The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Letter to Inspector General of Police

    Letter to Inspector General of Police

    SIR: I, like many people in Nigeria, heaved a sigh of relief when you were appointed the Inspector General of Police. Within a few days you ordered the removal of police roadblocks through which policemen had been bleeding the civilian population with illegal road tolls and taxes, and you moved around the fat-cat Commissioners of Police into whose pockets these illegal tolls and taxes usually found their way.

    You have generally been an IGP who addresses issues the way a thoughtful IGP should, indicating considerable analytical thought in your words and actions. I was however shocked to know that you recently authorised your Commissioners of Police to crack down on all vehicles with tinted windscreens, as if buying a car with tinted glasses is a crime in Nigeria. If it is a crime, and since most of such cars are imported, should the Nigeria Customs not prohibit the importation of cars with tinted windscreens? In your opinion, is there a difference between factory-tinted car glasses and glass-tints applied locally in Nigeria? Finally is there any empirical evidence linking crime and use of vehicles with tinted glasses?

    I ask these questions because in the past two weeks, those of us living in the South-east and South-south states have been besieged by hordes of police men mounting road blocks, stopping cars and extorting money from motorists whose cars have tinted windscreens. Between March 29 and April 10, I was stopped about 20 times while travelling through Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Rivers States. In each case I patiently showed the police men the letter I had from Police Force Headquarters in Abuja dated December 14, 2007, permitting me to use a car with tinted windscreens. Each time, I was told that the new directive from the IGP made no allowance for such letters and that my vehicle would be seized unless a paid a substantial amount for its freedom. In most cases I was delayed for about 15 minutes and allowed to go when I paid a token toll of five hundred naira. In Port Harcourt I was threatened with being taken to the mobile court. When I asked to taken to the mobile court, the police man let me go “on compassionate grounds of age”.

    I was using my SUV with factory-tinted windscreens in the USA before I shipped it to Nigeria in 2007. I subsequently obtained the authorisation letter from Police Headquarters in 2007 and have been using the vehicle ever since I returned to Nigeria in 2009. With your new instruction, what am I supposed to do? How do approach the impossible task of removing the factory tint from the glasses? Do I now buy plain windscreen glasses to replace the six tinted windscreens in my car? At what cost and to what avail?

    I write you on behalf of millions of Nigerians who have vehicles with factory-tinted windscreens to reconsider that crackdown on such factory-tinted glasses. It is not as if we went out to a glass technician and asked for the windscreens to be tinted and can thus remove them as and when we like. I, like most of my compatriots in this dilemma, cannot afford the N200,000 to N300,000 it will cost to replace these windscreens. In any case your police men should do their work well; kidnappers do not keep their victims in the front or back seats of tinted vehicles. They put them in the booths or trunks of vehicles.

     

    • Dr. Emmanuel Nwokolo,

    Port Harcourt

     

  • NNPC boss brother killed in robbery attack – Police

    The Police in Kaduna State on Monday confirmed the killing of Mr. Yohanna Yakubu, the younger brother of the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mr. Andrew Yakubu.

    The Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna State, Aminu Lawal, who confirmed the death, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Telephone on Monday, that said Yakubu died in a robbery attack on Sunday.

    Lawal said the late Yakubu was killed in a robbery attack while travelling on the Kachia-Zango Kataf road in Kaduna and not assassinated, as is being speculated by a section of the media.

    “He was not travelling on official assignment; he was not in his official car. It was a robbery attack, that unfortunately happened that Sunday morning,’’ he said.

    He said the police was already working round the clock to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act and beef up security on the route and in the entire state.

    Meanwhile, the Management and Staff of the NNPC have commiserated with the corporation’s GMD over the incident.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the corporation’s acting Group General Manager, Public Affairs, Ms Tumini Green, on Monday in Abuja.

    It said that until his death, the deceased was the Chief Operator at the Power Plant and Utilities Department of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC).

    “While we await the outcome of the police investigation on this sad event our prayers remain with the entire Yakubu family,

    “We implore the Almighty to give them the fortitude to bear this great loss,” it said.

    It said the remains of the late Yakubu would be laid to rest on April 19 in his hometown.

    The deceased joined the services of the NNPC in July 1987.

     

  • Police ban on cars with tinted glasses

    SIR: The recent ban on use of tinted windshields for all car owners by the Inspector General of Police appears to be another avenue by the police authorities to extort Nigerians. While I’m not engaging on any campaign of calumny against the police, or trying to dent already battered image of the force, my personal experience has given me every reason to doubt the sincerity of the police that the ban is based on security reasons. I have observed that since the ban by the IGP, policemen across the country have embarked on an aggressive enforcement of the ban.

