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Tag: Nigeria Police Force

  • Police kills 104 bandits, arrest 85 in Zamfara

    The Nigeria Police Force said it has killed 104 armed bandits during an attack on Mahanga forest in Birnin Mogaji in local government area of Zamfara State.

    The Police also said it destroyed 50 hideouts located in three camps and also recovered 500 cattle and 79 cattle during the recent attack.

    The attack by the bandits led to the death of a policeman whose name and rank was not disclosed.

    To boost the success recorded by the team, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris   has also deployed the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Habila Joshak to Zamfara to lead the team.

    Giving an update on the success recorded in the recent attack, the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood in a statement in Abuja on Friday said: “The Police Joint Operation Team at about 1600hrs, 29th November, 2018, repelled ambush attacks from Armed Bandits at Mahanga forest in Birnin Mogaji LGA of Zamfara State and in the process killed 104 bandits, destroyed over 50 bandits hideouts in three camps, recovered over 500 Cattle and 79 Sheep from the Bandits, but unfortunately lost a Policeman during the attacks.”

    On the successes recorded since the deployment of the team in the last three weeks, the Police said: “The Inspector General of Police on 9th November, 2018, deployed Police Joint Intervention Team of about 1000 Police personnel comprising the Seven Units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS), Police Anti-Bomb (EOD) Squad, and conventional Policemen to Zamfara State to rout-out, arrest and prosecute armed bandits, vicious kidnap for ransom and cattle rustling gangs operating in some parts of the State.

    Read Also: Police warn against buying phones from strangers

    “The Team have recorded significant progress in the arrest of more than 85 suspects, recovered 27 AK47 Rifles and 52 locally fabricated rifles and other dangerous weapons, 269 Cattle, 109 Sheep already handed over to their owners.”

    on the deployment of more personnel, he said: “Consequent on the ambush attacks on the Police Joint Team which were successfully repelled by the Police Team, the Inspector General of Police yesterday, 29th November, 2018 deployed DIG Department of Operations to Zamfara State to be the overall commander of the Police Joint Intervention Force and add new impetus to the Operations.

    “DIG has already arrived in Zamfara State overnight with hundreds of Police Special Forces Personnel, Counter Terrorism Units (CTU), additional Police Mobile Force (PMF), Federal SARS Personnel, three Surveillance Patrol Helicopters and crew members to Zamfara State to coordinate the operation to completely rout-out all armed bandits from Zamfara and other contiguous States.

    Moshood said the DIG and the Police Joint Team were mandated to coordinate the Commissioner of Police, Zamfara State and personnel of the Command to sustain and restore lasting peace throughout Zamfara State.

    The Police while stating that normalcy and peace has been restored to the affected areas also promised to parade some of the suspects arrested before the media and public soon.

    The Police also urged members of the public with any information or in distress in any part of Zamfara State to call the Police Joint Intervention Control Centre through these numbers: 08037025670, 08033210966, 08033312261, 08123829666, 09053872244, 07082351758, 08091914752.

  • Police parade 59 suspects for kidnapping, armed robbery in Abuja

    The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday paraded 59 suspects for their alleged involvement in kidnapping, armed robbery, cattle rustling and other violent crimes.

    Seven of the suspects paraded according to the Police were responsible for the kidnap and murder of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four others along Suleja-Minna Road in  Niger State.

    The Suspects include the 60 year old gang leader who is also the armourer of the gang;  Bello Alhaji Lawal, Sadiq Danladi, Abubakar Mohammed,  Abubakar Usman, Abdullahi Idris, Abubakar Suleiman, and Ibrahim Babangida.

    Items recovered from them are; Seven AK47 rifles, 118 rounds of ammunition, nine mobile phones, four pairs of suspected fake military Camouflage uniforms and Charms.

    The Police said the suspects were trailed and arrested in their hideout at Tunga Maje forest along Zuba-Gwagwalada Road, Abuja, where the syndicate plan their operations and keep hostage of their kidnap victims.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood.

