The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Police restates commitment to rid FCT of criminals

    Police restates commitment to rid FCT of criminals

    The FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wilson Inalegwu, has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of the command’s commitment to rid the territory of criminals.

    Wilson gave the assurance at a meeting with Media Executives, motor mechanics and panel beaters in Abuja on Monday.

    “We want to assure you that our raid on black spots in the territory is ongoing and some arrests and discoveries have been made,“ he said.

    He said that the meeting was part of the strategies adopted by the command to fight crime in the territory.

    “The police will continue to interface with members of the community for safe environment.

    “FCT is safe and secure, there are no major issues of concerns, but we are on red alert,“ he said.

    The commissioner said that all entrance and exit points into the territory were secure.

    He said that the command’s operation was not limited to the city centre alone but also to the satellite settlements.

    Wilson assured that the command would not hesitate to punish any personnel for any acts of indiscipline in the course of carrying out their duty.

    “The Command will not condone any acts of indiscipline, we will deal decisively with it,“ he said.

    On the cases of car theft in the territory, he urged motor mechanics and panel beaters to always report to the police before painting or replacing parts of accident vehicles.

    “We must know why you are changing the colour or part of the vehicle, “ he said.

    He added that there would be massive operation by personnel of the command against unpainted taxis operating in the territory.

    Wilson said that the command would work in collaboration with the Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation and FCT Transportation Department, to allow painted taxis access to some places.

    He said that the command was collaborating with neighbouring states of Kogi, Kaduna, Nasarawa and Niger to check crime.

    The commissioner commended the media for partnering with the command in the fight against crime in the territory.

    Contributing, Chris Okenwa of We FM radio, urged the commissioner to ensure that residents of satellite towns in the FCT benefited from services of the police.

    Mr. Chris Agbambu, Abuja Bureau Chief of the Nigerian Tribune, commended the efforts of the command in responding quickly to distress calls by residents

     

  • Boko Haram hit four police stations in Gombe

    Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have destroyed four of the five police divisions under the Bajoga Area Command of Gombe State in the last one year, the Area Commander, Abimbola Sokoya, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), has said.

    Sokoya spoke at Bajoga in Gombe North Senatorial District during an inspection and assessment tour of the area command’s headquarters by the new Police Commissioner Austin Iwar.

    He said: “Our challenges are not hidden. The visits of insurgents to our communities were quite devastating. But thank God that we can shout. It is by His mercies that we were not consumed.

    “Out of our five divisions, we lost four stations to inferno orchestrated by the despicable acts of insurgents.

    “If we estimate the cost of the lost property, the loss of our gallant officers and men is incalculable.”

    The area command said none of the divisions had been rebuilt.

    He urged the state government, through the new police chief, to help “rebuild the stations as well as renovate the area command’s headquarters, which is almost collapsing”.

    Sokoya added: “Manpower depletion is a big challenge. Many of our men have found their way out of the area command. We are pleading that our strength should be strengthened.”

    Iwar, who called for a minute’s silence in honour of fallen officers and men, commiserated with the area command.

    The police chief urged the officers and men to remain strong since the war against insurgency would soon become history.

    He urged them to establish a robust relationship with their communities as part of efforts to drive the police/public partnership.

    To the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), Sokoya said: “You should spend 80 per cent of your time outside your offices and 20 per cent in the office. In like manner, deploy 80 per cent of the workforce to the field and retain only 20 per cent in the offices.”

  • Police recover nine guns, 42 cartridges in Lagos

    Police operatives in Amuwo Odofin in the early hours of Sunday recovered nine pump action guns and 42 live ammunitions from suspected armed robbers.
    The arms and ammunitions were recovered by men of the Area E command led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (APC) Frank Mba.
    It was learnt that the weapons were found in a bag abandoned by fleeing motorcyclist and his co-rider, around Seventh Avenue in Festac, when they could not withstand the chase of a police patrol team.
    The Nation gathered that patrols have been intensified around the neighbourhood in order to quell the spate of criminal activities there.
    A police source who spoke unofficially stated that the incident occurred at about 12am.
    He disclosed that they had sighted the bike which was unregistered and pursued it.
    According to him, they were suspicious because the passenger on the motorcycle carried a bag.
    “We moved forward in pursuit of the bike and as soon as they sighted us, they ran away, abandoning the motorcycle and the sac.
    “We could not shoot because we did not know what was in the sac. But when the sac was searched, we found nine pump action guns and 42 live cartridges,” he said.
    Confirming the development, the state command’s spokesman, Joe Offor, a DSP said the cartridges were eight.
    He said: “At about 11:15pm on Sunday, Anti-Robbery policemen in Festac found a bag abandoned by suspected robbers at Seventh Avenue, which contained nine pump actions and eight live cartridges.
    “The fleeing suspects also abandoned an unregistered motorcycle. Investigations are ongoing to fish out the culprits.”

