Weekly Security Report Weekly Report week 6 week 6
SUMMARY OF MAJOR INCIDENTS BY CATEGORY
S/N | CATEGORY | MAJOR INCIDENTS |
| 1 | Kidnap/Hostage | 7 |
| 2 | Robbery | 2 |
| 3 | Gang | 1 |
| 4 | Drugs |
|
| 5 | Militancy/Maritime Incidents | 3 |
| 6 | Terrorism | 7 |
| 7 | Political/Government Agencies | 2 |
| 8 | Murder/Assassinations | 7 |
| 9 | Rape Incidents | 5 |
| 10 | Others | 6 |
|
| Review/Analysis | |
Kidnap/Hostage Incidents
Kidnappers Take Delta Monarch
Kidnappers, January 29, abducted the regent of Odio-Ologbo in Olomoro Kingdom in Isoko South LGA of Delta State. The regent is the son of the 96-year-old monarch, HRM Josiah Aghaza I. The kidnappers have demanded N50 million, which they later reduced to N4million, as ransom for his release. Traditional rulers in the state have called on the state government to provide them with adequate security, noting that government was not doing much about their safety. Youths in the community have threatened to shut down the flow station in the area and barricade the Asaba/Onitsha expressway if their monarch was not released. The Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Alkali, who visited the community on January 30, has assured that the police was doing everything possible to ensure the safe release of the monarch.
Kidnappers Lay Siege to FESTAC, Abduct Businessman
A businessman, Francis Umeh, was January 28, abducted by unidentified gunmen at the Festac area of Amuwo Odofin LGA of Lagos State. Umeh was returning home from business when the gun wielding men, reportedly clad in military camouflage, intercepted his vehicle opposite his house, from where they dragged him into their vehicle and zoomed off. Umeh’s abduction comes barely two weeks after a businessman, Cosmos Ojukwu, was abducted in the same area. It was gathered that Ojukwu’s abductors demanded for $2m ransom, out of which members of his family, through the contribution of friends and relatives reportedly paid $1m after much plea.
Edo Police Command Rescue 3 Abducted Oil Workers in Benin
A team of detectives attached to the Edo State Police Command have rescued three oil workers attached to the Nigeria Petroleum Development Company (NPDC). The State Police Commissioner, Chris Ezike, who disclosed this on January 29, said the workers had been kidnapped along Old-Benin Lagos Road, around Oluku area of the state on their way to Lagos, on January 19. The Managing Director of the company, Abubakar Sadeeg Mai-Bornu, expressed their appreciation to the police for the speedy manner at which the workers were rescued.
Gunmen Kidnap Bayelsa Governor’s Aide in Rivers
Unknown gunmen, January 31, kidnapped Captain Henry Ungbuku (rtd), the special adviser on Aviation to Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson. Ungbuku was abducted as he was about leaving his church located at Iwofe area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State after the Sunday church service at about 10am. Ungbuku was stopped by the gunmen as he drove out of the church premises. An eyewitness said the kidnappers forced him out of his vehicle at gunpoint and whisked him into their waiting vehicle before driving off to an unknown destination.
Owerri Monarchs React to Kidnap of Colleague
The royal father of Nguru Nweafor community in Aboh Mbaise LGA of Imo State, Eze Oswald O. Anyanwu, has been kidnapped by unidentified hoodlums. The aggrieved royal fathers in the state, who moved to several road junctions in and around Owerri municipality, on February 2, placed curses on the kidnappers. According to the Head of Traditional Institutions in Owerri Zone, Eze Chidume Okoro, the royal fathers noted that despite the strategic programmes of the security agencies to make the state safe for all, the kidnappers have turned their arsenals against the royal institution, with a view to causing confusion and fear in the land. Reacting to the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Andrew Enwerem, said that there was no report on whether the royal father had been released or not.
