Date Published: 05/26/09

Ritual Murder: Ritualist accuses Police Commissioner of collecting $1500 bribe

Inspector General of Police: Mike Okiro

A fresh bribery scandal has surfaced in the on going phantom arraignment of Lagos investigative reporter, Mr. Steve Ugwu-Chinua against Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Marvelous Akpoyibo. Mr. Akpoyibo is accused of collecting a sum of N200, 000 about $1500 to drop charges against the lead ritualist Alhaji Rasheed Alayande in the protracted case of murder been levied against Vanguard Newspaper Publisher’s wife, Mrs. Oyindamola Amuka.

According to sources Alhaji Alayande, the suspected ritualist in the case that has started generating worldwide headline buzz, told close friends that he is dazed that Commissioner Akpoyibo could give orders for his luck-up after collecting á settlement of N200, 000. The ritualist is also said to have pointed an accusing finger at an assistant Commissioner of Police whom he allegedly gave Five acres of land, to thwart possible investigation and exposure in the gruesome murder of the yet to be identified boy.

The elaborate, conspiracy to cook up and hide evidence also extended to the publisher of Vanguard Newspaper Mr. Samuel Pemu Amuka who ahead of Wednesday May 27 th 2009 hearing is said to be moving huge sums of money to be paid to conniving reporters and former colleagues of Mr.Ugwu-Chinua who will provide damaging information that could impeach the Journalist’s integrity. They are running into stone walls.

Sources further told Pointblanknews.com that Chief Amuka is no longer confident that the pyrrhic water tight case they had planned to nail Mr. Ugwu-Chinua would stand the scrutiny of an impartial law court and a critical public.

In an interview, at the weekend, Mr. Akpoyibo rejected every accusation of impropriety and graft in preparing the prosecution on Mr. Ugwu-Chinua insisting that the Journalist was a fraudster.

Squeezed hard by pointblanknews.com on why formal Police Officer Mr. Babatunde Jonathan was prematurely retired and eased out of Nigeria inspite of the pending allegation of four million Naira bribe, Akpoyibo said that whoever was involved with Mr. Ugwu Chinua would be arrested and prosecuted. On a demand for further clarification “since Mr. Ugwu-Chinua and the Police did not seem to belong in the same team over commitment to the truth”. He said Ugwu Chinua worked with a click to extort money from Mrs. Amuka.

Pointblanknews.com also asked him if it was true that he threatened Ugwu Chinua while in Police Custody that Alayande would be used to give evidence against the Journalist in the Court, “Sir did you say you would use Alayande against him?” he replied “I never did”.

On the veracity of Amuka’s boasting that Mr. Akpoyibo had been enlisted to harass and arrest the editors and reporters of pointblanknews.com whenever they visit Nigeria, the Police boss got nebulous and said there are laws regulating the operation of the media in Nigeria and if anybody is found to be in violation of those statutes, there are rules for seeking remedy. And “for your information, Mrs. Amuka is already in court seeking redress against her detractors”, he said.