Parading three of the suspects at the state’s headquarters, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State Commandant, Mr Adedotun Keshinro said these cases were testament of the fact that the Corps’ community relations and engagements in the state have begun to yield positive results.
Keshinro, represented by the command’s spokesperson, SC Oluwaseun Abolurin, stressed that in the first case of defilement, the command received a distress call from one Madam Echefu, Uchechukwu, 46, on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at about 1:14a.m.
According to him, the woman reported that her former husband, Mr Vincent Onyekachi, 56, has been having carnal knowledge of their 12-year-old daughter (names withheld) since she was 7 years of age.
Therefore, Keshinro directed the arrest of the suspected paedophile, who lives at No 6, Sada Street, Abule-Egba, Lagos, upon receiving the information.
During interrogation, Abolurin said the suspect confessed to the heinous crime of having carnal knowledge of his daughter, since she was seven years old, a statement, which confirmed the wickedness perpetrated for five years, as the victim is now 12 years of age.
“I would like to inform the general public that after due diligence and interrogation by our command, the state Commandant, NSCDC Lagos State Command, Mr. A.S. Keshnero, has directed that the case be transferred to the gender units of the Nigerian Police Force, Lagos State Command, for adequate action,” he said.
In the case of vandalism and theft of street lights in the Mushin Local Council of Lagos State, the alleged perpetrator, one Ramon Alimi, ‘m’, was arrested by the Mushin Divisional Office of the Lagos State Command, headed by the Chief Superintendent of Corps, Dunni Adebowale.
The Guardian gathered that the suspect, Ramon Alimi, stole the street lights worth N260,000, which he later sold for a very lesser amount of N5,000.
According to him, community relations engagement between the command and stakeholders also yielded these fruitful results.
“Note that the state Commandant has also warned criminal elements that no acts of vandalism will be permitted in the state, as we are aware of the antics of criminals at this Yuletide season, to do everything possible in their means to make illicit money, regardless of the source they use, either good or evil.
“Yet again, on the final note in the series of these parades, we also have another case of visa racketeering, fraud and sharp practices.”
“Upon receiving credible intelligence over the fraudulent practice and visa racketeering activity perpetrated by one Idrissa Sonko, ‘m’, 31 years, a Gambian national, the Lagos State Command declared a manhunt after carrying out due diligence on the suspect,” he said.
The suspect was later arrested in a hotel (name withheld) in Owerri, Imo State, at about 2.00a.m. on November 14, 2024.
It was gathered that Sonko promised his victim, one Mr. John Mendy, a Gambian national that he will get nine Shangai visas for him at the cost of $1,500 each and some for $2,500 at maximum, which he did not fulfill.
“Mendy, who paid an initial deposit of N670,000 and later N3.7 million sent a petition to us and also reported the matter to the Office of the State Commandant NSCDC in Alausa, Ikeja.
“To confirm Sonko’s perpetuation in bizarre racketeering, nine passports of the Republic of The Gambia and two of the Republic of Senegal were found in his possession at the hotel where he was arrested in Owerri, Imo State.
“His accomplice Elvis Adekoyibo, a Nigerian from Delta State, ‘m’, 24, was also arrested and upon interrogation, he confessed also that Sonko was using him as a bait to perpetrate his criminal activities,” Abolurin explained.
He stated that the suspect will be prosecuted in accordance with the law and handed over to the appropriate agency for further investigation.
Abolurin used the opportunity to warn criminal elements in our society to shun crime this Yuletide season because they would be caught.
“They should find other legal means of making money so that they will not face the full wrath of the law.
“However, if any one of them refuse to repent from their nefarious activities, we will do everything in our power to bring them to book, hunt them down and ensure that we rid Lagos State of insecurity and criminality at this period,” he said.
