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Tag: Odiko Macdon

  • Police confirm burning of INEC office in A’Ibom

    The Akwa Ibom Police Command has confirmed the burning down of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Ibesikpo Local Government Area of the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that unidentified hoodlums set fire to the office this Friday, barely 24 hours to the Governorship and House of Assembly polls.

    The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Odiko MacDon confirmed the incident to newsmen in Uyo on Friday.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Kaoje, is aware of the incident and has detailed senior police operatives to investigate the incident.

    Read Also: Updated: Polls: A’Ibom INEC office sets ablaze

    “We are investigating to ascertain whether it is a clear case of arson, and when the investigations are completed, we will let the people know,” MacDon said.

    He said the findings would be made public while anyone  found culpable will be made to face the law no matter how highly placed.

    The command spokesman said security had been beefed up around all INEC offices and centers across the state.

    NAN

  • Police parade 63 suspects over pre-electoral violence in A’Ibom

    …..recovers stolen PVCs

     

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command on Monday paraded 63 suspected political thugs.

    Also paraded were suspects arrested in connection with the pre-election violence in Obot-Akara local Government area where two persons were killed and thirteen vehicles burnt on Saturday.

    The suspects were allegedly hired from Bayelsa, Delta and Ondo States, it was learnt.

    Recovered from the suspects are one locally-made short gun, 25 live cartridges, two machetes, charms of different types, a knife, phones and human hairs and two axes, PCVs were some of the items recovered from the suspects.

    State police commissioner, Bashir Makama while parading the suspects at the state police command, Uyo, said a total of 41 of them who claimed to be observers on monitoring mission for the election were
    arrested on Friday, February 15th at Angellyne hotel in Uyo, without INEC identification number and could not give proper identity of themselves.

    Makama who was represented at the briefing by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, said 20 other suspects were arrested on the same day, February 15th at Ukanafun Local Government Area.

    Read Also: Political thugs set 30 buildings on fire in Ebonyi

    The CP said the suspects were allegedly brought in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State by one Uduak Dick, on the pretext of attending the burial ceremony of a Lance Corporal in the Nigerian Army, one Udo Essien.

    Makama said some suspects on February 13th set ablaze INEC office at Eastern Obolo Local Government Area but the timely intervention by the police saved the office and all the materials meant for the election.

    The Commissioner added that one Anietie Peters who hails from Mkpat-Enin Local Government Area was arrested on Friday in possession of 34 Permanent Voter Cards while one Ayaya Bassey and Asequo Ebio, arrested from Ikot-Ekpene Local government Area had confessed to bepolitical thugs hired by a politician from Cross River state.

    He said the Command on February 12th also killed two suspected killersof one Anthony Ikechuwu, a pharmacist who was shot dead by thehoodlums at St. Michael Primary School Abak, Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

    Makama who said the victim’s Lexus Jeep with registration number, AKD 850 has been recovered, adding that the suspects were traced to their hideout in Aba, Abia state. They were killed in a gunduel with members of SARS from Akwa Ibom State, while a locally made revolver pistol with four live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

    Makama used the occasion to warn politicians in the state to play by the rules and advised their supporters to conduct themselves or risk arrest by the police.

    “Let me use this opportunity to call on politicians to play the game based on the rules. Let me assure you that the non-partisan nature of the police in Akwa Ibom State will not change, we will remain
    apolitical, neutral and committed to free, fair and credible elections. We will at all times act professionally based on International best practices” Makama said.

    One of the forty-one arrested suspects, Okoroda Ken from Bayelsa state said they were arrested in Angellyne hotel by 3am on Friday, 15th February, 2019 where they lounged, adding that they were yet to reach their coordinator who booked the hotel for them.

    He said, “We all submitted our passport to Society for Advancement for Credible Leadership and Observation. This organisation is registered and credited by INEC. Since we submitted our passport, we were told our names were submitted to INEC and that we will likely monitor the election in Uyo.

    “We came on Thursday to confirm whether our names were there or not. We were in the Angellyne hotel booked for us by the Coordinator of the group, Berefa Bedfon. When we were arrested, all our phones were taken from us and we have not been able to contact anyone. INEC can prove if our names have been registered with them”.

  • Christmas: Akwa Ibom Police to deploy 2,000 personnel

    The Akwa Ibom Police Command says it has deployed no fewer than 2,000 personnel to strategic locations across the state to ensure a hitch-free Christmas celebration.

    The Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Odiko MacDon, stated this in a statement in Uyo on Thursday.

    He said that the measure was taken to provide security in areas and urged the people to be security conscious at all times and report any suspicious person or movement to the Police.

