The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Police redeploy 14 commissioners

    The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Abubakar has ordered the redeployment of 14 Commissioners of Police (CPs) to various commands and formations across the nation.

    The affected officers and their new postings are: Lawal Tanko (CP Borno); Ibrahim Ahmed (CP Zamfara); Hilary Okpara (CP Bayelsa); Maigari Dikko (CP Ebonyi); Adebayo Ajileye (‘E’ Dept. FHQ); Adeola Adeniji (Border Patrol); and Waheed Salau (CP Airport).

    Also affected are: Marcus Danladi, Commandant, Police College, Maiduguri; Tonye Ebititibuwa, CP, Training, FHQ; Hyancinth Dadala, Deputy Commandant, POLAC, Kano; Lawal Shehu, Admin., Force Headquarters (FHQ); Ibrahim Adamu, Deputy Force Secretary; Abdul Danwawu, CP, Armament; and Salisu Abdullahi, CP, ‘X’ Squad.

    Despite the National Assembly’s directive that Rivers State Police Commissioner Mbu Joseph Mbu be moved, his name was not on the list of the redeployed police chiefs.

    A statement yesterday by the Deputy Force spokesman, Frank Mba, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the postings take immediate effect.

    The statement urged the affected officers to step up the fight against criminality in their new commands and formations.

    “They are enjoined to leverage on the cordial relationship among sister security agencies in their beats, to ensure that criminal activities are reduced.

    “They have also been charged to ensure that officers and men under their supervision are mindful of the rights of the citizenry, while cultivating the trust and confidence of the public in the discharge of their statutory responsibilities,” the statement added.

    Also, six Assistant Inspectors-General of Police (AIGs) and 13 Commissioners of Police (CPs) from various police commands and formations are to proceed on leadership and strategic management courses for senior officers.

    They are to report at the Centre for Management Development, Shangisha, Lagos, for the course, which began on August 19 and ends on Friday.

     

  • Doctors beg police to secure release of colleague

    Doctors at the Irrua Specialist and Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Edo State, have appealed to the police to secure the release of their colleague, Dr. Edeawe Osahogie, from kidnappers.

    He was abducted by gunmen last weekend when returning home from work and the abductors are yet to demand any ransom.

    The Chairman of the Board of Management of the hospital, Chief Boyelayefa Debekeme, at a news briefing, described the kidnapping of the doctor as unfortunate and urged resident doctors at the hospital not to protest.

    He said he would ensure that security is provided to ensure that doctors work in a safe environment.

    Debekeme appealed to security agencies to arrest the culprits.

    The President, Association of Residents Doctors (ARD) of the hospital, Dr. Charles Gigi, who spoke on behalf of other doctors, decried the kidnapping and described it as ignoble.

    He said: “The unimaginable anguish associated with this inhumane action is not one that any individual, let alone one whose duty is the preservation of lives, should experience.

    “The ARD at ISTH appeals to all concerned with security matters to do the needful to ensure the prompt release of our member. We can only continue to function and ensure the good health of the populace if our security is guaranteed.”

    The doctors last Friday took to the streets of Ekpoma and Irrua to protest the kidnapping of their colleague.

  • Police rescue NTA worker in Aba

    •15 suspects arrested

    A combined team of Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU) and the Anti-Robbery Squad on Sunday rescued a kidnapped worker of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 6, Aba in Abia State.

    Ms Linda Osuala was abducted last Friday on her way home at Nwaobasi Estate, Ogbor Hill, Aba.

    It was gathered that she had earlier presented a security report on the return of kidnapping to Aba, which was aired during the 7pm news.

    Ms Osuala, an indigene of Aro Ndi Izuogu, Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, was planning her father’s funeral, which is to hold tomorrow.

    In an early morning raid that lasted from 4am till about mid-day, the police stormed the forest between Umuezi Mgboko and Okpuala communities in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State, where she was being held.

    The team arrested 15 suspects, including Ngozi Nwaogwugwu, a native doctor who allegedly prepares charms for the group and his elder brother, Emmanuel, the group’s kingpin.

    Sources said the police trailed the abductors to their den and cordoned off the forest.

    The kidnappers engaged the police in a gun duel but were overpowered.

    Umuezi and Okpuala communities in Obingwa, according to a security report, are noted for notorious activities.

    Most kidnap victims at the peak of the crime in the state were rescued in the communities by the Joint Military Task Force (JTF).

