The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Rights group seek release of detained Navy captain

    Captain Dada Labinjo has been in detention for over a year for allegations right activists say are unfounded. Even when the Federal High ordered his release and reinstatement to his position, the detained Naval officer is yet to be charged to court.

    At a conference in Lagos, the Executive Director, Centre Against Impunity Comrade Shina Loremikan said it was imperative to bring to the public the unwarranted mental and physical agony Labinjo and his family are undergoing.

    He said Capt. Labinjo, his wife, Lt. Commander Sherrifat Lambert and 20 of his crew were arrested and detained on August 25, 2018.

    He said efforts to ensure fairness for him and others proved abortive, adding it was only when the matter was brought to public notice in July 27 that Labinjo’s wife and 13 crew members arrested with him were release to the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) for trail.

    Read Also: Navy arrests fishing trawlers for ‘illegal’ activities

    According to Loremikan, while some of the former detainees were hurriedly charged to court by the Navy and asked EFCC to take charge of other things, the court kept seeking adjournment to study the case file.

    He noted that every sitting in court is conducted by a new counsel, adding that torture continues to be used as the means of investigation. “Sometimes the detainees are held in underground cells, blindfolding them without access to their families, lawyers and doctors of their choice.

    The rights activist said facts available to them showed that there was outright violation of section 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 constitution as amended. He explained that the Nigerian Navy has refused to release Captain Labinjo and the remaining crew members despite court ordered them to do so.

    Speaking on the allegation the Navy held Labinjo and others for he said:

    “At different times, we made efforts to individuals as an organization to demand for their offence. Officially, no Navy personnel has communicated to us about what they have done. Officially, there is no paper, no record on the offence committed. But unofficially, they told us three versions, the first version is that Capt. Labinjo is too stubborn.

    “They said after the Navy has disengaged him, he still want to stay in service. The second version is that they accused him of involving in piracy. That he took his vehicle to the high seas and was caught nvolved in piracy activities. The third version, they said he does not have license to operate the vehicle he was arrested with at the seas.”

  • ‘I passed out immediately the lorry hit our bus’

    The multiple ghastly auto crash in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, which occurred around Umuowelle Bypass, left no fewer than 10 persons dead while scores sustained varying degrees of injury.

    The driver of the lorry with registration number XB 283 MBA reportedly lost control and rammed into three other vehicles; 14-seater vehicle with registration number XC 109 UKP, a saloon car registered as FST 939 AY and a bus registered as ENU 837 CP.

    One of the survivors of the accident, Miss Rejoice Alozie, an undergraduate of the Michael Okpara University, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State, was full of gratitude to God for sparing her life.

    Alozie, a third-year student of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, said she passed out immediately the lorry hit the commercial bus she was travelling on.

    She said, “I was travelling back to school from Awka in the commercial bus when the lorry crash-landed and hit our bus.

    “When we noticed that the lorry had lost control, I immediately passed out. But when I eventually woke up, alas it was at the hospital.

    “I can’t stop thanking God for his mercies and praying that the souls of the departed rest in peace.”

    Another survivor, Miss Ikechukwu Ozioma, of the same department with Alozie, described herself the luckiest lady alive, having escaped from the accident with no major injuries.

    Read Also: Nine rescued as bus plunges into Anambra river

    She however said she sustained pains in her body as a result of the impact of the crash.

    Also recounting his experience from his hospital bed, Mr Lawrence Adiele, the owner of the goods being transported by the lorry, described it as shocking.

    He said, “The tragic twist my routine business trip from Aba to Amawbia took when we approached the famous Agulu Lake that fateful Monday morning left me dumbfounded.

    “I was sitting in front of the lorry with the driver when I noticed that the gear did not engage properly and, as I looked at the driver, he told me that the brakes had failed.

    “In an attempt to dodge oncoming vehicles, the driver lost control of the steering and the lorry fell down, colliding with three other vehicles.

    “The most painful part is that three out of the four loaders that travelled with me on the trip died at the spot while the one that survived was among those in critical condition and transferred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi.”

    A witness to the accident, Mrs. Ngozi Ekwo, told the Nation that no fewer than eight persons died on the spot.

    She said, “I was at my shop when we suddenly heard a loud sound and as we looked, we noticed that the lorry had hit a bus and, as it swung the other way, hit a Sienna car and, finally, the third car.

    “The driver of the vehicle and the three apprentices that were conveying the materials died at the spot.

    “The ear of one of the women was chopped off while another lady lost her eyes in the accident.

    “All these happened right before me. I couldn’t believe what I saw. I have been in shock since that incident happened and my blood pressure is high due to the trauma. It was God that saved me, because I could have been one of them.”