    My encounter with the police occurred on Sunday April 7, when I was stopped on the road by a team of policemen on grounds that I was driving a tinted vehicle. All efforts to explain to them that my vehicle has a factory-fitted tinted windshields fell on deaf ears. Eventually, I was allowed to go when it became clear to the policemen that I won’t part with any “tip”. Nevertheless, I enquired how I could obtain the permit and the policemen said only the IGP at the force headquarters in Abuja could grant such request.

    On arrival at the force headquarters for guidelines on how to obtain the permit, the policemen at the gate told me that I need to produce my vehicle particulars and pay N25,000 to get the permit! To my consternation, two other persons willing to pay for the permit were promptly attended to and granted access into the building by these policemen.

    Whereas it would be preposterous to blame the police authorities for the action of these policemen who demanded money for the permit, the negative antecedents of the force, coupled with the avoidance of clear guidelines on how to obtain the permit has given rooms for suspicions. Thus, certain salient questions require urgent answers from the Nigerian Police. Why should Nigerians pay to obtain these permits? If the reasons for the ban are security related, why would police authorities collect money and issue permit without any security check on the vehicle or the owner?

    Can the pronouncement of the IGP, which would affect all Nigerians become a law without legislation? Is the pronouncement by IGP a subtle ban on the importation of cars with factory fitted tinted windshields? Is the police now a revenue generating organisation? Where will these monies go to?

    It is not enough for the IGP to announce a ban. He should also let Nigerians know the procedures and modalities of obtaining a permit, especially by those whose cars have factory tints. The police have a duty to protect its integrity by ensuring that its directives are unambiguous.

    • Ayo Martins

    Utako, Abuja

  • Edo LG poll: Police whisk ACN candidate to Abuja

    Edo LG poll: Police whisk ACN candidate to Abuja

    •PDP disrupts electoral officers’ training, alleges plot to rig

    Policemen from Force Headquarters in Abuja have arrested the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) for Estako Central Local Government in next week local government elections, Emmanuel Momoh, over the killing of two persons in a clash between supporters of ACN and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the locality.

    Two houses including cars were burnt in the clash that occurred at Fugar, headquarters of Estako East.

    The two persons killed were parents of youths involved in the clash.

    Momoh was whisked to Abuja after the policemen told his wife they were taking him to Benin City for questioning.

    Several other suspects were arrested

    The state chairman of the PDP, Dan Orbih, said one of those killed, Oboareye Ibharue, was a retired teacher who recently defected from the ACN to the PDP.

    Orbih alleged that the fracas was caused by the ACN to harass and intimidate their members before next week local polls.

    He said PDP members were daily harassed because of their refusal to join the ruling party.

    According to him: “Our party members were returning from a campaign rally when they ran into some ACN members that blocked the road and prevented them from proceeding. Both sides engaged in a fracas.

    “Later in the night ACN member went to the residence of our leaders and members and started attacking them and the retired teacher was killed.

    “The man was not at the scene of the incident. The only reason he was attacked and killed was because he came to join us.”

    Orbih urged members of his party to be calm and wait for police investigation into the matter.

    The state secretary of ACN, Chief Osaro Idah, said the killings were part of the PDP plans for elections not to be conducted in the locality.

    Idah said it was a member of the PDP that drove a vehicle into a rally of the ACN and injured seven persons.

    He said their members went to the PDP member house and during a fight somebody died.

    The ACN scribe said the PDP regrouped and burnt properties of the ACN chairman in the locality before policemen were mobilised to the scene.

    “Our members were on a peaceful procession distributing leaflets when Odion Agbabi drove into them just as Boko Haram used to attack churches.

    “Instead of the police to arrest everybody involved, they arrested our candidate and took him to Abuja for interrogation.

    “The man they arrested was not in Fugar that day. He even paid condolence visits to the family.”

    Idah said the PDP want to use federal might to intimidate their candidate because of their low popularity in the locality.”

    Also, members of the PDP disrupted a training programme for ad hoc staff and electoral officers recruited by the Edo State Independent Electoral Commission (EDSIEC) for the local elections next week.

    The PDP members stormed the training centre at Ekpoma in Esan West Local Government and demanded to be included in the training over alleged recruitment of ACN members.

    Orbih confirmed PDP members disrupted the training at Ekpoma.

    He directed them to visit training centre across the state to be included since investigation showed card- carrying members of ACN were recruited as adhoc staff.

    He listed Ovia North East, Uhunmwode, Akoko-Edo as areas where ACN members were recruited.

