The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Maina: NANS wants suspected accomplices suspended

    Maina: NANS wants suspected accomplices suspended

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ) has called for immediate suspension of those suspected of complicity in reinstating Mr Abdulrasheed Maina, former Chairman of Pension Task Team, into civil service.

    NANS’s President, Chinonso Obasi, in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said that suspending suspected accomplices in the case would ensure credible probe of the scandal.

    Maina was in 2012 accused of misappropriating N100 billion pension funds while he headed the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reforms, an assignment given to him by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

    While investigation was being conducted on the allegation, he deserted his job as a Deputy Director in the Ministry of Interior, and disappeared from the country.

    He was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) and the Police, and was dismissed from service.

    But Maina resurfaced in the country few months ago and was reinstated in service and deployed back to Ministry of Interior as acting Director.

    This development drew the flak of President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered immediate disengagement of the officer from public service, and demanded report on the issue from the Head of Service of the Federation.

    However, Maina is believed to have escaped from the country again.

    Obasi said that revelations emanating from government circles, particularly in respect to breaches of service rules, insubordination, allegations and counter-allegations on act bordering, were embarrassing.

    He said that Buhari was elected to clear Nigeria of corruption and impunity, hence a case of such magnitude should not be trivialised.

    He said, “Just recently, a mind-boggling revelation was made of how Maina was smuggled back to the civil service after almost five years of absconding.

    “The elevation of Maina from Deputy Director to Director with evidence of official exchange of correspondence amongst government officials is nothing but attempt to ridicule the public image and psyche of Nigerians and the civil service system.

    “As advocates of sane and corrupt-free Nigeria, we make bold to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to swiftly suspend all heads of commission, extra-ministerial departments and ministries involved in this sour saga.

    “The Head of Service of the Federation, and the Chairman of Federal Civil Service Commission deserve nothing but immediate suspension from office and probe for allowing themselves to be caught in this web of professional misconduct.’’

    The NANS president said that it had become imperative for Buhari to rid his administration of those who were making mockery of his commitment to fight corruption.

    He said that the police and ant-graft agencies should do all they could to bring Maina to answer to the allegations against him and shed light on how and why he returned to the civil service after absconding for over four years.

    “We insist that same measures taken by the presidency in the cases involving the suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency be meted out to everyone involved in `Mainagate’.

    “This case should be diligently probed and prosecuted and the report should not be swept under the carpet.

    “To this end, we hereby issue a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to act and do so with the highest sense of sincerity regardless of those involved and their closeness to the corridors of power,’’ he said.

    Obasi said that if no action was taken at the expiration of the ultimatum, Nigerian students would be left with no option than to organise a nationwide mass action.

    NAN

  • Illegal detention: Court awards N40m damages against El-Rufai, Police

    Illegal detention: Court awards N40m damages against El-Rufai, Police

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has awarded N40million damages against Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and two others over the unlawful detention of the promoter of Lagos-based record company, Chocolate City Group, Audu Maikori.

    Justice John Tsoho ordered the award yesterday in a judgment in a fundamental rights suit brought by Maikori.

    Justice Tsoho held that the arrest and detention of Maikori between February 17 and 18, 2017, and again March 10 and 13, 2017 by the police, on instigation of the Kaduna Government was unlawful.

    The judge equally ordered the respondents (el-Rufai, Kaduna State’s Attorney General, Police Commissioner in Kaduna and IGP) to pay  N1, 430 to the applicant as the cost of instituting the suit.

    Justice Tsoho said the judgment should  not serve as a bar on Miakori’s ongoing trial before a court in Kaduna.

    He said the police possess the constitutional power to legitimately arrest suspects for allegedly violating law and order on the cyberspace.

    Maikori was arrested on allegations of posting “inciting” tweets alleging the killing of some Southern Kaduna students by Fulani herdsmen.

    The details of the tweets later turned out to be false, but Maikori claimed he obtained information from his driver.

    He later expressed regret over the posts and retracted them.

    The police subsequently obtained an order of arrest from a Magistrate’s in Kaduna with which the arrested him in Lagos on February 17, flew him to Abuja where they detained him and released him on bail on February 18.

    Justice Tsoho granted 14 out of the 25 prayers sought by the applicant.

    The judge said Maikori’s arrest in Lagos was unlawful, the police having failed to register the arrest obtained from a magistrate’s court in Kaduna in any court in Lagos where it effected on the businessman.

