The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Police rescue PDP chieftain from kidnappers’ den

    Police Personnel of the Safer Highway Patrol team under Aba Area Command has successfully rescued a chieftain and former Governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Ukpai Ukairo from kidnappers’ den.

    Ukairo who is the southeast legal adviser of the PDP was said to have been heading to Aba after a meeting of the party in Umuahia, the state capital when the armed men numbering five attacked him.

    The Nation gathered that his Personal Assistant and driver that were kidnapped alongside the PDP lawyer have also regained their freedom and reunited with their families unhurt and without any payment of ransom.

    Three members of the gang including leader of a notorious robbery and kidnapped gang identified as Onyekachi Ogbonnaya are in custody of the Aba Area Command where they were said to be undergoing further interrogation.

    Sources at the Aba Area Command told our reporter that police had already launched manhunt on other members of the gang who were still at large.

    A highly placed source at the Aba Area Command that pleaded anonymity told our reporter that police has also recovered a Toyota Vensa belonging to the PDP chieftain which was also taken away by the hoodlums.

  • Crime: IGP deploys unit to Arepo, Ibafor

    Crime: IGP deploys unit to Arepo, Ibafor

    The Acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, has deployed a tactical operation Unit to flush out vandals and other criminal elements operating in Arepo and Ibafor areas of Ogun State

    The team deployed comprises of the Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit and a back-up of an Air Surveillance Team.

    The Police chief explained that the deployment of the Unit will ensure the return of normalcy to the areas in record time.

    This is contained in a statement in Abuja on Friday by the Force Spokesperson, Don Awunah.

    The IGP while stating that the Force will not watch any criminal group or groups take laws into their hands, authorized the Unit to deal decisively with anyone who constitutes himself as an enemy of the State.

    He also urged citizens of the area to return home and go about their normal businesses.

    In another development, the Nigeria Police Force has arrested one Aloysius Ebiniko, said to be the kingpin of the armed gang that abducted and murdered Col. Samaila Inusa in Kaduna State.

    The Police explained that the arrest of Ebiniko was made possible following credible technical intelligence employed by the Police after a confessional statement of a member of the gang earlier arrested.

    The Police noted that Ebiniko will soon be arraigned in court.

  • ‘Police should monitor herbal medicine dealers’

    ‘Police should monitor herbal medicine dealers’

    The Abia State Commissioner for Health, Dr John Ahukanna has urged the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to monitor herbal drug makers in order to check their excesses and ensure the people’s health safety.

    Speaking during the United Nation’s Day Against Drug Abuse in Umuahia, Ahukanna said that if the NDLEA are serious about fighting drug abuse they must have a say on the constant trade fairs organised in the state capital by herbal medicine dealers.

    Ahukanna said that the herbal medicine trade fairs are a form of drug abuse which the state police command and the NDLEA should look into to save the people from health problems.

    The Abia Health commissioner noted that the country through NDLEA and other law enforcement agencies is winning the war against sale and use of illicit drugs, “with the high number of syndicates that are being smashed almost on a daily basis.”

    He said, “Trafficking syndicates are being incapacitated by the seizure and destruction of many kilograms of narcotics recovered from them and conviction of many of them in law courts, while addicts are being rehabilitated in many rehabilitation homes across the country.”

    He said that NDLEA and the federal government still needs to do more in the fight against hard and illicit drugs, to ensure that youths who are the greatest assets of the country are well protected at all times.

    Ahukanna said that the state government under Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is not relenting in the war against hard and illicit drugs, stressing that the present administration has been promoting awareness of the dangers associated with drug abuse.

    The health commissioner explained that the governor has also set up the Abia State Drug Abuse Control Committee which has been complimenting the efforts of the NDLEA and other agencies through enlightenment campaigns in schools, motor parks and other places, on the dangers of drug abuse.

    He advised parents to be close to their children and educate them about the risks in drug abuse, peer pressure and dangers in keeping bad companies, stressing that it is only when parents are close their children that the issue of drug abuse could be reduced.

