The Lagos Police Command has identified the policeman who shot one dead in the Obalende area of the state on Wednesday.
Police spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin, on his X handle yesterday, said: “The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos. Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available.
“Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Command is working with the deceased’s family to ensure there is no miscarriage of justice.”
Reports said a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Toheeb Eniafe, was on Wednesday night shot by a security operative.
Eniafe allegedly challenged security operatives for bypassing the fuel queue at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) filling station in Ikoyi. Eyewitnesses said the late Eniafe and some people, who were on the queue, resisted the security operatives from buying fuel, insisting they must join the queue.
This, it was leant, infuriated the officers and led to a brawl. One of the officers allegedly shot Eniafe and ran away.
According to eyewitnesses, the officers wore Department of State Services (DSS) customised shirts
But an official of the NURTW said he was unsure if Eniafe is a member of the union. “I heard about the incident, but I’m not sure he is a member of the union. Otherwise, the matter would have been reported to the state headquarters. Kindly get in touch with the union leader at Obalende. They should know better,” he said.
Efforts to reach NURTW Chairman in Obalende were unsuccessful.
The DSS has debunked the involvement of its operatives in the incident.
The Service, on its X (formerly Twitter) @OfficialDSSNG, said enquiries about the matter should be directed to the police.
It reads: “The story that two DSS staff allegedly fired at a member of the public in a filling station and were also attacked by an angry mob in Obalende area of Lagos is NOT TRUE. The Police PRO in Lagos may be contacted for further enquiries on the incident, please.”
Police on Thursday paraded the alleged mastermind of the March 28, 2022 Kaduna-Abuja train attack with 276 other suspected criminals.
The evening train was attacked on March 28, 2022 when kidnappers derailed the train and killed eight people while 62 others were kidnapped following which ransom running into hundreds of millions were paid before Federal Government secured the release of the remaining victims.
Parading the suspects during his visit to Kaduna Police Command on Thursday, Nigeria Police Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the arrest of the mastermind followed painstaking efforts to bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.
He decried the unfettered foray of youths in their 20s into crime and the misuse and abuse of drugs, noting that use of drug contributed to over 80% of crimes perpetrated by youths in the country.
Speaking on the achievements of the Kaduna Police Command since January 2024, the Force PRO said they include arrest of alleged mastermind of the Kaduna-Abuja train attack, Ibrahim Abdullahi aka Mande, who was arrested in Rido.
Also arrested in a separate operation was one of his alleged accomplices in the train attack, Auwal Ayuba.
Ayuba admitted to being involved in the attack on the train under the directive of Mande, noting that after kidnapping the train passengers, they were later on sold to Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).
But the suspected gang leader, Abdullahi refuted the allegation, noting that he wasn’t involved and he was not leader of the gang that planned and attacked the train. He also disclaimed the Ayuba, saying that he has never met him before.
The Force PRO added the Kaduna Police arrested Yakubu Saidu, the mastermind and leader of the notorious kidnapping gang that attacked St. Raphael Catholic Church, Fadan Kamanta, Zonkwa where they razed the Priest house leading to the death of Stephen Naaman in the fire with property worth millions, including a Honda vehicle and a motorcycle, were consumed by the fire.
Adejobi said: “On 12th January, 2024, police operatives attached to anti-kidnapping unit of Kaduna State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), based on credible information swooped in and arrested one Ibrahim Abdullahi aka MANDE at Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction. The suspect confessed to being the leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorising Kaduna-Abuja highway, ranked among other criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.
“He had participated in various kidnapping incidents including the kidnapping incident at Greenfield University and he partook in almost all the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway. On 27th April, 2024, some vigilante members arrested and brought to the station one Auwal Ayuba aged 27, a resident of Kubacha Town suspected of being a kidnapper. After thorough investigation the suspect confessed to being a member of kidnapping gang and has participated in several kidnappings in Kubacha, Jere and Katari axis where many victims were kidnapped.
“On February 29, 2024, vigilant operatives of the Kaduna Command Monitoring Unit conducted a well-coordinated operation at the residence of a suspected kidnapper, one Adamu Abdulwahab, in Ganga Uku Village, Mararaban Jos, which resulted in the apprehension of the suspect and recovery of crucial exhibits, including 1 fabricated cartridge revolver rifle, 1 fabricated pistol, 2 Dane guns, 6 live cartridges, 1 discharged GPRG ammunition, 7 discharged cartridges, 2 SIM cards, 2 Tecno handsets, and 1 bloodstained cutlass.
