The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • NLC backs new salary for police constables

    NLC backs new salary for police constables

    Mr Abdulwaheed Omar, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says it is his prayer that the Federal Government should agree to pay N100,000 as minimum monthly salary to police constables.

    Omar told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that it would be good for the federal government to be paying such an amount to the policemen “because they deserve it’’.

    He was reacting to a request by the Inspector General (I-G), Mohammed Abubakar, that police constables be paid N100,000 as monthly salary.

    “I pray to the almighty God that the federal government grants the request. It is good and they deserve it, so let them take it,’’ the NLC president said.

    On safety, the labour leader called on employers of labour to ensure that safety at work place was guaranteed.

    He said workers are the greatest asset of any country because they toil and turn the wheel that generates the wealth of the nation.

    “The authorities, at all levels of employment, must ensure safety in the workplace. It is a paramount issue with the International Labour Organisation (ILO),’’ Omar said.

    He said this year’s May Day celebration would be a unique one because it coincides with the country’s Centenary celebration by the federal government.

    “It will be a remarkable event because it is a period of reflection and a period for workers to re-dedicate themselves to achieving their desired victory,’’ the NLC president said.(NAN)

  • Police target N100,000 minimum wage

    The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, has said N100,000 was being proposed as the minimum salary for the least police officer.

    He spoke at a lecture for police officers in Jos, Plateau State. He  Abubakar, who was represnted at the event by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone Four, Mr Mike Zoukomor, said: “The money you are being paid is not enough. That is why the police is working towards increasing the money.

    “We are doing our best to ensure that your morale is high. You must, therefore, put in your best at ensuring that the society is free of any form of crime.”

    He urged policemen to exhibit the highest sense of discipline and professionalism in carrying out their duties.

    “You must ensure that you do not extort money from members of the public and you must be polite in dealing with them as well.

    “If you are caught stealing or found taking hard drugs, you would be severely punished, because you are supposed to show good example.

    “Things like drunkenness will not be tolerated. Police officers must not be seen as drunks,” he warned.

    Plateau Commissioner of Police, Mr Chris Olakpe, advised the officers and men to put into practice the advice of the IG.

    “The IG has told us that it is what you sow that you would reap. You must continue to work very hard and do the right thing,” he said.

    The commissioner promised that the men and officers of the command would continue to protect lives and property in the state.

  • Gunmen kill female cop, free 3 detainees in Adamawa

    The Chairman of Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa, Malam Mohammed Bako, said that a female police constable was killed while three persons in detention were released by gunmen who attacked the Mayo-Belwa Police Station on Thursday night.

    Bako made the disclosure on Friday while touring the scene of attack, saying that the gunmen used Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) in the attack.

    “A female police constable, Rahila Azoko, was killed while a policeman was injured during the assault on the Divisional Police Station.

    `Three civilians, including a security man, were also injured in the attack on banks.’’

    Bako pointed out that apart from the two banks and the police station, no other place was attacked by the gunmen who succeeded in burning two police vans at the police station.

    “No prison was attacked. As you can see, even the police station was not burnt. The banks were not robbed. Calm has returned to the area,’’ Bako said.

    The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) reports that security has been beefed up in the town.

    Police anti-bomb squad was seen at the premises of one of the banks, evacuating unexploded devices left behind by the attackers.

    The attack is coming some weeks after men of the State Security Service discovered RPGs and ammunitions in the bush around the area.

  • Police in Rivers jittery over re-deployment

    There is anxiety among police officers in Rivers State, following the re-deployment of policemen by the Commissioner of Police, Mbu J. Mbu.

    Mbu had in the past weeks embarked on reshuffling of officials, especially high ranking officers.

    He assumed office about a one month ago after his predecessor, Mohammed Indabawa, was moved to Yobe State after nine months in the state.

    Some residents believe his actions are not unconnected with the recent political developments in the state.

    Speaking to The Nation in Port Harcourt yesterday, some officers, who pleaded for anonymity, said they were worried that the exercise would affect every rank in the command.

    According to them, the postings have already affected those in the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) rank.

