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Tag: Arrest

  • 2019 presidential poll: DSS opens up on alleged arrest of INEC staff

    The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied that it had arrested and detained seven members of staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC).

    A social media report had alleged that the DSS arrested some ICT staff of INEC for disclosing the commission’s server Identity number to the PDP and its Presidential candidate in the just concluded elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

    Mr Peter Afunanya, Public Relations Officer of the service, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    He said that the report went further to state that the staff were detained and tortured for three days by the service to find out who among them gave out the information.

    Afunanya said that the report also said that they were hurriedly released by the service when their wives threatened to jointly go on public protest.

    “The service wishes to state that the information in its entirety is false and should be seen as a calculated effort to smear its image.

    ” It states categorically that none of such things happened as it never invited or arrested any INEC staff.

    “There is no iota of truth in these allegations and the public is, therefore, enjoined to disregard them. They are simply manipulative, misleading, inciting and can only be considered as mischievous and unpatriotic,”he said.

    He recalled that the DSS was recently honoured by an International Election observer group for its neutrality and professionalism during the general elections.

    He assured the public that the service would continue to conduct itself in the manner that had earned it honour.

    Afunanya warned mischief makers who were desirous of using fake news to cause break down of law and order to desist from such.

    “The service will not condone deliberate acts of subversion and sabotage aimed at harming the peace of the nation,”he said.

    The spokesman warned that those bent on causing disaffection would be brought to justice.

  • LASTMA officials empowered by law to arrest offenders, impound vehicles – CEO

    LASTMA officials empowered by law to arrest offenders, impound vehicles – CEO

    Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials can arrest erring motorists and impound their vehicles, the agency’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chris Olakpe, clarified on Thursday.

    Olakpe, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), was reacting to reports that the officials did not have such powers.

    He spoke while receiving in his office, members of the Humanitarian Voluntary Association for Community Development, who came to condole with him over the death of 18 LASTMA officials in the line of duty last year.

    Olakpe said the laws also stipulated penalties for neglect of traffic directions and disobedience of traffic control personnel.

    The LASTMA boss said: “One thing the people must know is that the purpose of laws in any state is to regulate human conduct and punish violators, to ensure safety and sanity on the roads and at the same time regulate the function and authority of traffic personnel.”

    LASTMA’s findings, he said, showed that gridlock was caused by the unusual driving behaviour of some motorists, adding that it was important for the public to cooperate with traffic officers while on the road.

    Instead of taking the law into their hands, motorists should take advantage of LASTMA’s open-door policy by reporting any erring officer, he said.

    Olakpe said : “From January to date, over 30 traffic officials have been brutalised by ill-tempered motorists. As an agency, we owe it to our officials and their families the responsibility of ensuring their security and safety while performing their duties,” he said.

    He said LASTMA would work with sister agencies and the public to deepen collaboration and cooperation and protect traffic officials.

    The vehicle of any motorist, who proved to be an agent provocateur, Olakpe said, would be impounded and taken to LASTMA yard in accordance with the law.

    The LASTMA CEO said his men would soon begin another training on civility, politeness and protocol of arrest with emphasis on respect for the public.

    He said measures had been put in place to reduce gridlock during Easter and beyond.

    The group’s president, Bankole Odunuga, acknowledged the sacrifice and courage displayed by LASTMA officials, despite the hazards of the job.

  • Alleged N2.4bn fraud: FG seeks arrest of Innoson Motors boss, two others

    A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has been urged to issue a bench warrant for Chairman of Innoson Nigeria Limited, Mr Innocent Chukwuma, and two of his employees.

    The appeal was made on Monday by federal government, which has dragged the automobile maker before Justice Ayokunle Faji on allegation bordering on fraud.

    The entrepreneur was accused of a shipping fraud to the tune of N2.4 billion. Others named in the charge are Charles Chukwuma, Maximian Chukwura, Mitsui Osk Lines and Anajekwu Sunny.

    Mr Innocent Chukwuma was first arraigned by the Nigeria Police Force, but the Attorney-General of the Federation later took over the case.

    At the hearing today, the Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Julius Ajakaiye, appealed to the court to order the arrest of the Innoson Motors Chairman and his staff for failing to turn up to take their plea in the criminal charge.

    He said the charge was served on them through a court-ordered February 8, 2016 substituted service following the AGF’s take-over of the case.

    Mr Ajakaiye said since then, the third and fourth defendants had been coming to court, while the first, second and fifth defendants “have refused, failed and neglected to appear in court till date”.

    Consequently, he said the defendants were yet to take their plea and should therefore be compelled to appear.

