PROSTITUTION: ITALIAN AUTHORITIES SET TO CHECKMATE 12,000 NIGERIAN PROSTITUTES IN ITALY ! (PHOTOS)

 The Italian authorities are now set to checkmate the nightmare stirred by about 12,000 prostitutes from Nigeria who arrived Italy between 2015 and 2016.

Data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) shows – a six-fold increase on the previous two years. Almost 80 percent of the young women are victims of trafficking, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), placing law enforcement agencies under pressure to uproot expanding Nigerian criminal networks, lawyers say.

When prosecutor Lina Trovato of Italy first came across a sex trafficking suspect called “Mummy”i.e female boss, back in the West African state, she sensed she was onto something especially sinister.

“If one of the (trafficked sex worker) girls went astray, the agents in Italy always informed ‘Mummy’ – otherwise known as the Queen Bee of Nigerian trafficking – so she could keep them in line,” Trovato told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Arrests are being made in cities across Italy, to checkmate the growth of prostitution in the country.

 According to Italian police, Nigerian crime gangs have proliferated in Italy, controlling an extensive network of prostitutes and ordering them “on demand” from Nigeria, Italian police.  But now the Nigerian gangs, who have been active in Italy for more than a decade, are taking on increasingly violent tactics, including knife crime and even forging close relations with notorious mafia groups, the Cosa Nostra and the Camorra, law enforcement agencies in Italy say.

Nigerian prostitutes frequently end up working as recruiters or “madams” for new arrivals from Africa, prosecutors say.

Nigerian prostitutes in Italy use makeshift chalets in outskirts of the city. These former sex workers  ( now 'madams') help with the logistics of slavery, driving trafficking  victims to the cities where they become prostitutes, Trovato said. But trends are changing.
“The people who export (Nigerian victims) are in other countries,” Spedale said. “But there is a mastermind controlling it in Italy. It exists.”

 When asked questions about the illegal trade run by Nigerians, many stick to the code of silence, in a bid not to incur the wrath of gangs controlling the sex racket.
At night, a few hundred meters away, West African women in short-cut dresses plied their trade in dimly lit streets alongside the port. Many work for pimps who remain out of sight, local campaigners say. But the killing in 2011 of one Nigerian trafficking victim still strikes fear in the community.

“Favour” Nike Adekune was murdered in Palermo’s historic center in a crime that shocked the 500-strong Nigerian community, according to Nino Rocca, a local rights activist. Adekune – from Benin City in Nigeria’s southern Edo state – had been working as a sex worker to pay off debts to her pimps, Rocca said. After one of Adekune’s clients was convicted of her murder, something mysterious happened to her body, he said.

Black magic or “juju” rituals,plays a great role in the sex trade, most ladies have to undergo rituals before they are trafficked to Italy.... pubic hair, fingernails and blood collected from trafficking victims as they are made to swear never to report their situation to authorities, rights groups say.

“One woman we spoke to was made to swallow an egg whole,” Kevin Hyland, Britain’s anti-slavery commissioner, said in an interview in London. “It obviously had some kind of drug in it: She was raped daily.”

Victims of sex trafficking often do not want to point the finger at the madams or pimps because they are worried about repercussions or juju, Catania-based prosecutor Lino Trovato said.

MY JOB IS TO DUPE PEOPLE LOOKING FOR FRUIT OF THE WOMB...AND QUICK MONEY~~FAKE HERBALIST SAYS (PHOTOS)

4-man-gang of fraudsters

 A suspected fraudster, Segun Akuntola,aka Okadigbo, has told operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Ikeja, Lagos State Police Command that he specialized in defrauding people seeking for fruit of the womb and money ritual.
Police accused him of being a leader of a 4-man-gang of fraudsters, but Akuntola vehemently denied it.

Akuntola, while admitting to being a fraudster, pretending to be a herb seller in parts of the metropolis, denied being the leader of the syndicate.
He said:  “It’s true they used my shrine and office. They bring their victims there but everybody operated on their own. They all assemble there but everybody managed their group.  Although, the fake dollars they use are mine but I don’t know anything about this job for which they were arrested. I operated by selling herbs but I market quick money rituals to people as well as herbs for people looking for children. I do spiritual bath for clients and that is how I defraud people and make my money.”

Preliminary revealed that Akuntola is the arrow head of several syndicates of fraudsters operating in different parts of Lagos State and some parts of Ogun State.
The members of his syndicate allegedly used to report to his shrine regularly, where their nefarious activities were always planned.

Christian Odokor, 43. , in his confessional statement said: "We robbed Joy about a year ago. We took all she had from her, including the sum of N300, 000:00. We also took recharge cards of all networks worth N120, 000:00 Akuntola is our master whom most of us report to at least thrice in a week. All of us, about nine groups that I know report to him. We operated in different parts of the metropolis.”
Odokor continued: "Akuntola is so powerful and fiery that no police dare to arrest him. Now, I was shocked seeing him here with us in your custody.”

