There is no taking the foot off the accelerator in the drive against criminals in Kaduna State.
The state governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai declared war on miscreants terrorising the state, adding that anyone who committed murder or engaged in any criminal act must face the music.
The gesture has sent a strong signal to the criminals. Just after he constituted General Martin Luther Agwai led committee on Southern Kaduna killings, the war against criminals has been progressive.
After 120 suspected criminals, including new Sara-Suka miscreant gang members were charged before a Kaduna court, 41 others have been paraded by the police for armed robbery, illegal gun production and car snatching among others.
The suspects were taken to court and later assigned to various magistrate courts by the Chief Magistrate Court I, Awaulu Musa Aliyu, for the continuation of the case. However, the suspects were taken back to police custody.
Speaking with journalists over the arraignment, Kaduna State Police Command spokesman, Deputy Supretendant of Police, DSP Zubairu Abubakar, disclosed that 120 suspected criminals and terrorist gangs were charged before the court for criminal activities adding that there is no hiding place for miscreants in the state.
He explained that: “We arrested 120 suspected criminals with some acts of terrorism, armed robbery and rape. Some are suspected to be members of a terrorist gang known as Sara-Suka. We arrested some of them on the spot while committing the crime, while others were arrested based on complaints from the public”.
But of specific interest in the Friday parade of suspects at the police headquarters was the case of a car thief who vehemently rejected being referred to as a car snatcher. Aliyu Yakubu who confessed to have stolen about 300 cars from Kaduna since 2012 said, he never snatched a car in his life. Yakubu who suddenly turned an English language teacher, told journalists that, a car snatcher robs the owner at gunpoint.
According to him, “I have a master key that can open any type of car and that is what I have been using to move cars from where they are parked. Immediately I pick a car, I move straight to Niger Republic where I sell it at a fixed price of N300,000:00.
“I normally target places like big people’s areas, rich people’s occasions, because I know they won’t be pained much because they have many other cars. So, they don’t usually report to police on time, before they report, I must have gone far,” Yakubu explained.
On whether his choice of ‘business’ has dark side, he said yes, “In 2013, I was arrested by police for the same offense and I was subsequently charged to court. But a friend, who has political intention came to my rescue and secured my bail.
“So, the case is still in court due to bureaucracy and redtapism. It was as a result of come to court today come tomorrow that I added one plus two and continue with my business pending the time the court will determine my case”, he hinted confidently.
He further added that, “I sometimes traced unsuspecting motorists to their destinations where I use the master key to unlock the car’s sensor after which I drive as fast as I could straight to Niger Republic where my regular buyer would be waiting for the consignment.
“I started in 2012 when I was told that I could make as much as N300,000 on one car. I tried it and I saw that it was not difficult so I continued until when I was caught few days ago by the police in Kaduna”, he explained.
Luck however ran out of him when he attempted to steal another car on popular Isa Kaita road, Kaduna.
One hundred and twenty suspected criminals, including members of the Sara-Suka gang, were yesterday arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court I in Kaduna.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai had declared war on miscreants, saying anybody who engaged in criminal acts would be prosecuted.
Police spokesman Zubairu Abubakar told reporters that 120 suspected criminals were arraigned, adding that there would be no hiding place for miscreants.
The FCT Special Task Team on City Cleaning and Management has assured that it would do everything possible to safeguard life and property in the territory.
This assurance was given by the chairman of the city cleaning team who is also the Terrritory’s Police Commissioner, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu after an emergency meeting.
The Police Commissioner reiterated that no stone would be left unturned to safeguard all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory; noting that anything that poses danger to the well being of the residents of the Territory won’t be spared.
Inalegwu called for cooperation by partnering with the members of the Special Task Team to weed the Federal Capital City of all environmental nuisances.
The Police Commissioner emphasized that the Task Team has put some viable mechanisms on ground to identify bad eggs within its members.
He remarked that those selling petrol in jerry cans will make the city unsafe and ‘we will go after them’ as well as those operating unpainted taxis, because such can be used for ‘One Chance’ or kidnap purposes.
His words: “We must have records of all commercial taxis operating in Abuja and that is why the Task Team and particularly the officers and men of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (VIO) are enforcing it”.
Inalegwu said that commercial motorcycle (Okada) is banned in the Federal Capital City and remained banned; while the Keke NAPEP operators must remain in the restricted designated areas.
He warned that pedestrian bridges are for road crossing and not for commercial activities; stressing that anyone caught would face the full wrath of the law.
According to the Chairman, the Task Team was set up to keep the city clean and any unwholesome practices would be kept at bay.
The Police Commissioner assured that the Task Team will never work to inflict hardship or discomfort to any resident of the Federal Capital Territory.
Meanwhile, the Chairman paraded two vehicles fitted with about two hundred litres of PMS (Petrol) drums each totaling 400 litres, earlier arrested by the Task Team and therefore used the occasion to advise residents to stop all those illegal activities.
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has vowed to rid the state of armed robbers and kidnappers.
He made the disclosure when the Executive committee of the socio-cultural organisation, Mdzough U Tiv, visited him at the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi.
The governor said such criminal elements posed a serious threat to residents and investment in the state since no investor was willing to invest in an insecure environment.
He said he was collaborating with traditional rulers, youths, as well as the Civilian Joint Task Force to rout the criminals.
According to him he was happy that peace building efforts between Tiv farmers and Fulani herdsmen had started yielding results with the two groups signing a peace accord in Logo local government area after which they play a football game.
Ortom appealed to citizens to forgive and reconcile with one another so as to create what he described as a new Benue.
The Governor urged leaders of the group to shun partisan politics and promote unity of all Tiv people irrespective of political and religious affiliation.
President General of the organisation, Chief Engr. Edward Ujege urged the governor to consolidate on peace building efforts between farmers and herdsmen started by the previous administration, the teaching of Tiv language in schools and support for Tiv Day.
The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) in Borno State has urged parents to prevail on their children to be of good behaviour. The school said it has received a report on crimes being perpetrated by students, warning the criminals to desist or face the consequences of their action.
The Acting Registrar, Mr Tijjani Bukar, said some criminals, who are children of staff, are involved on crime, stressing that the university would not allow criminals to overrun the campus.
Management, he said, would not fold its arms and allow such students to go unpunished.