Three Housewives Kidnapped in Zaria
The Kaduna State Police Command, February 4, confirmed the kidnap of three housewives at Dorayi village in Zaria LGA of the state. Police Spokesman, Zubairu Abubakar, said the women were kidnapped on January 31 by armed hoodlums. Abubakar said that the police were on the trail of the kidnappers and had intensified surveillance in the area. He urged the family members to cooperate with the police to ensure the safe release of the women. A village source disclosed that the armed kidnappers, numbering about 10, took the women away in the early hours of the day.
Ex-VP’s Orderly’s Son Kidnapped in Kaduna
The four-year-old son of the orderly to former vice president, Namadi Sambo, Nasirudeen has been kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Kaduna. The former vice president’s orderly, Sergeant Mahmood Mohammed, February 5, confirmed that his son was abducted in Marafa Estate of Kaduna metropolis. According to Mahmood, the abductor had, January 19, picked up his six-year-old daughter and his son from their Marafa estate residence, but later dropped off his daughter along Sultan road and went away with the boy. He added that the kidnappers had not made any contact with his family since the abduction.
Robbery
Police Arrest 2 Robbers in Bayelsa
The Police in Bayelsa State, February 4, confirmed the arrest of two armed robbers and the rescue of a former staff of the Bayelsa State Radio Corporation, Taiwo Yubowei, after he was shot by armed bandits. The rescue operation of the injured former Bayelsa Radio staff followed a tip off after a robbery operation at the Banna Estate residence of Yubowei in Azikoro village area of the state. Police spokesman, Asimin Butswat, confirmed that the armed robbers, who were armed with locally made weapons, dispossessed their victims of mobile phones and other valuables.
Shop Owner Locks in Armed Robbers
A courageous shop owner at the Okaka area of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital, February 4, locked in two armed robbers, who had, at gun point, raided his boutique in the presence of his wife. The shop owner, after locking them in, raised an alarm, which attracted neighbours and the police. According to police, the suspects were arrested and identified as Tahuka Femi (19) and Fegnes Fefegha (18). They had stormed the boutique of one Sunday Ayingo at Okaka and collected expensive clothing at gun point. Police spokesman, Asinim Butswat, confirmed the incident.
Gang Incidents
NSCDC Nabs 8 Suspected Cultists in Ondo
Eight secondary school students have been arrested by the Ondo State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for being cult members. They were arrested in Akure by officials of the command following a tip off. Parading the suspects, the State Commandant of the Corps, Ayinla Adeyinka, January 29, said that a former student of the school had gone back to the school to initiate the under-aged students. Adeyinka pointed out that the command was still investigating and would soon charge them to court. The NSCDC commandant said the command had been on the trail of the other fleeing suspects and assured that they would soon be arrested.
Drugs
Militancy/Maritime
Military Continues Offensive on Gbaramatu over Pipeline Bombing
Schools and health centres in Ijaw communities in Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West LGA of Delta State have been forced to shut down following the over two-week siege to the riverine communities by soldiers hunting for pipeline bombers. Teachers and health workers have also fled the communities and vowed not to return until peace was restored to the kingdom. Residents of Sandfield I and 2, Ogbogbene and other Ijaw villages in Warri overside have raised alarm over indiscriminate shootings by security operatives in their areas.
Security Forces Confirm Arrest of Suspected Pipeline Vandals
The Joint Task Force (JTF) in the Niger Delta, February 3, said it had arrested some suspects in connection with the recent multiple attacks and bombing of crude pipelines and installations in the region. The Coordinator, Joint Media Campaign Centre of the JTF, Col Isa Ado, who confirmed the arrest in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, said that the suspects were undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain the degree of their involvement before handing them over to the prosecuting agencies. He added that the patrol of the general area had been intensified while cordon and search operation continues until all the culprits are arrested. He warned the perpetrators of the crime to desist from further destruction of oil facilities or be ready to face the wrath of the law.