    Miss Ijeoma, a nurse on duty at the St Joseph hospital, where the victims were rushed to, told our reporter that four of the injured persons brought to the hospital later died while seven others in critical condition were referred to the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi for further treatment leaving just three at the hospital.

    The state sector commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Andrew Kumapayi, said about 23 people were involved in the accident, adding that six of whom died on the spot and 17 that were injSoldiers rescue 7yr-old, 6 adults kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja road

    From AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

  • Three students held for IBB varsity ‘robbery’

    Three students of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai in Niger State have been arrested for the off campus robbery incident which occurred on Monday morning when robbers raided a 25-room off campus hostel of the university dispossessing the occupants of their phones, laptops, Ipads, clothing, jewelry and other valuables.

    A police source said the students were arrested on the campus of the university on Wednesday. \

    Read Also: ‘Mentally ill’ man held for ‘robbing bank’ in Kwara

    The source said some of the victims identified the students to be among those who robbed them.

    Some of the stolen properties were recovered during a search of the suspects’ residences. Also, some weapons were recovered in the residences.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO),  DSP Muhammad Abubakar who confirmed the story said interrogation and investigations were ongoing.

  • This time Shiites’ procession ends peacefully

    The procession was brief, about 30 minutes, and without bloodshed. Members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) popularly called Shiites observed the Day of Ashura, an event they light candles and perform some rituals in remembrance of one of their leaders Hussein Ibn Ali, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, who died in the Battle of Karbala. The event, held on Tuesday in Wuse, Abuja, is marked across the globe.

    A member of the group, Abdullahi Musa said, “We quickly did the procession starting from Wuse market at about 8:00am to 8:30am through to Berger Roundabout. We are not many like in other years. Police did not stop or disturb us. The procession was peaceful and well organised.”

    The Shiites have not always had things that easy and violence-free. Neither had the security forces had fun containing them. Since 2015 the worshippers and security operatives have often clashed, leaving a large number of the worshippers dead and a larger number injured.

    In late October 2018, about 45 people died, and many more injured, according to reports.

    Read Also: El-Zakzaky: Police arrest 400 Shiites members

    In another confrontation in Abuja, in July, there were also deaths not just of Shiites but security men as well.

    The security forces have been criticised for using “shocking and unconscionable force” in controlling the group members, who have sworn to continue their protests until their leader Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, detained since 2015, is released.

    But on Tuesday, all was calm in Abuja as the Shiites marched, though heavy armed police presence was reported in the nation’s capital.

    This was because both sides seem to have learnt their lessons. The Shiites were not prepared for any bloody eventuality, neither were the security forces.

    The police were more on the ground at the Federal Secretariat, and at major roads leading into Abuja and its environs to prevent crisis.

    IMN had on Monday petitioned the Human Rights Commission, United Nations and the European Union over Tuesday’s Ashura procession which it claimed that the police are preparing to disrupt and attack it members. The police did indeed direct the IMN members not to engage in any procession.

    Thankfully, there were no ugly developments.

  • Kidnappers of CMD to be caught soon, says Obaseki

    Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has assured that kidnappers of the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okogbenin, would soon be captured.

    Prof. Okogbenin was abducted by gunmen at Ramat Park in Benin City while on his way to Benin Airport en route from Abuja.

    He spent seven days before he was released on September 4.

    Governor Obaseki said the state government would compensate the families of two police officers killed during the kidnap.

    Read Also: Obaseki lauds security operatives, as abducted ISTH CMD regains freedom

    The two officers, Sergeants Odion Jonathan Ajibola and Etinosa Erhuegbea, were orderlies of Prof. Okogbenin.

    Obaseki made the pledge when he visited the CMD at his residence in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of the state, adding that the compensation would come under the Edo State Government’s Insurance Scheme for the state security architecture codenamed, ‘Wabaizigan’.

    The governor said he would visit families of the deceased police officers and make adequate arrangements to ensure they are captured in the insurance scheme.

    He said security agencies were on the trail of the abductors having obtained useful information on their activities.

    Prof Okogbenin commended the state government, security agencies and the hospital community for their role in his rescue, adding that their support was helping him recover from the trauma.

  • Nine Oro members held for ‘attacking’ Muslims in Ogun

    Ogun State Police Command has arrested nine Oro adherents for allegedly unleashing violence on Muslims in Idi-Iroko area of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State during the celebration of Oro festival.

    The Nation learnt the Oro adherents were said have levied curfew on the people in the Local Government on Saturday, restricting residents to their homes but the stay-in-order was defied by the Muslims; who went out to observe their prayers.