He advised members of staff to warn their children, saying anyone caught would be the prosecuted.
He was a Judge for 10 years. He practised as a lawyer for 19 years. Now in retirement, Justice Babasola Ogunade is into consultancy, which allows him more time for God’s work. Justice Ogunade is the Chancellor of the Diocese of Lagos West, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). In this interview with JOSEPH JIBUEZE, he speaks on what makes a great judge; life in retirement; why being a judge is challenging; his expectations of the incoming Buhari administration and the need for more voter education to reduce ‘money politics’.
Are you satisfied with your time on the Bench?
If you have done your best while in service, in retirement you will feel happy that you have done your best. If you work according to your oath of office, then you should leave it better than you met it. That is my satisfaction.
How did you join the Bench?
A good number of us went to the Bench not because we aspired to. I was a full time legal practitioner from the first day of my call to the Bar until I was invited to come to the Bench. I did not apply. I did not lobby anybody. In actual fact it’s like I was dragged into it. I was first asked to come to the Bench in the mid 1980s but I didn’t take it, for two reasons. The way that judges were retired in 1975/76 by the Murtala/Obasanjo regime – I felt it was an unnecessary intrusion into the affairs of the temple of justice.
What was wrong with how the judges were retired?
I knew of two people who were retired in Lagos. One was in the limelight of the Bar when he was in practice. And on the Bench, he was someone that everyone was looking up to. The reason for his retirement was only made known to him after they had retired him. And when they heard him, they said: ‘We’re sorry, we didn’t have the facts.’ And most unfortunately, the Attorney-General at that time was a solicitor of the Supreme Court. In order to make up for it, they converted his compulsory retirement to voluntary retirement. It’s a long story. Because even though they knew the facts, one of those ones who played a prominent role in their retirement knowing all the facts came round to write a book to malign the character of that judge. So, when you have seen that kind of treatment, how are you encouraged to go to the Bench?
So, what convinced you to go to the Bench?
The first time I was asked, I said I was satisfied with what I was doing; I didn’t want it. But you realise that it is a position of honour. No matter what anybody says, the highest point you can reach as a lawyer is for you to become a judge. It’s the other way round in this country. In England I do know that a number of the High Court judges there are Queens Counsel (QCs), and they always regard it as an honour when they are invited to the Bench. But it’s not the same thing here. In the end, I had to surrender and I accepted to go to the Bench.
Did your earning increase while on the Bench?
The way I met the Bench wasn’t anything to write home about. One, my income was reduced by almost 75 per cent. But I didn’t complain because I knew what I was going into. I felt satisfied with what I had done in practice. And I was sure I could manage with whatever I earned. So the usual temptation that people have, to want to cut corners – I didn’t have it, maybe because of my family background. I’m satisfied that I gave of my best.
Are you satisfied with the way retired judges are treated?
My view is that having done your best for the Bench, you shouldn’t be among those going cap in hand to ask for your pension. And I think it’s worse here because your earning is tied to the apron string of state executives. They are the ones who will pay you if you have served in the states. I think they are trying to improve upon that now. Most of the time it’s for the governor to say: ‘I don’t have money for pension. We’re struggling to have money’. Without being partisan, the present governor of Ogun State has been doing his best for retired judges until last September when he had to confess that the income of the state had been drastically reduced to the extent they had to look for money through internally generated revenue.
How can this anomaly be rectified?
I think effort should be made to totally separate both serving and retired judges’ emolument from the apron strings of whether federal or state administration. I understand that the emolument and remuneration of judges rarely comes under First Charge on revenue. They have managed to relegate it to this stage that judges have almost become beggars. Those who are serving will have their own story to tell. You’re left under the whims and caprices of whoever becomes the governor. It’s just not right, particularly for a person who believes that he has given of his best and has not for any time soiled his hands and is satisfied with the sacrifices he made. And when you retire, you’re going to be left short of funds. Even that which has been given to you, you may not be having it on time. I don’t think it’s the best.
What do you make of allegations of corruption on the Bench?
Today you talk about corruption in the judiciary. I don’t really know what it is. There may be some (who are corrupt) because of human failings, but it’s not as all embracing as it’s made to appear by politicians and unfortunately even by the media. They expect judges to be prosecutors. For instance, someone has stolen. Those who are going to prosecute will not bring evidence, and when the judge gives judgment according to the evidence before him, he will then be the one who has done ill.
What do you miss most about the Bench?
I miss the regular interaction with lawyers in the court. Any practitioner who had enjoyed his practice will always appreciate what it is, especially when you have lawyers who know their onions. You miss all that. Unfortunately as a judge, you have more or less been secluded from society. Many of your friends would have deserted you when you are on the Bench. And when you leave, before they start coming back to you, it takes some time. I remember I was at a party. One of my childhood friends who I grew up with and went to school with, a reputable professional in his own right – he sarcastically said: ‘You’re the learned people, we’re not learned.’ This is the sort of attitude that people have generally. That’s the fate that we suffer. You’re there but your friends don’t come to you anymore. And when they see you, the attention is rather cursory. It’s not as cordial as it used to be. So it takes a while to start warming yourself into their embrace again.
Would you say the life of a judge is challenging?
It is challenging. As a lawyer, friends come to you. The moment you are appointed a judge, your friends and clients keep you at arm’s length. It’s for good reason because I had done that to my friends who became judges. The moment they are appointed judges, I keep my distance from them, because of the society in which we live. And you sort of suffer that isolation. What is worse is that you are isolated from your friends, even from your extended family. It becomes such that you are restricted to your immediate family, because you never know the reason people would be coming to look for you in the house.
Do you see that as good or bad for a judge?
Well, it’s a mixed bag. There are a few lawyers who have not been quite helpful. They say all sorts of things to their clients. ‘We’re friends, I know him, I’ll go and see him for you’. He would come towards your chambers, perhaps speak to your clerk, and he would go back and say: ‘It’s all done; it’s finished.’ So the client believes when he gets to the court, he’s going to get judgment, whether rightly or wrongly. If he doesn’t get it, he turns around and says: ‘That judge is corrupt; he took money from me.’ Sometimes it’s better for you to minimise your association with people. It’s not too much of an advantage on the other hand, because there are times you would want someone to share a burden with, not necessarily with your wife, but it’s an immediate burden you feel you want to share with someone. You could think X is your friend, then you caution yourself. ‘Do I know what advantage he will take of my discussion with him?’ So, it’s challenging.
