The Nation Newspaper

Tag: policemen

  • 28,000 Policemen, 18 armoured vehicles, others for Rivers rerun

    28,000 Policemen, 18 armoured vehicles, others for Rivers rerun

    …Police neutral in the exercise says IGP

     

    The Inspector general of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris Thursday confirmed that no fewer than 28,000 police men have been deployed from other states of the Federation to compliment men of the Rivers state Police command in the tomorrow’s outstanding Legislative seats election rerun in the state.

    Idris also said 18 armoured tank vehicles, 350 hilux vehicles, 20 dogs, 28 gunboats several state commissioners of police, DIGs among others are already in the state to ensure peaceful, free, fair and credible elections.

    The IGP gave this statistics Thursday in Port Harcourt, while briefing officers and men of the police on the exercise.

    The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of operations, Habila Joushark had stated this in a stake holders meeting organized by INEC in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.

    A total of 37 rerun elections into the vacant seats of the state National and state Legislature would be conducted in seven of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAS of the state Saturday).

    Idris said commissioners of police have also been deployed from states to Mann the three senatorial districts of the state where the elections would hold.

    The LGAs are Andoni, Akuku-toru, Bonny, Etche, Ikwerre, Khana and Gokana, it is not clear yet if election would be held in Tai. INEC said election in Tai LGA has was concluded in the March 19 rerun, and result already announced. But the ruling PDP in the state is insisting that elections were yet to be conducted in Tai, maintaining that the March 19, attempt was aborted by wide spread violence.

    IGP assured that all necessary and needed arrangements have been made for a peaceful and credible election in the state and appealed to politicians and their supporters to support the efforts of the police and other sister agencies to achieve the desired, free, fair and credible poll.

    He pledged the police and other security agencies neutrality in the exercise and said total restriction of vehicles and human beings both in land and water would begin 12 midnight across the state.

    He warned policemen attached to politicians not to accompany their principals irrespective of who to the polling units, stressing that their presence to the polling units would scare voters.

    Earlier the INEC chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in a stake holders meeting in Port Harcourt had said that card reader would be used for the accreditation f voters in the election. Represented by the Federal Commissioner, south South, Muhammad Lecky, Yakubu assured that the INEC has sufficient Card Readers for the elections, and said that in case of any failure, the incident forms would be filled out to ensure no eligible voter was disenfranchised.

  • 200 policemen withdrawn from Rivers Govt House, says Wike

    200 policemen withdrawn from Rivers Govt House, says Wike

    • Police chief: Governor’s allegations unfounded

    •APC: Rivers residents should ignore governor’s allegations

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said the police high command has withdrawn 200 of the 250 policemen posted to the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

    The governor accused the police of partisanship, ahead of Saturday’s rerun.

    Speaking yesterday on Channels Television flagship breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, Wike said Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had taken several actions, which connoted it was working for a particular party and its interest.

    He said: “They (police) have assigned Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) personnel to All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates without assigning any to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates.

    “The SARS operatives have been assigned to APC candidates for them to intimidate PDP supporters on election day.

    “I have written the inspector-general of Police (IGP) five letters that the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) in charge of Operations, Steven Hasso, and the Commander of SARS, Akin Fakorede, have threatened to kill me. But the IGP has not replied to even one letter.”

    But Police Commissioner Francis Odesanya said Wike’s allegations about the withdrawal of policemen were false.

    The police chief said his officers were still at the Government House.

    He urged reporters to investigate the governor’s allegations to present the truth to the public.

    Odesanya said: “Go to the Government House; the policemen are there. I don’t want to be repeating the same issue. If the governor said I have withdrawn his police personnel, then it is the work of an investigative journalist to find out the truth in the allegation. I don’t want to join issues with him.”

    Wike accused INEC of overheating the polity by its actions.

    The governor said the electoral umpire did not behave in ways that made the public has confidence in its duties.

    He said security agencies planned to assassinate him.

    Wike said his public statements against INEC and the police were backed by incontrovertible facts and intelligence reports in his possession.

    The governor said aside weak press statements, INEC and the police could not deny what he called weighty allegations.