    He added that an April 12, 2016 amended charge could not be served on the absent defendants.

    Mr Ajakaiye urged the court to grant his application by ordering their arrest.

    But defence counsel, Mr George Uwechue (SAN) and Prof. C. Mbadugha prayed the court to dismiss the application, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to issue the warrant against the defendants “because they were not properly before the court”.

    They said the application offends Order 6 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, adding that there was no proper service on their clients.

    The prosecution accused the defendants of conspiring to unlawfully falsify shipping clearance documents.

    They were accused of “uttering” (presenting) the allegedly falsified shipping documents as collateral to Guaranty Trust Bank Plc to allegedly obtain a loan of N2.4billion.

    The Federal Government claimed that the defendants committed the offence at Apapa wharf on October 10, 2013.

    The alleged offence is contrary to sections 1(2) (c) and 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17, Laws of the Federation 2004.

    Justice Faji adjourned until July 3 for ruling.

  • Court threatens to order Senator Uzodinma’s arrest

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has threatened to order the issuance of arrest warrant against Senator Hope Uzodinma should his lawyer renege on his pledge to produce him in court on April 18.

    The Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property (SPIP) said it has, since filing a criminal charge against Uzodinma in October last year, been unable to have him attend court to plea to the charge.

    Lawyer to SPIP, Celcius Ukpong, on Friday, recounted efforts made by his agency since filing the charge, to make Uzodinma honour court’s hearing notices, but without success.

    Ukpong told the court that the SPIP was also investigating the Senator, representing Imo West in respect of a $10million contract for the dredging of Calabar Port, which he and his company allegedly failed to execute after being paid by the government.

    He faulted claim by Uzodinma’s lawyer, I. E.Ogueju-Dike that the senator, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in Imo State, was abroad on medical grounds.

    Ukpong said it was impossible for Uzodinma to lawfully travel out of the country without being arrested.

    He said having jumped the administrative bail granted him by SPIP, he has since been placed on watch list and would be arrested anytime he attempts to leave the country.

    Ukpong then urged the court to order Uzodinma for deliberately refusing to attend court despite being served with the charge and several hearing notices.

    Ogueju-Dike faulted Ukpong’s claim and accused him of unduly portraying his client as a criminal

    He said the case before the court was in relation to allegation of non-declaration of assets. He said the prosecution’s reference to a purported unexecuted contract was extraneous.

    Ogueju-Dike said his client was not aware of the charge on time and that he (Uzodinma) was currently outside the country on health ground.

    He prayed the court to adjourned the case to a later date to enable his client attend court.

    Ogueju-Dike undertook to ensure that Uzodinma was in court on the next adjourned date.

    Ruling, Justice Okon Abang said he would consider the passionate plea by lawyer to the defendant and his undertaking to produce the defendant in court by adjourning the case to a later date for him to attend court.

    Justice Abang said the prosecution was at liberty to repeat his application for a bench warrant against the defendant should he fail to attend court at the next adjourned date.

    The judge, who noted that no one is above the law, adjourned to April 18 for arraignment.

    The two-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/107/2018, pending against Uzodinma before the court, reads as follow:

    “That you, Senator Hope Uzodinma (M) on or about the 5th day of March 2018, being a public officer with the National Assembly Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence to wit: refused to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja, contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.”

    “That you Senator Hope Uzodmma (M) on or about 5th day of March 2018 being a public officer that the National Assembly Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, committed an offence to wit: neglected to declare your assets without reasonable excuse and upon notice to declare your assets before the Special Presidential Investigation Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Abuja, contrary to and punishable under S. 3 (3) (1) (a) of the Recovery of Public Property (Special Provision) Act 2004.”

  • Illegal migration: Kenya arrests 33 Nigerians

    Illegal migration: Kenya arrests 33 Nigerians

    At least, 33 Nigerians have been arrested in Nairobi, Kenya for staying in the country illegally.

    They were arrested on Thursday at Kasarani, a residential area in Nairobi, capital of Kenya after they had arrived the country on different dates.

    Peter Kimani, Officer Commanding Police Division in charge of sub-counties in Kasanrani, said the suspects were arrested by anti-narcotics detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) who were pursuing leads on an incident in which drugs are being sent from Nairobi to others parts of the world.

    He said another suspect from Eritrea was also arrested in the operation.

    Kimani said the suspects had been posing illegally as students of International University-Africa (USIU) and Kenyatta University (KU) and operating businesses “with the intention of selling drugs”.

    “When they arrived they declared they were students at the universities but our investigations have shown they are in other illegal businesses,” Kimani said.

