Metro

Lagos Policeman Enforcing Okada Ban Shoots Guard

Published

3 years ago

September 28, 2022

A security guard, Koleosho Abayomi, has demanded justice after a policeman allegedly shot him in his thigh at the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State.

It was gathered that the cop, alongside three colleagues, all attached to the Ogombo Police Station, stormed the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II to enforce the government ban on motorcycle operations on the estate when the incident happened.

Abayomi, while speaking to our correspondent, said following the ban, some commercial motorcyclists were allowed to operate on the estate to ease the movement of residents, adding that when the policemen got to the gate, one of his colleagues, Friday, stopped their patrol vehicle.

Angered by the action, Abayomi said the policemen got down from the vehicle to challenge the security guard for stopping them.

He said when the situation was getting out of hand, he intervened.

The 49-year-old said during the intervention, one of the policemen shot him.

He said, “Since the ban on Okada in Lagos State, the Lekki Peninsula Scheme II registered its own motorcycles that operated within the estate.

“The motorcycles do not go out of the estate to operate. The measure was in place to ease the movement of residents in the estate. But since the ban on Okada operations in the state, the police at the Ogombo division usually come into the estate to raid motorcyclists.

“These motorcyclists have their jackets with identification numbers, so when the complaint got to us, we reported to the chairman of the estate, but it took time before he reported the case to the DPO to caution his men since the motorcyclists don’t operate outside the estate.

“So, the policemen kept coming. When their presence could no longer be tolerated, the chairman instructed us to always ask their mission and that was what caused the problem that day.

“When Friday flagged them down on July 17 and the policemen got out of the patrol vehicle to arrest him, I quickly intervened and sent a signal to my CSO, Greg. When he came, he was trying to pacify them when one of them shot my right thigh.

“Immediately, the CSO called the DPO and he agreed to take full responsibility for what happened. I was rushed to a nearby hospital, where I was admitted for two weeks. The doctor asked me to leave because out of the N640,000 hospital bill, the DPO only dropped N300,000.”

He said he was transferred to the Marina General Hospital because he needed a major surgical operation.

Abayomi said the DPO gave a guard who took him to the general hospital N230,000, adding that the money finished within a week.

“I called the DPO again and he sent N130,000 and when the money got exhausted, I called and called but he didn’t answer. I called my CSO and he said the DPO had promised to visit me. But I didn’t see or hear anything from the DPO. So, I sent my younger brother to him and when he saw him, he started screaming and said my family members should continue taking care of me,” he added.

Abayomi said he used his personal money and contributions from the estate management to treat himself till he was discharged.

He noted that despite being discharged, he had been limping and had not been able to fend for his wife and three children.

The Chairman of the estate, Moses Kamanya, said the policemen usually visited the estate on the pretext of searching for Internet fraudsters.

He said however, the cops usually constituted a nuisance by conducting illegal stop-and-search on the estate.

“On that very day, the policemen were grossly at fault and we ensured that the policeman who shot the security guard faced the full wrath of the law.

“As a scheme, we paid the bill for his discharge from the hospital when the police didn’t come. It was a sad incident.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said he would get back to our correspondent.

He had yet to do so as of the time this report was filed.
PUNCH

Metro

Hotel Under Construction Collapses In Edo Kills Owner

Published

13 hours ago

August 3, 2025

Editor

Tragedy struck in the Idumoza community, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State, as a hotel building under construction caved in, killing its owner, identified as Andrew Isesere.

The incident occurred last Friday while Isesere was reportedly inside the building.

Over 20 workers who were also at the site narrowly escaped death, according to eyewitnesses.

The lifeless body of the owner was recovered from the debris on Sunday morning.

Neighbours in the area expressed concern over the quality of materials used in the construction, noting that warnings had previously been issued to the deceased.

Andrew Inegbebor, a resident who spoke to reporters, said, “The owner was told he was using low quality material. He used 12mm instead of 16mm rods for the pillars. There was no base basket at the pillars. Look at the result.”

