BIG STORY

Magodo Estate Shut Again, Residents Protest Planned Demolition, Continuous Police Presence [PHOTOS]

Published

3 years ago

January 4, 2022

Following the continuous presence of over 50 armed policemen in the Magodo Phase 2 Estate area of Lagos State, the estate management has ordered a closure of the estate gates in protest against the planned demolition of property in the estate.

The policemen were said to have recently accompanied suspected land grabbers and members of a family who invaded the estate to claim possession of the property.

During the invasion, the group used red, brown, and blue inks to inscribe ‘ID/795/88 Possession Taken Today 21/12/21 by Court Order,’ on various properties on the estate.

The suspected family were said to have led the group and armed policemen to the estate to execute a Supreme Court judgement.

The group were about to invade the estate with a bulldozer when the estate management ordered a closure of the gate.

It was learnt that it took the intervention of the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu before the gates were reopened as the Inspector-General of Police, Baba Usman, promised to withdraw the policemen.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Chairman of the estate, Bajo Osinubi, said the policemen had remained in the estate despite Sanwo-Olu’s intervention, adding that residents had been living in fear as the policemen move around with their weapons.

He added, “More than 50 armed policemen are still around and they are restless and didn’t go for Christmas and New Year. In the morning and evening, they carry their guns around and you can imagine what will happen if there is a disagreement between the group and residents and somebody was shot, what will be the reaction of the IGP.”

However, the Lagos State Government had described the invasion as unwarranted and vowed to prosecute those involved in the invasion.

Also, the Legal Adviser, Magodo Residents Association, Tunji Abdulhameed, while countering the judgment claim influencing the actions of the invaders, said there was no specification to the area, property, location of the plots of land in the judgment they got in 1993.

He added, “But for you to execute even when you get a judgment, you must still apply for a writ of possession and without it, you cannot enforce the judgment. So, when they applied for the writ of possession and it was approved, we challenged it and that was the time the residents association joined the case as we were not part of the case before they got the judgment.

“The essence of the closure of the gate was to create awareness to the public and to draw the attention of the government as to what is happening in Magodo so that we can get protection from them.”

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Related Topics:bigstory Magodo Phase 2 Residents Protest

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BIG STORY

Two US-Based Nigerians Bag 30-Year Jail For $3.5m Romance Scam

Published

2 hours ago

November 26, 2024

PorscheClassy News

Two Nigerians, Anthony Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu, have been sentenced by a United States federal jury to a combined 30 years in prison for defrauding US citizens of $3.5 million.

The sentencing was announced in a press release made available on the US Department of Justice website on Monday.

According to the statement, Ibekie and Aniukwu deceived their victims by claiming they had received substantial inheritances that required money to be claimed. The duo would then ask the victims to send money with the promise of reimbursement once the inheritances were secured.

The statement also highlighted that the pair carried out romance scams, building online relationships with their victims to gain their trust, only to later demand money.

It read, “An undercover law enforcement investigation has resulted in federal prison sentences for two Nigerian nationals residing in the Chicago suburbs who conducted online inheritance scams and other fraud schemes.

“Using aliases, Anthony Emeka Ibekie and Samuel Aniukwu communicated with victims throughout the United States, convincing them they had received substantial inheritances and needed to send money to individuals associated with the defendants in order to claim it.

“In addition to the inheritance scam, the pair carried out an online romance scam that involved communicating with victims via social media and dating websites, building trust with the victims through a purported online romance, and convincing them to send money to a predetermined recipient. Aniukwu and Ibekie also orchestrated a ‘business email compromise’ scam that targeted corporate email accounts.

“The fraud schemes were uncovered by a covert law enforcement investigation. The scams resulted in losses to victims of at least $3.5 million.”

The statement further noted that after facing at least 14 charges, Ibekie and Aniukwu pleaded guilty to the accusations. As a result, Ibekie was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, while Aniukwu received a 10-year sentence on November 8.

The statement continued, “A federal jury earlier this year convicted Ibekie, 59, of Oswego, Ill., on all 14 counts of wire fraud, mail fraud, money laundering, making false statements to a bank, and passport fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger on Thursday sentenced Ibekie to 20 years in federal prison.

“Aniukwu, 50, of Romeoville, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and money laundering charges. Judge Seeger on Nov. 8, 2024, sentenced Aniukwu to 10 years in prison.”

Meanwhile, an accomplice of Ibekie and Aniukwu, US citizen Jennifer Gosha, is set to be sentenced on December 18 following her guilty plea.

“A third defendant, Jennifer Gosha, 52, a U.S. citizen from Oak Park, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to charges of wire fraud and making false statements to a federal agent. Gosha is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeger on December 18, 2024,” the statement concluded.

Post Views: 39

BIG STORY

JUST IN: Ebonyi Governor Suspends Health, Housing Commissioners Over “Gross Misconduct, Negligence Of Duty”

Published

3 hours ago

November 26, 2024

PorscheClassy News

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Francis Nwifuru, has suspended the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Moses Ekuma, and his counterpart in Housing and Urban Development, Francis Ori.

The suspensions occurred on Monday during the State Executive Council meeting in Abakaliki, the state capital.

A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, on Tuesday morning, read, “Following cases of gross misconduct and dereliction of duties by some government officials and matters related thereto, the Chairman of Council directed the indefinite suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development and three months suspension of the Honourable Commissioner for Health respectively.”

Reports suggest that the suspensions may be linked to the alleged theft of government property by officials in the Ministry of Health and the reported underperformance of the Housing and Urban Development commissioner, particularly regarding his poor management of the Amaeze Housing Scheme in the Ishielu Local Government Area.

It is also recalled that the governor visited the health ministry’s premises on Saturday night, where six officials were allegedly caught diverting government materials. He subsequently ordered their arrest and prosecution.

Post Views: 61