The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • We cannot afford to lose battle against terrorism, says Jonathan

    President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has renewed the determination of the Federal Government to battle insurgency in the country.
    At the combined passing parade of the combined passing out parade of Cadet Officers, comprising Assistant Superintendent of Police ASPs and Inspectors at the Police Academy in Wudil, Kano State said the government cannot afford to lose the  battle against terrorism.
    Jonathan reassured that the Federal Government will continue to support all security agencies in its war against insurgency in the country.
    He charged the combined graduating cadet officers to use the techniques acquired during the 19 months course to reposition the act of fighting crime and terrorism, so as at the close of the day get rid of security challenges, which has been causing the public sleepless nights.
    He however promised that the Federal Government will continue to support the efforts of the various security agencies in tackling the lingering security challenges in the country, pointing out that the government is determined to promote and ensure a combat-ready Police Force.
    Addressing the grandaunts, the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar  tasked them to translate into action the lessons acquired, while the course lasted, just he charged to graduands to reposition for effective service delivery.
    ‘’Our mission and vision is to promote a combat ready Police Force that will tackle the daunting security challenges confronting the nation.’’

     

  • Police kill robber in Lagos

    Police kill robber in Lagos

    Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Lagos yesterday shot to death a member of a robbery gang at the Adeniji Adele Area of the metropolis.

    Two other members of the gang were critically wounded.

    The suspects,according to sources,had engaged the policemen in a gun battle after they were intercepted .

    The police said their men were tipped off about the suspects,who were driving a blue Toyota Matrix Car with registration No. FST 368 CF at about 3.00am yesterday.

    They were said to be out on an operation.

    The police team immediately swung into action and went after the suspects who,on sighting the policemen, opened fire.

    The policemen returned fire and overpowered the hoodlums.

    The suspected robbers are believed to have moved to Adeniji Adele from Jakande Estate,Isolo after an earlier operation.

    The wounded suspects- Femi Akogun (25) and Tunbosun Adenekan (21)- were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    Recovered from them were two double barrel pistols, 16 live ammunition, three expended cartridges, two laptops, 27 stolen phones and house breaking tools, among others.

  • ‘Why police are holding Tonye Okio’

    ‘Why police are holding Tonye Okio’

    Tonye Okio loves the social networking site Facebook and has used it to consistently call attention to alleged misgovernance in Bayelsa State and Nigeria. On October 26, policemen from Bayelsa State allegedly abducted him in his house in Abuja and drove him, shackled, to Bayelsa. He is now facing a charge of criminal defamation based on his Facebook postings. Seun Akioye spoke with Doifie Buokoribo, a human rights activist who says Tonye’s detention is political.

    Tell us the events that led to Tonye Okio’s arrest and why?

    Mr. Tonye Okio has been in detention since October 26. He was abducted from his residence in Abuja on October 26, by armed gunmen who didn’t explain their mission, nobody knew where they came from, and they didn’t identify themselves. We got to know that same day through a phone call by his sister who lived with him.

    His sister was there?

    When they got to the house, they forced their way into his house; they seized all their electronic gadgets to prevent them from reaching for outside help. When they took him, they just locked the young girl up inside the house and left. They didn’t tell her where they were taking him to, when that happened, we thought he had been kidnapped and there was panic everywhere. We tried to contact all the police stations nearby, nobody had any information.

    We called a contact in the Force headquarters who asked us to give him some time and we got to know it was the police from Bayelsa sent by Governor Dickson that had taken him and we tried to trace where he was and found he was at the Abuja headquarters of the police. So we were able to track him down and it was strange that the police had to come all the way from Bayelsa to come and arrest a citizen. Ordinarily, even if he had committed an offense, the thing to do is to possibly approach a magistrate court and get an order for his arrest.

    Even if the police needed him to explain anything, they would have invited him, but in this instance no such invitations were given, they just came and seized him and locked him up.

    You said his arrest was on the orders of the Bayelsa State governor, do you have a proof of the governor’s involvement in this despicable act?

    There is no evidence you need than the fact that the governor himself had complained to the police that Mr. Tonye Okio defamed him. And the police itself did issue a statement that they have arrested Mr. Tonye Okio for seditious publication. But sadly, maybe the police didn’t know that there was no such offense called seditious publication under our laws. There is no such an offense in our statue books, but at the end of the day they charged him for criminal defamation.

    Please continue, when he was taken to the Police Headquarters in Abuja?

