In Lagos, Police Officers Take N120,000 From Thespian Amid Slaps – Newstrends
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In Lagos, Police Officers Take N120,000 From Thespian Amid Slaps

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2 years ago

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Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi

Oscar Chihurumnanya, a thespian, has narrated how some unknown police officers operating in the Festac area of Lagos extorted N120,000 from him at Rainbow Bus Stop on June 23.

Chihurumnanya told FIJ that the experience left him traumatised and feeling unsafe.

“I was on my way to a rehearsal on that Thursday and I boarded a tricycle at ‘second rainbow’ between 9:45 am and 9:50 am. The tricycle was going to get me to the estate where the venue for my rehearsal was,” he said.

Chihurumnanya told FIJ that he had seen some persons manhandle an individual like a thief as he approached the tricycle park.

ID CARD WITHOUT IDENTIFICATION

“I was in a hurry because my rehearsal was supposed to begin at 10 am. As I was seated in the tricycle, a man in mufti with a face mask accosted me and flashed his ID card introducing himself as a policeman. He said they were carrying out a stop-and-search exercise and said that I would need to be searched,” Chihurumnanya said.

Chihurumnanya alighted from the tricycle and the search began. The police officer did not find anything incriminating on him or inside his bag. Chihurumnanya then explained to the officer that the money found in his bag was part of a thrift contribution.

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“He (the police officer) also asked for a means of identification and I showed him my valid NIN slip. According to him, the NIN slip wasn’t substantial, so he asked what my occupation was and I told him that I am an actor, a professional background vocalist and makeup artist.”

Chihurumnanya said he showed the police officer videos and pictures to prove that he was indeed an actor and artiste. “All this happened right in front of a white mini-bus belonging to the supposed policemen interrogating me.”

FALSE ACCUSATION

Chihurumnanya said another policeman asked if he was a cyber fraudster. “Shey you sure say you no be ‘Yahoo boy’?” He asked me. ”I told him I was not a fraudster.”

The officer with Chihurumnanya’s phone typed ‘Yahoo’ into the search column on his phone’s WhatsApp and found a chat with the word. “He slapped me on my face and the other officers pushed me into the bus,” Chihurumnanya said.

Chihurumnanya said he could not identify any of the police officers. The officer who initially approached him did not allow him to see the details on the identification card he showed. Two officers wore mufti, while three wore the Nigeria Police Force Uniform, and they all wore face masks which concealed their facial features, he said.

‘YOU COULD GO TO JAIL’

“One of the officers told another to cuff my hands and they did. I was utterly speechless. I asked why I was arrested and they continued to slap me while telling me about the legal consequences of being a ‘Yahoo boy’. They said I could go to jail. But when I asked them to read the message that included ‘Yahoo’, they ignored me,” said Chihurumnanya.

“I asked if I was being taken to the nearest police station, but they kept on yelling and slapping me. They finally said that if I didn’t have up to three million naira to bail myself out of the situation, I was going to be jailed.”

Chihurumnanya said the officers held him in detention inside their white mini-bus. He believed they were taking him to a police station, but the officers had other ideas.

“I realised we had driven past First Gate, all the way from Second Rainbow. They finally stopped at a long deserted bridge with a canal on either side and asked me how much money I had in my bank account,”‘ he said.

“I asked them to take me to the police station again, but they resumed slapping me. One of them threatened to gun me down. He said that nothing was going to happen if they killed me right on that spot.”

Chihurumnanya told FIJ that the officers were drunk. “I could smell alcohol in their breath and I was terrified. These men could drive me anywhere and harm me, so I pleaded with them.

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“While all of this was going on, my head was down because I was instructed to keep it down. They ensured I didn’t see their name tags.

“They drove me to an unknown place and asked that I withdraw all I had at a PoS outlet. I had N53,992 in my account, and withdrew N50,700. They collected the receipt and the money. They also collected the thrift contribution money. The thrift contribution was N70,000.

“They took me back to the bus and checked for the debit alert to confirm how much money I had left. They thought I had N32,000 in my account and started yelling at me until I confirmed it was N3,292 that was left.

“After that, they finally handed me my bag and my phone and stopped a bike for me. It was already 11am and I had no idea where I was.”

RESPONSE FROM LAGOS POLICE COMMAND

Chihurumnanya said that the Lagos State Police Command called him on Wednesday, and Benjamin Hundeyin, the state’s police spokesperson, documented his ordeal.

FIJ gathered that men claiming to be members of the Lagos police have stopped and harassed numerous persons in a similar fashion in the past. Tweets and reports abound on police officers extorting money from individuals around Festac, Ojo and Okokomaiko in Lagos.

“If you go to Second Rainbow and Ojo,” said Chihurumnanya, “you will see them in those small buses. Some of them don’t really have plate numbers, so you cannot trace them. But they are there and they have been doing this for some time now.”

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Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

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1 hour ago

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December 29, 2024

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Oba Adesuyi Haastrup

Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

ILESA — Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Sunday presented the staff of office to Oba Adesuyi Haastrup as the 41st Owa-Obokun of Ijesaland in a ceremony marked by mixed reactions.

Oba Haastrup’s selection follows the passing of the 40th Owa-Obokun, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, in September, after which the mourning period and succession process commenced. Last Friday, Prince Haastrup of the Bilaro Olu-Odo ruling house was elected by the Ijesa kingmakers and subsequently approved as the new monarch despite an existing court injunction restraining stakeholders from proceeding with the selection process.

