The Police Command in Lagos State on Friday arrested a 49-year-old woman over alleged theft of a day-old baby from a hospital.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrest on Saturday.
Hundeyin said that the Ojokoro Police Division carried out the arrest on Friday after receiving a report on the crime at about 6.00 p.m.
He said the police Division received information that the suspect arrived the hospital (name withheld) on the guise of being a patient and allegedly stole the infant.
”She entered the female ward and carried a day-old baby boy, while the mother was fast asleep after undergoing a surgery.
“Another patient noticed the fast movement of the suspect with the baby in her hand, alerted the hospital authority and the suspect was arrested.
“Upon interrogation, it was discovered that the suspect came from Oyo State.
”The suspect confessed that one Alfa contracted her to get a day-old baby to be used for money ritual,” he said.
Hundeyin said that further investigation revealed that this was the second incident of child theft to be carried out by the suspect.
He said the baby has been returned to the mother.
The command’s spokesman said that the suspect would be prosecuted after completion of police investigation.
Mr Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer, contracted by Seun Kuti, has revealed the Afrobeats singer has evidence of why he physically assaulted a police officer.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Falana also disclosed that Kuti requested his legal services after the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba ordered the immediate arrest of the singer.
The Lagos State Police Command confirmed that the Afrobeats musician turned himself in to the police on Monday.
“I am his lawyer and he has briefed me. He certainly has evidence. This is not the first time he is dealing with the police,” Falana said.
In a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed Kuti, in the company of his lawyer and family representatives, was at the Lagos Police Command Headquarters, Ikeja in the early hours of Monday and was placed under arrest in line with the law.
He said the command appreciated the public for their concern and assured that the ongoing investigation would be detailed, transparent and professionally pursued.
“Justice will be manifestly served for all parties involved,” he said.
TNG reports IGP Baba on Saturday ordered the arrest of the Afrobeat musician for allegedly assaulting a police officer on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
The Police Service Commission (PSC), which also condemned the alleged assault, commended the I-G for promptly ordering Seun’s arrest and prosecution.
Some shanties in the popular Alaba International Market in the Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State were on Friday gutted by fire.
It was gathered that the shanties were engulfed by fire early Friday morning.
It was also learnt that some traders in the market resorted to self-help to put out the fire before the arrival of emergency responders.
The Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, in a statement on Friday, disclosed that none of the stores in the market was affected.
She said, “It is instructive to confirm that shanties and not shops are on fire, please.”
She further stated that the incident degenerated into a security situation as officials of the agency were unable to gain access into the area to carry out their duties.
Adeseye said the agency was collaborating with security agents to address the situation.
However, in a similar development, the Lagos police command says its officers raided and set ablaze shanties at the Alaba International Market in the Ojo area of the state.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Lagos police spokesperson, in a tweet while reacting to a report of a fire incident at the market, said it was police officers from Ojo division, who set ablaze the shanties.
Hundeyin said the police officers recovered some weapons from suspected criminals at the shanties.
“This is a false narrative! Acting on credible information, police officers from Ojo division raided shanties around the market, arrested suspected criminals, and recovered some weapons,” the Lagos police spokesperson wrote.
“The shanties were thereafter set on fire. Alaba Int’l Market is NOT on fire!”
The comment of the Lagos police spokesperson countered an earlier statement released by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service.
The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Idowu Owohunwa has ordered the immediate removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Olosan Mushin over alleged professional misconduct at his station.
Owohunwa also ordered a sanction on the officers who allegedly harassed a young lady seeking justice from the station.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who disclosed this on Tuesday in his verified Twitter handle, @benhundeyin said that Owohunwa gave the instruction after listening to all parties involved in the matter.
“Due to multifarious interests in this matter and the need to ensure justice, CP Idowu Owohunwa is personally interviewing all parties in this case, @Lagosdsva community members, landlord association and councilor representing the area.
“The committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Omolara and family, Bebex and his employees, and lawyers representing both sides are in attendance.
“It is elating and morale-boosting that we now have a willing complainant and as a result, a tenable case to present in court.
“CP Idowu Owohunwa, having carefully listened to all parties, has established that there are indeed cases to answer and has therefore directed that the matter be charged to court immediately,” he said.
