The Nigeria Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Zone A, Ikeja has declared the seizure of contraband worth N2.55bn in two weeks between July 25 and August 7.

Among the seized items were 2,748 cartons of DSP Codeine cough syrup worth N1, 175,200,000.

The Controller, NCS, FOU, Mr Mohammed Garuba, stated on Wednesday that the codeine syrup was found in a MAN diesel truck with registration number XB 286 BEN, along Afromedia Estate, by Egbeda junction, beside Alaba International market.


In May, the Federal Government declared a ban on importation of cough syrup containing codeine after a BBC documentary highlighted the abuse of the syrup among youths.

According to Garuba, this is the second time in a row the unit is intercepting the substance since the ban.

He added that information had also led to the evacuation of 49 cartons of 100mg Tramadol capsules from a warehouse in Ajao Estate, saying that the drugs would be handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation.


He listed contraband intercepted within the period to include 21 sacks of pangolin scales weighing 1,031kg and four pieces of elephant tusk weighing 29.35kg which were evacuated from a shop located in Tejuosho market in Victoria Island, based on information by the Warehouse Operations team led by Mutalib Sule.

He said, “The seized endangered species have a duty paid value of N253.6m. You will recall that the Minister of State for Environment, Mallam Usman Jibril, accompanied by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species delegates from the United Nations visited the unit, inspected the previous seizure of such endangered species this year and even commended us for a job well done.


“The trade in such endangered species is globally prohibited, hence the need for us all to fight against such illegality so that such endangered species do not go into extinction.”

Other seizures recorded in the two weeks are 39 sacks and 1,220 parcels of 1,610kg of Indian Hemp, uncovered in a transit bus in Ogun State; 17 units of exotic vehicles; 1,380 bags of foreign parboiled rice; 1, 126 pieces of used shoes; and 140 cans of vegetable oil.

Garuba added that among the detained vehicles were seven Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs; four Toyota Hiace buses; two Toyota Coaster buses, and four Toyota Camry cars.

“These 17 exotic vehicles have a duty paid value of N304.2m. Four of the vehicles were intercepted along Ijebu Ode Expressway while 13 were evacuated from a house on Plot 1, Akin Taylor Close, Allen Avenue, Ikeja, based on credible information.

“Eight suspects were arrested in connection with these 25 seizures,” he said.

An Indian man, Jalil Khan, allegedly set ablaze his 40-year-old lover, Sangita Suresh Devre, her married daughter and infant granddaughter in Nashik on Monday, police said.

While the nine-month-old infant died, the two women suffered 80 per cent burn injuries. They were admitted to the Nashik Civil Hospital, where their condition is stated to be serious, Madhukar Kad, in-charge, Panchavati police station, revealed to Afternoon Voice.

Khan, who is married, has been on the run after the incident.

Khan had been having a romantic affair with Devre, for the past one year. They reportedly had a heated argument over some issue on Sunday, the official said.

Police revealed that Khan came to Devre’s home in Panchavati locality past midnight on Monday and poured kerosene on her, her daughter and her granddaughter, before setting them on fire and fleeing the scene.

Efforts are being made to arrest the suspect.

Popular designer, Yomi Makun, aka Yomi Casual, and his wife, Grace, speak with TOFARATI IGE about their marital experience.

How did you meet your wife?

Yomi: We met at a friend’s party some years ago. She came with her elder sister and I think then they worked together at Music Africa.

What were the qualities that attracted you to your spouse?


Yomi: She was the only reserved girl in the party that day and I was surprised as to why a pretty Lagos girl would wear a suit to a birthday party all covered as if she was going to a church service. That was what really caught my attention. I greeted her but she wasn’t so receptive.

Grace: I liked the fact that he is a very kind and understanding person. He is also ambitious and focused.


Was it love at first sight for you?

Yomi: It wasn’t because when I met her, I was in a relationship.

Grace: I didn’t even look at him twice when me met. I had nothing like that on my mind.

