The Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State has upheld the death sentence of a hotelier, Ramon Adedoyin concerning the murder of Timothy Adegoke, a former Master’s student at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

The appellate court in its verdict on Thursday, affirmed the decision of the Osun State High Court which earlier convicted Adedoyin and sentenced him to death.

Adegoke lodged at Adedoyin’s Hilton Hotels and Resorts in Ile-Ife, Osun State upon his arrival from Abuja on November 5, 2021, to enable him to arrive early for his examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro, in the state, on November 6 and 7, 2021.

He later went missing and following an investigation by the police, his remains were found buried in a shallow grave.

“The judgment of the High Court of Osun State stands. Adedoyin’s appeal is dismissed in part. The Court of Appeal held that Adedoyin was properly convicted and sentenced to death,” the appellate court’s judgement read.

It further noted that the “Order of forfeiture of Hilton Hotel quashed and set aside. Order of education scholarship to children of Timothy Adegoke by Adedoyin and others quashed and set aside.”

Adegoke was found dead in November 2021 at Adedoyin’s Hilton Honours Hotel, Ile-Ife, where he (the deceased) had lodged.

On January 29, 2022, the late 37-year-old Master of Business Administration student was buried beside the house he built for his parents in the New Eruwa part of Eruwa town, the Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State.

He was mourned by family members, friends and beneficiaries.

His widow, Bolatito, wept uncontrollably and refused to leave the graveside despite pleas that she should step aside.

In March same year, Afeez Olaniyan, the Investigative Police Officer who undertook the first probe into Adegoke’s death, narrated how some defendants arraigned in connection with the deceased’s death, evacuated and dumped his (Adegoke’s) corpse in the bush.

Being led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, M. Omosun, during the continuation of the trial, Olaniyan said from the statement extracted from two of the staffers of the Hilton Hotels–Adeniyi Aderogba and Oyetunde Kazeem, after the death of the late Adegoke, his corpse was wrapped with a duvet, and taken out in a Hilux van driven by the son of the hotel owner, Roheem Adedoyin, to where it was dumped.

A consultant pathologist at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Dr Waheed Oluogun, said Adegoke’s death was caused by severe haemorrhage secondary to severe traumatic injury.

In 36 days, the Early bird registration for the 65th NBA AGC which began on January 1, 2025, will end.

On February 28, 2025, when it closes, regular registration will commence on March 1, 2025, and run through May 31, 2025.

This year’s conference will take place in the Garden City of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The NBA AGC is an annual event dedicated to exploring the latest developments in law and providing participants with the highest-level insights from leading experts in the field.

How to Register:
To register for the conference, please follow the simple step-by-step guide below:

1. Visit the registration portal at https://agc.nigerianbar.org.ng/register/event.
2. Click on “Register”.
3. Select the “Individual” option.
4. Input your details as prompted.
5. Preview your details for accuracy.
6. An email verification link will be sent to your registered email address (please check your spam folder if you do not see the email in your inbox).
7. Proceed to login using the verified details.
8. Click on “Make Payment” to complete your registration.
9. Once payment is made, you will receive a receipt and a confirmation email.

Important Notes:
• Your Supreme Court Number (SCN) will serve as your unique identifier throughout the registration and conference process.
• QR codes will also be utilized for verification purposes during the event.
• We urge all registrants to ensure their email details are correctly entered to avoid delays in receiving verification and confirmation emails.

The NBA looks forward to welcoming you to this prestigious event, where critical legal issues and innovations will be discussed, and networking opportunities will abound. Act promptly to secure your participation at early bird rates, which will only be available until February 28, 2025. 

For registration inquiries or further assistance, please contact Sadeeq at: [email protected] or 09129209903(Strictly on Whatsapp).
Register today and join us for an unforgettable 2025 Annual General Conference!
Signed;
Chief Emeka Obegolu SAN, Chairman, AGCPC

Barbara Omosun, Esq.
Secretary AGCPC

[Video]

Mrs Chioma Nwaka the housewife who was doused with fuel and set alight by her husband, Sunday Obiozor Nwaka, over alleged infidelity, has died.

The incident which was brought to the fore by a trending video of the woman covered with severe burns, lamenting and crying in agony happened late on Tuesday at Eziezekwe village in Abagana, Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State.

However, Chioma Nwaka died on Wednesday morning at a nearby hospital where she was rushed to, as a result of the excessive burns she sustained during the incident. Her husband, who was said to have reported himself to the Abagana Divisional Police Station was detained at the facility. He said the act is the work of the devil.

The victim was seen in a viral video footage circulating on social media since Tuesday, scampering for safety while carrying a third-degree burn around her torso and other body areas.

Sources in the area said the suspect accused his wife of infidelity which led to both of them engaging in an intense disagreement and, he reached out for petrol, poured on the victim and set her ablaze.

