A mysterious discovery at Onitsha mansion

Most times, people tend to believe in some superstitious claims. In one of such claims, people believe that one’s destiny can be taken by another person. It is also common among the people to suspect most rich men and women of being behind some persons’ misfortune or downfall. However, the daily rituals, sudden death, calamity and social evil had also compounded the thinking of most people to severe the truth from false claims.

The recent tragedy in Onitsha, the commercial hub of Anambra State, where bricklayers and diggers exhumed a fetish object at Egerton Street, buried deep inside the floor of a 5-storey mansion is an eloquent testimony that the world is full of signs and wonders and the more you look, the less you see. The object contained in a pot of clay according to the diggers was running around as they tried to exhume it.

They also claimed that the pot containing the mysterious object was making noise as it moved from one end of the pit to another. The diggers, who did not want their names in print, said: “We are here to dig this place for the installation of overhead water tank. We have digged almost 20ft before we stumbled on this object. We raised an alarm when the object started shaking and subsequently rolled from one end of the wall to another.

“This attracted the attention of passersby as we scampered for safety. The man, who contracted us was not in the house. We managed to over-power the object and that is what you see there, near the white bucket in a clay pot.

We have to make sure we complete our job and collect our money because whatever was buried here was not our portion and not for us”, one of the diggers said”.

Some of the passers-by alleged that most mansion in most cities are built on top of some devilish objects. A man, who gave his name as Pastor Dickson Onuma, claimed that in the course of his evangelical missions, he had been used to exhuming fetish objects, in families, shops, churches and private home. Sometimes, they will exhume casket, human skulls and so many. “You don’t know what this was meant for but believe it or leave it, is for devilish intentions.”

“Some tenants can live in a house for up wards of 20 – 30 years. They will continue to expirience hardship, impotency, poverty and what have you. Unless you give your life to Christ, you can’t survive this situation,” the Pastor warned. Another man said some bury their witchcraft in their houses and tenants will continue to pay house rent without any achievement. “There are some places where one will live and children will be dying one after the other.

These things are real and this will serve as an eye opener for those who witnessed this today. However, there are those who do this to protect their lives, especially the occult men and women.

So, this is not peculiar to the Igbo people. It is seen mostly in every other part of the country.” Meanwhile, all efforts by our correspondent to speak with the landlord of the house proved abortive.

For three consecutive times, this correspondent visited the house, there were indication that people have deserted the building, as only very few children were sighted at the second floor of the 5-storey building hanging at the corridor, looking innocently at the bewildered members of the public, who cluster near the building discussing in low tone and pointing fingers at the house..

A vulcanizer, who works in front of the house, told our correspondent that he only sighted the landlord once since the incident happened but it seems he has travelled. When asked if he knows if he took the object away, he said ‘no’ but the object is no longer there. He said that some of the tenants in the house have also not been seen as before.

“I don’t know about them but I have not seen some of them drive in or out as they used to do before that thing happened. I am not their gateman and I can’t speak for anybody

20 killed, 300 cows stolen in fresh Taraba violence

About 20 persons have been reported killed and 300 cows stolen, following a fresh outbreak of ethnic violence on the Mambilla Plateau in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State, yesterday.

A fleeing resident, Saadu Mogoggo, who said his house was attacked at Leme suburb of Gembu, said two of his brothers were killed on Saturday evening and their cattle rustled by a group he identified as the Mambilla Militia.

His words: “As I speak with you, we are yet to bury their corpses. The ethnic militias attacked our residence in Leme, where they killed our father last month. During this attack, the Mambillas took away over 100 cows.

“My two younger brothers reported the matter to a nearby military base and a soldier was attached as escort to retrieve the stolen cows. Unfortunately, in the process, my younger brothers were both killed while the soldier fled with injury.”

Abdu Gagarau, another resident of the area, who said he was speaking from hiding, said: “The burning and killing by herdsmen continued till early this morning (yesterday).

“Since last Thursday they have been attacking our settlements and over 20 people killed. Some were buried and over 300 cattle stolen by the militias.

