The Nation Newspaper

Tag: policemen

  • Motorcyclists drag corpse into governor’s office in Calabar

    Several commercial motorcyclists on Friday invaded the Governor’s office in Calabar, Cross River State, to protest the death of their colleague, who was allegedly killed by members of a security task force.

    The protesting motorcyclists dragged the corpse of their colleague right into the premises of the Governor’s office, smashing windows and attacking anyone that resisted them.

    The deceased, it was gathered was thoroughly beaten up by members of the task force until he became unconscious around Ikot Ansa in Calabar.

    He died while being taken by his colleagues to a health facility, it was learnt and this infuriated them, as the stormed the Governor’s office.

    Read Also: One killed as youths, motorcyclists clash

    The protesting okada riders had arrived the governor’s office and overpowered three security personnel at the gate.

    They damaged some items at the gate, tore the official security registers and approached the main entrance reception, where they smashed the glass doors.

    As they became more violent, reinforcements of armed soldiers from 13 Brigade of Nigerian Army and policemen from the nearby state police command arrived to contain the situation.

    It took several gunshots into the air to disperse them. A couple of them were rounded up by the security agencies.

    The body was later taken away by the police.

    Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo said the victim fell from his motorcycle and died when the task force team wanted to arrest him for violating the government ban on Okada plying major roads.

  • DPO queried as four policemen are arrested for ‘robbery’

    Four policemen are in soup for allegedly robbing a Togo- based Nigerian of CFA 350,000 (about N63,130).

    Inspector Victor Amiete, Sergeants Samuel Gbemunu and Afolabi Oluwaseun, and  Corporal Adigun Omotayo of the Ijanikin Police Division, Lagos, are being detained at the Provost Section at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja.

    They allegedly robbed Theodore Ifunnaya on December 17, around Iyana-Era, during a stop-and-search.

    Ifunnaya, who was coming home for the Yuletide, was allegedly bundled into a patrol vehicle and taken to the station when the policemen found the money on him.

    The policemen allegedly tortured, stripped and photographed him before they seized his money.

    The suspects were said to have invited a Bureau De Change (BDC) operator, who changed the money for them. They allegedly gave  Ifunnaya N2,000 out of the money as fare.

    The Nation learnt that the suspects threatened to share Ifunnaya’s nude pictures on social media and accuse him of cultism and robbery if he protested.

    Luck ran out on the policemen when Ifunnaya’s relatives took the case to the Area ‘K’ Commander, Hope Okafor, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    Read also: APC strikes Atiku for attack on Buhari’s anti-graft war

    Okafor, it was gathered, contacted the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), demanding the suspects’ arrest and the recovery of the money.

    In a statement yesterday, the command’s spokesman, Chike Oti, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), denied that the victim was stripped during interrogation.

    Oti said Commissioner Imohimi Edgal has ordered the arrest and trial of the policemen.

    The CP also ordered that the DPO be queried.

    Oti said: “If found guilty at the end of the orderly room trial, the suspects will be dismissed.”

  • 16 policemen dead, 20 rescued from bandits in Zamfara

    The Nigeria Police Force has disclosed that 20 of its personnel that were captured during an attack in Mahanga forest in Birnin Mogaji in local government area of Zamfara State have been rescued.

    The Police however said it lost 16 of its personnel during the attack on the community.

    A statement in Abuja by the Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood said the men who were rescued and the corpses of the 16 policemen were found after the rescue operations carried out by the Police Joint Intervention Force.

    The Nigeria Police Force had over the weekend  said it killed 104 bandits and destroyed 50 hideouts located in three camps and also recovered 500 cattle and 79 sheep during the attack.

    To tackle the activities of the bandits, the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris deployed the Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Operations, DIG Habila Joshak to Zamfara to lead the team.

    Giving an update on the Joint Operations ongoing in the State, Moshood said:”The Police Joint Intervention Force under the command of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Department of Operations deployed by the Inspector General of Police to Zamfara State to rout-out all armed bandits and other criminal elements in the state is making progress in the operations.

