Entertainment, Lifestyle

Cynthia Okereke speaks on kidnap ordeal, reveals health status

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Veteran Nollywood actress, Cynthia Okereke who was kidnapped alongside her colleague, Clemson Cornel Agbogidi, opens up on the horrible ordeal.

This comes days following the release of the actors by kidnappers who requested a ransom of $100,000 which the entertainment industry lamented as a amount which it cannot afford without further negotiations with the abductors.

In a video, Cynthia Okereke appreciated the support of her fans and colleagues who stood by her as she reveals her current health condition.

“My people, this is mama Cynthia Okereke, God is a faithful God and I have every reason to say Hallelujah in the land of the living. I didn’t know I have people and I have friends, good colleagues, people that care for me, people that can pray for me, verge for me and stand on my behalf.

“My BP is high but to God be all glory for all of you, your efforts, your prayers and your encouragement. Mama Cynthia is alive, I will act for you people and will continue to be acting for your people.

Me, I will be a late comer there, for good one week, no water no food but today I say to God be all glory forever in Jesus name. God will bless all Nollywood for me,” she revealed.

Entertainment, Politics

Actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel Agbogidi released by kidnappers

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Actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel Agbogidi released by kidnappers Actors Guild of Nigeria have announced that kidnapped actors, Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Agbogidi have been released by their abductors.

According to a statement released by the Actors Guild of Nigeria on its official Instagram page on Wednesday, August 3, 2022, the movie stars were released unhurt and in healthy conditions.

It read;”

This is to gladly inform the public that the kidnapped actors Cynthia Okereke and Clemson Cornel Agbogidi have been released unhurt. The elated National President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas announced their release by the abductors who were touched by the spirit of God to set them free and unharmed.

The Guild has arranged for medical checks and psychological support for the victims. On behalf of their families, the National President expressed our heartfelt appreciation to Nollywood industry and Nigerians at large for the support and prayers during the trying period.”

“He urged members to be security conscious on and off film sets and always take precautionary measures on their personal security at all times. Okereke and Agbogidi were kidnapped on Friday, July 29, while they were returning from a movie set at Ozalla town in Enugu state.

On Saturday, their abductors contacted their families, demanding $100,000 as ransom. However AGN President, Emeka Rollas said the guild was only able to raise N1.2 million.

In a video clip on social media, he said “While talking to the abductors, we were trying to explain to them that we were putting some funds together, we were contributing. We said that we have about N1.2 million. And they started laughing at us.

They started mocking us and saying, ‘all those your celebrities posting on Instagram, why haven’t they contributed?’

The actors have however, been released but the statement didn’t say if a ransom was paid for their release.

Politics

Nigerian judge kidnapped inside court

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A judge identified as Alhaji Husaini Sama’ila has been abducted by gunmen at a Sharia Court in Bauren Zakat village, Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State.

Sources say the armed men broke into the court around 3pm on Tuesday and abducted the judge.

It is not clear why the judge was in court during the industrial action embarked upon by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Katsina is one of the states most affected by terrorism and banditry in the North-West.

Politics

Boko Haram kidnapped the Greenfield varsity students, not bandits – Sheikh Gumi

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Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmad Gumi, says Boko Haram members are the ones behind the abduction of the students of Greenfield University, Kaduna state.

Bandits, had on April 18 stormed the school and abducted 22 students and a teacher. Five of the students have been killed by their abductors. The gunmen had threatened to kill the remaining 17 if their N100m ransom demand is not met.

However, Gumi, speaking in an interview with AIT on Tuesday, said Boko Haram members were behind the abduction.

When asked by the reporter if he indeed mentioned that Boko Haram were behind the abduction, Sheik Gumi said; ”Yes, really because when we tried to trace them and put some sense into them, the contact who is also a Normadic Fulani, they threatened him. They said if he insists on them they were going to catch him and he will have to pay ransom before he gets out.

And the leader is from Jalingo. He is from Adamawa. He is not the local fulani we have here. So this means that North-Eastern element is coming into this area and we have to move fast. We don’t have that luxury of time.

I have been trying to speak with government but nobody is really trying to listen to me or speak with me on this issue.

We are trying to pacify and remove this banditry and they are responding.”

Reacting to the decision of the Kaduna state government not to negotiate with bandits, the cleric said;

”Five souls were killed. Why? What amount of money is too big for us to save the lives of those five students, what amount of money? secondly, we can give them the money to get the boys out of danger then go after our money. Nobody is saying you shouldn’t find them..you can get the two back.

