engaging in acts capable of destabilising public peace.

“Also, parents and guardians are enjoined to admonish their children and wards respectively to shun the lure of participating in inimical behaviours or conducts against law and order,” Afunanya said.

They also warned those who are eager to destabilize the national security to retrace their steps.The DSS revelation comes on the heels of the planned two-day strike by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) scheduled to start on Tuesday.

Singer Oyinkansola Sarah Aderibigbe popularly known as Ayra Starr, emerged winner of the Best Female Artiste category at the 16th edition of the Headies award on Sunday.

Ayra Starr was nominated alongside singers Simi, Tiwa Savage, and Tems, who won the 2022 edition of this category.

The award show was held at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, Atlanta, United States of America.

The Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has directed the Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, to ensure that a motorcycle rider, Orji Felix, who was injured by a government van, receives the best medical attention at no cost to him or his family.

The governor also ordered the immediate suspension of the driver, Onyebuchi Steven, attached to his convoy who was involved in an accident with the motorcyclist in Ohafia Local Government, on Sunday, pending investigation.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr Kazie Uko, on Monday, stated that the investigation was intended to establish the culpability of the driver in the incident.

The statement added that Steven, who was driving a Toyota Hilux pick-up van, reportedly collided with Felix, who had just picked up a passenger by the roadside and was about to ride off.

Uko revealed that both the motorcycle rider and his passenger were promptly rescued and taken to a hospital near the scene of the accident.

The statement read, “While the passenger was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital in Ohafia and discharged, Felix, according to the Commissioner of Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, suffered multiple fractures on his left leg and right arm.

“The 18-year-old Okada rider was subsequently rushed in an ambulance from Ohafia to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, after he was attended to by Dr. Okoronkwo, who applied first aid on him and bandaged his injured leg and arm.

“Felix is currently admitted at the Crowther ward, FMC, where he is recuperating. Nurses on duty, on Sunday night, described his condition as “very stable”.

“The patient, who is now receiving full medical attention, was seen interacting and responding to questions posed to him. “The pain is not much again,” he replied when asked about the pain in his left leg.

The commissioner, who returned to the hospital Sunday night to monitor the patient’s progress, thanked the nurses on duty for taking good care of him. Dr. Okoronkwo reiterated the Governor’s directive that the patient be properly attended to.

The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria has lamented the delay in the payment of Visionscape debt to its members.

The President of the association, Olugbenga Adebola, appealed to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to launch an investigation into plight of waste managers in the state and facilitate of money owed to them.

“The delay in the payment of Visionscape Debt to our members that worked with Visionscape Company based on the directives of the then government is worrisome. We, therefore, appeal to Mr. Governor, through LAWMA, to look into this payment passionately and facilitate the payment.

“The government should ensure that members’ businesses are protected through enforceable agreements with the government with appropriate stamp duty and relevant securities. This will surely increase member’s confidence and increase the level of investment in the industry,” he asserted.

He further called for the review of all remittances to the state government to allow members to remain afloat in the face of local and global inflationary effects on doing business in Nigeria.

Adebola added that a review of the remittances to the state government would bring succour to AWAMN members.

He said, “We pray that government ensures sustainability of the operations and businesses of our members in low and low-low-income areas, thereby creating equal opportunities to make their businesses profitable and bankable. The international models and best practices should be adopted as Nigeria or Lagos State cannot operate in isolation.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-olu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of Environmental Resources, Dr Omobolaji Gaji, said population growth would continue to place waste management at the top of our development agenda.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a drug kingpin, Ngene Onyedikachi, who was responsible for recruiting fake couple smugglers arrested in Lagos on August 1, 2023, while hard drugs of various forms were seized across the country in different operations.

On August 6, 2023, it was reported that the arrest of the fake couple, Onyebuchi and Nonyelum by operatives of the NDLEA for ingesting 184 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.322kg with 100grams of the drug also concealed in the woman’s private part.

Meanwhile, the agency, on Sunday said it arrested some other suspects, Peter Iwebema, Ekechukwu Ndubuisi, Suleiman Oba, Nafiu Arzika, Jamilu Aminu and Ismaila Razak among others, for various drug-related offences across the country.