How about working conditions?
What is worse is the atmosphere under which judges work. Lagos is an exception. For a quite a while, the state has been taken care of their judges. Wherever they have designated as judges quarters are judges quarters. It’s not the same in other states. If you go to some states now, what used to be judges’ quarters had been sold or shared among other people, except the judge had come from that area and has his own house, which in itself is not helpful. There is no longer that atmosphere of serenity or privacy.
Did you have any such experience?
There was a time during my career on the Bench when I had to live in hired accommodation. That is bad enough, because everybody you see is a potential litigant. What is worse? At some point, my landlord and his son had a controversial case in my court. I didn’t know anything about it. I saw the papers in the office, and thought: ‘This surname sounds like that of my landlord, but it doesn’t matter.’ You have taken oath to do justice to all manner of people irrespective of their relationship with you. A week after I started the case, bingo came an anonymous letter from someone saying: ‘Yes, you live in his house. We know you have compromised your position. You’ve taken a bribe of N1million from him. But don’t forget, we know your father and your mother. They are good people. Don’t soil their name.’ You could see the danger. Then in the town, it’s all over the place. ‘What justice are you expecting? They live together.’ The young man whose case was before me lived directly opposite my house. I didn’t know it until this case started. When his father was going to his house, he passed by mine. So you can really see the danger to which you are exposed. The judges before me in that jurisdiction had been living in that house. When I was transferred to the place, which happened to be my hometown, the house was in a shambles. Sometimes I’d receive anonymous letters. Some would say: ‘We know the way you take to Lagos; we’re coming to double-cross you on the road.’ These are the challenges you have in an effort to do your work.
Are judges more at risk?
The way I see the position of a judge, particularly a judge of first instance – magistrates and judges – they are the ones who will see the litigants take evidence, write judgments, and be seen by the litigants everyday. On appeal, the appellate justices look at records. They don’t need to know anybody. In fact it’s sufficient for them for the lawyer to just come. But the judge is the one seeing the litigants. They know you, they can ask questions about you. So you can see that it’s a sacred job, but at the same time one that endangers your life. But quite a number of us, because we believe in God that you’re not going to do what is wrong, so no matter what effort you make, one is not afraid.
Was there a particular judgment you regretted giving?
I cannot remember one. This is not really self-praise. I am human and fallible, but I have not deliberately gone out of my way to give judgment in favour of anybody who by my own judgment does not deserve it. I had not.
Was there any particular challenging case you handled?
This particular one was a chieftaincy dispute. I did it as I thought would bring peace to the town. Both sides appealed. Both sides accused me, saying I did it to just push them away. I gave judgment in 1997 but the case is still lingering in court till today. There was an appeal from 1997. It took 13 years before judgment was delivered. After 13 years they went to the Supreme Court. It’s been lying there for about three years. Unfortunately I would go into the town; nobody would come to me, but they would tell my friends that I was the one who had prevented them from having an oba in their town. But as far as I’m concerned I’ve done my best. I didn’t invite anybody to bring a case to me. They brought it and I gave judgment according to evidence. Having done that I have no apologies.
What can be done to limit interlocutory appeals?
By the various reforms being done, I think they are trying to find a way of limiting interlocutory appeals. But the instance I gave you, it was not a problem of interlocutory appeal. It’s the final judgment that they appealed against. Then a lot of things came into it. Again if I may suggest, serving judges are made to do a lot of other things, which eat into their judicial time. There may be a tribunal of enquiry, but they won’t trust a retired judge to handle it. They will ask a serving judge to do it. Speaking for myself – myself alone – I don’t see how we should inundate the highest court of the land, the appellate courts and the High Courts with election matters. You can imagine how long election matters take.
So who should handle such cases?
There are judges who are retired. You can make enquiries about them. And you can use those of them who will not compromise under any ground. Why can’t you ask them to handle some of these things instead of dragging serving judges into it, and in the course of it, they are maligned? There were a lot of unproven cases of bribery after the 2007 and 2011 elections. There were even cases where judges were retired because of allegations of collecting bribe. If their excuse is that if a retired judge collects bribe, he cannot be disciplined, has bribery stopped being a criminal offence? If a person has committed a criminal offence, why can’t you prosecute him? If a person who has a public duty to perform collects bribe, and you’re able to prove it that he collected bribe, why can’t you prosecute him? Prosecute him and send him to jail! Even if you say you cannot discipline him internally, you let the law take its course.
Why does NJC not allow serving judges accused of corruption to be tried rather retiring them?
I don’t know. Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t know why. Look at what happens in other climes. You do anything that people believe is scandalous, or is criminal, you get arrested. Investigations will be done. If they find that you’re culpable, you’re prosecuted. If they’re able to prove their case, you go to jail – just as it happens to politicians and the rest of them. Nobody is above the law as far as I know.
How would you rate the standard of judgments today compared to your time?
Without really intending to denigrate anybody, standards generally are falling. The tool of a judge are books. You have to give them books. A judge is supposed to have a library. Ask any judge to show you their library, even library in the court and look at what is there. I am saying this because I know. It has happened to me. As a practitioner, anywhere I had gone I was carrying my own books. I was carrying my entire library with me everywhere I went. The judiciary is badly funded. Regular law reports that should be made available to you are not there. I do believe they’re improving on that now. I understand that some allowances are being given for you to buy books and things like that. I can say that of Lagos. I’m not a judge in Lagos but I see what they do.
How can the problem be addressed?
It could be better. If you don’t equip a man, how do you expect him to produce? You ask a man to go and till a farm and you give him a dead hoe, what do you expect him to produce? Regular training is needed. There is the National Judicial Institute where judges undergo periodic training, but they should intensify that. You live on computer now. You should have a situation in which you equip the courts, put in sufficient power, so that they can use the electronic devices that you give them. Before I left practice, I remember the many efforts that were made to put electronics in the courts. But the thing would not just work. You could be making use of them and suddenly you have a power surge and it wipes away all your records. That’s worse than using my long hand to write. I wrote in long hand for 10 years. I do know of judge who was advised by a doctor that if he’s not going to lose the use of his hands, he should retire. That is why occasionally when judges retire, you will be wondering what happened to them. Three or four years after retirement, he’s a ghost of himself. A man will be about 70 and he will appear like an 80-year-old. And it’s because of the atmosphere in which they had been working. All these things could be better.
