The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Buhari to IG: prune police attached to the rich

    Buhari to IG: prune police attached to the rich

    •PSC: police have 19,500 personnel shortfall

    President  Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to reduce the policemen attached to rich individuals.

    The order was given when the President met with Arase, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Mike Okiro  and the Permanent Secretary of the Police Affairs Ministry, James Obiegbu.

    “You must ensure that the recruitment process is transparent. Those who will conduct the recruitment must be above board. It should not be heard that they receive gratification or extort money from those who want to enlist in the police,” Femi Adesina, special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, quoted President Buhari as saying.

    On the stagnation of policemen on same rank for many years, the President counselled the Police Service Commission to review the structure of the police and make recommendations on how the problem could be solved to boost the morale of policemen.

    Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting, Okiro said there had been a deficiency of about 19,500 policemen since 2010.

    Besides the 10,000 recently approved for recruitment by  President Buhari, Okiro said only 1,500 officers had been replaced of the 21,000 deficiency since 2010.

    He said: “We thought about recruitment of police officers. Over the years, more than 21,000 police officers had retired; some dismissed, some died between 2010 and today. Of this, only about 1,500 were replaced.

    “So we discussed this with Mr. President. Of course, you are aware that a few days ago, Mr. President said the police are going to recruit 10,000.

    “We discussed with him on modalities and how to ensure that the 10,000 people are recruited to maintain security.”

    On how soon the recruitment would start, he said certain procedures and guidelines must first be put in place.

    Speaking on the meeting with the President, he said: “We, permanent secretary of Police Affairs, chairman of Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of Police with their members and management staff, briefed the President on the needs and challenges, success recorded and things to be done to ensure that security is maintained.

    Asked about any specific di rective from the President, he said: “Of course, he has given us assurance that the police will be encouraged, will be funded, will be equipped within the provisions of the budget to make sure Nigerians are provided with adequate security.”

    According to him, the issue of pension for retired officers were not discussed with the President.

    The Permanent Secretary, James Obiegbu, said the President was interested in the welfare of officers.

    He said: “He was interested in the issues concerning their emotions, issues concerning their placing, he was concerned with everything that concerns them.”

    He said Buhari had promised to continue to support the police family with the challenges of funding facing the force.

    “Issues about funding of the police is something that has been on the front burner because it requires a lot of funding and not something the government can do alone.

    “There can never be a specific amount for the police to function effectively. If you know what it takes to keep patrol all over the country, keep vehicles and men on the road, you will have an idea of how funding requirements of police can be.”

  • Buhari warns against extortion in police recruitment

    Buhari warns against extortion in police recruitment

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said he will not tolerate any irregularity or extortion of money from unemployed Nigerians in the coming recruitment into the police.

    He gave the warning during a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Police Service Commission at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Buhari expressed sadness over the extortion of applicants who are made to pay bribes before being accepted into the police force

    He said the practice was totally unacceptable.

    The President told the officials that those in charge of recruitment and training in the police must be above board and eschew every form of extortion and underhand dealing.

    He said: “You must ensure that the recruitment process is transparent. Those who will conduct the recruitment must be above board. It should not be heard that they receive gratification or extort money from those who want to enlist in the police.”

    He also directed the Inspector-General of Police to prune down the number of policemen attached to dignitaries, and redeploy all policemen withdrawn from that role to regular police duties.

    On the stagnation of policemen on a particular rank for many years, the President counselled the PSC to review the current structure of the police, and make recommendations on how the problem can be solved to boost the morale of serving policemen.

    The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Police Affairs, Dr. James Obiegbu, had in his briefing, listed inadequate police personnel, dwindling finances and non-rehabilitation of police training schools as some of the challenges facing the force.

  • Police to residents: shun gifts from strangers

    The Police in Bauchi have advised parents to caution their children on the dangers of accepting “sweets, chocolates and biscuit” gifts from unknown persons.

