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Can  Delta State House Committee complete this hard Journey of probing the looting of multi-Billion naira roads in the state?

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Can  Delta State House Committee complete this hard Journey of probing the looting of multi-Billion naira roads in the state?
Dilapidated and shameful  Immortalized Maryam-Babangida-Way-Asaba

Can  Delta State House Committee complete this hard Journey of probing the looting of multi-Billion naira roads in the state , mostly especially the the Immortalized Maryam Babangida Way Dualization Project? following the intensified efforts by the House Committee on Works of the Delta State House of Assembly, shocking revelations and rockets of fraudulent engagements perpetuated during the administration of the immediate past Governor, Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, have been unearthed as one of its contractors, ULO Consultants Limited who was engaged in multi-billion naira projects across the State, has failed to deliver.

Swinging into action after the reconstitution of the House Committees, Hon Evance Ivwurie who was saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the works ministry in the state, kicked off over sight functions with members of the committee with ULO Consultancy Limited as their first point of assessment.

However, luck ran out on Chief Uche Okpunor’s ULO, as three key infrastructural projects handled by it, has either failed or been abandoned. These multi-billion projects situated in the Delta North Senatorial district of the State are, the Asaba Airport Project, Dualization of Asaba/Ughelli (Sector C) Road Project and the Immortalized Maryam Babangida Way Dualization Project.

The Maryam Babangida Way which houses the Olorogun Felix Ibru State Secretariat, the State Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the State Standard Library (On-going), the Maryam Babangida Memorial Building, Press Center of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and several other State and Federal Government establishments, has never enjoyed the praise of road users in the State Capital.

The dualization project which was awarded to ULO Consultants Limited on the 16th of December 2009 at a contract sum of Six Hundred and Seventy-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Three Hundred and Twelve Naira, Fifty Kobo (N674, 731, 312, 50), quickly fell into ruins after a shoddy job followed by a ceremonial commissioning by former Governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.

This revelation was made public on Wednesday December 6, 2017, by the current Commissioner for Works, Hon James Augoye at the on going probe into the dilapidated memorial road by the House Committee on Works.

He disclosed that the 1.882km Maryam Babangida Way formerly Secretariat Road had no design at the time the contract was awarded stating that the ULO moved to site and started work with his own design without the knowledge of the Ministry of Works and had attained a substantial level before the involvement of the ministry.

Augoye further revealed that through investigation by the Ministry of Works, due to the absence of an initial design for the project, the road quickly failed due to the geographical disposition of the road and the closed ended drainages which led to constant settling of water on the road.

The Commissioner told the Committee that the overall work done on the road was 48.4% and that the project was never completed but just earned a ceremonial commissioning by the immediate past government which is against the backdrop of the contractors statements that the road was completed and commissioned.

While confirming payments made to ULO for the Dualization of Maryam Babangida Way, the Accountant General of the State, represented by the Deputy Accountant General who equally appeared before the committee confirmed that, the sum of One Hundred and Seventy-Nine Million, Four Hundred and Two Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty-Six Naira, Ninety-One Kobo (N179,402,466,91) was duly paid to ULO Consultants Limited for Maryam Babangida Way and that all payments came with payment vouchers from related Ministries, noting that the Accountant General will not pay any money without vouchers.
While adjourning the investigation to Tuesday, 9th January 2018, Chairman of the Committee, Hon Evance Ivwurie tasked the Ministry of Works on the need to keep the Committee abreast of all final decisions as regards the project.

Physical verification is free – N-power

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Physical verification is free – N-power

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]-Power, the federal government job programme aimed at empowering graduates, has warned applicants successfully pre-selected to undergo physical verification not to pay anybody for the screening. “The Physical Verification stage is free. If you pay, you will be automatically disqualified,” the scheme said on its official Facebook Page on Saturday.

