Ex-policeman nabbed for armed robbery and murder

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by Rachel Ogbu

Photo: Sahara reporters

An ex-police sergeant has found himself on the other side of the law after he was arrested along with other members of his gang.
 Eboma Onyeka, allegedly involved in an earlier robbery and murder but jumped bail was nabbed with three others, Ezekiel Omoloye, Sunday Gabriel and Shola Atoki, after a robbery operation at a new generation bank at Akowonjo in the outskirts of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
During the operation, they allegedly killed the bank’s security guard, Sunday Ogundipe and stole an unspecified amount of money from the bank’s Automated Teller Machine, ATM.
They were arrested and arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on a three-count charge of conspiracy, robbery and murder.
Their counsel, J.T. Japuna filed an application for bail at a Lagos High Court sitting at Igbosere. And they were granted bail. But they all jumped bail.
Luck ran out on the suspects when the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP’s report was released and the DPP advised that the first three accused persons had case to answer.
The DPP’s advice absolved Shola Atoki on the ground that the first three suspects mentioned one Shola, a staff of the bank as their accomplice. But none of them could confirm the surname of the said Shola.
The legal advice signed by Olabisi Ogungbesan stated in part: “After a careful consideration of the available facts in the duplicated case file, this office is of the opinion that the facts established a prima facie case of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and murder contrary to sections 403(A), 402(2) and 39(1) respectively of the Criminal Code Laws Cap C.17, Laws of Lagos State 2003 against the suspects.”
The report added: “Regarding Shola Atoki, this office observed that all the other suspects in the case file mentioned that one ‘Shola’, a member of staff of the bank, was part of the whole plan. Unfortunately, none of them mentioned his surname or positively identified him with any distinguishing feature to establish unequivocally that he is the said Shola that colluded with them.”
The colleague of the slain security guard, Gambo Freeman, who was alleged to be part of the conspiracy, was absent from duty on the day of the robbery. He was also recommended to face trial.
Sources at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, told P.M.NEWS that Onyeka and others were granted bail under questionable circumstances and they had to be rearrested.
A manhunt was launched for Onyeka and other suspects. One of them was rearrested in a hotel in Ikotun, Lagos.
When interrogated, he allegedly confessed to SARS operatives that Onyeka was the leader of robbers who burgled banks’ ATMs. Onyeka and others were subsequently rearrested.
In an interview Onyeka, a native of Agbor, Delta State, Southsouth Nigeria, confirmed that he served in Mopol 20, Ikeja and he was dismissed after 15 years in service.
He claimed that when he and other suspects were released on bail, he did not engage in any criminal activity but was a driver in Benin, Edo State and later learnt how to make juice, ice cream and insecticide
The officer in charge of SARS, SP Abba Kyari confirmed that the suspects will be charged to court soon.
 YNaija.com

Door to door: How robbers laid siege on Somolu residents, dared police

by Isi Esene
The Somolu area of Lagos last Friday, October 26, was put under siege as a group of robbers numbering about 20, attacked the area robbing residents of valuables.
Reports say armed men with sophisticated weapons robbed around Fola Agoro Street in the Somolu area stealing two vehicles: a black Murano jeep with registration EC 480 GGE and a red Nissan Quest with registration number XM 03 SA.
The robbers were said to have been moving from street to street and door to door carrying out their robbery activities without any fear despite the presence of a police station in the area.
Witnesses say they robbed on Balogun Street which also has Alade police station. They moved to Anifowose Street, just behind the police station before moving to Awoseyin Street to continue to robbery siege.
Some residents of 41, Anifowose street tried to repel the robbers but failed owing to the superior firepower of the robbers. One resident known as Olomi was said to have sustained injuries in the exchange of fire.
Occupants of 32, Awoseyin street didn’t fare any better as every room in the highly populated building was robbed.
An occupant of the building said, “I heard a loud noise in the middle of the night and came out to ask what the problem was because I actually thought the people were policemen. Instead, I came face to face with the robbers.
“I just turned back, ran and scaled the fence into the next compound. My uncle who had just returned from a trip from England was asked to produce the dollars he brought. He told the robbers that he travelled at the behest of his children to rest and gave them the small amount he had in his purse.”
At 4, Awoseyin Street, the robbers startled a couple who had just welcomed a new baby to their home.  Despite pleas from Akinkunmi Afolabi that his wife had just put to bed, the robbers insisted that the nursing mother lie on the floor with her children while they went ahead to beat the husband at gunpoint.
The 72-year-old landlady of the house was very lucky. The robbers met her saying her morning prayers and on account of that, she was spared when she said she had no money to give. At that time, it was almost 4:20am.
Throughout the duration of the robbery, reports say no help came from the Alade police station until the robbery siege was lifted.
Residents complain that there has been a sharp increase in robberies in the Somolu area.
The Lagos State police public relations officer, DSP Ngozi Braide, was not available to give her comments on the robbery.
YNaija.com

