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  • Crime fighting: Senior lawyers reward ACP with N1m in Delta

    Crime fighting: Senior lawyers reward ACP with N1m in Delta

    The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) from the Warri, Udu, and Effurun branches in Delta State has honoured Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Aliyu Shaba for his exemplary conduct and anti-corruption efforts.

    The ceremony took place recently at the Ekpan Community in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

    As part of the recognition, Shaba received a monetary scholarship of N1 million, aimed at supporting the education of one of his children, expressing the community’s appreciation for his commitment to fighting crime and promoting integrity within the police force.

    Shaba, who is the Commander of the Ughelli Police Area Command, was previously the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for the Ekpan Division in Uvwie. He was recognised as the Best Police Officer of the Year 2023.

    During the award presentation, Chief Thompson Okpoko, the doyen of BOSAN in Delta and former Chairman of the Body of Benchers of Nigeria, emphasised that the event was organised to acknowledge and appreciate outstanding performances in law enforcement.

    Okpoko said: “We felt we should acknowledge what is good. We commend ACP Shaba, good work must be commended and rewarded.

    “When such officers go back, they will not be afraid to say, they have done so much.

    “BOSAN also decided to donate a sum of N1 million to Shaba and asked him to award it to any of his children deserving the scholarship award to go to school and also learn to become a good Nigerian.

    “Even though corruption has pervaded virtually all strata of the Nigerian society, we need people like Shaba to pick up the campaign in the Police Force, to change the system.  If there is nobody ready to receive bribe, there will be nobody to give it.”

    Also speaking, Mr Augustine Alegeh (SAN), former National President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), urged police officers to exhibit distinction, commitment and dedication to their duty.

    Alegeh, while speaking on the topic,

    ‘The Nigeria Police Force and Public Perception’, said that such traits would earn the police officers good recognitions from the public.

    Alegeh thanked Chief Okpoko (SAN) for bringing the SANs together and honour ACP Shaba.

    Read Also: Troops seize 32,000 litres of stolen products, arrest 69 suspects in Niger Delta

    The former NBA boss noted that despite the challenges in the country, some individuals still excel in their services to the nation.

    He said that Shaba had excelled in a way that he should be celebrated, noting that the recognition would encourage other officers to do same or better.

    He stated: “This hosting is not just about celebrating Shaba, it will spur others around him to do same or better.

    “We cannot keep complaining about the federal and state governments. Life makes meaning if we all do our bits in our respective states.

    “Instead of SANs asking federal government to reward individuals, it has done its part by recognising Shaba. If what SANs’ body has done needs recognition, so be it!

    “We cannot just be asking the federal and state governments to recognise people when on our part we have done nothing.

    “So, I thank Chief Okpoko (SAN) for bringing us together to celebrate and honour Shaba.”

    Also speaking, Mr Kunle Edun (SAN), former National Publicity Secretary of the NBA, said that Shaba was honoured for his outstanding performances as the DPO in Ekpan, Warri, Udu and Abraka divisions.

    “It is a matter of public record that Shaba performed excellently. We have to celebrate him so that other police officers will be encouraged to follow in his footsteps,” he said.

    On his part, Shaba thanked the BOSAN for the award, noting that he never expected it.

    “I never saw it coming. I am highly delighted to have a class of SANs with my Commissioner of Police and well-meaning citizens in Delta State, particularly in Warri, coming together to give me this award.

    “This is just to tell other officers to put in their best, not for reward purposes. They should always do what is right, so that people will say good things about them.”

  • ‘There’s more to crime-fighting than jail’

    At an event where the Federal Government gave various jobs tools to ex-inmates, the Controller General (CG), Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) Ja’afaru Ahmed has said that the idea of jail term alone for every convict has become outdated.

    Ahmed said this in Abuja at the distribution of aftercare materials to 45 ex-offenders and the official takeover of the renovated Henry Akingba Medical centre at the NPS headquarters.

    He said the presentation of aftercare materials is part of NPS core mandate which is the reformation, rehabilitation and subsequent reintegration of prisoners back to the society.

    He said, “The world over, the idea of imprisonment for punishment alone has become primitive and outdated. It is our sincere conviction that incarceration is not the end of life for anybody, as every jail term if desired, can be used to transform the life of an individual and return him/her back to the society as a better productive and responsible citizen.

