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Tag: rape

  • Lagos records 120 rape cases, convicts 140 sex offenders

    Lagos State Government recorded no fewer than 12, 120 rape cases and other sexual violence matters in the last four years.
    State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye, who disclosed this on Monday  said the government in the last one year also convicted about 140 sex offenders.
    Ipaye explained that one of those convicted was a notorious rapist that bagged life imprisonment.
    He said the government established the domestic and sexual violence response team to improve the safety of vulnerable persons and ensure offender are prosecuted.
    Ipaye said the team facilitated the signing of the Executive Order that established the Sex Offenders’ Register.
    He also informed that the Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in the last one-year recorded 526 rape cases, with 227 still pending in court., while adding that at least 15 judgment were made, ranging from life to seven years imprisonment.
    Ipaye further stressed that OPD in the last four years also recorded about 12, 120 rape cases.
    He added that the OPD, the agency saddled with responsibility of providing legal aid services to indigent citizens, had handled over 15,000 matters on behalf of indigent Lagosians at no cost.
    “These matters cut across labour cases, civil matters, criminal cases, coroner’s inquests and fundamental rights cases. This brings the number of matters that OPD has been involved in the past four years to 30,998.
    “OPD also facilitated the collection of over N42m as compensation on behalf of complainants in the last one year. All together in the past four years, OPD has assisted Lagosians to collect N152m as compensation.
    “During the period under review, OPD secured 49 judgments in favour of its clients. These judgments include those who were discharged and acquitted by the Court after spending several years in prison, following applications by OPD. Of note is the case of one Nnami Igbele, a 42-year-old man who had spent 8 years in custody before being discharged. In another landmark case, six men who were arrested and charged for the offence of manslaughter in 2006 were provided free legal service by OPD and were eventually discharged and acquitted at the conclusion of their trial,” he said.
    The commissioner added that 3,083 offenders were sentenced to various terms of community service across the 12 Magisterial Districts of Lagos State between January 2014 and February 2015.
    “With regard to criminal prosecutions, out of the 795 police investigation files sent to the Department of Public Prosecution’s (DPP) office for legal advice, the Unit has already completed work on 716 (90.1 per cent) while the rest are still being processed, many requiring additional information or further investigation by the Police or other relevant agency.
    “The Directorate of Public Prosecutions is engaged in the prosecution of 1,069 criminal cases in all courts. This figure includes the 786 cases which are currently being prosecuted at the Federal and the State High Courts as well as 54 and 11respectively at the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court. The number is also inclusive of the 218 cases at the Magistrate Courts. In addition to the 1,069 active criminal prosecution files, DPP’s office is also handling 160 applications for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.”

  • Man docked for allegedly raping own daughter

    A 47-year-old man, Solomon Ojo, was on Monday arraigned in an Ota Senior Magistrates’ Court in Ogun State for allegedly raping his daughter.

    Ojo, who lives at No. 15, Abinuyo St., Ijoko, in Ota, is facing a one-count charge of rape.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Rosemary Brown, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in 2013 at about noon at his residence.

    Brown said that the accused forcefully had carnal knowledge of his daughter (name withheld).

    She said that the offence committed contravened Section 358 of the Criminal Code, Vol. 1, Revised Laws of Ogun State, 2006.

    The Magistrate, Miss Temitope Adebutu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Adebutu said that the sureties must have landed property within the court’s jurisdiction and swear to an affidavit of means.

    She said that the sureties should also provide evidence of one year tax payment and submit photocopy of this to the court.

    The case was adjourned to June 3 for hearing.

  • Man, 27 in police net for raping minor to death in Kaduna

    A 27-years-old trader identified as Shehu Bashir of Yabati ward of Sabo Gari Local Government area of Kaduna State has been arrested by Kaduna State police Command for raping to death, a 2 years baby.

    The suspect was arrested by men from the Sabo Gari Area Command of the state, following a complaint from the father of the late minor Mallam Zakkari Dahiru and has been transferred to the state Homicide department.

    Interrogating the suspect, Shehu Bashir at the police premises in Kaduna, said he regretted his action and beg for mercy.

    According to him, “to be honest with you, I don’t know what came over me but I started’ flipping with my manhood which was already erected and as if the devil want to punish me the late Fatimah came into my room because we are neighbor and she is used to me.

