The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Arik: I was expecting N1.2m from drug pushing, says accomplice

    Arik: I was expecting N1.2m from drug pushing, says accomplice

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has apprehended an Arik Air crew member, Chibuzor Oliver Ikechukwu over his alleged role in the 20 kilogramme of cocaine seizure by the United Kingdom Border Force at Heathrow Airport.

    Ikechukwu, 35, who works as a catering loader was found to have subverted airport security by concealing cocaine in catering supplies.

     Preliminary investigation revealed that both Ikechukwu and Chika had been infiltrated by a suspected drug cartel.

     He told narcotic investigators that he was invited into the illicit drug deal by his colleague Chika Egwu Udensi, a senior member of the Arik Air cabin crew who was arrested in London on flight W3101.

    “It was Chika that introduced me into the drug deal. Whenever Chika gives me the drug, I will hide it in catering supplies. Chika knows where to collect the drug inside the flight. They pay me N400,000 per bag. I was expecting N1.2 million proceed for the three bags that I smuggled into the aircraft, Oliver said.

    Ikechukwu, who hails from Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area in Abia State, is a graduate of Business Administration and he was employed by Arik Air in 2009.

     The NDLEA Chairman/Chief Executive, Ahmadu Giade has directed that henceforth, all airport workers must be extensively screened.

    “The agency has taken, drastic measures to avert infiltration of airport workers by criminal syndicate. Airline officials and airport workers shall be subjected to comprehensive search. We will resist any act capable of undermining security at all entry and exit points,” Giade said.

     The NDLEA chief stressed that all catering trucks, luggage trucks, aviation fuel tankers, machines and personnel, whose duty directly or indirectly relates to the tarmac and flight operations shall be subjected to full screening.

    As part of investigation, the rented apartment of Chika at Pastor Ojediran Street Ejigbo, Lagos, was searched by operatives of the NDLEA.

     He lives there with his mother and siblings while his wife and children are based in Canada.

    The latest Range Rover car belonging to the prime suspect parked on the airline’s premises had also been moved to the NDLEA office as exhibit.

    The 20kg of cocaine found on Chika in London was concealed within the construction of laptop bags. The quantity and estimated street value of the cocaine is over N100 million.

  • Activists hails NURTW chief

    Activists hails NURTW chief

    A group, Concerned Human Rights Nigeria (CHRN) yesterday hailed the Lagos State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede for his matured leadership.

    CHRN National Coordinator Comrade Declan Ihekaire at a briefing said there has been unassailable “reign of peace” in the conduct of the affairs of Lagos NURTW recently.

    Ihekaire said: “We believe all Lagos residents recognise and appreciate the efforts of the current leadership. People do not witness perennial mourning of state chairmen of NURTW, violence, armed robberies and rape in the motor parks antmore.”

    He condemned what he called a misleading report that the national secretariat of NURTW has dissolved all zonal and state executive councils. He said the report which was intended to cause confusion had been refuted by the union’s General Secretary, Comrade Element Wetkur.

    According to him: “It was a sinister plot by some unpatriotic elements to cause chaos and confusion within the union when the tenure of the state executive has not lapsed. It was the figment of evil machination to spread the rumours that the Lagos Council has been dissolved when the current term of four years has not lapsed and when the constitution did not stop any state officer from holding national office simultaneously”.

  • We destroy 400 carts daily, says LAWMA chief

    No fewer than 400 refuse carts are destroyed daily by the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) Police, in its bid to rid the Centre of Excellence of the menace of cart pushers, the acting Managing Director of the agency Abdulwahab Ogunbiyi has said.

    Ogunbiyi who disclosed this at a stakeholders’ forum held at the Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area office to appraise the effectiveness of LAWMA’s Private Sector Participant (PSP) operators in waste disposal at the council, said many of the cart pushers have been convicted and languishing at KiriKiri Prisons for defacing the state.

    He said many of cart pushers were caught discharging refuse into the drainage, thereby blocking the flow of waters.

    This, he said, has led to flooding, which threatens lives and property in the state.

