News
Video: Uber Driver Charged With Murdering Woman Down The Street From Her Home
Police say an Uber driver recently arrested in the death of an Indianapolis woman admitted he raped, shot and killed her after picking her up from work Sunday morning, September 8.
Francisco Valadez, 29, was arrested Tuesday morning, September 10, by Indianapolis homicide detectives and preliminarily charged with murder.
The Uber driver reportedly admitted to police that he shot and killed 30-year-old Chanti Dixon in a fit of rage after picking her up and attempting to rape her in the back of his car.
Valadez also allegedly admitted to dumping Dixon’s body in an alleyway in a wooded area near the victim’s home after trying to rape her corpse again.
“This is just disgusting all around and it did not have to happen,” said Indianapolis Metro police chief Chris Bailey.
According to court documents filed Tuesday in Marion County Court, officers were called around 1 p.m. Monday, September 9, to the 1800 block of Wagner Lane after a woman’s body was found in a nearby wooded area.
IMPD arrived to find a woman naked, unresponsive and lying on her stomach. The victim’s family said they tracked her phone to the woods behind her home where they found her body and called the police.
The woman, later identified by the Marion County Coroner’s Office as Dixon was pronounced dead on the scene.
After the crime scene was processed for evidence, it was discovered that Dixon had suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of her head.
A woman near the scene told police that the dead woman was her daughter who had been missing since early Sunday morning. The woman told officers her daughter had gotten off work around 3:30 a.m. and ordered an Uber to get home. No one had talked to her since.
IMPD crews reportedly found two cell phones in the wooded area near Dixon’s body, both of which belonged to Dixon. Her mother gave police the passcodes for both phones, which investigators said would eventually lead them to Valadez.
Once back at the homicide office, detectives found that Dixon had ordered an Uber at 3:34 a.m. from the 2300 block of W. 16th Street. She reportedly made one stop along Washington Street in the Uber before being taken in the same car to her home address on Earhart Street.
According to data stored in the Uber app, Dixon’s driver drove a BMW with an Indiana license plate, which detectives later connected to Valadez.
Detectives then went to Valadez’s home and began questioning him about Dixon. He told police that he did pick up Dixon on Sunday but then began to tell a story of how an armed Black man came up to his car and tried to rob Dixon.
“[Valadez] added that the suspect shot [Dixon] in the thigh and that she kicked herself out of his car and he fled the scene,” police wrote.
“He also said that he had cleaned the blood out of his car.”
Police also reportedly spoke with Valadez’s mother, who told them that her son owned a gun that he regularly carried. She added that he had recently cleaned out his car.
After seizing items inside his car for evidence, police took Valadez in for interrogation.
Admission and arrest Detectives took Valadez to the IMPD homicide office where he was reportedly read his Miranda Rights and signed a waiver agreeing to speak with police.
After telling several stories about what happened to Dixon, Valadez reportedly admitted what actually happened.
“Mr Valadez told two different stories as to what happened with Ms Dixon,” police wrote in the court documents.
Detectives said Valadez admitted to raping the woman in the back of his car.
While raping the woman, Valadez said she insulted his body. This reportedly caused him to become enraged and shoot Dixon in the head.
Valadez told police that after the shooting, he dragged Dixon out of his car and placed her lifeless body behind a concrete barrier at the dead end of Wagner Lane.
The Uber driver also admitted to trying to have sex with Dixon’s dead body, police said.
Valadez was then taken into custody by IMPD and later booked into the Marion County Jail on a felony murder charge. IMPD officials said Tuesday that more charges can be expected in the case.
An initial court hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Indianapolis police officials held a news conference Tuesday afternoon discussing Dixon’s murder and the arrest of Valadez.
“This is disgusting, it’s disturbing,” IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said during the conference.
“No one deserves to be treated this way in our community and I am so sorry to her family that we’re here today.”
Bailey then touched on the effect this has on the victim’s family.
“This is a family that’s been ripped apart,” he said.
“This woman is gone from the world unnecessarily by an evil act, and I’m glad that we were able to find this individual as quickly as we did so that he didn’t have an opportunity to perpetuate violence further in our community.”
IMPD’s social media accounts posted a photo of a gun seized in relation to the case.
Bailey indicated that more charges were forthcoming in the case and stressed that the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office would make the final charging decision.
“Women, girls, mothers … they have a right to exist freely in our community without fear of something heinous happening to them,” said IMPD Assistant Chief Catherine Cummings. “They have a right to walk, bike, order a rideshare without fearing something bad will happen to them.”
While they insist the murder is an isolated incident, IMPD said ride-share users can always share their location with friends and family and that women should trust their instincts if things feel dangerous.
“Rideshares continue to be an excellent and safe option to use when you’re out in our community,” said Cummings. “This is a family’s worst nightmare. We’re disgusted by these allegations.”
Watch the video below:
News
Oyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race
The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu has formally resigned from his position in the Federal Government to pursue his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
In a resignation letter dated April 22, 2026, and addressed to the President, Adelabu stated that his resignation will take effect on April 30, 2026, to enable him to focus on his governorship ambition in Oyo State.
The letter, routed through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, stated that he was stepping down with “a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude.”
He wrote, “I write with a deep sense of honour and profound gratitude to formally tender my resignation as the Honourable Minister of Power of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This resignation is to take effect on 30th April 2026, in order to allow sufficient time for a smooth and orderly handover of responsibilities.”