  • Photo: Oshiomhole, Arase on the dance floor with wives

    Photo: Oshiomhole, Arase on the dance floor with wives

    overnor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife and Mr Solomon Arase, Inspector-General of Police and his wife dance at a reception organised by the Edo State Government for the Police I-G, on Friday
    overnor Adams Oshiomhole and his wife and Mr Solomon Arase, Inspector-General of Police and his wife dance at a reception organised by the Edo State Government for the Police I-G, on Friday
  • Police confirm release of abducted columnist

    Police confirm release of abducted columnist

    The police in Rivers sate on Saturday confirmed the release of Vanguard Newspaper columnist, Donu Kogbara, abducted from her residence 11 days ago.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt that Kogbara was freed in the early hours of Saturday.

    He said the state commissioner of police, Mr Musa Kimo, had already visited Kogbara in her family residence in Port Harcourt.

    Muhammad said Kogbara was in good condition and had reunited with her family.

    The police spokesman, however, did not say if any ransom was paid before she was released or if any arrest was made.

    Kogbara was kidnapped in front of her house in the Nkpogu area of Port Harcourt on Sunday, Aug. 30.

    She worked for the BBC, Channel 4, the Sunday Times and the Mail and has been reporting for the Vanguard newspaper for some 30 years.

    She was visiting her family in the Rivers when she was abducted.

    NAN recalls that on Sept. 9, Rivers State commissioner of police said five suspected kidnappers had been killed by the authorities and three kidnap victims rescued.

    Speaking about Kogbara, he said: “Let me assure you and her family that we are doing all that is humanly possible to safely rescue and reunite her with you and her family members,” he said.

  • Police kill two robbers, arrest 15 miscreants in Kano

    Police kill two robbers, arrest 15 miscreants in Kano

    The Kano State Police Command said on Friday that it had killed two suspected armed robbers in Kano metropolis.

    The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Magaji Majiya, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen in Kano.

    He said the suspects were killed by men of the anti-robbery squad, following a tip-off after they lodged in a hotel behind the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano.

    ‘’The suspects are from Kano but they normally strike in Kano and go to Kaduna and hide with their colleagues from other parts of the country, “ he said.

    Majiya said personnel of Kano State Command of SARs and their Kaduna State counterparts went to the hotel where they lodged based on the information given to them.

    According to him, the gang leader escaped through the ceiling and called one of his members who took him to his house at Sharada Quarters in Kano where they took another car.

    He said when they realised that they were being trailed, they opened fire on police vehicle but were over powered by the police who killed two of them while another escaped with an AK47 rifle.

    ‘’We recovered an English pistol, one Mercedes Benz, one BMW, fake ID cards and anti-car tracker and some charms.

    According to him, the police have also arrested 15 miscreants popularly known as ‘Yan-daba’ at Rijiyar Zaki quarters in Kano.

    Majiya said the suspects were apprehended during a special operation on Sept. 8 around 1.30 p.m. by special Anti-Daba operatives.

    He added that items recovered during the operation included large quantity of Indian hemp, Tramadol tablets and dangerous weapons.

    ‘’Similarly, he said the police had arrested three persons who stole a Honda Siena at Rijiyar Zaki in addition to two others who specialised in burglary during the night, especially after rainfall.

    He said as soon as investigation was completed, the suspects would be charged to court.

  • Police, Herdsmen battle in Anambra

    The Anambra state police command and the herdsmen are in fierce battle following the decision of the former to ban the later from operating in the state in the day time.

    The state police commissioner, Mr. Hosea Karma has insisted that the herdsmen would only operate at night from 8pm in Anambra henceforth.

    The police decision was taken Friday at the state government house in Awka after a joint meeting with the Anambra State Cattle Menace Conflict Committee.

    Karma said the essence was to minimize conflict between the herdsmen and native farmers in the area.

    But one of the herdsmen who spoke with the Nation in confidence said such decision would not work in the state as they could only move in the day time.

    However, the police commissioner urged the Fulani cattle herdsmen and host communities to allow peace to reign by cooperating and living harmoniously.

    He warned that the police would not spare anybody who would want to foment trouble in the state.

    The committee Friday included the Security Council, representatives of traditional rulers, Presidents-General of town unions and other stakeholders.

    According to Karma, “the committee had worked hard to minimize conflict between the host community farmers and cattle herdsmen as well as for them to live harmoniously.”

    “He said that there was an instance case where the cattle herdsmen had to pay N400, 000 compensation to the farmers as damages.