    Orbih urged EDSIEC to recruit teachers in public schools to serve as ad hoc staff, adding that the ACN was not prepared to conduct free and fair elections.

    Idah dismissed the PDP allegations and challenged them to prove their claims.

    The chairman of EDSIEC, Solomon Ogoh, told The Nation in an interview he did not know whether those recruited had any political affiliation.

    Ogoh said: “During interview, I asked them if they are party members and they said no. How do I know they are not?’

    He confirmed the disruption of the training programme at Ekpoma and called on the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities.

  • Army, Police probe clash of their men in in Ibadan

    Army, Police probe clash of their men in in Ibadan

    The Nigerian Army, 2 Division, Ibadan and the Oyo State Police Command yesterday said that the Wednesday/ Thursday bloody clash between soldiers and policemen in Ibadan, Oyo state capital were being investigated with a view to apprehending those that were involved.

    According to the leadership of the two sister security agencies, anyone found culpable would not go unpurnished.

    The two security agencies disclosed this during a joint military, police press conference held at the Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    Present at the occasion were the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations Department, 2 Division, Ibadan, Lt. Col. Mustapha Ankar; Assistant Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department, Mr. Dansuki Galadandi (ACP); and the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Bisi Ilobanafor.

    The PPRO said there was only an altercation between a police woman and two soldiers in mufti.

    She said: “There was an altercation when a woman police, who had just closed from work was on her way home. The woman was in mufti when two men who were on motorcycle (also in mufti) assaulted her. When she retorted, they beat her up and she called for help.

    “The three policemen who went to the scene to ascertain what went wrong were stabbed on the chests and buttocks by the men who were later found to be soldiers.

    “One of the policemen shot into the air to alert the police station nearby. He fired another shot on the ground and the ricochet of the bullet injured one of the soldiers on the leg.

    “The Divisional Police Officer at Mokola ordered that the men (including the soldier) be rushed to the hospital for treatment.

    “On Thursday, after 3 pm, some soldiers brandishing hammers, clubs and other objects attacked Mokola Police Station. They were curtailed with utmost restraint.”

    She said one of the soldiers who fell while they were being pursued was arrested by the police. According to her, the GOC ordered that he should be handed over for investigation.

    She said: “What happened on Thursday was an unfortunate incident. We are to ensure the security of the nation and its people and we only have common enemies – criminals and terrorists. There is huge collaboration between the army and the police.”

    Ankar said: “The issue being exaggerated in the social media is unfortunate. The 2 Division is in harmony with the police in this state. Presently, we are doing joint training with the Police and Civil Defence on how to make Oyo State a safe place.

    “Actually there was a clash, but it is being resolved. The GOC and the CP were contacted and they directed that there should be joint investigation of the 23 soldiers that came to attack Mokola Police Station.

    “There is no problem any longer. The matter has been dealt with.”

  • IG pays tribute to slain CP

    The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Abubakar, said on Friday that the force would fish out the killers of the Kwara Commissioner of Police,  Mr Chinwike Asadu.

    Abubakar stated this in Nsukka during the burial of Asadu who was killed by gunmen in Enugu on March 2.

    He said that the police were working round the clock and in no distant time, will make arrest and announce the killers of Asadu.

    “I assure Nigerians that the police will not rest until it fishes out killers of late Kwara State CP.

    “The public should bear with us as in no distant time the killers will be paraded to the public,” he said.

    The IG, who was represented by Mr Kachi Udorji, Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), described late Asadu as a fine, dedicated, honest gentleman who served his fatherland with patriotism.

    “The death of Asadu has robbed the police of a brilliant, dedicated and honest officer.

    ‘It is as result of his hard work that he died in active service while serving the fatherland.

    “The police will ever remember him because of his good legacies,“ he said.

    Abubakar said the police would assist the wife and children to ensure that they did nor face hardship.

    The Commissioner of Police for Enugu State, Mr Tonye Ebitibituwa, said the late CP was a devoted and humble officer who believed in hard work to achieve greatness in life.

    “Asadu is a police officer who achieved greatness through dedication and honesty,” he said.

    Earlier in his homily at St Victor Catholic Church Onuiyi Nsukka, Rev. Fr. Josephat Ogbodo said that Asadu, being a believer in Christ Jesus while alive, had not died but was sleeping in the Lord.

    “Asadu has not died; he is sleeping in the Lord and will rise on the last day.

    “Criminals can only kill the body but we can not kill the soul,“ he said.

    Ogbodo decried the high level of insecurity in Nigeria, which he said, had resulted in killing of innocent Nigerians daily.