“It was revealed during investigation that 35-year-old Adamu Abdulwahab, in connivance with other suspects who are currently at large, had kidnapped one Samaila Abdullahi, aged 40, of Keke Kingdom, Mararaban Jos, on February 13, 2024, and forcefully taken him to an unknown destination. Efforts is being intensified to locate and rescue the victim.
“On 12th February, 2024, suspected bandit/gun runner Adamu Shuaibu, aged 35, from Dumale Village under Jere L.G.A. of Kaduna state, was arrested following reliable information available to the police on his involvement in criminal activities within the state, including the supply of arms and ammunition to other criminal suspects. One AK-47 rifle with breach no. 1970/TY 1938 and an empty magazine was recovered from his custody.
“During this period, our proactive measures and relentless pursuit of criminal elements have resulted in remarkable outcomes including the arrest of 81-armed robbery suspects, 40 kidnap suspects, 73 murder/ homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 suspects involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in other criminal activities. We have successfully recovered 16 firearms of various types, along with 226 ammunition of diverse calibers.
“Our operations have led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 harmful weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers. A total of N3,350,000 only, previously paid as ransom to kidnappers, has been successfully recovered, while our swift and coordinated efforts have resulted in the safe rescue of 158 kidnapped victims, all of whom have been reunited with their families unharmed.”
The Lagos state police command said it has arrested over fifty suspects linked to the crisis that broke out in the Ile-Epo area of the state.
The Nation learnt that the crisis was fueled by clashes between local youths and hoodlums in the market situated in the area on Wednesday night and continued till Thursday morning, leaving many people injured in the area.
Some shops were set on fire while some goods were destroyed in the process.
It was also learnt that a fire service truck that drove into the market this morning was also forced to reverse after being pelted with stones.
But by the early intervention by the police, the hoodlums were restricted.
Lagos Police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the arrest in a statement on Thursday after security operatives restored normalcy in the area.
He said: “Following reports of clashes among some youths and hoodlums in the Ile-Epo area of Lagos state, the DPO Oke-Odo swiftly led his men to the scene and have since restored normalcy.
“Over fifty suspects linked to the disturbances have been apprehended, with their makeshift shelters demolished, effectively dispersing their presence.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has directed the prompt prosecution of the arrested hoodlums, underscoring a commitment to upholding the rule of law.
Fayoade issued a stern warning that any further disruptions to the peace will be met with decisive action within the confines of legal protocol.
Meanwhile, the vigilant presence of Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations), Area Commander Alagbado, and other Divisional Police Officers remains steadfast on the ground, preemptively thwarting any potential resurgence of disorder.
The police in Kano arrested 3,095 suspects for various offences in one year.
The Kano State Police Command arrested 3,095 suspects for various offences in one year, according to Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Gumel, who disclosed this at the launch of the 2nd edition of the State Police Command Magazine at the police command headquarters on Thursday, May 2.
The police commissioner said among the suspects, some of whom have been charged to court, 337 are armed robbers, while 2,101 are street criminals known in the local parlance as ‘Yan Daba.’
He also said among the suspects are 60 kidnappers, 90 drug dealers, 83 motor vehicle thieves, 62 tricycle thieves, 86 motorcycle thieves, 61 fraudsters, nine illegal forex hawkers, and 200 other criminal suspects.
Gumel said many weapons, vehicles, animals, drugs, food, and other items were recovered within one year under his watch as police commissioner in Kano.
He said, within the same period, 29 kidnap victims and 65 traffic victims were rescued and 623 thugs repented after accepting a carrot offer from him.
Items recovered include six AK-47 rifles, an SMG gun, three Barretta pistols, an Anti-Riot gunner, eight Double Barrel guns, two Makarov pistols, five English pistols, and 83 live ammunition among other weapons.
Also recovered are 215 motor vehicles, 84 tricycles, and 116 motorcycles.
He said: “The Police Command in Kano took the bull by the horns. After reviewing the crime pattern and conducting crime mapping of the State, we drew up the action plan which centered around robust community policing engagements with relevant stakeholders, synergising with the military and other security agencies, and the use of both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches.
“It is through these collective efforts that we succeeded in fighting and bringing down the wave of crime and criminality in the State.”
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Thursday, May 2, launched the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) in Kano state.
The squad is to protect schools and learning facilities and students/pupils and their teachers from kidnappers and armed bandits, police said.
The 60-man squad was inaugurated by the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Gumel, at the police command headquarters, Kano.
Gumel said the SPS was an initiative of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Ebegtokun, to adequately provide a safe environment for schooling and protect both the students and teachers as well as the schools’ facilities and their critical infrastructures.
