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Tag: accuses

  • Wife accuses husband of raping daughter, grand-daughter

    A 45-year-old man, Sylvester Ehijere, has been accused by his wife, Margaret, of raping his daughter and grand-daughter.

    Ehijere, who has since been arrested, is battling to convince the police in Lagos that the allegation is false.

    Margaret alleged that Ehijere forcefully took advantage of their daughter, Favour, when she was 13, and grand-daughter, Chidimma, at 7.

    Favour is now 23 years old. Ehijere is suspected to be the father of Chidimma, whose paternity is shrouded in secrecy.

    Police investigators told The Nation that the suspect “used threat, intimidation and promise of gifts to convince her daughter and grand-daughter to sleep with him.”

    Ehijere, denied the allegation, saying he is being blackmailed and maligned.

    He said the first time he was accused by his wife, they went to their village and tabled the matter before the elders and Favour, who is now a sales girl, told them that it was her mother that asked her to say so.

    He said: “I was surprised when this matter came up again and my daughter came to the police station to witness against me.”

    The Command’s spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said: “The suspect is in the habit of sleeping with his daughters and now, his grand-daughter. We have the doctor’s report which shows that the girls have been defiled. The doctor advised that they be taken for HIV tests. The wife, who was fed up with his act, reported the case to the Ejigbo Divisional Police Officer, Oliver Inoma-Abbey, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP).”

    Mrs Ehijere, a caterer, said: “In 2006, I went to Abuja for a catering job; I spent five days. But at about 1 am, my daughter called me on the phone, crying that her father raped her that night. When I confronted him, he beat me up and he continued to molest our daughter. He would always beat me each time I confronted him. I had no choice but to leave him.”

    According to her, she moved out with her six kids and started life afresh. However, in 2011, his family appealed to her to forgive him and take him back. Although she initially refused, she said she reconsidered her stand when the apartment she moved into was sold off.

    She said: “They sold the house I lived in and I had no money to look for another accommodation because I had lost my job. I had no choice but to move back last year since he swore to keep off my daughters.

    “I really thought he had changed, but in August, last year, I caught him in a compromising situation with our grand-daughter, Chidimma. I called her out and she revealed how her father had constantly been abusing her.

    “Again, I confronted him and he beat me up. I had to pick my grand-daughter and run to his brother, Emmanuel’s house, where I stayed for three days before I went back home.”

    Mrs. Ehijere said she did all she could to ensure she never left their daughter alone with him.

    She said: “Because my daughter works, we decided to put her daughter at a day-care centre in Ejigbo. I had always been the only one that brought our daughter back at 6pm everyday from the centre. But on a particular day, my husband went to the centre, but the teacher refused to release the child. He harassed her until she released her. He took her home and raped her. I didn’t know what happened until I wanted to bathe her for the night. It was then I saw blood in the baby’s pampers and I called in the police.”

    Chidimma also said: “He always targeted when my mother went out before defiling me. At a point, when he finished, he warned me that he would pluck out my eyes if I told anyone; he also promised to buy me cars, biscuits, sweets, clothes and shoes if I kept quiet.”

    Braide said the suspect would be charged to court.

  • Delta CP accuses prison authorities of complicity

    Delta State Police Commissioner Ikechukwu Aduba has accused the prison authorities of failing to inform the police when conveying inmates to court.

    Aduba said in the past the prison authorities usually sought the assistance of the police.

    Nine gunmen attacked a van conveying kidnap suspects to court and killed two warders and a civilian.

    A kidnap kingpin was freed during the attack.

    Two warders were injured and are receiving treatment at the Warri General Hospital.

    He said the extra fire power of the police may have deterred the gang.

    Aduba yesterday said in this case the police were in the dark.

    He said he was suspicious of the motives of the prison authorities in not informing the police.

    His words: “There is something fishy here, when there is high profile kidnap case the prison authorities usually inform us.

    “Why were we not alerted? We smell a rat. We are not happy over this issue.”

