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Tag: criminals

  • Dickson vows to treat land grabbers as criminals 

    Dickson vows to treat land grabbers as criminals 

    The Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr. Seriake Dickson, Thursday, warned persons encroaching on government land and property to desist or be treated as criminals.

    A statement signed by Dickson’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said the governor gave the warning when the State Special Task Force on Identification and Recovery of Government Lands, led by Chief Ige Iboro Edaba submitted its report to him.

    Dickson particularly called on persons still assuming ownership of land after collecting compensation to steer clear from the property.

    He asked them to approach the Ministry of Land and Survey to report unresolved issues.

    He said: “I want to call on land owners to desist from re-entering lands in respect of which, compensation has been paid. If compensation has not been fully paid and the government has already started developing the land, then respect the rights of the government, because that is the property of everybody, including you.

    “You can approach the Ministry of Lands and Survey and then discuss with them, as to how they can complete the acquisition.

    “But, the solution is not to collect compensation money from government and then go back and sell government lands. We will treat those people as pure criminals that they are and we will begin the process of recovering all such lands.”

    Dickson, who promised to study the report, directed the ministries of Justice and lands and Survey to take measures in recovering all affected government land.

    Presenting the report of the task force, Edaba decried the level of encroachment on government land saying some land owners, who received compensation re-entered and in most cases re-sold such land.

    He cited some of the affected areas in the Yenagoa metropolis as, BYCAS at Elebele, Central Business District and Opolo Housing Estate, where government had acquired 200 hectares of land for which 70% had been re-sold.

    Edaba also stressed the need for all ministries, departments and agencies to acquire land, through the Ministry of Lands and Survey to promoting a centralized land acquisition system and expedite action on recovery of encroached lands.

  • Ambode: We’ll make Lagos unsafe for criminals

    Ambode: We’ll make Lagos unsafe for criminals

    LAGOS  State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday inaugurated the refurbished fuel dump for the State Police Command, reiterating his unwavering commitment to keep Lagos safe, secured and uncomfortable for criminals.

    The facility, which has 33,000-litre capacity for diesel and petrol, was rehabilitated by the government for dispensing fuel to vehicles used for patrol and surveillance activities by the police.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Mr. Oluseye Oladejo, Ambode said the provision of the facility was in line with his administration’s determination to further enhance security of lives and property in the Centre of Excellence.

    He said: “Since our inauguration, we have left nobody in doubt about our commitment to keep our state safe and secured. We have demonstrated commitment to this course through massive investment and the provision of modern security equipment to strengthen the crime fighting capacity of security agencies, especially the state police command.

    ‘’Till date, we have empowered security agencies with 100 saloon cars, 195 Ford Ranger pick-up vans, 10 Toyota Hilux and several others.

    “These were provided with the main objective of facilitating mobility of officers within the nooks and crannies of the state.

    “With this dedicated facility, the government has once again made a clear statement of its determination to make Lagos uncomfortable for criminals and their collaborators.”

    The Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, said: “The government has been at the forefront of supporting us both in terms of equipment and logistics.

    “We want to assure the good people of Lagos that we recognise that to whom much is given, much is expected. We will reciprocate this kind gesture by redoubling our efforts in other to make Lagos safer and more secured.”

  • Police parades two suspected street light vandals in Abia

    Police parades two suspected street light vandals in Abia

    The Abia state Commissioner of Police (CP), Leye Oyebade has warned criminals operating in the state to relocate from the state as the command under his leadership has strategized to flush them out from the state.

    Speaking in Umuahia, while parading two suspects, who were arrested for vandalizing and stealing of solar energy batteries that are used to power street lights at Ndoki in Ukwa East council area, Oyebade said that it is time for criminals to leave the state.

    Oyebade said that the men being paraded are economic saboteurs of the state and the country, stressing that they are in the same category with those who specialises in vandalizing oil pipe lines across the country.

    He frowned at the situation where criminals vandalize government property and turn around to say that government is not doing anything for the state and its people, “When they are the ones destroying government properties for their own selfish ends.”

    The Abia CP said, “My men arrested Chima Chiboo aged 34 years who specializes in the stealing of solar energy batteries at Ndoki in Ukwa East council area of the state”.

