Crime Archives - Page 18 of 23 - SocietyGazette.com

Nigerian Police Upgraded Tracking Equipment, Tech Intel Unit and others

The heightened insecurity in the country may have compelled the Nigerian Police Force to revive and upgrade its tracking equipment and technical intelligence unit at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

For some years now, the Police have been having difficulties tracking down bandits, kidnappers, human traffickers, among others, following the breakdown of the equipment put in place by former Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.

Recall that these facilities had been grounded for some time, compelling the Police to rely on the private sector, especially the telcos, to track bandits, kidnappers and car snatchers across Nigeria.

Investigations revealed that while the equipment were up and running, they enhanced the intelligence gathering capabilities of the Police force.

A source said the Nigerian Police Technical Intelligence Unit, TIU, received public acclaim for its breakthroughs in mass arrests of kidnappers and bandits and recovery of stolen properties, including vehicles, before it collapsed.

Explaining what went wrong, the source said: “The digital upgrade involved a lot of computer work. It took some time because there were technological upgrades, following input of new features to enhance their capacity.

“There were some new equipment, which we needed to align, so they can link together. Some are still working. It was not as if all the components were totally shut down.”

From 2020 upward, the functionality of the Police tracking equipment began to diminish and subsequently went comatose.

Complainants of criminal attacks and those whose family members were kidnapped were directed to contact either the Department of State Services, DSS, or Mobile Network Service Providers for tracking assistance.

Investigation revealed that the tracker, particularly became non-functional due to non-subscription as well as failure to engage the relevant company to carry out required system upgrade.

Police sources disclosed that following the downturn in the operation of the platform, cases of national security and criminality, such as banditry, kidnapping, human trafficking, among others were taken over by the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA.

While also attributing the breakdown of the equipment to inability of those whose responsibility it was to function smoothly failed to play their role.

The sources also said non-payment of money owed for subscription, equally militated against the functionality of the equipment.

”Ideally, subscription fees are meant to be paid yearly but the police defaulted for a period of about three years and after a grace period expired, the company overseeing its maintenance and upgrade decided to withdraw its services.

”This contributed to the worsening insecurity in the country. The Police Trust Fund promised to help but nothing was forthcoming from them.”

In the wake of the deactivation of the tracking system, some Nigerians had wondered why a country as massive in size as Nigeria, with a population of over 200 million people, where myriads of security challenges were rife, an entire police force was operating just the technical intelligence unit for all 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

However, the security situation in the country was said to have compelled the police to take a cursory look at the concerns of the public and established other platforms to support the TIU in tackling emerging criminality.

– Vanguard

Apex court sentence Micheal Osaro, to Death while Police Declared Sunday Peter wanted.

