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Pastor arrested for allegedly defiling teenage daughter in Akwa Ibom blames Satan

  • Iman jailed 21 years for attempted sexual assault of minor, blames the devil for his acts

A cleric who was arrested on Monday by officers of the Akwa Ibom State police command has confessed to sexually abusing his 14-year-old daughter since she was 12. 

The spokesperson of the command, DSP Timfon John, who confirmed this to newsmen during a media briefing on Monday, January 20, said;

“We have arrested one Louis Akpojotor Mevoweoyo ‘m’, a pastor from Ughelli North LGA, residing in Ibiono Ibom, for defiling his daughter (name withheld).

Investigations revealed the suspect had been sexually assaulting the victim since she was 12 years old, the latest incident occurring in December 2024. The suspect will be prosecuted.”

The spokesperson mentioned operatives of the Command also arrested one Daniel Effiong Umoh a.k.a. Akaka ‘m’, aged 32, of Abak Itenghe, Abak LGA, for defiling a girl (name withheld).

He said the suspect, armed with a machete, dragged the victim into the bush where he forcefully had carnal knowledge of her. Investigations revealed a history of sexual assault by the suspect on other teenage girls.

In a related development, the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday, 14 January convicted and sentenced an Imam who is also an Arabic teacher, Oladosu Sakiru, to 21 imprisonment for attempting to sexually assault a 13-year-old female pupil.

The trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi, sentenced Sakiru following his guilty plea to the amended two counts of attempted sexual assault by penetration and indecent treatment of a child.

Oshodi, in his judgment, reprimanded the convict for breaching the trust the parents of the survivor had in him for enrolling their children in the Islamic school.

The judge held that the evidence before the court deduced a pattern of predatory behaviour as the convict subjected the survivor to inappropriate touching and forced himself on her.

According to him, when the convict was confronted with his action, he sought refuge in the often-repeated phrase, “It was the work of the devil.”

Oshodi held that religious leaders, and teachers such as the convict, held a sacred place in society and when such individuals broke the trust placed in them by preying upon children, the court must respond with appropriate severity to reflect society’s condemnation and deter others from committing similar acts.

“As an imam and an Arabic school teacher, you occupy a position of significant trust, that trust extended not only to the 13-year-old child, the one you victimised but also to her parents and the entire community who look to you for spiritual and moral guidance.

“You betrayed this trust in the most deplorable manner,” he said.

However, the court sentenced Sakiru to 14 years imprisonment on count one and seven years jail term on count two.

Oshodi held that the jail terms should run consecutively and that the convict’s name should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.

Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr. Nelson Onyejaka, in his allocutus, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.

Onjejaka told the court that the convict was a first-time offender and that he had two wives to take care of.

He prayed to the court for leniency in sentencing his client.

The state prosecution counsel, Ms Bukola Okeowo, however, prayed the court to sentence the convict accordingly.

Okeowo told the court that the convict committed the offences between February and March 2022, on Odusanmi Street, Mushin, Lagos.

The convict had pleaded not guilty when he was initially arraigned on March 17, 2023.

During the trial, the prosecution called two witnesses (the survivor and her father) through whom compelling evidence was given against the convict.

The prosecution, however, approached the court on September 6, 2024, that the convict had opted for a plea bargain which necessitated the amended charge.

According to the prosecution, the offences committed violated Sections 135 and 262 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

HIV-positive man rapes girl with sickle cell disease in Abuja

Peter Ugan, a man found to be living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) recently raped a teenager, Ngozi (surname withheld), a sickle cell patient in Abuja. He has been remanded in a police cell at the Mabushi Division of the FCT Police Command.

34-year-old Ugan, from Ogoja in Cross River State, was taken into custody by detectives from Mabushi Division on Monday, January 6, after a mob almost lynched him. He had lured the girl into a room and sexually abused her.

It was learnt that while satisfying his inordinate sexual urge, he tore into the girl so much that she started bleeding non-stop.

Information later revealed that Ngozi, who was staying with her aunt in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, recently came to join her parents in Abuja so she could complete her secondary school education when the incident occurred.

The first week she came, Ugan reportedly approached her for dating but the young girl started avoiding him. On January 6, 2025, when Ugan was said to have come to the room of his friend, Isaac, who lives in the same compound with Ngozi and her parents, Ngozi was returning the plate her sister bought food with from Mai-Shai (a local tea seller) and when he saw her passing by, he called her to help him buy sachet water.

The 17-year-old girl, who respected someone older than her, went to collect money to buy the water but got more than she bargained for. Ugan, noticing that the house was quiet, reportedly dragged the girl inside, pushed her to the floor and forcefully had carnal knowledge of her. By the time he was done, blood started gushing from her privates.