How Remi Lagos lost the fight with cancer

Iconic fashion designer, Oluremi Osholake, better known as Remi Lagos, died this morning in London, after a protracted battle with cancer.
Emerging facts have it that the Ms Osholake, has been suffering from complications of uterine cancer and was hospitalised two weeks ago, at the Harley Street Clinic in London.
The 51-year-old, who had dressed some of Lagos best known socialites, had actually begun chemotheraphy before she gave up the ghost. She is survived by a sister, Adetomi Osholake.
 DailyPost

Governor Fashola lied to okada riders – Aliyu Wembe

For okada riders in Lagos, the Governor Fashola has drawn the battle line as he eventually ordered enforcement of the law, banning commercial motorcycle operators from plying major highways.
The Chairman of All Nigerians Auto Bike Commercial Owners and Workers’ Association, (ANACOWA) Aliyu Wembe narrated the travails of okada riders since the law came into full force. He explained to Saturday Vanguard whey his group sought the services of renowned human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu to drag the Lagos State government to court.
Were you consulted before the bill was signed into law?
We were not consulted when the bill to ban commercial motorcyclists was in the works.  But we decided to attend the public hearing  when we heard of it. At the public hearing however, a 23-page-document was given to us as the proposed bill. After perusing through it, we eventually analysed it clause by clause.
We realised that some of the sections were conspicuously removed from the law, particularly Schedule 22 that is currently generating the crisis in Lagos which banned Okada from plying some roads in Lagos. I remember somebody asking at the floor of the public hearing where is the Schedule 22 mentioned? But he was asked to put down his observations in writing.
Political intrigues
So, when Governor Babatunde Fashola was to sign the bill into law, the Schedule 22 and others now emerged. What we later had as the law was a 78-page document as against the earlier 23-page document that was showed to us. The okada operators were not carried along.
The government failed
What the Lagos State government would have done was to distribute the complete document to all okada riders’ Association in Lagos for scrutiny before the eventual endorsement of it into law.
I do know that most of us would have consulted our lawyers to fine tune areas of the bill that are inimical to our operations and eventually harmonise areas of anticipated conflict. Let the okada riders make their own input. Perhaps all these controversies would have been averted.
The gray area of the law
The law banned okada riders from operating in four hundred and seventy five roads in Lagos. According to the Transport Commissioner, he said Lagos has eight thousand five hundred (8,500) roads.
These 475 roads that okada riders do business. Then Schedule four Sub-section 16 of the law further says that if your motorcycle is below 200cc is banned from operating in the remaining roads. So automatically, these 475 roads and section that says if your motorcycle is below 200cc you are ban from plying the other roads further compound our problems.
The logic is that if you put the two clauses together, you find that okada has been automatically wiped off Lagos roads.
We felt it was a manipulative tactics to wipe commercial motorcycle operators out of existence. So that their family members and dependents will continue to suffer and perhaps eventually die of hunger.
Why we struck now
It is already a law hence we could not struck after it was signed by the Governor. Therefore, anybody who contravenes any aspect of it will be charged accordingly. We were also consulting with other okada riders’ association to see how we can meet with the governor to persuade him to suspend those aspects of the law that threatened our operations. But the governor was adamant.
Some of my colleagues met the Transport Commissioner to assist us in convincing the Governor but he refused to respond. I followed them in more than two separate occasions to the governor’s office without recording any appreciable progress.
When I realised that it was all an exercise in futility going to Alausa to speak to a Governor who was not ready to listen, I resorted to use my time for something precious. But those who were not ready to agree with my position continued their fruitless visit to the Governor’s office, until it eventually dawn on them that the governor has zeroed his mind on the issue.
So, they came to me at last. I then advised that we proceed  to court to seek the judicial interpretations of this law. That was the reason we consulted Barrister Bamidele Aturu. He saw reason with us and agreed to proceed with the matter.
What of other groups?
