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Tag: Police

  • No more police harassment in Rivers, says Amaechi

    No more police harassment in Rivers, says Amaechi

    Rivers State Governor and Director-General of Buhari Campaign Organisation Rotimi  Amaechi has said policemen would no longer be used  to harass the people.

    He spoke while interacting with All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters during his ward-to-ward campaign in Emohua and Ikwerre local government areas at the weekend.

    Amaechi urged the people to vote for the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside.

    Amaechi said: “Next week Saturday, I expect everybody to come out and vote. There will be no police molestation again. There will be no army harassment again.  Any police that molests you must be preparing to retire and this time, it will not be retirement, it will be punishment for retirement; so come out to vote. We are looking for you to come out to vote.

    “The reason why I am running from ward to ward is to encourage you to come out because after what the police and the army did  last time, everybody will be afraid to come out. Saturday, we should all come out to vote and as your governor, I urge you to vote for APC.”

    He re-emphasised that his administration would set up a commission of enquiry to look into election-related deaths.

    According to him, those found guilty by the law would be punished.

    “We have agreed to set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the killings so far. So, all those people who killed, we shall punish them. Whether they like it or not, they must account for everybody they killed.

    “For the police, we believe that by now they must have learnt their lesson. We believe that by now they must have known that they were politicians and not Nigerian Police. This Saturday, we expect them to be Nigerian Police and not Nigerian politicians.”

    In Emohua, the governor  campaigned in Ogbakiri, Ibaa, Obele, Rumuewhor Odegu and Elele.

    Also speaking to APC supporters in Ikwerre Local Government Area, particularly in Igwuruta, Ipo, Omademe, Ozuaha, Omuanwa, Isiokpo, Omagwa and Aluu, Amaechi told the people to vote APC all the way.

    Amaechi said the Buhari  administration would usher in people-oriented policies, programmes and projects.

    He said: “It is important that we all must come out to vote this time around, so that we can stop the PDP from writing election results for us. You cannot sit at home and win election. So, all of us must come out and vote for APC. APC party agents, this time around must take their duties seriously. All of us saw how the APC Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari won the election. We in Rivers State have a commitment to reflect our votes for Dr. Dakuku Peterside, so, we can carry on with development. We still have your roads to complete. The flyover at Rukpokwu, if we vote in APC, Dakuku as our governor, we will indeed have closer ties with the Federal Government, and I assure you industries and other developmental projects will be attracted to Rivers State. That is why we must all come out en masse to vote for APC in the upcoming Saturday guber and State Assembly elections. There are so many opportunities to benefit from if you vote APC. This is our opportunity and we can’t afford to miss it.”

    The governor urged women and youths to resist any attempt by the PDP to rig the Aprill 11 elections.

    “From today, women and youths will have to work until the guber and state Assembly elections are over. I can give you an example of what happened in Bauchi State, where youths and hunters took the decision to protect their votes from the polling units to the INEC office, until the votes were counted and declared. Here, our mothers and women should protect our votes from 7 a.m. at the polling units, until after voting and results are declared at the polling units. Please, don’t leave your polling units. The security agents are at polling units to protect you, don’t be scared of any arrest, exercise your franchise without fear.”

    Amaechi paid a condolence visit on late Ikechi Dimkpa’s family at Ipo community. The late Dimkpa was killed by suspected PDP political thugs during the presidential election.

    He promised to support the family of the bereaved. He also received defectors from the PDP.

  • Police not incompetent, says spokesman

    Police not incompetent, says spokesman

    The Lagos State Police Command yesterday reassured residents of its resolve to detect and prevent crime.

    Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said, the command had been proactive in crime investigations.

    Lagosians, he said, should disregard any report describing the police as incompetent.

    “For any crime that is committed, we are to do investigation, nobody tells us how or when to do this. Our duty as police officers mandates us to do so and as a command that is very proactive to issues like this, we do that,” Nwosu said.

