Metro
Rivers man alleges illegal detention as police allegedly ignore bail orders
A man reportedly battling kidney disease, Chief Ugochukwu Lucky Ibekwe, has accused a senior police officer of unlawfully detaining him despite multiple court orders granting his release.
In a petition filed by his lawyer, Damian O. Okoro, SAN, Ibekwe alleged that CSP Omar John Sini, Head of Investigation at the Special Prosecution Team of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Petroleum Product Theft and Sundry Energy Crimes in Port Harcourt, has kept him in custody for over 65 days following his arrest on February 14, 2026.
The arrest was linked to allegations of illegal petroleum dealings, which he maintains remain unproven.
In the petition addressed to the leadership of the Nigeria Police Force and the Police Service Commission, he argued that his constitutional right to the presumption of innocence is being violated.
He further alleged that the investigative process led by CSP Sini was driven by malice.
According to the petition, Ibekwe said he was granted bail by the Federal High Court in Umuahia on reasonable terms.
However, after meeting the bail conditions and securing his release on April 2, 2026, he was re-arrested the same day by operatives of the task force over fresh allegations of money laundering.
The petition claimed that since the re-arrest, he has not been formally charged to court on the new allegations and has remained in custody.
His legal team subsequently approached a High Court in Oyigbo, Rivers State, presided over by Justice F.A. Fiberesima, which on April 21, 2026, also granted him bail on what were described as realistic terms.
The petition, which was copied to the National Security Adviser, the President, and the Senate President, accused CSP Sini and his team of disregarding judicial authority and engaging in unconstitutional detention.
He said he also suffers from hypertension, and expressed concern that his health has deteriorated while in custody.
The petition called for urgent medical attention and his immediate release in compliance with court orders.
The petition also requested a disciplinary investigation into CSP Sini over alleged abuse of power and disobedience of court directives.
It urged authorities to ensure that any allegations against him are pursued through proper legal channels rather than prolonged detention.
When contacted, CSP Omar John Sini confirmed awareness of the court orders and stated that the initial order relating to the crude oil theft allegation was complied with, leading to Ibekwe’s release at the time.
He, however, said the suspect was subsequently re-arrested over a separate allegation of money laundering.
CSP Sini said that Ibekwe is being investigated as a suspected mastermind of illegal activities in the hydrocarbon sector along the Imo River axis, including pipeline tampering and illegal refining.
He added that the money laundering allegation forms a separate line of investigation, noting that the suspect declined to comment on it, insisting only the EFCC has the authority to probe such matters.
He added, “So, we obeyed the court order as usual, as we used to do from our parent organization prior to the creation of this Joint Taskforce.
“He was first and foremost being investigated for crude oil theft. The allegation is that he’s a mastermind of heinous activities, illicit activities in the hydrocarbon sector along Imo River axis and that he used his position as the Mayor of that axis to tamper with pipelines and even hired some pipelines illegally for people to come and tamper and when he tampers, he cooks what they call kpofire and sells.
“And again, another aspect of the investigation is money laundering. So, he was released for the matter of the first court order, absolute released.
“So, the court order was exhausted and honored. So, the second matter was the matter of money laundering which when confronted, he said he will not comment that as far as he is concerned, only EFCC that can investigate it and that is ignorance on his part,” he said.
Metro
Gunmen abduct Osun LG vice chairman
The Vice Chairman of Ifedayo Local Government Area of Osun State, Debo Farounbi, has been abducted by gunmen following an attack on Ora community, a border town along the Osun-Kwara boundary.
The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, who disclosed that Farounbi was abducted and that security operatives had launched efforts to rescue him.
According to information gathered by residents, the attackers invaded the community at about 10 p.m, shooting sporadically and causing panic among residents.
Residents alleged that four people were initially abducted by the gunmen, including Farounbi. However, local volunteers and security personnel reportedly engaged the attackers, forcing them to abandon three of the victims.
A resident, who spoke, said the gunmen eventually escaped with the local government vice chairman.
“Four people, including the Ifedayo Local Government Vice Chairman, were taken away. But the resistance from security personnel forced them to abandon three of the victims. They went away with Farounbi,” the source said.
Confirming the incident, Ojelabi said security operatives responded immediately after receiving information about the attack.
“One person was abducted. He is a local government vice chairman, Hon. Debo Farounbi. Immediately the incident happened, the military, police and others responded. Efforts are in place to rescue the man,” Ojelabi said.
The police spokesperson added that investigations were ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The latest attack is reported to be the third abduction-related incident recorded in the community within the last seven months.
Metro
How bandits stormed Kogi school with 40 motorcycles — Police
Armed bandits on motorcycles invaded Iluke community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Wednesday but were repelled by security operatives following a coordinated response that prevented what authorities described as a planned attack on a secondary school and surrounding residents.
The incident was disclosed in a statement issued by the Kogi State Police Command through its spokesperson, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, on June 10, 2026.
According to the statement, the Command received a distress report at about 10:00 am indicating that a large group of heavily armed bandits riding about 40 motorcycles had invaded the area around Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu.
The police said the attackers were suspected to have targeted students and other members of the community for possible abduction.
Following the report, the Divisional Police Officer of Kabba ‘A’ Division mobilised personnel from the division alongside operatives of the Police Mobile Force, tactical teams, military personnel and local vigilante groups already operating in the area.
The combined security team engaged the attackers in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat into nearby bushes.
“The combined security operatives engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, forcing the criminals to flee into the surrounding bush,” the statement said.
The Command stated that preliminary investigations had not established any successful mass abduction of students or residents during the attack.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there is presently no conclusive evidence of a successful mass abduction of students or other residents,” the police added.
The Command, however, confirmed that three persons lost their lives during the incident. The victims were identified as Mr. Ganiyu Anifowose, Vice Principal of UBE Secondary/Primary School, Iluke, Mr. Sunday Jacob Alhassan 70, and six year-old Sunday Ayele.
The police expressed condolences to the families of the victims and assured them that efforts were ongoing to apprehend those responsible.
During the exchange of gunfire, one suspected bandit was killed, while a security operative attached to the joint team sustained gunshot injuries and is receiving medical treatment.
The Commissioner of Police in Kogi State has directed sustained bush-combing operations and confidence-building patrols across the affected communities.
The police said joint security teams have continued operations in the area to arrest the fleeing suspects.
Residents were urged to remain calm and continue providing credible information to security agencies to support ongoing operations.
Metro
Delta woman arrested for abducting two babies to replace deceased twins
The Delta State Police Command has arrested a woman identified simply as Joy for allegedly abducting two infants to replace her deceased twin babies ahead of a planned child dedication ceremony.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Superintendent of Police Bright Edafe, revealed the incident in a video shared on Facebook.
He described the incident as one of the most disturbing child abduction cases handled by the command, adding that the suspect allegedly abducted a four-month-old baby after posing as a customer at a groundnut-selling point.
He said the suspect allegedly took advantage of a moment of distraction, deceived a 14-year-old caregiver, and fled with the child.
According to him, investigations further revealed that Joy had allegedly abducted another infant weeks earlier using a similar method. He added that she was said to have befriended an 18-year-old mother under the pretext of helping her secure a househelp before making away with the baby during an outing.
He said that during interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed that she resorted to stealing the children following the death of her biological twins, whom she claimed died at six weeks old while she was away from home.
“Fearing the reaction of relatives and invited guests, she allegedly decided to abduct a boy and a girl to replace the deceased children,” the statement said.
Edafe said the suspect admitted abducting the first child about three weeks earlier and stealing the second infant a day before the scheduled dedication service, adding that the two children were allegedly presented and dedicated before her arrest.
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