What finally convinced you to take the relationship to the next level?


Yomi: When love happens, you really cannot explain it. I cannot really say that the qualities I found in her is the reason I decided to get married to her but she complements me. Ever since we began dating, everything just moved smoothly, and I think that’s enough reason to know that I had found my life partner.

Grace: Like he said, we complement each other. I am always happy whenever I am with him and I was convinced that he is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

How did you propose to her?

Yomi: I proposed to her at a friend, Funny Bone’s show. She actually didn’t see it coming because she thought I wasn’t ready. Even before we got to the show, I had told her that I wasn’t ready for marriage just to take her mind off it.

When you initially got married, what were some of those adjustments that you had to make?

Yomi: When you are married, you know that you have to go back home on time. The day you have to stay out late, you need to discuss with your wife. Don’t think that as a man, you have the right to stay out late if you want to. Some of us had very rude parents and we don’t want to be like them. This is 2018 and there are different ways of doing things in this era. If you treat a woman well and give her the best, you will get the best from that woman. I always try to come back home on time and if I’m staying out late, she knows wherever I’m going to. I always try to carry her along.


Grace: I have always being a homely person so there weren’t many adjustments to make. However, marriage curtails a bit of your freedom as you have to be answerable to your spouse.

Can you recall the first disagreement you had as a married couple?

Grace: The first disagreement we had was about staying out late. Sometimes, he has to work late at the office and I had the mindset that my husband always had to come back home on time and stay with me. However, I have understood that staying out late at times has to do with his job. If he would be staying out late, he always lets me know beforehand.


When you have quarrels, who usually apologises first?

Yomi: I’m always the first to do that because I hate trouble. Before she starts talking, I just tell her that I’m sorry. She also apologises too and that’s why I said we complement each other.

What are some of the most memorable moments of your marriage so far?


Yomi: That was when our child came; it was a sweet moment for us.

What would you say fatherhood has changed about you?

Yomi: It has changed a lot. I used to be hot tempered but fatherhood has calmed me. Instead of getting angry now, I just smile. I have learnt to create excuses for people and even if that’s not the reason, it will make me feel good about myself. Fatherhood has also taught me how to save money in terms of my business and general lifestyle. Before I buy something now, there has to be a serious need for it. Before spending money, I think of how many things I can buy for my baby with that same amount.


What are some of the most important lessons that you have learnt in marriage?

Grace: I’m still very new in the game as my marriage is barely a year-old so I’m still learning. Many people are scared of marriage because a lot of negative things have been said but I’m yet to witness any of such things. I believe marriage is about understanding and I read some books before I got married. Whenever any issue arises, I know where it would likely lead to if I don’t nip it in the bud. Marriage has made me to be very patient.

Do you usually involve third parties in your marriage when you have issues?

Yomi: I will advise everyone never to think about that. Never involve anyone, not even your family. Even if you catch your wife cheating, don’t reveal it to anybody. Keep it to yourself because when you guys make up, you would have already killed your wife’s image and trust me, bad news spread faster than good news. We have seen so many celebrities that quarreled and put it on social media but when they made up, people made jest of them. It’s normal to have issues in marriage but we resolve it between ourselves.


Do you keep a joint account?

Yomi: Yes, we do.

Would you advise people to try that?

Yomi: It depends on who you are married to. I know my wife very well and even though she likes money, like everybody else, she is a very good manager of resources. Right from when we were dating, I have learnt a lot from her and I trust her.


What are some of those special things you do to keep the love burning in your marriage?

Yomi: Many men abandon their wives after they get married and that’s not right. I believe your wife is like your car; the more you take care of your car, the better it looks. If you look at your car and see a scratch, you take it to the painter and fix it. You have to continually keep taking care of your wife. Make her look good and she will not be vulnerable to anyone. Too many women have fallen for small temptations. A guy could just offer them some money and they would get carried away. I can walk around Lagos barefoot while my wife drives my car; I don’t mind. You can know a rich man by how good his wife looks.


