14012020 - 50 years after: Let's revisit issues that caused Civil War

6 — Vanguard, TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2020
Church accountant gets 18 years in jail for
stealing N15.5m tithes, offerings
Afederal high court in Yola,
Adamawa State, has
sentenced Ibrahim Aku,
accountant of the Church of
Brethren in Nigeria, to 18 years
in prison for fraud.
Nathan Musa, the judge, gave
the order while ruling on a six-
Farmers,
herders
clash
claims two
in Edo
count charge filed against the
accused yesterday.
The Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, had
accused Aku of defrauding the
church of N15.5 million between
2016 and 2018.
According to the anti-graft
agency, the money was
generated by the church members
through offerings, donations and
tithes.
Delivering the judgement,
Musa convicted Aku on charges
of forgery and obtaining money
by false pretence.
The church accountant, who
pleaded guilty to the charges,
was sentenced to 18 years in
prison without an option of fine.
The judge also ordered Aku
to pay back the money as
restitution to the church, adding
that the proceeds of the crime
recovered in the course of the
investigation should be sold and
the funds should be remitted to
the church.
Reacting to the judgement,
Bello Bajoga, an EFCC official,
said: “The convict was
entrusted with church money
and ended up diverting same
and forged tellers, which he
presented as genuine, to serve as
evidence of remittance.”
4 naval ratings killed by pirates in Ondo
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY—TWO
persons have been
reported killed in Sobe,
Owan West Local
Government Area of Edo
State, as a result of a clash
between farmers and
herders.
Vanguard gathered that
tension heightened in the
community over possible
reprisal attack from the
herders.
Trouble was said to have
started Sunday, when an
11-year-old boy, who was
said to have gone to the
bush to fetch firewood, was
found slaughtered in the
bush by suspected
herders.
It was gathered that the
boy’s kinsmen in the area
mobilised and allegedly
killed one of the
herdsmen.
However, Chairman of
the council, Frank Ilaboya,
has appealed for calm,
adding that he has formally
reported the incident to the
police.
He said: “There is need
for everybody to remain
peaceful and calm in the
community. I have
personally spoken to the
Odibiado of Sobe, His
Royal Highness, Anthony
Ero Aleburu, on the need
to mobilise his people to
ensure there is no more
casualty.
“I have also spoken and
mobilised the security
apparatus in the local
government to ensure they
are on the standby to
forestall further crisis.
“Thank God the security
agencies quickly moved in
and, in conjunction with the
Odibiado and the people of
Sobe, calm was restored.
“This is why I am
appealing for calm. People
should refrain from further
violence, as violence will
not do the community or
anybody good.”
The rescued foreigners(top) and one of the pirates(right).
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—FOUR
naval
ratings have been killed in
Gbagira village, llaje Local
Government Area of Ondo State,
while rescuing three foreigners
from pirates.
The suspected killers also
went away with four military
rifles and seven magazines.
Vanguard gathered that the
victims were deployed to rescue
three foreigners that were
kidnapped by the pirates in the
community.
The community and its
neighbours have been under
tension following the invasion
by security operatives.
Confirming the incident,
Commanding Officer, Forward
Operating Base in Igbokoda,
Commodore Danjuma
Ndanusa, said he had directed
community leaders (baales) to
produce the weapons or face
dire consequences.
One of the pirates was
reportedly apprehended in a
suburb of Awoye community after
the naval ratings were shot dead.
The suspected kidnappers
reportedly came from Balyesa
State via the high seas, through
which some escaped with
gunshot injuries, following a
gun battle with the naval
ratings.
Commodore Ndanusa said
one of the pirates that was
apprehended confessed that the
missing rifles are in the
community, adding that the
rescued foreigners corroborated
his claim.
His words: “We intimated
them on what is at stake. It is
like sleeping on a time bomb. I
told all the baales to get all their
youths and speak with them.
By Dayo Johnson
AKURE—AN Akure-based
pastor, Samuel Afolabi, of
Christ Apostolic Church, CAC,
New Jerusalem, aka Olopa to di
Woli, yesterday, cleared the air on
his alleged arrest and detention
by the police, saying an
impersonator was the one
arrested.
Afolabi said he had never been
invited by the police for any
offence contrary to the rumour
and never been engaged in fake
miracles.
Describing the rumour as
untrue and wicked, the
clergyman, who spoke with
newsmen, said his church was
duly registered by government’s
relevant agency.
“That was why we did a total
search and we found four
telephones and one walkietalkie
belonging to the
foreigners. I made this known
to the four baales from the
community.
“We also made a search on the
boat they came with from
Bayelsa and recovered empty
magazines from guns on the
floor of their boat.
According to him, “the man that
was using my name for
wrongdoings, was the one
arrested and remanded by the
police in Okitipupa Local
Government Area of the state.”
Meanwhile, the state Police
Command has corroborated the
pastor, explaining that an
impersonator of the pastor was
arrested and not him.
Police image-maker, Femi
Joseph, confirmed that the
clergyman “does not have any
case whatsoever with the Ondo
State Police Command.”
Joseph said a man named
Ayetare Sunday, 35, a native of
Itepe Okitipupa was arrested for
impersonating Prophet Afolabi.
He added that he had since
been charged to court and
“We placed a curfew in the
four communities and on the
activities on the waterway by
putting pressure on them to
produce the arms, because it is
a threat to the innocents in the
community.”
Meanwhile, the communities
have cried out that they were
under siege and that both
economic and social activities
have been paralysed.
Olopa to di Woli clears air on police trouble:
Impersonator was arrested, not me
remanded in prison for allegedly
engaging in fake miracle,
attempted rape and sexual
harassment.
His words: “Ondo State Police
Command wishes to debunk the
claims that a popular pastor and
prophet, Samuel Afolabi (aka
Olopa to di Woli) was arrested and
detained.
“The Command hereby makes
it categorically clear that the
above-named minister of God was
never arrested for any offence as
being peddled, hence the report
was a blantant lie from the pit of
hell, as the man never committed
any offence known to law.
“On interrogation, the man
confessed to be a fake prophet,
who had been deceiving people
by organising fake miracles.”