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Tag: law enforcement

  • Benue Police Eliminate Notorious Bank Robbery Duo

    Benue Police Eliminate Notorious Bank Robbery Duo

    The Benue State police have successfully intercepted and neutralized two of the armed robbers responsible for a series of heinous crimes, including an attack on a police station and the raid of multiple banks in Otukpo.

    The brazen criminals targeted prominent financial institutions, including First Bank, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, Access Bank, and Stanbic Bank, making away with a yet-to-be-verified sum of money.

    According to a statement released by Catherine Anene, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, the security forces managed to intercept the robbers along the Otukpo-Taraku road, resulting in a deadly encounter in which two of the robbers lost their lives.

    The statement reported, “On 20/10/2023 at about 1615hrs, armed robbers invaded Access, First, Zenith, UBA, and Stanbic banks in Otukpo simultaneously. The Otukpo Divisional Police Officer, CSP. John Adikwu, and other police teams in the area engaged them in a gun battle but were unable to prevent their attack on the banks.”

    Further reinforcements, including additional police teams and security agents, were swiftly dispatched to Otukpo to stabilize the situation and prevent the remaining robbers from escaping. 

    The criminals who were intercepted along the Otukpo-Taraku road engaged in a fierce gun battle with the officers, resulting in the death of two of the assailants.

    Tragically, during the confrontation, the DPO, CSP. John Adikwu, sustained a gunshot injury to his stomach, and three other police officers lost their lives.

     Additionally, several individuals who were present during the bank robberies sustained injuries and have been transported to the hospital for medical treatment.

  • Kaduna Police Launch Manhunt For Killers Of NYSC Member

    The Kaduna State Police Command is on a mission to apprehend the assailants responsible for the brutal killing of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Grace Chalya Silas. 

    Silas was tragically stabbed to death during her morning jog in Barnawa, Kaduna South Local Government Area.

    The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, shocked the community.

    According to the spokesperson of the Kaduna Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan, miscreants on motorcycles, identified as phone snatchers, are suspected to be the culprits behind this heinous act.

    After the matter was reported to the police, Silas was rushed to a clinic, but she was later confirmed dead. 

    The Kaduna Commissioner of Police, CP Musa Yusuf Garba, ordered an immediate manhunt for the killers, and an emergency meeting was held to address this tragic incident.

    CP Garba expressed his condolences and described the incident as “tragic.”

    He said the police are working closely with NYSC authorities in the state to ensure that justice is served for Grace Chalya Silas.

  • Police To Sanction Man Who Fired Shots To Celebrate Ladipo Market Reopening

    The spokesperson for the Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, has confirmed the identification of the man seen firing celebratory shots at the Ladipo market reopening in Lagos State.

    The incident, which went viral on Tuesday, showed the individual discharging rounds into the air while a crowd cheered him on.

    Adejobi had initially announced a probe into the matter and assured the public that the man’s identity would be revealed.

    In an update provided on Wednesday via his X (formerly Twitter) account, Adejobi disclosed that the man had been positively identified. 

    He further stated that the Lagos State police command would address the issue, adding, “The man has been identified. The Lagos state police command will speak on it asap. Let’s wait for their reaction on the matter. I really commend the efforts of the CP on it. Excellent indeed. Thanks.”

  • Father Defiles 4-Year-Old Daughter In Abuja

    Mrs Modupe Maduba, an Assistant Chief Intelligence Officer, told an FCT High Court in Kubwa that a 35-year-old man, Onyebuchi Ezema defiled his four-year-old daughter.

    The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), charged Ezema, who resides in Zone 9, Lugbe AirPort Road, Abuja with assault, to which he pleaded not guilty.

    Maduba of the NAPTIP said this while being cross examined by the defence counsel, Opeyemi Adeyemi at the resumed trial of Onyebuchi Ezema.

    During cross-examination, Adeyemi asked Maduba the time, date and place the defendant committed the said offence.

    He further asked if Maduba knew where the defendant’s wife kept the victim the day it happened and if it was possible an unknown person penetrated her vagina.

    The defence counsel also asked the investigator to describe where the defendant lived and if there was electricity on the day of the incident.

    In response, Maduba said the incident happened on April, 15, 2020 at Lugbe Zone 6, at night.

    “The defendant lives in a one-bedroom self contained apartment with his son whom he sleeps with in same room alongside his wife and daughter (the victim).

