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Osun Soldiers Force Man To Eat Vomit, Torture Him To Death, Abandon Corpse

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2 years ago

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The family of a car dealer, Adeyinka Adekunle, have called on the Osun State Police Command and the military authorities to bring his killers to book after he was tortured to death by soldiers at the Nigerian Army Barracks, Ibodi, Osun State.

The victim’s father, 79-year-old Pa David Adekunle, lamented that none of the officers involved in the killing had been brought to book since the incident happened.

According to PUNCH, the torture was allegedly carried out on the orders of one Lt. Tobi Akindapo.

It was gathered that Adeyinka and a friend, Solomon Ogundare, went to a beer parlour at Imo, Ilesa, on Thursday, March 24.

While the duo were drinking, they were approached by three men who solicited drinks from them.

Adeyinka and his friends, however, refused, saying they did not have money to buy extra drinks.

It was learnt that the men, who were soldiers, were not in uniform.

The youngest among them said to be in his 20s, later queried Ogundare for slacking his trousers.

Adeyinka, 37, was said to have rebuffed him, questioning his authority to correct his friend’s dressing.

The matter was said to have led to exchange of words between the two groups.

As the altercation degenerated, one of the three men made a call to the barracks and soldiers stormed the scene.

However, while Adeyinka escaped from the area, his friend was caught and taken to the barracks, where he was tortured and locked up in a cell.

A Lexus 250 car belonging to Adeyinka which he drove to the beer parlour was reportedly vandalised and towed to the barracks.

Ogundare’s sister, Elizabeth Itunu, said she spoke to the soldiers during a visit to the barracks and they demanded N500,000 for the release of the car.

She said, “The soldiers said we would have to pay the money they used to tow the vehicle. I called Adeyinka and told him their demand. He thought the soldiers would not recognise him because the fracas happened at night.

“As we were both begging the soldiers, one of them identified him and that was how they seized him and started beating him in my presence. My brother was also tortured as well.

“So, I told the soldiers that now that you have beaten them, can you allow us take them for treatment? They did not listen. Instead, the young soldier who started the fight the previous night said he had not beaten them and he would start his own the following day.

“After much begging, they agreed to take N200,000 from us. I asked Adeyinka how much he had, and he said N40,000.

“We gathered N140,000 and I begged the soldiers to take the money and release them to us that night, and when we completed the payment, they could release the car; but they refused.”

Itunnu said she and a few other friends returned home without either Adeyinka or Ogundare, who were locked up in the guardroom.

The following day, she returned to the barracks and met the two men cutting grass as the soldiers whipped and kicked them.

“I observed that Adeyinka was very weak. He suddenly fell. They thought he was pretending and they started hitting him. When they saw that he was not moving, they checked his body and their boss said he should be rushed to a hospital,” she added.

Itunnu explained that her brother was put in the army truck, saying she later heard that the car dealer died before he got to a hospital.

“At that point, I became afraid as I saw that my brother was not breathing well. Their commander asked us to take my brother to a hospital as well.

“My brother told me that while he and Adeyinka were in the guardroom, he (Adeyinka) vomited. The soldiers then ordered him to start eating the vomit,” she stated.

The deceased’s father, Pa David, said he was informed that his son was taken to a police station when he visited the barracks.

“I went to the Ayeso Police Division and the police said they did not see any soldier. One of the policemen said I should go to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa. On getting to the hospital, I was referred to the mortuary.

“At the mortuary, they said soldiers brought a corpse, but they rejected it and demanded to see a police report. They said they were forced to take the body. They brought out the body and it turned out to be my son,” he added.

He accused the Osu Divisional Police Officer, Akinsanya Ebenezer, who had jurisdiction over the matter, of attempting to bury the case.

The septuagenarian said he later reported the case at the police headquarters, Osogbo.

It was also learnt that the family had written a petition to the police and the army, demanding the arrest and prosecution of those involved in the murder.

“My son was buying and selling vehicles. He was my last child and my only son. He and his wife just had their first child, who is just two months old. I insist that the soldier that killed my son should be handed over to the police to face prosecution,” he added.

Akindapo could not be reached on his mobile phone, as he had yet to respond to a text message from our correspondents as of the time of filing this report.

The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed that a soldier approached the Ayeso division, seeking assistance to enable him to deposit a corpse in the morgue.

She said, “But the police did not give him any operative to accompany him. The DPO only called the morgue and spoke to people there. That was the only police involvement.”

The spokesperson for 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major Ikedichi Iweha, said an investigation had commenced into the incident.

He said, “Our official position is that investigation has already commenced and appropriate action would be taken after the investigation.”

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BIG STORY

JUST IN: Police Arrest Yahaya Bello’s ADC, Security Details

Published

3 hours ago

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April 20, 2024

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The Nigeria Police Force has detained a female police officer who was the aide-de-camp to embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Saturday PUNCH is reporting.

The ADC was arrested alongside other police officers attached to 48-year-old Bello and is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Their arrests and detention followed a Thursday night order by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing their immediate withdrawal from the former governor.

Senior police sources, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because they did not have authorization to comment publicly on the matter, noted that the officers were arrested on the suspicion that they aided and abetted Bello’s escape from operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who had gone to effect his arrest at his Abuja home on Wednesday.

“The ADC and the other police details attached to Yahaya Bello have been arrested and detained.

