The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Culture, impunity and politics

    We  live in a fast changing  world  and environment  and some events  and happenings   come so fast that we need  to nudge ourselves that we are not hallucinating. I   take on a few of such  unbelievable melo dramas and scenarios  today  and I am  sure you will  find them  not only fascinating  but   also  revealing about  the changes in our  world. The  events  I have picked  hover around the concepts in today’s headline and affect  our values, our  restraints and self control  as a  nation and a  people  and of course  our lack of  these simple virtues  too.

    At  an event  to mark  our Democracy Day the man  who  conducted  our  last  presidential  elections told an audience  made up richly of the results and products of  the   2015 elections   that  our National  Assembly  is made up of   bribe  taking Committees  Chairman and  federal  law makers who took  bribe with impunity  in the guise of  doing committee work. Prof Attahiru  Jega   former   INEC   Chairman  lamented and wondered what  the security  and investigative  authorities  were  doing  on the   matter.  The  following day   it was reported that the Senate  President  in the Senate  asked Prof  Jega   to  name the Committee  Chairmen  involved. That  reaction  from  the Senate  President  to me is a confirmation  that   a  culture of  corruption with impunity rules  the entire  Nigerian  political  system  and that is what Jega,  a professor of political science  was   trying  to point out at the  Democracy   Day  Lecture  titled ‘  Peace Building   and Good  Governance  for  Development  in  Nigeria. ‘

    I  have  not read  Jega’s  paper  but from  his observation  as well  as the reaction of   a  product  of   the election he   conducted  in  2015, he is not only  distancing the quality  of that election from its products  in the National  Assembly. He is also  saying that peace and sustainable development  in Nigeria are not possible under such a corrupt  political  culture which  thrives on the malfeseance  of  bribe  taking  by  legislators who  treat  such  deleterious behavior   with  levity      and   unworthy   of their attention   since    that  is their  political   norm  or  set  way  of life,  in making laws for Nigeria.

    Just  this week  a former  Minister  of  Finance  in  the last   Administration  Mrs   Ngozi   Okonjo  Iweala  revealed  at  a book  launch,  a huge amount  added  to the budget  for  legislators constituency  funding  before  the budget  for one year   could  be passed.  Yet   the legislators  in that legislature at that  time  have not found it appropriate  to  resign or  deny such financial misdemeanor. Which  also confirms the culture of corruption with impunity   as stated earlier.

    However,  as  a seasoned political scientist  and university trade unionist Prof Jega  cannot claim to be a novice on   the workings of the Nigerian presidential  system  and politics. Indeed  last  week  his former boss  the last president accused  him of irresponsibility  in wanting to go on with the   2015  presidential  elections  and assuring the security  chiefs that he could go on with the elections when  about 40%  of the electorate were  yet to  have voters  card,   which    would  have disenfranchised almost  half  of the electorate. That  was a true  accusation and I know because I was one of such potential  voters  in my area in Lagos state. That is a charge that the former  INEC  boss  must  live with  or explain forever.  In  addition  Jega  cannot  just  wonder  why  the investigative authorities   seem  powerless  in calling legislative bribe takers  to  order. The constitution has tied the  hands of the security  apparatus in making their leadership  confirmation  of appointment  a legislative   duty.  For  now the boss of the EFCC is  unconfirmed  because of  his role in   probing legislators  and the Inspector  General  of  Police has  been  proclaimed unfit  for office  because  he delegated a  function of appearing before  the Senate  which is his  legitimate  right.

    Anyway  since Jega  himself  is a professor  and the last  presidential election had professors  as INEC state Chairmen  I  want  to remind the former  INEC Chairman  of the highly  suspicious  demeanor of some of these   otherwise brilliant  egg  heads  on presenting their state  results before the INEC Chairman in the 2015 presidential  elections. Especially that of  Rivers  and Kano. The professor for  Rivers  was shivering  as if he stole something  and was being probed  by the INEC  boss.  The  Prof   for Kano  surprised  even  Jega when  he  answered  by    vigorously   shaking his head   in the affirmative,  Jega’s  incredulous  question  that there were  no spoilt  ballot  in the total  massive  votes  announced  for  Kano. Of  course  Jega  believed  that the university  system  have the best  brains but by now  he must  have known disciplinary   or   professional  excellence is not necessarily the best for counting of votes and the attendant honesty  and integrity  that go  with  it. That  should  have  been in his  Democracy  Day  lecture  which  I admit  I have not read.

