The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Party debunks allegations of conniving with police in Zamfara

    Zamfara State All Progressives Congress (APC) Publicity Secretary Malam Shehu Ahmed Isa  has debunked allegations of conniving and terrorising voters with a view to cart away electoral materials in some part of the state.

    Isa was reacting to news conference held by the National Rescue Movement governorship candidate, Senator Sa,idu Dansadau, who alleged that the APC spokesman had on election day connived with police, other security agencies by storming a polling unit at Wanaka.

    It was alleged that he went away with election materials after sporadic shooting in the air by security operatives.

    Isa said he was nowhere at the area of the incident during the time of election, stressing that anyone conversant with the road on Wanaka, would know that security personnel were ready to protect lives and property in the area because of armed robbers and lawless marauders.

    Shehu advised Dansadau to grow up in politics, especially as an elderly person and respect the laws

    On allegation  against the state governor, Abdul Aziz Yari, Isa explained that Dansadau should stop telling lies about the governor.

    Dansadau was claimed to have said, if APC  was not in the contest, election would not hold in Zamfara State.

    “Even if Yari made such statement, he was making the statement with his mind focused on the provisions of the constitution and the right of the APC to contest in the election, noting in his mind that there is a case in court, which we subsequently won,” Isa said.

  • Police arrest 28 suspected criminals

    Cross River Police Command has arrested 28 suspected criminals, who allegedly perpetrated robbery, kidnapping, unlawful possession of fire arms and others.

    Police Commissioner Austin Agbonlahor, who briefed reporters in Calabar while parading the suspects, said the command planned to rid the state of criminals in line with the vision of the Nigeria Police Force.

    He said the police had its strategies, which were yielding immense results in an attempt to rid the state of criminals.

    The commissioner said part of the strategy was constituting police patrol teams to man strategic locations and circulating emergency phone numbers that could be contacted by the public during any incident.

    He said the command was not wasting time in prosecuting criminal cases after conclusion of investigation, as it was only the courts that had the power to prescribe punishments for criminals

     

     

  • Police confirm 5 persons killed by gunmen in Taraba

    The Police Command in Taraba has confirmed the killing of five persons by gunmen in the early hours of Sunday after the general elections in the state.

    The Police Public Relations Officer(PPRO) in the state, Mr David Misal, made the confirmation while speaking  to newsmen in Jalingo.

    Misal said the five persons were coming from Umari to Cambri villages in Karim Lamido Local GovernmentAra when they  were ambushed at about 3:00 a.m.  by the hoodlums and shot dead.

    The PPRO  however, explained that the killings had nothing to do with the elections.

    “Yes, five people were ambushed by hoodlums and shot dead in the early hours of Sunday in Karim Lamido Local Government Council of Taraba.

    “The killings do not have to do with elections, it is being investigated as a criminal matter,” he said.

    However, Mr Aaron Artimas, the  spokesperson of the All progressives Congress (APC) in the Taraba, said one of the victims, Malam Muhammed Kambari, served as APC agent in his home town of Kambari and was coming from the village in the company of   others when some  gunmen suspected to be political thugs shot them dead.

    “Kambari went to his home town of Kambari where he served as a party agent and was on his way back to Karim, the local government headquarters where they would proceed to Jalingo with the election results when he and four others were waylaid and killed.

    “We have filed the report with the police and so far nothing has come out of it yet but it is our hope that they will bring the perpetrators to book,” he said.

    Alhaji Inuwa Bakare,the spokesperson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, described the death of the five persons as “most unfortunate” but maintained that the party had nothing to do with the incident.

    “The election in Karim Lamido Local Government Area and indeed the entire state was very peaceful and there was no incident of recorded violence.

    “It is sad that people were killed after the election on their way to back to Jalingo.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Presidential and National Assembly elections were held peacefully across the state on Saturday and collation of results ongoing in various local government councils. (

  • Police confirm three dead in Kogi

    The Police have confirmed three person’s dead in Kogi State during Sunday’s rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Police spokesman William Aya stated two persons died in Anyigba town and Odolu town, on election day.

