FRSC returns N880,000 found at accident scene

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Tuesday in Ore, Ondo State, returned N881, 790 to the family of a deceased accident victim, one Alexander Ajayi.

The money, which was in different denominations, was recovered at the scene of an accident involving Ajayi.

Handing over the money to the deceased’s family at the FRSC office in Ore, Mike Arinzeagu, the Unit Commander in Ore, said that the accident occurred at 7:15 p.m., on October 16 on the Ore–Ondo road.

He said that the accident involved a Peugeot 504 station wagon and a Ford Focus car.

Arinzeagu said that only Ajayi died in the accident, which involved two commercial motorcycles.
The commander urged motorists to always exercise patience while driving and to watch their speedometers to know when they are exceeding the speed limit.

Emmanuel Ajayi, the deceased’s brother, who represented the family, said that Nigeria would have become a better place if all Nigerians acted like the FRSC.

He said that although money could not be commensurate to the soul, the “Good Samaritan’’ spirit which the FRSC had exhibited was commendable.

“In spite of the heavy heart, I still thank the FRSC for their demonstration as good citizens of the country worthy of emulation,” he said.

Temidayo Akinnibosun, one of the three survivors in the accident, said that the accident was a mystery to him and he could not recount how it happened.

“It is unfortunate that I lost my brother, Ajayi, but I thank God for sparing my life and the FRSC rescue team who quickly rushed us to the hospital,” Akinnibosun said.

telegraphng

Maritime Workers Accuse Jtf, Police Of Extortion

The Maritime Workers’ Union in Bayelsa State has accused the men of the Joint Military Task Force, code-named Operation Pulo Shield, and other Marine components of the Nigerian Police of alleged extortion from speed boat operators along the water ways of the state.

 The maritime workers alleged that the security agents is making life unbearable for the indigenes of the coastal communities with the alleged extortion of between N5,000 and N6,000 from local boat operators.

 The chairman of the union, Comrade Lyod Sese, said the rising cases of extortion from boat operators by security personnel along the waterways of Southern Ijaw, Nembe,Ogbia and Brass local government area was alarming.

“If the boat operators refuse to pay,the boats are subtly delayed until compliance is effected,” he said.
 The union identified Ogboibiri checkpoint in Southern Ijaw, Agip Oil Flow Station at Brass and Nembe checkpoints manned by soldiers as the places where the illegal act was worst.
“The duty of the soldiers is to protect oil facilities and installations but they have resorted to extorting money from boat operators along Apoi/Bassan and Yenagoa routes,” he lamented.

 He claimed that the soldiers and Marine Policemen extort boat operators of charges ranging between non-compliance with availability of first  aid boxes, fire extinguishers and operation permits.
 Contacted on the development, the media coordinator of the JTF, Lt. Col. Onyemma Nwachukwu, dismissed the claims of the Maritime Workers Union as “misplaced” and “lacking in merit” as they have failed to utilise the open door policy of the Joint Military Task Force on the reportage of cases of indiscipline among men of the Task Force.

 “We have given the leadership of the State Maritime Union the needed cooperation and we have informed them that if they have a case on alleged indiscipline of a soldier, they should come forward with the name of the officer and allege misconduct.We don’t tolerate indiscipline.Why should they attribute the extortion to soldiers? I don’t believe our men are involved,” he said.

NCAA Broke, Inspectors Accept Bribe

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is broke, and aircraft inspectors are not being paid allowances on time, a report alleged on Monday.

The report quoted an aircraft inspector as saying that safety is compromised because of the inability of the NCAA to pay inspectors their allowances as at when due.

Training has also dwindled in recent time, the inspector said.

The revelation comes less than two weeks after a faulty Associated Airline plane crashed in Lagos, southwestern Nigeria, killing 15 people.

It also comes only a day after an IRS plane loaded with 89 passengers was involved in an emergency landing at the Kaduna airport on Sunday.

Passengers had to disembark on the runway as firefighters and other emergency teams surrounded the airport.

“Aircraft inspectors’ allowances are not being paid as at when due, leaving us to the open temptations of bribe and compromise from corrupt and desperate airline operators who want their planes to fly at all costs,” the inspector was quoted as saying.

The anonymous source was not allowed to speak to the press.

The report also quoted a source as saying that the NCAA is broke and is struggling to procure its basic needs. This, the source claimed, could seriously affect safety.

“Some of us that are due for training overseas are asked to fund our training and come back for a refund after the training. This is absurd and they keep saying they are broke,” the source said.
Fola Akinkuotu, NCAA Director General and its spokesperson, Fan Ndubuoke, did not answer requests from our reporter. The text messages sent to them were ignored.
—Simon Ateba

Source: PM News

Police quiz cop caught demanding N10,000 bribe

The Anambra State Police Command on Wednesday said it had begun questioning the policeman attached to one of its divisions in Onitsha, caught on video demanding a bribe of N10,000 from a motorist.

