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The Lagos state police command of the Nigeria police force has dismissed three officers it found guilty of illegal arrest and extortion.

The affected officers are Okelue Nkemeonye, Braimoh Sunday and Yusuf Olukoga.

Abayomi Shogunle, an assistant commissioner of police, who disclosed this, encouraged members of the public to report the misconduct of police officers.

He said action was taken against the dismissed officers after a complaint.

The complainant had told the public complaint rapid response unit that he was arrested at gunpoint and money was forcefully collected from him after he was assaulted.

The ex-policemen, led by one Bayo Obadia, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, with AP No., 98199, had reportedly paraded themselves as operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad on June 21, 2017.

It was said that the men stationed a van in front of a bank in Ikorodu, where one of their victims, a graduate, had gone to deposit some money.

On coming out of the bank, they collected his phone and forced him to enter their van.

The graduate, in a petition written to the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit via its Whatsapp number, 08057000003, stated that the policemen accused him of being a Yahoo boy (Internet fraudster), and asked him to pay N1m.

The victim, whose identity was not disclosed, wrote, “I went to the bank this morning (June 21) to deposit money to a company’s account, but there was no network; so I deposited the money into my personal account to do the transfer to the account later. When I came out of the bank, I saw a van with some SARS policemen inside.

“I was told to enter the vehicle at gunpoint. They collected my mobile phone and asked me what I did for a living. I told them that I had just finished my youth service and I was living with my brother. I pointed my brother’s shop to them to stop by and see him because he was the one that sent me to the bank.

“They refused to wait and they did not allow me to pick my calls or make any call. I received an alert on my phone confirming the money I went to deposit. They searched my phone and on seeing the alert, they said I was a Yahoo boy, telling me that I would pay them N1m. One of them slapped me.”

The victim said one of the cops beat him up and the team eventually collected N50,000 from him.

He explained that some other persons were picked and falsely tagged Yahoo boys, adding that the team extorted money from them.

“They drove round places in Ikorodu, Ijede, Gberigbe, Ibeshe, Ipakodo, Ita-Elewa, Agric and First Gate, harassing people and extorting money from them. They collected N50,000 from me, but I noticed that each junction that we reached, people were hailing their leader by his nickname,OJ(Ojewunmi). One Austin slapped me. They picked me up around 9am and released me at about 6pm. They even used my account to collect money from the guys that I met in the car and used my ATM card to withdraw the money,” he said.

Shogunle said after investigation, it was found out that the allegations were true.

“Upon the receipt of the complaint, a case with tracking number PCRRU637624 was registered and acknowledgment of complaint sent to the complainant,” the statement read.

“PCRRU Investigation team was dispatched to Ikorodu where all the three dismissed policemen including AP No. 98199 ASP Bayo Obadia who led the team were apprehended. PCRRU preliminary investigation reveals that all the allegations contained in the WhatsApp message actually happened.

“Also the four police officers who were armed on the day of the incident falsely paraded themselves as operatives of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) despite not being posted to SARS by police authorities. Investigation also shows that the officers extorted a total sum of N200,000 from the young men who they tagged ‘Yahoo Yahoo Boys’, the money was force from them via N90,000 ATM withdrawal and N110,000 mobile bank money transfer to a third party account provided by the policemen.

” All the extorted N200,000 was recovered by the PCRRU Investigators.

“The inspector-general of police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris NPM, mni has commended the complainant for coming forward to report the incident to PCRRU, the IGP has also said that all allegations of professional misconduct reported against any police officer would be treated in line with relevant laws and in keeping to the ‘Change Begins With Me Campaign’ of the federal government.”

He encouraged members of the public to report cases of police misconduct to the PCRRU through the following numbers and platforms: 08057000001, 08057000002 (phone calls only), 08057000003 (SMS/WhatsApp only) | BBM:58A2B5DE, | Twitter: @PoliceNG_PCRRU | Facebook: www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU | Email: [email protected] OR [email protected].

BIG STORY

Federal Government Lifts Ban On Mineral Exploration In Zamfara

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After more than five years of security restriction, the Federal Government has lifted the ban on mining exploration activities in Zamfara State, citing significant improvements in the security situation across the state.

Making the announcement during a press briefing at the weekend, the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake stated that the nation has a lot to gain from reawakened economic activities in a highly mineralised state like Zamfara that is imbued with vast gold, Lithium, and copper belts. He noted that the previous ban, which was good intentioned, inadvertently created a vacuum exploited by illegal miners to fleece the nation of its resources. He emphasized that the state’s potential for contributing to national revenue is enormous.

