TOP STORIES: “No Black Sheep Will Be Spared If Identified” – Army Reacts to Allegations by Asari Dokubo.

Lagos Command Arrest Two Suspected Robbers With Bridge Barriers.

Lagos State Police Command Public Relations Officer PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin has reveal the identity of two men arrested this morning with bridge barriers on Falomo Bridge.

The PPRO, Benjamin Hundeyin tweeted: “At 1am this morning, a patrol team from Ikoyi Division intercepted and arrested the duo of Hassan Victor aged 25 and Lolade Owojiri aged 22 with bridge barriers on Falomo Bridge…”

‘Investigation still on going’

Four Die As Zone 2 Police, Abductors Engage In Fierce Gun Battle.

Four notorious suspected kidnappers who had been terrorising Ogun State and environs have been guned down by Police detectives attached to the Zone 2 Monitory Unit, Lagos.

AIG Muhammad Ali, Zone 2

Sources said the gun battle with the enemies of society followed intelligence information given to the Assistant Inspectors-General of Police AIG Muhammed Ali that some kidnappers were sighted in their hideout at a forest in Ibara, Ogun State. According to sources, upon the report, crack Police detectives attached to the Zonal Monitory Unit swung into action and stormed the forest.

On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums reportedly opened fire on the police while the Policemen responded accordingly. At the almost 45 minuted fierce gun duel, four members of the gang lay dead while others escaped with bullet wounds.

According to a statement by the Zonal PRO, SP Hauwa Idris Adamu made available to the newsmen said when the forest was combed, 4 Ak 47 assault rifles, ammunition, operational motor bike and expended bullets were recovered.

Recovered AK47 Assault rifles.

SP Hauwa said, “On the 6th day of May, 2023 at about 1800hrs intelligence was given to the AIG Ari Mohammed Ali that a syndicate of kidnappers who have been terrorizing Abeokuta (the capital of Ogun State) and its environs were seen somewhere suspected to be their hideout.

“Consequently, a team of Detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit swung into action; on sighting the Police in their hideout at a forest along Ibara Orile Ogun State, the kidnappers engaged the Detectives in a gun duel where four kidnappers were neutralized while others escaped with bullet wounds.

“Thereafter, when the hideout was later searched, One (1) unregistered Bajaj Motorcycle, Four (4) AK47 rifles, Six (6) magazines loaded with 20 live ammunition, 10 expended ammunition were recovered.

Further investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicate were drawn from different parts of the country while some of them came from the neighboring countries of Niger and Chad respectively. However, efforts are on top gear to arrest the other fleeing suspects while investigation is in progress please.”

Oyo Police Command Arrest 21 Suspected Armed Robbers.

The Oyo State Police Command Headquarters, Eleyele, have arrested some suspected armed robbers for their alleged involvement in various crimes.

About 21 suspected criminals were paraded by the State Police Command on Friday over their nefarious activities committed at various locations in Ibadan.

While parading the criminal suspects at the Command’s Headquarters on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, CP. Adebowale Williams, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Adewale Osifeso disclosed that the Command through Smart Inter-Agency Collaborations and dogged determination has never rescinded on its oars to ensure that the State does not become a playground to hoodlums.

According to him, “On 14th May, 2023 at about 0400hrs a group of armed robbers invaded Apaatuku/Onireke at Akobo area in Ibadan and robbed residents of their valuables.

The assailants killed one Makanjuola Ogedengbe ‘m’, raped his two daughters aged 14yrs and 10yrs respectively during the incident.” “The case was transferred to SCID Iyaganku for discreet investigation.

During the investigation, it was revealed that one Ibrahim Rasaq ‘m’ 31yrs, one Abiodun Olalekan ‘m’ 32yrs, and Abolade Morenikeji ‘m’ 34yrs, were earlier arrested in connection with the armed robbery operation at Sawia Estate at Ogbere in Ibadan, which was reported on 16 April 2023, are the same gang who invaded Apaatuku/Onireke community.”

“The two daughters of the deceased were allegedly raped by Abolade Morenikeji ‘m’ and one Sodiq ‘m’ respectively. The said Sodiq, who was the group’s alleged leader was killed in the operation by the community security guards. The assailants also shot the community’s night guard who is currently receiving treatment.”

Also, “On 16/6/2023 at about 03300hrs, one Adebayo Salami ‘m’ who is a major receiver/informant of the group and landlord at Ajara Olohunda, Akobo in Ibadan was arrested in connection with the case.

“During interrogation, he confessed that he was invited by the group for the robbery operation at the Apatuku area, where one Makanjuola Ogedengbe ‘m’ was killed and his two daughters ages 14 and 10 were defiled by the robbery gang during the operation.”

Names of the suspected armed robbers are;

Ibrahim Rasaq; (male), aged 31,

Abiodun Olalekan(male), aged 32,

Abolade Morenikeji (male), aged 34,

Adedayo Salami(Male), aged 40.

The exhibits recovered from them are one cut to size locally made double barrel pistol.