The state conmmand’s Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chukwuemeka, who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone, said the outcome of the investigation would be made public as soon as it was concluded.

Chukwuemeka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the manner the video was shot made it easy for the authorities to identify the policeman in question.

The police spokesman, who assured members of the public that the policeman would be made to face the full wrath of the law if found guilty, said the police would not condone any acts of corruption.

He said, “His identity was clearly revealed in the video that went viral on the Internet. An in-house investigation has since started and when we conclude, we will make the outcome public. It is noteworthy that the Nigeria Police Force remains one of the few organisations in this country that punishes one of its own whenever they err.

“Corruption is bad and anybody caught in the web of corrupt practices will be punished in accordance with our statute books. All acts of corruption are condemnable and we will never condone it. Corruption is evil. We appeal that nobody condones it.”

When asked for the name and rank of the policeman, Chukwuemeka declined to provide the information and directed our correspondent to check for it online.

In the three-minute 18-second video which has since become an Internet sensation, the man in uniform was seen seated in the front seat with the driver demanding the N10,000 bribe after he had observed some discrepancies between the vehicle particulars and its chassis number.

Several appeals by the driver who was coming from Akure, Ondo State, to Umuahia, Abia State, before he was stopped in Onitsha, fell on deaf ears.

The drivers had explained that the mix-up was unintended, adding that the vehicle was not a stolen one. He even offered to pray for the policeman.

 

AIG cautions officers against extortion, arbitrary detention

MAKURDI— Assistant Inspector-General of Police,  Zone ‘4’ Makurdi, Mr. Mike Zuokumor, has cautioned officers and men of the force against extortion, arbitrary arrests and detention without recourse to laid down laws, warning that such acts would not be tolerated.

The AIG sounded the warning, weekend, when he visited and addressed men and officers of Benue State Police Command in Makurdi, the state capital.

He said: “We are all aware that our responsibility includes the protection of lives and property of the citizenry and we must discharge that responsibility in line with the provisions of the law.

“Our duties must be carried out in line with the reforms introduced by the Inspector-General of Police, which is centered on respect for the fundamental rights of the people, at all times.”

Vanguard

What to Do When Stopped By The Nigeria Police

It could happen to you.
Where are you coming from?
Where are you going to?
Where do you live?
Where do you work?
Do you have an identity card?
These are very simple questions, which can be easily answered by almost everyone. But when a police officer is involved, it can cause a lot of problems both for the officer and YOU. Most of the time, there is a reason for the officer to question you – even if it may not seem so at the time.
The officer may be investigating a complaint in the neighbourhood, or following up on a radio call concerning a crime committed in the area.
For one reason or another, you may be the individual the police suspect. You may have knowledge that will help in the investigation, or the officer may think that you are experiencing some kind of trouble.
Some times the manner in which the police question you may seem as if the officer is not respecting YOUR RIGHTS. Sometimes you may overreact to the questions and create a more serious situation. We will attempt to explain your rights. What to remember, and what to expect when an officer starts asking you a lot of questions… it could save you from answering a lot more unnecessary questions.

THE POLICE IN YOUR CAR

If you are driving a vehicle, the police can ask you to stop at any time. The best thing to do in this situation is to park and follow the directions of the officer. You will probably be asked to produce your driver’s license and particulars of the vehicle. This you must do, if asked. If you are stopped at night, turn on your interior light and show the officer that nothing is wrong. It is best to do nothing, which may give reason to search further. Having your light on and keeping your hand on the steering wheel will usually put the officer’s mind at ease.
Chances are that the officer might ask you to go if you have all your papers. The officer might say that you have violated traffic rules, if your papers are not correct or ask you to come out of your car for a search, if he is on Stop and Search duty. Remember that he or she is operating within the law in all these activities. Of course, you may explain at any point in this encounter, but you should limit your comments. Be careful how to make your points. A simple traffic violation may start costing you a fortune in fines for other violations. If you think that you have not violated any traffic rules, then carry your protest to the Police Public Complaints Bureau nearest to you.

IF YOU ARE STOPPED BY THE POLICE ON THE STREET

Most of the problems you may encounter with the police can be avoided. Remember, they think they have reason (probable cause) to stop you and ask questions. At this time, you should stop, collect your thoughts and remain calm. Whether or not you are arrested, may just depend on how calm and prepared you are at this time. There are many factors that the police may take into consideration when observing you. Every situation is different and the officer may consider the following factors,
 When you are running and a crime has been reported in the Area
 If you are hanging around with people under police investigation
 You are in an area where crime has just been reported
 You are in an area which the police believe to be abandoned or unoccupied, or a blackspot.
 You are acting in a manner, which appears to be suspicious
 The police believe you are in possession of stolen property.
 Someone else has identified you to the police.
 When you use derogatory or offensive language… You may be saying the wrong thing at the wrong time.
While these things are taken into consideration when questioning you, the police MUST STILL RESPECT YOUR RIGHTS NOT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT SOUND ACCUSATORY
 If the police have stopped you, they believe there is a reason to do so.
 It is best to be calm and identity yourself
 In many a situation, you can talk your way into arrest or detention as well as talk yourself out of trouble. By yelling, threatening or swearing at an officer, the BEST you can do is get yourself Arrested… and who needs that.
Follow CLEEN Foundation @cleenfoundation @LegalOil @stopthebribes
This brochure was prepared by CLEEN Foundation with support from MacArthur Foundation. CLEEN Foundation promotes public safety, security and justice through empirical research, legislative advocacy, demonstration programmes and publications in partnership with government and civil society.

