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Policemen batter lady for tattooing her body

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A woman, Chioma Pius, has accused men of the Rivers State Police Command of assaulting her for having tattoos on her body.

Pius, who claimed to be travelling in a cab from Bayelsa to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Monday, said she was stopped by the policemen at Elebrada Junction, Emohua, Rivers State.

She alleged that after introducing herself to the policemen, the head of the patrol team accused her of being rude.

She claimed that the officers subsequently pounced on her and pummelled her.

“I experienced the worst day of my life on Monday. I was brutalised by some police officers in the Emohua area of Rivers State; at a highway leading to Bayelsa State.

“My crime was that I tattooed my body. A police officer asked me to step down from the taxi I was travelling in from Bayelsa to Port Harcourt. I asked to know why; he ignored my question and asked again that I should step out of the car, so I got out of the car.

“He asked to know who I was and what I did for a living because of the tattoo on my body. I gladly introduced myself with a big smile on my face. My phone rang, but I couldn’t answer (the call). The policeman told me to identify myself to his superior, which I found funny. I was just looking at the guy when he said I should be detained; that I didn’t have manners and that I was a cult member, prostitute and armed robber. There was no disgusting name those men didn’t call me.

“I just laughed the insults off and told them I would not enter their mobile cell. They seized my phone, so I couldn’t record them. They searched my purse and when they couldn’t find any money, they got angry and said I didn’t even have money, and I was showing off.

“Before I knew it, one of the officers grabbed my trousers and pushed me into the van, while the other guy slapped and punched me repeatedly. I asked why they were beating me up, but their leader used the butt of his gun to hit me on my thighs. He went away and came back with a cane and flogged me. He pushed me into their mobile cell,” she said in a post on Facebook.

She claimed that she lost her engagement ring in the scuffle, adding that while the drama lasted, other policemen were busy extorting money from other motorists and letting them go without a search.

Pius, who claimed that passersby watched helplessly as she was harassed, vowed to get justice.

A series of photos by the victim showed that she sustained injuries in her hands and legs.

She also posted a blurred video which revealed the patrol’s vehicle tag number as …XU P/H.

A sibling of the victim, Annastacia Anyaoha, claimed that the tattoo was a remembrance for their late brother, as she abused those who questioned Pius’ dressing and means of livelihood.

Personal enquiries made to the sisters by PUNCH Metro were not replied to as of press time.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Omoni Nnamdi, asked the victim to identify the policemen or their patrol van.

He promised that the command would investigate the harassment if the policemen were identified.

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Crime & Court

Police Arrest Self-Styled PFIPC DG Hours After Court Orders His Arrest

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The police have arrested the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his arrest for failing to appear for his arraignment.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warrant on Tuesday after granting an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Mr Wisdom Madaki, who informed the court that the defendant had failed to honour the court’s summons.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

According to the charge, the defendant allegedly held himself out as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of offences involving forgery and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Following the prosecution’s application, Justice Umar ordered the defendant’s arrest to compel his appearance before the court to answer to the charges.

The police subsequently arrested Adeyemi, paving the way for his arraignment before the court.

Further details on the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

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Crime & Court

NDLEA busts Oyo meth lab, arrests Mexican, four Nigerians

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a large methamphetamine production facility concealed inside a forest in Oyo State, arresting a suspected Mexican drug expert and four Nigerians in what officials described as a major breakthrough against an international drug trafficking syndicate.

The industrial-scale laboratory was discovered at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area during an operation conducted by NDLEA operatives on June 17.

Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine.
Four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu were also apprehended during the raid.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the clandestine facility was equipped with substantial quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

According to the agency, forensic analyses conducted at the site confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, while all recovered substances, chemicals and equipment had been secured as exhibits for further investigation and prosecution.

The discovery came barely four weeks after NDLEA operatives dismantled another large methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over attempts by drug cartels to turn the South-West into a hub for synthetic drug production.

Marwa said the latest operation underscored the agency’s determination to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria.

He warned both local and foreign drug syndicates against viewing the country as a safe destination for illicit drug activities.

“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade,” Marwa said.

“We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.

They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong.”

The NDLEA described the operation as another significant blow against organised drug trafficking networks and commended the officers involved in the raid for their professionalism, resilience and courage.

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Crime & Court

Police recover Rivers SUV stolen five years ago in Gombe

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Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have recovered a Toyota Highlander reported stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, five years ago.

The vehicle was recovered on June 8, 2026, during a routine verification exercise conducted by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Department in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service vehicle licensing office.

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the vehicle was flagged as suspicious during the process of uploading and verifying vehicle records.

According to him, the joint team identified the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number FH823PHC and subjected it to further scrutiny, which revealed that it had been declared stolen on September 17, 2021.

Preliminary findings showed that the vehicle belonged to one Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Abdullahi said investigators subsequently uncovered a transnational movement of the vehicle, establishing that it was taken to the Niger Republic in 2023 before returning to Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025.

He added that the sport utility vehicle was later sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was detected and recovered by security operatives.

“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved,” the police spokesperson stated.

He urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles, advising intending buyers to verify ownership documents and authenticate vehicle records through the appropriate authorities before concluding any transaction.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating vehicle theft and other trans-border crimes, assuring residents that efforts were underway to arrest all those linked to the theft and illegal trafficking of the recovered vehicle.

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