Adelabu thanked the President for the opportunity to serve, describing his appointment as a privilege.
He said, “Your Excellency, I remain sincerely grateful for the privilege and confidence you reposed in me by appointing me to serve our great nation in this capacity.
“It has been a rare honour to contribute to national development under your leadership and to play a role in advancing reforms in the power sector—one of the most critical foundations of Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic transformation.”
The former minister said his resignation was to enable him focus fully on his governorship ambition in Oyo State, citing provisions of the amended electoral law.
He added, “My decision to step down is informed by my intention to focus fully on my gubernatorial ambition in Oyo State. This aspiration, which dates back to 2016 during my service as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, ultimately led to my voluntary resignation from the Central Bank in 2018 in order to pursue the same goal.”
“In line with the provisions of the Amended Electoral Act 2026, which preclude political office holders from contesting elections, I consider it both appropriate and necessary to resign at this time.”
Adelabu’s exit marks a major political development ahead of the next electoral cycle, particularly in Oyo State, where he is expected to contest the governorship election.
News
Wale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency
The Presidency has clarified that Wale Edun (former Finance Minister) and Ahmed Musa Dangiwa (former Housing Minister) voluntarily resigned from their positions and were not sacked by President Tinubu.
In a statement released this evening April 22, presidential media aide, Bayo Onanuga, said that contrary to public opinions, Wale Edun resigned on health grounds while Dangiwa also tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity given him to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Onanuga stated that Edun, who clocked 70 on Monday and has battled recent ill health, fittingly submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, thanking the President for the opportunity to serve Nigeria.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda, Under your leadership, Nigeria has emerged stronger, more resilient and more internationally respected. I wish you and the administration every success in the future” he wrote
Onanuga stated that on Tuesday, before the Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation announced his departure from the Cabinet, Edun paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa and held an hour-long discussion with the president and then left to focus on his private businesses.
The presidential aide stated that President Tinubu has expressed deep appreciation to Edun and Dangiwa for their dedicated service and significant contributions to the administration’s economic reform programme and wished them continued success in their future endeavours.
‘’In the same vein, the President has urged the new Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms and advance the administration’s fiscal and economic objectives with renewed focus, discipline, and innovation.
President Tinubu will shortly send the ministerial nominee for housing, Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, like Dangiwa, to the Senate for confirmation” the statement concluded
News
Unity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience
Nigeria’s retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, alongside leading climate innovation experts, has called for increased investment in the green economy and the adoption of frontier technologies as critical pathways to driving economic resilience and reducing the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations across Africa.
The call was made during a thought-provoking webinar hosted by the Bank to commemorate this year’s Earth Day, themed “The True Cost of Climate Change and Who Pays?”. Climate experts and stakeholders convened to examine the human, economic, and institutional costs of climate change, while spotlighting practical solutions to address its growing impact.
In his opening remarks, Unity Bank’s Head of Strategy and Innovation, Ibukun Coker, emphasised the urgency of addressing climate risks from both a societal and business perspective.
He said: “Climate change is no longer a distant or abstract challenge. It is an existential threat with direct consequences for individuals, businesses, and economies. At Unity Bank, we recognise the role institutions must play in incorporating sustainability in project financing, supporting businesses and promoting solutions that build resilience in communities where we operate.”
The webinar featured Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder and CEO of Instollar, and Oluwatosin Ajide, Programme Manager at the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, both of whom provided insights into the drivers of climate change and the pathways to mitigation and adaptation.
Speaking during the session, Udo-Davis highlighted the disproportionate burden which climate change places on underserved communities and the need for inclusive solutions.
“The true cost of climate change is not evenly distributed. Communities with the least resources are often the most affected, whether through energy poverty, environmental degradation, or limited access to sustainable alternatives. Addressing this imbalance requires intentional investment in clean energy solutions that are both accessible and scalable.”
Ajide underscored the importance of coordinated, system-wide approaches in tackling climate challenges, particularly through innovation and policy alignment.
“Climate change is fundamentally a structural problem, and its solution requires a paradigm shift: from innovation and policy to financing and implementation. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to drive solutions that are sustainable and inclusive.”
The session also explored emerging opportunities in climate technology, renewable energy, and ecosystem financing, reinforcing the role of innovation and cross-sector collaboration in building long-term resilience.
By hosting the webinar, Unity Bank continues to demonstrate its commitment to advancing sustainability-focused dialogue and supporting initiatives that promote responsible growth and environmental stewardship.
The initiative underscores the Bank’s broader strategic focus on environmental sustainability as well as its commitment to financial inclusion.
-
News24 hours agoNo Solar Permits Needed For Private Homes In Lagos, SSA Confirms
-
News22 hours agoMass Burial For 30 ISWAP Insurgents Following Lethal NAF Strikes In Borno
-
News2 days agoCourt Sentences Dismissed NECO Employee To 24 Years Over Fake Diploma
-
News20 hours agoUnity Bank, Experts Advocate Green Investment, Climate Innovation To Drive Economic Resilience
-
Breaking News2 days agoTinubu Appoints New Ministers, Sacks Edun, Dangiwa In Minor Shake-Up
-
News24 hours agoLagos Sets Rules, Penalties For April 25 Sanitation Relaunch
-
News15 hours agoOyo 2027: Adelabu Quits As Power Minister To Focus On Guber Race
-
News17 hours agoWale Edun, Musa Dangiwa Resigned Voluntarily, Not Sacked – Presidency
