The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Court orders police to produce Lekki bank robbery suspect

    Court orders police to produce Lekki bank robbery suspect

    Justice Iyabo Akinkugbe of the Ikeja High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the police to produce, Ebi Tosan, who was arrested in connection with the March 12, Lekki Bank robbery before her on August 10.

    Five persons, including three policemen and a fish hawker, were killed in the First City Monument Bank (FCMB) robbery during which about N15million was carted away.

    The hoodlums, in military uniform, engaged the police in a gunfight on Admiralty Way, Lekki, Lagos State, for about 30 minutes before finally escaping through the lagoon in a speed boat.

    Four of them, including Tosan, were arrested on April 5 and arrested and paraded by the Lagos State Police Command. Others are Duke Odogbo, 38, Lawrence Kingsley, 31, and Ekelemo Kuete, 30.

    The suspects have not been charged to court.

    Tosan took Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Officer-in-Charge of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, and Attorney-General of Lagos State to court seeking the enforcement of his fundamental right.

    The suspect is seeking a declaration that his arrest, torture and continued detention by SARS without granting him bail is a violation of his rights, preserved by Sections 34(1)(a), 35(1)(4) and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

    The suspect, who is praying the court to order the police to release him on bail, is also claiming N100 million damages for what he termed unlawful detention and torture.

    His lawyer, Chief S.W. Baidi, is contending that his client’s continued detention is an “infringement and curtailment of the applicant’s constitutional right to personal liberty, freedom of movement and presumption of innocence.”

    At the resumed hearing of the case, yesterday, Justice Akinkugbe reaffirmed Justice Lateefa Okunnu’s July 9 order that the police should produce the suspect in court.

    Akinkugbe, a vacation judge, also granted the suspect’s application for accelerated hearing of the case.

    In a 26-paragraph affidavit in support of the originating summons, Tamuno Amos, who claimed to be the suspect’s uncle, said he believed that his nephew’s continued detention by the police is a deliberate act to “extract a confessional statement from him on the alleged offence.”

    Amos, who said he had not been allowed to see his nephew since his arrest, claimed that “the applicant is suffering on daily basis without access to food, bath and other conveniences and he may die in custody unless granted bail.”

  • Police arraign ‘fake doctor’ employed by Fed Govt

    Police arraign ‘fake doctor’ employed by Fed Govt

    A 44-year old man, Martins Ugwu Okpe, who allegedly cloned his friend’s credentials, with which he got employment as a doctor for about nine years in the Federal Ministry of Health, has been arraigned by the police.

    Okpe, arraigned on Tuesday at the Federal High Court in Abuja, was accused of stealing certificates  of Exemption issued by the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), belonging to Daniel Davidson George.

    A five-count charge was brought against him.

    He was charged, among others in the five-count charge, of claiming ownership of the certificates and tendering them before the Federal Civil Service Commission in Ebonyi State and was offered a temporary letter of appointment, dated August 30, 2006.

    He was arrested last June.

    A recent verification exercise conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on June 4, 2015, allegedly exposed him.

    Okpe was said to have chaired the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) in the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja chapter.

    Count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/296/2015 reads: “That you Martins Ugwu Okpe, male, aged 44 years, of the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on or about March 13, 2006, at an unspecified hour in Karu Abuja of the Abuja Division, committed stealing; and did steal certificates of Bachelor of Medicine and National Youth Service Corps Exemption dated February 8, 2005, with serial number 000027400, property of Mr. Daniel Davidson George, being the certificate awarded to him by the Senate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, dated August 29, 2002 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 383 and punishable under Section 390 of the Criminal Code Law.”

    Okpe, of average height, was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt, embossed with the sign: “Africa against Ebola,” produced by the Federal Ministry of Health’s Ad Hoc Committee on Ebola Virus Disease, where he served during the outbreak of the disease last year.

    Okpe pleaded not guilty. Justice Gabriel Kolawole granted the accused bail in terms and conditions agreed upon by the prosecution and defence lawyers, Malik Taiwo and O. O. Otemu.

    Taiwo  filed a counter-affidavit to Okpe’s bail application but withdrew it yesterday.

    Justice Kolawole admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in the same amount.

    The judge said the sureties, who should be either federal or state employees, must be on not less than Grade Level 12.

