The Nation Newspaper

Tag: paraded

  • ‘Notorious cyber criminals’, others paraded in Port Harcourt

    The Rivers State Police Command yesterday paraded three “notorious” cyber criminals who specialised in buying items from shops and sending fake bank alerts to their unsuspecting victims.

    The suspects are: Gordon Elenwo and Boniface Wisdom.

    The syndicate was burst by members of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris Monitoring Team, led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bennett Igwe.

    Five plasma television sets the suspects allegedly stole through this fraudulent means were reportedly recovered from their receivers: Onyekachi Umeononihu, Elijah Isaac and Uchenna Umesuonihu.

    They were paraded in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday by Police Commissioner Zaki Ahmed.

    Also paraded were suspected members of a car-snatching syndicate, from who four Hummer buses and two Hilux vans were recovered.

    The suspected car thieves were allegedly responsible for most car theft in the Garden City and its environs.

    They were said to specialise in robbing vehicle owners at gunpoint.

    Addressing reporters before the parade, Ahmed said the hoodlums were arrested following a tip-off.

    The police chief gave the names of the suspects as: Barisuka Bira, Smart, Sunny Agbo, Ignatius Ogbenu and Adamu Yunusa, who received and paid for the Hummer buses and other vehicles stolen by other suspected thieves.

    He said the suspects confessed to the crime, adding that the leader of the gang, Barisuka Biira, led the police to apprehend his gang members.

    Ahmed said: “Men of the IGP Monitoring Unit, while acting on credible information, burst a gang of car-snatching syndicate that specialises in snatching cars in Port Harcourt and its environs.

    “Following a tip-off, the team arrested Barisuka Biira (aka JJ), 32, who is the leader of the gang. Biira, on interrogation, confessed and led the police to where others were arrested.

    “One of the gang members, Ignatius Ogbenu (aka IG), and other members of the syndicate were arrested at Obinze in Owerri, Imo State. Their further confession led the police to Lagos where four Hummer buses and two Hilux vans were recovered.

    “They are helping us in our investigation as efforts are at advance stage to recover more snatched vehicles and their operational weapons.”

    Also paraded was a notorious kidnapper, Chimeze Nwagwu (aka Gasak), who was reportedly arrested after a shootout with the police in a kidnappers’ hideout at Royal Park Estate, Eneka, Port Harcourt.

    Ahmed said a member of the gang, Casmir Nwagwu, was killed in the crossfire, adding that one of the fleeing suspects, Morgan Alex, was later arrested after another round of gun battle with the hoodlums in Imo State.

    “Exhibits recovered from them are: three English pump action, one SMG rifle, one Jericho pistol, 63 live ammunition, 16 rounds of 9mm, 12 rounds of 7.62mm.

    “Investigation is ongoing as the suspect (Morgan Alex) is still making useful confession, and efforts are on to arrest other members of the dreaded gang,” he said.

     

  • Policeman, nine others paraded for Plateau killings

    A police sergeant with the Counter Terrorist Unit in Maiduguri, Borno State, was arrested in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, for allegedly selling ammunition to cattle rustlers and other criminals.

    Sgt. Zakariah John was caught selling a round of 7.62MM Special Ammunition to a suspected rustler.

    Most of the attacks and killings in Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Mangu and Bassa councils have been linked to proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

    Media Officer of Operation Safe Haven Maj. Adam Umar, who paraded the suspects yesterday, said: “We have in our custody a serving police sergeant – Sgt. Zakariah John – and a suspected rustler – Sani Muhammed – both of whom are suspected to be gun runners.

    “We also have in our custody Patrick Choji and Yakubu Davou who were arrested for illegal possession of firearms. We have 10 suspects in all but with various offenses, ranging from rustling, robbery, impersonation and gun running.

    “They were arrested from various spots, some from Jos North, Jos South, Barkin Ladi and Nasarawa State.

    “Victor Davou and Joshua Dagwom are suspected to be part of those who rustled cows in Fan district of Barkin Ladi before the attacks last month, though we are still investigating to ascertain their level of involvement.”

