The Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Adijat Adeleye, on Saturday, confirmed the arrest of a 76-year-old man, David Ogunsanwo, for allegedly raping and impregnating a 16-year-old girl (names withheld).

Ogunsanwo was said to have been arrested in Abeokuta, the state capital, by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Adeleye, who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen in Abeokuta on Saturday, said the suspect would be charged to court, adding that her ministry would follow through to ensure justice was served.

The commissioner, who expressed worries over the increasing rate of sexual abuse cases in the country, appealed to victims to always speak out.

Adeleye said, “The incidence of people going to the police, reporting and withdrawing the case is increasing. And we want to draw the attention of all parents, that if their child is a victim of violation, report the case to the police and do not withdraw it.

“We are aware that cases of violation and abuse are increasing. There’s a huge increase in these kinds of crimes, especially against children.

“When you withdraw the case, it gives the perpetrator the opportunity to continue to do it and also do it to other children.”

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Some unknown gunmen have killed a pastor in charge of the second Evangelical Church Winning All, Damakasuwa in the Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Amako Maraya.

The wife of the clergy was also abducted by the gunmen.

A resident, who is also an elder in the church, Mr. Ishaku Chinge, who confirmed the incident to PUNCH Online on Saturday, said the gunmen invaded the community around 11 p.m. on Friday.

He recalled that about three months ago, the gunmen had attempted to kidnap the son of the clergy but were repelled with the help of the community, even though he (the son) was injured.

“Yesterday again, they stormed his house, gunned him down and kidnapped his wife.

“The gunmen had earlier called in the morning, demanding N3 million ransom from the family. They have not called again,” Chinge stated.

According to him, there has been tension in the community since the incident occurred.

He added, “We are calling on security agencies and the government to help rescue the widow who is traumatised at the moment.”

The acting Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, did not respond to the text message sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

The Nigeria Customs Service, Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command, said it has handed over seized fake $10, 000 to officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Announcing this in a statement on Saturday, the command’s Public Relations Officer, Juliana Tomo, said a 41-year-old suspect, Ifeanachor Ugbor, was arrested in connection with the seizure.

She said that the suspect who was heading to Brazil, contravened the the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of Nigeria.

Tomo said the command made this seizure less than two months after the new Customs Area Controller, Charles Orbih, was redeployed from Abia/Imo Area Command to MMIA.

“Considering Section 15 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (As Amended) Act No 11, 2011 and Act No 1, 2012, which entails the money laundering offences, a passenger contravened a part of this section within our jurisdiction.

“This passenger, Ifeanacho Ugbor, is a 41-year-old Nigerian from Enugu State with a valid Nigerian Standard Passport No. B00033052 who was scheduled to travel from Murtala Muhammad International Airport with the Ethiopian Airline (flight ET900) to Brazil on Friday 10th November 2023 was suspected to have contravened the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act of Nigeria,” she said.

The spokesperson said the suspect was restrained from traveling and detained for further investigation.

“The suspect, having declared the sum of $10,000 on our currency declaration form, our officers took a step further to examine the currency in line with section 66 of the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, and the officers discovered that the sum of $10,000 was all counterfeit,” the statement noted.

The Customs Area Controller in charge of the command, Orbih, said that the achievement was a result of the due diligence of the officers.

“We have eagle eyes officers in this command, they are ready to work for 24 hours of the day and seven days of the week combating all customs-related crimes and bringing to the limelight the perpetrators,” he added.

“We hereby hand over the sum of $10,000 counterfeited currency to the EFCC, the suspect, a valid Nigerian Standard Passport No. B00033052, two phones and his baggage for further necessary action,” he concluded.

The death of one person has been confirmed by the Sokoto State Police Command as youths of a community resisted some bandits on Saturday.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman for the state police command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the bandits, in an attempt to attack the Kwakwala community in the Sokoto metropolis, engaged in a shootout with youths of the area.

He said, “Based on the report at our disposal, the suspected bandits numbering about 10 armed with cutlasses and guns attacked a community behind the main campus of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto.

“The youth of the area resisted the attack and in the process, the bandits shot one of the youths named Usman who died instantly.

“Four other youths of the Kwalkwala and Dundaye communities also sustained various degrees of injuries in the attack.”

The PPRO, however, assured all that the command under the leadership of CP Ali Kaigama is doing everything possible to ensure the culprits are apprehended.

The Bayelsa State Police Command has said that its operatives have arrested one of the suspected killers of the former Divisional Police Officer, Ahoada Division, Rivers State, late Bako Angbashim, a Superintendent of Police.

This was contained in a statement signed by the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Asinim Butswat.

It identified the suspect as Onyekachi Okowa, who is the second in command to TuBaba of the Iceland cult group.

The command said Ikowa was arrested in a hideout in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Saturday following credible intelligence.

It added that the suspect had been handed over to the Rivers State Police Command.

The statement read, “Police operatives in Bayelsa State have nabbed one of the killers of Late SP Bako Angbashim, former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada Division, Rivers State.

“The suspect one Onyekachi Ikowa ‘m’ 43 years, the second in command to TuBaba of the dreaded Icelander cult group, was arrested on 18 November 2023 based on credible intelligence that he was hibernating in Yenagoa after participating in the callous murder of Late SP Bako Angbashim, in September 2023.

