The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Police parade suspected killers of American soldier

    Police parade suspected killers of American soldier

    •Sergeant nabbed for child theft

    The police in Imo State yesterday paraded the suspected killers of an American veteran soldier, Oscar Okebata, who was robbed and murdered in Atta, Ikeduru Local Government Area on January 12.

    Also paraded was a police sergeant, Iseke Koradam, who was arrested at a hospital in Oke – Uvuru in Aboh, Mbaise Local Government while attempting to steal a baby.

    The Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, said Osondu Chukwu (29), Uchechukwu Stanley (30), Onyekachi Kelvin Nwoke (28) and Uchendu Promise (40) were apprehended with evidence  showing they murdered the veteran, who was in the state for the Yuletide.

    The police commissioner said the suspects allegedly sold the victim’s Samsung Note 5 phone at N125,000, which led to their arrest.

    He said: “The suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery and murder of Oscar Okebata of Achi Mbieri in Mbaitoli Local Government Area, an American veteran solider who returned home for the Yuletide.

    “The victim’s Samsung Note 5 phone was sold at N125,000, leading to the arrest of the suspected masterminds.”

    The police commissioner said Koradam and his gang had confessed and would be charged to court soon.

    “On February 22, Rev. Erancisco Emeh, Chinedu Ubah (30) and Ifeoma Joseph (27) were arrested at Orient Hospital in Oke-Uvuru Aboh Mbaise Local Government while trying to steal a baby from the hospital.

    “They have since confessed to the crime, alleging that they planned to steal the baby in connivance with a police sergeant, Iseke Koradam.

    “On February 18, Emeka Onyema (19), Nduka Chekwube (22) and Dera Ebuka (22) attacked a recharge card dealer, Ubahaeze Awo, in Idemili Orsu Local Government and stole recharge cards valued at N300, 000, his car key, one phone, one Qlink 150 motorcycle and N150, 000.

    “The suspects have made useful statements and are helping the police in its investigation.

    “On February 8, operatives arrested a notorious robbery syndicate which trailed the victim after he had withdrawn some money from a bank at Amakohia in Owerri North Local Government.

    “They were apprehended as they used a master key to damage the driver’s side door of the victim’s black Toyota Land Cruiser in an attempt to remove the money from the car.

    “The suspects are Chibuzo Amankwe, Prince Igbo Williams, Enwereazu Ibe and Uchenna Ononugbo all of Agwa in Oguta Local Government.

    “They are helping the police in their investigation.

    “On February 14, following a tip-off, operatives arrested Okwudiri Aluo (35) of Obiti in Ohaji Local Government while on a robbery operation with his gang members.

  • Police confirm murder of mum, 3 children at Ikorodu

    Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, on Wednesday confirmed the killing of three children and their mother in an uncompleted church building at Agbowa, near Ikorodu.

    Owoseni said that the police was called to the murder scene at about 4:30am on Wednesday.

    “The incident happened at about 3 am this morning at Agbowa in Ikorodu.

    “The three murdered children were aged four, five and nine.

    “The mother of the children was also wounded and later died in the hospital,’’ Owoseni said.

    He said the police was yet to identify the motive behind the murder, adding that the command had swung into to bring the hoodlums to book.

    “We want to seize this opportunity to assure the public that we will continue to increase our visibility.

  • Police probe Kidnappers new tactic

    Police probe Kidnappers new tactic

    •’Victims lured with job offer’

