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Edo agency intercepts two minors being trafficked to Libya

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The Director General of the Edo State Migration Agency, Lucky Agazumah, on Thursday, said that two female minors who were being trafficked to Libya were intercepted in Zaria, Kaduna State.

He noted that the minors aged 13 and 14 years, one a sickle cell sufferer, were lured to undertake the trip by traffickers who promised them better opportunities abroad by working as maids.

Speaking at the premises of the agency in Benin, the state capital, on Thursday, Agazumah said the transport firm responsible for transporting the unaccompanied minors would be sanctioned, while noting that other co-conspirators have been arrested.

He also vowed to ensure the traffickers face justice, as there would be no hiding place for human traffickers in the state.

He said, “The two female minors, among them, a sickle cell sufferer, in Edo State, aged 13 and 14, have been rescued while being trafficked to Libya.

“The minors had already gotten to Zaria in Kaduna State when their trafficker pressured them to return because his mother, Comfort Etim, was in the police net.

“They left Edo on Sunday and returned on Wednesday night.”

He said the girls said they were told they would be taken to Italy to work as maids to an old couple, but that they should not tell their parents.

They said their sponsor put them in a bus and gave them a number to call when they got to Kano State.

One of them, who identified herself as Success, said, “The boy told me her sister is in Italy and that she and her husband were old. He said they don’t have any children. He told me not to tell my mother. He said we should call our parents when we get abroad. They said the second girl does not look well, but she said she is well.

“They took us to a motor park in Aduwawa and placed us inside a bus to Kano State. He told the driver we were going to Kano and gave us a number to call when we got to Kano. He gave us hijab, milk, golden morn and water. I am happy that I am back home.”

The other victim, who is suffering from sickle cell, said she wanted to surprise her mother when she got to Italy.

According to her, “The boy told me her sister is 78 years old. I said that if I go, I will surprise my mother. I told them my body is sound. He told us to wear the hijab when we get to Kano. We are to call a man in Kano who will take us in from there. When we got to Zaria, he called us to return home, but the Kaduna man asked us to continue the journey.”

The mother of the suspected trafficker, Comfort Etim, said her daughter had previously taken six minors to Libya.

She said her daughter interrogated the children before she agreed to take them to the motor park.

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Crime

Robbers shoot Lagos hairstylist to death

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A professional hairstylist identified simply as Sebastine Timothy has been killed by suspected armed robbers in the Satellite Town area of Lagos State.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the incident occurred on Sunday in the Olasanoye Street area of the community.

A police source who spoke to our correspondent in confidence on Wednesday, but did not want his name in print as he was not permitted to speak on the incident, said the deceased victim was attacked shortly after he returned home after the day’s work.

The source said, “A complaint was made to the police on Monday morning that he was attacked in his apartment after he returned home from his place of work on Sunday night. The robbers robbed him of his belongings and transferred a certain amount of money from his bank account. He was thereafter shot in the head.”

The police source added that the robbers fled the scene while his lifeless body was later found on the spot by neighbours who heard the sound of gunshots.

In a separate account, a channel known for exposing cult-related activities, Confra Naija, in a post on X on Monday, linked the incident to a suspected cult attack.

The platform added that attackers had initially planned to attack his brother before killing him.

“The Eiye cultists came to attack Sebastine’s brother, who is a member of Aye. When they didn’t find him, they turned on Sebastine, who told them his brother wasn’t around. They forced him to unlock his phone and transfer money to them, took his phone after the transfer, and shot him in the head,” the platform wrote.

A Facebook user, Glory Hope, however, mourned the passing of the deceased hairstylist, describing him as hardworking.

“Very hard-working guy, why did this happen to you, na? Very good barber chai, I feel so sad since I heard the news. RIP guy,” she wrote.

When contacted on Wednesday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, said the deceased sustained a head injury during a fight with some unidentified men in the community.