    He added that during the March 19 rerun in the state, INEC allegedly suspended elections in eight local governments, including Tai, and declared what he called concocted results, four months later, in favour of APC.

    According to him, INEC did not list Tai as one of the local governments where rerun would hold.

    Wike said before the March 19 rerun, he issued statements that INEC allegedly planned to use APC members as collation officers.

    The governor said it was proved that majority of the collation officers, who ran away from collation centres, were card-carrying APC members.

    Wike added that he raised the issue of fake result sheets on the March 19 rerun, which he said INEC denied.

    The governor said elections were suspended in eight local governments because electoral officers allegedly used fake result sheets, which he said the people resisted.

    On the December 10 rerun, he said despite the fact that training was still going on, INEC released a list of ad hoc workers.

    Wike insisted that the list was dominated by APC members.

    He said: “There is an agenda against Rivers State. I have to defend my people. I have to protect my people.”

    The governor reiterated his earlier statement that he had a video footage detailing how the police commissioner and others allegedly plotted to rig the rerun.

    According to him, when the video is released at the appropriate time, it will shock the nation about the extent security agents, INEC and the police were allegedly willing to steal the people’s mandate.

    Wike said: “Our position is that people should be allowed to vote. They are prepared to lose seven states, in as much as they can take Rivers State.”

    The governor insisted that PDP remains the party of choice in the state because his administration had massively developed the state.

    He said: “It is our performance that gives us the confidence that we will win. We are always inaugurating and kick-starting projects. We have made positive impact on our people.

    “When I walk on the streets, you see people troop out, happy. There is no part of this state that I have not sited a project. That is what gives me joy. My joy is also that we are paying salaries up to date. We have paid pension arrears. There is nothing APC will use to campaign against us.”

    He noted that Rivers State is one of the most peaceful where oil exploitation is taking place without vandals destroying pipelines.

    Wike stressed that the state, through funding of security logistics and community networking; has ensured protection of national assets.

    The governor said: “We are protecting national assets  and there has been no pipeline vandalism in the state. Nobody has commended us. Whatever you achieve supporting the Federal Government, they will never agree.”

  • 46 years after, 450 ex-Biafran policemen to get entitlements

    •PTAD enrolls 220,000 pensioners

    The Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) has enrolled about 220,000 pensioners and uncovered 9,000 ghost payees, its Executive Secretary Mrs. Sharon Ikeazor, said yesterday.

    According to her, 450 ex-Biafran policemen, who were pardoned in 2000 by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, would soon get their pension and gratuities.

    The former Biafran policemen will get pension justice 46 years after. The civil war ended in January 1970.

    She however said three former employees of PTAD were sacked because of pension fraud and might be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC).

    Two other seconded employees have been referred to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita for disciplinary action, she added.

    Mrs Ikeazor told reporters that henceforth, pension payment would be effected by the 15th day of the month.

    She said: “I think we have about 220,000 pensioners nationwide on the payroll. There are still people who are yet to be on the payroll because we haven’t verified them. Right now, the verification that has been completed is Customs, Immigration, Police and Prisons. But we are still doing quality assurance on some of them.

    “I am now signatory to pension payment, I make sure everything goes out every 15th of the month. What I inherited at PTAD, I saw the challenges when I came in. I will be honest, I won’t say the database is credible because of many years of neglect.

    “What I intend to do is to make sure that we have a credible database so that pensioners that are being paid are the right ones.

    “We have already partnered with ICPC. We have established an Anti-Corruption Unit (ACTU) in PTAD. What we are doing now is that we don’t make pension payment into any account without BVN. With this policy, we have dropped about 9,000 pensioners because they don’t have BVN.

    “Without BVN presupposes that they are ghost because we inherited a lot of data that we cannot really verify.

    “This is why verification is important or key to us. We have only done two zones in Nigeria-the North-West and the South- East zones. We are just computing those ones now to be able to put them on the payroll and start paying.”

    Ikeazor said her administration had out in place a zero tolerance policy against corruption in the management of pension.

