News

U.S Based Nigerian Prof Narrates Extortion Experience As NIS Begins Probe

Published

5 months ago

December 15, 2023

Eric

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has begun investigation of the alleged extortion of a United States-based Nigerian Professor, Moyo Okediji, by men of the service.

Okediji had on Tuesday taken to his Facebook page to post about how he gave $40 to some immigration officers who accosted him at the Seme border and demanded to be “settled” after they conducted a search on him.

Okediji, a Professor of Arts and History at the University of Texas, United States, wrote that after he was released by the men of the Immigration, whom he said “were many”, he discovered that $500 had also gone missing from his luggage.

He further said his ordeal was compounded when suspected officers of the Nigeria Police in the FESTAC area of Lagos allegedly harassed him.

He wrote, “Without the intervention of a crowd of young Igbo men who saved me from the hands of the Nigeria Police attached to the FESTAC Mile Two station, I would be a dead man today (Tuesday).

“I arrived Lagos today (on Tuesday). I came in through Ghana and decided to enter Nigeria by road so I could see the lagoon landscape, riding a Jeep that I hired to drive me down. Everything went well in Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, until I stepped into Nigeria. The first immigration checkpoint that we encountered was at the Seme border, on the Nigeria side.

“One of the immigration officers took a look at me, and said, ‘Come down, oga.’ To cut a long story short, they robbed me of $500. There were many of them, and they invited me to their shed. They took my hand luggage, with all the money that I brought from the US.”

He said the official’s excuse was that they wanted to search his luggage to see if it contained contraband.

“They asked for my Nigeria passport. I told them it had expired and I was in Nigeria to renew it. They said it was an offence for me to enter the country with an expired passport. I apologised. But they wanted none of that. They said I had to ‘settle’ them. They had my wallet containing the money I brought to spend in Nigeria.

“They saw two twenty-dollar notes and said I needed to give them these notes, otherwise they would seize all the money in the wallet, and take me to their office to make a statement. I had heard stories of visitors to the country ending up dead when the police invited them to their offices to clear some issues. So, I eagerly gave them the forty dollars. They gave me back my things. But when I counted my money later, $500 was missing,” he said.

The don narrated that when he further got to the FESTAC Mile Two motor park, “three gun-toting police officers appeared.”

“They (the policemen) asked for identifications. I gave them my driving licence, the university-issued ID card, my US passport and my Nigeria passport. They took them from me. By that time, about 10 police officers had descended upon me.”

“Before you could say ‘Ki lo de?’ (what happened?), the police officers searched me thoroughly.

He said he was “rescued” by some Igbo boys at the park, numbering up to 100 before the policemen allowed him to go.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the NIS, Dotun Aridegbe, said on Thursday that “the situation is being investigated.”

On his part, the Divisional Police Officer, FESTAC, Balogun Gboyega, noted that the lecturer ought to come forward for a report so he could properly identify the suspected officers who allegedly harassed him.

Gboyega said, “The following day (of the incident), you (the lecturer) can take the pain to see the DPO or the Area Commander to make a case and identify these boys, for which we will do an identification parade of every one of them. Every one of them (officers) denied it because there was no complaint.”

Gboyega noted that policemen could search anyone but not to intimidate, harass, or embarrass such a person.

“The man feels that police officers harassed him, he can come and make a complaint,” the DPO added.

He disclosed that the police could not identify if the officers were men of the Area Command or the division because there was no evidence before the police yet.

“Only he (the lecturer) can identify those who did it,” he said, “if he can come, let’s do an identification parade for these people.”

News

Photojournalists, TV Stations Barred from Senate As Plenary Resumes

Published

9 hours ago

May 7, 2024

Eric

The National Assembly Sergeant-At-Arms on Tuesday, denied at least 10 television stations from accessing the gallery as Senators resume at the newly renovated Chamber for legislative activities, the

A Sergeant-At-Arm operative, who was stationed at the entrance of the Chamber, told journalists that Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed the security unit to restrict and prune down the number of media houses covering proceedings

Reports say that a document signed by the Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze, pasted at the entrance to the hallowed chamber listed only seven media houses permitted to cover proceedings.