    The statement reads: “On 24th November, 2018, the IGP Special Strike Force on violent crimes attached to Operation Absolute Sanity in Gawu Babaginda, Niger State led by DCP Yusuf Kolo, working on actionable intelligence in a follow up of a case of Criminal Conspiracy, Armed Robbery and Kidnapping of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four (4) others along Suleja-Minna Road, Niger State, trailed and arrested the above mentioned suspects in their hideout at Tunga Maje Forest along Zuba-Gwagwalada Road, Abuja, where the syndicate plan their operations and keep hostage of their kidnap victims.

    “The suspects on sighting the Police Team opened fire and engage in a serious gun battle with the Police Team that lasted for over an hour. The superior gun power of the Police Team led to the death of three of the vicious and notorious kidnapping/armed robbery gang members and the arrest of Seven other members.

     The Police said four victims were rescued from their captivity adding that the suspects have confessed and admitted to be responsible for the kidnap of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area Council and four others.

    “They have also revealed their various criminal roles in the armed robbery/kidnap operations and murder of the Vice Chairman of Abaji Area council who was one of their victims in the kidnap operation.

    The Force said effort is being intensified to arrest other members of the gang indicted in the confessional statements of the arrested suspects adding that they will all be arraigned in court on completion of investigation.

    52 other suspects belonging to three gangs who operate in Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina,  Zamfara and Sokoto States were also paraded by the Police. One of the suspects,  Abdra’uf Yusuf is from  Libya and he is said to be a trained gorilla fighter.

    The Police also recovered from them; Eight AK47 rifles, one  G3 rifle, two Single Barrel gun, one dane Gun, one  Revolver Pistol, 145 ammunition, five  Live Cartridges, 16 swords, three operational Vehicles of the gangs, two  Bajaj motorcycle and charms.

    The suspects in the first gang are; Abdulra’uf Yusuf ‘M’ 45yrs – Gang Leader, a Libya trained Gorilla Fighter, Bashiru Aminu ‘M’ 30yrs – Buys and Supply firearms and ammunition to armed bandits and other members of the group, Aliyu  Saidu ‘M’ 33yrs, Musa Adamu ‘M’ 35yrs, Isah Haruna ‘M’ 55yrs

    Abdullahi Haruna ‘M’ 56yrs, Mohammed Tukur ‘M’ 25yrs, Abdullahi Buhari, Aliyu Abudullahi ‘M’ 29yrs, Tukur Hassan ‘M’ 26yrs, Mande Aleri ‘M’ 30yrs and Sani  Ali ‘M’ 21yrs.

    Others are; Shehu Umar ‘M’ 30yrs, Ibrahim Garba ‘M’ 21yrs, Mohammed Sani ‘M’ 30yrs,          Mohhamed Bello ‘M’ 35yrs, Sule Dambule ‘M’  48yrs, Ahmadu Buba ‘M’ 27yrs,   Mohammed Baude ‘M’ 63yrs, Abubakar Umar ‘M’ 52yrs, Abubakar Turai ‘M’ 66yrs, Abubakar Sala ‘M’ 37yrs, Ibrahim Mohammed ‘M’ 31yrs, Abubakar Mande ‘M’ 20yrs, Abubakar Hussaini ‘M’ 60yrs, Usman Hassan ‘M’ 65yrs, Shehu Abubakar ‘M’ 70yrs, Usman Umar ‘M’ 18yrs and Yahaya Lawal ‘M’ 55yrs.

    Suspects in the second gang include; Isiyaku Samaila ‘M’ 37, Mohammed Rilwanu ‘M’ 40yrs, Usman Sani ‘M’ 35yrs, Mohammed Shuaibu ‘M’ 49yrs, Rabiu Tukur ‘M’ 30yrs, Surajo Suleiman ‘M’ 45yrs, Abdullahi Ya’u  ‘M’  30yrs,   Abdullahi Ibrahim ‘M’ 58yrs, Abubakar Ahmed ‘M’ 42yrs, Musa Abdullahi ‘M’ 48yrs,       Isah Waziri ‘M’ 35yrs,  Shuaibu Ibrahim ‘M’ 25yrs,  Shuaibu Usman ‘M’ 18yrs, Faisal Surajo ‘M’ 18yrs, Kamalu Abdulmumini ‘M’ 30 yrs, and   Ibrahim Musa ‘M’ 28yrs.