    Police Commissioner Usman Tilli Abubakar confirmed that 15 persons were arrested in connection with the kidnap of the NTA worker.

    Abubakar said: “On Saturday, I summoned everybody (Divisional Police Officers) to my office. At the security meeting, I told the DPOs that they had to do something to ensure that the woman is rescued.

    “I told them she is our colleague and a partner in progress and there was no reason why she should be kidnapped and we will keep quiet.

    “We got some information about the kidnappers and I sent my men to the bush.

    “We were able to locate their camp. There was an exchange of fire. We burnt their camp and 15 of them were arrested.

    “It was in the heat of the operation that they ran and released her.

    “Everything was an act of God. There was no casualty and no ransom was paid for her release.”

  • Police arrest two fake medical doctors

    TWO fake medical doctors, who have been operating for over two years in Lagos, were on Friday paraded by the Police in Lagos. The fake doctors were nabbed by operatives from area ‘E’ Police Command Festac Town, Lagos, on July 19. Parading the two suspects yesterday, the Lagos Police Command spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a deputy superintendent of Police, said, “a report was made to area ‘E’ Commander, an Assistant Commissioner and Police (ACP) Dan Okoro that some pregnant women are being given unprofessional magical attention in Care Hospital, located at 1B Omotoba Street, Unity Estate, Iba, Lagos. “Based on the tip off, ACP Okoro and his special anti-crime squad stormed the hospital and arrested the fake resident doctor, Mr. Nwankwo Stephen and the fake medical director and specialist doctor, Gabriel Onyema Ihejiero. “The two fake doctors were subjected to thorough investigation until they confessed that they were fake. Both of them had not seen the four walls of any University, not to talk of medical school. The resident doctor’s academic qualification is first school leaving certificate, while the medical director stopped at secondary school level before he proceeded to unrecognised herbalist home to study telepathy. “They not only diagnose and do delivery of pregnant women, they also act as surgeons, operating with bare hands and at times using hands to force a baby out of pregnant women.” The owner of the hospital is also said to own a pharmaceutical shop and an ultra-modern laboratory, allegedly being manned by unqualified technicians. Confessing their individual involvement in the crime, the first suspect, Nwankwo Stephen, aged 40 said, “I am from Ikwo Local Government Area, Ebonyi State. I am an auxiliary nurse I am a school certificate holder. I did not go to university. The owner of the hospital employed me when government closed his hospital few years ago. I am the resident doctor. I diagnose, perform operation and help deliver babies. I have worked in the hospital for over three years. I have delivered over 200 pregnant women. I was the one who met the owner of the house and told him that his house is good for hospital, and he went into partnership with one Aboyemi. I have worked as an auxiliary nurse in Saint Mam’s Hospital, Ondo State from 2010 to 2012. That was where I learnt nursing. “The director of the hospital employed three of us as doctors. Myself, one Dr. Vitalis and one fake Dr. Onyeura Ugochukwu a.k.a. Donten. I don’t do operation. I only do delivery in the night hours. I am on permanent night duty. I have also worked at a hospital in Akure where I delivered 90 pregnant women.

  • Police recover explosives in Ibadan

    Police recover explosives in Ibadan

    The police in Oyo State have recovered explosives on the Podo/Ijebu-Ode road in Ibadan, the state capital.

    Police Commissioner Mohammed Indabawa told reporters yesterday that the explosives were recovered around 3:15am last Sunday.

    He said policemen flagged down a taxi with three occupants, but the driver refused to stop.

    Indabawa said: “After a hot chase, the occupants of a Nissan Sunny car painted in Ogun State’s commercial colour abandoned the vehicle and escaped into the bush.

    He said his men searched the vehicle and discovered six cartons of explosive powder, two cartons of solar detonating cords and 16 bundles of 10 wires each of delay detonator wires.

    The commissioner said the car had two registration numbers, Ogun-XC XFR AKM and AL 831 LUY.

    He said investigations showed that the explosives were stolen from Express Quarry at Toll-Gate on August 8 and assured the people that the culprits would be apprehended.

    Indabawa said a student of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Tosin Adegbite (24), was arrested for allegedly kidnapping a two-year-old girl.

    The incident occurred at Ile-Alaroje in Ogbomoso last Friday.

