Undergraduate commits suicide over SARS harassment

AgegePulse Magazine

An undergraduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Seyi Akinade, has reportedly committed suicide.

The victim, in a lengthy post on Twitter before his death, said he could no longer live with the continuous harassment by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, which he claimed led to his decision to kill himself.

His stepbrother, Toye Salawudeen, who announced the death on the social media, told PUNCH Metro that the family did not know about Akinade’s ordeal until after his demise.

The deceased had narrated on his Twitter page, @Akinadeoluwa17, how he plunged into $20,000 debt after he was arrested by the SARS personnel, who allegedly extorted money from him.

According to the 23-year-old undergraduate, who was also a forex trader, his encounter with the SARS personnel gave him constant nightmares.

He had tweeted, “It happened again tonight, I had the same nightmare that’s been reoccurring for months now since the incident happened, same faces. SARS officials in their black uniform carrying us away in the dead of the night and I wake up with serious chest pain from fear of what I was about to experience.

“It happened on the 2nd of February 2020 I was in my hostel working on my post data slides because I had to present the next day when all of a sudden these SARS officials entered my room. It was around 10pm and I still had my generator on maybe that was why they came to my room first, they just collected my laptop and phones, my friends were also in my room, we were all told to dress up and come outside, one of my friends was given a dirty slap for practically not dressing up fast enough ‘what did we do?’ I kept asking.
“They didn’t say anything and they threatened to waste me if I didn’t stop asking silly questions. We were handcuffed like armed robbers, all 17 of us, we were squeezed into small cars like goats to the slaughter, and from camp Abeokuta, we were taken down to Ibara Police Station. 

Immediately we got there I decided to plead with who was in charge that I had a presentation in school the next day, that they should please let me go early because at that time it was 12 in the midnight already, he said I will pay 200k! Ha! For what?


“I told him to go through my phone that I am not a fraudster, that I am a forex trader and he went through my phone and my friends’ phone nothing was implicating there, except for the bank alerts and that money were not even mine, I told him they were investors money. I forgot to mention I opened a trade on my trading platform before they came to arrest us, I also pleaded with them to give me access to my phone so I can close the trade or something they thought I wanted to call someone and they slapped me for requesting for my phone, the trade kept running till the next day.

“I slept in a cell that night for doing nothing, police will slap you and beat you, and prisoners will beat you when you enter the cell too! I cried till the next morning not because I was sleeping in a cell for doing nothing, but because I was on a losing trade with thousands of $ on the line and also because I was going to miss my project presentation which cannot be repeated. I was paraded like a thief in the morning and they were asking us what we did, with tears in my eyes I said ‘nothing’ they still slapped me and told me to admit I’m a fraudster without having anything incriminating on my phone!

“That day I lost almost 20k$ trading and I missed my presentation in school. They still wanted to collect bail after beating and harassing us for nothing. Since then I’ve been in massive debt, I couldn’t complete my education and my life has been in shambles and suicide has been the only thought on my mind every day. So in case I hurt myself and anyone is curious as to why I did it. This is my story.”

Akinade’s death has led to the creation of the #justiceforseyi hashtag on the social media, with Nigerians calling for the prosecution of the officers involved.

He said, “Seyi was the quiet type and based on the kind of relationship we had, we were not very close. This morning (Wednesday), my mum called me that Seyi was dead and when I asked her what happened, she said he was vomiting and crying of stomach pain and asking for palm oil.

“He was rushed to three hospitals before he could be accepted, but he died this morning; we didn’t know what happened until I went to his Twitter page to check his last post and I saw his tweet and what he tweeted five days ago about what caused him nightmares. We want justice to be served and the police officers who caused this to be brought to justice.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was not aware of the case but would find out.

“I’m not aware of the matter, but there is no way policemen  from Ibara will go and arrest in FUNAAB, but I will find out,” he stated.

He had yet to get back to our correspondent on his findings as of the time of filing this report.

Punch

BREAKING: Policeman commits suicide in Lagos cell

AgegePulse Magazine

.................
A policeman, identified as Eze, has reportedly hanged himself in a cell at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.

Our correspondent exclusively gathered that the cop, who was attached to a Dangote factory, was arrested after he allegedly shot dead a man.

"He was brought to the state CID for investigation and prosecution.

"But he hanged himself in the cell around 2 am today. He was attached to the Dangote factory and shot a man dead," a credible source said.

