
News
Awka stakeholders worry as cultists spread terror in Anambra
It is not the best of times for residents of Awka, Anambra State capital as cult related killings escalate in the city centre.
This has also become a source of concern to stakeholders of the town, to the point of crippling the city’s growing nightlife.
Recently, there have been several killings of young people in Awka, and most of those killed have also been identified as cultists.
Membership of cult groups in the city is said to be on the increase.
An Awka resident, Mr Uche Okafor said apart from undergraduate students, tricycle riders, bus drivers, idle youths and other artisans are now members of various cult groups.
Okafor said: “The main problem of cultism in Awka is not undergraduates; it is these unschooled boys, most of whom are idle. The main membership of cult groups in Awka are people you won’t suspect. All these tricycle riders, shuttle bus drivers and other artisans are all members of one cult or the other.

“It is like being a member of a cult has a status symbol, and announces you as a big boy. That is why you see all these brainwashed boys joining a cult everyday, despite the frequent killings.
“The main issue that has remained a problem, which is causing these killings is supremacy tussle, over ownership of loading pits and collection of revenue. Awka people know the sponsors of cult activities, but incidentally, these sponsors are also known big boys, who are benefactors to some people.”
Recently, there have been several killings in the State capital, which have all been linked to cult activities, even though many go unreported.
Most surprising was an incident in July, where a man identified as Mr Igwe Omeli, a known revenue collector was killed by suspected members of a rival cult group at the popular Eke Awka Market, his head severed off and body made away with.
The deceased was said to have arrived at Eke Awka market very early in the morning to resume his revenue collection job, when he sighted some boys, known to him as members of a rival cult and made to escape from them, but he was quickly gunned down, and in the midst of confusion that ensued, the assailants cut off his head and took it away, leaving behind his trunk which was later evacuated.
Just last week, a popular musician identified as Chinedu Alusi was also killed by suspected cultists. He was shot dead in front of his residence as he ventured out of his compound on Monday morning. He was accused of being an informant to a particular cult group, and said to have been leaking information to them, against another group.
A source, who said he witnessed the killing, said: “What is happening in Awka is not a joke. Once you’re a member of a cult group, they will kill you. The best thing is not to be a member at all.
“I wonder why people are joining a cult. There is no money to be made from being a cult member, and the problem in Awka is getting out of hand; people are killed everyday, yet some other people are still joining.
“This is a guy who was so talented in Ogene music, but see how they just wasted him,” the source said.
Meanwhile stakeholders of the various communities have started seeking solutions to the frequent killings.
The member representing Awka South I State Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon Henry Mbachu during a recent meeting of leaders of Awka, Okpuno and Ifite, which make up Awka South I State Constituency called on them to join hands to tackle cult killings in Awka.
He said: “We have to come together to seek an end to the constant cult killings witnessed in Awka. Whether anyone likes it or not, we have our own blames for the things that are happening in Awka today.
“Everyday we wake up to news of cult killings. It is either by our action or inaction. Infiltration by outsiders is also a problem for us. We have a lot of outsiders, who have infiltrated us. These are the matters we must treat for us to end these killings.”
The stakeholders agreed to schedule a new date to set out ways to tackle the problem of cultism in the city.
On the other hand, Anambra State Police command has also issued warning to cultists in the city, with the Commissioner of police, CP Aderemi Adeoye vowing to arrest all the cultists in the State capital.
Adeoye said the command had launched a new operation, and that all cult members in the city would be arrested.
The commissioner sounded worried about the high level of cult activities in the city, while giving assurance that sanity would be restored in the city.
He described cultists as murderers who were not fit to live among decent human beings in the society, stating that they have sponsors, who always came to their aid anytime they were in trouble, but stated that the command would not listen to such person’s intervention for release of any arrested cultist.
“The Police Command will come down very hard on these heartless cultists who take pleasure in killing people. We warn that no one should call us for the release of any cultist arrested in the coming clampdown, except they want to be disgraced.
“There will be an all out operation against cultists and their sponsors in the State.
“We assure the good people of Anambra State that their peace and tranquillity that was punctured by the recent cult-related killings in the capital will soon be restored.
“We solicit the cooperation of all law-abiding citizens in ridding the society of the menace of cultism,” Adeoye assured. (Daily Post)
News
PFIPC: Adeyemi’s father arrested as police intensify forgery probe
The father of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, who is facing criminal charges over alleged forgery and impersonation, was reportedly arrested by police operatives on Monday in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
Residents told journalists that the arrest took place at the family’s residence, where officers reportedly arrived in several vehicles before taking Adeniyi’s father and another man said to have been visiting the home into custody.
Witnesses said the operation drew the attention of residents and caused anxiety within the household, particularly for the suspect’s elderly mother.
A resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the officers quickly secured the premises and left with the two men, while a security presence remained in the area for some time after the operation.
Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi is currently standing trial over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences arising from claims linked to the purported Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council.
The case is pending before the court.

