The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • 11-year old boy kidnapped, Slaughtered in Kano

    Police authorities Tuesday in Kano confirmed the killing of a 11-year old Musa Salisu of Naibawa quarters in Kano metropolis.

    According Kano state police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Musa Magaji Majia, Salisu, a primary six pupil was abducted by suspected kidnappers and slaughtered in cold blood when his abductors could not receive ransom.

    Magaji said the pupil was abducted by unknown assailants by 2.00pm Monday at Naibawa quarters of the metropolis.

    Late Musa was sent on errand within the neighborhood around 2pm when yet to be identified hoodlums abducted him.

    The Police spokesman also confirmed that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the abduction of the case, adding that the boy’s throat was slit when police discovered the dead body.

    Speaking with uncle to the late Musa Salisu, Abubakar Kafinta said “it was not immediately clear that the boy was abducted until three hours on when an unidentified person phoned the family about the unfortunate development.”

    He explained that “the abductors demanded for half a million naira ransom to release the boy or else his life”.

    According to late Musa’s uncle, “the matter was promptly reported to the police, while concerted effort was made to meet their demand”.

    Kafinta who was on tears revealed that “we called them through the same line this morning for a deal only to learnt that the boy has been slaughtered.”

    The abductors further gave us details description of where they deposited the corpse along eastern bypass.”

    Kafinta who could not controlled his emotion revealed that “We have recovered the lifeless body performed the Fidau and buried him at Naibawa cemetery according to Muslim rites.”

  • Police bar tatooed people from recruitment

    Police bar tatooed people from recruitment

    The Police have barred persons with tattoo on their bodies from the ongoing nationwide recruitment into the force.

    Spokesman of the Enugu command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu yesterday that the measure was part of the rules for the recruitment.

    Amaraizu said that procedures for the screening had been put in place by the police authorities and that those that were shortlisted for the interview had been communicated through their email addresses.

    “The present recruitment is for degree holders and will last for three weeks and after that, the selected ones will proceed for the written interview.

    “Over aged people, tattooed persons, falsified results, statement of results over five years and people with some physical impediments will be disqualified from the exercise,” he said.

    On the number of applicants shortlisted in Enugu, Amaraizu said that would be determined after the exercise.

    “All I know is that 10,000 people will be recruited nationwide but I do not know the number of those that will be recruited in Enugu zone.

    “We have started and you can see that it is going on peacefully.

    “The exercise is done in batches to avoid any form of rush or stampede.

    “This command will screen the applicants thoroughly to ensure that the best get the Job,” he said.

    One of the shortlisted candidates at the venue, Kingsley Kenechukwu, expressed joy for scaling through the first step of achieving his dream.

    Kenechukwu said that he had been dreaming of becoming a policeman to defend and fight for his country.

    “I am happy that the recruitment is transparent and peaceful,” he said.

    Another applicant, Samson Okeke, told NAN that he was happy that the exercise was going on well but observed that more personnel were needed to expedite the process.

    “The exercise is not moving fast as I expected and I wish more personnel would be deployed to accommodate more applicants,” Okeke said.

     

  • Customs, police, agents in row over extortion

    Customs, police, agents in row over extortion

    What do agents have against the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the police and other agencies at the ports? The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is accusing Customs, police, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and Plant Quarantine Service (PQS) of extortion.

    But Customs and police deny the claim, accusing ANLCA of attempting to compromise their operatives.

    Customs claimed that the agents made insincere declaration and tried to compromise officers to bend the rules.

    A senior officer at the port also told The Nation that the police have the right to investigate cases of stealing, false declaration and forgery.

    “Our job at the port is to maintain law and order. But when we receive complaint about stealing and forgery, are the agents telling us that we should look the other way and not investigate the matter?

    The group had said: “We want to inform the Federal Government and the general public that ANLCA may seek self-help by withdrawing our services from the ports until the unchecked extortion in the port is stopped.”

    It alleged that in the last eight months, its members had been constantly extorted by Customs’ officers and there has not been any intervention from the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC).

    ANLCA noted that the Pre-arrival Assessment Reports (PAAR) was a good innovation of the last administration of Customs under Abdullahi Dikko, but the PAAR has been bastardised under Alli.

    “Agents, unlike before now, cannot state precisely how much they can use to clear cargoes from the port because of the preponderance  of extortion and interventions by various units of Customs, including valuation, query and amendments, CIU and so on.

