The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • 47 in police net over electoral crimes in Lafia – CP

    The Nasarawa State Police Command on Thursday said it had arrested 47 persons in connection with electoral offences committed during last Saturday’s local government elections in the state.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kpotun-Idris, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lafia said 27 of them, including six women, had been charged to court

    According to him, the 27 were caught while attempting to attack the private apartment of the Chairman of Keana Local Government Council, in Lafia.

    He said that the remaining 20 were being investigated over minor electoral offences.

    “We are investigating them and those found guilty would be charged to court.

    The commissioner enjoined aggrieved parties to seek redress in court, rather than take the law into their hands.

    Kpotun-Idris also called on the public to assist in crime control by providing necessary information on the movement of suspicious persons.

    He said that no society was crime-free, but the command was trying its best to reduce it to the barest minimum.

    “Tackling the security challenges in the state and indeed Nigeria needs the collective effort of all and sundry.

    “Law-abiding citizens should always furnish the police with useful information that will assist us to arrest suspected persons.

    “The Police is your friend and will do everything possible to protect lives and property of all law-abiding citizens of the state,’’ Kpotun-Idris said.

    He called for closer cooperation between the police and the general public in a bid to ensure effective policing.

    The commissioner said that the present leadership of the Nigeria Police was prepared to work with any community toward ensuring the protection of lives and property.

  • Police corporal kills self, wife, five others

    Police corporal kills self, wife, five others

    Tragedy! Or  call it killings resulting from a maniacal spell, and you won’t be far from the truth. It was like a scene cut from an action movie. Neither the residents of Akingbala – Eleweran  area of Ogun State nor victims  saw it coming.

    It was all confusion and shock at the Ogun State Police Command, Eleweran yesterday  as one its officer, Corporal Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi, ran amok, shot dead his wife, Corporal Oluwatosin Faremi, killed five other persons and injuring three others gravely before killing himself  with his own riffle.

    As if acting on what looked liked a well thought out plan, Ogunbiyi who had just did a night shift last night, rather than return his official AK – 47 riffle to the police armoury, headed home with it.

    And on getting home around 7:05am, he laid an ambush against his wife, a police corporal attached to Obantoko Divisional Police Headquarters, and upon sighting his wife who had dressed up in police uniform preparatory to go to work, he shot her dead, sparing his two kids who were already dressed up for school.

    And a commercial motorcycle operator identified as Kunle who had just come to pick  Ogunbiyi’s wife and kids,  was also shot dead by him right in front of the compound.

    Not done, even as residents panicked, hollered and scampered to safety, Ogunbiyi dashed  to the home of a family of five hosting his wife and two children and stormed into  the six-room uncompleted building where in a Commando style, sprayed  the landlady called Iya Basira gales of bullets while still on her mat sleeping. She died instantly in a pool of her blood.

    The landlady’s two sons, Taofeek, a Senior Secondary School two student of Nawar-u-Deen Grammar School, Obantoko and his elder brother, Sikiru,  were also not spared of Ogunbiyi’s murderous wrath. They too were shot dead by him.

    Basira and her two-year-old daughter, Jesutofunmi, also suffered similar fate  as they fell to bullets of Ogunbiyi’s AK – 47 riffle.

    When the dust finally settled, eight persons, including the attacker; Ogunbiyi, lay dead according to a witness but the police said six persons were dead even the house remained deserted as at yesterday.

    Three lucky survivors who sustained gunshot injuries during the savage attack, were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba for treatment while the remains of the dead were taken to the morgue of the state hospital, Ijaiye, a witness said.

    According to the witness, corporal Ogunbiyi had in the past warned Iya Basira several times to desist from further accommodating his wife and children whenever they have misunderstanding but the landlady was said to have taken the police man’s warnings with levity.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who described the incident as “unfortunate,” said the officer who carried the shooting to death of the affected persons this morning, has been having “domestic conflicts” with his wife.
    Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) said the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ikemefuna Okoye, had ordered a forensic investigation into the incident.

    Adejobi said: “the Ogun State Police Command has deemed it necessary to react to the killing of six persons by a police Corporal Sunkanmi Ogunbiyi attached to the Ogun State Police Command.

    Adejobi said: “the unfortunate incident occurred this morning Thursday 27th March, 2014 at 0758hrs when the said corporal, who had been having domestic conflicts with his wife, shot and killed six persons, with his rifle, including his wife, Woman Corporal Oluwatosin Faremi, the landlady in the house, a two-year-old baby girl and two males and one female, while another three persons sustained injuries and receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba, Abeokuta. The said corporal, having killed these persons, shot himself dead immediately.

    “The Commissioner of Police Ogun State, CP Ikemefuna Okoye has described the incident as unfortunate; and has visited the scene with other senior police officers in the command to assess the situation and sympathize with the relations of the deceased and members of the Akingbala Ifelodun Estate, Eleweran Area, Abeokuta, where the incident took place.

