Metro
Mother found guilty of killing three daughters
A jury in New Zealand found a South African woman guilty on Wednesday of murdering her three young daughters, saying she faced a life sentence for each killing.
Lauren Anne Dickason killed her two-year-old twins and their six-year-old sister in September 2021 at their home in Timaru, a city on the South Island, about a month after the family had migrated from South Africa.
Local media reported that a majority verdict by a jury of eight women and four men said Dickason was not insane at the time of the killings and was guilty of murder, following a month-long high court trial in the city of Christchurch.
Her husband Graham had found the three children dead and his wife in a serious condition upon arriving home after a dinner with colleagues, the report said.
The prosecution said Dickason knew when she killed her daughters that what she was doing was morally wrong and the act was murder, it added.
Some of the jury were heard crying as they left the courtroom, the media report said.
The judge, Cameron Mander, remanded Dickason to custody in a hospital psychiatric unit until her sentencing.
Metro
YULETIDE: Oborevwori’s aide, Umuakpo, doles out rice, cash gifts to Delta residents
Executive Assistant to the Governor of Delta State, on Education Monitoring, Comrade Ovie Umuakpo, has provided rice, ground nut oil and cash gifts to over 500 households in Aradhe, Ellu and Ovrode communities in Isoko North Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during the presentation, Umuakpo, said the gesture was to celebrate Christmas and new year with his people and to thank them for their support to the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori administration and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the years.
Umuakpo, who appreciated God for the opportunity to give to his people in the Christmas season, promised to pay for the JAMB registration forms for students from the Ward.
While thanking the people for coming out to receive him and for accepting his gifts, Umuakpo, charged his supporters and the good people of Isoko nation to continue supporting the Governor, Rt. Hon. Sherrif Oborevwori to effectively implement his M.O.R.E. Agenda.
He commended Governor Oborevwori for giving him and other sons and daughters of Ellu/Aradhe/Ovrode Ward, the opportunity to serve in his government and also lauded Governor Oborevwori for establishing the College of Health Technology in Ovrode.
On his part, Chief Simon Okata, the President-General of Ovrode community, praised the thoughtfulness of Comrade Umuakpo for sharing with his people at a time like this.
His counterpart in Ellu, Chief Humphrey Odhe also thanked Comrade Ovie Umuakpo for his uncommon show of love and kindness to the people.
President-General of Aradhe community, Chief Edward Efekpokpo who was elated with the kind gesture of Comrade Ovie Umuakpo, appealed to all sons and daughters to queue behind him as he continues to advance the cause of the community politically.
Metro
‘He was tied, beheaded alive’ – Police uncovers gruesome land fraud and murder
The Delta State Police Command has uncovered a gruesome murder stemming from a land transaction gone wrong.
In a statement posted on his official X account (formerly Twitter), SP Bright Edafe, the Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Police Command, detailed the horrific series of events leading to the murder of a man identified as Efe.
The exact words of the Police PRO read, “Efe advertised a building for his friend Paulinus, after collecting thirty million naira from Paulinus, he diverted the money, bought two lands, and used his friend’s money to build a house for himself. When Paulinus asked Efe for his property, Efe contacted the three other suspects to kill him.
He further added that, “they tied Efe to a stake and beheaded him while he was alive and buried his head at a shrine. After killing him, Efe still collected over twenty million naira from the Paulinus family claiming he was kidnapped. What a wicked world”
The screenshot above shows the tweet of the officer of the law.
Opera News
Metro
EXPOSED: Meet 75-year-old Muslim cleric allegedly providing spiritual fortifications for Bandits
A cleric suspected to have provided spiritual fortification for bandits has been arrested.
He was apprehened by a local community watch group in Zamfara State.
Security analyst and counter insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, who disclosed this on Sunday, December 22, 2024, said the arrest took place following intelligence reports linking the cleric to a series of prayers purportedly aimed at aiding the success of criminal operations.
The vigilante group handed the suspect over to security forces for further investigation.
The cleric confessed to have been providing “spiritual fortification” to bandit leaders, allegedly blessing their weapons and praying for the success of their mission.
Metro
Drama in Delta as father of five dies in fight over ₦500
A forty five year old man, Ukoliko Samuel, have died after a minor dispute over ₦500 degenerated into a fight with a friend.
The incident, which occurred on December 7th in Okpare Community, Isoko South LGA, Delta state have left the community in shock.
The deceased, a father of five, accused his alleged assailant, Othuke Aaron, of not protecting his interest at a party where money was shared among invitees.