    “We now have situations whereby more than one PAAR is issued on one consignment and the PAAR is constantly queried,” they said.

    ANLCA also alleged that the Plant Quarantine usually stops the release of imported consignment under various excuses.

    “We now have a situation where different departments of Police now write to stop the release of cargoes under the pretext that they were investigating cases of stealing, false declaration and forgery.

    The group urged the Federal Government and the Ministers of Finance and Transport to investigate the matter.

    But Customs Tin-Can Island command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Mr Chris Osunkwo described the allegation as baseless and fabricated.

    He said if any importer disobeys any import law, Customs has the power to prevent the goods from exiting the gate through the various mechanism it has put in place.

    The Customs, Osunkwo said, has the power to delay or intercept any container that is against the Federal Government’s fiscal policy.

    “When you fail to document properly, Customs will ask you questions in order to ensure transparency and standard.

    “We have always said that whenever you make an honest declaration, Customs will release your goods within the stipulated period.

    “The Customs is concerned with revenue generation for the country and security of what comes in and goes out of the country.

    He said importers should be blamed whenever goods were delayed at the port because of improper declaration.

    Osunkwo urged clearing agents, importers and other port users to play by the rules to avoid delays.

    The motive, he said, was to ensure that no importer or clearing agent succeeded in shortchanging the government.

    He urged importers and clearing agents to always obey the rules

    ANLCA also accused the Federal Government of contributing to the extortion because its emphasis on revenue generation rather than trade facilitation by the Customs.

    ANLCA said it is time for the government to strike a balance between trade facilitation and revenue generation by the Customs.

    ANLCA also accused the Police and other government agencies at the ports of hampering cargo delivery process and time.

  • Police on the trail of Amuka-Pemu’s attackers

    Police on the trail of Amuka-Pemu’s attackers

    Barely 24 hours after Vanguard Publisher Sam Amuka-Pemu was attacked in his Lagos residence, the police have got a major lead on the case.

    Two of his guards at Anthony Village home identified as Francis and John, it was learnt, have been detained since Sunday.

    It is believed that the operation was carried out with “insider connection”.

    Uncle Sam’s stolen phones have been traced to outside  Anthony Village, it was learnt.

    Although the suspects have not been arrested yet, the police have visited their possible hideout and questioned some people there.

    When contacted, the state command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police  (SP), said the matter was being discreetly investigated.

    She said the police would bring the hoodlums to justice.

  • Police bar tatooed people from recruitment

    Police bar tatooed people from recruitment

    The Police have barred persons with tattoo on their bodies from the ongoing nationwide recruitment into the force.

    Spokesman of the Enugu command, Mr Ebere Amaraizu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu Monday that the measure was part of the rules for the recruitment.

    Amaraizu said that procedures for the screening had been put in place by the police authorities and that those that were shortlisted for the interview had been communicated through their email addresses.

    “The present recruitment is for degree holders and will last for three weeks and after that, the selected ones will proceed for the written interview.

    “Over aged people, tattooed persons, falsified results, statement of results over five years and people with some physical impediments will be disqualified from the exercise,” he said.
    On the number of applicants shortlisted in Enugu, Amaraizu said that would be determined after the exercise.

    “All I know is that 10,000 people will be recruited nationwide but I do not know the number of those that will be recruited in Enugu zone.

    “We have started and you can see that it is going on peacefully.

    “The exercise is done in batches to avoid any form of rush or stampede.

    “This command will screen the applicants thoroughly to ensure that the best get the Job,” he said.
    One of the shortlisted candidates at the venue, Kingsley Kenechukwu, expressed joy for scaling through the first step of achieving his dream.

    Kenechukwu said that he had been dreaming of becoming a policeman to defend and fight for his country.

    “I am happy that the recruitment is transparent and peaceful,” he said.

    Another applicant, Samson Okeke, told NAN that he was happy that the exercise was going on well but observed that more personnel were needed to expedite the process.

    “The exercise is not moving fast as I expected and I wish more personnel would be deployed to accommodate more applicants,” Okeke said.

     

  • Member reports ‘fake’ miracles’ church to police

    •Command probes allegation

    Allegation of faking miracles to defraud unsuspecting church members and the public has hit a Pentecostal church in Benin, the Edo State capital.

    An aggrieved member of the gang performing and staging fake miracles for the ministry reported himself and the church to the police in the ancient city.

    Operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) from the police command’s headquarters have reportedly begun investigation into the allegation.

    Sources at the police command headquarters said the founder and General Overseer of a popular church had been invited and quizzed.

    The member, who allegedly reported the self-proclaimed evangelist to the police, said the cleric owed him N48,000, being the agreed fee for sitting in a wheelchair as a cripple for six days before he received his “healing” during a recent church deliverance programme.

    It was learnt that the man, who is currently the main complainant and suspect, also alleged that the evangelist bought him a ram for thanksgiving in the church.

    He added that the preacher collected from him a suit he presented to him as the church gift, in front of the congregation, shortly after he gave his false testimony.

    When our reporter approached the complainant at the police command headquarters in Benin, he said he wanted to use the money to buy drugs because he was on medication.

    He said: “It was N8,000 per day; the programme was for six days. He collected the suit from me and gave it to another person.”

    But a police officer prevented him from giving further details on the matter, saying: “The matter is still under investigation.”

    Our reporter’s visits to the church on The Limit Road, off Sapele Road in Benin, revealed a large congregation of worshippers, most of whom appeared hypnotised and desperately seeking miracles.

    In separate chats with our reporter, some members noted that “since God used our daddy (the General Overseer) to deliver a woman who carried a horse in her womb for several years, deliverance has not ceased here. Just sow a seed in the church and watch out for your miracle.”

    But others conceded that the church membership had reduced considerably because some members left when they felt conned or did not get “expected” miracles.

    Penultimate Sunday, the overseer told the congregation: “Run to the altar with your tithe. It will turn to alligator pepper in your pockets if you go home with it.”

    This happened during our reporter’s second service at the church.

    The old and the young in the church rushed to meet the evangelist on the altar in response to his statement.

    The photographs our reporter took in the church were forced to be deleted by officials of the church, led by the Protocol Officer, who said photos were strictly restricted in the church.

    Several attempts to obtain comments from the founder and General Overseer of the church did not yield any result.

    A lady, who claimed to be the church’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) but refused to disclose her name, said: “Journalists always work with rumours.”

    Contacted, police spokesman Osifo Abiodun, a Superintendent (SP), said: “The case has been transferred.”

    It could not be confirmed where it was transferred to at the time of filing this report last night.

  • Police arrest militant leaders in Ogun

    The Police have arrested four leaders of a militant group behind attacks and damaging of facilities belonging to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) / Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in Arepo,  Ogun State.

    The suspects –  Pere Ugbozuwa, Audu Tony, Ifeanyi Eze and Ojogo Ezekiel – were apprehended during a special operation coordinated by Commissioner of Police Abdulmajid Ali.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who said this in statement yesterday, stated that Ugbozuwa(40), who is the secretary of the militants and three others, were already being interrogated at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Abeokuta.

    Adejobi said the suspects, who had given out vital information, were responsible for killings, damaging of PPMC/NNPC pipelines and criminal acts at Arepo for years.

    According to him, Ogun State Police Command had deployed operatives from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Police Mobile Force, Safer Highway and other anti-crime units to tackle hoodlums in the creek of Arepo with two Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC).

    He said the operatives were deployed last Friday.

    Other vandals arrested included Olamilekan Akinyemi and Ramon Mudashiru.

    They were apprehended near the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, on Lagos – Ibadan Expressway on Saturday with a Ford bus, marked LAGOS MUS 887 XF, loaded with 14 pieces of 200 litre drums and several jerry cans of petrol.

  • Eleven feared killed over cult clash in Rivers

    Some gunmen suspected to be members of a cult group on the early hours of Sunday killed eleven persons in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

    The cultists visited three communities in the area, Rumuji, Ovogo and Rumuewhuo communities killing the victim who were suspected to be members of the rival cult group in the area.

    Some of the victims killed are, Mr. Nature Oti, Ikechi, Onyebuchi Omuruka, Mr. Chima Omuruka, Mr. Lucky Okwakpam, Mr. Nyovele and others.

    It was learnt that the gunmen had earlier attacked Rumuji Divisional Police Headquarters, allegedly overpowered the officers on night duty and rescued detainees in the cell.

    It was also gathered that the gunmen broke into the armory of the police at Rumuji and made away with guns and ammunitions.

    A visit to the area by the Nation showed that there was still uneasy calm at the Police station, although no officer wanted to say a word to the reporter.

    But a police source stated that the police station was under a heavy gunfire attack by some bandits last night.