    “We must live in peace together. If there is any problem, they should report to the appropriate authority. Nobody is allowed to take the laws into his hands.”

     

  • Police arrest nine robbery suspects in FCT

    Police arrest nine robbery suspects in FCT

    The Police Command in FCT has arrested nine `one chance’ robbery suspects, who disguised as cab operators to rob unsuspecting passengers of their valuables in the FCT and its environs.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Anjuguri Manzah, in Abuja on Friday.

    The statement stated that the arrest was as a result of the renewed effort of the command to rid the territory of hoodlums.

    It stated that it arrested some handbag snatchers who were currently in the custody of the police undergoing investigation.

    The suspects, it stated, had made confessional statements and the Commissioner of Police in FCT, Mr Wilson Inalegwu, had ordered their arraignment in court as soon as investigations were concluded.

    It also stated that the command had busted a notorious armed robbery syndicate and recovered arms and ammunition from them.

    [ad id=”403656″]“The gallant operatives of the command have successfully busted a notorious armed robbery syndicate that was operating at Zenco Garden Estate Lugbe.

    “This feat was achieved during a gun duel between the syndicate and police personnel while responding to a distress call that the gang was carrying out a major robbery operation at the Estate,’’ it said.

    The statement added that Inalegwu commended the police personnel for the gallantry and resilience, and enjoined other personnel of the command to follow suit.

    It stated that the police recovered one pump action gun with four live cartridges, one giant iron bar, assorted mobile handsets and one giant iron cutter, among others.

    The statement further said that the police also recovered 26 bags of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp after a joint raid by the Joint Task Force at `Bakasi’, Apo round about.

    It stated that the suspect arrested and substance recovered during the raid would be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, FCT Command, for further investigation and prosecution.

  • One feared dead in police, okada riders clash

    ONE person was feared dead and scores injured yesterday when policemen and commercial motorcyclists clashed at Ogolonto in Ikorodu, Lagos.

    But Lagos State Police chief Fatai Owoseni said there was no such clash, adding: “There was no riot in Ikorodu. There was no fight between police and motorcyclists. If police arrested motorcyclists, they are doing their job. No one was killed or injured”.

    The Nation gathered that the incident occurred about 9am, after the policemen allegedly impounded about 500 motorcycles.

    The policemen allegedly raided parks to arrest the motorcyclists.

    The angry motorcyclists reportedly vandalised government properties, including Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and LAGBUS vehicles.

    An eyewitness, Fadeel Akinlolu, said the incident caused a traffic gridlock which lasted for over an hour.

    He said: “I saw more than five people injured on the ground. I really cannot say if anyone died because I was inside a bus. The problem started after policemen arrested about 500 okadas. The angry Okada riders started attacking government properties, which led to a fight with the policemen and state government officials. It took over one hour for calm to return and the gridlock cleared.”

    Saying there was no such incident, Owoseni stated: “We heard there was an issue there but the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) were with me at Ikotun. So, I have released them so that they can go and investigate. They are yet to give me feedback, I will get across to my public relations officer (PRO) to issue a release once they get back to me.”

  • One killed as police, motorcyclists clash in Lagos

    One killed as police, motorcyclists clash in Lagos

    One person was on Thursday feared killed and several others injured during a violent clash that erupted between commercial motorcyclists and policemen.

    The incident occurred at Ogolonto in Ikorodu, a Lagos district, at about 9am, after the policemen allegedly impounded about 500 motorcycles.

    ‎Trouble started after the policemen allegedly raided various parks, impounded motorcycles and arresting their owners.

    A source who hinted The Nation said that the angry motorcyclist who decided to take laws into their hands, vandalised government properties, including Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and LAGBUS vehicles‎.

    According to another eyewitness who gave him name as Fadeel Akinlolu, the incident caused heavy gridlock on the road that lasted for over an hour.

    He said: “I saw more than five people injured and on the ground. I really cannot say if anyone died because I was inside a bus. The problem started after policemen arrested about 500 okadas‎.

    “It got the motorcyclist angry and they started attacking government properties, which led to a fight between them, the policemen‎ and state government officials.

    “It took over one hour for calm to return and the gridlock cleared.”

    ‎However, the state Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni denied there was a fight between his men and motorcyclist.

    He ‎also stated that no one was killed, neither was anyone injured.

    Owoseni said: “There was no riot at Ikorodu. There was no fight between police and motorcyclists. If police arrested motorcycles, they are doing their jobs. No one was killed nor injured.

    “We heard there‎ was an issue there but the Area Commander and the DPO were with me at Ikotun. So, I have released them so that they can go and investigate.

    “They are yet to give me feedback, I will get across to my PRO to issue a release once they get back to me.‎”