The Nation Newspaper

Category: Crime Diary

  • Woman stabs rival’s son to death

    Woman stabs rival’s son to death

    Tragedy struck yesterday in the refuse dump area of Kubwa , Abuja, after a woman, Rukayat Abdulkareem , allegedly killed her  rival’s son.

    The incident happened at about 10 pm.

    Rukayat was said to have stabbed, Awal Sani, during an altercation with his mother.

    Awal, 18, a 200 level Statistics student of University of Abuja, was said to have tried to calm Rukayat when she insulted his mother.

    It was learnt that Awal was billed to resume school on Monday, January 15, 2018.

    A younger brother to the late Awal’s mother, who lives with them, recalled the incident saying: “Around 10 to 10:30pm yesterday, I heard someone banging on the door, I came outside and asked her what she wanted and she said she was looking for her husband. I know the woman, they were living close to us here in Pipeline before they packed to Kaduna road. I told her that i would check and see if I can call the husband for her, I went inside, I met my sister and informed her that the man’s wife was outside looking for him. My sister said she was going to meet the woman, i tried to stop her, i told her she was not the one the woman came for but she insisted so i followed her cause i didn’t want any problem.

    “We met the woman and then I realised that if they start talking, it may result to another thing. So, I asked my sister to go inside while I went to Pipeline Police Station; I invited a policeman, he asked the woman what the problem was; she said she was here to see her husband.The policeman asked her to follow him to the station so she can write a statement and they will return to pick her husband but she said she was not going anywhere so the policeman left.

    “I went inside the house and the next thing I heard was that they had stabbed Awal, I rushed out, we did all we could to save him, we rushed him to the hospital and the doctor confirmed him dead and we brought him back home. She had left when i rushed out but the vigilante security men caught and brought her later and kept her till the police arrived”.

    One of Awal’s friends, who asked not to be named also recalled his last moments saying: “I have known him for about  ten years. Last night, we were sitting outside together, I was lifting weight under the tree, he came outside and met me and said he wanted to go and change his phone(from a man he bought it from). We went there and the man asked us to return today to get the phone we want, we walked back home, bought suya on the way and sat on the bench under the tree chatting about how he was getting ready to return to school. As we sat there,  a slim woman who covered her head with  a veil walked past us, i greeted her the islamic way, (As-salamu alaykum )but she did not respond. Awal later went in to sleep but I stayed back still lifting my weight, after a while, the woman came back, she had been hiding behind the mosque next to the building, she flashed her phone torch in my direction but I ignored her and continued with what I was doing, she then opened the back door of the car and sat in the back seat, she was still inside the car when I went to my own house to sleep. I was trying to sleep around 11pm when my brother came to call me to come outside, that they have stabbed my friend, I rushed outside and saw him in a pool of his own blood with his mother trying to control the blood. W we rushed him to a General Hospital; we have all been crying since 11pm last night, his mother even fainted twice”.

    Awal’s sister, Fatima Sani, a Higher National Diploma (HND II) student of Abdul Gusau Polytechnic in Zamfara State, was also stabbed by Rukayat said: “A woman (Rukayat Abdulkareem) came here yesterday and claimed to have issues with my mother. She was busy insulting my mother outside, my mom came out and requested that a policeman should be called for her. They called the policeman, he came and the woman was invited to follow them to their station but she declined and said she was not going to follow them because she did not have any issue with them. Right there and then, the policeman said since she refused to follow them to the station, whatever happens to her is at her own risk. Unknown to us that she already had her plan well cooked. She was still there insulting my mother, my junior brother, Awal got provoked and went to ask why the woman was insulting his mother despite not getting response from my mother and of course that is expected of a real son who is not a bastard but before we knew it, he was stabbed directly in the heart. I went out to see what was happening and she also stabbed me on my palm and I was also lost lots of blood. My mom who happened to be a nurse tried to run all her first aid but it was not working, we rushed him to General Hospital and by the time we got there, the doctors confirmed him dead.

    Contacted, the spokesman of FCT Police Command, Mr. Anjuguri Manzah, a Deputy Supretendent of Police(DSP) said the case had been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department  (CID)for discreet investigation.

    ”We have received the complaint and the case has been transferred to Command CID for discreet investigation. The suspects including the alleged killer and the husband are also in our custody”.

