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Tag: Police

  • Police arrest two over kidnap of five-year-old in Warri

    The Nigeria Police Force said it has arrested two suspects for their alleged involvement in the kidnap of a five-year-old girl.

    The Suspects are Abdullahi Abubakar ‘m’ 30yrs and his mother, Mrs Jummai Salihu 62yrs old, both of Bukan-Kwatu, Lafia, Nasarawa State.

    Abubakar who is said to be well-known to the family of the victim kidnapped the girl under the pretext of helping her to cross the road.

    The girl, Aisha Ibrahim was kidnapped on 16th March 2019 at Ibudu 1 Area of Warri, Delta State.

    Abubakar abducted her and took her from Warri to Lafia, Nasarawa State where he kept her with his mother while he contacted the parents of the victim for ransom.

    Details of how the arrest was made is contained in a statement in Abuja on Monday by the Force Spokesman, ACP Frank Mba.

    It reads: “On receipt of the information, Police detectives from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, acting on the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Ag. IGP Mohammed Adamu swung into action which led to the arrest of the suspects and rescue of the victim.

    “The two suspects are Abdullahi Abubakar ‘m’ 30yrs and his mother, Mrs Jummai Salihu 62yrs old, both of Bukan-Kwatu, Lafia, Nasarawa State. Abdullahi Abubakar the principal suspect, who is well-known to the family of the victim, under the pretext of helping the victim to cross the road, abducted her and took her from Warri, Delta State to Lafia, Nasarawa State where he kept her with his mother (second suspect) while he contacted the parents of the victim for ransom.”

    The Police said the suspects have made useful statements to the Police on the roles they played in the kidnap adding that efforts are ongoing to apprehend other suspects, particularly one Inusah Ibrahim ‘m’ 58yrs of No.7 UCC Road, Hausa Quarters, Warri, Delta State, connected to the crime.

    Meanwhile, the IGP has observed that parents and guardians should be aware that most criminal harms done to children, including child stealing, child trafficking, rape, defilement, abduction, and kidnap are usually carried out by persons they are familiar with.

    He advised Parents and Guardians to pay close attention to their children and wards especially on their movements to and fro school in order to prevent any untoward situation that might endanger or bring the children to harm’s way.

  • Man stabs cousin to death over N500

    A 26-year-old man whose name was simply identified as Chidiebere at the weekend in Aba, stabbed his cousin identified as Chisom, 27, to death over N500.

    Chisom, until his death last Friday, reportedly lived with his aunt (Chidiebere’s mother) who operates an eatery in the Ogbor Hill axis of Aba and was said to have shared the same room with his assailant.

    It was gathered that on Thursday last week, Chisom’s aunt had gone to the market to buy things and asked the deceased to take charge of business while she was away.

    Immediately the mother went out, Chidiebere was reported to have entered into the shop and demanded that Chisom should give him N500 he learnt someone who owed the mother had paid.

    The deceased was reported to have refused to give his cousin the money, insisting it was for his mother.

    Chidiebere was said to have insisted the money must be given to him and after a heated argument, the deceased capitulated and gave his cousin the money.

    When eventually Chidiebere’s mother came back from the market, Chisom was said to have narrated to her what happened.

    A source close to the family said Chidiebere who became infuriated on why his mother was informed of development, vowed to deal with his cousin.

    The source further stated that the deceased did not take the threat as anything serious and in the night, after supper, they went to bed.

    At about 1.00am, Chidiebere was said to have awoken, reached for a dagger he hid somewhere in the room and stabbed his cousin who was fast asleep, close to the heart twice.

    The incident was said to have happened around Ebiogwu street, Ogbor Hill and as neighbours managed to bring badly injured Chisom to a clinic in the Federal Housing Estate, doctor at the clinic pronounced him dead.

    After stabbing his cousin to death, Chidiebere went back to their house to sleep not minding the consequences of his action.

    It was while he was still sleeping that youths from the Federal Housing Estate stormed the house, apprehended and later handed him over to the police at the Azuka police station.

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was away when our reporter visited his office.

    However, a senior police who would not want his name mentioned, confirmed the incident and said the matter has been transferred to Umuahia.

  • Police arrest 10 for electoral offences in Kano

    Police in Kano have arrested 10 people for various electoral offences during the Kano governorship supplementary election. Briefing reporters at the Bompai Police Headquarters yesterday, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Anthony Ogbizi, said that the suspects were arrested at various polling units where the elections were held.