Breaking: LASTMA official commits suicide

AgegePulse Magazine

An unidentified man with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority on Saturday committed suicide by hanging himself on a Mango tree in Lagos.

The corpse was lowered from a tree as seen through a video on social media.

Details Shortly….

The Nation Newspaper

Osun permanent secretary’s son hangs self over downturn

Femi Makinde, Osogbo

Tolulope Kolawole, the first  son of the late Permanent Secretary, Bureau of General Services, Office of the Governor of Osun State, Mrs Olufunke  Kolawole, has committed suicide.

It was gathered that the young man ended his life because he could no longer make ends meet.

Residents of the Halleluya Estate in Osogbo, where he lived, told our correspondent on Sunday that the news went round the area on Thursday that 32-year-old  Tolulope hung himself.

His mother, Olufunke  Kolawole, was abducted on her way to Abuja on an official assignment and eventually killed in Kogi State last year.

Her son, Tolulope, who left a wife behind, was said to have complained bitterly about the downward in the farm he was managing.

A resident of the area, who identified himself as Remi Taiwo, told our correspondent that the deceased had a friend in Ibadan, Oyo State, who he confided in that he was finding things very tough and that his wife had complained bitterly about it.

He said, “The friend, whose name I can’t recall, was said to have been very helpful with monetary support and had warned him against taking any negative step to finding a solution to his challenge.”

A police source also confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone, saying the case was reported at the Dada Estate Police Station, before it was transferred to the Osun State Police Command in Osogbo.

The source said, “The young man was said to have lamented the lull in the business bequeathed to him by his late mum.

He was said to be constantly complaining to one of his friends in Ibadan, Oyo State, and that one kept encouraging him and offering him financial support.

“But he decided to hang himself when he could no longer bear it.

He was said to have put a rope round his neck and was standing on a chair,  but had not kicked the chair away before somebody arrived at the scene.

“ The person was said to have pleaded with him and had ran to call residents, but the deceased was said to be found dangling before help could come.”

The police source said some members of the family of the deceased went to the police and told them what they knew about the incident.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Mrs Folasade Odoro, could not be reached and she had yet to reply the text message sent to her about the case.

I was paid N200,000 to take suicide bombers to target locations—Mustapher

21-year-old Adam Mustapher, a native of Maiduguri told Vanguard that he joined the sect in 2009 when Mohammed Yusuf, its founder was alive, but he didn’t take part in the fight at the beginning, because he was too young. But he said he became attracted to the group in 2014 when he realized people were making money from the group’s activities.

He also confessed that his job as a member since 2014 was to take young girls being used for suicide bombings to their target locations and he normally earned N200,000 for each operation; “I attended only an Islamic school and I didn’t complete my education.   I am a taxi driver and I have been in the business in the last four years.   I joined the Boko Haram Sect in the year 2009 when the founder Mohammed Yusuf was still alive.

I used to pray with the sect in their mosque but I didn’t join in the fight from the beginning, I went underground. But I rejoined the group four years ago when one Ibrahim, a member of the group approached me with the idea of buying stolen cows and other livestock from the group, which I would sell in Maiduguri.

I made so much money from the business, but that my friend Ibrahim was later killed during an encounter with some soldiers. I bought a vehicle with the money I made and the group then gave me a new assignment which was for me to always convey suicide bombers, who were mainly young girls, from the Sambisa forest, with their suicide vests to their target locations.

The person   who normally took the girls from   Sambisa forest to Muma Garage in Maiduguri, where I would pick them up, was one Abu, who has also been arrested.  Sometimes I got instruction from Sambisa forest on where the suicide bombers would attack and where there was none I would take them to any area where I felt the casualty figure would be very high.

But my targets were usually densely populated areas and before I received the girls from Abu, I normally drove round the town to find areas that were populated.

I took the suicide bombers to several places such as Post Office area of Maiduguri, where they carried out attacks, I also took them twice to Baga Road, Monday market, 33 Army barracks, and several other places where so many people lost their lives during the attack.  I was usually paid N200,000 after each successful mission.

My last mission was on the 10th  of May 2018 in an operation we carried out at 33, Army Barracks in Maiduguri.     In one of my operations on Baga Road, one of my younger brothers was killed during the suicide bomb attacks, I felt very bad about the incident and I wanted to quit but I couldn’t because the money they promised me was tempting.   But I regret everything I have done now. I don’t know how the police learnt about me, I was in my house when they came and arrested me.”