Another policeman caught on video demanding N10,000 bribe

For the third time in the past two months, another policeman has been caught on video demanding a bribe of N10,000 from a motorist.

The footage, secretly filmed by a passenger at the back seat of a vehicle in Onitsha, Anambra State, has so far received thousands of hits on YouTube. The three-minute 18-second video which first appeared on the YouTube channel of one Tola Tim, has since become an Internet sensation.

In the video, a policeman apprehended the driver of a vehicle that was coming from Akure, Ondo State to Umuahia, Abia State. The policeman sat in the front seat with the driver, and after checking the vehicle particulars, declared that he had discovered some discrepancies between the documents and the chassis number.

In the video, the policeman explained that the number ‘0’ was the last number on the chassis number inscribed on the vehicle, while number ‘3’was the last number on the documents presented to him for perusal.

The driver was seen arguing with the policeman that he had asked him to veer off the road in order to enable him (policeman) do proper checking of the vehicle. Once the alleged discrepancies were discovered, the policeman insisted that he would collect N10,000 before he would release him.

The driver’s appeal that there was an unintended mix-up somewhere and that the vehicle was not a stolen one fell on deaf ears.  A nursing mother who sat at the back also appealed to the policeman.

The man in uniform bellows, “Settle us. Just give us N10,000 make I waka comot. Or is it too much? If I knew you stole the vehicle, I won’t collect money from you.”

But the driver, on noticing the adamance of the policeman, said he won’t give in to his demands.

“It is three much! I want you to take me to your station. I’m not afraid of anything. I can go back to Akure. At worst, I will miss my appointment in Umuahia. Why will I part with N10,000 on the vehicle I didn’t steal? No sir! I can’t do that.

“I will rather go back to Akure, get the registration officer and other supporting documents, come back with another vehicle and clear myself. And that is to tell you that I have not done something wrong,” the driver said.

The unidentified driver also calmed the nerves of the apprehensive nursing mother who clutched a baby girl to herself. “My sister, don’t worry! At worst, you will sleep in a hotel with your baby when I go back to Akure,” the driver added.

The policeman replied, “Eh eh. It is three much. Wetin make am too much?” After ruminating over the issue for some seconds, the policeman, who was armed with a gun, ordered, “Driver, come down.” And the video went dead.

Meanwhile, outrage has trailed the incident on various social media platforms. Those who have watched the video online describe the encounter as a pointer to the depth of rot and decay in the Nigeria Police Force.

They urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar, to conduct an orderly room trial to ascertain the policeman’s culpability in the alleged crime and place appropriate sanctions on him if found guilty.

An anonymous reader on lindaikeji.blogspot.com says apart from condemning the act of corruption and sacking the culprit, more needs to be done to cater for the welfare of the rank and file of the police.

The reader said, “If you have a police officer as your relative, you will understand better. The income they get can’t even feed them alone not to talk of their families. The country doesn’t cater adequately for their needs. Many police barracks look like refuse dumps and they are expected to live there with their children.”

But a YouTube user, Paul Saint, argued that there is no excuse for being corrupt, attributing the behaviour to greed.

Saint stated, “This has nothing to do with the service welfare of the police. Corruption in Nigeria has nothing to do with low or high salary pay. If you are corrupt, no matter what you earn, you will still find ways to illegally enrich yourself. Most cases of corruption recorded in this country are perpetrated by persons who are otherwise fairlycomfortable with bribes.

“Corruption is as a result of greed only. Not poverty or low pay. We must condemn corruption at all times and not make excuses for it. But even if they are not well paid, there is no excuse for corruption. The most corrupt persons in Nigeria started off with collecting less than N10,000 and because we excuse them or celebrate them, they step up their demands to millions and billions. Well paid or not, do not demand or collect bribe.”

It will be recalled that three cops have so far been dismissed by the police authorities after being filmed demanding bribes from motorists.

A police sergeant, Chris Omeleze, who was caught on video camera extorting N25,000 from a motorist in Lagos in August was the first casuality of the social media whistle-blowing.

Two traffic policewomen, corporals Elizabeth Itolor and Jennifer Azingbe, who were also videotaped receiving N100 bribe from a commercial bus driver at the Oshodi/Apapa Expressway were dismissed earlier this month.

Source: Punch