The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Suspected

  • Attack on ex-IG: Police trail suspected armed robbers

    Detectives have launched manhunt for suspected armed robbers, who made a botched attempt to enter the home of a former Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomasie.

    The police said its preliminary findings pointed to a case of armed robbery and not assassination attempt.

    But it, however, asked its detectives to leave all clues open in order to track down the suspects.

    The Katsina State Police Command released the details of how the robbery suspects were repelled, leading to the killing of Sgt. Musa Ibrahim attached to 27 Police Mobile Squadron in Katsina.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Preliminary investigation so far pointed to the case of armed robbery, which was repelled by policemen on guard at the residence.

    “So far, we are on the trail of the suspects and we are confident that we will arrest these culprits as soon as possible.”

    But the Katsina State Police Command, through its spokesman, DSP Gambo Isah, in a statement, said: “On 14/10/2017 at about 20:00hrs, two armed hoodlums riding on a motorbike attacked mobile policemen posted on guard duty at the residence of former IGP Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmadu Coomasie, the Sardaunan Katsina and Chairman, Arewa Consultative Forum.

    “The hoodlums met a stiff resistance from the mobile policemen, who prevented them from getting access into the residence.  However, during the gun duel, one Force Number 264505 Sgt Musa Ibrahim attached to 27 police mobile squadron, Katsina, paid the supreme sacrifice and gallantly lost his life during the encounter.

    “Police patrols teams led by the Commissioner of Police BD Gwana arrived at the scene but the hoodlums have already escaped through the dark alleys.  A stray bullet also met one Force Number 270124 Cpl Shitu Maikudi attached to 27 police mobile squadron on his leg, who was coming out of the residence in mufti. He was rushed to General Hospital Katsina for treatment.

    “Eighteen empty shells of expended ammunition were recovered at the scene. The command is assiduously making efforts to arrest the fleeing hoodlums and recover their operational arms.

    “Citizens are hereby assured to go about their lawful business without any fear as the command is on top of the situation.”

  • Task force, others arrest 220 suspected criminals

    Task force, others arrest 220 suspected criminals

    About 220 suspected criminals were arrested on Saturday in various hideouts around Lagos Island by the police, operatives of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit  (Task Force) and other security outfits.

    The joint mid-night operations tagged ‘Mother of all Raids’ was led by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Area ‘A’ Command (Lion Building), Olushola Akinyede.

    Other formations included in the operations were the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) and all Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) in Area ‘A’ command Lagos Island.

    Task force Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the suspects include 214 males and six females.

    The operations, he said, were carried out around Obalende, Sura, Adeniji-Adele, Oke-suna, Sangros, Falomo, Agarawu, Bishop-Oluwole, Tokunbo, Idumota and Apogbon areaS of Lagos Island.

    The task force quoted a suspect, Ibrahim Oluwole, to have said he was arrested under the Obalende fly-over at mid-night.

    He allegedly confessed to belonging to a criminal gang that dispossess people of their valuables, such as phones, wallets and jewellery at night around Obalende.

    Oluwole, 27, who hails from Sagamu area of Ogun State appealed for leniency, promising to turn a leaf.

  • Suspected abductors kill policeman, two others

    Three persons, including a police officer, were reportedly killed last weekend by suspected kidnappers on Ajaokuta-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

    Others sustained injuries.

    Sources said an expatriate, a worker and a policeman were killed by gunmen, adding that an officer was injured after a shootout in Ajaokuta Local Government.

    The Nation learnt the expatriate was travelling with one of his workers (a driver) when they ran into the suspected abductors.

    The hoodlums were said to have shot the expatriate, his driver and a policeman, killing them.

    It was gathered that in an attempt to escape, the kidnappers engaged other policemen in a shootout.

    Police spokesman William Aya, who confirmed the incident, said the command had begun investigation.

  • Police arrest seven suspected cultists for invading station 

    The police in Bayelsa State nabbed suspected members of cult groups, who invaded Peremabiri Divisional Headquarters to release one of their members, Prince Ayibalaifa, from detention.