    Let  me round off  with a story  from another university  environment  in the USA  to show that  a culture  of corruption  and  lack  of ethics  is not limited  to  the  Nigerian politicians and legislators.  In  the University  of Southern California [ USC ], Faculty  members  have signed a petition for the University president to resign  because  he did nothing to a University Gynaecologist  who  served for 30  years  and retired  in 2017  after messing up  with  female  students and patients in the University. The randy  gynaecologist  Dr George  Tyndall was accused of inappropriate   conduct  between  1990  and 2016  in the treatment of 52  women  who have  made  reports  to the police.

    Dr  Tyndall  was accused of doing pelvic examination without  gloves with his fingersand using racist and   in appropriate   sexual  language during consultations. He made comments  ‘about  patients bodies  and their sex lives and   the  tightness of their vaginal  muscles and touched  patients inappropriately during breast examinations’.  Appropriately  though the USC President  C L Max Nikias  stepped  down  this week  after  demonstrations by thousands of students and  alumni  signed a petition  asking for  his resignation.

    The  lesson  to learn in this  USC gyni  case  of  unethical  behavior  is that power  corrupts  and absolute  power  corrupts  absolutely and professors  and doctors who wield  technical  knowledge  and power  are not immune  to temptation to misuse  and abuse  their power  and the trust  of their  patients. What is important however is that those around them  should  be bold  to expose  their  excesses. In the USC  case  nurses  who stayed  with the randy  gynaecologist  were  said  to have looked away  when  innocent   and worried patients  smelt  a rat  in the way the doctor was using his fingers on them.  Such  nurses  are being summoned  by their professional  bodies  for  severe  breach  of ethics .  In  addition  the fact  that the University  president was asked  to resign  means that those  who  put him in power  have asked him   to  bear responsibility  for  playing  Nero  while  Rome burns in the  randy   gynaecologist’s    clinic  and examination room  for  30  years in USC. There may  such  Neros in our universities  and teaching hospitals  and   indeed   globally. It  is the duty of society  to show  them that  they  are not god  because of  their knowledge  and  must  obey  the ethics of their profession and the morals of  cultured  society.  Once again, long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

     

     

  • Man, 43, allegedly defiles 11-year-old thrice

    A 43-year-old man, Ifeanyi Adieme has been arrested for allegedly defiling an 11-year-old (name withheld) It was learnt that the girl’s parents handed her over to Adieme to look after his three children.

    It was learnt that the girl who attends Iba Estate Primary School, Ojo, Lagos, on Ma 20, 2018, opened up to one of the coordinators of her church’s children section on how she had been subjected to sexual abuse and defilement by Adieme.

    The pastor of the church was said to have reported the matter to Iba Police Station, following a medical confirmation of Adeime’s sexual abuse of the girl, and he was arrested.

    The pastor who refused to give out his name said he was angry when he heard that a little girl was raped by his uncle and he was provoked to call for Adieme’s arrest.

    According to the Pastor, Adieme was not a member of the church but  he allowed his children to attend the church every Sunday. “We only know the children as our members; they have been coming for a long time. But, we don’t know their father, in fact, today is my first time of seeing him”.

    Adieme, who runs a frozen food retail shop and was detained at the station for allegedly raping the girl, initially denied touching her saying: “I didn’t touch her. I am a Christian and would not do such a thing, I hope the hospital can detect if I went into her private part? Let them found that out if I was the one.’’

    Adieme who hails from Nsugbe town in Anambra State but lives at number 19 Oremeji Street, Ibatedo, Ojo Lagos narrated further that he once had a beautiful and good wife who died in January, adding that it was as a result of who would help him look after his children that made him seek for a help.

