The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lagos police

  • Former Lagos CP, Owoseni, 9 others pull out from police

    Former Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Fatai Owoseni, and nine other senior police officers, were pulled out from the Force on Saturday after 35 years in service.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Owoseni was police commissioner in Lagos from July 1, 2015 to September 1, 2017.

    NAN reports that the retiring officers were pulled out at a colourful ceremony in Lagos amidst cheers by family members, colleagues and other dignitaries.

    Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department (FCIID), Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, who represented I-G Ibrahim Idris, commended the retiring officers for their service to the nation.

    “Congratulations to all the retiring senior officers and to their families, we say a big thank you for the support.

    “As you bow out today, the I-G, the entire police and the nation say a big thank you. You have served well and God will reward you abundantly,” she said.

    A retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tunji Alapini, who represented Police Service Commission (PSC) Chairman, Musiliu Smith, also advised the retiring officers to be wary of the environment they were retiring to.
    “You are retiring into a new world, the world of the police is different from the world of retirement. A lot of people are waiting for you thinking you have money to invest, you have to be wary and careful.
    “Please, be faithful to your family,” he said.

    Speaking at the ceremony, Oba  Saheed Ademola Elegushi of Elegushi Ikate, commended the retiring police officers for their service to the nation.
    “I know how passionate you are about the country. How you work to keep the country safe.

    “We Nigerians often forget where we come from. Nigeria’s problem has been there for a while and it will take more than four years to solve.
    “It is just for our government to the right thing,” he said.

    Also speaking, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Rasheed Akanbi, commended the retiring police officers for their service to the nation.

    “I understand what the police stand for as they have made Nigeria more secure, they are the greatest law enforcement agents,” the monarch said.

    Among the retiring officers were AIG Abdul Bube, AIG Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, CP Agyole Abeh, CP Joseph Agaji and CP Gbemisola Akinpelu.

    Others were CP Bello Ahmed, CP Abdullahi Ibrahim, CP Bello Yahaya, CP Adekinte Ademoju, CP Wakili Maye, CP Fave Semili and CP Ahmed Magaji.

    NAN further reports that 55 police officers of the ranks of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Commissioner of Police (CP), Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) retired from the force across the country.(NAN)

  • One kidnapper killed, one other arrested in Lagos

    The Police in Lagos, on Sunday said they had gunned down a suspected kidnapper and arrested one other during exchange of gunfire with the syndicate.

    The Lagos Police spokesman, CSP Chike Oti, confirmed the arrest in a statement, stressing that the incident happened at Agbowa area of Ikorodu, a suburb of Lagos State.

    Oti said the two suspects belong to a kidnapping syndicate terrorising some parts of the state, particularly Ikorodu area, stressing that two other suspects escaped with bullet wounds after exchanged of gunfire.

    According to him, the Anti-kidnapping Squad of the State Command, acted on the directive of the Command’s Commissioner of Police, CP Edgal Imohimi, on Friday, at about 11 a.m.

    He said that the command received two separate reports on Nov. 13 and 16 from one Suleiman Eniola Ajumobi and one Veronica Ewuru about the kidnapping of their daughter and husband respectively.

    “While Suleiman Eniola Ajumobi reported that his 7-year-old daughter was kidnapped from his house in his presence.

    “Veronica Ewuru stated that her husband, one DSP Patrick Ewuru, a police officer attached to Force Headquarters annex, Obalende, was kidnapped from their house in the night when the victim came out to check on the Power Generating Set that suddenly stopped working.

    “The kidnappers demanded for ransom of N25 million from Mr Suleiman and N10 million from the family of DSP Patrick Ewuru but later settled for N500, 000 for both families.

    “At this point, the CP directed operatives handling the matter to play along with the kidnappers in the interest of the victims, who were still in captivity,” he said.

    The spokesman said that as soon as the release of the two victims was secured, the kidnappers hideout at Agbowa was busted, where one Festus Abama was killed and Austin Ebimiyenwei surrendered.