It also warned applicants to be careful in dealing with persons requesting money for the screening.“Some of those asking you to pay are testing you,” it said. The ongoing physical screening for 2017 successfully pre-selected applicants commenced on December 4 and will close on 14.

Physical verification stage is the process of physically verifying the age, gender, residential address and local government, academic qualification, and NYSC completion of applicants. “No matter who anyone says they are or whatever they say to you, do NOT pay anyone a single kobo for Physical Verification,” N-Power said. “You have a right to challenge such a person and report them on any of our channels immediately.”

Armed Robbers Hijack, Loot Bullion Van In Delta

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Armed Robbers Hijack, Loot Bullion Van In Delta

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] gang of armed robbers on Friday in a commando like manner hijacked and looted a bullion van in Asaba, Delta state that was conveying several millions of naira from Onitsha to unknown destination. The bullion van, our correspondent reliably gathered belonged to the United Bank of Africa, (UBA).

Sources who witnessed the robbery incident, said the robbers numbering over 10 had ambushed the van and struck at the busy Asaba-Benin-Onitsha expressway and after chasing away the security escort accompanying the van, they vandalised the van and emptied it.

According to a trader who witnessed the robbery at the popular Coca junction, said ” I witnessed everything as the hoodlums attacked the bullion van and engaged policemen escorting the van in a gun duel, before diverting the bullion van. The incidence occurred about 12:20pm when the bandits opened fire on the policemen, the bullion van and held the money carrying van to a standstill while the policemen abandoned the driver and the bullion and took to their heels for safety.

“There were serious random shooting by the robbers. All we were hearing were the gun shots renting the air. I saw someone who looks like the driver who ran out of the van. Before the police could mobilize back to the scene, the hoodlums have successfully off-loaded the van of undisclosed sum of money leaving the door of the bullion van opened.” Our source said.

Our correspondent gathered that the police after recovering the bullion van, it was taken straight to the “A” division police station, Asaba where it was parked. It was however learnt that internal connivance contributed to the success of the operation which was said to have lasted less than 30 minutes.

Protests as Uche Secondus is elected PDP chairman

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Protests as Uche Secondus is elected PDP chairman
Uche Secondus

[dropcap]A[/dropcap] former acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus, has been elected the new chairman of the party. Mr. Secondus beat three other contestants to emerge victorious in a keenly contested election held at the Eagles Square Abuja on Saturday.

The chairman of the electoral committee of the convention, and former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, who announced the results, said Mr. Secondus scored a total of 2,000 votes out of the total number of 2,296 votes cast.Mr. Secondus was followed by a former Minister of Education, Tunde Adeniran, who scored a total vote of 231 votes, while the duo of Raymond Dokpesi and Taoheed Adedoja scored 66 and 0 votes respectively.

The Rivers State politician was declared winner shortly after two out of the chaiirmanship candidates accused officials in charge of the convention of allowing systematic rigging of the election.Raymond Dokpesi and Tunde Adeniran said the processes were skewed against them, but in favour of Mr. Secondus.

Mr. Dokpesi told journalists covering the convention that he complained about the circulation of a document referred to as “Unity List” to delegates asking them to vote for the people on the list. He said the chairman of the electoral sub-committee of the convention, former Governor Suswam, told him that there was nothing he could do about his complaint. On his part, Mr. Adeniran, through his spokesperson who spoke with members of the press at Eagles Square, venue of the convention, called for the cancellation of the entire exercise because it was compromised.

The convention committee had earlier announced the ban on all form of campaign at the venue of the convention.

The chairman of the National Convention Planning Committee, and governor of Delta state, Ifeanyi Okowa, while reacting to the issue, said his committee had not officially received any complaints about the conduct of the election.

Also, the governor of Akwa Ibom state, Udom Emmanuel, who spoke with AIT, said the “Unity List” in circulation could not affect the outcome of the election.

“I have not seen any delegate looking at a list before casting their vote and it is practically impossible for delegates to memorise all the 21 names on the list and remember them as they vote,” he said.

