Nigeria Police Force Goes Tough On Same Sex Practitioners

Over 30 people associated with gay and lesbian practices have been arrested by the police in South Western part Nigeria  since  National Assembly passed a law criminalizing same sex marriage and gay organisations in 2013.

 The bill made the practice of homosexuality illegal in Nigeria, setting jail terms of up to 14 years for offenders hence, hotels, clubs and hideouts where homosexual activities were allegedly taking place were raided randomly.

During Interrogation of some of the apprehended homosexuals, police were able to get names of their partners and mutual friends that are on the run.

Some of the names are Ifeanyi Orazulike, Efe Desmond, Adegun Kabiru, Sharon, Mubashir Yussuf, Ogundimu Oladeji, Alownle Ishola, Odetayo Fatimo, Lawrence Udo and Prince Ejimole.

Gay people now live in fear and cannot openly express their sexual orientation. Although arrests are infrequent, homosexual practitioners live in hiding because they are not protected by any law and they face discrimination especially due to the influential Christian evangelical movement in the south which opposes homosexuality.

The south west region social cultural security organisation Odua People's Congress (OPC) has vowed to work in conjunction with the Nigeria police force to flush out the barbaric and devilish sexual orientation out of the country, the group thereby employed other regional local community security counterparts, the Arewa  group, the Ijaw group, the Ohaneze and others to help in the campaign against defiling the land with abnormal  sexual orientation. The police appreciated the groups cooperating and requested the groups to be sure any culpable person be handed over to the police and not take laws into their hands.

SHELL BURGLES EXECUTION OF COURT ORDER, STOP JOURNALIST FROM ENTERING BUILDING

Nigerians recently decried the prevalence in the disrespect of court orders aided by the same people who are supposed to be the custodians of the law. The president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Augustine Alegeh SAN in a media chat about a month ago, said there is the need for all to respect the rule of law by respecting court orders. “Disobedience to court orders by any institution/corporate entity like Shell is not only offensive to the tenants of constitutional democracy, worrisome and can cause anarchy for the nation and its future generation. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. This is because those who are not affected today may be the people to be affected tomorrow.” Alegeh said.

On Friday, December 16, 2016, the Bailiffs from the National Industrial Court of Lagos Division were at Shell’s Office, Marina Lagos for the enforcement of a valid court judgment in a case between Tunde Adjoto a victimized staff of its security department and Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC). With the Court Bailiffs were a team of police officers from the SCID, Panti officially assigned by the Commissioner of Police for the duty of police protection for the team from the court, a journalist and the claimant whom the Bailiffs choose to go with for proper identification of Shell properties.

The team arrived Shell (Freeman House building) at 11: am and were screened into the reception but the journalist was bluntly refused entry. She was apparently refused ingress just because they realized that she was a journalist. Shell immediately deployed her Spy police officers and some men from the Nigeria Police Dog section to reinforce the entrance to the reception.

While at the reception, the Bailiffs introduced themselves to the receptionists and demanded to speak with the head or someone from the Legal department.  The team was left unattended to for over 30 minutes as no one came down to speak them. After some efforts by the Bailiffs, One Mrs. Folashade Moyo-folayi a Shell staff came forward, with two other shell staffs, one Miss Remi Coker and an unidentified male lawyer from Seyi Sowemimo SAN chambers to the reception.

The court Bailiffs introduced themselves stating that they are there to execute a monetary court judgment delivered by Hon. Justice K.I. Amadi of the National Industrial Court since September 2014 in favor of the claimant Tunde Adjoto pursuant to section 15 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2014.

Mrs. Folashade Moyo- Folayi who introduced herself as a lawyer put forth an argument claiming that Shell has an Appeal at the Supreme Court on the matter. The Court Bailiffs demanded the proof that will not enable the team to execute the valid and enforceable court judgment which Shell is doing its best to evade.

No sooner did Mr. Isaac Boro counsel to the claimant came into Shell reception to meet the argument. He intervened by explaining to Mrs. Moyo- Folayi and her team that there is no pending motion at the Supreme Court for stay of execution, with regards to the particular judgment, to his knowledge. He went further to tell them that an Appeal does not in itself constitute a stay of execution. Despite a clear and unambiguous explanations by lawyer Boro, Shell, and its lawyers took a position in blatant disrespect for Court orders through unnecessary arguments and scheming.

 Towing vehicle used to block Shell car park by NICN bailiffs

This lasted for another 3 hours and at this juncture; the Bailiffs were left with no other option than to move to Shell (Far Marina Car Park) to take over some properties worth the judgment sum of Eleven Million, Three Hundred and Nine Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-Four Naira, Twenty-eight Kobo (N11, 309, 444. 28k).

