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Police unmasks gang behind Offa bank robberies
The police have named a 29-year-old alleged drug baron as one of the brains behind the April 5 bank robberies in Offa, Kwara State.
Adegoke Shogo, described as a mega distributor of Indian hemp, allegedly provided part of the logistics used during the operation that claimed at least 17 lives, including those of nine policemen.
Twelve more suspects, including Shogo, have been arrested by the police in connection with the robberies, Force Headquarters spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told reporters in Abuja.
This brings to 20 the number of people so far arrested over the operation.
The police said Adegoke Shogo sponsored the attacks with “misplaced expectations of expanding his criminal and social profile.”
Among the suspects is 18-year-old Aminu Ibrahim.
He was picked up in Ilorin, the state capital.
Other suspects in the second set of arrests are Kayode Opadokun (35); Kazeem Abdulrasheed (36); Azeez Abdullahi (27); Alexander Reuben (39); Jimoh Isa (28); Azeez Salawudeen (20); Adewale Popoola (22); Adetoyese Muftau (23); Aminu Ibrahim (18); Richard Buba Terry (23) and Peter Jaba Kuunfa (25).
One of the suspects, Alexander Reuben, the police said, confessed to having been sentenced to a jail term for armed robbery and possession of weapons, including a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG).
He was arrested in Lagos.
Moshood said of him: “Alexander is a veteran bank robber, and he was taken to court over the use and possession of various weapons including a GPMG and a military rocket launcher in 2015, but under circumstances that we have decided to painstakingly investigate, he left prison custody in 2017.
“We need to investigate whether the courts released him on bail or something else happened. We work with the judiciary, but we want the mass media to monitor criminal cases in the court the way they monitor suspects being paraded.”
Moshood said 20-year-old Azeez Salawudeen and 22-year-old Adewale Popoola were arrested in Offa with the mobile phones and SIM cards of victims of the robberies while 18-year-old Aminu Ibrahim was arrested in Ilorin.
He said one Beretta pistol and several rounds of ammunition were found in the possession of Aminu Ibrahim, Richard Buba Terry and Peter Jaba Kuunfa.
He said the arrests followed the deployment of a high-powered police investigation team, one Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), Three units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) comprising 63 men each and various anti-robbery equipment to Kwara State to “carry out discreet investigation into the bank robberies, prevent further attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.”
He added: “The police teams engaged in massive raids of identified criminal spots/flashpoints, stop-and-search operations, visibility and confidence building patrols, intelligence gathering which led to the arrest of the suspects.
“Some of the arrests also involved serious exchange of gun fire between the police and the suspects in their various hideouts.
“The following are the suspects arrested and have admitted to the various criminal roles they played in the bank robbery attacks and are also assisting police investigation into the incident:
“Adegoke Shogo, 29 years, native of Offa Kwara State. He was arrested in Offa after the bank robbery and the attack on the police station. He is a drug baron and also an Indian hemp dealer in Offa, Kwara State. According to intelligence gathered from cultivated and reliable informant, he is alleged to be one of the sponsors of the robbery attack and the Police Station in Offa. He has made useful statements to the roles he played in the armed robbery.
“Kayode Opadokun, 35 years, native of Offa, Kwara State. He was found to have been released from prison three months ago after serving only eight months of his sentence years for armed robbery. A notorious armed robber and confirmed gang member of the Offa bank robbers, a Barretta pistol and six rounds of live ammunition were recovered from him, and he has admitted to the criminal roles he played in the Offa banks robbery.
“Kazeem Abdulrasheed, 36 years, native of Offa, Kwara State, a gang member from whom a victim’s phone was found. He was arrested in Offa.
“Azeez Abdullahi, 27 years, Native of Offa, Kwara State, gang member from whom a victim’s phone and SIM cards were recovered.
“Alexander Reuben, 39 years, native of Isoko LGA Delta State. He is a notorious, deadly and hardened bank robber from whom GMPGs, rocket launchers and several rifles were recovered in 2015. He was released from Prison in December 2017. He was arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos.
“Jimoh Isa, 28 years, native of Okene Kogi State indicted by technical intelligence generated on the bank robbers. He was arrested on the 11th April, 2018 in Lagos.
“Three suspects, namely Azeez Salawudeen (20 years), Adewale Popoola (22 years) and Adetoyese Muftau (23 years) from whom two phones and SIM cards belonging to victims were recovered have also made confessional statements admitting to the various roles they played in the commission of the crime.
“Aminu Ibrahim, arrested in Ilorin; Richard Buba Terry; and Peter Jaba Kuunfa. These three suspects in whose possession another Beretta pistol and Fourteen (14) rounds of live ammunition were recovered, were arrested in connection with the Offa bank robbery. They have previously been investigated and charged to court for armed robbery and cultism. They have made confessional statements admitting to the various criminal roles they played in the recent bank robbery in Offa.”
•source: The Nation.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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