Do you have pet names for each other?

Grace: I call him Yom I and he calls me Gracious.

How do you deal with the fact that your spouse has admirers of the opposite sex?

Yomi: If I have a wife that men are not dying to get, that means I don’t have something valuable. Sometimes, she would tell me about the men that send her messages on social media. We would look at the person’s pictures together and laugh over it. Some popular people also send her messages. I actually like it when men admire my wife. Some men would rather allow their wife to tie wrapper and stay at home.

Grace: It is normal for women to admire my husband. At times, I encourage him to visit the gym and he would tell me that would make many girls admire him because of his buff chest and flat tummy. I tell him it doesn’t matter, that I want the girls to come.

How would you describe your marital experience so far?

Grace: It’s been good, sweet and awesome by the grace of God. Everything is working according to plan.

Why do you think celebrity marriages don’t last?

Grace: I really cannot say because I don’t know what they invest in their marriages. It is what you sow that you will reap. Most of them may have sown bad seeds in the past and that affects their marriages. Meanwhile, women can endure for a long time until they cannot take it anymore and it’s either they start cheating on you or they seek for divorce.

What is the most romantic thing that your spouse has done for you?

Yomi: I really cannot place a finger on it. She has done a lot for my business and she handles my staff well. Sometimes, you would even think she’s the boss. Whenever she sees something wrong, she addresses it immediately.

How do you unwind as a couple?

Yomi: We go out a lot together. I enjoy my moments with her; even if I’m invited for fashion shows in places such as New York, I always tell them to make bookings for two.

Were there no challenges owing to your inter-tribal marriage?

Yomi: There was no challenge at all. When we met, she was scared that her parents wouldn’t accept me as a Yoruba guy. However, I got on well with her parents.

The police have arrested two teachers at a private primary school in Lekki, Lagos State, Divina Oluwadere and Elizabeth Tijani, for allegedly diverting the school’s cooperative funds and fees paid by pupils for their own use.

An official of the school, Ijaola Adesola, was also apprehended for the alleged crime.

Apart from being teachers, it was learnt that Oluwadare and Tijani performed administrative roles in the school which gave them access to its funds.

Oluwadare reportedly diverted the sum of N182,000 while Tijani and Adesola allegedly took N583,000 and N492,000 respectively.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the suspects were sacked following the discovery of the crime and handed over to the police

It was gathered that the suspects wrote undertakings to return the money, but reneged on their promise in the course of the repayment.

Oluwadare, a native of the Abi Local Government Area, Cross River State, told the police that a sum of N257,000 was traced to her, but she had paid back N95,000.

She said, “I worked with Jolabell International School. During my service there, the sum of N257,000 was found missing after thorough auditing. The police were involved and I have remitted the sum of N95,000. I would have finished the payment but for the injury I sustained in the leg.”

Tijani stated that she was going to deposit the money sometime in October 2017 after closing from work when she was robbed in the Iyana Ipaja area of the state. The indigene of Lagos Island said she did not report the incident to the police on time as a result of shock.

“I had been teaching for years, but I am not working now due to my health condition. Sometime last year, I was on my way to my boss’ office where I was supposed to deposit the weekly funds made by the school when I was robbed around Iyana Ipaja.

“The only person I could remember at that moment was my husband and I called him. After some days, I called my boss and told him what happened, but he said he wanted his money. I stopped going to work. I have paid a little out of the money.”

Adesola said she took N450,000, not M492,000, from the school’s coffers and that she had returned N250,000 from the sum. “I just got another job and I have promised to pay the balance soon,” she added.

The suspects were brought before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on three counts of stealing by a police prosecutor, Inspector Ben Emuerhi.

Emuerhi told the court that the offence contravened sections 280(2)of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

The charges read in part, “That you, Divina Oluwadare, sometime in April 2017 at Jolabell International School, Lekki, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial Distirct, did steal the sum of N182,000, proceeds realised from the school fees.

