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Pastor Caught With Man’s Phone, Money, Clothes After His Disappearance

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A Pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Pastor Ejiro Ologonla, is in the net of the police over the disappearance of a 29-year-old, Olatunfe Anthony Oluwafemi.

According to available information, the deceased was not only last seen with the Pastor, the man of God, who is said to be from Delta State but based in Lagos, sold his phone for N1,500.

The journey of Ologonla to police cell was said to have begun on December 12, 2019 at about 10:30am when police received a complaint that on December 12, 2019 at about 2pm, Oluwafemi of 27, Owode Street, Alapere Ketu, Lagos State, who was sent on an errand to Ilupeju, had not returned and his whereabouts remained unknown.

All efforts made by his family members to trace him were unsuccessful.

The Itel phone of the missing person was electronically analyzed by Police forensic experts, leading to the arrest of the user of the phone, 23-year-old Monsurat Gbadegeshin.

In her statement, Gbadegesin said her fiancé, Abiodun Abiola, gave her the phone.

That led the operatives to apprehend the said Abiola, 30.

During questioning, he said one Tolu Olurotimi, 20, sold the phone to him.

Rotimi, in turn, said he bought the phone from 45-year-old Pastor Ologonla.

During questioning, Olagonla said he was at Oniru Beach in Lagos for spiritual cleansing on that fateful day when he met the missing Oluwafemi.

He stated that while he was at the beach, the missing person, who appeared drunk, came in and started chasing people around.

At a point, he saw him climbing a fisherman’s boat.

Later, he said he saw the missing person pulling his clothes, shoes, dropped his phones and jumped into the sea.

He claimed that he informed the security men on guard duty at the beach and also called a Police Officer as well as one Princess Arike Oniru on phone to intimate them of the incident.

He said he finally picked up the victim’s clothes, shoes and phone and sold the phone to Olurotimi for N1,500.

The Oniru beach security guards, the fishermen, Princess Oniru and other witnesses mentioned were invited for questioning.

The fisherman stated that on that fateful day, the missing person came to the beach behaving as if he was drunk, adding that as he paddled the canoe to the sea, he was alerted that the man was hanging on the canoe.

He said he brought him back and promised to give him fish.

But when he came back the following day, he did not see the man again.

The Princess confirmed that the Pastor called her to inform her that somebody jumped into the sea and she advised him to report the incident to the nearest Police Station.

The security guards on duty at the beach denied receiving a report of somebody jumping into the sea.

The clothes and shoes of the missing person were found in possession of the Pastor.

A statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the Lagos State Police Command, Bala Elkana, said it was established that the missing person was actually at Oniru Beach before his disappearance.

Elkana also said the Pastor was the last person that had contact with the missing person, but that it was not yet established whether the missing person is dead or still alive.

However, he was circumstantial pieces of evidence gathered so far are strongly pointing towards the Pastor.

He said the Pastor not only sold the phone belonging to the missing person, but he also converted the money he found in the trouser of Olufemi to his own use, adding that there was no record Ologonla reported the incident to any Police Station.

He said Commissioner of Police for Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the immediate transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba for further investigation and diligent prosecution.

BIG STORY

BREAKING: GTCO Becomes First Banking Stock To Exceed N100 On NGX

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Guaranty Trust Holding Company has achieved a strong mid-market showing during the July 16, 2025, trading session, surpassing the N100 milestone.

This makes GTCO the first banking stock listed under the NGX Banking Index to cross the N100 benchmark, while Stanbic IBTC Holdings remained just below at N99.

The upward movement aligns with the broader positive sentiment in the banking sector, where the NGX Banking Index has gained over 22% so far in July.

The development follows GTCO’s recent dual listing, which involved 2.29 billion ordinary shares being listed on the London Stock Exchange on July 9, 2025, and another 2.28 billion shares added to the Nigerian Exchange the next day.

The stock’s rise appears driven by investor response to its cross-border listing and its strong Q1 2024 financial performance. Month-to-date, GTCO has posted a gain exceeding 27%.

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BIG STORY

BREAKING: Atiku Abubakar Resigns From PDP

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The presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has officially withdrawn his membership from the opposition party.

Atiku submitted his resignation ahead of the 2027 general elections, following confirmation of his involvement in forming a new coalition known as the Alliance Democratic Congress.

The resignation was contained in a letter dated Monday, July 14, 2025, and addressed to the chairman of the PDP in Jada 1 ward, Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa State.

A copy of the letter was shared on X by the Special Assistant on Media to the former Vice President on Wednesday.

The letter stated, “I am writing to formally resign my membership from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with immediate effect.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude for the opportunities I have been given by the party.

“Serving two full terms as Vice President of Nigeria and being a presidential candidate twice has been one of the most significant chapters of my life.

“As a founding father of this esteemed party, it is indeed heartbreaking for me to make this decision.

“However, I find it necessary to part ways due to the current trajectory the party has taken, which I believe diverges from the foundational principles we stood for. It is with a heavy heart that I resign, recognising the irreconcilable differences that have emerged.

“I wish the party and its leadership all the best in the future. Thank you once again for the opportunities and support.”

 

More to come…

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EFCC To Appeal Ruling Acquitting Fayose Of Money Laundering Charges

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it will challenge the judgment that cleared Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti state, of money laundering and fraud accusations.

In his decision on a no-case submission, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke ruled that the prosecution did not provide enough evidence to require Fayose to present a defence.

After the judgment, EFCC counsel Rotimi Jacobs stated that the commission would obtain the certified judgment and begin the appeal process.

Fayose and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, had been re-arraigned on an 11-count charge of laundering ₦6.9 billion, allegedly during his time as governor.

The charges included allegations that Fayose received ₦1.2 billion for his 2014 campaign and accepted $5 million in cash from Obanikoro, bypassing standard banking procedures.

He was also accused of laundering several sums and using over ₦1.6 billion to purchase properties via proxies and firms such as De Privateer Ltd and Still Earth Ltd, contrary to the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

During the May 19 no-case submission, Kanu Agabi, Fayose’s lawyer, argued that the prosecution failed to prove its case and pointed out that Abiodun Agbele, allegedly central to the transactions, wasn’t charged, which weakened the EFCC’s position.

“With due respect, the predicate offences do not hold water. Criminal breach of trust and conspiracy are distinct offences, and no co-conspirator was charged,” Agabi stated.

He asked the court to find that Fayose had no case to answer.

Olalekan Ojo, lawyer for the second defendant, also submitted a separate no-case application dated March 21, 2025, with supporting documents filed on May 16.

Ojo contended that the main evidence provided by the prosecution, particularly Obanikoro’s testimony, was unreliable since he confirmed there was no direct communication between Fayose and Sambo Dasuki, the former national security adviser.

Jacobs, however, urged the judge to dismiss the no-case submissions, arguing that there were unexplained financial activities that needed clarification.

He questioned why Fayose didn’t use his personal account if the money was legitimate, referencing EFCC investigator Abubakar Madaki’s claim that Fayose acquired properties through associates who later denied ownership, even though Fayose admitted the properties were his.

“If the money was clean, why not buy the properties in his name?” Jacobs asked.

He also referred to Obanikoro’s account that Fayose requested the money in cash and introduced Agbele to receive it, saying Fayose must explain these actions.

Despite these arguments, the court ruled in favour of the defendants and granted the no-case submission.

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