    Aduba identified the mastermind of the attack as “Kelvin from Kokori”

    Kelvin hails from Kokori community, Ethiope East Local Government, according to police sources.

    The commissioner lamented that the kidnap kingpin was being protected by his kinsmen.

    His words: “My men chased the gang to Isiokolo and Kokori communities. These twin communities are a problem to us.

    “Okada riders mobilised as soon as they saw the security agencies in the community, they refused to assist us.”

    He said during the exchange of gunfire one suspect was killed and three inmates re-arrested.

    Aduba said: “Our men chased the gang to Isiokolo, where one of the robbers was killed. My men are still combing the bush where the bloodstained vehicle was abandoned.

    “The kidnapped victim was rescued. It is confirmed that the suspect was hit by police bullets.”

  • UNILORIN ASUU accuses varsity of using security to harass members

    Varsity: ‘It’s not true’

     

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) chapter, has accused the authorities of using security personnel to disrupt its national congress.

    The union decried the use of the police and the university security personnel to harass academics from other public universities and prevent them from entering the campus.

    ASUU, in a resolution after its congress, berated the odious, anti-intellectual and retrogressive conduct of a few UNILORIN academics and the security operatives of the university, who allegedly disrupted the peaceful meeting of the ASUU UNILORIN Congress held in one of the vacant lecture rooms in the Faculty of Law.

    The resolution was signed by Dr. Kola Babarinde, the convener of the NEC Visitation, Dr. Taiwo Oloruntoba-Oju, ASUU Chairman, UNILORIN branch, Dr. A.B. Makanjuola and Dr. K.N. Afolayan of the Departments of Behavioural Sciences and English.

    The congress “observes that the Nigerian Constitution guarantees the right of association and assembly and the absence of such in the university is a sign of bondage, which is unacceptable to the union.

    “It condemns all forms of lawlessness and requests NEC to adopt efforts to address the unending violation of court orders by the UNILORIN authorities and some individuals in the university.

    “Congress, however, remains undeterred and resolves to meet frequently towards ensuring that the branch reclaims its revered position in the union and addresses welfare issues.”

    Reacting to the allegation, the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun, said the accusation was baseless and lacking in truth.

    Said he: “There is no iota of truth in the allegation that the university harassed anybody with its security personnel let alone men of the Nigeria Police. What happened on February 27 was a case of a group bent on holding illegal meeting at a venue where postgraduate students were writing their examinations.

    “The group that claimed to be representatives of the ASUU national body had earlier phoned to seek permission to visit the Vice-Chancellor for an undisclosed mission. But the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Felix Oladele, told them that the VC was not around and that they should be patient until he returned.

    “Despite this explanation, ASUU members still came to the university. Their visit coincided with the meeting of a group of academic workers of the university that goes by the name, ‘Concerned Academics’. This raised some curiosity.

    “It should be emphasised that every member of the university community is aware that meetings are held in lecture halls/theatres after formal permissions to use such halls have been sought and given. But these ‘Concerned Academics’ neither sought nor got permission to use any hall for their proposed meeting.

    “Despite this, nobody interrupted their clandestine plan until they got to the proposed venue, the Faculty of Arts Lecture Theatre, where they saw that exams were ongoing. They then moved to the Faculty of Law Theatre but the Dean politely told them that a postgraduate exam was about to take place there.

    “They then met under a tree and resolved to go to Henry George Hotel to hold the meeting. There was no argument whatsoever, let alone harassment or intimidation.

    “It should be emphasised that the University of Ilorin recognises academic freedom, which the institution is doing everything to promote. We are aware that this is the key to industrial harmony, which has yielded dividends to the university these past few years as evidenced in its unrivalled academic excellence and feats in all areas of learning, research and community development.”

  • Community accuses Shell of ‘interference’

    The management of Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) could face a contempt of court charge, following reports that it plans to dissolve the Kou Cluster Communities Development Board in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

    The move is despite a legal tussle between the company and members of the extant board at the High Court 5, Yenagoa, the state capital.

    Members of the board, led by Osteen Igbapike, had sued the company and its officials, including the Manager, Government and Community Relations, Evans Krukrubo.