“That you, Elizabeth Tijani, sometime in November 2017, did steal the sum of N583,000, proceeds realised from school fees, property of Jolabell International School and Empowerment Cooperative and Multipurpose Society.”

“That you, Ijaola Adesola, sometime in 2017 did steal the sum of N492,000 proceeds realised from school fees, property of Jolabell International School and Empowerment Cooperative and Multipurpose Society.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the counts and elected summary trial.

The presiding magistrate, Mrs. O. Sule-Amzat, granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 each with two sureties each in the like sum.

The case was adjourned till November 12, 2018 for mention.

Lagos port following weeks of delay, the ‘machine’ finally got to him. By the next morning – 9:00am to be precise – friends had started to pour into the compound he lived in the Ikosi area of Lagos to behold his new ‘toy’ and celebrate with him as well. Neighbours too were not left out – they joined in congratulating Olateju for his latest achievement. Before long, the excitement took a different form with the new car owner ordering for two crates of chilled beer to go round all the men that had come around that morning. The party soon moved outside the compound, in front of a nearby pub, as the need for more beer arose.

But less than one hour into the merriment that morning, things took a completely different turn. An unmarked bus filled with policemen suddenly stopped in front of the place and ordered Olateju and the others to go into the vehicle. They were under arrest. Their only crime – drinking alcohol in the morning especially before 12:00pm. However, checks by Saturday PUNCH revealed that Nigerians were free to drink alcohol any time of the day they so desired.

“It sounded like a joke,” 32-year-old Olateju, a geologist, told our correspondent during a recent encounter. “The policemen who behaved unprofessionally told us that we had committed a big offence for drinking beer in the morning and that we were going to pay dearly for it to serve as deterrent to others.

“All our protests of innocence and right to drink alcohol any time of the day fell on deaf ears. Even a lawyer amongst us who tried to let the policemen know that we had not contravened any law by drinking beer around 10:00am was ignored. He was almost slapped in fact. They bungled all of us into their bus and took us to their station.

“Luckily for us, the lawyer contacted a high ranking officer at the Lagos State Police Command who after speaking with the person that led the team, ordered that we should all be immediately released because we had not committed any offence by drinking alcohol in the morning. If not for that senior officer, we could have been asked to bail ourselves with money once at the station. There are many people that I know that this thing has happened to in our area,” he said.

While the 32-year-old and his friends were lucky to walk away free after being initially criminalised for drinking alcohol in the morning despite no law frowning against such in Lagos and many other states across the country, some others, have not been so fortunate after coming in contact with policemen, who make every little act or thing look like a crime just to get some money out of hapless citizens.

Benjamin Adirije, a 28-year-old admin personnel working with a public relations outfit in the Jibowu area of Lagos got a bitter taste of this ‘concoction’ recently when he found himself behind the counter of a police station at about 11:20pm on June 27. Held up in traffic for almost two hours following a blockade by tanker drivers that had taken over sections of Ikorodu Road, a popular route within the metropolis, the young man did not arrive Oregun until about that time. As he walked along the bus-stop to connect the road to his house, a blue van with about five policemen inside it suddenly pulled up beside him. While still wondering what was going on, two of the officers bundled him into the vehicle, ignoring any kind of explanation from him. His excuse of being trapped in traffic for over two hours did not move the policemen to allow him go. As far as they were concerned, Adirije, despite showing them his work identity card, was a ‘criminal’ for walking along the bus-stop at 11:20pm.


“I slept at the counter of the police station I was taken to that night because I did not have money to bail myself,” the young man told Saturday PUNCH recently. “I was arrested and humiliated for committing no offence. My only sin, according to the policemen was walking along the bus-stop at 11:20pm. Despite telling them it was traffic that kept me that long and showing them my work ID, they refused to listen to me, they said I was a criminal. Was I the one who made the road to be blocked that day? When has walking on the road at 11:20pm become a crime in this world? Those who had money to settle them that night were released but I was kept at the station till the next morning when I was left to go at about 7:00am. I called my boss and explained the situation to him and he asked that I rest for the day. Since that day, whenever I close late from work, I’ll just take a cab once I get to Ojota bus-stop to avoid a similar experience,” the visibly enraged 28-year-old added.

