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Tag: police arrest

  • Police arrest two suspects for looting bags of palliative rice in Edo

    Police arrest two suspects for looting bags of palliative rice in Edo

    The Edo State police have arrested two suspects in connection with the looting of ten-kilogram bags of palliative rice stored in a parked truck at Urora community in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area.

    Edo Commissioner of Police, Funsho Adegboye, revealed this during a news briefing in Benin on Sunday, August 4, without providing further details.

    On August 1, the first day of the nationwide protest tagged “#EndBadGovernance,” a 40-second viral video surfaced showing residents looting rice from a truck parked at a warehouse in Urora, with claims that the warehouse belonged to the Edo state government.

    However, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Edo chapter, Dr. Irekpono Omoike, clarified at a news conference held at the Chancellery of the Catholic Archdiocese of Benin that the vandalized location where the rice was looted belonged to a vendor contracted by Edo CAN’s implementation committee for the Christian feeding program.

    He explained that the second phase of the Christian feeding program, aimed at distributing relief materials to vulnerable Christian groups, was funded by the Edo state government with N2 billion.

    Omoike said: “There is a very important issue to correct a wrong notion that is circulating that the rice being distributed by the Edo State government is rice supplied by the Federal Government and re-bagged. This is misinformation. It is a very wrong notion that needs to be corrected.

    “Earlier this year, the Edo State chapter of CAN had a meeting with Governor Godwin Obaseki, where he shared his concern on how to reach out to vulnerable persons and the poor, who are bearing the hardship of the economic downturn in the country.

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    “After the meeting, an implementation committee for the Christian feeding programme was set up, where we designed a programme on how to reach out to the poor with food palliatives. The governor released the first batch of funding for the programme, which is N1 billion, to purchase rice to be distributed. This was done, and in May 2024, we kicked off the distribution of the first phase at the Baptist Convention Ground in Benin City, with the distribution of 60,000 bags of 10kg of rice.

     “For the second phase, another batch of N1 billion was released by the Edo governor to replicate the exercise. We purchased another consignment and distributed it through the structure of CAN. This process has been ongoing since July. In the last few days, we have successfully distributed to all the churches that did not receive the first batch, across the 18 LGAs, and we were able to reach 56,250. There is another consignment in this second phase, just as we did in the first phase, meant for churches not under CAN since this was done in partnership with CAN.”

    While also speaking, the Secretary of the CAN’s implementation committee for the Christian feeding programme, Rev. Osagie Ehrunmwunse, maintained that the truck in the viral video, where bags of rice were looted, belonged to a logistic company distributing the rice.

    Ehrunmwunse noted that the truck that was supplying from Ekpoma had a breakdown the previous night, with the rice meant for the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Latter Day Saints, vulnerable children, orphanages, and widows, among others, while insisting that where the looting took place was not a government warehouse, but a house belonging to one of the suppliers of the rice for distribution.

    Edo Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe, urged residents of the state to hold Obaseki responsible for the hardship in Edo.

    Tenebe accused the Edo governor of diverting the Federal Government’s palliatives, which he insisted was responsible for hunger in the Southsouth state.

    He accused Obaseki and his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of frustrating the genuine efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to considerably reduce the impact of economic hardship on Nigerians, especially in Edo state.

    Edo chairman of APC said: “Obaseki has refused to acknowledge or give account of the various financial grants and other palliatives his administration has received from the Federal Government.

    “Instead, Edo governor is struggling to blame his failure on his imaginary fictional story of plans by APC to attack government’s institutions in Edo State.”

    Tenebe also urged Edo residents, especially the electorate, to massively vote on September 21 for the visionary governorship candidate of APC, Senator Monday Okpebholo, whom he said was more experienced than the standard bearer of PDP, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, for him (Okpebholo) to succeed Obaseki on November 12.

  • Police arrest suspected armed robber, recover locally made pistol in Imo

    Police arrest suspected armed robber, recover locally made pistol in Imo

    The Imo State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspected armed robber, Ogochukwu Favour David, in Owerri.