    The suspects have been taken to Kiambu law courts, near Kiambu police station, as officials process their deportation papers, The Cable reports.

  • Biafra: Nnamdi Kanu reacts to court judgement ordering his rearrest

    The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that the bail Justice Binta Nyako granted him in 2017 was to set him up for assassination.

    He made the allegation on his Twitter handle on Saturday in his series of reactions to the recent revocation of his bail and order for his arrest by Justice Nyako.

    The IPOB leader said that the judge who is presiding over his case at the Federal High Court Abuja on realising that the ploy with the Nigerian government to have him killed failed now decided to revoke his bail.

    Kanu tweeted, “It’s now obvious Justice Binta Nyako only agreed to grant me bail as part of an elaborate ploy with the Nigerian govt to set me up for assassination. Her failure to investigate the military invasion of my home is clear confirmation that she is angry I survived the attack.”

    Kanu, who is facing trial alongside other Biafran activists for alleged treason, had disappeared from public space months after his bail only to reappear in Israel after one year and later moved to the UK.

    He has also vowed to challenge the court order directing his arrest in the United Kingdom in a broadcast on Radio Biafra earlier on Saturday.

  • Biafra: Ohanaeze Ndigbo speaks on fresh court order to arrest Nnamdi Kanu

    The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on Friday, warned of dire consequences over the bench warrant issued against Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, by a Federal High Court in Abuja.

    Justice Binta Nyako issued the order following Kanu’s continuous absence from court.

    But reacting through a statement signed by Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, President General, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide and Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, Secretary General, the apex Igbo organization said such order would spell doom.

    The Ohanaeze said it the arrest order with “rude Shock and disbelief, and weighing the implications, such action may destabilize the fragile peace that has returned to Southern Nigeria, especially Southeast and South/South after the ugly but sad experience(s) witnessed during his first arrest, and subsequently the untimely death of innocent Igbo Youths and women that characterized his detention.”

    They, however, urged the IPOB to “resist any temptation of allowing Nnamdi Kanu to return to Nigeria, as the healing process of those slaughtered during the first arrest and python Dance has not been completed.

    “There’s no need to escalate the tension already established in the Southeast over the menace of herdsmen ravaging some parts of igbo land; there’s no need to compound our loss by allowing Nnamdi Kanu return now until Igbo Christian and Traditional leaders intervene in the process.

    “We are pleading With President Buhari as the father of the Nation to grant Presidential Pardon to Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as a way to show compassion to Ndigbo. We are aware of the Presidential release of over 500 inmates of suspected Boko Haram detainees in Kano Prisons.

    “Presidential Pardon to all Biafra agitators, including Nnamdi Kanu will save a lot of Billions of Naira that would’ve been used for peacekeeping, in the imminent collapse of peace and civil disturbances that will follow immediately if he’s re-arrested.

    “Such billions can be used on alternative Road Projects in southeast, because Aba, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Abakiliki, Enugu, Onitsha, Nnewi and Owerri may become ungovernable as we witnessed during the last arrest of Nnamdi Kanu.”

    They further stated that “there’s better time re-unite every part Nigeria than now; Carrot and Stick method of late President Yar’adua should be adopted in handling the delicate case of Nnamdi Kanu; his re-arrest order is an ill wind that will blow no one no any good.”

  • Biafra: Court revokes Nnamdi Kanu’s bail, orders arrest

    An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has revoked the bail earlier granted to the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

    The court presided over by a judge, Binta Nyako, gave the order on Thursday and directed that a bench warrant should be issued for Mr Kanu’s arrest.

    The court said it has given the order because Mr Kanu had failed to appear in court after his bail was granted in April 2017.

    The court ruled that the trial must continue and directed that a fresh date for the continuation should be given by parties so that the matter will continue in Mr Kanu’s absence.

    The case was adjourned till June 18.

    Mr Kanu, a separatist leader calling for an independent Biafran country, jumped bail when he escaped out of the country.

    He has since appeared in several videos online criticising Nigerian leaders and government.

    Details later…

  • INEC server: PDP reacts to petition by Buhari’s campaign to arrest, prosecute its leaders

    Major opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday reacted to a petition by President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign to the Inspector General of Police and Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS) calling for the investigation and subsequent arrest of its leaders over alleged illegal access to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The party in a reaction by its national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus said the ruling party was already jittery because it can’t defend the victory of its candidate at the February 23 presidential poll.

    Recall that the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council on Monday asked the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to invite, interrogate and possibly prosecute leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party over what it described as their illegal access to the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

    The organisation’s Director, Strategic Communications, Festus Keyamo (SAN), made the call in a petition addressed to the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu; and the Director-General of DSS, Yusuf Bichi.

