Weekly Security Report Weekly Report week 22 week 22
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INCIDENTS BY CATEGORY
S/N | CATEGORY | MAJOR INCIDENTS |
| 1 | Kidnap/Hostage | 8 |
| 2 | Robbery | 5 |
| 3 | Gang | 9 |
| 4 | Drugs |
|
| 5 | Maritime Incidents | 1 |
| 6 | Terrorism | 7 |
| 7 | Political/Government Agencies | 1 |
| 8 | Murder/Assassinations | 10 |
| 9 | Rape Incidents | 3 |
| 10 | Others | 2 |
|
| Review/Analysis | |
Kidnap/Hostage Incidents
3 Women Abducted in Ekiti
Three women, whose identities were yet to be unveiled by security agencies, were on May 15, abducted by unknown gunmen in Ekiti State. They were said to have been kidnapped with their husbands and unspecified number of children along Igbole-osi road while travelling to Ibadan, Oyo State, for a wedding. The spate of kidnaps has prompted Governor Ayo Fayose to cry out to the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, to quickly come to the aid of the state to stem the evil act and ensure that people in the state had confidence to go about their normal businesses. Sources revealed that their captors later dropped the men and the children while the women were driven away in the car after collecting the phones and other valuables of the victims. Police spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi, confirmed the kidnap. The whereabouts of the women remained unknown.
Boy, 3, Kidnapped in Lagos Church
A three-year-old boy, identified as Emmanuel Chibuike Ejiogu, was, on May 18, kidnapped from the Watchman Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement in Palm Grove area of Lagos. The toddler, it was gathered, was discovered missing after the close of service. The kidnappers have reportedly demanded for a ransom of N700,000. A family source said after much plea, they reportedly settled for N130,000. Frantic efforts were on to rescue him. A member of the church said they were warned not to involve the police or the press if they wanted to see their child alive.
Adamawa Legislator Kidnapped
The member representing Toungo Constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Usman, was, on May 15, kidnapped by gunmen, who stormed his house at Kofare area of Yola, the state capital. He was reportedly forced him into a car and whisked him away. The reports revealed that the kidnap may be connected with the lingering crisis in the State House of Assembly which had divided the Assembly into two factions with two speakers. However, the kidnappers are yet to place a ransom on the abductee or state any reason for the kidnap at the time of sending this report. The Adamawa Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Othman Abubakar, who confirmed the incident, said the police are investigating the incident.
Gunmen Kidnap 2 Women in Bayelsa
Armed men, May 20, struck in Bayelsa State kidnapping two persons, Patience Egbeni (35) and Kate Eni at Akimpelai community in Ogbia LGA of the State. The women were said to have been abducted from their provision stores located along the riverbank. The gunmen were said to have forcibly taken the victims into a waiting speedboat to an unknown place. The abductors were said to be six in number when they stormed the community through the river. The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Butswat Asinim, confirmed that the gunmen were dressed in military camouflage. He said the marine and anti-kidnapping squad of the police including the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, had been contacted.
Gunmen Kidnap Mother Driving Children to School
Unknown gunmen, May 20, kidnapped a woman on her way to drop her children at school in Aba, Abia state. Eyewitness accounts
revealed that the kidnappers used their vehicle to block the woman as she approached Road 8 junction, Federal Housing Estate, Ogbor Hill, and ordered the children out of the car. A resident of the area lamented that gunmen attempted to kidnap the woman’s husband two weeks earlier, but he escaped.
Two Construction Workers Kidnapped in Delta
Unidentified gunmen, May 20, abducted an expatriate and a Nigerian, both staff of the construction company handling Patani-Oduophori Road in Patani LGA of Delta State. Public Relations Manager of the company, Owhondah Ebere, said the incident occurred at an NDDC project site in Patani. A resident of the community, Perezilagha Orutu, disclosed that the gunmen took their victims, both males, through Agoloma community to Sagbama in Bayelsa State.