    Oti said that the arrested suspect confessed to the crime, while the victim had identified them as those who kidnapped them.

    He said that concerted effort was being made to arrest those on the run, while the suspect already in police custody would be charged to court. (NAN)

  • Lagos police give gun owners ultimatum to verify, re-validate licences

    Lagos police give gun owners ultimatum to verify, re-validate licences

    The Lagos State Police Command has given a two-week ultimatum to individuals with ‘pump action firearm’ and other guns to submit their arms licences for verification and re-validation. Spokesman for the command, Chike Oti, said the exercise became necessary in view of security challenges in the country.

    “Those issued with licence to bear ‘pump action firearm’ or other repeating firearm operated by a slide action mechanism, by the Lagos State Police Command Firearms Registry(D7), are to submit their weapons and licences to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the closest police station for verification, confirmation and revalidation,” he said.

    “The move is to enable the command update its data base with information about the owners, licences, and state of the firearms. The owners of these firearms types are given two weeks’ grace period from the date of this publication (Feb. 24) to ready themselves for the exercise which will last till March 29.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, enjoins all licensed gun owners to take advantage of this revalidation programme as firearms found in the possession of anybody or group who did not participate in the exercise would be deemed as illegitimate. Such an individual or group would be arrested and charged for unlawful possession of firearm(s) in accordance with the provisions of Prohibited Firearms Act 2004, Laws of the Federation.”

     

  • BSN donates 1,000 Bibles to Lagos Police

    BSN donates 1,000 Bibles to Lagos Police

    THE Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) has donated customised 1,000 bibles to the Lagos Command of the Nigeria Police.

    Speaking at the event, which held at the Police College Chapel on Sunday, the Society’s General Secretary Richard Dare Ajiboye, said the objective of the donation was to boost evangelism among policemen, adding that the Bible is a weapon members of the force could deploy to succeed in their work.

    He said: “We are here to contribute our quota to equipping you with the spiritual weapon to succeed in your enormous task of policing the country. As you go about your work of protecting lives and protecting, you will also need the Word of God to guide you and to help bring others to the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.’’

    Last year, he said, the BSN donated Bibles worth N17.1million to some groups as part of its Free Bible Distribution scheme and 2,000 Bibles to the Nigerian Army.

    Chaplain of state Police Command, Venerable Omolaja Abiodun, a DSP, praised BSN management for the gesture. He recalled that when he chanced on a customised copy of the BSN Bible, the Fellowship led a delegation to the Society to request for a similar Bible. ‘’This gift is indelible in our hearts. It will help save our families,’’ he said. He said when one led a policeman to God, he would be saving a nation from calamity, adding: ‘’No one remains the same after an encounter with the word of God.’’

     