The image maker pointed out that the Commissioner identified professional misconduct on the part of some of the police officers involved in the case.
Hundeyin said that the police boss, for this, directed the Command’s Provost to immediately commence disciplinary action against the officers concerned.
“And finally, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Mushin, in whose division all the officers aforementioned are serving, has been relieved of his posting with immediate effect,” he added.
A married lady was allegedly slapped for rebuffing the love advances of a man called Bebex in Ladipo area of Mushin.
The lady after the attack, made a video, calling for human rights activists to assist her in fighting for justice since the Bebex in question had money.
It learnt that when the matter was taken to the Mushin Police Station, some policemen there allegedly harassed, intimidated, and then forced her to make another video, claiming that she lied in the first video.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie has disclosed he always told his son, Yul that he does not like people excelling like his late grandson, Kambilichukwu, was doing before his death.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Kambilichukwu reportedly died on Thursday morning after falling while playing football with his schoolmates.
He was said to have developed a seizure after the fall and was rushed to Mother and Child Hospital, Lagos, where he was confirmed dead.
Speaking with Vanguard, Pete Edochie disclosed that experience taught him that people like Kambilichukwu, who excel in anything they are involved in, don’t last long.
The legendary actor said his son, Yul, called him on the telephone on Wednesday, informing him about the incident and that his family started praying for the child immediately.
“Kambilinachukwu is a very quiet, brilliant and talented child. He’s not somebody you can ride easily. He doesn’t get angry no matter the situation.
“He may change his composure, but he was definitely a very unusual person in so many respects. He was so accomplished.
“I always tell my son that I don’t like people excelling like this in anything they are involved in. Experience has taught me that such people don’t last long,” Edochie said.
Edochie said it was unfortunate that his grandson died while he had shown great promise.
The Command’s Spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin disclosed that Yul reported the matter and wrote a statement at a police station in his area.
SP Hundeyin said an investigation into the matter has commenced and that by Friday, 31 March 2023, the case would have been at the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“He just reported the case and we have commenced an investigation. By tomorrow, the case will be at the State CID. We will investigate what killed the boy.
“They have to carry out an autopsy to know what happened to him. We cannot tell you what happened to him now until the result of the autopsy is out, but the incident happened in his school,” Hundeyin told BBC News Pidgin.
Meanwhile, neither Yul nor his first wife, May, have broken their silence since the sad incident.
The Police command in Lagos State says it has handed over four suspected electoral offenders to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for prosecution.
The Police Public Relations Officers in Lagos, SP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed this on Friday.
Hundeyin said that out of 23 persons arrested during the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Lagos State, six of them were allegedly found to be culpable for electoral and criminal acts.
He said two males and two females were handed over to INEC on Friday morning, for alleged unlawful possession of PVCs and diversion of sensitive electoral materials.
The spokesman said that two other suspects arrested same day would be prosecuted by the police for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.
Hundeyin said those to be prosecuted by the police are, Joseph Agada and Animashaun Kabiru.
He said all the suspects were charged to court on Friday.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, has revealed that out of the 13,325 polling units in the state, elections were disrupted in 28 Polling Units.
He made this known in a Twitter post on Monday.
Benjamin tweeted: “In Lagos State, total number of polling units – 13,325. Distress calls successfully attended to – hundreds, from morning till night.
“Polling units where election was disrupted – 28. It took the tireless efforts of our officers to achieve such a result. It can only get better.”
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that voting in parts of Lagos was disrupted on Saturday as “thugs” invaded polling units.
At two polling units in Igbokusu town II, Eti Osa area of the state, TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) observed that ballot boxes were broken, while ballot papers were discarded.
Speaking on the incident, Adegbite Adefemi, a resident, said “some boys” invaded the polling unit, chased away voters, and broke the ballot boxes.
“Around 2pm, some boys came here, observed the processes, and went away. A few minutes later, they came back with clothes tied to their faces and started chasing people all around with machetes. They broke ballot boxes and scattered the already used ballot papers,” he said.
Kingsley Onyechere, a police officer who confirmed the incident, said security operatives were deployed to the polling unit to curtail the event.