    They just took him there possibly to lodge a formal report. The idea was to fly him to Yenagoa the same day, but somehow, they couldn’t do their ticketing and flight arrangement properly; so, when that failed, they then took him by road that same Saturday that he was abducted, they drove all night and arrived at Yenagoa at 3: am.

    Drove from Abuja?

    Yes they drove all night.

    In what condition was he transported to Yenagoa?

    From the affidavit sworn to by the lawyer, we gathered that he was chained legs and feet, blindfolded throughout the whole journey so he didn’t even know where he was, till they got to Bayelsa. We were told that he was taken to Government House where a set of fresh instructions were given before he was driven to the state CID where he was held for well over 10 days. Now during the period when he was held, he had to file for the reinforcement of his fundamental human rights because under our laws you cannot hold him for more than 24 hours.

    A day before the hearing of the suit, the police played a smart one by taking him to a magistrate court without prior information to him or his lawyers. The magistrate read the charges and when he pleaded not guilty the judge did a kangaroo stuff and remanded him and adjourned for two weeks.

    So he was taken back to the magistrate court after two weeks?

    Yes, this time the matter was properly heard, they applied for bail which the magistrate admitted him to under the condition that a serving permanent secretary in Bayelsa has to stand in for him with the sum of N5million. Now, Dickson is a complainant in this matter, every permanent secretary in Bayelsa is scared stiff to be involved in this matter. For an agent of the governor to come and release somebody the governor himself has locked up. You can imagine that kind of situation. There is no permanent secretary who is ready to stand surety for Tonye and his lawyer actually complained to the judge that this condition is not likely to be met because the complainant is the governor and the permanent secretaries are his agents.

    The sad thing is that it will appear that even the judiciary in Bayelsa is working in cahoots with the governor.

    Is that the only condition the court could have given him?

    That is what they have done, so technically they will say nobody is holding him, let him meet his bail conditions and go away but these are conditions Tonye cannot meet. The governor is the chief complainant in this matter, he is being represented in court as a complainant along with the police and then you ask his agents to come and bail him. What Tonye has now done is to apply to the High Court of Bayelsa for a variation of the bail condition. Three times the judge didn’t turn up until they fixed December 18 for a ruling, on that day too, the judge didn’t turn up, and the registrar then adjourned the matter to January 20. So we have a situation where an innocent young man, for exercising his rights to free speech has been in detention for well over two months, he has spent Christmas there and will spend the New Year, how callous can people be?

    Let’s revert to the accusations against him; do you have an insight into what this accusation could be?

    It was on the basis of his comments on Facebook. He was alleged to have written on his facebook page that a certain Southsouth governor has been caught with hard currencies in the USA; he didn’t mention any name of the governor but apparently governor Dickson was out of the country so maybe through innuendoes he felt he was the one. So for me as an activist and a Nigerian citizen, I expect if somebody has been defamed the option is to go to court not to use the police to harass anybody. The law doesn’t permit that. Dickson unfortunately is a lawyer and it is sad that an officer of the law can behave in this reckless manner he has chosen. He doesn’t own Bayelsa, it belongs to all of us, we are all citizens equal before the law. He is just a mere tenant in government house. Indeed, he was not elected governor by appointed by Governor Goodluck Jonathan who prevented Chief Sylva from standing for re-election.

    You sound as if there is a political tone to this?

    Certainly, make no mistakes about it, this is clearly a political vendetta, Tonye on his page has consistently criticised both Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Seriake Dickson. He believes they have not given the best to Bayelsa and to Nigeria, he believes they are a huge embarrassment to the people of Bayelsa state, Ijaw nation, to Nigerians and the black race. There is so much to be done both in the state and the federal level; there is now a state of anomy, so much lethargy. All you hear are stories of corruption, scandals. This is the worst of times to come from Bayelsa state, the worst of times to be identified as an Ijaw person. The kind of leadership that is offered by governor Dickson and his master Dr. Jonathan is so disappointing.

    Is that the crusade of Tonye Okio?

    Exactly, he believes we can do better. The only reason why he has to be abducted, arrested, kept in prison custody and kept him away for this long is to send a message that anyone who opposes the system will end up like Tonye, unfortunately they have not succeeded and they will not succeed. This style has been used by little dictators in the past and it has not worked.

    As a civil society activist who has also been critical of the government, do you have any fears for your freedom?

    I have come very far as an activist. As a teenager and young person I have led the student movement. I am far older now to entertain any fear from the little dictator. I was a pro democracy activist under the Babangida and Abacha dictatorship; I was a political journalist at The News/Tempo to entertain any fear. Nobody can fault my professional standing, whatever I say, I am prepared to defend anywhere in the world. But we have lawless elements that have no respects for the rules they themselves made, but God determines our life.

