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30 Police detectives storm Lagos to unravel gruesome murder of  Police officer, abduction of others

Usman Alkali Baba, IGP

Exclusive by Owolola Adebola 

No fewer than thirty carefully selected homicide detectives drawn from the Force Criminal Investigations Department (FCID) Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) arrived in Lagos Monday to investigate the remote causes of blood-letting activities that led to the loss of life of a police officer who died in the line of duty during an unprovoked attack by some heartless social miscreants at Elegbin community in Lagos.
The blood-thirsty hounds were also said to have been responsible for the sudden disappearance of twelve others whose whereabouts remain a mystery.
The arrival of the top-rated police officers was said to have the blessings of the Inspector General of Police who mandated the officers to carry out a discreet investigation with the view to fishing out those who were responsible for the dastardly act.
The office of the IGP  had earlier received a flurry of petitions in connection with the heart-shattering incident which occurred weeks back.
It was initially suspected that the casualty-ridden incident was the handiwork of some hoodlums who disguised as land grabbers.
Week-long checks by our correspondent revealed that some yet to be identified gangsters who were said to have armed themselves with guns, machetes, axes, charms and other dangerous weapons, penultimate week, pounced on some duty policemen stationed in the community to see to the smooth possession of a disputed land by one Adeoku family after which a competent court declared the family as the rightful owner of the landed property.
The clash was said to have raised unprecedented dust as people ran helter-skelter.
It was learnt that when the dust finally settled, the attackers, who reportedly rode in a convoy of unmarked vehicles,  reportedly killed a mobile police sergeant, identified as  Edison Fulman, with Force Number 500314.
Eye witness accounts have it that, the unsuspecting police officer was not only dispossessed of his rifle but as well made to pay with his life.
As his lifeless body was openly displayed on the street, his other colleagues who accompanied him to the scene were not equally spared as they sustained varying degrees of life-threatening injuries.
 “The colleagues of the slain policeman, numbering sixteen, were later placed on emergency admission from where they have since been recuperating”.
One of the petitioners to the office of the IGP, Chief Morof  Owonla,.during our investigation disclosed that over  13 of his workers were, against their wish, abducted by the hoodlums and ferried away through a deep sea to an unknown destination.
According to the visibly agitated businessman, the missing workers include the following: Ganiyu Ogunbakinde; Olumide Omoakin; Jamiu Osama; Azeez Oloye; Akeem; Taiwo; Dayo, Wasiu, whose surnames are not known.
He however added that others who escaped death by the whiskers were macheted by the unprovoked attackers.
“The others who were wounded in the clash were promptly rescued by men of the policemen attached to Ajangbadi Division.
It was feared that those said to have been abducted by the criminal elements may have been killed as some fishermen reportedly sighted headless bodies floating in the area.
Further checks revealed that one, Mrs. Omowunmi Adewale, a local caterer was caught unawares by the hoodlums who attempted to hack her to death.
Adewale told our correspondent that she works as a caterer at the site only for her to be suddenly attacked by armed thugs who were chanting war songs.

“One of them attempted hacking me with a cutlass. It was mother luck which saved my life for as some policemen arrived from a nearby division which made my attackers flee”.

In-depth investigations revealed that there had been a lingering tussle between one Adeoku family and another family over the legal ownership of hectares of land in the community.