    Members of the third gang are; Abdulkarim Adamu ‘M’ 27yrs, Sani Alh Lawal ‘M’ 20yrs, Umar Garba ‘M’ 22yrs, Hussaini Mamman  ‘M’ 25yrs,  Sani Umar ‘M’ 23yrs, Musa Ibrahim ‘M’ 28yrs, and Umar Kiruwa ‘M’ 30yrs.

    Moshood said: “Consequent on recent complaints and reported cases of armed robbery/kidnapping, armed banditry, cattle rustling and other violent crimes in some parts of Nasarawa, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Sokoto States, the IGP Special Strike Force on violent crimes attached to Operation Absolute Sanity, working on actionable intelligence further expanded its operations and relentlessly embarked on raids of criminal hideouts, identified kidnappers den and follow up on cases in its effort to continue to actualize its mandate to rid the country of unscrupulous elements, vicious and notorious criminals. These operations led to the arrest of 52 criminal suspects.

    “The suspects have confessed and made useful statements to the Police Investigation Team on their various criminal roles in the recent incidents of kidnapping/armed robbery and other violent crimes in the mentioned States and the above listed exhibits recovered from their possessions. Some of these suspects arrested have also been on the watch list of the Police for quite some time now.”

    The Force said the operation is on-going and more efforts are being intensified to arrest and bring other members of the gang them to justice.

  • Adeyanju, two others remanded in Keffi prison

    The Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday said the Convener of Concerned Nigerians, Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams have been remanded to Prison custody in Keffi.

    The trio who were arrested by the personnel of the Force in Abuja on Wednesday during protest tagged #PoliceNotPoliticians were arraigned at Karshi Magistrate Court.

    The group was at the Force headquarters to demand neutrality from the Nigeria Police Force ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Read also: Police arrest Adeyanju, two others for criminal conspiracy, defamation of character

    According to a statement by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood, the trio were remanded to Prison after failing to meet the bail conditions.

    The Police also said the matter has been adjourned to 21st January, 2019.

    The statement reads: “The Nigeria Police Force today arraigned Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams at Karshi Magistrate Court, Federal Capital Territory for criminal offences of Joint Act, Criminal defamation, Disturbance of public peace, Threat to public security and safety and inciting public disturbance under the Penal Code Law.

    “The lawyers to the suspects were equally in court. Deji Adeyanju, Daniel Abobama and Boma Williams were remanded to Prison custody in Keffi, Nasarawa State after they failed to meet the bail conditions.

    “The matter was adjourned to 21st January, 2019 for hearing.”

     

  • Offa Bank Robbery: How prime suspect died – Police

    The Nigeria Police Force has revealed the circumstances that led to the death of the prime suspect, Michael Adikwu in the Offa robbery.

    Contrary to claims that Adikwu was murdered by personnel of the Force while in detention, the Police said he slummed in their custody.

    The Police also said the death of the prime suspect does not exonerate the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki who was indicted by other suspects in the case.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Thursday by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood.

    According to Police,  Adikwu who was a dismissed Police Man and an ex- convict  confessed to have killed 22 persons including pregnant women and nine  Police personnel and carted away 22 AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery.

    The Police also explained that he was not paraded along with the five gang leaders now standing trial because he was taken out to arrest other members of the gang and recover the Rifles carted away during the Offa Bank Robbery.

    The Police said: “Michael Adikwu was not murdered but slummed and died in detention while investigation into the Offa Bank Robbery was ongoing.

    “It is also important for the public to know that the deceased Michael Adikwu ‘was not among the Five gang leaders that indicted and implicated the senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, therefore, his death cannot in anyway vindicate Senator Bukola Saraki.

    “There is a post-mortem examination result in respect of the death of Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs.”

