…As Commissioner says 210 bandits repent in Sokoto
Miss Deborah Nwachukwu, 23, has been arrested over an alleged theft a Toyota jeep, other personal effects and cash items worth N1 million.
DSP Bala Elkana, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) confirmed the arrest effected by a team of detectives, led by the Divisional Police Officer, Ikeja Police Station, CSP Gbenga Ogunsakin, on Sunday, just as Sokoto State Government said on Saturday that no fewer than 210 bandits have repented since its commencement of peace dialogue with bandits in the state.
According to Elkana, the suspect is an indigene of Abia and resided at No. 19 Irewale Street, Ipade Area, Lagos.
He further explained that Nwachukwu stole the Toyota Jeep, two Samsung S10; wrist watch, designer perfume and some cash from one Mr. Patrick at MKO Street, off Toyin Street, Ikeja.
“Patrick (the complainant) met Nwachukwu at Shoprite in Ikeja selling some cleaning products for a company around the shopping mall where he invited her to help render home service in cleaning his house for him.
“They agreed for N20,000 as payment for her service. However, Nwachukwu said that the invitation was not just for cleaning of the house but for sexual reasons.
“After the sexual intercourse, she noticed that the complainant was asleep and she quickly took his exotic times, some cash and his Jeep and escaped from the house after locking him up in the room.
“The suspect has been charged to court and remanded in correctional custody,” the DSP said.
In a related development, Elkana said that Police Patrol Team on routine patrol around Community Road, Akoka, spotted one Mr Binuye Femi, scaling the fence of a student hostel at No. 63 Community Road.
He said that Femi committed the act with intention to commit felony.
“Investigation is ongoing,” the officer revealed.
Meanwhile, the Sokoto State Government said on Saturday that no fewer than 210 bandits have repented since its commencement of peace dialogue with bandits in the state.
The state Commissioner for Carrier and Security Matters, retired Col. Garba Moyi, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto.
Moyi, who is coordinating the peace dialogue, also said it had facilitated the release of all persons kidnapped by the bandits.
According to him, those freed, mostly Sokoto indigines and some from Kebbi, Zamfara and Niger Republic, had been reunited with their families.
“Leaders of seven bandits groups with about 20 to 30 members have already repented and surrendered their weapons while many are underway.
“We are at the stage of disarmament.
“The attacks have stopped, captives released, weapons surrendered, mounting of check points by bandits stopped, all part of peace agreement reached in the dialogue initiative,” Moyi said.
According to him, on the side of government, execution of projects beneficial to communities where the repentant bandits reside have commenced.
“Government has began to drill boreholes, demarcation of cattle grazing routes, areas and passages and other palliatives,” the commissioner said.
Moyi added that the government has also been assisting victims of banditry attacks accommodated in Internally Displaced Persons camps as well as those that returned to their settlements.
He said government had provided them with food items, clothes, beddings, medicals, farming inputs and other items to cushion their hardships.
According to him, it was a remarkable and unprecedented achievement and appealed to communities as well as the general public to support the peace dialogue.
He urged media practitioners and traditional rulers to enlighten people on the importance of the process, in order to achieve the desired impact.
Recall that on Oct. 23, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal presented 102 guns recovered from the repentant bandits to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kaoje.
The weapons comprised 23 AK47, 7GPMG, 2M4 Magazines and 50 locally made rifles, among others.
The State Emergency Management Agency indicated that no fewer than 221 deaths were recorded and 45,175 persons displaced from July 2018 to July 2019 in 66 communities affected by banditry in the state.
The report presented during a disaster management stakeholders meeting organized by National Emergency Management Agency, also indicated that 21, 316 hectares of land remained uncultivated as the result of bandits attacks.
It added that 6,485 animals were lost, while 80,000 people were affected in Raba, Tureta, Goronyo, Sabon Birni and Isa Local Government Areas.