A middle-aged man, Tartor Ayihe has reportedly committed suicide after allegedly selling a plot of land to three different buyers at Ayihe village, Makurdi Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State.

The deceased was reported to have drank a poisonous substance believed to be a snipper to take his own life.

Narrating the incident, a source in the community who preferred anonymity said the deceased took his own life Wednesday evening after he was asked by the community leaders to give a detailed account of how he sold the piece of land to three different buyers.

According to the witness, “After it was discovered that he sold a piece of family land to three different buyers, the matter was reported to the Kindred Head by those he deceived into buying the land.

“He was summoned to the home of the Kindred Head alongside the buyers. They all assembled for the matter to be addressed. But he suddenly left the meeting venue in the pretence that he wanted to pick something from his residence.

“We later heard that he rather went to provision stores to purchase poisonous chemicals believed to be snippers which he took home and drank, after switching off the phone.

“And after waiting for him for about an hour, people were sent to go and bring him back to the venue. But on getting to his home he was discovered motionless and empty bottles of the chemical he consumed littered the place. He was immediately rushed to the hospital but was already dead at the time of getting to the hospital.”

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent, CSP, Catherine Anene who confirmed the incident said, “Our operatives have been sent there to find out what happened.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed a 13-count charge against Oba Otudeko, a former chairman of First Bank Nigeria (FBN), and three others over alleged fraud.

The three other defendants are Stephen Olabisi Onasanya, a former group managing director of FBN; Soji Akintayo, an ex-board member of Honeywell Flour Mills plc; and Anchorage Limited, a company linked to Otudeko.

The anti-graft agency filed the charges at the federal high court in Lagos on Thursday.

The EFCC said the defendants will be arraigned on Monday.

In the charge sheet seen by TheCable, the EFCC accused Otudeko and the other defendants of obtaining tranches of loans—N12.3 billion, N5.2 billion, N6.2 billion, N6.1 billion, and N1.5 billion—from First Bank under the pretence that the funds were obtained by some firms.

The anti-graft agency said the credit facilities were obtained between 2013 and 2014.

“That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO AND ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves to obtain the sum of N12,300,000,000.00 (Twelve Billion, Three Hundred Million Naira Only), from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V-TECH DYNAMIC LINKS LIMITED and Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act,” the first count reads.

“That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO, and ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED, on or about 26th day of November, 2013 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court obtained the sum of N5,200,000,000,00 (Five Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira Only), from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for by V- TECH DYNAMIC LINKS LIMITED which representation you know to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

“That you, CHIEF OBA OTUDEKO, STEPHEN OLABISI ONASANYA, SOJI AKINTAYO AND ANCHORAGE LEISURE LIMITED in between 2013 and 2014 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court obtained the total sum of N6,200,000,000,00 (Six Billion, Two Hundred Million Naira Only), from First Bank Limited on the pretence that the said sum represented credit facilities applied for and disbursed to Stallion Nigeria Limited, which representation you know to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

The anti-graft agency has also stated that there will be 12 witnesses for the trial.

The witnesses include three EFCC investigators and representatives of First Bank, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Stallion Nigeria, and V-tech Dynamics Limited.

Following the violent clash between students of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic and security operatives attached to the convoy of the Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, student leaders have demanded an apology from the deputy governor.

The students had hit the streets of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Wednesday to protest against the increase of school fees and the dissolution of the Students Union Government.

They were reportedly marching to the Governor’s Office when the clash happened in the OPIC area of Oke Ilewo.

However, during a press briefing on Thursday, Francis Adeyanju, the Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Ogun Joint Campus Committee, asked the state governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to investigate the alleged shooting of protesting students by the security operatives.

Adeyanju said the claim by the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, that the students attacked the convoy was inaccurate and false.

He said Akinmade’s statement on the incident was a deliberate attempt to give the students a bad name.

Contrary to the claim that the protesting students broke into the Deputy Governor’s convoy and attacked her with cudgels and other dangerous weapons, the student leader said it was the security operatives attached to the convoy that opened fire on the students.

Adeyanju said, “The students, who were on their way to the Governor’s Office in Oke Mosan, to present their grievances, met the convoy of the deputy governor at Oke Ilewo and never surged towards her.

“Rather, they were singing and chanting the Aluta songs to let the deputy governor also know their predicament.

“Alas! The show of love and respect for the deputy governor by the students was misconstrued by the overzealous and trigger-happy security in her convoy, who instead of observing the situation properly, decided to open fire on the defenceless students.

“The first shot fired grazed the arm of a NANS leader, while others scampered for safety.

“Having realized their folly, however, the convoy quickly made a U-turn. Nevertheless, gunshots continued to rend the air. It was the God Almighty who protected the students from lethal assault by these security operatives.

“We have video evidence and tell-tale signs to back our assertions. Onlookers who witnessed the event at Oke Ilewo yesterday can also testify to this.

“In fact, some of the vehicles in the convoy were damaged as they hit one another when the drivers were trying to make a detour after the security details fired volleys of live bullets at the students.”

On behalf of his fellow students, Adeyanju demanded an unreserved apology from the deputy governor and a retraction of the alleged falsehood peddled against the students over the incident.

“We hereby, demand an apology from the deputy governor as well as retraction of falsehood hewn against the NANS, by her office, within 24 hours.”

According to him, failure to comply with their demands would lead to massive student protests in the state.

“Failure to comply with our demands, the NANS in Ogun State will mobilize en masse, students across the six zones of the apex student body and march in protest against the injustice, unwarranted and unprovoked attacks on students on peaceful protest, by the convoy of the deputy governor,” he said.