    According to him, “we made some arrest at the early hours of this morning. I may not be able to give the exact number of the people arrested. I cannot tell you whether they are black or white in terms of identity; but I can tell you that some human beings were arrested and they are detained, being interrogated. They were arrested either found with sticks or in groups. We have arrested more than 10 of them. They are not party officials because you cannot identify them with PDP or APC membership cards.”

    Ogbizi also affirmed that there was adequate security arrangement across the state during the exercise, adding that “I think, to me, the security arrangement was quite in order. We did not witness any ugly incident, except minor and isolated incidences which were quickly addressed. Voting went on in all the polling units. The process of collating the result is on, some have now moved to the collation centres and there have not been any protest.”

    He dismissed allegation by the PDP that the police compromised during the election, pointing out that “if thugs had occupied any polling unit, certainly INEC would not have been comfortable to bring out their materials to conduct the voting process. Voters that went to vote would not have been able to vote. Again, you know it is a secret ballot, so we do not know which party or candidate the voters are voting for.

    “The results have not come yet. Police is never involved in the conduct of the election; we are involved in providing security for the smooth conduct of the election. So, to accuse the police wrongly, I think it is unfair. We should refute that report on social media that some people were killed in Kano. Was the name of anybody killed mentioned? Where are the witnesses? If there are not, then what are you saying?”

  • Police arrest three suspects over ‘humiliating’ nude woman in viral video in Anambra

    The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three persons allegedly involved in the production and circulation of a viral video where a nude woman was humiliated.

    Police Public Relations Officer Haruna Mohammed said  in a statement entitled “Conspiracy, Blackmail, Deprivation of Liberty and Assault Occasioning Harm” in Awka  yesterday that the victim, Ogochukwu Okafor was lured by her Facebook friend, Ifeanyi Azotani to his house in Amawbia, Awka, only for a woman who claimed to be his wife Tochukwu Azotani emerge,  and locked her in the toilet.

    He said the alleged wife, who was with her friend Ogochukwu Nwankwo returned four hours later with a cane and opened the bathroom door.

    The PPRO said the suspects demanded N60, 000 from the victim or have her humiliation video pushed to the internet.

    He said the suspect’s friend, Nwankwo stripped her naked and flogged her severally while the principal suspect was busy video-taping the incident and thereafter pushed her out from the compound naked.

    The police spokesperson said the complainant alleged that the principal suspect, Tochukwu, called her on phone the following day and demanded for N60,000 or they would post her nude video on the internet.

    “Consequently, when the complainant refused to pay the money as requested, the principal suspect actualised her threat and posted the naked video to the internet and since then the video went viral,” he said.

    Haruna said the scene of incident had been visited by detectives attached to the Central Police Station, Awka adding that the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution after investigation was concluded.

  • Police debunk reports of killings in Gama ward in Kano

    Anthony Ogbizi Michael, a Deputy Inspector-general of Police has debunked social media reports of killings in Gama ward in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano during the supplementary election on Saturday.

    DIG Michael blamed the social media for spreading the fake news. According to him, the story was the fabrication of the social media.

    “There was no such incident or arrest of some people in the any part of the state because the security arrangement was in order”, he said at a press briefing.

    “We have not witnessed any incident because voting went on in almost all the polling units smoothly.

    READ ALSO: Kano rerun: PDP, APC bicker over violence

    “There has not been report of any incident of thugs taking over polling unit. If thugs occupy any polling unit definitely INEC officials will not be there to conduct election,” he said.

    Michael said the Police Command arrested 10 suspected thugs for allegedly carrying weapons in the metropolis.

    “Some human beings were arrested in the early hours of Saturday by our men and they were found in group with some weapons like sticks and other things,” he said.

    He said investigation into the matter was ongoing as soon investigation was concluded they would be charged to court.

  • Kano re-run: Police send reinforcement to Gama ward

    The Police Command in Kano State has sent more reinforcement of security personnel to Gama ward of Nasarawa local government to beef up security at the polling units located in the ward.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

    He said that the deployment of additional security personnel to the areas followed the visit by the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Anthony Micheal, to the area.

    He said that following the report on the security challenges at the area, the DIG visited the ward to assess the security situation there.

