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Police College: Court frees 24 men charged with forging documents for admission

Published

1 year ago

January 22, 2024

Police College: Court frees 24 men charged with forging documents for admission

A Federal High Court in Abuja has discharged and acquitted 24 men, accused of falsifying documents and their identifies to gain admission into the Nigeria Police College, Maiduguri, Borno State.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a ruling held that the prosecution failed to lead credible evidence to establish its case against the defendants.

Justice Ekwo further held that, not only was investigation poorly conducted in the case, the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) did a shoddy job and the prosecution failed present vital oral and documentary evidence.

The ruling, delivered on January 16, a copy of which was seen on Sunday, was on the no-case submissions made by the defendants in a charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2020 filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

The 24 defendants were arrested and charged following a petition, dated May 22, 2020 from the Secretary to the Government of Kano State, signed by a Permanent Secretary, Yahaya Bichi.

The petitioner claimed that Kano State was unjustly treated by the Nigeria Police College, Maiduguri in its 2018/2019 recruitment and training exercise, during which the state’s indigenes were replaced by indigenes of other states, who upon graduation, were posted to Kano State.

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The defendants were, in the 106-count charge on which they were tried, accused of submitting forged documents, impersonating other person’s and giving false information about their identities to obtain admission into the collage.

At the trial, the prosecution called 10 witnesses, including the IPO, who testified as the 10th prosecution witness (PW10), following which the defendants made no-case submissions.

In the ruling, Justice Ekwo found that the evidence led by the prosecution revealed that it was actually some officials of the police college who manipulated the recruitment process and replaced qualified Kano indigenes with the defendants.

The judge noted: “Investigation over the matter was carried out and it was discovered that some serving members of the Nigeria Police Force ,serving in Police College, Maiduguri assisted the suspects (defendants) to gain admission into the Nigeria Police and they passed through the recruitment and were issued with complete Police uniform and were posted as Police officers during the exercise.

“During the investigation, the 24 suspects (defendants) were in possession of police properties which include, complete kits which were returned and registered as exhibits against the suspects.”

The judge also noted that investigation revealed that the successful candidates from Kano, who were supposed to be among the trainees, were replaced by one of the admin officer and recruitment officer, DSP. Illya Kwarji.

Justice Ekwo also found that the admin/recruitment officer, on realising that the the 27 successful Kano candidates were absent during the screening exercise, replaced them with the defendants, without using thew real names.

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Justice Ekwo added: “The evidence of PW10 is simple to understand. It is the admin officer, who was also the recruitment officer, that replaced people with his own interested candidates, who are these defendants before this court by replacing the names of those successful candidates from Kano without using their real names.

“This is the person who changed the names of candidates. The defendants did not, on their own, falsely personate any person. It was the said admin officer, who was also the recruitment officer that did everything,” he said.

The judge observed that the effect of cross examination on the evidence adduced in the case by the prosecution, “revealed that there is no eye witness account in this matter,” a development he said, was fatal to the prosecution’s case.

“On the whole, I have weighed the evidence of the prosecution on the statutory parameters on the point of no-case submission as follow: Whether there is no evidence to prove an essential element of the alleged offence? Whether the evidence has been so discredited as result of cross examination? Whether the evidence is manifestly unreliable that no reasonable tribunal or court can safely convict on it?”

The judge said after considering all the evidence led by the prosecution, he found that there was no evidence to prove the essential elements of the alleged offences.

He then proceeded to discharge and acquitted the defendants

The freed defendants are Satmak Tapji Jonathan, Peter Philibus, Pwasagi Charles Power, Nadare Garba, Bamaiyi Ishaya, Geoffrey Markus Moses, Muhammad Musa Birma, Jamilu Muhammad and Mamman Dauda.

Also freed are Alpheus Jacob, Bulusi Inuwa, Umaru Hyeimoda Micheal, Callus James, Dahiru Mohammed, Yusuf James, Wapada Yusuf, Usman Adamu and Umar Ali.

Others are Jacob Sebastine, Usman Abubakar, Mohammed Modu, Ibrahim Yakubu, Kwada A. kijah and Philip John.

Police College: Court frees 24 men charged with forging documents for admission

Related Topics:forging documents Police College

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How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos

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42 minutes ago

April 5, 2025

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How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos

The bomb explosion on Taiwo Street, Idi-Araba, in the Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State was triggered by a scavenger.

The explosion claimed the life of the scavenger and left three others severely injured.

Findings by Chronicle NG revealed that the scavenger was attempting to dismantle military-grade grenades with the intention of collecting them as part of the scrap metal he was searching for.

The yet-to-be-identified scavenger was handling one of the grenades when it detonated, killing him instantly.

Three other victims, whose names and addresses are also unknown, sustained varying degrees of injury and were rushed to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.

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SP Benjamin Hundeyin, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the incident.

He said, “At 13:30 hours on April 3, 2025, a distress call was received by the EOD unit based in Ikeja that there was a bomb explosion on Taiwo Street, Idi-Araba. Our team of EOD-CBRN operatives was swiftly mobilised to the scene.