You mentioned that you were invited to the bench. Is it not better to ask people to apply to be judges?
I tell you this. That is what makes it beautiful. In England, nobody ever applies to be a judge. You don’t apply to be a judge. The Attorney-General would have done some enquires. He would ask for some names to be shortlisted. Many judges were practitioners. If you were a treasury lawyer, you would begin your career there and end it there. You won’t assume that the next position is to be a judge, unlike what you have here. People from the department of justice of those days, the moment you become a Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the next thing you’re looking forward to is to be made a judge. When you have looked at the quality of practice, even in the official Bar, and they found that one is a good material, there is nothing wrong with an appointment being made that way.
What do you think is wrong with advertising it?
The moment you start asking people to apply, you know what happens? There is going to be lobbying. It’s going to be about who knows who. I think it’s much more dignifying to be invited. A man will appear in court, and the Chief Judge will say: ‘When you’re going please see me….I’m considering including your name in the next list of appointments. Go and think about it.’ Sometimes they don’t have to ask you. If they find that what you’re doing is good, they will put your name and inform you that you have been appointed a judge. If the environment is good, nobody will be told that he is appointed a judge and he will refuse it. But due to poor earning, poor treatment, that is why you find that if you offer people who are in the inner bar (SANs) judgeship, they will say: ‘What, I’m not going to touch it.’ But in other areas, QCs (Queens Counsel) take such offers with open arms.
Do you agree with suggestions that the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) be appointed from outside of the Supreme Court?
What is he coming to do there? Practicing as a lawyer is not the same thing as having gone through the hierarchy as a judge. An advocate looks at his clients. Whether his case is right or wrong, he takes it, although ethically you’re expected to advise your client. Many practitioners don’t look at the ethics of the profession. If the money is right, they will look for the law. An eminent jurist once said: ‘When I’m in practice, I don’t care whether I’m right or wrong. You pay me the right money, and I’m going to find the law to deal with it. When I became a judge, I started looking for where I can do justice.’ If there is a case before him in which he finds that ordinarily, someone should be given judgment, if he is able to find a law that will support him, he will use it. That is not the concern of a Senior Advocate. They (SANs) are industrious; they are supposed to be hard working. But for you to skip the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court – I know they are agitating for it, but speaking for myself, I pray that day will not come. Those who had been there (Supreme Court), do they lack knowledge? You only need to be more selective in your appointment. Forget about Federal Character. Look for the best. This Federal Character is what is killing all our institutions. Look for the best and put the best there.
What about the argument that it’s been done before?
I must admit we have had two instances. One of them rose to become the CJN – that is Justice Teslim Elias. But that is an exceptional case. He was not practicing, and was more of an academic lawyer, but he had world reputation. Then we had Justice Nnamani who was Attorney-General and then became a justice of the Supreme Court. Those are very exceptional cases. Don’t make it a norm. There could be exceptional cases. But it’s not to make those outside to rank pari-pasu with those who are already there. Look for the best. For all I know it’s not just about mere advocacy. I was a practitioner. I got to the Bench and found it was different. I found that I had to look at the cases with detached mind. So it’s not the same.
What is your advice on how to do justice?
My advice simply is this: Always remember your judicial oath. Be industrious. There is no need for you to sit late. Your training at the Law School enjoins you to be prompt. If you’re a practitioner and you’re late in going to court, your client one day will go and look for another lawyer. Sit on time; do your best when you’re there; always remember your judicial oath. Minimise your social outings because the work is so demanding. You’re not going to look at the case of one side; you’re going to look at the two cases, and on your own, look at similar cases that had happened in the past that could assist you in what you’re doing. So really, the time for socialisation is so little. Take it that you’re handling something that is sacred. If the remuneration is not as high as you expected, God is your paymaster, he will pay you. Since I retired 14 years ago, I’ve not looked over my shoulder. God has always provided for me. I’m not stupendously rich, but I’m not poor. If I want to eat, I have money to buy food. I have a car in which I ride. And if I need to satisfy family needs, I’m able to do it within my income. Live within your income. Don’t let people look at you and your status and say ‘Ah, how will they say he’s a judge and he cannot do this?’ If you’re unable to do it, you’re unable to do it. That’s the way I look at it. So, the temptation of having to add a little bit unjustly to what you’re earning may not be there.
What are your expectations of the Muhammadu Buhari administration?
The president-elect has put on the toga of a democrat. We only pray he will be able to live his word. The vice-president-elect, I believe is God’s doing. From the little that I know of Prof. Osinbajo, he is not a politician although he served in Lagos State Government as Attorney-General. He served professionally, as a technocrat. I’m not saying that any man who puts on the toga of a pastor is a pious man. But we could really see some of them who by their calling will bring it to bear on their office. If we’re able to have them to live according to their word, maybe we’re into something good in this country.
How can ‘money-politics’ be stopped?
But for goodness sake, let us stop all this money-taking. We need political education in this country. Tell the man who is expecting me to give him N2 that he’s only selling himself. When I give N2 in 20 places, when I’m elected, I’m going to see that I double what I have spent. Many of them don’t see it. We need a great deal of political orientation in this country. If the National Orientation Agency is working hard, what people see in this country would have been different. This last election, God has taken care. God has taken control of it. I think we should really educate ourselves the more. Any politician wanting office and comes to offer you money – some will say: ‘I’ll take his money; after all it’s my money.’ You’re encouraging what you should not encourage; you’ll pay for it. They might give four people money, out of which three will vote for him and he will get there. So let people be told that if you collect money from politicians, you will pay for it and you’re mortgaging the future of even your own children. I think someone should tell them that.
News report that hackers have perfected another strategy to defraud people using the Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) must have made many Nigerians who have vowed never to use the device to be convinced that they have made a right decision. According to the report, the hackers fix a small fraud tool on the ATMs that grants them access to the passwords of the cardholders whenever they come to collect cash or transact other businesses on the machines.