    Do kidnappers and ritualists use job interviews to lure victims to Mende, Maryland?
    This is the puzzle the police are seeking to unravel following a message which went viral on social media yesterday.
    It was gathered that police commissioner Fatai Owoseni has directed Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives to investigate the matter.
    Those behind the scheme were said to have sent messages to applicants’ invited for “assessment” at 1, Olabisi Close, Mende also known as Guinness House. They were asked to call Human Resources on 08074645567.
    Though calls to the number were not picked, a search on True Caller indicated that the number was registered as Corps Ana.
    A source, who said he called earlier, told The Nation that a woman answered and gave her name as Vivian.
    According to him, the woman asked for his interview date and advised him to ensure he didn’t miss out because he wouldn’t have a second chance.
    An applicant, who claimed to have escaped after a man saw a popular church’s wristband on her, said the man asked her to run as those in the building were using charms on their victims.
    She called on the police and other security agencies to investigate the address, warning job seekers to stay off vacancies advertised on a social media platform.
    The victim said: “It’s God that saved me. I applied for a job via Jiji. I was called for interview in Maryland, Lagos. I got to Maryland, took a bike to the location for the interview. When I got to the lonely building in Mende, the motorcycle dropped me and left.
    “There’s no one to ask question. I called the number that was attached to the message to say I was at the venue. He picked and said his men were downstairs. I looked around and saw two men, the look on their faces was not funny.
    “They asked me to open the message for them to see, I opened it, after reading, they said I belong to room one, and that I should switch off my phone before climbing the stairs. I told them I wasn’t expecting any call, they said it’s compulsory.
    “I asked them how long the interview will last and they said three to four hours. I was tired. I told them to give me a minute to let me inform my people that I won’t be home early. As I told them, l went towards the gate to call my sister. While on the call, two men came down making them four.
    “They started shouting at me that I was wasting their time. That it’s like I wasn’t ready for the job. As this was happening, a guy from nowhere came behind me; all I heard was “my case is different “and I said so is mine.
    “He said he saw the Winners’ bangle I was wearing that I should meet him outside the gate. I followed him, he asked what brought me here, I told him I came for an interview. He said I should thank my God that I saw him if not, it would be a different story by evening.
    “That I should leave the place immediately that the people are using charms on victims. I thanked him and entered a bike that dropped one guy at the gate there and left. They called but I didn’t pick. This morning they sent a text that my interview has been rescheduled.
    “Let’s be vigilant with online jobs. I have not been myself since but I thank God for saving me because I don’t know what the story would have been.”
    Contacted, the command’s spokesman, Olarinde Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) confirmed that an investigation has begun into the matter.

  • South Africa deports 97 Nigerians

    South Africa deports 97 Nigerians

    The South African Government has deported 97 Nigerians for committing various offences in the country.

    The deportees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Monday night in a chartered aircraft with the registration number GBB710 from Johannesburg.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were made up of 95 males and two females.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, the Spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    An immigration source told NAN on condition of anonymity that six of the deportees were returned to the country for drug offences while 10 were arrested and deported for other criminal offences .

    The others were said to have committed immigration offences in the Southern African country.

    All the deportees were profiled by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) while those deported for drug related offences were handed over to the Police for further investigation.

    NAN reports that the Federal Government had also on Monday evacuated 41 Nigerian girls who were trafficked to Mali for sex and labour exploitation.

    Six of the suspected human traffickers were also apprehended and brought back to the country for prosecution. (NAN)