    It was learnt further that the Oro adherents were incensed on sighting some Muslims and Christians outside, attacked them for alleged noncompliance with the curfew during performance of the Oro ritual which was at day-break.

    The Nation gathered that the Muslims and Christians in area acting on the subsisting order of the state High court sitting in Ipokia which had in its judgement few years ago, held that the Oro adherents must desist from holding their festival in day time in any part of the area, had decided to go about their lawful movement but they were beaten by the Oro followers.

    Mr. Tolahat Yahya; one of the victims of the alleged attack, claimed the Oro adherents damaged his car during the festival.

    Read Also: ‘Mentally ill’ man held for ‘robbing bank’ in Kwara

    He said: “We were coming back from a programme held at our mosque when the Oro adherents attacked us. They beat us that we did not obey the curfew order .

    “We stood our ground and we ensure we grabbed three of them who we later handed over to the police.

    “The intimidation is too much, they refused to allow us practise our religion despite the agreement that the Oro ritual will not be performed in day-break, they did not obey that.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the attack on Muslims, said the suspected Oro adhetents have been arrested in connection with the incident.

    Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) gave the names of the Oro adherents as idowu Desu, Monday Akinlolu, Dele Dada, Raimi Jacob, Dondo Sunday, Abiola Azeez, Olarenwaju Akerele, Nurudeen Lawal and Tetede Jamiu.

    The police spokesman said the suspects would be charged to court for breach of peace and other criminal acts.

  • 659 bags of foreign rice, petroleum products seized in Kwara

    Special task force against smuggling at the weekend said that it has intercepted a total number of 600 units of 250-litre drums of petroleum products Chikanda border town in Baruten local government area of Kwara state.

    The taskforce said the products were about to be smuggled outside the country.

    He also said that a large number of empty drums of petroleum products were seized in the operation.

    The taskforce comprises men of the Nigeria Customs Service, Army, Directorate of the State Service (DSS), Police, Immigration, Air force and the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA).

    The smuggled items worth billions of naira, were seized in the last one month of operations.

    Assistant Comptroller of Customs Service Aminu Dahiru told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, saying that 659 bags of suspected foreign rice, 32 empty sacks of foreign rice and sealing machine were also seized from a warehouse in Ilorin.

    Read Also: Customs seize 1,942 bags of foreign rice, other goods in Katsina

    He added that other items intercepted include petroleum products, cars, fairly used clothing, hard drugs and food items were intercepted along Nigeria border towns and market places in Kwara, Niger, and Benue.

    He also said that the joint border operation drill, code named, Ex-swift operation, was carried out in four zones of Port Harcourt, Lagos, Ilorin and Katsina, with the aim of guarding Nigeria border lines against smuggling and to ensure industrial growth, promote agriculture and improve national security.

    He lamented that the country had become a dumping ground for all imported items, saying that local production and development had suffered.

    The assistant comptroller general in charge of enforcement, investigation and inspection at the national headquarters also led the north central zone of the operation, said that smugging had gone for too long in the country, adding that importation of small arms and ammunition had made the country unsecured, while use of second hand clothing had negative health effect in many communicable diseases.

    He called on Nigerians to be united against smuggling and cooperate with law enforcement agents in that regard, saying that smuggling is stealing from common wealth of the nation and makes people lazy.

  • PhD student who sued ABU for N20m ordered to pay defendants

    On the whole, this case lacks merit. The reliefs sought by the proceeding are refused. The suit itself is hereby dismissed

     

    When a post-graduate student of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Jamilu Auwalu Adamu took the decision to sue the institution, he reasonably believed he had a good case. He was targeting N20m in damages, but when the court verdict came, it was far from what Jamilu wanted to hear. He not only lost the case, but was also ordered to pay the institution the sum of N150,000.

    The Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna dismissed the case for lack of merit.

    The PhD student had dragged the institution and two academic staff to court, praying it to, among other things, declare that his withdrawal from the institution as invalid, null and void.

    Jamilu, a staff of the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, had claimed that his withdrawal and extension of period of studies at the institution’s School of Postgraduate Studies were wrongly done.

    The plaintiff was seeking the sum of N20 million in general damages for “wrongful withdrawal, unduly prolonging the plaintiff’s period of studies, wasting of time, energy and waste of resources”.

    However, the court in its judgment delivered by Justice S. M Shuaibu, ruled that the case lacked merit and, therefore, refused all the reliefs sought by the respondent.

