The Nation Newspaper

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  • Court jails bureau de change operator

    A  Kano State High Court has sentenced a bureau de change operator, Muktar Yusuf Gwadabe, to two and half years imprisonment with an option of N250, 000 fine.

    Gwadabe, who was prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was convicted by Justice Dije Abdu Aboki for fraud, criminal breach of trust and issuance of a dishonoured cheque amounting to N70million.

    The judge ordered the accused to pay N76million to the complainant, Alhaji Nura Ammani and in default, to serve a prison term of five years.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said Gwadabe was arrested in February 2009, following a petition by Ammani, who allegedly gave him (Gwadabe) N152million for the supply of $1million.

    The statement said: “The convict supplied $500,000, (equivalent of N76million), but allegedly misappropriated and converted to his personal use, the balance.

    “The accused issued a cheque of N76 million to the complainant which when presented for payment was returned unpaid because of insufficient fund in the accused’s account.”

    The EFCC also said it has arraigned Bernard Nebani before Justice Habeeb Abiru of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for alleged stealing and fraudulent conversion of N5.72million.

    According to the charge, “Bernard Nebani on or about June 13, 2008 at Lagos stole and fraudulently converted 57,200 litres of petroleum products valued at N5.72million property of Leadland Resources Limited.

    “Justice Abiru adjourned the case till October 24 for hearing of the bail application and ordered that the accused be remanded in Kirikiri prison.”

     

  • Jazz festival at Muson

    Jazz festival at Muson

    After a successful jazz/highlife session that had two of Nigeria’s legendary and iconic musicians – Victor Uwaifo and Victor Olaiya – perform on stage at the MUSON Jazz Festival 2011, Midwestern Oil and Gas, an indigenous company, is putting their weight behind the MUSON Jazz Festival 2012.

    The event will feature an all- Nigerian line-up of international and home-based jazz and jazz related (NAIJAZZ) musicians playing at two shows (3pm and 7pm) on  Saturday, October 20 at the Shell Nigeria Hall, MUSON Centre.

    The artistes include South Africa- based guitarist (Ayodele – the tungba jazz master), South Africa- based bassist Mike Ebere, Germany-based Piano Virtuoso – Dapo Dina, El Jazz – the blues guitar maestro, Saxtee – the Saxologist, Victor Ademofe – Trumpeter Extraordinaire and Adesua – the eclectic jazz vocalist. Jazz Festival is part of the annual MUSON festival and is powered by Inspiro productions.

  • Suspect indicts policeman in UNIPORT killings

    Suspect indicts policeman in UNIPORT killings

    One of the 13 suspected killers of the four University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) undergraduates yesterday relived the jungle justice that has brought Aluu community into infamy.

    David Chinasa Ugbaje (30) said a policeman joined in beating the youths; another was pleading that they be released.

    The 13 suspects, including the paramount ruler of Omuokiri-Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers State Alhaji Hassan Welewa (59), were paraded at the Rivers State Police Headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, by the Commissioner, Mohammed Indabawa, who said the video of the murder assisted the command in identifying the suspects.

    Biringa Chiadika Lordson, Year Two, Theatre Arts, U2010/1805036; Ugonna Kelechi Obuzor, Year Two, Geology, U2010/5565149; Mike Lloyd Toku, Year Two, Civil Engineering, U2010/3010094 and Tekena Erikena, a Certificate student in the Faculty of Education were lynched in Omuokiri-Aluu on October 5, for allegedly stealing mobile phones and laptops.

    Indabawa said two of the paraded suspects, Ikechukwu Louis Amadi, alias Kapoon (32) and David Chinasa Ugbaje, who were arrested on October 15, actively participated in the murder of the four students.

    Reporters requested to speak with the paramount ruler of Aluu, but the police commissioner declined, for undisclosed reasons, stressing that all the suspects would be charged to court today (Wednesday). Three suspects were allowed to be interviewed.

    Indabawa said: “It is not the philosophy of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, (Mohammed Abubakar) to parade suspects. Nonetheless, the gruesome manner in which the crime was committed, coupled with the direct and glaring involvement of some of these suspects and the interest generated by the heinous crime, left the police with no option, but to parade them.

