Connect with us

NEWS

Insecurity: Police, Amotekun After Criminals On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Published

2 years ago

on

In response to public outcry and fears about kidnappings on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, the Ogun State Police Command has told the public that it has devised ways to outpace the kidnappers and chase them out of their axis of operation.

Three victims were kidnapped on Sunday morning in Ogunmakin, Onigaari, and Ishara, according to the axes.

DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state Police Public Relations Officer, responded to the command’s move to stop the fresh kidnapping incidents by saying that the command was not merely initiating operations along the Lagos-Ibadan Highway.

“We have been everywhere along the road. We have our Operation Safer Highway, Federal Highway Patrol, and teams of anti-kidnapping units there. What just happened was just an opportunistic drive by the hoodlums who saw an opportunity to strike when they saw a broken down vehicle being fixed,” he said.

Oyeyemi recalled the killing of two of the kidnappers at the same axis two months ago, with the recovery of two AK-47 rifles, saying: “We are not resting on our oars because we are not oblivious of the fact that Lagos-Ibadan Highway is one of the busiest roads in the country, and it is our duty to protect the lives of commuters on the road.

“We are making every effort to make sure that the hoodlums are fished for and flushed out.”

The PPRO also disclosed that the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, was at the place being used by the kidnappers to assess its security architecture, “and he has given the necessary directive to ensure that those hoodlums have no place to hibernate.

Oyeyemi added that operatives from the command also embarked on operations of combing the bush, saying “the forest is a very vast one linking Ogun and Oyo. We try as much as possible to involve border boundary security stakeholders such as vigilantes, local hunters, and others who know the terrains very well. And they have been assisting us. It was even through their efforts that we were able to locate their hideouts two months ago.’

“We are still carrying them along in this operation as well. And I’m very sure that very soon, our people will hear good news about our breakthrough in that axis. We are determined to flush the hoodlums out and we are going to achieve that.”

But in his response to the return of the kidnappers to the highway, the convener of Southwest Security Stakeholders Group and the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Chief Gani Adams said the attacks will go into oblivion if the police commands in Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states, as well as Directors of Department of State Services (DSS) and security advisers to the governors in the states, approve a collaboration with group members to join police operatives in patrolling the axes and the vast forests surrounding them.

Adams, who spoke in a telephone conversation, made it known that nine groups, including OPC, Agbekoya, hunters, vigilantes among others, formed a unit of all relevant security groups in the Southwest.

“They were working with the Police. We started coordinating them and wrote a letter to all monarchs in the South West at the local government levels. We discovered that kidnappers have shifted their attention to the Lagos-Ibadan highway. And it is the busiest road in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile, the Director-General of DAWN Commission, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, has said that there is an ongoing joint operation involving the police and Amotekun in Ogun and Oyo states at identified criminal hotspots on the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

Mr. Oyeleye stated this during a conversation with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday evening. He said in particular, security agencies had identified the group of people terrorizing people plying the end of Isara to the Onigaari axis and were already closing in on them.

He said that with several high-level meetings and joint operations of security agencies, there would be no further attacks on motorists and passengers plying the Lagos-Ibadan highway.

Oyeleye said: “Yes, we have had two or three incidents, but our security agencies are on top of the situation. The security agencies have met and as I am speaking, there is a joint operation going on among the Amotekun in Ogun and Oyo states and the police.

“Yes, it is already one or two incidents too many because the Lagos-Ibadan road is a critical artery for the South-West and indeed, Nigeria, and, if we don’t move in quickly, God forbid, we may have the situation on the Abuja-Kaduna road on the Lagos-Ibadan road. There have been high-level meetings and the security agencies are working jointly.

“Largely, the entire stretch of the road has been secured. You find police presence, but there is that particular notorious point between the end of Isara approaching Onigaari.

“The security men have identified that this is a hotspot and there is a joint operation going on. ‘We cannot afford to have insecurity on that road; it will be a major disaster for the South-West. That is why the authorities are not folding their hands.

“From my office, I have personally spoken with the commandants of Amotekun and I know joint operations are ongoing to ensure that people can drive and travel safely on that road.”

Post Views: 722
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

JUST IN: Police Arrest Yahaya Bello’s ADC, Security Details

Published

34 mins ago

on

April 20, 2024

By

The Nigeria Police Force has detained a female police officer who was the aide-de-camp to embattled former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, Saturday PUNCH is reporting.

The ADC was arrested alongside other police officers attached to 48-year-old Bello and is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Their arrests and detention followed a Thursday night order by the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, directing their immediate withdrawal from the former governor.

Senior police sources, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because they did not have authorization to comment publicly on the matter, noted that the officers were arrested on the suspicion that they aided and abetted Bello’s escape from operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, who had gone to effect his arrest at his Abuja home on Wednesday.

“The ADC and the other police details attached to Yahaya Bello have been arrested and detained.

“They were arrested on the order of the IG, on the suspicion that they aided and abetted the former governor’s escape from the EFCC on Wednesday,” one of the sources told our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Friday.

Another source said, “Yahaya Bello’s female ADC and other police officers attached to him were brought to the command this morning, and they’ve been detained for aiding and abetting (the governor’s escape).”

Egbetokun had, on Thursday night, ordered the withdrawal of all police officers attached to Bello.

