The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Four suspects

  • EFCC seizes N1.1b gold at Abuja airport, goes after four suspects

    •Impounds passport, retrieves €112,000 from suspect

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized gold worth about $3, 131, 412.39 (N1, 127, 308, 460.39) being allegedly exported to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, illegally.

    It named one Abba Ali Yahaya as the brain behind the deal.

    Apart from impounding his passport, about €112,000 undeclared by Abba, has also been forfeited over alleged violation of the nation’s Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

    The precious metal was handed over to the suspect by a syndicate of illegal miners operating in Zamfara State.

    The anti-graft agency is already on the trail of four members of the said syndicate said to have perfected ways of beating security agencies at the nation’s airports.

    According to a document sighted by our correspondent, the suspect, who admitted to be a courier, was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by EFCC operatives led by a crack female detective.

    It was gathered that the suspect had escaped being caught by all the screening machines at the airport.

    The fact-sheet indicated that “the suspect was caught following a tip off after he had managed to pass through all the screening machines without being caught.

    “He was in possession of N1.1b worth of gold while travelling alone to meet with the Dubai end of a ring of buyers of illegal miners. Being illegally in possession of the gold was a violation of Minerals and Mines Act.

    “Abba had €112, 000 on him which he hid from Customs and he was caught with 19 ATM cards. Upon interrogation, he admitted he is a courier and he fingered a businessman. Our detectives later discovered that the suspect only implicated the businessman as a decoy.

    “The EFCC is already on the trail of four suspects connected with massive illegal mining activities in Zamfara and exportation of mines. Preliminary evidence has linked the suspect with a miner in Zamfara.

    “We have confiscated the passport of the suspect, seized the gold and the €112,000 he strapped into his body will be 100 per cent automatically forfeited to the Federal Government as contained in the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act.

    “The EFCC will file application before a Federal High Court for the forfeiture of the undeclared cash.  The suspect is empowered by law to travel with about $10,000.

    “So far, Abba has been released on bail pending the conclusion of investigation.”

    As at press time, it was gathered that a probe of how the suspect scaled through the scanning points without being detected was ongoing.

    A government source added: “It was embarrassing that we have many screening and scanning machines being managed by different security agencies but they were unable to detect the suspect.

    “We are suspecting connivance with the suspect by some of the officials at different points. It is likely that the syndicate sending the suspect to Dubai might have penetrated the security opperators at the airport.

    “At the end of our discreet investigation, we will be able to find out how he beat the security network at the airport.”

     

  • Taraba killings: Police arrest four suspects

    Four persons are now in police custody in Taraba State  in connection with the latest killings in Lau Local Government Area of the state, the authorities said yesterday.

    Police spokesman, David Misal, an Assistant Superintendent (ASP), said 17 people were killed in the mayhem and dismissed as untrue, media reports that between 42 and 73 people died.

    “The command wishes to state categorically that these publications are not a true reflection of the situation on ground,” he said in a statement.

    “We can confirm that 17 persons have lost their lives in the unfortunate incident. While the gentlemen of the press are encouraged to do their job, there is the need to cross check their information before going to the press,” he said.

    Misal said that one pump action riffle, Dane guns, bows and arrows as well as cutlasses were recovered from the suspects as exhibits.

    He explained that 15 patrol teams comprising 100 personnel and another 50 Police Mobile Force operatives have been mobilised to the troubled zone to restore peace and normalcy.

     

  • Plateau: 10 die, four suspects held as gunmen strike again

    Troops move base

    State Police Bill coming

    No  fewer than 10 perons died at the weekend in two attacks in Plateau State.

    The attacks in Mangu and Barkin Ladi local governments have forced the special military task force Operation Safe Haven to move its headquarters to Barkin Ladi to end the killings.

    Six persons died in the Saturday night attack in Mangu. Four died early yesterday in the Barkin Ladi incident.

    The attacks followed those of June 23 when scores died.

    Confirming the continuous killings despite the curfew and heavy military presence, the media officer of the task force, Major Adam Umar, said: “The OPSH notes with dismay the continued attitude of some criminals in the state that are bent on making the state ungovernable through some unwarranted attacks on some communities and innocent villagers despite the tireless efforts of the task force.

    “We regret to say that about 0300 hours Sunday morning of 1st July, our men at Dorowa received a distress call from a resident of Mararaban Kantoma of Barkin Ladi Local Government that they were under attack by some armed bandits.

    “On receiving the distress call, our men mobilised to the scene immediately to repel the attackers. The assailants who were given hot chase by our men escaped with various degrees of injuries while four of them were arrested.

    “However, It is regrettable that before our men could get to the scene of the attack, four persons had already been killed by the attackers.

    “Consequently, in its avowed commitment to ensuring that the renewed attacks are promptly brought to an end, the commander of the task force, Major General Anthony Atolagbe, has relocated the headquarters of the task force from Jos to Barkin Ladi.

    “The Commander has also relocated with all his principal officers to the epicenter of the renewed attacks. To this end, the commander will be coordinating the day-to-day running of the task force from the new operational headquarters in Barkin Ladi.

    “We wish to call on citizens of the state especially the residents of Barkin Ladi Local Government, to continue to have faith in the operations. We are fully on ground to continue to discharge our duties of protecting everybody in the state and we remain resolute to achieving our mandate in the state.

    “We therefore use this opportunity to warn any criminal making or planning to make life miserable for innocent citizens to desist from the act forthwith.”

     

  • Four suspects held in Osun

    The policemen in Osun State yesterday paraded a four-man gang of suspected kidnappers in Osogbo, the state capital.
    The command said they were arrested in the early hours of “today (yesterday) while going for their illegal business”.
    Police spokesperson Sade Odoro, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said the suspects engaged the police in a gun duel.
    She said: “The (suspected) kidnappers met their waterloo when a team of policemen waylaid them while on their way for an operation. The suspects were pursued by the police and apprehended after an exchange of gunfire between them and the police.”
    According to her, the police had been on the trail of the gang.
    Odoro said one of the suspects escaped.
    The spokesman said the gang abducted a seven-year-old girl and demanded N250,000 ransom from her parents during their last operation.
    She said: “One seven-year-old child and her mother were kidnapped at Dada Estate in Osogbo while the victims packed to buy some items. But later, the mother was dropped on the expressway by the kidnappers. The suspects demanded N250,000 ransom from the parents of the victim and, after the money was paid, the little girl was freed.”