amily accuses police of  foul play over death of Teenager.
By  Patience Ogbo

Family members of late Joshua Bello 19 a secondary school leaver who was found dead in a swimming pool at the Adeniji Jones area in Lagos state are calling on the Inspector  General of Police Mr. Idris Ibrahim to take over the investigation so as to unravel  the mystery over the death of thier son.
According to family sources, Joshua's  lifeless body was recovered from a  9 feet swimming pool at the weekend where he  was called for a  barbecue grilling job .
Narrating how the family learnt about Joshua's  sudden demise, his elder brother Michael Bello who he lived with before his untimely death said
"  He was called for a grilling job something he learnt to do as pastime so as to save money  towards school.He left my  house on Saturday 29th October  about  6:00am so he can get to the venue early and  set up. I waited for him to return home that night  and  I  called his line at about 7pm but it was switched off.  I could not  sleep all through the night . My brother is not the kind of person  that  stays out without making contract. I was however shocked when I was  called by the police at about 8am on  Sunday morning telling me to come over that my brother was arrested.  It was when I got to the ManCentre  police station that the news was broken to me that he was found dead  that morning at the bottom of the pool in a private residence  around Adeniyi Jones where the  party held"
Bello however said they are suspecting foul play as the police have yet to arrest anybody over the death .
He added that the family is contacting a lawyer as the police have already concluded that the deceased committed suicide even before an autopsy  was conducted.
He said
"We are suspecting foul play. The police at the ManCentre police station told my mother that my brother committed suicide. His corpse is in the mortuary and autopsy is yet to be conducted so why did the police said he committed suicide? We  are contacting a lawyer to help us with the case. According to the  owner of the house, the party ended at 7:30pm.
The caterer that engaged him said he left at 8pm
The security at the house said they saw him still grilling between  8:00 and  8:30pm. They claimed he properly went for a dive after working that  night and drowned and they did not see him till the next morning but as at the time he was been dragged out of the water his body wasn't floating  it was stil deep beneath the pool which was  9 feet deep.Joshua is a very good swimmer and I have seen him  swam even in deeper water with high current that is why we are suspecting foul play.
They claimed they found his personal items by the the  pool side which include his Polo shirt, Jeans trouser, wallet but  no cash was found in it while the caterer confirmed giving him N3000 which was the money he was paid that night   for the Job.
His phone Infinix hot2  with 2 SIM cards,
An Apple iPos, hisNike snicker, with sock, a  black Rayban sun glasses were recovered by the pool side. The most painful part at the moment is that the inspector in-charge of the case (man center police station, Wemabod estate, off Adeniyi Jones  said he has already ruled out foul play and  this  even before the autopsy results are even out. It seems  to me the  police have  already been compromised. We are calling them but they are not picking thier calls That why am reaching out to the press so they can get the story out to the Inspector General of Police to take over the investigation".

Father of 9 arrested with15 rifle's
By Patience Ogbo

A  suspected  kidnapper, armed robber and political thug, Zakeri Yua Isiaka,  who has  been allegedly terrorising residents in Kofi state  has been arrested by the police.
Luck  ran out of the suspect when he was arrested  by operatives of the Inspector General of Police Special, IRT, penultimate Sunday, on the Okene- Akure Highway.
The police recovered 15 assault rifles including an Ak47 rifle which was snatched from the police during an encounter with the gang  including several magazines and ammunition were recovered from the suspect police sources said

  
 It was gathered that in July 2016, Zakeria and some of his boys attacked a team of Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team  operatives who were in kogi State to rescue a middle-aged man Edward Abutu Amedu, who was kidnapped and was being held in a camp controlled by Zakeri. It was gathered that two of his boys, were arrested from their hideouts at the outskirt of Egume and Anyingba Towns in Kogi .
Saturday Mirror gathered that policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence  Response Team  On Sunday, October 23, 2016, the search for Zekari paid off as he was trailed by the IRT and was arrested on Okene – Akure High way, while on his way to Akure Ondo State. 