  • Man stripped naked for allegedly stealing car’s headlamp

    Man stripped naked for allegedly stealing car’s headlamp

    A suspected thief was beaten up and stripped naked by a mob after he was caught while attempting to steal a car’s headlamp in the Owode area of Ketu-Agboyi Local Council Development Area of Lagos.

    The suspect, Kazeem Wasiu, was apprehended on Wednesday by vigilant residents on Divine Street, Owode, while he was removing the headlamp from a Golf car marked FKJ 764 EU parked on the street.

    The suspect, according to eyewitnesses initially lied that he had been sent by the car’s owner to fix the vehicle.

    Luck however ran out on him after he failed to provide the telephone numbers of the car’s owner.

    The intervention of operatives of the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) on surveillance of the area saved the suspect from being lynched to death by the mob.

    The safety corps officers subsequently took the suspect to Owode Police Division where he was detained.

    One of the safety corps officers who did not want to be named said: ‘’ We went for a surveillance this afternoon on weighbridge and we saw a crowd on Divine Avenue off Anibaba Street. On getting there, we saw the suspect named Kazeem Wasiu,25,a native of Osun State, who said he sells wire at Owode Onirin Market. He was caught in the process of removing the fulllight (sic) of a Golf car with number plate FKJ 764 EU. The suspect said that he was sent by the owner of the car to fix something in the car. In the process of interrogating him, we requested for the telephone numbers of the car’s owner but the two numbers he gave us were switched off.

    ‘’While he was subjected to further interrogation, he confessed that he was in the process of stealing the full light and battery of the car when he got caught in the act.

    ‘’In order to save him from the mob who insisted on taking him naked to Owode Onirin Market , where he said he works, we decided to take him to the nearest police station in order to avoid mob action and he has since been handed to Owode Police Station.

    Contacted, the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Mr Godwin Oti promised to revert to our correspondent. He was unable to do so as of press time.

  •  Family protests over ‘illegal’ takeover of land 

    Members of Ori-Otan Onimaba Family of Igando community in Alimosho Local Government, Lagos State on Wednesday stormed both the Government House and Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja to protest what they termed the unlawful takeover of their  land.

    The protesters who were led by Mr. Nurudeen Abereijo displayed various placards bearing messages such as ‘’ We implore His Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to investigate this matter through the Ministry of Justice, ‘’Justice must be done’’, ‘’Injustice from one-eye law is a shame and should be eradicated’’,  Sycophants cannot deny us of our ancestral land.’’

    Abereijo said the land was given to his family as compensation by the state government in 2012.

    He said the family got the land which was earlier acquired by the state government for the permanent site of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

    According to him, following the relocation of the NYSC camp to the Epe area of the state, the state government decided to share the land measuring 1.852 hectares among four families and a church.

    He said the portion allocated to his family was surprisingly taken over by another family which claimed it got a judgement on the land.

    Abereijo said his family was not taken to court or join in any suit against anybody.

    He said: ‘’ We are here to protest the takeover of our land which the Lagos State government gave to us as compensation. The land is the one on which the former permanent site or camp of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) was sited. The NYSC has since been relocated from Igando to Epe,hence, the state government in April 2010 invited the concerned families to a meeting with the then Commissioner for Justice. The land was released to four  families including ours and a church and shared vide a letter dated December 19, 2012.

    ‘’ The beneficiaries are: Ori-Otan Onimaba family; Oko-Osi family;Beku Shodeke and Beku-Onimaba families. We sold our portion and others sold theirs too, but to our shock, one of the three other families claimed it went to court and got a judgment on the land without our knowledge or joining us in the suit. Before we knew it, the family stormed the land with bulldozers and started demolishing and vandalising several houses and buildings on the land.

    ‘’The situation is really getting out of order and we don’t want to take laws into our hands; that is why we are calling on the Lagos State government to intervene by calling the perpetrators to order.’’

  • ‘I can no longer cope with him’

    ‘I can no longer cope with him’

    In the last nine years, Sunday Oji’s life has known no peace. Reason: a caesarian section on his wife , Rosemary, for the delivery of their  second child on July 15, 2008 ended on a sad note at the Apapa General Hospital, Lagos.

