Category: Law and Crime

  • Police nab 3 suspects for trafficking 13 victims from Kaduna to Oyo

    Police nab 3 suspects for trafficking 13 victims from Kaduna to Oyo

    The Force Headquarters announced on Sunday that police operatives attached to the Kaduna State Command arrested three suspects on January 31, 2025, at around 7 p.m.

    The suspects, identified as Samson Peter (25), Haruna Duniya (45), and Abdulazaq Olawole (58), were apprehended for allegedly trafficking 13 victims to Oyo State in an unmarked vehicle.

    A statement by Force PRO, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, revealed that the arrests were part of efforts to crack down on organized crime, particularly human trafficking and kidnapping.

    “The victims were rescued, and the investigation is ongoing,” Adejobi said.

    In a related development, on January 29, 2025, police operatives from the Ogun State Command conducted a covert operation that led them to the hideout of kidnappers responsible for an earlier abduction reported on January 25, 2025.

    Upon sighting the operatives, the kidnappers engaged them in a gunfight, resulting in the neutralization of five gang members and the successful rescue of three kidnapped victims.

    Recovered items included various arms and ammunition, three mobile phones, and cash totaling N5.2 million. The vehicles belonging to the victims were also recovered.

    The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, commended the operatives for their gallantry, dedication, and patriotism.

    The IGP urged officers to remain relentless in their efforts to achieve peace and reassured the public of the police’s commitment to effectively combat all security threats.

  • 32-year-old man arrested for abducting 5-year-old child in Anambra

    32-year-old man arrested for abducting 5-year-old child in Anambra

    Awka — Police operatives attached to the Ogidi Area Command in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State have arrested a 32-year-old man, Joshua Simeon, from Ohaozara in Ebonyi State, for allegedly abducting a five-year-old child.

    The suspect was reportedly attempting to flee with the child when police, acting on intelligence, intercepted him at Nkpor Central Motor Park.

    The child, identified as Nkemdilim Jacob, was allegedly taken from her parents’ residence in Umuota Village, Obosi, also in Idemili North.

    State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incident, stating that the suspect had already boarded a commercial vehicle and was headed to an undisclosed location when he was apprehended.

    “The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing interrogation to determine his motives and whether this incident is linked to a larger child trafficking network,” Ikenga said.

    He added that efforts are underway to contact the child’s parents or relatives for a safe reunion.

    The PPRO reaffirmed the police command’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of society, combating child abduction and trafficking, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all children in the state.

  • Farotimi faces two cases, over N1bn damages claim despite Afe Babalola’s case withdrawal

    Farotimi faces two cases, over N1bn damages claim despite Afe Babalola’s case withdrawal

    Barely a week after a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, Chief Afe Babalola, withdrew his cases against lawyer and rights activist, Mr Dele Farotimi, there is unease among Nigerians over the status of other pending lawsuits against the activist.

    Their concerns are borne out of the fact that the police, having arrested and charged Farotimi with 12-count of cybercrime offences and 16-count of criminal defamation based on Babalola’s petition, there are other lawyers who instituted legal actions against the activist, claiming over N1 billion in damages.

    On December 6, 2024, a SAN, Mr Kehinde Ogunwumiju, sued Farotimi for alleged defamatory statements in his book: ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System.’

    The Managing Partner at Afe Babalola & Co asked for N500 million in damages, while further appealing to the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court in Abuja to halt the book’s publication and sale in physical and online bookstores.

    Ogunwumiju, who pleaded with the court for an order for the seizure of the copies of the book wherever they might be found, stressed that Farotimi must apologise to him in two national newspapers.

    Less than five days after Ogunwumiju’s suit, specifically on December 11, 2024, another lawyer from Babalola’s law firm, Mr Ola Faro, petitioned the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, alleging that the rights activist also defamed him in the aforesaid book.