    “The effect of a successful reformation, rehabilitation and reintegration regime for Prisoners can certainly not be over emphasized. As you all know, this is one of the most potent means of crime prevention and control and also a means of breaking the vicious cycle of recidivism and prison congestion.

    “Trade tools distributed today cover barbing, carpentry, welding, hair dressing, tailoring and masonry among the so many other vocations Prisoners are exposed to, in our various Prisons. I believe the skills acquired by these ex-prisoners and the tools will offer them a more quantitative life through gainful employment and give them an opportunity to be employers of labour as we witness with some of their predecessors.    “As for the renovated medical center, I wish at this point to express my sincere appreciate to AIICO Multishield HMO for partnering with us in our resolve to give officers and men in the NPS quality, accessible and affordable health care.”

    The upgrade of the medical facilities, the NPS boss said could not have come at no better time than now: “that the government has improved our budgetary provision to enable us purchase a cache of drugs for both inmates and members of staff like never before, in the history of the service.”

    He commended President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Bello Dambazau (rtd) for their commitment and generous support in providing the service with the necessary platform for better and efficient service delivery.

    He urged all the beneficiaries of the Aftercare programme to justify government’s heavy investment in providing these tools by working hard and being worthy ambassadors of the Nigerian Prisons Service.

     

  • Police officers commend IGP’s team coordinator over successful crime fighting

    The officer in charge of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response TEAM (IRT) Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Abba Kyari, has been commended for leading his men to successful campaigns against criminals and criminal activities in the country.

    At a reception held in honour of ACP Kyari penultimate weekend at the Police College in Ikeja, the officer in charge of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Lagos State Police Command, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sani Paiko Umar, praised Kyari’s uncommon crime fighting method which according to him’’ sent shivers to armed robbers and potential criminals dreaming of coming to operate in Lagos. We are emulating that and from now  on there would be no hiding place for criminals as the command is ready to fish out criminals from any part of the state and whenever they are at large.’’

    He disclosed that Lagos SARS in conjunction with IRT led by Kyari, as usual, are reviewing the strategies that would continuously send criminals out of Lagos.

    ‘’ Kyari works so hard that he is always in the office even to the point of missing his family as he spends most of his nights in the office monitoring and directing his men as if he had sacrificed his life to the work.’’

    In his remarks, a retired Superintendent of Police, Supol Okeke, lauded Kyari for piloting IRT to greater heights through numerous breakthroughs and successes in crime fighting by IRT operatives.

    He commended Kyari for motivating his men through his IRT’s solution slogan.

    An IRT operative, Abubakar Sulaiman, recalled how ACP Kyari arrested a notorious robbery kingpin Alhaji Ndagi whose nine-man armed robbery gang then was terrorizing innocent people in Yola and other parts of Adamawa states which eventually led to the dismissal of a magistrate in Yola, during Kyari’s tenure as a Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in the state in 2003.

    Others who eulogized Kyari were his former  deputy, Superintendent of Police, SP Oti and Supol Phillip, who said ‘’Kyari’s secret was that he holds all his men as one family and made all of them to to work hard.’’

    In his response, Kyari reminded IRT operatives present that he was able to achieve success due to team work from all the members of IRT and assured them that police authorities will soon look into their special promotion and urged them to continue to work hard.

  • Police have done well in crime-fighting, says Amuka-Pemu

    Police have done well in crime-fighting, says Amuka-Pemu

    vanguard publisher, Sam Amuka-Pemu, has hailed the Lagos State Police Command for reducing robberies and other crimes. The former frontline columnist spoke yesterday during his visit to the command’s headquarters in Ikeja, the state capital.

    He praised Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni and his team for the timely arrest of the robbers who attacked him two months ago and for recovering his property from the hoodlums.

    Amuka-Pemu said: “I personally want to thank Police Commissioner Owoseni and his subordinates for the beautiful job they did over the robbery attack on me. Just as we were giving up hope after the attack, we were told that they had nabbed everyone involved. The police have also been arresting other criminals across the state.”  The paper’s Managing Director Gbenga Adefaye urged residents to cooperate with the police to fight crime.

    Owoseni, who recalled that the publisher had been attacked twice within two years, said: “Uncle Sam has contributed in no mean ways to the development of journalism. He is a gift to humanity. For the criminal elements who carried out the attacks, God Almighty has shown that He is greater than them. They were not able to get away with the evil they committed.