    The back of the boy’s head was allegedly slashed by doctors during the caesarian section. The mishap has now left the boy,Samuel,with cerebral palsy that has turned him  into vegetable. The couple went to the court to sue the Lagos State Health Service Commission ,asking for  N500 million damages. Justice Olateru-Olagbegi of the  Lagos High Court on February 14, 2013 ordered an out- of- court settlement. Four years after,there has been no head way even after  the Lagos State Health Service Commission in a letter dated August 2, 2013 allegedly agreed to offer Samuel a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation.

    The terms of settlement, as gathered include total rehabilitation of Baby Samuel in a state-owned facility or orphanage. Oji and his wife decided to have another baby. It turned out to be a tragic move for Rosemary died  at the Isolo General Hospital during another Caesarean Section. Oji who has since remarried said told The Nation that he has been  going through hell caring for his son, who cannot sit, walk, eat or do anything on his own without assistance. He urged the Lagos State Health Service Commission, the agency responsible for the rehabilitation of his son to respect the sanctity of the court and take custody of Baby Samuel.

    He said: ” We have gone to Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos, on several occasions at the instance of the Lagos State Health Service Commission, where we presented Samuel for examination as part of the rehabilitation process. Unfortunately, each time we presented Samuel for re-examination, the health authorities would immediately abandon us; I think they are waiting for the boy to die. He appealed  to the Lagos State Government ,especially  Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, to “wade into this matter once and for all because I have been finding it difficult to take care of Samuel.” He added: “I have remarried and my new wife is nursing a baby, hence, she cannot cope with taking care of Samuel who needs special care because of his condition. “

    I once lost my job because I could not make it to office promptly because I was held back while taking care of Samuel. “ Now, I have found another job and caring for Samuel is already taking a toll on my occupation and mental stamina. I can’t  cope with him anymore. Let the state government fulfil its promise by taking Samuel into proper custody as agreed after the court ordered settlement.” Speaking with The Nation, Oji’s counsel, Mr. Omobolaji Adejumo accused the Lagos State Health Service Commission of reneging on its ‘agreement’ to rehabilitate Baby Samuel. He said: ”On July 15, 2008, Orji’s wife, Rosemary, went to Apapa General Hospital without falling into labour having earlier been coerced that it is for the safety of the baby. A Caesarean Section was negligently done by a team of doctors resulting into a serious cut at the back of the baby’s head during delivery which also affected the right party of his body.

    The doctors described the wound as nothing serious, plastered the wound and discharged both mother and child on July 20, 2008. ”After the naming ceremony, Oji insisted on opening the plaster on his son’s head as the boy was always crying only to discover a deep gash which prompted him to return to the Apapa General Hospital, where the boy was re-admitted and subsequently referred to Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos. However, the hospital management said they don’t treat wounds and further referred them to the Lagos Island General Hospital, where they spent three weeks before they were discharged without the wound healing. Adejumo explained further that the Lagos State Office of the Public Defenders (OPD) intervened and asked the Ministry of Health to take care of Baby Samuel.

    ”The Ministry of Health requested that some tests be conducted on Baby Samuel, which his father did and submitted the result, still nothing was done to salvage the boy’s predicament caused by doctors’ negligence. It was in the light of this that we instituted a suit on April 12, 2010 against the Lagos State Health Service Commission and five others in Suit LD/1092/2010. On February 14, 2013, Justice Olateru Olagbegi of a Lagos High Court ruled that parties should seek alternative dispute resolution in the interest of Baby Samuel Oji, most especially when partied had agreed that the boy’s treatment should commence immediately.

    It is instructive to note that despite the ruling, the health commission only made feeble attempt at settlement and till date have not contacted us.” Attempt to seek the response of the Chairman of Lagos State Health Service Commission, Dr. Bayo Aderiye proved abortive.  Contacted, Aderiye asked our correspondent to send a text message to his phone number. He did not however respond to several text messages forwarded to his phone as of press time.

  • Soldiers on rampage in Ekiti, stab policeman on duty

    Soldiers on rampage in Ekiti, stab policeman on duty

    Seventeen  soldiers of Ekiti State origin who have  just completed their training went on the  rampage in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday,attacking some policemen.

    They allegedly stabbed a policeman, Corporal Abdulkadir Yakub with a jack-knife.

