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Category: Metro News

  • Police dismiss Sergeant over N98,000 extortion

    The Police Command in Lagos State has announced the dismissal of Sergeant Ekpo Shimuyere attached to Shogunle Division for extorting a young man of N98,000.

    The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin told newsmen on Wednesday that the Provost Department of the command had already derobed the dismissed sergeant.

    According to him, the dismissed sergeant collected the phone of his victim and used a POS operator to transfer N98,000 out of the N100,000 in the young man’s bank account.

    Hundeyin said that the action of the policeman was contrary to the ethics of the profession.

    “Police got the complaint from the victim and the officer denied the crime when he was contacted. The command placed him under detention so that he will not tamper with the evidence.

    “We wrote to his bank and obtained his statement of account. We were able to trace the money to where the POS operator transferred it to before transferring the money to the officer’s account.

    “We followed due process to get his account. The victim was invited in the course of investigation, and he testified.

    “The POS operator was also invited, and he said the officer requested him to transfer the money from the victim’s account to another one,” Hudenyi added.

    He said that the Sergeant was consequently subjected to Orderly Room trial in line with extant laws.

    “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos Command, Mr Idowu Owohunwa, have reviewed the orderly room procedure of the officer with Force No. 461654, attached to Sogunle Police Division and have approved the punishment of dismissal from the Force,” he said.

    Hundeyin said that the commissioner warned officers and men against any form of corruption, stressing that the dismissal was to serve as a deterrent to others.

    He further warned that the command would continue to punish any police officer found to have engaged in unprofessional conduct.

  • Man remanded for allegedly defiling 14-year-old girl

    Man remanded for allegedly defiling 14-year-old girl

    A Badagry Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered a 40-year-old man, Adex Opara, who allegedly defiled a 14-year-old girl, to be remanded in a correctional centre pending legal advice.

    The police had on Tuesday charged Opara with defilement, breach of peace and threat to life.

    Opara pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.

    The Magistrate, Mr T A Popoola, who did not take Opara’s plea, ordered the police to duplicate the case file and send the same to the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, for legal advice.

    Popoola, who frowned at the high rate of rape of minors, adjourned the case until July 31 for hearing.

    Earlier, the prosecuting officer, Inspector Ayodele Adeosun, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on May 21, at about 11.00 a.m., at No. 46, Komata Street, Magbon, Badagry, Lagos.

    Adeosun alleged that Opara was caught red-handed having canal knowledge by penetration with one eight-year-old girl, whom he lured into his room and defiled without her consent.

    The prosecutor said the defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by having canal knowledge of the minor.

    The offences, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 261, 168 and 56 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015. 

  • Police arrest 2 suspects over boy’s death

    Police in Lagos State have arrested two men for allegedly stabbing a 13-year-old boy to death over rubber slippers ownership.

    The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Monday.

    Hundeyin said that the incident happened on Sunday at about 6.00 p.m. at Iganmu, under the Bridge.

    He said the Ijora Badia Police Division got the information from a concerned member of the public that some youths were mobilising themselves to cause mayhem at Iganmu area.

    The spokesperson said that the crisis was caused by the alleged killing of 13-year-old boy identified as Ekene.

    Hundeyin said that a patrol team immediately went to the scene and met the victim in the pool of his blood.

    “Information at the scene indicated that the victim was allegedly stabbed by two boys over a minor issue concerning ownership of rubber slippers.

    “It was also gathered that the suspects escaped from the scene after committing the crime.

    A credible Intel was emplaced which led to the arrest of the duo of Ahmed, 28, and Umaru Abubakar, 18.

    “The victim was examined, while a deep hole suspected to be injuries sustained from stabbing was seen on the right side of his chest. He was immediately rushed to Ajeromi General Hospital for urgent medical attention.

    “However, he gave up the ghost while receiving treatment. Corpse was evacuated to Yaba General Hospital for preservation and autopsy,” he said.

    The image maker said that the scene was photographed, while suspects were taken to the station for interrogation, where they confessed to the crime.