“We were called to the areas after the incident happened,” Onyechere added.
Thugs also attacked a polling unit around the Elegushi area in the state.
Reacting to the attacks, Adenike Oriowo, spokesperson of INEC in Lagos, said the commission will release a statement giving a detailed explanation on the development.
Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin
Meanwhile, several videos trending on social media showed attacks said to have been recorded in parts of the state.
At Aguda, Surulere, a video posted on Twitter showed a man telling people to go home if they are not voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“If you no fit vote APC for here go your house. Nobody force you come here o. Go house o. If I see you vote another party, I will call Luka,” the man said in the video.
“If you vote for another party, you go enter wahala. We no come joke for here. This territory wey we dey for here na APC o,” the man said.
In another video, a man is seen warning persons of Igbo extraction not to vote at his location.
“I repeat am again. Any Igbo wey dem born very well, me I dey here, make hin con vote here,” he said.
Another video shared on Twitter claimed that voters were left stranded after some electoral materials were set ablaze by hoodlums in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi.
Yet another footage showed persons described as voters at Ikate, Lekki, running on the streets after thugs reportedly disrupted voting in the area.
Police in Lagos State have condemned Saturday’s attack on Labour Party (LP) supporters and called on politicians to prevail on their followers to shun violence.
This is contained in a statement issued by the police spokesman in the state, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
Yet-to-be-identified persons attacked some LP supporters who were on their way to a rally at the Tafawa Balewa Square addressed by the party’s presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi on Saturday.
Hundeyin stated that the police would leave no stone unturned to deal decisively with offenders in accordance with the law.
He added that the police command has launched an investigation into the attack with a view to apprehending and prosecuting the suspected attackers.
“Four injured persons were promptly taken for medical attention and are responding to treatment.
“The State Criminal Investigation Department has taken over investigations into the incident from Ilasan Division, which had earlier commenced preliminary investigations,’’ Hundeyin added.
The Police Command in Lagos State has vowed to deal decisively with anyone involved in thuggery before, during and after the forthcoming general elections.
The command spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin gave the warning in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos while reacting to allegations that some politicians were grooming thugs ahead of the elections.
Hundeyin said that any person or group of persons found causing trouble in the state under whatever guise will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
“What we know is that anybody who foments trouble before, during and after the elections will be decisively dealt with, irrespective of the group and party the fellow belongs to.
“We don’t care who the person may be, as long as you cause trouble in Lagos state, the police will come for your arrest,” he said in the interview with NAN.
Recall that political parties and their candidates had signed accords committing themselves to peaceful campaigns and elections in the state, and across the country.
At the national level, some of the candidates that signed the accord were Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
Also, Mr Omoyele Sowore of African Action Congress, Mr Hamzat Al-Mustapha of Action Alliance, Mr Sunday Adenuga of Boot Party and the only female candidate in the race, Mrs Chichi Ojei of Allied Peoples Movement signed the accord.
Others are Christopher Imumolen of Accord Party; Yabagi Sani of Action Democratic Party, Dumebi Kachikwu of African Democratic Congress and Dan Nwanyanwu of Zenith Labour Party.
The candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, was represented by his running mate, Alhaji Kashim Shettima.
The Commissioner of Police in Lagos state, Mr Abiodun Alabi, has vowed to deal decisively with any person or group of persons found disturbing the peace of the state.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the command’s spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
Alabi said that the warning became imperative following the attack on police officers, who dispersed an unlawful gathering in the early hours of Monday at the Ojota area of the state.
He said that the Command was not averse to peoples’ right to freedom of assembly, association and expression
Alabi, however, said that the Command would equally live up to its mandate of ensuring that no person or group of persons was allowed to infringe on the fundamental human rights of others.
The police boss called on parents, guardians, opinion/religious/community/political/traditional leaders to warn their children/wards/constituents/followers to desist from all forms of unlawful actions.
Alabi warned that the Command would not tolerate the slightest form of attack on its personnel or the residents of Lagos State.
He enjoined all peace-loving Lagosians to go about their lawful duties without fear of harassment or intimidation.
The police commissioner assured the people that adequate security assets had been strategically deployed to ensure their safety and security.
