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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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Analyses

The trillion naira vault: Building political-proof ports for Nigeria

The Monday Discourse with Ibrahim Nasiru focuses on the strategy to lock away the NPA’s port modernisation funds from the groping hands of the politicians in other to avert the calamity which befell the infamous Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund (CVFF)
Following up on the intense national discussion regarding the NPA’s ₦1.489 trillion revenue target, here is a preview of my analysis on how we can structurally lock this massive wealth away from bureaucratic hands.
We cannot allow the historic failure of the Cabotage Vessels Financing Fund (CVFF) to paralyze our economic imagination.
The solution to Port decay isn’t to stop collecting funds, but to change who holds the keys to the vault.
From deploying bankruptcy-remote SPVs to issuing local currency infrastructure bonds backed by pension funds, this piece outlines the exact financial engineering needed to modernize Apapa and Tin Can Island.
Watch out for the full analysis tomorrow.
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At World Environment Day celebration, NIWA renews commitment to clean, secure waterways 

Umar Yusuf Girei, NIWA Ag. MD
Gloria Odion, Maritime reporter
The Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Umar Yusuf Girei, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to maintaining clean, safe and sustainable inland waterways as Nigeria joins the global community to mark the 2026 World Environment Day.
The celebration, themed “Urbanisation and Climate Change: Building Resilient Cities for a Sustainable Future,” draws attention to the environmental challenges accompanying rapid urban growth and climate change impacts.
In a statement delivered at NIWA Headquarters in Lokoja, Girei extended greetings to cities across the country, noting that urban areas are increasingly expanding around waterways which continue to serve as vital centres of commerce, culture and economic activity.
He, however, warned that urbanisation places significant strain on the environment, leading to challenges such as rising temperatures, flooding and erosion, all of which require urgent and coordinated response measures.
According to him, NIWA views inland waterways as natural infrastructure for building urban resilience, explaining that properly managed rivers and channels help mitigate flooding by serving as drainage pathways, while also offering a cleaner, low-carbon option for transporting goods and passengers.
Girei reiterated the Authority’s commitment to responsible dredging, protection of riverbanks, and sustained efforts to keep waterways free from pollution and indiscriminate waste disposal.
He also stressed that government cannot shoulder the responsibility alone, urging Nigerians to contribute by disposing of waste properly, planting trees along riverbanks, reporting illegal dredging and encroachment activities, and supporting environmental protection initiatives.
He further encouraged greater adoption of water transportation as a safer and more sustainable alternative to road transport across the country.
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Headlines

Tope Fajemirokun, WABOTAN President, decries high cost of water transportation in Nigeria 

Funso OLOJO, Editor 

 

The President of the Waterfront Boat Owners and Transporters Association of Nigeria (WABOTAN), Mr. Tope Fajemirokun, has lamented the prohibitive cost of water transportation in Nigeria which he said has continued to discourage Nigerians from using this viable mode of transportation.

Fajemirokun make this observation during a live Radio broadcast in Lagos.
The WABOTAN President further disclosed that commuters pay more using water transportation than when using road transportation, a development which he feared was inimical to the growth of water transportation that he believed was a viable alternative to road transportation.
According to him, a commuter pays as high as N10,000 commuting on waters from Badagry to CMS, Lagos on two- way journey.
“The cost of water transportation remains high. For example, a commuter travelling from Badagry to CMS may spend about ₦5,000 each way, amounting to ₦10,000 daily on transportation alone.
” This is one of the major factors discouraging passengers from using the waterways. That is why we are appealing to government at all levels to invest more in the sector,” he added.
To bring the cost of water transportation down, Fajemirokun called on government to invest more on water transportation and also give assistance to private operators in the business.
He lamented that rising fuel prices have significantly affected the operations of boat owners and transporters, noting that the increase in fuel costs, coupled with prevailing economic challenges, has made it difficult for operators to acquire new boats and expand their businesses.
 “When you are in business, you must continue to improve and invest in it despite the challenges,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to NIWA and LASWA for their commitment to maintaining safety standards on Nigeria’s waterways.
Fajemirokun further outlined several initiatives undertaken by WABOTAN to educate its members on safety practices ahead of the rainy season.
 “Since the beginning of the year, we have been educating our members on safety measures.
“We have conducted two safety induction programmes this year and are currently planning another one before August.

“With the support of my friend and brother, Frank Meke, the programme will bring together stakeholders, the media, and regulatory agencies to further strengthen safety awareness,” he stated.

The WABOTAN President noted that the association has implemented several safety measures in preparation for the rainy season and acknowledged the efforts of regulatory authorities in sensitizing operators and passengers.

 “A few months ago, LASWA invested significantly in clearing water hyacinth from Lagos waterways. Water hyacinth is a fast-growing aquatic plant that obstructs navigation and poses safety risks on waterways,” he explained.

Fajemirokun said WABOTAN has enjoyed strong cooperation from both LASWA and NIWA in promoting safety and regulatory compliance across the sector.

 “We have received tremendous support from LASWA and NIWA, and we are working closely with them.
“However, we remain particularly concerned about Rivers and Bayelsa States, where incidents on the waterways tend to increase during the rainy season due to their proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.

“With NIWA’s support, we are intensifying sensitization efforts in those states and across other parts of the country,” he said.

He added that several states are establishing their own waterway authorities and commended NIWA for providing guidance and support in that regard.

Speaking on the need to phase out unsafe banana and wooden boats, Fajemirokun called for greater government intervention and financial support for operators seeking to invest in safer and more modern vessels.

“The government needs to come to our aid, just as the Lagos State Government has been doing.

“Eliminating banana and wooden boats will be easier if government provides the necessary support and investment.

” State governments should also invest more in water transportation to ensure that Nigerians can fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the waterways,” he said.

He further urged government authorities to take a more active role in developing the water transportation sector, noting that the high cost of water travel discourages many commuters.

Also speaking on the programme, veteran maritime journalist Frank Meke acknowledged government efforts but stressed that more needs to be done to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s water transportation system.”Our roads are heavily congested. As we speak, Apapa remains gridlocked. Imagine the impact if government invested more in water transportation.

” Sometimes, there appears to be more lip service than concrete action. The blue economy holds enormous potential.
” Look at the investments and sacrifices being made by associations like WABOTAN to strengthen the sector.

” Government agencies should demonstrate a similar level of commitment,” Meke said.

He also expressed concern about states such as Kwara, Niger, Benue, and Taraba, where waterways could serve as a more affordable and efficient means of transporting agricultural produce.

According to him, many farmers in these states need reliable and cost-effective transportation options to move their goods to market, making water transportation a viable alternative.

Meke called on the government to declare a state of emergency in the water transportation sector, emphasizing the need for alternative modes of transportation beyond road networks.

“Nigerians need efficient alternatives to road transport, and WABOTAN has played a significant role in advancing the sector.

“Government should provide soft loans to boat operators to enable them to acquire modern vessels.
“Investment should not be limited to boats alone; there is also a need for continuous training of boat captains, crew members, and even passengers.

” As the rainy season approaches, we must prepare adequately for emergencies,” he stated.

Fajemirokun concluded by urging all boat operators to prioritize safety at all times and ensure that passengers wear life jackets before embarking on any journey.

 “Safety must always come first. Boat operators and passengers should never neglect the use of life jackets, regardless of the distance of the journey,” he advised.
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