The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Suspected

  • Suspected vandals held in Oyo

    The Oyo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) yesterday paraded two suspected pipeline vandals and a petroleum tanker.

    The Commandant, Shem Obafaiye, said Matthew (32) and Adewale Durojaiye (55) were allegedly caught in the act at Arowomole Industrial Area in Ogbomoso.

    He said the 14,000 litres tanker, marked Lagos AD 915 SMK, was impounded at Amosun Village in Afijio Local Government Area.

    Obafaiye said on October 28, suspected vandals abandoned the tanker when they saw his men.

    He said: “The suspected vandals demobilised the tanker and we had to contact the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which gave us a vehicle to convey the PMS. NNPC also gave us a towing vehicle to tow the empty tanker to our office.”

     

     

     

     

  • Suspected vandalism kingpin declared wanted

    A man suspected to be the brain behind major pipeline vandalism in Sagamu, Ogun State, has been declared wanted by the police.

    The suspect, Alhaji Ganga, former private security personnel with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), was employed on contract but was fired when the corporation noticed he was aiding vandals to perpetrate the illegal act.

    His second in command, Kehinde Oremede has been arrested by operatives of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Special Task Force on Anti-Pipeline Vandalism Unit.

    He was fished out while trying to relocate to Benin, the Edo State capital.

    Oremede was arrested alongside Adewale Saka, Kemi Balogun, and Umaru Abudullahi with a truck loaded with petrol while they were about discharging the product at Ogere in Ogun state.

    Assistant Commissioner of Police, Friday Ibadin, who is in charge of the Task Force, said detectives led by the Lagos Sector Commander, Onaghise Osayande, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) were on the trail of Ganga.

    “I am using this opportunity to call on Nigerians with useful information as to how to track him down to come to us with such information. We are promising that the identity of such informants would not be disclosed to anybody. I sincerely appreciate the leaders and some community members who are assisting the police in tracking down vandals. It was the information they gave to the police that led to the arrest of the other suspects and one Abayomi Ademola who has since been charged to court. On our watch list are also the owners of those petrol stations where these stolen products are sold”, Ibadin said.

    Oremede (47, reportedly told the police that they (including Ganga) were once private security guards with NNPC before they were relieved of their duties.

    “I was employed by NNPC at the Mosimi office in Sagamu. Our duty was to secure the right of way from Mechanic Village to Kawefumi Odugboro axis in Sagamu area of Ogun State. Naturally I did my job but the temptation was too much. We were paid only N20, 000 per month to risk our lives despite the hazards of the job. We were expected to chase away vandals who are always armed and at the end of the day you will be given a token. I am a family man and nobody should blame me if I decided to compromise. The vandals offered us good money to allow them work on our lines. They were giving us N50, 000 per trip. Ganga was also a security man but as soon as he was sacked he started working with some of us who were still working for NNPC. He paid better money and he was allowed to work along our right of way.

  • 20 killed as suspected Fulani attack Benue community

    Twenty people were killed early yesterday at Ogwule-Ankpa in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

    Governor Gabriel Suswam and his deputy, Steven Lawani, yesterday visited some internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by previous attacks.

    The governor assured the people of tighten security so that those who fled their homes because of incessant attacks could return.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, told our reporter that most of the victims were killed on their beds between 4am and 5am.

    It was learnt that several people sustained gunshot injuries while the homes and household items worth millions of naira were destroyed during the attack.

    Suswam spoke yesterday at the Catholic Church in Oshigbudu, after inspecting the damage at Enogaje, one of the communities attacked by the marauders in previous attacks.

    The governor urged the people to be security-conscious and report suspicious persons to security agencies.

    The governor made cash donations to most of the communities affected by the attacks.

    He decried the renewed invasion in the state, despite several peace moves by the state government to halt the trend.

    Besides Lawani, the governor was also accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr David Salifu; the police commissioner and state director of the State Security Service (SSS).

    Police spokesman Daniel Ezeala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the attack on the Agatu comunity.

    He said a detachment of police had been deployed in the area.

    The police spokesman urged the residents to report suspicious persons to the police.

    Investigation, he added, had begun on the matter.