    “The insecurity in the country has reached a dangerous dimension that a police commissioner could be killed by unknown gunmen,” he said.

    He urged Nigerians to always pray for security agencies in the country who had become target of armed robbers, assassins and terrorists.

    “It is now a high risk to work as a member of security agents in the country.

    ‘It is unfortunate that security agents are now targets of armed robbers, assassins and the dreaded Boko Haram.”

    The clergy urged the family of Asadu to take solace that their father lived useful life and died while serving the fatherland.

    In an interview later with newsmen, Sen. Ayogu Eze, representing Enugu North Senatorial Zone, challenged the police to intensify their investigation to fish out the perpetrators of the heinous act.

    “The senate would assist police in every capacity in fishing out killers of Asadu.”

     

     

     

     

     

    Others at the burial include Mr Leke Ogungbe who represented Kwara Governor, Rep Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, representing Udenu and Igboeze-North local government areas. (

  • Police, soldiers clash in Ibadan

    Police, soldiers clash in Ibadan

    Soldiers yesterday beat up policemen at Mokola Police Station in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    It was learnt that the soldiers were retaliating an attack on their colleague by the police.

    It was gathered that on Wednesday, policemen stopped a soldier for a routine check in front of the station. Sources said the soldier refused to obey them and the police shot him in the ankle.

    Yesterday afternoon, eyewitnesses said about 10 soldiers stormed the station and beat up the policemen on duty.

    A few minutes after they left for their barracks, a reinforcement of policemen arrived at the station and started shooting into the air. The gunshots caused panic and people scurried for safety. The police cordoned off roads leading to the station, causing a traffic gridlock in the area.

  • Police arrest 56 murder suspects in Gombe

    The Gombe State Police Command has arrested 56 suspected members of a killer squad, the Kalare Gang, for alleged murder.

    The police said assorted weapons were recovered from the suspects, who have allegedly confessed to the murder of some residents.

    Addressing reporters in Gombe on the command’s activities, Police Commissioner Mohammed Sule said the suspects were arrested between April 1 and 9.

    “Those arrested include two of their ring leaders – Nasiru Ali Abubakar (aka Bakano) and his deputy, Abdulmalik Musa (aka Marleyday) – who have confessed to the murder of innocent persons in the state,” Sule said.

    The police chief said security operatives also cracked down on a nine-man gang of rapists allegedly led by Usman Umar (aka Nimi Saleh) and Abubakar Umar (aka Battes). They reportedly specialised in gang-raping women between 6.30pm and 11pm.

    Sule alleged that Nasiru Abdullahi and Bello Mohammed, said to be Keke NAPEP operators, were arrested as they attempted to kidnap a lady in Gombe, the state capital. He said the suspects carried the lady at BCGA area of the state capital.

    According to him, luck ran out on the suspected abductors as the police intercepted them at the eastern by-pass in the town when they attempted to escape with their victim.

    The police commissioner said some of the suspects have been charged to court while the others would also be arraigned as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.

    He warned those sponsoring hoodlums to refrain because the command would treat them the same way under the law.

    The police chief advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to shun criminality.

    Sule also urged the public to give useful information that to the police to track down hoodlums in the society.

  • Cutting MDAs; UNESCO’s 26%; ‘Amnesty’ for amputees? FRSC: the new police?

    Cutting MDAs; UNESCO’s 26%; ‘Amnesty’ for amputees? FRSC: the new police?

    Streamlining Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) is welcome if money saved improves infrastructure in education, health, security and power. To free its citizens from the financial demon of electricity power insufficiency and failure, Nigeria urgently needs 100,000Mw. We should meet UNESCO’s 26% of budget invested in education infrastructure. The MDA cuts needs similar cuts in obscene political ‘Salaries and Perks’ which are ‘SAPping’ Nigeria dry. How about part-time legislators?

    Amnesty is not just amnesty pay-outs to retired bombers. How about ‘Amnesty for Amputees’ with pay-outs for all bomb victims? Amnesty strategies should go with compensation and care for amputees and other victims.

    The North under-developed the South through federal manipulation and forgot to develop itself to catch up with the stunted South. Where is that money? If Ibori and Alams had billions what did other governors have? There are few saints, military or civilian, North or South of the Rivers Niger and Benue. Happily the North embraces the train after killing it for 30 years of road transport. Kano announced a 4-year Chinese construction of intra-city monorail. This will be a near-replica of Lagos State’s ‘Jakande-rail’ truncated by Buhari/Babangida at a cost of $183m for breach of contract 30 years ago. Forgive me if I do not clap for ‘progressive’ Kano. Better get Buhari’s permission. But perhaps being Kano, you do not need it, abi?

