Metro

UK police dismiss Nigerian-British officer for ‘biting’ colleague

Published

3 weeks ago

October 30, 2024

By Francesca Hangeior

The Metropolitan Police Service of the United Kingdom has dismissed a Nigerian-British officer, Shola Balogun of Bromley Police Station, for biting a colleague (name withheld) at a birthday party in Bexleyheath, Kent.

This was disclosed in a hearing that was held from October 21-23, 2024, and chaired by a high-ranking officer, Christopher McKay, with IPM Amanda Harvey and Assessor-Detective Superintendent, Kirsty Mead as the panel members.

The document of the hearing notice sighted by our correspondent revealed that Balogun, a Police Constable, had attended a 40th birthday party of another police officer with about 70 other persons in attendance at Goals Sports Bar, stressing that he and the officer (victim) were the two police officers present at the event aside from the celebrant.

The document also explained that the incident happened on April 22, 2022, as a result of a light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but with no significant falling out.

It read, “On the 22nd of April 2022 about 70 people attended a 40th birthday party for a police officer at Goals Sports Bar in Bexleyheath, Kent. Among those attending were members of her work team, ERT C, who were based at Bromley Police Station. PC Shola Balogun and PC (name withheld) were two of those police officers who were present at the party. The officers knew each other well as work colleagues, having been based at Bromley Police Station together since June 2018.

“There had been light-hearted horseplay between them in the past but no significant falling out. Both describe a good friendly working relationship. The victim said he arrived at the party at about 9 pm after meeting other officers in a nearby pub. PC Balogun arrived after the victim and he admitted that had been drinking alcohol before his arrival. There is a dispute about the incidents that took place between them during that evening.

“The victim says that at around 23.30 he walked up a flight of stairs from the dancefloor and found PC Balogun in front of him. PC Balogun was about an arms-length away when he reached out and grabbed the victim’s spectacles off his face and dropped them on the floor. This surprised the victim and he claimed to have then approached PC Balogun in a friendly manner whereupon PC Balogun responded by pushing him with his right hand to the victim’s throat area. When the victim then complained about PC Balogun’s actions in a conversation at a time when they were only a foot apart because the music was so loud, PC Balogun is alleged to have leaned forward and bitten the victim on the right side of his face.”

However, Balogun’s account of the event was different from that of the victim as he claimed to have only knocked the victim’s glasses off by accident.

He also denied pushing the victim or biting him in the face as alleged but medical reports and diagnosis revealed that the victim was bitten.

The findings in the document read, “The Regulation 30 Notice alleges that by acting in the way described PC Balogun brought discredit to the police service and undermined public trust in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). This is alleged to have been a breach of the standard of Discreditable Conduct.

“Discreditable Conduct is explained in the College of Policing Code of Ethics as not behaving in a manner, whether on or off duty, which brings discredit to the police service or undermines public confidence in policing. This is further explained as being a requirement that police officers must keep in mind at all times that the public expects police officers to maintain the highest standards of behaviour. Police officers are instructed to always think about how a member of the public may regard their behaviour, whether on or off duty. The Panel is satisfied that PC Balogun breached this standard by biting the victim. Assaulting a fellow officer is clearly unacceptable and discreditable behaviour.

Meanwhile, the panel claimed to have spoken to people including an inspector who had been his line manager for close to five years about Balogun’s behavioural history and they all spoke highly of him and his qualities as a police officer, adding, “To counter-balance the evidence of his good character the Panel has received evidence of his previous disciplinary history.”

“The Panel bears in mind the words of Lord Justice Maurice Kay in the well-known case of Salter v Chief Constable of Dorset [2012] EWCA Civ 1047 when he said, ”As to personal mitigation, just as an unexpectedly errant solicitor can usually refer to an unblemished past and the esteem of his colleagues, so will a police officer often be able so to do. However, because of the importance of public confidence, the potential of such mitigation is necessarily limited.”

The panel further agreed on dismissal without notice as the outcome of Balogun’s action.

“In the present case, PC Balogun does not have an unblemished past and the previous misconduct proved against him is serious. In the present case, he committed a deliberate assault on a colleague without any explanation or justification. He humiliated PC Final Written Warning is not appropriate in this case. The only appropriate and proportionate outcome in this case is Dismissal Without Notice,” the document added.

Metro

Police recover stolen SUV after gun duel with robbers in Abuja

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Naijablitznews

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command says its operatives have recovered a black Toyota SUV stolen by armed robbers.

In a statement on Friday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh said the vehicle was stolen on Thursday around the Lugbe area of the territory.

She explained that the Command received a distress call from a good Samaritan on Thursday evening reporting a carjacking incident in the area.

The PPRO said one Kemi H. Adidiru was driving from Lugbe to the city center when she was abruptly stopped and surrounded by six armed men under a pedestrian bridge along Alieta Road, Lugbe.

