Security File with Enani Benson
Widows of Dead Police Officers Ejected from Police Barracks
*They only gave us 3 days to quit, say victims
It was all tears, wailing and gnashing of teeth among widows and children of dead officers living within the barracks of the Police Mobile Force, MOPOL 20, Ikeja.
They were forcefully thrown out of the barracks without the police settling the retirement benefits of their late husbands and fathers by the police.
It was said to be a nationwide exercise.
Investigation conducted by the WESTERN POST revealed that about 10 widows and their children were thrown out of the barracks where they lived until the demise of the breadwinners who died in active duty.
Their belongings were seen strewn around the premises of the barracks.
The affected children and women interviewed by WESTERN POST alleged that what happened to them was just a case of man inhumanity to man.
Some of them who lost their husbands in active service between three and five years ago argued that their husband’s entitlements had not been paid.
“Where do they expect us to get money to rent house when we have not been paid. Even some of our children are out of schools because there is no money to continue their education. Some of them who have graduated from secondary schools could not enter into the universities. We struggle to feed them, now the police authorities have thrown us out.”
When WESTERN POST visited the barracks amid a heavy down pour recently, some of the personal items of the victims were seen in the pool of water, as they have not been able to relocate.
Another victim who spoke on condition of anonymity said all of them were given only three days notice.
“The next thing they saw on Saturday morning was a truck load of mobile police men who came and forced us out,” he said.
A copy of the quit notice signed by one Usman. M. Nararawa, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) and O/C PMF 20 Provost, for the Commander Mopol 20 Ikeja dated May 28, 2014 and made available to the WESTERN POST read: “It has come to the authorities’ notice that despite the fact that you have been transferred, (derobed) retired from the squadron, force long ago, you are still occupying the squadron’s official quarters, barracks which your continuous occupation of this quarters is illegal and contrary to IGP’s circular ref. No. CH: 797-/fs/148 of January 30, 1990 and CH: 7700? PER? FHQ? ABJ. T/I Dated October 22,1999.
“You are therefore asked to vacate your quarters or you will be forcefully ejected after expiration of this notice”.
Efforts to reach the Lagos State Police Commissioner Umar Manko did not yield any dividend.
But the Commander Mopol 20, Bode Ojajuni, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), confirmed that quit notice was recently served on the illegal occupants of the Squadron’s Official Quarters at the barracks in Ikeja.
Ogun State Police Command Kills 2, Arrest 3 Robbers
The Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta has engaged a gang of armed robbers in fierce gun battle at their hideout in Epe area of Lagos State, leading to the death of two of the robbers and arrest of three of them with critical bullet wounds.
This came barely a day after police anti-robbery team attached to Mowe Division of Ogun State Command accosted some robbers near Redemption Youth Camp along Lagos – Ibadan expressway, leaving one of the robbers dead and recovering a snatched vehicle from them.
A member of the gang, Ahmed Yusuff, was arrested on April 25 at Dalemo in Ota area of Ogun State after snatching one Benz ML four-wheel drive car from its owner.
While undergoing interrogation, Yusuf agreed to lead the team of Ogun State Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) to their hideout in Epe town.
Those arrested with critical bullet wounds included Adeyinka Olajuwon, Isiaka Salawu and Jumoke Odukoya. Efforts are being made to apprehend some of the suspected robbers that escaped.
Various weapons including one Assault 06 Rifle with registration number 07003808 plus two magazines loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition, three cut-to-size single barrel pistols, two cut-to-size double barrel guns, 10 life cartridges, one axe and some assorted charms were recovered from the gang.
Meanwhile, Ogun State Police Commissioner Ikemefuna Okoye has commended the police team for good job, particularly following up the case to achieve the laudable feat.
Okoye urged members of the public particularly medical practitioners to assist by looking out for the wounded fleeing robbers who may come in contact with them while seeking medical treatment.
He also directed the officer in charge of SARS in the state, Mohammed Tijani, to ensure that the fleeing members of the gang are apprehended.
Court Restrains Police over Badagry Demolition
The State High Court sitting in Badagry, Lagos State has issued an order of interlocutory injunction to stop the police, its privies, agents and all defendants involved in a land suit from engaging in further activities in respect of Atinporomeh Community land in Badagry.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya, who made the order, stated that consequent upon an application initiated by Sunday Onuya on behalf of the members of the community, praying for an order of the court to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
While also issuing an order of accelerated hearing into the matter, the judge reserved ruling on objection instituted by the police to challenge jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit.