    Yakub is currently  on the  danger list at the Police Clinic, Okesa, where he was rushed to after the attack.

    Six other persons who were injured during the attack have been discharged from the hospital.

    The ‘sin’ of Yakubu, a traffic police officer, was that he challenged the soldiers for causing a traffic snarl while extorting money from motorists.

    He was subsequently stabbed by one of the soldiers in  the head and buttocks.

    The young soldiers, who were in army uniform, were said to have visited the Governor’s Office to pay a courtesy visit to Governor Ayo Fayose after completing their training in Kaduna.

    Sources said the governor was unavailable to receive them.

    From the Governor’s office,they allegedly  moved into nearby streets,stopping  vehicles at Fajuyi Roundabout with a view to extorting money from motorists and motorcyclists.

    Yakub’s colleague, Corporal Monday Agom, who was on duty with the victim when the incident occurred at about 2.00 pm, said Yakub was attacked by the soldiers after asking   them to refrain from  causing traffic gridlock during their alleged extortion.

    Agom said: “I was with Yakub at the Fajuyi Roundabout where we were deployed to control traffic. The ‘recruits’ were returning from the Governor’s Office and on getting to the point where we were controlling traffic, they stopped and started harassing motorcycle riders and motorists for money.

    “One of the soldiers  stopped a policeman who was in mufti right in his car and demanded the car key, at the point  Yakub was trying to signal  to move.

    “Yakub then explained to soldier  that the man he stopped (Boboye Oluwakorede) was a police officer and that he should allow him to go, as stopping him there would cause hold-up.The  statement infuriated the soldier who slapped Yakub, and then brought  out a jack-knife with which he started cutting him on several parts of the body.

    “I then joined other people to rescue Yakub from him.By then,the soldier was shouting , ‘I will kill you, idiot; I will kill you, idiot” even as his colleagues (soldiers) also joined  punching Yakub who was already soaked in blood.”

    Another eye witness confirmed Yakub had been on duty controlling traffic before the soldiers arrived  and started stopping everybody.

    The witness said: “I saw them when they were jogging to Governor’sOffice, singing, and when they were returning.

    “They came back and rather than go their way, they stopped at this junction (Fajuyi Roundabout) and started stopping everybody, including okada riders and drivers.

    “At a point one of them started arguing with a traffic warden and soon brought out a sharp knife to cut the warden. At that point, I ran to another place to hide myself, but I saw some people trying to hold the soldier’s hands.”

    Confirming the incident, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, a Superintendent of Police (SP), said the incident had been reported to the Brigade Commander of the 322 Field Artillery Regiment in Akure, Ondo State.

    Adeyemi said: “The soldiers, numbering 17, who were Ekiti State indigenes, had just returned  from a recruitment exercise in Zaria, Kaduna state and were in Governor’s Office for possible assistance from the governor.

    “They chose to make some money by stopping motorists at the Fajuyi roundabout, during which an argument arose with traffic wardens on duty, one of whom  they stabbed with a jack-knife.

    “However the situation is under control as the Brigade Commander, Akure Division, was contacted and has come to pick up the recruits to face possible departmental questioning and sanctions.”

  • Court remands man for alleged conspiracy, murder of friend’s wife

    An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has remanded 27-year-old Opeyemi Zachaeus, for alleged conspiracy and murder of his friend’s wife, Adejoke Kalejaiye, 25.

    Zacheaus is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

    Prosecutor  Kehinde Olatunde  had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Dec. 14 at about 2.00 p.m. at Agemuwo in Badagry area of Lagos State.

    Olatunde alleged that the accused had helped the husband of the deceased, Mr Kalejaiye, to conceal her remains and to dispose of her phone and other valuables.

    He said that the offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The plea of the accused was denied.

    The Chief Magistrate, Kofo Ariyo, ordered the remand of the accused at the Ikoyi Prisons, pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s).

    The case was adjourned until Feb. 7, 2018 for legal advice.

  • ROW over alleged death in custody of 37-yr-old accused of being a cultist

    ROW over alleged death in custody of 37-yr-old accused of being a cultist

    FOR 69-year-old Musibau Abudu and his family, the phrase “police is your friend” is nothing but an irony. They have seen nothing but the bitter side of that arm of government, whose duty is the protection of lives, properties and the maintenence of law and order. Abudu has for the past 15 months been without his 37-yearold son, Akeem Alakan Abudu, who was arrested by operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) at Ikorodu, Lagos moved to the command headquarters in Ikeja where he allegedly died in controversial circumstance.

