The Lagos State Police Command has advised the public, especially those who lost their vehicles to theft or left abandoned around the city to report at Mosafejo Division for identification and claims.
The vehicles are Chevrolet Express bus with registered number LND 542 BR and old Range Rover(old model) with n umber AKD 717 AW.
Activist and social commentator, Boniface Okonkwo, has filed a fundamental rights enforcement suit at the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State.
He has been in detention since January 3 when he was arrested following a complaint by businessman Sir Emeka Offor.
Offor; Area Commander, Oraifite Police Command; Commissioner of Police in Anambra State; Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 13, Ukpo; Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in charge of Nigeria Cybercrime Bureau are the respondents.
Okonkwo’s lawyers also filed an ex-parte application for his release from detention as required by the law.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, however, said he would not grant the application until he hears from all the parties concerned.
He adjourned until January 16 so that all the parties would react to the application.
On that day, Offor filed his response but the police asked for time.
The matter was adjourned till today.
Offor and Okonkwo both hail from Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The activist was said to have criticised a meter manufacturing company in Oraifite, said to be owned by Offor, on social media.
Rather than sue for defamation, Offer filed a complaint with the police.
Police spokesperson in Anambra, Tochukwu Ikenga, denied that Offor was instigating it to detain Okonkwo.
“In one breath, he (the lawyer) claimed his client merely criticised the complainant (Offor), yet he admitted that his client published on a social media space that the meter manufacturing company commissioned by the Vice President at Oraifite, an event witnessed by many dignitaries from all walks of life, was an empty warehouse decorated to deceive the people! How more destructive can an activist be?” Ikenga stated.
Ikenga, however, did not explain how the purported claim in the post should be the basis for the long detention of a citizen.
There are fears that the cybercrime law, enacted in 2015 to protect the nation’s economy and prevent fraud and cyberattacks, is now being used by authorities and the powerful to prosecute journalists, citizens and commentators who often criticise the government, politicians or businessmen.
Although the alleged offence against Okonkwo is bailable, the police said he was still being detained for “investigation” and denied him an administrative bail.
Human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), had faulted the practice of security agencies detaining citizens beyond the constitutionally stipulated days.
He stressed that Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, provides for only one day of incarceration when there is a court of competent jurisdiction within a radius of 40 kilometres from the police station.
The section provides that where there is no court within a 40-kilometre radius of the station, the person cannot be detained beyond 48 hours; or any longer period which the court considers reasonable given the particular circumstances of the case.
Observers have faulted the claim that Okonkwo was being detained “for a thorough investigation”; they believe there is a bid to give the alleged defamation or civil case a criminal colouration.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has rescued five kidnapped victims unhurt at Kuje forest in Kuje Area Council.
The police disclosed this on Monday, January 29, while giving an update on the abduction and rescue of victims by the command.
FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josphine Adeh, in a statement, disclosed that the rescued woman among them was kidnapped on January 27, 2023, at about 11:30 pm, when a distress call was received by the Iddo Police Division and on hearing sounds of gunshot around Sabon Lugbe axis, the police patrol team were drafted to the scene where one Blessing Eze, a woman was met with bullet wounds on her shoulder inside a Toyota Corolla car with RSH 724 KC, black in colour.
The police spokesperson said Blessing told the police that, she and her husband, one Joshua Eze, were returning home when some kidnappers in an unknown vehicle double-crossed them, fired guns at their vehicle and abducted her husband to an unknown destination.
Adeh explained that in response to the distress call, the Inspector–General of Police (IGP) Special Intervention Squad (SIS), the police anti-kidnapping Unit of the command and other tactical sections swung into action and rescued the victim unhurt at Kuje Forest on Sunday, January 28, 2024, at about 6:20 pm.
She said: “In a related development, on 28/01/2024 at about 05:30 am, one Peter Ede in the company of one Thankgod Ogunyi all males of Piwoyi Lugbe reported at Karmo Division that, on the same date at about 01:50 am, while praying at Idu Gbagyi mountain Karmo, some criminal elements numbering about seven armed with guns and cutlasses attacked them and abducted three of their members to unknown destination.
“On receipt of the report, police operatives from Karmo Division led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Abaya Haruna swiftly mobilized to the scene and combed the surrounding bushes and hills between Karmo to Gwagwa.
“They engaged the hoodlums in a serious gun duel and the three victims namely; one Igbodi Emeka ‘M’, Precious Uche ‘F’, and Eric Chukwudi ‘M’, were rescued unhurt. I wish to inform the general public that several heinous crimes have been prevented by the police Command without people knowing.
“The FCT Police Command is always committed and willing to work with you (residents of the FCT) to defeat crime and criminality in all its forms in the Federal Capital Territory.
“What we need most is your understanding and cooperation. Our emergency numbers are out on public domains for prompt reporting of any suspicious activities.”