    “The investigation is ongoing. As we arrest more suspects, we will let members of the public know, through the journalists.”

    Indabawa said he was in the US when the murder was committed and was monitoring the developments.

    Besides Welewa, Ugbaje and Amadi, the other paraded suspects were Lawal Segun (28), Lucky Orji (43), Cynthia Chinwo, (female, 24), Ekpe Daniel (30), George Nwadei (30), Gabriel Oche (33), Ozioma Abajuo (23), Chigozie Evans Samuel (22), Endurance Edet (27) and Uwem Sampson Akpabio (30).

    Ugbaje, one of the three suspected killers, allowed to be interviewed, said: “Around 7 am, I left my house. I dressed up to go to work. On my street, I saw a crowd of people with four naked boys, who were being led into my compound, No. 9, Royal Villa in Omuokiri-Aluu. I said what was the problem and they said the boys were armed robbers. I said that is my compound, let us go and see the person, if he is their member or let them point the particular person, who is their member they were going to look for.

    “I opened the gate, they entered. A crowd of people that I could not control. They entered the compound. They pointed to the room of one of our co-tenants, whose name is Bright. They said one of the boys was staying with Bright. When they got there, Bright’s door was locked. Some people wanted to break the door.

    “They started beating the boys. Very serious. Along the line, two policemen came around. One of the policemen was pleading. The other policeman joined in beating the boys and later said the crowd should hand over the boys to them, but the crowd said ‘no’. ‘We no go gree, we no go gree’.

    “As the policemen were leaving, they said whatever this thing was going to bring, you would bear the result. Since I live in the yard, I said if I stayed there and the people were killed, automatically, the house would be in trouble. We are now in trouble. I brought out my belt, I started flogging people and asked them to leave the yard. I was beating the people (crowd) very seriously.

    “One Ikwerre man in the crowd asked why I was beating the crowd for the boys to be moved from our yard. I continued to beat the crowd to carry the boys to where they brought them from. I drove them out of our compound and gate. They injured me in my hand, when I was trying to open the gate.

    “I started flogging for them to leave. There is water in our (house’s) frontage. They went there and soaked the boys (four) inside the water. I discovered that one of the boys was my customer on campus, at the University of Port Harcourt, where I work. He was an Igbo student. I asked the boy: are you a student?

    “If you watch the video, you will see me where I held belt, asking the boy. The boy told me ‘no’, that he was not a student (of UNIPORT). Quite all right, I knew him very well. He once bought slippers from me and used to repair slippers from me. I am a shoemaker at UNIPORT.

    Maybe the boy was afraid to tell me he was a student. There was nothing I could do because of the crowd. If I talked more than that, they could join me with them.

    “The beating was going on, here and there. At the end, they finally moved the boys out of my street. I then went out. My wife has just been delivered of a baby.”

    On his role in the lynching of the four students, Ugbaje said: “I flogged the boys twice.”

    Amadi, alias Kapoon, said: “I live at No. 9. Royal Villa in Omuokiri-Aluu. I am from Ikwerre. I work at UNIPORT. I am a printer. I do photocopying and binding. In the morning on that day, I dressed up, as usual, so that I could go to my work. When I came out at the junction, so that I could pick a bike, I saw a crowd of people, with four boys. They were naked, with tyres on their necks.

    “I shifted a bit, but to verify what was happening, they told me the four boys came to rob. I asked where they were taking them to. They said they were taking them to No. 9, where I live.

    They said they mentioned one of our neighbours. That they came to look for him as well.

    “I followed the crowd. Before I reached my estate, they had already reached the house with the four boys in front of my neighbour, Bright, from Ogoni. They said they were looking for one of the boys. Before they came, the back door was locked. Some of the people in the crowd said they were going to break the back door. Others said no, they should leave the door, since Bright was not around. At the end, they started beating the boys.”

    On the role he played, Amadi said: “They started beating the boys. In the process of beating the boys, policemen came, but they said no, they were not going to leave the four boys. I called this my neighbour (David Chinasa Ugbaje), with other neighbours, that we were not going to allow that kind of thing to take place in our estate that we would be in trouble.

