The Nation Newspaper

Tag: arrest

  • Judge decries abuse of arrest

    A judge of the Federal High Court, Lagos, Justice Mohammed Yinusa, yesterday criticised the police for abusing their powers to arrest and detain suspects.

    He noted that instead of the police carrying out their duties with “care”, they “cage” those they are supposed to protect.

    “The police must carry out their duties with care. They are not meant to harass, intimidate and cage the innocent citizens they are meant to protect,” the judge said.

    Justice Yinusa made the remarks in a verdict he delivered in a fundamental rights suit filed by a businessman, Manasseh Obadiah Zorto, against the Inspector-General of Police (IGP); the Commissioner of Police, Special Fraud Unit (SFU); the former Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma, and other police officers.

    Until August 28, last year, the applicant was the executive director of Tita-Kuru Petrochemicals Limited, owned by Danjuma.

    He was accused of misappropriating the company’s fund and was subsequently arrested.

    “The respondents refused to follow the laid-down procedure. They acted rashly and impetuously. Non-compliance with the law makes the steps taken by the respondents unconstitutional, null and void,” the judge held.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Police arrest three over teenager’s death

    The Ondo State Police Command at the weekend said three persons have been arrested in connection with the burial of an 18-year-old boy, who was alleged to have killed himself with his father’s gun.

    The deceased, simply identified as Sanmi Kehinde, was reported to have shot himself last Wednesday with his father’s dane gun at Oriokuta community in Akoko Southeast Local Government Area.

    Confirming this, police spokesman Mr. Wole Ogodo said the deceased’s family did not report the case of suicide to the police before burying him.

    He said the police have begun investigation to unravel the circumstance that led to the death of the teenager, adding that “we are still awaiting the autopsy report before continuing investigation.”

    He said: “Immediately the incident happened, neither the family nor the neighbours reported the case to the police before they buried the deceased. This is why we arrested some people.

    “When the boy died, the police were supposed to be informed so that they would visit the scene. If the boy would be buried, the order would come from the police.

    “A post-mortem examination would be carried out because it is one of those things to be done. We should know whether it is true that the boy shot himself or not. If it is true that he shot himself, where is the gun? Why should they hurriedly bury him? This is why we are suspicious.”

    It was learnt that on the fateful day, the deceased allegedly climbed the ceiling, carried his father’s gun, which was said to have been loaded with bullets in company of his friend identified as Bolu.

    Immediately Bolu left the scene, it was learnt that the people in the vicinity heard a gunshot and on rushing to the scene, they met Sanmi rolling in the pool of his own blood.

    Shortly after the incident, the family buried the deceased without informing any of the security agencies.

  • Police arrest ‘gay pastor’ in Abia

    A  40-year-old self styled prophet, Benjamin Ndubuisi, has been arrested in Aba, Abia State, for allegedly having unlawful sex with a 23-year-old male parishioner, Ndukwe Oko.

    It was gathered that Oko took ill some weeks ago and, worried by his continued deteriorating health condition, confessed to his family about “the secret love affair” between him and the prophet.

    Sources said the victim’s parents reported to the police and the cleric was arrested.

    They said: “When the combined team invaded Prophet Ndubuisi’s church, magical incenses and oil, among other spiritual items, were recovered from a shrine within the premises.”

    Police spokesman Geoffrey Ogbonna said the cleric reportedly confessed that he was gay and that the victim is one of his church workers.

    Ogbonna said Ndubuisi told the police that he had slept with the victim 17 times.

    The spokesman said the victim was receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, adding that he would soon be charged to court.

    Some residents said: “It is very shameful this is happening in churches nowadays. Proliferation of churches is causing more harm than good in our society today.

    “Churches are now turning into a hatchery of evil. He should thank his stars that he is still alive to face trial.

    “Parents should always monitor their wards.

    “The unfortunate thing is that most crimes such as this are committed by people who are trusted by the parents.”

  • Enugu police arrest 22 kidnap suspects

    The police in Enugu last week arrested 22 kidnap suspects who allegedly participated in four kidnap attempts.

    Twenty one victims, including a Lebanese, were rescued according to the police who said one of the suspects, a girl, was found dead.

    Enugu police spokesman Ebere Amaraizu, quoted Commissioner of Police Abubakar Adamu Mohammed as vowing to urgently investigate the cases with a view to ensuring that justice was done by taking them to court.

    He said the Lebanese, Mohammed Kanaan, attached to Grey Line Construction Company Udi/Ugwuoba road Enugu, was rescued and a prime suspect, Albert Chukwu alias Agbalanze, who claimed he hailed from Ugwuoba, was tracked and arrested in connection with the incident. The suspect, he said, is assisting the operatives in their investigation.

    The police boss said his operatives, acting on a tip off,  rescued unhurt,  one Fidelia Obetta from Nsukka from his abductors. He said four suspects: Chibueze Areji,Ikowo Ekene,Eze Ikechukwu and Ezema Okechukwu were arrested while two locally-made guns with live cartrigdes were recovered from the suspects..