    On the indictment of Saraki, the Police said: “The indictment of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki from the confessions of the five  gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery was not politically motivated as alleged by Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki to the media, but purely criminal case.

    Read also: Offa robbery: Reps launch investigation into death of key suspect

    “It should be of serious concern to all, that human life is sacrosanct and  where investigation has been concluded and suspects arraigned in Court, judicial process must be exhausted and not hindered for the law to take its course in ensuring justice for the families of more than (33) innocent persons including pregnant women that were gruesomely murdered in cold blood by Michael Adikwu and the Five gang leaders investigated and currently standing trial for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery, than for any individual(s) or any group to attempt futile efforts and desperate distractions to pervert the end of justice is most unfair to the families of the deceased, the State and the society at large.”

    Giving further details into the case,  the Pokice said: “The attention of the Nigeria Police Force has been drawn to the innuendo in the media on the death of a sectional gang leader Michael Adikwu ‘M’ 30Yrs (A Dismissed Police Man and an Ex- Convict) who confessed to have killed Twenty Two (22) persons including pregnant women and Nine (9) Police personnel and carted away of Twenty Two (22) AK 47 Rifles at the Offa Police Divisional Headquarters during Offa Bank Robbery on the 5th April, 2018, it is therefore, imperative that the Nigeria Police Force respond to the publication and set the record straight.

    “The Nigeria Police Force is conversant and mindful of contempt of Court in commenting on cases already before the Court of competent jurisdiction, however, the Force is constraint and compelled to respond to the statement from Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and not on the Court processes and  proceedings on the case of Offa Bank Robbery for which Five  principal suspects are now standing trial in a State High court in Ilorin, Kwara State.

    “For avoidance of doubt, and to correct the insinuations and wrong impressions created by the statement from Mr. Yusuf Olaniyonu, Special Adviser (Media and Publicity) to the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in the minds of members of the public over the indictment and involvement of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki in the case of the Offa Bank Robbery of 5th April, 2018, from the confessions of the Five (5) gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery and the gruesome killing of 33 innocent persons, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki was indicted by the Five (5) suspects who admitted in their confessional statements to the Police investigators that they were political thugs of the Senate President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Sen. Bukola Saraki and the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Alh. Abdulfatah Ahmed.

    “The Five gang leaders further confessed during investigation that they are political thugs under the name Youth Liberation Movement a.k.a “Good Boys” they also admitted and confessed to have been sponsored with firearms, money and operational vehicles.

    “Lexus RX 300 Jeep with Reg. KWARA, KWA 143 RM with inscription SARAKI on a sticker attached to the vehicle

    “Mercedes Benz Compressor Reg. LAGOS, LT 496 KJA, these two (2) Vehicles were used for the Offa Bank Robbery by the Five (5) gang Leaders. The first vehicle was later registered after the Offa Bank Robbery to divert attention while the suspects were in detention.

    “These confessions were made before the media and the public on the 3rd of June, 2018. It is therefore, evidently clear that the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki has case to answer in the whole matter.

    The statement continues: “It was also discovered during investigations that three gang leaders who participated actively in the Offa Bank Robbery (i) Ayoade Akinnibosun aka AY (ii) Ibukunle Ogunleye aka Arrow and (iii) Adeola Abraham followed the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki to Oloffa’s Palace when the Senate President paid a condolence visit to Offa after the Bank Robbery.

    “Further investigation into the matter revealed  that all the Five (5) gang leaders have direct connection to the Senate President, Sen. Bukola Saraki as a picture of one of the five  gang leaders when paraded by the Police was in ‘Aso Ebi’ (trouser) used during the Senate President daughter’s wedding.

    The Five (5) gang leaders further admitted that they attended the Senate President daughter’s wedding held in Abuja.

    “Consequent on all the above, a thorough and discreet investigation was concluded by the Police into the matter and all the Five (5) gang leaders namely; Ayoade Akinnibosun, Ibukunle Ogunleye, Adeola Abraham, Salawudeen Azeez, Niyi Ogundiran arrested for direct involvement and active participation in the Offa Bank Robbery that indicted and implicated Senator Bukola Saraki, Senate President Federal Republic of Nigeria in the Offa Bank Robbery are alive and now in Court.

