The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Police

  • Time to tackle rot in police

    Time to tackle rot in police

    SIR: Your esteemed newspaper would have done an evergreen service to this nation if this view of ours is published therein on the ongoing trial of former Inspector General of Police, Mr Sunday Ehindero and a former Commissioner of Police in charge of Budget, Mr John Obaniyi before an Abuja High Court over his alleged complicity in the misappropriation of about N557million belonging to the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

    Though Ehindero has pleaded not guilty, to the six-count criminal charge preferred against him by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), it behoves the anti-graft agencies in the country not to look back in this effort to sanitise the system.

    Interestingly, the anti-graft agency has maintained that by its investigations, the accused persons allegedly diverted a whopping N300million out of N557million donated to the NPF by the Bayelsa State Government when President Goodluck Jonathan was its Governor. The money, the ICPC revealed, was traced to a fixed deposit account at a bank where it had yielded an interest of N9.8 million.

    Observing that the money was donated for the procurement of arms, ammunition and riot control equipment, ICPC, equally alleged that the accused persons placed another N200 million in a fixed deposit account with another bank where it once yielded N6.5 million interest.

    By the ICPC’s claim, the agency revealed that the fraud was perpetrated between May and November, 2006 during when Ehindero piloted the affairs of the Nigerian Police – between 2005 and 2007.

    There is no doubting the fact that the blood of many a concerned Nigerian will be running cold today whenever they ruminate on the magnitude of looting that has become the norm in this endowed nation where the masses suffer in the midst of plenty.

    An average policeman in the country today is a sorry figure. They work grudgingly on empty stomach and in most cases, with pitiably tattered bathroom slippers. They are poorly remunerated and armed. This is among the reasons they fall easy preys to armed robbers who boast superior weapons. Yet, year in, year out, we hear of mind-boggling allocations for police and other security agencies in our annual budgets. Then where have these allocations been going?

    Of course, save-our-souls telephone calls would have been causing serious traffic congestion in the air now, but we dare say that the entire world is watching the developments vis-à-vis the so-called commitment of the Goodluck Jonathan-led administration to fighting corruption no matter whose ox is gored.

    In this matter, Jonathan’s administration is equally on trial as the outcome of the Ehindero Trial will go down as part of his profile by which posterity will judge him and indeed, our beleaguered Judiciary.

     

    • Edwards Olawale

    President, People’s Voice against Corruption (PVC),

    Surulere, Lagos.

  • Ikorodu supports state police

    Ikorodu supports state police

    Ikorodu Federal Constituency last Saturday expressed support for the establishment of state police by the Federal Government to complement the effort of the Nigeria Police Force. The people also supported the idea of maintaining the status-quo on tenure elongation. They insisted that the four year term is enough for any serious government to carry out enough projects for the good of the people.

    On the State local Government Joint Account, they called for the removal of Section 162 (6) which provides for tt. They claimed that if the money is given to the local government councils directly from the Federal Government, they will be able to carry out more projects without waiting for financial approval from the state government.

    They also voted in support of financial autonomy for the state House of Assembly like the National Assembly so as to carry out its assignment effectively. The people also took their stand on the vexed issue of indigenes and settlers. They maintained that settling in an area does not mean that such person has a right to contest for an election in the area since such a person cannot be regarded as an indigene. This was after several explanations by the chairman of the occasion Chief Babatunde Benson to the people to consider non-indigenes who have been with them for a while as indigenes. He urged them to learn from the way the people in the western world are granting foreigners who stay in their land the status of indigene after many years of staying with them. But his plea could not sway people.

    Speaking on the issue of electoral reforms, they voted positively to amend the constitution to reverse the time bye-elections will be conducted if need be, and time limit for the determination of election petitions.

    Immunity for top political office holders while still in office was believed by the people of the constituency to be encouraging corruption. They voted against section 308 of 1999 Constitution that provides for immunity for the President, Vice-President, governor and deputy governor while in office.. They implore the National Assembly to amend that aspect of the constitution for transparency.

    The representative of the constituency Honorable Abike Dabiri Arewa assured the attendees that the National Assembly will do all it could to ensure that the constitution review reflects the true wish of the people on the issues brought forward across the country. She stressed further that the House will still need to compile the template across the six geo-political zones and deliberate on the outcome before preparing the amendment of the constitution.