Mr. Emmanuel also said the list in contention could have emanated from any source.

However, despite the protets and complaints, Mr. Secondus and all the other elected officials who will form the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP were sworn into office immediately after the announcement.

They were sworn in by a lawyer and a former candidate for the Ondo state governorship, Tayo Jegede.

Below is the full list of new members of PDP NWC.

Deputy National Chairman ( South); Yemi Akinwonmi- Ogun

Deputy National Chairman ( North); Garba Gamawa- Bauchi

National Secretary; Ibrahim Tsauri- Katsina

Deputy National Secretary; Abubakar Mustapha

National Treasurer; Aribisala Adewale- Ekiti

Deputy National Treasurer; Wada Masu-Kano

Financial Secretary; Abdullahi Maibasira- Niger

Deputy Fin. Sec.; Irona Gerald-Imo

National Organizing Secretary; Austin Akobundu- Abia

Dep. Nat. Org. Sec.; Hassan Yakubu- Nasarawa

Publicity Secretary; Kola Ologbondiyan- Kogi

Dep. Nat. Pub. Sec.; Diran Odeyemi- Osun

National Legal Adviser; Emmanuel Enoidem- Akwa Ibom

Dep. Nat. Leg. Ads.; Ahmed Liman- Sokoto

National Auditor; Adamu Mustapha-Yobe

Mob set ablaze kidnapper who tries to abduct kids in Calabar

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Mob set ablaze kidnapper who tries to abduct kids in Calabar

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n angry mob on Tuesday morning hacked and set ablaze a suspected kidnapper at 4Mile at Ikot Ansa in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area of Cross River State.

The alleged kidnapper who was a member of a notorious gang was according to one RoseMary Uchechi, an eyewitness beaten and burnt to death after a failed attempt to abduct two children along Parliamentary Extension. RoseMary explained that the 4-man kidnap gang tried to kidnap the 2 children along Parliamentary extension road when their mother was taking them to school.

Unfortunately, luck ran out of them as one of abducted Children raised alarm which attracted passerby. Rosemary Uchechi said, “The mother to the children was on her way to drop her two kids at school before they (Kidnappers) double crossed her with their vehicle a Nissan and abducted her children.

“In the process one of the kids raised alarm which attracted passersby and people in the area who gave them a hot chase including Federal Housing Police Division, who also pursued them”

“When they got to 4Miles it was like they disappeared into thin air not knowing they had entered a close, it was a brave lady who double crossed them and the angry mob now pounced on them and hacked the one with a gun to death before setting him ablaze while the arm of the second one was cut off before security agents took him away for questioning, with others escaping”.

It was learned that the victims they tried to kidnap were family members of an oil worker living at parliamentary area. When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Irene Ugbo confirmed the incident saying, “We have arrested one while the other was set ablaze by an angry mob.

“We also have the Nissan they used to carry out the operation and the suspect has been handed over to SARS for further interrogation, we are working hard to apprehend other members of the group that escaped”.

Calabar Festival will help Cross Riverians in Diaspora trace roots-Dr Mathew Okiri

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Calabar Festival will help Cross Riverians in Diaspora trace roots-Dr Mathew Okiri
Chief Dr Mathew Okiri, Special Adviser to the Governor on Diaspora Matters

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Cross river State Government has concluded plan to help over 2 million Cross Riverians in Diaspora to trace their roots back home through the Calabar Diaspora Festival scheduled to hold during the Carnival period.

Speaking at a news conference jointly addressed at the Office of the Special Adviser on Diaspora matters in Calabar, Chief Dr Mathew Okiri said the festival would be a replica of the 1977 Festival of Arts and Culture otherwise known as FESTAC 77, designed to assist Africans in diaspora to reunite with their ancestral roots. Apart from putting issues of Cross River in Diaspora on the front burner, the festival, according to Dr.Okiri, would also provide platform to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Cross River State to the world and also promote tourism potentials of the state.