  • Saraki reiterates Senate’s commitment to passage of Police Reform Bill

    The President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, has reiterated Senate’s commitment to fast-tracking passage of the Nigerian Police Reform Bill.

    Saraki gave the assurance in a statement by his Special Assistant on New Media, Mr Olu Onemola, on Tuesday.

    He said that the passage of the Bill would help to create a more responsive and efficient Police institution for all Nigerians, particularly with current security challenges.

    “Guaranteeing the safety of the lives and property of Nigerians remains a fundamental concern for all members of the 8th Senate.

    “As the representatives of Nigerians, all senators agree that there is a need to make our Police more responsive and effective to meet our security demands.

    “In putting together the updated version of the Police Reform Bill, we have consulted widely, involving serving and former members of the Nigerian Police Force, private sector, members of the civil society and legal experts.

    “These consultations have been done in a bid to ensure that this Bill is not only comprehensive in its coverage, but effective in building stronger institutional guidelines for our police,” he said.

    The president of the senate also noted that the bill was aimed at amending the existing framework between the Police Service Commission and the Nigeria Police Force.

    Read Also: 2019: Saraki confident of Atiku’s victory

    He added that the bill would create community police fora at the state level to ensure closer oversight and participatory policing by the public.

    He also said that the bill would ensure divisional and state police boards, which would be responsible for maintaining partnerships, promoting communication and building cooperation between communities and the police.

    “These new incorporation to the bill touch on issues that will address the professionalism that should be enforced in the Nigeria Police Force.

    “This is why it is our fervent hope that by the end of November, Nigerians across the country will be able to celebrate the passage of this bill.

    “Our determination to fast-track work on the bill informed the recent decision to change the chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Police Affairs.

    “The mandate given to the new leadership is to ensure that the bill which has passed second reading stage quickly goes through public hearing and committee stages so that we can pass it in the next few weeks,” Saraki said.

  • Abduction: Four Catholic priests regain freedom in Delta

    Four Catholic priests who were abducted on Nov. 6 by unknown persons in Delta have regained their freedom.

    The Nigeria Police Force, Delta Command, confirmed on Saturday that the priests were rescued near Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state.

    According to the Police Commissioner, Muhammad Mustafa, the victims were rescued on Friday evening at a location he did not disclose.

    The victims were: Rev. Fathers Victor Adigboluja of the Ijebu Ode Diocese; Anthony Otegbola, Abeokuta Diocese; Joseph Ediae, Benin Archdiocese; and Emmanuel Obadjere, Warri Diocese.

    They were said to have been on their way to the Seminary of All Saints Uhiele-Ekpoma in Edo on Nov. 6 when they were kidnapped.

    The police boss, who earlier said that one of the suspects had been apprehended in connection with the crime, also assured that the police command was trailing the others.

    He  assured that the other suspects would be arrested and prosecuted.

    “They were rescued on Friday and we are on the trail of the other suspects.

    Read Also: Six Catholic nuns kidnapped in Delta

    ” We do not encourage ransom, so no ransom was paid,” Mustafa said.

    A reliable source told our reporters that the priests were taken to Benin City for medical attention immediately they regained their freedom.

    According to the source the priests were escorted to Benin City by the  joint police and military team that rescued them.

    The captors had earlier demanded for N4 million as ransom to effect their release.

     

    NAN

  • Ekweremadu: Police investigate alleged assassination attempt

    The Nigeria Police Force said it had commenced investigation on the alleged assassination attempt on Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu.

    Ekweremadu, his wife and son, allegedly escaped assassination attempt at their Apo residence in Abuja in the early hours of Tuesday.

    NAN also report that Ekweremadu had narrowly escaped an alleged attempt on his life in Abuja on Nov. 17, 2015.

    Acting DCP Jimoh Moshood, the Force Public Relations Officer disclosed this while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

    Moshood explained that the incidence was a burglary and not an assassination attempt.