    The constituency was well represented by its delegates from the different locality in Ikorodu metropolis and its environs which held at the Ikorodu West Local Government secretariat multi-purpose hall.

     

  • Clashes: Police arrest six in Jigawa

    The Jigawa Police Command has arrested six persons over the fierce clashes between the followers of Guri Local Government Chairman and a lawmaker, representing Guri/Kirikasama Federal Constituency on Sunday.

    The Guri Local Government Chairman is Alhaji Abdullahi Bulama, while the House of Representative member is Alhaji Adamu Hassan.

    The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that followers of the lawmaker and that of council chairman clashed during public hearing session on the review of the 1999 constitution on Saturday where vehicles belonging to the two political leaders were destroyed and many were injured.

    The Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) of the state, Malam Abdu Jinjiri, told NAN on Sunday that those arrested would help them in their investigations.

    Jinjiri said that after their investigation, whoever found wanting would be punished accordingly as the police would not allow any miscreant to disrupt the peace enjoyed in the state.

    NAN investigation revealed that constitution review congress on Saturday in Guri Local Government Area was hijacked by hoodlums resulting to the destruction of no fewer than four vehicles and injuring many.

     

  • Senate probes police alleged arms supply to bandits

    Senate probes police alleged arms supply to bandits

    The Senate on Thursday mandated its joint committee on Police Affairs, Intelligence and National Security to investigate alleged supply of arms and ammunition to armed bandits by serving police officers.

    The upper chamber also asked the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to as a matter of urgency, step up surveillance and effective policing of areas affected by recent armed banditry in Zamfara State.

    This followed the adoption of a motion entitled: “Recent banditry attack on Kabaru village in Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.”

    The motion sponsored by Senator Marafa Kabiru Garba chronicled armed robbery attacks in various parts of Zamfara State.

    Marafa in his lead debate said that he was alarmed by the armed banditry attack on Kabaru village on October 29.

    The Senator noted that he was further horrified that the attack was carried out by about 60 armed men resulting in the death of 18 villagers including the village head, Alhaji Maiyara.

    According to him, the earlier attack of Guru and Tungar Baure communities in August 2011 resulted in the death of many villagers.

    He recalled that a similar armed banditry attack on Lingyado, Guru and Sammaje villages in September led to mass slaughter of over 25 villagers as well as the reported house to house raid in June of Dangulbi district by armed bandits resulting in the massacre of 27 people.

    He noted that the spate of the attacks apart from resulting in loss of lives have disrupted the economic activities and the livelihood of the communities in the surrounding villages and districts.

    Senator Sahabi Ya’u his contribution noted that what is happening in Zamfara State can only be described as barbaric, inhuman and unfortunate.

    Ya’u said that of more concern to him is the discovery that bandits are getting arms from serving police officers.

    He said, “The other day an armed robber that was caught confirmed that it is a serving police officer that supplied them with arms and ammunitions.

    “To confirm what the armed robber said, a call was made through him (the armed robber) to the said police officer to get some arms to the armed robber.

    “To the surprise of those who were there within minutes the police officer brought arms to the robber.”

     

  • Police foil kidnap in Osun

    The police in Osun State have foiled the kidnap of a building materials dealer, Alhaji Akeem Sulaiman, in Modakeke.

    Around 7:30pm last Saturday, a four-man gang in a red Honda Accord car, marked Osun FEE 73 AA, waylaid Sulaiman, who was driving an Infinity Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

    They forced him into their car and sped off. Eyewitnesses alerted policemen, who chased after the kidnappers.

    The hoodlums abandoned their vehicle and the victim on the outskirts of the town and escaped.

    Sulaiman was rescued by the police.

    Police spokesman Folashade Odoro said two single barrel guns, one pump action pistol, five live cartridges and five expended cartridges were recovered from their car.

     

  • The trouble with state police

    The trouble with state police

    SIR: Founded in London by Sir Robert Peel three centuries ago, the state police was first named Metropolitan Police. The men employed by the force were called “Peelers” or “Bobbies” after the founder. Working full time and wearing a special uniforms, with prevention of crimes as their primary function, England set the example, and other countries who virtually share similarities began to establish the formal or modern policing, though those who differ, developed it to centralised policing system.

