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Wednesday, December 5, 2012

National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net

Community Mirror Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo honours Agbaso in Lagos

“In my opinion, those who invest in education are the best because of the connection between education and progressive living.” KANO STATE GOVERNOR; RABI’U MUSA KWANKWASO

Workers paraded for planning to kidnap, kill MD STORIES: FRANCIS SUBERU

he Lagos Police Command has paraded nine suspects for planning to kidnap and kill a Lebanese businessman (name withheld). The suspects, some of who were exworkers of JY Construction of Nigeria Limited, owned by the Lebanese, had planned to kidnap and kill the Managing Director, MD, on November 30, 2012 and also steal N5 million meant to be lodged in the bank. The nine suspects are: Patrick Omosafe, Mohammed Isah, Monday Echoda, Oshussien Abel, Musa Salifu, Godwin Onoja, Wisdom Awanrin, Emmanuel Nathan and Emmanuel Fuere Osunde. Community Mirror gathered the plot against the MD started some months ago, when one of the suspects, then a driver in the company, revealed that he was planning to kidnap, rob and possibly kill the businessman, for paying them meager wages. In November, Patrick and Mohammed, who were ex-drivers in the company, contacted some other conspirators within and outside the establishment to assist in carrying out their nefarious acts. According to police sources, the duo also contracted one Monday, from Edo State to coordinate other suspects for the operation. A deal was eventually struck in a hotel at Ikoyi Area, where on November 26, four Abuja-based robbery suspects, were contracted by the ex-drivers and on arriving Lagos, lodged in a hotel at Festac Town.

Robbery suspects being paraded at the police command, Ikeja, Lagos.

The Abuja-based suspects include Oshussien , 27, Musa, 28, Godwin 26, and Wisdom 30. Their mission was to kidnap and kill the Lebanese on November 30, 2012. They equally planned to intercept a bullion van conveying N5 million from the company to a bank. However, the plan leaked to the police as they were arrested before they could execute the plan. According to the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Ngozi Braide; when the four suspects arrived in La-

gos from Abuja, they were said to have fortified themselves with some fetish concoctions in white handkerchiefs and also planned to dress in suits, to give the impressions they were SSS operatives. However, some of the suspects who spoke with Community Mirror gave different accounts of their involvement in the kidnap and robbery saga. One of the suspects, Emmanuel Nathan 29, an indigene of Akwa Ibom State and driver to the MD, denied involvemen, while another suspect, Os-

PHOTO: FRANCIS SUBERU

unde, who was the Assistant Human Resource Manager, regretted not reporting Nathan of planning to kidnap and rob the Lebanese. Osunde said: I did not want to report Nathan because it is common for company staff to complain of poor wages, even as I did not want the MD’s driver to see me as a spoiler. But, Ngozi Braide said that all nine suspects have confessed in writing to their involvement in the alleged attempt to kidnap, rob and kill the Lebanese businessman.

Police arrest robbery suspects, recover arms, laptops P olice in Lagos have arrested five persons suspected to have participated in recent armed robbery attack on the home of Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos State on Information and Strategy, Alhaji Lateef Raji. The suspects, Momoh Jimoh, Sheidu Musari, Sadiq Dauda, Ahmed Abdulkareem and Moruf Babarunde, were arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, following intelligence report. A locally-made gun, three cartridges and two laptop computers were recovered from them. It would be recalled that they had allegedly attacked the Special Adviser in his Shomolu residence on November 13, 2012, where they dispossessed him of cash, phones, laptops and other valuables. Sources at SARS who craved ano-

nymity, said the operatives arrested the suspects after exhaustive follow up on them through phone tracking method and other investigative tactics. “Our efforts paid off and the three suspected robbers Momoh Jimoh a.ka. Jamiu, Sheidu Musari and Sadiq Dauda all of Igbira tribe, where arrested with a locally made gun with five cartridges. Their confession led to the arrest of one Ahmed Abdulkareem 32,, a tailor who owns a shop near the SA’s house. “He confessed to have given information to the robbers and was given N10, 000 after the robbery. The last of the suspects was arrested at Computer Village with two laptops. He would be charged for receiving stolen items.” Confirming the reports, spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, Ngozi Braide, said the suspects will be

charged to court on completion of investigations. In a related development, two men; Akeem Oladapo and Sunday Akinmolayan, who allegedly impersonated army personnel and assaulted a policewoman, have been charged before an Ojokoro Magistrate’s Court in Lagos. Oladapo and Akinmolayan, both commercial bus drivers, are facing a three-count charge of dangerous driving, impersonation and assault on a police officer. The prosecutor, Inspector Lugard Ahonle, told the court that the accused committed the offences on November 24, 2012 at No11, Taiwo St., Kollington Bus Stop, Alagbado-Lagos. According to Lugard; “The two accused were in a Volkswagen bus with registration number XQ 149 KSL,

which was being driven in a dangerous manner when a police woman, Cpl. Gift Francis, ordered them to stop. The duo then alighted to assault the police officer and asked if she could not identify they were army officers.” The prosecutor said one of the accused was putting on a camouflage cap; saying it took the intervention of two other policemen to stop the assault and get the alleged impostors arrested. She said the offences contravened Section 27 of the Road Traffic Laws and Sections 78 and 166 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2011. The duo, however, pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them and the Magistrate, Mr K.O. Ogundare granted them bail in the sum of N80,000, with one surety each in like sum and adjourned the case to January 11, 2013 for mention.