   According to him;  “ I am names are Zakeri Isiaka, 30-year-old, Odu-Ochelle Village in Dekina LGA of Kogi State, I married to nine wives and 15 children.   I am a secondary school dropout and I went into farming at  after I left school.  I farmed at Isenyi in Oyo State for about  eight years  before I  went to Portharcourt  Rivers State  and joined the  Ateke Tom’s camp of the Niger Delta Militant.
When I got to Portharcourt I was squatting  with a boy from my home and I had no job, then  I started  visiting an indian helm  joints to smoke and I discovered that the people coming to that joints were mainly into  oil bunkering.  I told them that I wanted to join them and they started beating me.  They thought I was an informant, I was beaten for one week before a guy who identified himself as an Ateke-Tom’s boy, took interest me then he allowed me to join them. They thought me how to handle fire arms  and we did lots of oil bunkering and I was making close to N3million on each trip.  After I made my money I came to Abuja  and settled down. I built a house and then I went into car dealership. I was buying and selling cars.  I also came back with three guns and I kept them in the village. Because at that time the siting governor had given guns to all the thugs in my state and since they had killed my blood brothers, I thought it wise to  have my own guns  to as to  protect myself with it.  In that election I was protect ballot boxes from thugs to carry it.  When Captain Idris Wada  and Prince Audu contested in 2011 elections,  I went back home and still protected the votes of my people.  I made sure I used my guns to prevent my peoples vote from being subverted one of my friends was even killed in the process. After that election, I came back to Abuja, went back to my business, and I bought motorcycle for people to ride. I was also married to three wives, then.   Before the 2015 election PDP and APC thugs had a fight and I came back home  and fourth for APC and I defeated the  PDP.  It was  then that it  became obvious to my APC party men that I have become  a very powerful thug.   When the 2015 election campaign started Prince Audu gave me N30million to work for them in the presidential election. We worked for them and they won.  But my younger brother was Farouk, he was killed  in front of my father. He was picked up  in his room where he sleeping with his wife and killed him and made away with his body.    When it was time for the Governorship election, Prince Audu also called me to work for him and he mobilized me N20million, I went home worked for him and he promised to make me the Chief Security Officer  of the State,  Kogi youth leader and he also be the collecting revenue from farm products in Kogi State. We worked Audu won, I mobilized people vote for Audu all over Kogi State,  I was also ambushed an almost killed by Ugwuaraka who supported  PDP. But after Prince Audu  died and Yayaha emerged as governor   I made efforts to reach out to him and to let him know that I was in support of  his government.  But the people I was sending to the governor weren’t giving the right information.  They made him understand that since I was very close to Prince Audu and his family and that I was very angry with the way his family has lost out of power following their father’s death and that I will never work for him rather I will make the state ungovernable.  But this were all lies,  the people I have been fighting with are the PDP thugs who wanted to kill me and since APC came into power I have called on all my boys who are into armed robbery to stop because I have repented.  Few weeks before the last governorship election, some of my boys from Okene who use to rob in my area.  I advised them to quit robbery because I discovered that people of Kogi State wanted change and they were accepting what I was telling them and I knew that if APC wins I and my boys will enjoy,  but they refused, so I tricked them that I had  job for them and when they came to my town, I took them to a hotel,  and they parked their operational vehicle and their rifles within the hotel premises but while they were inside I called some of my boys and we stole all the rifles in their vehicle. I control all the APC thugs in Kogi State and since I repented I have been seriously out against crime.   Any of my boys who does kidnapping I use to arrest and hand them over to the police but in most cases the police would release the person after collecting money from such person, so what I do now is that if I arrest you for kidnapping in my domain I will kill you.  You can ask the police in Kogi state about this and they will confirm it.   After all I did the state governor didn’t find it necessary to appreciate my efforts simply because I believes at I am fully in support of Prince Audu’s son Mohammed in becoming the governor but that is not true.  My loyalty is to APC.” 
Zekari also explained that before his arrest that in April 2015, few weeks before the election that he and members of his gang robbed a vehicle carrying huge amount of money in Abuja.   He added that he over N50million from the operation and that he narrowly escaped death as one of his gang members also attempted to kill.   “ it was Dan that brought the job to me.  He told me that some politicians were moving money around Abuja and it seems that the money was meant for election.  We mapped out a strategy and we sighted the vehicle approaching us, we double crossed it and we snatched the vehicle from the driver.    After  the operation,  I kept three  Ghana Must go back for myself and I gave Dan and others involved two Ghana must go to share.  But while we were sharing the money, one of Dan friend who had a gun with him wanted to shoot me and he ended up shooting himself. Another opertation I did was in Okene, I did that job with Black and we N10, million from that. “  
 He also added that he lost seven of his rifles to the police Niger State after they arrested his younger brother who used one of his gun to snatched a car,  “  After the Kogi east election was canceled and the reelection was  about coming,  I gave seven of my rifles to my manager and when I was away for the election my younger took one of the guns and gave it to a Yoruba boy used it  to snatch a car and after it was snatched the Yoruba boy was arrested and he led them to my car stand in Abuja where police seized all the vehicles in it and they also carried away my seven rifles.”
On how he thinks peace and security could be restored  in Kogi State, Zakeri said the government needs to offer amnesty to anyone carrying gun in the state explaining that there so many gun on the loose in kogi state.   According to him;  “  it was PDP government that brought A47 rifles to kogi state and they shared it to all their thugs and these people have been killing us with these rifles and now we are defending ourselves but I think if this governor want to end this hostility he should offer amnesty and urge anyone with gun to return and surrender their rifles and anyone who refuses to drop is or own the governor should give me the mandate to go after that person and retrieve the gun "

The Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), a non-governmental organisation, has accused men of the Nigerian Police and specifically the International Police Force Criminal Investigation Department Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, and its Headquarters in Abuja, of harassing a United Kingdom-based Nigerian businessman, Mr. Yinusa Owolabi, and extorting him of huge sums of money running to hundreds of thousands of naira.

In a petition addressed to the office of the Inspector General of Police and signed by one of its legal officers, Mr. Lekan Alabi, HURMA alleges the Police of framing up Mr. Owolabi in a matter that is already reported at the Birmingham Police Station, UK, and referenced 205W158583E16.

According to the petition, copies of which were sent to the offices of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Police Service Commission, National Human Rights Commission, Nigerian Bar Association, among others, a Nigerian-based businessman, Mr. Benjamin Olowodola, was fingered of being behind what it described as high level of rights abuse and illegality.

Giving the background into the matter, HURMA explained that Olowodola had visited Birmingham in August, 2016, to purchase generators valued at £42,000 from Eagle Generators Limited, a firm owned by a man identified simply as Nasir, and consulted Owolabi’s company, Oshramon Ventures Limited, to provide a 40ft container to cargo the generators.

The petition reads in part; “On August 15, Owolabi accepted to cargo the generator at an agreed price and sent an empty 40ft container to the premises of Eagle Generator Limited in Birmingham for onward delivery to the seaport. But the Eagle Generator Limited failed to load the generator into the container between the hours of 11:30am and 1:30pm as agreed by the parties and this necessitated the driver of the truck to leave the empty container behind so that it could be loaded at the seller’s convenient time and that the truck would return the following morning to carry it to the port.

“However, when the driver returned to the Eagle Generators Limited the following day, he found out the container was missing and informed his boss, Mr. Yinusa Owolabi of the development. While Nasir reported the matter at Birmingham Police Station, Owolabi did same at Stratford Police Station close to his office in UK. He also took Olowodola to the Stratford Police Station to report but the officer in charge of the matter noticed same had earlier been reported in Birmingham and transferred the information provided by the two complainants to the Birmingham Station that is close to the scene of the incident.”

