Roadblocks Resurface In Lagos
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llegal checkpoints and police roadblocks banned by the former Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dikko Abubakar, have resurfaced in major roads, highways and side streets in Lagos, particularly in the last two months.
Investigations by Western Post indicate the presence of illegal checkpoints in Ikorodu, Owode Onirin, Shagamu Road, Idimu, Ikotun and Igando Police Divisions. Most of these roadblocks are mounted in the front of the police station or as in the case of command, headed by an Assistant Commissioner of Police.
The police mount the illegal roadblocks twice daily. The first is between 4.30am to 8.00am, when they extort commercial motorists, Okada operators, youths carrying laptop bags, who they alleged to be 419ners and other persons.
At about 5.00pm, police operatives mount roadblocks in the front of Igando Police Station and the road leading to Akesan and Egan. They would remain there till about 12 midnight when they vacate the roads. Their counterparts in Idumu takeover the ever busy Idimu-Ikotun roadfrom about 6.00pm and remain there till about 11.00pm, while those in Ikotun would establish checkpoints at Ikotun roundabout, at a point just before Synagogue Church of All Nations and another in front of the station. This is also happening in Ikorodu axis.
In between the period, the police still devise means to arrest commercial motorists and extort them.
Meanwhile, police men all the stations visited by this reporter have resorted to charging between N5,000 and N10,000 for bail depending on the bargaining power of the litigants and the nature of the offence. It could be much higher. It was a major offence, when led to the dismissal of several policemen during the era of Mohammed Dikko Abubakar as the Inspector General of Police, for a policeman to ask for or collect money to secure the bail of any detainee. Not only would the policeman be held responsible, his Divisional Police Officer (DPO) would also face Orderly Room Trial.
Although, the present Inspector General of Police, Sulaiman Abba has read the riot act; policemen do not view him as a tough cop, a situation that has allowed for the increased rate of indiscipline and corruption among police officers and men.
Police Arrest Businessman over Fake Landed Property
The Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, has arrested a businessman for reportedly selling four plots of land at the popular Aswani market to his partner in Lagos State.
The land, it was gathered was acquired by the Lagos State Government for the construction of Aswani market.
The suspect, Cyprian Nwankwo, who is the Managing Director, Advance International Merchant Limited, allegedly sold the land to his business partner, Elder Monday Chinke in Isolo for N83 million.
After he sold the land to Chinke, who is a shareholder in his company, a deed of transfer was prepared, it was discovered that the land belonged to the Lagos State Government.
After the discovery, a petition was sent to the police at Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, who subsequently arrested Nwankwo on the order of the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Police Command, Mr. Umar Manko.
In the petition dated 24 October, 2014, and a copy made available to us Chinke stated that he was a business partner with Nwankwo who unilaterally decided to give him his own share from the assets of the company.
He alleged that Nwankwo contacted an evaluator and it was resolved that his own share was worthy N83 million.
He said he requested for cash, but Nwankwo insisted that he would pay him his share with the land and claimed that the company had no cash to pay him.
He said when it became apparent that Nwankwo was not willing to pay him cash, he accepted the land he offered.
Chinke further stated in the petition that he was a shareholder and director of Advance International Merchant Limited with 10 percent shares.
Chinke said he was removed from the Board of Directors and an evaluation of the company’s asset was done to determine his stake which stood at N83 million.
He said after the evaluation, Nwankwo directed his lawyer to prepare a deed of transfer in favour of four plots of land at Aswani Market, Chinke said Nwankwo assured him that the title of the land was genuine.
He said in attempt to take possession, he was directed to chart the land at the office of Surveyor General of Lagos State.
He said he was shocked to discover that the land was neither the property of Nwankwo nor the company as the chart revealed that the land was acquired by the Lagos State Government for the construction of Aswani market.
Chinke said when he confronted Nwankwo, he told him that he had paid him off, saying that he did not know that the land belonged to Lagos State Government and was meant for Aswani market. he added that Nwankwo told him he bought the land from a royal family in Isolo and was not prepared to pay Chinke any money He said since he had paid Chinke with the land, he had to bear the loss because the transaction was a contracted agreement between them.
According to a police source investigation into the matter is still ongoing by the police and the suspect will be charged to court in due time.
I Took Part In Three Robberies, Says Female Suspect
In Mushin area of Lagos where she lives and carries out her trade as a frozen fish seller, she is regarded as the mother of children; in part due to her kind heartedness. But behind that-motherly appearance and a good brutish heart in Taiwo Obafunsho, a self-confessed member of a vicious robbery gang, recently smashed by the police in Lagos.
Her gang members including Ife Olubaba, Saheed Wasiu, Seun Idowu and Wasiu Rafiu had attacked and killed three policemen in Iju area of the state in early October, 2013. The target of the robbers, according to Wasiu Sonni, another member of the gang, was the sophisticated AK 47 rifles of the police. They carted away two of the guns from the slayed policemen.
Although, Taiwo told Western Post that she never participated in the attack that killed the policemen, she confessed to have taken part in three robber operations, since joining the gang early in the year.She refused to explain further her robbery exploits, how much she realized from the operations and how the loot was invested. Western Post gathered from SARS operatives that, ‘a reasonable amount of money was pumped into her frozen foods business in Mushin’.
It was gathered that she was lured into becoming a member of the gang by Taiwo Agege, another member of the gang who was killed in an exchange of gun fire with police, when the gang’s hideout in Mushin was stormed by SARS operatives.
‘Police kill Taiwo wendem come arrest us. Dem shoot themselves, police and my members, na so bullet hit Taiwo and he die’, she said in patched English. She went on, ‘Taiwo was the one who introduced me to the gang. He use to come and dash me money. Sometimes, he go give me N20,000 or N30,000 and that is how I started befriending him till I join the gang.’
The gang, though based in Mushin, its area of operations covered Lagos and a sizeable portion of Ogun State, according to Madam Taiwo. ‘I no follow my other members comot on the day the policemen were shot and killed in Iju, but I hear say na the leader of the gang, Ife Olubaba, that suggested that the policemen be killed for their guns.’
The crack SARS operatives led by Commander Abba Kyari did not recover the stolen guns belonging to the police, a Hyundai Tucson SUV Jeep, with registration number MUS (Mushin, Lagos) 350 BG; said to be the operational vehicle of the gang, an automatic pump action gun, several rounds of live ammunition, four locally made pistols and two AK 47 loaded magazines were among other items recovered.