    “I also want to appreciate you, sir, for coming here. It will serve as a moral booster to officers and men of the command. Your coming will also be a narrative, under the present leadership of the Inspector-General Of Police (IGP), that Nigerians will live safely and carry out their business activities. We will keep on fighting crime with everything available to our disposal.”

  • Police chief reaffirms commitment to crime fighting

    Area Commander, Aba Area Command of Nigeria Police Force, ACP Peter Wagbara, has reinstated the commitment of the force and its personnel in Aba to ensure that residents of the business town sleep with their two eyes closed.

    Wagbara, in a chat with our correspondent, at the end of a security meeting in Aba, the commercial nerve of the state, said officers of the command in collaboration with sister security agencies were working tirelessly to ensure peace reigns in Aba and its environs.

    According to him, the police were doing all they could with the little available logistics to ensure crime was reduced to its barest minimum.

    He expressed happiness that personnel under his command have in the last months being able to display high level of professionalism in their attitude to work.

    He warned those planning to come into the city to cause mayhem to have a rethink.

    Wagbara stressed the police and other security agencies in Aba were not going to fold their arms and watch some unscrupulous elements come to breach the existing peace in the commercial city.

     

  • Crime fighting: LG boss commends Festac police

    The Executive Secretary, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Mrs Modupe Ajibola-Ojodu has lauded the Area E Commander, ACP Chris Owolabi and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Festac, CSP Monday Agbonika for introducing innovative policing in the area.

    Mrs. Ajibola-Ojodu gave the commendation during the innaugural Community Safety Partnership (CSP) meeting held at the Rockview Hotel in Festac.

    She noted that since the arrival of the duo in the LG, the once incessant vandalism of vehicles in the local government has been abated, adding that he has been able to carry residents along in his quest for effective crime prevention and control.

    “Security is not an end in itself, but a critical means to the realization of National, State and Local Government interests and aspirations.

    “In recent times the role of the Nigeria Police in combating crime in our community is highly commendable, especially with the arrival of the New Area E Commander and the DPO of Festac Town.

    “These gentlemen have brought finesse to policing and therefore should be encouraged by all and sundry,” She said.

    While commending the idea of community policing initiated by Agbonika and the Justice For All (J4A) organisation, Ajibola-Ojodu said it has become inevitable as a result of the spate of highly sophisticated crimes in the country and the inability of the federal police alone to contain the challenges.

    She described the partnership as delivering local solution to local problems, adding that people have been fully put in charge of ensuring their own safety by sharing information through the channels that will be created.

    “It is my strong belief that this lofty idea by the DPO of Festac Police Station would address the concerns of the people residing in the Local government, particularly the most vulnerable, on matters of safety, and other quality of life issues.

    “Finally, a new Amuwo Odofin Local Government is possible, only if we continue our quest to re-write and Change the wrong in the polity,” She said.

    She restated the commitment of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government to rebrand, re-equip and re-energize the security architecture in order to motivate security personnel, using the recent donation of sophisticated gadgets by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to the Lagos State Police Command as an example.

    “We on our part at the Local Government level are also doing the needful. This is why we donated a Hilux van and repaired some of the Nigeria Police operational vehicles to assist them in securing our environment.

    “We also regularly maintain operational vehicles of security agencies and support them morally and financially.

    “There is no gain saying the fact that our improved relationship with the Nigeria police has led to more harmonious synergy in combating crimes.”

  • Ugwuanyi woos transporters on crime-fighting

    Ugwuanyi woos transporters on crime-fighting

    Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has urged commercial tricycle operators and other transporters in the state to join his administration’s efforts against crime.

    How can they help? They should gather information from criminals who board their vehicles and make it available to security agents.

    The governor made the request while receiving delegations of the Enugu State Association of Tricycle Riders Transport Union, popularly known as Keke Napep and the State Executives of the National Union of Road Transport Workers at the Government House, Enugu.

    The two unions were visiting the governor to pledge their support for his administration and inform him of their challenges.

    Such challenges are administrative, they said, but there is also the unsavoury act of “a group of restive youths under the aegis of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria”.