One of the sources, who craved anonymity, told our correspondent on Wednesday, “The man’s wife had returned home on Tuesday evening after the day’s outing with her supposedly ‘secret lover’ when the angry husband confronted her.

“An altercation ensued during the confrontation and the man reached out for petrol and poured on her and set her on fire.

“The victim had six children and lived with her husband at Eziezekwe village. She was rushed to the hospital but she succumbed to death this (Wednesday) morning.

“The husband who ignited her with fire reported himself to the police station stating that the wife was prostituting with men in the same village and they were using it to abuse him that they were sleeping with her.”

Another source, a family member who also craved anonymity, disclosed that it was passers-by and neighbours who managed to put out the fire from the victim’s body, though it had dealt significant burns on the victim.

“She was then rushed to a medical facility in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area, where she was pronounced dead at around 3 am today (Wednesday).”

The Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, when contacted on Wednesday, confirmed the development, adding that the suspect was in police custody.

Ikenga said, “The suspect is in police custody. But the unfortunate thing is that the victim died this morning (Wednesday). And the Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Itam, has directed that the case be transferred to the Homicide Unit for a comprehensive look.”

Dr Nonye Soludo, wife of the Anambra State Governor, has pledged to ensure the incinerating husband faces prosecution.

Just last year, Chioma Nwaka, a mother of five boys who died in pain following her severe third-degree burns, relocated with her family to the village from Jos, Plateau state.

Reacting to the incident via her Facebook wall, Ify Aronu-Okafor wrote:

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝙐𝗥𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗗*𝗔𝗧𝗛…

ANGER!

The man who burned his wife to death yesterday in Abagana, Anambra, kept saying that he did it because he couldn’t control his temper.

Well, it was reported that the woman died of severe burns at about 3 a.m. earlier today.

The man is now crying but can that bring her back now?

Just like Osinachi Nwachukwu’s case, another woman is gone leaving 5 children motherless, abandoned to a murderous father.

Yet another case of extreme Gender Based Violence – Femicide the gender-motivated killing of women… In September 2024 alone, nine femicide cases were reported across various states, including Ogun, Adamawa, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Kogi, and Anambra…

But here’s what’s more worrisome – there’s a woman living with a man who always shouts on her, hits her even, threatening to burn down the house, wishing her dead, calling her unprintable names… A man who’s out of control!

The woman keeps crying and praying for him to change.

But what if the anger boils over and he finally carries out his threats sooner?

Why not take cover first, and pray from afar?

And someone asks, ‘where will she get money to move and co?’

So it’s better to stay and die than to move and do her best to pick up her life?

An Igbo adage goes, “ehi na enweghị ọdụ, chi ya n’achuru ya iji”.

Loosely translated, the God of the helpless shows up for them in times of dire need.

I know that some women in this situation will read my analogy and still choose to stay back no matter what happens…

Activating a counselling unit, help desk and support initiative for women who entertain threats or violence from their partners or spouses has become expedient.

#LeaveToLive

#ENDGBV

Watch the video below.

The just re-elected US President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned two police officers who had been convicted in the 2020 murder of 20-year-old Black man Karon Hylton-Brown.

The White House made the disclosure in Washington on Wednesday.

In September 2024, Terence Sutton Jr. was sentenced to 66 months in prison, while Andrew Zabavsky was given a 48-month sentence for their involvement in an unauthorized police pursuit that led to a fatal collision on October 23, 2020, in Northwest Washington, D.C. The Justice Department stated that the officers remained free while they appealed their convictions.

The Metropolitan Police Department revealed that Sutton, in his early 40s, and Zabavsky, in his mid-50s, were on “indefinite suspension without pay, pending our administration process.” Sutton was found guilty in late 2022 by a unanimous federal jury after a nine-week trial, charged with second-degree murder, conspiracy to obstruct, and obstruction of justice. 

Zabavsky was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of justice.

The jury determined that Sutton’s reckless driving during the police pursuit had caused Hylton-Brown’s death, showing “conscious disregard” for the risk of harm. Additionally, Sutton and Zabavsky were found to have conspired to hide the details of the crash from officials.

The DC Police Union had petitioned for a pardon for both officers. Sutton’s attorney, Kellen Dwyer, expressed confidence that the conviction would have been overturned by the D.C. Circuit, but celebrated Trump’s decision to end the case. Zabavsky’s attorney, Christopher Zampogna, also thanked the president.

Hylton-Brown’s mother, Karen Hylton, shared her shock and sorrow upon hearing of the potential pardons.

The case occurred months after the killing of George Floyd, which sparked global protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Trump’s pardon of Sutton and Zabavsky follows a controversial move earlier this week, where he pardoned approximately 1,500 individuals who participated in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, some of whom had assaulted police officers.