    “The Command has therefore commenced thorough forensic investigation into the killing and promised to make sure justice is done in the matter.

    “The commissioner of police however appeals to the general public to perceive the incident as one of the unfortunate social mishaps and not to judge the police with the incident, as the police is committed to protection of lives and property and will not tolerate any act capable of trampling on fundamental human rights of the citizens of Ogun State.”

  • Police arrest robbery suspect in Aba

    A team of police personnel from Aba Area Command has arrested an unnamed middle-aged man in Aba suspected to be a member of a robbery gang that has been terrorizing residents of the commercial city and its environs.

    The Nation gathered that the suspect in the company of his friends stormed Oboh Street along Obohia Road in Aba South Local Government Area where they went to rob the residents of their belongings.

    It was learnt that while the gang was terrorising the residents of a building in the area, one of their neighbours raised the alarm and a distress call was put across to the Ndiegoro Police Division. Promptly, police turned up. The robbers took to their heels, with the police in hot pursuit.

    One of the suspects, now helping the police in their investigation, was arrested with a locally-made pistol when the police conducted a search on him.

    Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffery Ogbonna could not be reached for comments, but a senior police officer who pleaded anonymity confirmed the incident.

    According to him, at about 4:00 am, a distress call came in that a group of boys was operating around Obohia.

    “We quickly dispatched our patrol team to the area leading to the arrest of the suspect. A locally-made pistol was also recovered from him,” he said.

     

  • Police arraign man for stealing keg of palm-oil

    The police on Wednesday arraigned a 20-year-old man, AbduLahi Yusuf, in a Magistrate’s Court in Ile-Ife, Osun, for stealing a keg of Palm-oil valued at N6, 000.

    Yusuf was arraigned on three counts of conspiracy, housebreaking and stealing.

    The prosecutor, Cpl. Sunday Osanyintuyi, alleged that the accused committed the offence on Sept. 2, 2013 about 5:30 a.m. at No 16, Ido-Osun Street in Ile-Ife, Osun.

    He said the accused also stole a Tecno-220 and Samsung phones valued N31, 800 from Mr Atanda Ifeoluwa.

    The prosecutor said the offence is punishable under sections 383, 390 (9) and 411 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol 11, Laws of Osun, 2002.

    The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge, and the accused counsel, Mr Dotun Olaniyan, applied for bail for him on liberal terms.

    He promised that the accused will attend his trial.

    Magistrate Risikat Olayemi admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    Olayemi ordered that the surety must swear to an affidavit of means, produce three years’ tax clearance certificate, as well as provide two recent passport photographs.

    She adjourned the case until April 16 for hearing.

  • Police parade Pastor, 30 other suspects in Ondo

    Police parade Pastor, 30 other suspects in Ondo

    Nemesis may have caught up with 31 suspected criminals in Ondo State, who were paraded by the police in Akure, the state capital last weekend. DAMISI OJO reports.

    The police in Ondo State have arrested a 28-year-old Pastor, Okpara Emmanuel Chigozie over his alleged involvement in the kidnap of a Two-year-old girl in Akure, the state capital.

    Pastor Chigozie, founder of a Pentecostal church in Owerri, the Imo State capital was one of the 31 suspects paraded by the Ondo State Police Command last weekend at the command headquarters in Akure, during the maiden press briefing of the new police commissioner Isaac Eke.

    The Pastor was arrested in his apartment in Owerri by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Akure.

    His arrest followed a report lodged at the Okuta Elerinla Division of the command on March 12, that a two-year-old girl had been kidnapped in the area. Police detectives immediately swung into action and arrested a 25-year male suspect Chinonye Anufor, which eventually led to the arrest of the Pastor.

    According to the Commissioner of Police, socks of the kidnapped girl, her pair of canvass and about 15 SIM cards with eight assorted types of phones were among the items recovered from the Chigozie’s apartment.

    During an interview with reporters, the suspect said, “I was called at the age of 18 to preach the word. I am a graduate of Delta State University. When I finished from school, I was serving under Prophet Elijah Kalu, who later prayed for me and said I should go and open my own ministry.

    “I later opened Believers Prayer Ministry, at No. 36, Umudagu Road, by Veronica Hardel junction, Orji, Owerri.

    “Last week Wednesday, a boy called Lukman came with one brother (Sly) and said a lady gave birth to his child but wants to take the baby away because he could not give her money, He said I should come and talk to the woman to release the child to him.

    “They came to me with a guy in army uniform and we all came (here) together. We were four in number and we came in a Toyota Camry car. When we got to the place they showed us the house.