Teenagers Arrested for Kidnapping 9-Month-Old Baby
A 19-year-old girl, Rachael John and a nine-year-old girl have been arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command for allegedly kidnapping a nine-month-old baby. Police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this on May 21, said the suspects were neighbours of the baby’s mother. Adejobi said police detectives made the arrest at old toll gate, Ijebu-Ode, on May 20. He said the suspects allegedly demanded for N2 million for the baby to be released. Adejobi said the mother of the baby reported to police, when she noticed that the suspects had taken away the baby. He said police detectives immediately swung into action, and traced the suspects to Ogbere, Ijebu-Ode, where they were arrested. The PPRO said one of the suspects had, through a letter, threatened to deal with the baby’s mother, adding that it was neighbours who saw the baby being taken away that alerted the mother.
Gunmen Kidnap Mother of Federal Lawmaker-Elect in Benue
The 72-year-old mother of Orker Jev, House of Representatives member-elect for Buruku Federal constituency, Mama Mwuese Jev, has been kidnapped. The septuagenarian was kidnapped on May 20 from her home at Tombo Mbala in Buruku LGA of Benue State by unidentified armed men, who stormed her residence at night, shooting sporadically. Son of the victim and two-term member of the House of Representatives, Jev, confirmed the development, lamenting that the gang was yet to open up any channel of communication. Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Austin Ezeani, confirmed the incident.
Robbery
Robbers Attack, Stab Woman over N2.2m Property
A suspected robber, Yusuf Olalekan, has been sent back to prison custody after a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting on the Lagos Island turned down his plea for bail. It was learnt that 19-year-old Olalekan and an accomplice, who is still at large, had allegedly attacked a businesswoman, Jolomi Etabuko, in her house on Ihuntayi Street, Victoria Island, around 2am on April 20, stabbing her in the shoulder. PUNCH Metro gathered that the gang left Etabuko in a pool of blood and carted away money, phones, laptops and jewellery, among other valuables. The property stolen was valued at N2.2m. Neighbours were said to have been alerted to the incident by Etabuko’s groan. They reportedly took her to a hospital, where she was responding to treatment. The case was adjourned till June 8, 2015.
Police Nab Suspected Robber in Lagos
The Lagos State Police Command, May 15, arrested a suspected robber, Chinedu Okeke, while his accomplice, who was on a motorcycle, fled the scene. It was learnt that policemen from the Orile division were on a patrol along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway when the suspects were intercepted during a stop-and-search. Okeke was alleged to have been found with a bag, which contained one AK-47, three magazines and 20 live ammunition. Police spokesman, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident, adding that efforts were on to apprehend the fleeing suspect. Nwosu said the command would continue to improve on its strategies to reduce crime rate. He added that criminals and criminal activities had no hiding place in Lagos State.
Ondo Police Parade 30 Suspected Criminals
Thirty suspected criminals, including two inmates that escaped during Ekiti jailbreak in 2014, were on May 21 paraded by the Ondo State Police Commissioner of Police, Isaac Eke, disclosed that 12 of the suspects paraded were armed robbers, five suspected cultists and motorcycle snatchers among others. Eke said one of the suspected armed robbers, Femi Olowoporoku 38, who robbed five banks in Owo, killed and stole the telephone of one of the policemen, had been arrested. According to him, the two inmates that escaped during Ekiti jailbreak, Tope Daramola and Banji Adedayo, had confessed to committing other robbery cases including Ekiti bank robbery. The police chief added that one other suspect, Segun Akinseye, and two other now at large robbed one Komolafe Remidayo of his vehicle. Other items carted away by the five-man robbery gang included N1.6 million cash, five assorted mobile phones valued at N200,000 and other valuables. The commissioner said on receipt of the complaint, detectives attached to Special Anti-Robbry Squad (SARS). According to him, one of the suspects, Banji, was taken to Iro Street for investigation by detectives in a bid to arrest other fleeing gang members.
2 Docked for Robbery
Two men, Ismaila Oladosun, 28, and Monday Paul, 35, were on May 21 arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court over allegations of robbery and firearms. Oladosun and Paul were said to have committed the offence on September 6, 2014, at the Federal Highway Patrol Barracks, Ikeja, Lagos State. They were arraigned on a three-count charge of robbery and firearms before Chief Magistrate A. O. Akinde. The suspects pleaded not guilty. The plea was, however, not granted by the magistrate, who adjourned the matter till July 14 for mention.