  • Suspected cattle rustlers kill six in Bauchi

    Suspected cattle rustlers yesterday killed six persons and injured two others at Gambari village in Ganjuwa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.

    The dead included two members a vigilance group and four others.

    The Director-General of Danga Security, Yusuf Hassan Sarkin, told reporters in Bauchi, the state capital, that “the attack occurred Wednesday morning at 4 o’clock”.

    He added: “When the robbers stormed the village, they killed a vigilante. It was when the villagers discovered that they could not counter-attackthe hoodlums that they sought assistance from our men. So, we pursued them immediately.

    “Unfortunately, before we could get to the village, the robbers had fled. The body of the vigilante was taken to the hospital.

    “Again, when we were on the way, the robbers ambushed our men and killed another vigilante and four other villagers. Two others were injured.”

    Sarkin assured that the vigilance group would always go after criminals wherever they are in the state.

    He said the attack would not discourage the vigilance group from fighting criminals.

    Police spokesnman, Hassan M Auyo, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), confirmed the incident.

    He said: “Six people were killed; two injured. The police have begun investigation into incident.”

    Police preliminary investigation, it was learnt, showed that the attackers were cattle rustlers.

    The bodies of the victims were taken to Gwallaga Jumaat Mosque in Bauchi metropolis for funeral prayers.

    They were buried at the Muslim Cemetery, Gombe Road in Bauchi.

    A member representing Ganjuwa East Constituency in the House of Assembly, Manu Adamu Soro, told The Nation at the funeral prayer that the Assembly would deliberate on the security situation in the state and how to protect the residents.

  • My story, by suspected robbery kingpin

    Suspected South west robbery kingpin, Abiodun Ogunjobi, aka Abey Godogodo, yesterday blamed his criminal escapades on lack of parental care and proper upbringing.

    He spoke to reporters at the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja, after he was discharged from hospital, where he had been receving treatment. He was arrested on August 1.

    Godogodo who gave residents of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti States sleepless nights for over 14 years led most of the bank robberies and other deadly highway attacks in recent times.

    The 36-year-old suspect said he was the eldest of his parents’ children, adding: “My father is a wayward man. He is a drug addict and a gambler. My mother was a sicker; she died after giving birth to my youngest brother. But my father, who got married to another woman, didn’t bother to take care of me. As a little child, I struggled through primary school, picking bottles, iron and rubbers from refuse dumps.

    “The little money I made was what I used in paying my school fees in primary school after which I went into the business fully. As a little boy, I was sleeping on the streets and my father didn’t care about me. All he cared about was to gamble with his money and smoke hard drugs. Gradually, I started stealing and when I grew up, I started robbing people at Gatankowa market, Iyana-Ipaja. In 1999, I was arrested and sent to prison for fighting. When I came back, some of the boys who were operating with me then had become big-time robbers. I joined them and in one of our operations, some vigilance men that accosted us in Ogun State shot me in the eye.”

    He spoke further: “I ended up losing one of my eyes. After that incident, I became very careful. I did not socialise, drink, smoke or go after women. I lived a lonely life as an armed robber. I saw that thing as a weakness that could give away a tough man. I had three children from three women. I ran away from my other wives because the police wanted to use them to arrest me.

    “I didn’t participate in all the robbery operations the police are accusing me of. People like me because I am not greedy. I make sure everybody gets his own share after any successful operation. All I want now is for the police to give me a second chance. I will assist them to arrest all the robbers in Lagos and South West.”

  • Fear grips residents as suspected cultists kill man

    A cult clash in the Shomolu area of Lagos State has claimed the life of Isiaka Oyefeso, a trader at the Yaba market.

    Oyefeso was killed at about 9.45pm on July 30 in front of his Abimbola Lane, off Okesuna Street, Shomolu home, while relaxing after his return from the market.

    The deceased and some others in the neighborhood were attacked by warring cult groups who reportedly came from Bariga area to fight their Shomolu rivals.

    It was gathered that the cults, comprising members of Eiye, overwhelmed the policemen attached to Alade Police Station as they shot sporadically at innocent people without any challenge of any form from policemen.

