The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Rapid Response Squad (RRS)

  • One killed as youths fight over a girl

    One killed as youths fight over a girl

    …Police arrest eight

     

    A young man was at the wee hours of Wednesday killed and several others injured after youths from two streets clashed over a girl.

    The incident occurred at Abule-Oki, a boarder street between Agege and Iyana Ipaja.

    It was gathered that the factions had engaged in a free for all on Tuesday morning such that they blocked the expressway.

    Trouble stated after a girl from Iyana Ipaja was molested by suspected cultists when she went for a party at Elere.

    The angry victim, it was gathered, went to her base and informed the youths there, who got angry and went for reprisal.

    They were said to have thrown bottles across the road, forcing motorists to park their vehicles until the arrival of policemen.

    Not satisfied, the groups resumed their fight around 12am, where the late victim was said to have been hacked.

    Policemen from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and the Area M Command were said to have gone to the scene where eight suspects were arrested.

    A man who witnessed the previous fight said the youths were armed with cutlasses and that they also smashed windscreens and snatched people’s bags.

    He said: “Their movement on the old Abeokuta expressway created huge panic as passersby ran for their dare lives.”

    Police Commissioner Fatai owoseni confirmed the incident, adding that the deceased’s body was recovered.

    He said: “The command received a distress call around 11pm on Tuesday that some youths were engaging themselves in a free for all. One person died in the clash while eight other were arrested.

    “Preliminary investigation conducted by the police revealed that a lady who resides at Iyana-Ipaja area had attended a party at Elere. While at the party, she was attacked by some youths in the area. When she got back to her base at Iyana-Ipaja she rounded her ordeal to those in her area who immediately embarked on a reprisal attack.

    “As at 2am yesterday when the situation as brought under control, a body was recovered. This brings to question the moral of those involved in the fracas. The command will soon hold meeting with stakeholders and leaders of political parties in the area ahead of the Local Government Election on the need to have a free and fair election that is without fracas. We have done it before and we promise to do it again. Anybody or group of persons arrested for actions likely to cause a breach in the peace in the state will be made to face the wrath of the law.”

  • Police arrest suspected Uber taxi hijacker

    Police arrest suspected Uber taxi hijacker

    The Police in Lagos on Sunday said they had arrested a member of a syndicate notorious for hiring and hijacking Uber Taxi in the state.

    The Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command, ACP Olatunji Disu, confirmed the arrest to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    Disu said the suspect was arrested by his men posted to Oshodi Oke early Friday morning.

    According to the commander, the suspect operate with two others, who are now at large.

    “The suspect, Emmanuel John Ugbomah, 37, from Ndukwa, Delta State, was arrested in Oshodi Oke at 12:30 a.m. on Friday while trying to escape after a botched attempt to hijack an Uber taxi, a black Toyota Corrolla, belonging to one Adebisi.

    “The suspect, in company of two other accomplices, had boarded Adebisi’s Uber taxi in Lekki.

    “They reportedly told the victim they were going to Oshodi for which he charged them N4,000.

    “On getting to Ikoyi, the trio told the driver to head to Dolphin where they said they were going to pick a lady friend.

    “At Ikoyi, two of the suspects came down from the vehicle and some minutes later, they came back, saying that the female friend was not going to join them and that he should keep driving to Oshodi-Oke.

    “While about to climb the Oshodi-Oke bridge, one of them grabbed the driver from the backseat, while another closed his mouth with his hand.

    “A gun-like object was pointed at the driver’s head and they were shouting that he should come down and come to the backseat.

    “Immediately he unbuckled the seat belt and opened the door, he saw some RRS policemen at the front.

    “He ran toward them shouting robbers, robbers.

    “The police immediately swung to action after he explained to them that his car was about to be stolen.

    “They ran toward the direction of the car and apprehended one, but two escaped,” he said.

    Disu said the victim, however, claimed that his mobile phone and a sum of N80,000 were missing.

    He said some charms, a master key and a pistol-shaped device were recovered from the suspect, stressing that efforts were being made to arrest others still at large.

    Meanwhile, the arrested suspect had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, for further investigation.

  • Ambode raises Police death insurance benefit to N10m

    Ambode raises Police death insurance benefit to N10m

    …Presents additional patrol vehicles, power bikes to RRS

    Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Monday announced an increment to the death insurance benefit for police officers who die in active service to the State to N10 million, saying that his administration would stop at nothing to ensure the safety of all citizens in the State.

    Ambode, who spoke at Lagos House in Ikeja, after he was presented with two awards recently won in South Africa by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the State Police Command, said security and safety of the people remains one of the focal objectives of his administration, and that Government would continually embrace measures to motivate and encourage officers of the Command to perform their duties diligently.