    Earlier the Abia state assistant state commander, operations and intelligence of NDLEA, Mansel Kupi in his speech said that for decades, drug abuse and trafficking has constituted a major global menace and has also strained relationships among countries in the world.

    Kupi also said that the issue of drug abuse and trafficking has caused a serious economic problems to both source and consuming countries, while regretting that Nigeria for a years now has been given the unfortunate tag of a transit country.

    He said that this year’s theme is ‘Listen First’, stressing that the emphasis of the theme in on the need for parents to listen to their children and the youths as the first step to help them grow healthy and safe.

    The assistant NDLEA boss in the state explained that the idea behind parents listening to their children, “Is that it will enable them [parents] know what is on their children’s mind to avoid certain acts by taking premptive measures”.

    He explained that young people and adolescents have been identified as the high risk group prone to drug abuse, adding that any drug education which does not include the need for the youths to develop skills to withstand the pressure not to use drugs is not complete.

    Kupi said, “Any preventive drug education programme targeted at this group [youths] is not complete without highlighting the need for them and others to develop coping skills to withstand any negative pressure to use drugs”.

    Coping skills are ability required to resist illicit drug use or abstain from drug abuse and these skills include, decision making skills, inter-personal relation skills, communication skills, refusal

    skills and others. These copping skills may take time to develop and can only be achieved by constant ‘Listening’ and communication with the youths.

    The highlight of the awareness campaign was a play-let performed by members of the NYSC of Umuahia North local government area, which depicted the way drug abuse destroy youths and families.

     

  • Slain police sergeant’s last moments, by niece

    Slain police sergeant’s last moments, by niece

    Police sergeant Yusuf Hadi Imeko, who was killed by suspected pipeline vandals in a boat robbery on his way to work last Monday, has been described as a gallant officer.

    His niece, Hajia Sherifah Yusuf-Ajibade, told The Nation yesterday that he was passionate about his job, adding that he was promoted from Corporal to Sergeant last month.

    Imeko was observing the Ramadan fast when he was killed.

    The late Imeko with Force Number 397842 was said to have been referred to as “the enemy” before the gunmen rained bullets on him.

    According to Yusuf-Ajibade, the deceased is survived by his widow and four children, the eldest is in Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3).

    She said: “The vandals have turned his small family to one of a widow and four orphans.

    “I lost a cousin, who grew up under my care. Who was very close because our family is quite traditional and closely knitted. Let the government always keep that place and other hot spots under surveillance 24/7. I must admit it is a loss only Allah can grant us the fortitude to bear. I am indeed deeply pained. I mourn; really I mourn my gallant Mopol. He loved his job; he was very passionate about his police job.”

    Reliving his last moments, Hajia Yusuf-Ajibade said: “On Monday, he went round to greet people.  He was the type that related freely with people but was calm during this Ramadan period. The boys in the area knew him as security personnel. They asked him to give them money, he dashed them money to mark his promotion to the rank of Sergeant and celebrated with the boys in the area. He came back home, cleaned himself and dressed up for work. He was even fasting that day. His station is at Ajah. So, taking water transportation is shorter. It was in the middle of the water that those attackers attacked the boat. He was fully kitted. Normally he takes his gun along with him but he had submitted his gun on Friday at work before he returned to the house. He does not bring his gun with him at weekends except he has official assignments. So, he had no arm that day to defend himself. We don’t know if they have information about him but what we heard was that government is watching those pipeline vandals closely and they see the security personnel as their enemies.”

    According to her, the residents later got to know that the vandals had sent a message to the Baale that they were coming to attack that Monday.

    She said: “The Baale did not tell the residents. May be he thought it was an ordinary threat. If he had known that the vandals meant what they said, he would have informed the people. The vandals stopped him and the other passengers in the boat. We learnt that after they shot him in the leg, he started pleading with them.

    “The boat driver, while trying to speed off, was threatened to stop if he did not want to die. They told him that they have an enemy in the boat and they want to deal with him. They shot him twice in the stomach and scampered when they saw that he was gasping for breath. We learnt that their own boat has two engines, so their boat could run faster. People who quickly came to his rescue carried him but they discovered that he was dead. They just still had to take him to a nearby clinic. They took him to Igando Police Station and that was where we met his body.”