Nigerian police have killed 567suspected armed robbers in the past three months and lost 71 of their own men, the national chief of police was reported as saying on Thursday.
Human rights groups and media experts have accused Nigerian police of killing robbery suspects instead of arresting them and in some cases using the “armed robber” label as a pretext to kill innocent people who cross them.
The Lagos state command of Nigeria police have disclosed that one Micheal Osaro age 36 from Estako East local government area of Edo state who was arrested wenersday 18th November 2020,in Semer bordar of lagos state when he was trying to cross to Republic of Benin has been killed on 3rd February 2023,by firing squad of combined team both Nigeria police and Nigeria Army in Alimosho local government area of Lagos state.
Mr Micheal osaro was declared wanted along with one Mr Sunday Peter in Estako local government area of Edo state when both of them was allegedly been the premier suspect of the kidnapping activities that happened on 15th December 2014,in Estako East local government area, the police was able to arrest the uncle Mr Andrew Yusuf,and some Members of the Family,they where taken to the state command of the police in Benin City, but after a long search of the both Sunday Peter and Michael Osaro the authority of Nigeria police declared both men wanted.
In December 30th 2014, the uncle of Sunday peter,Mr Andrew Yusuf,was killed along side some Members of his family by the Nigeria police when they was trying to escape in the prison,since December 2014 the Nigeria police have launched operation search for Micheal Osaro and Sunday Peter.
Since December 2014 the Authorities keep to search for both Sunday peter and Micheal osaro until Mr Micheal Osaro was arrested in 18th November 2020, when the suspect was trying to cross the Nigeria bordar to the labouring country of Benin Republic,he was charge to court and arraigned after years of legal proceedings he was finally sentence to death by the Apex court .
In January 2021 the federal High Court in Lagos state sentence Mr Micheal osaro to death but Mr Micheal osaro through his legal team decide to appeal the Judgement according to the 3 men judge who give judgement unanimously sentence Mr Micheal Osaro to death.
In June 2022 the court of Appeal sitting in lagos upheld the Judgement of Lower Court by sending Mr Micheal Osaro to death but again the judgement was appeal in the Apex court.
In 25th January 2023,according to a 7 men panel of the Apex court who upheld the judgement of the court of appeal in lagos ,the Judgement was read through Justice okoro cletus who according to the Judgement said that according to the Nigeria criminal law kidnapping is death offence in the country and as such that Mr Micheal osaro should be kill through firing squad the Judgement also that The Nigeria police should fast the search of the last suspect Mr Sunday Peter.
Reacting to the Judgement the counsel to the Nigeria Authorities San Awolowo Bisi who said that finally that Justice have prevail on the kidnapping incident that took place on 15th December 2014, that soon that Mr Sunday peter will be arrest by the police so that the case can be conclude.
However according to the legal team of Mr Micheal Osaro and association of Nigeria Farmer’s association that Mr Micheal Osaro as been sentenced to death for crime he don’t know about due to the family divergent political opinion. The legal team further said that the Judgement is something that will create bad image of Nigeria as a country international that an innocent person as been sentenced to death while the real criminals are walking on the streets.
The Nigerian criminal law system is characterised by its pluralism, where English common law, Islamic law (Sharia) in 12 Northern states, and customary law coexist.
The death penalty in Nigeria is applied in different manners, depending on whether the states apply secular or Islamic law.
The following offences are punishable by death under the provisions of the Criminal and Penal Code of Nigeria: murder; treason; conspiracy to treason; treachery; fabricating false evidence leading to the conviction to death of an innocent person; aiding a child or a ‘lunatic’ to commit suicide; armed robbery (under the Robbery and Firearms Decree 1984). Death sentences can be executed either by hanging or by shooting (firing squad).
According to Amnesty International, in 2016 Nigeria executed three persons by hanging in Benin Prison (Edo State). It registered 527 deaths sentences, representing a significant surge when compared to previous years, bringing the total number of people sentenced to death in the country to 1 979. The authorities pardoned 33 prisoners, exonerated another 32 and commuted a total of 105 death sentences.
It is reported that in July 2017, ‘state governors agreed to either sign execution warrants or commute death sentences as a way of addressing overcrowding in prisons’, including in Ogun state, for example, where there previously was an informal commitment to refrain from authorising executions.
Under the various Sharia penal laws in the 12 Northern states, death penalty is applicable when convicted for one of the following offences: adultery; rape; ‘sodomy’; incest; witchcraft and juju offences. The execution of death sentences under Sharia law includes hanging, stoning and crucifixion.
The issue of the death penalty has continued to stir emotions across Nigeria’s social and political divides, because while international law discourages the imposition of the death penalty, Nigeria is one of the countries that still retain the use of the death sentence as capital punishment in its criminal law and penal code, with judges in the High and Sharia courts sentencing convicted persons to death for numerous crimes, including non-lethal crimes.
The following can attract the death penalty in Nigeria: armed robbery, murder, rape, terrorism-related offenses, and treason and kidnapping. In the Northern Region, where Sharia law is applied, adultery, blasphemy, and homosexuality also carry the death penalty.
In 2021, Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbeshola, came under heavy backlash when he reportedly recommended the execution of death row inmates as a form of decongesting the correctional facilities which are, in fact, overpopulated mostly by over 72% of awaiting trial inmates. What he intended to be a light-hearted comment turned boorish, stirred debates, and renewed calls for the abolition of the death penalty.
According the president Of All Nigeria Farmers association Guruba usman who said that Mr Sunday peter and Micheal osaro was false accused of carrying out criminal activities because of the family political opinion the president of Nigeria farmers who further states that the state machinery was used to tortured the family of Sunday Peter which lead to the shooting of Mr Andrew Yusuf,in the police custody in 30th December 2014 till today the case has been swept under the carpet.
With the killing of Micheal Osaro according to the police who spoke to journalists said that the only Suspect remaining in the case is Mr Sunday Peter who has been on a hideout since December 2014,the police urge members of the Public from South, East, West and North to report Mr Peter Sunday, to the nearest police station or any other sister security Agency wherever they find him that the total of 30 million await any person who have credible information of the whereabouts of Mr Sunday peter a native of Kukawa local of Borno state.