    The suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Shell Camp Divisional Headquarters during a routine patrol on June 13, 2024.

    According to the police, the operatives responded to a robbery incident on Bank Road, Owerri, and arrested the suspect while his accomplices fled the scene.

     A locally made pistol was recovered from the suspect’s possession.

    Read Also: Policeman, armed robbers die as security agents foil Abuja bank robbery

    “The operatives showed great courage and professionalism in responding to the robbery incident and apprehending the suspect,” said ASP Henry Okoye, Police Public Relations Officer on Saturday.

     “We will continue to work tirelessly to combat violent crimes and ensure the safety of our citizens.”

    The police are currently investigating the suspect and working to apprehend the fleeing suspects and the manufacturer of the locally-made gun.

    “The suspect is undergoing a thorough investigation and will certainly have his day in court

     “Security is everybody’s business, and we urge the good people of Imo State to continue to support us with actionable information. With their help, we can make our state a safer place for all,” said Okoye.

    The police are urging anyone with information about the suspect or the robbery incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.

  • Police arrest eight suspected traffic robbers

    Eight suspected traffic robbers were at the weekend arrested by the police in Lagos during a raid to tackle crimes, the command said yesterday.

    Seven of the suspects were nabbed near Ketu and Kosofe, one was held at Festac Town, said spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in a statement.

    Elkana said Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu had directed an onslaught on hoodlums, who usually took advantage of gridlock to unleash terror on motorists.

    Among those arrested were a certain Garbazine, Ayomide Ayobami and Taye Onafowokan, both living at Agboyi Ketu and Bamidele Ogunbanjo, 30.

    He said a police surveillance team at about 5:30am on May 24, foiled a robbery attempt at Kosofe where Garbazine and two others were apprehended. The police recovered a phone from them and returned it to the owner.

    “The same day, the surveillance team at the same spot arrested two traffic robbery suspects attempting to rob road users. Two jack knives and a toy pistol were recovered from them.

    “On the same day, at about 12:05am, a surveillance patrol team deployed in Ketu bus stop arrested two traffic robbery suspects- Ayomide Ayobami and Taye Onafowokan, both living at Agboyi Ketu. A pistol with three live ammunition and a jack knife were recovered from them.

    “On the same day at about 1am, a surveillance patrol team attached to Festac Police Station arrested Bamidele Ogunbanjo, 30, of Prayer Estate, Amuwo Odofin. One locally- made pistol with one live ammunition was recovered,” Elkana said.

    The spokesman, who confirmed an earlier report by The Nation on the death of a motorcyclist, his wife and six-year-old son at Aga in Ikorodu, said reports made at the Igbogbo Division indicated that the man, Enifeh Akupa Omomo (Charles Enifa), 42, killed his wife, Faith and the boy, Glorious, before committing suicide.

    He also confirmed The Nation’s report last week about two young men found dead inside a grocery shop at Ojota.

    The police said they arrested two suspected cultists during the matriculation at Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) on May 21.

    Elkana said a distress call was received by the policemen from Sabo Division and Balogun Oluwadamilare, 24, as well as Badmus Idris, 23, were arrested.

    “One Baretta pistol with four live ammunition and three expended ammunition were recovered from the suspects. Investigation is on. The suspects will be charged to court,” he said.

  • Outcry as police arrest five officers for killing woman

    There were outcries on the social media yesterday over the killing of a 20-year-old woman by policemen at Ajegunle in Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local Government Area of Lagos.

    Ada Ifeanyi was shot dead at 4b, Amusa Lane, off Ojo Road, Ajegunle on Saturday morning.

    The policemen also shot 32-year-old Emmanuel Akomafuwa, of 52, Babatunde Street, Olodi Apapa, at Akpiri Street, Olodi Apapa.

    Lagos State Police Command has arrested and detained five police officers involved in the act.

    As the command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), releases the photograph of the officers, many took to the social media to demand justice for the slain woman.

    The officers, they said, should be tried as quickly as possible and be made to face a similar fate.

    This, some said, would deter others.

    Donatus Igwe tweeted that the killing of innocent people by policemen is one too many.