    The suspects reportedly injured a policeman, Corporal Elijah Osara, during the attack  in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

    Commissioner of Police Mr. Asuquo Amba named the suspects as Douye Koufe, 23; Wisdom Reuben, 23; Solomon Jackson, 18; Samuel Odozi, 20; Thomas Canan, 23; Andy Daves, 24; and Junior Japhter, 23.

    He said they admitted to being members of the Greenlanders’ cult, except Douye Koufe, who claimed to belong to Icelanders.

    Amba said investigation was on, adding that the suspects will be prosecuted.

    He lamented the attack and said the police, with the assistance of the government was able to bring back civil authority in the area.

    Amba said:  ’’We still have this problem of cult activities within our environment. Of late, we tried to nip this problem in the bud, but we still see that we have not completely succeeded. The arrest is continuous.

    ‘’Peremabiri Divisional Headquarters is one of the new facilities we are trying to bring up because the place was ransacked by militants, then we want to bring back civil authority to the area.

    ‘’With the assistance of the government, we have been able to bring back civil authority but we still find out that there are some cultists that are still disturbing.

    ‘’About seven cultists from Greenlanders and Icelanders were apprehended. They invaded the police station to rescue Prince Ayibalaifa, who was detained for indecent assault. They actually rescued the person and escaped, but they were re-arrested.’’

  • Suspected robbers shoot dead corps member in Yenagoa

    Gunmen, suspected to be robbers, at the weekend shot dead a 30-year-old corps member and dispossessed him of his money and other valuables in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

    The Police Public Relations Officer at the Bayelsa Command, Mr. Asinim Butswat, confirmed the killing to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    Butswat said preliminary investigation showed that the killing was cult-related adding that detailed investigation was ongoing to unravel those behind the dastardly act and apprehend them.

    According to the Police, the incident occurred on Saturday evening on Melford Okilo Road, INEC/Kpansia area of Yenagoa metropolis.

    The victim, Samuel Collins, was a graduate of Engineering from the University of Benin.

    Collins was accosted by the hoodlums at INEC Road junction on his way to the Nigerian Content Development and Management Board’s office on Isaac Boro Expressway, where he was undergoing training.

    According eyewitnesses, the young man was gunned down when he tried to drag his phones and valuables with his assailants.

    An eyewitness, who wished anonymity, said Collins was shot by the gunmen at a close range on his head.

    He said the bullets from the hoodlums’ guns shattered the victim’s head.

    The gunmen abandoned the lifeless body of their victim, fled the scene after making away with his phone, money and other valuables.

    Some of his friends described Collins as an easy-going and brilliant young man.

    They confirmed that the Police had since removed his body and deposited it at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre,Yenagoa.

    According to them, arrangements were being made to take his remains to his hometown, Port Harcourt, Rivers for burial.

  • RRS arrests suspected robbers

    RRS arrests suspected robbers

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have arrested a suspected armed robber, Nurudeen Kazeem, 27, alias Onyabo, who allegedly injured a policeman in April.

    He was alleged to have killed two persons along Lasu-Igando Road in the past.

    Kazeem, said to be an executioner in Eiye confraternity, was arrested last Wednesday together with Wilfred Ehis, 30, the gang’s alleged armourer, Yusuph Bello, 33, and its rider, Sunday Hassan, 26.

    Kazeem was said to have shot his victims in an attempt to dispossess a delivery man, who brought some phones he (Kazeem) ordered online.

    The suspect, who claimed to be a trained tailor, was said to have shot the policeman twice on the leg to evade arrest.

    A statement by RRS quoted Kazeem as saying: “I have killed two people in the past. One was to complement my initiation into Eiye Confraternity. I was led to a beer parlour in LASU/Iyana-Iba axis, where I was asked to kill a man.

    “I shot the guy there and I escaped. The second guy I shot, I also macheted him. He was a member of Aye (Black Axe) confraternity in LASU/Iyana-Iba area.