    He told the forum, attended by leaders of all the council’s Community Development Associations (CDAs), traders and other residents to stop patronising cart pushers and embrace the PSP operators.

    Ogunbiyi, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Environmental Services, Ade Mustapha, said though the services were initially rendered free by the government, it is saddening that many are yet to come to terms with the need to pay for their waste disposal.

    He said the debt profile of the operators has become so alarming that the agency may be left with no choice than to evoke the provisions of its laws which empowers it to seal any premises defaulting in the payment of waste disposal bills.

    He said: “We are compelled to come to you to inform you that come September, we may have to invoke the provisions of our laws and seal any premises where we have defaulters who have refused to pay for the disposal of their waste.

    We have no doubt that you would help us disseminate this information to all other residents who are not opportune to be at this forum, that they should pay up or risk having their houses locked up.”

    He said that LAWMA  would not hesitate to punish erring ones or have their service terminated.

    The executive Secretary of the council, Olurotimi Adeleye, said the people’s refusal to pay the refuse collectors remained the only way to express their protest for the shoddy services rendered by some of the operators.

    He urged the operators to improve their services and ensure adequate coverage of their allotted areas, saying that nobody would love to pay for services that are not rendered.

    Adeleye, by his deputy Wahab Kareem called for the establishment of a complaint desk in their respective offices where issues concerning all their customers would be addressed, adding that issue such as crazy bills or non deductions of bills already paid are also some noticed drawbacks that would require prompt attention if the operators want better cooperation with residents of the council.

  • Publisher arraigned for ‘adultery’ report against bank chief

    The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) yesterday arraigned the publisher of Best of Nollywood magazine, Mr Seun Oloketuyi at the Federal High Court in Lagos over a story that Fidelity Bank Managing Director Nnamdi Okonkwo impregnated a staff.

    He was accused of publishing the report on his website – www.naijahottestgist.com.

    Oloketuyi, who is the organiser of the yearly Best of Nollywood Awards (BON), was arraigned on a two-count charge.

    Count One reads in part: “That you, Seun Oloketuyi on or about June, 2015 did knowingly or intentionally send a message and other matters by means of computer systems or network on one Nnamdi Okonkwo the Managing Director/CEO of Fidelity Bank Plc which you know to be false, for the purpose of causing him annoyance, insult and ill-will on www.naijahottestgist.com.”

    In Count Two, Oloketuyi was accused of publishing “defamatory matters” against Okonkwo “with malice” while knowing that the information was false.

    Prosecution counsel Olakanmi Omisope, said the alleged offence contravened Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition) Act, 2015 and Section 375 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38.

    Oloketuyi pleaded not guilty.

    The story claimed that Okonkwo impregnated the bank’s “top marketer” known as Justina, which resulted in her husband, Ben, leaving their matrimonial home. The story also claimed that Okonkwo took responsibility for the children’s welfare and schooling.

    Oloketuyi had apologised and retracted the story via www.bestofnollywood.tv, saying: “Naijahottestgist hereby apologises to the Managing Director, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo and the management of Fidelity Bank Plc over a story published on www.Naijahottestgist.com on June 18 and titled “Fidelity Bank MD, Nnamdi Okonkwo breaks Justina’s home, impregnates her”, where we had erroneously alleged that Mr Okonkwo was having an extra marital affair with Mrs Justina, the Head of Marketing team of the bank.

    “Regrettably, Naijahottestgist has discovered that the story wasn’t true as there was never a time Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo indulged in an extra marital affair with the said staff member, Justina.

    “We hereby tender our unreserved apology to Mr Nnamdi Okonkwo and the entire management of Fedelity Bank Plc.

    “Similarly, we hereby retract the story and appeal to all bloggers and news site that might have copied the story from Naijahottestgist to remove the story with immediate effect.”

    Justice Mohammed Yunusa adjourned to September 1.

  • Police warn NURTW members against violence

    The Lagos State Police Command and the Directorate of State Service yesterday warned members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) against creating chaos in the state over leadership crisis.

    The warning came on the premise that leadership of the union had been sacked by the national body.