While speaking with the journalists on behalf of the other group members, Abolade Morenikeji said, “I’m Abolade Keji, aged 33, I’m from Ibadan, we went to Olohunda/Akobo side in group to rob.

“Though was not the one who shot the person, but unfortunately the person died, it was our gang leader Sodiq, who shot the person, and the security in that area also neutralized him too.”

“That operation was my second operation, I’m among the people who raped the girls of the deceased, but it was the work of the devil, Sodiq was the guy who killed the man, I was outside at the time Sodiq shot the man. It was the work of the devil.” Morenikeji said.

Similarly, another set of suspected armed robbers namely,

Irale Emmanuel(Male), aged 38,

Olayinka Olawoyin(male), aged 22,

Ibrahim Sheriff(Male), aged 35,

Ibrahim Azeez(Male), aged 32,

Ayodele Joyce(Male), aged 24,

Dauda Moshood(male), 40,

and Olaoti Yekeen(Male), aged 54 were
also paraded.

Recovered Items are,

Three locally made single barrel guns,

three shells of expended cartridges,

one cutlass,

and one tricycle.

Appoint A New IGP According to law, group charges Tinubu.

An amalgamation of several civil society organisations the Nigerian Civil Society Contact Group (CSCG) has charged President Bola Tinubu to adhere to the provision of the law as the primary consideration in the appointment of the next Inspector General of Police. The group made this assertion at a media briefing earlier in the week.

President Tinubu is expected to announce successor of the current IGP Usman Baba, who should have exited office in March after reaching the compulsory retirement age of 60 years, he was thereby retained by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the statement titled, “The Next Inspector-General of Police Must Be Appointed According to Law and in The Best Interest of Nigeria’s Security,”

The Director-General of CSCG Taiwo Akindolu stated that while former President Buhari blatantly disregarded the provision of the law in the appointments of the previous IGP’s who served in his eight years of ruling the country, especially the present ruler, President Tinubu must not emulate those unconstitutional steps that could re-ignite controversies and a judicial logjam that surfaced in the past administration.

Akindolu said the Police Act 2020 signed into law by former President Buhari clearly stipulates the requirements for the appointment of the IGP, warning that any action outside of the provision of the law could breed controversy which the new government can ill afford.

He viewed that Section 7 Paragraph 6 of the Police Act 2020 says that the person to be appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of Police shall hold office for four years while Paragraph 2 of the same section of the law also states that such appointee shall be a senior police officer not below the rank of an Assistant Inspector-General of Police with the requisite academic qualifications of not less than a first degree or its equivalent in addition to professional and management experience.

Akindolu noted, “We strongly advise President Tinubu to uphold the rule of law in the appointment of a new IGP. The former President was ignobly reputed for disobeying the law which he blatantly demonstrated in the appointment of Usman Baba barely one year after he signed the new Police Act into law.

“As of the date of his appointment, Usman Baba was 58 years old and stepped into an office with a four-year tenure when he had just two years left in the service. His appointment has since been nullified by a High Court in Anambra State, and we could have avoided the national embarrassment if Buhari had done the right thing by obeying the law.”

He however stated, “It behoves on Mr President not only to ensure a prudent adherence to the laws guiding the appointment of an IGP but must also take other fundamental variables into consideration, particularly with regard to Section 7(6) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020 which states that the person appointed to the office of the Inspector-General of the Police shall hold office for four years.

“In the wisdom of the drafters of this section of the Act, it follows that while making the choice of who to be Nigeria’s Police IG, the president and the Police Council must pay special attention to ensure that whoever is being chosen has at least four more years or above to serve in the Nigerian Police before retirement.

“We take this position because if policemen and officers, by law, are to retire at age 60 or after serving 35 years in the Police, for any officer to remain in service beyond the statutory age of retirement is tantamount to illegality and a direct violation of the Nigeria Police Act 2020.

“Appointing a Police officer who has just a few months or two years or less to retire as Police IG defeats the purpose or the intendment of Section 7(6) of the Police Act, he said.”

According to him, “an officer almost retiring cannot have the same zeal, focus, and energy that the demanding office of the IGP requires and can not aggregate the capacity to run the office productively.

“The law with the provision of a four-year tenure, will satisfy the need to appoint an IGP that will have the time frame to develop his plans and vision and execute the same in the interest of the Force and Nigeria.

“We urge President Tinubu to appoint only candidates who have up to four years and above in service and the process should be conducted in consultation with the Police Council as stipulated by both the Police Act and the Nigerian Constitution.

“Apart from acting in consonance with the Police Act, we hope the President will consider geopolitical balancing, managerial competence, merit, qualifications, capacity, and unblemished records,

He also cautioned Tinubu against repeating the action of previous governments that promoted commissioners of police to the rank of AIG with the sole intention of making them IGP which inevitably led to the premature retirement of their seniors who are usually AIGs and DIGs.

Akindolu said in the statement that, “Such action has not only proved counter-productive but has robbed the country of fully taking advantage of the resources invested in these officers that were prematurely retired. We strongly advise the new government to run away from the unwholly practices of previous governments, which elevated parochialism and nepotism, and then lowered the standard of professionalism in the police.