“On arrival, the team ensured the area was safe, and after a thorough inspection, it was discovered that the explosion was caused by military-grade grenades that had been tampered with by a scavenger who was trying to split one of them. Sadly, the scavenger lost his life at the scene, while three others were injured and taken to a nearby hospital.”

Hundeyin also confirmed that the scene was secured and photographed and crucial evidence was collected for analysis.

“The deceased’s body has been moved to a public mortuary for autopsy, and an investigation has been initiated. Further developments will be communicated,” he added.

How scavenger triggered explosion of military grenade in Lagos

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Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order

Published

52 minutes ago

April 5, 2025

Trends Admin

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike

Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order

A planned rally in support of President Bola Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, scheduled for April 12 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, is expected to proceed as planned despite a court order purportedly halting the gathering.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, George Turnah, factional South-South Zonal Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the court ruling has been misinterpreted and does not stop their event.

According to Turnah, the gathering is being hosted by a group called New Associates and is meant to launch the Bayelsa State chapter of the group. He clarified it is also an opportunity to thank President Tinubu for appointing several Bayelsa natives into key government roles.

He stated: “Our rally, as we have said and made public, is for the purpose of inaugurating a group called and known as the New Associates, Bayelsa State Chapter, and then to thank and appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for appointing notable sons and daughters of Bayelsa State into positions of trust in the country. That is the purpose. It is not the purpose that this court’s order captures.”

Turnah argued that the court order did not mention banning rallies for the reasons they intend, saying: “We are going ahead. We are going ahead.”

“It’s just like saying ‘Don’t hold press conference in Cubana Hotel for the purpose of listening to George Turner.’ It doesn’t stop practitioners from holding press conference in Cubana for the purpose of listening to Jeremiah,” he explained.

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He emphasized that no plans had been made to invite Minister Wike to the rally.

“There was no time that we as a group, gave out a notice that we are going to host Minister Wike,” he said. “Wike, as of today, is not in our plans or programme to be in Bayelsa. We have not even extended invitations to Wike to come.”

However, he acknowledged Wike’s indirect role in helping Bayelsa citizens by recommending them for key positions. “While thanking Mr. President, we will also say thank you, Wike, for recommending and trusting that this class of persons can contribute to helping Mr. President deliver on his mandate,” Turnah added.

He dismissed claims that Wike’s rumoured visit was part of the rally, saying such talk is political. He also criticised the introduction of ethnic sentiments into the situation, warning it could harm national unity.

Turnah said they did not owe any explanations to Governor Douye Diri: “We don’t owe the governor and it’s a private group. We don’t owe him, we are not inviting him, so we don’t need to inform him.”

“The level of incitement against my person by Governor Diri can be likened to, in the words of Governor Fubara, ‘when a man cocks a gun, and maybe because the gun is in safety and the bullets didn’t come out, the man has already killed you.’”

Turnah added, “Let it be known by all the people of Bayelsa State, the Ijaw Nation, and Nigeria that on the 28th of March 2025, His Excellency, Sen. Douye Diri, Governor of my State, pulled a dangerous trigger against me but, to the glory of God, I am still alive today to tell the story.”

He said he remains committed to peaceful political engagement and credited former President Goodluck Jonathan for shaping his political life.

“My gratitude to him and his entire household, particularly my mother and his dear wife, Dame Dr Patience Jonathan, is for life,” he said. “I shall continue to be guided by the virtues of loyalty, humility, kindness, affection, dedication, commitment, trustworthiness, and self-discipline instilled in me by my mentor of all times, and father, President Jonathan.”

Pro-Wike rally organisers insist on holding event despite court order

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Autopsy reveals cause of Nigerian boxer death during fight in Ghana

Published

59 minutes ago

April 5, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigerian boxer, Segun ‘Success’ Olanrewaju

Autopsy reveals cause of Nigerian boxer death during fight in Ghana

An autopsy conducted on late Nigerian boxer, Olanrewaju Segun, popularly known as ‘Success’, has confirmed that the 40-year-old athlete died from sudden cardiac arrest during his bout in Ghana.

Secretary-General of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control (NBBofC) and President of the West African Boxing Union, Remi Aboderin, disclosed the findings, which came from preliminary post-mortem results.

“The preliminary post-mortem results indicate that Segun died from sudden cardiac arrest.But further investigation into his heart condition is required, and as a result, his body will not be released to Nigeria for burial until approximately two weeks,” Aboderin said.

The autopsy was carried out on Wednesday, April 2, following a court order initiated after the boxer’s sudden death during a professional match in Accra.

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Olanrewaju collapsed mid-fight last Saturday during his match against Ghana’s Jon Mbanugu at Fight Night 15, part of the Ghana Professional Boxing League. He was ahead on points in their eight-round light-heavyweight contest when the tragedy struck.

Medical personnel at the Bukom Boxing Arena responded immediately, entering the ring to remove his gum shield and attempt resuscitation. Despite being swiftly transported to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Until his passing, Olanrewaju had carved out a significant boxing career. A former National and West African light-heavyweight champion, he turned professional in 2019, racking up 24 fights—13 wins (12 by knockout), nine losses, and two draws.