    The spokesman said that similar incident also took place at the residence of Haliru Adamu, a neighbour of the deputy president.

    “Investigation so far carried out in the incident does not have any link to assignation attempt,” he said.

    He said that one of the suspects, Mohammed Yusuf who was arrested by the police was in police custody and had made useful statements.

    “The suspect has been assisting the police in the investigation into the matter. We have intensified efforts to arrest other suspects who escaped from the crime scene,” he said.

    He said that Ekweremadu and Adamu have made statements to the police in respect of the incident.

    Moshood said that Adamu lost his cell phones and jewelries to the thieves while nothing was reportedly stolen from Ekweremadu’s house.

    In a related development, the Police have arrested 20 suspects in connection with cattle rustling, kidnapping, armed robbery and forgery around Katsina state.

    The suspects are : Labe Wada, Lawal Wada, Labaran Ilyasu, Haruna Idris, Lawal Suberu, Ilyasu Ibrahim, Jamila Aliyu, Usman Abdullahi, Sada Bala, Osuji Stephen, Abdulkadir Ilya among others.

    The force spokesman, DCP Jimoh Moshood disclosed that items recovered from the suspects included: four Ak 47, one Ak 49, one locally-made revolver, four Ak 47 magazines, one unregistered motorcycle, ammunition and three forged cheques.

    Moshood said that all the suspects who were arrested by the IGP Special Strike Force, have confessed to the various roles they played in the commission of the crimes.

    The spokesman said that the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation into the matter.

    He said that IGP Ibrahim Idris has directed all Assistant Inspectors General of police to beef up security in their areas of responsibilities. (NAN)

  • Court remands four for allegedly stealing N1.301b from Police

    Four suspects, who allegedly stole N1,301,334,108 from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), have been remanded in Kirikiri prisons by an Ikeja Special Offences Court in Lagos.

    The suspects and two firms were yesterday arraigned at the court for alleged theft and diversion of N1,301,334,108 from the coffers of the NPF.

    The defendants, who were charged before Justice Sherifat Solebo by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), include Olumide Odumosu, Sule Tegina, Helen Nwafor and Okpalugo Ifeoma.

    They were arraigned alongside two companies: Olu Osmond Nigeria Ltd and Jemmy Yus Investment Nigeria Ltd.

    The defendants are facing a 14-count charge preferred against them by the EFCC.

    In the charge, EFCC alleged that the defendants stole N1.3billion from the coffers of the Nigeria Police Force and fraudulently converted it to personal use between 2013 and 2014.

    The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendants conspired with Ogbadu Joseph and Hassan Muhammed, who were said to be at large, to carry out the act.

    Prosecuting counsel for EFCC Rotimi Oyedepo said the defendants acted contrary to Section 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011 and were liable to be punished under Section 285(1) of the same Act.

    Attempt to arraign the defendants was stalled yesterday, as the third defendant, Nwafor, told the court that she did not understand English language.

    She requested that the charges be translated to her in Igbo language.

    Justice Solebo adjourned the matter till November 7 for arraignment to enable prosecution get an Igbo language interpreter.

    Defence counsel A.O. Osinfowora prayed that the defendants be returned to the EFCC custody.

    Justice Solebo, however, turned down his request and ordered that the defendants be remanded in the prison custody.

     

  • Aisha Buhari disassociates self from ADC’s arrest

    The Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday distanced herself from the arrest of her Aide De Camp (ADC), Sani Baban-Inna.

    According to her, Baban-Inna’s employers, the Nigeria Police Force, arrested him to investigate the allegations leveled against him.

    In a statement by her Director of Information, Suleiman Haruna, she said that she has never sent any of her staff to collect any favours on her behalf or on behalf of her children and will never do so.

    She also stressed that she will not condone any fraudulent behavior by any of her staff.

    The statement reads “The attention of wife of the President, Dr. Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has been drawn to some media publications and releases purporting illegal detention of her Aide De Camp (ADC) over allegations of fraud.

