Tag: arrests

Operatives of the Joint Task Force (JTF) from the 3rd Brigade, Kazaure Local Government Area of Jigawa State, have arrested a terror suspect, alleged to be a bomb manufacturer.

The JTF spokesman, Capt Ikedichi Iweha, said the suspect was apprehended after a gun battle. Three women and three toddlers were rescued unhurt.

Capt Iweha said five AK 47 rifles, five magazines, and 333 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition and various improvised explosive devices were recovered.

He said: “Preliminary investigations showed that the suspect is an Improvised Explosive Devices manufacturer and his house was used for terrorist activities in Kano.

“You may recollect that the JTF had earlier alerted the public to fleeing terrorists from major theatres of operation in the Northeast to “cooler” areas.

“This is due to pressure being mounted on them by the on-going military operations in these areas.

“The public is once again enjoined to continue to complement JTF’s efforts by carrying out thorough checks on the background of persons, who wish to rent properties, especially in cool zones or on the outskirts of major towns.

“The 3 Brigade would not allow its area of operational responsibility to be used as haven for terrorists.”

The spokesman urged all residents not to relent in the fight against terrorists by reporting any suspicious persons, regardless of gender. He enjoined the public to go about their normal lawful businesses

A 34-year-old man, Mr. Emmanuel Chukwunonso Ajaezu, has been arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) in Anambra State for allegedly swindling churches, women and institutions of over N15 million.

The suspect, who paraded himself as Dr. Emmanuel or Dr. Okoye, claimed to be working with the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State and that he was assisting the Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka.

During his arrest, three nude pictures of a senior civil servant and a laptop containing nude pictures of his victims were recovered.

Briefing reporters on Tuesday when parading the suspect, the Director of SSS, Mr. Alex Okeiyi, said many women, churches and institutions had fallen victim to the suspect.

He said one of the tricks used by the suspect was to convince his victims that he had connections with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to effect the release of their goods or drugs purportedly seized in Lagos.

The suspect was arrested last year after defrauding churches and institutions and was freed by another security agency, it was learnt.

The suspect, according to Okeiyi, impersonated the principal secretary to the governor and workers of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA).

Other institutions either defrauded or about to be defrauded before his arrest, according to the SSS director, include St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Council Area, Visitation Hospital, Umuchu in Aguata Local Government and Immaculate Heart Hospital, Umunze in Orumba South Local Government.

Okeiyi said: “One of the guises, after establishing relationships with victims and their families, is to claim that either NAFDAC or NDLEA has seized their consignments of drugs in Lagos and he would demand huge sums to settle the case.

“The last straw that broke the camel’s back was his blackmail of one of the victims, a female civil servant in the state (name withheld), by posting her nude picture to the Internet because she refused to part with more money after swindling her of more than N700,000 to secure the release of her drugs purportedly seized by NDLEA in Lagos.

“Another victim, Justina A. Ezeani, alleged that the suspect posed as a doctor with the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba, Delta State, assisting the Anambra State University Teaching Hospital, Amaku, Awka to stabilise, and swindled her and her in-law, Gabriel Udenze (an engineer), of more than N500,000 under the guise of securing the release of his drugs seized by NAFDAC in Lagos,” he said.

Ajaezu told reporters that he had not made up to N15 million since he started his business, adding that the money he had made was not more than N5 million.

The Gombe State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested 72 suspects with 122.1 kilogrammes of illicit drugs.

The State Commandant Aliyu Adole said the agency’s men arrested the suspects.

He said the command has convicted 27 of the suspects while the other 39 have been held back for counselling.

He added that the command, prior to the arrest, had six pending cases, with six suspects awaiting trial.

The NDLEA commandant said a suspect, Mohammed Adamu, was arrested at Kumbiya-Kumbiya in Gombe town, the state capital, with 34 kilogrammes of substance suspected to be cannabis (Indian hemp).

“All the suspects will soon be charged to court. The command is awaiting the resumption date of the court in September for prosecution,” he said.

Adole said the command has organised an awareness campaign against illicit drug trafficking in schools, adding that it was also working with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state to extend the campaign to rural areas.

The NDLEA chied urged the government to enact laws that would restrict the sale of drugs, such as rubber solution and cough syrup – which he said have codeine contents – to the public.