    The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state DSP Haruna Mohammed said in Bauchi  yesterday  that the advice had become necessary to safeguard children from people with evil intentions.

    Haruna, who is embarking on a sensitization campaign in schools, also urged parents to monitor and ensure that their children related with a responsible peer group.

    “Parents are advised to closely monitor their children, know their peer group and also discourage them from collecting gift items such as sweets, biscuits and chocolates from strangers ,as these are the easiest ways to initiate them into secret cults and other social vices,” he said.

  • Police parade two suspected cultists in Ilorin

    The Kwara State Police Command yesterday paraded two suspected cult members for allegedly conspiring to kill a woman by drugging her drink before stealing her belongings.

    The suspects are Adeniyi Sijibomi, 18 and Tosin David of Eiye confraternity. Their victim was Bidemi Adewole.

    The police also paraded Adeniyi Sijibomi, 18 and John Onucho, 25, as some of the suspects behind last weekend’s clashes in Ilorin.

    Parading the suspects with three others arrested for criminal conspiracy and theft of vehicles, police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said the suspects mixed a pain killer called Tramadol with a bottle of Lacasera, which they used to drug their victim before committing the crime.

    He said: “On August 18, in a bid to arrest the perpetrators of last weekend’s cult clashes in Ilorin, which led to the killing of two young men, the command, in addition to the suspects earlier arrested, nabbed Adeniyi Sijibomi, 18, and John Onucho, 25.”

    Okasanmi said two locally- made pistols, two live cartridges and one expended cartridge were recovered from the suspects, who, according to him, “are members of the Eiye confraternity.”

    The police also paraded three suspected car snatchers, Kehinde Olumo, Alhaji Oba Suleiman and Olayinka Jimoh, who allegedly conspired to steal and buy stolen cars.

    Okasanmi said: “Through the efforts of the men of the command’s Intelligence and Investigation Department, members of inter-state vehicle thieves, especially from Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states, were arrested in Ilorin on August 17 by the anti-car theft division of the command. Investigation showed that the suspects are car snatchers.”

    He added that the suspects led the team to recover five posh cars from different locations, including Mazda 626 car registered as MUS C95 DC and Rav 4 Toyota Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) with number plate ARP 123 MY.

  • Police arraign duo over ‘unlawful possession of firearms’

    The Police yesterday arraigned Rilwan Mufutau,18 and Mufutau Lukmon, 22, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.

    The duo was brought before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on charges of conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Kehinde Olatunde, said the accused committed the offence on May 15 at Ajegunle in Badagry, Lagos.

    He told the court that the accused, with others still at large, were caught with firearms, with intent to commit felony.

    “The accused were caught with a locally-made gun and a cartridge after the police received a tip-off from residents that some hoodlums were about to go out for a robbery operation. Some policemen from Ajegunle stormed the scene and arrested the accused, while others escaped. When a search was conducted on the accused, a pistol and cartridge were recovered,” he said.

    Olatunde said the offences contravened Sections 328 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, which prescribes a seven-year jail term as penalty for offenders when convicted.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate Aka Bashorun, granted them N100, 000 bail each with two sureties each in the like sum.

    He adjourned the case till September 31.

  • Family accuses police of complicity in land dispute

    Family accuses police of complicity in land dispute

    A faction of the Ipetoro family of Ogijo in Ogun State has accused the Police of subverting an investigation into a disputed land involving two factions of the family. The 110- acre land is located in Ojijo.

    In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr. Solomon Arase, the family said the police had made another faction of the family to constitute itself into a nuisance, terrorising the community with dangerous arms and weapons.

    The Counsel to the petitioners,  Ebiwonjumi Obatayo of E. Obatayo and Co,  said his client has forwarded a petition to the IGP on the matter, adding that the petition was assigned to the Federal SARS, Abuja, to investigate.

    But Obatayo alleged that instead of allowing investigations into the matter, the land grabbers wrote a petition to the Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta to thwart the SARS’ efforts.