    How is Tonye faring now?

    It is better imagined than experienced, we should not wish this for our enemies, when you are deprived of your freedom from your family at this period. What this means is that they don’t have the intellectual capacity and the grace and broadmindedness to lead the people. If they cannot take criticism they have no right being in government. Tonye has only acted as a citizen to make political demands on the government. Nigeria belongs to us all, if you are a temporary occupant in government house, you have no greater right than others. For Dickson, am not sure he would pray his successor will treat Bayelsans the way he is treating them.

     

  • Police launch offensive against criminals

    Police launch offensive against criminals

    Imo State Police Command has paraded over 40 suspected criminals, including four itinerant robbers from Nasarawa and Ondo states.

    It also paraded suspected kidnappers.

    The command seized sophisticated arms and ammunition from criminals. They include nine AK47 rifles, seven assault rifles, 15 locally-made pistols, 14 pump action guns, seven double barrel guns, two revolver pistols and one Markrov pistol.

    Other items recovered are 51 vehicles, 70 motorcycles, two tricycles, household appliances, 100 mobile phones, five master keys, 150 vehicle ignition keys and six number plates.

    Briefing reporters, Commissioner of Police Muhammad Musa Katsina said some of the suspects were arrested after a robbery in Port Harcourt, where they stole $70,000 and N2 million.

    He said Operation Puffader launched by the command led to the arrest of inter-state criminals, who operated in one state and sneaked into another for refuge, adding: “A case in hand is the celebrated arrest of Paul Afam Okeafor and Livinus Egwu from Enugu and Anambsra states. The duo specialise in snatching posh cars and redesigning them to beat the prying eyes of undercover operatives.”

    According to him, “the war against crime is unrelenting, adding: Operation Puffader, which has made crime unattractive, will be sustained. The public should partner the command to ensure a crime-free Yuletide.”

    Also dislodged were fraudsters, who specialised in sending false bank credit alerts to victims, whom they might have had business transactions with and a fake spiritual home at Akuma in Oru East Local Government.

    The police boss said the command launched Operation Merry Christmas, which would be in force till the second week of January.

    He said it was designed to provide an elaborate and a highly-structured security for indigenes and visitors.

    Katsina said the operation led to the arrest of criminals, who specialised in adulterating palm wine, which they sold to the public.

  • Police feed 72 detained suspects

    Police feed 72 detained suspects

    In the spirit of the Yuletide, Lagos State Police Command yesterday fed no fewer than 72 detained suspects who are being investigated for various offences.

    Some of those personally fed with well-packaged jollof rice and drinks by Police Commissioner Umar Manko, with the assistance of other top officers, are kidnap and armed robbery suspects as well as those who allegedly killed policemen. The gesture took place at the command’s headquarters in Ikeja, the state capital.

    Manko said: “We started this last year. We did it in line with the spirit of the season. We know that some of the suspects had killed some of our men, but they are still under investigation. But the fact that we feed them does not mean the law will not take its course.”

    The police chief assured Lagos residents of adequate security at all times.

    One of the beneficiary suspects, Monday Brown, said he was being held for kidnapping. Another one, Kazeem Erinfolami, said he was arrested for alleged armed robbery.

  • All is calm in Oyo as police smash criminals’ hideouts

    Ibadan the Oyo State capital is usually the barometre with which to measure what is happening in the State especially I terms of security situation

    Many residents of the ancient capital of Oyo state had been groaning under the grievous yoke of oppressive regime and self made political titans in the state between 2003 and 2011 and the approach of Christmas and New Year brought apprehension to the people as the period was associated with crime of all sorts.

    It was also common during the same period to record factional fighting between rival groups within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) which inevitably affected innocent members of the public and brought anarchy and insecurity to the city. During this period, Ibadan was the topic of major news headlines.

    The reign of terror became more worrisome to the extent that visitors to the city were weary of visiting. A final year medical student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria was murdered in cold blood at the then dreaded Iwo Road Garage, while returning from a meeting at Obafemi Awolowo University ( OAU), Ile-Ife en-route Ibadan to Zaria.

    Security of lives and property became a serious problem as governance and socio -economic development were stifled and stagnated.

    The economic base of Ibadan city rest on human activities, but this was substantially suppressed due to growing insecurity.

    Between 2011 and 2013, under the administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi, a lot have been achieved in the area of massive transformation of Ibadan and other parts of the state into a haven of peace and security .