The matter was adjudicated upon by Justice O. Oshodi of the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, who, after listening to the two parties, delivered judgment in favour of the Adeoku Family.
That was in the year  2013 which consequently led to a  possession order given by the court.
A pile of documents made available to our correspondent also indicated that a certificate of warrant of possession otherwise called Form ‘O’ was consequentially issued to the family of Adeoku to take legally, the possession of the expanse of land.
Subsequently, a team of 17 policemen drafted from the Zone 2 Police Headquarters, Lagos and the court sheriffs executed the warrant of possession on February 11, 2022.
It was in the course of taking repossession of the landed property by the victorious family that a spurious alarm signal was sent to the state authorities informing them that some persons suspected to be land grabbers had illegally stormed the quiet  Elegbin community to foment trouble.
The unsuspecting state government, it was gathered, wasted little or no time in dispatching a delegation led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Dr. Wale Ahmed, to Etegbin with the view to confirming, assessing, and report back their findings of the alleged invasion by hoodlums with the view to averting a breakdown of law and order.
Also on the entourage was the State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Cornelius Ojelabi,
who, during the visit, had suggested that the parties to the tussle would be invited to a roundtable to resolve the matter amicably.
A concerned resident in the community had earlier hinted that some persons behind the bloody attack had actually raised the false signal to the state government after the possession of the landed property was taken on February 11, 2021, for which the State government officials visited.
The visitation made by the delegation was said to have apparently provided a leeway for the hoodlums to raise the bar of violence against the police officers and other law-abiding citizens, just as both economic and social activities were paralysed for several hours.
” The bloody clash took place after the delegates had departed”, a source revealed.
The gun-totting hoodlums, according to some residents who pleaded for anonymity, destroyed multi-million naira properties in the wake of the mayhem.
‘Some of the properties include hotels and filling stations, as they (the hoodlums) moved around the community with other dangerous weapons to harass and intimidate law-abiding residents and people perceived to be related to the victorious family.
Meanwhile,  a leading petitioner to the office of the Inspector General of Police, whose petition was routed through the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Lagos, Chief Owonla and who claimed his workers were illegally abducted and injured by the rampaging hoodlums, had pleaded with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of the investigative department to order a high-level investigation into the incident with a view to arresting the perpetrators and their sponsors by bringing them to justice.
Owonla, in a chat with our correspondent, said he got ownership of his property through the judgment given in favour of his landlords, the Adeoku Family.
According to him:“It was quite a pathetic situation and with a heavy heart to lay my complaint concerning what happened to my workers and manager at Etegbin and the event that led to the gruesome murder of Sergeant Edison Fulman and so many of my workers that are missing and yet to be confirmed dead.
“The fact in issue was that my landlord from whom I derived my title to Etegbin property got a judgment in their favour which was fully guaranteed and confirmed with a certificate of warrant of possession, Form ‘O’ given in favour of  Adeoku Family of Etegbin in suit no ID/2370/94; CA/L/415/03  and BDM /6M/2009 dated 8th September 2013 and revalidation of possession to give credence to the judgment for the second time was carried out on Friday, February 11, 2022.
“Immediately after the possession, peace and tranquillity pervaded the village without let or hindrance and we have started enjoying peaceful possession since then.
“On Monday, February 14, 2022, my manager, who was at my gas station to oversee my real estate property, equally at Etegbin, briefed me adequately about the dastardly destruction of lives and properties and arson which took place that day in a high-level conspiracy and scheming orchestrated and executed by hired armed hoodlums led by the suspects, despite the peaceful possession given to us by a court of competent jurisdiction as the judgment creditors, to enjoy the fruit of our lawful possession.”
He added: ”The moment the suspects came into the village with hired armed thugs and hoodlums (including) dreaded cultists, they started shooting sporadically in scaring tactics to create panic and confusion in the relatively peaceful village and began to terrorise our workers and standby policemen from Zone 2 Police Command.`
“In the process, Sergeant Edison Fulman from Zone 2 Command dropped dead while many of our workers were missing but yet to be confirmed dead, and these among others include Ganiyu Ogunbakinde; Olumide Omoakin; Jamiu Osama; Azeez Oloye; Akeem; Taiwo; Dayo and Wasiu.”
Owonla claimed that one Shakiru and over 50 others were complicit in the matter, urging the police to “apprehend the culprits via conducting a wide-angle investigation into this report to know the degree of their complicity in crime and notoriety in criminality, lawlessness, extra-judicial conducts, conspiracy over time and to allow me unfettered access to my gas station and real estate property at Etegbin devoid of hired hoodlums attack, intimidation and harassment whatsoever”

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Headlines

NIWA partners ICPC to strengthen internal transparency in its operations  

Gloria Odion, Maritime Reporter 
The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has announced new strategies aimed at improving its operational system and enhancing collaboration with key stakeholders as part of efforts to boost efficiency and accountability.
Speaking at a post event Press Conference at NIWA Headquarters Lokoja, the Acting Managing Director, Umar Yusuf Girei, while answering questions from journalists stated that, the organization convened a two -day Executive and Anti-Corruption training with the theme “Strengthening Integrity and Revenue System in Inland Waterways Management” organized for Board Members, Management and Area Managers and also 2026 NIWA Management Retreat in Abuja.
The Acting MD noted as part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,with the support  Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Authority is focused on aligning institutional goals in ensuring better service delivery to Nigerians.
He further said, as part of its anti-corruption drive, the Management held discussions with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to explore measures for strengthening transparency within its operations.
Girei therefore, assured staff that the ongoing reforms under his watch would translate into improved service and better working conditions.
“NIWA remains committed to continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement and the reforms are expected to enhance both internal performance and public confidence”. he stated.
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Headlines

Navy appoints new Maritime Guard Commander for NIMASA 

Gloria Odion,  Maritime Reporter 

The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has approved the appointment of Commodore Reginald Odeodi Adoki as the Commander of the Maritime Guard Command at the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Commodore Adoki takes over from Commodore H.C Oriekeze who has been redeployed.