    Validating his claim, Faro identified specific statements in the book which allege that he, Babalola and his law firm, Afe Babalola & Co, compromised the integrity of the Supreme Court. According to Faro, the statements are not factual and are deliberately written to tarnish his reputation.

    While Faro also sought N500 million in damages against Farotimi for unlawful defamation, he requested N100 million in damages for distributing the book.

    Meanwhile, following the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and some other traditional rulers in the feud between Babalola and Farotimi, the police prosecutor, Samson Osobu, last Wednesday, applied for the withdrawal of the cybercrime charges at the resumed hearing of the case at the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

    For the other criminal charge filed by the police against Farotimi before a chief magistrate’s court in Ado-Ekiti, Sunday Vanguard gathered that the case scheduled for February 13 has not been withdrawn as of the time of filing this report.

    On December 3, 2024, reports emerged that Farotimi had been arrested in Lagos by the police.

    Confirming his arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Abutu Sunday, said: “The command wishes to inform members of the public that one Mr Dele Farotimi is currently undergoing investigation following a petition written against him to the Office of the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, for an allegation of defamation of character and cyberbullying. He was arrested today in Lagos with a warrant after all means deployed by the command to bring him for interrogation proved abortive.”

  • My husband hid his business from me – Wife of suspected Chadian terrorist

    My husband hid his business from me – Wife of suspected Chadian terrorist

    A Chadian terrorist’s wife has made a shocking revelation about her husband’s secret life, which was concealed from her throughout their marriage.

    The woman, whose name has been withheld, spoke out while being paraded by the Kano State Police Command alongside two associates of her husband, Ahmad Adam Abba, who is on wanted list at the Bompai Police Headquarters in Kano.

    According to the woman, her husband had deceived her into believing he was a trader, but she began to suspect something was amiss when he had an encounter with the Nigerian Immigration Service while renewing his passport.

    Her suspicions later deepened when he returned home in the middle of the night with large sums of money in Chadian currency.

    The wife recounted how her husband would often hold secret meetings at his elder brother’s house, Bushara, and how she was kept in the dark about his true activities.

    The woman said she only became aware of the gravity of the situation when her husband was declared wanted by the authorities.

    She recalled one particular incident where her husband rushed into the house, gathered some documents and cash, and left in a hurry, telling her he would call her later but never did.

    According to her, “I didn’t notice any issue in the marriage not until the coincided incidences, when the Nigerian Immigration arrested them in the course of renewing their international passports and the second,

    when they were said to killed people.

    “He concealed so many things about himself from me. They held secret meetings outside my house. They would go to his elder brother’s house (Bushara’s house). That’s why I didn’t get to know some certain things, not until recently when he travelled to Chad and came back at 12 midnight. The following day when I saw plenty wraps of money (Chadian currency) in a sack bag because he handed the money to me, I became suspicious. When he came back in the morning, I saw him with his friends (strange faces) who had their breakfast in my house.

    They came out one after the other and stood by the frontage (gate) of our house and were talking. I don’t know what the problem was then not until when he came to collect the money he kept with me. So, he returned back with some money which he kept in the wardrobe. By then, his friends had left. After a while, an Almajiri boy who works in my house came to tell me they saw some strange things going on in Bushara’s house as the friends of my husband were running.

    “I was plaiting, so I saw him rush into the house, he picked some documents, the cash, and I followed him down to the gate when he was leaving, but he promised to call me. Then I recalled what the Almajiri boy earlier informed me. So I became scared and was crying. Since that day, I didn’t hear from him until his brother, Bushara, communicated with the neighbour.

    “He told me he was a trader. We also asked many of his people and they told us the same thing. They said he was tradeing in Chad. I usually interrogate him to know more about his trade or business, but he would often tell me same story,” she said.

    She said her experience had left her with a strong message for parents to always conduct thorough investigations before giving their daughters’ hands in marriage.

    “I had miscarriage twice in the course of our stay together. My advice to parents is to always carry out thorough investigation before giving out the hands of their daughter to any suitor whether he is from a neigbouring place or from a far place.”