    They said: “Every policeman in the state is standing on one leg now. This new commissioner is serious with this redeployment thing; you may come here tomorrow and discover that we have been transferred.

    “Everybody is afraid, more so because the transfer is very sudden, nobody has any clue on where he/she would be moved to.

    “ASPs have been transferred, especially those in Operations.”

    Security has been strengthened across the state, especially in the Port Harcourt metropolis.

    At a briefing earlier in Port Harcourt, Mbu said in the on-going re-deployment, non-performing Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) were his target.

    He said then that 18 DPOs had been transferred while more had been listed to be moved.

    He said: “As of now, the level of discipline in the Force is very high, I have re-deployed DPOs, some DPOs that have over stayed like Omoku, and some other areas have all been swapped.

    “Over 400 DPOs in Operations Department have been re-deployed; those DPOs who have stayed in a particular place for more than seven years have been moved.

    “If you go to the state CID it is the same thing, those who have been there for a very long time, and those who are non-productive have all been re-deployed.

    “I have given the DPOs conditions in which they can work with me. If I call you by 2am and you pick my call and I tell you there is something happening somewhere and you move in immediately you are my DPO.

    “But if I call your phone by 11pm or 2am and your phone is switched off, I transfer you to the headquarters and make you DPO special duties, and keep you in a room where you will watch home videos all day.

    “If I call you and you know you cannot cope with my face, you can apply to Abuja and tell the IG, this new CP is too hard for me, send me out, the IG can now post you out to wherever he feels.

    “So far erring DPOs have been transferred, as we speak now, 18 of the 56 DPOs have been transferred, and more have been listed for posting, including that of Elele in Ikwerre Local Government.”

    Mbu could not be reached for comments.

     

  • Court orders police, SSS to pay group N10m for stripping members in public

    Justice Evon Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, yesterday ordered the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the State Security Service (SSS) to pay N10million to a group, Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN).

    Both security agencies were found guilty of stripping naked in public members of the group and subjecting them to other forms of harassment.

    Justice Chukwu declared the actions of both agencies on members of the group as “barbaric, uncivilised and a gross abuse of powers”.

    The judgment followed a suit by the Trustees of the PCN, which sued the police and SSS for abuse of its members and a secret report by the SSS labelling the group and its members security risks.

    The group argued that the series of attack on its members by both agencies reached the peak in July, last year, when, at a state function in Zamfara State, some policemen and SSS officials held 11 of its members, beat them up and stripped them naked.

    The members’ offence, the group said, was that they refused the security operatives’ directive to remove their uniform in public.

    They also complained about a plot by the security agencies to ground PCN’s activities nationwide by authoring spurious security reports labeling it and its members security risks.

    Justice Chukwu ordered men of both agencies to conduct themselves within the ambit of the law and refrain from gross abuse of innocent citizens’ rights to freedom of association.

    The judge, who noted the PCN was a duly registered private organisation, barred the police and SSS from further interfering with its lawful activities and programmes.

    He restrained them from further arrest, detention, intimidation and harassment of PCN member.

    Justice Chukwu held that it was barbaric and uncivilised for operatives of the SSS and the police to strip officials of the Peace Corps (members of the group) naked in the public for no cause that could be defended in a law court.

    The judge nullified and set aside the secret security report, which the SSS sent to some governors, labelling PCN as an unregistered and a security threat. He held that the report was unlawful, illegal, unwarranted and made in bad faith.

    Justice Chukwu held that the SSS was not diligent in defending the case, adding that in a democracy, where the rule of law prevails, such a gross abuse of power and deliberate infringement on citizens’ rights must not be allowed.

    He disagreed with the defendants’ claim that the group was exploiting Nigerian youths by training them on illegal activities that could undermine the country’s security.

    Justice Chukwu averred that the defendants did not supply any proof to support their allegations.

    The group’s National Commandant, Ambassador Dickson Akoh, hailed the judge for upholding the rule of law.

    He said the SSS and the police had crippled PCN’s activities in past judgments in their favour.