    His plight was worsened by the fact that police authorities till date have neither told him what happened to his son nor handed over his remains for interment. At his Imota-Ikorodu residence, Abudu, who told The Nation he had handed over the matter to God, said his family has not been the same since September 19, last year. He said he wakes up each day confused and helpless, especially because he still cannot understand why the police would kill and then hide his son’s body. Abudu said: “This whole issue is still like a dream to me. My son lived with his wife and four children not too far from my house. That morning (September 19), he came to my house to see us and then he said he wanted to also see some of his friends, who were at a gas station. “That was where some SARS men, who came in a van, saw them.

    That was where he was arrested. I went there to find out what happened and they told me that the SARS people came in a vehicle and Akeem, who knew one of them, went to greet him. “After they had greeted, the people at the gas station said the SARS people told Akeem to enter the vehicle, that someone inside the vehicle identified him as one of the leaders of cultists. “That was the last time anyone saw him. We went to Imota police station to look for him; they told us that they took him to SARS Ikeja. I went to Ikeja with my son, Obama, but the police people initially denied that he was in their custody. “They first told us that there was no one like that in their cell.

    Then, later they said they would not allow us to see him, that he was under investigation. I asked what he did but they did not tell me anything. “But while there, some youths they also arrested at Imota, who were inside the cell, told us that the SARS people shot Akeem and that he was in the hospital. I asked the police but they denied it. “So, I called Akeem’s boss, Chief Kaka Benson, and he advised that I should get a lawyer. He said if they refused me from seeing my son, they cannot refuse a lawyer. We got a lawyer, Olufemi Oladunni, and he went to SARS and demanded to see Akeem. “We wrote a petition to the Commissioner of Police demanding to see Akeem but they did not show us my son. We kept going but no result. The lawyer started making more financial demands from me. He said we should sue the police to court and asked for a huge amount of money for the case. Since I did not have the money, I told him to forget about the court case.

    “That is how it has been since then. The police till date have not said anything to me. But my son, Obama, later got to know through an unnamed policeman that Akeem was tortured to death.” Although the police were yet to inform the family the reason Akeem was arrested, the family believed that his arrest might not be unconnected with a land dispute between a traditional ruler and Chief Benson. Although the police had told Obama that a locally made gun was found in his brother’s possession, none of the family members was shown the weapon. Obama said: “I was the closest to my brother and I was the one who knew about the land issue.

    The thing is that Chief Benson and the Oba were dragging a vast land in Imota. Chief Kaka is into real estate. They went to court and he won the other side. “My brother worked for him. When he was travelling, he put my brother in charge of the land. My brother usually went there every day to be sure there were no trespassers on the property. “So, that Oba was not happy. He felt that my brother was taking sides with Chief Benson, a non-indigene. He was the one who arranged to kill my brother. “One of the policemen who took part in it opened up to me and told me that they were paid to eliminate my brother. It was the policeman who sent me the pictures of my brother’s body and told me that he died in their custody. “Initially, he lied that my brother slumped and died the day he was arrested but after some time, he opened up and told me that he was tortured to death. Even from the pictures he sent, bruises were still obvious on my brother’s body.

    “There was plaster on his leg and his forehead. His arms were bruised. I had to tip the policeman and he confessed that Akeem was tortured to death. I asked where the body was so that we can go and carry it. He said General Hospital, Ikeja, but I went there and did not see my brother. We went to the mortuary but still did not find him. “Let SARS tell the world where my brother is. They claimed he was a cultist but that is a big lie. My brother is no longer a kid. He was 37 years old. Assuming he was a cultist as they claimed, did that give them the right to kill him? “Go to Imota and find out yourself. Ask anyone around my house if my brother was troublesome. You will hear things for yourself. They are just lying against him. My brother was a ‘born again’ Christian and very easy going.