    “The defendant’s wife left her child with her cousin whom lives in the same village, while she went to work on the said date,” she said.

    The investigator added that she did not know if there was electricity on the day of the incident.

    Adeyemi asked if the investigator discovered any blood stain on the minor in the course of her investigation and if a finger print examination was carried out on the child to confirm if it was the defendant’s finger.

    The defence counsel asked the investigator to read out the medical report in court, if it stated that the defendant broke the victim’s hymen.

    Maduba responded that she did not see any blood stain on the victim, no finger print examination was carried out and the medical report did not state whom broke the victim’ s hymen.

    Adeyemi however applied for a no-case submission to the court.

    Following the defence counsel’s submission, Justice Asmau Akanbi-Yusuf adjourned the matter until Dec.13 for adoption of the no-case submission.

  • Criminal Activities: Police Arrest 298 Suspects In Jigawa

    The Police Command in Jigawa has arrested 298 suspects for alleged criminal activities in the third quarter of 2023.

    This is contained in a statement by the Spokesman of the Command, DSP Lawan Shiisu, on Wednesday in Dutse.

    He said the Police recovered 64 rustled animals, fire arms and rescued six kidnapped victims in special operations conducted within the period under review.

    Shiisu said the suspects were apprehended for alleged robbery; kidnapping, murder, rape, vandalism, animal rustling, fraud, among others.

    He listed the suspects to include 25 robbery; 12 kidnapping, 36 murder, 25 rape, 37 theft, 15 vandalism, 17 animal rustling and five over fraud, while 126 others arrested for allegedly belonging to gang of brigands.

    The Police, he said, recovered one AK-47 riffle; one Beretta pistol, three locally-made guns, 48 live ammunitions, 20 motor vehicles/cycles, and 64 rustled animals.

    Other items recovered include 560 parcels of Cannabis Sativa and a number of narcotic substances.

    “The crime prevention strategies adopted by Jigawa Police Command in the ongoing fight against all forms of crimes and criminalities in the state during the period under review, yielded dividends, as the state remained generally peaceful as residents go about their lawful businesses without fear of molestation.

    “This feat was made possible by the proactive measures put in place by the command, whose personnel worked tirelessly to checkmate the activities of criminals for a peaceful atmosphere,” he said.

    He commended the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, the Jigawa government and other security agencies for their support to the Command

    While reiterating commitment of the Command to protect lives and property, Shiisu urged residents of the state to support the Police in the fight against crimes. 

  • DSS Storms Ondo PDP Headquarters

    On Monday, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) and members of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) made a conspicuous appearance at the Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State.

    These security personnel were seen positioning their vehicles in the vicinity of the opposition party’s headquarters.

    Kennedy Peretei, the spokesperson for the Ondo PDP, officially confirmed the presence of the security operatives.

    He disclosed that their primary objective appeared to be the prevention of a planned peaceful protest scheduled by the party’s youth wing.

    Peretei further clarified that the protest aimed to address the ongoing absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu from the State since April 2023, with the intent of seeking information about his whereabouts. 

    Notably, this heightened security presence hindered the entry of staff into the PDP secretariat.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) sounded an alarm on Sunday, alleging potential machinations by the PDP and certain APC figures to instigate unrest within the state. 

    The APC statement emphasized that Governor Akeredolu would soon return to the State, asserting that he has continued to carry out his official duties even while away.

  • Q3: NDLEA Has Seized N80m Worth Of Drugs, Arrested 134 Suspects -Commander

    The National Drug Law, Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) FCT command has seized 3,988.74 kilograms of assorted drugs with a monetary value of N80milion.

    The FCT Commander of Narcotics, (CN) Mr Kabir Tsakuwa disclosed this in Abuja.

    Tsakuwa however, said that a total of 134 suspected drug traffickers, peddlers and abusers were also arrested in the same period.

    He named the assorted drugs as cannabis Sativa, Cocaine, Methamphetamine, Tramadol, Rohypnol and Diazepam.

    He added that the major drug seized by the Operatives of the NDLEA was cannabis sativa adding that many suspects were prosecuted and convicted in the same period.

    According to him, cannabis sativa seized within the same period are 3,861.789kg while cocaine intercepted were 0.038Kg

    “Others includes diazepam which weighs 13.63Kg, Tramadol weighs 105.136Kg while Methamphetamine weighs 3.024Kg, Ectasy weighs 0.009kg with Pentazocine weighing 1.070Kg.