    “The story as it pertains to her ADC, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Sani Baban-Inna has it that he has been detained on the orders of Her Excellency for dropping her name and defrauding unsuspecting officials and associates.

    Read Also: Aisha Buhari’s ADC in SSS custody over N2.5 billion fraud

    “She wishes to use this opportunity to refute such allegation and to state that she has no hand in his arrest and detention.

    “CSP Sani Baban-Inna has been her ADC since 2016 and has been associated with her ever since. To the utter dismay of Her Excellency, he has used the opportunity to defraud unsuspecting associates and officials as initial investigations have shown.

    “The Nigeria Police Force, his employers arrested him to investigate the allegations leveled against him, this, being within their jurisdiction.

    “She therefore wishes to use this opportunity to inform the general public that she has never sent any of her staff to collect any favours on her behalf or on behalf of her children and will never do so. She is therefore imploring anyone that has been defrauded by Mr. Baban-Inna to get across to him to retrieve whatever he took from them. Mrs. Buhari wishes to reiterate that she will not condone fraudulent behavior by any of her staff.

    “She uses this opportunity to call on all those in positions of authority to rise above intimidation by their aides and deal with such attitudes as extortion by name-dropping, especially within the Presidency. As she always emphasizes, this government was voted into office based on the trust and confidence of the people.” it stated

  • Credible polls, please

    Any foreigner or Nigerian in the Diaspora who listened to the spokesman of the Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, as he appraised the public on security arrangement for the Osun poll would think a fierce battle is raging in the state. But all that is scheduled to hold tomorrow in the ‘State of the Living Spring’ is an election to produce a new governor and the Deputy Inspector- General of Police (Operations), Mr. Joshak Habilla, has been deployed to take charge of all police activities. He is being assisted by an Assistant Inspector- General of Police, eight police commissioners, 40,000 personnel and critical units, including the Mobile Force, Bomb Disposal Unit , among others.

    Everything points at police activities nationwide being shut down for what should be a simple civic duty. In other parts of the world, including African countries, elections are not allowed to disrupt social, economic and political activities. Here, not only is a whole armament including two patrol helicopters, 30 armoured personnel carriers and 300 patrol vehicles being deployed, life is practically shut down from 12 midnight tonight until after the election, as there would be no vehicular movement. This is a convenient point for all involved to begin plans to change this now all too familiar template. Nigerians are human and generally peace loving and do not need a militarised environment to cast their votes.

    We call on the Federal Government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the political parties and candidates, as well as the electorate to conduct themselves as decent people in accordance with the code of conduct. Almost 58 years after independence, and 19 years into the current democratic dispensation, we ought to have progressed beyond the phase where undue brigandage, politics of bitterness and barefaced manipulation of the process is the order of the day. In the build-up to tomorrow’s election, the usual brickbats, unfounded allegations against opponents and the electoral umpire and inflammatory statements were again being hurled across party lines. We call on the umpires and security agents to be neutral and professional in their conduct. They should not fall prey to politicians’ tricks; they should in fact realise that they would one day be made to account for their actions. Those who were illegally used to manipulate the Ekiti election in 2014 have since been exposed and dealt with. Those who used them are no longer in position to shield them from the long arms of the law.

    All the agencies involved in conducting the Osun poll in the 3,764 polling units across the 332 wards in the state should realise that they are agents of state writing history and giving indication of how the 2019 general elections would go.

    The 1.2 million registered voters owe themselves the duty of voting according to their conscience. The shameful purchase of votes that characterised the July 14 Ekiti governorship election should be checked, at least at the polling stations and in the full glare of foreign and domestic observers. We hope Nigeria would one day rise beyond any form of inducement to vote in candidates at elections.  Almost four years after the 2015 general elections, and with many bye elections already conducted since then, the card reader machines ought to have been perfected. That they still did not work perfectly in the Ekiti election is an indication that something may be fundamentally wrong with the design and manufacturing. We hope, as Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman has indicated, they have indeed been overhauled for this exercise as a means of giving confidence to all stakeholders.

    Whatever INEC and the security agents make of superintending the Osun governorship poll will signpost what to expect next year.