    MacDon said that the command would remain resolute and uncompromising in delivering qualitative policing for the benefit of all visitors, investors and indigenes before, during and after the celebrations.

    He announced the felicitations of the command with the Government and people of Akwa Ibom on the occasion of Christmas.

    He noted that Christmas signified the birth of  “our Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is the greatest gift of God to mankind as it brings hope and peace to the world’’.

    According to the spokesman, Christmas is indeed a season of re-dedication to the service of God and love for one another.

    “As we look forward to a peaceful, secured and prosperous 2019, let us embrace again, our long established culture of brotherly love, unity, peace and respect for constitutional authority,” he said.

    He cautioned that “as we celebrate, let us be reminded that Akwa Ibom is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria today.

    Read Also: Lagos ministry holds Christmas carol

    “Together, we will continue to make Akwa Ibom the safest state.”

    On the 2019 general elections, he said that the authorities of the command had urged politicians to play by the rules.

    He advised youths to eschew all forms of violence and unwholesome acts to ensure that peaceful and credible elections were recorded in the state.

    NAN

     

  • Police recover 47 illegal arms, arrest 17 suspects in Akwa Ibom

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said on Saturday said it recovered 47 illegal arms and 172 live ammunition and cartridges across the state.

    The spokesman of the state police command, Odiko Macdon, disclosed this during chat with journalists at the police headquarters in Ikot Akpan-Abia, Uyo.

    He said the recovery was in compliance with the directive of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on recovery of prohibited firearms, ammunition and weapons across the country.

    He said the arms were recovered from suspected bandits, vigilance group and individuals.

    According to him, arms recovered include three AK 47, one G3 rifle, three Pump action gun, three single barrel gun and 37 locally made pistols.

    “Today again, the Commissioner of Police has been able to showcase arms that have been recovered. Most of these arms were returned while some were seized during mop up operations.

    “Three AK 47 rifles, one G3 rifle, three Pump action gun, three single barrel gun, 37 locally made pistols and 172 live ammunition and cartridges were recovered,” he said.

    The police spokesman also said that within the month, the command arrested 17 suspects over alleged involvement in different forms of criminalities in the state.

    He said some of the suspects were arrested for murder, armed robbery, cultism and unlawful possession of fire arms.

    NAN

     

  • Police smash six-man robbery gang in A’Ibom

     

    The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested four members of a-six-man robbery gang.

    The suspects were alleged to have robbed customers of a new generation bank of the sum of N3.2million.

    Those nabbed include Aniefiok Sunday (29), Remembrance ObIke (35) Obe Awa (29), and Benjamin Emeka(29).

    When interrogated, Sunday, one of the suspects said said, ‘we to go to a bank and observe somebody who will come out with money and we pass the information on to our members outside to attack the person.

    “We have robbed the bank on two occasions before I was detected on that day. We didn’t kill’’.

    Another member of the gang, Obike explained that the security officers attached to bank identified them during a fresh operation and they were immediately arrested, admitting that they were informants to a-six-man gang of robbers who specializes in trailing and robbing customers withdrawing hefty sum from the bank.

    ‘’On February 6, we got to Uyo and we went to the bank and one of the security officers saw my colleague and followed him and held him. When I came in, they also held me. I am informant to Obe and Emeka. The CCTV noticed him (Sunday) during the last bank robbery’’, he said.

    Read Also: Police to domesticate community in Enugu

    Obe, a graduate of Business Administration and Management, River State Polytechnic lamented that he was driven into armed robbery because of joblessness and lack of money to take care of his pregnant wife.

    He lamented: ‘’ we are robbers. Two of our members were arrested in Uyo and they brought the Police to Port Harcourt to arrest me.  We are six and the remaining two persons have escaped. We have robbed banks in Port Harcourt and Uyo.  I handled one of the AK 47 and our major aim is not kill the person but to collect the money and go. I am into armed robbery because I lost my job, that is why I joined and my wife is pregnant but she doesn’t know that I am a robber’’.

    Similarly, Emeka confessed that he was lured into the illicit trade by his friend at large and that he was arrested in Umuahia while enjoying his loots.

    Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Odiko Macdon , a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said Sunday and Obike led the Police crack team to Port Harcourt and Umuahia respectively ,where Obe and Emeka were nabbed ,while their kingpin simply identified as Elder bolted away, but assured that the Police  were on his trails and would soon pick him up to face the music.

    The Police spokesman warned criminals to steer clear of the state as the Police were determined to make the environment not conducive for them to operate, with a view to making the state a haven for the indigenes and visitors alike to carry out their businesses.