Police Arrest 23 Suspected Armed Robbers, Cultists
As part of the efforts to stem the rising cases of criminality in Delta State, police detectives at the state police command, have arrested no fewer than 23 suspected kidnapers and cultist at different parts of the State. Police Public Relation Officer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the arrest, assured of the commitment of the police to rid the state of all forms of criminality.
Gang Incidents
Police Squad Arrests Five Policemen, 98 Others over Edo Cult War
Five police officers were, May 17, arrested in Benin, following their alleged attempt to shield some suspected cultists from arrest. This came as the crack team of detectives sent by the Inspector-General, Solomon Arase, to Edo State over the cult war in the state looked set to prosecute 11 kingpins of different cult groups, including some public servants for cultism, conspiracy and murder of 10 persons. The five policemen were arrested by men of the IGP’s crack team. Also, 98 other suspects, including students from higher institutions in the state, arrested by the police in connection with cult violence in the state, have been detained in the state. They were said to have been arrested as they converged on Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, for an initiation ceremony. Briefing the media on the update of investigations into cult killings in Edo State, Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said the cultists and their gang leaders murdered innocent persons between April 5 and May 5 this year.
Motorcyclists, Touts Clash in Lagos
Fight broke out, May 18, between motor park touts, otherwise known as agbero, and Hausa commercial motorcyclists, in Ejigbo area of Lagos, leaving several persons severely injured. Motorcycles were reportedly burnt, while motorists who ran into the fight had their cars’ windscreens shattered. Reports said the fight was caused by high levies imposed on motorcyclists plying NNPC and Canoe axis by members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW. Trouble occurred at NNPC Junction, after one of the motorcyclists from the Northern part of the country was accosted by an agbero, who demanded evidence of payment. His refusal to show any evidence of payment reportedly led to verbal confrontation which degenerated into a fight. The commercial motorcyclist was said to have been gang-beaten to a state of coma. His colleagues, who witnessed the brutality, reportedly alerted others at the Canoe end, who rushed to NNPC and attacked any toll collector in sight. This led to a free-for-all where dangerous weapons such as broken bottles, knives and cutlasses were freely used.
Traders, Soldiers Clash in Mile 12, Lagos
There was pandemonium in the Mile 12 area of Lagos on May 18 when some Hausa traders went on the rampage and reportedly engaged soldiers in a clash. According to eyewitnesses, the confusion started at about 2pm when the traders were chased out of the Ikorodu Road by the soldiers. Our correspondent gathered that the soldiers, who were in a patrol van, had stopped to rid the road of traders, who were selling their wares and causing gridlock. It was gathered that the Hausa traders, allegedly resisted the soldiers and engaged them in a fight. A shop owner in the area, who identified herself simply as Adejoke, said the clash compounded the traffic snarl in the area for about an hour, as many people fled the scene.
Cultists Kill Tricycle Driver in Lagos
A gang of four suspected cultists, May 15, killed a 25-year-old tricycle driver, Debo Oturu, at the Mushin area of Lagos State. The suspects were said to have shot continuously at the victim until he died. An eyewitness, Bolaji Kosoko, who also sustained gunshot injuries, said a member of the gang pursued him for raising the alarm. He told PUNCH Metro that eight bullets had been removed from his body. The victim said some of his friends assisted him to a place where he received treatment, adding that Debo died on the spot.
Police Parade Suspected Cultists in Edo
The police, May 18, paraded over 40 suspected cultists allegedly responsible for the death of several individuals in Edo State. The suspects which included 11 alleged cult leaders and thirty student and artisan cultists alleged to have played various roles in acts of terror, vicious inter and intra cult conflicts leading to the several dead and destruction of property. Force spokesman, CP Emmanuel Ojukwu who paraded the suspects said the harvest of arrest was the outcome of IGP Solomon Arase’s dispatch of a crack squad to the state to stem the spate of cultism.
Enugu Police Nab 8 Suspected Cultists
Eight suspected cultists were, on May 17, arrested by the operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Enugu Police command after a raid at their hide-out over cult related killings and other heinous crimes. The suspects were arrested at an uncompleted building at Ibagwa-Nike, Enugu-East LGA while in the middle of an operation, following a tip-off. Among the suspects were two females, identified as Maryanne Arum and Uzor MaryJane, who served as the gangs’ cooks and baited victims to hide-outs for execution. According to police spokesperson, Ebere Amaraizu, the gang had terrorised residents of Abakpa-Nike, leaving in their wake trails of tears and anguish. Similarly, one Chukwu Emmanuel, who claimed to be a member of Enugu Neighbourhood Watch has been nabbed by SARS operatives for allegedly selling arms and ammunition to hoodlums. The suspect was apprehended on May 17, at Nkwubor, Emene in company of his accomplices. Recovered from the hoodlums are bullet proof vests, an automatic pump action gun, 13 rounds of live cartridges and two wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp.