In a statement obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, the NDLEA Director, Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, said Onyedikachi was arrested at his Akoka, Yaba residence by operatives of the NDLEA on Friday.

Babafemi said, “The NDLEA operatives on Friday, August 25, 2023, succeeded in arresting a drug kingpin, Ngene Onyedikachi, who recruited the fake couple, Ilonzeh Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Nonyelum arrested for ingesting 1.822kg and 1.50kg of Cocaine respectively at the Lagos airport on August 1 while on their way to India.

The kingpin was picked at his residence located at 28, Afolabi Brown Street, Akoka, Yaba, after intensive surveillance that lasted 25 days.”

He said the suspect confessed that the fake couple were introduced to him by another member of his syndicate whom he met in a Lagos church.

The statement added,

“During his interview, Onyedikachi confessed that the two suspects: Ilonzeh Onyebuchi and Ilonzeh Nonyelum were introduced to him by another member of his syndicate, whom he claimed he met at Zion Church in the Cele area of Lagos. He explained that the drug was sourced from Guinea Conakry.

“The suspect revealed that when he got information about the arrest of the fake couple, he threw away his old mobile phone along with the SIM cards to avoid being traced, adding that he became relaxed and refused to leave his house because the two couriers do not know his house since they have only met twice at different locations.

“He said he was living in India before he returned to Nigeria in 2022 after the Indian authorities discovered that he was using Ivory Coast International passport. A blue Acura Legend car was part of items recovered from his home during his arrest.”

Meanwhile, one of the other suspects arrested during various raids across the country, Iwebema was arrested in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state for possession of cannabis sativa while his counterparts were arrested at the Tincan port command.

Another suspect, Oba, who holds a South African passport, was nabbed while trying to board a Rwanda Air flight to South Africa on Friday with boxes loaded with ephedrine sealed in semovita packs.

Similarly, Arzika, Aminu and Razak were arrested in Sokoto and Oyo states with different forms of hard drugs among which are skunk and methamphetamine on Tuesday and Saturday respectively.

A man, identified simply as Hamzat, has cried out after suspected soldiers allegedly invaded his block factory located at Bankole Estate, Magboro, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, and seized his Toyota RAV 4 vehicle.

Hamzat who spoke with PUNCH Metro on Saturday said the soldiers numbering up to five in a pick-up van were looking for his younger brother, Sulaimon, who is an Islamic cleric.

He noted that the matter began after he introduced a yet-to-be-identified suspected Yahoo boy, who is a brother to his girlfriend to Sulaimon for special prayers.

He said after the prayer was successful, his girlfriend’s brother wanted more special prayers and Sulaimon introduced him to another yet-to-be-identified Islamic cleric in the Agege area of Lagos.

Hamzat said, “After my brother introduced him to another Alfa for special prayer, maybe he was duped (or he didn’t get the expected returns after payment), I don’t know. My brother also said he did not know what transpired between the boy and the other Alfa.

“On Tuesday, I was called by someone that some people were at my block factory and they wanted to buy blocks. So I rushed down. I told the person the price of my blocks. In the course of that, I just saw some soldiers coming into the estate. They came to me and said they wanted to see me. I asked them what happened, but they started grabbing me.

“When I looked into their car, I saw the guy I introduced to my brother and his sister, who is my girlfriend. Then the soldiers said I should follow them. They said they would drive my car with them, but I refused, I said I couldn’t give them my car key but I would drive along with them since I did not steal or commit any crime.”

He added that the soldiers took him to their barracks at Ebute where they allegedly collected N10,000 from him and seized his car pending when he would produce his brother.

Hamzat noted that one of the soldiers kept calling him and asking him to produce his brother.

The number said to belong to the soldier was contacted by our correspondent but the recipient asked our correspondent to come to the Army base at Arepo. Contacted, the spokesperson for the 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Lt Col Ayeni Olabisi, promised to find out about the matter.

