The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Police foil suicide attack in Yobe

    Police foil suicide attack in Yobe

    The Police in Yobe state has foiled what could have been a deadly attack on A Division Police Station at the central roundabout in Damaturu, the State capital.

    According to the State Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai, one 19 years old Abubakar Umar drove a Blue Chevrolet pick-up van into the sandbags in front of the station with the intention of blowing up the station and killing many police men.

    “In the early hours of today (Sunday), one Abubakar Umar 19 years, a suicide bomber attempted to bomb the A Division Police Station Damaturu. He was driving in a blue rickety Chevrolet pick-up van in a suspicious manner.

    “The vigilant policemen on duty immediately noticed his suspicious movement and fired some warning shots when the suicide bomber ran on the sandbags in front of the police station and he was arrested.

    “After serious interrogation by the police, Abubakar Umar confessed that he is a Boko Haram and his mission to Damaturu was to come and bomb the police station and kill as many policemen as he can,” Rufai stated.

    CP Rufai also informed that “the vehicle was carrying animal dung apparently as a decoy of concealing the explosives from prowling eyes of security agents”.

    Speaking on the items recovered in the botched attack, CP Sanusi said: “we discovered five constructed gas cylinders with explosive improvised devices(EIDs), 20 liters of AGO(diseal), 10 liters of PMS(petrol), one fire extinguisher, 5 9.5 battery chargers and a wall clock in the car”.

    He said the Police Bomb Squad condoned off the place and effectively diffused all the bombs.

    The army also confirmed the failed attack.

    Director of Defence Information Major General Chris Olukolade in a statement explained that an attempt was made to bomb the police station but was foiled by the police.

    “An attack by suicide bombers operating in a pick up vehicle laden with IEDs was this morning foiled in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. The target of the attack was the A Divison Police Station situated by the main round about in the heart of the town. The attempt was however foiled as culprit was arrested by the police personale on duty…

    “A total of 6 already constructed turbines containers loaded with explosives as well as 20 liters of petrol and 11 bags of bean chaff have been recovered from the scene. The police anti bomb squad has safely detonated the explosives”, the statement said.
    The Police in Yobe state has foiled what could have been a deadly attack on A Division Police Station at the central roundabout in Damaturu, the State capital.

    According to the State Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai, one 19 years old Abubakar Umar drove a Blue Chevrolet pick-up van into the sandbags in front of the station with the intention of blowing up the station and killing many police men.

    “In the early hours of today (Sunday), one Abubakar Umar 19 years, a suicide bomber attempted to bomb the A Division Police Station Damaturu. He was driving in a blue rickety Chevrolet pick-up van in a suspicious manner.

    “The vigilant policemen on duty immediately noticed his suspicious movement and fired some warning shots when the suicide bomber ran on the sandbags in front of the police station and he was arrested.

    “After serious interrogation by the police, Abubakar Umar confessed that he is a Boko Haram and his mission to Damaturu was to come and bomb the police station and kill as many policemen as he can,” Rufai stated.

    CP Rufai also informed that “the vehicle was carrying animal dung apparently as a decoy of concealing the explosives from prowling eyes of security agents”.

    Speaking on the items recovered in the botched attack, CP Sanusi said: “we discovered five constructed gas cylinders with explosive improvised devices(EIDs), 20 liters of AGO(diseal), 10 liters of PMS(petrol), one fire extinguisher, 5 9.5 battery chargers and a wall clock in the car”.

    He said the Police Bomb Squad condoned off the place and effectively diffused all the bombs.

    The army also confirmed the failed attack.

    Director of Defence Information Major General Chris Olukolade in a statement explained that an attempt was made to bomb the police station but was foiled by the police.

    “An attack by suicide bombers operating in a pick up vehicle laden with IEDs was this morning foiled in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. The target of the attack was the A Divison Police Station situated by the main round about in the heart of the town. The attempt was however foiled as culprit was arrested by the police personale on duty…

    “A total of 6 already constructed turbines containers loaded with explosives as well as 20 liters of petrol and 11 bags of bean chaff have been recovered from the scene. The police anti bomb squad has safely detonated the explosives”, the statement said.