Aware of the gravity of his act, Ugan locked Ngozi inside the room so that she would not leave to expose him, and went out and returned with some medications for her to take. His aim, as he later told Nigerian Tribune, was to stop the bleeding and ease the excruciating pain the girl was in. Thereafter, he allowed her to leave.

On her return home, her mother, Mrs Elizabeth Aroh, seeing her daughter’s condition, became distraught. It was said that Ugan was about to escape when the mob caught up with him and beat him to stupor. A credible source told Nigerian Tribune that the suspect would have been killed but for some neighbours who made a distress call to the FCT police command to come to his rescue.

Promptly, CP Olatunji Disu directed the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Mabushi Division to go to the scene where the suspect was rescued and taken into custody.

The girl’s mother also brought her to the police station, while she was still bleeding profusely. The girl reportedly collapsed and fainted twice, and was rushed to the emergency unit at Maitama General Hospital.

When it was too much to handle by those on duty that night, Nigerian Tribune learnt that a doctor was called from Nyanya Hospital to perform surgery on her to stop the bleeding. It was further gathered that Ngozi had to be transfused with two pints of blood for her to stabilise.

As it is usually done, the Investigating Police Officer took the suspect to the hospital for tests. To the shock of all, the results of the tests conducted showed that Ugan tested positive to HIV. That again caused an emotional breakdown for the girl’s mother.

Ugan’s brother, who spoke with the police said that he had noticed the suspect’s emaciated looks before the incident, and had told him to go for tests. During interrogation, Ugan told the police that he didn’t know he was HIV positive because he still had some tests six months before that time.

In an interview, however, Ugan, who disclosed that he was working as a Front Desk Officer in an eatery, claimed that Ngozi was his girlfriend.

He said: “She (Ngozi) was my girlfriend. I approached her for dating and she accepted. I started the relationship with her over two weeks before the incident. On January 6, I went to my friend’s house to cook and she came to visit me when she saw me. My friend lives in the same premises with her parents.

“She ate with me and we were playing. While we were together, I asked her if we could make love and she said yes. It was between 11 am and 12 noon. I brought out my condom and had sex with her. That was when I discovered that she was a virgin, and she started bleeding.”

When asked how he had a condom when he only went to his friend’s house to cook, the suspect said he got one from his friend’s room after he checked around and saw where the friend kept his.

He continued: “After the sex, she started bleeding. I asked her why she didn’t tell me that she was a virgin. I stepped out to get her some medications, but she told me to lock the door when going as she was scared and would not want anyone to come in. I told her it would be bad if I locked her in but she said it did not matter.

“So, I locked the door and went to get some medications like Flagyl, Buscopan and Diclofenac. I bought a malt drink and she took the medicines. I bought another food for her. She washed up and stood up, saying that she was going.

“After she left, I went to my own residence. I tried to explain to my cousin what happened and he told me that we would need to go to her parents’ house to explain things and offer to take care of her if there was need for proper treatment.

“We were about to go when I saw people, four security men, the girl’s mother and her siblings. I was taken to the police station and detained. The following day, I was brought out and taken for test.”

When asked why he penetrated the victim when he could feel that she was a virgin, the suspect admitted: “It was a little bit hard but the condom I used was oily and I didn’t really feel the obstacle. It was when I withdrew that I saw it was that much.”

Concerning his questioning the girl on why she did not tell him she was a virgin after he was done with the sexual act, he was asked if she did not cry out in pain for him to know how she felt. His response was: “I didn’t see her cry before I penetrated her, but she was very stiff and squeezing her face and hands.” On why he continued after seeing her in pain, the suspect had no answer.

Nigerian Tribune also inquired whether he had knowledge of medical practice for him to know medications to buy for the girl. He however said that he got the prescription from a chemist. He stated that he didn’t know the girl has sickle cell disease until he got to the police station. He added that he didn’t know he was HIV positive until he was taken for a test by the police.

“I thought her looks were natural, I didn’t know she has sickle cell disease. Also, I didn’t know I was HIV positive. The Police took me to the hospital for tests and when the results were out, I was told that I was HIV-positive. Honestly, I didn’t know I had it in my system. I used condom because I didn’t want to get her pregnant. I was not also ready to start a family as I don’t have the capacity for now,” he said.

Why the Dutch are closing prisons – and what they’re doing with empty ones

A vast X-shaped building marks the spot on an Amsterdam map that has brought a decade-long search to a close.

Spread across three maxed-out campuses, with almost 1,000 students on roll, the British School of Amsterdam had struggled to keep up with the capital’s growing demand for international education. That was until it found the striking 14,000m2 property, which it moved into in April.

