Hello and welcome! In today’s trending news stories;
1. The Nigerian Immigration Service has arrested Obi Levi Obieze, a well-known herbalist from Enugu State, for his alleged involvement in abduction, ritual killings, and the discovery of corpses in a shrine linked to him. Obieze, also known as Levi Obu Onyeka or “Ezeani,” was caught at the Gbaji checkpoint in Lagos while trying to flee Nigeria on a motorcycle. His arrest followed the discovery of decomposing bodies in a concrete-sealed pit at an uncompleted building used as a shrine in his village.
Local vigilantes and security personnel uncovered the site while searching for a missing 13-year-old girl, who was rescued just in time. Three accomplices were earlier arrested, while Obieze had initially escaped. Authorities say Obieze has admitted to the crimes and is now in custody pending transfer to police for further investigation.
2. President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Sidi Tah on his election as the next President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), succeeding Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina in September. In a phone call with Mauritania’s President Mohamed El Ghazouani, Tinubu praised the transparent selection process and highlighted Tah’s qualifications, including his past roles as Mauritania’s Finance Minister and head of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
3. Tragedy struck in Aba, Abia State, when a large billboard collapsed during a storm, killing 27-year-old Mr. Destiny Uguru and injuring eight others. Uguru, seeking shelter from the rain in a tricycle, died instantly, leaving behind two children and a heavily pregnant wife. The incident occurred near the Aba Salad Market on Aba-Owerri Road.
Eyewitness Chinedu Nwaibo, a relative of the deceased, recounted how others narrowly escaped by choosing to remain in a nearby shanty. He appealed to the government for support for the victims. Abia State signage agency head, Victoria Onwubiko, described the event as deeply saddening, stating the risks posed by poorly secured structures during harsh weather.
4. The Anambra State Police Command has increased security patrols around key infrastructure and major locations in preparation for the May 30 sit-at-home order declared by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), meant to commemorate those who died in the 1967–1970 Civil War. Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga stated that joint forces, including the DSS, NSCDC, FRSC, Army, and Navy, support the operation. He said the deployment follows a security meeting to prevent disruption from groups described as criminal elements.
Commissioner of Police Ikioye Orutugu acknowledged the support from Anambra residents in rejecting actions that threaten public order. Strategic points in cities such as Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi, Ihiala, and Oraifite are now under increased surveillance. Authorities aim to deter violence, reassure residents, and ensure public safety during the period.
5. The Anambra State government has removed child beggars and street hawkers from Awka, the state capital, and plans to enroll them in school at government expense. The Awka Capital Territory Development Authority (ACTDA) stated that street children in the city will no longer be tolerated. It warned the public against giving them alms in public spaces, describing such acts as encouraging disorder.
The agency advised that charitable donations should go through registered organizations like orphanages or NGOs. It also warned individuals who exploit children for street vending that legal action will be taken against them. Supporting the initiative, the Child Care Initiative (CCI), an NGO, praised the move as a step toward curbing the rise of street crime and urged families to utilize government programs like free education and vocational training.
6. FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Senator Ireti Kingibe erupted a political clash over the recent sealing of Abuja properties due to unpaid ground rent. Kingibe criticized the move as unconstitutional and insensitive, citing the lack of due process and economic hardship. She argued that the law prescribes fines, not property closures, for such defaults.
Wike’s aide responded by calling her stance legally ignorant and politically motivated. She insisted that unpaid ground rent breaches land ownership terms and justifies enforcement, despite President Tinubu’s 14-day grace period for defaulters.
7. A South African mother, Racquel “Kelly” Smith, and two men, her boyfriend, Jacquen Appollis, and friend, Steveno van Rhyn, have been sentenced to life in prison for trafficking Smith’s 6-year-old daughter, Joshlin Smith, who went missing in February 2024 and remains unaccounted for.
The trio was found guilty of kidnapping and trafficking after evidence suggested Smith may have sold her daughter to a traditional healer for ritual purposes. A neighbor testified that Smith admitted to the plan and tried to buy her silence. The judge, citing the defendants’ lack of remorse and the disturbing nature of the crime, imposed the maximum sentence. Drug use by the convicts was rejected as a mitigating factor.