    He said: “The arrest was improper, irregular and wrongful. By necessary implication, the arrest was unlawful despite being released after 24 hours.”

    The court upheld that argument by applicant’s lawyer, Miss Gloria Ballason, that Maikori was arrested and detained between March 10 and 13 even when the police was aware of his respiratory health challenge, thereby violating his right to life and dignity.

    He said, “By virtue of exhibit 3 (medical report) an affidavit evidence, the police was made aware of the health challenge of the applicant. This fact was not controverted by all the respondents.

    “The attitude of the respondents threatened the applicant’s right to life. Right to life and human liberty includes right to human dignity and other things that make life worth living.

    “Under Section 46(1) of 1999 Constitution, as amended, the court stated that anticipated infringement of fundamental right is protected, adding that “it is appropriate for applicant to seek redress in court.

    “This court found and held that the conduct of police infringes on the applicant’s right to life, liberty, dignity, freedom, movement as enshrined in Sections 34, 35, 40 and 43 of the Constitution.

    “The judgement is without prejudice to the offences that the applicant is standing trial.

    “Social media cannot be  without social responsibility. It would amount to an invitation to anarchy to say that the cyber space is beyond control.”

    The judge noted that the Cyber Crime Act  was enacted for the control and regulation of the cyberspace.

    He disagreed with the position canvassed by some friends of the court (amicus curiae) to the effect that the social medial use should be left unhindered.

    The judge said there must be law and order in the cyber space.”

     

  • Police parades 15 for armed robbery, kidnapping 

    The Police have arrested 15 suspected armed robbers and kidnappers who operate along Abuja-Kaduna, and Kaduna highway.

    The suspects who belong to two separate gangs specialize in terrorizing travelers and motorists on the highway.

    The police also said the suspects have devised tactics for their operations as they now come from the northwestern states to unleash mayhem on unsuspecting members of the public.

    Members of the first gang according to the police were responsible for the murder of Barrister Sherrif Yazid who was killed on the 18th of September.

    The gang members also kidnapped the Wife of the Late Barrister and released her after a ransom was paid.

    The suspects who operate in military uniform include: Adamu Tukur, Ahmadu Bala, Bello Suleiman, Hamza Suleiman, Suleiman Abubakar, Nuhu Ahmadu.

    Members of the second gang are; Aliyu Suleiman, Nauru Abubakar, Muazu Lawal, Haliru Garbage,  Bello Yusuf, Rufai Haruna, Abubakar Haruna, Mohammed Yahaya, Rashidu Hussaini.

    The second gang according to the police operate with a black 18 seater Toyota Hummer bus with Jigawa registration number; XA830BKD

    The suspects pretend like commercial transporters, kidnap people and collect ransom before releasing their victim.

    Items recovered from them include Ak47 rifle, pump action gun, Toyota Hummer bus, pairs of military uniforms and cutlasses, motorcycles and others.

    Addressing Journalists in Rijana, Kaduna State on their operation, the Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood said: “Consequent on the strengthening of Operation Absolute Sanity with additional personnel and Modern Crime Detection and Fighting Equipment by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris  on Abuja  KadunaHighway with effect from 14th of September, 2017 to proactively tackle and deal with the new emerging gangs of Kidnappers on Abuja – Kaduna Highway who from actionable intelligence gathered usually move in from other States in the North East such as Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi to Kaduna – Abuja Highway and kidnap innocent travellers and after collection of ransoms move back to those States

    “On 21/10/2017, after a sustained surveillance and manhunt of kidnappers terrorising the Abuja – Kaduna Highway who were responsible for the killing of a renowned Lawyer and kidnap of his wife after collection of ransom.

    “The Special Intelligence Response Team led by this operation with other Police detachments of Operation Absolute Sanity deployed on Abuja/Kaduna Highway.

    “Six  vicious and notorious suspected kidnappers were trailed and arrested in their hideouts and camps located around toll gates, Kakau, Sabon gayan and Rijana axis on Abuja – Kaduna Highway where they were hiding.

    “All the suspects mentioned in this case were identified by the wife of the slay lawyer, Barr. Sheriff Yazid, she was also kidnapped by the same gang and freed after collection of ransom.”

    The police noted that investigation is being intensified to arrest other suspects at large adding that they All would be arraigned in Court on completion of investigation.