    She said: “I have already started putting the checks and balances in place. The first place I visited after I resumed was the EFCC to meet with the chairman of the anti-graft agency, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

    “There was an investigation that was carried out in PTAD that took off the last DG of PTAD and there were other officials indicted. My supervising ministry is the Ministry of Finance. The Minister of Finance got the report first and she wrote me to take action on those indicted. I gave them letters of termination of appointment. There were three of them.

    “But the other two were civil servants who were posted or seconded to PTAD. The civil servants among them were posted back to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to take disciplinary action against them. And I attached the EFCC report.

    “I have made is clear, it is zero tolerance in PTAD  for corruption. I came into politics with my integrity intact, I will leave politics with my integrity intact. It is the same integrity I am carrying into PTAD. I keep a close watch on everything.”

    On the plight of 450 former Biafran policemen who are yet to be reintegrated, Ikeazor said those concerned will soon be paid their entitlements and pension.

    She added: “We have the issue of War Affected Pensioners. You know, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo gave amnesty to Biafran soldiers and policemen in 2000.

    “The military has taken care of the pension of the soldiers of the defunct Republic of Biafra who were granted amnesty. But majority of the policemen have not been paid.

    “So, when I came in, they have now brought up the case before me and we are working on that for them to get their dues. One of the men said to me that this is what he has been waiting for before he dies. These men are in their 80s, some in their 90s. Majority of them  are from the South-South and South

    “I think they are about 450 policemen. I wish you could interview them, they brought tears into my eyes.

    “The war is over, we have to reintegrate them. It is just like rebuilding the North-East now, we have to reintegrate these people from the South-South and South-East.”

  • 140 Nigeria policemen for Somalia poll security

    About 140 Nigerians policemen that have been training the Somali police force will be involved in that country’s election, it was learnt at the weekend.

    Also, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said it will require no fewer than 4,000 more troops from African countries to be able to liberate the remaining regions of Somalia from Islamic terrorist group Al-Shabab.

    Somalia is preparing for its first democratic elections in over 20 years after a conflict which has forced millions of the citizens to become refugees around the world.

    Somalia has one of the world’s most complicated democratic processes where clans and family heads elect members of parliament who in turn would elect the President.

    In the past two months, clans have been electing their representatives to the parliament while the presidential election will hold before next month.

    AMISOM spokesperson in Somalia, Lt. Col. Joseph Kibet told The Nation that security for the election is paramount for the AMISOM troops. “Security is calm now even though it is unpredictable, we have been able to drive Al-Shabab out of Mogadishu, but we are yet to liberate Juba Valley from them, also Bakoo and Hiraan and along the coastline.

    “What they are doing now is to carry our insurgency attacks using vehicle bombs and laying ambush for our troops, but we are in control of the situation and hopefully we will be able to drive them out. Currently, we have 21,000 troops and for maximum effect we need to double that but for the immediate job at hand we will need minimum 4,000 troops,” Kibet said.

    As Somalia prepares for the election, a result of which will have far reaching consequences for the fragile peace of the war-torn country, Al-Shabab continues to intimidate and plan attacks to disrupt the process.

    “What they are doing now to stop the election is to intimidate and kill prominent leaders in the country, they acquired Somali National Army uniforms and identity cards but we have been arresting them, we have launched a counter-Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) strategy and more than 70 of them have been discovered.  It is a struggle against a determined enemy, but we are also determined,” Kibet revealed.

    The spokesperson for the government of Somalia capital Mogadishu, Abdulfatir Oman Halare said the government is optimistic the indirect elections will be successful. “We are ready to hold the indirect elections not only in Mogadishu but also all over the country. The process has been on for a long time and nothing has happened to stop it, the Somali people hate Al-shabab and they have been giving us information about them, we have been arresting them and diminishing their ranks,” he said.

  • Bandits kill two policemen, 23 others in Zamfara

    Two policemen and 23 others were killed by bandits in Dole, Tudun Bugaje and Kwangwami communities in Zurmi Local Government of Zamfara State, at the weekend.