    Oyefeso was hit severally by bullets and also got machete cuts on different parts of his body. He was rushed to nearby Oguntolu General Hospital where he died. Some others who were also injured are still being treated at an undisclosed hospital.

    Neighbours told The Nation that Oyefeso was a peace-loving man killed for no reason. Eyewitnesses said the suspected cultists numbering over 100 wore T-shirts marked ‘Axe’ at the back. They were allegedly shouting “axe men … axe men!”

    Residents alleged that the attacks have been frequent in the last two months and despite the fact that security operatives are in the know, they have done nothing to stop them.

    A resident, who spoke under anonymity, told The Nation that the cultists also robbed residents of valuables during every attack, adding: “We are no longer safe here. These hoodlums come here occasionally to steal, rape and kill people at will. We have reported severally to the police but they are not helping matters. The crisis is between Eiye and Aiye group. We are begging the commissioner of police to step in and help save the situation before these boys kill every one of us in this area.

    “These criminals have their hideouts in Idi-Araba, somewhere around Olorunkemi Street and Ladi-Lak in Bariga and operatives at Alade Police Station, Shomolu are aware of this. Why they have refused to arrest them is what we do not understand. Most residents now believe that the police are protecting these criminals and it is not a good thing for the society.”

    Efforts to reach the police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), for comments yesterday, failed.

  • Suspected notorious robbery kingpin held

    Operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos, had a major harvest yesterday. They arrested the leader of a notorious robbery gang that had been terrorising Lagos and South West states.

    It was gathered that the suspect, Abiodun Ogunjobi, aka ‘Abbey Godogodo,’ was caught when the SARS operatives who had long been on his trail at his Egbeda, Ibadan, Oyo State home. The operatives were there for three weeks before they finally got at him, recovering two Ak47 rifles and 10 fully-loaded magazines.

    It was further gathered that the suspect was behind the July 7 gruesome murder of seven persons at O4 Hotel, Ajah area of Lagos, including its owner, Olanrewaju Subair.

    They also allegedly killed two security guards at a popular hotel, along Apapa Road, Ebute-Metta on the same day.

    Police sources disclosed that Godogodo escaped arrest on July 14 after his gang’s shoot-out with the SARS operatives on the Eko Bridge, Lagos Island, after killing two policemen at Ebute-Ero and Ajao Estate respectively.

    A police source said Godogodo had coordinated several bank robberies in Kwara, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun states, adding: “He is the biggest and most notorious armed robber we’ve had in the South West in the past 14 years.  We arrested him 11am today in his Olowu area of Egbeda, Ibadan mansion. Godogodo has killed over 50 policemen and many civilians… we have been arresting many of his boys, but he kept on recruiting to replace those arrested. Our officer, Abba Kyari changed his strategy and focused on him because without getting at him, his gang would continue to regenerate. This is a great victory for the Nigeria Police and Lagosians and South West in particular.”

    The 36-year-old suspect, who is a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State, confessed to reporters:”I started robbery in 1996 and in 1999 I was charged with fighting. I spent more than seven years in prison. My prolonged stay in prison for minor crime of fighting hardened me and I vowed to pay back the police for that injustice. After I was released, I went to Gatangwa in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos to meet my armed robber friend, Odun, who was arrested by the police recently at O4 Hotel in Ajah.

    “We started operating. We worked with several other gangs and I invested my loot in arms buying. I also built five houses in Ifo, Ilaro, Ikorodu and Ibadan. I usually kill policemen and take their rifles because policemen killed several of my boys and took most of my rifles from them. I have no regrets for all I have done I have no advice for young people who wants to become armed robbers like me. I have three children from three women. The police should take all my properties.” Commissioner of Police Umar Manko has ordered for his treatment before he would be tried at the court.

  • Four suspected cultists nabbed in Osun Poly

    Four suspected cultists were nabbed at the weekend by the authorities of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, for allegedly trying to initiate three students into a cult.

    Ajayi Olayemi Lawrence, Olorede Hammed, Olabiyi Afis and Hammed Akindele, have been handed over to the police after they were interrogated by the institution’s Students Disciplinary Committee (SDC).

    A source, who asked for anonymity, said the suspects were apprehended by the institution’s security men in Iree and Obaagun after a botched attempt to initiate the three students.