    He noted that it was the police responsibility to prevent or detect crime, adding: “We are to do investigations on every crime committed either detected by the police or reported by the public.

    “It is one of our paramount duties according to Section 4 of the Police Act. We try to prevent crime, if we cannot prevent it, we detect and it is during investigation that we detect.” he said.

  • Aba residents hail police

    Residents of Aba and Osisioma Local Government Area of Abia State have praised the police for their prompt response to a bomb scare which would have probably caused loss of life and property  in the area.

    Reacting to the scare at the headquarters of the Osisioma Local Government Area which was successfully evacuated by the police anti-bomb squad, the residents thanked the police for responding promptly.

    It could be recalled that there was palpable fear within Osisioma Local Government Area on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. following the reported discovery of an object suspected to be an explosive device.

    Police anti-bomb squad that were alerted promptly arrived at the venue to diffuse and evacuate the improvised explosive device (IED) which was later discovered to be a military grenade suspected to have fallen off from one of the soldiers on duty.

    A police source that pleaded anonymity because he was not competent to talk on the matter, commended the public for alerting the police, saying that it shows that people were becoming more conscious of their environment. He urged the people not to hesitate to alert the police whenever they suspected any strange object within their environment.

     

  • Man, 27 in police net for raping minor to death in Kaduna

    A 27-years-old trader identified as Shehu Bashir of Yabati ward of Sabo Gari Local Government area of Kaduna State has been arrested by Kaduna State police Command for raping to death, a 2 years baby.

    The suspect was arrested by men from the Sabo Gari Area Command of the state, following a complaint from the father of the late minor Mallam Zakkari Dahiru and has been transferred to the state Homicide department.

    Interrogating the suspect, Shehu Bashir at the police premises in Kaduna, said he regretted his action and beg for mercy.

    According to him, “to be honest with you, I don’t know what came over me but I started’ flipping with my manhood which was already erected and as if the devil want to punish me the late Fatimah came into my room because we are neighbor and she is used to me.

    “Immediately she came I striped her naked and penetrated her through her virginal and to my surprise she stopped breathing and I applied water on her head but that would not resuscitates her. From then I knew that I am in a big trouble.

    “I became more afraid when her mother started asking about her I told her I have not seen her that day. I put together some of my clothes under the pretend of washing them but her corpse was hidden in one of them.

    “It was in this process that her father came into my room saying that he was informed that some people saw his daughter going into my room and I asked him to come in and see if she is there.

    “He came in and went to my inner room but did not find anything; he came back to the palour where I was sitting with my clothes on his way out he stooped and said he want to see what is inside the wares I put on the ground and when he scattered the clothes he saw the corpse of his daughter and he raised alarm which attracted others neighbors and the police was invited,” he said.

    The father of late Fatima, Mallam Zakkari Dahiru who could not hold back his tears informed this reporter that on the faithful day he was on his way out when his daughter asked him for money to buy bean cake but he refused to give her but the suspect came out of his room and asked for N50 to buy sugar which he obliged.

    “It was the same money I later learnt he used to lure my daughter into his room,” the father said.

    The Police Public Relation Officer, kaduna Command DSP Abdullahi Zubairu said the case file has been transferred to the Homicides teams for investigation and the suspect is currently detained at the Criminal Investigation Department.

     

  • Police announce death of former IGP, Dikko Yusuf

    Police announce death of former IGP, Dikko Yusuf

    The Nigeria Police on Thursday announced the death of a former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Muhammadu Dikko Yusuf.

    In a statement issued in Abuja by the force spokesman, Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, Yusuf, aged 84, died on April 1.

    NAN reports that late Yusuf was the third indigenous Inspector-General of Police and served between 1975 and 1979.

    He was seconded to the force as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1962 and rose to the position of Inspector-General of Police on July 30, 1975.

    The late I-G obtained his Elementary, Middle Schools and higher educational qualifications at Katsina Provincial School, School for Arabic Studies, Kano, 1947 and Institute of Administration, Zaria, between 1952 and 1953.