    He said the suspect was arrested following a distress call. He said one jack knife, two rolls of cellotape, one fez cap, one cable wire, the victim’s sandals and one LAUTECH identity card were recovered from Adegbite.

    Adegbite, who is studying Electrical-Electronics Engineering, said he kidnapped the girl to collect N700,000 ransom.

  • Police foil robbery in Abeokuta

    The police yesterday foiled a robbery in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

    Suspected robbers stormed the town in an unmarked Ford bus and a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

    They came in through the Adigbe/Obada-Oko route from the Lagos/Abeokuta expressway and drove towards Okelewo, the commercial hub.

    Following a tip off, mobile policemen attached to the Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) stationed at Ibara went after them and a gun battle ensued.

    Commercial motorcyclists joined the police in the chase.

    Residents ran to safety to avoid being caught up in the cross fire.

    The police shot the tyres of the Ford bus and it halted in Agbeloba. One of its occupants was arrested. The other occupant escaped with those in the SUV.

    Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi hailed the policemen that carried out the operation.

    He attributed their success to the availability of equipment, which were donated by the Governor Ibikunle Amosun administration.

    Stressing that the command would make Ogun unsafe for criminals, Adejobi said: “This is just the tip of the iceberg. We got information that the vehicle was moving suspiciously in Abeokuta and mobile policemen attached to the APC at Ibara gave them a hot chase. We got one of the suspected armed robbers, while one of them fled.

    “The gun battle ensued in a school environment. Our men were conscious that stray bullets could hit innocent persons. Their target was to demobilise the vehicle and they did so successfully. One of the suspects fled and another one was arrested. He is in police custody.

    “We do not have details of the vehicle that escaped, but have informed neighbouring commands to be on the look out. The raid we began recently is not giving criminals a conducive environment to operate. The command will continue to spread its tentacles and deploy all its resources in checkmating crime.”

    Adejobi said a team of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), headed by Ahmed Tijani, killed four robbery suspects this week at Odan-Abuja in Igbesa, Ado–Odo/Ota Local Government Area.

    He said the suspects were part of the robbers that killed members of a vigilance group at Onihale.

  • Police kill seven ‘armed robbers’ in Gombe

    The Joint Task Force (JTF) yesterday killed seven members of a suspected robbery gang, which has allegedly been terrorising Gombe.

    It was learnt that an infant was also hit and killed by a stray bullet during the crossfire between the hoodlums and the JTF men at the Barunde Quarters in Gombe town.

    The hoodlums were said to have entered the town through the surrounding hills and started shooting indiscriminately.

    The residents reportedly alerted the JTF patrol team.

    The security agents were said to have overpowered the hoodlums and arrested some of them.

    Those arrested reportedly led the security team to the hoodlums’ hideout in an uncompleted building. In another round of gun battle, the seven suspected robbers were killed.

    The JTF team also demolished the hideout.

    The infant, who was hit by a stray bullet, was said to be the child of a suspected member of the gang.

    The father reportedly escaped with bullet wounds during the gun battle.

    Police spokesman, Fwaje Atajiri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.

    He said the hoodlums were among those who attacked a Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega filling station in Gombe and killed two policemen.

    The police spokesman said the hoodlums also attacked a popular supermarket in the town and stole an unspecified amount of money.

    Atajiri warned residents, especially landlords, to know their tenants well before renting their apartments to them.

    He advised them to give useful information to security agencies, adding: “The police are here to protect the life and property of the citizens.”

  • Police recover IEDs in Ibadan

    The Oyo State Police Command has recovered some improvised explosive devices and other allied materials along Podo-Ijebu-Ode axis of Ibadan.

    Addressing journalists at the police headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Thursday, the state police Commissioner, Mohammed Indabawa, explained that on August 11 at about 3:15am, a police team on routine patrol along Podo-Ijebu-Ode axis intercepted a taxi with three occupants whom they flagged down but refused to stop and sped off.

    He went on:”After a hot chase the occupants of a Nissan Sunny car painted in Ogun State commercial colour escaped into a nearby bush while the vehicle was abandoned.

    “During the search, six cartons of explosives powder, two cartons of solar detonating cords and 16 bundles of ten wires each of delay detonator wires were recovered.”

     

     

  • Police lay siege in court for Amaechi’s supporter

    For about three hours, some plain-cloth policemen laid siege at the premises of an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court 9 over moves to re-arrest a suspect, Charles Amoefule, who is a supporter of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State.

