...suspect handed over to Zone 2 police over murder of Lagos Prince, another
Fleeing Lagos businessman accused of killing Prince Ademola Akinloye and Sheriff Ishola Salami in seperate incidents has been arrested in Benin Republic by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
The suspect, Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi, who was declared wanted by the police on February 19, was handed over to the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) Zone 2, Onikan, yesterday, following his arrest on April 15.
He was also accused of willful destruction of property and allegedly sending assasins to Ajiran community where the prince was killed in cold blood.
Addressing a press conference at the Zonal Headquarters in Onikan, yesterday, AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, Akanbi, 38, was arrested in a hotel in Cotonou after months of tracking by the INTERPOL.
Jimoh said his arrest followed a directive fron the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to reopen and conclude investigations into the killings, as well as other related cases that had caused tension in parts of Lagos.
“This case involves multiple murders, attempted murders, and destruction of lives and property spanning several years. The suspect, Ahmed Akanbi, was earlier declared wanted alongside other accomplices, Safiu Fatai, Yusuf Ismaila, Soji Mascot, and one Kenny.
“I can confirm to you that he has now been arrested by INTERPOL operatives in Benin Republic and handed over to INTERPOL Nigeria, and today he was handed to us at Zone 2 command. Investigations will be concluded before he is charged to court,” said the AIG.
Jimoh explained that the case gained renewed attention following a petition to the Inspector General of Police, which prompted a fresh and discreet investigation into the killings in the Ojomu community of Lagos.
According to him, preliminary findings revealed that some of the arrested accomplices had confessed to carrying out the killings on the instructions of the suspect, who allegedly financed the operations.
Providing details of the incidents, the AIG said Sheriff Ishola was murdered on April 18, 2023, while Prince Ademola Akinloye was killed on August 26, 2024, both in the Eti-Osa axis of Lagos, in attacks described as coordinated and premeditated.
He explained that previous Commissioners of Police (CPs) in Lagos had made significant progress in the investigation, noting that new evidence later emerged linking the suspect more directly to the crimes.
Jimoh cautioned against misinformation and attempts to politicise the case, insisting that the police would ensure justice was served.
“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to ensuring that no individual, regardless of status, escapes justice. We will follow due process and ensure that all those involved are prosecuted,” he said.
The AIG appealed to individuals affected by the suspect’s alleged activities to come forward with evidence to aid ongoing investigations, urging victims who might have suffered losses, including destruction of property, criminal interference with investments, personal harm, or attempted murder, to report their cases without fear.
According to him, complaints can be submitted directly to his office, the AIG in charge of Special Operations, or Commissioners of Police in Ogun and Lagos states, assuring that all reported cases would be thoroughly investigated.
Also speaking, the CP INTERPOL, Fidelis Ogarabe, said the suspect’s arrest was made possible through international collaboration.
He explained that INTERPOL operatives in Nigeria received intelligence about the suspect’s location in Cotonou and promptly deployed a team to effect his arrest.
Our counterparts in Benin Republic cooperated fully. After due processes, the suspect was handed over to our team and brought back to Nigeria. We have now transferred him to the AIG in charge of the case for continuation of investigation,” he said.
Ogarabe added that items recovered from the suspect, including travel documents, mobile phones, and a luxury vehicle, would aid ongoing investigations.
The founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has declared judgment upon bandits and their sponsors.
Oyedepo said this during a church service on Sunday tagged: “Covenant Day of Vengeance”
Speaking at the church headquarters in Ota, Ogun state, the cleric declared that within seven days, divine retribution would strike those behind killings and kidnappings across Nigeria.
“Except I am not sent, in the next seven days, I declare judgment upon those responsible for these disasters and their sponsors in Jesus’ name,” he said
The cleric added that the coming week would be marked by “testimonies of vengeance” for the nation.
He said that God’s intervention was imminent.
Preaching on pathways to sanctification, Oyedepo urged congregants to resist spiritual laxity, stressing that ungodliness blocks supernatural breakthroughs and stains destiny.
He explained that ungodliness fueled shame and reproach, warning that without holiness, believers risked losing access to eternity, which remained the ultimate goal.
“Until the God of vengeance shows up, the wicked will not give up,” he said
Amupitan the crooked dwarf. For how long will you drag the already Disgraced INEC through the mud.
Everybody is calling for amupitans removal. The Muslims groups, the Christian group, civil liberty group, politicians, Academics and even Nairalanders.
But this dwarf is adamant. Very eager to rig elections with his status quo antebellum
ABUJA — The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, to resign immediately over allegations of partisanship, warning that he no longer commands the credibility required to oversee the 2027 general elections.
The group, which includes prominent figures such as Dr Usman Bugaje, Barrister Femi Falana (SAN), Dr Oby Ezekwesili, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, Professor Pat Utomi, Hadjia Dr Bilikisu Magoro and Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, among others, said the integrity of the electoral body must not be compromised.