The Police Command in Ogun have rescued nine out of the 10 members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos kidnapped by gunmen last Thursday on their way back to Lagos from Ibadan.
Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Mr Abiodun Alamutu, confirmed the release at a news briefing in Abeokuta on Monday.
Alamutu named Mr Phillip Aivoji, Chairman of PDP in Lagos among those freed, regretting, however, that one of the abductees, Bilikisu Kazeem, lost his life during exchange of gunfire between police and the hoodlums.
Alamutu said that the abductees were freed early on Jan. 29 after four days in captivity.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that Aivoji and nine others were kidnapped on their way back from Ibadan around Ogere axis of Lagos-Ibadan expressway after attending a PDP meeting in Ibadan.
The police commissioner said that he was not aware of any ransom being paid to the hoodlums before the release of the PDP chieftains.
The police had, on Saturday, claimed in a statement issued on behalf of the command by Mr Omolola Odutola, the Public Relations Officer, that its operatives were making concerted efforts to free the kidnapped PDP officials unhurt.
Alamutu commiserated with the family of the 37-year-old Bilikisu Kazeem who died as a result of the bullets wound he sustained during the incident.
(NAN)
A kidnap, suspect Bello Mohammed, 28, has been arrested by the police in Abuja for allegedly being the kidnapper and killer of Michelle, the teenage daughter of a lawyer, Oladosu Folorunso Ariyo, and Nabeeha, the daughter of a staff of the National Population Commission (NPC).
Bello was arrested on January 20 by the Tafa Divisional Police Officer, who acted on intelligence and raided one hotel in the Tafa Area of Kaduna State.
The suspect, the police said, was caught with N2.25 million in his possession, suspected to be proceeds of kidnapping.
He allegedly confessed during interrogation to be part of a gang that kidnapped the family members of one Barrister Ariyo in Bwari, FCT, on January 2, and killed some victims in their camp in Kaduna State.
Vicious kidnappers in military camouflages had around 7:30pm on January 7, invaded the Abuja-based lawyer’s residence at Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, and whisked four of his wards away.
Michelle was later killed by the criminals and his body dumped along Kaduna Road while the bandits threatened to kill his remaining three children and his wife if he failed to provide N60 million ransom.
A statement yesterday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the suspect, in a dramatic situation, offered N1,000,000 to induce the DPO, who rejected the offer and carried out his duty diligently.
Adejobi said the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered that the suspect: “who also confessed to the involvement of the already five neutralized bandits in Kaduna by the IRT, headed by one Mai Gemu (aka Godara), whose deadly camp has also been destroyed, be handed over to the DFI-IRT in Abuja for discreet investigation into the matter and arrest of all other culprits responsible for the dastardly act.
“The suspect is currently helping the police in their investigations.
“While commending the DPO Tafa, SP Idris Ibrahim, for the commitment and professionalism displayed in the case, the IGP further assured that the police will leave no stone unturned in decimating criminally minded individuals and bequeathing to Nigerians a more secure society for all and sundry.”
The police have arrested one Bello Mohammed, a 28-year-old suspected kidnapper from Zamfara state in Kaduna who was said to have killed Nabeeha Michelle, the 13-year-old daughter of an Abuja-based lawyer, Oladosu Folorunso Ariyo.
The notorious kidnapper was arrested on January 20, 2024, by the Divisional Police Officer, Tafa Division, who acted on intelligence and raided one hotel in Tafa Area, Kaduna, where he arrested Bello, with the sum of #2.25m (Two million, two hundred and fifty thousand naira) only, suspected to be proceeds of ransoms collected from kidnapped victims within the area.
The suspect, the police said during interrogation, confessed to being part of the gang that kidnapped the family members of one Barrister Ariyo in Bwari, FCT, on 2nd January 2024, and killed some kidnapped victims, including Nabeeha, f, daughter of the legal practitioner, on 13th January 2024, in a kidnapper’s camp, in Kaduna state.
Recall that on Sunday evening, 7th of January 2024, around 7:30 pm, a band of kidnappers dressed in full military camon invaded his home located at Sagwari Layout Estate in Dutse, Abuja.
His firstborn, Michelle Ariyo was later killed and her corpse was dumped on Kaduna road while the bandits threatened to kill his remaining 3 children and his wife if he could not provide N60 million ransom.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi the suspect, in a dramatic situation, offered N1,000,000 (one million naira only) to induce the DPO, who rejected the offer and carried out his duty diligently.
Adejobi said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has ordered that the suspect: “who also confessed to the involvement of the already five (5) neutralized bandits in Kaduna by the IRT, headed by one Mai Gemu (aka Godara), whose deadly camp has also been destroyed, be handed over to the DFI-IRT in Abuja for discreet investigations into the matter and arrest of all other culprits responsible for the dastardly act. The suspect is currently helping the police in their investigations.”