“He sustained an injury to the head and died on his way to the hospital. The police can’t say if it is a gunshot injury or a machete cut. The family reported the incident at the station and later took his corpse to the mortuary,” she added.

PUNCH Metro reported in October that residents of the Cele Nica community in the Ojo Local Government Area of the state were thrown into mourning after armed robbers attacked a barbershop, killing two teenage customers identified simply as Chijindu and Akorede.

The incident comes amid concerns over repeated suspected cult attacks and robbery incidents in the state, as residents called on the police to intensify patrols.

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Crime

N’Assembly officials jailed for N4.8m job scam

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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has secured the conviction of two officials of the National Assembly, Mustapha Mohammed and Tijjani Goni, for their involvement in a N4.8m job scam.

According to the ICPC, Justice B.M. Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja found the duo guilty of defrauding two victims  under the pretext of securing employment for them at the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Inland Revenue Service.

In a statement issued on Wednesday,  ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, explained that the case stemmed from a petition  filed by the victims, identified as  Saifudeen Yakub and Aminu Abubakar.

“ The petition detailed how the defendants, in collaboration with another suspect currently at large, collected N4.8m to facilitate fake job offers.

“Investigations revealed that Mustapha Mohammed introduced himself as a National Assembly staff member with close connections at the CBN and FIRS. He demanded N4m each from the complainants, assuring them that their appointment letters would be released by April 27, 2021.

“The petitioners later deposited N3m into a Zenith Bank account belonging to one of the defendants and were subsequently asked to pay an additional N300,000 each for purported medical screening, which was paid into another Access Bank account,” the statement read in part.

Following investigations, the ICPC arraigned the suspects on five counts, bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and the Penal Code.

The prosecution counsel, Fatima Bardi, told the court that the defendants forged employment letters purportedly issued by the CBN and FIRS to deceive their victims.

However, under Section 270 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015, which allows plea bargaining, the defendants pleaded guilty to an amended one count  of making false statements, contrary to Section 25 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

As part of the plea agreement, they refunded the entire N4.8m to the ICPC Recovery Account and were each fined N100,000.

The ICPC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting accountability and integrity in public service and warned Nigerians to be cautious of fraudulent job offers, urging them to verify such claims through official channels.

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Crime

DSS charges man for advocating military coup

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The Department of State Services has filed a six-count charge against 27-year-old Innocent Chukwuemeka Onukwume for allegedly calling for a military coup in the country.

The charges, brought before the Federal High Court in Abuja under case number FHC/ABJ/CR/610/2025, relate to posts Onukwume made on his verified X account (@theagroman) in October 2025.

According to the DSS, the posts encouraged the removal of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the suspension of the federal government and support for the military in taking over the country.

In the charge filed on Tuesday by DSS counsel A.M. Danalami, Onukwume’s actions were said to contravene Sections 46A(1) and 59(1) of the Criminal Code Act, as well as Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024 (as amended).

Some of the statements attributed to him include: “A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian government and join the AES. That is all we need now.”

He allegedly also wrote, “It will happen eventually, Nigerian. The military needs your support now! Only they can save this country. The bastard in Aso Rock has basically sold this country to the West and they run our intelligence apparatus only the military can reset this country.”

In another post, he reportedly stated, “Tinubu has to go and APC has to die for Nigeria to have any semblance of normal life. And if you think your stupid votes can remove Tinubu, I’m here to tell you that you’re a fool.”

The DSS further cited the same post repeated on his account, adding, “A coup in Nigeria is needed. Dispose of APC, suspend the Nigerian Government and join the AES. That is all we need now.”

Onukwume, a resident of Umusayo Layout, Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, is expected to be arraigned later this week.

In October, there were reports of an alleged plot by some military personnel to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

This, however, has triggered outrage among Nigerians, with senior lawyers, civil society groups and retired generals warning against any attempt to subvert democracy.

Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters dismissed the reports, saying there was no coup-related detention or plan within the military.

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