  • 2face rally, Lagos police and constitution

    2face rally, Lagos police and constitution

    POPULAR musician, Innocent Idibia, a.k.a. 2face, is determined to hold a rally in Lagos tomorrow to draw attention to the hardship Nigerians are facing, and to compel the government to step up its efforts to deliver good governance. He began a sensitisation campaign for the rally about a month ago. When it seemed the rally would hold despite initial misgivings, the police have come out to pour cold water on it. According to the Lagos State police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, the rally is inadvisable because the organisers did not inform them and the police could not guarantee that it would not be hijacked. “We know that 2face does not have the capacity to contain such a crowd, and we will not fold our hands and watch while things go out of hand,” Mr Owoseni bellowed.
    The police commissioner, like nearly every top aide in the Buhari presidency, justifies the subversion of the constitution on the grounds of insecurity, whether real or imagined. No one thinks Mr Owoseni does not know what the law and the constitution say on protests. He knows. But by habit and by extreme officiousness, every security agent in Nigeria feels beholden to the president, or in some instances lower elected politicians, rather than to the constitution. Nothing will change this mindset until Nigeria is blessed with a philosopher-king with the sense and discipline to break the mould and lay a solid foundation for democracy.
    Many lawyers and human rights organisations have reminded the police and the authorities of the settled legal cases concerning public protests. According to the Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA): “We wish to remind the Lagos State Police command that as far back as the year 2007, the Court of Appeal upheld the judgment of a Federal High Court which had, in June 2005, declared the Public Order Act, (Cap 382) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990, which requires Nigerians to obtain police permit before holding public rallies null and VOID. HURIWA wishes to remind the police that in its judgment, the appellate court, presided over by Justice Danladi Mohammad, held that such police approval infringed on the fundamental human rights of individuals and groups provided for in the 1999 Constitution.”
    As a matter of fact, there is no ambiguity in the matter. What is clear is that the Buhari government and its security agencies have consistently undermined the constitution and the rule of law. The rally by 2face, whether you agree with it or not, fits that discredited mould of governmental arbitrariness. Mr Owoseni had better take counsel that in these bitter times, the situation could easily degenerate if he should employ unconstitutional measures to abridge the rights of the people. Let him instead, as he has promised in his clarification of the police position a few days ago, act professionally rather than attempt to seize or abridge the rights of Nigerians.

  • Priest interrogated over banker’s alleged suicide

    The police in Lagos have interrogated the Parish Priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church following the death of a bank manager, Olisa Nwakobi, 44.

    Nwakobi, a manager with the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) was said to have shot himself last Friday following alleged bad loans running into hundreds of millions he approved.

    It was gathered that prior to his committing suicide, the deceased visited the Priest and allegedly left a message for his wife, urging her to cater for their child.

    As a result of that, it was gathered that the police invited the priest for questioning as primary witness, hoping to get more information from him.

    It was learnt that the police commenced investigation into the case following a refutal from the bank on the allegation that the deceased was pressured into recovering or paying the bad loan.

    The bank it was gathered claimed that the deceased incurred huge debts from personal commitments and was about losing everything.

    He was said to have been depressed and frustrated, as his world was crumbling before him.

    A source close to the deceased confirmed he was disturbed by his debt burden, adding that Nwakobi was unassuming, hardworking and generous.

    “He was very worried when he came to me to narrate his debt burden. I was shocked to hear that he had killed himself despite all the assurances I gave him just a night before. This is the most heartbreaking moment of my life,” he said.

  • New image maker for Lagos police

    New image maker for Lagos police

    Lagos State Police chief Fatai Owoseni has appointed Patricia Idahosa Amadin, a deputy superintendent (DSP), as the command’s Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO). Her appointment followed the transfer of former spokesman DSP Ken Nwosu to Abuja.

    Handing over to his successor at the Okiro Press Centre Command Headquarters in Ikeja yesterday, Nwosu sought crime reporters’ cooperation for the new image maker. Amadin, he said, was deputy DPRO before her appointment.

    Amadin called for a minute silence for the late The Nation Crime Correspondent, Jude Isiguzo.

    She said: “There is a face I expected to see here but he is not here due to the unexpected death that took him away.”

    She promised to do her best to lift the command, saying:

    “I call on all journalists for assistance to enable me succeed. Journalists should endeavour to always confirm their stories with me to avoid ambiguity.”

     

     

  • LAGOS POLICE COMMISSIONER Save us from Oshodi boys

    LAGOS POLICE COMMISSIONER Save us from Oshodi boys

    THIS is to draw the attention of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to the atrocities being committed by some young boys in Oshodi, Lagos.

    These are street boys who have made Oshodi their home. In the afternoon, they operate as touts. They, in some cases, engage themselves in odd jobs and begging.

    When it is night, they operate as thugs and armed robbers. They beat, harm and rob innocent people who are returning from work.

    It is not difficult to identify them. They are found along the railway line. They always appear wild and dirty.

    I must add that motorists who experience breakdowns on the roads are molested and robbed.

    I want the police commissioner to find a way of flushing these evil elements out of Oshodi in the interest of the general public.