    Recall that the police had earlier issued a security alert to residents of the state to avoid large crowd gathering on the eve of the National Tijjaniyya programme in the state based on intelligence report of suspected terrorists planning to launch attack.

    Days after, the police command said it arrested one suspect, recovered Improvised Explosive Devices, IED, and later arrested three associates including the wife while the mastermind, Ahmad Adam Abba, who was said to have killed 17 people in Chad before relocating to Kano to hibernate and possibly launch his next attack was discovered at the venue of the Tijjaniyya programme, but upon sensing danger fled to Cameroon.

  • NSCDC debunks involvement in Lagos hotel invasion, torture of victims

    NSCDC debunks involvement in Lagos hotel invasion, torture of victims

    The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Lagos State Command, has debunked any involvement in the viral story about the unfortunate robbery invasion of a popular hotel in Ago Palace Way, Lagos.

    Recall there was a report of no fewer than 15 masked armed men dressed in NSCDC and thugs, posing as policemen, invading the hotel and subjecting both their customers and visitors to hours of gruelling torture and robbery.

    The state command Public Relations Officer, PRO, NSCDC, Oluwaseun Abolurin, reacting in a statement to the allegation, absolved the corps of wrongdoing and described the report as “overreaching.”

    The statement read in part, “The attention of the NSCDC, Lagos State Command has been immediately brought to the viral story making the rounds on the social media space via online news platforms, links and channels about the unfortunate robbery invasion claimed, by some news purveyors, to have been perpetrated, by 15 masked men in Civil Defence uniforms and 15 unmasked tugs, in a hotel named, Seafortunes Hotel, said, to be situated, at Godwin Obasi, Ago Palace way, Okota, Lagos State, on a particular Sunday (exact date withheld in the viral stories.

    “The command has keenly observed, within few hours of reading these reports, that purveyors of the story, overreaching in a bid to attract more online readers and traffic to their websites, decided to caption their stories with ‘Civil Defence or NSCDC personnel /operatives loot Lagos hotel, without proper recourse to honest fact-finding, and balancing their stories, amidst others.

    “The NSCDC, Lagos State Command, wishes to state categorically and unequivocally that such an act is unbelievably evil and can only be perpetrated by evil-doers and men of the underworld. Therefore, they are not members of the NSCDC, Lagos State Command, in any way or with any ramifications.

    “Without mincing words, anyone who is in any way current at all with the prevailing trends of events in the security hemisphere today does not need to be updated, with the fact that evil-doers, criminals and charlatans now parade themselves as regular security agents of government globally and not limited, to our dear nation, Nigeria, to prank their unsuspecting victims, to make them vulnerable and carry out their evil machinations.

    “The NSCDC, Lagos State Command, wishes to seize this opportunity to advise the general public to continue to trust the corps and support it in ensuring the fulfilment of its mandates of fighting economic sabotage amidst other heinous crimes in the state.

    “It is also important for the people to see something and say something as these criminal elements are trying various and new methods every day to beat their unsuspecting victims and cart away valuables, destroy assets and infrastructure as well as even maim their victims, if that will satisfy their soul, especially, through ‘impersonation of security organisations and wearing their uniforms.”

    NSCDC, therefore, urged the media, particularly reputable organisations, to always verify, clarify, and fact-check their stories before publishing them in subsequent attempts.

    “This will help foster objectivity in reporting, balancing and truth, good conscience and social peace, amongst others. No one will gain anything good in trying to bring a well-respected organisation down through an act of sensationalism,” Abolurin stated.

  • I stole one bag of rice because I was hungry, security guard tells court

    I stole one bag of rice because I was hungry, security guard tells court

    A 21-year-old security guard, Mohammed Yunusa, told a magistrates court in Kubwa, Abuja, that he stole one bag of rice and maize because he didn’t have any food to eat.

