The Nation Newspaper

Tag: police officer

  • Command arrests ex-convict for ‘attempting to dupe’ police officer

    •Suspect poses as finance director 

    Ogun State Police Command has arrested an ex-convict, Surajudeen Adeleke Balogun, for allegedly impersonating the state’s director of finance to defraud the public.

    Surajudeen, a fashion designer from Ijebu-Ode, presented himself on Facebook as an employee of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), using the image of the state’s finance director as his profile picture.

    The Nation learnt that the suspect, who was recently released from prison, went back to the crime that made him to be jailed a few years ago, with his latest target being a female police officer.

    Police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrest in a statement yesterday, said Surajudeen was trying to defraud a woman on Facebook, unknown to him that she is a police officer.

    He added that the officer played along until last Saturday when he was arrested while trying to collect money from her.

    Oyeyemi said Surajudeen had confessed.

    “He confessed to the police that he downloaded the picture of the finance director and used it as his profile picture, to deceive victims,” he added.

    The 46-year-old suspect was arrested for a similar offence when he swindled Bimpe Akinmade of N950,000, having claimed to be an NNPC worker based in Port -Harcourt, Rivers State and that the woman should lend him the amount to secure the release of his brother, who was being detained at Ibara Prison, Abeokuta, promising to pay later.

    It was gathered that he collected the money and blocked the woman on his Facebook page.

    The police traced and arrested him. He was arraigned, prosecuted and jailed. But no sooner did he regain freedom than he resumed impersonation, leading to his latest arrest.

  • Three men ‘beat up’ police officer

    Three men yesterday appeared before  an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

    Ahmed Olaiya, 19, Nurudeen Alarape, 25, and Sodiq Adesina, who live Akute,  Ogun State, are facing a two-count charge of assault and conspiracy.

    Prosecuting Inspector Victor Eruada said the accused committed the offences on November 30 at Olowora Junction, Isheri Road,  Lagos.

    Eruada said the accused beat up one Inspector Sunday Adu, who tried to arrest them for a traffic offence.

    “The accused and his accomplices descended on him and beat him to a pulp,’’ he said.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 172 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate G.O. Anifowoshe granted the accused N20,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Anifowoshe said the sureties should be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    He adjourned  till January 17.

  • Two arraigned for assaulting policeman

    Two arraigned for assaulting policeman

    Two persons have been arraigned before a Customary Court in Esan North East local Government area for allegedly assaulting a Policeman, Sergeant Henry Uwagboe while performing his duty.

    The two persons, Mrs. Favour Osifoh and Mathew Eikhene were arraigned on a one count charge of assault punishable under section 356(2) of the Criminal Code Cap.48 Vol 11 law of defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1979, now applicable in Edo State.

    They however pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Barr. Kelvin Osifo, who doubles as the husband and brother in-law to the accused persons, informed the court that policemen manhandled his wife over her refusal to pay the sum of N30,000 as bail fee to release her younger brother.

    He urged the court to grant them bail.

    President of the court, R .I. Imafidon, granted the accused persons bail to the sum of N100,000 and N150,000 respectively and a surety each in like sum who must be resident with court jurisdiction.

    The case was adjourned to January 15, 2018 for further hearing.

  • Police officer arrested over alleged rape of minor

    Police officer arrested over alleged rape of minor

    The Police Command in Anambra has confirmed the arrest of a Police officer, Cpl. Bara’u Garba, who allegedly abducted and defiled a 14-year-old girl.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr Garba Umar, said at a news conference in Awka on Monday, that the incident occurred recently.

    According to him, the suspect abducted the minor near her residence at Hausa Quarters, Asaba, and kept her in custody for two days at Okpoko in Onitsha.

    He said the suspect was attached to Mobile Squadron in Sokoto but deployed to Anambra on special duty.

    “The erring officer was arrested and detained accordingly and is currently facing police internal disciplinary procedures.