    Hajia Yusuf-Ajibade said the late Imeko was proud of his job, stating: “He loves his job very much. Our dad once discouraged him from joining the police because he grew up with us. The police job has taken him to so many places. There was a time when kidnapping was rampant in the Southsouth; he was deployed there. He was also posted to the Boko Haram prone areas. He said it was while they were airborne that they were told that they were going to the North-east. He fought with the Boko Haram militants in Maiduguri, Borno State.”

    She said the remains of Imeko were interred on Tuesday.

  • Alleged $487,700 theft: Police launch manhunt for Lebanese

    The police in Lagos have launched a manhunt for a Lebanese Bureau De Change (BDC) operator who allegedly absconded with a customer’s $487,700.

    The man identified as Aly Sahad was said to have fled with the said amount at about 3pm on Tuesday when the owners took the money to his office.

    It was learnt that three men- Salisu Shuaib, Abdulsalam Isiaka and Mohammed Grima went to the police to report after waiting several hours for the suspect who told them he was going to the bank to perfect the transaction.

    The complainants were said to have handed over the amount to the suspect at 5, Idowu Taylor street Victoria Island in order to get the Naira equivalent remitted into their bank accounts.

    After waiting for about four hours without seeing him, the victims, it was gathered, went to the police station where an official report was lodged.

    Confirming the incident, the command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police  (SP) said efforts were intensified to track the suspect, adding that the case will be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department  (SCIID) Panti-Yaba for discreet investigation.

  • Police warn vehicle owners

    Police warn vehicle owners

    The Lagos State Police Command has warned owners of abandoned vehicles parked at Elemoro Division, Ibeju Lekki, to come with their original documents and remove or lose them to the public through auction sales in two weeks time.

    The vehicles are: Mazda 323 marked – XY 878 FKJ, Honda Accord – KTU 379 AZ, Toyota Camry – FKJ 240 BJ, M BENZ –  AS 800 UWN, Honda Odyssey- JJJ 861 CG, Toyota Previa – FKJ 875 BM, Opel Astra- SMK 450 AJ and Chevrolet space bus, Toyota Hilux all unregistered

     

  • Makarfi to police, DSS: watch Sheriff

    Makarfi to police, DSS: watch Sheriff

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Caretaker Committee, led by Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has asked security agents to put ‘National Chairman’ Senator Ali Modu Sheriff under watch.

    In a statement yesterday by its spokesman Dayo Adeyeye, the Makarfi group “appeals to the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Service and indeed all security agencies to call Sheriff to order as well as keep more than an eye on him, so that he doesn’t precipitate crisis in any part of the country, … since we, as Nigerians already have enough on our hands to contend with.”

    It said Sheriff lacked the power to suspend the Edo State PDP executive committee. Urging the Edo executive to ignore the purported suspension, the Makarfi group said it was part of Sheriff’s plan to create confusion, ahead of the governorship election.

    Adeyeye maintained that the National Working Committee (NWC) headed by Sheriff had ceased to exist, following the setting up of the National Caretaker Committee by the National Convention in Port-Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.

    Also yesterday, the Makarfi group said it would continue to work day and night to build followership for the party.

    “The committee still wishes to renew its call to Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to embrace dialogue leading to peaceful resolution of the situation at hand”, another statement by Adeyeye added.

    It denied that Makarfi and the Secretary of the committee, Senator  Ben Obi, held secret meetings with an unnamed chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as alleged by Sheriff last week.

    “On the other hand, as soon as the National Caretaker Committee was appointed, people started retracing their steps back to the Party.

    But former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido raised the hope that the crisis is an indication that the party is strong and that it will soon be resolved.

    Lamido told reporters in Bamaina village in Birnin Kudu Local Government, Jogawa state that the party would emerge stronger and bigger.

    According to him, it is normal for people to fight for what is existent, valuable, worthy and important.

    “PDP is a big party that has history and it is a party of conglomeration of all Nigerians across the devide.