A banker said of the development, “A number of the ATMs in Victoria Island and Lekki axis have been compromised by hackers. Some of these fraudsters visit those ATMs very late in the night or very early in the morning to fix some fraud devices on them, which are capable of collecting cardholders’ information, including their passwords. They come back later to remove those devices. The information collected is then used to commit fraud against those customers later”.
This is a serious matter. Although electronic fraud is common worldwide, many other countries are not tired of devising ways to be ahead of the fraudsters. This is what is probably lacking in the country; it appears our own bankers and security agencies are working reactively when they should be proactive. For instance, a banker who acknowledged the development said some of the banks have deployed detectives to start “combing the affected areas and the ATMs from time to time” and expressed optimism that they “will get those guys soon.” Isn’t this like trying to use analogue solution for a digital problem? What if the fraudsters realise that they are being monitored in the aforementioned places and shift base? There are thousands of ATM points nationwide, are the security men going to be moving round them at the same time?
Anyway, what seems a more pragmatic approach to dealing with the situation was offered by the Vice-Chairman, Committee of e-Banking Industry Heads, Mr. Dele Adeyinka, who assured that the incidence of such frauds should be reducing with the banks’ compliance with Central Bank of Nigeria’s directive asking them to install anti-skimming devices on their ATMs.
Nigeria joined the rest of the civilised world to embrace cashless banking and we have achieved a lot in this regard. However, we need to build more public confidence in the electronic payment to make it a success. So much money is being lost to the fraudsters. Nigerian banks lost about N40bn to electronic fraud in 2013 alone. This is huge, considering that there were other cases of fraud perpetrated in the system in the same year.
It is against this backdrop that we offer our support to the apex bank’s initiatives to stem the incidence of e-fraud. The bank had issued circulars after circulars to guide the operations of the banks with a view to safeguarding depositors’ funds. One of such directives dated January 19, 2015 prevents payment cards (debit and credit) issued by the banks from working in fraud-prone countries like South Africa, China and the United States of America.
Another directive from the apex bank barred banks in the country from making their payment/ATM cards from working in non-Europay, MasterCard and Visa countries as well as made it mandatory for the banks to only activate the cards when the owners are travelling abroad and for the duration of the trip only. Since no bank would want to lose money, the CBN’s directive that the banks would be liable for fraud committed abroad using cloned cards belonging to their customers is also a welcome development; it would make the banks take extra measures to ensure that they protect their funds.
We urge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the police and the banks to work in concert towards frustrating the fraudsters and ensure that more Nigerians develop confidence in the e-transactions. In the same vein, the CBN should fast-track the biometric registration of bank customers as a way of checking electronic frauds.
The Ekiti State Police Command appears to be winning the battle against armed robbery and other criminal activities with arrest of no fewer than 50 suspects in the last three weeks the highpoint of which was the killing of Ado-Ekiti robbery kingpin, Gbenga Matthew popularly known as Orimeji omo Bose. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
The last three weeks have been busy, momentous and tumultuous for the officers and men of the Ekiti State Police Command in their resolve to rid the state of criminal activities.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Frederick Taiwo Lakanu, hardly sleeps now to make sure that the command is positioned to fulfill its constitutional duties of protecting lives and property, detection and prevention of crimes and making the state safe for its inhabitants.
Lakanu who arrives office at about 10.00 am each day sometimes stays there till 4 o’ clock the following morning after he might have joined his men on operational duties combing the nooks and crannies of the state in search of robbers and other criminals.
He is always locked in strategy meetings with senior officers of the command like the Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioners/Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), heads of department and other officers that matter.
Lakanu also holds meetings with interest groups, community leaders, traditional rulers, ethnic-based associations, faith-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, political parties, among others in his belief that security is everybody’s business.
What features on top of the agenda is how to make Ekiti safe for residents, visitors, investors and ensure that criminals are given a wide berth for the state to maintain its reputation as one of the most peaceful in the federation.
The efforts of the Ekiti number one cop is already yielding results with the arrests of no fewer than 50 robbery suspects in the last three to four weeks. Many suspected criminals have been nabbed for various offences and are keeping dates with the law.
The highpoint of the success was the killing last Thursday of a notorious Ado-Ekiti robbery kingpin, Gbenga Matthew popularly known as “Orimeji omo Bose” by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the state command.
In security circles, Ado-Ekiti is believed to have three robbery syndicates and one of them is led by Orimeji.
With the smashing of the Orimeji-led robbery syndicate, hopes are high that it is just a matter of time before the other two are smashed
Orimeji was shot dead at about 3.00 am after he and his five-man gang engaged the SARS team in a protracted gun duel at Akodi-Edemo community in Odo Ado area of Ado-Ekiti.
His body which was tattooed with his nickname and other signs was paraded at the police headquarters before it was taken to the mortuary after the command spokesman, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, addressed a news conference on the development.
The deceased had been terrorizing Ado-Ekiti and its environs for over twelve years and was believed to have masterminded many robbery operations before he met his Waterloo in the early morning encounter with the SARS men.
Orimeji had been arrested several times in the past and charged to court only to come back and unleash more terror. He was among the escapees from the Ado-Ekiti prisons on November 30, last year.
Acting on a tip-off, the policemen swooped on the area within few minutes after being informed of the arrival of the robbers as staccato of gunshots rent the air.
Orimeji and his gang who were robbing the neighborhood at the time the SARS men arrived fired at the policemen who responded with superior firepower in which the robbery kingpin and his gang received gunshot wounds.
Police spokesman Adeyemi described the killing of Orimeji as a “big breakthrough” urging members of the public to cooperate with the command by volunteering information that could lead to the arrest of more criminals.
He explained that the Police in the state are motivated to fight robbery and other criminal activities saying Ekiti is now a no-go area for men of the underworld.
Adeyemi said: “Early this morning (on Thursday, March 12), the Officer in Charge of SARS got a tip-off that some robbers were robbing in Akodi Edemo community, so he swung into action with his men and got to the area and met about five robbers in operation and the robbers opened fire on the SARS team but the team did their best to arrest them alive.
“Two of the officials of our SARS team were wounded in the gun battle. Orimeji jumped down from the house and was trying to reload his rifle and shoot the SARS men, it was at that point that our men were left with no choice than to shoot him.
“The other members of the robbery gang had escaped with bullet wounds. We are appealing to members of the public and the hospitals, if they see anybody with bullet wounds, they should not move close to them but call the nearest police station. So that we can come and arrest them.