    “I brought her to my house and enrolled her at Iba Estate Primary School. As time went by she couldn’t do house chores as I expected and I would caution her. Then on Friday 18th of this month, I came back home and saw a candle burning in the parlour. I asked who put the candle; she said it was my son. I said you that is older that I brought into this home to take care of my children, you are not taking care of them well, so I just beat her but not so much and they left to church. I was at home waiting for them to come back from church when police came and arrested me”.

    A medical report from Igando General Hospital confirmed that the girl was actually defiled.

    Around 9:30am on Monday, the pastor, a member of the church and Adieme’s elder brother were at the station. They pleaded with the DPO, Mr Gbenga  Ogunsakin not to refer Adieme to Lagos State Police Command, but grant him bail in order to look after his children. At this time, Ogunsakin called in the victim, to narrate in details how Adieme abused her.

    According to the girl, it all started on a Friday night around 10pm after Adieme’s chidren had gone to bed. She said: “He called me into his room, When I entered he brought out his private part. I screamed and made to leave the room, he dragged me back and warned me not to make a noise. He asked me to kneel down and began to lick. I told him I can’t do that. He hit me on the head and said that he will beat me if I don’t do it. I started doing it; he held my head and was pushing it inside my mouth. When something started coming out, I tried to withdraw but he said I should continue to lick it”

    “Another night, I wanted to go and sleep he called me back. He pulled all my cloth and asked me to lie down on the bed. Then he started doing it. He said that if I tell anybody that he will kill me. After sometime he stopped. His son had woken up at that time, he went outside and came back and started again. I was crying all through, he beat me and said I should stop crying.”

    She added that on the first day it happened that her mother called Adieme. She said that Adieme gave her the phone to speak to her mother but that as soon as she began to tell her mother what happened, Adieme quickly collected the phone and turned it off.

    When the DPO could no longer tolerate what he was hearing from the victim, he ordered that Adieme be brought out from the cell. He wanted to know Adieme’s motive, why he raped the girl three times and why he made her  lick his sperm.

    Adieme fell on his knees and begged for mercy; he said it was the devil that pushed him and more likely to be the curse that was placed on him by his wife’s relative.

    The case has since been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command.

    Adejoke Cole, a Superintendent of Police (SP) of Lagos State Police Command in charge of Gender Unit expressed worrisome over the increase rate of child rape in the state.  After documentation and hand over of the case, the victim, was taken to Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja for medical tests and treatment.

    However, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) Mr Chike Oti, who confirmed the incident, added that the suspect was in custody and will soon face the law.

  • Worshippers prevent police from aiding forcible removal of church’s signboard

    Two months after they were locked out of their church by the police, members of the Embrace International Church in Erunwon, Ikorodu, Lagos, have repelled an attempt to remove the signboard bearing the name of the church under the cover of darkness..

    It was learnt that four men suspected to be artisans were accompanied by operatives of the Lagos State security outfit, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) to the church premises at about 11: 35 pm on May 26, 2018 in an attempt to replace the name of the church with that of Foursquare Gospel Church.

    They were however sighted by residents who alerted the leaders of the church on the telephone.

    The Nation gathered that members of the church who were mobilized to the scene foiled the clandestine mission and prevented the police from aiding the artisans to actualise their mission of the church building.

    It will be recalled that the police had locked out members of the church in February and occupied the premises following a face-off between their pastor, Reverend Isaac Adeyemi, and authorities of Foursquare Gospel Church. Adeyemi was a priest in Foursquare before he left for the church.

    Describing the latest alleged attempt to remove the church signboard as illegal, a member of Embrace International Church, Pastor Bayo Adio said:’’ About 11.15 pm on May 26, 2018, , we noticed some strange men around our church premises on 89/93 Awolowo Road, Erunwon Junction, Ikorodu. The strange movement was confirmed at about 11.35 pm and it was at this juncture that  our members living around  were mobilized to the scene and challenged  the  four strange men, who were accompanied to the scene by operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, while they were about to mount a scaffold to  remove the signboard bearing the name of our church..

