Connect with us

Metro

Abuja driver abandons boss’ sick mum in hospital, flees with vehicle

Published

on

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

When an Abuja businessman, Wilson Egun, employed a young man he met during a chance encounter last October as his personal driver, he never knew his act of kindness would become his undoing.

Egun met the suspect, Sunday Bidemi in the Mararaba area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) when he needed help with locating his destination.

Bidemi came in handy as he offered to guide Egun to the place he was looking for. The young man exhibited a mastery of the terrain that left an impression on the businessman.

As the two men discussed during the ride to Egun’s destination, he mentioned that he was indeed searching for a good driver who knows the city very well; an opportunity Bidemi seized to market himself as an experienced driver in need of employment.

Advertisement

Impressed by Bidemi’s willingness to help and his confidence in his driving skills, Egun decided to offer him the job without a formal interview or background checks. Both men simply had a handshake and gentleman’s agreement to seal their relationship as employer and employee.

Bidemi performed his duties excellently in the first few weeks after he was employed as he drove his principal whenever he was needed to do so. He played the good boy card and waited for Egun to let his guards down before striking; an opportunity he got barely about a mount in the job.

Having won his boss’ trust, Bidemi was in November last year asked to take Mrs. Monica Egun, his employer’s mother, to a hospital in Cite C Estate, near Airport Junction, Gwarimpa, for her doctor’s appointment since the businessman was indisposed on that day.

But Bidemi was alleged to have dropped the woman at the hospital and immediately fled with the grey Toyota Corolla 2016 model.

Advertisement

When Mr. Egun realised what had happened, he immediately reported the incident to the Maitama Police Division and the Anti-Car Theft Unit in Abuja.

The betrayal left Egun in disbelief. “I trusted him. He seemed genuine, and I never imagined he would steal from me,” he lamented.

Weeks passed, but there was no sign of Bidemi or the stolen vehicle. As hope was beginning to fade, officers of the FCT Police Command recorded a breakthrough.

On December 15, nearly a month after he stole the vehicle, Bidemi was arrested at a car wash in Masaka, Nasarawa State, where he was washing the vehicle.

Advertisement

It turned out the suspect was cruising with the car he stole from his benevolent employer. He was allegedly using the vehicle to lure women in Abuja, whom he described as “cheap to attract.”

According to Bidemi, who investigators discovered defrauded and stole from two other women at different times, all that was needed to attract women in the FCT was for a man to dress nicely inside a good car with a working air conditioner.

Before his arrest, Bidemi had taken the stolen Toyota Corolla on a trip to Jos, Plateau State, from where he was returning to Abuja. Along the way, he picked up a young woman, Didel Clara John, who had no idea she was about to become his next victim.

During their journey together, Bidemi managed to gain her trust. He asked her to fuel the car with N60,000, promising to reimburse her. In addition, he borrowed another N20,000, claiming his bank app was faulty and he would refund her later.

Advertisement

Didel, feeling assured by his neat appearance in the navy blue tracksuit he had on, thought he was a responsible individual. She had no reason to doubt his story, so she handed over the money. The two then travelled together to Saminaka and Kachia in Kaduna State, spending the night in a hotel. But Bidemi vanished at dawn, leaving Didel stranded and fleeing with her money.

In the course of investigation, detectives found that Bidemi stole the tracksuits he wore the day he defrauded Didel from a Nigerian Navy (NN) personnel, Mrs. Yina Mngusuur Stella, who saw him stranded and offered him a ride.

Near Abacha Barracks Bridge, where she had taken him for a programme, Bidemi stole her tracksuit, ATM card, National Identification Number (NIN) card, and Navy slip tag.

As investigators dug deeper, they discovered Bidemi’s pattern of manipulation. He used his well-maintained appearance, often dressing in a clean, confident manner, to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims. He used stolen items to appear credible, gaining people’s trust before robbing them.

Advertisement

Confirming his arrest, the FCT Police Command said Bidemi would face charges for all his crimes.

Police Commissioner (CP) Olatunji Disu confirmed that the recovered vehicle had been returned to Egun.

“This case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of hiring employees without proper vetting. Mr. Egun’s willingness to help someone he met by chance ultimately led to financial loss, emotional distress, and weeks of police involvement,” he noted.

Disu advised people to ensure they conduct background checks to verify the identity of anyone they intend to hire as domestic help or driver.

Advertisement

He said employers should request valid identification like a driver’s licence or national identity card or international passport, adding that they should request for references.

“Take time to assess their behaviour before giving them access to valuables. Install vehicle tracking devices because in cases of vehicle theft, tracking devices can help locate the stolen car quickly,” he said.

Metro

Kano man opens fire at marriage ceremony over noise disturbance, kills one

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

There was pandemonium in Tudun Yola Quarters of Kano metropolis after a 34-year-old man, identified as Rabiu Mukthar, allegedly opened fire on people attending a marriage ceremony, killing one person and injuring three others.