    Narrating how the suspects were arrested, Umar said: “As we intensified our investigations following the June 23 incident, we arrested one of the rustlers and he confessed that a policeman supplies him ammunition. So he was told to ask for another supply.

    “We took the suspect to the meeting point, laid an ambush, and the supplier appeared – he supplied 180 rounds of 7.62MM special. Each round of ammunition was sold for N450. It used to be N400 but according to the supplier, scarcity of the product forced him to increase the price.

    “That was how the suspect was arrested and upon interrogation, we discovered he is a police sergeant serving with the Counter Terrorist Unit in Maiduguri.

    “This discovery will help in reducing the proliferation of arms in these troubled areas.”

  • Murder, cultism suspects paraded in Ilorin

    The Kwara State Police Command yesterday paraded the son of a former policeman, Lanre Mohammed Soliu, and five others for alleged murder and cultism.

    Abolaji Safti Ojulari; Azeez Mayaki; Suleiman Babatunde; Yusuf Habeeb and Umar Yahaya, were paraded with Mohammed.

    They all confessed to be members of Aiye Confraternity, saying they were involved in killings and criminal acts in Ilorin, the capital.

    Commissioner of Police Aminu Saleh, who paraded the suspects, said Mohammed was arrested on Tuesday.

    He is believed to have killed Yemi Bayero of Ago market, Ilorin.

    The commissioner added that Mohammed said he was assisted with Abolaji Safti Ojulari, Adeyi and Tiro.

    Ojulari is a suspected notorious cultist.

    Sale added that Mohammed and 13 accomplices had killed 11 people, including a notorious hoodlum, Bayo Ajia, between 2016 and 2018.

    He said: “The suspect was arrested on May 5 after a manhunt. He has been on the wanted list for over two years. He lives at Kankatu area in Ilorin where he was hiding.

    “He confessed to being an active member of Aiye Confraternity. He also named his 13 accomplices.

    “Azeez Mayaki (26) was also arrested on Tuesday, and he confessed to killing Lateef at Ode Alfa Nla Ilorin, on February 2.

    ‘’Suleiman Babatunde (26), of Gambari area, was arrested with his accomplice, Olaitan, after investigation linked him to the death of Owolabi, at Amilegbe, in July 2017.”

    Sale added that Yusuf Habeeb and Umar Yahaya were arrested for alleged criminal conspiracy and as members of a cult.

    He said they were arrested while meeting at Kangile village, via Royal Valley Estate, Ilorin.

    All suspects will soon be charged to court, he added.

     

  • Two night guards paraded for ‘robbery, rape’

    Two night guards, Adeniyi Busayo and Tunde Fadunmila, have been arrested by the police in Ekiti State for alleged robbery and rape in Ado-Ekiti.

    The duo, who were paraded yesterday, were accused of robbing in police uniform while working as night guards at Enu Odi, Odo Ado, Ado-Ekiti.

    They were paraded with three suspected members of their gang:  Ojo Owoeye, Taiwo Agbetuyi and Friday Lasisi.

    The suspects were arrested while robbing a filling station, Faglo Petrolchemical Ltd and homes of Pastor Timothy Olalekan and Chief Oladokun Oke, about 10 pm. on August 28.

    Recovered from them are three dane guns, three cutlasses, charms and big stones, which they allegedly used to break doors.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said the suspects robbed their victims of belongings and money, valued at N428,000.

    He said: “At Faglo Petrol Station, they broke into the mall after holding security guards hostage and stole cash.

    “Men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad arrested them through intelligence gathering and information from the public.

    “We have concluded investigations by calling the victims, who identified the suspects. We shall arraign them tomorrow (today).”

    One of the victims, Chief Oke, the Onibedo of Ado Ekiti, said Agbetuyi fired the shot that hit him.

    “I identified them because they wined and dined in my house during Udiroko festival in Ado-Ekiti on August 26.”

    Agbetuyi, 22, confessed to the crime. He admitted receiving N35,000.

    The suspect said he committed the crime “because of youthful exuberance.”

    He said: “I was given N35,000, but I did not fire the bullet that hit Chief Oke. I don’t know precisely how much we made because Fadunmilasold the items and gave me my share.”