Connect with us

BIG STORY

45-Yr-Old Widow Accuses Lagos Police Of N610,000 Extortion, Petitions IGP

Published

3 years ago

on

A 45-year-old widow, Olabisi Ayinla, has accused men of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Yaba, Lagos State, of extorting N610,000 from her.

According to The Punch, Ayinla hired a truck on August 27 to convey 15,000 litres of diesel, worth over N10m to one of her customers at Idera Bus Stop, Owode Onirin in the Ikorodu area of the state.

However, the truck was allegedly hijacked by some armed men in military uniform at Anthony Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway.

The widow, who supplies diesel and petrol products, told our correspondent on Thursday that the case was immediately reported at the Anthony Police Station, but was transferred to the SCID.

The officers were said to have demanded N610,000 from her for investigation and tracking, adding that she paid the money.

However, Ayinla said the cops had refused to do anything about the case, adding that they were making more demands from her.

She said, “The truck was hijacked by some unknown military officers who ordered the driver to get down on the allegation that he was transporting diesel mixed with kerosene.

“The driver showed them the waybill of the product, but the officers ordered him to get down and not switch off the engine of the truck. They also seized the waybill.

“The driver and the motor boy were put into a blue Sienna vehicle and driven to Seven-Up Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, where the officers dropped them, handing them their waybill. The driver and the motor boy rushed to the scene of the hijack, but on getting there, the fully-loaded truck was nowhere to be found.

“The vehicle was later found on that same day around 7 am at the LASTMA office, Iponri, through independent tracking of the motor boy’s phone, which was in the truck.

“I found out that the product had already been discharged from the vehicle when I got to the LASTMA office.”

She noted that the truck driver and motor boy, however, recognised one of the LASTMA officials, identified simply as Kabiru, as the driver of the Sienna vehicle that conveyed them to Seven-Up Bus Stop.

Ayinla stated that the duo were, however, detained at the SCID.

“A female police officer, Blessing, and one Supol Malik asked them to shut up when they identified Kabiru. Till now, they have done nothing regarding the matter except demanding more money,” she added.

A petition regarding Ayinla’s complaints has been written by a rights organisation, the iRelief Committee for Human Rights and Civic Engagements.

The petition, which was signed by the Committee National Chairman, Momoh Raimi, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, dated September 28, 2022, demanded an investigation into the ‘professional misconducts’ of the policemen.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said he was not aware of the incident.

The LASTMA spokesperson, Taofik Adebayo, stated that neither the agency nor its officials were involved in the matter.

He said, “On that Saturday morning, a mini tanker was discovered to have been abandoned along Bode Thomas Road, off Funsho Williams, with plate number GGE558SJ. Upon discovery around 7am, we noticed that all the doors were left open, so we quickly drew the attention of the Iponri Police Station.

“At the station, two of their officers were sent down and they inspected the mini truck. After that, they said the vehicle needed to be towed from that place to their office at Iponri. However, due to lack of space at the station, the vehicle was towed to the LASTMA office at Iponri, at the instruction of the Iponri policemen. In the evening of the same day, the owner of the vehicle came and found it in our compound.

“The content of the truck had been emptied when we found it. The confessional statement of the driver was that the vehicle was hijacked. No LASTMA official was involved; the only persons involved were the towing vehicle personnel and the driver.”

Post Views: 665
Related Topics:
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

BIG STORY

BREAKING: Tinubu Suspends Emergency Rule In Rivers, Asks Fubara To Resume Tomorrow

Published

11 hours ago

on

September 17, 2025

By

President Bola Tinubu has lifted the emergency rule imposed in Rivers State.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the president directed Siminalayi Fubara, the suspended governor, to return to office on Thursday, September 18.

Tinubu also instructed Ngozi Nma Odu, the deputy governor, along with members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to resume their official responsibilities.

The state had been under emergency rule for the past six months.

More to come…

Post Views: 106
Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Elumelu Mourns Colleagues Who Died In Afriland Fire Incident, Cuts Short US Trip

Published

13 hours ago

on

September 17, 2025

By

Chairman’s Speech

I am shattered by yesterday’s devastating incident at Afriland Towers that took the lives of our dear colleagues.

No words can capture the magnitude of this loss — not for their families who loved them, not for the friends who valued them, and not for those of us who worked beside them.

Yesterday was a stark reminder of what truly matters: our irreplaceable people, those who walk through our doors each day and share our mission.

I learnt of this on my way to the US, enroute to New York for UNGA. I have cut short my trip to return to Lagos as a mark of respect to our lost colleagues.

As we navigate this grief, I urge you all to reach out to those who are receiving care.

In the coming days, we will convene colleagues in a memorial to honour the memories of the departed, as we provide support to their families.

I also want to thank all those who supported in one way or the other, from emergency responders and first aid workers to members of the public who showed courage and compassion.

A minute’s silence will be observed today at12:00 noon, WAT, across all our group companies.

May this never happen again in our Group. May the souls of the departed rest in perfect peace.

Post Views: 105
Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Saudi Arabia Frees Three Nigerian Pilgrims Detained For Alleged Drug Trafficking After FG Intervention

Published

13 hours ago

on

September 17, 2025

By

Three Nigerian pilgrims arrested in Saudi Arabia over alleged drug trafficking have been released following high-level intervention by Nigerian authorities.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) confirmed their release at a press briefing on Wednesday.

Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, said the freedom of the detainees came after engagements between the agency and Saudi authorities. He disclosed that the pilgrims — Mrs Maryam Hussain Abdullahi, Mrs Abdullahi Bahijja Aminu, and Mr Abdulhamid Saddieq — were held in Jeddah for four weeks before being cleared.

Babafemi advised passengers to ensure proper luggage tagging to avoid falling victim to drug trafficking syndicates that manipulate baggage handling systems.

In August, the NDLEA had arrested a suspected drug kingpin, Mohammed Abubakar, also known as Bello Karama, and five members of his syndicate, accused of planting narcotics in the luggage of unsuspecting pilgrims at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA).

According to investigations, the syndicate — in collusion with staff of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) — secretly tagged six additional bags to the names of the pilgrims, three of which contained illicit substances.

While the suspects checked in the drug-laden luggage on Ethiopian Airlines flight ET940 from Kano to Jeddah via Addis Ababa, Karama himself travelled separately on Egypt Air. Other accomplices identified include Abdulbasit Adamu, Murtala Olalekan, Celestina Yayock, and Jazuli Kabir. NDLEA said evidence of payments linked to the scheme had been traced to them.

Babafemi noted that NDLEA Chairman, Brig Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd.), personally engaged officials of Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Narcotics Control (GDNC), armed with Nigeria’s investigation report and charges filed against the syndicate. The discussions, he said, were held at multiple levels, both in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive that no Nigerian should suffer unjustly abroad.

“One of the pilgrims was freed on September 14, and the remaining two were released on September 15, 2025,” Babafemi said.

Marwa expressed gratitude to Saudi authorities for their cooperation, stressing that the release reflected the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NDLEA and the GDNC. He also commended President Tinubu for backing the efforts, alongside Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

He said: “The biggest support came from President Tinubu, who is committed to ensuring that every Nigerian receives fair treatment globally. This case demonstrates that no Nigerian will be unjustly punished for crimes they know nothing about.”

The incident, however, reignited concerns about airport security in Nigeria, with authorities pledging stricter checks at Kano airport to curb similar criminal practices.

Post Views: 88
Continue Reading

 

 

 

 

 

Join Us On Facebook

Most Popular