    “I know that when he was in school, LASPOTECH, he moved with bad boys and got into trouble. That was in 2004. After that time, he stayed away from them and gave his life to Christ. Since 2005, my brother had been a God fearing Christian and he didn’t like trouble.’’ Obama said policemen had been threatening him over the matter, warning him to avoid speaking with our correspondent. He said: “Those SARS men have been threatening me. They contacted me and warned me that I should not give you my number and I should stop talking to you.

    They said I should not give you any information. They think I am a fool. I am not scared of them and I will not keep quiet. Let them provide my brother or his corpse. Let them say why they killed him.” The lawyer, Oladunni, who had since relocated to the United States of America (USA), was contacted and he confirmed that a petition was written. He said: “I was briefed by Obama and I took the necessary steps. We went to SARS Ikeja and they confirmed Alakan was in their custody. “They prevented us from seeing him at that time. I immediately wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police demanding that the matter be taken to court. Later, they disclosed to us that Alakan died the day he was arrested. “We demanded for autopsy and for the release of his body but they insisted they were conducting their own autopsy and that when they were done with theirs,

  • ‘How suspected ritualists abducted me, 12 others’

    ‘How suspected ritualists abducted me, 12 others’

    Pandemonium broke out recently in Malete, Moro local council area of Kwara State as suspected ritualists reportedly abducted no fewer than 13 persons.

    The incident which happened on Thursday affected a student of Kwara State University, Malete. Narrating her experience, one of the abducted persons that later regained her freedom, a 200 level student of the department of Mass Communication, Dorcas Oluwatimilehin Olanrewaju, said she was abducted in a taxi on her way to the campus in Malete.

    She said: “While in the taxi I boarded, a woman in the vehicle complained of feeling cold, so the glass windows were closed up. I lost consciousness since. I later found myself among some people in the night. We were about 13 in the place as at Thursday night but the ritualists have taken six victims away.

    “They told us that they are heading to Ekiti State. I was kept inside the booth of the vehicle. When we got to Offa, they asked of my origin and I told them that I am from Omu Aran. So, when they wanted to take water for the faulty radiator of the vehicle at Omu Aran, I was dropped and set free, unknown to them, in front of my father’s house,” she said.

    Dorcas is the daughter of the chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Kwara State and State Correspondent of The Sun newspaper, Layi Olanrewaju.

    She reportedly left her off-campus residence to write an examination in school but rather than take her to the campus, the driver of the campus shuttle vehicle drove her to an unknown destination.

    Feeling unsafe in the circumstances she found herself, she allegedly sent a text message to one of her friends informing her that she had been taken away by some unidentified persons suspected to be ritualists.

    She was later dumped in Omu Aran, Irepodun local government area of the state on Friday morning but she could not explain the whereabouts of the other victims.

    In his reaction, Director, University Relations, Dr. Isiaka Aliagan, claimed that only a female student was reportedly abducted by unknown persons. He said security has been beefed up on Malete route, around the campus and environ to keep criminals at bay, adding that armed police patrol has also been deployed to the route and regular checking of vehicles intensified since yesterday.

    Aliagan said: “The university learnt that she sent a distress call through her mobile phone indicating that she could not identify the location at which she had been drop. Immediately they were alerted,  officials of KWASU Safety unit swung into action by contacting the security operatives and telecommunication agencies to track the phone.

    “KWASU management would like to stress that all efforts were made to secure the lives of its students staying on both campus and off-campus hostels, while all commercial transport operators were duly registered with the university to ensure proper monitoring of their activities.

    “At the moment, the identity of the vehicle involved in the kidnap incident or its driver is unknown. We believe the security operatives are up to task and will work round the clock to track the perpetrator(s) of the crime. Management will give maximum support and cooperation to the police to track the kidnapper(s) and ensure justice,” said Aliagan.

    He added that: “Management wishes to urge students to be security conscious, to patronize only registered transport and to report strange persons or movements around their hostels and campus.”

    Reacting to the incident, the state police command’s spokesperson, Ajayi Okasanmi, said that the command has commenced investigation on the matter, adding that the report had been circulated to police formations within and outside the state towards possible arrest of the culprits.

  • Lagos rescues teenager from sexual abuse

    Lagos rescues teenager from sexual abuse

    Officials of the Child Protection Unit of Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development have rescued a 14-year-old girl identified simply as Favour from sexual abuse in the hands of her Uncle.