    Although the matter is still in court, it was gathered that Krukrubo on January 28, wrote to the Commissioner for Energy, requesting him to “progress with the dissolution” of Kou CDB, much to the anger of the litigants.

    Consequently, the law firm of Larry Ovwromoh reminded Shell of the legal implication of going ahead with the move.

    The letter, a copy of which was made available to our reporter, noted that a hearing notice has been fixed for February 28.

    “In the circumstance therefore, the attempt by you (Krukrubo) as the third defendant to dissolve the board amounts to interfering with judicial process and an attempt to pre-judge the outcome of the case, a conduct (that) is highly reprehensive and condemnable.

    “The matter is clearly sub-judice and I humbly urge you to stay action on the issue until the matter in court is resolved,” Larry Ovwromoh, who signed the letter, added.

    Igbapike said the purpose of the suit is to protect the “rape and mismanagement” of the Kou GMoU of 2007 -2011 by some officials of the oil firm.

    Shell’s spokesperson Precious Okolobo said: Under the terms of the GMoU governance structure, Shell has no powers to dissolve any CDB.”

  • ASSUS accuses Bauchi of illegal deductions

    The Bauchi State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) yesterday accused the state government of illegal deductions of five per cent from last year’s leave grant and other allowances of its members.

    The union also berated the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for not showing concern over the deductions.

    It alleged that the state NLC made it possible for the government to make the illegal deductions by its silence, when it was clear that the deductions were illegal.

    Its Chairman, Comrade Abdullahi Tanko Ningi, addressed reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Bauchi on the matter.

    He accused the government of taking advantage of the stoppage of 10 per cent deduction from workers’ salaries between September and December, last year, to boost the finances of the government as an alternative to retrenchment of workers.

  • Firm accuses Yari of mounting pressure on judges

    A firm, Barbedos Venture Limited, has accused Zamfara State Governor Abdualazeez Yari of mounting pressure on a judge of the State High Court to set aside an order against the government.

    The firm said the court garnished Zamfara State FAAC Account by its Order Nisi of November 29, last year, in its favour against a first generation bank.

    The total judgment sum as at the date was N2,012,616,752.20.

    On the January 8, the Garnishee Order Nisi was made absolute in favour of Barbedos Ventures Limited and a cost of N50,000 awarded jointly against the bank and the Zamfara State Government.

    In a statement in Abuja, Barbedos Venture said: “Following the service of the order on the bank and the state government, the governor summoned all the judges of the State High Court for a meeting wherein he intimidated and rebuffed the High Court 2 judge for granting the application.

    “Presently, the judge is under pressure to grant all application filed by the bank and the Ministry of Justice to deprive the judgment creditor (Barbedos Venture Limited) from reaping the fruit of the judgment.

    “It is a trite fact that the Federal Government and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still obey the Rule of Law. We wonder why the state government is putting the High Court judge under pressure to pervert justice.”

    The firm said it took out a writ on January 10, 2011, under the undefended list claiming N1,062,000,000, being the outstanding balance of the money due to it, based on a contract agreement for the supply of fertiliser.

  • Oshiomhole accuses DIG of aide’s murder

    Oshiomhole accuses DIG of aide’s murder

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday called for the immediate dismissal of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in charge of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Mr. Peter Gana, for allegedly bungling the investigation of his Principal Secretary’s murder.

    Olaitan Oyerinde was murdered on May 4, last year at his 65, Second Ugbo Road, GRA, Benin City home.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke in Abuja yesterday at the launch of the Police Code of Conduct, said Gana should be charged with murder or conspiracy after the fact of murder. Gana was detailed by Inspector General of Police Mohammed Abubakar to investigate the murder.

    According to the governor, instead of going after Oyerinde’s murderers, the DIG seized Oyerinde’s friend, Rev. David Ugolor, and clamped him into detention for two months.

    Oshiomhole also accused the DIG of presenting a gun, which was recovered from a previous crime scene, as the one used in the Oyerinde murder.

