When in November 2010, 62-year-old Mrs Ihekoro received a telephone call from one of her sons in the United States of America informing his decision to come spend the just celebrated Christmas and new year in Nigeria, she looked forward with great expectation. Then the D-day eventually came with the excitement of seeing her son bubbling inside her. She set out in another of her son’s car on a Sunday to meet the US returnee in a hotel around Festac area, where she embraced him with tears of joy rolling down her cheeks. The family talked long into the night, until mama as she is fondly called ,was informed on the need to return back to her other son’s home

Olarewaju Fawehinmi quickly covered her face with her head gear on sighting journalists approaching. Simultaneously she burst into tears, prompting this reporter to ask what her mission with the police was. She was paraded along side four other suspected members of a syndicate said to be specialists in hijacking containers going in or coming out of the Apapa and Tin-Can Island ports, by the Ports Authority Police Command.

THE war against crime and criminality in the Imo state has begun to yield some fruitful results with the recent arrest and recovery of arms and ammunition by detectives attached to the state police command. Evidently, social and commercial life has since picked up tremendously in the state as the state police command has declared a zero tolerance for crime in the state. Before now, it was common knowledge for innocent citizens to be brazenly attacked by armed robbers while the hydra-headed monster called kidnapping took the center stage. It was therefore, true to say that the present adminis-tration under Governor Ikedi Ohakim inherited quite a number of challengings of which armed robbery and kidnapping were part

THEIR activities and manner of operations could be likened to shoplifting, but the difference between this syndicate who specialized only in raiding shops and supermarkets is that they operated on get away motor-bikes popularly known as Okada and bore arms even though they claimed they do not shoot at their victims

Tanker drivers, particularly those conveying petroleum products have suffered untold agony in the hands of men of the underworld, following an outright hijack of the trucks. Some of the drivers, including their motor-boys were sometimes killed, at the slightest attempt to put up resistance. Others were left with scars of bullet wounds or even disfigured by dangerous instrument from men of the underworld.

A German-based Nigerian, Dickson Utuke, who alleged N62 million fraudulent enrichment against a serving Police Officer in Lagos, has sent a save-our-soul plea to the Inspector-General of Police, Hafiz Ringim over what he tagged, ‘illegal release of exhibit vehicles’ recovered from the Police Officer. Mr. Utuke had, in October, last year, reported to the Inspector-General of Police monitoring unit at the Force Headquarters, Abuja that he engaged the Inspector serving at Area F, Ikeja, Lagos, and who incidentally is his in-law, in his importation business concerns only for him to divert his hard-earned money into personnel use.

In an effort to strengthen the police readiness in tackling bomb explosions during the 2011 general elections, the Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim, has approved the training of over 350 policemen attached to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EODU), on ‘Bomb Scene Investigation and Management.

Three importers, Michael Izuchukwu Ikegbuno, 41, Igwilo John Chinedu, 30 and Orazuluba Blessed 38, are currently telling operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the motive behind, their alleged involvement in drug trafficking

LIKE the Wole Soyinka’s Proud Abiku that will defy all the charms and amulets to enter its mother’s womb to be born for the repeated time, a gang of bloodthirsty armed robbers who do not just rob their victims but must leave on their trail, death, sorrow and anguish, have continued to terrorize Festac town and environs in spite of the watertight security network put in place by the Police and the neighborhood watch.

Imagine this: A new year is just 48 hours away; you are filled with joy, thanking God for seeing you (and your family) through the hustle and bustle of the outgoing year, yet full of hope and excitement by the prospect held by the coming one.