    ‘’When the intruders and their police accomplice knew that their game was up considering the large number of our members at the scene, they started begging our members to allow them leave in peace, but our members, who  had by then blocked the entrance of the church refused.

    ‘’The RRS operatives then got in touch with their bosses and the Divisional Police Officer of Sagamu Division, Mr Olusakin, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) who later visited the scene to plead with our members around 1 am. The DPO initially said he was in. formed that some people were held hostage inside the church, but we told him that it was the police that actually locked us out a few months ago and have since been occupying the church building.

    ‘’The DPO urged us to allow the RRS operatives leave the church premises in their vehicle and told the Police Commissioner on the telephone that the scene was orderly and that we were only demanding our rights in the most civilized manner. Surprisingly, the policemen who had been occupying our church since February came out of the building and confronted the RRS operatives for coming there to cause more problems but they later settled their rift and left together. ‘’

    Another member of the church, Pastor Segun Oluwadoromi  said the four artisans confessed that they were contracted by a top leader of Foursquare Gospel Church to remove the signboard of Embrace International Church.

    ‘’ By the time the RRS men and the team of policemen stationed there vacated the premises, the four artisans had scampered into safety inside the church building, but our members launched a search for them and fished them out at about 4 am. The artisans confessed that they were sent by  a leading member of Foursquare Gospel Church to remove our  church’s signboard and replace it with that of Foursquare.

    ‘’We had intercepted a message sent to some Foursquare branches in Ikorodu to mobilise their members to our church for a special service last Sunday, hence, the motive behind their botched mission was to put the name of Foursquare on our church building in order to give he impression n that they have taken possession of our building through self-help. What we are saying is that the Foursquare Gospel Church leadership and the police should respect the sanctity of the judiciary, since the court has not dispensed with the case.’’

    In a telephone conversation with our correspondent, the National Secretary of Foursquare Gospel Church, Reverend Okechukwu Ugbaja denied the complicity of the church in the matter.

    ‘’We are a law-abiding church and would not embrace subjudice. However, there is a court ruling that says the place belongs to Foursquare Gospel Church and that the other parties should revert to status quo, therefore, Embrace International; Church has no reason being there because the place belongs to Foursquare.

    He added: ‘’We are God’s people and we won’t resort to self-help; we are law-abiding, not lawless and did not send anyone to remove or replace the name of the church.’’

    Contacted, the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Mr Chike Oti promised to revert tour correspondent. He was however unable to do so at press time.

  • We have no hand in smugglers’ business – Nigeria Immigration

    Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has absolved itself and officers of culpability in the smuggling of the Nigerian girls to Egypt. Rather than abet human traffickers to push their nefarious trade, NIS said it had strengthened the capacity of its officers to work in partnership with relevant agencies to stop human trafficking in all the nation’s borders.

    Its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Sunday James, said the NIS was not aware of the smugglers’ activities at the airport. He said the Service apprehended a group of smugglers at Seme – Nigeria’s border with Republic of Benin. The suspects, he said, were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for prosecution.

    James said NIS has stringent disciplinary measures for erring officers who aid traffickers to smuggle human beings, noting that the Service had upheld professionalism in the management of the nation’s border.

    Asked if NIS was aware of Nigerian girls being enslaved and sold in Egypt? James said: “We are not aware of any such activity. But, as far as we are concerned and to our knowledge, we have our officers stationed at all entry and exit point in Nigeria to intercept suspected smugglers and their victims.

    “This has been a routine and whenever we suspect any person, whether at the airport, seaport or land borders, we intercept and interrogate them. If they are found wanting or maybe it is confirmed to be a trafficking issue or they are smuggling people, we stop them immediately. That we have been doing for many times.”

    Reacting to allegation of culpability of NIS officers at the airport, James said: “Which of the airports? You are supposed to go to our airports; there are comptrollers there. Go there and meet the comptrollers to ask questions. Your story will not be complete without you going to airports.