    He also attended the Christ Church College (Oxford University).

    After his retirement from the police, he held various national appointments.

    He was appointed Chairman of the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd (NLNG) in 1994, and Chairman, Central Working Committee, Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), a northern cultural and Socio-political association in 2001.

    Late Yusuf was a Presidential candidate on the platform of the Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM) and Movement for Democracy and Justice (MDJ) in Nigeria, respectively.

    He was also the Chairman, Presidential Committee on Nigeria Police Force reform.

    The deceased is survived by a wife, children and grand children.

    Meanwhile, condolence registers had been opened at the foyers of the Louis Edet House, Force Headquarters Abuja and Kam Salem House, Force Headquarters Annex, Moloney Street, Lagos.

  • Police arrest ex-Delta lawmaker

    The Delta State police command has arrested a former member of the House of Representatives, Napoleon Gbinije, for allegedly tearing election results sheet.

    Gbinije, who represented Okpe, Uvwie and Sapele between 1999 and 2003, contested for the same seat in last Saturday’s elections on the platform of the Labour Party (LP).

    It was gathered that Gbinije, not satisfied with the results from his constituency, grabbed the results sheet and tore it.

    Although he reportedly escaped from the scene, he was later apprehended and now being held by the police.

    Command spokesman Celestina Kalu said Gbinije was in custody for committing an electoral crime.

    “Is it not that politician, who tore result sheet? He is still with us. You know that is a serious offence”, she said.

    She said the offence was bailable but she was not sure that could happen yesterday.

     

     

     

  • Police arraign man for robbery

    A 23-year-old man,Damilare Oshikoye, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate Court for alleged robbery.

    Oshikoye was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Mrs A.O Komolafe on a two-count charge  bordering on conspiracy and robbery.

    The prosecutor, Eranus Ibekwe Nnamonu,  an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),  told the court that the defendant and others at large, conspired amongst themselves to commit felony to wit; robbery and thereby, committed an offence, adding that the offence was committed on February 28, at field Powerline, Odogunyan,  Ikorudu Lagos State.

    According to him, the defendant and others at large on the same day robbed Chinyere Nwanko of one Blackberry Touch 2 valued N17,000, a Nokia Asha phone valued N13,000, a woman handbag valued N3,000 and also cash sum of N110,000 totalling N143,000.

    The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed are contrary to and punishable under Sections 409 and 295 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

    Chief Magistrate Komolafe granted him a N100,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum and who must be a blood relation.

    The sureties must also have evidence of tax payment within the last three year, swore to an affidavit of means and also verification of sureties addresses.

    She adjourned the case till April 30, 2015.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Police and communion of silence

    SIR: NKEMDI is an IT professional and anything he does not know in that sector is not worth knowing. Despite his proficiency, he is still battling with the prospect of getting a mouth-watering break because our country painfully is becoming an anti-intellectual one where professionals are not head hunted and, you need to know ‘someone,’ who knows ‘somebody,’ to win lucrative jobs.

    Fortunately, ‘someone,’ referred a ‘somebody,’ who chose to call him to “come immediately,” for an impromptu IT consultancy job at night caused by a sudden difficulty.

    Nkemdi could not miss this opportunity and, he went with a lightning-speed, resolved the task at past 11pm.

    On his way back after this assignment, he crossed a route to get a chartered taxi home but saw from a distance what looked like a four wheel drive parked right on the middle of the road. He panicked. Who wouldn’t be in Port Harcourt where crime is quickly becoming a criminal flux? To confirm his reservation, he heard a gunshot precisely coming from where the vehicle on the road was.

    He scampered for safety and unfortunately because Port Harcourt has too many uncovered manholes, many other man made mines on its road, his leg got stuck in one and he broke his ankle. It took the combined efforts of some ladies who heard the gunshots, and also took to their heels; lift him to a safe location where they all hid until the bedlam had presumably quieted.

