6 — Vanguard , TUESDAY , SEPTEMBER 26 , 2017
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POWERING POLICING : From left — Group Managing Director , United Bank for Africa , UBA , Plc , Mr . Kennedy Uzoka ; representative of Lagos State Governor and Chairman , Lagos State Security Trust Fund , LSSTF , Mr . Oye Hassan-Odukale ; Lagos State Commissioner of Police , Mr . Imohimi Edgal ; CEO / Executive Secretary , LSSTF , Dr . Abdulrazaq Balogun ; Special Adviser , Office of Overseas Affairs & Investment , Lagos Global , Professor Ademola Abass ; Commander , Rapid Response Squad , RRS , ACP Tunji Disu , and other security officers , during the handing over of 120 power generating sets to the state ' s Police Command by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode , at the Lagos House , Ikeja , yesterday .
Man accused of raping neighbour
By Onozure Dania
LAGOS — A 23-year-old man , Animashaun Sodiq , who allegedly raped his neighbour , was , yesterday , granted N500,000 bail by an Ikeja magistrate ’ s court , Lagos . The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department , SCIID , Panti , Yaba , yesterday , arraigned Sodiq on a count charge of defilement before Magistrate B . O . Osusanmi . The prosecutor , Mr . Simeon Imohnwa , an Assistant Superintendent of Police , told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence at his residence , 28 , Enialonbinu Street , Oshodi .
He said the incident took place at about 10a . m ., on February 11 . “ Sodiq asked the girl to bring a box of matches to him in his room , but when she came , he pounced on her and raped her ,” he added . Sodiq pleaded not guilty . The defence counsel , Mrs Bibian Ayo , urged the court to grant him bail on liberal terms , since , according to her , he had been in Police custody since the case commenced . In a bench ruling , Magistrate Osusanmi granted Sodiq N500,000 bail with two sureties in like sum , who must be tax compliant and one of who must own landed property in Lagos . She adjourned the case till November 29 .
Abductors of Edo Zoo boss tricked policemen with beer — Eyewitness
By Gabriel Enogholase & Simon Ebegbulem
BENIN — AN eyewitness said , yesterday , that the gunmen that abducted Dr . Andy Ehanire , Executive Director of Ogba Zoo and Nature Park in Benin , the Edo State capital , on Sunday , tricked the murdered policemen with beer .
This came as the state ’ s Police Commissioner , Haliru Gwandu , said militants were responsible for the murder of the three Police officers and the abduction of Dr . Ehanire . The victim , Ehanire , is the younger brother of Minister of State for Health , Dr . Osagie Ehanire . Gwandu made the claim in Benin when he visited the Ogba Zoo , Airport Road in Oredo Local Government Area of the state . He said : “ It was an unfortunate incident . We lost three of our personnel . This is the work of militants . They came and unfortunately killed our men , but we are on the trail of the hoodlums . “ We have been able to recover the vehicles they used . We are using all the available means , including ICT , to fish out the perpetrators . They cannot go free . Let me assure the public in Edo State that we are on top of the situation and that they should go about their normal duty . All hands are on deck to ensure that the hoodlums are fished out .”
Eyewitness account Giving insight on the incident , one of the Zoo ’ s staff told Vanguard that the assailants came as fun seekers .
According to the staff , “ after I finished my morning duties , people began to enter the zoo . At this time , my boss had not come . When he came at about 1p . m ., I went to tell him that I had a birthday party to attend and he gave me permission to go . “ I left for the birthday , hoping to come back to resume duty later in the day . “ When I eventually came back at about 6p . m ., I met three policemen lying dead on the ground . I was shocked . I saw people running for safety and the boss being taken away . It was those we met at the scene that told us what happened .
“ They said one of the kidnappers paid to enter the zoo with worn out money , which was rejected by the casher at the gate . When the money was rejected , he went back to get a better money to pay . “ At this time , their informants had already gained entrance into the zoo as fun seekers . When the informants finally studied the terrain , one of them decided to engage our director in conversation . “ Our boss started telling him his plans to put up a world tourism day . As one of them engaged my boss in a conversation , the other one went straight to the security personnel and asked them if they had not closed for the day . They decided to order for drinks for the officers . “ So they bought the officers beer and as they dropped their guns to drink , the hoodlums opened fire on them , killing them instantly . We have not heard any information about the whereabouts of our boss .”
‘ I thought they were policemen ’
Another staff of the Zoo told Vanguard : “ I resumed duty by 5:30p . m . I went round to inspect the animals and the visitors on ground . After that , I came back to the reception where the Executive Director was sitting and there was another person sitting close to him . “ There were two policemen sitting by him . So , I went outside to observe . From outside , I saw an Audi 80 car and , suddenly , I saw three men coming out with guns with one of them wearing a bullet proof vest . “ I thought they were policemen who usually come here for normal security reasons . Suddenly , I saw them running into the zoo premises , which was very unusual and when they entered , they started shooting immediately . “ All of us started to run for our lives . I was asking people to give us Police numbers ; nobody was ready to stop because they were all afraid . “ While watching from afar , I saw that the men were going out with my Director . They went into the Audi car and zoomed off . I came into the zoo premises and I saw the three policemen , who were supposed to be guarding the Director , lying dead on the ground .
“ After that , the DPO came to remove the bodies . Everything happened at about 5:40p . m .”
When journalists visited the Director ’ s family house at the
It ' s the Devil ' s work , sa
“
IT is the Devil ; I won ' t do it again ,” said a 30-year-old driver , Khamis Umar , who was sentenced to three years imprisonment for raping an eight-year-old girl .
A Jos upper area court sitting in Kasuwan Nama , Jos North Local Government Area ,
GRA , the family members who were still in shock , said what they needed at the moment were prayers for the deceased officers and the safe release of their family head .
No arrest yet — Police
Meanwhile , the state Police Command yesterday , said it was yet to make any arrest on the kidnap of the Managing Director of the Ogba Zoological Gardens in Benin , saying they were on the trail of the suspected kidnappers . The state ’ s Police Public Relations Officer , Moses Nkombe , told journalists that “ our men are working on it , though we have not made any arrest . Our men are working round the clock to secure his release .”
Group tasks IG
Meawhile , in a letter to the Inspector General of Police , Idris Abubakar , an Edo political group , Edo Forum of Patriots , EFP , by its Chairman , Interim Management Committee , Ayamenkhue Edokpolo , called on the Police boss to ensure Ehanire ' s release . He said : “ We the members and trustees of the Edo Forum of Patriots , EFP , hereby condemn , in strong terms , this ugly incident which has become very worrisome and seemingly intractable in our state .”
passed the sentence , yesterday . The presiding judge , Mr . Yahaya Mohammed , handed down the sentence after the convict pleaded guilty to a onecount charge and begged for leniency . He begged : “ It was the devil that pushed me to do it . This is the