Police Raid Ughelli Over Killing Of Officer During End-sars Protest.
Policemen in six trucks created panic in Ughelli town yesterday as they searched different areas of the town for persons allegedly behind the killing a policeman during anti-SARS protest on Thursday.
Hoodlums had hijacked an End-SARS protest in Otovwodo area of Ughelli, overpowered two policemen on duty, disarmed one of them and shot him to death with his rifle. The second policeman was seriously wounded and is receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital. The hoodlums also destroyed several vehicles.
Yesterday, heavily armed policemen stormed the town in search of “Yahoo Boys who allegedly sponsored the protesters,” shooting endlessly into the air as people scampered to safety.
Over eleven young men were arrested and bundled into the trucks; some were forced to lay in awkward positions in the trucks as they sped to the Ughelli Police command.
The Inspector General of Police, (IGP) Mohammed Adamu, who condemned the “unprovoked and violent attack” on policemen, ordered the Delta state Commissioner of Police to investigate the circumstances that led to the killing of a police officer during an #endsars protest in Ughelli, Delta state.
The IGP also directed that the perpetrators of the act, which he described as “cruel,” be brought to book. A statement by Force Public Relation Officer, Frank Mba, stated: “The incident, which resulted in the unfortunate death of one Police officer, Corporal Etaga Stanley attached to ‘A’ Division, Ughelli, Delta State, who was attacked and brutally murdered by the protesters also left another, Sergeant Patrick Okuone with serious body injury sustained from gunshot by the protesters.
“The protesters also carted away one (1) service AK47 rifle with breach no 56-2609008 and 25 rounds of live ammunition that was with the deceased at the time of the incident.
“The IGP, who described the incident as cruel and unwarranted, has warned that the Force will no longer tolerate any attack on its personnel or any member of the law enforcement community by any individual or group protesting under any guise.
“The IGP notes that protest by citizens remain a legitimate means for airing their concerns and views. It must however be carried out with all sense of responsibility and within the confines of the law.”
While condoling the family and friends of the late Corporal Etaga Stanley who paid the supreme price in the service of our dear nation, the IGP also commended the officers of the Delta State Police Command for exercising restraint in the face of the immoral and unjustified provocation.
#guardian #endsars
I stand with you, Atiku tells protesters and Super Eagles Joins Protest
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared support for Nigerian youths currently engaged in street protests across the country against SARS brutality.
Atiku, in a series of tweets on his verified twitter handle @atiku, on Friday, expressed his solidarity with the demonstrators.
He wrote, “I woke up to the peaceful #endsarsprotest going on in Lagos and other cities in the country. First, I would like to commend the tenacity of our brave youths who have stayed out on the streets all day and night to make their voices heard. I stand with you all.
Super Eagles stars join #endsars protest
Also, some Super Eagles players, including Leon Balogun, Shehu Abdulahi, and John Ogu, have joined the protest against extortion and brutality by F-SARS.
“The reasons for the #endsarsprotests have just come to my attention via very disturbing images and tweets. It is never good when those charged with protecting the citizens are now terrorising, extorting, or even killing the same citizens. I support #endsarsprotests #endsars,” Balogun tweeted.
Ogu, who has been without a club since the COVID-19 pandemic, also wrote, “I pray our first checkpoint will never be our last bus-stop. Enough is enough.”
“The voice of the people must be heard, @NigeriaGov must #endsars and protect the lives of our Youth from #policebrutality. My brother @BashirAhmaad, kindly pass our message to the President @MBuhari,” Abdulahi added.
Plateau United striker, Sunday Adetunji said footballers should not be treated as criminals because of hairstyles.
The teammate of a Nigerian player, Zaidu Sanusi, at FC Porto, Malang Sarr, twitted in solidarity with Nigerians on the #endsars campaign.
He wrote, “I feel so touched by what is going on in Nigeria now. You have my full support! We all need to come together and make sure this ends now. Peace first before anything! #endsars #endsarsimmediately #endsarsnow #endsarsprotests.”
Also, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, added, “If we stigmatise our youth as criminals, paint them all with one brush as ‘yahoo boys ‘within our borders, harass, attack and arrest them indiscriminately even before they get the chance to defend themselves – aren’t we as a country destroying their reputation and chances to succeed?”
#punchng #endsars
IGP briefs Buhari
Meanwhile, Adamu has briefed the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), on the ongoing #endsars protest in the country.