“The leader of the gang that was shot dead is Gbenga Mattew, alias Orimeji, he was a very notorious armed robber with a track record of armed robbery of about 12 years.
“We have arrested him on many occasions and charged him to court. He was among the escapees in the last prison break in Ekiti, they call him Orimeji Omo Bose.
“We understand that Ekiti has three notoriuos armed robbery gangs, so we have smashed one by the killing of Orimeji. We have intensified efforts to get the other two.
“We have already mapped out strategies to get them and I cannot disclose such strategies to you here. But I can tell you that in the next two days, we will have another breakthrough that would be bigger than this.
“About N120,000 and three U.S Dollars were recovered from him. His riffle, a locally made one, is also there with him.
“I am sure the residents of the Akodi Edemo area would tell you that they have never seen the kind of massive gun fight between the police and the robbers that occurred around 3:15am early this morning in the area.”
The command also arrested 37 suspects including four of those who carried out robbery attacks on the residents of Adekunle Fajuyi Estate, Ado-Ekiti in the early hours of Sunday, March 8.
They were rounded up in a raid carried out Monday night last week in their hideouts in Atikankan, Sabo and Lekeleke areas of Ado-Ekiti.
A robbery suspect, Michael Adams, who was one of the escapees of the Ado-Ekiti Prisons jail break led the operatives of SARS to arrest other members of the gang in their hideouts.
Some of the suspects arrested in connection with the Fajuyi Estate robbery include Abdulsalam Kabir, Ayeni Ojo, Albert Ayodeji and Adebiyi Seun.
Kabiru and Ayodeji were also among the fleeing escapees from Ado-Ekiti Prisons who were involved in armed robbery after their escape from prisons.
One of the suspects paraded, Michael Adams, has confessed to armed robbery and murder.
Another suspect paraded, Do-Good Owoeye was arrested with cut-to-size single barrel gun and an Army camouflage uniform which he claimed belong to his father whom he claimed had retired from service.
During the raid, weapons including two cut-to-size locally-made single barrel guns were recovered from the suspects.
One of the suspects, 24-year-old Kabir a native of Kano who was born in Ado-Ekiti said his friend was celebrating his birthday and he went there to mark the day with him.
He claimed that after they finished the birthday bash and was about to go, his friend asked him not to go because they were going somewhere which turned out to be a robbery operation.
•Bukola Ogidiolu, who allegedly roasted her husband in Ekiti being paraded by the police
Kabir revealed that he was among the escapees from the Ado-Ekiti Prison which was attacked by unknown gunmen on November 30 last year saying he was remanded in prison custody for armed robbery and murder.
Adams, an Ebira from Kogi State who denied involvement in robbery claimed that he was arrested by policemen on patrol.
He said: “I did not rob, I was arrested by policemen on patrol when I was coming from the place of my elder brother whose name is Joe, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
“I was arrested in front of CAC Secondary School, Ilawe Road. I am a bricklayer, my family don’t know that I am here. I am one of those who escapaded from prison”.
Ayodeji said his problem started when he joined bad gang from where he graduated into big-time robbery. He is also one of the escapees from the Ado-Ekiti prison.
He said:”When I was growing up, nobody took care of me and I followed bad gang. I was sent to Lagos to learn pasting tiles and I was released from my apprenticeship having completed my term to prepare for graduation.
“Anytime my friends said they were going for operations, I declined their request that I should follow them.
“On coming from Lagos on Monday, I alighted from the vehicle and policemen from Okesa who were on patrol arrested me and two girls and brought us to the station.
“My friends and I were taken to the prison. I confessed to the police that I used to commit crimes before but I am no longer involved”.
Speaking while parading the suspects, Lakanu said the suspects confessed to series of armed robbery attacks.
The police boss explained that the arrest of the suspects was a breakthrough for the command urging members of the public to cooperate with the Police to nip crime in the bud.
The state police chief said the command has redoubled its effort to tackle armed robbery and other acts of criminality in the state and would not relent until crime is reduced to the barest minimum.
Lakanu said the command responds to distress calls within ten minutes as it was the case during the estate robbery in which the Police stopped robbery incursion into more homes.
He disclosed that the Police has stationed patrol vehicles at Olorunda area of Ado-Ekiti, some big estates within the city and other flashpoints.
The Police boss urged members of the public to always volunteer information to help curb crime in the state.
Owoeye, 29, claimed that he was in his house in Ikere when he learnt that some members of the local vigilantes were pursuing robbers and he reached for his father’s gun to assist in combating the robbers.
His words: “I was in my home in Ikere when I heard shouts of Ole, Ole, Ole and we pursued the robbers with OPC men and they came to my house.
“My father used to be a soldier but he is no longer in service. I took his gun to assist the policemen to confront the robbers.”
When asked where he got the Army camouflage that was found in his house on the day he was arrested, Owoeye claimed that it belonged to his father who had retired from service.
He identified his father as Owoeye Peters who he claimed served in Lagos as a soldier.
Exhibits found in his house included a cut-to-size single barrel gun and Indian hemp
On Monday last week, the command paraded a woman, Bukola Ogidiolu, who allegedly poured petrol on her husband, Abimbola and set him ablaze destroying his private part in the process.
Also paraded was a farmer, Moses Ofega, who shot a Fulani herdsman dead on his farm after they were locked in a scuffle.
Speaking to reporters while being paraded, 36-year-old Bukola claimed that she had a disagreement with her husband over his alleged nonchalant attitude to her failure to conceive since their marriage over three years ago.
She denied setting her husband on fire for refusing to take her out on the Valentine’s Day which happened to be her birthday. Bukola said she didn’t know how the attack happened.
Bukola said: “We had disagreement over his nonchalant attitude to my barrenness that day and we were fighting. Our neighbours tried to plead with him but he never listened to them.
“He later ran inside and destroyed all my property. But he had
forgotten that we had petrol inside and when he was about lighting his cigarette, the keg that contained the petrol exploded and my
husband caught fire immediately”.
Abimbola who has burns all over his body with his manhood badly burnt is presently receiving treatment at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH), Ado-Ekiti where doctors are battling to save his life.