“The SPS comprised 60 adequately trained police personnel who have been provided with the necessary kits and tools for the task.
“They will from today, Thursday, May 2, 2024, be dispatched to intensify robust patrols around all primary and secondary schools, including all vulnerable tertiary institutions in all locations across each senatorial district of the state,” he said.
The police commissioner explained that the 60-officer squad was trained from Abuja on the tactics of school policing and protection and had been given operational vehicles and hi-tech tracking gadgets for the prevention of invasions and attacks by intending terrorists.
According to Gumel, the 60 personnel are not enough to protect schools in the 44 local government areas and the metropolitan city of Kano, but such squads will be replicated to get enough personnel for the protection of schools as directed by the police inspector general.
Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested two female suspects for trafficking five children.
The suspects, Kulu Dogonyaro and Elizabeth Ojah, who attempted to escape arrest from Sokoto police operatives, were intercepted and arrested on April 27, 2024, by the FCT police operatives at Kagini junction, Abuja, while suspiciously conveying five (5) children into the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement issued on Thursday, May 2, by FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josphine Adeh said: “The operatives of the FCT police command, on April 27, 2024, at about 8:00 p.m., arrested two female suspects, Kulu Dogonyaro and Elizabeth Ojah, in connection to the trafficking of five children.
“The FCT police command, in the spirit of oneness, have now handed the suspects and victims over to Sokoto state police command for further investigation and onward prosecution.
“The commissioner of police FCT, CP Benneth C. Igweh, psc, mni, urges parents to pay utmost attention to their wards while reaffirming his commitment to ensuring the safety of the residents of FCT.
“He also calls on residents to be vigilant and take advantage of the police emergency lines in reporting suspicious activities through 08032003913, 08028940883, 08061581938, and 07057337653 PCB: 09022222352, CRU: 08107314192.”
The Imo State Police Command yesterday arrested a 31-year-old man, Micheal Uzondu, for unlawful possession of a locally-made pistol.
The suspect, from Amimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area, was arrested during a raid on a criminal hideout at No 1 Chidiobi Street, Site and Services, World Bank Layout.
According to the police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, the suspect confessed to buying the pistol from a gun-runner in Ugirike, for self-protection.
The police also recovered a substance suspected to be hard drugs from the suspect.
“The police is working to apprehend the dealers and manufacturers of locally-made guns. The suspect will be arraigned in court after a comprehensive investigation,” Okoye added.
The Imo state police command on Tuesday, April 30, arrested a 31-year-old man, Micheal Uzondu, for unlawful possession of a locally made pistol.
The suspect, from Amimo in Ikeduru local government area, was arrested during an intelligence-led raid on a criminal hideout at No 1 Chidiobi Street, Site and Services, World Bank Layout.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Henry Okoye, the suspect confessed to buying the pistol from a gun-runner in Ugirike, Ikeduru LGA, for self-protection.
The police also recovered a suspected hard drug substance from the suspect.
He said that the Commissioner of Police, CP, Aboki Danjuma, has urged residents to support the police with actionable information to curb the proliferation of illicit firearms and ammunition, which poses a serious threat to the state’s peace and security.
“The Police are working to apprehend the dealers and manufacturers of locally-made guns,” he said.
He said that the suspect will be arraigned in court after a comprehensive investigation.
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested 16 persons in connection with the murder of Inspector Christiana Erekere, who was attacked at her duty post on April 25. According to police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, preliminary investigations showed that the late Erekere was attacked during routine checks at the checkpoint in front of Bori Police Station. She said: “A Lexus salon car was stopped for routine checks but the occupants became agitated and proceeded to barricade the road, obstructing the movement of other vehicles. After completing the necessary checks, the police officers requested that the individuals leave the scene.
“But they refused, alleging that Inspector Erekere had recorded a video of their disruptive behavior with her phone. In their attempt to forcefully seize Inspector Erekere’s phone, they attacked her with stones. “The severity of the assault made her lose consciousness, and she was immediately transported to Nnadum Hospital in Bori. Regrettably, she succumbed to the injuries sustained in the attack. Her remains have been transferred to the mortuary pending autopsy. “The police have initiated a thorough investigation into this incident, and all individuals involved will be apprehended and brought to justice. The command also extends its condolences to the bereaved family.” The deceased’s family is demanding justice for her murder. She was a widow and mother of four. Her elder sister, Mrs. Nule Felix, said: “All efforts at the hospital to revive her was abortive. She has been deposited in the mortuary. She was a widow with four children and her mother is over 80 years old. We demand justice.”