An aide to the President, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this in a tweet on Friday.
Ahmad assured Nigerians that the president would “take an action in the best interest of Nigerians.”
“Good people of Nigeria have every right to protest the #policebrutality or anything they see is not going on well. The President was briefed yesterday (Thursday) by the IG of Police. I am very sure action will be taken and in the best interest of Nigerians. #endsarsprotests,” he tweeted.
Address Nigerians’ concerns, Buhari tells IGP
Buhari on Friday directed the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to conclusively address the concerns of Nigerians participating in the ongoing #endsars protest across the country.
Buhari gave the directive at a meeting with Adamu in his official residence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Friday evening. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo also attended the meeting.
The President disclosed this in a message he posted on his Twitter handle, @MBuhari.
The President wrote, “I met again with the IGP tonight. Our determination to reform the police should never be in doubt. I am being briefed regularly on the reform efforts ongoing to end police brutality and unethical conduct, and ensure that the police are fully accountable to the people.
“The IGP already has my firm instructions to conclusively address the concerns of Nigerians regarding these excesses and ensure erring personnel are brought to justice.
“I appeal for patience and calm, even as Nigerians freely exercise their right to peacefully make their views known. The vast majority of men and women of the Nigeria Police Force are patriotic and committed to protecting the lives and livelihoods of Nigerians, and we will continue to support them to do their job.”
#punchng
LASG pleads as protesters block Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
On Friday, many commuters were stranded around the Alausa and Berger areas of Lagos as protesters blocked the Alausa section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the protesters moved from the entrance of the Lagos House of Assembly to block the highway on Friday, marking the end of a 72-hour demonstration during which the participants passed two nights in front of the assembly.
One of the protesters, Elizabeth Ogunseye, said, “We are done with the protest having spent 72 hours. We had a meeting with the House of Assembly this morning (Friday). A lot of members were for scrapping of FSARS and the Speaker closed the session with a prayer that he was in support of it. He, however, said they had to speak to the authorities first.
“We are waiting for a resolution letter on Monday from the Lagos State House of Assembly. If they fail to give us a resolution letter on Monday, by 9am on Tuesday, we will start another round of protest. We slept over there for two nights. There was no harassment because the protest was peaceful.”
The House in a resolution on Friday called for the replacement of FSARS with a new and well-structured security outfit.
The resolution was contained in a statement by Mr Tolani Abati, the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, tagged, ‘Proscribe F-SARS, Secure Protesters – Lagos Assembly issues seven Demands In support of #endsarsnow.’
The statement read in part, “Among the seven-point resolution passed after an extensive deliberation was also that the Senate and the House of Representatives should carry out a probe of the allegations against F-SARS including killing, maiming and dehumanising of Nigerians.
“SARS should be proscribed and a new security outfit which will be more efficient with clearly spelt out code of conduct and rule of engagements be established while sanction is imposed for misdemeanor.
“Mr President should ensure that culpable officials of SARS receive the punishment as prescribed by the National Assembly. Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Public Petitions liaise with the Commissioner of Police and Attorney General of the State to fashion out ways and means to address allegations of ruthlessness and extra judicial killings contained in the petition against SARS in the state.
“The Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, should engage relevant institutions to protect lives and property in the state such that phones, laptops and other means of communication belonging to youths are not confiscated indiscriminately without warrant.”
However, the Lagos State Government appealed to protesters to remain peaceful while the authorities addressed the issue.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, in a statement on Friday said the government shared in the pains of victims of police brutality.
The statement partly read, “It is not good. The message of the protests is clear – such acts of brutality must stop. We agree. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is discussing the issue with the police authorities and hopes that the matter will be resolved in the interest of our teeming youths and in the spirit of democracy.”
In his call, the state Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, advised the demonstrators to be civil but noted that their outrage was in order and within their rights as citizens.
He said, “The tenet of the police operation is to protect the citizens. Security operatives don’t have the right to trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens, because of their unfamiliar looks, or because they are carrying laptops or iPhones. It is wrong for any police officer to expressly accuse or pronounce someone, irrespective of age, guilty because they have dreads or ride luxury vehicles.”
#punchng #endsars
Killings: Anti-SARS protest gains support in UK, US, South Africa, Canada
Nationwide protests demanding proscription of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad have gathered momentum beyond Nigeria, with #endsars trending on Twitter in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Canada.