    “Immediately she came I striped her naked and penetrated her through her virginal and to my surprise she stopped breathing and I applied water on her head but that would not resuscitates her. From then I knew that I am in a big trouble.

    “I became more afraid when her mother started asking about her I told her I have not seen her that day. I put together some of my clothes under the pretend of washing them but her corpse was hidden in one of them.

    “It was in this process that her father came into my room saying that he was informed that some people saw his daughter going into my room and I asked him to come in and see if she is there.

    “He came in and went to my inner room but did not find anything; he came back to the palour where I was sitting with my clothes on his way out he stooped and said he want to see what is inside the wares I put on the ground and when he scattered the clothes he saw the corpse of his daughter and he raised alarm which attracted others neighbors and the police was invited,” he said.

    The father of late Fatima, Mallam Zakkari Dahiru who could not hold back his tears informed this reporter that on the faithful day he was on his way out when his daughter asked him for money to buy bean cake but he refused to give her but the suspect came out of his room and asked for N50 to buy sugar which he obliged.

    “It was the same money I later learnt he used to lure my daughter into his room,” the father said.

    The Police Public Relation Officer, kaduna Command DSP Abdullahi Zubairu said the case file has been transferred to the Homicides teams for investigation and the suspect is currently detained at the Criminal Investigation Department.

     

  • Man jailed 10 years for defiling 2-year-old girl

    The Federal High Court in Jos on Tuesday sentenced one Apisu Abdullahi, 20, to 10 years imprisonment for defiling a two-year old girl.

    Abdullahi was arrested for the crime on Feb. 23 at Angwan Pama in the Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau.

    He pleaded guilty to the charge brought against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

    Presiding Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa convicted the accused as charged and sentenced him to10 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

  • Civil servant charged with rape of a 15-year-old girl

    A 34-year-old civil servant, Segun Oluyara, on Tuesday appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos over alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl.

    Oluyara, who resides at No. 36, Oduntan St., Ketu, Lagos, is facing a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse.

    The prosecutor, ASP Godwin Anyanwu told the court that the accused committed the offence on March 18 at about 2.00 p.m. at No.114, Ogunmefun St., off Pedro,Lagos.

    He said the accused and the victim met at a restaurant and promised her job.

    “The accused took the victim to a guest house and claimed to be the owner.

    “The accused took the victim to a room and pushed her on the bed before he forcefully had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.

    “The accused gave the victim a soft drink and a drug ‘postinor 2’ to prevent pregnancy.

    “The girl told her mother, who reported the case to the police and the accused was arrested,’’ he said.

    “The victim was taken to the hospital for medical checkup and treatment.”

    Anyanwu noted that the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused may be sentenced to life imprisonment on conviction.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.O. Soladoye, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said the sureties must show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.

    She adjourned the case to May 4 for advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions.

  • ASOPADEC Director sacked over rape case

    The Abia State Government has sacked a Director in Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commissions (ASOPADEC) over an alleged rape case.

    The Director Christian Onuoha was alleged to have forcefully raped his housemaid (Anurika) from Owo-Ahia Afor in Obingwa Local Government Area leading to the death of minor after bleeding profusely.

    Briefing newsmen at the Government House, Umuahia,  the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Dr. ACB Agbazuere said that given the heinous nature of the crime which is rape of a minor and murder, Mr. Onuoha has also been placed on interdiction pending the determination of his case by the police and the court.

    According to the Commissioner, the state Civil Service Commission has also been directed to take necessary action as the case moves on.

    He made it clear that the said Onuoha is only a civil servant representing the Ministry of Petroleum in the board of ASOPADEC and not a commissioner in the state government as is alleged in some quarters.

    The Information boss who stated that Section 358 of the Criminal Code of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is explicit on the issue of rape also revealed that the punishment for rape is life imprisonment, adding that since the victim is dead, the issue of murder comes in and the penalty for such offence is death by hanging.

  • Man remanded for allegedly raping girlfriend to death

    An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday ordered the detention of one Michael Oyejide, 24, in the Ibara prison for allegedly raping to death his 18-year-old girlfriend.