    Police spokesperson Dan Awunah stated this yesterday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    Awunah said the police mobile force and the counter-terrorism unit had been deployed in the area to restore law and order.

    According to the lawmaker representing Zurmi West in the House of Assembly, Yusuf Moriki, 25 people died while many were injured.

    “So far, we have the record of 25 people who were killed in the attack, while the injured have been taken to the hospital for treatment,” Moriki said.

    Moriki lauded the security agencies for measures taken to restore peace and stability, but urged them to do more.

    He appealed to the people to remain calm as the government, in collaboration with security agencies, would restore peace and stability.

    NAN reports that the bandits attacked the villages Saturday night after carrying out similar attacks in some communities in neighboring Shinkafi council, the previous day.

  • Ogun Police arrest ‘kidnapper’ of minor

    Ogun Police arrest ‘kidnapper’ of minor

    A suspected kidnapper of a four-year-old schoolboy has been arrested by policemen in Ogun State.

    Wale Ogunbadejo was arrested last Friday for kidnapping Attairu Amisu, a pupil of Abdul Rahman Academy Sabo, Obalende Ijebu-Ode, at the school premises.

    The kidnappers had gone to the school pretending to be a relative sent by his parents to pick him up. It was gathered that the school authorities handed over the boy to the purported relative, only for the child’s mother to come minutes later for the child.

    Having successfully kidnapped the minor, the criminals, it was learnt, contacted his family and demanded N5million ransom.

    It was gathered that the family immediately reported the case at the police station and a manhunt for the suspects was initiated.

    According to the spokesman for the Ogun State command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), the suspect was arrested in his hideout and the child rescued unhurt.

    He said: “The Commissioner of Police, (CP) Ahmed Iliyasu dispatched anti-kidnapping team with a matching order to rescue the boy unhurt. The team swung into action and their efforts paid off on Friday when the hideout of the gang was invaded and one Wale Ogunbadejo, their kingpin, was arrested. The boy was rescued unhurt.

    “The victim has been re-united with his family while the suspect is undergoing interrogation; serious manhunt has been lunched for the fleeing members of the gang.”

  • Why recruitment of 10,000 policemen was suspended, by Senator

    Why recruitment of 10,000 policemen was suspended, by Senator

    Chairman Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Abu Ibrahim, yesterday said that the proposed recruitment of 10,000 police personnel by the federal government was suspended due to sharp disagreement over the criteria for the exercise.

    Ibrahim told reporters in Abuja while some stakeholders wanted local government areas to be the basis for the recruitment, others insisted equality of states should serve as the basis for the exercise.

    The Katsina South lawmaker said that there were also some legal impediments to the exercise.

    He noted that some people felt that the police should recruit from Inspectorate cadre downwards while the Police Service Commission should issue letters of appointment to the recruits.

    He said that the issues had not been fully resolved warranting temporary suspension of the recruitment exercise.

    Ibrahim, who said President Muhammadu Buhari has already intervened in the disagreement, assured that within a week the issue would be resolved.

    He noted that there was no truth in the speculation that the National Assembly wanted to take over the recruitment.

    He said: “Honestly, it (recruitment exercise) has to be suspended for two obvious reasons.

    “First, everybody knows that it was agreed that this recruitment must be done per local government.

    “The reason for that is that we are poised to give emphasis to community policing. The local governments are the smallest recognised units by the constitution.

    “So nine (recruits) per local government, they will form the nucleus for this community policing per local government.

    “The obstacle was equal per state. Some people felt that it is not representative of federal character.

    “The main argument is the police is divided into divisional units under a Divisional Police Officer (DPO). Most of these DPO are current with the local government areas.

    “Therefore, if the police want the recruitment to be based on local governments, they are right because the smallest units are the Divisional Police Units (DPU).

    “Now, the commission somehow decided differently and police also decided differently. So that is the first issue.

    “There is even this legal aspect that the police should recruit from Inspectors downwards and the commission approves and gives letters of appointment.

    “But the main issues are these disagreements. Police say it is per local government while the commission says it should be per state.

    “And we are saying the recruitment should be per local government for the recruits and the rank and files while the officers should be equality per state.