Again, Shell and its lawyer deployed more police officers to their Far Marina Car Park in an attempt to obstruct the court Bailiffs. This time, the Shell police spy commanding officer, Mr. Felix Ogunnubi, the security manager, Rasaq Shodeko, the head media department Mr. Precious Okolobo, Mr. Osai and a host of other shell staffs came to the car park with numerous photographers in a bid to intimidate the Bailiffs in words and otherwise with Mrs. Moyo- Folayi dictating the affairs of the day. They put up a serious tactical resistance but eventually allowed the Bailiffs entry into the car park.

The lead Bailiff then invited the claimant, Mr. Adjoto inside the car park as his pointer to help identify cars that are owned by Shell through the stickers pasted on the windscreen because, Shell Lawyers and staffs were apparently not cooperating with the Bailiffs who were on an official duty with claims that some cars are on lease and does not belong to Shell. The Bailiffs were able to pick five cars for possible auction in the event that Shell defaults in paying the judgment sum to the claimant within the stipulated date by law.

The vehicles selected by the bailiffs to take to the NICN, Lagos division

After the selection with some level of resistance and intimidation from Shell lawyer and her team, they bluntly refused to release the car keys to the Bailiffs to move the cars to the National Industrial Court premises in Ikoyi. The Bailiffs had to bring in two towing vans to help tow the cars but Shell locked their barriers to prevent the towing vans from entering. At about 4:00 pm. Mrs. Moyo- Folayi came up with tactics that Shell was ready to pay the money into the NICN Account. The Bailiffs conferred with the Deputy Sheriff via a phone call and he advised Shell to credit the Claimant Tunde Adjoto’s account, being the Judgment Creditor in the suit.

 SPDC lawyer at this point again made a volt that she wants to arrange for the drivers to convey the cars to National Industrial Court.

While all these scheming and tactical delays were going on in Shell premises, information had it that Seyi Sowemimo SAN had rushed to the National Industrial court, while Shell authorities also busied themselves in making high-powered calls to burgle and truncate the execution process, an attempt that eventually succeeded because the Deputy Sheriff called his men on the field to stall action while he gets back to them in five (5) minutes. This supposed five minutes took another one hour, thirty-minutes. At exactly 5:27 pm, the Bailiffs received a telephone call from their boss, the Deputy Sheriff ordering them to ‘stand down’ and return to the office. This was how Seyi Sowemimo SAN, Shell, and its agents corruptly used financial might in thwarting the concerted efforts at enforcing a court judgment of September 26, 2014.       

Like in the case of Late Ken Sarowiwa, the human rights activist, Shell is again on another oppressive and suppressive mission of an innocent and diligent employee who had spent his vibrant youthful years in serving the company, not just leaving him with no reward but subjecting him and his entire families to inhuman torture and untold hardship both physically and mentally.

The question is what suddenly happened to twist the arm of the law? For how long will the judiciary continue like this? Can this be the true Nigeria the founding father laid their lives down for? Only time will tell.”

But the Judiciary against all odds must rise to the rescue of this helpless and traumatized staff from the hands of Shell’s financial might, its agents, and Seyi Sowemimo SAN so that his case will not end like that of the Ogoni nine (9).

Meanwhile, efforts by the journalist that was barred from entering Shell building to speak with SPDC senior staffs and their Lawyer, Mrs. Moyo- Folayi proved abortive, as they all declined to comment on the issue leaving her with the notion that Shell is indeed having something to hide.

STOLEN VEHICLES: AIG URGES VICTIMS TO APPROACH POLICE FORMATIONS FOR CLAIMS

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command,Lagos, AIG Abdulmajid Ali, has called on the general public,particularly victims of car snatching and armed robbery to cross-check their stolen cars/vehicles at various police formations within the zone,Lagos and Ogun States.

The police boss made the call today,Thursday September 15, 2016 in his office while appraising the activities of the command and achievements recorded in the areas of Anti-Crime patrol,Anti-kidnapping, Surveillance and recovery of stolen items,particularly,cars/vehicles and motorcycles within 6(six) weeks of his leadership as the AIG Zone 2.

AIG Abdulamajid Ali declared that more than one hundred and twenty (120) vehicles have been recovered by Lagos and Ogun states commands and other zonal formations, while more than one thousand (1000) vehicles have so far been recovered and kept at various formations within the zone especially at  State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Departments,Anti-Robbery Squads,Special Anti-Robbery Squads,Zonal Intervention Squad.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police made it clear that members of the public have the right to approach any police formation on enquiries about issues bothering them or in connection with any fact-finding mission that can assist in achieving better policing of our society vis-a-vis protection of lives and property. While he encouraged Nigerians to report any unpleasant or unethical conducts of any erring personnel of the Nigeria Police Force to his office through the Zonal Monitoring Unit (08038255873) or Public Relations Department (08037168147) or his personal line,08055885544,(SMS only) for necessary action.

