IGP

25 robbery suspects in Ogun police net.

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested 25 suspected armed robbers, who have been terrorising reidents of Abeokuta, the state capital. Their arrest was as a result of the raid on black spots in the city by the police.
The Commissioner of Police, Nicholas Nkemdeme, said two suspects were arrested along Oju-Ore Ota to Idi Iroko with a Nissan Sunny (red colour) car with registration number CB 421AKD.
He said they were able to recover a locally made pistol, two Nokia handsets, one bag containing wears and four small coolers from them. He said police officers on patrol at Dipo Dina Stadium, Ijebu-Ode, accosted a suspect, carrying bag and recovered a beretta pistol No. FQ 48371 with five rounds of live ammunition from him.
He disclosed that policemen with the combined effort of the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Ibefun branch, successfully arrested five armed robbers that have been terrorising Odoluka/Ilado/Ibefun and Itoki Road along Ijebu Ode - Lagos Road during the blockade of the road. The bandits injured one Malam with cutlass on his right hand.
Nkedeme added that the command recovered from the suspects 55 bags of weeds suspected to be Indian hemp, a Toyota Hilux pick-up van with registration No. BJ 958KSF, a rifle with 3812 and an empty magazine, one live cartridge, two expended cartridges and assorted charms.
He said a murder case of one Adijat Adeyemo of Olorogbo area of Owode Egbado occured. A report was also lodged that one Abipa Asunmo (not real name) had a misunderstanding with Adeyemo over a trivial issue as a co-tenant.
Asunmo was said to have become aggressive. When the landlord was trying to settle the matter, Asunmo brought a cane and beat up Adeyemo. She was said to have picked up a plank and hit Adeyemo who sustained injury and later died while on admission in hospital.
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I have greater stake here –Onireti, Oyo CP
It is a home coming for him. And he sees himself as having been sent to deliver his people from the tyranny of robbers, hoodlums and other hues of criminals that have made life a misery in Oyo state.
Since July when he was posted to replace Baba Adisa Bolanta as the Police Commissioner, the Ogbomoso-born top cop, had given hope that there would be peace while he is around, in sync with his surname, Onireti (which translates to “Giver of hope” in Yoruba ).
Before he came on board, Oyo State was a cauldron of turbulence, what with incessant bloody clashes between factions of the strife-torn National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), political violence, thuggery, wave of robberies and car-snatching cases.
However, the state has since witnessed some peace. Although the police boss would, out of modesty, rather give the credit to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who banned the union, there is no doubt that the police under him have been doing their best to enforce the proscription order. Onireti singled out robbery and car-snatching but declared that “since I came on board, we have been able to contain these two, thanks to our men, who have been up and doing”
But his mind was made up and in 1980 when he was commissioned Deputy Superintendent of Police: “I thought as a graduate, if I joined I’d help to give the police force a moral structure and image.” So, how far has the journey been in terms of achieving the said goal? Onireti throws up his arms: “To some extent, I would say I’ve achieved this because I was Public Relations Officer for seven years as a junior officer and so, have been able to project a solid image of the Nigeria Police.”
“Nothing is perfect, nothing is absolute. To a large extent, I’ll say there is room for improvement. This image-denting is not from the senior officers. It is from the junior cadre. I have been telling my policemen that the police profession is a dignified profession, that they should stop dragging the name of the police in the mud. The police hierarchy is against it. They have given us marching order to nip in the bud, this bad behaviour. From time to time, we arrest culprits and deal with them by showing them the way out. So, we’re totally against this issue of extorting money from members of the public. Our determination is not to stop until these bad elements are weeded out.”
Onireti combines his work as a sleuth with being a minister of God’s word. He is an ordained pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG). The latter, he says, has helped him in his primary assignment. It has also helped in influencing colleagues to be better officers. He says: “Everywhere I go, I tell them that it is good to be humane. It is good to be polite. It is good to be kind to the members of the public. I used to tell them, whether you like it or not, one day you’ll leave the police force. Nothing is forever. I was not born a policeman. I emphasise that they treat the public well. Don’t intimidate or brutalise them. I tell them what you sow, you will reap, Galatians 6 verse 7.
“Security is a collective responsibility. Members of the public must help in intelligence gathering. Unfortunately, most Nigerians are not willing to give information, yet they expect action. All these hoodlums, criminals live among us. They commit crime with impunity and people see them, know them; but keep quiet. So, I appeal to all and sundry to furnish police with reliable information. This is my state and I see it as more challenging because people will expect a lot from you. In this regard, God has been on my side and I have vowed that with Him, I shall succeed.