    “So, in the morning he (Sly) just called us and said the wife was coming out, when we got there we saw her and we collected the baby from her. On our way we stopped, that was when he told us that it was a lie that he is a kidnapper, that the man owed him some money that he was working for the man before. So, we took the child to Yenegoa in Bayelsa State and dropped her there,” the Pastor narrated.

    He, however, confessed to the crime, stressing that he was very sad and remorseful.

    Similarly, another gang of kidnappers was arrested by men of the Ondo State Police Command and equally paraded before the public. The gang was led by a University undergraduate, Olanrewaju Adeku-nle, currently on teaching practice at a secondary school in Ibadan

    The gang was intercepted by the police along Ajagba/Agadagba Road, in Ese Odo Local Government, Ondo State.

    One 28-year-old, Gasiakpo Niakpo, a student of Niger Delta University Bayelsa was also apprehended on the spot with one Henry Doye Messiah, while another suspect, Edward Onwei escaped into the bush.

    Items recovered from them included a Toyota Solara car with Reg. No. AKD 731 AR and a case file, which the command said would soon be transferred to Oyo State command for further action.

    Niakpo who confessed to the crime said “we never intended to kidnap anybody, it was a friend that called me that there was a fraudster (Yahoo boy) who has been evading police and EFCC, that we should go and collect money from him, we never intended to kidnap him”

    He said they were arrested by the police while coming to Akure to a new generation bank where the guy was supposed to get money and pay them as ransom.

    Niakpo said their plans were never to kidnap him but to harass him with the police in order to extort money from him.

    Among other suspects paraded were cultists  arrested during police  raids in the State Capital as a follow up to the murder of one Sunday Eniola who was shot dead during a fight between two rival cult groups last week at Tipper garage, Akure.

    The CP said in the course of the exercise, one Taiwo Olamilekan (a.k.a) Olorunwa was apprehended with bullet wound on the left leg.

    According to him, on interrogation, the suspect confessed that he is a member of “Eye” confraternity , saying he sustained the gunshot wound during an encounter with the other cultists

    The police chief said one Sunday Eniola who was earlier shot dead was equally said to be a member of the “Eye” confraternity.

    Other suspects paraded were armed robbers who stole motorcycles and goats.

    However, the new police chief has  assured the people of the command’s readiness to combat crimes and flush out criminals in the state.

    He said the command would create a robust symbiotic relationship with member of the public, corporate bodies and the media through an open door policy.

    The commissioner however solicited maximum cooperation from the  people  on useful information to achieve the desired goal.

  • Borno: 5 policemen, others killed in bomb blasts

    About ten persons have been feared killed Tuesday morning in two separate bomb blasts in Dalori, Konjuga local government area of Borno state.

    The victims including two suicide bombers are believed to have been killed by suspected members of the  Boko Haram sect along Barma road.

    An eye witness told The Nation that the  five policemen were on patrol when their vehicle were blown up by the suicide bombers on the highway around Dalori, about five kilometres from the University of Maiduguri.

    According to eye witnesses at the Dalori check point area of the road,another bomb had exploded about five kilometres from Dalori during  which the suicide bombers allegedly threw an improvised bomb into a vehicle of a commuter killing three civilians inside another vehicle.

    “It is the same vehicle that deliberately drove into the police vehicle  killing all five policemen inside the patrol vehicle. The Policemen had accosted the vehicle for normal stop and search which has been going on since last week’s attack on Giwa barracks by the insurgents but the suicide bombers rather drove their vehicle into the police  while simultaneously throwing an IDI bomb into their vehicle. 

    “The Police vehicle exploded instantly throwing the policemen in different directions tearing their flesh into pieces destroying their patrol vehicle beyond recognition.” said our source

    The two suicide bombers died inside a golf vehicle burnt  at the check point.

    Although Police spokesman ASP Jibrin could not be reached for confirmation  nurses at the causality wing of the University of Maiduguiri teaching hospital said the the charred bodies of the five policeman have been deposited at the morgue.

    “We received the bodies of the five police officers which were battered and badly burnt beyond recognition while about fourteen wounded cases have been reported so far.

    “We have been tending to the wounded and I do not think there is any very critical case that would lead to death on ground now”  said the source

  • Reps summon CBN Governor, Minister, IGP over missing fund

    Reps summon CBN Governor, Minister, IGP over missing fund

    In a bid to get to the end of the mystery surrounding the whereabouts of N19.7 Billion Police Equipment Fund, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has summoned the CBN Governor, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Muhammed Abubakar and the Police Affairs Minister to appear before it to explain the whereabouts of the “missing” fund.

    While the Central Bank under the suspended Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi said it sent the total of N19.7 billion to the police to purchase helicopters and other necessary equipment, the IGP and Police Ministry denied receipt of the fund from Sanusi.