On her part, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, said the matter was being investigated.“The case is being investigated,” the PPRO said on Sunday.

At least three persons were confirmed dead after the collapse of a three-storey building under construction in Anambra community on Sunday.

The incident occurred in Egbu Umuenem, Otolo Nnewi community, Nnewi North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.The building collapsed at about 1:00 p.m. when the workers were said to be preparing to start plastering work.

A witness said the deceased, including a man and his two children, who had reported for the day’s job, allegedly died on the spot.

They were said to have been rushed to St. Felix Hospital, Nnewi, where they were confirmed dead.Other workers rescued from the rubbles sustained varying degrees of injuries.

They were also said to have been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.The chairman, Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Anambra chapter, Victor Meju, led some state officials of the council to the scene.

Addressing journalists at the scene of the incident, Mr Meju blamed the incident on poor foundation, concrete mixture, and quality of materials, as well as the non-approval by relevant regulatory authorities.

He said the building would be sealed off, and the owner, Chukwunafu Anamanjo, would be invited for questioning.

Also, the transition committee chairman, Nnewi North LGA, Chris Obiora, called on the people to use certified engineers and other relevant personnel in the building sector for their construction works.

When contacted for comments on the disaster, the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the command had yet to receive information about the incident.

“I don’t have any information on it yet, but I will escalate the information to the Divisional Police Officer in the area for necessary action,” Mr Ikenga said.

President Tinubu Set to Attend G-20 Summit in India with Investment Attraction Topping Nigeria’s Agenda.

On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at both the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference.

President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday to attend the G-20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, India, on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

On the sidelines of the Summit, the President will participate in and deliver keynote addresses at both the Nigeria-India Presidential Roundtable and the Nigeria-India Business Conference.

The CEO Roundtable will be attended by leading industrialists in the Indian private sector, Nigerian industrialists, as well as senior government officials from both countries.

The President aims to leverage this platform to attract global capital and promote increased foreign direct investments in key labour-intensive sectors of Nigeria’s economy for job creation and revenue expansion.

Moreover, he will use this opportunity to highlight Nigeria’s attractiveness as an investment destination, specifically outlining his cross-sectoral reform plan as encapsulated by the Renewed Hope Agenda.Given the President’s renowned experience in attracting investment to Lagos State, leading industrialists have sought separate private engagements with him at the summit.

The President’s itinerary will also feature bilateral meetings with a cross-section of world leaders from four different continents, representing both G-20 and non–G20 countries.

These engagements are geared towards strengthening bilateral economic, trade, and investment partnerships for mutual benefit.

At the G20 Summit, the Nigerian leader is expected to share Nigeria’s perspective on the theme, “One Earth-One Family-One Future,” which speaks to the global unity required to address the challenges facing humanity and the planet.

With its collective contribution of up to 80% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and housing 60% of the world’s population, the G-20 constitutes a significant economic power bloc of socio-economic opportunity and geo-political stability.

While Nigeria’s membership of the G-20 is desirable, the government has embarked on wide-ranging consultations with a view to ascertaining the benefits and risks of membership.

This is consistent with the desire of the President to democratize foreign policy and articulate policy formulation and implementation through a Whole-of-Society and a Whole-of-Government approach that achieves the nation’s long-term strategic objectives.

Once consultations are concluded, the government will decide whether or not to apply to join as appropriate. The participation of President Tinubu at the G-20 Summit in India is, in part, in furtherance of this objective.

Accompanying President Tinubu on the mission are the following members of his cabinet: Amb. Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy; and Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment. President Tinubu will return to Nigeria immediately following the conclusion of the Summit.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna has ordered security agencies to hunt down killers of worshippers in a Mosque in Ikara Local Government Area of the state.

In a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Muhammad Shehu, on Sunday in kaduna, Mr Sani described the killings by bandits as wicked and barbaric.

The governor directed security agencies to thoroughly investigate the incident and go after the perpetrators.

Promising to go to any length within the law to bring the Ikara bandits to book, Mr Sani said he would not rest until peace and stability were restored to every part of Kaduna State.