    “This my neighbour (Ugbaje ) collected his belt. I collected a small stick, and we started chasing people, flogging everybody, to take the boys out of our yard. We started pushing everybody out, including the four students. They left their tyres, I said they should take their tyres out of the yard and we locked our gate.

    “I flogged everybody, including the four boys, for everybody to go out. I beat one of the four boys twice and the other one, I beat once.

    Segun said: “My name is Segun Lawal. I am from Osun State. I live in Omuokiri-Aluu. I was in the house, around 6:30 am to 7 am. I am a taxi driver. I saw a crowd and I parked my car outside. I saw a police vehicle coming and I followed the police. I saw four policemen. I saw the policemen enter the gate.

    “As I reached the gate, they were beating the boys. I had to raise my hands up, to defend the boys. If you watch the video, you will see it. I wore blue polo shirt. I started pleading for the crowd not to kill the four boys. They did not listen.

    “The Policemen left immediately. I had to leave. As I left, I went to GRA (Port Harcourt); one of my customers called that I should take him to Obudu Cattle Ranch (in Cross River State).

    “I came back on Saturday night (October 6). I was in my house. Policemen came to arrest me. I never had this type of experience. I told the police that I was not around. That I travelled to Obudu. I did not beat the four boys.”

  • Senate to probe FCDA over estate demolition

    Senate to probe FCDA over estate demolition

    •Owners demand FCT minister’s sack

    Senate President David Mark yesterday promised to probe the demolition of the Minanuel Estate on Airport Road, Abuja, by the Development Control of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

    The promise came amid calls for the sack of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Muhammed and the Director of the Development Control Unit (DCU), Yahaya Yusuf, by subscribers.

    The demolished 500 housing units were to be handed over to the subscribers by the end of this month.

    But on September 29, the DCU rolled out its bulldozers and demolished the houses valued at over N3 billion.

    A coalition of the subscribers, civil rights activists, religious and cultural organisations yesterday staged a peaceful protest at the National Assembly.

    Addressing the protesters on Mark’s behalf, Senator Abu Ibrahim condemned the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    He told the gathering that the upper chamber had met over the issue to review the FCDA’s action.

    Ibrahim said appropriate steps would be taken to assuage the suffering of the subscribers.

    In a protest letter to the Senate President read by their spokesperson, Festus Adebayo, the subscribers demanded adequate compensation.

    They also called for the prosecution of the FCDA officials, who carried out the exercise.

    In the October 5 letter, entitled: “Wanton Demolition of our 500 housing units”, the authors recalled their ordeal in the hands of the FCDA officials on September 29, when the demolition took place.

    The protesters were barred from entering the National Assembly Complex by security officials.

    A subscriber, Goddy Nnorom, lamented how he invested about N4.7 million borrowed from his wife, a banker, who suffered a stroke as a result of the demolition.

    Israel Ekrang, chief executive officer of Isvin Ventures and Chairman, Developers Association Goza called for compensation for the victims.

    The developer said it acquired the land from N.C.R and Associates in 2004 after which he applied for relevant approvals that were duly granted.

    The company has been involved in carrying out the business of mass housing development in various states for over 15 years.

  • Reps to pass bill to establish Commission for flood, erosion

    Reps to pass bill to establish Commission for flood, erosion

    •Dickson signs supplementary budget 

    A bill to establish a commission for flood and erosion yesterday passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.

    The bill, which was sponsored by a member, Uzoma Abonta, was referred to the Uche Ekwunife-led House Committee on Environment for further legislative input.

    “A bill for a Act to provide for the establishment of the Coastal Erosion and Flood Control Commission, and to vest it with the responsibility for the control and management of coastal erosion and flood and for other related matters” was supported by most of the members on the floor.

    Abonta, presenting the bill, said the commission has become imperative.

    He said: “Like the bill suggests, we should have the commission that will handle such disasters. The problem of flood cannot be overemphasised. We have seen the damaging effect of flood on our nation. States like Lagos, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Bayelsa, Nassrawa and others are under threat of flood.

    “Farms and animals are facing serious threat from flood. We face the threat of starvation. We should seek a permanent solution. It is not something we can deal with on a temporary basis.