IMF Executive Board Approves Three-Year €553.3 Million for Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a three-year extended arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with Bosnia and Herzegovina for an amount equivalent to SDR 443.042 million (about €553.3 million, or 167.06 percent of quota) to support the country’s economic reform agenda.

According to a release made available to Folakeinvestigates, the Executive Board’s decision will enable an immediate disbursement of SDR 63.4125 million (about €79.2 million), and the remainder will be available in 11 installments subject to quarterly reviews.

Following the Executive Board discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Tao Zhang, Deputy Managing Director and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

“The recovery of the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina after the global financial crisis has been on a good track, with growth reaching 3.2 percent in 2015 despite fiscal consolidation. However, income convergence with advanced European countries has lagged and unemployment, especially among the youth, remains at very high levels. Important challenges remain in terms of improving the business climate, enhancing fiscal policy, and safeguarding financial sector stability.

“To reach faster growth and create more jobs, greater efforts will be necessary to drive forward the structural reform agenda. The recent adoption of the entity labor laws is welcome, but continued progress is needed to improve private sector incentives for job creation, including by addressing the very high labor tax wedge.

“Reorienting the budgets to make fiscal policy more conducive to economic growth will be critical by reducing current spending to create room for much needed infrastructure investment. The authorities’ commitment to reduce public sector employment is appropriate. Together with improved targeting of social spending and the envisaged pension and health care reforms, this will help put the debt-to-GDP ratio on a gradual downward path.

“The authorities are working on comprehensive financial sector policies to safeguard financial sector stability and revive bank lending. However, it will be critical to closely monitor bank vulnerabilities, while improving efficiency and effectiveness of banking supervision, including through better coordination and cooperation among the regulatory agencies.

“The authorities’ commitment to improve national policy coordination among different levels of governments is welcome and will be critical for successful implementation of reforms and will help build the single economic space in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“The authorities’ program supported under the Extended Fund Facility provides an important opportunity to address the challenges in a sustainable manner, while preserving macroeconomic and external stability. It will also enable financial support from other international partners.”

Senator Kasamu’s private security guards, threat to National Security- CAIDOV

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Campaign Against Impunity and Domestic Violence, CAIDOV has called the attention of security operatives to the unwholesome deployment of heavily-armed private security guards and the potential build up of a private army which may become a threat to National Security by Senator Buruji Kasamu.

In a petition written to the Director-General, Department of State Security Service, (DSS) by CAIDOV, the group said that apart from their findings due to researches conducted , only few members of the public are aware that most of the men attached to the Senator are private guards.

 “We write with the intention to intimate your office of what we perceive as a potential threat to the security of the nation, safety of other citizens and to call on your department to take the necessary steps to avoid what may eventually become a security breach and an embarrassment to the nation and the security network in the nearest future. 

“Kindly note sir, that our observation was informed by our understanding that Security all over the world is more about the "total absence of threats" and definitely not in all the physical security architecture we often put in place. It is a state of psychological sense of safety essentially involving Intelligence gathering.” CAIDOV said.

According to petition signed by the National secretary of CAIDOV, Comrade Gbenga Soloki, CAIDOV drew from information on global best practices in security corridors, and became aware of the fact that Very Important Personalities (VIPs) are considered to be those who, whenever they come to any harm, have the potential of affecting not only them and immediate members of their family, but can threaten the security of the state and a large number of people in the society. 

“These people, to our understanding are the people qualified for Protective Details of Security agencies. And they come under different categories of Public Officers.  And it is in the light of the above, and based on our understanding, and having conducted extensive research in relation to the above subject matter, that we are writing this petition to your good office and to call your attention to the potential threat posed to state security, of having a personality like Senator Buruji Kasamu have unfettered access to protective details at the State's expense, and uncontrolled allowance/permission to use heavily armed Private security operatives.

“We need to draw the attention of your esteemed office to the threats contained in this. Apart from the research conducted by us, only few members of the public are aware that most of the men attached to the Senator are private guards. More often than not they are mistaken as men and officers of the Department of State Security (DSS) by the unsuspecting publics, especially because they are dressed in black suits, T-shirts like operatives of your department and sometimes carrying arms. In the event of any security breach or laxity, the department will have a lot of explaining to do (on its image) to convince the public about their identity. ”CAIDOV analyzed.

Using the dreaded Boko Haram sect as an immediate case study, CAIDOV pointed out that members of the sect had at a point been employed as private Security aides and details of some top politicians, government functionaries including governors in Borno State before they became uncontrollable.