    “He was arrested by Kingsley Ekeke a member of the local vigilante group in the area while on duty and handed over to the police and when he was interrogated by the police, he could not give a satisfactory answer to how he came about the two solar batteries in his position”.

    “The suspect was handed over to my men at the Police at Akwete Division and the boss of the division later transferred the suspect to the State Criminal Intelligence and investigation department for further investigation”.

    Oyebade said that the second suspect Chinasa Okochi of Urrata village in Aba was arrested at Akwete with two solar energy batteries, “Which under interrogation the suspect could not give account of the batteries”.

    The CP said that the police in the state can no longer stand and watch criminals destroy the state with their nefarious activities, stressing that those who have formed the habit of destroying government property must be brought to book.

    He also said that his command has identified flash points in some major highways where hoodlums hide to rob commuters, “This is a warning to those who operate in those areas as we are coming after them and there will be no hiding place for them.”

    Oyebade said, “We have mapped out strategies to ensure that all highway criminals are apprehended, as we are determined to have a safe highways, because our team of safer highways are on top of the situation.”

  • Army vows to treat secessionists as criminals

    Army vows to treat secessionists as criminals

    Joint Military Task Force (JTF) Operation Delta Safe (ODS) yesterday vowed any secessionist group within its Area of Responsibility (AoR) would be arrested and treated like criminals.

    ODS restated the commitment of the military to keep Nigeria united.

    It insisted that the military under the current administration is well-equipped to crush any threat against the country.

    A group of militants, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), which claimed responsibility for all the bombings of oil installations, threatened to declare the Niger Delta Republic on October 1.

    NDA, in its statement, said: “The October 1st, declaration of independence is still sacrosanct if the Nigerian government fails to retrace its step by restructuring this country”.

    The threat came few weeks after another group, Adaka Boro Avengers (ABA) dropped the idea of declaring the republic on August 1 at Kaiama, the hometown of the late Ijaw hero, Isaac Adaka Boro in Kolokuma-Opokuma, Bayelsa State.

    ABA abandoned its threat after the JTF responded by deploying troops and military hardware to frustrate the declaration.

    Speaking yesterday, the Commander ODS, Rear Admiral, Joseph Okojie, said it was high time people embraced the peace and stopped threatening the country.

    He added the military would not allow any criminal gang to break the country.

    Okojie said though the military outfit would not join issues with faceless criminal gangs, it would not abdicate its operations to arrest and deal with criminals.

    According to him, “We are properly equipped to handle all these situations. We won’t be joining issues with people who hide behind faceless organisations to issue threats.

    “We are doing our job and at the appropriate time people will begin to see the results. We are well-equipped but we are not at war. We are in asymmetrical environment and we are well-equipped to handle issues in this environment and that is why despite our operations you won’t get reports of casualties or collateral damage. We are working. But people should be law-abiding.”

    Emphasising that the Niger Delta must be kept safe in line with the mandate of the military outfit, the JTF commander said militants are criminal and must be treated as such.

    He said the efforts of the ODS in keeping Niger Delta and critical assets safe have been yielding positive results.

    He said the spate of bombings had been reduced apart from the isolated case of Friday in Delta State where some miscreants ruptured a pipeline.

    He said: “Whoever threatens the unity of the country is a criminal. As far as we are concerned, any militant is a criminal and our operation is to flush criminals out of the region to keep it safe.

    “No criminal can challenge the military because we are saddled with the responsibility of protecting the territorial integrity of the country.”

  • Commissioner: Govt’ll now treat land grabbers as criminals

    Commissioner: Govt’ll now treat land grabbers as criminals

    LAGOS State Government will, henceforth, treat those who grab other people’s land as criminals, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Adeniji Kazeem said yesterday.

    He was inaugurating a five-man Special Task Force to curb the activities of land grabbers aka Omo Onile at the state secretariat in Alausa, Ikeja.

    The task force’s terms of reference include: “to reduce to barest minimum the activities of persons or corporate entities who use force and intimidation to dispossess or prevent any person or entity from acquiring legitimate interest and possession of property acquired state government or private transactions; to coordinate the efforts of the various agencies of government charged with enforcing the government rights over land in Lagos and to work with all security agencies to ensure enforcement of government and private property rights in Lagos State”.