    “Therefore, I think that the management of the total fund, which is very huge, is important. If you look at the budget, a lot of money is being voted for the threat and there is no agency to manage the fund. If we do not plan to mitigate the floods we might run into trouble in future.”

    The Deputy Leader, Leo Ogor and other members, such as Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Garuba Datti Mohammed and Abubarkar Momoh, threw their weight behind the bill.

    Ogor said: “As we speak, more than 18 to 19 states are submerged under flood. What are the solutions to it? This bill seeks to find a final solution. We should stop throwing money at a problem whenever it occurs. We should be proactive. The management of the Ecological funds is not transparent.”

    The lawmaker said the incursion of the floods have security implications. He added: “There is another major issue facing us which is the issue of hunger. If we have a commission or agency that will advise us on this issue, we will not have this kind of problems with management of the situation.”

    Onyejeocha said if the bill had come up two years ago, “it may not have succeeded as we have said we will no longer support the setting up of agencies and commissions. But the present realities show we need it”.

    He added: “As for the Ecological Funds, who are those managing it? Already we have funds meant for ecological problems but it is not well managed.

    If we have a specialised commission, the funds may be put under it and it will be well management. If we have a commission to manage erosion and floods, it will be more effective.”

    Betty Apiafi drew the attention of the members to the fact that the scope of the bill was narrow.

    She said: “ The Ministry of Environment is in charge of such matters. If an agency or ministry designated for a particular role is not working, we should ask why. If Nigeria Meteorological Agency had broadcasted that we will have flood, what did the Ministry of Environment do about it? Why have we not built buffer dams? Setting up another agency is not the solution. The funds meant for that could be used to make the existing ones effective.”

    Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson has signed the 2012 State Supplementary Appropriation Bill into law.

    Speaking shortly after signing the bill at the Executive Council chambers of the Government House, Yenagoa, Dickson said the Bill was initiated to enable government tackle the challenges posed by the flood disaster.

    He said: “In accordance with the law, government secured an approval of two-third majority of the State House of Assembly to spend 1.5 billion naira from the State Compulsory Savings Account.

    “It is good to save. And because we have actually been saving…Outside this month alone, what we are going to put into that fund, the compulsory saving scheme is about 3.5billion naira.

    “I had to request the Bayelsa house of Assembly in accordance with the laws that the House should by Two-Third majority grant our request to spend 1.5 billion naira from our savings to address some of the immediate challenges posed by the crisis.”

    The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Benson Kombowei, said the house passed the bill two days after its receipt.

    Kombowei said the timely passage of the Bill was to enable government immediately cushion the effects of the flood.

     

     

  • Festival harps on peace, empowerment

    Festival harps on peace, empowerment

    This year’s National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) began yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital. Its focus is on peace and empowerment as panacea to the challenges facing the country, reports Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME.

    Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Minister Chief Edem Duke has urged Nigerians to employ the virtues of the nation’s cultural heritage in promoting community understanding and peaceful co-existence. He said there was no alternative to peace if “we must achieve the strategic plan of transforming and developing the country in the light of the expectations of the founding fathers.”

    The minister described the 26th National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), which opened yesterday in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, as an auspicious outing, adding that the panacea for the various challenges of security, poverty, and youth restiveness could be found in culture. For the first time ever, the unity festival will run till October 20.

    Duke said in Abuja that this year’s edition would be a unique one aimed at harnessing cultural heritage for economic empowerment and job creation. He said the festival was targeted at raising raw talents, particularly, in the areas of indigenous sports and games, with the ultimate aim of exploring the fundamentals of peaceful existence among Nigerians.

    According to him, the unity festival, with theme Culture, Peace and Economic Empowerment, is being reorganised to drive the transformational agenda of the Federal Government. This, he said, will facilitate job creation, talent hunt as well as empowerment of women and youths across the federation.

    “NAFEST 2012 is coming at an auspicious time and, in the light of our present challenges, which cannot be separated from poverty and ignorance, the festival is dedicated to the promotion of peace and national unity in addition to growing the culture of economic empowerment. The platform provides us with the unique opportunity to explore the fundamentals of peaceful co-existence and deploy our large population and cultural diversity to advantage rather than allow them to become sources of problem,” he said.

