The forward operation base (FOB) of the Nigerian Navy in Akwa Ibom state says it has arrested three persons over alleged petrol theft in the state.

Uche Aneke, commanding officer of the base, said the suspects were apprehended at about 11.30 am on January 10, while trying to smuggle 1,800 litres of stolen petrol to Cameroun.

“Our personnel on routine patrol around Bendero and Uta Uyata General Area of Mbo, intercepted a wooden boat carrying about 1,800 litres of petrol,” Aneke said.

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“The product was carefully concealed under cargos which included packs of soft drinks, biscuits, sachet water, and casava flakes among others.

“They intend to smuggle the product from Nigeria into the Republic of Cameroun.”

The commanding officer reiterated navy’s commitment to combating maritime crime and economic sabotage in the country.

He warned those involved in oil theft to desist as “Nigeria’s waters and coastal areas are not for illegal activities”.

Aneke noted that the navy would continue to advance its surveillance within the region with intelligence technology.

The suspects were handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in the state.

Willie Emediong, who received the suspects and the seized products on behalf of the NSCDC assistant superintendent of corps, said they would be prosecuted after “thorough” investigation.

The Oyo state high court has granted bail to Naomi Silekunola, ex-wife of the Ooni of Ife; and Oriyomi Hamzat, CEO of Agidigbo FM.

The duo, alongside the principal of the Islamic High School, were each granted bail in the sum of N10 million and two sureties in like sum.

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The trio are standing trial for their alleged roles in a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan in December, which claimed the lives of over 30 people, most of them children.

The defendants were remanded at Agodi correctional centre on December 24 after being charged with four counts bordering on conspiracy, negligence causing harm, and failing to provide adequate security and medical facilities.

Former First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Fayemi, has petitioned the Ekiti State Police Command, demanding an investigation of a woman, Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi, whom she accused of cyber bullying, cyber stalking, criminal, incessant and unabated social media attacks against her person.

She stated this in a petition dated November 14, 2022, addressed to the Commissioner, Ekiti State Police Command.

In the petition through her lawyer, Luke Ekene Mbam of Octodas Attorneys (Topmost Chambers), Erelu Fayemi demanded a thorough investigation of Olawumi’s infractions, infringements and invasion of her privacy through nefarious, criminal, malicious and calculated posts capable of damaging her reputation.

The former First Lady, who is invoking the provisions of Cyber Crimes Act 2015, stressed that Olawumi in spreading malicious falsehood against her had so far failed to come out with any proof or evidence, noting that she was left with no option than to petition the Police to clear her name and protect her image and reputation, which she had built over the years.

Fayemi maintained that Olawumi’s unprovoked attacks through the social media, particularly her Facebook account, are in clear violation of the provisions of Section 24 of CYBERCRIMES (PROHIBITION, PREVENTION, ETC) ACT 2015, attaching the annexures of the culprit’s posts to the petition for Police investigation.

Olawumi had in several posts on her Facebook accused Erelu Fayemi of shielding “family members” from arrest and prosecution for alleged sexual offences.

She also accused the former First Lady of money laundering to the tune of N500 million in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and stealing a total sum of N710 million few weeks after the inauguration of her husband, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as the Governor of Ekiti State in 2018.

The dates of many other grievous allegations contained in Olawumi’s Facebook posts against Erelu Fayemi were indicated in the petition, with the former First Lady urging the Police to save her from further cyber attacks by the culprit and ensure that justice is done in the matter.

While asserting her innocence and defending her integrity, Fayemi said: “I have never had any personal dealings with this woman (Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi).

“She has never been employed by my husband or myself and she is not a political associate of mine.

“I have had two meetings with her, once in 2018 when she came to introduce herself to me in Isan and last year when she came to seek my help when she wanted to become Chair of her local government.

“I have been told by several people that she should be ignored because she is mentally unstable.

“I have no medical qualifications to determine the mental state of anyone, this is why I have written a petition to the law enforcement officers.

“She has said many terrible things about my husband and I over the past four years.

“She has however decided to focus attention on me right now because of my connection with Mr Demola Obanise, the husband of my niece who is like a daughter to me.

“If Abimbola has facts at her disposal to back up all her allegations, she should not be afraid to present them to the relevant authorities.

“I have never written a petition against anyone in my life.

“I have never sued anyone.

“There is a first time for everything.

“After supporting my husband to serve Ekiti State for two terms, the least I can expect is peace of mind as a private citizen.

“She should come out of hiding and prove her dreadful allegations.”

Erelu Fayemi further stressed that deliberate criminal acts of tarnishing and causing annoyance, inconvenience danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety against her person by the Culprit has misled the general public to doubt her integrity and character subjecting her to an unwarranted public ridicule, odium, opprobrium, embarrassment and unprecedented disrepute.

The petition reads: “Our Client (Erelu Fayemi) further informed us that as a result of the above and several other malicious, provocative, myopic, untrue, and ungodly reckless postings of this culprit against her person, she has been inundated with various calls from family and friends who are disappointed that she could soil her hands and regards her as a woman of injustice and a fraudulent person who siphoned public fund at the detriment of the people of Nigeria particularly Ekiti State citizens.

“Our Client further informed us that the said malicious post was read and viewed on her mobile phone and her laptop computer particularly. That most of her friends in and around Ekiti and other states in Nigeria and even outside the country have had reason(s) to point her attention to this mindless posts of the culprit against her person.

“Our Client informed us that the Culprit, Mrs Abimbola Olajumoke Olawumi with GSM Nos. 08035538673; 08145447153 resides in Ekiti State.

“In the light of the above, we have Our Clients’ clear instruction to make a clarion call to the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command to use his good office to bring this culprit to justice by investigating her infractions, infringements and invasion of our Client’s privacy and save her and the society at large from the Culprit nefarious, criminal, malicious and calculated mischievous posts.”