The site had many advantages, not least its security, because − until recently – it had in fact been a prison. What is now the school’s freshly painted theatre with shiny chestnut-coloured beams was, until 2013, the prison chapel. And the mirrored dome at the building’s heart was a way to survey the four corridors branching out from it.

“We’ve kept the wings. They just worked really well for each of the school sections,” explains the school’s communication manager Lisa Harrison, who says the cheerful atmosphere in the building “surprises everyone”.

It is the latest example of prison buildings in the Netherlands being repurposed, often in socially useful ways. Just 20km away, in Haarlem, the former De Koepel prison is being converted into a multi-purpose site to include student accommodation and social housing – answering a national shortage of both.

Meanwhile in the province of Drenthe, the National Prison Museum, housed since 2005 in a former penal colony, aims to open up a nuanced conversation on crime and punishment, as well as sharing its gruesome history.

Quirkier uses have also been found. Utrecht’s Wolvenplein created a city beach within the steep walls of its exercise yard, while − before its demolition − Amsterdam’s Bijlmerbajes provided employment for some of the asylum seekers temporarily housed there, by converting 15 cells into a Syrian hammam.

As the UK embarks on its largest prison building programme in over a century, with prisoner numbers almost doubling in the last 30 years, the prison population in the Netherlands is going in the opposite direction. Apart from a small rise in the past three years, it has otherwise been steadily shrinking. Today, the incarceration rate per capita is half the UK’s; there are far fewer repeat offenders; and reported crime continues to decline. At times, the Netherlands has even resorted to importing convicts from abroad to fill its empty cells and keep some prisons open.

But while the British government dishes out the most life sentences in Europe, under the leadership of a prime minister who says he is keen to see hi-vis chain gangs introduced, the Dutch see the benefits of a less punitive approach. (Only around 30 people there are serving life sentences.)

Reeling from the Nazi occupation during the second world war, the Netherlands had “a strong sense of the dangers of an overbearing state and the horrors of imprisonment”, explains Francis Pakes, a Dutch national and professor of criminology at the University of Portsmouth. This meant that prison sentences were used more sparingly than before the war, and detainees were usually treated with greater humanity.

“In the UK, to be tough on crime is framed as a solution against a threat of disorder,” says Pakes. “Whereas in the Netherlands [historically], crime was just something the system had to respond to.” The decriminalisation of soft drug use and sex work (in 1976 and 2000 respectively) reflects this pragmatic approach, while investment in youth intervention schemes, electronic tagging, and residential care for offenders with addictions and mental health problems has promoted rehabilitation and minimised prison time.

Netherlands prison

A spiral staircase at Haarlem’s De Koepel jail, before its transformation. Image Olaf Kramer

“In the Netherlands [compared to the UK], the prisons are − by and large − better maintained, better staffed, more spacious and more decent places,” explains Pakes. These are all factors that, studies have shown, make offenders’ successful reintegration into mainstream society more likely.

Low rates of poverty, high social security and a relatively unmaterialistic culture – in the Netherlands, being unshowy about wealth and living simply are generally valued traits – all play a role in reducing crime. And, the lack of minimum sentencing means that lengthy jail spells – which Dutch research links to higher reoffending rates – are rare.

Amsterdam-based musician, author and social entrepreneur Rivelino Rigters knows at first hand the downside of incarceration. Fatherless and seeking the approval of older boys, he got caught up in drug-selling and theft, and was serving his first prison sentence at the age of 13. But prison only enhanced his criminal connections, he says. “I actually came out worse than before I went in.”

“Locking someone up is not a way to solve the problem,” Rigters insists. “Sometimes it only makes it bigger because, for some people, crime was either their last resort or there was no other way to make a living.”

Rivelino Rigters

Musician, author and social entrepreneur Rivelino Rigters has spent time in jail but now mentors prisoners. Image: Hazazah Photography

Instead, Rigters’ organisation Criminal Minded, which mentors current and ex-prisoners to access the skills and networks they need to rebuild their lives, is typical of the more personalised approaches now being trialled. It focuses on offenders’ “strengths, talents and possibilities” and “what needs to be healed in order for them to take positive steps forward”.

The prison-based model of justice may have served its time, believes Pakes. “What you find in the Netherlands when you talk to senior police officers, prosecutors or judges, is that very few people have anything positive to say about the effect of imprisonment,” he says. “Nobody really believes it works.

“We now know better that if you want to turn those lives around, simply being punitive is not going to cut it,” Pakes concludes. “It needs something much more wholesome than that.”