    He ordered that Okpe be remanded in Kuje Prison, Abuja, pending his compliance with the bail conditions.

  • Police parade 42 suspected criminals

    Police parade 42 suspected criminals

    The Kano State Police Command yesterday paraded 42 suspected criminals.

    They were arrested for offences, ranging from cattle theft to armed robbery.

    Police Commissioner Ibrahim Idris, who addressed reporters at the headquarters in Bompai, said Yahaya Sale, 30, of Soba in Hunkyi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, with a 10-man gang, at Falgore forest in Kano, attacked people and stole domestic animals.

    He said investigation showed that the suspects were rustlers, adding that during an operation, three members of the syndicate were arrested and later arraigned.

    According to him, one of the rustlers was killed during an encounter with the police and many of them were still in the forest.

    Idris said a gang of six hoodlums led by a woman, Hauwa Mustapha, robbed a victim at Dambare quarters of N147,000, a Mercedes Benz car and other belongings.

    He said the suspects were arrested in Jos, Plateau State and upon a search, two locally-made pistols, nine ammunition and a knife were recovered from them, adding that their accomplice was at large.

    The police commissioner said officers and men attached to SARS CID, Kano, while on patrol on Zaria Road, arrested Zubairu Garba and Sunday Jatau of Kaduna State, who terrorised travellers on the Zaria/Kaduna Expressway by wearing police uniform, robbing motorists.

  • Urgent need for police reform

    SIR: One may not really appreciate how bad things are until one aggregates in figures the number of heinous crimes perpetrated in virtually every corner of the country. The Boko haram insurgency appears to have drowned the magnitude of the unprecedented crime rise and insecurity in the country. Most places you go in the country the story is the same – armed robbery, kidnap, rape, assault, intimidation in unprecedented numbers and mostly unchallenged and unreported. I asked a police friend once if the CID department of the police still works and I got a worrying but truthful expression of the existing situation. He responded that every CID posted anywhere in the country would want to identify himself to everybody as a policeman so that every benefit ‘accruable’ to the policeman will get to him. Summarily, he said the CID cannot work on an empty stomach. I suppose that benefits include illicit settlements, bribe and a host of others.

    The Nigerian police is not the worst institution in terms of corruption, it may even be classed low in corruption when compared to some other institutions but emphasis on reforming the police to stamp out corruption must be given priority over any other institution because it is the police that maintains crime/corruption free societies. As true as the saying that the police is as good as its country, the converse is also true and that is that the country is as good as its police force.

    The police reform as I conceive it should consider the following: Massive retrenchment/removal of the police hierarchy; isolation of a number of reputable young policemen to serve as a vanguard force for the new police; review of police recruitment methods/policy to eliminate dullards, dropouts, nepotism, mediocrity, criminals, etc; and graded and massive recruitment of new and qualified younger people.

    It should also include, improved and adequate training and improved logistic provision; development of standard and verifiable means of locating erring police officers and prompt sanctioning; better cooperation between the police and the civil society than currently existing, and use of technology among others.

    Police reform in Nigeria is critical if crime has to go down significantly. For the reform to have any meaningful effect on crime in Nigeria, it must be drastic and also take into considerations a lot of factors the authorities may consider peculiar to Nigeria.  Several other countries have embarked of police reforms with varying degree of successes. It will not be difficult to adapt a template from some of these other countries.

    Note must be taken that the police is an elite force as the reform takes place. This understanding creates no room for dullards, dropouts, criminals, etc.  If the country is serious about crime watch, prevention and fight, Nigeria has to do a comprehensive police reform. The police as is presently constituted will fail in that responsibility no matter the amount of money allocated to it. They will also continue to make excuses for these failures.

    • Asogu Ohaka,

    Imo State.

     

  • Police arrest three suspected kidnappers

    The Benue State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers and rescued their victim, 70- year-old Atser Kyausu.

    The septuagenarian is the father of a Makurdi-based oil mogul, Chief Athanisius   Atser Kyausu.

    A source said the abductors targeted the businessman, but because of the tight security around him, they went for his father, who lives in Vandeikya in Benue Northeast.