In a statement issued on Sunday by its Media Coordinator, Comrade James Ezema, the MCE urged Professor Amupitan to step aside to allow for an independent and transparent investigation into the allegations against him.
The group also called on the Federal Government to constitute an impartial panel comprising judicial officers, digital forensic experts and civil society representatives to ascertain the truth, while demanding an end to any form of intimidation or harassment of citizens raising concerns.
“The integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process is at stake,” the statement said. “At this critical juncture in the nation’s democratic evolution, the leadership of INEC must be beyond reproach.”
The MCE said recent developments, including alleged digital footprints linking the INEC Chairman to partisan expressions sympathetic to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), had triggered a crisis of confidence.
While noting that Professor Amupitan had denied the allegations, the group insisted that such denials do not resolve the matter in an era of advanced digital forensics, but rather heighten the need for thorough verification.
“In this digital age, denial is not a defence—it is an invitation to forensic scrutiny,” the statement added.
The group further warned that the controversy could escalate into a legal crisis, citing the traceability of digital identities through systems such as the Bank Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN), as well as device-level access logs maintained by digital platforms.
According to the MCE, attempts to frame public scrutiny as cybercrime or to threaten critics with arrest amount to a misuse of state apparatus and could further erode public trust.
Beyond the immediate allegations, the group expressed concern over what it described as a pattern of decisions by INEC that appear to undermine opposition participation, including alleged selective enforcement of electoral regulations.
It warned that such developments risk steering Nigeria towards a de facto one-party state, in violation of constitutional democracy.
The MCE also raised concerns about potential international repercussions, noting that aggrieved parties could seek redress at regional bodies such as the ECOWAS Court, exposing Nigeria to reputational damage and possible sanctions.
It maintained that the allegations, if proven, raise serious ethical questions about Professor Amupitan’s neutrality and fitness for office.
“The only honourable course is for the INEC Chairman to step aside and allow a transparent investigation,” the group stated.
“Nigeria stands at a democratic crossroads. The credibility of its electoral body is central to national stability and the legitimacy of governance.”
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned a US decision to extend the period during which Russia is allowed to sell oil despite Western sanctions.
The move means countries can purchase Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded on vessels at sea until 16 May.
The US argues that the waiver is meant to ease the energy supply crunch sparked by the US-Israel war with Iran.
But in his remarks on Sunday, Zelensky said "every dollar paid for Russian oil is money for the war" in Ukraine. Widespread sanctions have been in place against Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
The devastating US and Israel attacks against Iran have prompted it to retaliate not only against Israel and US military bases in the Gulf, but also against energy fatalities and other civilian sites across Arab allies of the US in the region.
Additionally, Iran has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz - the narrow passage where some 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) is usually transported through.
This has led to turmoil in energy markets, with fears that a world recession may ensue if it is not reopened soon
.The US move to ease Russian sanctions on 13 March was widely condemned by Zelensky as well as his European allies.
Extending the waiver on Friday, the US said it wanted "to ensure oil is available to those who need it" as negotiations to end the war "accelerate".
The Ukrainian leader said Russia had more than 110 tankers from its "shadow fleet" - vessels with obscured ownership designed to help it bypass sanctions - with "over 12 million tons" of oil.
Their sale, he added, would bring $10bn (£7.4bn) to Moscow's coffers as "a resource that is directly converted into new strikes against Ukraine".
The Ukrainian leader did not explain what those figures were based on.
That included the deadliest attack against Ukraine in months on 15 April during which more than 700 drones and missiles were used in multiple waves in one night, killing at least 18 people.
Ukraine has also attacked Russia, particularly focusing on energy facilities.
However, despite ongoing attacks, a stalemate has been reached in the war in Ukraine, with Russia in control of about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Efforts led by the US to end the war have been put on hold as a result of the war in Iran. But he added that just over the past week, Russia had launched "over 2,360 attack drones, more than 1,320 guided aerial bombs, and nearly 60 missiles of various types at our cities and communities".
What if she doesn't pay. In the court you can't jail her for not paying you. That's called Mistake of Law. Mistake of law is the law that pardons an offender for that he has no awareness of.
Like, cars parked at owners risk, buyers beware, goods sold cannot be returned.
bong4: What effort, exactly? What is not yours is not yours. That lady wouldn't have returned the money if it didn't go viral. We teach honesty as the best virtue in schools, churches, mosques etc. If you pray for Nigeria to be great, you must behave in a great way too.
Just 24 hours after FIJ reported how Opeyemi Faridat Awodoyin withheld N100,000 sent to her in error, she has refunded N54,000 to Ani Gerald Chukwuebuka, a Lagos-based solar system installer.
Chukwuebuka confirmed the development to FIJ on Friday morning, noting that the partial refund was made shortly after the story gained public attention.