    Yunusa, who lives in Dawaki area of Abuja, pleaded guilty to criminal conspiracy and theft.

    “My boss, retired Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) Ali Janja, employed me as a security guard because the former guard, Aminu Haruna, travelled in December.

    ”My boss travelled to Kaduna and left me with his children at home. The children do not give me food to eat. I stole one bag of rice and one bag of maize for my food and not for selling,” he said.

    Yunusa added that he spent 19 days in the police station and prayed to the court to temper justice with mercy, saying he was sorry.

    Earlier, the prosecution counsel, John Okpa, told the court that he was not making an application for compensation for the stolen items because they had been recovered from Yunusa.

    Magistrate Oyepeju Mustapha sentenced Yunusa to two months of community service within the court premises and ordered him to provide a guarantor.

    Mustapha stated that without a guarantor, Yunusa would have to serve a one-month prison term.

    The prosecution had said that one Jibrin Dauda, a police officer attached to Yunusa’s boss, reported the matter at the Divisional Headquarters, Dawaki, Abuja, on Jan. 12.

    He said that Yunusa and Haruna conspired and stole one bag of maize and one bag of rice from their boss’

    store worth N500,000.

    The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 97 and 288 of the Penal Code. (NAN)

  • Death penalty abolition: Nigerians will decide – Kalu

    Death penalty abolition: Nigerians will decide – Kalu

    The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has stated that the decision to abolish the death penalty in Nigeria ultimately lies with its citizens.

    Speaking during a courtesy visit by a delegation from the Death Penalty Project, led by officials from the British High Commission in Abuja on Thursday, Kalu emphasized the importance of stakeholder engagement and public debate on the matter.

    He noted that over 130 countries have abolished the death penalty either in law or practice, reflecting a global shift towards rehabilitation and restorative justice.

    Kalu highlighted that Nigeria’s legal framework currently prescribes capital punishment for offenses such as murder, armed robbery, and treason. He acknowledged concerns raised by the high number of death row inmates, underscoring the need for reform in the criminal justice system.

    Although there is no bill presently before the House on the issue, Kalu revealed that the Constitution Review Committee, which he chairs, is exploring the matter. He hinted at the possibility of presenting a bill for debate and public input.

    “There is an international trend toward the abolition of the death penalty, with growing support for a global moratorium on executions,” Kalu said. “We are considering presenting this matter before the parliament to gauge whether it aligns with the needs of our society. Public hearings will ensure that citizens can contribute to this important discussion.”

    He assured that any reform would aim to balance justice with human rights, emphasizing the need for fairness and proportionality in the justice system.

    Saul Lehrfreund, Co-founder and Co-Executive Director of the Death Penalty Project, praised Nigeria’s willingness to engage in discussions on the matter. He highlighted Zimbabwe’s recent abolition of the death penalty and expressed hope for similar progress in Nigeria.

    “We believe dialogue and collaboration are crucial in rethinking the use of the death penalty. We are here to share our experience and explore how the Constitution can be amended to support such reforms,” Lehrfreund stated.

    Kalu reiterated that the discussions are not intended to downplay the gravity of capital offenses but to ensure that Nigeria’s justice system remains fair and aligned with international best practices.

  • No going back on Obasa’s removal, Lagos lawmakers insist

    No going back on Obasa’s removal, Lagos lawmakers insist

    Members of the Lagos State House of Assembly have reaffirmed that there was no going back on the removal of embattled former Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, insisting the process was conducted lawfully, in line with constitutional provisions.

    Recall that Obasa 32 of the 39 lawmakers had reconvened during recess on Monday, January 13, 2025, to summarily remove Obasa as Speaker and elected his erstwhile deputy, Mojisola Lasbat Meranda, as substantive Speaker.

    In a statement issued and signed by Ogundipe Olukayode after their appearance at the Lagos Command of the Department of State Services, DSS, in Shangisha, Magodo, Lagos, the lawmakers stressed that the decision adhered strictly to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Powers and Privileges Act.