    These guardian angels (ladies) helped him to the road moments later to flag a taxi because he couldn’t walk but it seemed the drama was only just starting. A four-wheel vehicle drove towards them, stopped suddenly and “stop there or I will shoot,” came a barking voice.

    Three men in civilian clothes came out of the vehicle brandishing guns with a girl.

    “Is he the one?” one of the men asked.

    “He looks like one of them?” She said.

    Spurious accusations by a group – that had not bothered to identify themselves by showing an identity card. The ladies who helped the consultant to the road tried to no avail to explain what happened earlier and why they were at that spot in search of a taxi but they were shouted down by these men and asked to leave.

    “Please show me your identity cards,” he queried but they shoved him inside the vehicle instead. What can a man with a broken ankle do but to obey armed men with guns?

    Despite suffering terrible pain on his ankle, he managed to ask the lady in the vehicle, “Please how much is the value of the phone that you were robbed of?”

    “N3, 000,” she said.

    He offered to give her the money so his captors could set him free even though it was morally wrong but police officers refused.

    ”Please I have a broken leg, take me to the station if truly you are police officers, or take me to a hospital so I can seek medical help,” he begged.

    At this point, he was positive that they were not agents of government. Surprisingly, they drove into a police station, which confirmed that they were really agents of government but they drove out again with him moments later so you can, “take us to the rest of your gangs.”

    Despite providing an alibi and even asked that they call the influential person he went to work for that night, they refused. Luck plays out to one’s advantage sometimes. They decided, finally, to drop the girl off at a bus stop after a long unnecessary rigmarole that wore on into the next day, they also asked him to “get out.”

    There was a challenge, he couldn’t walk and he asked that they drop him off at home but they refused. He even promised to pay for the help but they didn’t oblige him.

    Though Nigeria is battling with high level of delinquency, which needs law enforcement agencies to handle, it is outrageous and infuriating to have these operatives deal awfully with ordinary citizens.

    Who, should police officers protect, citizens of Nigeria – without prejudice, or only the rich? What happens to the browbeaten people?

    It is despicable that officers can treat a citizen with so much impertinence and abandon him on the streets even when it is obvious that such a citizen needs help.

    It is equally vexing, when such a citizen is law-abiding, and puts efforts legally to eke out a living in a country that fails to notice resourcefulness and reward same.

    Aren’t officers supposed to cross check facts, show identification especially if they are in mufti and on assignments?

    I wish they knew that he had to crawl and beg people coming from vigil to help stop a cab for him. But like the Pharisees, they refused to be good Samaritans, looked at him, hissed and moved on.

    I wish they knew that he crawled to a church but the security man didn’t trust him enough to let him in or make attempt to stop a cab for him which made him to sleep out on the street like a destitute.

    I wish they knew that he called his flat mate but trust our telecommunication network; he couldn’t get through to him all night.

    Help came for him at 5am. If he had had, an internal bleeding injury, he might have bled to death before dawn.

    • Simon Abah,

     Port-Harcourt 

  • Bi-Courtney donates patrol vehicle, office equipment to police

    Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited, operators of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), has donated operational equipment to the police as further demonstration of its unwavering commitment to its corporate social responsibility.

    The equipment, including a fully-equipped patrol car, two sets of computer with printers, two refrigerators and two flat-screen television sets, were handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Murtala Muhammed Airport Command, Mrs. Dorothy Gimba, during a familiarisation visit she made to MMA2, on Wednesday, March 25.

    While making the presentation, the Chief Executive Officer of BASL, Mr. Christophe Penninck, who was assisted by some executive management staff, including the Chief Operating Officer, Ms. Adebisi Awoniyi and the Group Head of Audit, Ms. Yosola Popoola, expressed satisfaction with the efforts of the command in securing the entire airport environment and ensuring there are no security issues.