     

    Adams Adekole,

    Oshodi, Lagos.

  • Lagos police to get squad cars

    Lagos police to get squad cars

    Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) spoke yesterday of his administration’s plans to provide squad cars for police formations in Lagos State.

    Commissioning the ICT Resource Centre at Area H Police Command in Ogudu, Fashola said the squad cars, currently being designed in Japan would be fitted with modern gadgets.

    When deployed, he said, they would assist the police to combat to crime more efficiently.

    The governor said: “We are at the point where we are planning squad cars for each police station so that police officers can go in pairs with on-board computers and re-inforced shock absorbers. The cars are already being built in Japan.

    “So apart from the Hilux vans that we have  provided at the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), police officers will have dedicated squad cars in which they can go out in pairs and teams, the way it is done in advanced countries”.

    The governor explained that the ICT centre would help the police improve their data management system especially with the keeping of vehicle exhibits.

    With the new ICT, the culture of littering police stations with vehicle exhibits during investigation would no longer be necessary, he said, adding: “What we have now is that many of our police stations are littered with vehicles especially those that have to do with traffic offence.

    “So what does that system do? It diminishes the value of the vehicle to the owner .By the time the case is finished, the vehicle would have severely diminished in value and we say we can eliminate this problem.

    “When there is an accident, all that is needed is the vehicles to be brought to the station. Take all of the photographs from all angles and release the vehicles to the owner on bond.

    “And the owner is given the obligation of producing the vehicle anytime it is needed in court so all of the records will be stored on the server and the system that we have provided today”.

    Fashola urged the police to take ownership of the centre and use it to enhance their crime fighting capacity.

    He pledged the government’s commitment to the protection of lives and property and continued support to the police to make the state safer.

    Earlier, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Kayode Aderanti, thanked Fashola for his support.

    The support, he said, had not only enhanced the police operational capacity but also helped in securing lives and properties.

    “We thank you for your consistent support; all of your interventions had helped make our jobs easier. The ICT centre is a first in the country and we assure you that it would be put to use to help achieve our dream of a crime free Lagos”, he said.

  • Lagos Police brutality

    THE GUARDIAN of February 21 welcomes us this week: “For close to five years, he raced through the banking sector like a bull in a china hall.” Get it right: a bull in a china shop.

    “Singapore jails senior civil servants over (for) corruption”

    “ANA postponements (sic) (postpones) February reading”

    “Peugeot plans to inject $7.26b on (into) research, development”

    “South African Airways celebrates 80 years (years’ or 80th year) anniversary”

    “LASU Management re-opens (reopens) the university” (Half-page advertisement)

    “You lived well and you have gone to (preferably for) a well deserved (well-deserved) rest. Rest in perfect peace.” (Full-page advertisement) Except for graveyard peace, ‘peace’ is an absolute and does not need inflection, intensification or adumbration. So, rest in peace (R.I.P—not R.I.P.P)!

    Finally from the Back Page of THE GUARDIAN under review: “One has witnessed at different occasions dissenting opinions of doctors as regards prescriptions for patient’s (a patient’s) ailment.” The Guardian youth speak: on different occasions.

    Next is DAILY TRUST of February 20 with slips right from its front page lead story: “Alhaji Muhammed Sa’ad Abubakar spoke at his palace in Sokoto….” Does the Sultan of Sokoto have another palace elsewhere? Let us think as we report.

    “Heritage Bank plans listing in (on) capital market”

    “Pact with China conducive for peace, says Taiwan (Taiwan’s or Taiwanese) president”

    “Otherwise, there is no point we engage in importing that much on yearly (a yearly) basis.”

    “…he said though the institute has (had) developed 62 rice varieties for farmers, five most prominent varieties are (were) in circulation and are (were) doing very good (well).”

    “NEMA, stakeholders meets over displaced persons” You can readily identify the boyish slip-up.