  • PDP crisis: Makarfi warns of breakdown of law and order

    PDP crisis: Makarfi warns of breakdown of law and order

    The blame game continued yesterday in the troubled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
    A faction of the main opposition blamed the reopening of its national secretariat for Chairman Ali Modu Sheriff on the police, which it accused of taking sides.
    Besides, the party accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of having a hand in its misfortune.
    The secretariat was sealed off by the police in June 2015 in the heat of the tussle between Sheriff and the Ahmed Makarfi led Caretaker Committee of the PDP for the control of the party.
    However, acting on the strength of the judgment by the Port Harcourt Division of the Court of Appeal that affirmed Sheriff as National Chairman, the police last Thursday reopened the secretariat for Sheriff and his team.
    But the Makarfi camp has warned that the police action could cause a breakdown of law and order, adding that the police acted in bad faith by allowing Sheriff access to the facility.
    At a media briefing in Abuja yesterday, the spokesman for the Makarfi camp, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the police chose to obey the law only when it favoured Sheriff.
    Adeyeye lamented that the police that refused to reopen the secretariat for the Makarfi camp when it won the case against Sheriff at the Federal High Court, reopened the building for Sheriff for winning at the appellate court.
    Apparently in sympathy with the Makarfi camp, a group of women party members, staged a protest at the secretariat to denounce  the reopening of the facility.
    The workers stayed away from the office, in solidarity with the Makarfi group, which they insisted remained the authentic leaders of the party.
    Adeyeye said the Makarfi camp had already filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the Appeal Court judgment and such, the police should ensure that the secretariat remained sealed until the Supreme Court delivers judgment on the matter.
    “In the light of the above, we are calling on the police and the general public and lovers of peace and democracy to ask Senator Sheriff and co. to respect the on-going litigation processes.
    “The police should ensure that Sheriff and co. do not occupy the national secretariat in order to avoid breakdown of law and order. We have noticed that the police have taken sides in this matter, perhaps because of directives from the APC, but a stitch in time saves nine.”
    Accusing the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of complicity in favouring Sheriff, the Makarfi camp said the police and the APC had undermined the rule of law.
    Deploring what he described as forceful takeover of the secretariat, Adeyeye said the keys to the main entrance to the building were given to the chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Walid Jibrin, when the  secretariat was sealed off.
    “We know that the keys to the secretariat are still with the BoT but Sheriff entered by breaking the doors, in an action totally unbecoming of a person who has been governor of a state, senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and also claiming to be a National Chairman of a major political party.  We therefore demand that Senator Sheriff and co. vacate the national secretariat immediately”, Adeyeye added.
    Accusing the APC and some of its chieftains of acting hand-in-glove with Sheriff, Adeyeye alleged plots by some government officials to support Sheriff through financial inducements.
    He said: “For the record, just last week, the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, gave unsolicited advice that we should support Senator Sheriff. That is one instance of their meddlesomeness in the PDP affairs.
    “There is no doubt that Okorocha and co. are happy that their man won at the Appeal Court but very much afraid that he could lose at the Supreme Court.”
    “Also, we have it on good authority that the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, has deployed his former Abuja Liaison Officer who was a former Intermediate Officer of the party, Mr. John Enebeli, among others, to lure some members of staff in support of Senator Sheriff by promising them huge sums of money to offset their outstanding allowances.
    “Senator Sheriff is equally luring some employees on the same jumbo promise. Let him recall that he made the same promise when he first assumed office only to dash the hope of the hapless employees.”
    The rival Makarfi camp also alleged plans by Sheriff to receive faceless groups purporting to be executive committees of state chapters and declaring support for the party chairman.
    According to the aggrieved group, the plot is meant to deceive unsuspecting party members and members of the public into believing that Sheriff has gained acceptance of the party’s organs.
    “In the days ahead, the public will be treated to a show of pre-arranged solidarity visits by illegal or non-existent state excos.”
    But in a swift reaction, a member of the Sheriff team, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, asked the Makarfi camp to stop blackmailing the Supreme Court ahead of the hearing of the appeal.
    Also addressing the media yesterday on behalf of Sheriff, Gulak said the two parties had agreed not to pursue the case to the Supreme Court, insisting that there was an agreement to allow the case terminate at the Court of Appeal.
    According to the ex-presidential adviser, the police sealed off the secretariat in 2016 on request from both factions, to avoid breakdown of law and order.
    Gulak said: “Both parties agreed that in order to pursue genuine  reconciliation, nobody should pursue the case again in the Supreme Court, because even if you get court victory you still need the people. So that we can have a convention where national officers will be elected.
    “Supreme Court belongs to all Nigerians. They said they will get judgment from Supreme Court as if it is their institution. You don’t grandstand and blackmail the Supreme Court.
    “If they are going to the Supreme Court, they should be calm. The law does not see your face. It is not a popularity contest; the law is the law.
    Gulak observed that by virtue of the last judgement of the appellate court, all actions taken by the Makarfi caretaker committee remained illegal.
    “Sheriff is still the chairman. He will lead the National Working Committee (NWC) to hold a unity convention. This party is bigger than everybody,” Gulak added.
    He admitted that the protracted crisis had taken a toll on the stability of the party, adding that too much energy had been dissipated on internal squabbles.

