News
IIP-SARS: Police Officers Killed Father Of 5 In Delta , Labelled Him Armed Robber
From Alhassan Bala, Abuja
The Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police on Thursday ordered the Police to produce the medical records and post mortem report of one Ovoko Godwin Onomrerhino who was allegedly killed by the Police in 2019.
The Investigative panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) directed the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), Kambari Tambari to ensure that the said medical records from the Hospital in Delta state (where Ovoko, now deceased was taken for medical treatment before his death) is brought before the panel.
The Police told the panel that Ovoko who was handcuffed jumped off a moving Police vehicle that was conveying him to Abraka Divisional Police Station.
The retired Supreme Court Judge also ordered the four (4) Police Officers who were in the same vehicle with Ovoko on July 3, 2020, the same day he allegedly jumped off the vehicle to be present on the adjourned date of January 28, 2021 for continuation of hearing.
The complainant Mr.Godwin Onomrerhino who is also the father of the deceased, told the panel that his occupation is farming. He testified that he received a telephone call from his son’s landlord informing him that Police Officers have arrested his son.
It was at this point, he stated that he visited Abraka Divisional Police station where he was arrested and detained for two days by the Police after calling him “father of armed robber”.
He informed the panel that he was eventually released from Police detention following a petition written by his family members to the AIG Zone 5, Benin Edo state.
The complainant who told the panel that his deceased son left behind five (5) children, recalled that it was when the Police released him from their custody that they told him for the first time that his son, Ovoko is dead and his corpse was deposited at Medisaj morgue Obiaruko in Delta state.
Asked on what he wants the panel to do for him in this circumstance, he said he is demanding N100m compensation from all the respondents including the CSP Hassan Isah (DPO Abraka Police Station), Mr. Odiri Emeni (Igun Vigilantee) in Ethiope East LGA Delta state, Commissioner of Police Delta state and Inspector General of Police.
He also prayed the panel to order that the respondents including CSP Hassan Isah and his men or anyone involved in the death of his son be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The complainant ealier informed the panel that Ovoko (the deceased) was a pipeline welder and that he was never involved in any form of armed robbery (a crime he was accused of) along Abraka-Igun road as claimed by Abraka Divisional Police station.
On the other hand, CSP Hassan Isah informed the panel that the Igu Vigilantee group arrested Ovoko with the help of a Police team he (the DPO) directed to assist the Vigilantee in the said arrest.
According to him, he got a phone call from Mr. Odiri Emeni, leader of the Vigilantee informing him of an armed robbery incident in Igun community and that one of the suspect was identified by some of the victims of the said robbery case.
The DCP stated that his men succeded in arresting one of the suspects, Ode Godspower whom he noted was immediately identified by some of the robbery victims who according to him were already waiting at Abraka Divisional Police station when the Police team arrived with the suspect.
He also told the panel that in the course of investigation, the suspect, Godspower, made some confessional statements in which he mention four other suspects including Ovoko, whom the complainant alleged was extra-judicially executed by the Police.
It was through the hint provided by Godspower, the DCP noted that guided the Police to fish out Ovoko in a remote village where he was hiding.
He said that when he was arrested and brought to the Police station, he made confessional statements and disclosed that his gang has two (2) cartridges and three (3) cut-to-size short guns hidden inside the bush with which they used during robbery operations.
He said it was on account of this revelation that his men swung into action again and Ovoko led the Police team including IPO Tambari to the spot where the said ammunitions were buried and they were recovered.
Both the DPO and the IPO stated during their cross-examination that while Ovoko (the deceased) wasreturning back to the Police station having recovered the guns owned by the suspects, he jumped off the vehicle in handcuffs and ran away before he was rearrested by the Police.
According to the duo, Ovoko sustained injuries on his arms and legs which informed the decision of the DPO to give the sum of N5, 000 to the IPO who was accompanied by some other Officers to Abraka General Hospital for treatment before the suspect allegedly died.
The DPO told the panel that the General Hospital in Abraka does not have a functional mortuary, being the reason Ovoko’s corpse was deposited to a private morgue, as earlier stated.
In addition, the DPO informed the panel that Police invited one of their Doctors from Abuja who did autopsy on the body of the deceased and a copy of the autopsy report was admitted by the panel.
The case was adjourned to January 28, 2021 for further hearing.
was deposited to a private morgue, as earlier stated.
In addition, the DPO informed the panel that Police invited one of their Doctors from Abuja who did autopsy on the body of the deceased and a copy of the autopsy report was admitted by the panel.