While commending the DPO Tafa, SP Idris Ibrahim, for the commitment and professionalism displayed in the case, the IGP further assured that the police would leave no stone unturned in decimating criminally minded individuals and bequeathing to Nigerians a more secure society for all and sundry in our dear country, Nigeria.
Abia State Commissioner of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), CP Kenechukwu Onwuemelie on Saturday announced the arrest of five suspected fake personnel of the Economic Financial Crimes and Commission (EFCC) in the state.
Onwuemelie who spoke through the Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the command, Maureen Chinaka, disclosed that the command through intelligence by the Central Police Station (CPS), Umuahia received information that a 4-man gang in EFCC uniforms came to Enyioma Christ Lodge Umudike and dispossessed some students of their phones at gunpoint, and forced them to transfer a total of 120,000 naira to their account.
Onwuemelie said that the command, upon receipt of the information, deployed officers from CPS to commence investigation and visit the crime scene.
According to him, the police officers arrested three men from the Man O’ War Base of the Michael Okpara University (MOUAU); Onyedikachi Ihechukwumere ‘M’ (25 years), Onwuka Christopher ‘M’ (26 years) and Tochukwu Obinna ‘M’ (30 years) respectively.
The Abia Police Chief disclosed that the police team recovered three out of the six stolen phones, A tricycle with REG No. HAF 011VG FLEET NO 5868, which was used to facilitate their criminal act.
He further disclosed one James Prince Victor ‘M’ (39 years) of Ohuhu Umuahia North, who claimed to be an EFCC personnel that led the Man O’ War suspects to the student lodge, was arrested together with Chidozie Onwuzuruike ‘M’ (40 years) of same address.
He disclosed that four red-coloured jackets with EFCC inscription, two EFCC ID cards, one of the stolen phones, one toy gun and four EFCC search warrants were also recovered.
He adds that investigations into the matter were still in progress.
“Abians are hereby advised to be security-sensitive and report to the police immediately in cases of suspicious activity, whether the individual is in uniform or not.
“Security is a collaborative responsibility; help us police you better. Hence, say something when you see something.”
The Police in Akwa Ibom have arrested 79 suspects for various offences in the month of January 2024.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi stated this at a news conference at Police headquarters on Friday in Uyo.
Durosinmi said the operatives of the command arrested the suspects for various crimes ranging from murder, kidnapping, armed robbery and cultism
According to him, the greatest achievement within the month of January is the arrest of 10 kidnappers, who were planning to unleash mayhem on the State.
The police commissioner added that the operatives of Ibiono Ibom Division recovered four AK 47 rifles during the operations.
“As we strive daily to keep the state safe, criminal elements too have continued to try to penetrate their nefarious acts.
“This January alone, 79 criminal elements have been arrested for various crimes.
“The greatest achievement within the last one month is the arrest of 10 confessed kidnappers, who were planning to unleash mayhem on the state and recovery of four AK rifles.
“On Jan. 16, 2024 about 3:45pm, operatives of Ibiono Ibom Division, relying on credible intelligence, stormed Ibiaku Ikot Oku community forest, where over 15 heavily armed suspects were camping and engaged them in a gun duel.
“Some of the suspects absconded with bullet wounds while four of them were arrested and one AK 47 rifle recovered.
“Swift follow up of operation by the Anti-Robbery unit of the command led to further arrest of six suspects and the recovery of three more AK 47 rifles,” Durosinmi said.
The commissioner of police said that the suspects came from neighbouring states to cause havoc in Akwa Ibom.
Durosinmi added that the suspects confessed that they were planning and monitoring to kidnap an expatriate involved in the construction work along Calabar-Itu Highway.
The commissioner added the suspects will be charged to Court as soon as investigations are concluded.
He thanked the good people of Akwa Ibom and solicited for cooperation and information to ensure criminal elements were arrested.
The commissioner commended other security agencies for cooperation, collaboration and support to keep Akwa Ibom safe.
The Department of Force Intelligence – Intelligence Response Team (DFI-IRT), the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command Anti-Violent Crimes Section and the Anti-Kidnapping Section have neutralised most wanted kidnap kingpin, Magamu a.k.a Godara and two other members of the gang after an exchange of gunfire between security operatives and the deadly gang.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this yesterday while parading 17 suspected criminals for different crimes ranging from kidnapping, rape and armed robbery to gun running, conspiracy, homicide and extortion.
Adejobi said security operatives in the early hours of today, 1.40 am, engaged armed bandits and killed three members of the gang in which Magamu, the leader of the gang, was killed.
He noted that the bandits killed had been the group terrorizing and kidnapping innocent citizens from Bwari-FCT, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.