The protest was also the most trended issue on Friday globally, according to a Tweet by @BBCAfrica, as Nigerians continued to demonstrate across the country amid violent clashes.
#endsars protest was reignited last week following the shooting of a youth reportedly in front of a hotel in Ughelli, Delta State, in broad daylight by some FSARS operatives who drove away his Lexus Jeep. The police have said the youth didn’t die.
The Nigeria Police Force consequently banned FSARS and other special tactical squads from carrying out routine stop and search.
Nigerians claimed that the police authorities had not shown enough commitment to reform the dreaded police unit over the years and called for its disbandment.
Despite the Force’s call for calm, the protest raged on in several parts of the country, including Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Delta, Imo, with Nigerians abroad joining the demonstration.
A Nigerian-British actor, John Boyega, on Friday was among the international celebrities who lent their voices to the #endsars protests in Nigeria.
The Star Wars actor also announced on Twitter that an anti-SARS protest would hold at the Nigeria High Commission in London, the United Kingdom, on Sunday.
Boyega posted an illustration via his handle, @JohnBoyega, showing protesters carrying placards with the inscriptions, “EndSARS, EndPoliceBrutality, and EndSARSProtest.”
“Nigeria High Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5BX. Closest station in Charing Cross. Sunday, 11th October; 120pm,” the actor tweeted about the upcoming protest.
As of 6pm on Friday, Boyega’s tweet had attracted over 9,500 likes and 7,700 retweets as many Nigerians living in London vowed to join in the protest.
The #endsars was also one of the most trended topics on Twitter on Friday with some Nigerians and non-Nigerians living in the UK, the United States, South Africa, and Canada, pledging to organise similar protests to amplify support for the calls to disband SARS – a police unit accused of serial human rights abuses.
In its tweet on Friday, @BBCAfrica noted that “The hashtag #endsars has been trending at no 1 worldwide today, as protestors continue to demand a notorious police unit in Nigeria disbanded.”
#punchng
'They shouted at me’ — Lagos deputy gov narrates how he was harassed by SARS
Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos state, says he suffered harassment from special anti- robbery squad (SARS) officers four years ago.
Speaking while addressing #endsars protesters at Alausa, Ikeja, on Friday, Hamzat narrated how SARS operatives harassed him in the Amuwo-Odofin area of the state.
The protesters are demanding that the authorities disband SARS, a special unit of the police force that has been accused of excesses, mainly regarding youths.
The deputy governor, who appealed to the protesters to be orderly, said the action of some SARS operatives is enough to upset any citizen.
“Every decent Nigerian will be upset. This happened to me four years ago. I was going to Amuwo Odofin…they (SARS operatives) were not in uniform, they had guns, they just double crossed us and said we should get out,” Hamzat told the protesters.
The deputy governor said the state government would continue to engage the police leadership and the federal government to address the issues raised by the citizens and bring about needed change in the police operations.
“The tenet of the police operation is to protect the citizens. Security operatives don’t have the right to trample on the rights of law-abiding citizens, because of their unfamiliar looks, or because they are carrying laptops or iPhones. It is wrong for any police officer to expressly accuse or pronounce someone, irrespective of age, guilty because they have dreads or ride luxury vehicles,” he said.
“As a government, we support evidence-based investigations and actions driven by intelligence. The procedure of arrest and prosecution must be followed through. We are equally aggrieved like every other law-abiding Nigerian. If a young man or woman who is legitimately doing his or her job is attacked or maimed by police officers for no reason, we will never support that. We condemn police brutality in whatever guise and we will continue to engage their leadership for change.”
Hamzat said it would be counterproductive to pull down the entire operation of the police because of the infractions committed by a few bad eggs in the system.
He added that there were processes to be followed in calling for change in its operations.
“We fully understand the reasons for your anger but this demonstration must also carried out in line with the law. If we employ violence or destruction to drive home our grievances, we will also be hurting ourselves. The protest must be orderly, so that those concerned will get the salient point of the message.
“You can’t block the road, disrupt free flow of traffic and prevent other people from embarking on their lawful duties, especially the emergency responders. As citizens, it is within your rights to express your grievances but let us exercise caution and eschew violence. The authorities have heard your voice and I hope we all leave the roads with the understanding that drastic changes will be effected.”
#thecable
Thief Breaks Into Lawmaker's Office Inside National Assembly Complex, Steals US Dollars, Office Equipment
SaharaReporters gathered that Kabiru was a Special Assistant to one lawmaker from Adamawa State and was known by many people in the complex.