I supplied food items, sold diamonds for   Boko Haram—Mala

One of the group’s logistic suppliers, 48-year-old Ibrahim Mala, a native of Goza local Government area of Borno State, said as a security man at a petrol station, he earned just N5,000 monthly which made him to join the group.  “ I am a member of Boko Haram and I am one of the group’s logistic suppliers.

I met the group through one Arramma, who brought one Abu to me and they asked me to buy some stolen rams and goats from them. I bought the livestock for N22,000 and then they told me that they were members of the Boko Haram.

They then requested me to be their supplier.   Sometimes they brought money to me from the Sambia forest to help them buy food items and other things they would need and after buying the items, I would keep them in my house and call them on the phone to come and pick up the items.

They would then come at night to carry the items.   They usually paid me the sum of N100,000 on each trip. But in the month March they brought some diamonds for me to sell for them and they also linked me to one Alhaji Talba Gonie, who resided at Zageri Ward, on Baga Road, who they said knew how to sell the diamonds.

After selling the diamonds, Alahjai Talba Gonie would hand over the money to me and the sect members would instruct me on what they needed me to buy for them with some of the money after which they would come and pick them and the balance of their money. I sold the diamonds for them on five occasions and they rewarded me handsomely, but I don’t know where they got the diamonds from. I bought a land with the money I made from my dealings with the group.

But I am regretting my actions because I was once a Boko Haram victim as they killed my uncle and his son, when they attacked my village in 2014 but the money they offered to pay me if I became their supplier was so tempting. Even my wife wasn’t happy that I joined the group but there was nothing she could do about it”, he lamented.

Why I passed information on troops movement to Boko Baram — Civilian JTF member

Mohammed Bashiri, 34-year-old member of the civilian JTF, which was set up to work against the Boko Haram sect, said he opted to work for the sect, because he was not earning any money as a Civilian JTF but the sect was ready to pay him for information he passed across to them.

According to him,  “I was part of the group that formed civilian JTF in 2012, and I also joined the military in fighting against the sect, but the government was not paying me then and I was forced to join Boko Haram.   It was one Adam who lured me into the group and I became his informant.

I used my position as a civilian JTF to pass information to him and whenever he wanted to take supplies to Boko Haram in Sambisa forest, he would need me to give him information about movement of military men.

He used to pay me N10,000 on each information I gave to him and he promised that the group would soon reward me handsomely.

How we abducted Chibok girls in 2014 — Boko Haram commanders

 
•We were not doing it for Islam
•Money offered to us by the sect too tempting
•We got N200,000 to convey suicide bombers to locations
•Shekau’s camp was deep inside Sambisa forest

By Ifeanyi Okolie

Following the recent arrest of 22 members and commanders of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team, IRT, Led by DCP Abba Kyari shocking revelations have emerged on the murderous activities of the sect.

Cross section of the suspects
It was gathered that three commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force, an outfit created by the Borno State Government, to assist the Nigeria Military in trailing and arresting members of the sect, were among those arrested by the IRT, for giving out operational information of the military   to members of the sect.

Eight other suspects also confessed during interrogations that they were part of the group that carried out the April 2014, kidnap of over 200 schoolgirls from a government secondary school, in Chibok area of Borno State.

When Vanguard interviewed the suspects, some of the commanders, foot soldiers and informants narrated their roles and the various tasks executed for the group.

Attack on Chibok

Maita Alhaji Modu alias Abu, a  20-year-old Boko Haram commander, Though he said he has not gone to School and not sure of his real age, Native of Bama Local Government of Borno State, who was a farmer and had no formal education confessed that he took an active part in the 2014 kidnap of Chibok schoolgirls and he was equally responsible for moving young girls who were used for suicide bombings  from Sambisa Forest into Maiduguri Town.

He said as  a commander, he had been fighting for the sect since 2011 and assisted the group in taking over several towns, villages. He said he also participated in ambush attacks across the Northeastern states of Nigeria and some parts of Niger, Chad and Cameroon.   He disclosed that the leadership of the group usually paid each fighter the sum of N30,000 after each attack.

Narrating how the group carried out the April 2014 Chibok school girls attack, he said; “one of our commanders, who received direct orders from our leader, Abubakar Shekau,   Bana Chungori, called out over 100 of us and we all assembled at the   Sambisa Forest.

He told us that our leader, Shekau had ordered that we should all go to Chibok Local Government and kidnap some school girls at the school. We couldn’t ask questions, because it was a direct order from Shekau and we all mounted our trucks.

