The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Illegal oil bunkering: Naval officer, others get N10m bail each

    The Federal High Court in Lagos has granted a naval officer, Lieutenant Commander Bola Labinjo, bail for 10 million with one surety.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned her for alleged oil bunkering.

    She was arraigned along with Jonathan Abaka, Charles Ikemefuna Agaba, Benjamin Gagechi, Hamza Yakubu and a vessel, M.T. Adeline Jumbo, on two counts of conspiracy and dealing in petroleum products without license.

    Each of them was granted bail in the sum of N10million.

    The Navy, which arrested the defendants, said Mrs Bola Labinjo’s husband, also a serving naval officer, was under investigation.

    According to the prosecution, the defendants allegedly committed the offence between August and October last year within Nigerian maritime domain and the Gulf of Guinea.

    EFCC said they conspired to deal in Automobile Gas Oil (AGO) off the coast of Gabon on August 13, 2018, without lawful authority and appropriate licence to deal in petroleum products.

    In count two, the defendants were accused of conspiring to deal in Automobile Gas Oil (AGO) on the coast of Gabon on August 13, last year, without lawful authority and appropriate licence.

    The alleged offence is contrary to Sections 1 (19) (a) and (b), and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act Cap M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Revised Edition) 2004 and punishable under Section 1(17) (b).

    Read Also: Weak civil-military relations jeopardise military operations – Navy

    The defendants, including the vessel which was represented by its Chief Financial Officer Nike Folarin, were arraigned before Justice Chuka Obiozor.

    Prosecuting counsel, Stephen Odiase told the court that the defendants were arrested last August 13 by men of the Nigeria Navy with the vessel illegally loaded with the petroleum products.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Defence counsel, Jerry Omoregie; O. J. Omoruwayo; Uche Obi and Nelson Otaji urged the court to grant their clients bail on liberal terms.

    But, Odiase, urged the court to refuse the bail applications on the ground that the alleged offence was an economy sabotage which affects Nigeria negatively.

    Ruling, Justice Obiozor granted them bail for N10million each with one surety in like sum each.

    The judge also ordered that the sureties must produce three years tax clearance, evidence of means of livelihood, statements of account, title of landed property and two passport photographs.

    The bail conditions were to be verified by the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR), the court ruled.

    Justice Obiozor, however, granted the defence counsel’s request to release the defendants to them temporarily.

    He released the defendants, except the sixth, to their lawyers, and directed the temporary sureties to deposit their original Call-to-Bar Certificates with the DCR.

    He directed that the bail terms must be fulfilled within 14 days, failing which the defendants will be remanded in prison custody.

    Folarin’s lawyer, P. Amara, urged the court for a short date to enable him file his client’s application, as he was just served with the charge in court.

    The case was adjourned to August 8.

  • Insecurity: South West governors plan joint patrol

    Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Friday announced plans by governors of the South West Zone to operate a joint security team to patrol the entire region.

    Abiodun disclosed this in Abeokuta at a sensitisation programme on the vision and focus of his administration held in preparation of the 2020 budget .

    “A joint security team that will patrol major roads and provide adequate security to the people of the southWest region of the country will soon be set up,” he said.

    Abiodun, who expressed concern over the security situation in the country, said governors in the region had concluded arrangements over the issue.

    He noted that no serious investor would be willing to commit funds in an area where they were not sure of the security of their lives and investments.

    The governor also announced plans by the Ogun government to amend the laws guiding the security trust fund of the state.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Renegotiate membership of ECOWAS, Shehu Sani tells FG

    Abiodun said that an amended Security Trust Fund Bill would soon be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for legislative action.

    He said that major stakeholders would be involved in the management of the fund, adding that under the proposed arrangement, they would be allowed to take decisions without waiting for him.

    The governor also stated that the government had commenced palliative measures on some bad roads in the state, particularly federal roads linking Ogun and Lagos states.

    Explaining further about his plans for the state, Abiodun said his administration would convert some of the Model Schools built by the immediate past administration that had remained unused to technical and vocational training centres.

    He added that the digitisation of the state would be pursued and deployed in the various sectors of the state to improve and enhance service delivery.

    The governor, who also reeled out his administration’s plans for the agricultural sector, said government would liaise with other ‘agric-focused’ states to produce food that could feed the state and its neighbours.

    Abiodun said the sensitisation programme was meant to produce a realistic budget that would focus on performance, adding that his administration was committed to taking the state to greater heights.

  • Shi’ite protest: Buhari sends delegation to family of slain police officer

    A three-man delegation from President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday paid a condolence visit to the family of Deputy Commissioner of Police Usman Umar, who was killed when a street protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) turned violent.

    The delegation comprised the State Chief of Protocol to the President, Ambassador Abdullahi Lawal Kazuare, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, and Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs to the President, Seriki Abba.

    Read Also: Shiites’ll continue with protests, says El-Zakzaky’s daughter

    On hand to receive the emissaries were the widow, Busrah, and Mr. Usman Belel, an elder brother of the late police office.