    “I and a friend were forcefully initiated into Eiye cult. We were asked by some guys to use our motorcycle to take them to a naming. Those guys changed the route after bringing out guns to scare us and led us into a bush where other innocent young men were to be initiated into the confraternity.

    “In the bush, they beat us mercilessly. That was how we were initiated. Since then, they armed me with gun and cartridges to kill people, particularly, rival cult members. It was while doing this that I was invited into robbery by Cali (Wilfred Ehis).

    “He invited me to assist him in collecting phones from delivery men. He would order the phones online, give them delivery address and we would ambush the delivery man and collect the phones at gun point.

    “I have done this three times for Cali. I took the phones to him in the hotels he stayed. The first operation, he gave me N60,000. The second, he gave me N50,000 and the third, N45,000. The fourth one was the one I shot the police officer.”

    Ehis, in whose possession a short gun was recovered, police sources said had been arrested in April for his involvement in various armed robberies.

    The suspect, the police said, usually lodged in different hotels in the area with his gang members.

    According to the police, all the suspects have been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Sqaud (FSARS), Ikeja for further investigation.

  • Suspected bandit, kidnapper arrested on Kaduna-Abuja road

    Troops from 1 Division, Army, Kaduna State, have arrested a notorious bandit, Sani Ibrahim, aka “Burtu”, on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway.

    The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, confirmed the arrest in a statement yesterday. He said the suspect was arrested when the troops cordoned “armed bandits’ camp at Rijana forest.

    According to him, Ibrahim had been on the wanted list for a long time, saying due to the resurgence of banditry and kidnapping on the roads, the troops carried out clearance operation at Rijana forest.

    He said one motorcycle and 25 goats were recovered from the camp.

    Troops also mounted an ambush at the Zamfara/Kebbi State border and neutralised three bandits. They recovered 134 cows and 13 sheep, Gen. Usman added.

  • Suspected tricycle thief held

    Suspected tricycle thief held

    Rapid Response Squad (RRS) operatives have arrested a member of a five-man gang that steals tricycles, popularly known as Keke Napep and motorcycles aka Okada in Lagos.

    Ekene Chukwuan, 21, was arrested after he and four other members of his gang broke into an apartment at 49, Falana Street, Iyana-Ejigbo Lagos, and stole one tricycle and one motorcycle around 2am.

    A statement by RRS said Ekene told detectives how he was introduced into stealing by his mentor named ‘Alhaji’.

    RRS quoted him as saying: “I relocated from Amukoko to Ijora in search of greener pastures because I was told there is money in Ijora and Mushin. I work as a truck pusher at Ojuade market where I helped people convey their goods from one location to another before Alhaji told me to stop the work for better one.

    “Alhaji told me he was called for a work by one ‘Ajona’ and asked me if I will like to join in the job, promising me a better pay and less stress. I accepted Alhaji’s idea but didn’t know we are going for stealing.

    “On getting to Ejigbo, Ajona who is the leader told us to stay in a place till nightfall before entering into the apartment where we unchained a motorcycle and a tricycle. We put the motorcycle inside the tricycle and Ajona drove the tricycle.

    “We were on our way when RRS men chased us. We were trying to escape but had accident and immediately ran away, but the police caught me.”

    Ekene told the police that “we sell stolen Keke Napep between N75,000 and N80,000, while motorcycles are sold for between N30,000 and N40,000.”

    The owner of the motorcycle, Nduka Oyekachi Innocent, who was alerted of the theft and invited to RRS office, said: “I parked my tricycle in my compound at 49, Falana Street, Iyana-Ejigbo, and went to bed. I woke up the following morning only to discover that it was missing. I searched everywhere, including the drainages because I was so much devastated. Immediately, I went to Ejigbo Police Station to report the incident before I was informed later that RRS officers have arrested one of the suspected thieves.”

    Nduka said he wept on discovering that his tricycle was missing because he got it on hire-purchase from a businessman.

    Recovered from the suspect were an iron cutter, a tricycle and a motorcycle.

    Police said the suspect has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation.

  • One killed as suspected herdsmen attack police van

    FOUR police officers attached to the Abraka Divisional Police Station in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State were attacked on Tuesday evening by suspected Fulani herdsmen on the Abraka/Benin Bypass.