Militants Hijack Ship, Demand Kanu's Release
Unidentified gunmen, suspected to be militants in the Niger Delta region, January 29, hijacked a merchant ship and have threatened to blow it up with its foreign crew after 31 days if the Nigerian authorities did not release the detained leader of Nigerian separatists group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu. IPOB has been agitating for a breakaway state of Biafra. Defence Ministry spokesman, Brig-General Rabe Abubakar, February 2, who confirmed the hijacking, called it an act of sabotage. The military later clarified that the ship hijacked by the militants sympathetic to the embattled leader of IPOB, was berthed off the Republic of Benin territorial waters. General Abubakar said that the navy of the Republic of Benin was monitoring the ship.
Terrorism
Scores Killed, Injured as Terrorists Attack Borno
Military sources have confirmed that over 50 persons were killed by scores of Boko Haram terrorists that attacked Dalori village, about 4 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on January 30. The military promptly dispatched troops to engage the terrorists, resulting in a fierce gun battle. The terrorists were said to have inflicted heavy carnage on Dalori and another village of Walori, for close to two hours before the military arrived. The insurgents, armed with AK47 rifles and other sophisticated weapons, attacked the community dressed in military camouflage hence the villagers mistook them for troops on patrol. The attack came despite government claims that Boko Haram insurgents had been degraded and no longer had the capacity to assemble or carry out such large scale attacks except through suicide bombings.
Air Force Pounds Sambisa
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has sustained aerial bombardment of Sambisa Forest with over 280 operational sorties conducted against terrorist’s targets in the last one month. The Deputy Theatre Commander Air of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Oladayo Amao, February 1, disclosed that the air strikes and bombardments were conducted by the Air Component of the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East. Amao explained that the sustained air operations and surveillance within the Theatre of operation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, were intensified between December 2015 and January 2016 towards ending the Boko Haram menace.
Landmines Kill 5 in Borno
Five members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were, January 30, killed while four others sustained critical injuries when a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle rammed into landmines/Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) suspected to have been planted by Boko Haram terrorists in Buma village in Borno state. The occupants of the vehicle were on patrol when their vehicle drove on the landmine, which exploded leaving five members of the Civilian JTF including another volunteer dead.
65 Killed, 136 Injured in Dalori Village
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), February 1, said that a total of 65 persons lost their lives and 136 persons injured, following the January 30 attacks on Dalori village in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents. NEMA Information Officer, Sani Datti, disclosed that the victims were evacuated to Umaru Shehu Hospital, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Borno General Hospital for medical attention where 40 persons were confirmed dead, while the community had earlier buried 25 others. The insurgents came into the village, shooting sporadically, which caused people to scamper for safety. Those, who could not leave the village had converged under a big tree where one of the suicide bombers sneaked into their midst and detonated explosive devices killing scores of people and injuring many.
Military Intercepts Two Suicide Bombers in Maiduguri
The military, February 2, intercepted two suicide bombers a few kilometres into Maiduguri, Borno State. The Media Coordinator of the counter-insurgency force in the North-east (Operation Lafiya Dole), Col. Mustapha Anka, said the troops intercepted two suicide bombers trying to infiltrate Maiduguri through Muna Dalti, at about 100 meters ahead of the troops and youth vigilantes’ checkpoint.
Air Force Destroys Logistics Base of Boko Haram
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF), February 2, disclosed that its Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UAV), better known as a drone, had destroyed a logistics base used by members of the Boko Haram terrorists group in parts of the North-east. This was confirmed in a statement signed by the Director of Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, on the progress being made by the NAF component of the Operation Lafiya Dole
Farmers, Fulani Herdsmen Clash Claims 10 Lives in Benue
A bloody conflict between suspected Fulani herdsmen and Agatu farmers at Ega Adapti Island in Agatu LGA of Benue State, January 31, claimed 10 lives. The incident occurred when herdsmen, shooting sporadically, attacked the area from neighbouring Nasarawa State. According to eyewitnesses, the herdsmen besieged the Island at about 10am on January 31 and the fought till the early hours of February 1. The attackers reportedly razed houses and farmlands while women and children scampered for safety. The state Governor Samuel Ortom, who confirmed the renewed conflict, called for cessation of hostilities among the feuding parties. The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu, said he was yet to get full details of the matter.