    “The search and rescue operations embarked on by the Police Joint Intervention Force to rescue the missing Police Personnel after the 29th November, 2018, onslaught on the armed bandits in which 104 armed bandits were killed, 50 bandits hideouts in three camps destroyed and 500 cattle and 79 sheep from the possession of the armed bandits resulted in the successful rescue of 20 Policemen alive, while 16 Police Personnel were found dead after the rescue operations carried out by the Police Joint Intervention Force.

    Read also: Senate rejects report linking Fulani herdsmen, Benue militia to killings

    “Police Special Forces personnel, Counter Terrorism Unit, Police Mobile Force, Federal SARS personnel with three surveillance patrol helicopters have commenced an on-going operation being strengthened to rout-out the remnants armed bandits and other criminal elements in the caves and mountains in the identified bandits hideouts in some locations in Zamfara State.”

    Moshood also stated that the IGP has directed the DIG to remain in Zamfara.

    The IGP while condoling with the families of the deceased Policemen, directed befitting burials for the gallant officers and prompt processing and payments of the life assurance benefits and other entitlements to their families.

    “The IGP is saddened with the death of the gallant officers whom he describes as heroes of the Force; their demise is a great loss to Nigeria Police Force and our dear Nation, Nigeria. The supreme price they paid for the security and safety of the Country will not be in vain.”

    The Force also said it will not relent in ensuring that armed banditry, other violent crimes and criminalities are brought to the end Zamfara State despite the death of the 16 Policemen.

    It also urged members of the public with any information or in distress in any part of the State to call the Police Joint Intervention Control Centre through the following numbers 08037025670, 08033210966, 08033312261, 08123829666, 09053872244, 07082351758, 08091914752

     

  • Two mobile policemen killed, rifles taken by gunmen in Delta

    There was palpable tension all through Friday and Saturday around Usiefurun Road area of Orhuwhorun town, Udu council area of Delta state, following the killing of two mobile policemen by unknown gunmen.
    The mobile policemen, who were on guard duty in the area, were murdered by suspected criminals, who took their riffles away and left several residents of the area with various degrees of gunshot injuries.
    However, residents of the area started fleeing their home on Friday after reportedly being threatened by colleagues of the fallen policemen while demanding that the perpetrators be found and handed over to police authorities or they would visit their anger on whoever they lay their hands on.
    One of the residents of the area, who spoke under conditions of anonymity, said he and his family, just like most other residents of the area, deserted their home since Friday and had been taking refuge in separate abodes.
    “My wife and the children are with my in-laws since yesterday (Friday), while I have since been in my cousin’s place in town (Warri). Our landlord also left with his family. He said so long as they don’t burn his house, he will return when everything has returned to normal.
    “People are running away because that later that evening when other policemen came they were very angry and were threatening that they would start killing people if the community failed to produce the killers and the rifles. They also went to the palace of the traditional ruler and asked him to produce the rifles”, the community source said.
    Meanwhile, when reached, the spokesman of the Delta state police command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, said the command was already on the trail of the perpetrators, adding that there would be no rest until the killers are brought to justice.
    “We are on the trail of the criminals who carried this act out and shall not rest until we bring them to justice.
    “There’s no way any police personnel will threaten the people because without the people, there can’t the a police force; we only exist because there’s a people. I must plead, though, that people with credible information about how these criminals can be arrested should volunteer such information. You and I know that those who collected those rifles did not take them for nothing, they definitely want to use them to further do harm to innocent people,” he said.

  • We’ve 334,000 policemen, says IG

    Inspector-General of Police ( I-G) Ibrahim Idris has put the figure of policemen in Nigeria at about 334, 000.

    Idris spoke yesterday in Abuja at the 2018 Safe School Leadership Empowerment Conference and Awards.

    Represented by Commisioner of Police Olusegun Odumosu of the Inspectorate Department at the Force Headquarters, the IG said in spite of the challenges confronting the force, it had evolved modern strategies, principles and modules to keep up with security demands.

    He noted that kidnapping remained one of the most disturbing crimes plaguing the Nigerian society, adding that schools had been repeatedly targeted by kidnappers.

    Idris attributed kidnappings to settlement of political conflicts bordering on struggle for power.

    He said that it was a collective responsibility of all Nigerians to facilitate a holistic security approach to reverse the disturbing trend.