    One of them was killed on the spot.

    It was gathered the policemen were on a routine patrol when the suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked them.

    Three others sustained  injuries.

    A source, who did not wish to be named, said the policemen suddenly heard gunshots fired at them from the bush.

    The source said before the policemen could respond, one of them had fallen.

    The others, the source said, battled the suspected herdsmen, resulting in other policemen sustaining injuries.

    Two injured policemen are said to be receiving treatment at Abraka Central Hospital. with the third taken to Delta State Teaching Hospital at Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area.

    A week ago, there was a protest against the traditional leadership of Abraka Kingdom, its failure to redress the killing of a boy, who accompanied other men to rescue his mother from Fulani herdsmen.

    Another source said the policemen were returning from the disputed Eku/Oria boundary when the herdsmen, who reportedly blocked the road with cows, opened fire on them.

    Although the police put the casualty figure at one, other sources claimed another policeman died on the way to hospital.

    The source added that two also died yesterday at the hospital, bringing the casualty figure to four.

    “The police team, in company of an executive member of the Umiaghwa-Abraka Vigilance Group, were on their way from the police station, after assessing the area’s demarcation between Eku and Oria communities. This followed a boundary dispute between a company in the area and the residents, when they were ambushed,” a source said.

    Police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said only an Inspector died during the gun duel.

    He said: “One died. That is the information available. But our prayer is that the others recover. They (herdsmen) laid ambush and opened fire on the patrol team. It was so spontaneous. The sporadic shooting was aimed at them. The Inspector died; the others are in the hospital, three of them.

    “Fingers are pointing at the herdsmen… The suspected assailants just opened fire on them. That’s what we heard, that’s the information available. We are on their trail. We are counting on the cooperation of all to enable us get them. Let them even let us know why they opened fire on people who didn’t go chasing them.”

  • NDLEA arrests 9 suspects, seizes 1,020.1kgs of Indian hemp in Kogi

    NDLEA arrests 9 suspects, seizes 1,020.1kgs of Indian hemp in Kogi

    The Kogi Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says it has arrested nine suspected hard drug peddlers and dealers in the last four weeks.

    The Commandant, Mr Idris Bello, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lokoja that the command also seized 1,020.1 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) from the suspects.

    Giving a breakdown of the arrests, Bello said that four suspects were arrested on Tuesday at Crusher Village along Okene-Lokoja-Abuja.

    “One of those arrested, Maharazu Mohammedhad, had 147 blocks of packed Indian hemp, weighing 199.2 kilogrammes, hidden in sheets of rough cartons.

    “From Mohammed’s account, the consignment was to be delivered to one Dan Hutu of Hotoro quarters in Kano,” he said.

    He said that another suspect, Philip Dangla, 32, who hails from Plateau, had 37.2 kilogrammes of the substance which he was taking to Zaria.

    According to him, the driver of the vehicle, Sanusi Sani and the conductor, Abdullahi Mohammed, were equally arrested.

    Bello further said that another suspect, Stanley Duru, 44, from Orlu in Imo, was arrested on March 20, with 421 blocks of cannabis sativa weighing 377.8 kilogrammes.

    The commandant said that the hard drug was concealed in false compartments constructed in a Volkswagen Combi bus.

    He alleged that the suspect, who was intercepted at Crusher village in Lokoja, loaded the hard drug in the vehicle at Otua town in Edo.

    Bello added that the driver, Femi Ojabo, 27, from Isua in Ondo State, also stashed 377.8 kilogrammes of Indian hemp in the vehicle.

    He gave the names of other suspects as Haruna Salihu, 30, who was arrested with 14.4 kilogrammes, and Abubakar Sunday, a 31-year-old civil servant, who was nabbed with 13.5 kilogrammes of the substance.

    The NDLEA boss appealed to members of the public to assist the command with relevant information that could lead to the arrest of drug peddlers and dealers, and vowed to rid Kogi of illicit drugs and its dealers.