    Penninck noted: “Our experience and interaction with the police have been excellent. We appreciate the good work you are doing. The fact that we don’t have any security issue and incident at the airport shows that things work. It is only where and when things don’t work that we have issues.

    “We have nothing negative to say about the police at the airport. We also understand the importance of intelligence and have always availed your people of any information we consider necessary for them to perform effectively. We are committed to making the police efficient at the airport.”

    In her response, Gimba described BASL as a “critical stakeholder in the Nigerian Aviation industry”, whose support is key to ensuring optimum performance by police.

    She said the command considered it important to open a direct channel of communication with the management of BASL to enhance the level of cooperation between the police and the company.

    She stated: “We believe it is appropriate to know all the stakeholders in the aviation industry, especially a critical stakeholder like Bi-Courtney. It is important for us to understand your challenges and expectations. When you know the people and are able to put a face to them and open a channel of communication, half of the problem is already solved.”

    Gimba added: “We are prepared to oblige you in any way we can better secure the airport environment. That is my primary mandate and I am willing to discharge it effectively. I am assuring you I will give it my best shot.”

    Gimba was accompanied on the visit by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in the command, Mr. Chuks Enwowu, Divisional Police Officer in-charge of MMA2, SP Gloria Sanni, the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Dennis Ifijen, among others.

  • Police summon el-Rufai as security agents clamp down on APC leaders, supporters

    Police summon el-Rufai as security agents clamp down on APC leaders, supporters

    •Arrests violate peace accord – Buhari
    •Says accord must be worth its letters

    Leaders and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in different parts of the country are under siege  from security agents over today’s  presidential and National Assembly elections, even before the first ballot is cast.

    The police yesterday summoned  the party’s governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, the party’s senatorial candidate for Kaduna North, Mr.Suleiman Hunkuyi,  and Chairman of the party campaign council in the state, Alhaji Lawal Yakawada, for questioning.

    The party’s presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday protested the development and warned that the clampdown was in bad faith and constituted a violation of the two Abuja Peace Accords he signed with President Goodluck Jonathan.

    Already in security custody  are an APC member of the House of Representatives from Ondo State, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule, the APC agent at the Port Harcourt office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emma Edeeyah, and four leaders of the party in Akoko Edo 1 of Edo State.

    The Kaduna  State Police Command, in a letter to the APC, summoned El-Rufai, Hunkuyi and Yakawada to  the command for questioning.

    The letter was  signed by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the CID.

    Apart from the letter,the police also placed several phone calls to the party’s secretariat, asking the men  appear before them.

    The Publicity Secretary of the party in Kaduna, Samuel Aruwan, said that the intention of the police was to keep the trio  till after the election.

    The APC had earlier raised an alarm that it had it on good record that there was a plan to begin a clampdown on its top members.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State told newsmen in Benin yesterday that more APC members in the state had been pencilled down for arrest with a view to keeping them out of circulation during the elections.

    He accused  Works Minister Mike Onolemenmen of donating 14 Hilux vans to the 4 Brigade of the army in the state as part of the plot to use the military to intimidate the opposition.

    Former Ekiti State governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, said “there has been a lot of intimidation, a lot of attacks, a lot of violence perpetuated against the members of the APC and we hope that the security agencies will be up to the task to see that it does not continue tomorrow (today).”

    General  Buhari  deplored the situation yesterday and expressed disappointment that all these happened after he and President Jonathan “signed a new accord reinforcing our commitment to violent-free elections.”

    The first peace accord was signed by the duo along with nine other party leaders, on January 14th 2015, to “show our commitment to free, fair and credible elections in our dear country.”

    He said: “I take these accords very seriously, and this has reflected in the issues-based campaign which I ran all through the period of the electioneering, despite the provocative and sleazy campaign directed at my person and  party.

    “But recent developments across the country, ahead of Saturday’s elections, run against the contents and spirit of the peace accords.

    “For example, the ink with which we signed the new peace accord had barely dried when we started hearing reports of violence directed against members of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as glaring acts of harassment and intimidation being carried out against the opposition by security agents across the country.