“They were arrested on the order of the IG, on the suspicion that they aided and abetted the former governor’s escape from the EFCC on Wednesday,” one of the sources told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Friday.

Another source said, “Yahaya Bello’s female ADC and other police officers attached to him were brought to the command this morning, and they’ve been detained for aiding and abetting (the governor’s escape).”

Egbetokun had, on Thursday night, ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to Bello.

The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message sighted by our correspondent on Friday morning.

The document read, “CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/ 34 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NIGPOL.

“DOPS ABUJA X BEGINS X CB:4001/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.21/462 DTO:180955/04/2024 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X REF MYLET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/36 DATED 15/04/2024 X AND MY EARLIER LET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/30 DATED 24/01/2024 X Nigeria police have ordered the withdrawal of all men.

“Police attached to His Excellency and former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, should acknowledge compliance and treat with utmost importance. Please above for your information and strict compliance.”

Also, the Federal Government had on Thursday night placed Bello on a watch list.

In a document exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Thursday night, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, revealed that Bello was placed on a watchlist for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering.

The Assistant Comptroller General signed the document and copied the Nigeria Customs Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and the Director of the National Internet Agency.

The document read, “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on a watch list. Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Money Laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/TE/V 1/279 dated April 18, 2024.

“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation, or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.

“Please, accept as always the Comptroller-General’s warmest regards and esteem.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier declared Bello wanted for laundering the sum of N80,246,470,088.88.

The development was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday, with a snapshot of the embattled ex-governor attached.

The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

“Bello, a 48-year-old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission.”

Bello had, on Thursday, failed to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja following his arraignment by the EFCC.

The embattled former governor was arraigned in absentia before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering.

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BIG STORY

Access Holdings’ Shareholders Unanimously Back Capital Raising Plan, Hail Aig-Imoukhuede’s Return As Chairman

Published

17 hours ago

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April 19, 2024

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  • Re-elect Olusegun Ogbonnewo, Ojinika Olaghere as a Non-Executive Directors

 

The shareholders of Access Holdings Plc (“Access Holdings” or “the Group”) at the 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on Friday, April 19, 2024, unanimously backed the Group’s plan to establish a capital raising programme of up to US$1.5 billion as well as the subset initiative to raise up to N365 billion, specifically, through a Rights Issue of ordinary shares to its shareholders.

The proceeds of the Rights Issue would be used to support on-going working capital needs, including organic growth funding for its banking and other non-banking subsidiaries.

The shareholders also ratified the appointments of Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Olusegun Ogbonnewo, and Ojinika Olaghere as Non-Executive Directors.

The appointment of Aig-Imoukhuede as the Chairman of Access Holdings was praised by the shareholders, who pointed to his rich history of success with the institution, having transformed it into Nigeria’s biggest lender by market value alongside Herbert Wigwe. Aigboje’s leadership was instrumental in driving the institution’s growth during the 2004 recapitalisation of the banking industry led by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the leadership of its former Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo.

“We are thrilled with Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede’s return to the role of Chairman. His proven track record, experience, and strategic insights position him as the ideal leader to steer Access Holdings towards meeting its lofty targets. During his tenure as CEO, particularly during the recapitalisation directive by the CBN, he steered Access Bank to raise an impressive $2 billion in capital, and this demonstrates his capacity to, once again, lead Access Holdings towards successfully achieving the objectives of our planned Capital Raise and Rights Issue targets,” said Chief Sunny Nwosu, Chairman Emeritus of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria (ISAN).

In line with the Group’s strong financial performance, the payment of a final dividend of N1.80 kobo per every N0.50 Kobo ordinary share for the 2023 financial year was approved, marking a 28 per cent improvement from the corresponding period in 2022.

The Group’s full-year results for the period ending December 31, 2023, showcased an impressive 335 per cent increase in pre-tax profit to N729 billion from N167.68 billion in 2022. The Group also experienced an 87 per cent surge in gross earnings to N2.59 trillion from N1.39 trillion in 2022 and reported a remarkable 306 per cent growth in profit after tax to N619.32 billion, from N152.20 billion in 2022.

Commencing in the second half of 2024, Access Holdings’ global expansion strategy will enter the consolidation and efficiency phase, aligning with its five-year plan to accelerate the attainment of its 2027 strategic objectives. The Group remains focused on driving sustainable growth, and delivering value to its shareholders even as it continues to build a globally connected community and ecosystem, inspired by Africa, for the world.

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BIG STORY

Customs Adjust FX Rate For Import Duties To N1,147/$

Published

18 hours ago

on

April 19, 2024

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The foreign exchange (FX) rate for duties has once again been modified by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to N1,147.02 per dollar.

When compared to the N1,238.1/$ reported on April 18, this indicates a decline of 7.3 percent. On Friday, the customs rate was observed.

It dropped below the official foreign exchange rate, which ended trading at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on April 18 at N1,154/$.

The drop in the FX rate for customs tariffs and duties is coming amid the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s (CBN) effort to stabilise the naira.

On April 17, the naira appreciated to N1,050 at the parallel section of the FX market, from the N1,100/$ traded on April 15.

Meanwhile, on April 16, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the national single window (NSW) project to boost trade in Nigeria.

NSW is an electronic portal linking all agencies and players in import and export processes to an integrated platform.

Speaking on the development, Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the country is making progress with consultations on the reopening of the borders with Niger Republic and Benin Republic.

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