The case was adjourned to January 28, 2021 for further hearing.
IIP-SARS: POLICE OFFICERS KILLED FATHER OF 5 IN DELTA, LABELLED HIM ARMED ROBBER
The Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police on Thursday ordered the Police to produce the medical records and post mortem report of one Ovoko Godwin Onomrerhino who was allegedly killed by the Police in 2019.
The Investigative panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) directed the Investigative Police Officer (IPO), Kambari Tambari to ensure that the said medical records from the Hospital in Delta state (where Ovoko, now deceased was taken for medical treatment before his death) is brought before the panel.
The Police told the panel that Ovoko who was handcuffed jumped off a moving Police vehicle that was conveying him to Abraka Divisional Police Station.
The retired Supreme Court Judge also ordered the four (4) Police Officers who were in the same vehicle with Ovoko on July 3, 2020, the same day he allegedly jumped off the vehicle to be present on the adjourned date of January 28, 2021 for continuation of hearing.
The complainant Mr.Godwin Onomrerhino who is also the father of the deceased, told the panel that his occupation is farming. He testified that he received a telephone call from his son’s landlord informing him that Police Officers have arrested his son.
It was at this point, he stated that he visited Abraka Divisional Police station where he was arrested and detained for two days by the Police after calling him “father of armed robber”.
He informed the panel that he was eventually released from Police detention following a petition written by his family members to the AIG Zone 5, Benin Edo state.
The complainant who told the panel that his deceased son left behind five (5) children, recalled that it was when the Police released him from their custody that they told him for the first time that his son, Ovoko is dead and his corpse was deposited at Medisaj morgue Obiaruko in Delta state.
Asked on what he wants the panel to do for him in this circumstance, he said he is demanding N100m compensation from all the respondents including the CSP Hassan Isah (DPO Abraka Police Station), Mr. Odiri Emeni (Igun Vigilantee) in Ethiope East LGA Delta state, Commissioner of Police Delta state and Inspector General of Police.
He also prayed the panel to order that the respondents including CSP Hassan Isah and his men or anyone involved in the death of his son be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
The complainant ealier informed the panel that Ovoko (the deceased) was a pipeline welder and that he was never involved in any form of armed robbery (a crime he was accused of) along Abraka-Igun road as claimed by Abraka Divisional Police station.
On the other hand, CSP Hassan Isah informed the panel that the Igu Vigilantee group arrested Ovoko with the help of a Police team he (the DPO) directed to assist the Vigilantee in the said arrest.
According to him, he got a phone call from Mr. Odiri Emeni, leader of the Vigilantee informing him of an armed robbery incident in Igun community and that one of the suspect was identified by some of the victims of the said robbery case.
The DCP stated that his men succeded in arresting one of the suspects, Ode Godspower whom he noted was immediately identified by some of the robbery victims who according to him were already waiting at Abraka Divisional Police station when the Police team arrived with the suspect.
He also told the panel that in the course of investigation, the suspect, Godspower, made some confessional statements in which he mention four other suspects including Ovoko, whom the complainant alleged was extra-judicially executed by the Police.
It was through the hint provided by Godspower, the DCP noted that guided the Police to fish out Ovoko in a remote village where he was hiding.
He said that when he was arrested and brought to the Police station, he made confessional statements and disclosed that his gang has two (2) cartridges and three (3) cut-to-size short guns hidden inside the bush with which they used during robbery operations.
He said it was on account of this revelation that his men swung into action again and Ovoko led the Police team including IPO Tambari to the spot where the said ammunitions were buried and they were recovered.
Both the DPO and the IPO stated during their cross-examination that while Ovoko (the deceased) wasreturning back to the Police station having recovered the guns owned by the suspects, he jumped off the vehicle in handcuffs and ran away before he was rearrested by the Police.
According to the duo, Ovoko sustained injuries on his arms and legs which informed the decision of the DPO to give the sum of N5, 000 to the IPO who was accompanied by some other Officers to Abraka General Hospital for treatment before the suspect allegedly died.
The DPO told the panel that the General Hospital in Abraka does not have a functional mortuary, being the reason Ovoko’s corpse was deposited to a private morgue, as earlier stated.
In addition, the DPO informed the panel that Police invited one of their Doctors from Abuja who did autopsy on the body of the deceased and a copy of the autopsy report was admitted by the panel.
The case was adjourned to January 28, 2021 for further hearing.