14 Secondary School Students Nabbed for Alleged Cultism
The police in Edo State have arrested 14 Junior Secondary School students for alleged involvement in cult-related activities in Benin, the state capital. It was learnt that the pupils, aged between 12 and 15, were nabbed when a team of policemen stormed Oguola Secondary School at Saint Saviour in the Ikpoba Okha LGA of the state on May 14. According to a source in the school, eight of the suspects were apprehended at “flash spots” on the school premises. Their arrest, it was learnt, prompted the police to conduct a search on some pupils in the classrooms and items believed to be emblems of cult groups were recovered from them. It was also learnt that reports made against some pupils in the school by some parents were responsible for the arrest. The Principal of school, identified as Ehanire, appealed to the police command to release those found to be innocent.
25 Vehicles Vandalized as Gangs Unleash Mayhem in Ojota
The Ogudu Ojota area of Lagos State was in chaos after some rival cult groups clashed, vandalising no fewer than 25 vehicles on May 19. At least two residents were injured in the mayhem. It was gathered that the clash was between some street urchins, who stayed in a mechanic village on Olakunle Ajibade Street, also known as Toli, and some hoodlums serving the interest of a community leader. The Toli gang was said to be led by the son of a policewoman attached to the Ogudu Police Division, identified simply as Michael. It was learnt that hoodlums working with the policewoman’s son entered the Ogudu Ojota Road with weapons and damaged 15 vehicles. The matter was said to have been reported at the Ogudu Police Division, while the residents identified Michael as the mastermind of the attack. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Chioma Ajunwa, was said to have summoned Michael’s mother, a police inspector in the station, and ordered her to produce her son.
3 Dead as Transport Workers, Traders Clash in Ekiti
Three persons were, May 20, killed while properties and goods worth several millions of naira were set ablaze as traders and some members of the road transport union clashed in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Trouble started on May 19 when a bag belonging to wife of a chieftain of road transport workers was snatched by unknown persons along the Ijigbo-old garage road of the town. The enraged husband of the victim and his colleagues were said to have accused the traders in the axis, who are mostly of Yoruba and Hausa extractions of harbouring bag snatchers which eventually led to the fracas. Police spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi, said only four persons were injured. He added that two units of mobile policemen have been deployed to the trouble spot to restore peace to the area. Meanwhile, Governor Ayodele Fayose, has imposed a curfew on Ado Ekiti to prevent the raging fight from spreading to other parts of the state. The state Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Akinsola Osundiya, has distanced members of the union from the crisis.
Drugs
Maritime
Navy Arrests 30 Ships for Illegal Oil Bunkering
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Henry Babalola, May 16, disclosed that the Command has arrested over thirty vessels and destroyed some equipment and facilities used for illegal bunkering and refining of stolen crude oil. Babalola made the disclosure during a dinner staged to mark the end of a three-day Annual Sea Inspection of combat facilities in the commands’ area. The FOC stated that the command, in the last six months, have arrested well over thirty Ships, tug boats and barges in Port Harcourt, Ikot Abasi, Calabar, Bonny and Ibaka. He further disclosed that his men on patrols also destroyed numerous illegal refineries. Babalola said though the task given to the navy on maritime environment is very daunting, but the officers and ratings are equal to the task.
Terrorism
Military Destroys More Terrorists’ Camps in Sambisa Forest
The Nigerian military, May 16, killed a number of the insurgents and destroyed 10 additional camps used by the Islamic fundamentalists in the Sambisa forest. The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed that the Dure camp, which was one of the most prominent camps in the forest, witnessed the fiercest battle as the Special Forces descended heavily on it before it finally fell. According to Olukolade, four of the camps were located in a place called Iza within the forest while three others were noted to be recently established by the terrorists before the assault began. He also disclosed that one soldier died when he stepped on a landmine in the operation while two others were wounded. Meanwhile, Olukolade also said some of the fleeing terrorists engaged in suicide missions at Bitta where they encountered the Nigerian troops and Kiskeru across the border in Niger Republic.
