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Kuti, Ugbeh, 53 Others Decorated with New SP Rank As CP Fayoade Cautions Against Misuse
The number of Superintendents of Police in the Nigeria Police Force has been boosted by additional 1,607. This is following the recent approval by the Chairman of Police Service Commission (PSC), Dr. Solomon Arase and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, to elevate serving Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs), to SPs.
Of the newly promoted SPs, 55, among whom is the Deputy Police Public Relations Officer, Stephen Kuti, are from the Lagos State Police Command led by CP Adegoke Fayoade, reports National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
Fayoade, on Friday, decorated the 55 officers with their new rank during a ceremony at the Command headquarters, and witnessed by members of the command’s management team including DC Operations, DCP Fatai Tijani; DC Administration, DCP Khan Saliu Usman; AC Administration, ACP Mary Anyim; AC Operations, ACP Emmanuel Oyewole; PPRO, SP Benjamin Hundeyin.
Other officers, who were equally decorated were Officer in Charge, OC Patrol and Guard (P & G), SP Ugbeh Benjamin and OC State CID Panti, SP Lawal Akeem.
In his address to the new promotees, CP Fayoade said that promotion “is a thing of joy. I can imagine the joy radiating on the faces of everyone promoted. We are just starting. More of this promotion will come and it will meet you alive and in good health. This joy will not take away another joy. It will be accumulation of joy. I congratulate you; you will get more ranks. I wish you the best in this noble profession of ours.”
CP Fayoade further advised the newly promoted officers to place high premium on the SP rank.
“In those days, to become a SP is tough, but it is made more available than before. I remember the Governor of Kano State then was SP so you can see how important the rank is. Don’t rubbish the rank, be proud of the job, be proud of the rank but do it with humility and hardwork,” he said.
On the new zeal and commitment which they must bring to service, the no. 1 cop in Lagos noted: “Promotion is not for ceremony. It is an indication that you have worked hard. It is your desire to move to another level, that requires you to work harder than before. Apart from that, you also have to see yourself as an officer that have been given greater responsibility. You have to change your attitude and your approach to work in the way you relate with members of the public.”
He admonished: ‘Every aspect of your life has to change for the better on the job and outside the job. Some of you forget that when you are not wearing the uniform, you are still a policeman. So any act of commission or omission, it will be said Officer So and so, you must be above board. You have a big role to play, the role is to continue to improve the image of the Force. We need to do that because of how the public perceive us. You have to be good ambassador at your various posts exhibiting best quality. You must be a good listener, problem solver, you must sit on the problem and see to the successful completion. You must make yourself available at all times for the public that you have signed to serve.
‘Having a new rank does not mean you become lord especially when you are at home that you will be giving orders and if they don’t obey you will threaten them with detention. This rank must make you show high level of humility. You must not misuse your new office. It must make you more serviceable at home and in the office. It is not time to go out to get drunk and become useless at home. It is a call to diligent duty. It is a call to make a difference, to change the negative stories and perceptions of the Police,’ Fayoade concluded.
Some of the newly promoted SPs spoke with National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP at the ceremony. OC Patrol and Guard (P & G), SP Benjamin Ugbeh remarked: ‘Today is a very wonderful day for me to attain the rank of SP. It is a special day for me. I use this opportunity to thank IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun and the CP Adegoke Fayoade for promoting us to this special rank. We must be diligent, we must be civil to members of the public, we must not use our new rank to intimidate our junior ones.’
On his part, the deputy PPRO, SP Stephen Kuti noted: ‘I give thanks to the Almighty God. It came at the right time in the time of fasting. I give thanks to Almighty Allah. Every rank comes with its own responsibility. We shouldn’t let it get into our heads, it should rather boost my mannerisms to work and to know that the public needs more. It is a call to duty to serve my people more. It is a seal of confidence not for intimidation. The IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, the PSC Chairman Dr. Solomon Arase, CP Adegoke Fayoade and other members of the team who have contributed in no small measure to making officers’ promotions faster. They are encouraging us to do more.”
A federal judge in the United States, on Thursday, put a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to restrict birthright citizenship.
The ruling imposes a 14-day halt on the enforcement of one of the most controversial executive orders Trump signed hours after being sworn into office for a second term.
It comes after lawsuits were filed by a total of 22 states, two cities and numerous civil rights groups.