    The lawmakers cited Sections 92 and 96, which outline the procedures for electing and removing a Speaker, stressing that due process was followed.

    “The Lagos State House of Assembly, as an independent arm of government, exercised its constitutional duty in the best interest of the people of Lagos.

    “Any attempt to challenge this lawful action undermines the authority granted to us by the Nigerian Constitution,” the lawmakers stated.

    They also commended the DSS for its professionalism and for ensuring a smooth and respectful engagement.

    Meanwhile, all invited and detained lawmakers have since been released.

    Reiterating their commitment to legislative duties, the Assembly called on all stakeholders, including the executive and the public, to respect the sanctity of legislative processes and avoid undue interference.

  • Court adjourns Lake Petroleum suit against Anambra Govt to February

    Court adjourns Lake Petroleum suit against Anambra Govt to February

    The Federal High Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has adjourned a fundamental rights suit filed by Lake Petroleum Limited against the Anambra State Government and Onitsha South Local Government to February 13, 2025. The case involves the alleged demolition of over 1,600 shops and houses, which displaced more than 4,000 sand miners and traders in the area.

    Lake Petroleum Limited approached the court, seeking enforcement of its fundamental right to property ownership after the demolition led by Emeka Orji, Chairman of the Onitsha South Local Government Caretaker Committee. The company obtained an interim injunction restraining further demolition or interference with its property, Ndende Land, located along Niger Street, Onitsha.

    Despite the injunction, Lake Petroleum’s counsel, Mr. Gerald J.J. Ezeuko, SAN, alleged that Orji continued to violate the court order, prompting the company to file a motion for substituted service after unsuccessful attempts to serve him directly.

    The case, which began in March 2024, has faced multiple adjournments due to judge transfers and insecurity in the state. Presiding over the matter for the first time, the judge granted a motion for substituted service sought by a section of the Onitsha community seeking joinder in the suit.

    Counsel for Lake Petroleum emphasized that the case was about the breach of the company’s possessory and ownership rights, not title disputes. “We have held the Certificate of Occupancy for over ten years, and there is a presumption of ownership until proven otherwise,” Ezeuko stated.

    The judge expressed disappointment at the prolonged delays and urged all parties to be prepared for the next hearing date. “Matters like this should not suffer unnecessary delays,” she noted before adjourning the case.

    None of the defendants or their legal representatives appeared in court.

  • Court dismisses criminal defamation suit against Farotimi

    Court dismisses criminal defamation suit against Farotimi

    Ado-Ekiti — The Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday struck out the criminal defamation suit filed against human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, by the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Afe Babalola.

    The court’s decision followed a notice of discontinuance filed by the police prosecutor, Samson Osobu.

    Babalola pardoned Farotimi on Sunday evening after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, and other prominent Yoruba monarchs.

    The police prosecutor filed the notice of discontinuance, dated January 29, 2025, to withdraw the defamation suit against the Lagos-based human rights activist.

    In his ruling, Justice Babs Kuewunmi struck out the case after the defence accepted the notice of discontinuance.

    Speaking with journalists after the ruling, the defendant’s lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) confirmed that Farotimi had agreed to the discontinuance, but noted that other cases were still pending in different courts.

    According to him, additional cases related to the matter are ongoing at Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court and others in Oyo, Ogun, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

    He said, “In this case, we were served with a notice of discontinuance this morning. We accepted it, and the case at the high court here has been struck out.

    “We will now wait for further action on the other cases. There is another one at the Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court, as well as cases in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, and Abeokuta.

    “Until those cases are resolved, we cannot make any further comments. The matter is still before various courts, so I have advised my client not to speak with the press on the issue.”

    Farotimi, who refused to speak with journalists, was spotted in the courtroom around 9 a.m., dressed in white.

    The courtroom was largely empty compared to his last hearing at the Ado-Ekiti Magistrate Court in December 2024.