chief (7)

Censorship chief escapes lynching for soliciting sex from minor

The director general of the Kano State Film and Censorship Board, Abubakar Rabo Abdulkarim, was nearly lynched over the weekend when a mob attacked him for soliciting sex from an under-aged girl.

Mr. Abdulkarim, the former Hisbah commander was trying to escape from a patrol team which had accosted him when they saw his car parked in a secluded environment - with a young girl inside - when he ran into a motorcyclist. Other members of the Okada union quickly surrounded him and he was only saved a lynching by the police who had been in pursuit of his car.

The censorship board, under his leadership, has waged a scorched earth campaign against actors, musicians and producers in the state for allegedly promoting immorality. As a result, many artistes fled the state and now ply their trade elsewhere..

Mr Abdulkarim, who insisted that the girl he was found with was his niece, said he was not having an affair with her. But when the former enforcer of Sharia law discovered he could not convince the contingent of policemen on night patrol on the propriety of having an under-aged girl in his car at such an odd hour, he panicked. The whole thing looked even more suspicious because for some curious reason he had parked behind a shopping complex along Maiduguri Road that night.

A police source said when the patrol team attempted to arrest Mr Abdulkarim he took flight in his car.

Double trouble

While trying to escape however, he knocked down an official of the Kano History and Culture Bureau who was riding on a motorcycle. This incurred the wrath of Okada riders, who thought that he had knocked down a member of their union and promptly proceeded to give him a thorough beating.

Ironically, it was the patrol team that he had been trying to avoid that finally came to his rescue, although by then the okada riders, who saw he had a girl with him, had damaged the car and were already on the verge of beating him to death.

He was later taken to the Hotoro police division where he was made to write down a statement.

Not a wayward one

When contacted, Mr Abdulkarim said members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and film practitioners, were responsible for his ordeal.

The man, who has been having a running battle with film makers and writers in Kano in his attempt to force them to comply with the Sharia legal code, spoke to NEXT before he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.

“The girl found in my car was my niece and not a wayward one as insinuated,” he insisted.

Spokesperson of the Kano State police command, Baba Mohammed, said he was not aware of the incident because he was in the hospital at the time. The police commissioner, Mohammed Gana also said he couldn’t speak on the matter because he just returned from Saudi Arabia. He however promised to find out the details from his men at the Hotoro Police Division.

Read more…
Ilesha: High chief charged with rape of minors
A 60-year-old Ilesa high chief, Mr. Moses Adeniyi, has been arraigned before an Ilesa Magistrate's Court for allegedly raping two 13-year-old girls (names withheld).
Adeniyi is the Head, Otokobo community of Ilesa.

According to the charge sheet read in court on Monday, Adeniyi allegedly committed the offence sometime in May, 2010 at Princeway Hotel located in Olomilagba area of Ilesa.

He owns the hotel.

The charge sheet stated that the high chief also attempted to have canal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl (name withheld), on the same date and venue.

Police prosecutor, Mr. Odekunle Ogundeji, opposed the bail application by the defence counsel, Mr. Boye Williams.

Williams explained that the suspect remained innocent until the contrary was proved before the court.

Ogundeji said one of the rape victims had been having problems with her stomach since the alleged rape and that despite being taken to the hospital for treatment, the pains had not subsided.

But Williams, who disproved the rape allegation, claimed there was a political mischief in the allegation against Adeniyi..

The magistrate, Mr. A. Adebayo, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100,000 and two sureties each, adding that the residences of the sureties must be within Ilesa magisterial district.

Adjourning the case till August 23, 2010, Adebayo stressed that the residences of the sureties must also be verified by the police.
Read more…
From Uzoma Okere to Mother & children !
It is usually not uncommon to hear certain unpleasant stories that touch the heart but it is thechildreninuniform.jpgexceptional when those involved as key players are supposedly highly placed personalities. Sad to note, though, is the fact that the story of Mrs. Paulynn Midalah

who narrates her ordeal in the hands of Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan, wife of former Chief of Naval Staff has taken a toll on innocent and unsuspecting Nigerians. Unfortunately too, Nigerian security agencies are used as decoy to perpetrate these heinous acts.