The order for the withdrawal was contained in a police wireless message sighted by our correspondent on Friday morning.

The document read, “CB:4001/DOPS/PMF/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.48/ 34 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X FOLLOWING MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM NIGPOL.

“DOPS ABUJA X BEGINS X CB:4001/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.21/462 DTO:180955/04/2024 X ORDER AND DIRECTIVES X REF MYLET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/36 DATED 15/04/2024 X AND MY EARLIER LET NO CB:3412/DOPS/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.1/30 DATED 24/01/2024 X Nigeria police have ordered the withdrawal of all men.

“Police attached to His Excellency and former Executive Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, should acknowledge compliance and treat with utmost importance. Please above for your information and strict compliance.”

Also, the Federal Government had on Thursday night placed Bello on a watch list.

In a document exclusively obtained by our correspondent on Thursday night, the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, revealed that Bello was placed on a watchlist for conspiracy, breach of trust, and money laundering.

The Assistant Comptroller General signed the document and copied the Nigeria Customs Service, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the Department of State Services, and the Director of the National Internet Agency.

The document read, “I am directed to inform you that the above-named person has been placed on a watch list. Suffice to mention that the subject is being prosecuted before the Federal High Court Abuja for Conspiracy, Breach of Trust and Money Laundering vide letter Ref; CR; 3000/EFCC/LS/EGCS.1/TE/V 1/279 dated April 18, 2024.

“If seen at any entry or exit point, he should be arrested and referred to the Director of Investigation, or contact 08036226329/07039617304 for further action.

“Please, accept as always the Comptroller-General’s warmest regards and esteem.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier declared Bello wanted for laundering the sum of N80,246,470,088.88.

The development was contained in a notice posted on the commission’s official Facebook page on Thursday, with a snapshot of the embattled ex-governor attached.

The notice read, “The public is hereby notified that Yahaya Adoza Bello (former Governor of Kogi State), whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in connection with an alleged case of Money Laundering to the tune of N80,246,470,089.88 (Eighty Billion, Two Hundred and Forty Six Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand and Eighty Nine Naira, Eighty Eight Kobo).

“Bello, a 48-year-old Ebira man, is a native of Okenne Local Government of Kogi State. His last known address is: 9, Benghazi Street, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja. Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission.”

Bello had, on Thursday, failed to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja following his arraignment by the EFCC.

The embattled former governor was arraigned in absentia before Justice Emeka Nwite alongside three other suspects, Ali Bello, Dauda Suleiman and Abdulsalam Hudu on 19-count charges bordering on money laundering.

Post Views: 37
Continue Reading

BIG STORY

Customs Adjust FX Rate For Import Duties To N1,147/$

Published

16 hours ago

on

April 19, 2024

By

The foreign exchange (FX) rate for duties has once again been modified by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to N1,147.02 per dollar.

When compared to the N1,238.1/$ reported on April 18, this indicates a decline of 7.3 percent. On Friday, the customs rate was observed.

It dropped below the official foreign exchange rate, which ended trading at the Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market (NAFEM) on April 18 at N1,154/$.

The drop in the FX rate for customs tariffs and duties is coming amid the Central Bank of Nigeria‘s (CBN) effort to stabilise the naira.

On April 17, the naira appreciated to N1,050 at the parallel section of the FX market, from the N1,100/$ traded on April 15.

Meanwhile, on April 16, President Bola Tinubu inaugurated the national single window (NSW) project to boost trade in Nigeria.

NSW is an electronic portal linking all agencies and players in import and export processes to an integrated platform.

Speaking on the development, Adewale Adeniyi, the comptroller-general (CG) of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the country is making progress with consultations on the reopening of the borders with Niger Republic and Benin Republic.

Post Views: 119
Continue Reading

BIG STORY

8 Nigerians In South Africa Police Net For “Attacking Officers During Drug Raid”

Published

16 hours ago

on

April 19, 2024

By

Eight Nigerians have been taken into custody by the South African police for reportedly fighting police during a drug operation.

The suspects were taken into custody in the province of the Northern Cape, the police said in a statement released on Friday.

According to the police, the suspects also caused damage to other properties and cars.

“At the time of the arrest, police were tracing information of one of the Nigerian nationals being in possession of drugs,” the statement reads.

“While conducting this search, a large group of Nigerians attacked police. Police fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

“One suspect was arrested for illegal possession of drugs, and three suspects were arrested for public violence and detained at Kimberley Police Station.

“During processing, the suspects broke windows at the station. Additional charges of malicious damage to property were added.

“Another group of Nigerians later approached the Police Station and threatened to retaliate.

“The Operational Commander warned the group to disperse.

“However, upon dispersing, the group damaged police vehicles. Another four suspects were arrested for malicious damage to property.”

Koliswa Otola, police commissioner for the province, commended officers for the arrest of the suspects.

Otola condemned acts of violence against law enforcement agents, saying those who prevent police from exercising their duties “will be dealt with harshly”.

“We will not allow such lawless behaviour,” the commissioner said.

“We are processing the suspects and working with Home Affairs to determine if they are legally or illegally in the country.

“Police will continue to stamp the authority of the state in the Northern Cape Province.”

Post Views: 53
Continue Reading

Most Popular