While there are time restrictions for commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists in Lagos due to security concerns, there is no law stopping pedestrians from walking on the road at 11:20pm or above. But in many parts of the city and indeed beyond, the police criminalise this, arresting and squeezing ‘settlements’ out of victims without blinking an eye.

In Benin, Edo State, Osariemen Ighodalo, a young admission seeker, got more than he bargained for recently after facing a similar ‘court’ that criminalised the drinking of alcohol in the morning. Eagerly preparing and looking forward to his cousin’s birthday on June 16, 2018, the 17-year-old had walked into a barber’s shop to treat himself to a great haircut that would stand him out from the rest. But Ighodalo did not know that the decision would be one of the costliest of his life. Soon stopped by a team of policemen around Ring Road, a well-known section within the city, the young man was labelled an Internet fraudster (Yahoo boy), a cult member and a thug all at a go. It was a serious matter that saw the 17-year-old learning a very tough lesson.

“There is no tag that those policemen didn’t place on me just to criminalise me to the point of settling them with money,” Ighodalo told our correspondent during a telephone conversation from his base in Benin. “They said my haircut suggested that I must be a criminal. They accused me of being a Yahoo boy despite telling them that I was only 17 and seeking admission into the university.

“They said the star sign which the barber carved at the back of my head was a sign that I was a cult member and also into other criminal activities and that they would make sure I go to jail if I didn’t cooperate with them.

“All the while I was scared and pleading with them to release me or allow me contact my mother. When they eventually got across to her, they told her that I was a criminal they had been looking for. They threatened that if she didn’t want me to be taken to court and jail, she should pay N100, 000. After serious pleading from my mother, they eventually collected N10, 000 before releasing me for committing no offence.

“Since that day, I have been scared to move about freely the way I would have loved to as a young boy. That incident really sent fear into me to the extent that the sight of a policeman makes me want to run,” he said.

Budding football player, Temile Badejo, 24, got his own taste of this new ‘dish’ by men of the Nigeria police when he was accosted along Fajuyi Road in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, in April this year for wearing earrings and also sagging his jean trousers. According to the officers, the young man had not only broken the ’10 commandments’ but also ‘committed sacrilege’. As far as they were concerned, appearing in such a manner not only qualifies you as a criminal but also a ‘very dangerous’ one that should be locked away in confinement. Though Badejo was released about one hour after he was arrested that evening following the intervention of an uncle, who is a lawyer, dozens others have spent at least a night in different police stations and forced to part with some money to secure their releases by morning.

“If not for my uncle who is a lawyer, the policemen could have kept me at their station at least for that night since I had no money on me at the time to settle them.

“Since I don’t know much about law, I really thought I had broken some rules and was seriously pleading with them to have mercy on me when they arrested me. All my pleading did not move them one bit, they insisted that I must call somebody to come and bail me if I didn’t want them to take me to court the next day. But I never knew I didn’t commit any offence, otherwise I wouldn’t have begged them that much. Immediately my uncle came and they saw that he was a lawyer, they quickly released me and told him that they arrested me because I was found in the midst of bad boys. I am yet to recover from the shock of their actions and lies,” the 24-year-old whose dream is to play for Manchester United, said.

Interestingly when Saturday PUNCH checked, apart from a few higher institutions where certain dress styles are discouraged, there is nowhere in the Nigerian constitution a person – either male or female – is forbidden from putting on earrings or wearing trousers in ways that pleases them.

This type of random criminalisation by the police in Nigeria is not limited to the men alone; women – young and old – have also had their own bitter share of the ‘menu’ as well.

For example, Nnneka Ejindu, a young business woman based in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State was labelled a prostitute for wearing dreadlocks and having tattoo on her arm and ankle. The mother of one told Saturday PUNCH that an early morning trip to her shop to fetch some items with which to prepare food for her family became an embarrassment that left her in a police van for more than 30 minutes.