    A statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs of the ministry, Mrs Olabisi Adeola said the teenager was rescued at Shasha- Akowonjo in Alimosho Local Government Area.

    Her rescued came as a result of reports from an anonymous source who informed the Child Protection Unit’s hotline to inform government on illicit acts observed at Block 2, Flat 9, Millennium Estate, Afonka, Shasha where Favour resides with her cousin, Mrs. Eze Kelechi and the younger brother to Eze’s husband, Nelson.

    Favour said she had been subjected to series of sexual abuse by Nelson since Eze had accommodation issues after she separated with her husband in December 2015 and chose the option of moving into a two bedroom apartment occupied by Nelson, pending the time she will resolve issues on accommodation.

    She said the first time she was abused was in October 2015, when Nelson pushed her to the bed, while she struggled with him, but her strength was never a match to that of Nelson, who warned her never to report the incident to Eze (her cousin).

    The statement reads: ‘’Subsequently, Nelson continued the act as he was enjoying it, to the extent that he drugs drinks for her and Eze’s children to fall asleep. At times, she would wake up to find herself naked without knowing what transpired.

    ‘’The indecent act continued till June 2017 she discovered a stop in her monthly flow and reported to Nelson who did not deny being responsible. He decided to get drugs to abort the pregnancy, but was prevented following a scan that revealed she was three months pregnant.

    ‘’The matter was later reported to the Shasha Police Division, where the case was interrupted due to family pressure, mandating Nelson to take full responsibility and custody of Favour. These did not stop Nelson from further having sex with her, claiming the intercourse is on the basis of helping her enlarge her pelvic during labour.’’

    The Lagos State Government has taken custody of the girl for protection and care pending conclusion of investigations ongoing by the police and the state government.

    It will be recalled that earlier this year, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola had warned that perpetrators of child abuse of any kind will not be spared but severely punished.

  • ‘Where am I going to raise N20m from to save my son’s life?’

    ‘Where am I going to raise N20m from to save my son’s life?’

    A 17-year old kidney patient, Justin Okon Markson, is currently battling for life following the inability to raise a sum of N20 million for surgery.

    Markson, a native of Ikot Unya in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State had suffered kidney failure in April this year.

    According to his father, Mr. Okon John Markson, his son was a senior secondary one (SS1) student at Community Secondary School, Old Netim, Akamkpa when the strange sickness truncated his academic pursuit.

    The boy’s father said he noticed that his son’s stomach and legs were swelling up while he looked emaciated, weak and dehydrated. He added that his son’s condition got worse with each passing day.

    Confused and filled with so much trepidation, he told the Nation that he took his son to the General Hospital in Akamkpa Local Government area of Cross River State, following which doctors referred him to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) where Justin diagnosed with kidney and liver failure.

    He lamented that life has become nightmarish for his family since his son’s terrible health situation started, because dictors said at a sum of  N20 million was needed to treat his son.

    Jobless and without any sustainable means of income to foot the medical bills of his son, Okon disclosed that he now depends on family members, friends, church members and neighbours for financial help which come in trickles and grossly inadequate to handle the situation.

    ‘’I used to work as a security staff with a company in Akamkpa but I lost that job in 2015. I have been jobless since then. My wife is equally not working or doing business so you can see how terrible the situation is especially with our son’s failing health.

    ‘’I feel helpless as I watch my son lying critically ill. Most times

    I just wish this was a bad dream that would fizzle away and I would wake up to the reality that this is just a mere dream.

    ‘’My son used to tell me he was going to be an electrical engineer one day. I believed him because he is good at fixing electrical appliances and general electrical works. He has a natural talent for this and his mother and I encouraged him with the little resources we could gather.’’

    Expatiating further, Okon said: ‘’I am afraid his dreams may not be actualized because as you can see, he is lying here with his legs and stomach swollen and I not been able to offer any help because of my poor financial condition. Where am I going to raise N20million from to save his life?

    He, however, expressed optimism that God can still touch the hearts of well-to-do and sympathetic people to assist him save his son’s life through kind donations.

    To this end, Okon has called on Governor Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, his wife, Martha, and other Nigerians for financial assistance to carry out the surgery and save his son’s life.

    Donations can be forwarded to a Skye Bank Plc Account Number: 1120641684, while Markson’s father can be reached on his mobile phone number: 08130364918.