    The Magistrate, Mr. Martins Akinyemi, ordered that the accused be remanded in the prison pending legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

    NAN reports that Oyejide, who resides at Ijeja, in Abeokuta, is facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, rape and murder.

    However, his plea was not taken by the court, and Akinyemi, thereafter, adjourned the case till June 5 for mention.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Cpl. Moshood Hammed, told the court that the accused and one other at large, committed the offence on Jan. 8 at about 11:41p.m at Ijeja in Abeokuta.

    Hammed said that the accused and his accomplice had raped the girl after a party to celebrate his birthday.

    “At about 8.00p.m., Oyejide, aka MI celebrated his birthday at Adigbe and some ladies were invited.

    “Later in the night, the accused and one other got the victim, who is also a friend drunk.

    “The accused and his friend took the victim to his house at Ijeja and they raped her to death,” he said.

    The prosecutor said that the accused thereafter pretended to be sympathisers and rushed their victim to the hospital where she was confirmed dead.

    “The management of the hospital reported the case to the police, which led to Oyejide’s arrest,” Hammed said.

    The prosecutor said that the offence contravened Sections 516, 357 and 358 of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, 2006.

     

  • 11-year-old housemaid raped to death in Abia State

    Controversy surrounding the death of a minor, identified as Anwulika Nathan (an 11year old girl) from Owo-Ahia Afor in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State in the house of her guardian has been reportedly causing ripples in the community.

    Awnulika, the last female child of Mr. Chinenye Nathan, a civil servant in the Abia State civil service was said to be living with one of the Commissioners in the Abia State Oil Producing Areas Development Commissions (ASOPADEC) family as their house help.

    It was gathered that the commissioner after raping the girl to coma rushed her to New Era Hospital, along Niger road and some distance from Amuzukwu Primary and Secondary Schools were she later died.

    Sources who confirmed that the people of Owo-Ahia Afor were pained over the girl’s death said that they were going to stop at nothing in deploying every measure to see that they get to the root of the matter.

    Another source from the community who pleaded anonymity alleged that their daughter was raped to death by the ASOPADEC commissioner.

    The source who confirmed that the police were already investigating the matter also accused the police of trying to sweep the matter under the carpet owing the “powerful” nature of the commissioner in the state.

    According to the source “Sometimes last week, we got a phone that Anurika Nathan, 11year old from Owu Ahia Afor, who is living with one of the ASOPADEC Commissioners was raped to death.

    “When we got to Umuahia, they were at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia. On reaching there, we saw her corpse in an ambulance covered with a T-Shirt with the inscription. One side of her body was open and we saw a lot of bruises on her knees, blood was coming out from her mouth and even from her private part.

    “After we waited for about an hour at the hospital, the young man (Commissioner) arrived with his official car and with the father of the deceased. They came in with a letter from New Era hospital, Umuahia stating the doctor’s report.

    “After a while, the Commissioner attempted to leave, but the woman IPO refused him going, insisting he must follow her to the police station (CPS, Umuahia). The man insisted he was going nowhere as he brandished an identity card showing the police woman that he is a Hon. Commissioner but the police woman stood her ground that he must go to the police station with her.

    “It was at that point that so many people gathered and with the assistance of the crowd, he was taken to the police station by keke after his driver refused to drive the car further.

    “Before they left for the police station, there was a melo-drama at the hospital premises when the said Commissioner could not pay the ambulance driver for the services he rendered, but for the driver’s threat to dump the girl’s corpse into his own official car he (commissioner) was forced to pay the ambulance man”.

    Continuing, the source added, “Before this time, the wife of the commissioner who we understand works in the same office with the father of the Anwulika was crying and when asked why she was crying, she said that prior to that incident, the  girl went to school and came back from school with bruises and before they could take her to the hospital, she died in the process, adding that “from the hospital, we went to the police station and they tried to bail him (commissioner) out that day, but it was not possible. Unfortunately, the girl was somehow related to prominent man in Abia government and I believe if not for this, from the way things had been going, the man could have been off the hook.

    “But of the man’s (commissioner) position in government, we (relations and families of the victim) are afraid that even the police would compromise dropping the matter.

    “We were able to come to the conclusion that the commissioner raped our sister to death because from the autopsy conducted, the cause of death was established to be rape.