Twenty-two plaintiffs had commenced the action under the enforcement of fundamental rights procedure rules on behalf of other residents of the community.
They joined Inspector General of Police, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Area Commander, Area “K” Police Command, Ministry of Police Affairs and Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences unit, the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Land Bureau and Lagos State Attorney-General and Attorney-General of Federation as responded the suits.
The plaintiffs are praying the court to award damage of N100 billion against the respondents for alleged wrongful demolition of their houses.
Meanwhile, counsel to the fourth to seventh respondents, Samuel Ajanaku, had moved a motion of preliminary objection challenging the court’s jurisdiction.
Ajanaku held that the suit was incompetent since and that it ought not to have been commenced by way of fundamental rights enforcement procedure.
He said the action did not fall within the purview of rights enforcement and urged the court to dismiss it.
However counsel to the applicants, Declan Kemdirim, opposed the application, stressing that the whole reliefs sought by the applicants were within the scope of Chapter four of the constitution and that the suit was properly commenced.
IGP, AGN, 4 Other Top Officers Barred From Arresting Estate Agents
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Ogun State, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), four other top Federal Government functionaries have been restrained by Ogun State High Court sitting in Ota, a commercial city in Ogun State, from arresting a Lagos-based estate agent, Chief Teslim Adeola Almaroof, over a land matter.
Also ordered not to be arrested or prosecuted alongside Almaroof was a businessman Bashorun Adebayo Ajao.
The interim order issued by the trial judge, Justice Mobolaji Ojo, also barred the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Area Commander, Sango-Otta Police Command and Divisional Police Officer (DPO) attached to Agbado Police station from arresting, prosecuting, detaining, torturing or harassing the two men pending the determination of a suit instituted against them (the defendants) for allegedly violating their fundamental right to acquire and own property at Agbado area of Ogun State.
Justice Ojo further issued an interim order of injunction directing the respondents to maintain the status quo ante bellum, restraining the Ogun State Attorney-General, Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, Area Commander and Divisional Police Officer, Agbado Police Station, from taking fresh steps in respect of a letter purportedly written on April 25, 2014.
“I have read the application, the affidavit in support and the written address, there is merit in the application and legs l and 2 are hereby granted as prayed. The motion on notice shall be served on the respondents within three days. Application is set down for hearing,” the court said.
Kidnappers Invade Lagos for School Children
Kidnappers from outside Lagos State are truly on the prowl in the state following the confession of a kidnapper who identified himself when apprehended as Kingsley Egbejule at Ebutte- Metta area of Lagos.
He confessed to the mob trying to lynch him before the police rescued him that he and other colleagues moved to Lagos a few days before the incident on a kidnapping mission.
He added that other colleagues of him, who are yet to be found, have spread around the state on the mission.
Investigation conducted by WESTERN POST and information received from eyewitnesses revealed that Kingsley was caught with an already kidnapped student, Oremiposi Babatunde of Pentagon Nursery and Primary School located at 37, Apapa road, by Jones Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos State.
Speaking with WESTERN POST, an eyewitness said: “The man was discovered within the school compound. He entered the school with everyone believing he was a parent who brought one of the students to school. As God will have it, the security man caught him when he brought down one pupil, He challenged him over the development, but the suspect was at the verge of bringing out an object suspected to be a charm from his pocket with a view to harming the inquisitive security man who raised the alarm.
“It was the alarm that aroused others within the school who almost immediately formed an assemblage, ready to beat up the intruder who was later taken to Denton Police Station for further investigation.
“I was in my room when I heard a woman shouting Soka in Pentagon School. On getting there, we saw the man as people started beating and searching him. In the process we discovered some new N20-N50 notes with him, suspected to be what he used as bait for the kids.
“They wanted to lynch him, but the security man did not allow the Area Boys to have their way”.
Another witness said the suspect was later transferred to Area C Police Division, Iporin, Lagos.
A resident of the area who identified herself as Adeola told our correspondent that the suspect, with five strange tribal marks, during his confession to people on his mission to the school said he came from Adamawa State along with other kidnappers.
“While he was about to be burnt by the Area Boys who initially got hold of him, he confessed that he came from Adamawa with his colleagues three days ago. He said they came on kidnapping mission to Lagos,” she said.
When contacted, Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident.
She said the suspect had been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba Lagos State for further interrogation.