Segun Akuntola

 Another gang member, Toyin Idebi, 25, said that greed made her to join the gang two years ago.
She added:  "I was a stylist and doing well before I joined them. When I saw how they were spending money on ladies like me, then I moved closer to them to know their secret. Initially, they were reluctant to tell me their job as they just told me they were into export and import business. I pressed on till one of them asked me if I could keep a secret. He opened up and I joined them.”

She further narrated: "My main job is to act as someone who was carrying foreign currencies and doesn’t know her destination. The currencies are fake; I don’t how Akuntola got them.”
The victim, Joy, said: “It was on Wednesday afternoon, January 13th, 2016; I was on my way to market. The lady among them flagged me down by calling Sabo passengers from Ikorodu garage. When I saw the lady sitting and calling for prospective passengers, I never thought otherwise. Immediately I hopped in and sat down beside her. I saw three other men inside the car.

“Suddenly as we were progressing, the lady begged me to help her with my phone to make phone calls giving excuse that she had no call card on hers. As a lady, I handed over my phone to her. She made two separate calls with my phone. As we moved a bit far more, the driver diverted to unknown destination.

“I queried the driver, but he refused to respond. Suddenly, they pulled over in the middle of the way. The driver pointed a gun at me and the lady showed me knife. She ordered me to cooperate.  They ransacked my bag and removed the whole money with the recharge cards, and then sped off.”

TURKISH COLLEGE KIDNAP UPDATE;KIDNAPPERS REFUSE TO RELEASE THE VICTIMS AFTER COLLECTING N10 MILLION RANSOM !

The kidnappers who stormed Nigerian Turkish International School and made away with 3 pupils and 5 staff have failed to release the victims even after collecting 10 million Naira ransom.

It was gathered that on Friday night, relatives of those kidnapped were directed by the kidnappers to go to Ogun State, some others were directed to Ondo state and there were those asked to go to Agboju in Lagos state to reunite with their loved ones and were warned not to receive phone calls while at the venue. After the unsuccessful attempt at recovery on Friday, the kidnappers promised to release their victims on Saturday night, however, they failed on their promise again.

One of the relatives who asked not to be named said that her family paid N5 million to the kidnappers.

“What else do they want us to do? We paid N5 million and yet they have refused to release my little girl. This is the ninth day and the longest of all such incidents in schools ever witnessed. Is this a repeat of Chibok girls abduction?" The woman said.

“The most annoying part is that the Ogun State government seems to be adamant over this. Apart from the day the Deputy Governor visited the school and assured us that they would be released, nothing has been heard from the government. One would have expected that such kidnap in a foreign school should be given the needed attention, so as to redeem our image internationally, but no! They have left us to our fate because it is not their children that are involved." She continued.

“The police keep assuring us that they would release them. How long do they want us to wait, for eternity?”

The spokesman for Ogun command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), in a statement revealed that security forces were closing in on the kidnappers.

“We are very optimistic. We believe that we would rescue the girls soon. It is not true that we have not been talking with the parents. How can we abandon them? It will be unfair for any parent to say so because it is far from the truth. The only thing is that we can not reveal the strategy we are taking because that may jeopardise our efforts,” He said.

DEALER ARRESTED WITH $1.4 MILLION WORTH OF DRUG @ ABUJA AIRPORT SAYS "THIS IS MY FIRST TIME" !

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, have arrested one Ifeka Charles Obi,47,textile dealer with 4.4kg of methamphetamine, bound for Cambodia.


According to a statement signed by Mr. Mitchell Ofoyeju, NDLEA spokesman,the suspect concealed the drug, estimated to have a street value of $1.4 million, in food items, adding that the seizure was the first made this year by the agency at the NAIA.

Primary investigations by the NDLEA revealed that drug cartels are exploring new market and the drug costs $325, 000 per kilogram at its intended destination. Mr. Ofoyeju, however, assured that the agency had developed an adequate counter-strategy to the tricks of the cartels.

The suspect hails from Oba in Idemili South Local Government of Anambra State and was allegedly handed the drug in Lagos, but elected to travel through Abuja because the airport is perceived to have less stringent scrutiny. The suspect’s travel expenses were taken care of by his sponsors, who promised to pay him  N1 million upon successful delivery of the drug.

NDLEA Commander at the airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan, said that the drug was detected during the outward screening of passengers on an Ethiopian Airlines flight.

“"he 40 parcels of suspected whitish substance found on the suspect, Ifeka Charles Obi, 47 years old tested positive for methamphetamine with a total weight of 4.4kgs. The drug was hidden in foodstuff, but we were able to detect it and the suspect also apprehended," Mr. Lawan said.
The suspect was said to have confessed to the crime, saying he was pushed into the illicit trade because his business collapsed.

