The Ekiti State Police Command has declared a total ban on the sale and use of fireworks, firecrackers, and knockouts across the state during the forthcoming end-of-year festivities.
The command said the ban has become necessary as part of ongoing measures to guarantee the safety of lives and property during the yuletide, especially in light of the current security challenges facing the country.
In a statement on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abutu Sunday, noted that prevailing security concerns prompted the decision, stressing that criminal elements often exploit such items to commit crimes.
He stated, “As the yuletide season draws near, members of the public are hereby reminded that the ban on the sale and use of fireworks and firecrackers, popularly known as bangers and knockouts, in the state is still in force.
“The ban was put in place to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the festive season to perpetrate their evil acts using these explosive instruments.
“Moreover, the use of these fireworks could create panic and confusion, as it could be difficult to differentiate their sounds from those of real gunshots.
“The possible negative health implications of these fireworks and firecrackers on innocent citizens are numerous and must be frowned upon.”
The police spokesman urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to warn their children and wards against engaging in the sale or use of the prohibited items.
He warned that anyone caught violating the directive would be dealt with in line with the law.
The PPRO added that the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo, appreciated the support and cooperation of Ekiti residents throughout the outgoing year.
He noted that these collaborative efforts have significantly helped in curbing crime and sustaining the peace currently being enjoyed across the state.
The Police Command in Ekiti State has arrested one Helen Kayode, a graduating student of Ekiti State University (EKSU), who allegedly raised a false alarm that she had been kidnapped along Iworoko/Ado-Ekiti road.
This was made known by the command’s spokesman, Superintendent of Police Sunday Abutu yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Abutu alleged that Kayode stated that she was held hostage in an uncompleted building surrounded by bushes.
He said the information activated serious panic in the state, especially in Iworoko-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti metropolis.
According to Abutu, the information went viral on the social media, causing some reactions that undermined the security and peaceful atmosphere currently being enjoyed in the state.
He said investigations indicated that she was not kidnapped but an alleged false information to cover her stay with her boyfriend through the night of that same day before travelling to Lagos to meet her parents.
He alleged that the suspect had confessed during investigation that she sent out the false information to enable her stay back in Ado-Ekiti to celebrate her birthday with her boyfriend, who had promised her a ‘surprise package’.
Abutu said the student stated that her parents had told her to return to Lagos against her wish due to the birthday party.
Commissioner of Police, Joseph Eribo, condemned the act.
He warned against giving false information, especially those that could cause unnecessary apprehension in the society.
Eribo said those found wanting would be prosecuted.
He stated that the suspect would be charged to court after investigations.
He reiterated the command’s commitment to the security of lives and property of residents and the sustenance of a peaceful atmosphere.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Kayode, on May 1, sent a disturbing message to her sister that she boarded a wrong bus and was kidnapped.
The Police in Ekiti State yesterday arraigned 50-year-old Ladan Abubakar before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged unlawful cattle grazing.
The defendant of no fixed address is standing trial on a one-count charge of unlawful grazing of cattle.
The police prosecutor, Insp. Akinwale Oriyomi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on April 1 at about 07:30am at Ewu-Ekiti.
The Ekiti State police command has intensified the security protection around the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN), Ado Ekiti branch where election materials retrieved are deposited.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday retrieved electoral materials deployed for the conduct of the National Assembly and presidential elections scheduled for February 16 across all the 16 local government areas of the state.
INEC took the decision following the postponement of the elections to February 23 and March 9 citing logistical and operational challenges.
The Police Commissioner, Mr. Asuquo Amba , who said there is no room for security lapses for the success of the forthcoming elections, added that the deployment of more security men was to safeguard the sensitive materials kept in the bank .
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, Amba assured all the political parties that the materials are under safe custody and thorough security protection.
Amba, who spoke through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said: “If you visit the CBN office in Ekiti now, you will see more security men around the place. We are cognizance of the fact that security lapses could mar these coming polls and we are guarding against that.
“As we speak, we have drafted more mobile policemen and our men from the Special Protection Unit(SPU), who are specially trained on how to protect election materials are there.
“We are working round the clock to block all loopholes criminals can use to truncate the process here in any, so there is no cause for worry .