Ofega, 30, who hails from Benue State after killing the Fulani man was said to have poured charcoal on the corpse in a bid to cover up his track shortly after committing the crime in Iyemero-Ekiti in Ikole Local Government Area on March 4.
He claimed that he shot at the Fulani man by mistake after they engaged in a bout over the destruction of his farm by the deceased’s cows.
Police spokesman Adeyemi disclosed that members of the Fulani Community in the town reported the alleged murder at the Police Station before detectives took all the necessary actions to get Moses arrested .
Adeyemi said detectives from the State Criminal Investigations Department, had to trace Ofega , who had fled into the bush after committing the offence before he was apprehended.
Ofega said: “I didn’t kill him intentionally. I went to the farm that day because I am a hunter.
“When I saw that my farm had been destroyed, I had to challenge him and in the course of wrestling with him, my gun fired and hit him”.
Police spokesman said the duo would be charged to court as soon as possible.
The killing of the Fulani herdsman heightened tension in Iyemero and other communities in Oye and Ikole local government areas which bordered Kwara and Kogi States.
Clashes between local farmers and Fulani pastoralists are very common in these remote communities as the farmers always complain that their crops and other farm produce are destroyed by herds of cattle.
The locals also complain that their wives and daughters are raped by the herdsmen whom they accuse of unleashing terror on their communities.
The communities involved are Iyemero, Itapaji, Oke Ako, Irele, Ipao, Oloje, Ilemeso, Oke Ayedun, Odo Ayedun and Orin Farm Settlement on the northern fringes of Ekiti State.
In a bid to ensure peace among the parties, Police Commissioner Lakanu summoned a peace meeting to prevent the issue on ground from snowballing into an intractable ethno religious crisis.
The communities were led by their traditional rulers and chiefs who were resplendent in their royal regalia and beads.
•A cross-section of traditional rulers and other community leaders at the peace meeting.
Traditional rulers at the meeting included the Obaloja of Oloje, Oba Peter Falade; Olu of Itapaji, Oba Azeez Adebanjo; Olu of Iyemero, Oba Agboola Ogungbemi; the Regent of Oke Ako, Princess Tinuade Ogunbiyi; the Olu of Irele, Oba G.D. Adesogan.
Other stakeholders invited to partake in the meeting are officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Youths in Commercial Agricultural Development (YCAD), Farm Settlements and the Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti.
The rest include the Igede Community, the Fulani Community, the Hausa Community, the Tiv Community, the Ebira Community, the Independent Farmers, among others.
One of the thorny issues that caused heated debates at the interactive session was the question of whether the Fulanis and the Bororos are the same.
This was because the local communities said the Bororos are responsible for the attacks.
While some stakeholders believe that the Bororos and the Fulanis are the same, others believe that they are different.
But Lakanu urged the parties not to dissipate energy on the controversy but should look for ways to solve the problem and ensure a lasting peace.
He vowed to prosecute farmers and Fulani herdsmen fomenting trouble in the state, urging them to live peacefully with one another.
Lakanu said the murder of the Fulani herdsman allegedly committed by Ofega which has caused tension in the communities must not be allowed to set the state on fire.
Lamenting the incessant problems between farmers and herdsmen, the Police boss said the meeting was to broker peace.
He said, “The essence of the meeting was to address the incursion of Fulani herdsmen into farmlands. It has been a serious problem in the state.
“We have people who have been granted permission to farm and the cattles will destroy the farms.
“We have had death occurring from this where Ebira farmers attacked the herdsmen and killed them. It is a tripartite meeting between farmers, herdsmen and government officials.”
Lakanu urged the warring factions to eschew violence and brigandage.
“We will go to the extreme to protect live and properties. We will raise a task force to look into the problems and will be meeting regularly,” he added.
All the parties resolved to cooperate with the Police to ensure a peaceful coexistence and collaborate with the law enforcers to contain the spread of criminalities.
With these efforts, the Police in Ekiti State are setting the pace for residents to do everything possible to fight crime and maintain peace to make the state safe for all to live in.
To discourage criminality under the cover of darkness, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed has directed that streetlight poles knocked down by vehicles be immediately replaced.
Mohammed asked the Department of Facilities Maintenance and Management to replaced the damaged poles in order to brighten up the nation’s capital and make it difficult for criminals to operate.
The Minister, who gave this directive in Abuja, said that the replacement of these streetlight poles would go a long way in providing full illumination of the entire city at night, thereby enhancing the security surveillance of the nation’s capital.
Mohammed reminded the Department that maintenance of public facilities has always been part and parcel of the Transformation Agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan.
The Minister also directed that all the potholes found in the city should be patched to further enhance ease movement of vehicles thereby reducing traffic gridlock often experienced at peak hours in the Abuja metropolis.
He further instructed that all drainages be cleared and maintained to de-flood the roads and streets within the Federal Capital City, Abuja in preparation for the next raining season.
He, however, commended the department for the patching of potholes on some major streets and roads in the Federal Capital City namely; Tafawa Balewa Street before and after Garki District Hospital; Nnewi Street, Area 2, Garki; Imo Crescent/Moshood Abiola Junction, Area 2, Garki; and Birnin Kebbi Street in Garki II District, Abuja.
According to him, other streets that have been patched include the junction of Yakubu Gowon Crescent and Murtala Muhammad Way; Junction of Muhammad Ribadu Street and Yakubu Gowon Crescent and Roundabout near SS Quarters-Murtala Muhammad Way all in the Asokoro District, Abuja.
“In Wuse I District, Mambolo Street, Zone 2; Gabes Street, Zone 2; Aswan Street, Zone 3; Suez Crescent, Zone 4; Tunis Street, Zone 6 and Makeni Street Zone 6 have been adequately patched in addition to the Obafemi Awolowo Way in Jabi District and J.T. Useni Way as well as Salihu Iliyasu Street in Gwarinpa I District (Life-Camp),” he added.
The Minister noted the strides achieved in the maintenance of drainages in the efforts made to de-flooding of roads and streets in Garki I District, Asokoro District, Central Business District and Wuse II District, Abuja.
The Minister disclosed that the activities of undesirable elements vandalizing Manhole and Gully inlet covers would soon be a thing of the past as his Administration is already working to replace the stolen covers with ductile iron, which would remain worthless, if stolen.