    According to him, the deployment of additional security personnel was necessary as part of efforts to enhance security as well as ensure the protection of lives and property in the affected areas.
    “The DIG has visited Gama ward to assess the situation and had since sent more reinforcement to protect lives and property,” he said, adding that the situation had since been brought under control.

    On the alleged arrest of the commissioner for special Duties, Muktar Ishaq, the Police spokesman denied the story, saying “Iam not aware of arrest of any Commissioner”.

  • In her next world, my wife will learn how to respect her husband – Suspect

    A 30-year-old man, Umar Tambari was arrested by the Niger State Police Command for beating his wife to death.

    Tambari’s reason for beating his wife, Hawa is because she disrespects him and does not give him the honour due to a husband.

    He said her disrespect got to the height that she refused to fetch water for him and give him food which is not acceptable in his tradition.

    The incident which led to Hawa’s death occurred at Emiworo Village in Wushishi Local Government Area of the state when the couple had a disagreement over the wife’s refusal to fetch Tambari water to bath.

    According to the suspect, when he went to fetch the water by himself, his late wife then accused him of taking her water which led to him losing his temper to beat her up.

    “My wife looks down on me each time I ask her to fetch water for my bath and when fetched the water, she will accuse me of taking her water. On this day, I got angry and l beat the hell out of her.

    “My wife does not accord me the respect I deserve as her husband and I have sent her to her early grave, in her next world, she will learn how to respect her husband.”

    “She has been disrespecting me to an extent that she does not give me food she bought with my money, it is unacceptable in my place,” Tambari declared.

    When asked if he regretted his action, the suspect said, “I have no regret, she has gotten what she deserved and is a lesson to women out there disrespecting their husbands.”

    The suspect was arrested by a team of Policemen attached to Wushishi Division on a tip-off while trying to escape.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammad Abubakar, said the suspect did not waste time in admitting to the crime.

    He said Tambari hit his wife with a stick several times which made her collapse but she died while she was being taken to hospital.

    The PPRO then said the suspect has been charged to court.

  • DHQ: military, police not at loggerheads

    THERE is no rift between the military and the police over the conduct of the general elections, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) said yesterday.

    According to the DHQ, the misgivings over the roles of the military alongside that of the police in Rivers State is receiving attention.

    It said the leaders of the security agencies have shown commitment on resolving the issues.

    Acting Director of Defence Information Col. Onyema Nwachukwu said the clarifications had become necessary, considering the public concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the conduct of the elections in Rivers State.

    Col. Nwachukwu spoke at a joint news conference by the spokesmen of the DHQ, Nigerian Army (NA), Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Nigerian Navy (NN) and the Police on the previous elections and tomorrow’s supplementary polls in some states.

    Police spokesman Frank Mba, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), who read the text of the joint conference, said 1,119 persons were arrested across the country during the national and state elections.

    According to him, security agencies arrested 323 persons for elections-related offences during the presidential elections; 796 were arrested during the gubernatorial elections.

    Akwa Ibom State tops the list with 256 persons, trailed by Imo with 117 and Kaduna 109.

    Mba said that ongoing investigation could lead to more arrests.

    Shedding more light on the elections, the police spokesman said: “The briefing is necessitated by the need to bring the general public up-to-date on our activities regarding the just concluded elections, and more importantly, to shed more light on certain security challenges witnessed during the elections, before the supplementary elections coming up on 23 March 2019.

    “There is no doubt that the Nigeria Police is the lead security agency tasked with the provision of security at the polls while the military is to support the Police and other security agencies by providing security at the outer cordons, including check points and other flash points when called upon as provided in Section 217 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended.

    “We are, however, equally aware of some of the unfortunate security challenges witnessed during the elections which have generated public outcry and condemnation. The alleged involvement of some security agents in some of these unfortunate incidents is of serious concern to the military and police high commands.

    “While we appreciate the fact that some of these issues may be as a result of the overzealousness of some personnel, it is instructive to note that some of these incidents were instances of impersonation by political thugs clad in military and police uniforms.

    “We assure the general public that investigation is ongoing on security personnel who might have conducted themselves inappropriately during the last elections and appropriate sanctions will be meted out to those found culpable.

    “However, it may be too early and too premature to apportion blames and out-right indict anyone or group before exhaustive investigations are concluded.