    “We don’t support smugglers to carry out their business. The NIS Comptroller-General regularly sounds a note of warning to officers who may want to compromise professionalism and aid in the trafficking of persons. We have strict penalties for erring officers. We are not interested in issue of Nigerians who probably travel out of the country on their own and they end up being exploited.

    “We are interested in preventing smugglers from taking victims out of the country through our borders. We advise anyone travelling out of the country to go through the right process and carry the right documents. Immigration Act frowns at trafficking in persons.”

  • Cele ‘prophet’ flogged for allegedly abducting, impregnating 10-yr-old

    A man described as a prophet of a Celestial Church of Christ parish in the Ilashe area of Ipokia Local Government Area of Ogun State, identified simply as Woli Michael was penultimate week flogged for allegedly abducting and impregnating a 10-year-old girl in the community.

    It was learnt that Michael, a native of Ondo State, abducted the minor in February this year and had sexually abused her for months leading to pregnancy.

    A source said that Michael had hidden the girl in his house despite a search party launched for her whereabouts by the community leaders, which was known to him.

    ‘’Prophet Michael seized the girl in February and kept him in his house and impregnated her. He had somehow hypnotised the girl to the extent that she would hide from her schoolmates whenever they passed through the area where Prophet Michael’s house is located.’’

    ‘’The girl was however spotted by his parents on April 29, 2018, while she was sweeping the compound where she was kept.

    ‘’The girl told his parents that she was kept in the house by Prophet Michael and she was discovered to be pregnant for him.’’

    The matter was reported to the monarch of the community, who ordered that Prophet Michael be arrested to no avail on that day.

    The culprit was however arrested on April 30, where he was stripped naked and openly flogged at monarch’s palace before he was banished from the community.

    The punishment given to the cleric however generated controversy as residents considered it to be too light for his misconduct.

    A resident, Oluwole, however said the errant prophet was handed over to the police.

    ‘’ People were just unnecessarily angry that the flogging and banishment are too light. The man was eventually handed over to the police in order to face the wrath of the law for abducting and impregnating a minor.’’

    The spokesman of the Ogun State Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi could not be reached for comment on his mobile phone at press time.

  • ‘How greed pushed me into robbery’

    A member of a three-man robbery gang, Lawal Musa, 45, arrested by the operatives of Ogun State Police Command has confessed that he joined the gang because the gang leader used to buy choice drinks for him when he was a jobless  graduate in Abeokuta.

    The other two members of the deadly gang are Adebayo Rasheed, 42,and Abayomi Amos, 25, the gang leader.

    Police sources said the suspects squat with one of their gang members in rented apartment.

    The arrest of Abayomi in military uniform led to the arrest of two other members of the gang, Adebayo and Lawal.

    In his confession, Lawal said: ‘’I am from Aiye Kale Odiaye family in Ekiti and married with a kid. I am a taxi driver in Abeokuta. I don’t have a taxi cab of my own, I am on a temporary job. I drive anytime I see a taxi cab to drive. I always deliver what I am expected to deliver and still get something to keep the body and soul together. If I get N2, 500 I deliver N1, 500 and take N1000.

    robbery
    Lawal Musa

    ‘’It is not every day that I get a cab to drive. Some days I used to be idle because no taxi cab to drive. Unfortunately it was in one of those days that I met Abayomi. I saw him in a cabin. I was going to Adatan near Itoko side. I asked him, are you a soldier and he said yes, that he was coming from naval dockyard. We then exchanged phone numbers.

    ‘’He said he used to come to Abeokuta every weekend and always loaded with money. Anytime he comes back he would ask us to ‘celebrate’. He would buy choice bottles of drinks and plates of pepper soup. He used to buy me malt drinks.

    ‘’I did not know much about him. It is my ‘long throat’ (greed) that pushed me into this mess. One Monday morning I saw policemen who came to me and asked me whether I knew Abayomi, the alleged naval officer and I said I knew him as a naval officer because he told me that he is a naval officer. I believed him because he was kitted in naval uniform.