We had five big military trucks, three Toyota Hilux vans and two Isuzu pickup trucks. We left Sambisa Forest around 5pm that evening and arrived the school around 10pm.

We surrounded the school when we arrived and when we were certain that there would be no resistance, Chungori gave orders that we should all go in and we found the girls running in fear. We kidnapped many of them and took them away in our trucks.

When we got to the entrance of the Sambisa Forest, Chungori asked all the foot soldiers and other lower commanders including me to leave the truck because he was to take the girls to Shekau, whose camp was deep inside the forest.

I didn’t see the girls again because I was not close to Shekau, but I was paid the sum of N30,000 on the day of the kidnapping and I was also given the sum of N60,000 after a set of ransom was paid for the release of the girls.”

•One of the commanders of the Chibok schoolgirls kidnappers- Abu
We targeted densely populated areas —Abu

Abu also said; “sometime in December 2014, two of our top commanders; Bakura and Ibrahim, ordered me to take two girls with suicide vests to Maiduguri town and supervise them until they had detonated their bombs.

But each time I got to Maiduguri, I would not go into the Metropolis with them and I would leave them at the outskirt of the town and before you knew it they would have detonated their bombs. The first one they did was at Muna garage and the second was at Dalori which was also on the outskirt of Maiduguri town.

A member of the group, Adam, who had a taxi in Maiduguri, then called our commander and told him that the suicide bombers I had been bringing in had been unable to enter into the town where they were large crowds of people and since he was a taxi driver, he could always help us locate densely populated areas where people could be killed in larger numbers, if only my commanders would pay him.

They agreed on N200,000 per mission and each time I took the girls from Sambisa forest, I would   take them to Adam, who would then take the girls into Maiduguri metropolis and after each successful attack, I was the person who used to take his money to him.   My commanders used to pay me between N60,000 to N70, 000 after each operation. I wasn’t doing this because of my Islamic faith, I was just doing this because of the money.” he stated.

Barber who set self ablaze on Lagos road dies

...It's unfortunate We could not save his life - Emergency Officer

A barber has taken his own life after setting himself ablaze on a road leading to Omole Estate, near Akiode Bus Stop, Lagos.

He died while he was receiving treatment at a hospital.

The barber had reportedly emerged on the road around 4:30pm on Wednesday holding a five-litre jerrycan of petrol.

He subsequently poured the fuel on his body; struck a match and lit himself.

Our correspondent learnt that a passerby, who was standing a few metres away from the scene, rushed to put out the fire.

The young man, who was identified simply as Ahmed, was said to have died shortly after he was rescued from the scene around 5:00pm by officials of the Lagos State Ambulance Services.

Before the arrival of the emergency officials and policemen from the Ojodu Division, it was gathered that a mild drama played out.

“While a man used a piece of torn carton to fan the man, some passersby were busy taking his photograph,” an eyewitness, Dolapo Gabriel, told Saturday PUNCH,

Gabriel stated that Ahmed was running a barber’s shop until his life recently took a drastic turn.

“I saw him pouring the fuel on himself but I thought it was water. Within seconds, he brought out a pack of matches from his pocket and set himself ablaze. Fortunately, a food seller close to the gate had some water. A man quickly took the water to put out the fire. Some people and I joined him. It was strange to me,” he added.

A resident, who introduced himself simply as Tolu, explained that he saw Ahmed walking along the road on Monday and advised him on the need to turn a new leaf.

He said, “He was a barber and used to have a shop around Akiode. He closed the shop sometime ago and started roaming about the neighbourhood. He smoked a lot which I think affected his brain.

“Two days ago, I met him on the road and talked to him that he needed to change. I told him that I would take him to church next Sunday for special prayers. He asked me to buy roasted corn for him which I did after he assured me he would follow me to the church.”

Another eyewitness, Samuel, described Ahmed as a drug addict, saying that he had been mentally unstable for some time.

“Many people around here know him. He used to be a decent person before he suddenly changed as a result of drugs. He lived with his family within this community and they are aware of his plight,” she said.

A senior emergency official told our correspondent on Friday that Ahmed gave up the ghost while he was receiving treatment.

“It is unfortunate that we could not save the man’s life. He died while receiving treatment and his corpse had been handed over to his family,” the official disclosed.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the incident, but said he had yet to be briefed on the man’s death.

He said, “The incident is true. The man attempted suicide by setting himself ablaze but he was rescued. We have yet to ascertain the reason why he took that deadly action.”

Copied Afeez Hanafi