    He said Ijeoma Maduabuchi was killed by her abductors at Obinagu village Ugwuoba in Oji River local Government Area adding that seven suspects were arrested.

    The suspects are: Sunday Nwangwu, Raymond Nwambe, Uzoamaka Ogadi (Female), Ekene Eze alias Mmachi, Chinonso Ikeanyi, Omah James and Nnaemeka Enyi. Two locally made guns were recovered from them.

  • Police arrest vigilance men for ‘killing two’

    The police yesterday in Abeokuta arrested members of the Vigilance Service of Ogun State (VSO) for allegedly killing two persons, Akeem Usman (32) and Raji Moruf (29) on the assumption that they were robbery suspects.

    The Nation learnt that the VSO team received a distress call by residents that suspicious persons were sighted around Sorinola Avenue in Abeokuta and upon arriving, they shot the victims, who were returning from Lagos.

    The Commander of the Vigilance Service in the state, Maj. Femi Bisiriyu (rtd), who described the killing as resulting from mistaken identity, said his men responded to a distress call.

    Said he: “The area is known to be volatile and has become the target of attacks. So when a distress call was received, our men raced to the place.”

    According to him, a VSO officer opened fired in self-defence upon sighting one of the deceased holding a gun-like object when attempting to open a gate.

    A survivor, Mr. Abayomi Awoyejo (30), an advertisement agent, told reporters that the VSO struck about midnight yesterday.

    He said: “We had no inkling of this calamity befalling us when we were leaving Lagos for Abeokuta. We wanted to come last week but embarked on the trip yesterday.

    “I was playing my palm-top CD in the sitting room when I dozed off. About 12 midnight, Lateef woke me up and alerted me to the presence of robbers.

    “We panicked and rushed to get the key to lock the door, but we could not locate the bunch of keys. We eventually found the key and attempted to open the gate.

    “Wasiu, Moruf and Lateef were about to open the gate when we noticed the shadow of somebody. Before those wanting to open the gate could do so, a bullet fired by someone in a nearby building hit Moruf.

    “He, (Moruf) ran back shouting for help, lamenting that he had been hit by a bullet. We provided first aid treatment by tying the affected arm. We later called our relations on the phone.

    “When we were making the calls, the VSO men entered our sitting room. We shouted that we were not armed robbers. But they did not listen, they molested us.

    “One of us, who challenged them, was hit with the butt of a gun. There was confusion when one of them shot Akeem at a close range on the thigh and he became speechless.”

  • Police arrest 56 murder suspects in Gombe

    The Gombe State Police Command has arrested 56 suspected members of a killer squad, the Kalare Gang, for alleged murder.

    The police said assorted weapons were recovered from the suspects, who have allegedly confessed to the murder of some residents.

    Addressing reporters in Gombe on the command’s activities, Police Commissioner Mohammed Sule said the suspects were arrested between April 1 and 9.

    “Those arrested include two of their ring leaders – Nasiru Ali Abubakar (aka Bakano) and his deputy, Abdulmalik Musa (aka Marleyday) – who have confessed to the murder of innocent persons in the state,” Sule said.

    The police chief said security operatives also cracked down on a nine-man gang of rapists allegedly led by Usman Umar (aka Nimi Saleh) and Abubakar Umar (aka Battes). They reportedly specialised in gang-raping women between 6.30pm and 11pm.

    Sule alleged that Nasiru Abdullahi and Bello Mohammed, said to be Keke NAPEP operators, were arrested as they attempted to kidnap a lady in Gombe, the state capital. He said the suspects carried the lady at BCGA area of the state capital.

    According to him, luck ran out on the suspected abductors as the police intercepted them at the eastern by-pass in the town when they attempted to escape with their victim.

    The police commissioner said some of the suspects have been charged to court while the others would also be arraigned as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.

    He warned those sponsoring hoodlums to refrain because the command would treat them the same way under the law.

    The police chief advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to shun criminality.

    Sule also urged the public to give useful information that to the police to track down hoodlums in the society.

  • Police arrest three, recover 2.5m fake dollars

    The police in Lagos have arrested three suspected members of fake foreign currencies syndicate.

    They were arrested by the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) yesterday. About 2.5 million fake dollars and a counterfeit Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) foreign currency dealership certificate were also recovered from them.

    It was gathered that the suspects, Olasende Akinsiku, 40; Abiodun Akiniyi, 35, and Tajudeen Lasisi, 40, were exposed by a retired Major General after they had swindled him.

    The suspects, it was learnt, lured their victims with the promise of more than the required dollars for fewer naira notes.

    Akinsiku, said: “I am a graphic artist from Ondo State. My friend, Abiodun, alias Tokunbo Babatunde, is the owner of the machine we used to print the fake dollars. He introduced me to the crime. We usually told our victims that we stole the dollars from my place of work and wanted to convert them to naira notes at cheap rates so that they would not suspect that the notes were fake.”