News
ADC Accuses APC of Avoiding Performance Record, Shifting Focus to Personalities Ahead of 2027
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of attempting to divert public attention from its economic and security record by obsessively focusing on opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar and former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s personal opinions.
In a statement issued Monday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi said the APC’s response to recent criticism from Catholic Bishops reveals a party unable to defend its governance record.
“The APC wants the 2027 election to be about personalities because it cannot defend its performance,” Abdullahi said. “They want this election to be about Obasanjo’s personal opinion of Atiku based on a distant past because they cannot defend Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s record based on current performance.”
The statement comes after Catholic Bishops reportedly raised concerns about worsening poverty, insecurity, and the rising cost of living during a recent meeting with President Tinubu. The ADC accused the ruling party of attacking the Bishops rather than addressing their substantive concerns.
“Whenever respected Nigerians point to the deepening poverty, worsening insecurity, rising cost of living, or the collapse of public confidence under this administration, the APC never answers for its record,” Abdullahi said. “Instead, it looks for someone to attack. Yesterday, it was the Catholic Bishops. Today, it is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Tomorrow, it will be someone else.”
The ADC challenged the APC government to answer specific questions about its economic management, including why food prices continue to soar despite proclaimed economic growth, why poverty has deepened, and why the government is spending 69% of revenue on debt servicing—a figure the World Bank has described as dangerously high.
The party also defended Atiku Abubakar’s record as Vice President under Obasanjo, noting that Nigeria experienced stronger economic growth and greater macroeconomic stability during that period.
“While President Obasanjo was in office, with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar serving as Vice President and Chairman of the National Economic Council, Nigeria experienced stronger economic growth, greater macroeconomic stability, stronger investor confidence, and a far more affordable cost of living than Nigerians endure today,” the statement read.
“Whatever political differences may now exist between the two men, that record remains a matter of public history and cannot be erased.”
The APC had not issued an official response to the ADC’s allegations at the time of this report. However, party officials have previously dismissed opposition criticism as politically motivated.
Political analysts note that the exchange reflects an intensifying campaign season, with both parties already positioning themselves for the 2027 presidential election. The ADC, while a smaller opposition party, has sought to align itself with the broader critique of the APC’s economic policies under President Tinubu.
News
Atiku Fires Back at the Presidency: “767 Factories Shut, 335 Others in Distress Under Tinubu”
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Tinubu administration of presiding over an increasingly hostile business environment, alleging that 767 factories had shut down while another 335 were operating under severe distress.
Mr Atiku said the closures and difficulties facing manufacturers contradicted the Federal Government’s claims that its economic reforms were restoring growth and improving the business environment.
The former vice-president, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, stated this in a response to the Presidency’s defence of President Bola Tinubu’s economic record.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Mr Atiku said the government’s claims of economic prosperity existed largely in official statements and had not been reflected in the experiences of businesses and ordinary Nigerians.
He said the administration was celebrating Gross Domestic Product, GDP, growth and other macroeconomic indicators while manufacturers, small businesses and households faced rising operating costs and declining purchasing power.
“The Presidency proudly announced that Nigeria’s GDP has increased significantly since the exchange-rate adjustment. We ask a simple question: Has the purchasing power of the average Nigerian increased?” Mr Atiku said.
“Are manufacturers paying less for energy? Have small businesses become more profitable? The answer, tragically, is no.”
He said the closure of hundreds of factories and the distress faced by many others reflected the pressure created by high energy costs, multiple taxes, expensive logistics, rising electricity tariffs and weak consumer demand.
Mr Atiku argued that government policies could not be described as successful if they increased public revenue while reducing the productive capacity of the economy.
“Government cannot tax its way into prosperity while simultaneously shrinking the productive capacity of the economy,” he said.
“Manufacturers are battling record energy costs. Small businesses face multiple taxes, rising electricity tariffs, escalating logistics expenses and declining consumer demand.”
The former vice-president said tax reforms should be designed to encourage production, create jobs and expand the tax base rather than place additional pressure on struggling businesses.
“A tax reform that expands government revenue while ordinary citizens become poorer cannot honestly be described as progressive,” he said.
He added that successful tax systems were built on productivity and economic growth, not by extracting more revenue from businesses and households already facing financial pressure.
Mr Atiku also questioned the government’s borrowing policy, saying the debate should not focus solely on Nigeria’s debt-to-GDP ratio but on the economic value generated by borrowed funds.
“No serious economist argues that borrowing is inherently wrong. Nations borrow. The real question is this: what has Nigeria obtained in return for the unprecedented debts accumulated under this administration?” he asked.