Terrorists Flog Victims Of Kaduna Train Attack, Threaten To Kidnap Buhari, El-Rufai, Senators

A new video released by terrorists that kidnapped the victims of the Kaduna – Abuja train attack has shown how the abducted victims were been assaulted and flogged amidst tears and agony.

The victims were seen in the video begging their oppressors as they were indiscriminately whipped by unmasked and masked men, who surrounded them.

The video also showed the women watching in agony.

Addressing the federal government, a representative of the terrorists threatened to enslave and sell some of the victims if their demands are not.

“This is our message to the government of Nigeria and just as you have seen these people here, by God’s grace, you will see your leaders; your senators and governors will come before us.

“These ones you are seeing here, we will keep some as our slaves and sell them off just as our Imam told you in the past.

“Just like the Chibok girls that were sold off, we will equally sell these ones as slaves. If you don’t adhere to our demands, we will kill the ones we need to kill and sell the remaining. By God’s grace, El-Rufai, Buhari, we will bring you here”.

Pleading to the government, one of the victims called on the international community and the United Nations to intervene and facilitate their release.

He stressed that the captors were not willing to be lenient any further and as such, the government should meet the demands of terrorists in exchange for their freedom.

On March 28, terrorists abducted at least 63 passengers from an inbound Kaduna – Abuja train.

They revealed that the abduction was not financially motivated, but for the release of some of their commanders incarcerated in various facilities of the government.

However, reports have shown otherwise as 13 victims who were earlier released on different occasions were said to have paid huge ransoms for their freedom.

THE WHISTLER had authoritatively gathered that the terrorists have demanded N100m each for the release of the victims.

The last released seven had paid no less than N800m.

Court Convicts Nollywood Actor Baba Ijesha For Sexual Assault Of 14-Year-Old Girl

An Ikeja Special Offences Court has convicted the embattled Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju James, alias Baba Ijesha, of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old minor.

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, in a two-hour judgment on Thursday, convicted Baba Ijesha of indecent treatment of a child, sexual assault, and attempted sexual assault
Taiwo, however, discharged and acquitted him of count one and count six, which were: sexual assault by penetration and attempted sexual assault by penetration.

At the time of filing this report, the case has been stood down for a few minutes for the sentencing of the convict.

Tension in Badagry as Fulani Behead Driver, Stab Conductor To Death Over Cow

Motorist Killed two Cows by Accident. The Fulanis herder retaliated by killing the driver and the conductor at Agogo Igbala area, Age Mowo, Badagry Lagos state.

The details of the information is not clear yet, a motorist and an eyewitness told NewsPeddlers that a Fulani herder killed a driver and the conductor.

The incident happened in the early hours of today, resulting to crisis in the area, but the Nigeria police force was able to bring things to normalcy.

At the time this news was gathered, the Fulani man have been arrested and handed over to the police.

Details shortly….

How I Was Promised A Job In The UK And Not Organ Donation – Ekweremadu’s Donor, David Tells His Story

The young man involved in the controversial organ harvesting scandal that led to the arrest and detention of Senator Ike Ekweremadu and his wife Beatrice in the UK, David Nwamini Ukpo, has taken to social media to tell his own side of the story.

According to David Nwamini in a Facebook post on Saturday, June 25th, he was allegedly lured from Nigeria to London for the harvesting of his kidney without his consent.

He claimed that they promised him a job and never told him about the organ donation, adding that he got to know about the organ harvesting through the physician who was going to perform the procedure on him.

Recall, Ike Ekweremadu and his wife were arrested in the United Kingdom by the police and detained on allegations of child trafficking and organ harvesting after Ekweremadu had flown David to UK for the kidney transplant.

Ekweremadu and his wife were subsequently denied bail in court, and the case adjourned to July 7.