Adejobi said: “This is another significant stride towards fortifying the security landscape in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the recent launch of the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and the Nigeria Police Force under the command of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun will continue to comb bushes and shanties in border areas between the FCT, Niger, Kaduna and Nasarawa states.”
He added: “In reaction to the growing concerns regarding the heinous activities of armed bandits and kidnappers across the country, the Nigeria Police Force reiterates its commitment to tackling crimes of kidnapping and banditry, rescuing kidnap victims unhurt, reuniting them with their families, taking the war to the doorsteps of the criminals, flushing them out of their hideouts and restoring peace to our dear nation Nigeria.
“The additional tactical deployments of both human and material resources to troubled areas are rapidly heralding normalcy as police joint operations with the military, local vigilantes and other security outfits in January have led to the rescue of several kidnap victims across the country, who have all been reunited with their families.
“Following a credible intelligence, a team of joint operatives stormed a kidnappers’ hideout at Orokam Forest in Benue State. The kidnappers, upon sighting the team, engaged them in a gun duel. One of the kidnappers was fatally wounded and his AK49 rifle with breach NO 955860, loaded with seven rounds of ammunition was recovered.”
“On 21/01/2024, at about 1150hrs, an Intelligence Report was received from Technical Intelligence Unit, FHQ, Abuja about the activities of a syndicate of gun fabricators/gun runners operating in Plateau State.
“On receipt of the intel, IRT Operatives on Special duty in the state tracked and arrested the two members of the syndicate, namely Pam Chung and Jacob Fwangne, both ‘m’ of different addresses in Jos South L.G.A.
“During investigation, the said Jacob Chung confessed that he had been in the business of fabricating locally made revolver guns for five years, while the said Jacob Fwangne bought two of the guns from him at the rate of N40,000 and N50,000 respectively.
“Four locally fabricated revolver guns of G3 ammunition and cartridge carrier calibers were recovered from the said Pam Chung.
“On January 25, 2024, a decisive operation conducted by FID-IRT operatives, based on credible intelligence, resulted in the arrest of two individuals: Abubakar Idris from Angwa-Gede, FCT-Abuja, and Kabiru Suleiman from Jikwoyi Phase 4, FCT-Abuja. This duo forms a notorious kidnapping syndicate operating within the FCT and its surroundings.
“In 2023, Abubakar Idris led the syndicate, armed with AK-47 rifles, in the kidnapping of Dan Ba,aje (‘m’) in the Abaji area of the FCT. Their criminal endeavour was thwarted by the military in a gunfight, resulting in the loss of one gang member, the late Jangar, and the fortunate escape of the victim.
“The same syndicate, spearheaded by Abubakar Idris and Kabiru Suleiman, was responsible for a kidnapping incident at the Tudun-Uku axis of Nasarawa State in April 2023. This syndicate is also implicated in the kidnapping and subsequent murder of Sarkin Tinsia in Kankara L.G.A. of Katsina State earlier in 2024.”
The police in Akwa Ibom State have arrested 79 suspects for various offences in the month of January 2024.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Olatoye Durosinmi, stated this at a news conference at police headquarters in Uyo yesterday.
Durosinmi said the operatives of the command arrested the suspects for various crimes ranging from murder and kidnapping to armed robbery and cultism.
According to him, the greatest achievement within the month of January was the arrest of 10 kidnappers who were planning to unleash mayhem on the state.
The police commissioner added that the operatives of Ibiono Ibom Division recovered four AK 47 rifles during the operations.
“As we strive daily to keep the state safe, criminal elements too have continued to try to perpetrate their nefarious acts.
“This January alone, 79 criminal elements have been arrested for various crimes.
“The greatest achievement within the last one month is the arrest of 10 confessed kidnappers who were planning to unleash mayhem on the state and recovery of four AK Riffles.
“On January 16, 2024 about 3:45pm, operatives of Ibiono Ibom Division, relying on credible intelligence, stormed Ibiaku Ikot Oku community forest where over 15 heavily armed suspects were camping and engaged them in gun duel.
“Some of the suspects absconded with bullet wounds while four of them were arrested and one AK 47 riffle recovered.
“Swift follow up of operation by the Anti-Robbery unit of the command led to further arrest of six suspects and the recovery of three more AK 47 riffles,” Durosinmi said.
The Commissioner of Police said that the suspects came from neighbouring states to cause havoc in Akwa Ibom.
Durosinmi added that the suspects confessed that they were planning and monitoring to kidnap an expatriate involved in the construction work along Calabar-Itu Highway.
The commissioner added that the suspects would be charged to court as soon as investigations were concluded.
He thanked the good people of Akwa Ibom and solicited for cooperation and information to ensure criminal elements were arrested.
The commissioner commended other security agencies for cooperation, collaboration and support to keep Akwa Ibom safe.