Metro

Oyo Police Storm Motor Park Chair, Auxiliary’s Hideout, Arrest 78 With Arms

Published

12 months ago

May 31, 2023

Editor

The Oyo State Police Command, on Tuesday, arrested 78 suspected members of the disbanded Park Management System for allegedly planning to cause civil disorder in Ibadan, the state capital.

The state governor, Seyi Makinde, had earlier announced the dissolution of PMS headed by Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary.

azarrest included guns, 724 live cartridges, 25 cutlasses, seven jack knives, 33 mobile phones, one laptop, charms, two vehicles and over N3m cash.

The state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, who paraded the suspects at the command’s headquarters, Eleyele in Ibadan, said, “On Tuesday, in a strategic intelligence coordinated raid around Auxiliary’s location at Diamond Hotel, Alakia-Isebo, under Egbeda Local Government, 78 suspected hoodlums who had perfected plans to unleash mayhem at the early hours of today (Tuesday) at major parts of the metropolis were arrested in possession of sophisticated firearms.

“During the raid, sophisticated firearms were recovered inside the hotel rooms and in the trunk compartment of parked vehicles within the hotel.”

The CP said though Auxiliary escaped with some of his boys during the gun duel with the police, a member of the group was gunned down.

He added that the same group was alleged to be responsible for the attack on 14 members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria in the Agodi area of Ibadan North-East Local Government Area of the state on Monday.

Williams added, “In line with standard operational procedure, all recovered items were properly documented, packaged and recorded for onward forensics analysis and evidence purposes in accordance with the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015 and all other relevant laws.”

Meanwhile, the state government, on Tuesday, shut down bus terminals in Ibadan, the state capital.

The PUNCH correspondent, who visited both the Ojoo and Challenge parks, observed that members of the Western Nigeria Security Network, codenamed Amotekun, sealed them off.

Metro

Customs Intercept N8.7m Smuggled Petrol En Route Benin Republic

Published

8 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

Officers of the Nigeria Customs Service, Western Marine Command, have intercepted 12,500 litres of Premium Motor Spirit known is petrol worth N8,750,000 along the Isalu Creek Badagry Waterway en route to Benin Republic.

According to a statement and pictures shared on X.com by the NCS on Sunday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Paul Bamisaiye, revealed this at the command’s headquarters on Friday.

The statement partly read, “At about 2330hrs on Wednesday, 8 May 2024, while on joint patrol based on credible intelligence, we received the movement of two boats laden with what was suspected to be petroleum products concealed in sacks. Upon receipt of the information, the team moved into Isalu Creeks Badagry Waterway.

“The Customs Area Controller stated that careful examination of the seizure at the Command Headquarters revealed ‘177 sacks and 61 kegs of 25 Litres Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) containing 12,500 Liters with a total Duty Paid Value standing at N8,750,000.”

Bamisaiye was reported to have warned smugglers to desist from their acts or risk arrest, stating that the action of the smugglers contravenes Sections 245 and 254 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.

He was quoted as saying, “There’s a strong warning to the economic importance of this kind of seizure at a time of fuel scarcity cannot be over-emphasised.

“People are suffering due to artificial scarcity, but they are busy smuggling these products outside the country to make money. It’s either they stop this act, or we continue to arrest them. We have zero tolerance for this act.”

Similarly, the Adamawa/Taraba Area Command of the NCS said it also intercepted 12,435 litres of PMS worth N10.8 million being illegally exported to Cameroon.

Metro

Customs Intercepts N10m Worth Petrol En Route Cameroon Illegally

Published

9 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service, Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, has said it intercepted 12,435 litres of Premium Motor Spirit worth N10.8m being illegally exported to Cameroon.

In a statement on Saturday, the command said that the PMS was intercepted within two weeks.

The command added in the statement said the product was packed in 491 jerrycans, 25 litres each and eight jerrycans 20 litres each.

The Customs Area Comptroller in charge of the command, Garba Bashir, explained that the PMS was intercepted alongside the means of conveyance.

“The officers, while on anti-smuggling operations along the command frontiers within two weeks, recorded five incidents of interception of premium motor spirit on its way to the neighbouring country, Cameroon

“The petrol and the means of conveyance were valued at NN10.8m,” he said.

The CAC stated that no suspect was arrested, adding that the perpetrators abandoned the items and absconded in an attempt to avoid arrest.

Bashir added that the seizures of the items were in line with sections 150 and 248 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, “and considering the facts that the command’s territorial borders are officially closed.”

He stated that the petrol had been auctioned due to its inflammable nature.

He added that smuggling activities have done more harm than good to the nation.

“It hinders our national growth, strangles our trade policies with regards to revenue, foreign investment, preservation of domestic trade and growth, food security, and public security,” Bashir said.

“We want to unwaveringly tell the smugglers that our operatives are strategically repositioned along the borderlines to fasten their exit out of this illicit business,” he added.

He solicited the support of the border communities in the fight against smuggling.

The Adamawa/Taraba Area Command, Yola, of the NCS is one of the commands under Zone B Customs, headquartered in Kaduna.

Metro

Man Trailed, Shot Dead In Abuja

Published

20 hours ago

May 12, 2024

Editor

A young man identified as Khalid Bichi, was on Friday night, May 10, shot dead by yet to be identified persons.

According to reports, Khalid was trailed by the men who shot him dead in the Maitama area of Abuja

The deceased was a staff of FIRS with social media X handle @Khalid_Bichi, was on his way to get food when the unfortunate incident happened. He was rushed to Maitama General Hospital where he eventually died.

Confirming the incident to LIB, the spokesperson of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, said the matter is currently being investigated and that efforts are being made to apprehend the killers.