    Governor Ugwuanyi who thanked the unions for their continuous support and the peaceful manner they have conducted themselves in their dispute with the other transport group, assured them of his administration’s resolve not to tolerate any form of undue harassment or imposition of illegal levies on the people of the state by anyone or group in the guise of revenue collection.

    He advised those perpetrating such acts to desist from them as the government will not hesitate to enforce the wrath of the law against them no matter who they may be.

    On their request for appointment into his administration, the governor equally told the unions to meet with the Taxi Drivers’ Association to agree and nominate one of them for appointment as his Special Assistant on Transport, in order to give them a sense of belonging and ensure a smooth and effective relationship between them and the government, as part of his agenda for participatory democracy.

    “ It is important that I let you know that we have extended our hands of fellowship to the transport union, Keke Napep and Taxi drivers to meet and agree on who will be the SA on Transport to the Governor, to open a channel of communication between you and the government.

    “Enugu is one of the safest states in the country. I believe you will use your business to further enhance the security of this state by revealing any information that will be useful to the government in this regard”, the governor said.

    In their separate remarks, the chairman of the tricycle riders, Comrade Ikah Benjamin Ejiofor and his counterpart in the Road Transport Union, Chief Joseph Ugwu praised the governor for his leadership qualities and appealed to him to prevail on Vehicle Inspection Officers (V.I.O), other government agencies and the transport group, RTEAN, to stop the incessant harassment and illegal levies aimed at exploiting of the commercial road users in the state.

     

  • ‘Crime fighting a collective duty’

    Former Lagos State Commissioner of Police (CP) Kayode Aderanti has called on the public to join hands with security agencies to fight crime.

    Speaking at the weekend at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos Mainland during a novelty match tagged: ”Kick off crime” between Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN) and the combined teams of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) and Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN) , Aderanti said the fight against crime was a collective responsibility that should not be left for security agencies alone.

    Aderanti, who kicked off the match, said: “That everybody should join hands in the war against crime does not mean that people should carry arms and start chasing criminals up and down, but that civilians should give out useful information that will assist the police and other sister agencies to kick out crime especially armed robbery, kidnapping and piracy in the society”

    Aderanti represented by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Bode Thomas, Mr Akin Adamu, praised CRAN, AGN and PMAN for preaching against crime. “I want to advise other corporate organisations to emulate the good gesture of CRAN and AGN/PMAN in the fight against crime. With this novelty match, the police are encouraged to do more in their fight against crime. We are going to fish out criminals, especially armed robbers, kidnappers and pirates wherever they are hiding.

    “We will not wait till they strike, we will be proactive in our action and pick on them before they strike but whenever they succeed in committing their dastardly act, we will as usual fish them out.

    “I am handing over the trophy to CRAN which won the bloodless war but I want them to see every participant as a victor. We are all winners, including the spectators “

    CRAN President Comrade Christopher Oji, the captain of his team, who was presented with the trophy said: “ The essence of the match is to preach to our teeming population, especially the youths that crime does not pay. You may succeed in crime but in a short while nemesis will catch up with the criminal.

    “The consequence of crime is so devastating as it may have been too late for the criminal and regret will be the reward. We have kicked out crime in Lagos so we don’t want it again.”

    AGN President Emeka Ike called on the Police to intensify their war against piracy, sayig: “Pirates are reaping where they did not sow and as such must be fished out to face the consequences of stealing and reproducing other people’s works. We will suffer and another lazy idiot will be enjoying our sweat. We want those who play our music and show our films to also pay us our royalties”

  • Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting

    Abia police seek partnership in crime-fighting

    Abia State Commissioner of Police, CP Joshiak Habila has solicited the cooperation and partnership of Abians in helping police and other security agencies in the state to fight crime and insecurity.

    Abia Police Command Public Relations Officer, Ezekiel Onyeke speaking on behalf of the CP disclosed that the essence of the collaboration was to make Abia a crime-free state where economic and business activities thrive.

    According to him, “security has gone beyond the traditional policing of yesteryear where your mind goes to the police. Security is the baby of every good citizen of this country; everybody has a role to play. Everybody is a stakeholder in the fight against crime because if we serve,  we are our brothers’ keeper, we watch our brothers back, this people who are operating in our society, giving us sleepless night are human beings; they are our brothers and our relations. If we are fed up with their conduct and we give information that could lead to their being apprehended, it will save us a lot of nightmare.