    On how they were arrested, Akinsiku said: “I went with Tokunbo to meet the Major General at the Women Development Centre, Agege, to collect N40, 000. We were introduced to the man in Abuja. He had concluded arrangement to come back to Lagos to transport the consignment with a bullion van to Abuja. We didn’t know the General had alerted policemen. That was how we were picked up.”

    The suspects also made the cash look authentic with a forged CBN certificate and an identity card bearing ‘Mr. Tunde Bakare, No.011’, with which Abiodun allegedly impersonated a CBN official.

    A police operative at the SARS who sought anonymity confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspects were under interrogation.

  • Police arrest 10 robbery suspects

    The Plateau State Police Command has arrested 10 armed robbery suspects and recovered 10 vehicles, which they (robbers) allegedly snatched at gunpoint from their owners in Jos.

    Police Commissioner Chris Olakpe broke the news yesterday when parading the suspects and the recovered vehicles at the police headquarters in Jos.

    He said: “The command, in response to the reports of car snatching by residents, sent its men and officers to fish out the criminals.

    “Working on our intelligence gathering, we deployed the anti-robbery squad and other special squads to identify black spots in the state. We trailed some of the suspects and stolen vehicles to neighbouring states.

    “We have arrested 10 of these criminals and recovered 10 vehicles. We are still on the trail of others.

    “We recovered from the suspects, many weapons, including facial masks, toy guns, locally-made pistols, knives, cutlasses, ammunition, mobile telephones, charms and so on.

    “I assure the indigenes that we will not relax until we have ridden the state of criminals.”

    The police boss read out the Force’s telephone hotlines to the public and advised them to make use of the lines when reporting crimes in their vicinity.

    Some of the lines are: 08126375938, 08038907662 and 08050375280.

    He said people could also contact the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) on 08038400225.

     

  • Damoche: Police arrest 70 suspects

    Damoche: Police arrest 70 suspects

    The Lagos State Police Command yesterday arrested seventy students of Lagos State University (LASU) suspected to be cultists.

    The arrest, the police said, was in connection with the ongoing investigation of the murder of an fast-rising pop artiste, Damino Damoche. The singer was murdered on Thursday last week.

    The suspects were taken to the Command’s headquarters, Ikeja, in three commercial buses, where they were asked to lie face down.

    A dependable police source said the suspects, who were picked at different places in Ojo area, are currently being interrogated.

    “After the interrogation, those found culpable would be detained for further investigations and those found to be clean would be released,” the source said.

    The suspects were arrested during random raid in the area where they were suspected to be regrouping for reprisal attacks on rival cult members.

    Since the 400-level student of Banking and Finance was killed in a shooting in front of the university’s gate, rumours of reprisal attacks have held the entire university community in fear.

    There have been unconfirmed reports that two students were killed on Saturday as Damoche was being buried at the Badagry cemetery. Efforts to get official comment from police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide failed.

  • SSS, soldiers arrest seven suspected kidnappers in church

    SSS, soldiers arrest seven suspected kidnappers in church

    A cleric in Awkuzu, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State is now on the run after a combined team of operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) and soldiers smashed a kidnapping gang allegedly led by him.

    The security agents, however, arrested seven members of the gang -five men and two women- at the church during a raid.

    The pastor’s yellow Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), which he apparently abandoned while fleeing, was recovered by the security agents close to his church.

    Also seized were four motorcycles, one generating set, a dane gun, international passports of kidnap victims and assorted materials from the church turned shrine.

    Four kidnapped persons were rescued during the operation.

    Freed are 33-year-old Solomon Nwanna Okonkwo from Obosi in the Idemili South Local Government Area of the state; Monday Osagie, 50, from Edo State; Udenna Ikedigwe from Unukwu in Anam, Anambra West Local Government Area; and Amechi Oraekie from Awkuzu.

    The four were kidnapped between Friday last week and Tuesday this week and taken to the church which serves as detention camp of the gang.

    The State Director of SSS, Mr. Alexander Okeiyi, said preliminary investigation showed that the gang masterminded the February 2,2013 abduction of the Rev. James Goziem Achugbu of Saint Paul ’s Anglican Church, Umunachi in the state.

    He said efforts were in top gear to arrest other members of the gang that escaped during the raid.

    Before the rescue operation, the kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N20million for Solomon Okonkwo, N50million for Monday Osagie and N10million for Udenna Ikedigwe.

    Some people were said to have paid N2.5million to the gang to eliminate Amaechi Oraekie as a fallout of a squabble over property.

    The raid also led to the recovery of a Nissan Sunny car, belonging to another victim, Princewill Emmanuel Abian, described as a tipper driver from Cross River state.

    Okeiyi said Abian was released by the gang on February 20, after paying N100,000.