To say you will not negotiate with them and also not take action against them, I cannot understand that.”

Politics, World News

Violence Breaks Out In Jangebe!!!

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At least one person has been killed while some have sustained injuries in Jangebe, the Zamfara community where some schoolgirls were abducted last week.

After the students regained freedom, the government took them for counselling and rehabilitation.

On Wednesday, they were brought back to the school to reunite with their family members.

Pandemonium broke out after anxious parents disrupted the speech of Alhaji Nasiru Muazu Magarya, Speaker of the Zamfara House of Assembly, and forcefully took their daughters away.

The schoolgirls, who arrived at the school in the evening, were seated in the examination hall and were being addressed by the speaker when the visibly disturbed parents broke in to the hall and started throwing insults at the dignitaries that were meant to address the parents and the school girls.

All speeches were disrupted and after sensing trouble, the speaker and commissioners attending the event quickly left.

Shots were fired by security operatives to disperse the crowd that was waiting outside the school.

The youths began to throw stones at the security operatives that were moving out of the community.

A young man stained blood and was seen being held by other youths at the scene.

The vehicle conveying journalists had to quickly move out of the community as the youth were pelting vehicles with stones.

Last week, some journalists who visited the school a day after the abduction were attacked.

Entertainment

See how a Keke rider rescued children kidnapped by a couple

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A Keke rider by name Nwuzor has aided in the rescue of children kidnapped by a couple in Ebonyi state.

It was gathered that the Keke rider who was conveying the couple with the children suspected that there must be something fishy going on as the children were looking very dirty and untidy.

He narrated that he picked them up along the road as the Keke conveying them broke down and so they boarded his own. He asked the woman why her children were looking dirty and where they were being taken to and she answered by saying that they are her sister’s children and she’s taking them with her because of fights going on in the local government. He was not convinced and followed them up and when their movement was somehow, he decided to raise alarm.

The police inspector who came into the matter praised the efforts of the Keke rider. He told everyone that , that was not actually the first of the case as one of the children rescued told them the woman who kidnapped her was fair and has a wound on her hand and when checked after the woman’s arrest was seen a wound as exactly the way the little child described.

So far this couple have kidnapped four kids and three has been rescued while one is yet to be seen. The father of the children thanked the Keke rider for the effort he put in rescuing his children, that the kids were sent on an errand and couldn’t return.

Politics

Body of kidnapped woman found in shallow grave in Delta

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The decaying body of a 54-year-old woman, Mrs Philomena Ogadi, who was kidnapped, has been found buried in a shallow grave.

The corpse was buried on a farmland near the Benin-Agbor-Onitsha Expressway in Agbor, Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State by her abductors.

According to the Delta State Police Command, the corpse was exhumed by the police on Saturday, four days after her burial by her abductors despite collecting ransom of over N650,000 from her family.

The woman was said to have been abducted last week by a nine-man gang of kidnappers.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Mohammed Ali, in a statement on Monday, said the woman was reported missing by her son, which made the command to commence investigation.

He said: “One of the abductors, who is now in police custody, led the state Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, Faleye Olayele, and other police officers to the scene, where the body of the victim was exhumed and taken to the mortuary.

“Her body was exhumed and she had gunshot injuries on her head and was blindfolded despite ransom being paid to her abductors.

“Having killed the woman and buried her in a shallow grave, the abductors did not stop there, they went on calling the children and collecting ransom. So far, they have collected N650,000 from her children after killing the woman.

“They made the children to believe that their mother was still alive. They did a video recording of their mother and played it to the children.

“One of the suspects was arrested and confessed to the crime, and said that was his first attempt at kidnapping and robbery.

The eldest son of the victim said one of the suspects lives in the same apartment with his mother before she was kidnapped and murdered.”

The Police Commissioner vowed that the police would get to the root of her murder and bring the culprits to Justice.

Politics

Kidnapped Ekiti petrol dealer freed in Kogi

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Popular petroleum products dealer, Alhaji Suleiman Akinbami, who was kidnapped in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, last Sunday night was set free by his kidnappers on Sunday afternoon after spending a week in captivity.

He was abducted about 9 pm last Sunday at his petrol station along Ado–Ijan Ekiti Road by the gunmen.

A source close to the family, who said Akinbami had rejoined his family on arrival at Ado Ekiti, said he could not ascertain whether any ransom was paid for his freedom.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed the release of the oil merchant, said, “He was released around 3pm somewhere in Kogi State”.