The robbers, according to the PPRO, forcefully ejected both the car owner and her driver from the 2012 black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (Reg. No. ABJ 670 EY) and sped off with the car and her belongings.

The statement added that the witness, alarmed by the robbery, promptly notified the Command Control Room, providing crucial information about the vehicle and the suspects’ direction of escape.

“The Police acted quickly, alerting strategic checkpoints and deploying patrol teams across the FCT.

“At approximately 11:35 pm, Police operatives spotted the stolen vehicle at a checkpoint along Dantata Bridge, Galadimawa Road.

“When officers attempted to stop the suspects, they sped away, leading to a high-speed chase towards Airport Junction. Upon reaching another Police checkpoint at the Airport Junction, the suspects opened fire, engaging the Police in a fierce gun battle.

“Thanks to the superior firepower of the police, the suspects abandoned the vehicle and their firearm, fleeing into the surrounding bushes.

“The vehicle was successfully recovered, along with a bag containing an international passport belonging to Halimat Adediru, cash and other valuables.”

The PPRO said the recovered items have since been returned to their rightful owner, who expressed profound gratitude for the prompt response and professionalism of the Police.

Metro

BusinessDay Journalist Finally Regains Freedom From ‘One-Chance’ Kidnappers In Abuja

Published

3 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Naijablitznews

A BusinessDay defence correspondent, Ojochenemi Onje, has regained her freedom from kidnappers commonly called “one chance operators” in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The female journalist’s freedom was confirmed on Saturday morning by some of her colleagues.

It is not clear whether any ransom was paid to secure her release.

The media had on Friday evening reported that Onje was abducted by kidnappers commonly called “one chance operators” according to several of her colleagues.

The media had learnt that the female journalist was kidnapped on her way from office.

One of the sources had said the kidnappers had contacted the victim’s workplace to demand the sum of N1million before releasing her from their custody.

“We need your prayers. The BusinessDay correspondent was kidnapped by one-chance operators and they are demanding for one million before they would release her,” one of her colleagues.

It was learnt that the incident was escalated to the Nigerian police and the military.

Metro

Court remands 113 foreigners over alleged cybercrime

Published

8 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court in Abuja has remanded 113 foreign nationals at Kuje and Suleja correctional facilities.

The foreigners were arraigned before the court on Friday on the allegations of their involvement in high-level cybercrime and hacking activities said to be threatening Nigeria’s national security.

The accused persons comprising 87 men and 26 women from China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, Myanmar and Malaysia, as well as 17 Nigerian collaborators were facing six counts bordering on cybercrime, money laundering and unlawful residency in Nigeria.

Justice Akpan declared that the male defendants be remanded at Kuje prison while the females should be taken to Suleja prison.

The suspects were arrested on November 3, 2024, at Plot 1906, Cadestral Zone 807, Katampe District of Abuja. They were allegedly using computers and other sophisticated devices to facilitate criminal activities.

In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/599/2024, the suspects were alleged to have accessed a computer network and input, altered, and deleted suppressed data, resulting in inauthentic data, with the intention that such inauthentic data would be considered or acted upon as if they were authentic or genuine.

They were also alleged to have removed “from Nigeria proceeds generated from operating fraudulent and unregistered gambling platforms.”

According to the charge sheet, the platforms are 9f.com, c2.top, and 8pg.top.

The accused persons were also charged with entering “the territory of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with a business permit of 30 days duration and failed, or neglected to leave the Nigerian territory at the expiration of the said permit and remained in Nigeria without a valid resident permit or appropriate valid visa.”

At the resumption of proceedings on Friday, the arraignment of the suspects was also stalled because the defendants’ names were misrepresented on the charge sheet.

Counsel to some of the defendants, James Onoja (SAN) told the court that there was a need to have interpreters to interpret for those who do not understand English.

Onoja asked the court to adjourn the scheduled arraignment following an observation that there were discrepancies in the names of the defendants, arguing that some of the names given to the defendants were not their proper names.

The prosecution counsel, A. A. Egwu, who did not oppose the adjournment request, stated that the police lacked the facility to continue to keep the defendants, stating that he had earlier filed an ex-parte motion for the accused persons to be remanded in a correctional centre.

Egwu said most of the defendants were arrested without their papers, urging the court to remand them in a correctional centre pending their arraignment.

Following the submission of the counsel, the court ruled that the defendants should produce their travelling documents for their proper names and spellings to be gotten.

Meanwhile, counsel to the Brazilian accused persons, Eric Oba, asked the court to separate his clients from other defendants.

Oba appealed to the court to conduct separate trials for them, just as he prayed the court to allow his clients to stay back at the police facility.

He said the Brazilians were afraid that they could be harmed by the other defendants because they made extra-judicial statements to the police that others were not happy about.

Rejecting Oba’s appeal, Justice Akpan directed him to file a formal application for the separation of the trial of his clients.

He adjourned the case to Friday, November 29, for arraignment.