Political/Government Agencies
Supreme Court Confirms PDP's Udom, Ikpeazu as Governors
The Supreme Court, in two separate judgments on February 3, upheld the elections of Emmanuel Udom and Okezie Ikpeazu, both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governors of Akwa Ibom and of Abia States respectively. The court set aside the judgments of two divisions of the Court of Appeal which had both nullified the elections of the two governors. In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom and its governorship candidate, Chief Umana Umana. Similarly, the court reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeal in Imo which nullified Ikpeazu's election and declared Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as the winner of the election.
Supreme Court Upholds Okowa, Ajimobi, Geidam's Elections
The Supreme Court, February 2, affirmed the elections of the governors of Delta, Oyo and Yobe States. The governors are Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo and Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State. All the appeals challenging the elections of the three governors were dismissed. The court said it would give reasons for affirming the elections of the three governors on February 15. Justice Mary Peter-Odili, who delivered the lead judgment in the Yobe case, ordered the parties to bear the costs of the litigation. Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, who delivered the lead judgment in the case of Oyo, also dismissed as an abuse of court process, an appeal filed by Rasheed Ladoja of the Accord Party (AP). She awarded no cost. Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammed, who read the court’s judgment in one of the appeals on the Delta governorship election, also dismissed the appeal. He ordered the parties to bear the costs and promised to give reasons for the judgment on February 15.
Murder/Assassinations
Court Remands NURTW Chairman for Alleged Murder
An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, January 29, ordered the remand of the Meiran branch Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Wasiu Onibudo, for alleged murder. The Chief Magistrate, A.F.O. Botoku, ordered that the defendant should be remanded in prison custody pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The police prosecutor, Godwin Osuyi, had informed the court that the accused was alleged to have conspired with others now at large to kill one Taiwo Ogunlaja, by stabbing him to death during an NURTW’s meeting on December 3, 2015, at the union’s headquarters on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, Ile-Epo, Lagos.
Woman Stabs Neighbour, Man Beats 18-Year-Old Girl to Death
The Benue State Police Command has arrested a 22-year-old woman, Nwuese Ayom, for allegedly stabbing her neighbour, Tererse Ayua, to death in Gboko town. Nwuese, who was paraded on February 1 at the Command headquarters in Makurdi, said she was provoked by the deceased. The single mother, Nwuese, disclosed that the deceased was fond of teasing her over the baby she had about four months ago. According to her, the teasing led to an argument, during which he allegedly beat her, causing her baby to fall. This infuriated her and she reached for the knife that she had been using to peel some oranges and stabbed him in the stomach. He died before getting to the hospital. The Police also paraded one Terwas Iorve, who allegedly battered and killed an 18-year-old daughter of his neighbour in Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
Several Killed as Cultists Lay Siege to Ubima
Over 12 persons have been killed in separate incidents in Ubima town of Rivers State following incessant clashes by suspected cultists fighting a political superiority battle. Fear gripped the entire community after one of the cult groups killed about three suspected members of a rival cult. A number of chiefs and elders have fled the community and taken refuge in neighbouring towns because of the atmosphere of insecurity in the town. The boys, who are on the prowl, monitor movements in and out of the community and harass any visitors to the community. A community leader, February 1, disclosed that rival group members were beheaded separate clashes. The Rivers State Police Command said normalcy had returned in the community.
Hoodlums Attack Police Station, Kill 2 Policemen, Injure 9 in Akwa Ibom
Two policemen, an inspector and corporal, were reportedly shot dead, while nine others sustained various degrees of injuries, following the invasion of a police station in Okoroete, Eastern Obolo LGA of Akwa Ibom State, by armed youths suspected to be from Andoni, a neighbouring community in Rivers State. It was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering over 10, stormed the police station and attempted to disarm the deceased police officers, but met resistance, prompting the other hoodlums to open fire on the officers, killing two of them on the spot. The area had been volatile in recent times, following the communal clash between Amazaba community in Eastern Obolo and Ikot Akpan Udo in Ikot Abasi LGA. State Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that one suspect had been arrested.
