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Tag: face prosecution

  • Edgal: landlords of drug peddlers to face prosecution

    Lagos State Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal yesterday warned landlords and vehicle owners to shun renting their property to drug peddlers or face arrest.

    Edgal spoke during an interactive session with security stakeholders in Area “E” Command, Festac Town.

    According to him, property owners who accommodate drug peddlers will be prosecuted as collaborators.

    The police chief said he was bent on flushing drug peddlers out of Lagos State.

    Edgal said his drive to eradicate the use of illicit drugs was premised on the fact that easy access to narcotics and weapons was responsible for the insecurity in the land.

    The police chief warned hotels selling alcoholic beverages to underage persons as well as those housing teenage prostitutes to desist or face closure of their premises and revocation of licences.

    He said: “The major problem we are having in crime today is cultism and drug proliferation, especially among youths, which has become a scourge.

    “It has become so bad that in every 10 young persons, four are involved in cultism and drug abuse.

    “The fight against drug abuse should be a collective one. Join the police and other law enforcement agencies to eradicate drug peddlers from our communities. A situation where these peddlers now go to primary and secondary schools to sell these illicit substances to our children should not be condoned. We cannot continue this way.

    “We must fight all these social vices that make our communities unsafe. Henceforth, we will arrest owners of buildings where drugs are sold. Owners of vehicles containing drugs would be prosecuted.

    “The country is currently battling several security challenges because of easy access to drugs and weapons.”

     

     

     

     

  • Abusers of national symbols may face prosecution, says NOA

    The National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Capital Territory FCT), has said that it may propose a bill to the National Assembly to empower it to prosecute those abusing the national symbols.

    Its director David Dogo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that this would help to imbibe a sense of discipline and patriotism in Nigerians.

    Dogo said national symbols represented the varied customary beliefs of Nigerians and had been part of her heritage for a very long time.

    According to him, they are very important to national identity as they are easily recognised entities used to communicate the history and culture of a nation.

    He said: “These symbols could be used to instill pride and unity in a nation’s population, so those abusing them should not be spared. The Nigerian national symbols included the national flag, national anthem, Coat of Arms, national pledge, Naira notes among others. These symbols were supposed to be revered by Nigerians but the reverse is the case, as they misuse them and demean their relevance.

    “The coat of arm is not supposed to be on a flag hoisted outside. It is meant to only be on ceremonial flags to be used officially. Most people also put the coat of arm on the president’s picture with the eagle backing him, which is wrong because, the eagle should be facing the president and not the other way round.’’

    Dogo said most organisations and schools hoist torn flags outside their building and you find people walking or talking when the anthem is being sung, all these are wrong, adding “Some people even leave the flag to fly 24 hours which is not supposed to be so; flags are meant to be hoisted from 6a.m to 6p.m and not to be left all day. That is why if you go to the military barracks, there is what is called the quarter guards, who hoist and bring down the flags at 6p.m daily.

    “NOA has been enlightening people, especially on the issue of hoisting torn flags and mishandling the naira. We have even gone round educating people on it yet, the result is minimal. We have been going round pointing out to people who are abusing the national symbols to do what is right yet, no reasonable change.

    “So I think if we must succeed in this campaign, then there will be need for some kind of powers to enforce, that is why I say that it may be necessary to propose a bill to National Assembly empower us to prosecute,’’ he said.

    Dogo noted that the bill was necessary, to build an egalitarian nation where citizens have a sense of admiration and respect for national symbols.

  • Failed contractors to face prosecution

    Failed contractors to face prosecution

    •Osinbajo speaks of new vision for Niger Delta

    The Federal Government is set to prosecute contractors who abandon projects in the Niger Delta, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo said yesterday.
    Prof. Osinbajo spoke at a town hall meeting in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as part of his fact-finding visits to the Niger Delta states.
    The meeting was almost marred by a protest by some members of oil producing communities who insisted that the Acting President should abort it.
    Some Ijaw youths, led by ex-militant Henry Binidodogha, also temporarily disrupted the meeting for not being allowed to talk.
    A representative of the oil-producing communities, Don Ben, grabbed the microphone and told the acting president to leave their oil alone if the communities were too insecure to be visited.
    Ben said they had been at the Benin Airport waiting for the arrival of the acting president only for them to be told that the visit to the communities had been cancelled.
    Binidodogha said peace had reigned in the state because of Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu’s intervention.
    He said the Ijaw were being neglected in the state and that it was difficult for an Ijaw to win a council election.
    Prof. Osinbajo promised to reschedule the visit to the oil producing communities.
    He said the planned closure of the Abuja International Airport disrupted his visit to the state.
    The Acting President informed the gathering that the new vision for Niger Delta would define a bright future for the communities.
    He said the government would prosecute contractors who abandon projects.
    Prof. Osibanjo said the Buhari administration wanted to ensure that the people got the benefit of the country’s wealth.
    He said: “Our plan is to visit all the oil communities in Edo State but what happened is that the Abuja airport would be closed down tomorow and we would not have enough time to visit all the communities. The governor and I have agreed that I would pay a visit another time so that we can visit all the communities.
    “The majority of people of the oil communities and many parts of our country have been held for so long without benefiting from the wealth of the oil. I can tell you how much have been voted or spent for projects in several communities and there is no sign of development there.
    “Many of these projects that are supposed to be completed are in the book but many have not even started all. It is a story of neglect and corruption depriving people especially the oil communities of their means of livelihood for many years.
    “We are committed to every thing that we said we will do. It doesn’t make sense for leadership to ignore the plight of the people especially the oil communities which is the source of the wealth of the nation. The elite in Nigeria not just in oil producing communities, had very frequently deprived the people the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of the land. That is the Nigeria story.
    “The elites have not generally allowed the man on the street to enjoy the fruit of the land. If you look at the number of contracts and the money spent on paper in this country, it is enough to develop the country but this money has corruptly been taken away and it is our duty to speak against it.”
    Governor Godwin Obaseki said his administration had planned to develop a master plan for the 38 oil producing communities in the state.
    Obaseki said he would not allow any agency to carry out any project without adhering to details in the master plan.

  • Perpetrators of gender violence to face prosecution says, IGP

    Perpetrators of gender violence to face prosecution says, IGP

    The Inspector-General of Police, Solomon  Arase, has vowed to prosecute perpetrators of gender-based violence.

    The inspector general spoke in Abuja when he  hosted delegates from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, led by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Ezekiel Oyemomi.

    The essence of the visit was to solicit  support to prevent gender-based violent crimes against women and other vulnerable persons.

    According to a statement yesterday by the spokesperson of the Force, Olabisi Kolawole, Arase assured the ministry of his total support on the clampdown of perpetrators of violent crimes and other gender-based violence.

    He noted that the police, under his watch, would be gender sensitive and ensure that perpetrators of gender-based violence refrain from it or face the wrath of the law.

    The police chief, however, urged the public to utilise the Nigeria Police Gender-based platform to report any case in this regard.