    Briefing reporters when parading the suspects at the police headquarters yesterday, outgoing Police Commissioner Hyacinth Dagala said the gunmen, on July 25, came to the victim’s home in Vandikya and kidnapped him. He was then taken to an unknown destination.

    The police boss said following a distress report, a crack squad of detectives from the headquarters swung into action and arrested the suspected kidnappers in a forest in Vandeikya.

    He said the abductors took their victims on a motorcycle after forcefully collecting N770,000 from him.

    Dagala said they conveyed him on a motorcycle to the forest and phoned his son, demanding N200million ransom.

    He said the kidnappers were unlucky, as the police stormed the forest and arrested three of them, while others escaped.

    Those arrested are Terfa Terkuma, Kwaghfan Apeaka and Aondona, all of Vandikya.

    The victim’s son, Chief Kyausu, told reporters that he was happy that his father was rescued.

    He hailed the police for doing a good job, saying he did not pay ransom.

     

     

     

     

  • ‘No recruitment in police’

    THE police said yesterday it was not recruiting contrary to some advertisements.

    It described the claim as fake, urging Nigerians not to fall prey to mischief-makers.

    This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by the Force Spokesman, Emmanuel Ojukwu.

    The statement read: “The attention of the Nigeria Police management has been drawn to some fake recruitment adverts being run by some criminally-minded persons, who are out to defraud unsuspecting members of the public.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, there is no recruitment going on at the moment in the Nigeria Police Force.

    “We, therefore, wish to use this medium to warn members of the public not to be deceived or to fall prey to mischief-makers.”

     

  • Police arraigns alleged fake doctor employed by FG

    Police arraigns alleged fake doctor employed by FG

    The police Tuesday arraigned ‎ before a Federal High Court in Abuja, a 44-year old man, Martins Ugwu Okpe, who allegedly cloned his friend’s credentials, with which he gained employment as a medical expert for about nine years with the Federal Ministry of Health.

    Okpe was accused of stealing certificates ‎of exemption of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery and General Certificate of Education (Ordinary Level), all belonging to Daniel Davidson George.

    He was accused, in a five-count charge brought against him, of claiming ownership of the certificates ‎and tendered them before the Federal Civil Service Commission in Ebonyi State upon which he was offered a temporary letter of appointment dated August 30, 2006. He was arrested last June.

    A recent verification exercise of professional skills of residence doctors, conducted by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on June 4, 2015 allegedly revealed the accused person’s true identity.

    Okpe was said to have risen to become the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the Federal Ministry of Health Abuja chapter.

    Count one of the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/296/2015 reads, “That you Martins Ugwu Okpe, male, aged 44 years, of the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on or about March 13, 2006 at unspecified hour in Karu Abuja of the Abuja Division committed stealing; and did steal Certificate of Bachelor of Medicine of Surgery and National Youth Service Corps certificate of exemption dated February 8, 2005 with serial number 000027400 all property of Mr. Daniel Davidson George, being the certificate awarded to him by Academic’s Senate of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State dated August 29, 2002 and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under section 390 of the Criminal Code Law.”

    According to the charge, Okpe’s alleged offences are contrary to sections 383 and 486 of the Criminal Code law and punishable under sections 390 and 467 of the same law.

    Okpe, of average height, was dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a white T-shirt embossed with the sign: “Africa against Ebola,” produced by the Federal Ministry of Health’s ad hoc committee on Ebola Virus Disease, where he served during the outbreak of the disease in the country last year.

    Okpe pleaded not guilty to the charge, following which Justice Gabriel Kolawole grant the accused person bail in terms and conditions agreed upon by both the prosecution and defence lawyers, Malik Taiwo and O. O. Otemu.

    Taiwo, who had filed a counter-affidavit to Okpe’s bail application, withdrew it in court on Tuesday.

    Justice Kolawole granted bail to the accused in the sum of N1m with two sureties in the same amount.

    The judge said the sureties, who should be in the employment of either the federal or state, must be not less than Grade Level 12. The court ordered that he should be remanded in Kuje prison, Abuja pending when he is able to meet the bail conditions.

  • No road block in Ondo, say police

    The police in Ondo State yesterday denied mounting road blocks, contrary to the directive of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Solomon Arase.

    It noted that the officers on strategic roads are only mandated to conduct stop and search on vehicles.