    The RRS, at the awards presented by Security Watch Africa (SWA), had emerged as the best anti-crime police squad in West Africa, while the RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, won the award of most outstanding police operational officer in Africa.

    The State Government also bagged award as the best security and most safety conscious state in Africa.

    Speaking after receiving the awards, Governor Ambode congratulated the Commander and men of the RRS for the feat, saying that the people of the State were appreciative of the gallant efforts of the unit at bringing down crime rate in the State, especially in the last one year.

    The Governor also commended the State’s Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni for his purposeful leadership of the Command, saying that it was evident that the Police in Lagos was performing creditably well.

    While alluding to the need for increment in the death insurance benefit of officers, Governor Ambode recalled the recent loss of some officers in active service, adding that while government was not praying for the re-occurrence of such, it was appropriate to reasonably reward the family of any officer in the event of eventual death.

    The Governor therefore said his administration was raising the stake of death insurance policy from N1million to rank and file and N2million to senior officers to N10 million.

    He said: “Recently, we lost some police officer due to no fault of theirs and then some form of accidental incidences across the State.

    “I have directed the State’s Pension Office and the Office of the Chief of Staff that we are going to increase the payment that we make to officers that die in active service and then we are increasing that irrespective of whether you are a junior or senior office, if you die in active service, the payment that will be made by the State Government is being increased to N10million from this moment onward,” he said.

    As one of the ways of appreciating and motivating the Command, Governor Ambode also presented additional three patrol vehicles and 45 power bikes to the RRS.

    The Governor, while reiterating the commitment of the State Government to the security and wellbeing of residents, also directed the police to ensure hitch-free yuletide celebration across the State.

    He said the government, by the donation, was also sending a strong signal to those who are always willing to disturb the peace that there is no room for them in the State.

    Responding to the gesture, the RRS Commander, Mr. Olatunji Disu said the equipment given to them by the State Government would further spur them to give their best towards protecting the lives and property of residents.

  • Four die, six vehicles burnt in Lagos accident

    Four die, six vehicles burnt in Lagos accident

    At least four men were on Wednesday killed and six vehicles razed in an early morning accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The accident which occurred around 3:00am, was said to have been caused by a diesel tanker, which lost control and rammed into a truck carrying beer, resulting to an inferno.

    It driver, while on high speed, abruptly applied brakes before ramming onto the beer laden truck at Kara Bus Stop, Isheri Osun.

    While three of the deceased, said to be the driver and his motorboys, were burnt beyond recognition, The Nation gathered that the other dived into the lagoon in a bid to put out the fire on their bodies but drowned.

    Among the burnt vehicles were two containerised trucks, two trailers, the tanker and a Toyota Corolla saloon car.

    As the emergency workers were battling to contain the Kara disaster, another petrol tanker fell at the Berger end of the Otedola Bridge, compounding traffic situation on the express.

    accident-at-isheriThe gridlock extended to Ikorodu Road towards Maryland, forcing traffic management agencies to divert motorists.
    However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) insisted that only three persons were consumed by the inferno, adding that the decomposed corpse found floating in the lagoon was not part of the accident casualties.

    Both LASEMA’s General Manager, Adesina Tiamiyu and NEMA’s Southwest Coordinator Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu confirmed the incident.

    They stated that the intervention of firemen, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps minimised the casualty.

    According to Yakubu, a driver of one of the affected vehicles sustained a minor injury, while others escaped unhurt.

    Tiamiyu said: “Recovery operations of burnt vehicles with LASEMA’s heavy duty equipment ongoing to abate gridlock, which has built up on Lagos-IbadanExpressway. Traffic has affected almost every part of the expressway and Ikorodu road up to Alapere and Ogudu.

    “Road users, especially articulated truck drivers are advised to avoid overspeeding and adhere to safety regulations while plying the road so as to forestall avoidable disasters.  “Investigation into the incident would be carried out by appropriate authorities at the scene.”

  • RRS arrest suspected cable vandals

    RRS arrest suspected cable vandals

    Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) have arrested a six-man gang who allegedly specialise in vandalising Streetlight cables.

    Tunde Alaba, 29, Saheed Ismail, 27, Deji Afolorunso, 26, Sunday Obasanmi, 27, Jelili Oyedele, 32, and Taofeek Oyedele, 28, were arrested on Monday, at about2:30am under the bridge at CMS.

    They were said to have been sighted by a patrol team while they were pulling down street lamps, cables and poles.

    It was gathered that the officers who saw them, called for back-up before they were arrested and taken to Alausa.

    According to the police, the suspects confessed to the crime, attributing it to hardship.
    Oyedele who claimed he has lived under the bridge for four years, said that he used to be a bus conductor.

    He said: “I came to Lagos about seven years ago. When I arrived, I was a bus conductor which I did for about 2 years. I joined the other accomplices under the bridge when I had no other place to live after my landlord evicted me for non-payment of rent.