     

  • ‘Brutalised’ lawyer demands N500m damages from police

    ‘Brutalised’ lawyer demands N500m damages from police

    •Case comes up today

    An Ibadan lawyer, Mr. Joshua Olaniyan, who was allegedly brutalised by some police officers a few weeks ago, has sued the force.

    He is demanding N500 million damages.

    The case comes up today at the State High Court Two.

    The Ibadan branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has directed its members to attend the hearing in solidarity with Olaniyan.

    Olaniyan sued the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Kajorepo Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and Mrs. Sola Olanrewaju, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP).

    He was arrested, detained and allegedly brutalised by Mrs. Olanrewaju at the Kajorepo Police Station on April 3, when he went to secure the release of a truck that was impounded by the police.

    The truck was impounded because the driver could not produce the waybill for the consignment being transported.

    Olaniyan took the waybill to the station to secure the truck’s release, but was allegedly picked on by Mrs. Olanrewaju.

    He was allegedly beaten-up and detained. He was also “accused of being a fake lawyer and an accomplice in the stealing of the consignment”. Olaniyan said it took the intervention of the DPO, who arrived later in the evening, before he was released. The lawyer said he ended up in the hospital after he was released.

    He is also seeking a declaration that his alleged brutalisation and detention was “wrong, illegal, unconstitutional and a violation of his rights”.

     

  • NDLEA nabs fake police officer with cannabis

    NDLEA nabs fake police officer with cannabis

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Bauchi has arrested one Augustine Odogwu, 45, for allegedly being in possession of 108 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, popularly called India hemp.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the state Commander, Mr Julius Parah, in Bauchi on Monday.

    Parah said that Odogwu was arrested on March 18 in possession of the weeds that was concealed inside the boot of his car.

    He said the suspect disguised himself as a police superintendent with an Identification number 1084 and was able to beat security checkpoints from Abbi in Delta to Bauchi.

    “What makes this arrest spectacular is the fact that the suspect disguised himself as Superintendent of Police.

    “He, indeed, conspicuously displayed a superintendent rank and uniform and a police ID card number 1084 to match,” he said.

    The commander added that preliminary investigation revealed that the Delta born suspect, who resides in Ondo State, was dismissed as a police sergeant in 1993.

    In a related development, one Mohammed Maiunguwa, 41, was also arrested with nine kilogrammes of cannabis sativa in Dako village of Misau Local Government Area.

    The commander said that 194.23 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa was seized by the command in the first quarter of 2013.

    He said that the seizure was done from 56 suspects among them one Turaki Mustapha, from Misau town, who was engaged in the sales of drugs for many years.

    However, Odogwu expressed regrets over the act and begged for forgiveness from his family, church and all the people close to him for disappointing them.

    Odogwu said that this would be the last time he would be involved in drug trafficking, adding that he was in the trade to make ends meet.

  • Police recover 2 bodies at Annune, Adaka villages near Makurdi

    The Benue Police Command on Friday said two bodies with wounds suspected to be gun shots, had been recovered at Annune and Adaka villages near Makurdi.

    Its Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ezeala, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi that the corpses were discovered by men of the Anti- Riot squad who were drafted to the area to maintain peace and order.

    He, however, denied claims by residents of Adaka village that Fulani herdsmen had invaded the village and were killing Tiv people.

    Ezeala said the claims were “unfounded”. “What actually happened was that some of the villagers saw two armed men at Adaka village and got panicky.

    “some of them started fleeing the village,” the police officer said.

    Ezeala said the command had since deployed its anti-riot squad to forestall any break down of law and order in the area.

    The spokesman said that normalcy had since been restored while the villagers had already returned to their homes.

    But some of the villagers, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), however disagreed with the claims that normalcy had returned to the area.

    Three women, Mzamber Adaka, Patricia Agema and Rose Ngbata, told NAN that the armed men were “still in the village”.

    “The armed men are still attacking people.

    “We fled the village to Adeekke because we some of our people had been killed and the dead bodies left on the streets,” the fear-stricken women told NAN.

    Our correspondent found that other villagers had fled to the neighbouring settlements.