    “The suspect confessed to have seen the girl wandering about in Asaba because she had lost the money with which she was sent on an errand by her parents.

    “He used the opportunity to lure and keep her in his custody but denied having carnal knowledge of her.

    “However, we will soon confirm whether he had carnal knowledge of the minor or not because the investigation is ongoing, while the minor is also undergoing a medical examination.

    ”I can assure the public that the Corporal will be arraigned as soon as the criminal investigation is concluded, “the commissioner said.

    He said the arrest followed an allegation levelled against the suspect at a station but said that the action did not reflect the core values and ethics of the Nigeria Police Force.

    He assured that justice would be done in the matter.

  • Kidnapped police officer, others rescued in Kaduna

    Kidnapped police officer, others rescued in Kaduna

    An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Emmanuel Agene, serving in Gusau, Zamfara State, who was abducted while travelling with members of his family on Birnin-Gwari–Funtua Road last Wednesday, has been rescued in Kaduna State.

    Police Commissioner Mr. Agyole Abeh, who briefed reporters yesterday in his office, said:

    “Immediately we received the news of the kidnap of the ACP and his family, we began a manhunt for the kidnappers, led by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) intelligence team and anti-kidnappers squad of the Kaduna command.

    “I’m happy to inform you that the police officer and others have been rescued. He is in a stable condition at a police facility, undergoing checkup.”

    He said the abductors gave the officer an opportunity to speak with them, perhaps not knowing who he was, adding that being a senior police officer; he used a coded language that aided his rescue.

    Abeh said: “Immediately, we mounted air surveillance at a low level, following the coded information he gave as to the location and we secured their release.”

    He said the kidnappers had not been arrested, but assured people that they would be nabbed.

    The police boss said effort was on to track the officer’s phone in possession of the kidnappers.

    Agene and three members of his family were reportedly travelling in a Hi-lux van when they ran into hoodlums, who forced their vehicle to stop and whisked them away in another vehicle.

    He is of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Zamfara State, travelling to Niger State on permission for an assignment.

  • Thousands of Police mourn officer killed in Westminster attack

    Thousands of Police mourn officer killed in Westminster attack

    Thousands of police officers on Monday lined the streets of London to pay tribute to their colleague, Keith Palmer, killed in the Westminster terrorist attack about three weeks ago.

    The 48-year-old policeman was stabbed by attacker Khalid Masood outside the parliament on March 22.

    No fewer than 5,000 police officers from across Britain looked on as the hearse carrying Palmer’s coffin passed through central London to Southward cathedral.

    Palmer was unarmed as he guarded the entrance to parliament when he was stabbed by 52-year-old Masood, who was then shot dead by police.

    Prior to attacking Palmer, Masood deliberately drove a car into pedestrians, killing four people and injuring no fewer than 50.

  • Two arraigned over police officer’s death

    The Niger Police Command said it has charged two suspects at a Minna Magistrates’ Court with the killing of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Aaron Sunday, serving with Kpakungu Division Minna, by suspected hoodlums.

    Mr Zubairu Muazu, Commissioner of Police, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Minna on Tuesday.

    He said that 14 others were also charged with causing civil disturbances during the incident that lead to death of the police officer.

    He explained that the command would ensure diligent prosecution of all those allegedly involved in the deadly act.

    He said that already,  the command had evolved aggressive intelligence gathering to strengthen security in the state .

    ” We have deployed armed  police operatives in and outside the metropolis for the arrest and prosecution of men of underworld .”

    He explained that the command had identified some criminal hideout across the state.

    ” We have set in motion security modalities that will end all forms of criminal conduct through our various security strategies,” he said.

    He solicited the support of residents to volunteer information that would assist the command to provide peaceful atmosphere in the state.

  • Man remanded in prison for assaulting police officer, court clerk

    An Ilorin Magistrate’s Court in Kwara on Monday remanded a man, Ogbechukwu Ogbe,  in prison for allegedly slapping a police officer, Sgt. Adisa Akinjide, and a court clerk, Ishola Rotimi, during court proceedings.