     

     

  • Police, do something about this strange man

    Police, do something about this strange man

    I AM from Obehie in the Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State.

    There is a man in this area who appears like a mad man. But something in me is telling me that the man is not mad.

    He always carries a sack. I don’t know the contents of the sack, but I believe something bad is likely to be there.

    The man is short. He is dark in complexion. He always wears jeans.

    I am, therefore, calling on the police to stop and search this man. They should also probe him to ascertain his mental status, what he does for a living and his residential address.

     

    Kelvin,

    Abia State.

  • Ekiti police arrest suspected thugs in Iyin-Ekiti

    Ekiti police arrest suspected thugs in Iyin-Ekiti

    •Warn against violence, siren abuse

    Scores of suspected thugs carrying guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons were arrested yesterday in Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    The suspected hoodlums stormed the palace of Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye, in Iyin-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area to prevent a meeting of the town’s monarch with  Governor Kayode Fayemi.

    A source said the thugs were in the town to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Fayemi, from campaigning in the local government.

    Fayemi was on campaign tour of six towns, including Iyin-Ekiti, the hometown of Opeyemi Bamidele, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the June 21 election, Igede and other towns in Ifelodun/Irepodun Local  Government Area.

    The suspected hoodlums were taken to the Iyin Divisional Police station where they reportedly made statements.

    Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Felix Uyana has directed governorship candidates of parties to get police permit before using siren and cars with tinted glasses.

    Uyana spoke on Wednesday at an emergency security meeting with 18 governorship candidates in Ado-Ekiti on the June 21 election.

    “It is illegal for any of the gubernatorial candidates in the state to use vehicles with siren and tinted glasses without first obtaining permission from the State Police Command,” he said.

    Uyana said the police not happy with the way  some candidates were conducting their campaigns.

    He said the command was shocked to realise that in spite of the appeal and warnings made to them in the past to avoid fomenting trouble while carrying out their campaigns, they continued to ignore the warning.

    “The incidence of politically motivated crimes, such as malicious damage to posters, billboards, banners and other valuable property of fellow candidates, including attempted murder, has continued unabated.

    “The menace cuts across three major political parties and from our investigation, the only deference between them is in terms of depth of involvement,” the police boss said.

    According to Uyana, the level of intolerance so far exhibited by all political actors toward one another is unjustifiable.

    The commissioner said the command had so far recorded 25 politically-related criminal cases of which 14 had already been charged to court.

    He said the remaining cases were at various stages of investigation.

    The police commissioner said it had also been observed that most of the political parties and their candidates  vehicles without registration numbers.

    He said others also use vehicles with siren and tinted glasses indiscriminately.

    Uyana warned political parties and directors of their campaign organisations that “drivers of such party branded vehicles will be prosecuted and such vehicles will be impounded.’’

    He urged the political parties to preach peace and ensure that their supporters are not allowed to engage in any violence.

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State, Alhaji Halilu Pai, said the meeting was to remind the various stakeholders in the election of their responsibilities in the electoral process.

    Candidates of the various political parties include Mr Ayò Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kole Ajayi of Accord; Seyi Osekita of Alliance for Democracy (AD), among others attended the meeting.

    The Director-General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Bimbo Daramola, represented the governor and candidate of APC, while leaders of the various political parties also attended the meeting.

  • Lagos Island crisis: Police to shoot armed hoodlums

    Lagos Island crisis: Police to shoot armed hoodlums

    The police have been directed to shoot any armed hoodlum found on Lagos Island.

    The directive was given after an emergency Security Council meeting attended by Lagos Island Local Government Chairman Kamal Salau-Bashua; Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the Lion Building Oluwole Edger; traditional rulers and members of Community Development Associations, Neighborhood Watch groups and road transport unions.

    In a statement after the meeting, Salau-Bashua said the directive became necessary to restore peace and order in the council.

    He said the peace in the area was disrupted during the Easter celebration as hoodlums took the law in their hands, killing two people, injuring others and destroying properties worth several millions of naira.

    Salau-Bashua said the state will not tolerate any form of violence.