    At a meeting with NURTW Lagos Chairman Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede, the security chiefs urged those trying to cause trouble to have a rethink.

    Owoseni, who was represented by Mr Babatunde Kokumo, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, said: “The command is not interested in the affairs of the union. Our main preoccupation is to maintain law and order, so, we are ready to deal with anybody trying to cause confusion in the state. Your union is very important to us in that we need information from you to combat crimes. We are focusing on intelligence gathering; hence we need your support.”

    Agbede described as rumour the dissolution of state councils by the national body.

    “This is to inform you that all the zonal, state councils, branches and unit executives remain intact. l am using this opportunity to tell you to disregard the rumour,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the police said it arrested 14 suspected cult members for allegedly terrorising Mushin residence.

    The command’s spokesperson, Patricia Amadin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in a statement said the suspects were arrested on Monday at Mushin Area of Lagos.

    She said: “In a bid to make good its promise to chase out armed robbers and cultists from the state, the command has smashed a notorious robbery/cultist group. This group has continuously unleashed terror on the residents of Mushin and Idi-Oro Areas of Lagos.”

    According the statement, the command swooped in on the gang and 14 members were arrested following a tip off.

    It stated that the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, urged the people of Lagos to be calm and continue to furnish the police with useful information.

    Owoseni also warned all cult members and robbers to desist, saying the police would employ all legal means to deal with them, their sponsors and benefactors.

    He added that unless the group desists from its nefarious activities, there shall be no hiding place for them.

     

  • CAN calls for stern laws against noise pollution

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Lagos Island chapter, has called on the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), to impose stern law against noise pollution in the state.

    “The state should promulgate a law banishing the use of horn speakers, big or small or whatever may constitute to noise pollution in our environment. Ultimatum should be given to places of worship using it to have it removed; and LASEPA should be empowered to go to all the nook and cranny of the state to have it removed,” said a statement signed by the Chairman, CAN, Lagos Island chapter, Ven Olu Adeyi and secretary Deacon Semeton Wusu.

    CAN, the statement said, would partner the government in enforcing these laws in the state.

    The group commended government’s action and stance on environmental and noise pollution, pledging its support to the cause.

     

  • Trader arraigned for alleged forgery

    A 37-year-old trader, Chukwuma Nwankwo, accused of manufacturing fake products has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

    Nwankwo, a resident of Amoo Street, Agege, Lagos, is being tried for alleged forgery.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Kehinde Olatunde told the court that the accused committed the offence on August 17 at Balogun Street, Agege, Lagos.

    He said Nwankwo fraudulently presented himself to be the manufacturer and owner of Alteco PTE Limited, with the intent to defraud the original owner of the company.

    “The accused was producing fake superglue, using the forged trademark, design and logo of Alteco, the original manufacturer of the superglue.

    “The complainant had earlier received series of complaints from users that his product was no longer effective, unknown to him that there was an impostor,” he said.

    Olatunde said the complainant, however, saw the fake product in a store and pretended to be interested in selling the product, and got the address of the accused from the store owner.

    “The complainant with some policemen traced the address of the accused and caught him with cartons of the fake products,” he said.

    The prosecutor alleged that the accused, by his actions, had deceived the public into believing that the product was the same as the original.

    “And at the moment, several of such fake products are in the market nationwide,” he said.

    He said the offence contravened Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which prescribes a 14- year jail term as penalty for offenders.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Aka Bashorun granted him N100, 000 bail with one surety in like sum.

    Bashorun adjourned the case till September 15.

  • One injured as fire guts Police Barracks shop

    One injured as fire guts Police Barracks shop

    A 14-year-old girl,  identified as Ada was yesterday injured in a fire that razed a shop attached to the Police Barracks in Surulere, Lagos.

    Ada, an Senior Secondary School II pupil of St. Nicholas College, was buying home videos Compact Disk (CD) when the incident occurred.

    A trader, Toheeb, said one of the workers was filling an electricity generating set with fuel while the engine was still running and in the process, it exploded.