    Kazeem said the government raised the task force because land grabbers have caused havoc and unrest in different parts of the state by dispossessing legitimate land owners of their properties, thereby stifling commercial activities in the state.

    “It is, therefore, important that the government not only identifies the effects of the problems being perpetrated by these unscrupulous elements on commercial activities and peace of the citizenry but also find lasting solutions to the menace”, he said.

    The task force, the commissioner said, would ensure protection of investors and maintain law and order adding, “this by implication will encourage the verification of legal claimsý through litigation rather than resorting to violence”.

    Kazeem described land as an asset and title, security “And therefore, anybody who uses threat of arms or physical threat to dispossess people of their legitimate property will be treated as criminals.

    The task force members are a deputy director in the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Akinjide Bakare who will serve as alternate chairman in the absence of the Attorney-General; representative of the Commissioner for the Environment Dr. Afolabi Abiodun, representatives of the Lands Bureau Olayinka Adebayo and Faiq Abou, Chief Security Officer to the governor Mr Saheed Kassim, Commander Governor’s Monitoring Team Mr Ganiyu Adebowale, a representative of the Commissioner for Physical Planning. A worker in the ministry, Ms Mosunmola Balogun is secretary.

  • Avengers are criminals, says Buratai

    Avengers are criminals, says Buratai

    Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai has described members of the Niger Delta Avengers as criminals.

    Gen. Buratai admonished the communities to expose Niger Delta Avengers members who have been bombing pipelines and other oil installations.

    The army chief spoke on Monday night in an interview with reporters at the 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, after the inauguration of soldiers’ accommodation and 500 KVA generator, donated by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    Gen. Buratai was accompanied by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division, Enugu, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru and the Commander of 2 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Steve Olabanji; among other top army officers.

    He said: “Whatever these criminals (Niger Delta Avengers) are doing is a criminal act. We will deal with them accordingly. We are looking at all the areas that we should address and we are doing that, including the criminals in the name of Niger Delta Avengers. They are not avenging anything. They are criminals.

    “Nobody has offended them  (Niger Delta Avengers). They have their own criminal intentions and we will deal with them accordingly. They have been attacking our troops’ locations and killing our soldiers. We will not tolerate that. We will deal with them accordingly, according to the law.

    “We will look for them (Niger Delta Avengers), wherever they are. That is how we will treat them. They are not agitating for any enclave or any state. They are just committing criminal acts. That is how we see it.”

    Gen. Buratai urged the peace-loving people to expose the criminals in their midst, who are destroying national assets and attacking troops.

    He said: “They (Niger Delta people) must be patriotic enough to come out. I want to assure them that they have nothing to fear, once they perform their basic civic responsibilities.

    “Everybody in the Niger Delta and indeed across the country should expose these criminals, who come out to destroy national assets and also to attack military personnel who are doing their lawful duties in their areas.”

  • Five arrested as vigilantes declare war on criminals in Port Harcourt

    A security group in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, Diobu Vigilante, has called for the support of Governor Ezenwo Wike to minimise robberies, killings and other acts of criminality in the area.

    Diobu is an area of Port Harcourt, the state capital, known for criminality. It is a high density urban township which has many communities owned by the Ikwerre but mostly occupied by indigenes and non-indigenes, especially the Igbo.

    The Secretary of Diobu Vigilante Group, Comrade Prince Amatari, spoke at the weekend, following the arrest of five “notorious thieves” in the area.

    He said the vigilance group had arrested over 48 suspected criminals since it started operation.

    Bipeledei said because of the large population of Diobu, many of the youths were joining criminal gangs, adding that with the support of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Mile 1 Police Station, the group was tackling criminality in the area.

    According to him, his group has identified some notorious hideouts where suspected criminals hide their ammunition and themselves after committing crimes.

    Bipeledei regretted that despite the group’s effort, which the police had hailed, the state government and the local government chairman had not shown necessary concern.

    He said: “We are ready to assist the government to minimise crime in Rivers State, if the support is given to us. But the government has continued to pay deaf ears to our efforts. The only encouragement we have received was that of the CSP Tony Odita, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), of Mile Police Station.

    “Of course, we need more support to win this war. Diobu axis of Port Harcourt is an environment where criminals hide to operate in the city. This is because almost all the streets in Diobu link to rivers or swamp; some of the hideouts are waterfronts, Gambia, jungle, Beribabo, Obidianso waterside, Echue, Abba, Wanchikwu and St. Andrew.