    The suspended CBN  had in a written response to the allegation of financial recklessness against him by the Financial Reporting Council, stated that the police project, carried out “upon the instruction” of President Goodluck Jonathan and which involved buying other security equipment, cost N19.7 billion.

    “Consistent with our policy of development, upon the instruction of His Excellency, the President, the CBN intervened by paying N19.7 Billion to the Ministry of Police Affairs for the purchase of armoured helicopters and other security equipment,” Sanusi had said.

    But the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar Tuesday while speaking before the Hon. Solomon Adeola- Olamilekan headed House of Representatives Public Account Committee denied receiving N19.7 billion allegedly paid the police.

    The IGP who was represented by  Ilesanmi Aguda, Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Air Wing, told the probing the committee he had “no knowledge” of the alleged payment from the CBN.

    According to him, enquiries about the transaction should be directed to the Ministry of Police Affairs.

    Speaking on the missing funds, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Solomon Olamilekan revealed that he already had a response from Police Affairs Ministry denying receipt of the N19.7 Billion Police Equipment Fund,

    He said: “If the IGP and the police ministry denies receipt of the said N19.7 billion, then the Committee can rightly assume that the money is missing, until proven otherwise. All the major actors involved in the alleged transaction including the CBN have a case to answer.”

    The members of the Committee thereafter agreed to summon the CBN Governor, IGP and the Police Affairs Minister to appear before it next Tuesday to explain themselves over the allegedly missing funds.

  • Police foil attack on students in Kebbi State

    The Kebbi Police Command said on Monday that it had foiled an attempt by unknown gunmen to attack the Kebbi State College of Basic and Advanced Studies in Yauri, headquarters of Yauri Local Government Area of the state.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr Benjamin Onwuka, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi that the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday.

    Onwuka, however, dismissed insinuations that the attackers were insurgents.

    He stated that normalcy had been restored in the institution as both the students and residents of the area had resumed their normal daily activities.

    The police commissioner called on residents of the area to remain law abiding and to avoid spreading rumours.

    Onwuka, however, appealed to the public to continue to assist the police with relevant information that would assist security agencies to contain crime in the state.

    Meanwhile, a student of the college, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that the gunmen gained entry into the school’s premises at about 2 a.m. on Saturday.

  • Police Corporal kills self with rifle

    A 30 year old mobile policeman, Corporal Tanko Usman has allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle.

    The incident took place on Saturday in an uncompleted building along Eastern Bye-pass in Minna, Niger state capital.

    The Nation gathered that Usman who until his death was attached to Squadron 12 Police Mobile Force PMF Minna shot himself in the early hours of the day with a AK 47 rifle shortly after he left his duty post in one of the second generation bank in the city.

    He was said to have parked his motorcycle by the road and walked briskly into the uncompleted building and took his life.

    An eye witness said unsuspecting people around saw the armed Police Corporal entered the uncompleted building but were later attracted by his gun shot few minutes later.

    According to one of the men around who spoke in confidence, “Nobody suspected that something awful was in the offering when the Corporal entered the uncompleted building, infact nobody challenged him, it was the gun shot that attracted us and when we got in we found the dead body of the Policeman.

    “We later reported the incident at Maitunmbi Police division from where we gathered the police mobile squadron was contacted and some of their (MOPOL) men came to evacuate the body”.

    Confirming the incident Niger State Police Command spokesman, Richard Adamu Oguche (ASP) said the commander squadron Mopol 12 and the Divisional Crime officer (DCO) of Maitumbi division visited the scene of the incident and organised the evacuation of the body.

    According to Oguche, “The fact is that this morning there was a report that a man suspected to be mobile policeman allegedly shot himself in an uncompleted building at Eastern bye-pass and it was discovered he is from 12 squadron Police Mobile force PMF, he shot himself with his service rifle which was also recovered and given back to the squadron commander”.

    He said the body has been deposited the body at IBB Specialised Hospital ’s Mortuary, Minna.

  • Police rescue eight teenagers from baby factory

    Police in Ogun this afternoon rescued eight teenagers serving as resource persons in a baby factory being operated at Ajuwon – Akute in Ifo Local Government Area of the State.
    The operator, a woman, was also arrested.

    The operation which was led by the Commissioner of Police, Ikemefuna Okoye, led to rescue of the teenagers – including 21 years old Vivian Princewill from where they were kept in Akute by the operator, 29 years old Angela Chigozie.

    The Commissioner of Police, Okoye, said the woman kept the girls for the purpose of bearing children for her which she would later sell to people.

    According to him, it said that the woman sell a child as much as N300000 or less and would give the teenage – mothers pittance out of the proceed.

    Confirming, Angela told reporters that a baby is sold for N300000 to an unidentified  woman, and that it is the girls that consult her for that purpose since she knows how to use herbs to assist women in respect of pregnancy