Schoolboy lands in prison for filming police officers assaulting young man – Newstrends
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Schoolboy lands in prison for filming police officers assaulting young man

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Schoolboy lands in prison for filming police officers assaulting young man

Chidiebube Ohadoma, a resident of Ihiagwa in Imo State, has narrated to FIJ how police officers in the state assaulted her and her siblings.

Her ordeal began on March 9 when police officers arrested Solomon, her brother, for snatching a phone belonging to one of his debtors.

FIJ had reported how Solomon, in his bid to recover ₦7,800 from this debtor, snatched the phone and was charged for robbery by the police after arrest.

Chidiebube filmed the policemen violently assaulting her brother, and in the clip she published on Twitter, a policeman in mufti can be seen cocking his gun in preparation to shoot.

“I later saw my brother in the station with wounds on his body,” Chidiebube told FIJ. “A nurse was treating him but there was blood all over, and he was still bleeding.”

After Solomon’s arrest, the police invited Chidiebube to the station on the same day. She went with four of her other siblings, but on their way, a policewoman and two policemen accosted them, and the encounter became violent.

Both Chidiebube and Henry Okoye, the spokesman for the Imo State Police Command, confirmed to FIJ that there was violence, but while Chidiebube said that the police pounced on one of her sisters, Okoye said the Ohadoma siblings attacked the police first.

1 NIGHT IN POLICE CELL, 13 IN OWERRI PRISON

Chidiebube told FIJ that when the police were beating her sister, she and a schoolboy filmed the incident. This boy would end up in a police cell, face a magistrate and then spend two weeks in a prison cell, accused of assault alongside the siblings.

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“The young boy, Onyema, came out of a cyber cafe and saw the police assaulting my sister, so he started recording them with his phone,” Chidiebube told FIJ. “I also stood in a corner to record, while one of my sisters, Chizaram, was watching them too.

“As the assault was ongoing, two policemen in uniforms arrived the scene and joined in the beating. They spotted Onyema, dragged him, slapped him and took his phone. They said, ‘You want to be a cameraman, you saw policemen and you were recording.’

“When they saw I was recording too, a policeman approached me where I was hiding in a church building. When I saw him coming, I posted the video on Twitter. He dragged my phone, then they carried Onyema and Chidinma to the station. The rest of us followed.”

Chidiebube said only Chidinma and Onyema were arrested, but when they all arrived at the station, policemen dragged them all behind the counter, denied them access to their family and lawyer, and then arraigned them before a magistrate the following day.

They all spent a night in the station, and 13 nights in the state correctional facility in Owerri, the state capital.

“They injured my sister on her shoulder and eye,” Chidiebube said of the police.

5 PHONES DETAINED BY POLICE AS ‘EXHIBITS’

Chidiebube told FIJ that upon satisfying their bail conditions, the magistrate let all the arrested parties go but the police refused to return their phones.

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“They told us that our phones were exhibits and they would not give them back to us until the case was over. They still have my brother in their custody for robbery,” she told FIJ.

When FIJ called Okoye, he said the DPO of the station was supposed to have released the phones since the accused had been let go.

He said it was standard practice for the police to collect personal effects of people arrested and return them later. The parties were released on March 23, but their phones were not returned.

Okoye said, “They injured our personnel too. This case is already in court, and I think we should wait for the verdict. It is a culture that when we arrest suspects, we collect their properties. They should go meet the DPO and collect their phones.

“If the suspects controlled their temperament, they could have resolved it. When we send police to effect arrests, suspects fight the police.”

He said if the Ohadoma siblings approached the DPO, they would get their phones back. But Chidiebube is wary of approaching the police station again.

When FIJ spoke to her, she said she did not want to visit the police station again following her last experience. As of press time, the phones remained in police custody, and so did her brother.

Schoolboy lands in prison for filming police officers assaulting young man

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

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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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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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