A young man identified as Kabiru on Friday beat security checks at the National Assembly complex to gain entry into the office of a member of the House of Representatives and carted away dollars and other valuable items in the process.
The incident happened at 2:30pm when the suspect allegedly sneaked into another lawmaker's office located on the fourth floor of the Assembly complex using a master key.
The suspect reportedly made away with the hard currency and some other office equipment including computers, photocopy machine and printer.
SaharaReporters gathered that Kabiru was a Special Assistant to one lawmaker from Adamawa State and was known by many people in the complex.
He was said to have been identified by security operatives, who analysed the footage before he was arrested.
At the time of filing this report, some lawmakers including Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Benjamin Kalu, security personnel were all sighted at the ground floor of the complex where the suspect was being held.
SaharaReporters gathered that there was pressure from the boss of the suspect to release him and bury the matter.
A CCTV footage obtained by SaharaReporters showed the suspect while carrying out the operation.
The suspect also confessed to the crime in another video seen by our correspondent.
It was gathered that a similar incident took place last week when the office of Hon. Ali Datti Yaku representing Bebeji Constituency of Kano State located on the third floor of the complex was burgled by unknown persons, who made away with valuable items.
#saharareporters
Alpha Beta Case Suffers Delay As Tinubu Travels.
A bailiff of the Lagos State High Court, Igbosere, has been unable to serve a former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu, with court processes thereby delaying the case instituted against the former governor and tax consultancy firm, Alpha Beta Consulting LLP.
A former Managing Director of the firm, Dapo Apara, had sued Tinubu and Alpha Beta, accusing the firm of being controlled by the former governor and diverting over N20bn from the firm to private accounts.
They were expected to appear in court within 42 days of being served with the court summons.
Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, Apara’s lawyer, Tade Ipadeola, said court bailiffs visited Tinubu’s home in Bourdillon, Ikoyi, Lagos, but were told that the former governor was out of the country.
He said a similar attempt to serve Alpha Beta at its office in the Ijora area of the state was frustrated as no one was willing to collect it, citing COVID-19.
Ipadeola said, “The court has been unable to serve the defendants. When the court bailiff got to Bourdillon, he was told that Tinubu was out of the country. Also, when the bailiff tried to serve Alpha Beta located at Water House in Ijora, nobody collected it, citing COVID-19.
“So, we will apply to the court to serve them through substituted means.”
He further stated that his client would pursue the case till the very end.
Meanwhile, Alpha Beta LLP, has denied allegations levelled against Apara, adding that he in fact diverted N6bn from the company.
Alpha Beta said in a statement by its Managing Director, Akin Doherty, that Apara was the one that was culpable as he had diverted about $5m during his time as managing director by inflating a contract which was worth about $300,000 and then diverted a separate N6bn to personal use.
The firm said it had reported Apara’s alleged fraud to the appropriate authorities but he had refused to show up and rather remained in Dubai.
In the statement titled, ‘Alpha Beta: Facts of the Matter’, the firm said Apara was an aggrieved ex-employee who was bent on tarnishing the image of the company after being sacked for financial impropriety.
It read in part, “The fact is that Dapo Apara began making his untrue allegations in the aftermath of his removal as Managing Director of Alpha Beta for fraud and unethical practices. While he was MD, Apara used his position to siphon huge sums of money from the company including but not limited to fraudulently converting $5m; money allegedly used to pay for cloud based services that were eventually discovered to be worth less than $300,000.
“Mr. Apara, who was a signatory to all the bank accounts of Alpha Beta from inception until his removal, received all his payments and entitlements until June 2018 when he was removed after his fraudulent misconduct was discovered.
“In July 2018 further evidence of his fraudulent and unethical practices was uncovered, including the revelation that he converted approximately N6bn belonging to Alpha Beta to his personal use.”
The firm said Apara’s allegations levelled against Tinubu were specious and diversionary.
Alpha Beta monitors and reconciles tax on behalf of the Lagos State Government for a commission, a contract it has been executing for over 15 years.
#punchng
Security Officer Joins EndSARS Protest In Lagos (VIDEO) .
Here is the moment a police officer in his uniform was captured marching with the #EndSars protesters today in Lagos State.
He could be heard ranting about his hatred for SARS officers and how they unlawfully arrested his brother and made him pay a huge sum of money.
#nairaland
Watch the video