    “In view of the need to make our schools safe, especially in the task of providing and enabling and conducive learning environment for the students,”he said.

    He called for a 24-hour security protection in addition to round the clock surveillance activities and motorised patrol of the school vicinity.

    The I-G also called for the introduction of community policing strategy, adding that it would reduce cases of kidnapping.

    He noted that it was the responsibility of all stakeholders in the education and security sectors to continue to work hand in hand.

    Idris said that with the increased in funding for the police by the Federal Government, the force would be better postponed to discharge its duties effectively.

    He commended the organisers of the conference, Safe School Academy International, a Non-Governmental organisation (NGO) over the initiative.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other organisers are: Exam Ethics Marshals International and Ethics Resources Centre Nigeria.

    The conference was also attended by representatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCD), the military, Fire Service and school proprietors among others.

  • Gunmen kill two policemen on patrol, driver in Kaduna

    ….five others injured

    Unknown gunmen on Wednesday morning killed two mobile policemen and driver who were on patrol along Nnamdi Azikiwe bypass, Kaduna.

    The Nation gathered that the incident occurred around 5:00 am when the gunmen appeared from nowhere and started firing at the policemen in sight, leading to instant death of two men and a driver, while five others were critically injured.

    Kaduna State Police Command has confirmed the incident, saying that, detectives have been mobilized to the area to track down the fleeing killers.

    The Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo said the slain policemen were on foot of the area when the incident occurred.

    Read Also: Madrid outline opposition to La Liga’s Miami game

    According to DSP Sabo, “Today at about 0525hrs, some unknown armed men attacked our policemen who were on foot patrol along Nnamdi Azikiwe Express way by IBBI company of Kakuri Area in Kaduna.

    “After a fierce gun duel, two of our men and a civilian driver were killed. Five other policemen sustained gun injuries and are receiving treatment at a hospital in Kaduna.

    “No arm was taken away by the attackers due to the repelling gun power of our men. Some of the attackers escaped with gun injuries. They quickly retreated and fled the scene.

    “Detectives have been mobilized to the area with a view to track down the fleeing killers and bring them to justice.

    “The commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command is saddened by the ugly incident and vowed to bring the perpetrators to book.

    “The CP also sympathizes with the families of the gallant officers who laid their lives for their country and pray for the repose of their souls.

    “We are investigating the incident and the command will update the public in due course.” Said DSP Sabo.

  • Killing: Ex-minister’s family demand identity of Policemen involved

    …Demands independent prosecution of perpetrators

     

    The family of the former Minister of Finance, Senator Nenadi Usman have demanded the identity of the policemen involved in the murder of their daughter, Anita Akapson.

    Miss Akapson, 31 was allegedly shot dead on Saturday by yet to be identified policemen in Katampe District, Abuja.

    Following her death, the Inspector-General of Police ordered for immediate detention and investigation of officers who were involved by the FCT Commissioner of Police but the family have also demanded an independent prosecutor to handle the prosecution of the perpetrators.

    The family in a statement in Abuja through their Counsel, Dr. Kayode Ajulo said that the disclosure of the identity of those involved would aid transparent judicial process.

    Giving details of how Akapson was killed, the family said: “On the night of Saturday, the 13th day of October, 2018 four persons driving a Mazda car, trailed, targeted, intercepted, brushed and blocked the vehicle being driven by the late Anita after which one of the occupants of the vehicle came out to shoot at the rear tyre of her vehicle and shot her at close range.

    “This fellow who was later identified as a Superintendent of Police shot into the air to disperse crowd, but when his bullet got expended, he immediately brought out his identity card to identify himself as a Police officer.

    “Late Anita, a 31 year old lady who recently returned from the United Kingdom on the completion of her studies to render her services to her country, died the same night at Gwarimpa Hospital due to injuries sustained from the gunshot.”

    The statement continues: “It is important that we do not obscure the heinous crime by putting to fore that the deceased is a daughter of Mrs. Nenadi Usman, former Minister of Finance, rather, the spotlight should be centered on the fact that it has become a near-norm by those paid to protect Nigerians to kill them at the slightest opportunity. This is tragic and also frightening.