    Duke said as a national event envisioned to raise entrepreneurs in diverse areas of creativity, NAFEST 2012 shall showcase Nigeria’s diverse culture and heritage in many colours, with all states, the FCT Abuja, individuals, corporate organisations and stakeholders assembling to celebrate the country’s endowments

    According to Duke, part of the dream of the festival is to reduce social vices among youths, aside using creativity to exchange ideas and celebrate African culture. “It also gives us the platform to inculcate in our citizenry a heightened consciousness of our country’s unique position within Africa and the black race, thereby imbuing them with a sense of pride as citizens of Nigeria, the country with the richest and most diverse culture in the world…I, therefore, urge all and sundry to reflect on and employ the virtues of our cultural heritage to promote community understanding and peaceful co-existence. There is no alternative to peace if we must achieve the strategic plan of transforming and developing the country in the light of the expectations of the founding fathers,” he added.

    The minister, who called on stakeholders to participate in the festival, allayed fears on security challenges, saying Kwara State was prepared to host a hitch-free festival. He said all participating states resolved to support the host to ensure safety of lives and property during the festival.

    Continuing, he said: “We need to focus our attention on traditional sports by throwing up competitions, such as traditional wrestling. We also need to embark on talent hunt early enough…all committed stakeholders are welcome to the festival. There is no plan or reason to shut out any organisation or stakeholder from NAFEST. We expect stakeholders to be more active and committed. They need to disclose their areas of interest to pave way for partnerships and collaboration with the ministry and its parastatals.”

    He hinted that, very soon, the ministry would inaugurate the board of tourism development fund which will provide opportunity of support from stakeholders.

    The Director-General of the National Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), organisers of the festival, Mr Maigwei M Maidugu, said this year’s festival would offer the best opportunity for participants to market their creative works, particularly, in the craft industry. He said the events of the festival were carefully selected to showcase and celebrate what Nigerians are capable of producing in the arts and culture sector. Maidugu said the wrestling competition was strategically targeted at the intermediate category, with a mission to raising new and dedicated talents who would compete with their counterparts around the globe and win laurels for the country.

    On the children events, he said: “We are training the children to develop interest in these areas of art and perhaps become experts in drawing and painting. Again, we are trying to use the platform of the festival to develop children that will have a career in visual art and also make the children task their minds on what is culture, what is peace, and the relationship between culture and peace, and the relationship between culture and economic empowerment.”

    Events for this year’s NAFEST include dance drama, traditional furnished apartment, traditional moonlight games, children’s essay competition, children’s painting competition, arts and crafts exhibition and traditional wrestling. Others include book fair, cultural market and the colloquium. Nigeria will use the festival to celebrate its treasures, and the richness of its diversity. It shall also promote community understanding and tolerance through various competitive and non-competitive events.

  • My personal house now under water, says Jonathan

    My personal house now under water, says Jonathan

    PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan’s home in Otueke, Bayelsa State, is submerged .

    The President disclosed this yesterday while commending development partners and organisations that have so far responded to the cries for help to rehabilitate flood victims.

    He noted that his personal house in Otuoke that was initially spared, has been submerged in water up to window level.

    Dr. Jonathan spoke at the launch of ‘Save one million lives’, a United Nations Commission on Life Saving Commodities for Women and Children at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said: “Nigeria is so devastated by the flood. Sometimes when you watch on television, you do not appreciate what we are going through. I travelled from North to south and on Sunday I was in my village after touring my state. I left my village on Sunday morning and as at that time water was about entering my compound.

    He said: “As at this morning, the information is that my house, up to the windows, is under water.

    “So, you can see what people are passing through within this period. But with the assistance the development partners will give us and people who are in the humanitarian sector, we will soon get over it.”

  • Life in the City of Excellence

    It was indeed, a delight last Saturday as lovers of arts in Lagos came out in their numbers to witness the exhibition of Lagos Photo Festival at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.

    With the theme: Seven Days in the Life of Lagos, the festival aims to document the city of Lagos from a comprehensive and nuanced perspective, one that reveals the big picture by focusing on the minute details of social life.

    Some of the works exhibited were Bayo Omoboriowo’s Where Are We Going, Progress or Regress, Stanley Greene’s Standing at the Graveyards of E-Waste, Benedicte Kurzen’s ‘The Steel Shell which showcases the present Lagos seaport.