Hear her:




My name is Mrs. Paulynn Midalah; I am married with two children. On Tuesday, 28th April 2010 my children; Favour and Marvel,whose pictures appear above, left home to their school Trinity Anglican Primary School , Gwagwalada, Abuja FCT.

?I left my house around 10.30am that day to buy something, and then I received a telephone call from my children?s Headmaster that a certain woman had come to the school with armed Naval officers to pick my children from school. I immediately, put a call through to my son Favour?s phone and he picked it and said ?Hello Mummy?, but soon after he had said hello Mummy, I guess some one had collected the phone from my child.

Continuing, she revealed that ?After that all attempts to reach him on that phone proved abortive as my phone tells me the number is switched off. I became very worried and rushed to the school and met the Headmaster who confirmed that a certain woman came with armed Naval officers to pick my children from school and bundled their bicycles into her bus vehicle, I was seriously alarmed and confused; who could this be? Is it a kidnap or something? These were the questions begging for answers in my mind.

?The Headmaster couldn?t remember the name of the woman who came to the school to whisk my kids away. I rushed to the school gate but couldn?t find any one to give me proper briefing. I rushed back to the house and the kids were not home, I was more confused and started running up and down our Estate at Phase 1, Gwagwalada Abuja FCT and somewhere around our estate I sited a white bus carrying the children?s bicycles. I later learnt that it was Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan, Wife of a Former Chief of Naval Staff who came to my children?s school with armed Naval Officers to whisk my children away.

In tears, she explained further that ?My husband had worked for Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan before but he left them three (3) years ago after my family had a deadly motor accident on 17th March 2007 , where he sustained compound fracture and even lost his left elbow and my son Favour?s face was badly battered by glasses that we had to take him for plastic surgery. She abandoned us to our fate and my husband had to sell the house he just built then, to afford money for surgery on his badly fractured left hand. My husband still has about fifteen (15) iron screws in his left hand up till today and my son?s face, where surgeons removed glasses from 3 months, 6months and even 1 year after the accident is still there as prove of man?s inhumanity to man.

To her chagrin, according to Mrs. Paulynn Midalah, ?When I saw them, I confronted them that what is the problem? They said I need to go with them to the Gwagwalada Police Station which I did. On arrival at the Police Station, Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan started making some allegations against me and my husband and asked the Police to lock me and my children up and never to release me until my husband surfaces, that she has an unsettled issue with my husband.

Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan, in her bid to oppress the innocent woman and her young children and as wife of former Chief of Naval Staff however ensured that they were unlawfully detained by the police.

?I told her that I didn?t work with her so what is my offence? She couldn?t answer me but kept raining abuses on me and said that I must sleep there at the Police Station. I and my children aged seven and nine years eventually slept at the Gwagwalada Police Station in their school Uniforms.

Narrating her traumatic experience, Mrs. Paulynn Midalah said ?The following morning my family friends and well wishers prevailed on the Police to release the children that it was unlawful for them to have allowed innocent children to sleep at the Police Station in their School Uniform for something they didn?t know anything about. Even before my children could be released, the Inspector Crime at Gwagwalada Police Station had to call Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan to obtain her permission.

?Soon after my children were released I was returned to the cell and all attempts by our family friends and well wishers including that of a Lawyer to bail me proved abortive as the police vehemently refused to grant me bail saying I must get clearance from Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan or my husband comes. I told them that my husband was out of town on a business trip but they would not listen.

Revealing more of her ordeals in the hands of the Nigeria police, she said ?In the police cell I was subjected to the most dehumanizing experience in my life as I had to lay down on bare floor that has been contaminated with urine and human excrement, with maggots scattered all over the room. I spent three days at Gwagwalada Police Station, that is 28th, 29th and 30th April, 2010 .

?By afternoon on Friday, 30th April, 2010 the Inspector Crime at Gwagwalada Police Station instructed a junior police officer to bring me from the cell and when I was brought out he said that Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan wanted to speak with me and he handed his mobile phone over to me.

?Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan then said since I have refused to tell them the whereabouts of my husband she has instructed the Police to transfer my case to Kuje where I would be jailed. Not too long after we spoke, the Police at Gwagwalada Police Station made arrangements and I was taken to Kuje Police Station where I was also put into a cell where my experience with urine, excrement, maggots and mosquitoes continued for another four (4) days.