    A statement by its spokesman, Wole Ogodo, insisted that the command has complied with the IG’s directive.

    The statement reads: “However, officers on beat and patrol have been mandated to conduct stop and search as part of the security architecture for crime prevention in consonance with Force Order 468, Tactical Operation Points (TOPS).

    “Residents are once again assured of the security and safety and the ability of state command to protect them.”

     

  • Police recover 13 vehicles from gang

    Police recover 13 vehicles from gang

    The police have smashed a four-man car robbery gang.

    The suspects are Austin Paul, 32, Chucks Ezeala, 30, Taye Ade, 51 and Gafari Kasali 26.

    Recovered from them are Toyota Camry Saloon cars with registration numbers 333131ASM,  BDG 823 DG,  AKD 825 AU, ABJ 904 AJ,  UMI 432 CG as well as Volks Wagen Vento Saloon cars marked LSD 189 CD and  LSR 829 CB. Others are Volks Wagen Golf 3 with number plate LSR 875 AV and an unregistered Volk Wagen Golf 3. They also included Volks Wagen buses marked APP 785 XJ,  FKJ 847 XH and  BDG 662 XH as well as an unregistered Volk Wagen bus. They were recovered from Enugu, Imo and Abia states.

    Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone II Onikan, Lagos Joseph Mbu said the suspects were caught around Ipaja in Lagos following a tip off on June 8.

    Mbu said two of the suspects – Paul and Ezeala who were first arrested by the Zonal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives  led the police to where others were nabbed.

    Mbu said Paul confessed under interrogation to have stolen many parked vehicles within Lagos and environs and sold about 13 of them to Ezeala.

    He said Ade forged customs and other vehicles papers for the stolen vehicles, adding that Kasali acted as mechanic.

    Ezeala, from Orlu in Imo State said: “My original work was repairing of electronics, but when I found out that there is quick wealth in dealing in stolen vehicles, I switched over to selling cars. I bought about 13 cars from Paul between N200,000 and N300,000 each with some having market prices of N800,000, N1.5million or more.

    “The gain was highly tempting. Initially the criminal suppliers used to tell me that they bought the cars from Cotonou but I later discovered that they were snatched but because of the money I was getting I could not back out and, to leave the gang is more dangerous because the gang members will feel unsafe and come after one’s life. My role is to sell the stolen cars. I used to get documents from Ade to enable me sell the cars. At times I used to top N20,000 or N30,000 to the price the supplier tells me to sell especially those cars that needed quick disposal.”

    Ade, an indigene of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, who is a clearing agent  at Apapa Wharf, said: “These snatchers used to lie to me that the vehicles were Tokunbo cars and just to help them get vehicle particulars to enable them sell them but with time, I discovered that they were stolen cars but because of the quick money I used to get from forging documents, we agreed to work together for the interest of every member of the gang. My role is to perfect the vehicle documents for them. I charge N10,000 for each vehicle. At times, they will tell me that two or three of the vehicles were imported. I was arrested when Chucks called me and asked me to go and collect papers from Austin for the cars he supplied. Getting there I fell into the hands of ZSARS operatives.

    Paul said: “I am a one-man car snatcher but I don’t use gun. My complete names are Okechukwu Austin Paul. I was a tanker driver before I became a car-snatcher. We used to be a two-man gang but my second, Sylvester later travelled to Malaysia. My weapon is wire which I used to move parked vehicles. My modus operandi is called park and remove but police call it removing from park. My only receiver is Chucks and he knows that the cars are stolen.

    “When he needs cars from me, he will ask me whether there is market or did I go to market? I snatched about 13 cars and gave Chucks. I used to sell snatched cars N150,000 and N200,000 each to Chucks and, at times he will not give me a dime for one or two cars I supplied him claiming that police raided his place. I have been arrested by Lagos State police SARS operatives and they recovered three cars; Ogun State Police Command SARS operatives recovered four cars while Zone II Onikan Lagos recovered 13 cars. I cannot remember the number of cars I snatched since I started this job.