Man, 22, Surrenders to Police for Killing Cousin over Girlfriend
A 22-year-old man, Ndifreke Joseph Clement, February 3, surrendered to the police after murdering his 23-year-old cousin, Ubong Edet, six months ago. Clement confessed that he slashed his cousin’s throat after beating him to coma because Edet raped his girlfriend in August 2015. He disclosed that he and the deceased had engaged in a bloody fight after he questioned the deceased for brutalizing and raping his girlfriend in the one room apartment that they shared. According to him, they fought for a very long time before he could subdue him. He added that he dumped the corpse in the bush very close to the house and threw the knife into the pit toilet. The Akwa Ibom State Police Public Relations Officer, Cordelia Nwawe, said the suspect would be charged to court.
Two Die in Ondo Rival Cults Clash
Two persons were killed during clashes involving two cults groups in Ondo town, Ondo State. It was gathered that the two incidents happened on February 1 and 2 in the Okesida and Odojomu areas respectively, causing pandemonium in the areas. A source said one of the deceased, identified only as Segun, was killed at a relaxation centre in Odojomu following an attack on him by some cultists, who came to the place on motorcycles. The killers were alleged to have been on a mission to avenge the killing of one of their members, Korede Awosika, who was murdered by Segun’s group on January 30. The police made some arrest of suspects in the incidents. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Enuowa Police Station, Kunle Omisakin, who confirmed the incident, explained that some other people had been invited.
Police Arrest Six Murder Suspects in Kaduna
The Kaduna State Police Command, February 3, said they had arrested six suspects in connection with the alleged killing of a 22-year-old man, Aliyu Yusuf. Police spokesman, Zubairu Abubakar, disclosed that the suspects were arrested during a massive raid. According to him, investigation reveals that the deceased was stabbed to death by unknown persons on January 22 in Malali area of Kaduna. Abubakar said that investigation was on-going and vowed that any person found to be part of the killing would be brought to book.
Man Nab Murder Suspect in Lagos
A teenager, Timilehin Agbeyomi, who was arrested after his elder brother reported him to the police for truancy, has been arraigned for alleged murder before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court. It was learnt that Agbeyomi’s brother had handed him over to the police on January 26, 2016 for shunning apprenticeship. Upon his arrest, a policeman discovered that the 18-year-old was among those wanted by the police in connection with the killing of a 20-year-old man, Imohlede Asije, in October, 2015, at a party in Bariga. It was learnt that during the party, the cult members had brought out their weapons, including guns and machetes, and attacked the deceased. He was pronounced dead at a hospital in the area. The police prosecutor, Sergeant Olatunde Kehinde, applied for the remand of the defendant in prison pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The magistrate, Bola Folarin-Williams, ordered that he should be remanded in prison. The case was adjourned till March 2, 2016.
Rape
Court Remands 3 Accused for Alleged Gang Rape of 19-Year-Old Girl
An Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, has remanded three suspects, Johnson Fabelurin (23), Olalekan Oladejo (21), and Toheeb Farayola (22), in prison custody for alleged ganged rape of a 19-year-old lady. The accused persons were arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful carnal knowledge and exhibiting its video coverage. The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Durosaro-Tijani, remanded the three accused persons in Agodi Prison pending the outcome of the case file at the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP). The Prosecutor, Corporal Folake Ewe, told the court that Fabelurin, Oladejo and Farayola between April and August 2015 at Apete Area, Ibadan, conspired together to commit the offence of raping the girl. Ewe said that the accused persons had unlawful carnal knowledge of their victim and exhibited publicly the sexual video coverage of the raped lady. The pleas of the accused persons were not taken. The magistrate adjourned the case till February 25 for mention.