“We understand the concerns and anxieties of the residents of Ikara, in particular and Kaduna State in general.

“Your safety and security are our top priorities, and we want to reassure you that we are working tirelessly to maintain peace and stability.

“We encourage the public to remain calm and vigilant.”

Bandits had earlier in the month attacked a Mosque while worshippers were praying and killed five persons and two others nearby.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Osun said six persons lost their lives in an accident that occurred on the Imesi-Ile highway.

The Sector Commander, Henry Benamesia, said this in a statement by the command’s spokesperson, Agnes Ogungbemi, on Sunday in Osogbo.

Mr Benamesia said two vehicles had a head-on collision on Saturday at about 9:44 p.m. due to the brake failure of one of them, resulting in the deaths of six persons.

He said that an articulated vehicle (a Red Daf) without a number plate collided with another blue commercial truck on Imesi-Ile Hill, causing casualties due to speeding.”

We have five dead victims taken to the University Teaching Hospital in Osun (UNIOSUN) by the Nigeria Police before the arrival of the FRSC team.”

The last dead victim was trapped under the truck, and we were able to use an extrication machine to remove the trapped body from one of the vehicles,” Mr Benamesia said.

According to him, the accident involved 17 persons with 11 escaping unhurt while six others lost their lives.

He charged road users to drive defensively in order to prevent any accidents.

Mr Benamesia, however, advised drivers to drive with caution and ensure their vehicles were in perfect condition before embarking on any journey.

Thousands rallied Saturday in Niger’s capital Niamey to demand that former colonial ruler France withdraw its troops as sought by a junta that seized power in July.

The protesters gathered near a base housing French soldiers following a call by several civic organisations hostile to the French military presence in the West African country.

They held up banners proclaiming “French army leave our country”.The demonstration was boosted by fresh arrivals in the afternoon and a dense crowd formed at a roundabout near the French military base on Niamey’s outskirts.

Niger’s military regime had fired a new verbal broadside at France on Friday, accusing Paris of “blatant interference” by backing the country’s ousted president, as protesters held a similar rally.

President Mohamed Bazoum, a French ally whose election in 2021 had stoked hopes of stability in the troubled country, was detained on July 26 by members of his guard.

Relations with France, the country’s former colonial power and ally in its fight against jihadism, went swiftly downhill after Paris stood by Bazoum.

On August 3, the regime announced the scrapping of military agreements with France, which has about 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country, a move that Paris has ignored on the grounds of legitimacy.

The agreements cover various timeframes, although one of them dating from 2012 is set to expire within a month, according to military leaders.

The military rulers have also announced the immediate “expulsion” of the French ambassador Sylvain Itte and said they are withdrawing his diplomatic immunity. They said his presence constituted a threat to public order.

But French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday hailed Itte’s work in Niger and said he remained in the country despite being given a 48-hour deadline to leave Niger last Friday.

Article 22 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that embassy premises are “inviolable” and that agents of the host state “may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission”.

A former Lagos State commissioner for housing, Bosun Jeje, is dead.

The commissioner was announced dead by his elder brother, Pastor Adekunle Jeje on his Facebook page on Saturday, September 2, 2023.

The statement reads, “May your soul rest in peace my dear aburo Moshood Olatunbosun Adedeji Jeje aka BOJECO, Mr PARKERS died September 2, 2023. Buried according to Muslim rites.”

Jeje was the former Lagos State Commissioner for Housing during ex-governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.

The Ogun State Police Command said that it nabbed one 21-year-old suspected burglar who disguised as a scavenger to steal properties from homes of unsuspecting members of the public in the Itele Awori Local Government Area in the state while the accomplice has escaped arrest.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Public Relations Officer of the Command, SP Omolola Odutola, on Sunday.

According to the statement, the suspect, Ibrahim Adamu, often pretended to be a scavenger but usually broke into people’s houses in their absence to steal their valuables.

The statement read,

“The Police Division in Itele Awori has arrested 21-year-old Ibrahim Adamu, who disguised himself as a scavenger of condemned iron scraps, with some items believed to be stolen.