    “With the LG polls now fixed for next week Tuesday….” Either next Tuesday or Tuesday, next week—no jumbo-mumbo!

    Lastly from DAILY TRUST: “Replicate your performance to (in) your constituents (constituencies)”

    “Security at airports: Police deploys (sic) sniffer dogs at (in) Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, 5 others” (AIT News, 4 p.m., February 20)

    “PIB: Senate to re-open probe” (Source: as above) My comment: already treated.

    From DAILY TRUST we move to THISDAY of February 18 for the next four entries: “I am not in FCT for politics, says Mbu” It categorically means you were in Rivers State for presidential wife’s politics! That is the latent power of words.

    “Absence of interpreter stalls trial of Portuguese woman charged for (with) drug trafficking”

    “Thumb (Thumbs) up for Nigerian refs in Mali”

    “Obasanjo : Amaechi’s k-leg (knocked leg) has been straightened”

    “Failure of Oduah to handover (hand over) stalls….”

    The following five solecisms are from DAILY INDEPENDENT of February 18 starting from its front page: “DHQ assures of continued offensive” Who did it assure?

    “Battle for soul of Ecobank intensifies” So the battle intensifies itself?

    “Harnessing potentials of local software industry in Nigeria” ‘Potential’ is uncountable, but we have ‘potentialities’,

    “…who had at one point or the other (or another) been to Oyo State….”

    “Tackling voters apathy in Nigeria” This way: voter apathy

    SATURDAY INDEPENDENT of February 15 disseminated all manner of school-boy mistakes right from the front page: “Fear has grip (gripped) notable politicians in Ebonyi State following findings by….” Most of the ensuing blunders were caused by sheer carelessness and loose thinking as the computer system has an in-built mechanism that detects most of the spelling errors contained herein.

    “The discovery was made when the SSS arrested some kidnappers in the state alleged to be the brain (brains) behind high profile (high-profile) kidnapping in the state.”

    “The SSS in the state said on Friday that it has (had) arrested….”

    “…motorists were made to watch a bizzare (bizarre) spectacle, (needless comma) as four policemen beat a man gave (who gave) his name as…to a state of stupour (stupor).”

    “The policemen, who drove to the scene in a patrol van with registration number KJA 284 AX, threw caution the winds (sic) (threw caution to the winds).”

    “Federal University Lafia, (otiose punctuation) matriculates 380 students” Would it have matriculated traders? Just yank off the last word in the extract!

    “Community sends SOS to Amosun, Fashola over harrassment” Spell-check: harassment, but embarrassment.

    “When Fayemi’s wife rescued woman abandoned with tripplet (triplet)”

    Still on SATURDAY INDEPENDENT under focus: “…Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, has already served the people creditable well…” This is an over-kill: use either ‘creditably’ or ‘well’. Both cannot co-function in the same environment.

    “Adewale Ayuba is one musician (music/musical) act who has been around for years. “

    “My husband usually ask (asks) me to abort my pregnancy, woman tells court”

    Finally from SATURDAY INDEPENDENT, a voice of your own: “Movie directors threaten sanction on (against) actress”

    Next on focus is DAILY SUN of February 10: “They buy at N159 and sell at N167, the CBN has (had) addressed last year when….”

    “But what the banks decided to do is (was) to even stop selling.”

    “Middle aged (Middle-aged) man commits suicide in Jos…Police tries (try) to uncover his identity”

    “IITA creates 40,000 jobs under cassava to ethanol (cassava-to-ethanol) project”

    THISDAY of February 6 contributed to the pool of infelicities: “Budget: APC threatening the lifewire (livewire) of Nigeria, says FG”

    “Edo: Court remands killer cop (killer-cop)…”

    SUNDAY Sun Back Page of February 9 goofed: “CBN said money is (was) missing from federation (the federation) account.”

    Next on parade is The PUNCH of February 10: “Aregbesola education policy confusing—Methodist Church” This way: Aregbesola’s educational (preferably) policy…