He said Nigerians had a right to demand evidence that borrowed funds were being used to improve infrastructure, create jobs, strengthen public services and raise living standards.
Mr Atiku noted that businesses continued to spend heavily on alternative sources of electricity, while high logistics costs and poor infrastructure remained major obstacles to production.
“After record borrowing and record budgets, businesses are still forced to spend enormous sums generating their own electricity,” he said.
“Logistics costs remain among the highest in Africa. Manufacturers continue to struggle under crushing operating costs, while many roads remain in deplorable condition.”
The former vice-president said infrastructure should be assessed by its economic impact rather than the number of projects announced or commissioned by the government.
“Every administration announces projects. Nigerians are interested in completed projects that reduce the cost of doing business, improve mobility, guarantee stable electricity and stimulate economic growth,” he said.
Mr Atiku also challenged the Presidency’s explanation concerning crude-backed financing arrangements, arguing that the government had admitted that future oil earnings had been committed in ways that limited the country’s ability to benefit from favourable crude oil prices.
He said Nigerians deserved full disclosure on the terms of such arrangements, including the volume of crude committed, repayment conditions, funds received and projects financed.
News
Presidency Sets Seven-Week Deadline for State Police Bill Draft
By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
The presidency has officially set a seven-week timeline for the completion of the draft executive bill on state policing, with the proposed legislation expected to reach President Bola Tinubu for review by September 3, 2026.
Femi Gbajabiamila, chairman of the presidential working group on the national policing bill, disclosed the schedule on Monday, confirming that the draft will be formally transmitted to the president exactly seven weeks from now.
Gbajabiamila’s announcement underscores the administration’s accelerated push to overhaul Nigeria’s centralized policing structure, a reform initiative that has gained significant traction amid growing calls for decentralized security architecture to address the nation’s complex law enforcement challenges.
ADC Accuses APC of Avoiding Performance Record, Shifting Focus to Personalities Ahead of 2027
Atiku Fires Back at the Presidency: “767 Factories Shut, 335 Others in Distress Under Tinubu”
WARAKA: The Story of Kano Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
Presidency Sets Seven-Week Deadline for State Police Bill Draft
How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly
Alhaji Tijjani Rabiu Spikin: A Neighbour, Philanthropist, and Friend of Children
Is N100,000 Worth the Risk?’ Nigerians React to Soldiers’ Salary Increase
Goodwill, Visibility, and Operational Security: A Strategic Communication Reading of Senator Ahmad Lawan’s DIA Post
MAAUN Clarifies Status of Former Visiting Lecturer, Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Policy on Sexual Harassment
Kano Governor Yusuf Shortlisted for Africa’s SANKOFA Award of Excellence in Infrastructural Development
ADC Accuses APC of Avoiding Performance Record, Shifting Focus to Personalities Ahead of 2027
Atiku Fires Back at the Presidency: “767 Factories Shut, 335 Others in Distress Under Tinubu”
WARAKA: The Story of Kano Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)
Presidency Sets Seven-Week Deadline for State Police Bill Draft
How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly
Alhaji Tijjani Rabiu Spikin: A Neighbour, Philanthropist, and Friend of Children
Is N100,000 Worth the Risk?’ Nigerians React to Soldiers’ Salary Increase
Goodwill, Visibility, and Operational Security: A Strategic Communication Reading of Senator Ahmad Lawan’s DIA Post
MAAUN Clarifies Status of Former Visiting Lecturer, Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Policy on Sexual Harassment
Kano Governor Yusuf Shortlisted for Africa’s SANKOFA Award of Excellence in Infrastructural Development
-
Opinion4 years agoOn The Kano Flyovers And Public Perception
-
Features5 years agoHow I Became A Multimillionaire In Nigeria – Hadiza Gabon
-
Opinion6 years agoKano As future Headquarters Of Poverty In Nigeria
-
History5 years agoSheikh Adam Abdullahi Al-Ilory (1917-1992):Nigeria’s Islamic Scholar Who Wrote Over 100 Books And Journals
-
Opinion5 years agoMy First Encounter with Nasiru Gawuna, the Humble Deputy Governor
-
History5 years agoThe History Of Borno State Governor Professor Babagana Umara Zulum
-
History5 years agoThe Origin Of “Mammy Market” In Army Barracks (Mammy Ochefu)
-
News4 years agoFederal University Of Technology Babura To Commence Academic Activities September