    He also alleged that the counter petition was masterminded by Sheriff Akaun, fronting for the other family, a retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Usman Akaun and Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Adesina, who he claimed, were the OC of X-Squad in Abeokuta.

    “The modus oparandi of these police officers is to harass, intimidate, molest, and level series of criminal llegations against my clients, and in the process, extort them of very huge amount of money. Besides, the other family faction boasted that the Policemen and the Force as an institution, is in their pocket and they will frustrate the investigation of the petition,’’ he said.

    Obatayo added that when the DIG directed the officers accused of taking side with other faction to hand over the case file to the officer of SARS, the directive was not adhered to. This impunity, he reckoned, has led to the suspects taking over the village, causing mayhem, and making life unbearable for the community.

    The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, explained that the petitions from the two groups were sent to the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), and the matter referred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for investigation.

    He declined comments, saying he had not seen the reports on the petition. He, however, said since the matter was under investigation, it would be wrong for anybody to accuse the Police of complicity.

    He declined knowledge of any complaint against the police on the matter, advising any aggrieved person to approach the CP first before any other thing, adding that he is convinced the CP had not received complaint against the police.

    “But, I know we handle such a matter. And if anybody thinks we are not handling the matter properly, the group or any individual having grudges against the police should approach the CP and complain of anything they noticed,” Adejobi added.

  • Police arrest 17 train roof riders

    Police arrest 17 train roof riders

    The Nigerian Railway Corporation Police Command on Monday arrested 17 persons for climbing the roof of the train at Agege.

    This, the command said, was to get rid of the menace of roof top riding.

    The culprits are in the custody of the police attached to the Lagos District of the NRC.

    The NRC vowed to continue the war against deliberate attempt by some individuals to frustrate the efforts being made by the corporation to provide secure, conducive and sane train services.

    It would be recalled that a similar exercise carried out on August 5, led to the arrest of 58 roof top riders.

  • Police: 45 arrested in Kwarapoly cult clash

    Police: 45 arrested in Kwarapoly cult clash

    •Institution denies students’ involvement •Assembly summons rector, others

    The police yesterday put the number of those arrested in last weekend’s cult clash among suspected students of the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, at 45.

    It earlier confirmed the arrest of 30 suspects, saying 14 were found culpable after screening.

    The command said it took 26 of those allegedly found blameworthy to court, adding that investigation was on.

    Sixteen persons were feared killed in the alleged clash between Aye and Eiye confraternities in Ilorin.

    The institution’s authority has denied any death or clash of cult groups on the campus.

    Addressing reporters yesterday in Ilorin, Deputy Rector (Administration), Ahmed Aminu, said the polytechnic finished its sessional examination for 2014/2015 on August 8 without hitches, adding that circulars were issued  that students should vacate the campus, “and they accordingly vacated.”

    Aminu, an engineer, who said lecturers were involved in conference marking, which he explained the institution adopted to mark students’ papers, added that since the exercise was a sensitive one, no student was allowed on the campus.

    He denied that the clash occurred during the screening of the election of the Students’ Union Government, saying the exercise was witnessed by security operatives.

    “We wish to tell the public and the media that it is untrue that there was a cult clash on our campus,” Aminu said.

    Police spokesman Ajayi Okasanmi said the command would wage a war against cultism.

    The House of Assembly has summoned the polytechnic management and the Ministry of Tertiary Education with a view to adopting measures towards ensuring zero tolerance for cultism.

    The Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad, said the directive became imperative to ensure the polytechnic was cult-free.

     

  • Police foil robbery attempt

    The Oyo State Police Command has foiled plan of a suspected robbery syndicate and fraudsters that attempted to rob a first generation bank in Iseyin, Oke-Ogun axis of the state.

    It was learnt that the suspects reportedly lured a member of staff of the bank in charge of teller unit, Mr. Owoade Olusegun, to give them the form grabber of the bank and connect the bank internet system to facilitate easy access and transfer of customers’ money from the bank.