    “When they hit their victims, they go to these places for cover and nobody would know that they are there. Most of the members of the Diobu Vigilance Group are ex-militants. We know how the system works. That is why we are calling on the government to support us and create job.”

  • No room for criminals in Lagos – Ambode

    No room for criminals in Lagos – Ambode

    Following the rescue of the three school girls kidnapped last Monday in Lagos, Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode has assured that his administration has the will and capacity to fight all forms of crime and criminality in the state.
    The governor, who addressed journalists on the safe rescue of the girls abducted by gunmen from the Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu, warned that the state government will spare nothing to clamp down on all forms of crime in the state.
    “Let me warn that the State Government will not tolerate kidnapping or any forms of crime in the State. Our position is clear and unambiguous, Lagos state has the capacity and the will to go after every form of crime and criminality in order to safeguard lives and property in the state,” the governor stated.

    He expressed relief and excitement at the rescue of the girls by security operates in the early hours of Sunday, just as he commended the efforts of security operatives who led the rescue efforts.

    “The Lagos State police Command, the Department of State Security and members of the Armed forces worked tirelessly round the clock in the last six days to secure the release of the children. I thank them for a good job.

    “The three girls have been safely re-united with their families and the Government wishes to assure Lagosians that their security is top priority and it will not relent in ensuring that Lagos remains safe and secure,” he said.

    Governor Ambode said one of the suspected kidnappers – one Emmanuel Arigidi, was arrested during the operation by security operatives to release the abducted children.

    “As our daughters are re-united with their mothers and other members of their families, I would like to seize this opportunity to wish all mothers in Lagos State and Nigeria at large a happy Mothers’ Day,” he said.

  • Rivers rerun: Politicians arming criminals, says Army

    Rivers rerun: Politicians arming criminals, says Army

    •‘Suspected patrons, sponsors closely monitored’

    The 2 Brigade in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has accused politicians of arming criminals.

    It said any criminal arrested would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

    The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations of 2 Brigade, Capt. Eli Lazarus, spoke yesterday in Port Harcourt.

    He said: “Some politicians are arming these groups and encouraging them with inciting comments to breach the public peace. No one should be in doubt of the capacity of the military to deal with such persons. Persons caught breaching public peace, particularly during the elections, will have themselves to blame. Some suspected patrons and sponsors of these criminal groups are closely monitored by security agencies.”

    Capt. Lazarus advised parents and guardians to warn their children or wards against any form of association with criminal groups/sponsors.

    He added: “In the early hours of Sunday, February 7, 2016, pipeline vandals destroyed a gas facility at Akala Olu village in Oshie community, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, thereby disrupting the production activities of the Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC). The vandals threatened to carry out further acts of vandalism, unless their demands are met.

    “The vandals are suspected members of Icelander cult group. The group demanded the release of a detained suspect, Emmanuel Odum, undergoing interrogation in connection with pipeline vandalism and cult-related activities.

    ‘’The 2 Brigade will not be cowed into doing the bidding of any criminal group. For the avoidance of doubt, anyone caught vandalising critical national assets will be severely dealt with, in accordance with the law.”

     

  • Police step up crackdown on criminals

    Police step up crackdown on criminals

    Abuja residents are not unfamiliar with activities of criminals who usually hide at strategic locations from where they rob their victims.  When any year draws to a close, there is always the feeling of fear on the part of the residents because of increase in crime rate.

    During the “ember months”, especially December, residents become more vigilant. During this period, cars, money, phones, laptops, Ipad, properties, motorbikes are stolen and petty thieves also wait for home owners to leave their homes before they break in and cart away whatever they feel can fetch them money.

    Worried by this development, the Commissioner of Police of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, Wilson Inalegwu said the command has intensified action on the activities of the criminals, which has led to several arrests of the criminals in their different hideouts.

    With this development, residents can now heave a sigh of relief because of efforts made by the police to make Abuja crime-free.

    The suspects who were arrested for different crimes are expected to be arraigned in court soon since investigation has been concluded.

    The recent cases are familiar ones but the suspected criminals who admitted to carrying out the act blamed the devil for it.