“Our people, particularly all parties should be rest assured that we shall ensure that all the materials are delivered to the designated points, no room for diversion”, he said.
The CP commended the residents for their peaceful and violent free gestures, disclosing that the command has not arrested anyone in connection with any form of violence since electioneering activities begin in the state.
Speaking on the allegations raised by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) , Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase that his members were attacked in Igbara Odo and Omuo Ekiti by suspected party thugs, Amba said : “We have not received any formal petition from the party concerning this.
“This command is apolitical and neutral, so if we have any evidence of attack by any party, we are going to investigate and whoever found guilty shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly”, he stated.
He added that the three other Commissioners of police deployed to the State by the Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu for the purpose of the election have been directed to return to Abuja temporarily due to the postponement.
“They have been asked to return to Abuja temporarily and by Thursday, they will return to Ekiti. The essence of their presence in the state was to make sure we have strong security across the three senatorial districts, because each commissioner is to man each of the districts for better performances of our men”, Amba said.
The Ekiti State Police Command on Thursday discovered a ritualist shrine in Odo, a suburb in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
The ritualist shrine located around Crown Polytechnic area, was uncovered by a team of Policemen led by the Commissioner, Asuquo Amba.
The discovery of the ritualist den happened few days after the CP declared total war on the evil perpetrators during the recent parading of 50 criminals.
The CP who added that they are planning to raid and burst bushes used by criminals in the State.
The shrine was fully decorated with several statues, fake foreign currencies and fetish objects.
Amba told journalists that the police acted on a tip-off and bursted the area where two suspected ritualists were apprehended.
He said, “We acted on a reliable tip-off which led to the arrest of two suspected ritualists.
“Of particular interest was the discovery of a dungeon with a path which connects one of the shrines to another.
He added that a community leader has been invited to assist them in their investigation.
The CP appealed to the people of the state to always assist the police by giving them useful information.
Amba said security of any state or nation could not be left in the hands of a few security men but added that everybody should be involved.
He further said that the police needs the cooperation and the support of the people of the state to ensure utmost security.
The Police Chief assured the people that any information given would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
A community leader who craved anonymity lauded the police for coming to their rescue by arresting some of the operators of the shrine, saying they knew that the suspected criminals carried out nefarious activities in the building but they were too afraid to confront them.
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.
The MTN Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of MTN Nigeria, has invested over N10 billion in executing various projects in 341 locations across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital while handing over five patrol vehicles to the state government to boost security.
The five Toyota Hilux vehicles fully equipped with communication and security facilities were commissioned by Governor Ayo Fayose who promised to utilize the vehicles to boost security in the state.
Goodluck said the gesture was MTN Foundation’s gesture to partner with the government to ensure security of life and property and create a safe business climate.
He pointed out that the donation came under the MTN Foundation Security Support Project to collaborate with governments across the country to boost security.
The MTN chief explained that security of life and property was critical to the growth and development of the state which should not be left to government alone.
According to him, security is a major challenge not only in Nigeria but in West Africa which cannot be done by government alone but with collaboration with other stakeholders.
Goodluck disclosed that through the previous phases of the initiative, the MTN Foundation had provided 115 fully-equipped security patrol vehicles with communication gadgets to 18 state governments and the FCT.
States which benefited under the first phase were Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Delta, Imo, Kano, Katsina, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Taraba and the FCT.
Bayelsa, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kogi, Ondo and Lagos benefited under the second phase while Ekiti, Abia, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kwara, Niger, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara benefited under the third phase.
Speaking at the event, a Director of MTN Foundation, Prince Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, expressed concern over growing insecurity in the country.
Adelusi-Adeluyi who was a one time Minister of Health described insecurity as a threat that must be tackled by all stakeholders.
He said, “We are here to show our support for the state. We are aware of the security threat throughout the nation.
“We have tried to make provisions to facilitate the work of security agencies”.
Responding, Fayose expressed appreciation to the foundation for the gesture which he said was timely.
He praised Adelusi-Adeluyi, Mr. Gbenga Oyebode and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Dele Adesina who were all present at the event as leading lights in corporate Nigeria.
The governor noted that the intervention will enhance security and add value to development.