But according to the petition, while the UK Police was still on with their investigation, Owolabi visited Nigeria to attend his father’s burial in September and called on Olowodola to discuss the state of the matter as a concerned businessman. “But arriving at Olowodola’s office at Tejuosho, Yaba, Lagos, on September 27, men from INTERPOL FCIID, Alagbon Annex effected Owolabi’s arrest and detained him for an unbroken period of three days on the phantom allegation of stealing, which the accused vehemently denied.”

“While in their custody, Owolabi was told to pay the sum of £42,000, the value of the generator and his international passport and UK Residence Permit were seized from him. Having blatantly refused to pay the £42,000, your men extorted the sum of N192,000 from him before he was released on bail on September 30. He was told that based on the fact of the matter, he could not be charged for stealing as alleged by Olowodola but based on reason best known to the command, even after extorting him, his passport and Residence permit were not released to him.

“On October 5, when Owolabi went back to Alagbon to demand for his documents, he was again placed on arrest on the strength of another petition written by the same Olowodola and he was moved to Abuja Office of INTERPOL on the day of his arrest on his own expense. In Abuja, he was also released on bail having produced a reliable surety but has since been refused his documents,” the petition added.

Meanwhile, HURMA, by the petition has sought to know the rationale behind the command’s refusal to release Owolabi’s documents, and why the INTERPOL has not sent the case to the appropriate jurisdiction where the crime was allegedly committed, and why is Olowodola accusing Owolabi when the generators were not stolen from the accused’s company premises but that of Nasir.

It describes the seizure of Owolabi’s documents as an abuse of power and a blatant violation of the relevant provisions of the Constitution, and demanded that Owolabi be allowed to return to the UK where he has left his family and business for weeks. The organisation also threatened to sue the Police on the matter accusing it of abuse of Owolabi’s fundamental rights, describing the Nigerian Police Force as an epitome of corruption.

PRESS RELEASE
NDLEA INTERROGATES 4 NAHCO STAFF OVER ILLEGAL EXPORT OF 144KG OF EPHEDRINE TO MOZAMBIQUE
Officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) Abuja have commenced the interrogation of the Chief Security Supervisor of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and three others in connection with the unlawful exportation of 144kg of ephedrine to Maputo, Mozambique. The drug was concealed inside noodles and packed in three brown cartons together with relaxers and cereals.

Meanwhile, another staff of NAHCO, Victor Ahenje, a Load Controller who is linked with the conspiracy but currently on the run had been declared wanted by the anti-narcotic Agency. The plot according to the NDLEA was to smuggle the illegal shipment out of the country in an Ethiopian airline flight; but it was timely intercepted.

NDLEA commander at the Abuja airport, Mr. Hamisu Lawan said some officials who are working at the cargo section were invited for questioning and four NAHCO staff were subsequently detained. "Those being interrogated in respect of the seized drug include the Chief Security Supervisor, Mr. Audu Garba, two Security Officers, Nasiru Ibrahim and Haruna Abdullahi as well as a Driver, Adamu Dasura. Preliminary investigation suggests flagrant lapses on the part of NACHO security in charge of cargo. So far, they are cooperating with our team of investigators" Hamisu stated.

The Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) has called for proper vetting and re-vetting of airport staff to prevent acts of sabotage and compromise capable of undermining national security. According to Abdallah, "this is a suspected case of conspiracy involving workers within the airport community. The Agency is investigating the level of involvement of the suspects under interrogation and anyone indicted shall be prosecuted. Any act of sabotage can cause untold damage to national security. We shall get to the root of this case. The Agency is working very hard to promote peace and enhance the image of the country".

