Shockwaves are reverberating across Yorùbáland and the global Yorùbá diaspora following the sudden death of the Baba Ọba (King’s Father) of the famed Oyotunji African Village in South Carolina, USA. The late Baba Ọba, Lukman Arohunfale, a revered socialite and traditionalist, passed away under circumstances already sparking fierce controversy. His death comes just days after he publicly accused the newly installed Alaafin of Oyo, His Imperial Majesty Oba Akeem Adéyẹmọ Owoade, of allegedly ordering his courtiers to beat him mercilessly during a recent courtesy visit to the Oyo palace in Nigeria. In a widely circulated voice recording, the deceased recounted how what was meant to be a simple homage turned violent. Although the Baba Ọba had reportedly battled ill health in the past year, growing insinuations suggest that the alleged physical assault may have aggravated his condition, ultimately leading to his untimely death. The palace in Oyo recently denied that s...
The suspects, including a 20-year-old nurse, Felicia Weinoh, who specialized in treating victims and members of the kidnap gang who abducted eight students and staff at the Turkish Int'l College, NTIC in Isheri area of Ogun State, have been arrested.
Godspower Olobele, who is said to be the gang’s informant stationed at Majidun area of Ikorodu, Lagos was arrested during the weekend with the sum of N200,000, said to be his share of the ransom collected for the release of the NTIC schoolgirls and staff.
The suspects were arrested few days after an undisclosed amount was paid as ransom for the girls and staff to the gang of kidnappers who stormed the school and abducted the victims at night.
A ransom of N1.2 billion was initially demanded by the kidnappers, said to have been terrorizing Lagos and Ogun states. They have been mentioned in several high-profile bank robberies and kidnappings within the two states in recent times.
Felicia Weinoh, said her boyfriend, who she identified as Iyenaboh Bandon, a.k.a. American, lured her into the gang. She wasn’t being paid because her boyfriend was always giving her money.
“American is my boyfriend and we have been dating for a long time and he knows that I am a nurse and I am still undergoing training. I used to go into the creeks to treat him and his friends whenever they were sick and last week they called and told me that a woman in their custody was sick and I told them that I was busy but when I went the police arrested me at Majidun waterside,” she revealed.
According to Vanguard, the other suspect, Olobele, disclosed that he was given the sum of N200,000 as his own share after the NTIC kidnapping, adding that he also got N100,000 when three schoolgirls were abducted at Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary in Ikorodu, Lagos, in March 2016.
“It was American who introduced me to the gang. He met me at Majidun where I used to sell firewood and local gin close to the waterside when he came to drink and when he knew I am an Ijaw man, he asked of my sales and I told him I make about N2,000 daily and he told me that it was small.
"He then asked me to join him in his business and my job will be simple and easy. Whenever they have victims in their camp I normally supply the food and whenever they want people to enter into their camp they will pass instructions to me. After every business I used to get between N100,000 and N200, 000.
"I was given N200,000 after the last job but the police found another N100,000 on me which he gave me for the police towards his wife’s bail."
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