Outrage in Bayelsa over Gang Rape of 2 Teenage Girls
Two teenage girls between the ages of 15 and 16 years in Bayelsa State were violently raped by a gang of boys at separate areas of Yenagoa, the state capital. While the 15-year-old girl was raped by a gang of boys at an uncompleted building along the DSP Alamieyeseigha expressway, the 16-year-old girl was raped by a gang of boys at the weekend. Women lawyers, under the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), while confirming the development on February 4, expressed disgust of the refusal of the victims’ parents to seek arrest of the rapists and pursue prosecution. The chairperson of FIDA in Bayelsa, Dise Ogbise-Erhisere, called on the victims’ parents not to settle rape cases outside the court in order for offenders to face the full weight of the law as well as serve as a deterrent to others. She expressed her displeasure over the act against the innocent girls in the society who go about their lawful duties and call on relevant security agencies to be alert to curb the increasing cases of this social vice. She called on parents to advice their male children to desist from the shameful acts.
Policeman Defiles 7-Year-Old
The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, February 1, confirmed the arrest and detention of a Police officer, Ndubuisi Ewerem, for allegedly defiling a 7-year-old girl. The suspect lured the victim by sending her on an errand, only to rape her as the girl returned to deliver the message. Commissioner of Police, CP Ibekwe Abdallah, stressed that the suspect would not go scot free as the command was committed to sanitizing the force and ensuring that acts contrary to the modus operandi guiding the constitution of the Nigerian police were decisively dealt with.
Man in Court for Allegedly Defiling 3-Month-Old Baby
A 35-year-old man, Oladele Oladunmoni, who allegedly poked his finger into the vagina of a 3- month- old baby, was on February 1, arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos. The prosecutor, Inspector Rita Momah, told the court that the accused committed the offence on January 18 at his residence. Momah said the accused, who lives in the same building with the mother of the baby, viciously forced his finger into the baby’s vagina. The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. The Magistrate, Mrs F.A Adeeyo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum. She adjourned the case till March 14 for mention.
Man Jailed 8 Years for Rape
An Egor Magistrates’ Court in Benin, Edo State, February 4, sentenced a 24-year-old man, Jolly Agbontaen, to eight years imprisonment for raping a 23-year-old woman. The prosecutor, Osas Osaretin, had earlier told the Court that the accused was arraigned on a three-count charge of rape, stealing and assault. Osaretin said the accused committed the crime on August 21, 2013 when he forcefully had canal knowledge of the victim against her will. He further told the court that the accused also stole a Black berry Cell phone from his victim and N500,000 cash. Delivering judgment, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Igho Braimoh convicted Agbontaen on counts one and three but discharged him on count two.
Others
Woman, 7 Children Die in Ebonyi Inferno
Eight family members in Ohufu village in Ishielu LGA of Ebonyi State, January 30, died in a fire outbreak that occurred in the community. The woman’s husband, Sylvanus Nwefuru, and one of their children, Ukamaka Nwefuru, survived the inferno. The fire outbreak razed two thatched houses where the family members were sleeping. Sylvanus Nweferu, an 80-year-old man, disclosed that he woke up around 3am after he heard a loud noise, and saw his residence on fire. One of the survivors, Ukamaka Nwefuru, revealed that her mother, who rescued her, had gone back into the fire to save another member of the family, but was caught by the inferno where she lost her life. The Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ishielu LGA, Henry Eze, called on security agents to investigate the cause of the inferno and solicited more cooperation among the people in the community to avert future incidents.
Seven Die, Four Rescued in Lagos Boat Mishap
A boat conveying 17 passengers from Ijede to Badore in Lekki area of Lagos State, January 30, capsized, causing the death of seven persons aboard. Four others were rescued while others remain missing in the mishap. The General Manager of Lagos State Emergency Management Authority (LASEMA), Michael Akindele, who confirmed the incident, said there was joint rescue operations carried out by the agency and Lagos State Waterways Authority, Marine Police, National Inland Water Ways Authority, Lagos State Fire Service and local divers. According to him, preliminary investigation revealed that the boat, belonging to Aki Marine, had collided at a dredging point on the way to Ijede.