    Addressing the IGP, Oshiomhole said: “I am aggrieved that my Principal Secretary was murdered in cold blood. And I am aggrieved that the DIG in charge of Force CID, who was detailed to investigate the case, decided to do police magic.

    “According to the police entry, the gun that was tendered as the one used in killing Oyerinde was a gun that was recovered from a previous crime scene that was already in police custody.

    “The DIG frustrated the investigation using another senior police officer to thwart investigation. As I am talking now, that police officer has just been promoted by the police authorities.

    “I demand that the DIG and that police officer be dismissed immediately. They are unfit to carry on with their duties. They should not be allowed to continue with police job.

    “I am aggrieved over the murder of my private secretary and the way in which it was trivialised. I am saying it knowing that the Vice President is here. My secretary was murdered in cool blood and you dispatched a DIG to supervise that investigation.

    “A DIG is a sufficiently senior officer. They came to Benin and they did what (Afro beat musician) Fela (Ransome-Kuti) would have called police magic. In the end, they went for a civil rights activist and charged him with the offence of murder.

    “The DIG Force CID has a case to answer. It is either he is guilty of conspiracy to murder or is guilty of conspiracy to shield murderers or both. In which case, he cannot wear his police uniform. He must be dismissed.

    “That Deputy Commissioner of Police has no business wearing police uniform because, by my judgment, in his own narrative, he is a criminal. They wrote a report that the man who was involved in the murder, including the entry made by a DPO in a police station, was already under police detention.

    “The weapon that was used for the murder was used for armed robbery earlier, recovered by the police and under police custody at the time my secretary was murdered.

    “So, the man who murdered my secretary was in police custody, the gun used was in police custody and this is the finding of the police. The only conclusion that can be reached was that the police ordered the murder of my private secretary.

    “The officer went and this is in black and white. I ask you to read it that he has done a thorough job under a very skillful DIG in charge of Force CID and the sky is their limit.

    “And I ask the Vice President to report to the President that if they do not find the killers of Olaitan, he can’t expect the people of Edo State and all those who know Olaitan to have confidence in the security agencies.

    “I feel terrible that as a Governor, I can’t get justice. If I can’t get justice, then an average Nigerian cannot expect justice and we can’t have justice if we can’t tell the truth.”

    The governor bemoaned the culture of impunity involving the police and the civil service.

    “This country cannot be reduced to a banana republic. When the stick and carrot game is appropriately applied, the message of discipline would be clear to all”, the Governor said.

    Giving an example of such culture of impunity, Oshiomhole cited a case in Edo State.

    He said: “I want to be specific. In Edo State, a policeman manned an illegal road block, contrary to the orders of the IG. Members of the public complained and the fact of the illegal block was established.

    “It was discovered that a soldier was recruited illegally by an ASP to man this illegal road block, extorting money. In my view, that borders on armed robbery because the man carries arms. Without the arms, he cannot subdue the road user to part with his money.

    “If you take money with the aid of arms, you are an armed robber. Having arrested him, the Army proceeded to do what a responsible force should do by dismissing the soldier.

    “IG, you will be shocked to know and this is not 10 years ago that your men in Benin decided to shield this officer and, recently, I learnt that one of them was even promoted.

    “While the military dismissed the soldier, the police promoted their own. How can you have discipline in such an environment? I will plead that you order the dismissal of those policemen today.

    “When we begin to apply the stick and carrot appropriately, the message of discipline will be clear.”

    Oshiomhole also called for the scrapping of the Police Affairs Ministry, saying that with the existence of the Police Service Commission, the continued existence of the ministry is superfluous and wasteful.

    According to him, the police cannot function effectively with the existence of the police ministry, headed by a minister who is a partisan politician.

    “We do not need the Police Affairs Ministry because the minister is a partisan politician who may not allow the Inspector General of Police to function independently,” Oshiomhole said.

    The Governor praised the IGP for directing police officers to politely decline illegal orders from their superior officers whenever such orders are given. He urged the IGP to similarly decline illegal orders whenever such orders are given by the President.