The Governor’s aide, who commended Governor Benedict Ayade for throwing his weight behind the idea, said the event would host the largest gathering of Cross Riverians in the world, and that it was a thing of joy that many Cross Riverians in Diaspora had already indicated interest in tracing their roots back home.“For the first time, we have been having in Cross River a festival that will bring people in the diaspora together but when the calabar carnival was hatched we believe this would be the biggest cultural event to come out of Africa and so after years of planning, we have been able to come out with this programme this year coming up during the carnival.

“Cross Riverians in Diaspora already has declared ten years as decade to support us, and so within the said decade, Cross River in particular will be putting up one of the biggest gatherings of diaspora all over the world that will gather in Calabar later this year.

“One of the unique events of the festival is the ‘Door of Return’. A lot of people and things were taken out of Africa and Cross River in particular, and so our people in diaspora would be coming back through that door that we are calling the Door of Return, which is the opposite of ‘Point of no Return. Beyond that, we will be showcasing the beauty and culture of Cross River State in particular and Nigeria in general through the festival,” Dr.Okiri said.

Responding to questions on number of people in the diaspora expected to grace the festival, Dr.Okiri said many Cross Riverians in the Diaspora have already indicated interest to be part of it, adding: “We don’t have an accurate database but we are working on 3 million Cross Riverians in the diaspora and a lot of them are already coming.”

Also Speaking, Dr.Okiri said the State Government was delighted to partner with the diaspora body and other promoters of the festival, as the event was in sync with the cardinal objective of the present administration in the State to use tourism, hospitality, entertainment and sport to promote excellence.

He said apart from the fact that the festival was coming at a time the State clock 50 years of its existence, the festival would be utilised to showcase the giant strides of Governor Ayade’s administration in transforming Cross River to the next tourism hub in Africa.

“This festival is going to be utilised to promote the huge efforts that the present administration in Cross River State has been putting into turning Cross River around in terms of infrastructure, in terms of tourism and so many other things and so this forthcoming celebration falls squarely within our government agenda to promote tourism and also to promote investment.

“As you know, we are developing a Sea Port in Calabar among so many other things and so the festival will be a win-win for everybody especially for us in Cross River State,” Okiri said.

Series of activities have been lined up for the festival including Carnival procession, Boat regatta, Fishing competition, Dark era procession, Diaspora dinner, Beauty pageant, Cultural displays, Heritage site visits, Heritage night, Festival market, International music concert and International symposium, among others.

Calabar Residents storm PHEDC, protest power blackout, high Bills

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Calabar Residents storm PHEDC, protest power blackout, high Bills

 

[dropcap]R[/dropcap]esidents and Business owners within the Calabar South area have on Tuesday protested lack of Power Supply and High cost of Electricity bills within the area. The residents numbered over 15th, mostly from the Amika Utuk, Goldie, Etonko and its environs matched and barricaded the Port Harcourt Electricity Distribution Company (PHEDC), Calabar office in a bit to lay their complaints as well as to get the issues resolved.

They said they haven’t had a single minute of power in the last two months but have been giving monthly bills of over twelve thousand naira (N12, 000) for “darkness supplied.”

One of the residents, Savior by name said “the lack of electricity in the area has increased criminal activities in the area, as hoodlums capitalised on the lack of power to rob residents of the area”.Though the PHED officials called two or more protesters to their office after they have laid siege on the gate of the company for about 30 minutes, for a possible resolution of the problem.

After about an hour of the meeting, the three representatives of the protesters gathered together and informed them that the management of the company said they understand their plight, and the issue of Power supply is not peculiar to their area. But they had promised that from the next day, they will start rationalising the power in the area until the issue is finally resolved.

Meanwhile for the bill, the management of the company stated that they’d look into the matter, but for the main time, they shouldn’t pay the November bill. Residents around the Marian axis have also complained bitterly of heavy bills, power rationing and blackout for the past one month.