“My house is about 20 minutes to my shop, so I had left home at about 6:00am on a bike to get some food items to cook for our breakfast. I forgot to take it along the previous night when I closed. I was about five minutes away from my shop when some policemen on patrol stopped the bike and ordered me to come down. They asked me where I was coming from and I told them my mission. I thought I was talking to reasonable people, I never knew that they were monsters.

“Before I knew what was happening, they had dragged me into their van. They said I was a prostitute who was returning from the night’s job and that they would make sure I rot in jail. They said my tattoo and dreadlocks already confirmed that I was a prostitute.

“When I realised that they were not going to listen to me, I had to send my husband a text message, notifying him of my predicament and the junction I and others were being held. Luckily for me, my husband showed up with a neighbour who is a policeman. That was how I regained my freedom that morning. Since that day, I have been careful what time of the day I move for fear of a similar experience,” Ejindu said.

Disturbing as it sounds, the list of acts and things the police criminalise in Nigeria is indeed endless. For instance, it is not uncommon these days for policemen to stop and sometimes harass young men and women in good clothes and cars. Apart from asking such persons how they got the money to afford the good clothes on them and cars they are riding in, many are blackmailed into parting with some cash eventually for committing no offence whatsoever.

A handful with this type of experience, who spoke with Saturday PUNCH, called on relevant authorities to do something urgent about this.

“The average policeman on the road would explore every means to make you look like a criminal at every point in time just to extort money from you,” Bisola Adejumo, an employee with a telecommunications company in Lagos, said. “I don’t know if this is as a result of the training they got or just an individual trait, they just want to put fear in you and take advantage of you. After working for more than nine years, is it too much if I drive a car of N2m? So, why should any policeman stop me on the road and ask me where I got the money to buy a car of that range?

“I have grown tired of this type of unwarranted harassment on weekly basis. The police authorities or government must do something about this because it has become irritating in fact,” she added.

Umor Agbeni, a 29-year-old fashion designer, is yet to get over the shock of a recent harassment he faced at the hands of a team of policemen in Umuahia, Abia State. While walking home after the close of work one evening, he ran into the officers conducting a stop and search operation in the area where his shop is located. According to him, one of the officers stopped him after seeing the calibre of mobile phone he held in his hand. When he explained that he was a successful entrepreneur and had the finance to purchase such item, one of the men called him a “liar” and ordered him to submit the item for inspection.

“The moment one of the policemen noticed that I was holding an iPhone 6, I became a target for them,” the young man said during a telephone conversation with our correspondent. “They stopped and shouted on me to explain how I got the money to buy such an expensive phone. Despite telling them that I make good money from my business and could afford to buy such item, they didn’t listen to me. They said I was pretending and that I could be engaged in some form of criminal activity.

“While I was there, I saw them stop two other guys carrying backpack with laptops inside. They accused them of being Internet fraudsters who were only disguising as computer engineers to engage in criminality. I was shocked.

“We had to part with some money before they allowed us to leave that night. Whenever I think about that incident, I wish I had the power to deal with those policemen. They just took advantage of us because they had guns on them,” Agbeni stated, anger still loud in his voice.

While wearing beards and dreadlocks by young men is considered a great enhancer of looks by many, Femi Latinwo, a 32-year-old model based in Ibadan, Oyo State, had it to blame for his recent ordeal at the hands of four policemen on patrol. Leaving his home in the challenge area of the city to Felele, another neighbourhood, to see a friend, he was stopped and labelled a cult member due to his looks. Several attempts to have the officers believe that he was indeed a fashion model fell on deaf ears. He was taken to the police station where a colleague in the profession came to secure his release.

