Crime & Court
Breaking: Lagos Fire Service chief, others kidnapped
Kidnappers on Saturday night whisked away the Lagos State Fire Service Director Rasaki Musibau and about nine others along the Epe-Itokin road, Ikorodu.
The incident, it was gathered, occurred while the fire chief and others were returning to Lagos from Epe.
The Nation learnt that the kidnappers had blocked the Itokin bridge, ambushing occupants of a Sienna, Corolla and a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).
In another incident, residents alleged occupants of an interstate bus were also kidnapped after the vehicle dropped off some passengers along the road.
A resident, who spoke to The Nation, said the interstate bus had stopped to drop off a passenger at Ejirin, adding that some other persons standing on the road joined the vehicle enroute Lagos.
“It happened on Saturday evening. It was around 7pm. It was on one of these instate buses that ply that route. The bus stopped to drop off passengers and some people entered.
“But unknown to the driver and passengers, those who entered the bus were kidnappers and they took them to unknown destination.
“It was a separate incident from that of the fire service director. The man and some others were coming from Epe to Lagos when the kidnappers ambushed them and took them away. This area is gradually turning to something else.
“We are worried because we know how bad it was then when farmers and their employees were being kidnapped daily. These boys are gradually starting again.
Read also: Police parade 15 suspected cultists, robbers, kidnappers
“We are calling on the authorities to act fast before it is too late,” said the source.
But the police denied any commercial bus was involved, adding the total number of those affected were seven occupants of a Toyota Sienna, Corolla and an Opel SUV.
Saturday’s kidnap has sent shivers down the spine of residents of the axis who have experienced respite from incessant kidnappings and another armed banditry just recently.
Prior to the latest incident, it was gathered that the Community Development Committee (CDC) chairman Samson Ajijedidun was kidnapped by the criminals on March 1 and only released after ransom was paid.
Contacted, police spokesman Bala Elkana, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP) said seven persons including the fire service boss were kidnapped from three vehicles.
Elkana said: “They are seven persons not nine. They were not in a bus. We are just coming from the scene now. The Commissioner of Police Zubairu Muazu visited the scene.
“They were in three different vehicles, Toyota Sienna, Toyota Corolla and Opel jeep.
“We searched and saw some items belonging to the victims, one of them is the Lagos Fire Service Director.
“Investigation has commenced into this incident. The CP has also deployed Special Forces and tasked them to rescue the victims, arrest the perpetrators. Effort is ongoing.”
Crime & Court
EFCC Secures Public Summons Against Yahaya Bello in ₦110bn Case
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued a public summons for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to appear in court to respond to a fresh 16-count indictment.
The summons requires Bello to attend court on October 24 for his arraignment, alongside co-defendants Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The public summons was ordered following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In her ruling, Justice Anenih directed the EFCC to publish the summons in a widely circulated newspaper to ensure proper notification.
Also, the court instructed the EFCC to post copies of the public summons at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous locations within the court premises.
The EFCC has reported difficulties in serving the charges, which were filed on September 24, alleging that Bello and the two co-defendants committed a criminal breach of trust involving a staggering ₦110.4 billion.
Crime & Court
Police Officer Stabs Civilian to Death Over ‘Uncleared Transaction’
A Police Inspector, Mohammed Bulama, attached to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 41 in Yobe State, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 39-year-old civilian, Abdulmalik Dauda, during a confrontation in Damaturu, the state capital.
The incident, which occurred on September 29, 2024, was sparked by a heated argument between Bulama and Dauda over “uncleared transactions” in the Zango area of Damaturu. The argument escalated, leading Bulama to fatally stab Dauda in the chest.
In a statement, the Yobe State Police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed Bulama’s arrest and announced that an investigation into the homicide case had been launched.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Ahmed, has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident involving Inspector Mohammed Bulama,” Abdulkarim said.
He further disclosed that the officer has been placed in custody, pending internal disciplinary action and prosecution.
CP Ahmed condemned the actions of the officer, extending his condolences to the family of the victim.
He also assured the public that justice would be served swiftly in accordance with the law.
Crime & Court
Police Summon Officers Over Alleged N1m Corps Members’ Extortion
The Lagos State Police Command has summoned three officers accused of extorting N1 million from members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Surulere area of Lagos.
Footage of the incident, which went viral on social media late Friday, shows the officers confronting the corps members, reportedly over the absence of a physical copy of a driver’s license. The video was shared by social media user Oluyemi Fasipe, who claimed that the officers threatened the corps members with firearms and forcibly took them to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, the Area C Command of the Lagos State Police, where they allegedly extorted the sum of N1 million.
“Dear @BenHundeyin, Your officers today in Surulere extorted 1 million naira from three corps members,” Fasipe wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the KAFARU OLUWOLE TINUBU HOUSE AREA C POLICE COMMAND of the @LagosPoliceNG where they were robbed.”
Fasipe added that the entire incident stemmed from the corps members’ inability to present a physical copy of a driver’s license, a situation he described as “evil.”
In one of the videos, the officers are seen inspecting the vehicle’s documents, with the situation escalating as additional officers arrived. One officer can be seen entering the car and demanding that the corps members stop recording the incident, while also prohibiting them from contacting their families.
In response, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the officers involved have been summoned, and an investigation is underway.
“The men have been summoned, and their trial has commenced,” Hundeyin wrote on X. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit at the State Headquarters to testify at the ongoing trial.”
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