Crime

Fmr EFCC staff demands N100mln as damages for illegal detention, accusation

Published

2 years ago

May 5, 2022

The National Industrial Court has frown at the Abdulrasheed Bawa led Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), for withholding the salary of one of its employees, Ebenezer Olufemi Ojo.

According to the claimant, Ojo explained that he was employed by EFCC as a cadet officer on Grade Level 8 on May 1, 2006. And he attended various courses and trainings at the instance of his employer while in service.

However, in November 2018, EFCC alleged that it wrote a letter to the University of Ilorin, where Ojo claimed he graduated from in order to confirm the authenticity of the statement of result he presented for his employment.

“EFCC alleged that it got a response from the said university stating that I graduated with a 3rd class degree and not the 2nd class (lower) degree which I presented.

“I explained to EFCC that the result he presented was what was given to him by the University. Upon hearing this, EFCC asked him to write a statement under words of caution of which I insisted in the statement that the result was given to me by the University,” Ojo said.

On November 7, 2008, Ojo was detained in a cell for seven days after which he was allowed to resume his duty until in 2011 when the EFCC asked him to make further statements regarding the same issue of which he still maintained that the result he presented was what he was issued by the university.

“I was detained again in cell for another 17 days From March 1, 2011 and later charged charged to court,” he revealed.

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On March 28, 2011, he was arraigned before the FCT High Court in Abuja in suit number CR/47/2011. However, The court in its judgement of November 25, 2016, discharged and acquitted him of the charges proffered against him by the EFCC.

Ojo then got his lawyer to write a letter to EFCC on the outcome of the matter which the EFCC ignored. He told the court that he then took a copy of the judgment to the EFCC.

“The Head, Human Resources of EFCC told me that unless the University of Ilorin informs EFCC that it made a mistake in the issuance of the statement of result to me, they cannot do anything for him.

“EFCC stopped paying him salary since February 2011, and neither did they remit my pension contribution to my administrator.

“In July 2016, I wrote a promotion examination, but EFCC refused to release the result of the examination,” he said.

Ojo, therefore, instituted a suit against EFCC at the National Industrial Court Abuja seeking among other things, N100,000,000 as damage for malicious prosecution.

Justice O. Y. Anuwe of the National Industrial Court, after listening to the claimant and defendant, said Ojo has given evidence to support the grant of these reliefs sought.

“In addition, having found in this judgment that the Claimant is still an employee of the Defendant till date, nothing stops him from getting all he was denied in the employment by the Defendant since the date of his arraignment in court up to date. Accordingly, the Claimant is entitled to all the entitlements which he ought to enjoy in the employment, this is inclusive of salaries, pension contributions and promotions, from 2011 to date.( 2018),” he ruled.

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Crime

Rivers state police neutralize four suspects in CDC chairman’s murder

Published

23 hours ago

September 13, 2024

Seun Okerayi

Rivers State Police Neutralize Suspects in CDC Chairman's Murder

The Rivers State Police Command has neutralized four suspects involved in the murder of Ndidi Livingstone, the CDC Chairman of Mgbuoshimini. The suspects were killed in a crossfire during a police operation. The police also arrested three additional suspects and six others linked to their criminal network.

The Rivers State Police Command has successfully neutralized four individuals linked to the murder of Ndidi Livingstone, the Community Development Council (CDC) Chairman of Mgbuoshimini. Livingstone was shot dead on January 13, 2024, in front of his church, Peculiar Faith Ministries, located in Rumueme, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

At a press briefing, Commissioner of Police Olatunji Disu provided details of the operation. He revealed that the suspects were killed in a crossfire between the police and the gang members.

Also read: Rivers State police rescue 16 children from alleged trafficker

The incident occurred when four men attacked the church, dragged Livingstone out, and shot him multiple times with AK-47 rifles, all while his family and church congregants witnessed the horrific act.

Disu outlined that a team from the FID-Intelligence Response Team and the Rivers State Command conducted a nationwide manhunt for the perpetrators, following a viral video that captured the assassination.

The operation led to the identification and subsequent killing of Peter Daddy Chukwu, the mastermind behind the assassination, in his hideout in Ibusa, Delta State, on April 5, 2024.

The police also arrested three other suspects directly involved in the murder and six additional members of their criminal network.

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The arrested suspects are:

1. Nnamdi Emmanuel (alias BYC, 35 years)** from Onicha LGA, Ebonyi State. Emmanuel was identified in the video as the person who shot Livingstone in the foot.

2. John Lucas (34 years)** from Logoro LGA, Bauchi State. Lucas, a dismissed Lance Corporal from the Nigeria Army, was seen in the video firing the fatal shot. He also operated a gang specializing in procuring firearms for hire. The police recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), military uniforms, five Skyrun refrigerators, and the Black Highlander vehicle used during the murder from him.

3. Adebayo Adebayo (48 years)** from Ado Ekiti LGA, Ekiti State. Adebayo, a dismissed Sergeant from the Nigeria Army in 2019, was recruited by Lucas for the assassination. He was seen in the video wearing a special forces shirt and was apprehended while working as a Chief Security Officer at a Waste Management Company in Kwale, Delta State.

CP Disu praised the relentless efforts of the police in tracking down the suspects and emphasized the commitment to bringing all those involved in the crime to justice.

Crime

Bauchi police arrest five, including female suspect, for stealing and selling tricycles

Published

3 days ago

September 11, 2024

Seun Okerayi

Bauchi police arrest five suspects, including a female, for stealing and selling tricycles from Kano State. Seven stolen tricycles were recovered.

In Bauchi, police have apprehended five individuals, including a female suspect, for allegedly stealing and selling tricycles from Kano State.

The suspects were identified as Maryam Ibrahim, Adamu Sale (30), Umar Ibrahim (31), Nasiru Usman (29), and Nasiru Musa Umar (27).

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Maryam Ibrahim is accused of receiving and selling seven stolen tricycles, commonly known as “Keke Napep,” within Bauchi. She reportedly conspired with her four accomplices, all from different parts of Bauchi, to carry out the theft.

The arrests followed a coordinated effort by the State Intelligence Department, which acted on credible information about the suspects’ activities. During the operation, the police successfully recovered all seven stolen tricycles.

According to SP Ahmed Wakil of the Bauchi Police Command, receiving stolen property is a serious crime under Section 427 of the Criminal Code Act, punishable by up to 14 years in prison.

The suspects remain in custody and will face charges in court once the investigation is completed.

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Crime

Rivers State police rescue 16 children from alleged trafficker

Published

5 days ago

September 9, 2024

Seun Okerayi

The Rivers State Police Command has rescued 16 children from a suspected child trafficker in Ozuoba, Obio/Akpor LGA, following a community tip-off.

The Rivers State Police Command has successfully rescued 16 children from a woman suspected of child trafficking in Ozuoba, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.

The operation followed community alerts about the woman, who was reportedly returning home with different children.

Also read: Human traffickers now recruiting victims on social media – NAPTIP boss alerts

Residents had raised concerns about the woman’s activities, noting that she was often seen with children from various churches and communities.

One resident described her as having resided in the area for two years with numerous children coming and going, and reported frequent disturbances at night.

According to Grace Iringe-Koko, Rivers State Police spokesperson, the rescue operation was based on intelligence gathered from community tips.

The woman has been arrested, and the case has been transferred to the Commissioner of Police Monitoring Unit for further investigation. The police are investigating whether others are involved in the trafficking ring.