    Edger urged residents to alert security operatives of suspicious movements to prevent a breakdown of law and order in the council.

  • Oyo police dispel Boko Haram rumour

    The Oyo State Police Command on Wednesday in Ibadan urged residents to desist from spreading false information capable of breaching the peace.

    The command’s spokesperson, Olabisi Okuwobi-Ilobanafor, stated this in a press release issued to dispel the rumour that Boko Haram members had laid siege to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday.

    “The story that 18 suspected Boko Haram members operated on the highway with AK47 rifles, killing nine policemen and 11 civilians is untrue.

    “There was an occurrence of a lone auto accident involving a trailer loaded with bags of wheat.

    “ FRSC officials, policemen and other security officers were only at the scene to control traffic and clear the gridlock,” she said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that residents of Ibadan had started receiving messages of the rumoured attack through the social media and text messages in the early hours of Wednesday.

    In a related development, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Indabawa, said on Wednesday that there was a security report of an influx of foreigners into the state.

    Indabawa, represented by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr. Clement Adoda, said this at a security meeting held with leaders of the Hausa, Fulani and Yoruba communities at the command’s headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan.

    He urged the communities not to accommodate strangers as doing so could threaten security.

    “You should be vigilant and watch out for foreigners from Chad and the Republic of Niger,” he said.

    The police boss also called for peaceful co-existence between farmers and Fulani herdsmen.

    “Herdsmen should stay off farmlands and where an infringement occurs; aggrieved farmers should seek redress through appropriate authorities,” he said.

     

  • Mob vandalise police officer’s mansion over alleged ritual cell

    Mob vandalise police officer’s mansion over alleged ritual cell

    A mob stormed a three storey building in Abeokuta the Ogun State capital on Monday and  vandalised the glass window panes as they pelted it with stone, steel and other objects following allegation of the existence of an underground cell  for ritual in the house.

    They were on the verge of battering the high perimeter wall surrounding the building to gain entry and apparently to torch it but for the quick arrival of a security personnel from the State Security Service(SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps(NSCDC), Special Anti – Robbery Squad(SARS) and Policemen from Eleweran who fought off the mob and saved the building from being set ablaze.

    Two lady – tenants who were the only found inside the house  on Agogo – Ogun compound, Ijaiye area panicked and scampered to safety on sighting the surging youths that besieged the compound.

    They mob were acting on the allegation that the house, believed to be owned by a retired senior police officer, harbor an  underground cell where ritual syndicates go for supply of flesh blood and human parts.

    Not even the sporadic firing of gunshot into the air by the police could make the resolute mob in their hundreds beat a retreat as they said they would not leave the compound until every part of is searched.

    When the tension heightened by noon, the Balogun of Ijaiye and Aare of Egbaland, Alh. Ganiyu Babayedun Alimo, was called in to douse the tension and upon his arrival to the scene, he was said to have instructed that the gate be broken so that a search could be conducted on the building.

    For almost an hour, a search team comprising the Balogun Ijaiye, youth leader, selected natives, SSS, SARS, NSCDC, Police, operative of the Vigilante Service of Ogun State(VSO) combed every room, toilet and enclosure within the expanse house that looked odd in a depressed, dingy and seedy Ijaiye compound and found no underground cell.

    The Balogun appealed to the curious crowd and irate youth – mob who had been spoiling to bring the building down if their suspicion was confirmed, to disperse while the police also fired into the air several times to scare people away.

  • Easter: Police offer security tips to worshippers, others

    Easter: Police offer security tips to worshippers, others

    The police on Thursday offered personal security tips to both Christian and Muslim worshippers in Friday’s Jumat service and Church services on Sunday and Monday in the various worship centres across the country.

    As part of the security measures, the police urged worshippers to reduce the number of vehicles around worship centres so as to make the task of keeping surveillance on the area easier.

    The police also advised that abandoned and disused vehicles should not be parked within or close to places of worship or residential areas, adding that vehicles parked overnight in those premises must be properly vetted and identified.

    In a statement issued by Force spokesman, Frank Mba, the police similarly directed that empty and disused containers and other forms of receptacle (including dustbins) must be properly disposed or stored far away from the reach of unauthorized persons.