Boko Haram Recaptures Marte
Marte, a town on the northern border of Borno State has again fallen into the hands of the Boko Haram terrorists. It was gathered from security sources that Marte was recaptured by the Boko Haram on May 15 after a massive attack. A source said most of the terrorists who fled Sambisa Forest camps of the outlawed sect and their other strongholds across Borno State regrouped in Marte, a border town north of Maiduguri, the state capital. The deputy governor of Borno state, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, who confirmed the recapture of Marte by Boko Haram terrorists, also raised the alarm that several women and girls are on the loose having been dispatched by Boko Haram terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.
Suspected Fulani Herdsmen Kill 8 in Benue
Men suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, May 15, attacked a Benue community in Shengev district of Gwer West LGA, killing eight persons while hundred others have been displaced. The communities; Tse-Agbulu, Tse-Atakpa and Tse-Abichi among others were besieged by the marauders with sporadic gunshots while many were wounded and dispossessed of their belongings. Worried by the killing of their people by the herdsmen, President, Tyoshin Development Association, a socio-cultural organisation, Dr. Sylvester Ugbegili, called on the Federal Government to stop the unnecessary invasion of the peoples’ farms and homes by the herdsmen. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Austin Ezeani, who confirmed the clash, said that only one person was killed. It will be recalled that communities in the area have suffered from innumerable attacks on their citizens by Fulani herdsmen since 2011.
10-Year-Old Suicide Bomber Kills Seven in Yobe
A girl, about 10 years old, carried out a suicide attack at popular Tasha Market/Motor Park in Damaturu, Yobe State capital, May 16, killing seven and injuring 31, witnesses said. The head of the local Sani Abacha General Hospital, Dr Garba Fika, said six bodies and 32 injured had arrived there with one person dying after being admitted. No claim of responsibility for the attack has been made but Islamist group Boko Haram has frequently used young girls to carry out suicide attacks. Aid workers evacuate injured persons in the suicide blast in Potiskum, Yobe State. The Medical Director of Sani Abacha General Hospital, however, said that the victims, with mild injuries, were responding to treatment and would be discharged soon. The state governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, directed the hospital authority to speed up the treatments and to work out modalities for the referral cases for urgent medical attention, while promising to foot all the bills.
Several Killed as Boko Haram Abducts 6 Women in Adamawa
Boko Haram insurgents have killed several people and abducted six women at Sabongari town in Madagali LGA of Adamawa State. The insurgents invaded the town on May 18, forcing residents to run into the bushes. A resident disclosed that the insurgents arrived at the village, shooting sporadically, killing many people and injuring others before abducting the women. The Chairman of Madagali LGA, Maina Ularamu, who confirmed the incident, called on government to provide more security in the area. Ularamu expressed regret that several villages and communities were presently without military presence and urged the Army to deploy troops to the areas.
Boko Haram Kills 22 Persons in Adamawa
The Boko Haram terrorists seem to be rebounding by launching several devastating attacks on hitherto liberated communities. A suicide bomber struck at Garkida town in Gombi LGA in Adamawa State, where he detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a local cattle market, killing 10 persons and injuring many others on May 19. Similarly, in a midnight attack in Madagali, also in Adamawa State, the insurgents shot and killed a dozen persons and injured many others. Speaking on the attack in Garkida, an eyewitness revealed that at about 2pm, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb at the weekly cattle market in Garkida town resulting in the killing of 10 persons on the spot and injuring several others who had been taken to the hospital for treatment. The eyewitness said that the bomb blast had caused serious apprehension as many feared that more of such attacks might be underway. He said he believed that the Boko Haram insurgents had regrouped and recruited a large number of suicide bombers to carry out future attacks on the state.
Male Bomber Kills 9 in Adamawa Market
A suspected male suicide bomber, May 19, attacked the Garkida Cattle Market in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, killing no fewer than nine persons and wounding several others. The suspect who posed as a cattle dealer detonated the explosives on entrance into the market. Another version of the story however, had it that the bomb had earlier been planted within the area of vegetable sellers in the market from where the explosive went off. Garkida town shares borders with Borno State and the Sambisa forest, the dreaded base of the Boko Haram insurgents. The member representing Gombi constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Jerry Kumdisi confirmed the incident.