    Hundeyin said that the mother of the deceased, Mrs Chizoba Agu of Railway Line, Ijora Badia, came to the hospital and identified the deceased as her son.

    He said suspects would be transferred to the State Central Investigation Department, Panti for discreet investigation. 

  • 2 die in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway accident

    A driver and his motor boy on Tuesday died in an accident along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has confirmed.

    According to the TRACE spokesman, Babatunde Akinbiyi, the accident involved a Howo truck marked EKY 65 XF and a J5 bus with no registration number.

    Akinbiyi said that the accident occurred early Tuesday morning around Saapade on the expressway.

    He noted that the driver of the bus probably dozed off, lost control of the wheels and rammed into a parked truck along the road.

    Akinbiyi blamed the crash on speeding and wrongful overtaking by the driver of the J5 bus.

    Out of the four persons involved in the accident, Akinbiyi said two died while others were rescued unhurt.

    Akinbiyi explained that eyewitnesses said the Howo truck loaded with Flour Mills products, developed a mechanical problem while on transit and had to be parked off the road for proper attention.

    “However, in the course of attending to the vehicle, the bus, which was also loaded with tomatoes, pepper, and the like, rammed into the truck from behind.

    ” The driver and the motor boy died due to the impact of the collision,” he said.

    The TRACE spokesman stated that the deceased were taken to FOS morgue, Ipara .

    While commiserating with the families of the deceased, Akinbiyi advised drivers to avoid speeding, take adequate rest before embarking on a journey and avoid driving in poor visibility. 

  • Court dissolves businesswoman’s 19-year ‘loveless marriage’

    Court dissolves businesswoman’s 19-year ‘loveless marriage’

    An Upper Area Court in Kubwa, Abuja, has dissolved a 19-year-old marriage between a businesswoman, Fawzah Alimi and her husband, Jibril Aladejana.

    The Judge, Garba Gambo dissolved the marriage according to Islamic Law, following Alimi’s prayer for divorce on grounds of lack of love.

    Gambo said that Aladejana refused to appear in court for once and did not send a message or representative to the court.

    He held that the attitude of the respondent clearly showed he had no respect for the court nor love for the petitioner but wanted to torment and oppress her.

    The judge however ordered the petitioner to pay the dowry of N20,000 to the registry of the court which would be kept for the respondent to collect and dissolved the marriage under “Khuli” in Islamic law.

    Khuli is a procedure through which a woman can divorce herself from her husband in Islam, by returning the dowry and everything she received from him during their life together, or without returning anything, as agreed by the spouse or judge.

    Gambo said that filing a case of custody of children or maintenance while in marriage is premature and ordered the petitioner to file the same afresh.

    Earlier, the petitioner had told the court she got married to the respondent under Islamic law in 2004 and is blessed with six children ages 19, 18, 14,12,9, and 4.

    She said that since she got married, the respondent had been living in Ekiti state while she stayed in Abuja where he visited from time to time.

    Alimi further said she was tired of the marriage and all efforts made to make it work proved abortive.

    She however begged the court to dissolve the marriage on grounds of lack of love under Khuli, in order to protect her faith.

    The petitioner also sought the court to mandate the respondent to take responsibility for providing shelter, food, clothing, and other necessities for their children.

  • Flood: NEMA partners with NiMET, NIHSA on early warning alerts

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has partnered with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) to downscale early warning flood alerts to the 36 states and the FCT.

    The Director-General, NEMA, Mr Mustapha Ahmed, said this in his speech at the Mid-term review of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) 2015 – 2030, held at the United Nations Headquarters, New York.

    This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Manzo Ezekiel, Head, Press Unit, NEMA, in Abuja.

    Ahmed said that following the 2022 flood disaster experience, the Federal Government had also set up a presidential committee to develop a comprehensive action plan on flood prevention in the country.

    The director-general said that the inclusive approach was in tandem with the declaration of the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who in 2022 said that every person on earth should be protected using early warning systems.

    “In line with target G of the SFDRR on delivering an early warning to all Nigerians, NEMA in collaboration with the Nigerian National Space Development Agency (NASDA) is working assiduously to increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems.