Abutu said men and officers of the command had not rested since he was whisked away last week, saying, “We have been on the trail of the kidnappers, serious manhunt had been launched on them, we believe that it was when the criminals felt that the pressure was much that led to his release”.

The police spokesperson, who said, “No arrest has been made all along. Efforts are still ongoing”, added that he was not aware of any ransom paid to secure the man’s release, saying, “As a matter of fact, we don’t negotiate with criminals. I am not aware of any ransom.”

He, however, advised residents, “The plain fact is that the police work better with useful and timely information.

“We are telling our people that they should give us useful and timely information that could lead to the arrest of those suspects and other criminal elements in society. They should be security conscious and ensure that they watch people around them.”

Lifestyle

Kidnapped little boy found dead in his neighbour’s car at Egbu, Owerri in Imo State.

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The day started like any other day. Shop owners who had returned from Christmas festivities or who did not travel were opening their shops for daily sales. Workmen were starting their daily hustle. Little did anyone know that the events of the day were going to be unheralded.

Tragedy struck at about 1 pm on Tuesday, Jan 5th, 2021 in the family of Mr Stevens.

Little Stevens Osinachi who lived with his grandmother at Ama-wire, Egbu, Owerri was sent by his aunt to buy sachet water for her in their neighbourhood. That was the last time anyone saw him, anyone but the agents of darkness.

His aunt and grandmother raised an alarm when the 5-year old Osinachi did not return as expected. They quickly organised a search, going from shop to shop asking about their little grandson and nephew. This proved abortive as everyone denied seeing him. It seemed as if Osinachi disappeared into the thin air.

Mr Stevens, a soldier in the Nigerian Army was immediately contacted and informed about the situation on the ground. He made some calls and an announcement about the missing Osinachi was made around the community. He even threatened to send men of the Nigerian Army to barricade the community and conduct a house to house search until his son was found. He pleaded that anyone with useful information about the missing boy should come forward and promised not to reveal their identity.

Two days ago, on Thursday, the 7th of January 2021, at about 9 pm, shouts were heard at the house of one Mr Izunna. Mr Izunna is a native of Ohaji Egbema of Imo state but resides at Ama-wire as a tenant. Mr Izunna who lives with his family is a generator repairer while his wife is a dressmaker. Both are neighbours to Osinachi’s family and run a kiosk to make ends meet.

Residents who heard the screaming ran out of their houses to find out what was going on. They were shocked to see the corpse of little Osinachi being carried away by men of the NPF from Mr Izunna’s compound.

This is what happened.

At about 8 pm, the alleged suspect, Mr Izunna reported to the police that he had perceived a foul smell from the car when he went to pluck paw-paw from a paw-paw tree close to the car. On a close look, he found the boy’s corpse already decaying. 

On questioning by the Police, he admitted that Osinachi had visited his shop requesting to buy “pure” water but insisted that he sent him away since he did not have any “pure” water to sell at that point. He also added that he locked his gate after the boy left.

The car in question, which was properly locked, belongs to him, Mr Izunna and one must be left to wonder how the corpse got there in the first place especially as he claimed his gate was locked even though neighbours said he never locks his gate in the afternoon.

The chances that someone scaled the fence and entered into the compound is very small as the fence around Mr Izunna’s compound is very high and barb-wired.

However, one cannot forget the fact that it was Mr Izunna who had reported this matter to the Police himself.

There must be more to this story.

Mr Izunna has been reprimanded by the Police who has continued investigations and further arrest has been carried out.

He is married with three boys. At the time the corpse was discovered, his family was nowhere to be found. It is rumoured that they’ve gone into hiding for protection from the wrath of the angry youths. The youths of the community visited Mr Izunna’s compound and would have razed everything to the ground. It took the intervention of some people who reminded the youths that the house did not belong to Mr Izunna to calm them down.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity narrated the line of events which has taken place in her neighbourhood since Tuesday.

She condemned the heartless kidnap and murder of an innocent little boy. 

When questioned on what could be the motive of the alleged suspect, she stated that she couldn’t tell although she had heard that Mr Izunna has been passing through trying times recently.

She also called on the Police to carry out their duties effectively.

Some other persons suggested that it may not be far from ritual killings or organ harvesting.

The turn of events is very surprising as many thought that stories like this are things of the past.

What is the way forward?

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