He therefore called on all the residents of the Federal Capital Territory to join hands with the authorities in maintaining all the public facilities in the Territory for the common good of all Nigerians.
The Abia State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim has paraded 22 suspected robbers who were arrested in various parts of the state, assuring that his command is ready to confront crime frontally.
Speaking in Umuahia while parading the suspects, Ibrahim said his men responded to a distress call from Eze Stephen of Okpuala Village Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area that youths of the village saw one Obumneme Eze from Orota Lokpaukwu with a goat and motorcycle.
Ibrahim said the motorcycle, a Sayang model with no registration number, was being negotiated for sale by the suspect at a give-away price.
“The above items were suspected to have been stolen and we are investigating the case,” he said.
The Abia police boss said his men on stop-and-search operation at Mba Village in Umuikaa/Omoba Road in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area intercepted one Justice Onyebuchi, a native of Amayi Umuokwu.
Ibrahim said: “On searching his bag, my men discovered one locally-made single barrel short gun, two live cartridges concealed in a loaf of bread, a wallet containing N3, 000, one Diamond Bank ATM card and one MTN SIM card. We are after his men who are on the run.”
He further said his men have reduced crime activities in the state capital to its barest as they have succeeded in apprehending eight suspected robbers who had been terrorising Umuahia, adding that since their arrest, peace has returned to the city.
Ibrahim said his men on night patrol responded to a distress call on 2, Lagos Street by Uzuakoli Road in Umuahia where suspected robbers had broken into a shop and were stealing valuables.
He added that on arrival at the scene of the incident, his men arrested eight suspected robbers at Eket Street Umuahia inside a Mitsubishi L300 bus with registration number APR 467 XA where they pretended to be sleeping.
The suspects are Obinna Dike, Chibueze Amaobi, Elijah Nwosu, Chiehiura Ahiwe, Promise Anyalewechi, Sule Ali, Nkwachukwu Ihejirika and Chimezie Peter.”
Continuing, the commissioner said his men acted on a tip-off and stormed a criminal hideout at Umugo Village in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area where they arrested Gideon Nwalozie, a native of Umuozuo Village in Osisioma, Uchenna Ekeke of Ndoki, Ukwa East, Nwafor Chikezie of Ebonyi State, Chidi Godwin of Nkerefi, Nkanu, Enugu State and Chinenye Nnagbogu (female) of Abam Village Eziagu in Enugu State.
He said items recovered from them included one AK47 rifle with a defaced serial number, one magazine with 11 rounds of live ammunition and one red Toyota Camry car without any registration number, adding that his men are after other fleeing members of the gang.
Ibrahim also said while his men were on routine patrol at Umuagu Village in Obingwa Local Government Area, they arrested one 32-year-old Chijiokee Gabriel and 25-year-old Ibezim Ogbonna for allegedly suspected to be involved in robbery and kidnapping activities.
He said the first suspect, Gabriel, on interrogation, confessed to have participated in violent crimes in the past, alongside some members of his gang who include Ugonna Nwokeleme (alias Agbaja), Deenwa and others.
The police boss said they confessed to have taken part in the kidnap of a woman last January around Glass-force Industry Aba, adding that Gabriel got a motorcycle from Ugonna as his own share of the ransom.
The last suspects to be paraded were Sunday Anyim, Ike Ahamefula and Ikenna Anyanwu who were arrested by the men of the command at an uncompleted building at Ahiaeke, adding that the suspects confessed to robbing three Youth Corps members at their lodge. He revealed that dangerous weapons were recovered from them.
The state police command also arrested and paraded five suspects who were alleged to be involved in child trafficking, two suspected robbers and six suspected drug traffickers and peddlers at different points in the state.
Ibrahim said one Philip Erondu of Umuobasi Osisioma Local Government Area reported that his pregnant daughter, Uchechi Erondu had absconded from home, adding that she later returned without the pregnancy or any child. This meant that she might have sold the child after delivery. The information, Ibrahim said made his men to move into action and discovered that the baby was delivered in a maternity home belonging to one Joy Inegbu where arrangements were made to sell the baby. Unfortunately, the baby died. “We are after those involved in the incident,” he said.
The Abia police chief said his men from Umuopara Division on patrol around Abia Tower on the Aba/Port Harcourt Expressway intercepted one Chinenye Ihuoma Nka of Ikwuano Local Government Area carrying a day-old and six months’ old babies.
On interrogation, he said Nka claimed the babies were hers and one Patience Mgbechi sitting beside her in a bus, saying that they were coming from Port Harcourt and going to Mbaise in Imo State to give the baby boy to one Nkechi Obilor at Ahiazu Mbaise who needed the boy.
The Police chief revealed that Umuahia and its environs had witnessed an upsurge in violent crimes of late. He said these crimes include robbery, kidnappings, murder/assassination, child trafficking and house breaking, among others.
He said the rise in crimes in the state capital became a challenge to our men and they had to increase their intelligence gathering and surveillance, stressing that they discovered that criminals usually act under the influence of drugs.
Ibrahim said early this month, he received an intelligence report that a house at 23, Arochukwu Street Umuahia has been identified as a hideout for criminals, adding that he was informed that criminals usually take off for their operations from the house.
He said he detailed his men to put the house on surveillance. In the process, “we arrested 56-year-old Ngozi Nweke, 19-year-old Everester Nneamaka, 21-year-old Nweke Ndidiamaka Amarachi, 24-year-old Ifeoma Ijimogu, 25-year-old Michael Ogbonna and 26-year-old Onyekachi Nwokoma.
The Abia police boss said during investigation, his men recovered 690 wraps of substances suspected to be cocaine, 201 raps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, large quantity of unwrapped weed suspected to be Indian hemp, one Nokia X2 cell phone and the sum of N3, 785.
The command also arrested two men suspected to be robbers after a robbery incident along Port Harcourt Expressway by Ihie in Ugwunagbo Local Government Area and those arrested were Ochieze Friday and Munachi Lemechi.
The CP said the police have controlled crime rate, even as he attributed their success to the support and efforts of the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) at different locations, stressing that the police will leave no stone unturned to
make the state safe.
He called on the people to continue their support to police, stating that it is only when they are given information that they could work properly.
“We want information that will make us proactive. So, always feel free to provide us with useful information to help us work better,” he said.