    “And disaster risk information in an inclusive manner through both conventional and non-conventional communications channels including the social media,” he said.

    The director-general also explained how the country had made appreciable efforts at actualising the four priorities and seven targets of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

    He, however, requested that the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) supports the country with technical assistance for capacity building and training on early warning, forecast, hazard risk analysis and dissemination to the public, post disaster needs assessment among others.

  • Police arrest expectant mother for inflicting deep cuts on 15-yr-old maid

    2nd from right (standing)-Commissioner for Women Affairs, Anambra State, Mrs Ify Obinabo, when she visited the survivor at the Police Hospital, Ikeja on Sunday.

    The Police in Lagos State have arrested a 30-year-old lady, Mrs Eucharia Ndigwe who used a knife to inflict deep cuts on her 15-year-old maid over failure to wash a bag.

    Police spokesman in the state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said on Sunday that the heavily-pregnant lady was arrested on Saturday.

    He said Eucharia had been moved to the Gender Unit of the police command for investigation.

    The unit is also collaborating with the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency to give her medical attention.

    Hundeyin also disclosed that the maid had been hospitalised at the police medical facility at Ikeja.

    “The survivor is currently getting adequate medical care at the police medical facility at Ikeja.

    “Lagos police command remains committed to combating domestic, sexual and gender-based violence across the state,’’ Hundeyin said.

    He added that the Commissioner for Women Affairs in Anambra, Mrs Ify Obinabo visited the survivor on Sunday at the hospital.

    The commissioner was accompanied by the Officer-in-Charge of the Police Gender Unit, CSP Grace Agboola, currently handling the case.

    “The Commissioner said she was very happy and appreciated the Lagos State Police Command, the state government and the Inspector-General of Police for the efforts put in place to rescue the maid.

    “She also said that the Anambra State government, her home state, was ready to shelter the maid and give her a meaningful life, including sending her to school.

    “The commissioner said she wanted Eucharia, who allegedly inflicted the injury on the maid to be prosecuted,’’ Hundeyin said. 

  • NDLEA raids drug joints nationwide, arrests 534

    Some of the suspects arrested by the NDLEA

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has commenced a nationwide raid of drug joints ahead of the May 29 inauguration of a new government in the country.

    According to the Director, Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi, 534 drug suspects have been arrested during the operation, code-named Operation Mop Up.

    Babafemi said in a statement on Friday that the operation was to remove enablers of crime and violence in the form of illicit substances and those who deal in them.

    This, he said, was with a view to ensuring peaceful inauguration of new administrations at national and sub-national levels on May 29.

    “Not less than 534 suspects have been arrested in the first few days of the commencement of the operation.

    “However, tons of illicit drugs were recovered across the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “This includes cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, tramadol, codeine-based syrup, cannabis sativa and various new psychoactive substances among others.

    “Top on the list of the states with high arrests and seizures are Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Kaduna, Rivers, Bayelsa, Adamawa, Osun, Benue and Plateau,’’ he said.

    Babafemi quoted the Chairman, retired, Brig.-Gen. Buba Marwa, as commending all officers and men involved in the exercise for their professionalism and adherence to standard operating procedure.

    Marwa said “I am impressed by the level of compliance with the directive to all our commands and formations.

    “Which is to dismantle all drug joints within their areas of responsibility, mop up all illicit substances in such locations and arrest all those culpable.

    “This will in no small measure take out of the equation, enablers of crime and violence.

    “This includes illicit drugs, their dealers and all those relying on mind-altering substances to disrupt the May 29 inauguration ceremonies across the states and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

    The NDLEA boss charged them to continue with the offensive against drug cartels and traffickers “until the last gram of illicit drug is taken out of the streets and communities” across Nigeria.

  • Tears as FCT demolishes illegal structures in Gishiri

    Seventeen years, after the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) demolition team first visited Gishiri, a community within Katampe District of the Federal Capital City (FCC) as the FCT Administration (FCTA), the team, on Wednesday, made good a second visit to cleanse the area of bad eggs.