    The source said records showed that three of the suspects are not students of the polytechnic. The fourth, Akindele, was a National Diploma II student of Business Administration.

    The Director of Media Relations of the institution, Mr. Tope Abiola, who confirmed the incident, said Akindele was expelled last year by the authority for involving in cultism.

    The source said Ajayi confessed that he was a member of a confraternity before he dropped out of the institution.

    “He claimed that he is an apprentice with an Osogbo-based aluminum industry, but was in Iree for an undisclosed mission. Hammed, who also confessed to be a member of a notorious confraternity, claimed to be a student of Civil Engineering department of our school, although records prove otherwise,” the source said.

  • Soldiers, SSS kill suspected terrorist in Sokoto

    THE Nigerian Army said yesterday soldiers and operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) had shot dead a suspected terrorist in a joint operation in Sokoto.

    Brig.-Gen. Tasi’u Ibrahim, the Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, told reporters that the incident took place in Gidan-Dare, near Sokoto.

    He said a suspect was also captured alive while 11 relations of the suspected terrorists were rescued and secured.

    According to him, five of the secured members are women, including two expectant mothers, and children.

    “The expectant mothers are now receiving ante-natal care at the Brigade’s clinic,” Ibrahim said.

    The commander explained that the operation was carried out following a tip-off, adding that “the house was being used as a terrorist hideout”.

    Ibrahim said neither the army nor the SSS recorded casualties.

    “The operation was clinically and carefully carried out in line with the existing global rules of engagement,” he added.

    The Army commander said some of the weapons recovered from the house included six AK 47 rifles and a pump action rifle, 13 explosive devices and a vehicle, with registration number (Abuja) EL 295 ABJ.

    Others are: 13 magazines of ammunitions, seven improvised explosive devices, IED-making materials, 32 batteries, an axe, four phones, 56 SIM cards, three memory cards, 10 cartons of milk and N76,685 cash.

    Ibrahim said: “These people do not wish Nigeria and the state well. In this holy month of Ramadan, one may wonder why these people are hell-bent on causing a breach of the peace.

    “All well-meaning and law-abiding Nigerians will continue to be protected and secured. The army will make every effort to ensure that the innocent do not suffer.”

    Hailing the people for their cooperation with security agencies, Ibrahim cautioned the residents against renting their houses to unknown persons.

    Also at the news briefing were: Air Commodore Hanbali Tukur, the Commander, 55 Forward Operation Base, Nigeria Air Force, Sokoto; Police Commissioner Shu’aibu Gambo and SSS State Director, Alhaji Jubril Danmalam.

  • Police parade suspected attackers of ex-Offa council chair

    THE Kwara State Police Command yesterday paraded three suspected attackers of former Chairman of Offa Local Government Area, Prince Saheed Popoola, in Ilorin, the state capital.

    The suspects are Lukman Ariwajoye, Musliyu Olarinoye and Kabiru Oluaye.

    Some military men last weekend foiled an alleged assassination attempt on the former council chairman after about 10 self-confessed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs waylaid him at a restaurant in the ancient city.

    The command also paraded a Physics graduate, a National Diploma (ND) holder of Business Administration and another suspect for the alleged murder of Dr Ariyo Adewumi in April.

    The late Dr Adewumi, of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), was reportedly shot dead at his Basin home in Ilorin on the 18th of April this year by unknown gunmen.

    Ex-council chairman Popoola told how hoodlums arrived the restaurant around 7pm last Friday. He said they challenged anyone belonging to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to a fight.

    Popoola added that the hoodlums afterwards began shooting into the air and brandishing dangerous weapons, including broken bottles.

    Police spokesperson Olufemi Fabode, a Deputy Superintend of Police (DSP), said a team of military men arrested the suspects on June 21 and handed them over to the police in Offa.

    Fabode explained that one of the suspects was in possession of a locally made pistol, two live cartridges and a charm.

    He said: “The suspects and others at large were confirmed to have attacked the former council chairman, who was relaxing at a cool spot in the ancient town. It was the dragging of the former chairman by the arrested suspects and others at large that drew the attention of the army personnel there.