    Congratulations to government for the Ore-Benin road. Friends said they ‘did the road in an hour instead of the 5-24 hours last year’. Diezani Alison-Madueke, former Minister of Works, can take off her orange overalls and stop weeping on NTA. However with good roads come responsibility to drive safely, conscious of one’s cargo, passengers and other road users. The loss of between 45-80 precious Nigerian lives is a blood-stained testimony to the need for less haste and more speed control. Unmindful of tyres, obstacles or state of mind of the driver, high speed kills worldwide and inflammable cargo like petrol is begging to ignite. I have always dreaded passing through Ogere during those endless stand-till go-slows. How many of the thousands of us stuck there would be burnt in a holocaust if 1 or 1000 of those tankers had caught fire or been maliciously ignited to cover-up a petrol theft? Such a conflagration, funeral pyre, would have been seen by the cosmonauts in space just as the Ogere go-slow is a talking-point for pilots on the Lagos-Abuja and Lagos-London air route! The FRSC struggled for 30 years with Ogere before December. Can NISER calculate the cost of ‘Ogere Traffic Mismanagement’ in financial losses and the trillions of man-hours? It is only when, in two minutes, you drive through a nightmare like Ogere or a deadly pothole, where you spent countless hours of misery during 30 years, that you look back in anger at those who refused to make the road passable for 30 years. So as we clap today, we remember the suffering and death we have endured due to government and MDA maximum incompetence and a lack of love for Nigeria.

    Potholed roads injure Nigerians including Great Achebe and claim lives but so do smooth new roads. But at a point we blame the drivers not the road. Tanker and trailer drivers seem above the law with ‘might is right’, wrong lane driving, poor parking and overloaded axles. For the commercial vehicles driven with a death wish, NURTW has been more efficient at providing the fifth column army for violent party politicking than queuing, driving within speed limits and obeying the Highway Code. Infringements are more often ‘bribed’ and it seems ‘FRSC stop and search’ has crept into the vacuum left by cancelling the police checkpoint. The FRSC must reverse this public perception to further justify the recent award from NASS and international outreach plans.

    In Ibadan, just before the Secretariat junction coming from UCH, there is a daily 7am FRSC ‘Road Marshals checkpoint’. Perhaps they have the highest moral goals. But if I was a commercial driver, I would feel annoyed and destabilised at the delay of a methodical ‘particulars and vehicle inspection’. At that time ‘FRSC operation Keep Moving’ is better than FRSC ‘Go Slow’ particulars check. Are they authorised? The authorisation should be withdrawn as it is giving FRSC a bad name. I have been flagged down on the expressway for ‘particulars check’ on 10 occasions to fill ‘a quota of arrests’. Once, unsolved murdered late Uncle Bola Ige was my only passenger. As a foundation FRSC Road Marshal, I believe this is a misapplication of powers and responsibility of FRSC. FRSC cannot become the new police checkpoint and FRSC should not allow its staff, from boredom, lack of supervision, seeking financial gain, wickedness or ‘quota catching’ to take up checkpoint duty cancelled by IGP Abubakar! If they do that near Secretariat what happens in the hinterland? Keeping FRSC’s reputation clean is a glorious accolade for FRSC management. So far the NSCDC seems, in public perception, the cleanest organisation. There is room for more ‘My oga[s] at the top’ of the honesty tree. Forgive that man. At least he is honest. As roads improve, educating tanker, trailer and NURTW drivers, enforcing right hand driving, speed limits, parking off the road, axle weights, and holding waking/services for the dead road users in the motor park where the NURTW vehicle originated, will become more important than ‘particulars checks’ for cutting deaths!

     

  • Police: no American kidnapped in Abia

    Police: no American kidnapped in Abia

    The police in Abia State have refuted reports that an American woman was kidnapped and had died in the hands of her abductors at Onicha Ngwa in Obingwa Local Government.

    Commissioner of Police Usman Abubakar said she is a Nigerian.

    He said there was no truth in the media report about the kidnapped lady’s nationality.

    “The lady is an indigene of the state, who lives with her mother; a teacher in England. She is not an American.

    “She visited Onicha Ngwa in Obingwa Local Government for Easter with her boyfriend, where she was abducted by the hoodlums.”

    The police chief said the kidnappers were demanding N20million from her mother.

    He said the police had intensified their hunt for the hoodlums and rescue efforts were on to secure the release of their victim.

    “Her body has not been seen. The body is not a paper that can easily fly and be seen. Besides, she is not dead.

    “What I can assure you is that efforts have been intensified to track down the hoodlums and to rescue the lady.”