“This is a blatantly unconstitutional order,” senior US District Judge John Coughenour was reported as saying during the hearing in Washington State.
“I’ve been on the bench for over four decades, I can’t remember another case where the question presented is as clear as this one is,” said Coughenour, who was appointed to the bench by a Republican president, Ronald Reagan.
Birthright citizenship is fundamental to America’s national identity, with the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution decreeing that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.
It says, in part: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
Trump’s order was premised on the idea that anyone in the US illegally, or on a visa, was not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the country, and therefore excluded from this category.
AFP
The Court of Appeal sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital has upheld the death sentence of Ramon Adedoyin, a prominent businessman and hotelier, for his involvement in the murder of one Timothy Adegoke, a former postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Delivering the judgment on Thursday, the court affirmed the earlier verdict of the Osun State High Court, which had sentenced Adedoyin to death.
“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part,” the court declared in part.
The Court of Appeal, however, set aside some aspects of the lower court’s orders, including the forfeiture of the Hilton Hotel and the order for Adedoyin to pay for the education of Adegoke’s children.
Furthermore, the court ruled that it had no jurisdiction to impose penalties outside the statutory provisions
Adegoke’s death was reported in November 2021 after his corpse was found at the Hilton Honours Hotel in Ile-Ife, Osun State, where he had lodged.
The hotelier had travelled from Abuja for an examination at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun State on November 5 of that year.
He had checked into the hotel but was reported missing after two days. However, Adegoke’s body was found days later, leading to a probe that linked his death to Adedoyin and others.
In May 2023, Adedoyin and others were sentenced to death after they were found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder.
But dissatisfied with the judgement, Adedoyin approached the Appeal court to dismiss the sentence and conviction.
The court of appeal, on Thursday, however, upheld the conviction and death sentence of the hotelier.
The Nigeria Police have announced that their operatives have rescued Mrs Folasade Odumosu, the wife of a former Assistant Inspector General, Hakeem Odumosu, who was last Thursday, kidnapped at the entrance of her home in Arepo, Ogun State.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noting that two of the kidnappers were killed while four others escaped without their weapons.
Adejobi said with the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged Odumosu’s abductors in a gun duel and neutralized the criminals in the swampy area of Ikorodu on Wednesday.
The police spokesman added that Mrs Odumosu is currently undergoing a medical evaluation and has since been reunited with her family.
The statement read, “In a commendable display of teamwork and swift action, police operatives attached to the Ogun State Command have successfully neutralized the kidnappers of Mrs. Odumosu, wife of Retired Assistant-Inspector General, AIG Hakeem Odumosu, and rescued her unharmed.
“On January 16, 2025, at approximately 9:45 PM, four masked gunmen forcibly abducted Mrs. Odumosu from her Lexus Jeep outside her residence in Arepo, Ogun State. The abduction sparked an immediate response from the anti-kidnapping unit of the Ogun State Police Command, who commenced a thorough investigation and targeted pursuit of the kidnappers.
“With the support of the Force Headquarters technical intelligence platforms, the Ogun State police operatives engaged in extensive surveillance of the creeks surrounding Arepo, gathering crucial information to track down the assailants. Their efforts culminated in a raid on January 23, 2025, at around 06:45 AM. The intelligence-led operation took the police to a creek in the swampy area of Ikorodu, where the kidnappers were reportedly planning their next attack.
“Upon arrival, the operatives encountered the kidnappers, who opened fire. In the ensuing confrontation, two of the gunmen were neutralized, while four others fled the scene, abandoning their operational weapons.”
Adejobi said the police operatives recovered N10m initially paid to the kidnappers, four Ak-47 rifles, three locally made single barrel rifles, and ammunition of various calibres.
He added, “The victim, Mrs Odumosu was rescued within the swampy creeks during the operation, unharmed. She is currently undergoing medical evaluation as a precautionary measure and has since been reunited with her family. The police also recovered 4 Ak-47 rifles, 3 locally made single barrel rifles, ammunition of various calibres, and the sum of N10,000,000 ransom previously demanded by the kidnappers, further ensuring that justice is served.”
Adejobi said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, commended the police operatives and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, for the rescue operation.
He asserted that the Police Force is committed to safeguarding the citizens and combat kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., has commended the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his operatives for their displayed gallantry in this successful operation.
“This operation exemplifies the dedication and resilience of our Police officers. The Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes, providing safety and security to all citizens,” he added.
