Crime
Petitioner seeks compensation of N10 million for alleged arbitrary arrest by Police
Petitioner seeks compensation of N10 million for alleged arbitrary arrest by Police
By: Michael Mike
A petitioner, Nnaemeka Orjiakor has demanded a compensation of N10 million from the police for alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in 2019.
Orjiakor made this demand on Wednesday at the Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units in Abuja.
He pleaded with the panel to order N10m compensation in his favour, alleging that SARS officers led by one Mohammed Elbow Awal arrested him on the 8th February 2019 from his shop, handcuffed him, paraded him around Wuse market before bundling him into their vehicle, and took him to the SARS office in Area 3, Garki where he was beaten and detained for six days before he was released.
Nnaemeka, also during his narration before the panel presided over by Dr. Garba Tetengi, who stood in for the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima(rtd), said that in 2006 he rented a shop from a lady in Wuse market, but when he wasn’t making enough sales had to sublet part of the shop to a third party so that he can make enough to pay the rent on the shop and boost his business.
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He added that unknown to him, when the rent on the shop expired the third party in the lease contract went behind his back and paid the rent in full so as to be the sole occupant of the shop and further invited the police that he (Nnaemeka) was an illegal occupant of the shop.
Continuing in his narration, he said with the intervention of the police the matter was taken to court where trial had commenced, only for SARS personnel to arrest him on the morning of 24th December 2018 on the allegation that the owner of the shop is claiming that he wanted to sell the shop, and he was subsequently taken away but for the intervention of his wife who got a lawyer to get him reprieve.
He said it was the intervention of the lawyer who called the police and informed them the matter was still in court that got him released.
He said during another arrest on the 8th February 2022 that he was subjected to torture and degrading treatment.
The matter was adjourned to 22nd March for the continuation of hearing and defence.
In another development, the panel has ordered police to release all properties seized from officer of Nigerian merchant navy coast guard, while police alleges that the above-named organisation has no law to operate.
The Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units in Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the Nigeria Police to release all 21 items including 4 Mistubishi L300 bus, two speed boats, passports, and other valuable documents of Commodore Allen Edema of the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coast Guard they seized.
The panel gave this order following the plea of Commodore Allen Edema that the police allegedly asked him to pay N600,000 before his properties will be released to him.
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At the first hearing of the petition, Edema alleged that in 2008 the Nigeria Navy in a joint operation with the police, invaded his head office, arrested him, and seized his properties in Lagos. Since his release, the police has refused to hand over his properties to him despite orders from the court.
Under cross-examination, one of the respondents DSP Azuka Oboni who was led by Fidelis Ogwobe informed the panel that in 2008, officers of the Nigerian Navy arrested Commodore Edema and seven others and were brought to the FCT Command.
The Nigerian Navy alleged that Commodore Edema and others were impersonating the Nigerian Navy and also wearing their uniform, tempering with Naval activities at waterways and having illegal possession of naval equipment.
DSP Azuka also stated he was the IPO assigned to investigate the allegations. He wrote to the National Assembly to inquire about the operations of the organizations. From their response it was discovered that there was no law backing their existence, meaning the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coast Guard was operating illegally.
Thereafter, they were charged to court without bail being granted. DSP Azuka disclosed to the panel that Commodore Edema jumped bail by not showing up at the court for more than three times.
Under cross-examination, Counsel to the Police, Fidelis Ogwobe, asked Lawrence Ibiam and Chika Okereke, both lieutenants and members of the organisation ,if they were aware that the organisation was operating illegally.
Chika answered in the affirmative that the organisation has been proscribed this led to the closing of the head office in Lagos and invasion of the training school in Idah. On 28th April 2014, a joint task force of the Police, Navy, Army, and Civil Defence invaded the Nigerian Merchant Navy Coast Guard training center in Idah, Kogi State, and killed 11 persons during the invasion of the training center.
While Lawrence Ibiam disclosed that he joined the organisation in 2006 and he has been working without receiving salary. On further probe by the panel on how he survives he disclosed that he works as a security man at Watchman church.
Earlier, Fidelis Ogwobe had asked Commodore Edema to state which law or act mandates the organisation to operate. In which he responded that there is a bill before the house in regards to the establishment of the office.
The matter has been adjourned to 22nd March 2022. In the meantime Counsel to both parties have three days each to file their written addresses.
Petitioner seeks compensation of N10 million for alleged arbitrary arrest by Police
Two immigration officers shot in Abuja after being mistaken for robbers
By: Zagazola Makama
Two immigration officers were shot in the Sabon Iddo area of Abuja on Friday night after being mistaken for armed robbers by a man identified as Pastor Darlington, who is currently at large.
A Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred at about 10:00 p.m. when the officers, Oyomide Zion and Hakeem Mashood, were on routine movement in the area.
According to police sources, at about 11:40 p.m., the Divisional Police Officer of Iddo Division received a distress call and deployed patrol teams to the scene.
Upon arrival, another immigration officer, Uduk James, reported that his colleagues had been shot. The injured officers were evacuated to the Nigerian Air Force Base Hospital, Abuja, where they are currently receiving treatment.
Police sources say efforts to track and arrest the fleeing suspect, identified as Pastor Darlington alias, have been intensified.