    “The shop number is 5 and they sell audio and video CDs. The owner wasn’t around when the incident occurred. As the electricity generating set exploded, men of the Federal Fire Service, Surulere Division, were contacted and the girl was rushed to a nearby hospital because her legs and arm were affected,” Toheeb said.

    An eyewitness, who gave his name as John said he was sleeping on a sofa when people shouted fire.

    He said: “My shop is two shops away. I almost urinated on my body when I heard fire. Even the woman who sells phone accessories beside the shop wasn’t aware it was burning. She sat comfortably attending to customers. Ahh! I pity the owner of the shop because he lost a lot of goods to the fire. We haven’t witnessed such incident here before and I pray nothing of such happens again.”

    He said the fire fighters had to remove the cars packed close to the shop to avoid explosion.

    “The fire fighters tried and I thank God they are close to us. If not, it would have affected so many shops,” he said.

     

  • Lagos Assembly Clinic matron dies

    Lagos Assembly Clinic matron dies

    The Chief Matron of the Lagos State House of Assembly Clinic, Mrs Caroline Oriola, was found dead in her office on the Assembly premises by cleaners early yesterday.

    The Nation learnt that Mrs Oriola was in office on Saturday to get some drugs. She was said to have switched on the air conditioner in the office and locked the door from behind.

    The security men on duty were oblivious of the incident though she signed the movement register before she picked the keys to the clinic.

    The matron’s body was discovered yesterday by a cleaner.

    “It is indeed a sad news; nobody expected that she would die, when she did. We were told that she was in the clinic to pick some drugs only for her dead body to be found on the floor by a cleaner,” said a source.

    Another source said the late Mrs Oriola’s husband, who had waited for her to return home, had gone to check her in the Assembly, but that he could not find her car in the park, adding that he was unaware that she parked at the lawmakers’ park.

    The remains of the deceased were conveyed to the morgue by some staff of the House led by the Clerk, Mr Segun Abiru.

  • Police forced us to confess, say Ikorodu robbery suspects

    Police forced us to confess, say Ikorodu robbery suspects

    The suspects in the   Ikorodu banks robbery have told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the confessional statements they made to the police were not voluntary.

    Their lawyer Olusegun Akanbi prayed the court to order the police to produce them if they were still alive.

    He said the suspects “made confessional statements to  press out of duress”.

    He argued that it was illegal for the police to parade criminal suspects and have them grant interviews under compulsion.

    The lawyer prayed the court for an order compelling the police to produce the four suspects in court because their families were denied access to them.

    They are Agbojule Bright, Promise Abiwa, Monday Omoboye and Monday Ikuesan.

    They were paraded on July 6 in connection with the robbery at the Ipakodo branches of two banks in Ikorodu.

    The police said they were part of an 18-man gang, which made away with about N80 million on June 24.

    The four suspects had reportedly confessed to playing various roles in the alleged crime. Three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) allegedly bought with the proceeds were recovered from them.

    Akanbi claimed that the police violated the suspects’ right to remain silent or to avoid answering any questions until after consulting with a lawyer – in line with Section 35(2) of the 1999 Constitution.

    According to the lawyer, the suspects might not get a fair trial since they had “suffered prejudice due to unfair publicity and unprofessional acts of the defendants.”

    He claimed that the police refused to allow him or the suspects’ family to see them in detention.

    “The applicants’ counsel were not allowed to see the applicants or even to have a brief interview with them when they visited the defendants on July 15.

    “The applicants’ constitutional rights under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution are at stake because the defendants had taken a biased position by denying the applicants’ family or their counsel their right of visiting them in police custody.

    “It will be in the interest of justice if the applicants are brought before this court so that the court can ascertain whether the applicants are still alive.

    “It will be in the interest of justice if the applicants can be charged by the defendants to court since they have already spent over 24 hours in custody.

    “Failure to do this will amount to usurpation of the constitutional powers of the judiciary,” the lawyer argued.

    He claimed that the suspects were entitled to N5 million damages for what he described as their unlawful detention.

    Justice Mohammed Yunusa adjourned to September 7 to enable the Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase respond to the suit.