He further revealed that it was the first time he was engaging in such dastardly act. "This is my first time of smuggling drugs, and I agreed to do it so as to get money for my textile business. They promised to pay me N1 million with all-expenses paid trip to Cambodia. The drug was carefully hidden in foodstuffs. Still it was detected. I accept everything as my fate," he said.
Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Colonel Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.), expressed confidence in the agency's capacity to curtail drug peddlers and called on stakeholders to remain steadfast in their approach. He assured that more drug cartels would be dismantled in the course of the year.

TWO FEMALE DEEPER LIFE MEMBERS FIGHT PUBLICLY OVER HUSBAND SNATCHING IN LAGOS !

Two married female members of the Deeper Life Church in Isolo have been brought before an Isolo Magistrate court in Lagos over an allegation of husband snatching and public fighting.

The women whose names were given as Nwazema Oluchukwu, 58,and  Chizoba Alloy Njoku, 34, were charged before Isolo Magistrate’s court by the police for fighting over Chizoba’s husband, Alloy Benson Njoku.


Both women, who worship in the same branch of the church and hail from Owerri in Imo State, were separately married with children to different men.

While Chizoba is married to Benson, Oluchukwu alleged that Benson was her lover, who she introduced to Chizoba while she was married to another man.

She further explained to the court that Benson and Chizoba were merely cohabiting despite the fact that they had three children because they did not contract any marriage as Christians or as Igbo culture demands.

Oluchukwu, a senior member of the church, was said to have decided to take Benson back when her own marriage reportedly crashed. The fight broke out when Chizoba decided not to let Benson go.

Benson had moved into Oluchukwu’s house at 16 Panada Street, Isolo Lagos, after he allegedly deceived his wife, Chizoba that he was traveling on a business trip outside Lagos.

However, the matter got out of hands when Chizoba was informed that Benson had been in Oluchukwu’s house since the time he told her that he was going on a business trip outside Lagos.This resulted a heavy fight between the two women until a police patrol team passing-by stopped and arrested the two women and took them to the station.


They were charged before Isolo Magistrate’s court for conduct likely to cause breach of public peace under the Criminal Code.

The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.K. Shonubi granted them bail in the sum of N20,000 with one surety in like sum.

They were initially remanded in prison custody and were released after they perfected their bail condition.

The matter has been adjourned till 6the February 2017 for trial.

CHURCH LEADERS KICKING AGAINST FRCN ACT ARE THIEVES AND PENTECOSTAL CHARISMATIC RASCALS ! ~~BAKARE

The General Overseer of The Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare,on Sunday during his church service, has described those kicking against the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria Act, ‎2011 as money launderers, who are trying to cover their iniquities.

According to him, by opposing the law, church leaders were trying to prevent the public from knowing about acts of money laundering that they had indulge in by virtue of their positions.

Pastor Enoch Adeboye had earlier resigned as the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God as result of the new controversial law.

But Bakare flayed church leaders for their stance, saying, “I can testify that the law was explained to kingpins in the church, but now you want to get away because you want to cover your iniquity. You won’t get away with it.

“You want to get away because you have laundered money, and you are now trying to cover your yansh”.


Bakare, who doubles as the Convener of the Save Nigeria Group, praised the law, saying it was good for order and accountability in the church.

“I am a trained lawyer, I have read the law. The law specifically mentioned Chief Imams and pastors, that they can have lifelong terms. But it says you cannot be chief priest, chief treasurer, and chief administrator.”

He described church leaders who oppose the law as “pentecostal charismatic rascals” who want to do whatever they like even if the law says otherwise.

“You don’t want to comply with the law, then why did you register under the law? It is a spirit of lawlessness and the anti-Christ because the anti-Christ is a lawless spirit. The fact that I am quiet doesn’t mean I am stupid. I don’t fight useless battles”.

DEATH RUMOUR : PRESIDENCY RELEASES PICTURE OF PRESIDENT BUHARI HOLIDAYING IN UK

The presidency has released picture of President Muhammadu Buhari holidaying in the United Kingdom.

There was fear and confusion in the country during the weekend when report cropped up in a section of the media that the president has passed on at the age of 74.

To further confirm the report that the president was not dead, presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina on Monday morning released some pictures of the President watching him (Adesina) as a guest on Channels TV on Sunday.

In the pictures, Buhari was spotted donning a black kaftan and a black cap in a palour while watching Adesina on Channels Television.

He wrote on his official Facebook page, “As he holidays in London, President Muhammadu Buhari keeps abreast with events at home. On Sunday, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, was guest of Channels Television. President Buhari also kept a date, January 22, 2017."