Crime

Court Sentences Two to Jail For Fraud

By Web News 622

A Sokoto State High Court has convicted and sentenced two people to three years imprisonment each for committing an Automated Teller Machine fraud.

Abdulmajeed Habeeblah and Nana Hauwau Umar were convicted after pleading guilty to two counts of charges bordering on criminal conspiracy and theft by the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Mohammed.

The convicts were given an option of twenty thousand naira fine each on count one and thirty thousand naira each on count two.

The judge also ordered the convicts to fully return to their victim the sum of One Hundred and Forty-One Thousand Naira stolen from his bank account.

Nana Hauwau Umar

The criminals were arraigned by the Sokoto Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

The spokesman of EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren said the convicts started their journey to the Correctional Centre when they stole the sum of one hundred and forty-one thousand naira from the Guarantee trust bank account of Maiyaki Hamza Usman in April 2021.

FRCN Abuja/Adetutu Adetule

Security

Blasphemy: Gov Tambuwal Declares 24hr Curfew in Sokoto

By Web News 428

Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal on Saturday afternoon, declared a 24-hour curfew in Sokoto metropolis over a protest that had rocked the city.
 
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the governor, Muhammad Bello, said the decision was “in pursuance of peace and order in Sokoto metropolis and the entire state.”

Palpable fear enveloped Sokoto metropolis on Saturday as protesters in their hundreds trooped into the streets to express their displeasure over the detention of two suspects arrested by the Police over the killing of Deborah Samuel, a 200-level Home Economics student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemy.
 
Major streets such as Ahmadu Bello Way, Kano Road, where banks are located and Emir Yahaya Road, in the early hours of the day, were deserted with business places and shops closed.
 
However, attempts by the protesters to attack the Palace of the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, were resisted by security men on the ground.
 
The grouse of the protesters was Sultan Abubakar’s condemnation of the dastard killing of the late Deborah Samuel.
 
Unperturbed by the presence of security personnel in some strategic areas within the state capital, the protesters also stormed Ahmadu Bello Way church line, where Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, ECWA and C&S churches are located.
 
Attempts by the protesters to set the St. Mary Catholic Church ablaze were also resisted by armed security personnel drafted to the area, who fired several canisters of teargas to disperse the irate protesters.
 
The protesters, however, succeeded in burning down a car around St. Mary Catholic Church.

Radio Nigeria reports that the situation is calmed while police are moving around to ensure members of the public adhere to the curfew order.

Nasir Malali/ Abdullahi Lamino

 

Crime

Alleged Blasphemy: Police arrest Two Persons in Sokoto

By Web News 589

Sokoto State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of two persons in connection with the killing of a female student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, over alleged blasphemous statement.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Sanusi Abubakar, and made available to newsmen in the state on Thursday.

“At about 0900hrs, a distress call was received from the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, stating that students were rioting over one female student named Deborah Samuel, a 200 level student, who was accused of making a social media post that blasphemed the holy prophet Muhammad (SAW).

“Students forcefully removed the victim from the security room where she was hidden by the school authorities, killed her and burnt the building.

The students banded together with miscreants and barricaded the Sokoto/Jega road.

“Upon receiving the information, the DC Operations led a team of policemen and all other operational commanders in the state to the school, where the road was cleared and the situation was brought under control.

“Two students were arrested in connection with the crime committed.

The school has been closed down by the school authority, and policemen were deployed to give tight security coverage,” the statement partly read.

The statement further said the State Commissioner of Police,  CP Kamaldeen Okunlola, is appealing to members of the public to go about their lawful activities and should not panic as the situation is under control.

He further assured that the suspects in the viral video on Twitter were spotted, and will be nailed soon.

Reacting to the incident, the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, in a press statement signed on his behalf by the secretary of the Sultanate Council, Sa’idu Muhammadu Maccido, condemned the killing in its totality.

“Sultanate Council has learnt with dismay the unfortunate happenings at the Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, that led to the loss of life a female student of the institution.

“The Sultanate council condemned the incident in its totality and has urged the security agencies to bring perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to justice,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Sokoto Diocese of the Catholic Church, Bishop Mathew Kukah, while condemning the act, also called on authorities to investigate and ensure that all the culprits were brought to book.

According to a statement signed by Bishop Kukah and made available to our correspondent, “the only obligation that is owed her immediate family, her fellow students and the school authority is the assurance that those who are guilty of this inhuman act, no matter their motivation, are punished according to the extant laws of our land.

“This has nothing to do with religion. Christians have lived peacefully with their Muslim neighbours here in Sokoto over the years.

“This matter must be treated as a criminal act and the law must take its cause.”

Kukah, however, called on Christians in Sokoto and environs to remain calm and to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased.

Punch/Olaolu Fawole

Security

Border Shutdown: Travellers From Sokoto Intercepted in Ibadan

By Web News 768

Officers of the Nigeria Police have apprehended eleven travellers from Sokoto, who defied the inter-state lockdown order of the Oyo State Government in their bid to sneak into Akure, Ondo State.

Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde has however declared that the travellers would not be released to the Sokoto State Government until they undergo Covid-19 tests.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa says the government has begun Covid-19 tests for the travellers and would be remain isolated until the outcome of results of their Covid-19 tests.

Governor Makinde also explained that he was in touch with the Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal and that the travellers would be sent back to Sokoto State.

The governor maintained that governors in the country were still discussing on how to enforce the inter-state lockdown throughout the country so as to curtail the spread of the novel Coronavirus.

In his response during the interrogation, the driver of the bus, who identified himself as Muhammad Idris said they passed through old roads and bushes from Sokoto to Niger and Kwara and then got into Ogbomoso, from where they entered Ibadan.

He added that they were going to Akure to reconcile with their family members.

The state’s Commissioner of Police, Sina Olukolu, who briefed Governor Makinde on his arrival at the Gbagi Police Station, where the culprits were detained said that the travellers were apprehended at the Asejire Dam axis of the Ibadan-Osun boundary.

Members of the medical team of the COVID-19 Task Force were readily on hand to administer COVID-19 tests on the travellers to determine their status.

Iyabo Adebisi