Metro
Outrage as three policemen beat varsity student to death
Three police officers have allegedly beaten a Kwara State University (KWASU) student to death at Tanke Bridge in Ilorin, Kwara State.
SaharaReporters gathered that the incident occurred when the victim got off a motorcycle and was approached by the three officers from the Ganmo Division, who then dragged him to the ground.
In September, SaharaReporters had reported that a trigger-happy police officer reportedly shot dead another student of Kwara State Polytechnic, identified as Ishola Abdulqoyum, along Panat Road, a link between Sango and ShopRite in Kwara State.
An eyewitness told SaharaReporters on Friday that the victim had arrived by bike to retrieve N1000 he had already transferred to a Point of Sale (POS) operator.
He intended to give the money to the motorcycle rider who brought him.
“I was with him,” the witness said. “As soon as he collected the money, the officers came out of a tricycle and dragged him down. The deceased kept asking what offence he had committed, but they didn’t let him speak.”
The eyewitness further stated that the victim pleaded, saying he was asthmatic, but the officers ignored him.
The witness said he confronted the officers, questioning why they were assaulting the student. When asked what offence the victim had committed, the officers claimed they had come from Lagos on information about the victim.
“We asked if they were indeed tracking him from Lagos, they should call the headquarters or a divisional station to send a vehicle. They couldn’t give us a clear answer and instead tried to find a tricycle to transport him.”
“It got to a stage where I had to confront them. One of the officers tried to cock his gun. I told him to shoot if they really thought they would get out of there freely, and another officer was saying, ‘Don’t shoot.’ ”
The eyewitness told SaharaReporters that he felt distressed watching how the officers beat and mistreated the victim.
He said the deceased was a gentle and friendly person who frequently came to buy meat from him.
The victim’s friend is a Point-of-Sale operator, and the deceased often visited to play with his friend before leaving.
According to the eyewitness, the victim didn’t quarrel with anyone.
“They were using their guns to hit him on his head, kicking him and handcuffing him. This is when he started to weaken. The deceased drank six or seven bottles of water here,” the eyewitness stated.
He said he told one of the officers that the deceased was an asthmatic patient and shouldn’t be treated so cruelly, but the officer showed no remorse.
“A woman selling groundnuts also intervened, warning them that the deceased was too weak, but they ignored her. One of the officers even said, ‘Let him die. We don’t care.’”
The eyewitness questioned why people entrusted with protecting citizens’ lives would be the ones killing people.
According to him, “The guy truly suffered before he died. One of our people followed the officers as others were insisting they take him to a hospital. The officers told him that if anyone asked what happened, he should say he knew nothing.”
“On their way, instead of going directly to the police station in Ganmo, they diverted. Before they even reached the station, the victim had died.”
He urged Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and the state police commissioner to investigate the incident and arrest the three officers involved.
Speaking with SaharaReporters, another eyewitness mentioned that when the officers tried to forcefully take the deceased away, people stood their ground, insisting he needed medical help.
The eyewitness added that the victim kept asking for water because he was very weak. They gave him some water, but when he lost strength due to the beating, they urged the officers to take him to a hospital.
A frozen food seller who witnessed the incident told SaharaReporters he was asleep in his shop when he heard people shouting.
“I was in my shop sleeping because I sell chicken. When I heard the commotion, I ran to the scene and saw that the victim was one of my customers being beaten.”
He said he challenged the officers, asking what the victim’s offence was to warrant such treatment.
“I told them that even if he was a criminal, they had no right to beat him under the Nigerian constitution. The most they should do is take him to the station and get information from him.
“I asked, ‘Is it after beating him to death that you’ll start asking questions?’ When I tried to intervene, someone asked why I was concerned, and I told them the victim was my customer. Since he’d been coming to buy chicken from me, I’d never seen anything suspicious about him.”
The officers claimed the victim was a criminal they had been tracking for the past three months. The witness replied, “Is that why you want to kill him?”
He told SaharaReporters that he challenged them, saying that if they killed him and ran away, the same police who were supposed to uphold the law would be the ones violating it.
“The deceased was shouting that he was thirsty and could not stand on his own; his eyes had rolled up. When people suggested which hospital to take him to, he kept asking for an inhaler—he was an asthmatic patient.”
He said that when a woman informed the officers that the victim they were beating was asthmatic, one of the officers responded that the victim was pretending.
“I told the officers that we should call his family, but one of them said the victim’s phone was with them and that it wasn’t a matter for the family. I felt sorry for the guy; he was too weak and could no longer stand on his own. At that point, even the officers seemed scared.”
He added that he urged the officers to take the victim to the hospital. Later, one of them who had accompanied the victim returned around 8 p.m. and informed them that the victim had died.
When SaharaReporters contacted the Kwara State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, she confirmed that the two officers had been arrested and detained.
“Two of the officers have been arrested and detained. An investigation is ongoing,” she said.
Metro
Court remands 113 foreigners over alleged cybercrime
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.
Metro
Gunmen kidnap journalist’s relatives, demand N50m ransom
Gunmen on Thursday afternoon, have abducted three relatives of former Daily Trust Editor, Ahmed Ajobe.
The victims include a male and two females including Ajobe’s immediate younger sister, Halimtu-Sadiya Tahir.
City Round gathered that they were abducted on their way from a nearby community market in Awo, in the Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State, along the deplorable Ankpa-Adoka-Markudi road.
Ajobe who had lost his mother, Malama Aishetu Tahir on Sunday after a protracted illness was preparing for the seven days prayers.
The victims were said to have gone to the market to purchase items for the seven-day prayers of the ace journalist’s deceased mother when they were kidnapped.
Although Ajobe could not be immediately reached for details on the incident, a family friend who preferred anonymity said their abductors have demanded N50 million for the release of the victims.