“The building collapsed because of substandard materials that were used. There was no engineer on site. The dead owner supervised the house. The house later collapsed and killed him , but some workers escaped,” he added.

At the time of filing this report, the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, said that he had not received a briefing on the incident.

Metro

Police Arrest Stolen Phone Tracker-altering Gang In Imo

Published

1 day ago

August 2, 2025

Editor

The Imo State Police Command has dismantled a cult gang that specialised in phone theft, burglary, and altering the tracking device of phones in Eziobodo, in the Owerri West Local Government Area.

This is even as the Command has arrested several people linked to various phone robberies within the Owerri federal constituency.

Police spokesperson for Imo State command, DSP Henry Okoye, made the disclosure on Saturday morning.

Okoye disclosed that following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop was burgled on July 11th, 2025, within Eziobodo, operatives of the Anti-Vice commenced an investigation that led to the arrest of a suspect with four brand new but stolen phones.

Intense investigation led the Police to the principal burglar behind the robbery and another accomplice who specialised in altering phone IMEI, which blocks the tracking of such phones.

Okoye said, “Following a complaint by a phone dealer whose shop in Eziobodo was burgled on 11th July 2025, operatives of the Anti-Vice Unit arrested a suspect in possession of four brand-new stolen phones. Investigations led to the arrest of the principal burglar and another accomplice who specialised in altering phone IMEI numbers to evade tracking”.

He disclosed that all the suspects arrested are currently in custody, while efforts have been intensified to apprehend other members of the syndicate.

Okoye said in another development, operatives of the Orji Police Station on July 31st, 2025, at about 9pm (2100hrs) arrested one Ernest Nweke ‘m’ at Bishop’s Court roundabout, in the Owerri North LGA, following a distress call from concerned citizens.

The suspect, who is a native of Umuoji in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State but resident in the World Bank area of Owerri, was arrested with a locally fabricated pistol after he and three others allegedly robbed one Emmanuel FearGod ‘m’ of Fountain of Knowledge Hostel.

Okoye said, “Nweke, who confessed to being a member of the Vikings cult group, was identified by the victim and arrested while the others fled. Based on his confession, four other suspects: Chamberlain Prince, Akujuobi Godwin, Ugwuelu Joseph, and Frederick Chigozie were arrested the next morning and also confessed to the crime. All suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be duly prosecuted in court”.

Meanwhile, the Imo State Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma, has commended the officers for their swift action and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to fight crime.

The Police boss urged residents to report suspicious activities to the nearest Police Station or through 0803 477 3600.

Metro

Police Arrest Fleeing Anambra Suspected Kidnapper In Kaduna

Published

1 day ago

August 2, 2025

Editor

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper, John Chinagorom, who is said to have been on the Command’s wanted list.

A statement released on Saturday by the Anambra State Police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the suspect was arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State, with the assistance of the Kaduna State Police Command.

Ikenga said his arrest followed a credible intelligence received by operatives of the Ozubulu Police Division on August 1, that the suspect, who is linked to a kidnapping case in Anambra, was sighted at PZ Park Road, Zaria, Kaduna State.

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command wishes to inform the public that its officers, with the assistance of the Kaduna State Police Command, have arrested John Chinagorom ‘M’, a suspected kidnapper, who has been on the Command’s wanted list.

“This follows a credible intelligence received by operatives of the Ozubulu Police Division at noon of 1st August 2025, that the suspect, John Chinagorom, who is linked to a kidnapping Case reported on 15th April 2025, was sighted at PZ Park Road, Zaria, Kaduna State.

“Acting swiftly on the information, a team of Police detectives from the Division was dispatched, and they successfully apprehended the suspect at his hideout in Zaria, with the assistance of officers of the Kaduna State Police Command.

“The suspect is currently in custody and is assisting the Police in the ongoing investigation.”

He urged the general public to remain calm, assuring them that the security situation in the state is under control as joint security patrols and other crime prevention operations are ongoing.

“Meanwhile, the general security situation across other parts of the State remains calm, as counter-terrorism and other crime prevention operations continue.

“Further developments will be communicated in due course,” he added.