We have about nine associations of Okada riders in Lagos. Unfortunately, two of them have been bought over by the government. They are more or less like agents of government. The government is now using these two groups to frustrate others. But my Association  understands government intentions.
Hence, we distance ourselves from them whenever we are going for any dialogue. We solely took the government to court.
Besides, for now they are not making any contribution either financially or morally but some of them are now beginning to appreciate our stance. Also,  we have not received any financial contributions from any cooperate organisation from anywhere.
How many of your members have been arrested since the law came into being?
Over one thousand of my members have been arrested so far. Like I earlier told you that we have about nine Associations of okada riders in Lagos. Therefore, if you add members of other groups who have been arrested, they would be over ten thousand (Okada) motorcycles that have been confiscated by the police and task force.
But those motorcycles impounded, were they eventually released upon payment of certain amount of money?
This placed us in a dilemma. It was an outright dictatorial law. They made law and in enforcing it, they were not even adhering to it accordingly.
The law states that when you are caught violating the so called prohibited routes, prohibited, you will be charged to court. The minimum fine is twenty thousand (N20,000) naira for first offender. If you commit the offence a second time, your motorcycle  will be impounded. But this is not what they are doing at the moment. Whether you ply the prohibited routes or not, wherever they set their eyes on you, your motorcycle will be impounded.
Even if you’re fixing your deflated tyre with a vulcanizer, the police or task force members will stop, and impound your motorcycle. For now, the police are haunting okada riders. It was in the newspapers that the Lagos State government grind about three thousand motorcycles.
You see, we had report, that some task force members and police officers were even selling the impounded motorcycles and sharing the proceeds among themselves. At other times, some of them converted these motorcycles for personal use.
As far as I’m concern, even though I’m not lawyer, it is only a competent court of jurisdiction that can make pronouncement over seized motorcycles and subsequently place them for auctioning if need be. That is the practice in civilised societies. But in our situation, they will seize these motorcycles, they will not charge the offenders to court.
No opportunity  to reclaim  seized motorcycles?
Nothing like that. Whenever a motorcycle is impounded, they (task force) took it to Alausa instead of court.  Sometimes, they sell some of them and shared the money among themselves.
Some of them even converted the impounded motorcycle for personal use. It is like the state ministry of transport has become a court. So far, those caught were taken to the ministry of transport instead  of the court to prosecute the offender and verify whether he is guilty or not guilty.
In processing of this harsh method of enforcing the law, has any of your member been injured?
Some are even beaten to death. I had a report an okada man,  though not my member, was beaten to death at Ajegunle. One okada rider was hit by the butt of the gun and one of his eyes was condemned.
There was a report of how a police officer knocked down an okada operator while he was on motion at Ikeja and in the process, he fell off his bike and one of his arm was broken while the okada rider was grasping from breath, the task force men impounded his motorcycle leaving him in the pool of his blood.
So, the brutality suffered in the enforcement of this law is indeed something else. If you are enforcing a law, it should be done with some degree of meekness. I believe that every law has human face.
But how many are you in ANACOWA?
We have over twenty-five  thousand members in Lagos.
But many of them are graduates
Many of them are graduates and many of us have enormous responsibilities. Some have two three children in the university. I’m aware of one of my members whose first child is currently at 400 level while the younger one is at 200 level at the university.
This man uses proceeds generated from his okada business to pay their school fees, buy books and provide feeding allowance for them. Now, under this current situation how will the man cope. Government just wake one morning and say to hell with their problems.
How much does an okada rakes in on daily basis before now?
Well, it depends on where you are operating from. But conservatively, an average okada rider rakes in between N3,000 to N3,500 on daily basis.
But with the implementation of this restrictive  law how much do they generate?
They are not even working at the moment, it is even difficult for most of us to feed our families.
Quacks in commercial motorcycle operations