Political/Government Agencies
Boko Haram: 579 Officers, Soldiers on Trial in Abuja, Lagos
The Nigerian Army, May 20, disclosed that about 579 officers and soldiers are currently facing General Court-Martial (GCM) in Lagos and Abuja for various offences ranging from acts of cowardice, desertion and sabotage. The Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, confirmed that two separate court martial were currently going on in the Army Headquarters Garrison Command, Abuja, and 81 Division, Nigerian Army, Abuja with a view to ensuring quick dispensation of justice, discipline and professionalism. He said that about 473 officers and soldiers are facing the court martial in Army Headquarters, Garrison in Abuja, while 106 officers and soldiers are standing trial in 81 Division, Lagos. Meanwhile, the soldiers are alleged to be facing trials over offences ranging from insubordination, acts of cowardice, refusal to carry out orders, indiscipline, and Absence without Leave (AWOL), amongst others.
Murder/Assassinations
Gunmen Kill 2 in Benue
Two persons were feared dead at separate incidents in Benue State on Sunday. It was gathered that one of the incidents was a cult-related killing where a young man was killed in Makurdi. According to an eyewitness, the incident took place at Edward Ujage Street, High Level in Makurdi, around noon. An eyewitness told Tribune Online that six young men attacked their victim. The gunshot was said to have made the passersby, especially those returning from church, to scamper for safety. It was gathered that the passersby attempted to help the shot victim while others called the police who rushed him to an undisclosed hospital. Also on Sunday, unknown gunmen killed a young man and injured two others in Gboko area of the state. The incident occurred when the gunmen shot dead the man on his motorcycle at a popular filling station in Yandev roundabout.
4 Policemen Arrested for Extra-Judicial Killing
The police in Ogun State have arrested four policemen who, on May 17, shot dead an operative of Global Concept Limited, one of the companies licensed by the Federal Government to protect pipelines in Sagamu area of the state. The deceased person, identified as Musibau Jimoh, was killed at Sagamu junction by one of the policemen, who allegedly ordered him to release the impounded vehicles and the arrested suspects to them. The arrested policemen were allegedly trying to rescue two pipeline vandals arrested in Arepo area of the state by men of Global Concept Limited. Angry residents in the area attempted to lynch the policemen, who shot into the air to escape from the scene before they were later arrested. The deceased Jimoh and one other person were in one of the buses when the policemen stopped the bus and demanded to know their mission.
Man Arrested over Death of Woman in His House
The police in Lagos State have arrested a driver, identified simply as Utebor, for the death of a lady in his apartment on May 15. The suspect had allegedly picked up the victim around Baruwa Estate in the Ipaja area of the state, on May 15 and took her home, but as they were having sex, she died. A neighbour was said to have alerted policemen from the Ipaja division, who arrested the suspect and deposited the victim’s corpse in a mortuary. The suspect had continued to plead his innocence, saying he only helped the deceased and did not have sex with her. It was learnt that the matter had been transferred to the Department of Criminal Investigation, Yaba, where the suspect was undergoing interrogation. The Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the incident.
Man, 26, in Court for Alleged Murder
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday ordered that one Rotimi Abolarin, 26, charged with the murder of a yet-to-be identified person, be remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons. Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun Abolarinwa declined to take the plea of the accused because his alleged offences raised questions about the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate on the case. Abolarinwa, however, adjourned the case to June 18 for mention. The Prosecutor, DSP Etim Nkankuk, had then told the court that Abolarin committed the offences with others still at large. He said that the accused committed the offences on Jan. 23 at 11.30 a.m., at the Nigeria Railway Corporation Line, opposite Mainland Hotel, Oyingbo in Ebute Meta, Lagos State. The prosecutor said the death of the yet-to-be-identified deceased was caused by blows to a delicate part of his body by the accused and his conspirators.