    Members of the public were also advised to keep clean and to look out for strange or suspicious objects in flower pots and flower edges around residential buildings.

    The statement reads: “The police high command also enjoins worshippers to make conscious effort to know fellow members of their congregation, as this will make it easier to know who is a stranger in their midst. Worshippers must be at alert and report all suspicious characters and observations to the police.

    “The worship centres are enjoined to discourage hawking and clustering/loitering within their vicinity before and during worship. Worshippers are equally advised to refrain from entering the worship centres with hand bags, brief-cases and other related items.

    “The Force equally advises operators of motor parks, shopping malls and recreational centres to work very closely with the police and other security agencies as they strive to strengthen general security in their respective facilities.

    “While assuring the public of the Force readiness and commitment towards ensuring a safe and secure environment, the Inspector-General Police, Mohammed Abubakar, wishes Nigerians very peaceful and happy Easter celebrations.”

     

     

     

  • Tension as police invade Onitsha arms dealers

    Tension as police invade Onitsha arms dealers

    •Seizes guns worth millions of naira

    There was tension at the Onitsha Main Market yesterday when the Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) invaded the market in pursuit of a notorious arms dealer, Alphonsus Ngwu.

    Ngwu’s men tried to prevent his arrest. But he was shot while trying to escape.

    The shots created tension, as traders scampered for safety.

    The SARS team recovered over 8,000 rounds of live ammunition from his shop. Other items recovered are: six pump action guns, one revolver pistol, 6,390 live cartridges, 62 rounds of 5.65mm live ammunition, 74 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, 100 rounds of air rifle ammunition, 12 magazine for AK 47 rifle, 2 magazines for k-2 rifle, some dismantled parts of AK-47, one GPMG ammunition and one smoke cartridge.

    Commissioner of Police Gwary Usman, represented by police spokesman Emeka Chukwuemeka, while parading Ngwu, described him as special arms dealer and smuggler.

    He hailed the SARS team, led by James Nwafor.

    Ngwu, from Ugwuoba in Oji River Local Government Area of Enugu State admitted to reporters that the items were recovered from his shop and promised to lead Nwafor to his warehouse.

    However, he said he was not involved in robbery or kidnapping.

    He said he had been in the business for 15 years, adding that he gets his arms from abroad.

    The suspect said an Alhaji from the North was his contact man for his suppliers, adding he was a legitimate trader, who once had a licence.

    The police alleged he was behind communal clashes in the country, as he supplies arms to warring communities and other dealers, who sell to robbers.

    They said the Alhaji was in police net.

    From the record of his sales, it was learnt that two pieces of AK 47 rifles sell for N620,000.

    Some items sell for N1.2 million 200.

    From the addresses in the log book, police alleged he would have sponsored the Ezza/Ezilo war, among others.

     

     

     

  • Group, police sensitize community on safety, security

    Group, police sensitize community on safety, security

    A non-governmental Organization, Justice for All (J4A), lastweek took its campaign on safety and security to Agege community in Lagos State.

    The event, fourth of its kind tagged Agege Safety Community Initiative (ACSI), is organized yearly to avail stakeholders the opportunity to interface on the improvement on the security and safety of the community.

    Government officials, security operatives, traditional leaders, civil society organization and residents were in attendance at the event to seek a common ground in proffering lasting solutions to the challenges plaguing the community.

    Speaking on the need for the community to work hand in gloves with the police, the Division Police Officer (DPO) of Isokoko, Amaechi Oliver urged the residents to support the police.

    “We urge you to help us perform better in our duties in ensuring safety of lives and properties. The people always have the fear to report suspects to the police thinking their identity would be disclosed and the accused may come back to haunt them.”

    The DPO assured the confidentiality of informants saying the police need the people to succeed in the quest to stemming the rate of criminal in the locale. “Police would not disclose your identity for helping us perform better”, he said.

    On a lighter mood, the Officer said: “You are supposed to respect the police more than the clergy. Police are more important than the clergy because they would be in charge to usher-in qualified humans into the heaven.