    He mentioned one police orderly to a Senior Special Assistant to Kogi Governor was also killed by gunmen in Okene, on election eve.

  • Police arrest four with eight PVCs in Kano

    Kano State Police Command on Saturday arrested four persons in possession of eight PVCs during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Abdullahi, confirmed the arrest while addressing newsmen in Kano on Saturday.

    He said the suspects were arrested in Sabon Gari area, Fagge local government area and had since been taken to Criminal Intelligence Department, CID, for investigation.

    DSP Haruna Abdullahi also said that four other persons were arrested for allegedly destroying election materials and attempt to snatch ballot boxes.

    The Command Spokesman added that the incident occurred at a Polling Unit in Takalmawa village of Gabasawa local government area of the state.

  • Elections: Police arrest 23 in Lagos

    No fewer than 23 persons were arrested for various electoral offences in Lagos State on Saturday, according to the Commissioner of Police in Lagos, CP Zubairu Muazu

    Muazu told newsmen after monitoring the exercise with the AIG Mr David Folawiyo that nine persons were arrested for allegedly burning and destroying election materials at Okota.

    The CP said that 10 motorcycles used by the hoodlums to move to Okota were recovered.

    He said nine persons linked to a cult group were also arrested for thuggery in Somolu area and for attempting to cause problems during the elections.

    Muazu said during a stop and search operation by some policemen, two suspects were arrested at Stadium area Surulere in a private car, and one locally-made pistol was recovered from them.

    “At Alakara area of Mushin, three suspects were arrested trying to disrupt the elections.

    “No death was recorded in Lagos State. Although social media says so, in all the areas I visited, I did not see any dead person and none of my officers reported any death to me,” he said.

    Muazu said that the police was investigating the free movement of some persons on motorcycles at Okota where hoodlums disrupted elections.

    “There were some crises at Ijora area, but they were brought under control.

    “The elections were peaceful generally. Voting went on smoothly and ended well in most of the polling units.

    “Those arrested will be charged to court at the conclusion of investigation,” Muazu said.

  • PDP urges court to void Buhari’s directive on ballot box snatchers

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Federal High Court to, among others declare illegal the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with ballot box snatchers.

    The request is contained in a suit it filed on February 21 this year.

    The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/225/2019 has the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Police Force and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants.

    It is the plaintiff’s contention that the directive was illegal and beyond the powers of the President.

    The party also argued the President lacked the powers to deploy the military for electoral purposes. And that any deployment of the military must be with the prior approval of the National Assembly.

    Read also: Soldiers intercept bus load of thugs

    The plaintiff wants the court to declare that the President “lacks the powers to deploy the 5th to 7th defendant (Army, Air Force and Navy) to participate in the 20019 general elections without the prior express approval of the 2nd defendant (National Assembly). And that such deployment in the absence of the 2nd defendant’s approval, is illegal and unconstitutional.

    It seeks orders of perpetual injunctions against the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police from given effect to the said directive by the President.

    The PDP also wants a perpetual injunction restraining the President from deploying the armed forces and their officials to participate in the general election.

    It is also praying the court to restrain the 5th to 7th defendant (the armed forces) and their officials “from participating and or playing any role whatsoever” in the general election without the aproval of the National Assembly.

    Also, the PDP has applied to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for leave to apply for an order of mandamus to compel the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), the Minister of the FCT and the APC to pull down the gigantic brooms which they erected in some parts of the city as part of the party’s campaign strategies.

    The PDP, in an ex-parte motion, marked: M/3476/2019, argued that the giant brooms were illegally erected at the City Gate, and other parts of the city.

    Both cases are yet to be assigned for hearing.