Assailants Stab Pupil to Death, Injure Another
A female pupil of the Fagge Special Primary School, Kano, has been hacked to death by unidentified assailants and dumped in the school pit toilet. It was gathered that the remains of the pupil, who had yet to be identified, was discovered on May 20. The assailants had reportedly scaled the school fence to commit the act. It was gathered that the attackers abducted the victim and another pupil while school activities were in progress. It was gathered that the two pupils were hacked and dumped in a pit toilet in the school. The female pupil died, while the male pupil reportedly survived the attack. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Musa Majiya, confirmed the incident. Majia said that investigation into the incident had commenced, adding that the motive behind the act had yet to be ascertained.
27 Killed in Plateau
At least another 27 persons were, on May 18 and 19, killed in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State in a two-pronged attack by people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen. The council Chairman, Dr. Emmanuel Loman, disclosed that the massacre started in Ninji where the Fulani went into the village and rustled cows belonging to the natives which was promptly reported to the police after they had killed seven people. Loman said the police trailed the Fulani where they were loading the cows into a truck and arrested the culprits. Apparently upset by the arrest, the remaining Fulani reportedly regrouped and attacked Ropp, another village in Barkin Ladi, with sophisticated weapons killing another 20 villagers, bringing the total number of those killed to 27. He said that security personnel had been killed in the recent past, adding that even the security personnel keep it secret to themselves.
Policemen Arrested over Alleged Killing of Bricklayer
The Ogun State Police Command is investigating the alleged role of four policemen in the killing of a 40-year-old bricklayer, Saliu Dada, in the Sango area of the state. It was learnt that the policemen were attached to the Quick Response Squad (QRS). It was gathered that on May 16, Dada and some of his colleagues had gone to work on a building in the Ijoko area of Sango. It was learnt that the QRS officers, acting on a tip-off on the violent activities of some land grabbers, had stormed the area. A source said an argument ensued at the construction site between the bricklayers and the policemen. The policemen allegedly shot Dada dead and fled the scene. A police source said that the policemen, however, insisted during interrogation that they did not kill anyone at the scene. Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed Dada’s death. He added that the policemen did not kill anyone in the area.
15 Killed in Benue Attacks
About 15 people were, May 21, killed in Benue State in an attack by unknown gunmen at the popular Kyado Market in Ukum LGA. The victims were killed when unknown armed men opened fire on traders at the market even as many, including children, also sustained varying degrees of injuries at the marker popularly known for its booming yam trade.
Gunmen Kill Two in Lagos Market
A large number of traders at the Alarape Market, Bajulaiye, in the Somolu area of Lagos fled their shops on May 21 when some gunmen, suspected to be cultists, invaded the area and unleashed mayhem. It was learnt that two persons were killed during the violence which started at about 10am. It was gathered that the first victim, Sulaiman Musbau, was hacked to death on Olatunde Street, while another man, identified only as Riliwan, was shot dead on Akinrinlo Road. Officers from the Alade Police Division were said to have picked up 22-year-old Musbau’s corpse from the scene, while Riliwan, also known as Chaka, was reportedly taken away by his family. The cause of the violence was the defection of some cult members to a political party, which did not go down well with rival cult groups. Police Public Relations Officer, Kenneth Nwosu, confirmed the tension in Bajulaiye, adding that the police had commenced operations to restore normalcy.
Assassins Kill SSS Officer in Delta State
Unidentified gun men believed to be assassins, May 20, killed an officer of the state security service (SSS) in Asaba, Delta State. The officer was reportedly shot dead while doing his official work around Okpanam community by the unknown gunmen. It was gathered that the killing may have been informed by the 2015 elections. The assassins trailed him right from the location of his primary assignment until he was allegedly shot close to his abode in Okpanam Community. Police Public Relation Officer, Celestina Kalu, who confirmed the killing of the officer, said calls were made to his family members by the assassins, informing them that they are not assassins but kidnappers and were demanding N10 million. Kalu stated that the ransom demand baffled everyone in the know, disclosing that it was a cover to kill him. She assured that security agents would do their best to fish out the assassins.