    NAN also reports that gunmen had persistently invaded some Tiv settlements on the border line with Nasarawa, leading to clashes that often result to several casualties, mostly women and children.

  • Police won’t join forces with OPC to find Lagos council chair

    The Lagos State Police Command yesterday said it would not need the assistance of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) to secure the release of the Chairman of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Mr Kehinde Bamigbetan, who was abducted by yet unknown gunmen near his home on Monday.

    The Command’s Deputy Police Public Relations Officer (DPPRO), Ozoani Damasus, spoke with reporters yesterday.

    Reacting to the OPC’s assurance that it would work with the police to ensure the release of the council boss, Ozoani said OPC is an outlawed group, which a constituted authority would not work with.

    The police spokesperson said: “OPC is a banned organisation and it remains banned. So, we are not aware of them working with us to secure Bamigbetan’s release. We are yet to make any arrest for now, but we are on top of the situation. We have our strategy and we cannot disclose it in public.

    “Let me assure you that police are on top of the situation and efforts are on to ensure his immediate release. There will be proper briefing after his release.”

    Prayers continued to hold at the Bamigbetans’ 21, Ono Iwa Mimo Street, Ori-Oke, Egbe home yesterday.

    Though reporters were prevented from entering the compound, some members of an unidentified church were seen leaving after praying for about an hour for Bamigbetan’s release.

    Dignitaries continued to throng Bamigbetan’s home where his wife in solidarity visit to his wife, Fatimah, children and relations, were waiting anxiously to see him.

    The wife of the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mrs Mayowa Ikuforiji, and his entourage, prayed with the family.

    A source from the family said: “The more the delay, the more apprehensive the wife and children become. People have been coming; prayers have been offered, but what is important is that he is found. I cannot say whether the kidnappers are still contacting the family.

    There were high hopes that the abducted council boss may be released soon as the kidnappers reportedly promised to release him this morning at a yet unnamed location.

    A source, who preferred anonymity, told The Nation yesterday that the kidnappers got in touch with the family and assured it to be prepared to receive Bamigbetan at an undisclosed location by tomorrow (today) morning.

    “As we talk, the kidnappers are getting in touch with the family which has kept the hope of the family and well wishers alive. But we pray and sincerely hope that the abductors will keep to their promise,” the source said.

    A socio-political group, the Osun Development Agenda (ODA), has called for Bamigbetan’s unconditional release, after an emergency meeting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

    Its deputy convener, Rahman Shenge, in a statement, expressed shock over the incident, describing it as unfortunate, adding that Bamigbetan’s abduction was a bad omen for the Yoruba and a reflection of worsening security situation in the country.

    It said: “This dastardly act calls for serious concern on the part of all Yoruba sons and daughters who must now wake up from their slumber and complacency as it is now clear that the Southwest of Nigeria is no longer immune from the malady of heinous criminalities which we once thought was impossible here.

    “As an organisation, we are naturally worried about the safety of our convener (Bamigbetan) and the psychological trauma he must be going through in the hands of his captors who have made a baffling demand for $1million as a ransom for his life and freedom.

    “While we call for the immediate unconditional release of Comrade Bamigbetan, we call on all Nigerians and state governments in the Southwest to reflect on this ugly development and its implications for the security the Nigerian state and the need to decentralise it for effective maintenance of law and order in our land. Clearly, the need for state police can no longer be dismissed.”

  • Police strengthen security in Rivers

    The police in Rivers State have strengthened security in the state, following threats and renewed hostilities allegedly caused by the Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND)and the disquiet in the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The Commissioner of Police, Mbu Joseph Mbu, said the state’s security network is in contact with Governor Rotimi Amaechi to ensure that life and property are secured.

    Mbu said there is a synergy among security forces and assured that the officers and men have braced themselves for the security challenges in the region.

    He urged the public to stay away from crime and go about their businesses “because it is no more business as usual for criminals.”

    The commissioner reiterated the ban on the use of siren and tinted glasses except for few government officials such as the governor, the speaker, service chiefs, ambulances and banks carrying cash.