The government, particularly Lagos State government does not seem ready to regulate the operations of commercial motorcyclists. They are not ready to consult with people or groups with the technical knowledge on how to regulate the operations of okada riders.
They believed they know it all. They have failed woefully. Now, they have consulted and realised their mistakes, hence, they (Lagos government) are adopting this military approach.
It is true we have some  under-aged okada riders, some of them who are foreigners as well as those who are equally reckless. But all these are mainly due to the inability of the government to put formidable control measures on  ground.
For example, before you will be allowed to operate okada in Lagos, you need to obtain a riders’ card. It is like a Driver’s licence. It permits you to ride okada in Lagos. Also, we have riders’ card centre. That is where your personal data are captured. But today, corruption has bungled the whole exercise because protocol of issuance is abused by government officials.
All that is needed is just provide your passport photograph, and a riders’ card would be issued whether you are under-aged, over aged, blind, foreigner or even disabled. Once you are able to provide the requested amount of money at the riders’ card centre, you will be issued one.
But how much does it cost
Government price is just N800 but now officials collect N2,000 to produce Riders’ Card.
The mechanism put on ground to regulate who is suppose to be on the road has been abused by government officials.
The ministry of transport encouraged under-aged, disabled and unwanted people who are operating this okada business. So whenever they failed, they look for people to blame for their failure.
The use of okada for robbery
On the issue of using okada for robbery, armed robbers use jeep and four-wheel-runner for their operations. Like the recent armed robbery incident in Lagos, the dare-devil robbers used SUV jeep for their operations.
They held Lagos spell bound from Mile 2 to Gbagada, Ikeja to Agege. They killed three policemen and three civilians. Can we say because the armed robbers used jeep for the operation, we should embargo the use of jeep in the country? It is true motorcycle were used for robbery but it is not true that those behind this dastardly acts were okada riders.
But until the government arrest an armed robber with a union identification card, it will be hard for me to swallow government’s claim. That is when I will be convinced that okada riders uses okada for robbery.
There is no okada man who engages inn robbery. Otherwise he would have abandoned the business completely for robbery.
So, if Lagos insisted on enforcing the law, it means 25,000 Nigerians will lose their jobs
that is just only my members. There are other larger groups with more members. There is MOALS otherwise known as Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State. They were one of those partnering with government.
When this whole exercise began, they refused to tell their members the truth but eventually when the truth emerged, their members now went violent. Hence, you heard that some okada riders vandalised BRT buses at Jibowu, Fadayi, Ikorodu and other places.
Those areas    are being controlled by MOALS and they partnering with the Ministry of Transport. But all the local government areas that are under my jurisdiction had never demonstrated or protested against the law at anytime.
As the chairman, I encouraged my members to remain calm irrespective of the degree of provocation. We are already in court. So, areas that witnessed rioting were controlled by MOALS and AMORAL-Association of Motorcycle Owner Riders Association.
How many LGAs are under your jurisdiction?
We control about ten local government areas but MOALS controls the largest number of LGA in Lagos State.
ANACOWA is human rights based. We are not just an Association. Since the brutality is becoming unbearable, we have started working with other human right groups. We are preparing to hold at least a 5-day rally to protest the brutality against okada riders.
We shall march to the State House of Assembly to tell that these laws are imposing hardship on the people. Since the enthronement of democracy in 1997, the Lagos State House of Assembly has never promulgated any law that is so controversial  like this ban on okada riders because these were the people, politicians bought Crash Helmet for and they campaigned for them only for them, the politicians to legislate on law that will wipe them out of existence.
Which other Human Right Groups are you working with?
We are working with Civil Liberty Organisaiton (CLO); Human Right, Committee of Defence on Human Rights, Joint Action Fund (JAF); and many others. When we eventually agreed on a date for the rally, Lagos will be paralysed for at least one week. Perhaps that is when the government will know that it is beyond okada riders.
 DailyPost

