Politics

Ondo PDP Secretariat Allegedly Under Lock

By Web News 397

The State Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party in Akure, Ondo State, has allegedly been sealed by the security agencies in the state.

There was a heavy presence of armed security personnel, which included the men of the state police command and their counterparts from the Directorate of State Security, at the entrance of the secretariat on Monday morning. Their vehicles were seen parked at the entrance of the secretariat.

As a result of fear of possible harassment, members of staff of the party did not enter into the secretariat to resume work.

It was gathered that the police alleged deployment in the place was not unconnected with the planned protest by the party youths, over the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu from the state.

The protest was reportedly scheduled to take place Monday.

Efforts to get the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, on the matter were not successful, as she did not pick up at the time of filing this report.

Details later

Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Crime

Photographer Arrested with Human Skull

By Web News 477

A 26-year-old man, Franklin Akinyosuyi, who was arrested with a human skull in his apartment in Ondo town, Ondo State has confessed that he used the skull to bathe for one month.

The photographer and boutique owner said a herbalist directed him to be bathing with the skull at 1am every Thursday to boost his business.

Akinyosuyi spoke in an interview with journalists when he was paraded alongside his accomplices at the state police headquarters in Akure on Saturday.

The suspect was arrested after his landlord reported him at a police station for having a human skull in his apartment in the Eleworo area of the community last week.

Confessing, the suspect said, “I am a photographer and I own a boutique as well. It was last year that my uncle took me to an herbalist. I explained to him that my business wasn’t moving well, so he asked me to pay N200,000 to make a concoction for me which I paid within three weeks.

 “After he was done, he called me to come to pick it and that was last year November. He directed that I should be bathing with the human skull every Thursday at exactly 1am. I used it for a month but didn’t see any difference in my business. So, I had to call the herbalist and told him to refund my money.

“I also asked him to come and pick up the human skull as well but he refused to come and pick it up, but he had started refunding my money because he already sent me N20,000.

“On that fateful day, I decided to go and throw it away, so I dropped it in my backyard. Unfortunately, I went out and before I could return, my landlord’s children saw it, informed their father and they invited the police. After we were arrested, the herbalist claimed that he paid someone to get the human head.”

Parading the suspects, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said five persons were allegedly involved in the matter.

She said while three suspects have been arrested, two were still at large.

 “Further interrogation and investigation led to the arrest of one Oyegoke Dare, an evangelist, who gave the skull and other fetish materials to the suspect, and one Oyelade Sarafa, an herbalist who also confessed to have helped in procuring the skull from one Asekun (a vigilante) in Ikirun was also arrested. Two other suspects mentioned in connection with the case are currently at large,” she said.

Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Human Angle

Many Burnt to Death Scooping Fuel 

By Web News 442

No fewer than 20 persons were burnt to death in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was gathered that the victims were scooping fuel from a petrol tanker that fell and spilled its content along the Benin–Ore-Sagamu Expressway on Sunday.

According to an eyewitness, the fire was ignited by a spark from a phone held by one of the persons who were scooping fuel.

The eyewitness stated that the victims of the disaster included three children and a pregnant woman who brought a sum of N100,000 to the scene to buy fuel.

The eyewitness said, “We were inside the church when the tanker fell and spilled its contents on the road. Shortly after it fell down and spilled the fuel on the road, some persons rushed to the place to scoop fuel.

“At that time, the rain was falling. Despite that, people still rushed there and started scooping fuel when the fire started after a spark from a phone.

“At the scene, we have counted about three children and over 15 bodies we can’t identify, and also a pregnant woman that wanted to buy the fuel also died in the incident. They were burnt beyond recognition.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident and described the victims as fuel scoopers.

“They were scooping fuel from a tanker when the fire started. We have commenced an investigation into the matter,” the PPRO stated.

Punch / Titilayo Kupoliyi

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Crime

Man Overpowers Robber in Ondo

By Web News 1302

The Ondo State Police Command says it arrested no fewer than 14 suspected criminals in different parts of the state.

Some of the suspects were identified as Ojo Rotimi, Tosin Omoniyi, Jimoh Dele, Uwanfor Destiny, Babajide Moses, Tope Gbenga, John Simeon, Akinniranye Blessing, Jude Stephen, and Iranlowo Ayomide.

Omoniyi was allegedly arrested while attempting to rape a woman after robbing her family of valuables in their house at Idanre community in the Idanre Local Government Area of the state.

According to the police, the suspect entered into the apartment through the window around 1am and dispossessed a couple of their money and other valuables.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, who paraded the suspect, said he would soon be charged to court.

The PPRO said, “It was in the process of trying to rape the wife of the man that he (husband) summoned courage and descended on the accused, apprehended the robber with the help of neighbours, and dispossessed him of his gun.”

Odunlami also stated that the suspect’s 55-year-old mother, Mrs Tale Akinlabi, was arrested for allegedly helping him to keep stolen items.

He said, “I entered through the window and met the couple in the house; I ordered them to bring out all the money and valuables in their house. They were able to bring out just N50,000, but I asked the woman to go and bring more valuables from her room because I was not satisfied with the cash.

“I followed the wife into her room to search the room and I asked her to lie on the bed and she obeyed because I was holding a gun. The woman shouted that I was about to rape her and her husband rushed in with four other men.

“I was overpowered before I could go for my gun because I had dropped the gun on the ground while I was trying to sleep with the woman. They beat me up, seized the gun and handed me over to the police.”

His mother, Akinlabi, however, denied aiding him, saying she knew nothing about his criminal activities.

She said, “I know him as an Okada rider, but I was surprised to hear he was into armed robbery. He came to me that he wanted to buy a motorcycle and wanted me to follow him there, which I did and he had been using the Okada since then.

“I asked him the source of the money he used to buy the motorcycle, but he told me it was from his monthly contributions and I did not have any cause to doubt him since he was working as a commercial motorcycle rider.

“I was surprised when I learnt at the hospital about his arrest for armed robbery and attempt to rape. I was in the hospital because my husband had been sick for some time and I was with him.

“I was surprised when the police said I had been aiding him in his robbery operations. I had six children for his father, but he is the only surviving child of the marriage before I decided to leave his father.”

Leke Adegbite / Titilayo Kupoliyi