    ‘’I was idle and an idle hand is a devil’s workshop, therefore, I could not find out that he was a fake officer especially when he was generous with money.

    The second suspect Adebayo, a Business Administration graduate of Tai Solarin University of Education in Ijebu Ode, and father of three said he was formerly a commercial motorcyclist popularly called okada.

    He said he met Abayomi during egungun festival numbers, followed by series of rendezvous in his apartment.

    ‘’I was arrested because Adebayo told police that he was coming from my house. I am not a robber. You can ask anybody in my community whether I have any bad criminal record.’’

    In his confession, the gang leader, Abayomi described Musa and Adebayo as liars and denied being the leader of the gang.

    Abayomi  said he stole the military uniform from the apartment of one of his friends in Dodan Barracks, Lagos.

    He said he only wore the uniform to pose as a big boy and not to rob.

    He said: ‘’One day, I went to visit a friend in Dodan Barracks, Obalende, Lagos. Unfortunately he was not in the house but the devil struck when I saw his uniform spread to dry and I stole trousers, shirt and vest and returned to

  • Weird tales of prison inmates

    • Bizarre reasons they are in custody

    INNOCENT DURU, who visited some prisons in Lagos State, reports on the strange reasons some inmates are in custody. They range from the funny to the bizarre.

    Ayobami, an inmate of Ikoyi Prison, has innocence written all over his face as he walks about the prison yard in his fragile frame. But under the façade of innocence is a young man who has soiled his hands in heinous crimes.

    Prior to our correspondent’s encounter with him, his fellow inmates had addressed him as Aje’yan (a Yoruba word for man eater). The weird appellation sent a rude shock into the reporter who broke all barriers to chat with the celebrated cannibal.

    How did he come about the dreadful name he is called in prison? This and many more questions ran through the reporter’s mind as he anxiously waited to chat with the young man. Before long, Ayobami sauntered in, beaming the trade mark smile that belied his shocking adventure.

    Explaining how he came about the dreadful name, the 20-year-old said it emanated from an evil venture that took him to the prison.

    He said: “I am in prison because I used to kidnap children aged between two and three years. I was doing it for my boss together with two other boys. My boss is a fashion designer and we were apprentices under him. But his fashion designing job is only a cover-up. His primary business is kidnapping. He gave us rings laced with juju to kidnap children.

    “We would place the ring on the head of any child we wanted to kidnap, and the moment we did that, the child would vanish from the spot and appear in my boss’ secret room. He sold the kidnapped children to people who used them for rituals.”

    Speaking on his area of operation and the amount he collected for each child he kidnapped, Ayobami said: “I operated around Agege area and was paid N6,000 for every child that I kidnapped. I did that successfully for some time before I was caught.

    “I was caught when I tried to kidnap a child, not knowing that I did not wear my ring. I placed my hand on the girl’s head but she did not vanish. Before I knew it, the girl screamed and attracted people in the area.

    “My two other colleagues escaped but I was not so lucky. At that point, it dawned on me that the game was up for me. I was beaten thoroughly and handed over to the police. The police have gone to check my boss’ house but they didn’t see him.”

    He told The Nation that since the police failed to locate his boss, they had not made any effort to do further investigation by using him to trace his boss; a kidnap kingpin masquerading as a fashion designer.

    “I have been in the prison for about three years now. It appears I have been forgotten here. I have been used as a sacrificial lamb.”

    Asked the whereabouts of his partners in the illicit business, Abayomi said he did not know. His frightening narration immediately became a subject of discussion and joke as everybody avoided body contacts with the young man for fear that they could disappear.

    If Ayobami’s story evokes fear, the one about an okada (commercial motorcycle) rider and inmate of Badagry Prison would offer some comic relief. The young man told our correspondent how his romance with a woman he did not know was married landed him in the prison where he had remained for five months.

    His said: “I went to the lady’s shop to buy something and fell in love with her. She started coming to my house and would sometimes spend a whole week with me. I never knew she was married, not to talk of having three children.

    “She told me that she fell in love with me from what she perceived after looking at my trouser. We made love on many occasions and had a good time together.”