Revolt In Kogi Flood Refugee Camp As Victims Take To The Streets In Protest

Lokoja, the Kogi state capital yesterday, witnessed a protest by hundreds of flood victims who stormed the streets, accusing the state government of abandoning them for over one week in spite of huge funds and materials collected on their behalf.

Kogi State Governor: Capt. Idris Wada

The protesters, some of who wore gloomy faces, with some in tattered  dresses, while a number of them were seen clutching their babies, alleged that government officials have diverted some of the food items meant for them into private use.
One of the protesters who identified herself as Hassan Mohammed, a middle aged woman with a six month old baby strapped to her back and holding three other of her children, narrated their travails at the camp sites amid tears: “ Na one loaf of bread dem dey serve a family of about six every morning while  in some cases dem go give us a satchet of indomie. Na so so big money we dey hear say they donate but nothing dey come to us, we are dying”, she narrated in pidgin English.
The federal government had in the wake of the flood disaster, made some donations to all the states affected with Kogi State receiving over N500 million.
Other donations are over N430 million including truck loads of rice from the Dangote foundation, Jide Omokore, a business mogul also donated N50 million and a former governorship aspirant donated N10 million with truck loads of other relief materials. This is aside other numerous donations from corporate bodies, individuals and international donors.
The victims of the flood who are mainly from St. Luke Primary School Adankolo camp, came out as early as 8.00 am chanting war songs with various anti government placards. The Spokesman of the Flood Victims, Aaron Haruna alleged that  the Camp leader in connivance with other government officials,  diverted materials donated by public spirited individuals and corporate bodies leaving them hungry
“Food items, cooking utensils, stoves, mattresses even drugs have been diverted as soon as they were brought in to the camp “The other day soldiers brought 40 bags of rice to be shared to us but some government officials stole them and up till now we have not seen the trace of the rice again”, he stressed.
As part of efforts to ensure that the  protest was not hijacked by the hoodlums, the Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr. Zannah Ibrahim and other police officers, led the protesters to Government House. While persuading the victims to be peaceful, the state police Commissioner, Alhaji Mohammed Musa Kastina stated that the protesters should conduct themselves in a manner which will not degenerate into breach of peace in the state. Katsina appealed to the protesters to be calm and cooperate with the state government over the issue, stating that the government was working round the clock to ensure that the victims get what belong to them.
In his reaction, the Deputy Governor,Yomi Awoniyi denied allegations by the protesters that they have been abandoned saying government was trying its best. Awoniyi said the state government was not in a haste to share money realized from the flood disaster saying that the state government has already set up a committee to go round all the affected nine local government areas of the state, to assess the extent of damages on the property of the affected victims. Awoniyi who stressed that it was unfair for the protesters to accuse the camp officers of not giving them food, alleged that it was rather the victims of the floods that have been selling the food items given to them in the markets.
 InformationNigeria.org

JTF kills 2 female kidnappers, 12 others in gun duel in Rivers State

14 suspected members of a notorious criminal gang, including two ladies, were massacred by security operatives in Rivers State after a fire exchange in the early hours of Friday.
The Joint Military Force (JTF) also invaded their camp in Kanni in Ogoni Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The gang met their waterloo at 2:50a.m, following investigation into the recent kidnapping of one Biram Karakus, a Turkish and staff of Rivigo Construction Company, in Port Harcourt. It was gathered that a combined team of security operatives from the State Police Command and Anti-kidnap Unit of the military, raided the hideout of the hooligans, upon information.
It was learnt that the notorious kidnappers, opened fire at the security operatives on sighting them, a development that led to the fire exchange. Six of the suspected kidnappers were shot dead immediately, while eight others, who were among 10 that sustained bullet wounds, passed out as they were being rushed to an undisclosed hospital.
Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Mr. Benjamin Ugwuegbulam, a Deputy Commisioner of Police, who confirmed the incident, said the gang leader, popularly known as “Bishop Nelly”, was among those killed.
According to Ugwuegbulam the bandits were responsible for kidnapping, armed robbery, killing of policemen and civilians in Rivers State in recent times.
The Command’s spokesman disclosed that six AK 47 rifles, 444 rounds of live ammunition, 17 magazines and charms were recovered from them.
Other items recovered were two bags used in delivering ransom and N98,900, being part of the ransom of N20 million they received recently.
DailyPost

“We must root out Al-Qaeda from Africa” – President Jonathan

West African regional bloc ECOWAS is committed to restoring peace to Mali and ensure Al-Qaeda is pushed out of the country’s north, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said Friday.
“We must take action to root out the Al-Qaeda, drug traffickers, kidnappers and other criminal elements who are turning Northern Mali into a home for terrorists”, he said during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle.
Jonathan, who visited Mali recently, sought the support of Germany and the European Union, an official statement from his office said.
“The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is committed to restoring peace and normalcy to Mali, and therefore seeks the support of German and the European Union”, he told Westerwelle.
Jonathan said contact with Malians during his visit there showed a desire for peace and a commitment to remove the rebels from northern Mali.
He said that Nigeria’s contribution to Mali would include technical support for the military, the statement said.
ECOWAS has decided to deploy a regional force to Mali where a coup overthrew President Amadou Toumani Toure on March 22.
The north of the west African nation has fallen under the control of armed Islamist groups, some linked to Al-Qaeda, in the wake of the coup.
On October 12, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution preparing for the deployment of such a force for Mali, giving ECOWAS 45 days to firm up its plans.
The German minister who arrived Nigeria from Mali for the Nigeria-German Bi-National Commission meeting, said that his country was interested in the destiny of the sub-region, and was willing to help restore peace and normalcy to Mali.
The meeting will discuss bilateral trade and energy issues, Westerwelle said at the opening of the meeting, adding that Germany will work together with Nigeria “to overcome the threats and the challenges in the region.”
Nigeria’s foreign minister, Olugbenga Ashiru, is leading the Nigerian team to the talks.
 DailyPost