    Jane Hahn’s Makoko Now features the historic fishing village, Makoko demolished by the Lagos state Government on 16th June, 2012. As a result, thousands have been displaced, some resorting to living and sleeping in their canoes.

    Maja Flink’s I was Welcome explores the diverse communities in the city. Flink captures a snapshot of her impressions of Lagos and its people working with medium and large format cameras and generations.

    Fela and After, which celebrates the annual Felabration Festival featured seminal photographs taken by Anton Corbijn of Fela Kuti in the 80s with photographic series by Artists Chantal Heijnen and Judith Quax taken in the New Afrika Shrine.

    Others included Chinenye Godsproperty John’s Kaleidoscope, Kelechi Amadi-Obi’s Family, Lolade Cameron Cole Nightscapes and Cityscapes, Halima Abubakar’s Night Traffic and Human Patterns in the City of Lagos, Bunmi Adedipe’s Underground Economy Waste to Wealth and among others.

    LagosPhoto 2012 mission includes engaging the city of Lagos and the public by extending the exhibition to nine simultaneous satellite exhibition spaces throughout the city of Lagos.

  • Court adjourns ruling on N32.8b pension scam

    An Abuja High Court has again adjourned till November 6 ruling on an application to quash criminal charges in the N32.8 billion Police Pension Fund scam against three of the six accused persons.

    Justice Abubakar Talba had, on July 17, fixed October 9 for ruling on the motion filed by Atiku Kigo (a former Permanent Secretary), Mrs Veronica Onyegbula (Cashier) and Sani Zira (ICT Officer).

    The trio, who were charged with Esai Dangabar (Director), Ahmed Wada (Director) and John Yusufu (Assistant Director), are workers at the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, but on suspension.

    They were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 16-count charge of conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

    The EFCC said the alleged fraud was perpetuated between January 2009 and June 2011.

    On October 9, the court clerk, Garba Isa, told the accused’s counsel, Ricky Tarfa (SAN) and the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), that the ruling was not ready.

    Isa said the judge had asked the counsel to pick another date for the ruling. They had then picked October 16.

    But on arrival in court yesterday, after waiting for three hours, Isa told Tarfa and Jacobs to pick another date.

    No reason was, however, given for the judge’s absence in court.

    The trio want the court to quash the charges on the grounds that the EFCC has no evidence against them.

    They insisted that there was nothing linking them to the alleged offence.

    Mrs. Onyegbula said the EFCC could not prove to the court that she signed any document from the Pension Office.

    The EFCC, in a counter-affidavit, urged the court to dismiss the application, and said the accused were “employing delay tactics” to frustrate the quick disposal of the case.

     

  • Suspected armed robbers arrested

    The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested four suspected armed robbers from Niger Republic who have been terrorising residents of the boarder area of Kangiwa and Kamba local government areas of the state.

    Addressing newsmen at the police headquarter, the Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Tonye E. Ebitibituwa said that one of the suspects, Hajiya Sa’adatu Mohammad, 40,  was arrested at Barki Daji in Kangiwa area of the state.

    The suspect was accused of being the leader of the notorious armed gang that operates along Kangiwa – Kamba Road. He further disclosed that the gang’s accomplices had also been arrested. He said: “We have arrested the matron of the armed  robbery syndicate that comes from Niger Republic to unleash terror on motorists on Kangiwa-Kamba Road. They are foreign elements, They come from their country, strike on this road by blocking and dispossessing motorists of their valuables. After operation, they run back to their country.”

    On how the suspects were arrested, he said his men mounted 24-hour surveillance on the area and villages surrounding it. He said they have since commenced investigation on the woman’s case.

    “The gang has stopped coming but in the course of our surveillance, the woman was acfingerd as their matron. We ransacked her house and found three young men. Though no weapon was found in her house, in the area she has been known as the matron of the armed robbers. Some time ago she was arrested for same offence,” he added.

    Meanwhile, the police commissioner reiterated his command’s commitment to make the state crime-free.He urged the people of the state to report any suspicious persons or movement in their communities to any nearby police formation for prompt action.