    The young man said after some years of dating each other, she started suspecting that the lady was seeing another man.

    He said: “My problem with her began when I started seeing her with another man. I was not happy about the development because I loved her so much. I subsequently found that she was married with children, but the man I saw her with was not her husband.

    “Later, she invited the police to arrest me. The police charged me to court for threatening her life. That is why I have been in prison for the past five months. She has also been coming to court and I have been appealing to her to have mercy on me by striking out the case.

    “I know she still fears that I could harm her, but I have no such plans. I used to call her Mama. Each time she comes to court, I would say, ‘Mama, please, help me.’ I can see that she is disposed to allowing me to regain my freedom. I hope that would happen very soon.”

    Asked if he would like to continue his affair with Mama when he is released, he retorted: “The moment I regain my freedom, I will pack my bags and run away from Lagos. I feel ashamed that it is this kind of thing that brought me to prison. It is not a story I would want to tell my children at all.”

    Another inmate of Badagry Prison was seen weeping profusely over his detention in the prison. His offence: he beat his child and had been in prison custody for nine months at the time the reporter visited. To worsen matters, his file was said to be missing.

    He said: “I have been here for nine months for beating my child. My business has suffered all this while just because of that. They have not taken me to court in the past five months. How long will I continue to be in this condition?”

    One of his fellow inmates, Ifeanyi, told The Nation that the child he flogged belonged to his estranged wife.

    “The mother of the child was no more with him. He had since remarried. After beating the child, the mother learnt about it and got him arrested. He has been here for nine months.”

    One of the Badagry Prison inmates who gave his name as Ubah, said he was detained for an offence termed Obtaining By Trick (OBT) after he collected N41,000 from a female client to help her print money (money doubling).

    Ubah, who said he had been in the prison since May, 2015, said: “I collected the sum of N41,000 from the lady to do money doubling for her. When the deal did not work out as planned, she got me arrested and claimed that I collected N1.3 million from her to supply her handsets. That is what I am battling with; not the real issue I had with her.

    “I don’t have a lawyer representing me in court. To make matters worse, I don’t have anybody here in Lagos. I am worried about my wife who gave birth through Caesarean Section (CS).”

    Another Ikoyi Prison inmate, who identified himself simply as Alfa, said he was in the prison for murder.

    “My own case is murder,” he said as he began his story. “I was having an issue with somebody and we started fighting. In the course of fighting, I saw a broken bottle and thrust it into his neck. The next thing I saw was blood gushing out. He died as a result. I did not know it could lead to that at all.

    “I wasn’t an alfa before I came to the prison. It was while listening to preaching by Islamic clerics that I became an alfa.”

  • Drama as police parade 319 youths nabbed in Lagos

    There was mild drama at the Lagos State Police Command yesterday during the parade of 319 youths arrested during raids of various hideouts.

    The suspects, some of whom had just towels on them, protested their arrests by the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation, insisting that they were innocent.

    Shouting at the top of their voices, the suspects claimed they were either apprehended in their homes or while they were running errands on the streets.

    Some suspected drug addicts, cultists, prostitutes and miscreants were also paraded.

    One of the suspects, Afeez Jimoh, said he was arrested in his room in Ajah while he was sleeping.

    The suspects
    The suspects

    He said: “You can see that I am tying a towel. I was in my room in Ajah sleeping peacefully when policemen broke in and arrested me. They did not allow me to wear a short or trouser. I asked them why they are arresting me but they told me to shut up.

    “I was dragged into a van and brought to the command. I am not a criminal. I am a welder and married with two children.”

    Another suspect Franca Agambu also claimed she was arrested in her room at Omiyale in Ajah, adding that her kids aged two and five were alone.

    She said: “Police arrested me in my room at Omiyale area in Ajah. I begged them to allow me take my two young daughters but they refused. I have been begging and crying to the police to go and check my children. I do not know how they are doing and I have been crying because there is nobody to take care of them.”

    A female basketball player said she was returning from training when they picked her and forced her into the van. A woman, who was alleged to be a prostitute, said she was arrested in her home with her husband at Elemoro in Ajah.