    “Shots were fired at the convoy of the Director-General of my campaign organisation, His Excellency Gov. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, in Rumuolumeni, Obio Akpor area of Port Harcourt, a few hours after the second peace accord was signed, leaving two persons injured.

    “I do hope this is not a confirmation of the information reaching my party that some notorious security agents have been deployed to Port Harcourt to restrict the movement of Gov. Amaechi.

    “In Ondo State, a serving APC member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Eniolorunda Omosule, was arrested and detained by the police for no reason other than to keep him away until after elections, while we have heard reports of an alleged meeting in Ibadan between the commissioners of police in the South-west and PDP officials.

    “In Imo, we have read of how more than 30 armed mobile policemen were unleashed on some APC youths at Mbutu in the Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area, with the policemen firing indiscriminately, smashing doors and windows and arresting some of the youths, while there are alleged plans to deploy troops clothed in DSS uniforms to the South-west to help the PDP to rig the elections.

    “These are worrisome developments, more so because they involve security agencies, which are supposed to be neutral and professional in carrying out their constitutional duties of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians, irrespective of their party affiliations.”

    Gen. Buhari urged his supporters to shun all acts of violence, even in the face of the worst kind of provocations and declared that “the wordings of the accords must mean something if indeed they are the paper they are writing on.

    “The new peace accord we signed on Thursday called on the INEC and all security agencies to ensure strict adherence to their constitutional roles. This is the minimum requirement for us to have credible elections. When those who are being paid to protect Nigerians turn around to unleash violence on them, it portends great danger for the polity.”

    He asked  the President to immediately call the errant security agencies to order, in the spirit of the peace accords and  to make it  “clear that any security agent who engages in acts that are inimical to the success of the elections will face the full wrath of the law.”

    The police and the INEC  in Rivers State denied knowledge of  Deeyah’s arrest.

    The President of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Legborsi  Saro Pyagbara, last night  called for the release of  his  fellow Ogoni, Deeyah.

    The state  Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who doubles as the Director of Communications of APC’s Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside’s Greater Together Campaign Organisation, however, insisted that Deeyah was arrested yesterday morning by the police.

    Semenitari said: “Emmanuel Deeyah, the Rivers State APC representative in the INEC Headquarters in Port Harcourt has been arrested at the Rivers State Office of the INEC, where he was present at the distribution of materials.

    “The APC in Rivers State is worried about this (Deeyah’s arrest), as it confirms our fears that the Federal Government does not want elections to hold in Rivers State.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had risen from a meeting with instructions that all APC chieftains and as many members as possible should be arrested. Arrests began  Thursday night, with massive arrests planned for  yesterday, up till 5 a.m. today. The idea is to keep as many APC members as possible away from today’s elections.”

    The MOSOP president  said Deeyah, a former member of the House of Representatives , is  “believed to be detained by the Anti-Cult Unit of the Nigeria Police Force.”

    Otunba  Adebayo,speaking in an interview in Iyin Ekiti decried the high level of intimidation and harassment against members of the APC.

    He said the security agencies should be neutral  in the elections.

    Governor Oshiomhole, at a press conference in Benin said  security agents were out  to arrest and harass top leaders of the APC  in the state.

    The alarm followed  alleged attempt by plain clothes soldiers to arrest the  State Youth Leader of APC, Osakpamwan Eriyo, on allegation of gun running.

    He was only left alone  following  the resistance put up by some APC youths.

    Osakpamwan, who, confirmed the report, said the soldiers invaded his hotel with a view to  putting  him out of circulation until the elections are over.

    A  member of the state House of Assembly, representing Akoko-Edo 1 Consitutency, Kabiru Adjoto, said four APC leaders in his constituency had been arrested and their whereabouts unknown.

    Governor Oshiomhole said  more  leaders of the APC had been pencilled down for arrest.

    Oshiomhole  denounced the