As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Police Command had not issued an official statement confirming or explaining the reported arrests.
News
Tiktoker, Peller, arraigned in court for threatening and videoing police officers on duty; granted 500k bail
The Lagos state police command today July 6 arraigned popular TikToker, Habeeb Hamzat aka Peller, and one other, Bello Oladipo, before a magistrate court on a three-count charge bordering on resisting police officers, obstructing them from carrying out their duties, and threatening and videoing police officers while performing their lawful duties.
Recall that on July 2, Peller clashed with some officers along the Coastal road in Lagos after he was intercepted for allegedly driving a car without a plate number.
Peller had claimed he had just purchased the vehicle.
The officers, however, dismissed his claim and insisted he must be taken to the station. Things, however, took a different turn after Peller began recording his interaction with the police officers.
He claimed the officers became hostile to him. He alleged that one of the officers dragged his shirt and even pointed a gun at him.
Monday morning, both Peller and his friend, who was in the vehicle with him, were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate court.

Count one of the charges reads:
‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m” of No. 16,Platinum Road Lekki phase 2 , on the 2” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Resisting public officers and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.
COUNT 2
‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m “ of Number 16, Platinum Road, Lekki Phase 2, on the 2’” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable court did obstruct one ASP Agbede Victor and three other police officers while engaged in the discharge of their constituted duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable by Section 117 (1)(2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
The court subsequently granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be a bl++d relative. The court also directed them to present two years’ tax clearance certificates as part of their bail conditions.
News
Tinubu orders probe of Meta, Google, X, AI Platforms over use of Nigerian Media Content
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations that they are exploiting the content of Nigerian media organisations and engaging in anti-competitive practices.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), a coalition comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
According to the FCCPC, the investigation will focus on technology giants including Meta, Alphabet, Google’s parent company, X (formerly Twitter), and other Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Monday by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the Commission said the investigation was initiated following concerns that some digital platforms may have violated Nigeria’s competition laws while benefiting commercially from the work of local media organisations.
For years, Nigerian publishers have argued that global technology companies profit from news content produced at significant cost without providing fair financial returns to the organisations responsible for creating it.
The FCCPC said the inquiry would examine allegations of anti-competitive conduct, abuse of market dominance and the unauthorised extraction, scraping and commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic works for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The Commission will also investigate claims that Nigerian publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair licensing agreements and appropriate compensation for the use of their content.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the investigation would be transparent, impartial and guided solely by evidence.

“We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent and consistent with Nigerian law,” Bello said.
He emphasised that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt against any company.
“This inquiry is not directed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully examine the facts, hear from all affected parties and determine whether any conduct has resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices. Every party will have a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached,” he added.
The FCCPC said it would determine whether the alleged practices breach the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable legislation.
The probe comes at a time when governments across the world are introducing measures to ensure technology companies compensate publishers for the use of news content. In South Africa, for example, Google agreed to pay local news organisations hundreds of millions of rand annually following regulatory intervention.
The Nigerian investigation also follows the FCCPC’s recent legal battle with Meta, which resulted in a $220 million penalty over alleged violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws, including data privacy breaches. The company is challenging the decision on appeal.
If the investigation confirms the allegations, it could significantly reshape the relationship between global technology companies and Nigeria’s media industry, while setting new standards for digital competition, copyright protection and the commercial use of journalistic content.
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