The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Army arrests

  • Polls: Army arrests 19 in Lagos, Ogun

    Operatives of the Nigerian Army yesterday arrested 19 persons for electoral offences in Lagos and Ogun States.

    They also recovered 111 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from a suspect at Oshodi, 10 cutlasses, an axe, iron rod and objects suspected to be mortals from hoodlums at Olayinka in Ajegunle, Lagos.

    Four of the suspects including a soldier who breached the movement restriction order, a man carrying charms and a thug were arrested by operatives of the 9 Brigade at Mushin, Oshodi and Ikeja areas of Lagos State respectively.

    It was gathered that the suspect held at Onigbongbo was fighting at a polling unit, while the soldier and a civilian were arrested at Mushin for breaching movement restriction order.

    Confirming the arrests, the Commander 9 Brigade Gen. Lagbaja Abiodun told our Correspondent that another suspect was apprehended with charms at a polling unit in Oshodi while trying to cause a fight.

    He said: “We made three arrests. One was at Onigbongbo involving a young man who was causing trouble. We arrested a soldier and a civilian around Mushin. The soldier was not on election duty and he was breaching the movement restriction order. Because he was with a civilian, it was believed they had intent to cause trouble.

    “Another man was arrested at Oshodi with charms and he was causing a fight. All the suspects are currently in out barrack and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action,” he said.

    At Olayinka in Ajegunle where weapons were recovered, The Nation gathered that thugs had invaded the area in a bid to disrupt election but were confronted by soldiers stationed not far from a polling unit.

    While the suspects fled, the soldiers, according to spokesman for 81 Division, Laolu Daudu, a Lieutenant Colonel, apprehended one of them.

    Daudu said seven suspects were also arrested at Makinde area of Oshodi for attempting to snatch ballot boxes, three hoodlums held at Ogere in Ogun State and handed over to the police; a military impersonator at Abule Ogun and one false Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official apprehended opposite Redemption camp, Owode.

    Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu on yesterday evening ordered the arrest of party officials and candidates found at ward or local government collation centres in the state.

    Muazu who described the election as peaceful, noted that the officials and candidates were violating the Electoral Act by being present at collation centres and their presence could spring violence.

    He gave the order while on tour of Ward collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA) after observing the presence of some party officials.

    The commissioner ordered them out of the centres, directing the Police officers leading security teams to arrest anyone found in 15 minutes.

    “Each party is supposed to send a representative to the collation centres. Only the party agents are to be at the collation centres. No candidates who have contested election should be here and no party chieftain.

    “Only electoral officers bringing in results and party agents are wanted here. Any candidate or party official found here has contravened the Electoral Act and would be arrested. Arrest them and bring them to my cell. I have food to give them.

    “I do not anticipate any post election violence. The whole exercise has been good thus far. We have seen from the polling units and now visited all collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area and the process is moving smoothly. No problems anywhere.

    “Collation has started in the four wards we have visited in Ikeja. We have seen adequate security in those areas and we have not received complaints from any of the officers over the collation exercises.

    “I have reports of few arrests made within Lagos but I cannot give you details because I am yet to receive full reports from the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).”

  • Army arrests journalists on election duty in Yobe

    Two journalists were yesterday arrested by the Nigerian Army in Damaturu while on election duty for the governorship and state house of assembly elections.

    The journalists, Musa Myingi of Blue Print newspapers and Kabiru Matazu, were detained for hours by soldiers at Operation Restore Order 3 (ORO3) near Union Bank in Damaturu, Yobe State.

    The journalists, who were using their personal vehicles, were fully kitted with INEC approved sticker, INEC’s reflective jackets, INEC-issued Identification cards and their  company’s ID cards, yet they were not spared by the over-zealous soldiers, who threatened to brutalise them, should they attempt to leave the premises.

    One of the journalists, Kabiru Matazu, informed that they were surprised by the action of the soldiers.

    Matazu said the action of the soldiers affected his work, as they were detained for several hours.

    According to him, the army lieutenant said he was acting under the command of the GOC, saying “he will not listen to any journalist’s appeal.

    “Do you think you have any right? Go there and stay until I decided what to do with you,” he threatened.

    Matazu also informed that several other vehicles, including other monitors’, were seized and parked at the ORO3 premises.

    One of the election monitors was quoted as saying, “That particular officer is known for maltreating people without caution. We will take up the matter for justice to be served,” he said.

  • Army arrests Boko Haram fuel suppliers

    The Army has arrested two persons suspected of supplying fuel to Boko Haram terrorists in Nafada, Gombe State.

    A statement yesterday by the Army spokesman, Brig.-Gen Texas Chukwu, named the suspects as Mohammed Adamu Zika, a driver and Bukar Adamu Haji, an assistant filling station manager.

    Chukwu said an accomplice of the suspects is at large but efforts were on to arrest him.

    He said: “The two suspects are currently undergoing interrogation and will be handed over to the appropriate authority for prosecution.”

  • Army arrests ‘police robbery gang’

    The army’s 4th Brigade has arrested a robbery gang made up of policemen, allegedly led by an Assistant Superintendent of Police simply identified as Okubopagha.

    It said Okubopagha and another suspect, Okoro, were of the B Department, Nigeria Police Force, Bayelsa State Command.

    Commander of the 4 Brigade Pat Akem, who spoke through the spokesperson, Capt Roseline Managbe, said this followed the arrest of a man, Nanagha Aduoumemi, who claimed to be an inspector in the A Department of the Bayelsa State Command.

    Capt Managbe said Aduoumemi was arrested by troops of the 222 Battalion at Orhoror junction on Bomadi Road in Delta State after blocking the road with woods while other members of the gang hid in the bush.

    She said the suspect was arrested while attempting to run into the bush while other members of the gang escaped into the creeks.

    She said: “The suspect revealed that members of his gang are all serving police officers who indulge in robbery after their normal police duties.”

    In an interview, Aduoumemi said he joined the Force in 1982 and that it was his first time of joining the gang for an operation.

    He said his family was in Yenegoa, Bayelsa State, and that he only got N5,000 from the operation.

    His words: “I am 60 years old. I am a police officer. I was arrested in Bomadi because I joined a robbery gang. This was the first day I joined them. They blocked the road and started operating. I was not in uniform but others were in uniform. I only know the ASP serving with me in Bayelsa. We were six in number.

    “I was introduced by the ASP. The ASP phoned me to come to Bomadi and when I got there, he said we should start the roadblock work. They were armed with police rifles. We robbed only two vehicles. I don’t know how much was made.”

    The Army also paraded a dismissed soldier, Adebayo Opeyemi, who was arrested for alleged robbery.

    Other suspects paraded included a 65-year-old pastor, Christopher Okonkwo, arrested for illegal oil bunkering.

    Capt Managbe said 1,500 drums of illegally refined diesel were destroyed in Warri and a Mercedez Benz truck loaded with 32 drums of illegally refined diesel were intercepted.

    Five persons- Joel Ogbu, Jenkins Ebrusike, Julius Erere, Jonathan Umukoro and Mine Best- were paraded for alleged kidnapping.

    Capt Managbe said the suspects would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution.