Crime & Court
INSECURITY: Again Ajimobi calls for state police, modern technology
The Oyo State Governor, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, on Wednesday reiterated his advocacy for the introduction of state police to curb the pervading armed banditry and insecurity threatening the peace of the country.
The governor restated this position while playing host to he Assistant Inspector-General of police in charge of Zone 11, Mr Leye Oyebade, in his office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan.
Also, he urged the Federal Government to invest in cutting-edge technology that would aid reconnaissance and intelligence gathering in order to preempt crimes before being committed.
If established, Governor Ajimobi noted that the state police would have the benefit of good community relations, averring that increase in the funding of the police force and adequate provision of logistics would also boost the morale of the personnel.
According to him, “I am one of the pioneer advocates of state police. There is nowhere in the world where crime is effectively combated without state police. We refer to state governors as chief security officers, but we have no control over the commissioner of police.
“Some will argue that the governor will take undue advantage of a state police under his watch. But, do they consider the challenges of having only one person controlling the police in the 36 States and the federal capital.
“Until we do some structural adjustment to the policing system in Nigeria, we may not have the desired results. Having said that, generally Nigeria, and Oyo State in particular, still have security challenges.
“In order to ensure effective and more efficient policing, I opine that the police needs modern technology. Technology must help policing. Look at the developed countries, when a crime is committed, even before it happens the police would have been hinted.
“They have informants that are working very well. They have a communication system that is very effective and they have the public supporting them. How well are members of the public supporting the police here?”
The governor, however, urged the rank and file of the police to change the perception of the masses who did not see the police as their friends as the police would want them to believe.
Ajimobi said the police must go beyond mere sloganeering that they were friends of the people by exhibiting civility, cordiality and friendship in their relationship with members of the public.
In line with internationally established protocol, he said that the police must relate with suspects on the basis of being seen as innocent until they were proved guilty of an offence.
Nonetheless, the governor commended the police and other security agencies in the state, without whose support he said that his administration would not have succeeded in restoring peace and security to the state in the last eight years.
Oyebade, who was a former commissioner of police in the state before his elevation, said he was determined to ensure that the peace being enjoyed in the state, as well as in Osun and Ondo States under his supervision was not truncated.
Judging by the efforts of the present administration in the country and in Oyo State in particular, he said that the Southwest states had shed the toga of ‘’wild wild west’ for ‘wise wise west’.
The police chief told the governor that officers under the zone would benefit from training and retraining programmes, upgrade of police stations to divisional headquarters, as well as firing range training.
The Nigeria Police Force has vowed to sanction its officers caught in a viral video receiving money from Chinese nationals, describing the act as a disgraceful breach of professionalism and a violation of the Force’s core values.
In the now widely circulated footage, several Chinese individuals are seen handing out naira notes to uniformed Nigerian policemen, who were lined up in what appeared to be a well-orchestrated arrangement. The video has since sparked widespread condemnation on social media, with many Nigerians expressing outrage and calling for systemic reform within the police.
The disturbing scene, showing armed officers accepting cash in broad daylight, has raised serious questions about the integrity and discipline of personnel within the Force.
Reacting to the incident, Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, issued a strong statement on Thursday condemning the officers’ actions as both “unprofessional and unethical.”
“The Nigeria Police Force has taken cognisance of a disturbing video making rounds in the media space, showing police officers receiving money from a Chinese national,” Adejobi stated.
“The Force has strongly condemned the conduct exhibited by the police officers in the video. The actions of the officers do not represent the established ethics, standards, and core values of the Nigeria Police Force.”
He further revealed that the officers involved have been identified and are currently undergoing disciplinary procedures, although he did not specify the nature of the sanctions to be meted out.
Adejobi assured members of the public that the incident would be thoroughly investigated and that appropriate disciplinary actions would follow.
In addition, he issued a stern warning to individuals and corporate organisations who engage the services of police officers, particularly for private escorts and guard duties, urging them to refrain from acts capable of tarnishing the image of the Force.
“The Nigeria Police Force hereby cautions individuals and organisations privileged to the services of police personnel, particularly as escorts and guards or other specialised services, to desist from any act capable of degrading the integrity of its officers and bringing the Force to disrepute,” he warned.
Amidst widespread public outrage over the collapse of a digital investment platform, CryptoBank Exchange (CBEX), which reportedly led to the loss of over N1.3 trillion in funds belonging to Nigerian investors, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reiterated its earlier warnings against patronising Ponzi schemes.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that the anti-graft agency had long taken steps to sensitise Nigerians on the dangers of fraudulent investment schemes.
The CBEX platform, which reportedly crashed on Monday, left countless Nigerians unable to access their investments, sparking a flurry of emotional video testimonials and appeals for justice across social media platforms.
“You’ll recall that on March 11 this year, the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr Ola Olukoyede, directed us to issue a public alert concerning 58 Ponzi scheme companies. We made that list public – that shows we were proactive,” Oyewale said.
“Regarding CBEX, we are fully aware of the situation and have been taking action. Before the outcry, we were already investigating; during the public response, we continued working, and even now, the work is ongoing.”
He stressed that the EFCC should not be blamed for the CBEX incident, noting that the platform is run by a Chinese digital trading firm with no legal ties to Nigeria.
“All the so-called offices people mentioned in Ibadan and elsewhere are not functional; the entire operation exists online,” he clarified.
Oyewale further explained that the EFCC has consistently warned Nigerians against online criminal schemes and that extensive public awareness efforts had already been made. He argued that the onus now rests on the public to be more discerning when investing their funds.
He highlighted the importance of the recently enacted Investment and Securities Act 2025, describing it as a robust legal instrument aimed at curbing unlawful investment practices.
“Any entity engaging in digital trading without a proper licence and compliance with extant laws is committing a criminal offence,” Oyewale stated.
He also cautioned Nigerians to scrutinise unrealistic investment promises.
“If someone says, ‘Bring your money and get a 100% return in 30 days,’ that’s not only impractical, it’s deceptive,” he noted. “Even with Nigeria’s prevailing interest rate at 27.5%, no legitimate investment yields such returns.”
He urged investors to verify the compliance of investment platforms with key financial regulations, including the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022, the Proceeds of Crime Act, and the Terrorism Financing Act.
Despite the grim situation, Oyewale gave hope to victims, assuring that the EFCC is collaborating with global partners to recover the lost funds.
“We are already working with Interpol and other international development agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice,” he confirmed.
“While the recovery process may not yield immediate results, we assure Nigerians that the EFCC will not abandon them. Escapism is not a solution – we are responsible and professional, and we will ensure justice is served.”
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday struck out the defamation suit filed against controversial blogger Martins Otse, popularly known as Verydarkblackman (VDM).
The suit was instituted by renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, and his son, rapper and activist Folarin Falana, widely known as Falz.
The case stemmed from comments and a video published by VDM on 24 September 2024 via his various social media platforms.
In separate suits, the Falanas sought N500 million each in damages, accusing the blogger of defaming them by alleging in the video that they had received N10 million from social media personality Idris Okuneye, a.k.a. Bobrisky, to pervert the course of justice.
The claimants contended that the defendant knowingly published unverified and false information with the intention of tarnishing their reputation. They further argued that the defamatory content remained accessible online, thereby causing continuous reputational damage.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, neither the claimants nor the defendant was present in court.
Counsel representing the defendant, Niyi Alagbe, standing in for Marvin Omorogbe, informed the court that an application for a stay of proceedings had earlier been filed before Justice Fimisola Azeez.
Responding, the Falanas’ counsel, Omotayo Olatunbosun, confirmed receipt of the said application around 4:15 p.m. on Monday, but urged the court to hear the preliminary objection, which he noted was already ripe for hearing. He argued that the new application was merely a ploy to delay the proceedings.
Justice Matthias Dawodu, in his ruling, stated that the application was not part of the case file before him and questioned why he was being asked to continue hearing the matter when the substantive suit was before another judge.
He concluded that proceeding with the current suit would amount to an academic exercise, and accordingly, struck it out.
“Consequently, this suit is hereby struck out,” the judge ruled.
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