According to a relative of the deceased, Mr Nduka, said Samuel and Aaron attended a party in the company of three other friends.
He said the group sat at the same table and were entertained with drinks, adding that the friends received ₦2,500 (money traditionally shared equally among the five attendees).
He said, “When they got there, they were entertained with drinks, and they now supported them with kola money of ₦2,500. Ukoliko Samuel told his friend, Othuke Aaron, that he had to attend to some issues and would be back. Later, when Samuel returned, he discovered that the others, including his friend Aaron, had left.”
“Upon meeting Aaron, Samuel inquired about his ₦500 share of the money, explaining that it was his rightful portion since the gift was meant to be divided among the five of them. Aaron, however, claimed he had not been given any money to share and advised Samuel to ask the person who distributed it.”
“Samuel insisted that Aaron should have collected his share on his behalf, considering their close relationship and the fact that he had informed Aaron of his temporary absence. This disagreement quickly escalated into a heated argument and eventually turned physical.”
In the course of the fight, Aaron reportedly ran into his house, put on a ring, and returned to confront Samuel. He punched Samuel, who fell on the tarred road and lost consciousness. His nose, ears, and mouth started bringing out blood. He was rushed to a hospital in Oleh, where he was confirmed dead. It was the doctor who called the Police in Oleh.”
Aaron, who was among those who rushed Samuel to the hospital, was immediately arrested by the Oleh Police Division.
Continuing, “He spent four days at the station in Oleh before being transferred to the Police headquarters in Asaba.”
Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Edafe Bright, a Superintendent, confirmed the incident. He said investigations were ongoing.
He said, “We can confirm the incident, and preliminary investigations are being conducted to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic death.”
Metro
Man stabs mother to death for ‘being poor’, police reacts
A 22-year-old man identified as Godwin in the Elebele Community of Ogbia Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State has reportedly stabbed his mother to death.
The suspect was said to have stabbed her mother over allegations that she hindered his destiny.
Residents of the community said Godwin returned to the community few weeks ago after months of sojourn in Benin City, Edo State.
While some claimed that a pastor had warned the deceased of the impending danger, cautioning her not to accept strange gift from her son, others claimed the suspect returned with strange behaviour, making claims that one “Baba” had warned him that his destiny and wealth is held back by his deceased mother.
Confirming the incident, the Youth President of the Elebele Community, Comrade Precious Okala, said on arrival at the scene, they found a bloody corpse of the deceased, while the killer son was held and tied by the youths of the community.
He said: “We were told that since the boy came back from Benin City, Edo State, he has been behaving strangely. On the fateful day, he was reported to have had a struggle with his mother and stabbed her with a knife in the stomach.
“The boy was heard saying that one “Baba” had told him that the mother is in possession of his destiny and wealth”.
The Spokesman of the State Police Command, ASP Musa Mohammed, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for detailed investigation.
Metro
‘Ashes and heartbreak’ – Nine-year-old boy sets parents’ house ablaze
A nine-year-old boy has reportedly set his parents’ three-bedroom flat apartment, located at No. 52 Mandate Housing Estate, Ilorin, Kwara state on fire on Thursday.
It was gathered that the fire was accidentally caused by a nine-year-old child playing with matches, which ignited a mattress and escalated the blaze.
The incident that was confirmed by the head, Media and Publicity of the state Fire Service, Hakeem Adekunle, occurred when the young boy was playing with the matches.
The Fire Service official also recalled a fire incident which happened last year in the Ilorin metropolis, when a young boy completely razed down his parents’ house.
“When he heard the sound of his father’s car pulling into the driveway, panicked and afraid of being scolded, he quickly lit a firecracker and tossed it under the bed, thinking it would remain hidden,” he said.
“Moments later, his father walked in, oblivious to what had just happened. Excited to celebrate, the father decided to take the family out for some shopping. They locked the house and left, completely unaware of the smoldering danger spreading beneath the bed. By the time they returned, the fire had consumed the entire house, leaving nothing but ashes and heartbreak behind.”
Adekunle who said that the two incidents highlighted importance of vigilance and safety, urged parents to educate their children on the dangers of firecrackers and ensure they are used responsibly, if at all.
“Let us all work together to prevent such tragedies this festive season. As the festive season approaches, we must emphasize the dangers of firecrackers, commonly known as bangers.
“We strongly urge the public to prioritize safety at all times, especially, as children spend their holiday at home with limited supervision while many parents are at work,” he added.
He also urged parents and guardians to keep matches, lighters, and other flammable materials out of children’s reach as well as educate children on the dangers of playing with fire.
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