The NDLEA boss while thanking narcotic officers for their vigilance added that proactive measures such as constant security vetting of airport staff must be taken to avert internal threat and ensure strict security compliance at key installations. He assured that efforts are ongoing to arrest Victor Ahenje who is at large. Victor hails from Benue State. The Agency has called on members of the public to provide useful information that will lead to his arrest.

FIGHT AGAINST KIDNAPPING: POLICE PARTNER MILLITARY FOR CLEARING OF WAYERWAYS IN LAGOS,OGUN IN PREPARATION FOR YULETIDE 

In his bid to get Lagos and Ogun states rid of kidnappers and criminals,the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command Lagos ,AIG Abdulmajid Ali, has partnered the millitary,particularly,the Nigerian Navy for the clearing of the waterways in the 2 states. 

It will be recalled that the governments of Lagos and Ogun  States have taken the bull by the horn to clear the waterways of shanties and bushes to pave way for adequate patrol and smooth navigation of the affected communities  along the riverrine areas to suppress the activities of the kidnappers (militants) who have been  terrorising the good people of the 2 states.

The police boss,after proper consultations with the police high command and relevant agencies,has deployed police teams including the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Zonal Intervention Squad and Zonal Anti kidnapping Team of zone 2 Lagos to partake in the special operation for its effectiveness.

AIG Abdulmajid Ali also urged the people of the concerned areas to support the police and the military in the operation that will checkmate the excesses of the hoodlums and the kidanppers within the zone during and beyond the yyuletide period.

The AIG zone 2 therefore assures the affected communities and general public of safety and effective policing of the areas as his command will leave no stone unturned to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes within zone 2 command,Lagos and Ogun states.

In another development, the AIG zone 2,AIG Abdulmajid Ali,has dissociated himself from a publication in one of the Nigerian newspapers dated 1st Novmber 2016 captioned "Protest Greets Police Postings " where the reporter distorted facts and misconceptualised issues concerning the recent postings of senior officers in the police including him.

The publication,which condemned the leadership of the IGP and alleged him of bias,favourim and witch-hunting,was baseless and uncalled for since posting of officers and men is a normal routine in the police and it's inevitable. AIG Ali stressed that the repoter has shown ignorance and malice in his publication as contained in one of its paragraphs  in quote " that the IGP has flooded strategic commands and units with his kinsmen from Niger state" whereas the affected AIG,Abdulmajid Ali, is one of the kinsmen of the IGP from the same Niger state.

The police boss has condemned the publication that was meant to damage his reputation  before the office of the Inspector-General of Police and the general public; and thereby urges  the public to disregard the publication and support the IGP on his effort to reposition the Nigeria Police force which is fundamental to our national development. 

PRESS RELEASE
NDLEA BOSS WARNS AGAINST COMPROMISE, SAYS SOME OFFICERS UNDER INVESTIGATION

Some operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are currently under investigation for alleged fraternity with suspected drug syndicates. The Chairman/Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) gave the hint while addressing officers at the national headquarters, Ikoyi Lagos at the weekend. He warned that the Agency has beamed her searchlight inwards in the anti-narcotics campaign stressing that any officer who engages in acts of compromise and fraternity with drug barons shall be made to face the full weight of the law.

According to the Chairman, "the Agency is currently investigating some of its personnel deployed to man some sensitive beats/points for fraternising with barons and related organised criminal syndicates to frustrate the efforts of the Agency in the smooth execution of its statutory mandate. Accordingly, any officer found culpable will be decisively dealt with and made to face the full weight of the law".

Abdallah added that he is working very hard in building an Agency that has zero tolerance for corruption through strict law enforcement. "The anti-corruption crusade of Mr. President is a collective responsibility. Those that are saddled with the responsibility of dismantling drug syndicates must live above board. We must remain focussed and result oriented in line with our mandate. The position of the law is very clear on this matter because it states that anyone that conspires with, aids, abets, counsels, attempts to commit or is an accessory to any act or offence referred to in the NDLEA Act shall be guilty of an offence" he stated.