  • Five killed as police shoot protesters over sugar shortages

    Five killed as police shoot protesters over sugar shortages

    Witnesses say five people were killed in a town in Ethiopia’s restive Oromiya region on Thursday after police opened fire during a protest, witnesses said.

    Protesters had blocked the main road in Ambo, some 130 km west of the capital Addis Ababa, to demonstrate against sugar shortages, before police arrived to disperse the crowd.

    “They (police) then fired live rounds. We know of… five people who died from gunshot wounds,” one of the protesters told Reuters.

    Another witness said he saw up to 10 wounded people taken to the hospital.

    The regional government’s spokesman confirmed that deaths had occurred, but did not give details.

    “Demonstrations happening in Ambo have resulted in death and injuries,” Addisu Kitessa said in a Facebook statement, adding that they were organized by “enemies” of the region.

    The province was wracked by protests for months in 2015 and 2016.

    According to a Parliament-mandated investigation, nearly 700 people were killed last year in one bout of unrest provoked by plans to implement a development scheme for Addis Ababa that opponents said amounted to a land grab.

    Broader anti-government demonstrations over politics and human rights abuse then followed, forcing the government to impose a nine-month state of emergency that was finally lifted in August.

    Separately, ethnic clashes killed at least 11 people on Monday in the same region. Another bout of violence along Oromiya’s border with the country’s Somali region last month displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

    The developments highlight tensions in the country where the government has delivered high economic growth but it often accused of curbing political freedoms.

    The government denies clamping down on free speech and blames rebel groups and dissidents abroad for stirring up violence.

  • Aisha Buhari denies car gifts from Police IG

    Aisha Buhari denies car gifts from Police IG

    Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari has denied allegations by Senator Isa Misau that the Inspector General of Police (IG) gave her  two Sports Utility Vehicles.

    In her response to the allegation on Twitter, the first lady said “I am still using my personal cars”

    Misau made the allegation on Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate committee investigating the allegations against the IGP.

    He also told the panelists that the police boss employed  four civilians in his office with the salary of the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG).

    Misau said details of how Idris gave Mrs. Buhari the two SUV were contained in the documents the police boss submitted to court in the suit instituted against him by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, on behalf of the Federal Government.

    “I still have some contract papers that the IG himself submitted to the court, where the First Lady through her aide-de-camp requested a Toyota Hiace and a Sienna jeep. The same day that the ADC wrote, the IG minuted that she should be given two jeeps. And it is not part of the appropriation. If you look at the appropriation, there is nowhere they said the First Lady should be given two jeeps.”

    When asked to clarify who the “First Lady” was as she could be wife of the president or a governor, Misau said “The letter came from the ADC to the wife of the President.”

    “The most unfortunate thing is that even in the letter, the ADC wrote that they wanted the vehicles for her private engagements; they wrote that they wanted Sienna and Hiace and the IG said they should be given two jeeps. And he supplied the document to the court,” he stated.

  • Police, DSS seal off venue of PANDEF’s Assembly in Port Harcourt

    Police, DSS seal off venue of PANDEF’s Assembly in Port Harcourt

    Fully armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Services ( DSS ), early morning today, sealed off Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, Rivers State’s venue of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum’s ( PANDEF ) General Assembly, allegedly because of security threat.

    Also sealed were all the roads leading to the five-star hotel, owned by the Rivers state government, with the accredited delegates from all the nine crude oil and gas-rich states stranded.

    After waiting for many hours at the hotel’s entrance, with none of the security personnel ready to speak, it was gathered through the telephone from one of the leaders of PANDEF, who would not want his name in print, that PANDEF’s leader, Chief Edwin Clark, 90, who arrived Port Harcourt on Tuesday and lodged in Hotel Presidential, is currently presiding over an emergency meeting of some of the leaders the forum inside the hotel.

    The source disclosed that at the end of the meeting, a communique would be issued, in order to know the next line of action.

    PANDEF’s general assembly in Port Harcourt that was aborted by security personnel, was to elect officers of the forum at the national, states and local governments, as well as elect members of PANDEF’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Advisory Committee and ratify the constitution of the forum, among others, with PANDEF said by its leaders at Monday’s news conference in Port Harcourt to be on the same level with Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF).