Three repurposed Dutch prisons

1. A night in the nick – the hotel and restaurant

In the city of Roermond, buildings now occupied by the Hotel Het Arresthuis and its Michelin-starred restaurant Damianz formed a state prison from 1863 to 2007. It detained mostly drug smugglers and illegal immigrants in its final years. Grouped around original cast iron stairways and balconies, the rooms range from ‘comfort cells’ to a luxurious suite.

Hotel Het Arresthuis

Hotel Het Arresthuis in Roermond. Image: Hotel Het Arresthuis.

2. The lock-up that’s looking up – the business centre and library

The moated entrance and formidable spires of the Blokhuispoort prison in the city of Leeuwarden now welcome visitors to a cultural business centre. It’s designed to boost investment in a province with the lowest GDP nationally. The Alibi hostel, with its barred windows, offers affordable accommodation, while the transformation of the prison chapel into the city’s central library was completed earlier this year.

3. Gluttons for punishment – the escape game

Beneath the gigantic panopticon of Boschpoort penitentiary, a cast of 80 actors lead 400 ‘inmates’ in orange scrubs through an adrenaline-filled escape experience. Elsewhere in and around the building – rebranded the FutureDome – spaces have been used as a meeting centre for people with autism, temporary housing, a pop-up theatre and an ice rink.

Main image: The former Boschpoort prison in the city of Breda is now the FutureDome entertainment venue. Credit: Prison Escape.

Culled from Positive.News

Ex-UniLag student appointed judge in Canada

An ex-student of the University of Lagos, Emem Madu, has been appointed as a Judge of the Alberta Court of Justice in Canada.

Showcasing three new provincial judges, Alberta’s Justice Minister Mickey Amery on 15 January 2025 announced Nigerian-born Madu as one of the jurists.

Emem Madu will serve at the Edmonton Family and Youth Division and her appointment takes effect Jan. 31, 2025.

News of her appointment was recently shared by a Nigerian jurist and fellow alumna, Professor Gideon Christian.

Prof. Christian said: “A great @UnilagNigeria alumna just got appointed as a Judge of the Alberta Court of Justice. Congrats, Madam Justice Emem Madu. #Naija no dey carry last.”

A circular signed by Chinenye Anokwuru, Senior Press Secretary, Justice, disclosed that Madu received a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria in 2002, and a vocational certification from the Nigerian Law School in 2003. She also obtained a Master of Laws degree from the University of Alberta in 2007.

Madu has also worked as a Regulatory Compliance Specialist at ATB Financial, as a Policy and Legislation Analyst at Alberta Justice, and as a Research Lawyer at Brownlee LLP in Edmonton.

Her husband Kaycee (Kelechi) Madu served as Minister of Justice and Solicitor General from 2020 and 2022, as well as Deputy Premier. He also graduated from the University of Lagos (UNILAG) with a Bachelor of Laws degree.

The Alberta Government says the decision to appoint the wife of a former justice minister to the provincial court of justice was subject to “extensive” and independent vetting.

In a statement, provincial Press Secretary Justin Brattinga said judicial appointments “are always undertaken after extensive vetting by the Alberta Judicial Council and the Alberta Judicial Nominating Committee.”

“The candidates appointed in the latest round, including Emem Madu, went through the proper independent process,” he said.

“As a lawyer with extensive experience and education, an immigrant to Canada from Nigeria and a mother, she brings vital experience to the family and youth division.”

In a post on X, Kaycee Madu called Emem “arguably the most brilliant legal mind I know” and recounted their meeting in law school at the University of Lagos.

“I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the newly appointed Justices of the Alberta Court of Justice, including my dearest wife, The Honourable Justice Emem Madu. They are exceptional and great addition to the court. I wish them the absolute best as they begin their judicial career.

“Our family are incredibly thrilled at the historic appointment of Justice Madu. Justice Madu is arguably the most brilliant legal mind I know. Having been law school classmates, I witnessed her legal education and career first hand from the first day of law school to this day: from narrowly missing a First Class in law from our alma mater, the prestigious University of Lagos (UNILAG) @UnilagNigeria, to achieving a First Class from the Nigerian Law School, to becoming a law professor at our alma mater, working at one of the biggest law firms in Nigeria and Alberta and obtaining a Master of Laws (LLM) from the Univeristy of Alberta, to the brilliant, astute and compassionate lawyer she is today. Justice Madu has always been exceptional and aim for the very best. I have no doubt that she will bring the same excellence to bear on all matters before her and the court. The Alberta Court of Justice is so lucky to have Justice Madu.

“From our family – our children: Ugonna, Chisom, Adanaya, and me – we are super proud of you and wish you God’s abiding blessings.

