Crime
Police kill 3 hoodlums, one officer injured in Imo
The Imo State Police operatives have killed three suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in a gun battle and one officer was injured in Agwa, Oguta Local Government Area of Imo state.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Michael Abattam, made this known to newsmen during the parade of some of the lifeless bodies of the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Owerri, on Thursday.
The police said the incident happened last Wednesday and that they moved into action, based on a distress call they received from the Agwa community that the community was under attack by hoodlums.
They said at first, the hoodlums attacked the office of the Agwa Central Vigilante group and as they were heading to attack the Agwa police station, on getting there the police tactical teams engaged them. The police killed three of the said hoodlums and one of the officers was injured. The police said three vehicles belonging to the hoodlums were recovered.
Also, the Police said they are still trailing other suspects who fled into the bushes with gunshot injuries.
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On how it happened the police said: “Sequel to the command’s determination to curb the menace of terrorism in the state, today 18/01/2023 at about 1130hrs, in response to a distress call that, hoodlums suspected to be members of the Proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate Eastern Security Network (ESN) had attacked Agwa Central Vigilante Group, burning down their office and are proceeding to attack and set ablaze Agwa Police Station both in Oguta LGA of Imo State, the combatant Command’s Tactical Teams swiftly mobilized to the area.
“Having been informed that the hoodlums had cordoned the station, the police operatives tactically manoeuvred their way into the station joined the operatives of the division and professionally engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun duel, and in the process three of the hoodlums were neutralized while others scampered for safety into the adjoining bushes with various degrees of gunshot wounds, abandoning three of their operational vehicles.”
“The operatives on combing the bush, the following Items were recovered : (1) two (2) Pump Action guns, (2) two (2) Double Barrel guns, (3) twenty-four (24) rounds or live ammunition, (4) twelve (12) expended cartridges,(5) one (1) Improvised Explosive Device, (6) three (3) operational vehicles – one green coloured Lexus 470GL, one black coloured Toyota Highlander, one Oxblood coloured minibus, (6) two (2) motorcycles, (7) one (1) iron box, (8) one (1) travelling bag and assorted charms.
“Investigation is in progress, the gallant operatives are not relenting in their efforts to arrest the fleeing members of the terrorist group. Meanwhile, one of the police operatives who sustained a minor bullet injury was rushed to the hospital for treatment and he is in a stable condition,” police said.
The Anambra State Police Command has foiled a cult initiation ceremony in Nawfia, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesperson for the Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday in Awka.
According to Ikenga, the operation was carried out by police operatives around 9:30am on June 15, leading to the arrest of six suspects at the scene.
Recovered during the raid were one Jojef pump action gun, two cartridges, and a golden-coloured Lexus SUV with registration number ATN 202 AE. Other items found include two cutlasses, two scissors, a cap bearing the inscription of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity, charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs.
“They are currently undergoing police interrogation to get more insight into their modus operandi, after which the case will be charged to court on the conclusion of the investigations,” Ikenga stated.
The police spokesperson reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to fighting cultism and other related crimes across the state.
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Wednesday, remanded two persons, Olaitan Fasasi and Kehinde Tobiloba in a correctional facility over alleged attempted murder.
Fasasi, 40, and Tobiloba, 26, whose addresses were not provided, are being charged with conspiracy, attempted murder and membership of a secret society.
The Magistrate, Mr L.A Owolabi, did not take the plea of the defendants for want of jurisdiction.
Owolabi directed the police to forward the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution for legal advice.
He thereafter adjourned the case until May 31 for mention.
The Prosecutor, Josephine Ikhayere, told the court that the defendants committed the offences at about 5.02p.m on Feb. 15, at Mushin, Lagos.
She said that Fasasi, Tobiloba and others now at large, attempted to commit murder by shooting at a resident, Alfred Ademola.
“They armed themselves with a locally made gun. They belong to Eiye Confraternity, a group proscribed by law,”, she said.
Ikhayere said that the offences contravened Sections 230(1) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2012.
He said that the actions of the defendants also contravened Section 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the unlawful societies and Cultism Law of Lagos State Law.
An Area Court in Jos, on Tuesday, sentenced one Jeptha John, to three months imprisonment for stealing a Redmi mobile phone valued at N165, 000.
The judge, Shawomi Bokkos, sentenced the John after he pleaded guilty to the offence.
The judge, however, gave the convict an option to pay N20, 000 fine and N50, 000 restitution to the complainant.
Bokkos said that if the convict defaulted in paying the restitution, three months should be added to his sentence to make it six months imprisonment.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Insp Monday Dabit, told the court that the case was reported at the B Division Police Station, Jos, on Dec. 1, 2024, by Ms Nerat Danjuma.
He said that the complainant alleged that the defendant trespassed into her house and stole her mobile phone valued at N165, 000.
The prosecutor further told the court that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code, Law of Northern Nigeria.
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