  • Residents condemn police harassment

    Over 300 landlords and residents of the Oba Sikiru Adetona Estate, Ilese – Ijebu, Ogun State, have condemned the  arrest and detention of their colleagues by the police for “spurious and wild allegations” by the estate developer.

    The Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Dr Deji Agboola, flayed the arrest of a member, Dr Bamidele Fagbohunka, over “concocted allegations”.

    The landlords acquired their homes through a Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) arrangement.

    They appealed to the Federal Government, President Muhammadu Buhari and the inspector-general of Police to save their members from recurring intimidation and abuse of rights in an unjustifiable manner by the police.

    The home of Fagbohunka, an enzymologist and bio -technologist, Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Remo Campus, was invaded in a Gestapo style about 3am, on February 12 by policemen, who whisked him away to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, the following day.

    Other landlords taken to Abuja were Daniel Anthony, Pastor Tayo Ajayi, Wole Ekundayo and Chibuzo Nwaogwu.

    Fagbohunka and four others are executive members of the Association of  Residents of Oba Sikiru Adetona Eastate, Ilese.

    Members of the executive are said to be having a protracted misunderstanding with the developer, Alhaji  W.B. Oshinaya, over its management.

    The misunderstanding took a curious twist on February 12 when five of the executive members were arrested, following a petition by Oshinaya

    He alleged that the exco planned to kidnap and assassinate him.

    In a statement, the association through its lawyers, Taiwo Odumosu and Frank Oponne, denied the allegations, saying they were “false and had been investigated by the police at Eleweeran State Headquarters, Abeokuta.”

    According to them, it was when Oshinaya was not satisfied with the police’s resolution that he petitioned Abuja.

  • Explosion Kills three in Niger

    Three people have been confirmed dead and four others injured in a bomb explosion in Kontagora, Niger state.

    The explosion occurred in Gari market, a few kilometers from Kontagora town on Saturday when a man in military uniform detonated the bomb and died in the process.

    The Police Public Relations officer, DSP Bala Elkana who confirmed the explosion said it was as a result of wrong handling of explosives device by a newly recruited soldier identified as private Tanko Damina who just came back from Maiduguri.

    According to Elkana, Tanko Damina was in the habit of showing explosives to the villagers to prove that he was involved in the Maiduguri operation against the Boko Haram terrorists.

    “Tanko Damina used to carry the explosives on his body around the village to show off to the villagers. The explosion was as a result of wrong handling of the explosives. We thank God that it was not a market day, the casualty would have been very high”.

    Elkana assured that there is no need for panic because the incident was not caused by a suicide bomber, adding that “it was an accident like I told you”.

    The police spokesman said the force and the army have despatched anti-bomb experts to the home of the deceased to check if there were other IEDs in the residence.

  • Police confirm electrocution of Engineer

    The police in Enugu on Saturday confirmed the electrocution of a 40-year-old Electrical Engineer, Enyinnaya Ukpabi, in Amenu Edem-Ani community of Nsukka Local Government Area.

    Spokesman of Enugu State Police Command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement that the incident occurred on Feb. 23.

    “It was gathered that the deceased, a retired electricity officer, was said to be clearing fault from a public power supply line.

    “In the course of the clearing of the fault, there was a sudden trip-off on the line, leading to his electrocution.

    “He was promptly rushed by sympathisers to a private hospital, where he was later confirmed dead,’’ Amaraizu said.

    He stated that the body of the deceased had been deposited at the hospital mortuary and that the police had begun investigation into the matter.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that similar incidence occurred on Oct. 20, 2016 when a staff of Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) attached to the university town, was electrocuted.

    The incidence happened when the staff was trying to relocate a high tension live wire to pave way for an on-going road construction in the area. (NAN)

  • Army, police warn troublemakers

    Army, police warn troublemakers

    The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has warned thugs and troublemakers to steer clear of Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas during the rerun election, today. It also assured of peaceful elections in the two LGAs, while urging leaders of political parties fielding candidates in the polls to call their supporters to order, thereby refusing involvement in violence and thuggery.