Woman Batters Nine-Year-Old Niece
A 32-year-old woman, Comfort Essie, has been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly battering her nine-year-old niece, Queendaline Phillips, in the Ijesha area of the state. Essie allegedly inflicted injuries on the nine-year-old on January 14 when she ate out of a plate of soup which the woman had reportedly kept in the house. The incident was reported at the FESTAC Police Division after the class teacher of Phillips noticed that the girl was unusually quiet and the teacher reportedly inquired from the girl, who explained that her buttocks had peeled from the alleged torture by her aunt. It was learnt that the teacher thereafter reported the matter to the school authorities, which in turn informed the police, and Essie was arrested.
Explosion Rocks Benin
An explosion, February 2, destroyed about five houses in Sakponba area of Benin City, Edo State. A police source disclosed that the building from where the bomb detonated had been used as a hide out for kidnappers, who were eventually arrested by a combined team of soldiers and police that invaded the place. The police further disclosed that the person, who recently hired the building, had decided to burn refuse in the compound, when an undetonated bomb exploded. He was not aware that the kidnappers, who once used the house, had left some bombs behind. Bomb disposal experts from the Edo State Police Command cordoned off the building, trying to ascertain if more bombs were still inside. Two persons in the building were taken to the hospital.
Eleven Rescued as Bristow Helicopter Crashes in Lagos
A Bristow Sikorsky S-76C helicopter, February 3, crashed into the ocean, off Lagos buoy with 11 persons on board. All 11 occupants of the ill-fated helicopter were rescued, including the pilot, the co-pilot and nine passengers. Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited confirmed the incident. The aircraft had departed on a routine crew transfer flight offshore with nine passengers and a crew of two. A merchant vessel, MV Dijama, a 5NYQ2 Nigerian Offshore tugboat and supply ship stumbled upon the distressed helicopter, which had nosedived into the ocean and helped to convey the occupants to safety. Confirming the incident, the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Ralph Osondu, said the merchant was the first to arrive at the scene. He said upon sighting the distressed helicopter, the MV DIJAMA launched two of its boats to rescue all 11 occupants.
Hoodlums, Policemen Clash over Demolition of Shanties
Hoodlums in Lagos, February 4, engaged Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force in a shootout at the Iddo area of Lagos. The incident occurred at about 2am when the operatives stormed the area to demolish their shanties. The hoodlums were said to have used petrol bomb on one of the policemen identified as Corporal Friday Adama. Two persons, a Police Corporal and a para-military staff of the agency, were reportedly shot in the process, while a man with an unknown identity was said to have been killed by a truck during the ensuing stampede. A total of 155 suspects were also arrested, while two locally-made pistols, one English pump action gun and seven rounds of ammunition were recovered. The invasion and subsequent demolition of make shift buildings constructed under Iddo Bridge, inward Idumota waterside, followed series of complaints over crimes allegedly committed by miscreants inhabiting the buildings.
Review/Analysis
Murder/assassination ranked highest on the crime index as activities of hoodlums, cult wars claimed innocent lives, alongside some lone killings. Security operatives also lost their lives in the line of duty as gunmen brazenly opened fire on them. The authorities also made a bold show as they pounced heavily on hoodlums in the affected areas of the society, killing and arresting suspects. Some suspects, however, remain at large. This was witnessed across the country.
Kidnap/hostage cases were also high as businessmen, monarchs and political figures in the society were affected by the activities of kidnappers, who variously demanded huge ransoms. The authorities, who are still investigating the cases, successfully arrested a few suspects and rescued some victims. However, many hostages remain in captivity while the authorities assure that they are investigating such cases to rescue them unhurt. These were witnessed across the country.
Terrorist activities also maintained its pace on the crime index with various attacks on Borno villages. The military were matchless in their effort to restore peace in the north-eastern region, as some Boko Haram terrorists were killed and some apprehended. High calibre ammunitions were also recovered. It is worrisome that the activities of Boko Haram, which were recently hampered by the unrelenting military onslaught, appear to be re-emerging.
Rape incidents slid downward this week. However, there were sad cases of defilement of minors, especially in the south-east and south-western parts of the country. The new trend of gang rape is also worrisome as girls get brutalised. The authorities managed to arrest some of suspected rapists, while a victim got justice when her rapist was jailed. This was witnessed more in the southern states of the country.