    From Molete to Iwo road, Sango to Olomi , Mokola to Challenge and Bere to Gate ,there is a fresh air of peace and security blowing across the ancient city of Ibadan. Aside, the security of lives and property the areas which used to be dens of criminals and miscreants have put on a new look following the untiring effort of the state governor and his avowed stand to rid the state of enemies of peace and security.

    There is massive urban renewal and environmental sanitation and beautification of the state  that have brought Ibadan city to global attention.

    It is widely acknowledged that peace and security of lives and property may not be totally guaranteed if left to any single government to provide.

    Hence, in November, 2011, governor Abiola Ajimobi  solicited private support and participation in the task of maintaining peace and order in the state while inaugurating  the board of trustees of the Oyo state Security Trust Fund ( OYSTF) .

    The governor added that vision of his administration is to turn things around for the better in the interest of the generality of the people and to evolve a consistent socio-economic development system that is free of apprehension.

    OYSTF was established as a partnership between the state government and key stakeholders in the private sector to provide the funding to equip the security services in the state such as the state security outfit code named “Operation Burst” which has continued to burst crime in the state since it was inaugurated.

    No doubt Operation Burst has contributed immensely in resolving a key challenge to effective management of security challenges in the state.

    With the operation of the security outfit the residents of Ibadan can today sleep at night with their two eyes closed without fear of harassment, assault, maiming and killings .

    The security trust fund has created an enabling environment for sustained funding of the security services in return for credible management of all security apparatus in the state and served as an intervention agency for the mobilisation and provision of funds for sustained and adequate operation of security services.

    Speaking on the success recorded in the sustenance of peace and security since 2011 in the state, the Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, DSP Olabisi Ilobanafor attributed existing peace in the state to the exemplary leadership qualities of the governor , Senator Abiola Ajimobi and the state Commissioner of Police.

    Her words” security situation in Oyo state has never been this quiet during Xmas and new year celebration. And this is as a result of the exemplary leadership qualities of Governor Abiola Ajimobi and the state Commissioner of Police in the sense that the Commissioner is always showing how best to police the state and making careful planning ahead. Due to our virile intelligence system, criminal hideouts were carefully detected. As early as September, he has finalised preparations for December. Operational order is followed to the letter and assistance of the members of the public contributed a lot to the security of the state. The issue of gender sensitivity in the posting of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) and community policing helped in achieving low crime rate. “

    Frankly, DSP Ilobanafor acknowledged the fact that in the last four years, Oyo state used to have rampant cases of security problems ranging from NURTW politically motivated crisis, banks robbery, and all sorts of criminal activities, but now the state is calm and bubbling.

     

  • Police winning the war in Lagos?

    Police winning the war in Lagos?

    The Lagos State Police Command at the 7th Town Hall meeting of the State Security Trust Fund said it killed 146 armed robbers between November 2012 and October, 2013.

    Though the statistics showed that more armed robbers were killed in 2013 as against 140 the year before, but the police cannot be said to be winning the war against crime as they lost 39 of its men last year as against 32 in 2012 to armed robbers in a bid to secure the state.

    The police reported that 1,130 vehicles were stolen in Lagos in the last one year while 322 murder cases were recorded under the same period.

    The report also showed that 472 armed robbers were arrested by the police in the same period while 390 arms and 16,034ammunition were recovered from the men of the underworld.

    Within the same period the police claim that 919 vehicles were recovered from armed robbers, while 54 armed robbery cases were also recorded.

    However, 2012, 270 people were murdered in different parts of the state while a total of 32 policemen lost their lives in gun duels with armed robbers in the nation’s commercial capital. About 140 robbers were killed by the police in the process.

    At the 6th Annual Town Hall meeting on security at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Umar Manko, explained that the 32 policemen killed represents an increase of 13 over the 19 killed in gun battle with robbers in the previous year.

    Manko also disclosed that 123 robbery incidents were recorded in the last 11 months as against 61 recorded the previous year, thus showing an increase in robbery cases. The police arrested 569 robbery suspects between November 2011 and October 2012 as against 522 recorded in the previous year. No fewerthan 371 arms and 26,058 ammunition have been recovered this year while 328 arms and 3,553 ammunition were recovered last year.

    While 1,187 vehicles were recovered in 2012, only 954 vehicles were recovered last year. A total of 1,448 vehicles were stolen in Lagos the year before the last while 1, 263 vehicles were stolen in 2013. The police said that they foiled 426 cases of robbery two years ago and last year alone they foiled 418 robbery cases.

