POLICE BOSS

Police increase patrol on Lagos bridges.

The Lagos State Police Command has increased patrol on major bridges, including the Third Mainland Bridge, in an effort to check robbery.
Commissioner of Police, Yakubu Alkali said in Lagos that the development followed complaints by motorists and some other residents of the state who had been robbed at such places.
Alkali said the command had increased patrol of the Rapid Respond Squad on bridges and some other black spots in Lagos State.
According to him, the command had complied with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to remove all vehicles which littered police stations.
He said he held meetings with area commanders and divisional police officers in the command to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
The Commissioner said however, that some stations had yet to completely remove the vehicles and that the command was looking into the situation.
I Help Car Snatchers Drive Across Border’.
A member of a suspected car snatching syndicate, Sidi Abubakar has confessed to the operatives at the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island, Lagos State, that he is not a robber, but only helps an unidentified car snatching group to drive their stolen vehicles across the border through Ajitete village, Ogun State, into Cotonou, Republic of Binin for a fee.
The police alleged that the incident that led to the arrest of Sidi occurred when he and others now at large, allegedly robbed Oyegun Michael Oluwaseun of his Toyota Camry car with registration number KX 284 EKY at Ahmadiya area of Ojokoro, Lagos while armed with a locally-made pistol and other offensive weapons.
However, luck ran out on him when the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squard, FSARS operatives on an assignment at Idiroko border area arrested the suspect with the stolen vehicle as he made to drive across the border following a distress call they had earlier received about the vehicle.
When the car was searched, a locally made pistol was recovered and other incriminating exhibits.
During interrogation, the suspect Sidi confessed: “I am not a robber, and not the owner of the vehicle. A friend gave it to me to help him drive across the border into Republic of Benin. He does not know my name and I do not know his, too.
“I have been helping people to drive their vehicles across the border through a rough route known to only me and I have never snatched any vehicle from anybody in my life.”
When asked by the police what he was doing with a locally-made pistol if he was not a robber, he allegedly said: “I used the pistol for self defence.”
When further probed on the names of his accomplices in crime and those he has been helping to drive their vehicles across the border, he said: “We don’t normally know our names and addresses. My work is to drop the car at a designated spot across the border while the owner takes it over from there.”
The police have, however, described his claims as nonsense, saying the suspect was a member of the gang that snatched the car from the owner at gun point.
They claimed that while he drove the car to their target across the Idiroko border, his accomplices stayed back to ensure safe delivery of the car to their target and beat police checkpoints.
But the accomplices, however, escaped when they learnt of the arrest of the suspect.
The suspect has been charged before the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court on a two count charge of felony to wit: armed robbery, offences, according to the prosecutor, ASP Raymond, are punishable under Section 6 (b) 1, (2) (a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms (Special Provision) Act, Cap. R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to him.
The presiding Magistrate, Mr. J. A. Adigun, did not take his plea.
He directed that the case file be sent to the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP for advice.
He ordered that the accused be remanded at Ikoyi Prison and thereafter adjourned the matter till 13 September, 2011 for mention.
Fire Razes Building, Renders 52 Homeless.
More than 52 persons, including children and women were rendered homeless in Lagos by a fire that razed down over eight apartments containing both four, three and two bedrooms flats in Jibowu, Yaba, Lagos.
The fire which started at about 12.30 p.m at 3, Alhaji Mudashiru Awe Street, opposite West African Examination Council, WAEC, office, Yaba, destroyed household items worth millions of naira but no life was lost.
The occupants of the building were said to have all gone to work when the fire happened.
The cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained but one of the Landlord’s daughters, said there was power outage when she left home for work, adding; “When I came back, I learnt, it was shortly after the NEPA restored power that people raised alarm about the fire.
One of the tenants confirmed that it was after the NEPA restored power, people saw tick smokes billowing from the house and then raised alarm. He said he was called back from his office to meet that all his properties had been destroyed.
One of the officers of the Lagos State Fire Service from Sari Iganmu branch who came to put out the fire said an electricity spark might have caused the incident.
The officer said his team responded to a call after an order from the headquarters.
A source said the fire was first noticed by a woman shopowner, who alerted other shopowners and neighbours who tried in vein to put out the fire, shortly after which the Yabatech fire fighters came but could not do much.
The Lagos State Fire Service men were said to have come later with more tankers and stopped the fire.
An official of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Awodimila Adedeji, who confirmed the incident, advised Nigerians to always switch off all electrical and electronic appliances before leaving home.
Adedeji warned against indiscriminate use of inflammables, which he said, could cause fire and destroy lives and property.
Lecturer Escapes Police Gun Shots.
A lecturer at the Federal College of Education, Akoka, Lagos, Abimbola Bankole, escaped being killed by a Police Inspector, Gabriel Akpan, attached to Railway Police Station, Elewedu, Mushin, Lagos on Wednesday.
Bankole was driving her Toyota Avalon car when the police inspector shot at her but missed his target.
Narrating her experience, Mrs. Bankole said: “I was driving towards Jibowu from Ojuelegba. At a point, the traffic light was green and when it turned red, I found myself on the rail line. As I tried to reverse my car, there was no space and suddenly the police inspector brandishing a rifle, ordered me to open my door and I refused because I did not know him and I was scared.
“As I tried to park, he shot at me and missed his target. When I eventually parked my car I came down to ask him what offence did I commit.
“He told me to surrender my car key. Then suddenly, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the station, Alhaja Bello, stormed the scene to take me to the station alongside owners of about 10 other vehicles.
“At the station the police inspector lied that I drove dangerously; that I wanted to kill a police officer (referring to himself) and I was told to write my statement, which I did. Thereafter, he boasted that he would take me to court.
“All other people whose cars were also impounded were later allowed to go, on what condition, I did not know.”
An eye witness, who gave his name as Deola Akanni, said: “ The Police Inspector, Akpan, is a wicked man. This woman (Mrs. Bankole) was so lucky. If he had killed her, he would have blamed it on accidental discharge.”
One of the residents in the area, Kabiru Asimiyu, said: “ I can never allow my children to join the police force. Most of them bring shame to us and when you try to correct them, you are in trouble. They thought if they did that to the woman, she would bring out money to beg them.”