“Therefore, we passionately appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to judiciously look into this concern and make sure that the next IGP has more than four years to remain in service. Not only that. The next IGP must be one with the intellectual capacity and the physical attributes to withstand the rigors of his office.” “The democratic credentials of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu include fighting for the adherence to the rule of law, institutional, and constitutional due processes.

Therefore, we believe that he will bring this to bear in considering all the factors that will inform the choice of the next IGP,” he said. The group also urged the former Speaker, House of Representatives, and presently chief of staff to the president, Femi Gbajabiamila, not to relent in calling the attention of the President to this salient point of law, considering the significant roles he played during legislation on this crucial matter by ensuring that the 4-year tenure bill was passed into law.

According to the CSCG, it would be counterproductive if Gbajabiamila fails to play his role in ensuring that the rule of law is followed by the president.

Lagos Govt Begins Demolition of Alaba Market Building,Gives Reason.

The Lagos State Government has begun the process toward removal of distressed buildings in the Alaba International Market in Ojo Local Government of the state.

The enforcement team of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Lagos State Task Force embarked on the joint exercise on Friday, June 16, 2023.

The team which went round to re-seal several buildings that had been marked with previous multiple quit seal notices by LASBCA, said the measure was to prevent disaster. They advised occupants on the need to move out of the structurally defective buildings which they said had become too dangerous for habitation.

A correspondent on the delegation observed that some of the buildings undergoing reconstruction were tilted.
Conducting journalists round, the enforcement director pointed out some storey buildings that were already sinking but being extended with additional floors.

The front row of shops of one of the sinking plazas was beautifully adorned with tiles and other materials while the back was tilted on marshy land.
Some of the traders who spoke with journalists alleged that they had made some payments toward obtaining building approvals before embarking on renovations.

Responding to the situation, the General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, told journalists that the government was going to demolish it to save lives.

Oki said he usually panicked every time it rained because of the likelihood of any such buildings collapsing to cause mayhem. He said the government valued the lives of residents which were more precious than the cost of any property.

According to him, the government was taking a proactive step and will demolish about 17 of the buildings which were not part of the 349 widely publicised for demolition. Oki said the occupants had been served a series of notices since 2016 to carry out some necessary actions but they had been adamant and resorted to harassment of enforcement officials.

He added that the agency had to seek the help of the Lagos State Task Force because the occupants constantly used thugs to assault LASBCA officials whenever they embarked on enforcement. The general manager said he had suddenly developed a phobia for rain because of the constant fear of defective buildings collapsing hence the proactive step to save lives.

“All those buildings are going to go down between now and Monday. LASBCA has given them enough notice.
“Everybody that lives in Lagos State, their lives are worth more than the cost of any building or the cost anybody is going to make on it.

“This is because when a building is going to come down, it is not going to give you a notice that I am coming down,” he said.
Oki, however, said all the identified buildings were beyond redemption while listing attributes of distressed buildings to include those already tilting at very bad angles as well as those with different kinds of cracks.

He stated that the government had made the process of obtaining building approvals easy by establishing LASBCA district offices across all divisions. He advised Lagos residents with valid land documents and building plan approvals to visit or write LASBCA offices for authorisation to commence construction.
Oki said this would ensure effective monitoring and supervision. (NAN).

Workers to receive living Cost and Petrol allowances.

The National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday considered two forms of palliatives for workers and vulnerable persons to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal.

The proposals are “living cost allowance” of over N702 billion and “petroleum allowance” ranging from N23.5 billion to N45 billion per month.

The council explained after its more than five and a half hours meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima that the N702 billion was recommended by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission based on Labour’s demands.

Before the meeting, President Bola Tinubu, who inaugurated the NEC, charged its members to work with his administration to revive the economic fortunes of Nigeria and its citizens.

The NEC is a major organ of the Executive made up of the 36 governors, ministers in charge of finance and the economy, and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, among others.

Tinubu had in his May 29 inauguration speech announced that the era of subsidy was over. The development led to a threat by Labour to embark on a strike to compel the government to rethink the policy.

After a series of horse trading, Labour suspended the planned strike after the Federal Government promised to work out measures to minimise the impact of the policy on the masses, especially workers. The meeting between the Federal Government and the Labour centres will resume on Monday.

Students hail Tinubu over assent to loan bill.

The All-Africa Students’ Union has hailed President Bola Tinubu for signing the Students’ Loan Bill, saying the scheme will be a huge relief to its Nigerian members and a model to others.

Speaking at a press conference to herald the 2023 African Students Day, AASU President, Osikenyi Osisiogu, said the Tinubu-led administration must ensure more efficient and equitable use of public expenditure by governments of Africa on education.

In the text of the press conference, which was made available to journalists in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State Capital on Thursday, Osisiogu said the move would help to generate significant room for finding new funding sources.

“We are excited to identify with the haste Tinubu is in to ‘renew our hope’ that Nigeria shall indeed assume prominently her role as ‘Big Brother’ in Africa and thank him immensely for the Student Loan Bill that received his presidential assent,” Osisiogu said.