Entiled “My journey to UK”, Ukpo’s unedited post reads thus:

“On one fateful day I met a man named okoro in a building site where I was working for my daily bread, okoro told me he like me, he want to help me achieve my dream because he saw me as a great person. He told me could you like to work in UK I just started laughing because I don’t have money for that, then I told him no am not interested and asked me why I told him I don’t have money for that.

“He just started laughing to me and told me he is going to introduce me to senator his company in UK need workers, so he could start my visa processing.

“I have no other option than to accept the offered, after two day the man came to the building site again and told me the senator wanted to see me so we could start the visa processing, then I dropped my shovel and head pan and went to bath immediately.

“Mr okoro took me to unknown area where I haven’t been before, I was afraid maybe he is a money ritualist, I encouraged my self since I knew Mr okoro for a long time there will be no problem. Mr okoro hand me over to one young man wearing a suit, he told me everything about then I told him Mr okoro has already explain everything to me and I have accepted to work in UK.

“Their later gave me a room on that mansion and snap me a passport photographs and told their will start my visa processing immediately. the kind of food I ate there my generation haven’t ate it before. I was so happy staying in that house. After a week their told me my visa and passport are ready their told we are going to leave tomorrow, I was taken to airport from there we land in UK I was taken to a hospital in UK.

“When we landed in hospital in UK I was told I must went for a medical test to check my health status, if I’m fit for the job I accepted without any question. I thank God for doctor harry who told me everything and I told him why I’m here and he later called police for my rescued.”

ICPC Raids Buratai’s Abuja Home, Recovers Billions Of Naira, 50 Luxury Watches

Operatives of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have reportedly raided the home of a former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai.

According to the report, the ICPC operative recovered over a billion naira from Buratai, who is now Nigeria’s Ambassador to Benin Republic.

The anti-graft agency was said to have also recovered over 50 luxury watches, including at least two Rolex varieties, from the former army boss.

According to sources, the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) had alerted the ICPC when it commenced a probe of an alleged military contractor named Salisu.

An ICPC source said: “NFIU discovered that N500 million was paid into Salisu’s account at once and quickly flagged it.

“When Salisu was queried he said he was a military contractor, but he was unable to show any evidence of carrying out any contract for the military.”

The NFIU later transferred the case to the ICPC who proceeded to carry out more investigation and the raid, which occurred last week.

Sahara Reporters had first reported the raid on Thursday night, which put the recovered funds at about N1.85 billion.

The ICPC had conducted a raid on Salisu’s home, recovering “hundreds of millions of naira, all in new notes,” a source told Peoples Gazette.

One of the source said: “We discovered that the place is owned by Buratai and he has been working with the man to loot military funds for many years.

“It is unfortunate that Nigerian soldiers are suffering at the war front due to lack of equipment.”

Speaking to the publication, Buratai said no warrant was obtained to search his house.

“Nobody obtained any warrants to search my place,” he said.

Buratai however disconnected the call when quizzed on whether or not he was confirming the raid and cash recovery from his property.

Polaris Bank in N19 Million Criminal Deduction Mess

Innocent Chike, Polaris Bank Managing Director

A Magistrate Court sitting in Surulere area of Lagos has ordered Polaris Bank to refund the illegal deductions made on domiciliary and Naira accounts of three businesswomen with the bank to the tune of $30,769 (USD) N18,676,783.

The businesswomen – Mrs. Adebomi Orogun, Mrs. Kehinde Banjo, and Mrs. Oluwatoyin Ode had filed an originating application before the court against the bank over unjustifiable freezing of their accounts and subsequent illegal deductions on the said accounts.

In an application brought pursuant to Order 1 Rule 2 of the Magistrates’ Courts Civil Procedure Rules of Lagos State (2009), the businesswomen narrated how their USD (US Dollar), Euro, and Naira accounts were frozen by the bank without a valid court order.

They said the bank proceeded to make unauthorized deductions from their accounts without any justification whatsoever as there was no time they were accused of engaging in fraudulent activities with the said accounts.

In her affidavit in support of the application, the first applicant (Orogun) who maintained USD, Euro, and Naira accounts with Polaris Bank, said the bank usually deducts the requisite commission after every transaction she made.