He therefore urge officers to subject themselves to the rules of engagement as no one shall be spared for violating the provisions of the Act. The war against narcotics must be prosecuted on the platform of integrity, hardwork and sacrifice. Abdallah assured members of the public that the outcome of investigation shall be made public.

HOW WE USE  FAKE NUMBER PLATES TO DIVERT N50MILLION GOODS_ SUSPECTS.

BY PATIENCE OGBO

Policemen attached to the Federal Special Anti-robbery squad, Zone 2 police command Onikan Lagos, are investigating two men who allegedly  specialise in diverting goods with fake number plates.

The men identified as Uche Onuakwu 34, and Ndubisi Michael 35   claimed to be drivers have been arrested in the past for similar crime and charged to court according to police sources.

Sadly ,instead of the suspects  to turn a new leaf after serving  their prison sentences, they took to robbery and diversion of goods worth millions of million the Zone 2 police command spokesperson SP Muyiwa Ogunjobi told Saturday Mirror.

The suspects who stated that they were released from prison recently were arrested again after they diverted a truckload of powdered milk valued at N30million  from the Tin Can Port to Anambra state.

Following the suspect's  notorious activities, the Zone 2 spokesperson Mr. Ogunjobi advised  employers and business owners  to carry out  proper background checks before they employ anyone.

He said " These Suspects pretend to be truck  drivers but their modus operandi is to use fake number plates to divert goods. These men  are habitual or what we call professional criminals. We advise employers to carry out thorough background checks before they employ anybody . They can come to the police to help them screen would be employees as we have a data base to fish out criminals"

Narrating how they divert goods with fake number plates, Onuakwu said " I met a man called Obinna. I have known him for 7 years now . He claimed to be a businessman at the Tin  Can Port at Apapa Lagos. But I  lost contact with him . We became friends again when he gave his phone  number to one Ndubisi whom he met at SARS Ikeja cell to give to me. I called him and we met somewhere at 2nd Rainbow area in Mile 2  Lagos . He told me that he had  a Mack truck he wanted me to drive for him. I went with one Chibekem to see him that day. Chibekem is also a driver.  Chibekem and I went to Onitsha to see him and he took us to a shrine at Agba-Agolo at Agolo in Anambra state  to swear an oath that we will not defraud one another.He told Chibekem that he will give him N2.5million if we use the truck to divert the goods.  He told him that he will settle me well. We succeeded in getting the job to drive a 40 feet container load truck from Tin Can port. We were  supposed to take the goods to a warehouse in Apapa but we diverted it. Unfortunately, the vehicle had a problem with the  engine on our way   at Abagana and Obinna came with another truck to rescue us .He drove the goods away after he  lodged us in an hotel . He later came back to give us N200,000 which we shared but he did not  came back again. Obinna  is the one that brought   the different  fake number plates that we used . He gets them from his contacts. We use different fake number plates to move the goods . I have been to prison twice but instead of prison changing me, I end up meeting bad gangs "

The suspects also stated that   in 2016, they conspired among themselves and robbed a warehouse in Ajao estate in Lagos where their gang members killed a security man and made away with a truck load of tin tomatoes valued at N10million.

Michael said " Our gang members hinted me that they were going to rob a warehouse called Deekay and Sons at Kolawole Sonibare street Ajao estate. I did not go with them but they went and stole tin tomatoes truck  worth over N10millon. I later learnt that they killed a security man after they tied him up. I have been to prison two times"

SP Muyiwa said the suspects will be charged to court. " WE cannot kill them because they are habitual criminals we will continue follow the rule of law  and  charge them to court . It is worrisome that persons who were sent to prisons  come back and continue in their criminal ways. The prison is supposed to reform criminals but they come out to become harden and professional criminals . As an agency who bears the brunt of these criminals, we are going to work with other arms of government and the civil society groups  toward overhauling the judicial system "