“Awodoyin has just refunded N54,000 out of the N100,000 to me,” he said
He explained that the payment did not come directly from Awodoyin but from her sister.
“It was her sister who transferred the money to me,” he added.
Chukwuebuka also expressed appreciation to FIJ for its role in resolving the matter.
“To the entire FIJ team that aided the swift recovery of the funds mistakenly sent to a wrong account, with a heart full of appreciation, I say a big thank you,” he said.
“I didn’t think it was going to be easy, but with the team’s undeniable effort, it seemed like a walk in the park. Again, I say thank you for doing what you know how to do best. God bless you all.”
BACKGROUND On April 16, FIJ published a story about how Awodoyin withheld N100,000 mistakenly transferred to her by a third party meant for Chukwuebuka.
The error occurred when a friend attempting to repay Chukwuebuka inputted an incorrect account number with a one-digit difference, resulting in the funds being sent to Awodoyin instead.
After discovering he had not received the money, Chukwuebuka traced the transaction and contacted Awodoyin. She initially denied receiving the funds but later admitted to it, claiming at one point that the money had been deducted by OPay due to an outstanding debt.
Although she later agreed to refund the money in instalments during a WhatsApp conversation, she subsequently blocked Chukwuebuka when he tried to follow up on the agreement.
When FIJ reached out to Awodoyin, she didn’t respond. She cut off an initial phone call, switched off her phone afterwards and did not respond to subsequent calls or a WhatsApp message sent to her before publication.
OPay Customer Opeyemi Awodoyin Withholds N100,000 Sent in Error, Blocks Sender
Ani Gerald Chukwuebuka, a Lagos-based solar system installer and sales specialist, has narrated how a simple digit error led to the wrongful transfer of N100,000 into the OPay account of Opeyemi Faridat Awodoyin and the recipient’s refusal to return the money.
Chukwuebuka told FIJ on Wednesday that the incident occurred when a friend attempted to repay a loan but mistakenly sent the money to Awodoyin’s account due to a minor discrepancy in the account number.
HOW THE ERROR OCCURRED Chukwuebuka explained that the transaction error stemmed from a one-digit difference between his OPay account number and that of Awodoyin.
“My own account number is 7047213096 while hers is 7047213093,” he said, noting that the mistake happened at the last digit.
“I helped a friend out with a transfer of N100,000. So, in the early hours of yesterday, he wanted to send back my money from his Access Bank.
“We were together at the time. So, he gave me his phone to put in my account details. I put it in and I forgot to check the name that appeared. He didn’t bother either, so he sent the money right away.”
DISCOVERY OF THE MISTAKE Hours after the transaction, Chukwuebuka realised that he had not received the expected credit alert, prompting him to check his OPay account balance.
“Hours later, I realised I didn’t get any credit alert from OPay. I logged in to my app, but I didn’t see any new money on my balance dashboard,” he said.
It was at this point that he identified the discrepancy in the account number and understood that the funds had been sent to another person.
ATTEMPTS TO RECOVER THE MONEY Following the discovery, Chukwuebuka said he immediately reached out to Awodoyin to request a refund.
“Immediately I called her, she shouted and claimed she didn’t see anything. Later, I called again, she agreed that she received the money. After a few minutes, she twisted it again and said OPay took it from her account because, according to her, she’s owing them,” he said.
He added that he also contacted her via WhatsApp, where she initially appeared willing to cooperate.
“I also sent some message to her on WhatsApp yesterday and she grudgingly agreed to refund the money to me in tranches.”
‘SHE BLOCKED ME’ Despite the initial agreement, Chukwuebuka said subsequent efforts to follow up on the refund were unsuccessful. He added that Awodoyin eventually blocked him on Wednesday morning shortly after he sent a reminder message to her about the money.
“This morning, I messaged her and reminded her that I was the one who contacted her yesterday. Immediately she knew I was the one, she blocked me,” he said.
“Despite my pleas, she still refused to refund the money and still went ahead to block me.”
On Wednesday, FIJ called Awodoyin twice to get her response on the matter. She declined the first call and immediately switched off her phone, while subsequent calls did not go through.
FIJ later sent her a WhatsApp message seeking her reaction. She read the message but had not responded at press time.
Well that's another angle to the story. But are you aware of the law Nigerian Senate passed on forgery.
callthefred: I'm 70% certain she's not aware. This is the work of debiuos travel agents. They claim they package documents for you. I've seen a few of this and really something must be done about it by govt. The wickedness of fellow Nigerians to each other is alarming yet they will be saying government is bad. After collecting her money to package documents for her only only to get her jailed.
This is most likely the story but in court ignorance is not an excuse.
Crime › Re: INTERPOL Arrests Hammed Tajudeen Akanbi In Benin Republic by Ironfaceman(op): 11:40am On Apr 21