    The 6 division, through its Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Aminu Iliyasu, in an interview yesterday in Port Harcourt, disclosed that enough soldiers were on Thursday deployed in Etche and Omuma LGAs to give the necessary support to the police and other security agencies, declaring that the Nigerian army was very prepared for the elections. Acting Rivers Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Magaji, who is the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of Operations, promised adequate security during today’s polls, to ensure free, fair and credible rerun.

    The leaders of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) also disagreed on plot to rig the polls. The PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Samuel Nwanosike, accused the members and leaders of the APC of conniving with security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to massively rig the crucial elections.

    The Publicity Secretary of the APC in Rivers, Chris Finebone, yesterday evening in Port Harcourt, however, declared that Governor Nyesom Wike, his allies and members of the PDP had perfected plans to rig the elections again through violence, thuggery and bribery, while urging security agents to be vigilant and avoid double standard. Finebone stressed that candidates of APC for the elections and members of the party in Etche and Omuma LGAs vigorously campaigned, which he said would make them to record landslide victories, provided the polls were free, fair and devoid of violence/ thuggery.

    The rerun in over 200 voting units across 8 registration areas will be for House of Representatives’ Etche/Omuma federal constituency, which will hold in 147 units in Etche LGA & one unit in Omuma LGA, while election for Rivers House of Assembly’s Etche constituency 2 will hold in 74 units.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Rivers state, Aniedi Ikoiwak, stated that the polls would hold in areas where access to polling units were blocked by suspected thugs during the December 10 last year’s rerun, where election materials got to, but for violence and disruption, elections were not collated and results not declared at the appropriate venue and where elections were held, but the results were rejected and cancelled by the Electoral Officers at the ward level, because of certain malpractices.

    Ikoiwak noted that with all the adequate arrangements made by INEC and assurances given by security agencies, he expressed optimism that the elections would be free, fair and credible. APC’s Ogbonna Nwuke is for Etche/Omuma federal constituency in the House of Representatives, while Golden Chioma is the main opposition party’s candidate for Rivers House of Assembly’s Etche constituency 2. PDP’s Chief Jerome Eke is for House of Representatives, while Mr. Tony Ejiogu is the ruling party’s candidate for Etche constituency 2 in the House of Assembly.

    INEC’s National Commissioner supervising Rivers, Edo and Bayelsa states, May Agbamuche-Mbu, had earlier revealed that over 700 staff of the commission, within and outside Rivers state, would be deployed for the elections. It will be recalled that the Rivers Coordinator of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr. Omotayo Adewoye, stated that the 300 invited youth corps members would not be participating in today’s elections, to avoid being killed, since a youth corps member was earlier killed by hoodlums during previous rerun in the state.

  • Police arraign car wash attendants over customer’s stolen wristwatch

    Police arraign car wash attendants over customer’s stolen wristwatch

    Two car wash attendants on Friday appeared in an Apapa Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a costly wristwatch belonging to a customer who brought his vehicle in for a cleanup.

    The accused, Afeez Olaiya, 23, and Rasheed Adetola, 23, who reside in Ajegunle area of Apapa, are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Olusegun Kokoye told the court that the accused committed the offences on Jan. 19, at City of Hope Car Wash situated at No.72, Bale Aiyetoro St., Ajegunle, Apapa.

    He said that the duo stole the wristwatch from one Mr Tunji Makinde’s car while they were washing it.

    According to him, the complainant said he took his car to the car wash and left it with them for about 30 minutes.

    “Makinde said that by the time he got back to the car wash, the accused persons had finished washing his car, so he decided to inspect it to see if they washed it well.

    “The complainant said that when he checked inside the car, he noticed that his wristwatch was no longer there.

    “Makinde alleged that when he confronted the car wash attendants about the missing wristwatch, they denied taking it.

    “The complainant reported the case to the police and the duo were arrested for further questioning,’’ Kokoye said.

    The offences contravened Sections 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Section 285 prescribes a three-year jail term for stealing, while Section 409 stipulates two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

    The Magistrate, Mr M.A. Etti, admitted the accused persons to bail in the sum of N50,000 each, with one surety each in like sum.

    Etti said that the surety must be gainfully employed and also should show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The Magistrate adjourned the case till March 6, for the mention.