    Presidency: Jonathan govt officials, Maina shared loot 

  • Police arrest five suspects for breaking into 10 shops

    Police arrest five suspects for breaking into 10 shops

    The Police in Jigawa on Thursday announced the arrest of five persons suspected of breaking into 10 shops in Dutse, the state capital.

    The command Public Relations Officer, Jinjiri Abdu, confirmed the arrest in an interview in Dutse.

    According to him, the suspects have been terrorizing shop owners along the popular Hakimi street in Dutse and other parts of the town.

    Abdu alleged that those arrested had broken into over 10 shops in the last three months and carted away goods and other valuables.

    The command spokesman explained that three of the suspects believed to be directly involved in the alleged crime were apprehended in the locality while two others were arrested in Kano for alleged receipt of stolen items.

    He said the suspects would be charged to court on conclusion of investigation and urged residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious character to the nearest police station for prompt action.

    NAN

  • Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    Police rescue two suspected robbers from mob in Enugu

    The operatives of the Police Command in Enugu State say they have rescued two suspected robbers from mob and lynching in Amuri road near Enugu.

    The Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO ) for the command, Asp. Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement on Thursday in Enugu.

    He said that the suspects, who attempted to flee after they made effort to steal a motorcycle, were rescued on Oct. 22.

    The police image maker noted that the rescue was carried out by police operatives from Agbani Division of the command.

    The spokesman said that the two suspects, name with held, hailed from Ogbaku in Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo.

    “The two suspects received beating of their lives from the mob that promptly descended heavily on them for allegedly stealing a Top Star Motorcycle from where it was parked at Amuri Road at Agbani,’’ he said.

    He said the owner of the said motorcycle had gone to purchase some items from Eke Agbani Market.

    “It was gathered that suspects, having been sighted by good citizens, were promptly given a hot chase by members of the public who eventually closed them up.’’

    “They gave them the beating of their lives which left them with various degrees of injuries before the arrival of police operatives who immediately rescued them from being lynched.’’

    Amaraizu, who said the suspects were receiving medical attention while the motorcycle has been recovered, said the command had begun full scale investigations into the matter.

    NAN

  • Police arraign man for raping his 16-year-old daughter

    Police arraign man for raping his 16-year-old daughter

    A 52-year-old man Paul Akpederi was yesterday arraigned by the police before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly raping his 16-yearold daughter.

    Paul is facing a one count charge of child defilement.

    Prosecuting Inspector Simon Imohwon said the offence was committed sometime between 2012 till date.

    The prosecutor alleged that the defendant forcefully and unlawfully raped his daughter several times during the period.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Counsels to the defendant, A.O Gbadamosi and Oluwatoyin Odubanjo applied for bail for the defendant.

    They also filed for an application seeking for psychiatric test on the defendant to determine his mental state as his family members have been making efforts to determine his state of mind.

    “For the defendant to behave in such manner, they want to know what is actually wrong with him before the court takes its verdict, Gbadamosi argued.

    The counsels also said that Paul “talks to himself and shouts at anything, fights unknown persons or spirits, gets angry and argues over irrelevant issues”.

    Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi granted him N500,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation to the defendant.

    She also granted the request of the defence for a psychiatric test to be conducted on the defendant and report of the medical examination to be presented in court at next adjourned date.

    She adjourned the matter till December 6.

  • Police uncover arms factory in Delta

    Police uncover arms factory in Delta

    Delta State Police Command has arrested three suspects for allegedly manufacturing arms at a factory at Enwhe community in Isoko South Local Government of Delta State.

    AK 47, automatic revolver, single barreled rifles and pistols are manufactured at the factory, which has been in existence for years, the police said.

    The Nation learnt that the suspects allegedly supply arms and ammunition to criminals.

    The suspects, it was gathered, owned the building where the arms are manufactured.

    Police Commissioner Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, who confirmed the arrest, said his men, acting on a tip-off, arrested Afferay Editor, adding that the arrest of the leader led to further arrests at Uzere/Aviara and Enwhe communities.

    Read also: Police arrest 31 suspects for various crimes in Edo

    He identified others as Solomon Ureye and Edejero Ureye.

    Ibrahim said: “Two fabricated AK 47, automated revolver, two single barreled rifles, two locally-made pistols, 82 rounds of live ammunition, drilling machine/equipment used for the manufacture of locally-made guns, four phones and a parcel of substance suspected to be Indian hemp were recovered from the suspects.”