    “What this means is that we are all not safe because officers of the Nigerian police can murder any one of us, our relatives and friends at the slightest pretext that there was an altercation even when there was none as in the case of Ms. Anita Akapson.

    “It is pertinent to let you know that the late Anita Akapson was murdered sitting inside her car! Yes! She was shot through the driver’s side door of the car with the bullet passing through her abdomen, after the killer policemen had shot one of her tyres.”

    On their demands, the family said: “While we appreciate the fact that the Inspector General of Police has ordered the detention and investigation of the officers involved in the killing of Ms. Anita Akapson, we demand to know the identity of the officers.

    “For a transparent judicial process, the police authorities ought to make the identities of the policemen known so as to avoid a situation where they will ‘miraculously’ escape from detention.

    “We also demand for an independent prosecutor to handle the prosecution of the officers.

    “History has shown that the Police can go to any length to protect their own, and this may not be different because till date, nothing substantial has been done in the prosecution of the officer that killed Ms. Linda Angela Igwetu, the NYSC member that was killed in July this year.”

    The family urged the Police not to sweep the matter under the carpet.

    “We urge that this matter should not be swept under the carpet because as a family we are willing to go to any length to get justice for our daughter.”

    The family also said it is about time the Police have a template of engagement of its officers with the civil populace.

    “A situation where unarmed Nigerians, in this case and like that of July, females, are killed for untenable reasons calls for far-reaching reforms of the police.

    “One had thought that with the Reform SARS advocacy, the Police authorities will wake up to their responsibilities of making the force professionally responsible, but this is yet to be the case.

    “We demand of the IGP to ensure that this matter is dealt with expeditiously as any attempt to pervert the course of justice will be vigorously resisted.”

  • IGP orders detention of Policemen over death of Abuja lady

    The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris has ordered the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bala Ciroma to detain and personally investigate the policemen who shot a lady dead in Abuja.

    The lady, Miss Anita Akapson was allegedly shot dead on Saturday night by policemen in Katampe Extension area of Abuja.

    The Force Spokesman, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood in a statement in Abuja on Monday said: “IGP has ordered the detention and investigation of Policemen involved in the incident that led to the death of Miss Anita Akapson.

    “The IGP has directed the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to immediately detain and personally carry out a thorough investigation of policemen involved in the incident that resulted in the death of Miss Anita Akapson at Katampe Extension, Abuja on the night of Saturday, 13th October, 2018; and bring the perpetrators to justice.”

    Read Also: EFCC operatives trail Fayose

    The IGP while commiserating with the family of the deceased also assured them that justice will be done in the matter.

    Moshood also disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command was already in touch with the family as directed by the Inspector General of Police.

    The Police also promised to inform the public of the outcome of investigations into the incident.

  • APC primary: Policemen at Airport Hotel, Lagos

    An army of policemen yesterday surrounded Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja.

    It is not immediately clear why they were there, but a source said their presence might not be unconnected with the primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and Jide Sanwo-Olu are in the race for the ticket. ”We suspect that the buses are moving in ballot boxes,” the source said.

    The Nation could not confirm the allegation.

  • 2,500 policemen deployed in Kwara for Sallah

    The Kwara State Police Command has raised alerted to plans by disgruntled elements to disrupt the Eid el Kabir and Durbar.

    Accordingly, the command has deployed about 2,500 policemen for the events.

    Commissioner of Police Aminu Saleh spoke in Ilorin at a meeting of principal security agencies with political leaders.

    The leaders signed an undertaken to be responsible for any of their members caught fomenting trouble.

    He said: “Feelers have it that Sallah will be disrupted. We want to inform you that we are looking and watching. We already identified three modes of dressing that we will look out for.

    “We discovered that the plot is being coordinated by top politicians of the major political parties. Checks also showed that they have concluded to hire mercenaries from within and outside the state to meet at designated points.

    “We have intercepted a vehicle loaded with knives. I don’t know whether the knives are needed to slaughter rams but I am sure every household has a knife to slaughter its animal. We don’t need fresh knives here; we don’t want to lose anybody because of Sallah and Durbar.

    “We urge those who are bent on disrupting the celebrations to take this warning very seriously because we will not allow any disruption.”