FOU, Zone ‘A’ Customs impounds contraband valued at N1.59bn

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FOU, Zone ‘A’ Customs impounds contraband valued at N1.59bn
Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed addressing newsmen

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]omptroller Uba Garba Mohammed led Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) with its headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos has intercepted a total of 64 different vehicles worth over N1.3 billion in Lagos and Ogun States between the 1st and 30th November, 2017. This is coming barely a month the unit intercepted 59 bulletproof vehicles from a hidden house in Ikoyi, Lagos. The 64 vehicles were allegedly smuggled into the country through the land borders.

Among the detained vehicles include 2 Lexus Jeep (Bullet Proof), 1 Toyota Land Cruiser (Bullet Proof), 9 Toyota Hilux, 8 Toyota Hiace Bus, 26 Toyota Corolla, 9 Land Cruiser Jeep, , 5 Toyota Camry, 1 Land Rover, 1 Nissan Sentra, 1 Pajero Jeep, all 2017 models and 1 Sienna 2015 model and 1 Lexus RX 350 among others . While 57 vehicles were evacuated based on intelligence along Omole Estate, Ojodu and Olayiwole Close Lekki Phase one, the remaining 7 were intercepted while on information patrol along Ijebu Ode expressway and Olorunda.

 

Speaking on the detained vehicles, the Customs Area Controller of the unit, Comptroller Uba Garba Mohammed pegged the Duty Paid Value of the vehicles at One Billion, Three Hundred and Two Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Six Naira, Sixteen Kobo (N1,302,927,106.16).

According to him,”As I speak with you, no body has come forward to claim ownership yet because we doubt if they have any customs papers on the vehicles, not to talk of the End-User Certificate for the bullet proof. Our Legal unit has already been mandated to investigate it and as soon as we get any head way about the owners or their agents, we will let the public know”.

He listed other items seized by the unit within the period under review to include 13, 333 bags of foreign parboiled rice (about 22 trailers), 1,390 cartons of frozen poultry products, 835 jerrycans of vegetable oil, 15 parcels of Indian Hemp, 1,101 pieces of used tyres, 205 bales of used clothing among others.

“We need to support the Federal Government policy on rice, encourage local rice farmers, the millers and patronize our own nutritional rice”, he said.

Mohammed added that a total of 17/20ft containers loaded with wood were under detention on the suspicion that they had not met the required guidelines for export even as he said that 1x20ft container was seized for carrying 385 cartons of Tiffany Crunch n’ Cream biscuit, 2,300 cartons of Tiffany chocolate and Toffee Sweet as against Engine Block declared in SGD describing the act as a clear case of false declaration which is tantamount to seizure.

He continued,”We have intercepted various contraband with a Duty Paid Value (DPV) of One Billion, Five Hundred and Ninety Five Million, One Hundred and Forty One Thousand, One Hundred and Forty Four Naira, Eighty One Kobo (N1,595,141,144.81).

“Within the period under review, we have also recovered One Hundred and Eight Million, Three Hundred and Six Thousand, Eighteen Naira, Twenty Five Kobo (N108,306,018.25) making a cumulative of One Billion, Seven Hundred and Three Million, Four Hundred and Forty Seven Thousand, One Hundred and Sixty Three Naira, Six kobo (N1,703,447,163.06).

“In the spirit of inter-agency collaboration; the seized Indian hemp will be handed over to NDLEA after this press briefing for further investigation. Five (5) suspects have been arrested in connection with these 185 seizures and are currently in our custody”.

Buhari will Win 2019 Presidency Convincingly, Says Kalu

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Buhari will Win 2019 Presidency Convincingly, Says Kalu
Orji Uzor Kalu

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ormer Governor of Abia State and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Orji Uzor Kalu, at the weekend in Nsukka, Enugu State declared that President Muhammadu Buhari would not only contest the 2019 election but will also win “convincingly”.