“Yes, three of Ajobe’s family members were kidnapped at gunpoint at about 3 pm on Thursday. The kidnappers reached out on Friday afternoon demanding N50 million as ransom.
“However, I can’t confirm what the family is offering in the negotiations because I had to leave the community for an emergency in Lokoja.
“What I can say is that no amount has been paid yet and the victims are still in captivity,” he explained.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, confirmed the incident, adding that the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area, had already deployed his men to the area to ensure the rescue of the victims.
He added that the Police Commissioner, Bethrand Onuoha, has also ordered the drafting of the police tactical team to the area to reinforce the team there.
“Everything possible would be done to ensure the safe release of the abducted person and bring the criminals to justice,” Aya said.
Metro
Parents plead with Gov Adeleke to grant son amnesty over death sentence for stealing fowl’s eggs
Parents of Segun Olowookere, an inmate who was convicted to death and currently in Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison have pleaded with Governor Ademola Adeleke to grant their son amnesty ahead of his second year anniversary in office.
Olowookere was sentenced to death by Justice Falola of an Osun State High Court, sitting in Ikirun for robbing a poultry farm in Oyan, Odo-otin local government where he was said to have stole a fowl and eggs.
But fifteen years later his conviction, Olowookere who was arrested at the age of 17 is still languishing in the prison with his appeal pending at the Court of Appeal in Akure Court, Ondo State.
Speaking with reporters yesterday, Segun’s mother, Mrs Folashade Olowookere call on the governor to revisit the case and use his good office in granting amnesty to her son.
The mother who spoke in a laden voice noted that Segun is their only son and they cannot afford to continue wasting within the four wall of the prison, saying the crime her son did not committed the offence he was convicted for.
“I want to plead with our amiable governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke to please use his office to release my son. We have sold our properties to secure his release since he was convicted in 2014. He is a brilliant chap who have a brighter future ahead of him. We must not allow him to waste the peak of his life within the four wall of the prison.
“The speaker of the House of Assembly is from our town, we also plead for his intervention on this case. Also, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice should also help us. Segun has a promising future and can be useful to the society,” the mother pleaded.
Also, Segun’s father, Mr Olanrewaju Olowookere asserted that his son has never involved in any crime before he was arrested in 2010 on the accusation of stealing fowls and eggs from a relative poultry.
The father claimed that his son was arrested in his shop while playing with some of his friend, saying the arrest was a setup.
He said: At this point, all we need is the assistance of His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke to grant amnesty to our son. We are always in grief since he was sentenced. We have not experience any kind of happiness. Nobody will be happy seeing his only son to rot in jail.
“Meanwhile, his case was a kind of frame up. He never gone out on the day of his arrest in 2010. He was with me at my shop in Oyan playing with some of his friends until the police came to arrest him. We don’t know what his offence was. Also, the poultry they claimed he robbed belongs to one of our relatives. The owner even denied it in open court that Segun was not involved.
“The governor should please help us with his power. We have spent fortunes, sold properties on this case. But proved futile. As the governor prepares for his second year anniversary in office, we want him to set our son free. He can be useful to the society.
Olowookere according to his parents has finished his first degree at the National Open University (NOUN) while in prison.
OSUN DEFENDER in its September 13, 2024 reports that about 86 convicts from Osun state are in dire and unbearable conditions as a result of overcrowding in the death row section of the Nigeria Correctional Centre, especially in Lagos and Ogun States.
The medium learnt that the convicts are presently in Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta and Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison. This, according to findings, is due to the unavailability of a Board of Mercy yet to be constituted by Governor Ademola Adeleke in place.
In the meantime, a faith-based nongovernmental organisation, the Centre for Justice, Mercy, and Reconciliation (CJMR), has asked Governor Adeleke to establish the Board of Mercy to see to the needs of prisoners, especially in relation to granting amnesty to inmates on death row.
CJMR, in a letter signed by its Executive Director, Pastor Hezekiah Olujobi, stated that “It has come to our notice that throughout the previous administration in Osun State, there was no Board of Mercy; as a result, the state governor has not been granting amnesty to inmates on death row in Osun State, in contravention of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.
“We would like to humbly draw your attention to Sections 175 and 212 of the Constitution of the Nigerian Constitution, which empower the state governor to grant amnesty to convicts, both those serving imprisonment and those on death row. It is concerning that this constitutional provision has not been fully implemented in Osun State for nearly six years.
“Furthermore, we wish to highlight the dire and unbearable conditions of overcrowding in the death row section of the Correctional Centre. Presently, in Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State, there are 85 people on death row who are convicts from Osun State.
“We believe that some of these inmates could be transferred to the general convict section, thereby reducing the overcrowding in the death row section. Additionally, we urge that those who meet the criteria for total freedom under the Constitution be considered for release.
“We respectfully request that Your Excellency looks into this appeal and take the appropriate steps to constitute the Board of Mercy in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and take the necessary actions to address the issues raised,” CJMR stated.
-
News16 hours ago
Reps Demand Details Of Project Undertaken From Ministry Of Solid Minerals In 2024 Budget
-
News21 hours ago
Simon Ekpa to Face Extradition, DHQ Declares
-
News21 hours ago
Filling stations set to adjust pump price as petrol crashes by over N300
-
Education19 hours ago
BREAKING! END of road for Fubara as FG halts allocation
-
News21 hours ago
Oil theft: DHQ rubbishes Tompolo’s allegation against Navy
-
News21 hours ago
SEE Black Market Dollar (USD) To Naira (NGN) Exchange Rate Today, 22 November 2024
-
News19 hours ago
Enugu ready to provide evidence against Ekpa, hails arrest
-
News16 hours ago
PDP leaders, critical stakeholders endorse Hon. Teejay Yusuf for National Chairman