Stonaway Busted While Trying To Leave The Country Via Ship Propeller

A Nigerian stowaway has stated that he would do anything to travel out of the country. This is coming after operatives of the Nigeria Immigration service arrested nine Nigerian youths and a national of Niger Republic on board two Europe-bound vessels.The Comptroller, Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos Seaports and Marine Command, Modupe Anyalechi, said five of the suspects were discovered on Sunday inside the rudder truck of MV MSC PAOLA by some immigration officers who rummaged the vessel at fairway buoy, around six nautical miles to finger jetty, Apapa Port.The other five, according to her, were caught on Monday on board of MV MAERSK CHANNIA by some naval officers, who handed them over to the NIS.She said the suspects were, however, not aware that the vessels are not en-route Europe but sailing across the waters of West Africa.

“Our efforts have made it almost impossible for stowaways to access vessels from the quayside; hence, they now resort to using canoes with the assistance of fishermen, to get into vessels through the propellers when the vessels are gradually sailing to the high sea along the channel. This was confirmed in the confession of the stowaways.

“Their reason for this act, as they claimed, was in search of greener pastures in Europe and the western world. Unknown to them, however, is the fact that some of these vessels are Coastal, whose activities are limited to West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea,” she said.

Anyalechi identified the suspects as Orire Popoola, Kelvin Wessey, Erukudami Moses, Odiyeye Abiye, Agba Victor, Odogwu Michael, Kelly Onikan, Pope Ekele, Asumah Ukpere and Wessem Nasuru.

One of the stowaways, Popoola said all the suspects caught got on the vessels individually and that they only met after they had been arrested.

The Ondo State indigene said they all thought the vessels were Europe-bound.He said he was ready to take any risk to leave the country.

“I will take any risk to find my way out of Nigeria. I have no job. I believe that if I can follow a ship to Europe, I can be anything I want to be. I thought the ship was going to Holland or any other part of Europe,” he added.

Wessey, 24, who claimed to be a Lagos State indigene, said he wanted to leave the country to play for a football club in Europe.

He said:

“I have been suffering for many years to be somebody in life, but no way. I am a footballer; but I don’t have any connection. I want to play for big clubs in Europe. I felt if taking this risk would make me achieve my dream, then so be it. I know I could have died while doing this. I did it on purpose.

“I lost my mother in October 2017. I have no relative or helper. I would rather take the risk of going abroad through this means than rob or steal.”

An artiste, Odogun, said he had been performing at different shows without making headway in life, adding that he thought the risk would change his life for the better.

“I do not hate my country and I am not trying to run away. I just needed a place where I can find help. My mother died last two months and my father is crippled. I am the first child of my father and my only brother is in the village,” he added.

Ukpere, 24,  said he had been frustrated by joblessness, adding that his attempts at joining the NIS were futile due to lack of funds.

He said:

“The life I am living in Nigeria is meaningless. I have looked for jobs in many companies in Lagos without getting any. When I got the recruitment form to join Immigration, I could not process it because I didn’t have money and my parents are dead. I know that if I go abroad, I will find a better life for myself than the one I am living here.”

Anyalechi however admonished Nigerian youth to stay in the country saying there are a lot of opportunities they could tap from.

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Trial Of Alleged Kidnapper, Evans Begins

A fresh trial of alleged billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, began on Wednesday before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offence Court in Lagos.

Mr. Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, and Victor Aduba, are facing a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping and unlawful possession of firearms.

The prosecution’s first witness, Idowu Haruna, while being led in evidence by Titilayo Shitta-Bey, narrated how his team caught Evans and how he led them through his mode of operation.

“I’ve worked in the Inspector General of Police’ Intelligence Response Team for the past five years now,” Mr. Haruna, a police Inspector, began.

“I know the first and second defendant, Chukwudumeme Onwuomadike and Victor Aduba respectively. I got to know them when they were arrested by my team in respect of a kidnapping last year February.”

“We got their criminal hideout through a victim who had escaped and took my team to their hideout.”

” On the 12th of August 2017, having arrested Evans, he mentioned some of his victims who were invited by us. Among his victims was one Sylvanus Ahanonu. He was invited to our office and confronted the first defendant, Evans. ”

“During the interview, Evans explained how he kidnapped Sylvanus in June 2014 and he said he was armed with AK47 during the kidnap. He said after nine weeks of kidnapping Sylvanus, they contacted his family and demanded $2 million dollars in ransom. The family negotiated with them and they agreed to pay $240, 000 which they paid instalmentally.”

“The victim volunteered his statement, the wife of the victim, Chidiebere Ahanonu, who served as the negotiator also volunteered her statement and the brother of the victim, Dominic Ahanonu, who played a role in paying the ransom also volunteered his statement.”

“We videoed the recording of the statements of the first defendant. The video was recorded by Mr. Adesuyi Olanrewaju.”

The prosecution sought to tender a certification from Mr. Olanrewaju but met an objection from Olukoya Ogungbeje, lawyer to Evans, who argued that he was not availed a copy of the certification.

The judge overruled the objection saying it had no bearing on the evidence and was just to fulfill the provision of the Evidence Act.

When the video was sought to be tendered by the prosecution, Mr. Ogungbeje also raised an objection, on the grounds that he was not well equipped to object or approve its admissibility in court since he has “not weighed the compact disc on the background of the certification produced in court.”

Mr. Ogungbeje prayed for an adjournment to enable him to take another look at the video since it had now been certified by the court.

The prosecution had played the video in court to ascertain that it was the same video it served the defence in December.

The judge consequently adjourned the case to April 23 and 27 for further hearing.

The alleged billionaire kidnapper is also facing a similar charge before Hakeem Oshodi, a judge at the Ikeja Division of the Lagos State High Court, where he initially pleaded guilty but later changed his plea to not guilty.

Chelsea goalkeeper reveals why Messi scored 2 goals through his legs

                      

Chelsea goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois and defender Marcos Alonso have reacted to their 3-0 loss to Barcelona at Nou Camp last night. Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League losing 4-1 on aggregate after the first leg ended 1-1 at the Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea goalkeeper allowed Lionel Messi score two cheap goals through his legs and also give a superb assist to Dembele for another. Thibaut Courtois honestly held his hands up last night after his horror show sparked Chelsea’s downfall at the Nou Camp last night.

The Belgian keeper said having played against Messi on several occasions he (Messi) already knows his weak point. He explained that putting the ball in between his legs was the weakest part of him because of his height.

Speaking after the match Courtois said,

“I don’t think we deserve to be out but individual mistakes made the difference. “I didn’t think Messi would shoot from there and I was a bit late to close my legs so that’s my mistake.
“We had chances, hit the crossbar, it was mostly our individual mistakes that cost us. “I’ve played against him a lot of times and already conceded goals through my legs from him. “That’s maybe the weakest part of me because of my height. You have to be man and admit you make mistakes.”
Alonso on his own said, “I dunno, they have Messi (sic) and I think maybe they were the better team even though I think we showed we compete well in both teams. “If we concede these easy goals, it’s difficult against this team.

“We knew they have top players, we knew we could not give them one metre or they will score. I think we’re unlucky with the first two goals, we hit the post three times over both games. They were the better team but we were unlucky.”

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