The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bayelsa State Police command

  • Police parade 15 suspected cultists, robbers, kidnappers

    The police have arrested 15 suspected cultists, kidnappers and robbers during a raid to curtail crimes in Bayelsa State.

    The command recovered arms and ammunition.

    Police Commissioner Sholla David attributed the crimes to the proliferation of small arms.

    David, in his first news briefing yesterday since assuming office, restated the police commitment to tackling crimes.

    He named the suspects and their ages as Precious John, 19, Abubakar lliyasu, 26, Victor Meremunya, 30, Issac Ogan, 22, Gielaemi Ben, 19, Pereowei Ibiagbe, 23, Tibolayefa Louis, 23, Gift Samuel, 22, Michael Doubra Ogolo, Pinaye John 19, and Pete Edwin, 23.

    He said they were nabbed for robbery, adding that Precious Egbo, 17, Ozekizibe Wisdom, 19, Lucky Okay, 19, Tony Christopher, Goodluck Evans, 18, and Chinedeu Franklin, 19, were arrested for cultism.

    David said a study of crime pattern indicated that most of the illegal activities were induced by cultism.

    He said youths were often misguided to believe that cultism was a means of having a sense of belonging in the society.

    The CP said: “Proliferation of small arms has posed a challenge to law enforcement officers in combating crimes. Youths have easy access to locally made pistols, especially in Yenagoa metropolis.

    “To confront this menace, the command, through collaboration with community leaders and intensive surveillance, has smashed robbery gangs.

    “As a proactive measure, the command has repositioned and rejigged its security architecture to confront these crimes through focused and intelligence driven raids at flash spots, rigorous stop and search operations on motorists and tricycles and through functional community policing programmes.”

    He said the command needed residents’ support to challenge the criminals.

    David advised the public to key into the community policing approach of the Inspector-General of Police to end the menace.

    Said he: “The need for participation by the residents in active policing cannot be overemphasised. I must, however, hail Bayelsans for the partnership and support they have accorded me within these few weeks.

    “I reaffirm the command’s commitment to fighting crime.”

     

  • Human trafficking: Police arrest two suspects in Bayelsa

    Human trafficking: Police arrest two suspects in Bayelsa

    The Bayelsa State Police Command has arrested two suspects for their alleged involvement in human trafficking.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Mr. Asinim Butswat, said, Wednesday, that a woman, Erica Wolo, 24, and a man, Patrick John, 19, were nabbed in connection with the incident.

    Butswat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) named their victims as a 19-year-old female, Lucy Samuel and Ebitare Godfrey from Ekowe Community in Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State.

    He said the suspects had concluded their plans and conveyed their victims to Burkina Faso, through the agent in Lagos identified as Madam Beauty when the police got wind of the incident.

    He said: On 11 July, 2017, one Edna Hezron ‘f’ 35 years, reported a case of abduction against one Erica Wolo ‘f’ 24 years of Agudama Epie, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

    “Consequently, a team of policemen swung into action and arrested the suspects,  Erica Wolo, f and Patrick John, m, who took Lucy Samuel and Ebitari Godfrey to one Madam Beauty surname unknown in Lagos, who trafficked the victims to Burkina Faso.

    “Ebitari Godfrey had escaped from her captors at Burkina Faso to the Nigerian Embassy and was repatriated to Nigeria.

    “Investigation is ongoing to arrest madam Beauty and to repatriate the other victim Lucy Samuel who had also escaped from her captors”.

     

  • Slain engineering graduate not NYSC member – Police

    Slain engineering graduate not NYSC member – Police

    The Bayelsa State Police Command, Thursday, clarified that the 31-year-old engineering graduate, Samuel Collins, killed in Yenagoa, the state capital, was not a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    Unidentified gunmen, at the weekend, killed Collins, a graduate of Engineering from the University of Benin, Edo State, in cold blood and robbed him of his money and other valuables.

    The incident, which caused panic among the residents, occurred on Saturday evening along Melford Okilo Road, INEC/Kpansia area of Yenagoa.

    Collins was accosted by the hoodlums at INEC Road junction while on his way to the office of the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board (NCDMB) on Isaac Boro Expressway, where he was said to be undergoing training.

    Sources said the victim was shot and killed by the hoodlums, who were angry that he was dragging his phones and other valuables with them.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said Collins was shot on his ahead at a close range adding that the bullet pierced through his head and damaged his brain.

    But the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in a statement insisted that Collins was not a corps member as erroneously reported in some quarters.

    The statement said: “The attention of Bayelsa State Police Command has been drawn to an erroneous publication about the dead of one Samuel Collins, who was shot by unknown gunmen at Kpansia Community, Yenagoa.

    “On 24 June, 2017 at 2130 hours, policemen responded to a distress call of cult activities at Kpansia, Yenagoa. The policemen responded swiftly and on arrival met a young man in a pool of blood.

    “The young man was later identified as one Samuel Collins ‘m’ 31 years, a third party security operative of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board(NCDMB), Who was undergoing a training programme at Port Harcourt and came to Yenagoa for the holidays.

    “The deceased was not an NYSC member as erroneously captured in some headlines.

    “Eyewitness account revealed that the unknown gunmen were cultist, based on their utterances before they shot the victim.

    “We have gathered useful information on the identity of the suspects. Efforts have been intensified to arrest the fleeing suspects. Investigation is ongoing”.

     

  • Police arrest two officers for mounting roadblocks in Bayelsa

    Police arrest two officers for mounting roadblocks in Bayelsa

    Two officers working in the Bayelsa State Police command have been arrested for mounting roadblocks against the directive of the Force Headquarters.

    It was gathered that the new state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, ordered the arrest of the unidentified indicted officers following an investigation.

    Ogunjemilusi, who confirmed the arrest at the weekend said it would send strong message to other officers and men of the police in the command.

    He reiterated that roadblocks had been cancelled across the country including Bayelsa by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

    He said the arrested officers would be sanctioned adding that they could be demoted to serve as deterrent to others.

    He said the police were only allowed to adopt targeted or sporadic stop-and-search aimed at specific crime in policing the highways.

    The police boss said he had passed an instruction that any person who stops a vehicle must write detailed reports about his discoveries.

    He said: “Roadblocks have been cancelled by the IGP and I am here to declare to you that in Bayelsa State also roadblocks have been cancelled.

    “What is permitted is targeted stop and search aim at specific crime or a sporadic one aimed at preempting some criminal elements based on information. It is not the usual blocking the road and checking vehicles anyhow.

    “I have passed the instruction that any such vehicle stopped henceforth must be recorded. You must write a report about the vehicle, the number, colour and why you stopped it.

    “Every man on the road must come back every evening and make that report. If you are not able to do that, it means you have gone on an illegal duty and you will be sanctioned. I came about a week ago. Already we have arrested two officers.”