The Fraternal Order of Police, the largest police union in the US and a Trump supporter in the 2024 election, along with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, issued a joint statement expressing their “deeply discouraged” reaction to the pardons.

Dealing a major blow to the rights of women and girls, Iraq‘s parliament on Tuesday passed several laws that critics say will effectively legalise child marriage for girls as young as nine. 

The amendments to Iraq’s personal status law will give Islamic courts increased authority over family matters, including marriage, divorce and inheritance – a dramatic change to the unified family law and safeguards for women established in 1959.

Iraqi law currently sets 18 as the minimum age of marriage in most cases, but the changes passed Tuesday would let clerics rule according to their interpretation of Islamic law.

Some of these interpretations allow the marriage of girls in their early teens – or as young as nine – under the Ja’afari school of Islamic law followed by many Shiite religious authorities in Iraq.

Proponents of the changes, which were advocated by primarily conservative Shiite lawmakers, defend them as a means to align the law with Islamic principles and reduce Western influence on Iraqi culture.

But Intisar al-Mayali, a human rights activist and a member of the Iraqi Women’s League, said passage of the civil status law amendments ‘will leave disastrous effects on the rights of women and girls through the marriage of girls at an early age’.

‘This violates their right to life as children, and will disrupt the protection mechanisms for divorce, custody and inheritance for women,’ the activist declared. 

The parliamentary session which saw the passage of the amendments ended in chaos and accusations of procedural violations.

‘Half of the lawmakers present in the session did not vote, which broke the legal quorum,’ a parliamentary official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment publicly. 

He said that some members protested loudly and others climbed onto the parliamentary podium.

After the session, a number of legislators complained about the voting process, under which all three controversial laws – each of which was supported by different blocs – were voted on together.

‘Regarding the civil status law, we are strongly supporting it and there were no issues with that,’ said Raid al Maliki, an independent MP. 

‘But it was combined with other laws to be voted on together… and this might lead to a legal appeal at the Federal Court.’

Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani in a statement praised the laws’ passage as ‘an important step in the process of enhancing justice and organising the daily lives of citizens.’

The parliament also passed a general amnesty law that is seen as benefiting Sunni detainees and has been criticised as giving a pass to people involved in corruption and embezzlement. 

The chamber passed a land restitution law aimed at addressing Kurdish territorial claims.

The proposed amendments to the law were first announced in August, sparking a wave of demonstrations in Baghdad.

With many Iraqi marriages conducted informally and left unregistered, the revisions will allow figures from Sunni and Shia religious sects to finalise unions between people in law.

The law previously stated that marriage requires ‘a sound mind and completing 18 years of age’, with provisions for women fleeing abuse in annulling a contract.

Proposed amendments to the law, including lowering the age of marriage for women, were first announced in August, sparking a wave of demonstrations in Baghdad 

Fifteen-year-olds could submit a marriage request, which judges could choose to approve if they deem the individual well and obtain their legal guardian’s consent.

A judge could permit the marriage of a 15-year-old ‘if he finds this absolutely necessary’, the law stated, without providing further details. 

Under the new laws, marrying Muslim couples would choose either a Sunni or Shia sect, who would be able to represent them in ‘all matters of personal status’ – rather than the civil judiciary.

‘When a dispute occurs between the spouses regarding the doctrine according to whose provisions the marriage contract was concluded, the contract is deemed to have been concluded in accordance with the husband’s doctrine unless evidence exists to the contrary,’ the draft says.

And figures from the offices of each ‘endowment’ would be able to finalise marriages, rather than the courts.

This may also see unregistered marriages – more than a fifth of which involve girls under 14 – legitimised by the state.

The current amendments circulating do not directly refer to the issue of child marriages – but previous drafts have, inspiring sharp and ongoing criticism from rights activists.

Yanar Mohammed, president of the Organisation of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI), told Middle East Eye the Coordination Framework was using the changes to distract from their own ‘corruption’ and political failures.

She said the proposals served to ‘terrorise Iraqi women and civil society with a legislation that strips away all the rights that Iraqi women gained in modern times’.

Ms Mohammed added that the bill would ‘force archaic Islamic sharia on them that regards women as bodies for pleasure and breeding, and not as human being[s] with human rights.’

MailOnline

[Watch the video of the complete statement from Prince Harry and Lord Tom Watson after News Group Newspapers issued an apology.]

By Jill Lawless with Agency report

 Prince Harry claimed a “monumental” victory Wednesday as Rupert Murdoch’s U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.

News Group Newspapers acknowledged its private investigators and journalists targeted Harry with phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information. The company offered him a “full and unequivocal apology” for intrusion by the now-defunct News of the World and its sister tabloid The Sun.

The statement, read out at the High Court in London by Harry’s attorney David Sherborne, even went beyond the scope of the case to acknowledge intruding on the life of Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana, and the impact it had on his family.