    The team moved its bulldozers into the area to carry out demolition of several illegal structures that were sitting on land meant for infrastructure development.

    Nigerian Anchor gathered that the structures had been marked in March, April and early May in 2023.

    But most of the residents, however, feigned ignorance of the several notices, feeling that it would never be carried out like it happened when the demolition team, first, visited in 2006.

    Since then, the residents continued to build on high power tension and water channels despite warnings from the government.

    Unknown to the residents, the demolition meant business on Wednesday, and they were caught unawares, as there was pandemonium and tears from the residents.

    “I parked into this area in March 2022, and just renewed my rent in March 2023, which cost N400,000.00. Where can I park now? If I had known, I wouldn’t have come to this area,” one of the female victims, who spoke under anonymity said.

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Minister of FCT on Monitoring, Inspection and Enforcement, Ikharo Attah, said that the demolition was necessitated by the need to reclaim the place for infrastructure development.

    He said that the victims took advantage of the proximity of the area to the FCC, and flouted the Abuja Master Plan rules, turning the area into a haven for bad eggs.

    Attah regretted that some of the unauthorised structures in the area were hideouts for drug dealers and suspected criminals that terrorise mostly Maitama and Asokoro residents in the city.

    “We came here today to attack the triple illegalities associated with squatter settlements, the criminals’ den inside the cashew plantation in Gishiri, where we recovered cocaine and other hard drugs.

    “Although there were tears and lamentations, we are not done yet as we are just getting warm up in Gishiri, and this is the first time the bulldozers came into Gishiri, since the days of Mallam Nasiru Ahmed El-rufai as FCT Minister.

    “The team from Development Control is  firing from all cylinders, even as those of us who are political appointees are going, we are sure that when we leave, the team on ground is set to continue the city clean up exercise,” he said.

    The Director, the Department of Development Control, Murkhtar Galadima, after the demolition, said that the exercise, which was the mother of all demolitions, was to rid the city of illegal structures.

    “The clean-up exercise is to rid the city of illegal structures. When you see demolition like, this is because of the magnitude of illegal structures in this particular area. Over 10 years ago, we have been marking and removing (structures), but no headway. But today, we got a headway.

    “This area is a water pipeline corridor coming from lower Usman Dam to various tanks in town. Some of the buildings are on flood plain. This demolition is (the) mother of all demolitions because it contains everything. Any land that is not approved by Development Control is illegal, and therefore, will be removed,” he said.

  • 3 dead as mob lynch bike snatchers in Abuja

    Operators of bike riders popularly called ‘Okada’ on Tuesday night lynched two bike snatchers who stabbed a rider to death in Jikwoyi, a suburb in Abuja.

    Nigerian Anchor learnt from some residents that the incident happened between 9pm and 10pm at the Jikwoyi Extension III (popularly called Dagbadna) area of the community.

    The Okada rider was said to be carrying the two men from Phase II Junction to an area of the Jikwoyi Extension III, where there is a mission hospital called Cornelian Hospital.

    When they got to the area, which is usually lonely, the two men told the okada rider to stop them.

    It was at that point that they began to struggle with him, in an attempt to snatch his bike from him.

    When they could not forcefully overpower him to snatch the okada from him, they opted to stab him severally to weaken him.

    Having succeeded in taking the bike from him, they left him bleeding on the ground, and drove away.

    Luckily for the badly wounded okada rider, some of his colleagues found him, and he narrated what happened to him, before they rushed him to a nearby hospital.

    His colleagues went to the Mai Angwa Vigilante to report the incident, and the vigilante group quickly went after the thieves.

    After combing the bush for about 30 minutes, they found them, with the okada, and arrested them.

    The badly stabbed okada rider, however, died in the hospital, after some minutes.

    The sad news infuriated the other okada riders, who stormed the Mai Angwa Vigilante post, overpowered the vigilante group, dragged out the thieves, and beat them to death.

    Nigerian Anchor’s efforts to get the Mai Angwa speak on the matter was abortive, as he was not in his home office.