  • Three CPs, EFCC operatives deployed in Ekiti for polls

    Three Commissioners of Police and operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are now on ground in Ekiti State for the conduct of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The commissioners, Mr Kosi Ajuwon, the CP in charge of Welfare at the police headquarters in Abuja and CP M. Kura from the Nigerian Ports Authority in Lagos, are to work in collaboration with the CP in charge of Ekiti Command, Mr. Asuquo Amba to make the elections free, fair and peaceful.

    The Command’s public relations officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, who spoke with newsmen in Ado Ekiti on Friday, said: “The CPs came last week only for the elections to be postponed, which made them return to Abuja temporarily.

    “They returned to Ekiti on Thursday and each of them shall be in charge of the three senatorial districts of the state”.

    Ikechukwu added that the command received operatives of the EFCC on Thursday, whom he said came for the purpose of dealing with vote buyers.

    ” They came to Ekiti on Thursday for the purpose of dealing with vote buyers.

    “They will dress in mufti and sniff around to arrest politicians who used to buy votes”.

    The PPRO stated that policemen and other sister agencies are already on ground in all the 16 local government areas of the state.

    He said they will be distributed across all the 2,195 polling units and registration areas by midnight for smooth conduct of the elections.

    ” Also, our Special Protection unit and Special Tactical unit, as well as mobile policemen, are on ground to protect election materials, quench any case of violence and deal with other emergency situations “.

  • Police arrest Jibrin-Kofa over Kano APC, PDP clash

    The Police Command in Kano State says it has arrested a member representing Kiru/Bebeji Federal constituency, Abdulmumini Jibrin-Kofa over Thursday’s clash between supporters of PDP and APC.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Abdullahi Haruna confirmed the arrest of the lawmaker in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kano on Friday.

    He said Jibrin-Kofa was arrested alongside some political leaders from the area in connection with the clash between supporters of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Kofa village in Bebeji local government area.

    He said Jibrin-Kofa was arrested alongside the political leader for questioning over the incident.

    No fewer than two persons lost their lives following the clash while 20 vehicles were burnt and 18 others vandalised.

    A reliable source told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the state police Commissioner, Mr Wakili Muhammad and the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone One; Mr Dan Bature arrested Jibrin-Kofa at Kofa village on Friday.

    The two top Police officers were in the village to assess the security situation in the area and the extent of destruction of facilities at the village.

    NAN reports that many people sustained various degrees of injuries during the clash in the village. (NAN)

  • Policeman, thugs arrested for branding private vehicles in police colours

    An unidentified police inspector was arrested on Thursday at a hotel in Ewet Housing Estate for aiding some people to brand two private vehicles in police colour.

    The vehicles made to look like patrol vehicles were ostensibly to be used during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.

    The two vehicles, Volvo V70, it was learnt, is similar to the one procured by the state government for the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.

    A local tabloid, quoting a source privy to the development, said the police intercepted the thugs and policeman at the hotel, while they were branding the vehicles.

    The source said: “There was information that some men suspected to be political thugs working for one of the political parties was branding the type of Volvo V70 vehicle which the state government donated to the police.

    “The branding was being done ahead of Saturday’s elections. The vehicles already had the siren installed and the police inscription also on it, as well as the identification numbers.

    “When the police got to the hotel, the suspects had already relocated one of the vehicles while the second one was being branded with the assistance of the police inspector.

    “He (the inspector) was taken to the police station and the vehicle was recovered.

    “The police inspector was taken to the police station for investigation and he made useful statements.

    “He mentioned some persons who engaged him in the services he was rendering.

    “Investigation is ongoing. The inspector is serving in one of the intelligence departments in the Akwa Ibom State Police Command.”

    The Nation contacted the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Odiko MacDon, to authenticate the report he cut off the line midway into the conversation.

    His line was called several times but he refused to pick his phone.

    He also didn’t respond to an SMS sent to him.

    After repeated attempts, he finally picked the phone but told our reporter that he was in a meeting.