“I was arrested in the afternoon for wearing dreadlocks and beards,” he began. “Since that day I have been searching every law book I know to find where that is stated as a crime. I am not going to let the matter die, I am already discussing with a lawyer who is going to get justice for me. This is the height of highhandedness by the police. Though people have been advising me to cut my dreadlocks and beards, I have not and won’t because that does not make me a criminal,” Latinwo said.

Angered by the situation, human rights lawyer, Mr. Jiti Ogunye, told Saturday PUNCH that these types of harassment of innocent citizens by the police is not only unconstitutional but a way to squeeze money out of members of the public.

“There are no laws backing such harassment by the police. These acts of criminality perpetrated against innocent Nigerians are not supported by the law.

“The constitution guarantees right to the dignity of the human person. Even section 4 of the Police Act which governs the powers of the police, does not support these as long as offences are not being committed. The section does not give the police the power to harass innocent Nigerians when no offences are being committed.

“Profiling people by looking at the nature of their hairstyles, type of cars they ride, nature of phone they carry e.t.c, is wrong. What they do is not to combat crime and criminality, the objective for harassing people like these is to extort money. There is no law backing these claims they make to arrest people, it is just sheer brigandage.

“My advice is that victims of these types of harassment should engage a lawyer or report at the Office of the Public Defender to get justice. They should not keep quiet when these things happen to them so that there can be a stop to it,” he said.

Adding his voice to the argument, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, in a letter to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, called on the law enforcement agency to desist from arresting and prosecuting citizens for loitering and wandering, adding that it was a violation of the rights of individuals within the society.

According to him, the vagrancy law, which was introduced in the country during the British colonial rule, had been repealed in 1989 after a sustained campaign by human rights activists.

“Whenever rich people are found on the street taking a walk, it is said that they are exercising their fundamental right to freedom of movement.

“But whenever the poor exercise such fundamental right to freedom of movement, they are usually arrested by the police who accuse them of wandering or loitering.

“We hereby request you to use your good offices to direct all police commands in the country to desist from further arresting and prosecuting poor citizens for loitering or wandering,” he said.

Calls put across to the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Moshood Jimoh, to react to the matter were not answered.

Sex workers in Anambra State have threatened to starve policemen who patronise them over alleged harassment and arrest of their colleagues in major cities of the state.

One of the sex workers, simply identified as Kaamsi, who claimed to be a leader of the group in Umunze in the Orumba South Local Government Area of the state, told Saturday PUNCH on Friday that her members in the state had decided to starve policemen.

Kamsi, a leader of the group of prostitutes, said they would commence the decision as from Monday next week.

She said, “These policemen constitute over 50 per cent of our customers, yet they come here at the garden to harass and intimidate us on daily basis.

“About two days ago, no fewer than 10 of our members here were arrested and taken to SARS office. They were maltreated and so dehumanised before they were granted bail and asked to pay through their noses before they regained freedom.

“This happens on daily basis here in Umunze, Onitsha, Awka, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, everywhere. So, we have decided that none of our members would ‘serve’ any policeman here in Umunze and the entire state.”

Asked whether the policemen came to them in their uniforms, Kamsi said, “We know them; we know almost all our customers. They don’t need to come to us in their uniforms to be identified.

“Brother, let me tell you, we get information here. All big men that come here, we know them up to their family level.”

Saturday PUNCH gathered that about a week ago, the Anambra Police Command raided brothels in various cities in the state and arrested no fewer than 120 persons.

According to reports, the police raided Morning Star Hotel, Amawbia, Awka South Council Area, arresting about 20 persons.

The report further said that on Sunday, the police raided Happiness Hotel in Amanwayi, Amawbia at about noon, arresting about six women alleged to be prostitutes.

The source further alleged that the police also raided Dot4 Hotel, Mgbakwu and Bolin Hotel Nise, as well as another hotel in Ogidi, in the Idemili North Council Area, where about 60 persons were arrested.

Other areas raided, our correspondent gathered, were Amansea, Umunze, Onitsha and Ihiala.

Kamsi said, “The suspects were raided and bailed with N10,000 each. The police have used such raids for making money.”