    “Particularly, we want to single out the alleged encroachment of INEC collation centre in Rivers State reportedly by some soldiers. This is considerably a very serious matter and of concern to the military as well as the police top hierarchy.

    “Consequently, the military and the police high commands have ordered a thorough investigation of this incident and other isolated cases. Already, several of the video footages that are in circulation on social and online media platforms have been compiled to assist in the investigations.

    “In the interest of the general public, we want to seize this opportunity to assure that the military and the police are not at loggerheads as may have been erroneously portrayed. The two security agencies are working in synergy to guarantee peaceful and secure environment for all law-abiding Nigerians to exercise their civic right of voting.

    “In keeping to this mandate, we want to reiterate our joint commitment to the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming supplementary elections scheduled for 23 March 2019.”

  • Updated: Outrage as cultists kill corps members in Bayelsa

    There was outrage in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State on Thursday following gruesome murder of corps members by cultists during one of their robbery operations.

    It was gathered the cult members, in what has become a regular occurrence in the capital city, stormed the corps members’ residence along the School Road in Swali and shot three of them.

    While two of the victims were said to have been confirmed dead at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, the third one was said to be lying critically injured and receiving treatment at the hospital.

    Cult groups have overrun Yenagoa killing and robbing residents at will under circumstances that seem to have overwhelmed the police and other security agencies.

    Residents lampooned the police and other security outfits for their inability to tame rampaging gunmen, who shoot victims at slightest provocation and rob them of their smart phones, cash, laptops and other valuables.

    They wondered how a small town like Yenagoa with headquarters of the 16th Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, Mobility Command of the Airforce, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Joint Task Force, Operation Delta Safe (ODS), the police, the DSS and other security outfits could be overrun by cult members.

    The attacked corps members were identified as 30-year-old Popoola Oluwatobi Olamide, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and an indigene of Oyo State; George Onokpoma and Gbenga Dada.

    Popoola was reportedly shot dead at the spot, Onokpoma died at the FMC while Gbenga was said to be receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at the medical centre.

    The room where the corps members were attacked was riddled with bullets and the floor had thick blood stains of the victims signifying the horror that led to their death.

    Narrating how the incident occurred, a resident of the area, who spoke in confidence, said the hoodlums were about seven during the attack that occurred at about 9pm.

    He said: “We heard gunshots from the direction of the corps members’ room.

    ‘’One of the attacked corps members was heard screaming repeatedly and asking what was their crime. Another gunshot sounded and there was silence”.

    Another neighbour also said that the victims, who were discharging their primary responsibilities at a private school, the Victory Group of Schools, close to their residence, were awake marking examination scripts of their students, when the gunmen barricaded the building.

    “We are saddened by this incident. The deceased corps members were quiet and easy-going individuals.

    ‘’They hardly kept late night. They were always sitting at their doorpost whenever there was power outage,” he said.

    But angry reactions continued to trail the general insecurity in Yenagoa and the killing of the corps members with most residents questioning the essence of having many security outfits in the capital city.

    An eyewitness, who identified himself as David, said he saw the lifeless bodies of the corps members and wondered why the insecurity had been allowed to degenerate in the state.

  • Thunderstorm kills three in Delta — CP

    The police in Delta on Thursday said that three persons were suspected to have died by thunderstorm in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.

    Delta Commissioner of Police (CP), Adeyinka Adeleke, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the incident remained a suspected case because there was no medical report to prove that the victims were actually killed by thunderstorm.

    “It is true, but it is still a suspected case because there is no medical report to prove that the victims were killed by thunderstorm,” the CP said.

    The victims were identified as Matthew Utuama and Gabriel Djoma as well as an unidentified motor mechanic who came from Onitsha to repair a Tipper engine reportedly owned by one of the deceased.

    The incident happened at about 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday at Osieta Avenue in Otu-Jeremi during a heavy downpour that lasted for about 30 minutes.

    According to a reliable source, the trio were waiting inside a building when the unfortunate incident happened, adding that they died on the spot.

    “The deceased were waiting for the rain to subside when they were hit by the thunder, they were found dead on the floor after one of the victims who was injured drew the attention of neighbours to the scene.

    “The survivor accompanied the mechanic from Onitsha to the community to repair a lorry.

    “The corpses of Utuama and Djoma have been deposited at the mortuary in Otu-Jeremi General Hospital while that of the unknown mechanic has been taken to Onitsha for burial,” the source said.