?Again here at Kuje Police Station all attempts to bail me by my family members, friends and the Lawyer was denied because according to the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) Kuje Police Station the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) was not around and also that Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan has not given them go ahead to release me.

Lamenting, she added that ?It was not until the fifth day when my family members threatened to bring my children back to the Police Station so that all of us can remain there that the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) Kuje Police Station agreed that my family should bring someone with landed property at Kuje to bail me. When my family eventually brought someone with landed property, the old story of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan are unreachable at the moment please try later, continued.

?On Tuesday 4th May, 2010 , my brother came to the Police Station and told me that they had contacted Journalists who are ready to publish the story and already Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan was being contacted by the Journalists to hear her own side of the story. Soon afterwards, the Inspector Crime from Gwagwalada Police Station came to Kuje Police Station and my brother later informed me that surprisingly the man who strongly opposed that I be released on bail at Gwagwalada Police Station is now canvassing that I be released because Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan had communicated to them that she got a call from a Journalist who wanted to hear her story before publication and that I should be released to avert the Newspaper publication.

According to her, ?the Lawyer was with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kuje Police Station prevailing on him to either take the matter to Court or release me. I was later briefed by the Lawyer that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Kuje Police Station said they don?t think Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan is interested in taking the matter to Court and therefore I was released and asked to come with my husband in a week?s time.

?I spent a total of seven (7) days in Police custody between Gwagwalada and Kuje from 28th April, 2010 to 4th May, 2010 . But my family is crying foul to the entire country to come to our aid by telling Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan to leave us alone. Enough is enough! We have been pushed to the wall; enough of her torment over the years.

Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan?s past deeds


As if these acts being perpetrated by Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan and wife of the highly placed ex-Naval boss forms part of her traits, Mrs. Paulynn Midalah recalls that ?In the same manner two years ago she used Naval Ratings and abducted two of my husband?s younger brothers, beat them mercilessly and took them to her house at Maitama Abuja where she kept them in custody in her house for over one week; eventually we were contacted on phone because at that time my family was in Enugu where I was attending to both my husband and my son who had undergone an orthopedic and plastic surgeries respectively.

?At that time she said my husband was in custody of a Gwagwalada Land document which she gave to him for the purpose of verification at Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) and that once the paper is returned to her that would be okay. She spoke to my husband and I on phone and my husband got in touch with a man of God named Pastor Rabinson and in company of one of our family friend who is an Army Officer, Mr. Ayuba they retrieved the document from AGIS and took it to her. We later reconciled and she apologized and begged that we must not let her husband know of this matter. Since then, we have been on our own until this time when the devil just reminded Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan about us again.

?It is obvious now that there is a threat to my life and that of members of my family; and just incase anything happens to any member of my family, Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan should be held responsible. If she has any case against us, this is a democracy and not a military regime. Let her stop using military personnel to harass a civilian and his innocent wife and children. If she has any case against us why not take the case to a law court for the judge to decide who is guilty and who pays what and how much.

Last word

Following the seemingly unending torment in the hands of Mrs. Treasure Samuel Afolayan, Mrs. Paulynn Midalah has appealed to human rights agencies to step into the unwholesome treatment meted to her and her family.

?I hereby appeal to all human right agencies to come to the aid of my family and stop this injustice against us where some ?animals? are more equal than others; where a woman would use her husband?s position as a Former Chief of the Naval Staff to abduct people?s children from school and use money and influence to deny me bail from Police custody for seven (7) days even when I am innocent of any offence?, she begged.
Read more…


Worried by the extra-judicial killings allegedly carried out by officers of the Nigeria Police during the Boko Haram crisis, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Adetokunbo Kayode, has summoned the Inspector General of Police and the police leadership to discuss the issue.

Mr. Kayode said, over the past few weeks, documentary and photographic evidence of extra-judicial killings by Nigeria’s police has dominated national and international discourse.

“Specifically, I am refereeing to the Aljazeera documentary on the Boko Haram unrest and Amnesty International’s report alleging extra-judicial killings by the Nigerian Police,” he said.

The Minister, who briefed the press after his meeting with the National Committee on Torture, said he decided to convene the meeting because of the growing unease about Nigeria’s commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, and specifically to the government’s position on torture and extra-judicial killings.