Kalu who spoke to journalists after receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Public Administration from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka said the president would use his second term to rewrite injustices and fight for the oneness of Nigeria. The former governor also expressed optimism that the people of the South east will support the president’s second term massively, until they did during the 2015 presidential election.

“The mass movement you are witnessing today will translate to vote for President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019, a man whose administration and second term project I support. “I’m not God but you know I’m a supporter of anything Buhari, so it’s going to translate to vote to President Buhari , that’s what it means.

“The president will run, I have said this time without number, I was the first Nigerian in June 2nd who told you people that he will come back on June 11 and he did not come. And I was the first Nigeria on the same programme on AIT who said he will and he is going to run.

“I didn’t join APC to go and look at the rocks in Abuja, I joined APC to use it for the benefit of Igbo people and Nigeria people, so I joined for him to run and we will use his regime to rewrite injustice and also fight for oneness of Nigeria of the country.

“As you are aware, the marginalisation of Ndigbo did not start today, marginalisation has been something that has been there immediately after the civil war, so Buhari is not going take four years to correct. So we were not on board in 2015, we are going to be board in 2019 and we will address the issue.

“I want to be involved when I have given the vote, because when you give vote you can ask question, if I don’t give vote I can’t ask question. I cannot come to paradise with 0.5 per cent vote for the president, I want to give president 75 per cent vote and I will ask question; that I’m sent by our people,” he said.

He said his award from UNN “represents recognition by Igbo intellectuals in Eastern Nigeria and I’m very excited. I’m very excited to say that Igbo intellectuals have just recognised me on their own; as I was told, they were 70 senate members and almost 60 something voted for me. So I’m excited about it.”

Other party leaders who spoke to mewsmen including Chief Maduka Onyishi, owner of Peace Mass Transit and Hon. Hyacinth Ngwu, South East Zonal Publicity Secretary of APC congratulated Kalu for the award.“He is a good Igbo man and believe that he deserves this honour,” Onyishi said.

On his part, Ngwu noted that the shortest route to the presidency for Ndigbo would be President Buhari’s second term. “We witnessed a movement, It is truly a movement from other parties and non-politicians into APC. Like our leader, Kalu said, this is just the beginning, the Igbos have realised that the shortest route to the presidency is the APC and that is in 2023.

“So this movement you witnessed today is the beginning of the good things that will accrue to Igbos particularly in 2023. And it will start in 2019 when the Igbos would have given APC massive support,
“I’m looking at more than 70 per cent of votes from the South-east that will go to Mr. President Buhari in 2019 and that will be the beginning of full integration of the Igbos into the mainstream of Nigeria politics.

Nigerians Decry Impunity by SARS, Ask FG, N’Assembly to Scrap It

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Nigerians Decry Impunity by SARS, Ask FG, N’Assembly to Scrap It
Are this SARS men our friends?

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]pparently fed up with the increasing impunity of officers of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police have gone about their duties, Nigerians from all works of life have begun a social media drive aimed at scraping the unit. The demand to scrap SARS is being championed by the hashtag #EndSARS and is dominated by hundreds of complaints of people who have either fallen victim to the squad or their family members.

The hashtag was littered with complaints of wanton and illegal arrests, acts of extra-judicial killings, physical assaults, intimidation, accusations of fraud and forcefully dispossessing people of their money and properties. Already, a petition has been started on citizengo.org tasking the federal government, the National Assembly and the police to put a stop to the reign of impunity.

The campaign which was started by Segun Awosanya read this: “For over 10 years now the growing criminal activities of the Nigeria Police with emphasis on the SARS across Nigeria has been a topical discourse, until recently when it took a deadly turn. “Thousands of reports pour in daily on the activities of these deadly and lawless bunch (SARS), with evidence backed accusations of extra judicial killings, robberies at gun point and torture.