    One of the suspected criminals, ThankGod Okhiria specializes in telecommunication fraud. He sends messages to unsuspecting members of the public notifying them that they have won certain amount of money and that they should follow certain requirement to claim their prizes.

    The police chief said: “Following a report on Berekete Family Radio that a lady was defrauded by a syndicate in March this after she was contacted via phone that she had won the sum of N700, 000 from an ongoing promo, the Commissioner of Police ordered immediate investigation into the case. As a result of discreet investigation, the suspect was traced and arrested at Edo where he carries out his nefarious activities.

    “The victim paid the sum of N10, 000 to the suspect’s bank account. She sent him 750 MTN recharge card which he said are the condition she must fulfill to claim the prize.”

    Explaining why he committed the crime, Okhiria said: “I am 19 years old and I am from Irua. I could not further my education because of lack of money. When I dropped out from school, I decided to acquire a skill and in the process I was unable to pay my house rent. I approached my friends to assist me in paying my house rent; the money was N18, 000.

    “When I met them, they discouraged me from acquiring a skill; that I should instead join them in the game they play.

    “They said the only help they could render me was allowing me to join their game of sending fake messages to people. They put my phone on the message and they sent it to random numbers. Some calls came in and some of them insulted me, cursed me and told me that I should go and look for good job. This discouraged me from continuing.

    “So I met my friends and told them that there is so much insults and curses on the business and that I am no longer interested and that they should remove my line. Later on, a girl called my line and she said her name was Bimbo and she said she would like to claim her prize. I told her to send N750 recharge card to me and transfer N10, 000 into my friend’s account.  It was when my friend was going to the bank to withdraw the money that he got arrested.

    “In our group, we have those who act as bankers, old man in order to authenticate the business and make it believable. The business we do is called NNPC. I lied to the victim that got me arrested that I am an old man with three children. In order to convince the victims, I say things like: “Hello, Bimbo make sure you pay this money because if you don’t, you won’t be able to claim your prize. I raise my voice whenever I talk in order to avoid suspicion.

    “I didn’t know anything about this business. My friends; Godwin and Timothy introduced me into it. Godwin has travelled out to Italy with the proceeds he got from the business and Timothy died as a result of accident.”

    He, however, pleaded for forgiveness, promising never to commit any crime again.

    Continuing, he said: “I am urging others who do this kind of business to stop. They should repent of their sins. I am begging that the police should forgive me.”

    Also paraded were Awuzie Okechukwu, 30 and Simon Ejinalu, 47.

    Speaking on how they were arrested, the CP said: “We will continue to stress the need for continuous clampdown and impounding of motorcycles operating in the Federal Capital Territory which have been discovered to be used to perpetuate crime by criminally-minded persons.

    “On December 4, a two-man robbery gang which specialises in hibernating around banking areas to monitor and single out their victims who are mostly bank customers who withdrew large sums of money, was intercepted and arrested by the police.

    “The suspects monitored and followed up their victim after he emerged from the banking hall of one of the banks in Maitama to his car. They smartly placed a nail which gradually deflated the tyre while he was on motion. This forced him to stop and check the tyre. The suspect then took advantage of the situation to pull off the bag containing the cash from the car and sped off on their bike.

    Admitting to the crime, Okechukwu said: “I am from Imo State and I am new in Abuja. I came to Abuja because I don’t have anybody to help me and my family. I decided to come and steal because it seems to be the fastest way to make money. I was able to do this because the money was in our victim’s car. He stopped and then we grabbed the money (N1, 000,000).

    “I am sorry about the mistake I made. I am begging for forgiveness. I don’t have anybody to help me and my five children and that is why I am into this.”

    Also speaking, Ejinalu said: “We came to Abuja to steal. Some of our brothers reside in Abuja. We called them and they told us that Abuja is good and that there is money but when we came, we did not see them and that is why we dressed and entered town.

    “We saw the victim and stole his money. We saw the nylon bag containing the money in his car and we decided to steal it. We used our bike to do it.

    “I regret doing this but it is because I have family and no money to take care of them.”

    Other robbery suspects that were paraded by the FCT Command were Tunbosun Owolabi Onipede, 33; Fidelis Ajia, 35; Lucky Obi, 32; Cletus Sule, 27; Emmanuel Jacob, 24; Kingsley Opara, 28 and Endurance Odiawa.