    Belel himself is a commissioner of police.

    DCP Umar was in charge of Operations at the Federal Capital Territory Police Command.

    He was shot as he tried to pacify the protesters who went on the rampage around the federal secretariat complex situated around the three arms zones.

  • Outrage as security men attached to First Bank assaults customer

    Nigerians have condemned video footage showing policemen and private guards attached to First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) violently assaulting a man alleged to have threatened to close his account.

    The incident occurred at Osapa, Lekki in Lagos branch of the bank on Wednesday.

    Already Nigerians are demanding the arrest of the security men who assaulted the man as well as compensation for the victim by the bank.

    The video showed the victim spotting a lemon tee-shirt being dragged by one of the private guards while two policemen slapped him repeatedly from opposite direction.

    It also showed one of the policemen hitting him with the butt of his gun.

    Read Also: American gets N200,000 bail for alleged assault

    Trouble was said to have started after the victim had an altercation with another bank customer.

    He was said to have been asked to leave the banking hall but he refused and insisted on closing his account which.

    His decision to close his account however, did not go well with the operatives who descended on him.

    Reacting to the video, the bank through its verified Twitter handle said the matter was being investigated.

    “Our attention has been drawn to a video posted online of an incident that happened at one of our branches.

    “The bank is currently investigating this unfortunate incident and will take immediate steps to address both the reasons behind the episode and its fallouts.

    “We assure the public that our customers remain at the core of our business and we are committed to delivering the highest standards in customer experience across all our touch points,” First Bank said.

  • 40-yr-old transporter killed during police shootout with suspected kidnappers

    Operatives of the  Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) have allegedly killed an Ogun-based transporter,  Agbomofuegbe Odion, while hunting for suspected kidnappers in Ijebu-Ode area of the State.

    The father of three was returning from a trip to Benin, Edo State, where he had delivered a consignment of frozen turkey when the tragic incident occurred  on Thursday.

    He was returning in company with his partners when they were intercepted by some vigilance men at Ijebu Ode end of the Benin- Ore highway.

    According to witnesses, the vigilance men were carrying out a stop and search on vehicles on the road after some pastors of the Redeemed Christina Church of God (RCCG) were abducted by suspected kidnappers.

    It was while the search for the victims was ongoing that the late Odion’s vehicle ran into some local vigilance men who allegedly manhandled him and others in the vehicle.

    Witnesses said Odion was shot by policemen who rushed to the scene while the late transporter was fleeing.

    Read Also: Police arrest kidnappers of village head in Nasarawa

    A witness said: ‘’ We were returning from Benin, when on getting to a place immediately after J4 axis of the Benin-Ore highway the vigilance men who were in mufti stopped us and order us out of the vehicle.

    ‘’They were armed with cutlass and jarred bottles. They started manhandling us unjustly. They beat us mercilessly even when we asked them to tell us what we had done. It was when the brutality became unbearable that Odion fled and the next thing I heard were gunshots from SARS operatives, which killed Odion on the spot.

    ‘’One of the policemen ordered another officer to shoot our legs and I shouted that we only used our vehicle to convey frozen turkey to Benin.When the the Divisional Police Officer of Ogbere Division visited the scene of the incident,I described to him two of the officers attached to the squad that fired the shots that killed Odion.

    ‘’The DPO later asked that Odion’s body be taken to the mortuary, while our vehicle was moved to their  station. As at the time I was invited to the police station; the DPO and his men were still inside the nearby bush where Odion fell down  in a pool of his blood after he was shot by the policemen.’’

    However, Ogun police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) on Friday said the late transporter was hit by bullets when policemen engaged suspected kidnappers who abducted five pastors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God(RCCG) along the highway.

    ‘’ There was a case of abduction of five pastors of RCCG who were coming to Lagos from Abia State. The man was hit by bullets when policemen engaged the kidnappers in a shootout. Even the commissioner of police and operatives are still combing the forest to free those abducted from the kidnappers.’’

  • Air Force strikes Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa, kills scores of insurgents

    The Nigerian Air Force on Friday said it neutralised more terrorists in Alafa, Borno State, while their hideouts have been destroyed by air strikes.

    Its spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, said in a statement that the strikes were launched after intelligence platforms had established the presence of the terrorists in the area.

    Air Commodore Daramola said: “ In continuation of its sustained efforts to wipe out remnants of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) in the Northeast of Nigeria, the Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has destroyed a BHT hideout and killed some fighters at Alafa on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest in Borno State.

    Read Also: Boko Haram… 10 years of humanitarian crises in Northeast

    “The air strike was conducted yesterday, following Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions that revealed the presence of the terrorists along with their logistic supplies and equipment in a group of structures within the settlement.

    “Accordingly, the ATF dispatched 2 Alpha Jets to attack the location, scoring accurate hits in the target area, which led to the destruction of some of the structures and equipment as well as the killing of several terrorists.