    The Prosecutor, Abegunde Elijas, said that the accused was disturbing the court during proceedings when he was cautioned not to make noise, but he bluntly refused.

    Elijas said that in the process, he was asked to move out of the court, but he refused and started fighting the police and the court clerk.

    He alleged that the accused tore the policeman’s uniform and threatened to deal with both of them.

    The prosecutor said that the accused was standing trial on a four-count charge of criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging his duty, interruption of judicial proceeding and intimidation.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 267, 155 and 396 of the Penal Code.

    Magistrate Babatunde Immam ordered that the accused be remanded at Okekura Prison in Ilorin.

    He adjourned the case till March 27 for further mention.

    NAN

  • ‘Fake’ police officer arrested in Edo

    Men of the Edo State Police Command have arrested Austin Ibeto, who allegedly paraded himself as a member of the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos State.

    He was nabbed at Okhuaihe in Uhunmwode Local Government.

    A police identification card indicating his purported promotion to the rank of an Inspector was allegedly found on him.

    He wore a branded polo and a fez cap with FSARS inscribed on them.

    Ibeto was alongside 85 suspects arrested for alleged offences ranging from kidnapping to cultism, robbery, impersonation and sale of hard drug suspected to be Indian hemp.

    He told reporters that the identity card and crested polo were given to him by his friend, a policeman.

    The suspect denied parading himself as a policeman to defraud the public.

    He said he had been a police auctioneer and an informant for the past 20 years.

    His words: “I did not parade myself as a policeman. They saw this uniform in my car when I was coming to Benin. It belongs to one of my friends who worked in the SARS. This ID card was given to me by the Lagos State Police Command. I do not impersonate. I am an auctioneer.”

    Also paraded was a four-man kidnapping gang who specialised in kidnapping women and defiling them.

    The gang’s leader, Desmond Ojo, said they kidnapped a woman, defiled her and collected N2million ransom.

    He said he did not use condom while defiling the women, adding that he used his share to buy a car.

    Wilson Okunzuwa, whose home was used by drug dealers to store a substance suspected to be Indian hemp, was paraded.

    Nineteen bags of the substance were recovered at the house located at Odiguetue village in Ovia Northeast Local Government.

    Okunzuwa said he was a farmer and that the drug dealers contacted him to use his home to store the substance before selling it to sub-dealers.

    He said they assured him that they had ‘settled’ security operatives, adding that he collected N1,000 per bag.

    Police Commissioner Haliru Gwandu, who paraded the suspects, said the arrests were made to ensure a peaceful Yuletide.

    He said 33 persons were arrested for cult-related activities.

    Haliru said the suspects would be arraigned after investigation.

     

  • Driver in court for allegedly biting Policeman

    Driver in court for allegedly biting Policeman

    A commercial bus driver, Monday Asien, who allegedly bit a police officer on official duty, on Friday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Asien, 45, a resident of Makinde Street, Alausa, Ikeja in Lagos State, is facing a two-count charge of threats to life and assault.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Yomi Egunjobi, told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 30, at 8.00p.m., at his residence.

    He said the accused assaulted and prevented some police officers from carrying out their lawful duties.

    “The officers were in the accused residence following a complaint by one Adanma Anachuma, his neighbour, over an alleged violent act and threat to life.

    “When the accused sighted the police officers, he took to his heels, but was caught.

    “Asien, while trying to escape, punched and bite one Sgt. Godspower Okoro, on the hand causing him bodily harm and also tore the uniform of Cpl. Tajudeen Alimi.

    “The accused was finally overpowered and brought to the station where he continued fighting, until he was locked up,’’ Egunjobi said.

    The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 56 and 172 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The chief magistrate, Mrs M.O. Oshinbajo, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N20, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Oshinbajo ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and showed evidence of payment of tax to the Lagos State Government (LASG).

    The magistrate adjourned the case to Aug. 24 for mention.