    He allayed the fear of the residents over the impression they have of the police, that they should “see the police as individuals who have signed up to protect them.”

    The five-year pilot programme supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DfID) kicked off in 2010 has yielded positive results according to the Programme Coordinator of j4all, Ms Ajibola Ijimakinwa.

    “This is the fourth edition of this event, we held the first meeting at the Agege Local Government; then the second one was held at the Oba Ologba Palace. The third meeting was held at Ayobo Motor Park and what we have realized is that people have been coming out to talk about issue within their environments”, she said.

    She also stated further that: “These are the issues we took back to the partnership and the various stakeholders that are involved to address. We have been able to talk about gender and domestic violence in the community and the reports that we got from the police station on the issues that involved violence rape increased within that month.

    “This showed there was a lot of impact of the sensitization we did on the people especially the women and children in reporting cases of gender based violence”

    Speaking on the challenges being faced three years down the line, she identified drug abuse related task as the main crux of the initiative.

    “It’s not been easy for one of the working groups dealing with drug related issues as the stakeholders have not been able to take drastic steps to tackle the menace. We have not really been able to get that buy-in to arrest the situation”, she revealed.

    Blessing Abere is one of the local consultants working with J4All in Agege LGA; she described the experience as far as eye opening. “The experience has been eye-opening in the sense that you find out that what you think are community problems and priorities are really not. It is when you get to go in deep, interact with them that you begin to know what their real concerns are.

    “For instance, before the partnership was able to narrow down the areas to work with, we did a survey within the specified areas to find out what the community issues were. We were able to find out through the survey that issues like gender based violence; defilement of young children; domestic violence; youth involvement in crime and lastly the issues of drug abuse were on the increase.

    “Drugs abuse is a very peculiar issue because drugs are sold there. It is however tougher for us to crack down the perpetrators because most of the people who transact business there do not reside in the area. They come during the day, transact their business and go. So also, most of the end udders don’t reside here, so it’s like a clearing house. As a result, it’s been difficult to pinpoint people we can reach out to”, she concluded.

    A member of the youth working group, Owodina Yakub also spoke on the activities of the initiative in Agege. “We try as much as we can as youths to solve the problems of our mates.”

    As regards unemployment which is the main source of criminal acts, Owoduni said: “We have been able to change the orientation of our youth from running after white collar jobs that are not available through acquisition of skills. They have realized that they cannot really get the job they are looking for because of the level of unemployment and very limited available space. They have decided to acquire skills through which they can get their means of livelihood.”

    He however identified source for fund to start up business through skills they have acquired as a major challenge. “After learning the vocation, they face the problem of how to source for funds to get themselves established.”

    The event is expected to go a long way in making Agege community violence-free as all hands are on deck to that effect.

  • Court restrains Customs, police from arresting importers

    A Lagos High Court in Igbosere has restrained the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar from arresting two importers, Jude Obiora Iloka and Mrs Nneka Egbe.

    Justice Kazeem Alogba also restrained Customs from selling the goods contained in eight 40-ft containers belonging to the applicants.

    The applicants had filed the suit following alleged threat of arrest and illegal sale of the goods.

    The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adbullahi Diko and Area Comptroller of Customs, Tin Can Port, Musa Audu Tahir are joined in the suit.

    The applicants’ lawyer, Paschal Ukpaka, arguing the ex-parte motion, said after his clients paid necessary customs duties, shipping charges and terminal/warehousing charges in respect of the containers, the respondents were still making moves to arrest the applicants and confiscate the goods.

    The lawyer recalled that the container exit attestation notes, which were under auction, were duly signed by the Customs Resident official, government agencies and Tahir, who was also Chairman of Joint Allocation Committee.

    Ukpaka added that despite the clearance, some officers of the defendants were making another move to arrest the containers and dispose the goods therein.

    Ukpaka said one of the applicants’ associates was arrested about three weeks.

    Justice Alogba ordered that hearing notice should be served on the defendants, and directed the applications to file an undertaking to pay damages to the defendants if it turns out that the order ought not to have been mane.

    He also fixed April 16 for hearing.