Commodore Adoki, a principal Warfare Officer specializing in communication and intelligence,  brings onboard 25 years experience in the Nigerian Navy covering training, staff and operations.

 As a seaman, he has commanded NNS Andoni, NNS Kyanwa and NNS Kada.
It was under his command that NNS Kada under took her maiden voyage, sailing from the country of build (the United Arab Emirates) into Nigeria.
He was commissioned into the Nigerian Navy in 2000 with a BSc in Mathematics.
 He has since earned a Masters in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and an M.Sc in Terrorism, Security and Policing at University of Leicester, England.
He is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Defence and Security Studies at the National Defence Academy (NDA).
He is a highly decorated officer with several medals for distinguished service.

Welcoming the new MGC Commander to the Agency, the Director General, Dr Dayo Mobereola, expressed confidence in Adoki’s addition to the team, emphasising that it will further strengthen the nation’s maritime security architecture given his vast experience in the industry.

The Maritime Guard Command domiciled in NIMASA was established as part of the resolutions of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Navy to assist NIMASA strengthen operational efficiency in Nigeria’s territorial waters, especially through enforcement of security, safety and other maritime regulations.

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Customs

Customs collects N1.585 trillion from 51 compliant traders under AEO programme 

Funso OLOJO,  Editor 
The Authorized Economic Operator (AEO), one of the trade facilitation tools introduced by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025, has begun to yield bountiful harvests with the revenue growth of ₦362.79 billion recorded in 2025.
According to the AEO scorecard released by the Service, the facilitation tool grossed the sum of N1.585 trillion after certification, an increase revenue from N1.222 trillion before certification.
This represents the growth of N362.79 billion(29.68 per cent) for 51 AEO – certified entities as at October, 2025.
The Programme, according to the NCS,  also contributed 21.77% to its total revenue collection of ₦7.281 trillion in 2025, while customs duties paid rose by 85.66% due to enhanced compliance and increased volumes of legitimate trade.
According to AEO Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Report, the Programme achieved an average compliance rate of 85.45 per cent with the highest at 100 per cent and the lowest at 60 per cent.
“The evaluation applied rigorous methodologies to ensure objectivity, transparency, and alignment with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) SAFE Framework of Standards and the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
“In the area of trade facilitation, AEO participation reduced average cargo clearance time from 168 hours to 41 hours, representing a 75.60% time saving.
“Company operating costs declined by 57.2 per cent while demurrage payments dropped by 90 per cent, limiting capital flight to foreign-owned port service providers and strengthening foreign exchange retention.
” Overall trade efficiency improved by 77.11 per  through digitalisation, simplified procedures, and targeted risk management” the Customs declared in the AEO scorecard.
However, the Service singled out with Eight companies for commendation due to their integrity and compliance under the programme.
The companies include Coleman Technical Industries Limited, WACOT Rice Limited, ROMSON Oil Field Services Ltd, WACOT Limited, Chi Farms Ltd, CORMART Nigeria Ltd, PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc, Nigerian Bottling Company Limited and MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.
The Service lauded them for a cumulative voluntary remittance of over a billion naira into the Federation Account following their self-initiated transaction review and disclosure.
“These actions reflect the strengthening of post-clearance audit mechanisms and a growing culture of voluntary compliance within the trading community.
Nevertheless, the Service suspended a firm under the programme for its non- compliance and display of lack of integrity.
The suspended firm engaged in false declaration of consignments contrary to programme obligations.
“Consequently, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, directed the immediate suspension of the company’s AEO status in accordance with the AEO Guidelines, the WCO SAFE Framework of Standards, and Section 112 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act, 2023.
The NCS reiterated that the AEO Programme is founded on trust, transparency, and continuous compliance.
“While compliant operators will continue to benefit from expedited clearance and reduced inspection, appropriate sanctions will be applied where violations are established.
“The Service remains resolute in safeguarding national revenue, facilitating legitimate trade, and preserving the integrity and global credibility of Nigeria’s AEO framework” the NCS concluded in the report.
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