    The suspects were said to have cunningly spied and hoodwinked the bank’s security guard, collected the telephone number of the person in charge of the teller unit.

    The suspects planned to rob the bank if their fraudulent attempt to transfer the money failed.

    A native of Iseyin, Ojo Taofeek, was allegedly used by the syndicate to lure the bank staff to release the form grabber and connectivity to the internet. The suspects purportedly conspired and planned to defraud the bank.  Meanwhile, six persons have been arrested in connection with the crime.

  • For a strengthened police

    For a strengthened police

    •President Buhari’s plan to recruit 10, 000 additional police personnel is laudable. But welfare should undergird the new dawn

    President Muhammadu Buhari on August 17, at the opening of a National Security Summit, announced a plan to employ an additional 10, 000 police officers, both for regular police duty and to put terrorism in check.  The president also hinted at a police hinged on sound principles of community policing.  That is the right way to go.

    Said the president: “The need for community input to crime management and policing in Nigeria has become imperative, considering our current national insecurity challenges in which kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, transnational crimes, terrorism and other organised crimes evolve and threaten our national values and over-all progress as a nation”.

    In his own contribution, Solomon Arase, the inspector-general of Police (IGP), also pushed for the National Assembly passing, into law, the Police Trust Fund Bill.  The bill, the IGP insisted, would guarantee his much demoralised force better and adequate funding.  All patriots and every security conscious Nigerian should push for the bill’s passage.  This is because a more efficient, effective and trusted police is in the interest of all.

    On the gadgetry front, President Buhari even raised the ante by speaking on his government’s plan to install close circuit television (CCTV) monitoring systems, in major cities and towns nationwide; to curb crime and have a tight lease on terror.

    This again is commendable, particularly the more holistic viewpoint that permanently drills the consciousness of terror in Police consciousness, aside from the day-to-day control of routine crime.  It is a strategic model that should, if well implemented, stand this country in good stead; and avert a future terror insurgency, long after Boko Haram must have been history.

    ‘But again, the key to all of this promise is the welfare of personnel.  Right now, many police barracks nationwide are no better than warrens, from where even VIP rabbits would flee.  A police well catered for is, more likely, well oriented and well driven to handle its security duties, with sure-footedness and pride’

    Still none of all these would work, no matter how good on paper or how sound on principle, if the welfare of police personnel does not form the cornerstone of the envisaged plan.

    For starters, the stress on community policing (hardly a novel concept) is good.  For too long, the present police has betrayed an operational principle that suggests perhaps it is more comfortable with private policing (securing the few privileged citizens) than public policing (security the majority).  That should be discountenanced forthwith, for a scenario where a few state officials, and some high ranking ex-this and ex-that, near-monopolise police protection, while the majority suffer neglect, is not acceptable.

    Now, if the police is perceived to work for the community, it would be easier for the community to readily work for the police.  A police with its soul firmly anchored in the community would have little problem surmounting the intelligence challenge.  Gathering intelligence is, of course, key to security.  If this is well done, most crimes would probably be checkmated, even before they are committed.

    Still, community policing could only be the short-term way of deepening security and reinventing the police as an efficient and effective force.  The long term solution would be introducing state police, to make a cadre of the police well and truly community-driven.

    But again, the key to all of this promise is the welfare of personnel.  Right now, many police barracks nationwide are no better than warrens, from where even VIP rabbits would flee.  A police well catered for is, more likely, well oriented and well driven to handle its security duties, with sure-footedness and pride.

    So, the government should make it a point of urgent priority to invest in police welfare.  A well groomed police should see the citizens under its care more as assets to be jealously protected, not overbearing enemies to be endured, if not outright attacked.  Again, a happy police family would be less prone to corruption, one of the major drawbacks of the force at present.

    Let therefore this summit re-direct government attention to modernising the police.  But as the work gadgets are being addressed, so should welfare.  That way, the Nigeria Police should excel in its constitutionally given role.