    “What the police is asking for is giving us timely and credible information from well-meaning Nigerians to curb the activities of criminal elements within our neighbourhood. They should not fear coming to give police information because gone are the days when police after getting information will divulge his source of information. So they should be free to call the police to give us credible information and we will act on it promptly. If it is verifiable one, we will definitely act on it but when we discovered that it is falsehood, we will forget about it.

    “The problem that we have is that, people after giving police information and the police acted on it, you will see them may be out of excitement will be going about telling people that he or she was the person that gave police the information about such action or may be that he is a police informant. The satisfaction should be within self and not going about boasting of being agent of the police because that is where the problem comes from is what I have earlier said but to say that the police will go ahead to divulge information is not totally true because 95% of police today will never disclose their source of information .

    Onyeke who noted that the command have achieved a lot of successes after some members of the general public started partnering with the security agency on behalf of Abia Police chief expressed hope that they would continue to enjoy the “robust relationship with members of the public” even as they promised to continue not to make the state a safe haven for criminal elements.

    The PPRO also used the opportunity to disclose some of the achievements the State Command recorded in the past few months through the assistance of the general public which includes the arrest of Victor Onyenechihie and Timothy Onyenechihie brothers from Ohuru-Isimiri village in Obingwa Local Government Area of the state who were terrorizing the community where on May 18 arrested through a tip-off.

    Some of the items recovered from them were a locally made revolver pistol using .9mm ammunition, iron seal of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, an official stamp of the institution’s Deputy Registrar and a military camouflage.

    The Police spokesman also disclosed that detectives from Ubakala Police Station on May 20 “arrested One Ezekiel Samuel Nwoke at Amuzu Ubakala, Umuahia South Local Government Area by some vigilant community member and on alerting the police who swung into action, unregistered black Sayang motorcycle”, adding that Nwoke’s companion now at large, who feign illness and pretended to be vomiting, escaped after throwing an object into the nearby bush.

    The object which was recovered was discovered The Nation learnt was an American made revolver pistol-NEF: CO INC Garderder MA model R373 No. NB 005177.

    The suspect and the recovered pistol were referred to the State Department of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for further investigation.

    He added that the Police at Ubakala, in the same Umuahia South also recovered a tricycle suspected to have been abandoned by yet to be identified hoodlums.

    According to him “the police had received information at around 1:15am that thieves were breaking into shops at Avodim Ubakala. The thieves on sighting the Police patrol team abandoned the Tricycle at Mgbarakuma Ubakala when it became obvious that the Police was closing in on them.

    “The tricycle with Reg. No. ABIA, ACH 321 QA, security no. Ab/mot/umu/61/6114 was recovered by Police who are still making efforts to track down the thieves”.

    Onyeke who maintained that police was working to ensure that there was peace and security in the state therefore urged members of the public to always call the police hotlines whenever they are in distress, adding that with the maximum cooperation and understanding of members of the public crime would be drastically minimised in the state.

     

  • Rivers immigration boss, stakeholders parley on crime fighting

    To maintain a proactive strategy in curbing trans-border crime, the Comptroller of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Rivers State, Barr Mike Longe, has held a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt.

    At the meeting held at Presidential Hotel in Port Harcourt, Longe said: “The border crime and other security challenges made the command to establish a new border patrol in 2013.”

    Appraising the new policy of the command, the immigration boss said:” Over 1000 officers have been trained in modern techniques and trends of curbing insurgency and terrorist acts with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as coparticipants in providing the much needed capacity during the training session.’’ He noted that the trained personnel have since been kitted with new camouflage dresses and deployed in 19 land border posts.

    “The immigration service is witnessing a dynamic and purposeful leadership under Mr. David Parradang. Like the last stakeholders meeting, it is to be noted that in order to effectively check influx of irregular migrants who are mostly taking the advantage of about 1,500 illegal routes, 27 new patrol bases and 30 additional border control posts were established to support the existing functional 84 posts through the approval of the Honourable Minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro,” he added.

    “Those who attended the stakeholders meeting included the representatives of some companies, the Representative of Comptroller General of NIS, Mr. Obua Chukwuemeka Patrick Pius, and Amanayabo of Abonema, King Gbobo Bob Manuel.