According to her, “I regularly transact on my Euro account with the bank. I recently wanted to transfer money with my Euro account, only to discover that I no longer have access to make any transaction.

“I also discovered that there was no available balance left in my USD account. I was confused and had to make an inquiry with the bank to know the reason why I no longer have access to my Euro account and why my USD account was cleared out. However, I was informed by the Bank that they had not been deducting the proper commission per transaction on my account which they only commence later and ultimately led to my USD account being cleared out.

“This action carried out by the Bank was done entirely without recourse to me, who believed that all due commissions had been deducted and I had enough balance to plan my life with. On the 4th of March, 2022, I was shocked to discover that all my accounts (USD, EURO, and Naira) with the respondent (Polaris Bank) had been frozen and a post no debit order was placed on them.”

Orogun said she was neither informed nor given a satisfactory reason for the cruel act by the respondent, adding: “I did not engage in any fraudulent activity nor have I been officially accused of same by the bank. Hence, the freezing and placing of a post no debit on my accounts was totally unnecessary.”

She said the actions of the respondent greatly disrupted her business activities and also subjected her to financial cruelty with no hope as to when her accounts would be unfrozen.

“The actions of the respondent have also caused financial distress due to my inability to complete pending transactions,” she averred.

The other applicants also deposed to affidavits containing similar facts.

The bank failed to neither show up nor present any evidence to counter the claim of the applicants, while after reviewing the facts of the case, Magistrate Oluwatoyin Otitoju held that the action of the bank was illegal and void.

“An order of this Honourable Court is hereby made declaring the “post no debit” order placed on the 1st applicant USD, Euro, and Naira accounts and 2nd applicant’s USD and Naira accounts, and 3rd applicant’s USD and Naira accounts by the respondent (Polaris Bank) as illegal.

“An order of this Honourable Court is hereby made declaring the unauthorized deductions from the 1st applicant’s USD account, 2nd applicant’s USD account, and 3rd applicant’s USD account as illegal and void.

“An order of this Honourable Court is hereby made directing the respondent to revert the applicants’ accounts back to status quo as of 17th January 2022,” the court held.

BREAKING: UK Arrests Ike Ekweremadu, Wife For Conspiracy To ‘Harvest Organs’

The London’s Metropolitan Police Service charged one Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu(55) and Ike Ekweremadu, with conspiracy offences linked to allegations of organ harvesting.

The UK website reads : “A woman and a man were charged today with conspiring to arrange the travel of a child into the UK in order to harvest organs.

“The charges follow an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Specialist Crime team.

“[A] Beatrice Nwanneka Ekweremadu, 55 (10.9.66) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

“[B] Ike Ekweremadu, 60 (12.05.62) of Nigeria is charged with conspiracy to arrange/facilitate travel of another person with a view to exploitation, namely organ harvesting.

“They have both been remanded in custody and will appear at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court later today.

“The investigation was launched after detectives were alerted to potential offences under modern slavery legislation in May 2022.

“A child has been safeguarded and we are working closely with partners on continued support.

“As criminal proceedings are now under way we will not be providing further details.

It is uncertain if the Ekweremadu mentioned in the UK police website is the same as former Nigeria deputy senate president.

But checks by THE WHISTLER showed that the date of birth of the suspect and the name of the wife match that of the former deputy Senate president.

BREAKING: Suspected Kllers Of Owo Church Woshippers Arrested

The suspected killers of worshippers of St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, have been arrested by the Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps.

According to a local radio station in Akure, Crest Fm, Amotekun operatives also recovered some weapons and vehicles used to perpetrate the terror attack on the church on June 5.

Recall that gunmen stormed the Catholic church located on Owa-Iuwa Street and killed over 40 persons and injured 70 others injured during a Sunday mass.

The terrorists also used some explosives during the attack before they opened fire on the worshippers. The perpetrators then fled the scene immediately after they carried out the attack.

Days after the sad incident, the Federal Government linked the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) to the terror attack in the ancient town.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, revealed this while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting of the National Security Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the former Governor of Osun State, the federal government has located the terrorists responsible for the killing of worshippers in Owo.

In a swift reaction, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State refuted the claim that ISWAP was being the terror attack, saying that there is no evidence that points to the terror group.

Also, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, disagreed with the federal government’s assertion.