    “This is because the officers’ cadre goes anywhere but this rank and files, we want them to remain in their communities to form the nucleus of community policing.”

     

  • Gunmen kill 2 policemen in Kaduna

    Gunmen kill 2 policemen in Kaduna

    Unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, Thursday attacked policemen at a checkpoint along the Kagoro-Gidan Waya Road in Kaura local government area of Kaduna state, killing two of them while two others were said to be critically wounded. 

    The Nation gathered that, two of the six policemen who were manning the checkpoint however escaped unhurt.

    The bandits were also said to have made away with two AK47 rifles belonging to the deceased policemen.

    The deceased policemen were of the rank of sergeant, deployed to the area to check the activities of bandits who have been raiding communities and killing people.  

    However, eye witness said the injured policemen were rushed to the General Hospital Kafanchan.

    He said the incident occurred at about 9:30am when the gunmen swooped on the policemen and opened fire.  

    “This morning, around 9:30am, two police men were killed by gun men along Kagoro-Gidan Waya Road, we strongly believe they are fulani herdsmen that have been killing people in our communities.

    “There were six policemen at the checkpoint, two of them were killed and their AK47 rifles ‎were taken away by the herdsmen. Two others sustained serious injuries from gun shots while the remaining two managed to escaped unhurt. 

    ‎We took those that were wounded to the General Hospital Kafanchan “I understand that one of the dead policemen just resumed duty ‎here today, this is very sad and unfortunate! ” Andong said.  

    However, the spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, DSP Aliyu Usman, confirmed the incident saying, “it true, unknown gunmen attacked our men and killed two of them at checkpoint. Every other detail is skeletal, but will get across to the press at appropriate time,” he said.  

  • IGP orders massive deployment of policemen

    IGP orders massive deployment of policemen

    Ahead of next week’s celebration of the Muslim festival of Eid-el-Kabir, a massive deployment of policemen is underway across the nation.

    Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, ordered the deployment to ensure hitch-free festivities, according to Force spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Don Awunah.

    Assistant Inspectors-General in charge of zonal commands were directed to deploy adequate personnel to praying grounds and  recreation centres, among others, while police commanders are to collaborate with sister agencies and community leaders to monitor activities of ‘undesirable elements’ in the society.

    He said that the Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Units, Explosive Ordinance Department, criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department would also be deployed.

    Awunah noted that sustained surveillance and special attention would be paid to flash and vulnerable points among others during the Sallah celebration and beyond. “The Nigeria Police Force is confident that the operational strategies being executed for the Sallah festivities will guarantee a peaceful and hitch free Eid-El-Kabir celebration,” he said.

    While wishing Muslims and all Nigerians a happy celebration, the police boss implored them to be vigilant and continue to support the police to prevent crimes in their localities.

  • Four Policemen arrested for ‘illegal’ duty

    Four Policemen arrested for ‘illegal’ duty

    The police in Lagos have arrested four operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Sqaud (SARS) Ikeja for allegedly taking part in illegal duty.

    The operatives comprising an Inspector and three Sergeants were said to have participated in the unlawful demolition of a building at Alade, Ikeja.

    It was learnt that the operatives who were posted to Badagry, abandoned their post to execute the illegal duty at Ikeja after they collected N500, 000 from one Alhaji.

    The owner of the building, who was said to be having problems with the Alhaji, alerted the police at Ikeja Division of the demolition and the scene was raided and found the policemen keeping watch while the demolition was ongoing.

    The policemen were rounded up alongside three civilians contracted by the Alhaji and they were all taken to the state command.

    While the civilians were paraded before reporters some weeks ago, The Nation learnt that the policemen were being tried in-house.

    “The policemen carried out the illegal demolition without court permit or Commissioner of Police permission. One Alhaji paid them N500, 000 to carry out the demolition. Their boss, the Officer in Charge of SARS (OC), was not aware of the demolition.

    “They left their duty post and moved to Ikeja. Aside from that, it’s not SARS job to carry out demolition. It’s the job of police task force. That was why they were arrested and are being tried,” said a Police source.