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

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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.”

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UPDATE: Nigerian Police File 12 Fresh Cybercrime Charges Against Dele Farotimi [PHOTOS]

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The Nigerian Police have brought new cybercrime charges against detained human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi.

The additional 12-count charge was filed on Friday, December 6, 2024, before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti.

This comes after 16 charges were previously filed against Farotimi by the Police on Wednesday.

It will be recalled that the human rights lawyer was arrested in Lagos on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, by operatives of the Ekiti State Police Command.

The following day, he was arraigned in a magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti on a 16-count charge of defamation of character against Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Afe Babalola, who was mentioned in his book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.

In his ruling, Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun remanded Farotimi in prison custody until December 10.

In the latest charges, Farotimi is accused of making defamatory statements on Seun Okinbaloye’s podcast, based on content in his book, ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System’.

He is further accused of intimidating and maligning Afe Babalola during the podcast.

The lawyer was also charged with publicly discussing details of legal actions taken against him during a press conference on December 2, 2024, prior to his arrest on December 3, 2024.

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Taraba Governor’s Sister “Accidentally Shot By Police Escort” During Gunmen Attack

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Atsi Kefas, the sister of Agbu Kefas, the governor of Taraba State, was reportedly shot by a police escort during an attack by gunmen on Thursday.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, Jumai, the governor’s mother, and Atsi were traveling along Kente Road in Wukari LGA of Taraba State when they were attacked.

The publication stated that a police officer assigned to escort the family “accidentally shot Atsi” while attempting to fend off the assailants.

Following the attack, troops rescued the victims and evacuated both Jumai and Atsi Kefas from the scene using an air ambulance.

The injured sister was rushed to the hospital for treatment, and her condition remains undisclosed at the time of this report.

The vehicle used by the gunmen was recovered by security forces, along with an empty magazine, and the luggage of the passengers was found in the vehicle.

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BIG STORY

Governor Sanwo-Olu Seeks Investors For Proposed $1.9bn Purple, Green Rail Line Projects

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Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos, announced that he is seeking investors for the proposed $1.9 billion purple and green rail lines.

Sanwo-Olu made the statement on Thursday at the ongoing Africa Investment Forum (AIF) Market Days in Rabat, Morocco.

Discussing the state’s investment strategy for the purple rail line, Sanwo-Olu emphasized that the project presents a strong investment opportunity with promising returns.

The governor expressed enthusiasm about moving forward with the project, stating that his administration is ready to be flexible with investors to ensure its successful delivery.

He added that the purple rail line would connect Lagos and Ogun states.

“The purple rail line is a 60 km electrified rail system that will include 16 stations and seamlessly integrate with existing metro and bus services to enhance connectivity,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“It is projected to serve over 300,000 passengers daily, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging a shift from road to rail transportation.”

Sanwo-Olu informed potential funders that the immediate requirement is $866.05 million, which will cover survey and design, as well as civil works.

He outlined a short-to-medium-term funding projection of $602.81 million and a long-term funding plan of $497.7 million.

The governor highlighted that the state is working toward a transportation master plan aimed at creating a brighter, more effective, efficient, sustainable, and safer system.

He emphasized the state’s focus on integrated transportation systems and mass transit solutions to reduce traffic congestion and commuting time, ultimately improving the health and wellbeing of residents.

He further explained that each corridor features a bus rapid transit (BRT) system and waterway routes, designed to take commuters off the major roads and alleviate traffic.

“Two of the stations that were built on the same line are also connected with water, rail and BRT altogether,” he said.

  • ‘THERE WOULD BE NO BACKLASHES, DISPLACED PERSONS WOULD BE COMPENSATED’

Sanwo-Olu assured investors that the state is committed to ensuring there would be no disruptions or backlash from displaced communities.

“The government would even pay compensations to displaced persons where necessary, so no additional burden is brought to would-be funders,” he added.

“We don’t want to lock in anything, we know all the various options. We understand how some of these things work.”

“We’re willing and ready to make those transactions work. We’ve seen from our experience how to guarantee revenue assurance.”

“We have a payment system under the cowry card, which is where we’d block leakages to a large extent, and the same contactless card can be used on our bus, train, and ferry, where it will all be integrated.”

“On a daily basis, they know what the traffic is and what is due to everybody. Whatever, based on the study or the ridership guarantee, we would look at it.”

Sanwo-Olu added that the state government would need “to either top up on other forms of revenue that can help out in terms of advertising rides on the corridor.”

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