    “Before now, I was working as a labourer with the road construction company around Marina. But after our project ended, I chose to steal the cable to earn a living.”

    Alaba said he stole and sold cables to feed.

    He said: “I used to stay with a friend in Lagos Island but I ran from there because of the frequent clashes between cultists and area boys. I relocated under the bridge where I have been surviving through the sale of cables and iron steel.”

    Afolorunsho who claimed he used to be a janitor at Idumota Market where he earned N2, 500 daily, said greed led him to stealing cables.

    Contacted, the command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police, (SP) confirmed the arrest, adding that they have been handed over to the Lagos State Environmental Task Force for prosecution.

     

  • Four ‘killed’, others injured as Customs officers go on rampage 

    Four ‘killed’, others injured as Customs officers go on rampage 

    At least four persons were Thursday feared killed and three others injured after some trigger-happy Nigerian Customs Service (NIS) operatives went berserk.

    The incidents occurred at Moshalashi and Kola Bus Stops at Alagbado and Ajegunle in Alakuko.

    It was gathered that the Customs operatives, allegedly attached to the Federal Operations, were chasing some rice smugglers while they suddenly started shooting sporadically in the crowded areas.

    The four persons, who were said to have been hit by stray bullets, were commercial motorcyclists.

    Among them, The Nation gathered, was a 25-year-old identified as Saheed, whose wife was said to be pregnant.

    It was gathered that the operatives who rode on four patrol vehicles, took one of the victims as they fled. They were said to have injured about three other persons who were taken to an undisclosed hospital.

    It was gathered that the Customs operatives while fleeing, threatened to shoot policemen from Alakuko Division, who attempted to stop them.

    A resident who hinted on the incident said that the officers acted as though they were drunk.

    He said: “It was around 7am. I was inside my house and suddenly I started hearing gunshots. I looked through the window to see what was happening and people were running. I saw about four Customs vehicle and the officers were just shooting anyhow.

    “Later, I heard they were chasing rice smugglers but all the people they killed were Okada riders. Bullet hit one on the stomach; another person was hit on the leg and another one on the hand. About four people died. Blood was everywhere and the Customs men escaped.”

    The Nation gathered that residents of the area soon took to the streets in protest against the operatives. They were said to have vandalised several properties and burnt tyres on the major roads to ground vehicular movements.

    Commercial motorcyclists were said to have attempted to raze an Oando gas station, where the Customs officers usually stayed but they were stopped by policemen led by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Commander, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

    Efforts to get the Customs’ spokesman, Uche Ejesieme’s reaction on the issue failed at the time of filing this report.

    Contacted, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP) said one person was killed.

    She said: “Some Custom officials were on the trail of a vehicle, in the process they went berserk and started shooting. One passerby was shot to death around Ajegunle in Alakuko. A patrol team led by the DPO of Alakuko Division, moved to the area to douse the tension.

    “They fired sporadically and escaped from the scene. The dead body was evacuated to morgue. Investigation is ongoing.”

  • Lagos stops Lekki garden’s construction

    Lagos stops Lekki garden’s construction

    The Lagos State Government has expressed its condolences over the death of construction site workers who lost their lives on Tuesday as a result of the collapse of a five-storey building under construction on Kushenla Road, Ikate Elegushi, Lekki.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde.

    According to the Lagos State Government, based on preliminary reports and investigation, it was discovered that the collapsed building was served contravention notice for exceeding the approved floors and thereafter sealed by the Lagos State Building Control Agency.

    Similarly, the Commissioner said that the state discovered that in a brazen act of defiance and impunity, the owners of the building, Messrs Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited, the promoters of the Lekki Gardens, criminally unsealed the property and continued building beyond the approved floors until the unfortunate incident of Tuesday which has led to loss of lives.

    He further added that arising from the Lagos State Executive Council meeting decision on Wednesday, the State Government will no longer tolerate the action of unscrupulous owners and builders who challenge its supervisory control, thereby endangering the lives of Lagosians.

    The State Government has consequently directed the suspension of work at the site and ordered the Lagos State Police Command to cordon it off as it is now a crime scene.

    The government also directed further integrity tests be carried out on every other construction project which has or is currently being handled by Messrs Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited in the interest of public safety.

    Furthermore, the release quoted the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode as saying that all directors of Lekki Worldwide Estate Limited are strongly advised to submit themselves to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police within the next twenty four hours in their own interest or face immediate arrest.

    The statement also commended the timely response and remarkable intervention by the combined men of the Lagos State Emergency Authority (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire Service, Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Red Cross, National Emergency Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).

    The Lagos State Government also warned that it will no longer be business as usual stating that any developer either on existing or new building projects who fails to comply with building and construction regulations or attempts to subvert the law will henceforth face criminal prosecution.