“He confessed that there are two of them who specialize in breaking into unsuspecting members of the public houses in their absence to steal their valuables.”

She noted that during the arrest, Adamu’s accomplice, identified as Azonto, escaped but the police has launched a manhunt to get him arrested.

“The other fleeing suspect identified as Azonto, said to have hailed from Adamawa, and an orphan who works on condemned iron scraps (same as Adamu) is currently at large, he escaped while the policemen gave him a hot chase but could not be found. Our men have embarked on a manhunt to apprehend the fleeing suspect.”

Odutola noted that after the arrest, the police searched inside the sack he carried about and discovered some items that were believed to have been stolen.

“When the policemen searched inside the sack of the suspect, some of the items recovered, were seven ceiling fans, blades and cable wires, when he was arrested and taken to the station, he played dumb and was unable to provide satisfactory information on how he came about the items in his possession.”

She however stated that the suspect was not caught with any dangerous weapon except for the household items which did not appear damaged while the suspect was handed over to the police investigation department for further investigation and prosecution.

“No dangerous weapon or gun was found on him, just the sack containing the items mentioned above and from careful observation, the items are not condemned or disposed of by the owner but vandalised useful items.

“The suspect has been handed over to State Criminal Investigation Departments for discreet investigations, at conclusions of investigation he will be charged to Court,” the statement concluded.

No fewer than seven persons have been killed by bandits in Saya Saya village in the Ikara Local Government area of Kaduna State.

A resident of the area, Ismail Ikara, told Peoples Gazette that bandits struck while the worshippers were saying their evening prayers at about 8:00 p.m. on Friday.

The state police spokesman, SP Mansur Hassan, who confirmed the attack, said the bandits shot sporadically, killing the residents.

Yes, it’s true that the attack happened yesterday evening ( Friday) at a mosque while innocent Muslim faithful were observing evening prayers,” said Mr Hassan.

“Armed bandits stormed in and shot sporadically, killing five worshippers on the spot while two others were shot within the precinct of the mosque.”

According to a community leader in the village, the head of the vigilante group was among the five killed.

Commissioner of Police Musa Yusuf, on hearing of the attack, mobilised officers to nearby bushes to fish out the criminals.

He further called on the people of the area to be weary of new faces around them and report any suspicious stranger they see for immediate response and action.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has reiterated the use of concrete pavement technology in road construction projects for its cost effectiveness and durability.

Mr Umahi said this during a courtesy visit to the Acting Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in Akure on Friday.

The minister said that the use of cement for road construction had been tested in some states, stressing that it is more durable and cost-effective than bitumen.

He said that any road construction contract that had not attained more than 20 per cent completion would be redesigned to concrete pavement road.

Mr Umahi said that importation of bitumen was putting more pressure on the Naira and with the use of concrete pavement roads, it would be more of local content.

“Very important thing that I must let you know is the introduction of concrete technology on our roads.”

My argument is that a lot of roads built on concrete have a shelf life of 50 years.

“But there is no asphalt road here, especially in South-South, South-East and South-West, even if it is done by top contractors that will not last only 15 years.”

Jobs that are still ongoing and that is why we are going round and redesigning portions of roads that are maybe 10 to 20 per cent complete, and we are sure that this is the way to go and it has a guarantee of 50 years.

“Not only that, you will find out that we are having so much pressure on the Naira, the importation of bitumen is a lot of pressure on the Naira, so cement is a local content, almost everything we need is being produced in Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Umahi said that road construction was a dynamic sector due to soaring prices of materials.

“Let me put it on record that bitumen imported in the 1950s and 1960s were of more quality than what we have today, and that’s why we are courageous to introduce the concrete road department,” he said.

Mr Umahi said the recently awarded Akure-Ado-Ekiti road would be redesigned to concrete pavement road.

Mr Aiyedatiwa, while congratulating the minister on his appointment, lamented the deteriorating conditions of most federal roads in the state.

The acting governor called for the dualisation of Akure-Ondo-Ore road and the need to urgently rehabilitate the Ore-Okitipupa road among other federal roads in the state.