Two Residents brutalised by Soldiers, Customs officer over video recording
Two Residents brutalised by Soldiers, Customs officer over video recording
On Sunday, December 1, 2024, two residents, Taofeek Olatunbosun and Rafiu Abdelmalik, were subjected to violent treatment by security personnel from the Nigerian Customs Service and soldiers at a checkpoint on the Badagry-Seme Expressway.
The incident occurred after the two men were caught recording a video while trying to update their customers on their location.
The officers accused Olatunbosun and Abdelmalik of being informants who were allegedly providing journalists with information about smuggling activities along the route.
Both men, who work as transporters, were simply attempting to communicate with their clients when they were intercepted and attacked.
In an interview with Vanguard, Olatunbosun explained, “We were on our way to Apa when we stopped at a fuel station to refuel. My customer kept asking for my exact location, so I asked my assistant to record a video of our surroundings to send to him. Suddenly, someone approached my assistant and tried to grab his phone. This attracted the attention of security operatives at the checkpoint. They accused us of recording videos for journalists exposing smuggling activities.”
The officers took them to a nearby location, where they contacted their team leader, Officer Adamu Zakari, a soldier. “When he arrived, he recognized me and mentioned knowing my brother, threatening to kill him the next time he saw him. Despite recognizing me, he still didn’t believe our story. He then asked why the officers hadn’t killed us and dumped our bodies in the water,” Olatunbosun recounted. That was when the brutal beating began.
Rafiu Abdelmalik, the second victim, added, “I was just following my boss’s instructions. One of the smugglers working with the security operatives slapped me and tried to seize my phone. They dragged us to a secluded area near the checkpoint, where the officers tortured us, demanding we reveal which journalists we were planning to send the video to.”
The victims were ultimately saved by local residents who saw the brutality of the assault and quickly alerted the authorities.
“If the community hadn’t called the police, we would have been killed,” Abdelmalik recalled. It was later revealed that the same police officers had earlier cautioned journalists in Badagry against reporting on smuggling activities.
This event follows a revealing investigation by journalist Fisayo Soyombo, which uncovered the alleged involvement of the Nigerian Customs Service in smuggling operations along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.
Soyombo’s footage depicted Customs patrol vehicles at roadblocks, allowing smugglers to pass without interference. The goods being trafficked included rice, chicken, and turkey, alongside suspicions of drugs and weapons being smuggled.
Abdullahi Hossein, Public Relations Officer for the Seme Border Customs, however stated that, “The officers involved will be withdrawn from the checkpoint immediately. What they did does not reflect the values of our organization, and we take full responsibility for their actions.” Regarding the military personnel’s involvement, Hossein added, “Due to the volatile nature of some patrols, we have military personnel attached to us. I’m not sure if military officers were involved in this incident, but we take responsibility and urge the victims to reach out to us.”
News
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
Two men docked for allegedly defiling underaged girl
The police in Lagos on Friday, charged two men before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defiling an 11- year-old girl.
The defendants are: Prince Tomnyie, 40, a businessman, who resides at Agege, and Micheal Adenuga, 24, a furniture maker, who resides at Atere Street in Lekki.
They are standing trial on charges of defilement, and had each pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Adegoke Ademigbuji told the court that they committed the offence sometimes in December 2024, and September 2025, at Langbasa Ajah and Igbara Lekki, Lagos .
The prosecutor alleged that the victim’s father, had taken his daughter for medical check and it was discovered that the minor had been defiled.
The prosecution alleged that the victim had told her father that his friend, Tomnyie, defiled her sometimes ago.
Ademigbuji alleged that the victim also mentioned the second defendant’s name who lives in their neigbourhood.
The offence contravenes the provisons of section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr L. A Owolabi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of of N600,000 each, with two sureties each in like sum.
He adjourned the case until March 5, for mention. (NAN)
News
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
Report any officer asking for money for release of suspect as Police insist bail is free
The Police Command in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has insisted that bail is free, and called on the public to report any officer asking for money to release a suspect on bail.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Adeh spoke in reaction to public outcry that some police officers were demanding money to release suspects on bail in the territory.
She said the report of the erring officers would serve as a deterrent to others, adding that it was fraudulent to demand for money to release a suspect on bail.
Adeh blamed the yielding to such fraudulent demand on ignorance on the part of the victims who refused to stand on their rights.
“A similar case was reported where an officer demanded money to release a suspect on bail and when the matter was reported, we requested for evidence from the victim.
“The evidence was provided because the money was transferred to the officer’s account and actions are being taken on the issue.
“So, I encourage the public to take advantage of the FCT Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) lines on 08107314192 to report such misconduct with evidence,” she said.
Adeh urged the public to always insist on their rights and refuse any form of payment to release a suspect on bail.(NAN)
News
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
Former President sentenced to five years in prison by Court
South Korea’s former president Yoon Suk Yeol was on Friday sentenced to five years in prison for obstruction of justice.
The Seoul Central District Court found that the 65-year-old conservative, with the help of the presidential security service, had tried to prevent his own arrest and deleted multiple documents related to the investigation against him.
Yoon shocked the nation by imposing martial law on December 3, 2024, amid a budget dispute with the opposition, plunging the country into a political crisis.
He justified the drastic measure as necessary to protect South Korea’s democratic order and accused the left-leaning opposition of being infiltrated by communists with ties to China and North Korea, though he provided no evidence for these claims.
In a separate trial, prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Yoon on charges of incitement, with a verdict expected on February 19.
While the death penalty remains legally in force in South Korea, it has not been carried out for nearly 30 years.
Yoon’s actions previously alarmed international investors and led to withheld investments, damaging the reputation of South Korea as a political and economic model for the region.
Since last summer, South Korea has been led by President Lee Jae Myung, a left-leaning centrist and long-time political rival of Yoon. (dpa/NAN)
-
6 years ago
Our situation in Kano terrible – Gov Ganduje cries out
-
News11 months agoFG pledges commitment to enhance Police officers Welfare, implement Tinubu’s 8-point agenda for NPF
-
News11 months agoBREAKING; NSCDC gets approval to commence 2025 recruitment exercise
-
News9 months agoAlleged cocaine deal: Court issues orders in suspended DCP Abba Kyari’s case
-
News12 months agoDPO under investigation for allegedly taking teenage girl to his home while in police custody
-
News12 months agoJUST IN; Commissioner of Police bows out of Service
-
News9 months agoJUST IN; Police Inspector dies watching Arsenal match
-
News12 months agoBREAKING; NLC declare nationwide protest