POLICE RAIDS RITUALISTS DEN IN ASABA DELTA STATE, UNCOVERS CORPSES OF UNIDENTIFIED WOMEN

Police detectives in Asaba, the Delta State capital have uncovered a hideout/operational base of suspected ritualists with scores of unidentified corpses of women.

The police command spokesman, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Famous Ajieh, said the detectives acted on a tip-off to swoop on the suspects in their operational base in Okpanam village where four of them were arrested. The Police, he said, found scores of mutilated and decomposed bodies of women.

It was learnt that the replacement of commercial motor cycles with tricycles popularly known as “Keke” had led to the influx of suspected ritualists who use the new means of transportation to charm unsuspecting passengers and take them to the hideouts where they are allegedly killed with vital parts of their bodies removed.

Leadership Sunday gathered that activities of the ritualists increased during the Yuletide in Asaba and its environs when they caught a pregnant woman on her way to church service along Nnebisi Road and allegedly hypnotised her.
They allegedly took her to their hideout where she met other persons being held by the suspects.

But through divine intervention, she was said to have been pushed away when it was her turn to face the ritual exercise.

Police sources however, confirmed that four persons were arrested including their kingpin identified as Simeon (surname withheld), who upon interrogation confessed to the gang’s atrocities while three others are on the run.

Ritual activities allegedly thrive in Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku and Okpanam.

While warning passengers to be wary of the operators of the “Keke,” Ajieh said their activities had been placed under serious surveillance.

Man surrenders to police after kidnapping, burying prophetess alive

Asaba—A 27-year-old man, who allegedly took part in the kidnap of a prophetess after which the woman was buried alive in his compound, has surrendered to the police eight months after the dastardly act. The suspect complained that the spirit of the prophetess was tormenting him.

Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, Mr. Charles Muka, who confirmed the development, told our reporter in Asaba, yesterday: “It was a case of kidnap and murder of a woman fully dressed in a white garment church attire, which was committed on  December 30, 2011 but the suspect surrendered self to police.”

Muka said that following the confession of the suspect, another suspect was arrested while efforts were on to exhume the body of the woman.

He said: “An unidentified woman said to be from Uzere and dressed in white garment church attire was kidnapped at Ughelli and taken to the house of one Emma,   male, 27 years old, who is the first suspect, from Owahawa, Ughelli South Local Government Area.

“The suspect surrendered himself to the police because his soul was troubled and confessed burying the victim alive in his compound when she became weak. His confession led to the arrest of another suspect. Detectives have also identified the spot where she was buried alive and the corpse would be exhumed when relations of victim are identified. We hereby call on members of the public, whose missing person depicts the description, to report to police area command Warri, while we are making effort to arrest others involved in the crime.”

Conductor jailed 10 yrs for illegal arms possession

ASABA—A Delta State High Court sitting at Akwukwu-Igbo, has sentenced a bus conductor, Augustine Nwankwo, to 10 years imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms.

The trial judge, Justice H. Akpotowho, sentenced the convict to jail with an option of  N20,000 fine, after pleading guilty to a two-count charge of illegal possession of firearms, an offence punishable under Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R.II Volume 14, Laws of Nigeria 2004.

Prosecutor, Mr. P. Okoh, told the court that the convict was arrested on December 19, 2009, at Ibusa and was in possession of one locally made pistol and one cut to size single barrel gun, and pleaded not guilty at the commencement of trial in 2010.

But at the last hearing in the matter, the convict changed his plea and entered a  guilty plea to the two- count charge.