“Our study also reveals that in most cases, places and several instances where insecurity, militancy and armed violence snowball into national crises, there had been a period of deliberate nonchalance, laxity and sometimes complicity by those who are charged with the security of the society. Senator Buruji Kasamu goes about with over fifty (50) private security guards and all are heavily armed. Sir, we can then imagine what a scene it will look like in a society where we have all the 109 Senators in the Upper legislative chamber each employing the services of approximately 50 private Security details; each of the 360 members of the House of Representatives; all commissioners in the services of each of the 36 states; all past governors; former Senators and members of House of Representatives etc and all of them treating themselves to this luxury of liberty and freedom that is being accorded Senator Buruji Kasamu. 

“One can also imagine a situation where a private citizen have the capacity to hold down the security system and operatives of an entire nation for weeks or even withstand a siege for months in the case of any crime for which he is declared wanted. There are several examples in this regard. The first time a ranking government official was killed in the United States of America was at the Church of Heaven's Gate of the Reverend Jim Jones in Guyana. The case of notorious Mexican drug lord, Guzman El Chapo who recently broke jail in spite of all state security apparatuses is also fresh in the memory. He was able to achieve this feat because of the retinue of personal extra security at his disposal. 

“We are not persuaded by reasons of logic and security that Senator Kasamu enjoys more privileged status than his colleagues in the Senate and other eminent citizens of our country. We therefore call on your good office to urgently intervene to arrest these real, actual and potential threats to the security of the Nigerian state and the good citizens of the country.” The petition read further.

Campaign Against Impunity and Domestic Violence (CAIDOV) was formed by professionals from different  fields, especially journalists and human rights activists who felt concerned about the growing impunity among Nigeria's political leaders on the one hand, and increasing cases of domestic violence in the country. They are concerned that concerted efforts must be directed towards reducing not only the various acts of impunity but also the increasing rate of domestic violence which they believe can only be reduced through actionable advocacy and vigorous campaign from different sectors of the society. 

CAIDOV had courageously campaigned against domestic violence and violators are being reported to constituted authorities for appropriate action.

Picking Pocket Is A Quick Way To Making Fast Money- Suspect

An 18 year old suspect arrested by the operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of Lagos State Police Command has disclosed that he ran away from auto engineering to pick pocketing because it was more lucrative.

The suspect, Jimoh Seun from Ondo State was arrested at the early hours of Tuesday in Oshodi area of Lagos state while attempting to pick a victim’s pocket. He was decked in a brown jacket and trousers with a hand bag like a business executive. Before his arrest, Seun had already stolen four mobile phones from unsuspecting commuters in an early morning rush in the area.

Folakeinvestigates gathered that he was about to remove eighteen thousand naira (N18, 000:00) from the pocket of a commuter during another bus stampede when he was caught.


While standing at Oshodi under Bridge, two of victims that were on the lookout for him spotted him removing money from the pocket of a passenger, one Gbenga Odeniyi and raised an alarm. This made Seun to quickly drop the money and take to his heels but the RRS operatives close to the scene chased and caught him". Unknowingly to him, two of his victims were on the lookout for him after suspecting him for being in custody of their missing phones
The operatives after listening to all the accusations requested the victims’ phone numbers, Onuh Austine and Onesimus Paul, which were dialed and the rang-out from inside Seun’s handbag.
The suspect, during interrogation at the RRS Headquarters, confessed to have stolen the two phones during a bus stampede. In his confessional statement, he said he picks pockets on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.
“On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, I am always in Oshodi picking pockets. I stole an average of eight phones on Mondays and maybe like nine phones on Fridays. I don’t really get more than five phones on Wednesdays. I am an orphan and was brought to Lagos by my uncle. He enlisted me in an auto – mobile workshop but I ran away from there to Mushin where I honed my skills in pick pocketing.
“I sell all the phones I steal at Alaba Rago to some Hausas. They buy fairly used phones and materials from people. I have been in this business since 2013. I have never been caught or imprisoned before. Nobody needs to train you on how to pickpocket. It is so easy and the idea came naturally to me. You can do it too but you do the easy ones. I get to Oshodi by 6:30 a.m. and I leave after operations around 9:00 a.m. I sell Nokia Microsoft N7, 000:00; Infinix Hot N8, 000, Tecno Y series N7, 000 – N9, 000 and small Samsung phones N4, 000:00”. Seun confessed.
The owners of the two other phones found with Seun have been invited to collect their phones while the police is on the verge of arresting stolen phone buyers mentioned by the suspects.
Confirming the arrest, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmus said one of the ways to stem cases of phone theft in the state is to pick-up the major buyers. She re-assured people of Lagos, of maximum security in the state.
She stated further that the suspect has given information that would help track down his colleagues in the same trade as well as stolen phone buyers.
The suspect has been transferred to the Lagos State Taskforce on Environment for prosecution.