    Executive Secretary, Lagos State Security Trust Fund, Fola Arthur-Worrey disclosed that the trust fund received N257.2 million from donors this year to fight crime in the state as well as security equipments valued at N174.6 million.

    He stated that N260 million was expended in fighting crime in Lagos, as against the N467.9 million spent last year.

    Manko said the police had been working assiduous towards a crime-free Lagos.

    He said some of the strategies put in place by the police to ensure a secured environment include high visibility of police officers on the roads, intensive vehicular and border patrol, purposeful and strategic raids of criminal hideouts and helicopter aerial patrols using the two multi-purpose helicopters acquired for the command by the Lagos State Government.

    However, Lagosians say that policemen were more visible during the festive periods last year than in 2013. A resident who pleaded anonymity said on Christmas day last year, he closed from work about 1am and that as he was driving home, some Rapid Response Policemen on motorcycles followed him through all the black spot and when they got to a safe part of the area he was heading to, they bade him farewell.

    He said he has been looking out for them but they are nowhere to be found.

    “Last year, you would feel and see police presence but I don’t know what happened this year. They are hardly seen patrolling within neighbourhoods. I can say there is an increase in crime rate because of these ban on commercial motorcyclists. Be that as it may, the ban is healthy because it really reduced robberies at banks.

    “Before the ban, if you withdraw money from any bank branch your mind will not be at rest when you are coming out. Robbers who hitherto station their motorcycles around the bank may rob you of the money”, the source said.

    But Manko had told reporters before Christmas that officers and men were deployed to major routes and event Centres to discourage criminals.

    With the killing of the Managing Director of Eminent Communication Mr Sesan Ogunro after a Christmas Carol service at Alusa area of the state, the command recorded a major setback in its efforts to fight crime.

    The CEO of the communication outfit was killed in the presence of his wife, children and grandchildren by unknown gunmen. His wife’s car was also taken away by the hoodlums.

  • Police rescue kidnapped Lebanese in Kano

    Police rescue kidnapped Lebanese in Kano

    The Kano State Police Command yesterday rescued abducted Lebanese national, Mr. Hassan Zeid.

    The police spokesman, ASP. Musa Magaji Majia said: “The command blocked all major Kano major and minor exit roads to ensure that the captors did not leave Kano.”

    Majia, in a statement made available to reporters in Kano yesterday, said: “As the search was vigorously intensified today (Friday) at about 9 am, Mr. Hassan was found by a team of policemen abandoned on the outskirts of Sharada industrial layout unhurt.”

    According to the police command, the abducted Lebanese had been re-united with his family. But he said that no arrest had been made yet, while investigation was ongoing with a view to arresting the fleeing perpetrators of the act.”

    It will be recalled that on Monday, the Lebanese was abducted at his factory in Sharada industrial estate by unknown people.

  • Police Assistance Committee puts members on the alert

    Police Assistance Committee puts members on the alert

    The Police Assistance Committee (PAC) has put all its members on the alert nationwide during the yuletide and New Year celebrations , urging them to be vigilant by monitoring security situation in their environment and report suspicious movements to the police or any other security agencies. In a statement in Lagos, the Director- General of the PAC, Dr. Martins Oni, enjoined all their executive members, comprising chairmen, secretaries and public relations officers of trade associations and artisans, as well as zonal and unit coordinators across the country to mobilize their members at the grassroots to sniff around for necessary information and intelligence gathering which they can pass on to security agencies to prevent and combat crime during the festivities. While urging their members for effective coordination and proper mobilization to ensure that they assist the police and other security agencies with useful information that could help in curbing criminality, the PAC Director-General appealed to security agencies to give their members direct access to reach them for quick information dissemination. The PAC boss also commanded the various units of the Nigeria Police Force as well as other security agencies on the good work they are doing in the recent time to confront various security challenges plaguing our country, urging them to also be extra vigilant during this end-of-year celebration to ensure that security of the country is not compromised in any way.

  • Kidnappers kill victim after collecting N1.5m

    A 43 year old nurse, Bridget Osawaru, who was abducted on December 10th has been found killed by her abductors.
    Bridget was abducted at her residence along Sapele road in Benin City .
    Her abductors had collected N1.5m three days after the kidnapping but refused to release her until she was found dead.
    Late Bridget’s body was found near Okhuahie hill in Uhunmwode Local Government Area of Edo State.
    Police sources said injuries were found on her body which indicated that she might have been stabbed.
    It was gathered that police is working on the theory that she could have been assassinated.
    The case has been transferred to the homicide section at the State Police headquarters.
    Police spokesman, DSP Moses Eguaveon could not be reached for comments.