It will be recalled that in 2019, the federal government imposed a total ban on mining activities in Zamfara State due to the escalating security concerns, particularly the links between banditry and illegal mining.

Since the beginning of the Tinubu administration, however, intelligence-driven, coordinated security operations have resulted in the neutralization of key bandit commanders, significantly reducing incidents of insecurity. A recent success was the capture of one of the most wanted bandit commanders, Halilu Sububu, in a covert operation in Zamfara.

“The existential threat to lives and properties that led to the 2019 ban has abated. The security operatives’ giant strides have led to a notable reduction in the level of insecurity, and with the ban on exploration lifted, Zamfara’s mining sector can gradually begin contributing to the nation’s revenue pool,” Alake asserted.

The minister added that the lifting of the ban would also facilitate better regulation of mining activities in the state. This will enable more effective intelligence gathering to combat illegal mining and ensure the country benefits from the state’s rich mineral resources.

Commending members of the fourth estate of the realm for championing the propagation of reforms and initiatives of the ministry in 2024, Alake noted that the press have been key allies in efforts to sanitise the mining sector, and promote market reforms which have made the industry attractive to indigenous and foreign investors.

On the recent controversy surrounding the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with France, Alake reaffirmed the Federal Government’s position that the agreement does not imply Nigeria is relinquishing control over its mineral resources or entering into any military pact with France. He emphasized that Nigeria’s military remains fully capable of safeguarding the nation’s territorial integrity.

“The high point of the MOU is on training and capacity building for our mining professionals. We need all the assistance we can get in terms of capacity, technical, and financial support from abroad, and that wasn’t even the first we are signing. We’ve signed similar ones with Germany and Australia. Deliberate peddling of misinformation, despite facts to the contrary, is uncalled for, “the minister emphasised.

Dr. Alake also urged the media to continue to play its crucial role in educating the public about government policies in order to prevent ignorance, mischief, and the spread of misinformation.

Looking ahead to 2025, the minister hinted at upcoming policy initiatives aimed at revitalizing the mining sector. He revealed that the ministry plans to further consolidate reforms, enhance the enabling environment for investments, and continue efforts to reposition the sector for long-term, sustainable growth.

 

Segun Tomori, FSCA

Special Assistant on Media

to the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals Development

 

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BIG STORY

Emefiele Loses Warehouse Built On 1.925 Hectares To Federal Government

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has secured the final forfeiture of a warehouse linked to Godwin Emefiele, the former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to The Guardian, top sources revealed that Justice Deinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos issued the forfeiture order on Thursday, December 19, 2024, with the property forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The warehouse, built on a 1.925-hectare piece of land located at Km 8 along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Magboro, contained 54 general-purpose steel containers.

The containers were filled with various types of sewing machines.

Earlier, on November 28, the judge had ordered the interim forfeiture of the assets after the Commission filed an application for their forfeiture.

Following the court’s directive for the EFCC to publish the order in two national newspapers, allowing any interested party to show cause why the assets should not be finally forfeited, the Commission later returned to court to request the final forfeiture of the assets.

According to the source, the court also ordered the forfeiture of the land on which the warehouse is situated to the government.

“At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, EFCC Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, told the court that the EFCC had complied with the court’s directives to publish the assets in two national newspapers,” the source said.

“Citing Section 44(2)(B) of the constitution and Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, he prayed the court to grant the final forfeiture of the assets.

“Justice Dipeolu granted the order, making the forfeiture another milestone in the asset recovery drive of the EFCC.”

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BIG STORY

10 Feared Dead, Several Others Injured At Catholic Church’s Palliative In Abuja

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A stampede at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Maitama District of Abuja on Saturday morning has resulted in several deaths and numerous injuries.

The tragic incident occurred during a palliative distribution event organized by the church to assist struggling residents.

It was reported that chaos erupted as thousands of residents rushed to receive relief items, leading to the deadly crush.

Over 3,000 people, including children, mostly from nearby areas such as Mpape and Gishiri Village, had gathered for the event before the unfortunate incident took place.

Mike Umoh, the National Director of Social Communications at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, confirmed the incident.

“Yes, it’s true, but the details are sketchy,” he said in a brief statement.

On the same Saturday, a stampede in Okija, a community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State in Nigeria’s South-east, also left many people dead.

According to Premium Times, witnesses reported that the victims had gathered to participate in the distribution of bags of rice donated by a well-known entrepreneur, Ernest Obiejesi, commonly referred to as Obijackson.

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