    “134 suspected drugs users and traffickers were arrested in third quarter in which 128 are males and six are females.

    “The total street value of drugs seized within the same period is about Eighty Million Naira (N80m).

    “One hundred and four (104) suspects were prosecuted, out of which 27 were convicted,” he said.

    Speaking on what the command had been doing to ensure reduction of usage and trafficking of illicit drugs in the FCT, the NDLEA boss said that the Command had a balanced approach in drug control strategy.

    This, he said was via drug demand reduction and drug supply reduction as they both complemented each other.

    He said the demand reduction was aimed at preventive measures while the supply reduction strategy was about enforcement duties.

    He said “under the preventive strategy, we have a sustainable intensive sensitisation and public enlightenment programme using the platform of “War Against Drug Abuse” (WADA).

    Tsakuwa said that WADA was a social advocacy campaign designed to get every Nigerian involved in the task of ridding the country of illicit substance.

    “We organised programmes in schools, corporate organisations, religious places of worship (Mosques and Churches), etc. to ensure involvement of all stakeholders.

    “We collaborate with quite a number of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders to carry out sensitisation.

    “We also provide support systems for drug dependent individuals through counseling at our rehabilitation centre that is manned by well learned counseling experts.

    “Clients are counseled for a period of three, six and 12 months depending on the level of addiction of the individual.

    “Under Supply reduction, we embark on arrest of drug offenders, investigation and prosecution,” he said.

  • NDLEA Seizes $4.8m, CFA57m Fake Currencies On Lokoja-Abuja Highway

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has seized 4.9 million dollars and 57 million CFA suspected to be counterfeits on the Abuja-Lokoja Highway.

    The CFA, backed by the French treasury, is the legal tender in Francophone West and Central Africa and accepted in 14 countries.

    The Director, Media and Advocacy at the NDLEA, Mr Femi Babafemi stated on Sunday in Abuja that the suspected counterfeit notes were seized from a commercial bus travelling from Lagos to Kano.

    “A search of the bus led to the seizure of the 4.8 million dollars and 57 million CFA suspected to be counterfeits,’’ he stated.

    Babafemi also celebrated the jailing of an acting district head in Sokoto, Alhaji Umar Mohammed (aka Dan Bala) for five-and-a-half years for dealing in drugs.

    A Federal High Court in Sokoto presided over by Justice Ahmad Mahmud sentenced the acting district head after the NDLEA preferred a four-count charge of drug dealing against him in October 2022.

    The NDLEA told the court that Mohammed was in possession of and dealing in 436.38kg of Indian hemp and 7kg of other psychotropic drugs.

    The court sentenced Mohammed to two years on each of the first two counts with an option of N1 million fine, and eight months on each of the third and fourth counts without an option of fine.

    On Oct. 11, NDLEA operatives stormed Orue Forest in Owan West Local Government Area of Edo where they arrested one Happy Akashili (37) and Solomon Uwesue (40) in a hut located inside an Indian hemp farm.

    Babafemi stated that the farm measured 2.4 hectares and was destroyed, adding that 92kg already processed skunk were also recovered there.

    He added that 49kg of skunk was also seized at Ogbeturu camp in the area.

    The NDLEA spokesman stated also that the agency had been advancing its advocacy on drug supply reduction with the War against Drug Abuse (WADA) in campaigns in schools, markets, worship centres and communities.

    Babafemi added that one of the flagship programmes of the advocacy was the WADA sensitisation lecture on drug use and mental Health for students of 15 secondary schools at the University of Ibadan.

    The sensitisation lecture was also delivered in schools in Badagry, Lagos State; in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State; in Awka; in Gombe; in Benue, Zamfara and in Kano.

  • NDLEA Arrests 2 Fugitive Drug Kingpins, Nabs 2 Others For Swallowing 175 Heroin Wraps

    NDLEA Arrests 2 Fugitive Drug Kingpins, Nabs 2 Others For Swallowing 175 Heroin Wraps
    Some of the suspects paraded by the NDLEA on Sunday

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has successfully detained two wanted leaders of transnational criminal organizations, while also capturing two additional individuals who ingested a combined total of 175 wraps of heroin.

    This achievement follows weeks of intelligence-driven operations both within Nigeria and abroad.

    According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson Mr. Femi Babafemi in Abuja on Sunday, the apprehension of these suspected drug lords occurred in conjunction with the interception of cocaine and heroin consignments.