    Oshiomhole enjoined the police to explore avenues for negotiation where possible but warned them against negotiating with criminals. He charged the police to be civil, polite but firm.

    He called on the police authorities to maintain neutrality during labour disputes, stressing that the right of labour to protest is not negotiable.

    Also speaking at the event, activist lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) praised the IGP for providing the code of conduct, saying it was a clear departure from what used to be.

    He lamented the general poor perception of the police by the public and bemoaned poor funding and training culture within the Force.

    Falana observed that the budget for the Joint Task Force for 2013 was higher than what was budgeted for the entire Police.

    The activist-lawyer urged the IGP to curtail extra judicial killings by the police and cited the example of a certain Customs officer who saw his undergraduate son among suspects paraded by the Edo State command of the police in July 2012.

    He narrated how the father rushed to Benin to see the son the next day only to discover later that the young man had been extrajudicially eliminated alongside other suspects.

    Falana expressed regrets that he later discovered that the police officer who spearheaded the extrajudicial killing of the undergraduate was one of those recently promoted by the police authorities.

    The IG said the police are confronted with numerous challenges that have made it almost impossible for the organisation to deliver on its mandate of protecting lives and property.

    According to him, while some of the challenges are external to the Force, others are institutional. One of the challenges is falling standard of discipline, he said.

    Abubakar said: “It is a known fact that discipline is the bedrock of the Force. The present police management team under my leadership has, therefore, vowed with vehemence to return the Force to its glorious days, rooted in discipline, in adherence to extant rules and regulations, loyalty, dedication to duty and commitment to Force ethics.

    Vice President Namadi Sambo, who represented President Goodluck Jonathan, unveiled the Code of Conduct document.

    Sambo charged police officers and men to always observe the best practices in the discharge of their duties, stressing that the Federal Government would continue the support the police and other security agencies to tackle insecurity.

  • Jonathan’s ‘Xmas message: PDP accuses CPC of mutiny

    Jonathan’s ‘Xmas message: PDP accuses CPC of mutiny

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) of stirring public distrust and triggering mutiny against the PDP-led Federal Government.

    The accusation is coming on the heels of criticisms of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ‘Xmas message, which received thumbs down from the CPC and other groups.

    A statement issued yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, said the CPC’s reaction was an evidence that the party was not ready to step down its philosophy of violence and vile communication module.

    He said the intention of the CPC was to stir public distrust and trigger a flood of mutiny against the PDP-led Federal Government, adding that such moves would suffer still birth.

    Defending the President’s position as outlined in the message, Metuh said: “President Jonathan was correct when he declared in his Christmas message that he has the political will and determination to deliver on the party’s promise of positive changes in the living conditions of the people in the shortest possible time.

    “That the gains of the party’s transformation programme will bear more fruits in the coming years.

    “President Jonathan has invested in infrastructures, such as power, road and rail transport, security, agriculture, education, among others. While the maturity span of some of these infrastructures is long term and expected to yield benefits in the coming years, there is evidence that steady gains are crystallising in sectors, such as power, education and rail transport.

    “The CPC will be blind to this steady progress because constructive engagement is not the ultimate motivation of its criticisms.”

    The PDP said further that the CPC’s standpoint that it has mismanaged the fortunes of the nation in the last 13 years flies against “the renewal of the PDP’s mandate” since 1999.

    The statement said: “Even last year when the CPC took desperation to a criminal level, orchestrating an orgy of election violence that claimed many lives, Nigerians stood firm for the PDP in an election adjudged locally and internationally as the most credible in the nation’s recent record.

    “This can only be true in the diseased imagination of the CPC. The PDP has remained the only truly national party on whose shoulders revolves the unity of the nation. Need we say that a Nigeria in the hands of a political party like the CPC is on an express road to Somalia.

    “Besides, the PDP met Nigeria a pariah state, retrieved and returned it to the centre stage of global reckoning. It is also on record that at a time the economy of the Western nations was hobbled by the global meltdown with banks collapsing, no bank in Nigeria suffered a similasr fate.”