He instructed the committee to put administrative measures in place to investigate the documentary on the killings, stating that those who appear on the video clip would be identified and made to face the wrath of the law.

He said the visuals undermine our image as a nation of laws that is committed to the human rights provisions in its constitution as well as its international human rights obligations.

“A democracy as resilient as ours must reject the false choice between our security and fundamental freedoms and this is why we cannot tolerate impunity disguised under the cloak of security or any other guise,” he said.

201029133124418734_3.jpg

Furthermore, he said policemen who were involved in the alleged killings are now facing orderly room trial and will be brought to justice.

“Over 600 people, including police officers, have been indicted by the investigating committee set up by the Federal Government to investigate the Boko Haram incident,” he said.

Ignored crimes

Mr. Kayode also said the impression is that extra-judicial execution and other unlawful killings in Nigeria are widespread and go largely uninvestigated and unpunished.PHOTO:Baba Fugu Mohammed's family says he was among those killed

“My judgment on this is a matter of record. In one of my very first speeches as the Attorney General (of the Federation) and Minister of Justice of the Federation, I did state categorically that the Federal Government of Nigeria unequivocally condemns all extra-judicial executions and other unlawful killings,” he said. “Going forward, it is my strong believe that the Federal Government of Nigeria has a solemn duty to criminalise torture and make extra-judicial executions punishable by sanctions commensurate with the gravity of the practice. This is an extraordinarily important responsibility of the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, and it is one that will be carried out assertively irrespective of any political concern.”


excerpts :


Nigerian police and military units carried out extra-judicial killings last year in the aftermath of clashes with members of a Muslim group in the north of the country, footage obtained by Al Jazeera appears to confirm.

An estimated 1,000 people were killed as Nigerian government forces fought Boko Haram in Borno, Yobe, Kano and Bauchi states in July and August of 2009.

But the footage obtained by Al Jazeera shows that many of the deaths occurred only after the fighting was over.

Elements of the security forces staged a follow-up operation in which house-to-house searches were conducted and individuals were apparently selected at random and taken to a police station.

'Shoot him in the chest'

20097292163679734_3.jpg

In the video, a number of unarmed men are seen being made to lie down in the road outside a building before they are shot.

As one man is brought out to face death, one of the officers can be heard urging his colleague to "shoot him in the chest not the head - I want his hat".

As the executions continue another man is told: "Sit properly we want to take your picture."

The shootings continue as a crowd gathers further up the street in front of the police station.

Voices can be heard saying: "No mercy, no mercy."

Two officers seen in the video can be clearly identified by the name tags on their chests.

The family of Baba Fugu Mohammed, a respected community leader, told Al Jazeera that he was among those put to death outside the police station.

"He was killed, he was killed, that's what we believe. He was shot by the police," one relative said.

Fugu Mohammed was the father-in-law of Mohammed Yusuf, the Boko Haram leader whose group had battled the police, but the two had become estranged.

His family said that he had come to help police restore order, but was shot.