    Another hinted our correspondent that seven people were shot dead in Ovogo community, two in Rumuji and two others in Rumuewhuo communities, making the total number of victim to eleven..

    Michael said the residents of the three communities are now on the run following the killings.

    He said: “The residents of Ovogo community wake up this morning to witness a lot of dead bodies. There was much shooting last night. The entire Ovogo, Rumuewhuo and Rumuji communities have been deserted because of fear.”

    When contacted, Rivers State Police spokesman, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Ahmad Muhammad simply said, “There was something like that but no casualties on either sides.”

  • Police arraign seven labour leaders  over disruption of Oyo govt’s meeting

    Police arraign seven labour leaders  over disruption of Oyo govt’s meeting

    Seven labour leaders have been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Ibadan over the protest on Wednesday to kick against the new education policy of the state government to cede some public secondary schools in the state to interested individuals, missions and organisations.

     Those arrested included are: Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oyo State chapter, Comrade Waheed Olojede, his deputy, Mrs. Adegbogu; Comrade C. K Ogundeji, state NLC secretary; Comrade Kehinde, Comrade Oseni, Comrade Sodo and Comrade Falade.

     The labour leaders were arraigned before Magistrate Jamiu Adebisi on a six count charge prominent of which is the breach of peace and destruction of public properties among others.

     The prosecuting counsel, M.A Ojeah while opposing the bail application tabled by the defence counsel argued that the Secretary to Oyo State Government, Olalekan Alli was brutalised during the protest by the organised labour and that he has been on oxygen in a hospital.

     The defence counsel, Tayo Oyewale in his submissions faulted the claim of the prosecuting counsel, adding that the SSG is not in any hospital as he has been appearing on national television stations after the incident.

     He urged the court to deal with the prosecuting counsel for misleading the court with his spurious allegation.

    Magistrate Jamiu Adebisi in his ruling noted that non-capital offence is bailable and granted all the accused bail with two sureties who are worth N200,000 each.

     While the court was sitting, members of various groups and bodies that make up the organised labour in the state converged around the court premises chanting different solidarity songs demanding for the release of their leaders amidst the presence of heavy security agents.

     Meanwhile, Meanwhile, Oyo State Joint Service Negotiating Councils (PSJNC), dissociated itself from the labour union’s protest over the state government’s decision to partner with the private sector in the running of some public schools.

    In a statement issued on Friday by PSJNC’s Secretary, Comrade Dupe Adewoye said that they were not carried along in the protest that led to the disruption of government’s sponsored stakeholders meeting.

     “The disrupted stakeholders meeting would have been a good opportunity for all and sundry to express their views to enable government to take appropriate decision on a matter of this nature. We wish to advise government to intensify it’s efforts in public enlightenment to enable the people make the right choice.”

  • Police arraign ABU staff, student for criminal conspiracy

    Police arraign ABU staff, student for criminal conspiracy

    A staff of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Joy Enobong-Akpan, and her daughter, Akon Iyene, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court, Chediya GRA, Sabongari, Zaria for criminal conspiracy and offering false information.

    The two were said to have connived and falsely accused six staff of the university of kidnapping the second accused, Iyene, a student of Human Anatomy Department of the institution.

    Those accused of kidnapping the girl were Muhammad Gimba-Alfa, Rev. J. F. Buka, Lawal Yakubu, Mohammed Yunusa and Haruna Muhammad.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Aliyu Jibril told the Court that the university’s chief security officer had forwarded a letter of complain titled `Missing Student’ to the Zaria Police Area Command on March 4, 2016.

    He said that the in the letter, Iyene was said to have been abducted.

    Jibril further told the court that the letter also indicated that the missing student had received a kidnap threat via a text message to GSM: 08125359077, in which her mother was told to stop participating in SSANU politics.

    SSANU stands for Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities.

    The prosecutor said that when the girl was subsequently declared missing, the police invited the mother several times on the matter but refused to honour the invitation.

    He said that the police had to arrest and investigate her for false information and criminal conspiracy.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 97, 140 and 151 of the Penal Code.

    Enobong-Akpan, however, pleaded not guilty, and her counsel, Aminu Aliyu requested the court to grant her bail.

    The Chief Magistrate, Musa Auwal granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    He ordered that the sureties must be residing within the jurisdiction of the court, have verifiable addresses and GSM numbers, and deposit two passport photographs with the court.