    Justice Shuaibu ruled that, “On the whole, this case lacks merit. The reliefs sought by the proceeding are refused. The suit itself is hereby dismissed”.

    The judgment, consequently, awarded N50,000 cost to each of the three defendants (the University and two other academic staff) making a total of N150,000 cost against the plaintiff.

    Justice Shuaibu said there was nothing before him to show that the plaintiff had applied for a deferment of his PhD programme or had applied for late registration, saying the conclusion was that the respondent had voluntarily withdrawn from the programme.

    The judge went to add that the plaintiff ceased to be a student of the University since 10th May, 2015 by his own conscious act of omission; and consequently he lacked the locus standi to institute the proceeding as he was no longer a student at the time he did.

    The court, equally, rejected the argument that the plaintiff became aware of his withdrawal by a letter from the 1st defendant to the plaintiff’s solicitors in reply to enquiries made relating to the status of the plaintiff with the 1st defendant.

    Justice Shuaibu said those so-called enquiries were made two years after the plaintiff had voluntarily withdrawn from the institution by his conscious and deliberate omission to register for 2014/2015 academic session.

  • ‘Mum did nothing when I told her dad was raping me’

    A 14-year-old girl (names) withheld on Monday narrated how her mother Mrs. Florence Ifelaka lifted no finger after she reported the sexual abuses her father was putting her through.

    The victim who was brought to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) Lagos command headquarters in Alausa said the sexual assaults started when she was 11 and her mother knew about it.

    According to her, the last of the incestuous rape occurred on August 9, at their Mapowu Street, Ojo residence while her mother was away.

    She added that she has not seen her period since August, raising suspicions she could be pregnant.

    She said: “It happened twice when I was 11 years and I reported to my mother but she did nothing about it. Then, on August 9, he woke me up around 2:25am and started touching me inappropriately and then he raped me.

    “My mother was not around. She went to my grandmother’s place. I reported it to her still but she did not do anything,” the teenager said.

    Read Also: Teacher ‘rapes’, ‘impregnates’ 12-year-old pupil

    Asked why she did not take steps to protect her daughter from her husband, the woman said she was scared, adding that he threatened to deal with them should anyone hear of it.

    She further claimed she did not belief her daughter when she told her in 2016 that her father was molesting her.

    The woman said: “I was not around because I lost my child and went to my mother-in-law’s house. It was when I came back that my daughter again said her father had slept with her. I confided in my sister and she insisted we must report it.

    “It was my sister who reported the matter at Ojo Division of NSCDC on Friday.

    The suspect, Chinedu Ifeleka, 46, confessed to raping the girl once claiming he was influenced by alcohol.

    He said he had a faint picture of what transpired, adding that he saw his daughter lying down with a whitish substance showing in her private part.

    “I woke her and asked what that was. I told her she has started sleeping with men. She denied it and said she was having Candida.

    “I asked her how she knew it was Candida and that I wanted to inspect it.

    That was how I put my hand in it and then I penetrated her. It was only on August 9 that I did it, I have not done it before. It was alcohol that caused it,” he said.

    Parading the suspect, Commandant NSCDC Cyprian Otoibhi said he would be handed over to the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) for further investigation and prosecution.

    He said: “The suspect will face the full wrath of the law and will be

    handed over to DSVRT for further investigation and prosecution.

    “Rape and incest are heinous crimes and perpetrators of such, when caught, will be made to pay dearly.”

    Otoibhi, who took over headship of the command from Tajudeen Balogun, said the NSCDC would continue in its core mandate of protecting critical infrastructure, lives and properties in the state.

  • Security man in court for ‘stabbing’ female colleague

    A 26-year-old security guard, Joshua Habila, on Monday appeared before a Tinubu Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stabbing a female co-worker with a broken bottle during an argument.

    The police charged Habila with assault before Magistrate T. A. Anjorin-Ajose.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Ajaga Agboko, told the court that defendant committed the offence on August 29, at about 8.30a.m at their work place, located at Bibby Crest Ltd, Addo Road, Eti-Osa Lagos.

    He said that the defendant stabbed his co-worker, a female office assistant, Tope Abubakar, with a broken bottle on the right side of her face during an argument.

    Read Also: Police arraign two for stabbing neighbour

    He said the defendant was watching Television at the reception when the incident happened.

    He said Tope chided him for watching TV early in the morning  when he should be at his duty post.

    “Habila got angry and picked up a bottle, smashed it on the wall and stabbed her on the right side of her face causing her serious injury.

    He pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Anjorin-Ajose granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    He ordered that the sureties must tender their bank statements which must contain up to N200,000 cash deposit.

    He adjourned the case until October 10.