    These drugs, concealed within the bodies of two traffickers destined for Paris, France, and Doha, Qatar, were seized by NDLEA officers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

    Furthermore, operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, managed to detain Hakeem Salami on October 10. Salami is the ringleader of the “Tajudeen Babatunde Abioye Transnational Criminal Organization,” which deals in multiple narcotics, including Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Ephedrine, trafficking them between Nigeria, Brazil, Ghana, South Africa, Mozambique, and Europe.

    Salami had fled to South Africa after one of his syndicate members, Suleiman Oba, was arrested at the Lagos airport on August 25 for attempting to export 25.10 kgs of ephedrine to South Africa.

    Salami was eventually located and apprehended through collaboration with South African authorities and other intelligence sources. Some of his luxury vehicles were confiscated, and his residence in Surulere, Lagos, was sealed.

    Other members of the cartel already in custody include Suleiman and Godwin Edet Mathew.

    In a statement, Salami claimed to have previously engaged in the importation of building materials from China to Nigeria and had sold gold in South Africa before venturing into the illegal drug trade about two years ago.

    Additionally, the head of another cartel, Ikechukwu Okafor (known as Jantu), and his wife, Ifeyinwa Okafor, were apprehended on October 5 when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in the Okota area of Lagos. During the operation, 27.566 kilograms of methamphetamine hidden in a blue box and two sacks, intended for export to Europe and Asia, were seized.

    Their Lexus RX350 with the registration ABJ 512 AY was also impounded during the operation. The arrests followed several weeks of intelligence gathering about the criminal network.

    At the Abuja airport, on October 6, operatives arrested a suspected drug trafficker, Nwofor Ejiogu, 45, during the outward clearance of a Qatar Airways flight to Doha. After a body scan revealed he had ingested cocaine, he was placed under observation, during which he excreted 75 pellets of cocaine weighing 1.653 kgs.

    At the time of his arrest, Nwofor offered to bribe an NDLEA officer with $3,000 in an attempt to secure his release.

    On October 7, another trafficker, Nwufo Charles, 45, was arrested while attempting to board a Lufthansa Airlines flight to Paris, France via Frankfurt, Germany.

    After being scanned and taken into a recovery room, he excreted 96 wraps of heroin he had ingested, with a total weight of 1.413 kgs.

  • LASG Arrests, To Arraign 30 Environmental Offenders

    The Lagos State Government has arrested about 30 environmental offenders for improper disposal of wastes and disregard for the state’s environmental laws.

    They will be arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

    The environmental laws enforcement team comprises officers from the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), also known as KAI.

    The offenders, who were apprehended in different locations, were said to be engaged in acts capable of defacing the environment and derailing efforts to entrench cleanliness in the metropolis.

    According to Mr Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, the arrest and subsequent prosecution of people engaged in indiscriminate waste disposal shows that it is no longer business as usual.

    “The state government will not fold its hands and watch some elements derail efforts to maintain sanity in the city.

    “Today’s action will serve as a deterrent and warning to others.

    “The era of people hiding under the guise of darkness to dump waste at unauthorised locations is over; anyone caught will be prosecuted,” he told newsmen.

    He appealed to residents to acquire waste bins and regularly clean up their surroundings as government plans to commence full environmental checks on homes and business premises.

    The official reminded residents of their legal obligation towards a sustainable environment which included acquiring covered waste bins, shunning reckless waste disposal and mandatory patronage of assigned private operators.

    “It is imperative for every resident, householders and business owners alike, to be aware of their legal obligations regarding waste management.

    “Everyone must procure bins, engage with assigned private participants, refrain from indiscriminate waste disposal, maintain drains and clean the frontage of their establishments,” Wahab said

    LAWMA managing director Muyiwa Gbadegesin, on his part, urged households to imbibe the habit of sorting their wastes at source.

    “Such waste should be segregated into recyclables and non-recyclables and be disposed at designated waste bins recommended by LAWMA.

    “If we do this, it will reduce the menace of indiscriminate waste dumping that defaces the cityscape.

    “The responsibility for maintaining a clean environment is a collective one. It is not the sole duty of LAWMA or the state government. It is the duty of every individual, household and business owner in Lagos.

    “We are appealing to residents to avoid indiscriminate dumping of wastes in public spaces as it poses significant health and environmental hazards. Violators of environmental laws will face severe legal consequences,” Gbadegesin said.