At the installation ceremony, Governor Adeleke urged the new monarch to foster unity among Ijesa people and leverage his experience and connections for the development of Ijesaland and Osun State.

“Kabiyesi, now that the time of competition is over and you have become the father of all, I urge you to rally all citizens of Ijesaland for the development of the area and the State at large,” Adeleke said.

He emphasized the importance of collective efforts, stating, “There is much work to be done, and the Government alone cannot bear the responsibility. I call on all Ijesa sons and daughters to prioritise the development of our fatherland. Our administration is intensifying developmental efforts across the state, including Ijesaland.”

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The selection and installation of Oba Haastrup were met with opposition from two royal families, Ofokutu and Fajemisin, within the Bilaro Olu-Odo ruling house.

In a statement signed by Prince Adetoyese Adegbohungbe, Secretary of the Ofokutu royal family, the process was described as a desecration of Ijesa traditions.

“We have witnessed not just compromise but the desecration of the noble tradition of the Ijesa, with the blatant disregard for the most sacred tradition, which is the selection of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland,” the statement read.

The family expressed shock at the selection, citing a pending court case, and accused stakeholders of undermining due process.

The Fajemisin family also condemned the process, describing it as flawed and unlawful. In a statement by Olufemi Fajemisin, the family rejected Oba Haastrup’s selection and demanded a transparent process that respects Ijesa customs.

“We categorically reject the purported elected Owa and demand a transparent, lawful process that honours our customs and traditions,” the statement said.

Both families have vowed to pursue legal action, dissociating themselves from the new monarch and alleging imposition in violation of tradition. They pledged to defend the rights of the Ijesa people and restore the integrity of their heritage.

As the controversy unfolds, the installation has spotlighted the delicate balance between tradition, legality, and governance in the selection of traditional rulers in Nigeria.

 

Adeleke presents staff of office to new Owa-Obokun amid protest

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Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

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2 hours ago

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December 29, 2024

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Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, (NDLEA), have arrested a 48-year-old businessman, Orizu Ifeanyi Arthur for ingesting 74 wraps of heroin and cocaine.

Mr Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesman, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

Babafemi said that Orizu was intercepted while attempting to board an Air France flight 844 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, (NAIA) Abuja to Paris, France.

He said that the suspect was arrested at the boarding gate of the Abuja airport on Sunday, Dec. 22 during the outward clearance of passengers on Air France.

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“When he was pulled aside for a body scan, he turned down the request claiming his medical condition won’t allow him.

“He was thereafter taken into custody for excretion observation during which he excreted a total of 74 wraps of the Class A drugs over a period of seven days.

“In his statement, Orizu claimed he owns a shop at Balogun market, Lagos Island where he sells school and travel bags, adding that he was promised 3,000 Euros upon successful delivery of the consignment in Paris.

“He left his base in Lagos for the Abuja airport to connect his Air France flight to Paris, hoping to escape detection,” he said.

Paris-bound businessman excretes 74 wraps of heroin, cocaine at Abuja airport

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Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

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December 29, 2024

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Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

Police Rescue 13 Kidnap Victims in Lagos and Kwara

In the past week, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) successfully rescued 13 individuals who had been abducted and held for ransom in Lagos and Kwara states.

The operation underscored the police’s commitment to combating kidnapping, armed robbery, and other criminal activities nationwide.

A statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relation Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi said: “In a determined effort to sustain the fight against  kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of criminality across the country, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have further intensified and reinvigorated their strategies, resulting in the successful rescue of numerous victims and the apprehension of several suspects.

“Over the past week, coordinated operations were conducted in various states, including Lagos and Kwara States, leading to  the rescue of 13 individuals who had earlier been kidnapped and held for ransom, and the arrest of several armed robbery suspects.

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“On the 27th of December 2024, Police operatives attached to the Kwara State Command mobilized and stormed a den of kidnappers in the Idofin-Igbana area of the state, after receiving a distress call of the abduction of 13 persons. The operatives encountered resistance from the kidnappers but successfully overpowered the kidnappers, causing them to flee the scene with various degrees of injuries and leading to the successful rescue of the 13 kidnapped victims.

“Similarly, on the 28th of December 2024, following a report of a public disturbance at Pinnacle Depot, Lekki, Police operatives attached to the Lagos State Command visited the scene and accosted two individuals identified as Lawan Mustapha ‘m’ 38 years, and Aina Daniel ‘m’ 38 years. A thorough search was carried out, resulting in the recovery of one double-barrel rifle, 90 live cartridges, and five model rifles.

“The suspects are currently in custody for further investigation and possible  prosecution. Furthermore, on the same day, at about 12:45 PM, Police operatives of the Lagos State Command arrested 3 suspected armed robbers at GRA Ikeja. A subsequent search led to the recovery of 1 locally made pistol, 4 live cartridges, and 2 cutlasses. These suspects are likewise in custody and will face prosecution upon the conclusion of the investigations”.

He said the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, has reiterated the Force’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.

Egbetokun said the Force will continue its operations, leveraging all available resources to eradicate these heinous crimes from our society.

He said the Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its mission to create a safer environment for all Nigerians.

Police rescue 13 kidnap victims, arrest five suspected robbers

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