    “We cannot continue like this. We deserve a better policing than what we are getting. There is need for psychological tests on our officers before we hand over guns to them,” he said.

    May Ubeku @maybeks wrote that for every Nigerian killed by the police, they are pushing Nigerians to the wall.

    “They (the police) make us feel helpless and hunted. This may backfire someday and the hunter would be hunted, irrespective of the guns they carry. #endpolicebrutality,” she said.

    Another tweeter @IchieDNonsHRM wrote: “Unfortunately, it is not the @PoliceNG that is the enemy of youths in Nigeria. It is the Nigerian government itself that is the enemy of the youth.”

    Yemi Fasipe on @YemieFASH responded that “Today, it is okay to say that the Nigeria Police is an enemy of Nigerian youths.

    þHe said: “We are yet to get over the murder of Kolade Johnson by men of the @PoliceNG, and just barely a week after they have killed another innocent Nigerian youth. Jessica (Ada) did not commit any crime. It looks like they have concluded to be killing us weekly. #EndPoliceBrutality.”

    Another tweeter @dubbledizzle said: “These police officers are usually in a unit headed by a leader/superior officer.  Until their unit commanders are also held responsible, these killings will still continue. #holdtheirsuperiorsresponsibleToo”

    Elkana gave the names of the arrested officers as Inspector Adamu Usman, Sergeants Adeyeye Adeoye, Kashim Tijani, Lucky Akigbe and Paul Adeoye.

    According to him, Inspector Dania Ojo, who escaped immediately after the shooting, is declared wanted by the command.

    The Commissioner of Police (CP), Zubairu Muazu, he said, called for calm, as the command will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that justice prevails.

    He added that the CP expressed the command’s deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ada Ifeanyi and promised to foot the bills of Emmanuel Akomafuwa.

    Elkana said: “The victims were taken to a hospital and Ada was confirmed dead. Emmanuel is on admission receiving treatment for the injury he sustained.

    “Members of the team suspected to be involved in the shooting are from Trinity Police Station and are facing internal disciplinary proceedings at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja.

    “Their rifles have been retrieved for forensic analysis by ballisticians. If found wanting, they will be prosecuted at a conventional court for murder.

    “Lagos State Police Command condemned in total, these senseless killings of unarmed civilians by few ‘bad eggs’ in the command, who are bent on denting the image of the police.

    “The command will not relent in its efforts to rid the force of these criminals. Those involved in extrajudicial killings and abuse of power are promptly identified, isolated, tried through internal disciplinary proceedings, dismissed from service and prosecuted in conventional courts.”

    He added that the command had in the last one month dismissed four policemen for abuse of power and conducts unbecoming of police officers and punished 41 others.

    “The four dismissed policemen were charged to court and remanded in prison custody. Our resolve in building a more humane, professional, dedicated, courageous and people-oriented force is a task that must be done and together we can make it a reality,” he said.

  • Police arrest two over rival cult clashes in A’Ibom

    The police in Akwa Ibom have confirmed the arrest of two persons in connection with rival cult clashes which occurred between on Wednesday in Urua Ekpa community, situated in the outskirts of Uyo, the state capital.

    The clashes, our correspondent learnt, involved members of the Vikings and Iceland Confraternities leading to unconfirmed reports that five persons had lost their lives.

    It was also gathered that a fight over a girl between a member of Vikings and that of Iceland sparked up the crisis.

    But the state police spokesperson, Odiko MacDon DSP quickly debunked the deaths; saying only two persons have been arrested in connection with the fracas.

    The clash caused many people their phones, hand bags, jewelries, money and other variables as they scampered for safety. Many shops within the vicinity of the incidence were locked by the owners.

    Some of the cult members dressed in red apparel and armed with guns were seen moving around the area in search of their rivals.

    Heavily armed Policemen from ‘E’ Division have been dispatched to the area by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

    One of the eyewitnesses, a male who preferred to remain unnamed said “at about 9pm on Tuesday when I was returning home from the market, I heard a gunshot down the street and I thought it was a motor tyre bursting but after some time, I heard another gunshot, then I knew something was wrong.