  • Senate crisis: NASS Clerk faces trial as Police establish forgery

    Senate crisis: NASS Clerk faces trial as Police establish forgery

    *File sent to Ministry of Justice
    *Buhari angry over how Clerk gate crashed into Ramadan dinner
    *Ekweremadu’s fate unknown

    The Police appear to have established a case of forgery of the Senate Standing Orders 2015 which paved the way for the June 9, 2015 emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Chief Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy Senate President.

    There were indications yesterday that the police might charge the  Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa to  court  for the alleged forgery of the Standing Orders.

    Maikasuwa may be arraigned with some staff of the National Assembly suspected of having played one role or the other in the drafting of the rules.

    But the fate of Ekweremadu who was one of those quizzed by the Police in the course of their investigation into the matter was unknown last night.

    Police sources declined to discuss his fate.

    Already, the case file has been sent to the Federal Ministry of Justice for advice and prosecution.

    Besides the Standing Orders matter, the Clerk is also said to be facing  a fresh crisis on how he was selected to be part of a Ramadan dinner (Iftar) with President Muhammadu Buhari while under investigation by the Police.

    The Presidency is investigating alleged breach of protocol by the Clerk by attending the breaking of fast with the President.

    Investigation in Abuja showed that the Police, acting on a petition by six Senators, believed that the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was forged.

    According to findings, the Police team, led by Deputy Inspector-General Danazumi Job Doma, discovered many anomalies in the said Senate Standing Orders.

    The   Police findings include the followings:

    *The Senate Standing Orders 2007(as amended) was still in force when the 7th Senate wound up.

    *There was no time the 7th Senate amended the Standing Orders or any subsisting motion as shown in the Senate Standing Orders 2015

    * The Senate Standing Orders 2015 was strange and a violation of Paragraph 110 of the Senate Standing Orders 2007(as amended)

    *All the principal officers of the 7th Senate interviewed admitted that the Senate Standing Orders 2007(as amended) was not reviewed before their tenure ended.

    * A clear case of forgery, manipulation, and tampering has been established.

    * Those connected with the forgery should be immediately prosecuted.

    A top police source said: “We have concluded our investigation and recommended the Clerk to the National Assembly and a few others for trial.

    “The Clerk presided over the election of some Principal Officers of the Senate on June 9 with a forged Standing Orders 2015 when he ought to know better.

    “As I am talking to you, we have sent the investigation file to the Federal Ministry of Justice for Legal Advice and prosecution.”

    The police source said the Senate Standing Orders 2015 was not in compliance with Paragraph 110 (1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2007 (as amended).

    The source added: “The National Assembly management claimed that it has the prerogative to set the rules for the election of a new set of Principal Officers since the 8th Senate was yet to be inaugurated.

    “They said since nature abhors vacuum, they did nothing wrong with the Senate Standing Orders 2015.

    “But when we asked them why they refused to use Senate Standing Orders 2007as the case with the 8th Senate, they were not too convincing.”

    Paragraph 110(1) of the Senate Standing Orders 2007 (as amended) says: ” Any Senator desiring to amend any part of the Rules or adding any new clause shall give notice of such amendments in writing to the President of the Senate giving details of the proposed amendments.

    “The President of the Senate shall within seven working days of the receipt of the notice, cause the amendments to be printed and circulated to members. Thereafter, it shall be printed in the Order Paper of the Senate.

    “The Mover or Movers of the amendments shall be allowed to explain in detail the proposed amendments. Thereafter, the Senate shall decide by simple majority votes whether the amendments should be considered or rejected.

    “If the decision is to consider the amendments, then another date shall be set aside by the Rules and Business Committee whereby opportunity would be given to Senators to further propose amendments but must strictly be confined to the original amendments. “Two-third majority shall decide the amendments and such amendments shall form part of the Rules of the Senate.”

    Meanwhile, the Clerk to the National Assembly might be in fresh trouble over how he was included in the list of those who broke Ramadan fast with President Buhari while still being investigated by the police.

    A breach of protocol was being probed as at press time.

    But the President made the Clerk to know that he was an unwanted guest at the Villa when he was introduced at the end of the dinner.

    A source said: “When he was introduced to Buhari for a handshake after the dinner, the President said: ‘You, how did you get here? If I knew I would not have allowed you to enter this place.’ I think some protocol officers committed a slip.

    “We did not know how he got onto the list of the guests of the President. This is why the President is very strict with his schedule and aides.”