    “Anwulika was living with the commissioner, she was his housemaid and he took her in January this year. It is not clear whether the girl died in the man’s house or at the hospital, but all we know is that the man took her to New Era hospital in his car but later brought her down to FMC in an ambulance and at FMC medics there tried to ascertain the cause of the death of the girl, considering the bruises she had her knees and blood that was gushing from her mouth and private part.

    “What we are calling for is for justice to prevail. The autopsy had been done at FMC which was confirmed at the CPS that the girl died as a result of rape.”

     

     

     

  • Artistes march against rape

    With the issue of domestic violence and sexual abuse gaining prominence, a couple of Nigerian artistes have teamed up to create more awareness on the ‘forbidden’ topic.

    Among the artistes who will be staging the walk on Tuesday, March 10, are Desmond Elliot, Toolz, Toke Makinwa and Joseph Benjamin. Together, they will be participating in the fifth edition of Walk Against Rape, an awareness creation programme which has the backing of the Lagos State Ministry Of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

    Various celebrities such as Kate Henshaw, Jimmy Jatt, Ali Baba, Owen Gee, Gt the Guiterman, Gbemi Olateru-Olabegi (OAP), Isio Wanogho (Model), Bolaji Rosiji, Ego Obaro, Praise Fowowe,Jerrilyn Mulbah, Jodie, Bayray McNwizu and Toni Payne, among other top celebrities, have been part of the walk

    Walk Against Rape Campaign is a special demonstration that brings together mothers, fathers, guardians, teachers, youth advocates, social activists, actors, actresses, sports men, media practitioners, musicians, DJs, comedians, youth organisations, showbiz personalities and student delegates from various higher institutions and Secondary Schools around Lagos State to  lend a voice to sexually abused persons (particularly women and children), and also show their support to the course of bringing an end to rape in Nigeria where the number of rape cases is on the increase.

  • ‘How we were raped’

    ‘How we were raped’

    Some rape victims last Thursday visited the National Assembly last to plead for the speedy passage of the Sexual Offences Bill pending for over two years.
    Assistant Editor, Onyedi Ojiabor presents the moving stories of the victim.

    Victim 1
    I was raped by two guys when I was returning back to my extra moral lesson at 3pm on 28 of April 2014 in Enugu. I know the boys. I reported to my brother and he took me to the police station immediately and they were arrested by policemen.
    The incident has affected me. I was in SS 2 when I was raped. I was supposed to take my senior WAEC but I repeated the class and the whole village is happy that the boys arrested. What I don’t know is how the police is handling the matter. Left for me the boys should be jailed to serve as a deterrent to others.

    Victim 2
    I am an auxiliary nurse and 21 years old, I was raped by my cousin. I was coming back home from the office around 6 pm, when my cousin called and told me he was sick. I told him that I won’t be able to see him because it was late but from the way he sounded on phone I was moved with pity, coupled with the fact he had a history of heart problem, I decided to go visit him.
    Little did I know he was not sick. I met him on my way to his house. He was dressed in a white cardigan, along a narrow, lonely road.
    In an attempt to feel his pulse, he grabbed me on the neck and we started struggling but he overpowered me and raped me.
    I went home bleeding and thereafter reported the incident to my dad, who busted into tears.
    An attempt to interrogate the boy failed as his father hid him. We then went to the police station the day after. Right now the boy is in Police custody

    Victim 3
    I am 15 years, I am in SS2. I was raped by a young man known as Ugochukwu. On the 11th of October 2014, I was on my way to the market, that was when he saw me and called me, pretending to have a message for me.
    That was when he started making some advances and I turned it down. He then invited one of his friends and they both raped me. He was later arrested. It affected my education

    Victim 4
    I am 40 years old. I have been married for 17 years now and I have been in pains in the last 14 years. I have been suffering from domestic violence. I have been keeping quiet about the whole abuse from my husband.
    One of the cases is this year when I was pregnant with my last child. I went for HIV test as part of the requirement in the hospital and they discovered I was positive. We were both placed on anti-retroviral drug but he later stopped taking his medication and started threatening to kill me because I refused to go to bed with him. He stopped taking care of me and my 5 children.
    He burnt our wedding picture. I reported to the police and he was arrested and detained but was later granted bail. Right now I have left the house