    “A few minutes later, I heard people running and creaming for their lives and by this time the gunshots were everywhere, there was sporadic shooting.

    READ ALSO: Akwa Ibom officials challenge arrest order

    “Since yesterday this area has been under serious security threat, we couldn’t sleep last night. Three persons including one of our neighbours have been killed,” he said.

    Another witness, Akpan, who runs a barbing saloon along Urua Ekpa road, Ata Idung, said “There was a big problem here in this village; those guys were a big problem for all of us here yesterday. They continued this morning and I can confirm to you that two persons have died in this our street.

    “I was preparing to come to my barbing saloon this morning when a group of guys started chasing our neighbour from here. They later caught up with him down the Street, where they mercilessly murdered him”.

    Initial efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, to confirm the clash failed as he did not pick his phone calls or respond to text messages sent but he later responded through a text message.

    He said, “The Akwa Ibom Police Command received a distress call about a clash between two rival cult groups around Urua Ekpa area. The Commissioner of Police ordered immediate deployments. Two persons have been arrested, no life confirmed loss.

    “Investigation is ongoing but normalcy has been restored. However, the Command will not tolerate any act from any quarters that will truncate the peaceful disposition of the State. Those concern must desist forthwith”.

  • Police arrest ballot box snatchers in Kano

    Some suspected hoodlums yesterday attempted to snatch ballot box at Gyadi South Polling Unit at Tarauni local government area of Kano State.

    Our reporter who visited the scene of the event gathered from an eye witness that some hoodlums in their numbers attempted to snatch the ballot box, but were stopped by security agencies who released gunshots in the air. The suspects were later apprehended by the police and are currently in police custody.

    In the same vein at Magwan Primary School Polling unit in Nassarawa Local Government Area, a car filled with ballot papers and suspected to be used for rigging, was apprehended by the police. The car and the ballot papers are currently in the custody of the police.

    In another development, at Sabuwar Juma Polling Unit in Warawa Local Government Area, it was observed that underage voting was going on there, as there were inadequate security personnel in the area.

    Another issue that was observed was vote buying especially among women as many voters were seen bargaining on the price they would be given before they vote for a particular party, even though the ugly trend was being done in an undercover manner.

    In an interview with the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, he said investigation was ongoing and they would address the press once the investigation was completed.

    Also, Haruna confirmed that one person was arrested for being in possession of six PVCs within Kano metropolis.

  • Police arrest two vehicles loaded with thumb printed ballot papers

    Police have arrested two people with a vehicle loaded with thump printed ballot papers within Kaduna metropolis.

    Confirming the arrest, Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Abdullahi, said the vehicle was intercepted at Magwan polling unit in Nassarawa local government area.

    He said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the area reported the matter and he was directed to move the vehicle to the police command.

    According to him, “the vehicle is under police custody and investigation has commenced to ascertain the persons behind the act so that they can face the wrath of the law.”

    According to an eyewitness, “the vehicle was driven into the polling unit, but could not start when the ignition failed.”

  • Police arrest one-chance robbers

    The police in Ogun State have arrested a three-man robbery gang at Atan-Ota in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government for allegedly luring unsuspecting passengers into a vehicle and robbing them at an isolated area.

    The suspects, Aisu Anago, 30, Muritala Alubarika, 42, and Noah Joel, 34, were arrested on February 28 at Atan motor park, following a tip-off by Mrs. Taye Olotu, who had fallen a victim.

    She reported to a police patrol team led by the Divisional Police Officer, Atan-Ota Division, a Superintendent of Police, Abiodun Salau, that she boarded a vehicle going to Idiroko last month, but was robbed by the occupants before being pushed out of the vehicle.

    Olotu told the police that while she wanted to board a vehicle again at the same park, she saw the suspects who had earlier robbed her, calling passengers into their vehicle. Then she alerted the police.

    Command spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, who made this known in a statement yesterday, said following the information, the patrol team followed the woman to the motor park, met the suspects and arrested three of them.