    “The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain its operations against the terrorists in the Northeast.“

  • Police deploy detectives to hunt killers of Catholic Priest

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr Mohammed Adamu, has deployed detectives from the Force Headquarters to hunt for the killers of Rev. Fr. Paul Offu, a Catholic Priest in Enugu State.

    The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), DCP Frank Mba in a statement on Friday in Abuja, said the IGP had ordered massive manhunt for the killers of the priest.

    The priest, who was shot dead on August 1 by unknown gunmen, was in charge of St. James the Greater Parish Catholic Church, Ugbawka, Enugu state.

    “Crack detectives from the IGP-Intelligence Response Unit (IRT), the Forensic and Homicide sections of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) have been deployed to Enugu State.

    Read Also: Catholic priests protest in Enugu over herdsmen killing of Rev.

    “The deployment is to complement the Enugu Command of the Force in their investigations into the unfortunate incident.

    ”In addition, the AIG in charge of Zone 9 Headquarters has been directed to mobilize more units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) personnel to black spots in Enugu State,” he said.

    He said that intensified operations had commenced for the rescue of RCCG Pastors who were abducted along J3 Area of Ogbere on their way to Lagos from the Eastern part of the Country.

    According to him, Tactical and Operational assets of the Force have been deployed with the Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command taking the lead-role in the search and rescue operations.

    He said the IGP, while condemning the killing of the Catholic Priest and the abduction of the clergymen, called for calm and assured that the perpetrators would not go unpunished.

    Mba said the IGP urged the public to avail the police with credible information that would assist in apprehending the criminals.

  • 3,779 applicants for aptitude test in Jigawa

    The Police Command in Jigawa says 3,779 of the 8,062 applicants who passed the medical and physical fitness screening for recruitment into the Nigeria Police Force will sit for aptitude test in Jigawa.

    SP Abdu Jinjiri, the spokesman of the command, disclosed this to NAN in Dutse on Friday.

    Jinjiri said the exercise would hold on Aug. 3, at Jigawa State Polytechnic, Dutse.

    He said the candidates were expected to dress in white vests, white shorts and white sneakers for easy identification.

    Read Also: Seven die, 11 injured in Jigawa auto crash

    The spokesman added that the candidates would be given the copies of their biodata printout to serve as identification cards.

    According to him, accreditation will begin by 7.00 AM, while the aptitude test will start by 11.00 am

    Jinjiri urged the candidates to report to the venue on time to enable the command to conduct the exercise on time.

    The applicants were screened between July 1 and July 28, by the command and the Police Service Commission.

    A commissioner in the Police Service Commission, AIG Lawal Bawa (Rtd), supervised the exercise in the state on July 2.

  • Police chief assures Chinese of adequate security

    The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Lawal Shehu on Friday assured Nigerians and Chinese citizens in the country of adequate security.

    The police chief gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Consular General of the People’s Republic of China, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Guan Zhongpi at Zone 2 Command Headquarters.

    He said: “Today is a historic day to see you here. This is the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Lagos and Ogun State. Overtime, we have had cordial relationship with the Chinese as we have about 60, 000 residing in Lagos and Ogun State.

    Read Also: 40-yr-old transporter killed during police shootout with suspected kidnappers

    ‘’There are lots of Chinese companies scattered all over the states, and it is our duty to provide them with adequate security especially in Lagos being the commercial hub of Nigeria. No society in the world is free of crime but our responsibility is to protect lives and property of Nigerians and Non Nigerians here. I want to assure you of adequate security and am sure you have confidence in us which is why you move freely.’’

    The Deputy Consular said the ‘’purpose of our visit is to enhance partnership with Nigeria especially police relations in terms of security. We promise to cooperate with the police and share ideas on how to use technology to protect lives and property.’’

  • Troops kill 10 bandits in clearance operation

    Troops of 1 Division, Nigerian Army, deployed at Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Operation CLEAN SWEEP, has confirmed 10 bandits during a clearance operation at Kuduru forest.

    According to the NAN report, the Operation CLEAN SWEEP is the climax of exercise HARBIN KUNAMA III, is aimed at flushing out the remnants of armed bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements from the North Western Zone of Nigeria.

    The General Officer Commanding 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya, told newsmen in Kaduna on Friday that the troops inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits, killing 10 of them while others escaped with gunshot wounds.

    Yahaya said the bandits’ camp was also destroyed, but that five soldiers sustained injuries during the operation.

    Read Also: Troops arrest 17 bandits in Katsina, kill one

    He said the injured soldiers were evacuated to 44 Reference Hospital, Kaduna, to save their lives but sadly two of them paid the supreme price.

    During a visit to the hospital, the GOC commiserated with the wounded soldiers and also commended the gallantry performance of the dead soldiers.

    He assured that their sacrifices would not go in vain.

    Yahaya said their bravery and dedication to duty was exemplary that every Nigerian soldier and indeed Nigerians should be proud of.

    He promised that the soldiers would be given befitting burials after informing their families of tragic loss.