    Although he was not specific on the identities of the PDP leaders he wants investigated, Keyamo made reference to the fact that the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has filed an election petition against the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari and has made a claim of having access to INEC server.

    He claimed that upon the postponement of the February 16, 2019 presidential/National Assembly elections, already prepared presidential election results surfaced on the Internet.

    Keyamo said the fake results which had details of the scores of the candidates of the major political parties gave victory to Atiku even when elections did not hold.

    According to him, the only conclusion that can be drawn from the development is that the PDP had prepared those results which were to be smuggled into INEC server.

    He added that when the election was finally held on February 23, 2019 and Buhari was declared the winner, the PDP cried foul and claimed that from results it obtained from INEC server, it had proof that its candidate won the election by about 1.6million votes.

    Keyamo said the claim had revealed that “some criminally-minded PDP operatives” had access to the INEC server to be able to smuggle in fake results.

    He argued that the only means by which they could have access to the INEC server was by the criminal hacking of the server or through the criminal conspiracy of some INEC officials.

    He said, “The APC Presidential Campaign Council hereby prays that the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services should use your good offices to investigate the hacking of and/or illegal tampering with the INEC server by the PDP.

    “The leadership of the PDP must be invited, interrogated and investigated and those identified as perpetrators must be arrested and prosecuted.

    “Opposition is healthy in a democracy but it is not a licence for criminality and illegality.

    “A country governed by laws cannot be blackmailed or cowed into indolence by the perceived underdog status of the opposition so as to condone such a blatant criminal claim by the PDP of having illegal access to INEC server.”

    However, in a swift response, Secondus alleged that the APC and Buhari were panicking because of the case instituted before the tribunal by it and Atiku.

    He said this was why the ruling party was writing petitions to the DSS and the police.

    Secondus insisted that the national leadership of the party would not be intimidated in quest for justice for its candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

    He said both the APC and the President were afraid to defend their “rigging of the presidential election at the tribunal.”

    He said, “It is obvious that the President and his party are afraid and are panicking as a result of the petition we filed at the tribunal.

    “They failed in their clandestine moves to persuade us not to go to the tribunal. Now the reality has dawned on them that they have to defend the injustice they meted out to us and Nigerians now.

    “Now, for election they claimed they won, they ought to have filed their defence at the tribunal and be eager to defend it.

    “Why are they running to the DSS and the Police with the hope that they will force us to reveal our sources? Tell them to go to the tribunal and submit their evidence of winning the election.”

     

  • Presidential, NASS polls: Police confirm arrest of 120 electoral offenders arrested nationwide

    Presidential, NASS polls: Police confirm arrest of 120 electoral offenders arrested nationwide

    One hundred and twenty people involved in various electoral offences were arrested by the Nigeria Police Force during the February 23, 2019 Presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.

    ACP Frank Mbah, the Force Public Relations Officer, disclosed this on Wednesday in a live radio programme, “Police Diary” monitored in Enugu; noting that 38 various Improvised Explosive Device IED-making materials were equally recovered during the polls.

    According to Mba, recovery of those weapons largely helped the police to control the security across the country during the election.

    ACP Mbah explained that the recovered IED-making materials were reasons explosions were not experienced anywhere in the South-West, South-South, South-East and North Central parts of Nigeria.

    “That massive interception by Delta State Police Command actually help us to nip in the bud, various dangerous things that could have occurred, probably we would have had a lot of problems on our hands during the elections; but thankfully that interception was made,” he said.

    While he said that investigation had commenced to unravel the circumstances or individuals behind the development, ACP Mbah assured that the police would ensure that all those who violated the electoral act would be diligently prosecuted.

    “What I want to assure Nigerians this time around is that they will see clear cases of diligent prosecution of electoral offenders. We need to begin to take measures and take actions that will send a strong message out there that election offences are serious offences and that when you commit electoral offences you will not go scot-free. That is the only way we can begin to stamp out impunity gradually,” he promised.

    “We had cases where very senior police officers were attacked amounting to serious assault and we also want to send a very strong message out there that you can not attack a police officer or any other law enforcement agent for that matter and go free.

    “Nigerians need to support us in this regard if we must continue to defend Nigeria. Nigerians owe us a duty to also defend us and everyone that participated in that condemnable act involving the attack on a very senior police officer in Bayelsa State will be held to account.

    “We didn’t record any situation where law enforcement agents turn their guns on the people, we didn’t record incidences of accidental discharge, we didn’t record incidences of excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies. I think these are areas we must be given kudos to, we were able to protect all election observers,” Mbah disclosed.