    Oyeyemi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said a search led to the discovery of a cutlass and rope, which they used to tie their victims before dispossessing them of their belongings.

    He said the suspects had revealed their mode of operation.

    “They said one of them will act as the driver, while the two others will pretend to be passengers already in the car. They will sit in such a way that their victim will be sandwiched between them.

    “Once they get to an isolated area, one of them will bring out a cutlass and the other one will use a rope to tie the hands of the victim, to make it easy for them to search and dispossess such person of his or her belongings.

    “They admitted being the gang that robbed the complainant earlier in February, of N100,000.”

    Oyeyemi said Police Commissioner Ahmed Iliyasu had directed that the suspects be transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad for discreet investigation.

  • Police arrest ‘mastermind’ in Bayelsa DCP’s abduction

    The police yesterday said they have arrested an alleged ringleader of last week’s abduction of a Deputy Commissioner (DCP) Kola Okunola in Brass, Bayelsa State.

    This was contained in a statement issued on yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    Mba identified the alleged ring leader of the crowd whose assault on the senior officers went viral as Hon. Israel Sunny Goli, adding that two others,  Tamarapreye Victor, 34, and Azi Newton, 34 years were also arrested.

    DCP Okunola was on Sunday morning abducted by a crowd of armed hoodlums for attempting to protect officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from their attacks.

    The youths beat up the officer, tore his uniform, stripped his rank and were at the point of beheading him when they received information that their wish was being done by the electoral officials and they abandoned him, The Nation learnt.

    It was gathered that prior to his abduction and assault, armed youths said to be members of one of the major political parties had snatched ballot boxes and papers, which they went and thumb printed before returning same to force INEC officials to declare as results of the election.

    They were said to have absconded with voting materials for seven wards Bassambiri community in Nembe council area, hence, no elections were held in the affected areas.

    According to sources, the hoodlums manipulated the elections at a popular hotel in the riverine area, brought same to the collation centre for INEC to announce but met supporters of other parties protesting the manipulation.

    “The armed thugs that earlier hijacked INEC materials arrived at the jetty accompanied by a great number of armed youths and insisted that INEC officials must authenticate the manipulated results before leaving the community.

    “The police officer who was on duty in that area was alerted to the scene after hearing a loud noise coming from the INEC office with party agents insisting that no election held at Bassambiri and they do not know where the results came from.

    “With the number of youths, the INEC officials felt unsafe and requested that they and election materials be escorted to Yenagoa. The situation was communicated to the Police Commissioner of the State and he ordered that the officials and materials be moved to the state capital.

    “It was while on their way to the jetty that one of the candidates led youths and attacked the officer dragging and assaulting him,” a source said.

    All pleas by the officer was said to have fallen on deaf ears as the hoodlums vowed to kill him unless INEC officials returned to the centre there and commenced collation of the alleged manipulated result.

  • Police arrest woman for ‘child abuse’

    The police have arrested a woman, Mrs. Chioma Obi, for allegedly beating up her 13-year-old housemaid, Ngozi Mba, with an electric cable.

    She may be arraigned today for alleged child abuse and domestic violence.

    A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the International Charitable Initiative for Girl Child and Woman Development Foundation (ICI-GWODEF), is pursuing justice for the injured maid.

    The incident was said to have occurred last Friday at their 7, Maxwell Street, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Lagos home.

    The Nation gathered that the maid had cut the finger nails of her boss’ children and threw them away.

    On their mother’s return, Ngozi, on enquiry, said she cut the kids’ nails.

    A source said Mrs. Obi accused her of planning to use the nails for ulterior purpose.

    The proprietress of the maid’s school, Mrs. Helen Nwafor, sought to know what happened to her when she got to school the next day.

    The proprietress took her to Century Police Station on Ago Palace Way, Okota to lodge a complaint.

    The maid has told the police she would not like to return to her boss’ home.

    But her mother is pleading with ICI-GWODEF to forgive Mrs. Obi because she was taking care of and educating the girl.

    The matter has been transferred to the Gender Desk of the Lagos State Police Command.