The Kano State Police Command confirmed the incident, saying the suspect used a pump-action gun to sporadically shoot at the gathering during the celebration.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the suspect reportedly came out of his house while music was being played at the marriage ceremony and opened fire on those attending the event.

According to him, the police immediately swung into action after receiving information about the incident and arrested Mukthar alongside another person.

Advertisement

He added that the pump-action gun allegedly used in the attack was recovered from the suspect.

During interrogation, Mukthar reportedly told the police that the organisers of the musical event did not consult residents before holding the celebration.

He was quoted as saying that the loud music disturbed him and prevented him from sleeping, prompting him to resort to shooting at the gathering.

The police said Mukthar and the other suspect are currently being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Kano State Police Command as an investigation into the incident continues.

Advertisement

The command condemned the attack and reiterated the need for residents to seek lawful means of resolving disputes rather than resorting to violence.

Continue Reading

Metro

Police uncover secondary school student selling nude videos to classmates for N500,000

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered a secondary school student who sells nude videos to his classmates for N500,000.

Omosetemi Agbede-Zuokumor, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ugborikoko Division, disclosed this at a town hall.

At the town hall in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, the Chief Superintendent of Polcie (CSP) raised the alarm while recounting an outreach conducted by her team at a secondary school in Delta State.

According to her account, police personnel seized several expensive smartphones, including iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and Samsung devices, after allegedly discovering students watching pornographic content and engaging in sexual activities during school hours.

Advertisement

However, the investigation took a more disturbing turn after one male student unlocked his phone for the officers.

Speaking in a trending video, Agbede-Zuokumor said officers allegedly discovered several intimate videos and photographs involving female students from the boy’s class on the device.

“After we went to the school and seized the secondary school students’ phones, one of the students unlocked his phone, and we found almost nude videos of his female classmates,” she said.

She alleged that the student claimed the videos were being sold.

Advertisement

The officer further claimed that the student had more than 85 foreign phone numbers, including Australian numbers, which he allegedly used in online fraudulent activities.

She said the student was allegedly using photographs of white or foreign-looking individuals, commonly referred to as “oyibo faces”, as part of the scheme to deceive people online.

According to the officer, the student also allegedly had the intimate images and videos of female classmates on the same device and was reportedly selling them for as much as ₦500,000.

She added that the boy reportedly told officers that the female students had asked him to sell the material on their behalf.

Advertisement

The allegations have raised serious concerns over the exposure of children to cybercrime, pornography and the non-consensual circulation of intimate material among young people.

The officer also expressed concern over the type of smartphones being used by some of the students, noting that many of those whose phones were seized reportedly possessed expensive devices despite coming from families engaged in small-scale businesses.

“Most of these students are using iPhone 15 and 16, while their parents are petty business owners,” she said.

She described the situation as troubling and warned of the potential consequences for young people becoming involved in cybercrime and other harmful online activities at an early age.

Advertisement

The officer further disclosed that some parents later visited her office seeking the return of the seized devices.

“It’s sad to see that their parents came to my office to collect back the destruction of this generation,” she said.

The reported incident has sparked concerns about the growing exposure of young people to pornography, cybercrime and the misuse of smartphones, while also highlighting the need for stronger parental guidance, digital education and safeguarding measures in schools.

The allegations made by the officer have not been independently verified and the identities of the students and the school involved were not disclosed.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

Fire Razes About 300 Shops In Ibadan Market

Published

on

By

ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad
ADVERTISEMENT
Zoom Ad

Property and other valuables worth millions of naira have been lost to a fire incident that gutted the popular Oranyan Market in Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of Oyo State, on Sunday night.

The affected shops included jewellery shops, furniture outlets, second-hand clothing shops and others.

The cause of the fire, which started in one of the shops before spreading to others, had yet to be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

A trader, who simply identified herself as Iya Alia, said, “The fire started around midnight. I cannot be specific about that time. And those affected were gold sellers, furniture shops, second-hand clothes shops and many others. The shops affected were almost 300.”

Advertisement

Another eyewitness, who did not want his name in print, said, “This is devastating. This is huge. I don’t even know how to explain it. Close to 300 shops were destroyed.”

When contacted by our correspondent on Monday in Ibadan, the state capital, the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Fire Reforms and Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Services, Morof Akinwande, confirmed the incident.

He said, “Yes, it occurred. That number we cannot ascertain, but what is known is that some shops were destroyed and the fire incident started in the middle of the market with an explosion.

“Whether it’s a gas explosion or other things, when you have a gas explosion, it would spread. But as I’m talking to you, the situation has been under control since 1am.

Advertisement

“On the number of shops and inventory, that is too early because that’s part of the post-fire outbreak investigation. So, I cannot be accurate about the number of shops that were destroyed. But shops were actually gone.”

Nigerian Tribune reports that a similar incident occurred at the herbal section of the market in 2024, when over 200 shops were completely razed.

It will also be recalled that a fire incident on Saturday, August 22, 2026, razed nine locked-up shops at the Nigerian Railway Shopping Complex, located along the popular Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2024 Naija Blitz News