“We acknowledge and apologize for the distress caused to the duke, and the damage inflicted on relationships, friendships and family, and have agreed to pay him substantial damages,” the settlement statement said.

His phone was hacked and he was spied on

News Group has long acknowledged that phones were hacked by staff at the News of the World, the weekly newspaper that Murdoch shut down in 2011 amid a public outcry over tabloid snooping. But this is the first time the company accepted wrongdoing at The Sun, a paper that once sold millions of copies with its formula of sports, celebrities and sex — including topless women on Page 3.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, had vowed to take his case to trial to publicly expose The Sun’s misdeeds and win a court ruling upholding his claims. He and Tom Watson, a former Labour Party member of Parliament, were the only two remaining claimants out of more than 1,300 others who had settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers.

The trial was due to start Tuesday, but was postponed amid last-minute negotiations that led to the dramatic settlement announcement.

Although the settlement means Harry will not get his day in court, his lawyer said it delivered the accountability he sought for himself and hundreds of others who were snooped on with intercepted voicemails, tapped phones, bugged cars and various forms of deception.

News Group acknowledged “phone hacking, surveillance and misuse of private information by journalists and private investigators” aimed at Harry. NGN had strongly denied those allegations before trial.

“This represents a vindication for the hundreds of other claimants who were strong-armed into settling without being able to get to the truth of what was done to them,” Sherborne said outside court.

Source of a bitter feud

Harry’s feud with the press dates back to his youth, when the tabloids took glee in reporting on everything from his injuries to his girlfriends to dabbling with drugs.

But his fury with the tabloids goes much deeper.

He blames the media for the death of his mother, who was killed in a car crash in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. He also blames them for the persistent attacks on his wife, actor Meghan Markle, that led them to leave royal life and flee to the U.S. in 2020.

The litigation has been a source of friction in his family, Harry said in the documentary “Tabloids On Trial.”

He revealed in court papers that his father opposed his lawsuit. He also said his older brother William, Prince of Wales and heir to the throne, had settled a private complaint against News Group that his lawyer has said was worth over 1 million pounds ($1.23 million).

“I’m doing this for my reasons,” Harry told the documentary makers, though he said he wished his family had joined him.

Harry and the other holdout

Watson, who was targeted by NGN when he was part of an investigation into allegations of tabloid wrongdoing, also said the intrusion had taken a heavy toll on himself and his family.

“I once said that the big beasts of the tabloid jungle have no predators,” Watson said. “I was wrong, they have Prince Harry. … We are grateful to him for his unwavering support and his determination under extraordinary pressure.”

Watson, who also received an apology and substantial settlement, called on Murdoch to issue a personal apology to Harry, the king and “countless others” affected by tabloid intrusion.

An end to the story?

News Group Newspapers said the settlement “draws a line under the past” and ends more than a decade of litigation.

The company has now settled more than 1,300 claims without going to trial. In doing so, it has spent more than 1 billion pounds ($1.24 billion) in payouts and legal costs.

Harry’s attorney said the company still had questions to answer. Sherborne said the company engaged in “perjury and cover-ups” to obscure the truth for years, deleting 30 million emails and other records.

“There was an extensive conspiracy,” the statement said, in which “senior executives deliberately obstructed justice.”

News Group said in a statement that it would have disputed at trial that evidence was destroyed and it continues to deny those allegations.

Sherborne took aim at former Sun editor Rebekah Brooks, now the CEO overseeing News Group, who was acquitted of phone hacking a decade ago.

“At her trial in 2014, Rebekah Brooks said, ‘When I was editor of The Sun, we ran a clean ship,’” he said. ”Ten years later when she is CEO of the company, they now admit, when she was editor of The Sun, they ran a criminal enterprise.”

NGN apologized for wrongdoing by private eyes hired by The Sun, but not for anything done by its journalists, adding: “There was no voicemail interception on The Sun.”

Two cases down, one to go

Harry’s case against NGN was one of three he brought accusing British tabloids of violating his privacy by eavesdropping on phone messages or using private investigators to unlawfully help them score scoops.

His case against the publisher of the Daily Mirror ended in victory when the judge ruled that phone hacking was “widespread and habitual” at the newspaper and its sister publications.

During that trial in 2023, Harry became the first senior member of the royal family to testify in court since the late 19th century, putting him at odds with the monarchy’s desire to keep its problems out of view.

The outcome in the News Group case raises questions about how his third case — against the publisher of the Daily Mail — will proceed. That trial is scheduled for next year.

Watch the video below.

Except for the video, this article was originally published by the Associated Press, AP

A Nigerian woman, Mewolaka Omololami Fashakin, has queried men who don’t share the responsibility for family planning only to tell their wives to have abortions when they get pregnant.

“Some men refuse to use CD, tell their wives not to do family planning, and ask them to ab*rt when they get pregnant? Aaah, why?” she wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.