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Photo Of Fake Model Agents Who Lured Innocent Girls To Hotel, Robbed Them In Lagos

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According to a report by Punch Metro, two suspected fake model recruitment agents, Stanley Odachi and Chuks Oragwu, have been arrested for allegedly luring young girls to hotels and bars, and dispossessing them of their money and property.

It was learnt that the modus operandi of the suspects was to pose on the social media as model recruitment agents to lure teenage girls aspiring to become models.

It was gathered that after luring the victims to appointed venues, the suspects would collect their phones on the pretext of taking their pictures, which would be shown to their boss, and they would later disappear with the phones.

Punch Metro reports that the suspects were arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad while luring another victim to a hotel in the Igando area of Lagos State.

It was learnt that as of the time of the suspects’ arrest, about five girls had reported to the police that the suspects absconded with their phones and money on the pretext of registering them for modelling jobs.

The victims, in their statements to the police, stated that they met the suspects on Instagram through which they requested young models to enlist with their agency for modelling contracts.

One of the victims, identified simply as Betty, told the police that she saw an advertisement on Oragwu’s Instagram handle, @Benitamodellers, requesting models to register for a contract.

She said, “I sent a friend request to him. We got chatting. Eventually, my friend and I were asked to show up at a shopping complex opposite the International Trade Fair Complex, Lagos-Badagry Expressway. We were four girls in attendance.

“When we got there, Oragwu conned us into surrendering our mobile phones after making us fill a form and taking our measurements. He took pictures of each of us with our phones. He told us he was taking the photos to his boss upstairs and that was the last time we saw him.”

Another victim, who is an undergraduate of a private university, also told the police that the suspects, who acted as the manager and personal assistant to the manager of the agency, collected N50,000 and an iPhone from her when she visited them at a hotel in Igando.

The leader of the gang, Odachi, in his statement to the police, said he opened an Instagram account, @boldandbeautiful, sometime in 2018 to attract young models.

He stated, “I created an advertisement on the page requesting young models within an age limit. With time, I started getting followership from young models seeking contracts. I engaged them through the handle. I gave them my phone contact and we would arrange meetings with them. I use big shopping complexes, bars, restaurants and hotels as our meeting venues. Most of our meeting venues were around Ojo, Igando and Ajegunle.

“When the victims were gathered, we made them fill forms. We measured them and persuaded them to surrender their phones to us to take their pictures so that we could show our boss. At times, we might be unlucky that some of them would decline to release their mobile phones to us.

“Apparently, our targets were their mobile phones. For those who would release them, we used to take the phones upstairs and from there we would flee.

“When my Instagram handle was blocked, I teamed up with Oragwu, who acted as my personal assistant whenever it was my deal and we interchanged roles whenever it was his deal. He has his own Instagram handle, @benitamodellers, which has not been blocked.

“We sell the phones to one Emeka Mmegwa, who resells them at the Alaba International Market. We don’t normally request money except on a few instances.”

It was learnt that the suspects had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.

Reacting to the incident, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, urged residents to be mindful of the kind of business transactions they engage in on the social media, adding that Lagos would not be a breeding ground for criminals.

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Senator Ifeanyi Ubah dies at 52

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The Senator representing Anambra South in the National Assembly, Ifeanyi Ubah, is dead.

Ubah, who was the Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil, was said to have died in a hotel in London, the United Kingdom, on Saturday.

He would have been 53 on September 3.

Senate spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, confirmed Ubah’s death to our correspondent on Saturday.

He said, “It’s confirmed, but I am sending an official statement soon.”

Ubah, who was re-elected into the 10th Senate under the Young Peoples Party, had last year defected to the All Progressive Congress.

In September 2022, Ubah escaped assassination when he was attacked by gunmen on his way to Nnewi in Enugwu-Ukwu in Anambra State.

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JUST IN: Edo state Assembly impeaches Deputy Governor Shaibu

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The Edo State House of Assembly, on Monday, impeached the state’s Deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu.

The impeachment followed the adoption of the report of the seven-man investigative panel set up by the Assembly to probe allegations of misconduct against Shaibu.

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JUST IN: Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun joins ancestors at 81

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The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun has joined his ancestors after a brief illness.

He joined his ancestors at the age of 81.

It was gathered that the late monarch was taken to the hospital Wednesday morning having stayed indoor throughout Tuesday on account of slight malaria fever, though, he was hail and hearty on Monday during which he personally received few guests that paid him congratulatory visits on his second year anniversary on that day.

Making this announcement was the Baba-Kekere Olubadan and his younger brother, Dr Kola Balogun in a statement by the Personal Assistant (Media) to the late monarch, Oladele Ogunsola.

According to the statement, Dr. Balogun disclosed that Oba Balogun would be buried at his Aliiwo ancestral home by 4.00pm on Friday according to Islamic rites just as he said that the State Governor Seyi Makinde, though already verbally informed, would be formally notified early in the morning.

The late Olubadan was the first most educated to have emerged as Ibadan monarch, a British trained P.hd holder, a former university lecturer, former member of management staff of Shell British Petroleum, former gubernatorial candidate of the defunct Nigeria People’s Party, NPP, former Senator and a successful business man.

His last official outing was the Olubadan Advisory Council’s meeting which he presided over last Saturday where the decision to derobed Mogaji Akinsola, Olawale Oladoja was taken.

He however, on Tuesday instructed the Ekerin Olubadan, Oba Hamidu Ajibade to midwife a small committee to deliberate on last Friday’s decision on what should be the position of Ibadan Zone in the proposed newly reconstituted Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs.

The decision of the small committee was earlier on Thursday ratified by the Olubadan Advisory Council at a meeting presided over by Otun Olubadan and the former governor of Oyo State, High Chief Rashidi Ladoja and was to be taken to the late Oba Balogun for his signature Friday morning so as to meet the deadline for submission to the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters later in the day.

The late Olubadan is survived by wives, children and grandchildren.

Announcing the passage of the monarch, Governor Makinde, in a statement, stated that Olubadan, who joined his ancestors late Thursday evening at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, described him as an epitome of royal excellence and a great achiever, who made great marks on Ibadanland in just a little over two years of his reign.

He expressed his condolences to the Olubadan-in-Council, the Oyo State Traditional Council and the people of Ibadanland and Oyo State, praying to God to grant repose to the soul of the deceased monarch.

Makinde said: “With total submission to the will of God, I announce the passing unto glory of our father, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Dr. Mohood Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, the 42nd Olubadan of Ibadanland.

“A mighty Iroko has fallen; Oba Dr. Balogun has joined the ancestors.

“In Kabiyesi, Ibadanland had a cosmopolitan and well-experienced Olubadan, who made indelible marks on the sands of history and achieved greatly within a short while.

“On behalf of the Government and good People of Oyo State, I condole with the immediate family of the Oba Dr. Balogun, the Olubadan-in-Council, the Oyo State Traditional Council and the people of Ibadanland.

“It is my prayer that God grants repose to the soul of our late monarch.”

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