Read more…

New UBA CEO: ELumelu hands over to Oduoza

The Board of the United Bank for Africa Plc has announced the appointment of Phillips Oduoza as the Group Chief Executive Designate. Mr. Oduoza has over 22 years experience in banking and financial services, spanning banking operations, relationship management, credit/marketing, technology implementation, risk management, lean banking methods and brand management. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Oduoza was the bank's Deputy Managing Director South, which is the largest strategic business in the group. He will resume in his new position on August 1, 2010. In the interim, Mr. Oduoza will be working with Tony Elumelu, the current Group Chief Executive of UBA to ensure that the transition is seamless. This is coming in the wake of Central Bank of Nigeria's announcement that, "Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of banks shall serve a maximum tenure of 10 years... all CEOs who would have served for 10 years by July 31, 2010 shall cease to function in that capacity and shall hand over to their successors."
Read more…
Bank chief nabbed over possession of $3.1m at Murtala Muhammed International Airport By Wole Shadare A combined team of Lagos Airport Police Command, the State Security Service (SSS) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security officials has apprehended a senior bank official at the General Aviation Terminal of the domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos after she was found in possession of $3.1 million, suspected to be a laundered fund. advertisement Due to the seriousness of the offence, and to unravel the motive behind the alleged transfer of such huge fund without authorized fund transfer documents from the bank, the case has been transferred to Abuja for investigation. The suspect, who is a Deputy General Manager in one of the rescued banks, was arrested on November 11, 2009 at 9 am in an attempt to board Arik Air's Abuja-bound flight. The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Airport Police Command, Mr. Ayuba Pam, confirmed the arrest of Etuk, when The Guardian visited the Command on Thursday. He however said that the matter had been transferred to Force headquarters in Abuja for proper investigation. A top official of one of the aviation agencies who pleaded anonymity disclosed that Etuk was detained for two weeks with the SSS in Lagos before he was moved to Abuja on November 27, 2009 . The source, however, lauded the security personnel for the arrest, stressing that huge movement of funds through the General Aviation Terminal in chartered aircraft and private jets and commercial aircraft has been a source of worry to them, adding that the movement without proper police protection and under questionable circumstances was giving the airport authority real concern. Investigation by The Guardian showed that the money found on Etuk had been traced to a governor from one of the oil-rich states in the Niger Delta. Police sources confided in The Guardian that the sum was being transferred on behalf of the governor, but security operatives who questioned Mrs. Etuk said that she maintained that she was handling the cash on behalf of the bank even though without any authorisation document. The husband of the bank chief is a Special Assistant to the governor on Utilities and has helped to secure the government's account to the bank. The Guardian had penultimate week, reported the lax in security at the Lagos airport, which has led to the rise in drug trafficking, money laundering and other nefarious activities by powerful Nigerians. Of particular concern are operators or owners of private jets, whose agents allegedly aid them to flout security check on their aircraft before take-off. Disturbed by the development, the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren recently summoned all the agents of private airlines in the country, security operatives at the airport which comprise the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Immigration Service, Air Force, security operatives from the Federal FAAN, officials of the SSS and the Nigeria Customs Service among others to a meeting in his office. Two separate meetings were held that day with the aim of ensuring compliance with screening. Demuren, at the meeting instructed that all aircraft, particularly private jets be screened by SSS personnel the way it is done in other countries. There are also indications that prior to the tough stance of government on screening the aircraft of these very few rich men, most of the owners in connivance with their agents were alleged to have been using their jets to smuggle arms, money and drugs out of the country, owing to the lax in security at the airports. Speaking to The Guardian recently, spokesman for NCAA, Sam Adurogboye said that the Director General of the Authority had threatened to withdraw the agents' licenses if they were found to constitute a security risk to the country and to flight safety. Adurogboye stated that the private jets owners are given clearance by the NCAA to operate into Nigeria after they must have satisfied all safety related matters to be jointly supervised by the NCAA inspector and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of the country where the aircraft is registered. He explained that foreign registered aircraft and the ones registered in Nigeria under the 5N call sign are given the same level of certification before they can be allowed to operate, adding that the regulatory body has raised the bar in its oversight functions.
Read more…
Quicklly bows out before being bowed out ! No Fuss No Theatrics The Managing Director of Bank PHB, Frank Atuche, has resigned his position as the bank's chief executive. Mr. Atuche made his decision known in a farewell letter to staff of the bank on Friday. In the letter, Mr. Atuche did not say why he is leaving the bank at this time but said, "As in all things however, there is a time to say GOOD BYE. As I bow out today from the Bank, I earnestly urge each and everyone of you to keep the PHB passion aflame so that the height, the mount everest which we envisioned shall not only be accomplished, but shall be surpassed and we would have created an institution that would outlive". He also said, "In the course of my stewardship we took decisions which affected all of us in different ways but they were in the best and overall interest of the Bank". Mr. Atuche's resignation comes after sources saidT last night that the Central Bank of Nigeria had concluded plans to sack him today. The central bank's decision, the sources said, was as a result of the inability of Bank PHB to pass its latest audit of banks. Since the audit began some months ago, the chief executives of five banks have been sacked. Four of the former executives are now being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for various offences.
Read more…

Blog Topics by Tags

  • in (506)
  • to (479)
  • of (339)
  • ! (213)
  • as (166)
  • is (157)
  • a (156)

Monthly Archives