“The Mambila ethnic group is known for attacking other tribes. They attacked the Panso in 1982, the Fulani in 2002 and in 2017. When eventually we retaliate, the normal shouts of herdsmen will start. Let government be proactive and come to our rescue.”

Fulani cry to govt

A Fulani community leader in the area, Mr. Ahmadu Nguroje, called for government and security intervention.

Mr. Nguroje said: “At least 20 people are feared killed, looting of houses, shops and burning down to ashes by the Mambilla militias along Tapare and Yerimaru axis have been recorded here in Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.

“About 12 others were also injured and are on admission at a hospital in Gembu.”

The lawmaker representing Nguroje and Gembu constituency in the state House of Assembly, Bashir Muhammad, confirmed the latest disturbances.

He said: “There have been violent and systematic killings of Fulani nomadic herdsmen in the remote areas in Mambilla Plateau.

“It is unfortunate that while efforts are being made to restore peace, the killings continued unabated with many people feared killed between Thursday and Sunday (yesterday), just as dozens of livestock were killed or injured. I was even told that over 200 cows were rustled.

“Security is grossly in adequate because some of the affected villages are in hinterlands that can take one or two hours to access. We want more security personnel, particularly soldiers, to ensure peace.”

Governor speaks

Reacting, Governor Darius Ishaku, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello, called for an end to the violence.

His words: “Anyone who takes any life, irrespective of religion or tribe, is a criminal; whether it is on the summits of Mambilla or the plains of Southern Taraba and anywhere in this state. And we shall deal with them as criminals.

“We are committed to an amicable resolution of the crisis in the state and peaceful co-existence of all ethnic nationalities,” attributing the renewed crisis to “disagreement between two ethnic groups.”

Police story

The Police spokesperson in the state, David Misal, told newsmen that four people were confirmed killed from both sides of the ethnic groups, adding that security officials had been dispatched to the area to restore peace, but that no arrest had been made.

Investigations revealed that the crisis started on Thursday over a land dispute between nomadic Fulani and Mambilla in Yerimaru village, which spread into neighbouring villages.

Police commissioner gives N1m to man who gave info that led to ritualist Ifeanyi Dike’s re-arrest (Photos)

The man who gave information that led to the rearrest of suspected ritualist Ifeanyi Dike has received the N1m pledged by the Commissioner of police.

Ifeanyi Dike had allegedly raped, killed and removed vital organs of an eight-year-old girl, Victory Chikamso, before escaping from police custody.

It was reported that Ifeanyi Dike was able to escape because one of the policemen on duty on Saturday night identified as Johnbosco had unlocked the handcuffs for Dike to write his statement.

JohnBosco was later dismissed and another Divisional Police Officer in Rivers State (name withheld) arrested on the orders of the State Police Command for his alleged involvement in the escape.

Here are photos of the Commissioner of police redeeming the force’s pledge:

Shocking JSS 2 Student Who was Declared Missing Found in Her Boyfriend's House in Ogun State

Guardians of a 15-year-old JSS 2 student were left in shock after the girl who went missing for seven days was found in the lover's house.

Asmau Ajibade

A 15-year-old Junior Secondary School 2 pupil of Agbara Commuinty Junior Secondary School, Ogun State who was declared missing by the police in the state left many people in shock after she was found having fun in the boyfriend's house.

The girl identified as Asmau Ajibade, went missing for seven days after she left home for school.

According to Punch, the girl lived with the guardians, Alhaji Rauf Adetona and Alhaja Ajarat Adetona, on Area 8, Road 810, Block AM, Plot 18, OPIC Estate, Agbara, off Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Ogun State before she reportedly disappeared.

Ajibade it was learnt had left the house at about 7.30am last Monday in her school uniform. The belief in the house was that she had gone to school. The guardians became apprehensive when it was 4pm and she had not returned home. Record of the school reportedly revealed that she was absent that day.

Ajarat said the girl had been living with them since she was four years old, adding that she was surprised by her disappearance. She said it was the first time she would leave home without returning.

She said, “She went to school on Monday and has not returned. Her teachers told us that she didn’t come to school that day.