End
Two immigration officers shot in Abuja after being mistaken for robbers
Crime
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have thwarted a desperate attempt at the Port Harcourt International Airport to smuggle cocaine into Iran by a woman, Ihensekhien Obehi who disguised with hijab and concealed the illicit drug in her private part, stomach and false bottom of handbag.
According to a statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, she was intercepted at the security checks of the departure hall of the Port Harcourt airport on Sunday 3rd May 2025 while trying to board a Qatar Airline flight to Iran via Doha following credible intelligence.
Babafemi said during her search, she was found to have inserted three wraps of cocaine in her private part, and two large parcels hidden in false compartments of her handbag while she swallowed 67 pellets of the Class A drug.
He said she was placed under excretion observation and after four excretions that lasted days, she expelled the 67 wraps of the substance in her stomach. She claimed she was to swallow 70 pellets of cocaine but after ingesting 67 pieces she could no longer swallow the remaining three and decided to insert them into her private part, adding that the total weight of the three consignments hidden in different parts of her body comes to 2.523 kilogrammes.
Babafemi said in like manner, NDLEA operatives at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos last Friday intercepted a 22-year-old British national, Campell Slifer coming from Thailand through Doha on Qatar Airways flight with two suitcases loaded with 35 parcels of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 37.6 kilogrammes.
Campell, who claimed he had twice been convicted in the UK for drug trafficking and robbery, said he was recruited in London to travel to Thailand to pick the illicit consignment and bring same to Nigeria.
In Niger state, NDLEA officers acting on intelligence last Wednesday intercepted a fuel truck marked ABJ 693 XU and three other vehicles loaded with 246 bags of skunk, a strain of cannabis with a combined weight of 3, 047 kilogrammes along Suleja-Kaduna road. Four suspects arrested with the exhibits include: Christopher Onyema, 47; Benedict Etineruba, 54; Chukwudi Ujue, 30; and Mohammed Danasabe. Apart from the fuel truck, three other vehicles recovered from the suspects include: Honda Odyssey bus marked YAB 667 CZ; Gulf bus with registration number GWA 125 TQ and
Honda Odyssey bus marked ABJ 230 CN.
At Oja Amukoko in Ijora area of Lagos, two suspects: Eze Chekube and Ike Chinyerem were last Thursday arrested by NDLEA operatives with a total of 109,914 pills of tramadol, swinol and nitrozepam seized from them, while 52.5 kilogrammes skunk was recovered from two suspects: Lukman Umar, 23, and Tukur Ammadu, 20, in a bus at Gwantu, Sanga local government area, Kaduna State last Tuesday, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Bode Saadu- Jebba expressway, Kwara State last Monday arrested Rufai Nasiru with 45,400 pills of tramadol 225mg.
In Bauchi state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Bauchi-Gombe road last Tuesday intercepted a Toyota Tundra jeep marked RBC 111 DW conveying 526 blocks of skunk weighing 505 kilogrammes with two suspects: Isaac Onogure, 37 and Ikechukwu Peter, 44, arrested.
Babafemi said a total of 31 kegs containing 775 litres of codeine syrup were recovered from two suspects: Hafizu Uman, 34, and Ismail Shehu, 48, when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout at Rijiyar Zaki area of Kano on Saturday, while 1.1 kilogrammes of Loud consignment concealed in pillow coming from Thailand was last Tuesday intercepted by NDLEA officers at a courier company in Lagos.
The War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) social advocacy activities by NDLEA commands equally continued across the country in the past week.
Meanwhile, while commending the officers and men of DOGI, MMIA, PHIA, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Kwara, and Niger commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) equally praised their counterparts in all the commands across the country for pursuing a fair balance between their drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction efforts.
NDLEA arrests Iran-bound Hijab wearing woman with cocaine in private part, stomach, bag at Port Harcourt Airport
Army troops neutralised 5 Boko Haram insurgents in renewed offensive in Sambisa Forest
By: Zagazola Makama
The ongoing military onslaught under Operation Hadin Kai has recorded another feats, with the successful neutralisation of five Boko Hara fighters in the notorious Ladin Buttu axis of Sambisa Forest.
The recent encounter, which resulted in the recovery of arms and critical supplies, reinforced the renewed momentum of the Nigerian military’s intensified offensive operations deep into insurgent-held enclaves within the forest.
Ladin Buttu, a known terrorist transit and logistics hub, particularly for water access, had long served as a strategic hideout for insurgents operating within the fringes of the forest. But under the latest push by troops of Operation Hadin Kai, it has become the latest flashpoint in a string of aggressive operations designed to dismantle remnants of terrorist infrastructure.
Military sources told Zagazola Makama that the troops made contact with the terrorists during a clearance patrol and engaged them in a fierce firefight. Five terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.Recovered from the scene were three AK-47 rifles, five loaded magazines, and other military ordnance.
The operation, forms part of a broader recalibrated campaign by the Theatre consequent upon the visit of the COAS who has ordered intensified ground raids and aerial surveillance across Sambisa, Timbuktu Triangle, and parts of the Lake Chad fringes in a bid to cripple the operational capacities of the Boko Haram and ISWAP factions.
Army troops neutralised 5 Boko Haram insurgents in renewed offensive in Sambisa Forest
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