    Amoefule, who is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Omuma Local Government Area, was arrested last week with the Assistant Secretary of PDP in Rivers State, Leo Anyanwu.

    The two suspects, who were picked up for alleged sedition, were brought from Port Harcourt and kept in Kuje Medium Prison in Abuja.

    While Amoefule was charged before Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2, Anyanwu is expected to face trial at a similar Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 6

    But Amoefule was on Wednesday arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court 9 in Wuse Zone 2 amidst tight security.

    The charge preferred by the police as contained in the First Information Report by Inspector Ibrahim Azo, reads: “Criminal Conspiracy, False Statement in Declaration Which By Law Receivable In Evidence False, Impersonation, Inciting Disturbance and Criminal Intimidation Contrary to Sections 97, 164, 179, 114, and 397(b) of the Penal Code.

    “Charles Amoefule, Godwin Onwukwe and Leo Anyanwu now at large conspired among yourselves and caused announcement to be made on Radio 92.3 Nigeria Info and Rhythm 97.7 FM Abuja, that the State Executive Council of PDP, Rivers State has been dissolved and reconstituted and you Charles Amoefule is now elected as state chairman of the party.

    “The information which you know to be false and misleading, leading to inciting disturbance in Rivers State resulted to break down of law.”

    One of the sources at the court said: “The First Information Report (FIR) was brought in on Friday last week.

    “Bail was not given to the accused person. They filed a motion for bail which was supposed to be moved today.

    “Today, Police prosecutor brought an application that he would want to terminate the FIR because of the sister case in Zone 6. The court transferred the case, so the court in its own discretion terminated the FIR and discharged the accused person.

    Following representations by the defence counsel, Mr. Ricky Tarfa (SAN) the Chief Magistrate, Anthony Ogboi Enahoro, however discharged the accused person.

     

  • Police seize 114 Biafran flags, pounds from MASSOB members

    Police seize 114 Biafran flags, pounds from MASSOB members

    The Police are set to arraign six members of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), for alleged illegal activities.

    The suspected MASSOB leaders arrested on August 6 according to Delta Police are: Ndubisi Ezeocha, 20, Francis Onuigbo, 28, Emeka Izigbo, 28 and Andrew Nwufulu, 26

    Delta Police spokesman Lucky Uyabeme who gave the names added: “On August 7, one Emeka Okafor ‘m’ aged 52 years, a native of Nkanu in Enugu State and the acclaimed leader of the group was arrested with five other suspects.”

    Uyabeme, an ASP, said the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigation.

    He listed the items recovered from them to include, 114 Biafran flags, two boots, 129 Biafran pounds and ten shillings.

    Others things recovered from them he said, include: 32 membership forms and other documents, ten pairs of complete Biafran uniforms with name tags, three cutlasses, seven hard cover notebooks for minutes of meeting, two military belts and one expended cartridge.

    He said the police would not allow any part of the state to be used as breeding ground for any criminal activity, insisting that acts of the suspects were “treasonable and the government will not condone such lawlessness.”

    Okafor, who is the Coordinator of MASSOB in Anioma/Ndokwa East region, said he was arrested last week and has been in police detention. in police detention.

    Police accused the suspects of attacking vigilance men at Powerline and Ominigboma areas of Asaba.

    Okofor insisted that they were arrested because of the growing popularity of MASSOB.

    His words: “This is a sector, how can we go and attack them. They are afraid that if MASSOB continues to be visible, they would not continue to harass people. They are street people.

    “Nothing much happened, there were people that came there and wanted to sympathise with flood victims and three of my members went there. Unfortunately one of them, who has not been given proper MASSOB training, went with them.

    “And while there, they were pushing each other trying to get space and in the process the vigilance people slapped one of my boys and he retaliated. And then the vigilante people called policemen from ‘B’ Division. Instead of coming to settle the matter, the police started arresting our members, nothing again.”

    He said MASSOB remained a peaceful association that is going about its activities without intimidating, harassing or attacking members of the public, adding that they were attacked by crooks who removed everything that the police paraded as exhibits.

    “We did not go on road block neither did we go on demonstration. We were at a place and they went there to search everything. Those boys are crooks, they searched everywhere and brought out these moneys. The money is for me, we keep the money knowing that it is a legal tender to the Biafran people, so we hide it because we know the quality of it,” he said.