“But a cobbler around here told us that he fixed her torn sandal that morning. The cobbler said she seemed to be in a hurry as she told him that somebody was waiting for her.

“She had never done anything like this, although her teachers had told us that she was keeping bad company; and I warned her to stop associating with bad people.

“Her parents had divorced. His father died while she was six months old. She had been living with us for 11 years now. Her attitude that morning did not show that she planned to do anything.”

Rauf said he was on his farm when a call came in that Ajibade was missing. He said they were told at the school that Ajibade might have absconded with some of her school friends and the incident reported at the Agbara Police Station.

He said, “She always prepared the food she would eat at the school and did same that morning. My wife gave her money in addition to the food and she thanked Alhaja and left. I went to my farm around 9am. At about 4pm, my wife called me that Asmau (Ajibade) had not come back home.

“I told her to be patient because she came home around 3.30pm at times. When it was 5pm, she called me back and said she had gone to Asmau’s school, but she didn’t see her.

“On Tuesday, we went back to the school. The teachers at the school told us that she had become a wayward girl and had been moving with a friend who had been expelled from the school.

“We reported at the police station on our estate and we were told to come back on Wednesday if we didn’t see her.

“On Wednesday, we were directed to the Agbara Police Station. The police collected her picture from us and promised to radio other divisions. They said she might have eloped with a boy.”

However, the girl was rescued last Saturday while living with a guard identified as John who is her lover in the Agbara area of Ogun State. John was apprehended along with a cobbler, Moses who hooked the girl up with John.

One of the guardians, Alhaji Rauf Adetona, said Ajibade confessed that it was the cobbler who hooked her up with John, adding that she spent four days with the lover. 

He said, “When the cobbler saw your (The PUNCH) report on her disappearance, he informed John. When John tried to return her to the estate, she fled. She spent four days with John. We found her school uniform with John.

“A family friend saw her in Oko Afo, Badagry, and called us. She wanted to run away from him because she knows him. But the man lied to her that he would never tell us.

“They agreed to meet somewhere in the community the following day and that was how we found her.

“She took us to the house where John works as a guard and said it was Moses who hooked her up with John. The police have arrested the two of them.”

The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed John and Moses’ arrest.

“The girl has been reunited with her guardians and the suspects arrested. They will be arraigned for abduction,” he added.

Lion bites car tyre causing it to explode, family trapped inside

A family on safari were left in a serious dilemma after a lion bit through one of their car tyres, leaving them stranded in the middle of South Africa's Kruger National Park.

Schoolboy Sean Obeirne was with his family when he noticed a large, male lion come up to the back of their car and stare in at them. 

One of the lion singled out another oncoming car and after sniffing around the bonnet and bumper moved on to check out the tyres.

The lion then unexpectedly clamped its jaws on to the tyre, while the family watch from inside recording the events unfold.

Suddenly a loud bang and hissing of air is heard as the tyre exploded, forcing the shocked lion to leap backwards. 

But the family were then left trapped inside the car dozens of miles away from help and with no way of changing the tyre surrounded by the pride.

Still filming, Sean Obeirne's family pull alongside the stricken car and gets them to drive along the road, away from the lions where they park next to each, other using car doors as shields.

Sean's father gallantly gets out his jack and changes the car tyre so the family can carry on their way. 

Sean said after seeing the lion begin biting the car tyre: 'There was an almighty bang and the lion investigating the car ran off in fright.

'It took a second to register what had happened but once we had, the intensity of laughter tripled.

'We laughed and laughed and only after a monumental giggling session did we realised that perhaps this situation was not so funny for occupants of the affected vehicle.

'We then went over to investigate and offer a helping hand.

'To my shock one of the people in the now three-wheeled car was a prefect at my school, an older cool boy, who I otherwise would never have interacted with outside of school.

'Once the shock had faded, my dad began helping to change the tyre. We made sure we were as far away from the lions as the car with the flat tyre could manage.

'The tyre changing went as smoothly as could be expected in such a setting and we managed to make it to breakfast no more than 3 and a half hours late.'