“The Commissioner of Police Bayelsa State Command CP Francis Iduh has charged police operatives to fish out any of his cohorts who are hiding in Bayelsa State, he stressed that the Bayelsa Command under his watch would not be a haven for criminals to hide.”

“The suspect has been handed over to the Rivers Police Command for further investigation.”

The Anambra State Police Command has revealed that it has intercepted a gun-running syndicate and arrested a major arms dealer dealing in prohibited firearms in the state.

A statement issued by the state police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Saturday, indicated that the breakthrough followed weeks of surveillance by operatives of the command.

Ikenga added that about 23 automatic action guns and 625 live cartridges were recovered from the syndicate.

He said, “The Police in Anambra State have arrested a major arms dealer dealing illegally in prohibited firearms in the state.

“The breakthrough followed weeks of intensive surveillance by operatives of the command.

“A total of 21 automatic and 625 live cartridges were recovered.

“So far, three suspects have been arrested in Onitsha while the investigation is being expanded.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, has commended the operatives involved in the operation on the instruction of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, who guided the operation.”

John Mikel Obi, the former Super Eagles captain, has revealed that he left Chelsea based on advice from former team-mate Didier Drogba.

Mikel Obi fell out with the newly-appointed manager at the time, Antonio Conte, after he chose to represent Nigeria at the Olympics.

After he returned to Stamford Bridge, the Nigerian was frozen out by Conte.

However, when Chelsea went into a bad patch, the Italian coach tried to make up with Mikel Obi and restore him to the team.

“Conte called me to his office and asked me to play again. I said, ‘No, thank you very much. I have already made up my mind I wanted to go anyway’,” Mikel Obi said on the Vibe with Five podcast.

“I spoke to Didier Drogba. He said, ‘Once it starts happening like this, find your way. Just go. Try something new'”.

Mikel Obi left Chelsea for Chinese club Tianjin TEDA.

Florence Otedola, the Nigerian disc jockey, who is popularly known as DJ Cuppy, has advised single youths to be careful who they fall in love with to avoid losing their peace of mind.

She noted that “the worst prison in the world is home without peace.”

On her X (formerly Twitter) handle, the billionaire heiress wrote, “The worst prison in the world is home without peace.

“Be careful who you fall in love with.”

Recall that DJ Cuppy recently bemoaned her current relationship status with ex-fiance, British boxer Ryan Taylor.

She lamented that despite all they once shared, they have now become “strangers.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the government and people of Liberia on the successful conduct of the Liberian Presidential Election.

Naija News reports that Tinubu made this known in a statement on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The President also congratulated President-elect Joseph Boakai, who won the mandate of the people, enjoining him to unite the country and build on the popular support expressed through the ballot box to deliver good governance to the people of Liberia.

President Tinubu commends President George Weah for demonstrating uncommon leadership by conceding the election and averting any form of socio-political crisis.

The President says President Weah’s great act of democratic sportsmanship is exemplary, particularly at this time in West Africa, when democracy is under attack by malign actors who are bent on subverting the will of the people.

“I commend President George Weah for his sterling example, undiluted patriotism, and statesmanship. He has defied the stereotype that peaceful transitions of power are untenable in West Africa. He has demonstrated that the outcome of elections in the sub-region need not become the propellant of violence and unrest and that the will of the people must always be respected,” the President stated.

President Tinubu also thanked the people of Liberia for peacefully exercising their rights and implores them to remain steadfast in the furtherance of peace and democracy.

Recall that Liberian President and African football legend George Weah had earlier conceded defeat to opposition leader Joseph Boakai.

Results announced indicated that the opposition leader was leading the polls with nearly 51 per cent of the votes in Liberia.

However, speaking as the country’s election umpire continued the result announcements, Weah said that there was no way he could overturn Boakai’s lead.

“The result announced tonight, though not final, indicates that…Boakai is in a lead that we cannot surpass,” Weah said.

“This is the time for graciousness in defeat,” he added.

In his speech, the Liberian president emphasized that despite losing the presidential poll, the people of Liberia won.

[NaijaNews]

A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Olumide Akpata, has described how Nigerian political elites have turned judges into beggars.

A current Labour Party Governorship aspirant in Edo State, Akpata said some state Chief Judges kneel before their governors to beg for funds, official vehicles and accommodations.

The former NBA president said these while speaking recently at the International Bar Association (IBA) Conference in Paris, France.

According to Akpata, the absence of financial autonomy and the impoverishment of Nigerian judges have turned them into tools in the hands of politicians.

Akpata also claimed that some judges live above their legitimate income and send their children to Ivy Leagues like Cambridge, Yale and Harvard.

He said, “Some chief judges kneel before the governors to beg for funds, official vehicles or accommodations.

“When you know a man (judge) that knows the law, but his judgement flies against the face of what the law should be, you know that there is something else motivating him or her.”

Speaking further, Akpata stated that the Nigerian judiciary cannot produce a good judge because of the selection process used by the National Judicial Council (NJC).

He stated that there is a deliberate attempt by the political class in Nigeria to capture the judiciary because those who show up as judges have no business being there.

He said: “For a good judge to emerge out of that process is by fluke only; sheer luck with the judicial appointment in Nigeria. It is ridiculous.

“While I was president of the NBA, what I found out was that there is a deliberate attempt on the part of the political class in Nigeria to capture the judiciary. And that has very insidious consequences for the rule of law in Nigeria. It is deliberate, and it is intentional. And it is achieving results for them.”