Those accredited include the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Channels Television, African Independent Television (AIT), Television Continental (TVC), Arise News, Newage and ADBN.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Press Corps, on Wednesday last week, met with the Clerk of the Senate to harmonise issues relating to covering its proceedings in the chamber.

Journalists who report the National Assembly have expressed shock at the action of the Senate, coming only a few days after the World Press Freedom Day.

News

Ikeja Electric Slashes Electricity Tariff for Band A Customers

Published

1 day ago

May 6, 2024

Eric

The Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company has reduced the electricity tariff payable by its Band A customers to N206.80 per kilowatt-hour from the N225/kWh approved by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The spokesperson for the IKEDC, Olufadeke Omo-Omorodion, disclosed this to Channels Television in a notice on Monday.

According to the notice, the downward tariff review of the Band A customers would take effect from Monday, May 6, 2024.

Under the approved review, Band A customers who hitherto were charged N225/Kwh, are now to pay N206.80/Kwh.

“Please be informed of the downward tariff review of our Band A feeders from N225/kwh to N206.80/kwh effective 6th May 2024 with guaranteed availability of 20-24hrs supply daily,” the statement said.

The decision to crash the tariff may not be unconnected with public outcry over the increase in electricity which industry observers, Civil Society Organisations, and labour unions have described as insensitive.

The tariffs for Bands B, C, D, and E remain unchanged.

News

Masterminds of Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack, Greenfield University Kidnappings Nabbed

Published

5 days ago

May 3, 2024

Eric

The Nigeria Police on Thursday, announced the arrest of the alleged mastermind of the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna where some passengers were killed while scores were abducted in March 2022.

The mastermind was identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi, also known by the ominous moniker of Mandi.

Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who made this known in Kaduna on Thursday, also disclosed that the suspect had also participated in the abduction of students from Greenfield University in 2021.

Adejobi also added that 48 AK-47 rifles were seized during Mandi’s arrest and efforts were underway to identify his sponsor and supplier of weapons.

He said, “On 12th January 2024, police operatives attached to an anti-kidnapping unit of Kaduna State Criminal Investigation Department, based on credible information swooped in and arrested one Ibrahim Abdullahi aka MANDE at Abuja-Kaduna Road flyover by Rido Junction.

“The suspect confessed to being the leader of a kidnap syndicate terrorizing the Kaduna-Abuja highway, ranked among other criminals like Dogo Gide and Bello Turji.

“He had participated in various kidnapping incidents including the kidnapping incident at Green Field University and he partook in almost all the kidnappings along the Abuja-Kaduna highway.”

Meanwhile, the police spokesman also said that no fewer than 81-armed robbers, 40 kidnapers, 73 murder/homicide suspects, 36 rape suspects, 22 suspects involved in cult-related crimes, and 28 suspects engaged in other criminal activities between January to date with particular focus on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.

According to him, the strategic initiative being implemented by the force along the Abuja-Kaduna highway was responsible for current success stories so far recorded.

Similarly, he added that operatives have successfully recovered 16 firearms of various types along with 226 ammunition of diverse calibres.

“Additionally, our operations have led to the retrieval of 28 stolen vehicles, over 200 harmful weapons, and 600 bags of fertilizers.

“A total of three million, three hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N3,350,000) only, previously paid as ransom to kidnappers, has been successfully recovered, while our swift and coordinated efforts have resulted in the safe rescue of 158 kidnapped victims, all of whom have been reunited with their families unharmed. These achievements include.”

The police spokesman further said that the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of IGP Kayode Egbetokun, remains steadfast in its resolve to uphold the rule of law, ensure the safety and security of all citizens as well as combat criminal activities in the country.

Some bloodthirsty terrorists had attacked the Abuja-Kaduna bound AK9 train on March 28 and abducted some passengers.

A day after the attack, another passenger who suffered from a gunshot wound died, making it nine, the total number of those killed in that attack.

From the manifest received by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, 398 passengers bought tickets but 362 were validated as having bought tickets.

The Punch