  • Senator accuses governors of opposing Constitution review

    Senator accuses governors of opposing Constitution review

    Governors are opposed to some of the proposed amendments to the Constitution, a Senator alleged yesterday.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Smart Adeyemi decried the governors’ posture to the ongoing Constitution amendment. To him, governors are out to scuttle the exercise.

    Adeyemi told reporters in Abuja, at the weekend, that the governors are opposed to creation of states because it would reduce their influence.

    He said they don’t also want the removal of the immunity clause.

    Adeyemi said: “They (Governors) are opposed to state creation because they believe it will reduce their empires.

    “They are against the removal of immunity clause because they don’t want their atrocities exposed while in office and they are against the autonomy of the state assemblies because they want to enslave them.”

    He said governors must be progressive-minded for the Constitution amendment to sail through.

    “ If we have governors who are progressives, the constitution amendment would be successful,” the lawmaker said.

    “They will not allow the constitution amendment to be successful. They are going to derail it. The fundamental aspect of the constitution amendment is the autonomy of the State Houses of Assembly.

    “If we cannot get the state assemblies to be autonomous, there will be no development and the standard of living of the people will be static.

    “The governors are already saying they don’t want it. How can one individual be determining the freedom of a whole state?

    “It is for the media and the civil society to rise up against the governors and allow people to have their freedom.

    On whether the Senate is helpless, he said: “With the provision of the Constitution handed over to us by the military, we have to obey and respect the content and spirit of the constitution.

    “We cannot amend the Constitution without getting two-thirds of the state assemblies concurring with us. And the governors are also saying that they don’t want the autonomy of local governments.”

    He noted that the local government reform of 1976 was meant to bring governance closer to the people.

    He added: “The governors are demanding more powers for the states from the Federal Government, while they are against freedom for another tier of government.”

    He lamented that states were not created to ensure a true federal structure or the country.

    “In creating a state, factors such as norms, cultures, values and linguistics are taken into consideration,” Adeyemi said, adding, “That is why states are not equal in the United States (US). People agree to live together.”

    He said commandeering resources meant for local government by governors is unconstitutional.

    He added: “Governors siphon these funds to a point that some local governments cannot even pay salaries or construct a culvert.

    “If the President can ask the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate the governors, two-thirds of them will go to jail because what they are doing is a breach of the Constitution.”

  • Plane crash: Falana accuses Navy of sabotage

    Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has accused the Nigerian Navy of subverting the presidential probe of the naval helicopter that crashed on December 15, killing six people. The dead included Kaduna State Governor Patrick Yakowa and former National Security Adviser Gen.Andrew Azazi.

    In a statement yesterday, Falana said the inauguration of a board of inquiry by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the crash is “a desperate bid to subvert the authority of President Goodluck Jonathan, who has ordered a probe of the incident.”

    “As if that was not enough, the Naval Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbo, has pre-empted the report of the presidential inquiry. While addressing reporters in Abuja on December 17, Admiral Ogbo claimed that the chopper, which was acquired in 2004, was airworthy, well maintained and flown by well trained and experienced pilots,” the statement further said.

    Falana said the naval authorities should “tell Nigerians whether the chopper was designed for a shuttle service” and show evidence that “President Jonathan issued a Mission Order through the Ministry of Defence and that an Operation Order was issued by the Chief of Naval Staff authorising the use of the service aircraft by a political office holder.”

    He went on: “While sympathising with the families of those who died in the ill fated plane crash, the investigation promised by the Federal Government should be conducted in the open. Beyond the probe, the Federal Government should stop the personalisation of the state and its assets by government officials.”

    He tasked the National Human Rights Commission to ensure “that adequate monetary compensation is paid to the families and dependants of those who have lost their lives in air tragedies in Nigeria in line with the provisions of the Montreal Convention.”

    Falana added: “In particular, the widows of the 103 military officers who were killed in the Ejigbo air disaster over 20 years ago should be paid their legitimate entitlements by the military authorities without any further delay.”