    In its effort to establish a police force in Nigerian colony, the British had two options; either to adopt its own system or to develop the local African means of maintaining law and order. The former was adopted in the East, while the latter for the West and Northern Nigeria.

    The name pillars “peelers” was called yandoka in the North and they did everything but just!

    In Kano, a man was arrested when he visited a friend who was in a police custody, just because he belonged to opposition party. Fifty women were shot dead, when they revolted against special taxes in Aba, just to mentioned a few.

    To allow the state to have its own police means only those from the state would be recruited, and needless to add, justice would surely be denied to non indigenes, considering how ethnicity and religion bigotry have become the order of the day.

    Its undisputed fact, the some states will also use it to have an easy way of arming their supporters during elections, since politics is now a “do or die affair”.

    Moreover, in a situation where majority of states depend on monthly allocation from federal coffers, and yet not enough is available to cater for other social amenities, funding would also be a major problem.

    Despite being tagged as one of the most corrupt institutions, the constitutional review committee, should look for way forward to make the Nigeria Police corruption free, and more citizen-friendly as against relying on excessive force. Police entitlements should be paid promptly, and training should be top priority, to curb extra judicial killings, which is to be blamed on the aggravation of the crises in the northern states.

     

    • Auwal A. Dankano,

    Kano.

     

     

  • 100 arrested for illegal assembly in Enugu

    The police in Enugu on Monday arrested at least 100 people parading themselves as members of the Biafra Zionist Movement, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Enugu State Police Command, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said in a statement in Enugu on Monday that the people were arrested following a tip off.

    Amaraizu said the people, led by one Ben Onwuka, were arrested at Akwata on Agbani Road at 6.45am.

    According to him, police recovered 61 Biafran and other flags, 13 berets, three bands and eight registration forms from the group.

     

  • Police arrest 25 suspected gunmen in Kano

    Police arrest 25 suspected gunmen in Kano

    The Kano State Police Command on Sunday arrested 25 suspected gunmen over the killing of a policeman in Kano on Saturday.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, confirmed the arrest at a news conference in Kano on Sunday.

    Idris said the gunmen attacked the policeman at Unguwa Uku area in the metropolis during the monthly environmental sanitation on Saturday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the monthly environmental sanitation, which was supposed to have been held on October 27, was shifted to November 3 because of the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

    The deceased police officer was cleaning his environment when the suspected gunmen, on a motorcycle opened fire on him.

     

  • Kidnapping: FG agencies commend Police, SSS, others

    ASSOCIATION of Federal Establishments and Parastatals in Anambra State yesterday commended the concerted efforts of the security agencies in Anambra State for its renewed approach to fighting kidnapping and violent armed robbers in the state.

    In a press statement made available to newsmen in Awka yesterday, the chairman of the Association, Dr. Dave C.J Ugonna, said the association of Heads of Federal Establishments and Parastatals are delighted to commend the security chiefs in the state for their efforts in securing lives and property of people.

    The Association commended the Commissioner for Police, Anambra State, Mr Ballah Nassarawa, and the state Director of State Security Services, Mr. Alex Okenyi, and others for making the association proud.

     

  • Police nab killer gang

    The Plateau Police Command has arrested a three-man suspected killer gang allegedly terrorising residents of Bokkos local government area.

    The suspects were nabbed with various arms including three locally- made pistols, 32 cartridges and two life ammunition of 2.9mm calibre.

    Parading them at the Police Headquarters in Jos yesterday, Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), DSP Abuh Emmanuel, said: “Some residents of Butura-Gida ward of Bokkos Local government area of Plateau state contacted the Police Divisional Office in Bokkos Division using distress lines made available to them.

    “The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Bokkos division, ASP Joshua Shinto, responded promptly by leading a detachment of operatives to the scene.

    “Though the suspects had fled the scene, the police detectives were able to trace them to their hideout and arrested one of them called Hussein Aliyu.”

     

    The arrested suspect led police operatives to the other members of the gang, Seidu Aliyu and Haruna Aliyu.

    The prime suspect with gunshot wounds is said to be receiving treatment at Plateau specialist  Hospital under tight security.