Rape
Teacher Defiles 12-Year-Old Female Student
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has arrested a 35-year-old teacher at Dan Zomo in Sule-Tankarkar LGA of Jigawa State for allegedly raping a 12-year-old student. Jigawa State Commandant of NSCDC, Dr. Mohammed Gidado, who confirmed the arrest on May 19, said the corps’ investigation had proven that the accused guilty. He said the girl also confirmed during investigation that the teacher had defiled her several times before the last one, which was inside the toilet of his office. The accused also admitted committing the crime and pleaded for mercy. Gidado disclosed that the medical report carried on the girl was being processed by the hospital, adding that when it was ready, it would further support the prosecution of the case.
Man Arrested over Rape of 9-Year-Old
A cloth dealer, Cyprian Edundu, 38, has been arrested by the police for allegedly raping a nine-year-old girl and daughter of his female friend. The suspect had lured the girl to his room sometime in October 2014 and allegedly raped her. It was gathered that Edundu, after the act, warned the girl not to inform anybody. The girl, however, told her mother when Edundu tricked her into his room and attempted to rape her the second time. The suspect was apprehended after the victim’s mother, identified simply as Amaka, reported the incident to the Police. Edundu, however, denied the allegation, claiming that he only sent the girl on an errand. Edundu was, May 18, brought before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court on one count of rape. The presiding magistrate, Mr. P.A. Adekomaya, admitted him to bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety in like sum. The case was adjourned till June 10, 2015 for mention.
Policeman Arrested over Rape of Detained College Student
The Officer-in-charge of the Osiele Police Post in Abeokuta, Ogun State, John Mafoya, has been arrested and is being quizzed at the state police command headquarters for allegedly raping a student of the Federal College of Education, Osiele. Mafoya was arrested after some students of the college reported the matter at the Odeda Police Division. The victim was, on April 30, arrested by the police for her involvement in a mob attack. But while in detention, the suspect drove the victim to his house where he allegedly raped her and then took her back to the police post and raped her again before sending her back to the cell. She, however, recorded the conversations she had with the police officer on her mobile phone. Police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed the allegation, adding that the police were still investigating the matter.
Others
3 Suffer Acid Bath in Delta State
The lingering territorial dispute between residents of Delta Steel Town Housing Estate of Delta Steel Company, DSC, and host Orhuwhorun in Udu LGA of Delta State, escalated over the weekend with three persons bathed with acid. The victims, Mr. & Mrs. D. S. Afam, 79 and 68 years, respectively, and an unidentified woman, allegedly suffered the acid bath, while several property were also destroyed in reprisal attack, following a machete attack on an Orhuwhorun native by suspected DSC Township youths. Relations between township and host Orhuwhorun have been tense since the blocks of flats belonging to DSC Estate were sold to pensioners and workers of the moribund steel company. Dr. Oputu Sherick, Public Relations Officer of National Task Force, disclosed that trouble started when a DSC Township gang chopped off one arm of an Orhuwhorun youth. He appealed to Orhuwhorun traditional authorities to amicably resolve the crisis before it got bloodier.
28 Children Killed in Niger Lead Poisoning
An out-break of lead poisoning has killed 28 children in Angwan Maijero and Angwan Karo, Madaka District in Rafi LGA of Niger State, following the activities of illegal miners. A statement by the Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, on May 17, indicated that the activity that gave rise to this out-break of lead poisoning was the informal mining which involves the adoption of unsafe mining practices, giving little or no regards to personal health, that of the general public and the environment.
Review/Analysis
Murder/assassination, once again took the lead with several stories of killings mostly within the south-west and south-eastern region of the country. The authorities, however, rose up to the occasion with the apprehending and killing of some suspects.
Gang related cases also took an upward plunge. Leading is the arrest of suspected cultists and their sponsors in Edo state. Communal and group clashes also lead to the destruction of lives and properties in the south-west. The police were able to restore peace in some of these affected areas, although residents remain apprehensive.
Kidnap/hostage cases maintained its place on the crime index with few cases recorded, though the authorities have failed to nab any of the suspects and some victims still held captive by these criminal gangs. The southern part of the country bears the brunt of these malicious activities.
Terrorism which had been on the rise in recent weeks, took a nosedive with just few incidents on record. The north-east region was the centre of these cruel acts.
Robbery incidents also went down the scale. The police maintained have done their bit with the arrest of some suspects. This was witnessed mostly in the southern part of the country.
We urge you to remain alert to your environment and promptly report any perceived threat, strange behaviour or movement to the appropriate authorities for investigation. You could save a life.