“The Nigeria Police set up to protect the people are now a major threat to our society, torturing (youthful) victims with complete impunity while instilling a toxic climate of fear, intimidation and corruption.“The social media is awash with eyewitness reports as well as victim accounts of this seeming legal racket across Nigerian states.

“The pattern of human rights violations where victims are arrested and tortured until they either make a false confession to free themselves and/or be marched to an ATM machine to cough out a huge sum as bribe as a mandatory condition for release.

“Our youths are now endangered and more cases of extortion, torture and extra judicial killings (after which victims are labelled as cultists or robbers) are on the rise on the daily.
“There seem to be a huge cover up here and the undersigned citizens call upon the Nigerians legislature for an immediate intervention.

“A few commissioners of police have been helpful (case in point, Lagos) leading to the apprehension of some of these criminals with subsequent charges by competent courts but there’s a lot more work to be done as more cases surface even as we speak.”

In another petition to the National Assembly he said, “The activities of the SARS across Nigeria is tainting the image of the Nigerian Police. We have been following up on diverse cases for over two years now and we must say that it has since escalated to an alarming rate.

“The public feedback on social media as well as editorials in the print media is alarming to the point that it seems we have the very same criminals in the society in the police as we speak and this calls for the declaration of a State of Emergency on our policing. “On behalf of Nigerians under siege and those who are not lucky enough to survive the onslaught of the SARS, may we humbly ask that you address this?

“It will go a long way for citizens to know you are listening and that they have at least representation at the helms that understand the duty of care our leaders owe to the people.
“Our hearts are broken as we speak with the feedbacks received across Nigeria on SARS’ illegal and exploitative activities with impunity.

“Nigerians are now demanding that the SARS be scrapped and the Police reformed.”
Other Nigerians who learnt their voice include Miller Ham who said, “Sometimes, one of the reasons you don’t see SARS or other members of NPF at a robbery scene is because they are involved in the robbery.
“They are either the robbers themselves, or are providing the robbers with support (i.e weapons, Intel etc). #EndSARS.”

Chinko Ekun said: “The brutality by SARS should be looked into and apprehended. They’re meant to protect and not instill unnecessary fear in the heart of youths. The incessant killings and harassment should stop. #EndSARS.”

Christopher Okagbare also said: “Enough of the humiliation, intimidation, extortion and murder. Every well meaning Nigerian must lend their voice. #EndSARS Now!”
Meanwhile, reacting to the recent brutalisation of a citizen by SARS officers, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, said victims can reach out to the command to lay their complaints.

In a statement by the state police spokesman, SP Chike Oti, the CP
said: “In view of this, the commissioner of police wishes to encourage all residents of Lagos state who have complaints against police action or on any issue, to report to any of the police patrol vehicles which now serves as mini police station.

“They are parked conspicuously at vantage points across the state. They can also call on the Citizen Complaint Centre (CCC) established by the present commissioner of police through some cellular phone numbers.

“The cellular numbers include; 08067945296, 08063025274,
08113615350, 08113683077,
08096283148, 08096283183,
08089781657, 08126404930 and
08081426895.

“The commissioner of police further enjoins members of the public to take advantage of these complaint channels as matters reported will be treated speedily and the outcome made public in the usual frank manner.”

Similarly, the Police Public Complaint Response Unit (PCRRU), while responding, said it has opened channels through which the public can report complaints.

The unit made this call through a poster which they made public on their official Twitter handle.

According to the PCRRU, anyone with a complaint against SARS should call the following listed numbers; 08057000001 and 08057000001 for calls; 08057000003 for SMS and WhatsApp messages; 2BA2B5DE for BlackBerry messages; @PoliceNG_PCRRU for Twitter and www.facebook.com/PolicePCRRU for Facebook messages.

For those with access to email, complaint@npf.gov.ng and policepcrru@gmail.com was provided while www.npf.gov.ng/complaint was provided as the website.

The unit assured Nigerians through the poster that complaints would be handled swiftly as they purportedly do not tolerate impunity.

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