    “This is not our first crisis, if you go down our history from the formation of the party you will notice that this is not the first time we are having crisis.

    “You can remember that the late Sunday Awoniyi had battle of leadership with former Chairman Banabas Gemade.

    “We also had crisis during Audu Ogbeh’s reign.“You don’t fight for what is not in existence.

    “PDP was in power for 16 years and the crisis and fight had always been with us,’’ he said.

    He said that both Ahmed Makarfi and Modu Sherrif are members of PDP and would remain members no matter what happened.

    Lamido said the party had the capacity to resolve its differences.

    He gave the assurance that the discord within the party would soon be over.

    The former governor stated that PDP would return to power in 2019 because it is a conglomeration of Nigerians.

     

  • Police parley Akwa Ibom leaders on militants’ threat

    The Akwa Ibom State Police Command yesterday met with the state’s stakeholders on how to tackle security challenges.

    This followed the threat by the Niger Delta Volunteers (NDV) that it would attack oil platforms and go after those it called “selfish” paramount rulers who connived with oil companies to “siphon” money meant for community development.

    The NDV, last week, announced its presence in the state and claimed responsibility for the attack on gas pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Gas Company (NGC) supplying gas to ALSCON aty Ikot Abasi in the State.

    The state government and the police had denied the attack, calling it was a pipeline leakage.

    Speaking during the town hall meeting, Police Commissioner Murtala Mani, who chaired the forum, said the essence of the gathering was the volatility of the security environment.

    The police chief said there was need for interest groups to work with one uniform agenda in addressing security situation in the state.

    He said meaningful development would not take place under insecurity.

    According to him, the state and individuals must work together to ensure tight security that will aid the growth of businesses and expansion of the frontiers of leisure.

  • Police withdraw mobile escorts to individuals

    The acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Nigeria, Mr Ibrahim Idris, yesterday withdrew mobile policemen attached to individuals as security ýaides.

    Speaking at the passing out parade of 59 Squadron Commanders Combat Operation Course at the Police Mobile Force Training School in IlaOrangun, Osun State, the Acting IGP said the police mobile force was the striking arm of the police and should not be used as a security aides channel for private individuals.

    It was his first official assignment after his announcement as the Acting IG.

    Idris admonished policemen and officers especially those in the Mobile Unit to help in tackling the security challenges in the country.

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was also at the ceremony, ýcalled for improved police-public relations to gain the confidence of the people.

    Addressing reporters after the event, the Acting IGP said he was ready to work towards bringing to an end the persistent clash between farmers and herdsmen across Nigeria.

  • Suspected militants kill two, injure others in Ogun communities

    Suspected militants kill two, injure others in Ogun communities

    Two persons were killed and scores of others wounded severely in a pre – dawn savage attack on Ogijo communities in Sagamu area of Ogun state by gunmen suspected to be members of the Niger Delta militants.

    The Nation gathered that residents of the affected communities – Igbo Olomu and Elepete, had mounted vigilante team around to ward off the invading gunmen who had in recent times, subjected them to attacks but the suspected militants broke through and rained bullets on the vigilante.

    A source told The Nation that the invaders who were returning from oil bunkering operations had taken the vigilante people for security agents and opened fire on them.

    Many of the vigilante people were caught by gale of bullets from the fleeing and suspected militants, killing two persons on the spots and injuring over 50 others.

    “They attacked our communities around 11p.m Thursday night. We were outside keeping vigil over incessant armed robbery attacks.

    “We had bonfires in some areas and the militants, having sighted the bonfires; they opened fire on anyone on sight.

    “They came out from the creek. The whole communities have already been deserted. We need the presence of the Nigerian Army, Airforce and Navy to curtail the excesses of these militants,” the source said.

    It was gathered that following the latest attack, fear – striken residents have fled their communities for safety elsewhere.

    The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the attack, said two persons were killed.

    Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), noted that the militants usually come from the creek to attack the residents and also escape through the same creek.

    He appealed for calm, assuring that the Police would get the criminals and bring them to justice as efforts also been made to reinforce security measures around the area to ensure safety of lives and properties.