NEWS
Two suspected policemen arrested for withdrawing N1.350m through POS
..stealing 5000USD from auto spare parts dealer in Lagos
Two suspected criminals that posed as police officers from Force Investigation Bureau, FIB, and Special Tactical Squad, STS, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja have been arrested by the police in Lagos for breaking into the home of two young men, brutalizing them and using Point of Sale, POS, to withdraw about N1.350m from their account.
They also allegedly seized $5000 found in their home and destroyed their properties while posing as officers of the law.
The victims, Fatai Showumi Shina, 20, a spare parts dealer and Samuel Toyosi, 25, said the suspects invaded their home at No. 15, Oseyintola Street, Ifako-Ijaiye in Agege, Lagos around 11.30pm on July 15th, 2022 with seven heavily armed men dressed in jackets inscribed with the letter FIB-STS and began to beat them claiming that they came to investigate the youths for kidnapping. According to the victims, immediately the men, some of them were in mufti, were made to enter the apartment, they started slapping and kicking us for keeping them outside for a long time. They later identified themselves as Police officers form the Force Headquarters on Investigation and therefore, wished to search the apartment.
It was gathered that the bewildered occupants of the apartment who initially thought they were armed robbers then demanded for their search warrant but again, that was said to have been greeted with more severe slapping and beating. The furious officers reportedly shoved the occupants aside, turned the apartment upside down, damaged some furniture and in the process discovered $5,000 US dollars in a wardrobe which they quickly took.
The victims said that after turning their apartment upside down without discovering any incriminating document, the officers reportedly hauled the occupants into separate waiting vehicles having seized their phones and went along with them in their car.
“On the road, they said they were taken us to Area B Command, Apapa for further interrogation before being flown to Abuja the next day. First, they took us to the front of Red House Police Station, Iju where we were mercilessly tortured. They left again to the front of Meran Police Station where the beating continued until we were forced to disclose our account details. Having discovered N1.7m in Fatai’s account, the officers told him to give them his ATM pin with which they withdrew N1, 350, 000 .00 using different POS machines.”
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It was gathered that the victims were able to get the name of their leader while he was browsing during the torture. They Googled it later and got his picture. They called a top police officer related to them in Abuja and he directed them to Lagos state police commissioner who advised that a petition should be written to IGP.
They victims said they wrote the petition but later called Lagos Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin who swung into action and informed the DPO in Iju and he drafted policemen to their hideout where the two suspects were arrested. Two of them including the gang leader who happened to be a serving Police officer were arrested while four others are still on the run. Assorted weapons were reportedly recovered from them.
Police sources said the second suspect is a dismissed policeman. They are said to be a gang of notorious robbers that have been operating in different parts of Lagos and beyond for long and have been on Police searchlight.
When contacted, Lagos State Police spokesman, Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed the arrest of the two suspects and said that investigation was still in progress.
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
NEWS
Edo State Governor Sets Up Committee To Recover Missing Gov’t Vehicles
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.