    The suspects were however cajoled by Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal, who assured them that a screening would be conducted and those innocent freed.

    Edgal said the raid was carried out in line with the command’s commitment to rid the state of miscreants, hoodlums as election year approaches.

    He said: “Ahead of the election, we are carrying out raid of criminal hideouts and black spots to rid the state of criminal elements. A total number of 319 suspects were arrested.

    “It is not out of place that in a raid like this, some innocent persons might be raided. That is why we are going to profile them and those who have no links with crime would be freed. We have told them to

  • Tragedy as three gospel singers die in auto accident

    Three up and coming gospel artistes have allegedly lost their lives in a fatal auto accident, shortly after their performance at a concert in Ikotun, a Lagos suburb.

    The accident which happened on April 7 was posted on the social media by one Oladele.

    According to him, the trio, Adetuyi Temitope  Michael aka ATM ; Yinka Destiny and an unidentified female singer were returning from a concert organised by one of their colleagues, when the incident occurred.

    “The late artistes had participated in an all-night gospel music concert organised by one of their colleagues called Keji in the Abaranje area of Ikotun on April 6, 2018. One of them called ATM (Adetuyi) gave Destiny a lift in his car in the morning of April 7.

    ”He however lost control of his car at Orile Iganmu and crashed into a stationary truck and died on the spot. The unidentified female singer also died on the spot, while Destiny, who did not die on the spot was rushed to a hospital where he died on Sunday April 8.”

    ”Adetuyi was expected to release his latest album on Monday April 9, but the day turned out to be his funeral. The late singers have since buried,’ he added.

  • Robbery victims to Police: don’t release those who stole our motorbikes

    The Ogun State Police Command has been urged not to release suspected robbers who recently stole motorcycles in Pakoto community, Ifo Local Government Area of the State.

    Some of the victims who spoke with The Nation urged the state’s Commissioner for Police, Ahmed Iliyasu to ensure that the suspects are prosecuted.

    One of the victims, Nnaemeka Okoronta, who allegedly lost his motorcycle to robbers in March said he became aware of failed attempts to free the suspects, after they were to be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad’s office in Magbon area of Abeokuta.

    Okoronta said: ”Armed robbers came to my house in March; they cut the chain and the key I used to secure my motorcycle and carried away my new motorcycle. I had planned to register the new motorcycle before the hoodlums invaded my house in the night and carted away the motorcycle which I used in distributing bread in Pakoto.

    ”When I woke up in the morning I could not see my motorcycle where I chained it. I reported the matter to Ifo Police Station. The Divisional police officer (DPO), Ifo Police Division asked me to write a statement and provide the registration number of the motorbike and I told them that I just bought it and was about to register it before robbers stole it. I presented the receipt for the purchase of the motorcycle, the chassis number and engine number and left the police station after making my statement.”

    He said he was told by the police two weeks after that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the theft of his motorbike and instructed they be taken to the police station.

    He said the police however arrested three more suspects bringing the total number of suspects to six, following which they were transferred to SARS office at Magbon, Abeokuta, after a failed attempt to free them on bail.

    He added that despite several visits to the IPO in charge of the case, nothing has been done to charge the six suspects to court.

    Another victim, Oyiko John, 32 said: ”I am from Igala Kogi state. I am an okada rider. My route is Ojuere to Ilogbo all in Sango Ota. My motorcycle was given to me on hire purchase by one woman at N280,000. She asked me to be giving her a sum of N10,000 every week. Already, I have paid her N85,000. The registration number of the motorcycle is DED815WY, Boxer motorcycle. For now, I am jobless but the owner said I will be paying her N20,000 every month after the owner and I reported the incident to a police station. At the station, I was asked to write the agreement to be paying the woman N20,000 every month. The motorcycle was stolen from where I packed it in Pakoto. I woke up around 4.00am and discovered that my motorcycle had been stolen.”

    Contacted, CP Iliyasu said he would ensure that the suspects are charged to court.