“Congratulations!”

Also appointed were Justice Gordon Putnam, named Assistant Chief Justice for the Edmonton Region, and Christine Palmer, who will serve as a judge in northern Alberta.

Privacy invasion on social media and available legal remedies

By Daniel K. Kip

1.0 INTRODUCTION
Many would like to consider the invention of the internet as an amoral reality not inherently bad and not inherently good, but a product of what one chooses to make of it. Like every other amoral reality, we have seen both positive and negative uses of the internet in drawing us closer to one another and eroding boundaries, that until now, erected walls amongst individuals. When the idea of the internet turning the globe to a global village first emerged even experts did not envisage the erosion of door knobs and or invasion of privacy to the degree facilitated by social media today.

The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that “No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home, or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to protection of the law against such interference or attack.”

According to the Black’s law dictionary, privacy right or right of privacy refers to: ‘the right to be left alone, the right of a person to be free from unwarranted publicity. Constitutionally, Section 37 of the CFRN 1999 (as amended) states categorically that: ‘The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected’. There are myriads of cases that have defined what privacy right connotes.

2.0 FORMS OF PRIVACY INVASION
Privacy invasions range from Intrusion of Solitude or Intrusion into Seclusion, Identity Appropriation, Creation of False Impression, Public disclosure of private information, Breach of Confidentiality of Source, and Conspiracy.

Identity Appropriation is rampant on Facebook and it implies the use of the name and/or image of another without authorization. Breach of confidentiality of source occurs when a journalist reveals or makes public, information that was given to him for private consumption.

One invasion which is gaining notoriety on social media is the public disclosure of private information or fact. So, the publication on social media of a private matter or fact which causes hurt or embarrassment to the victim is actionable and it doesn’t matter if it is true.

This brings to the fore, the viral case of the Equatorial Guinea Anti-Graft Chief scandal whose premises was busted due to an investigation for fraud and the authorities in the cause of the search found private sex tapes and leaked it on social media. It is a good example of privacy invasion. The public disclosure of private information can have damning consequences. There are instances of cyber threats or blackmail stemming from such invasions, that have led to deaths or bodily harm.


Some months back, social media went agog when the popular VDM (Very Dark Man) called out the Correctional Service, Bobrisky, etc. The said VDM played a voice call recording and while explaining the content, placed some persons in a false light. This brings us to the privacy invasion of Creation of False Impression. Creation of False Impression connotes the publication of facts but in a false manner. It is the representation of facts and data in a manner that is misrepresenting and misleading the truth.

In P. P. & P. (NIG) LTD. V. OLAGHERE (2019) 2 NWLR (PT. 1657) 54, the Court of Appeal awarded damages in favour of the Respondent whose House was photographed and used by the Appellant for advertisement in a Calendar. The Court of Appeal at page 569, para. E held that “…the use of photographs of the 1st Respondent’s house on the appellants’ calendar created the false impression that the appellants’ products were used for the painting or construction of the said building.”

3.0 LEGAL REMEDIES
Privacy invasion as a civil wrong can be ventilated in a Court of law. For a privacy suit to succeed, it is required that the plaintiff proves the following elements:

i. Existence of a secret and private subject matter.
ii. A right possessed by the plaintiff to keep the matter private
iii. Information about the subject matter being obtained by some method objectionable to a reasonable man.

On the other hand, for a suit of public disclosure to be successful, the following elements must co-exist:
i. The disclosure must be sufficiently widespread to the extent that is made public.
ii. The disclosure must have resulted in an embarrassment that is sufficient to affect an ordinary reasonable person.
iii. The publication must relate to private facts that are not within the realms of the legitimate news.vi
iv. The publication must not be part of public records.

Regarding a Suit on creation of false impression, the following elements must be established, that:
i. There is a publication by the defendant about the plaintiff
ii. It was done with reckless disregard
iii. It placed the plaintiff in a false light
iv. It would be highly offensive and embarrassing to a reasonable person.
The defences that may avail a defendant in a privacy suit are the defence of newsworthiness, public interest, consent, permanent publication, etc

4.0 CONCLUSION
The current social media interface is eroding old notions of privacy thus making it blurry to describe what is private and leaving a porous reality where privacy rights abuses are carried out unchecked. After World War II the right to privacy was elevated to the level of a human right at the international level. Thus, the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) 1948viii captures this right. The European Convention on Human Rightsix recognizes privacy rights, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 all recognize and protect privacy rights.
Anybody whose privacy is invaded can bring a suit for invasion of privacy against the violator in a civil court and such a person is entitled to certain reliefs, including damages.

Name: DANIEL K. KIP
Title: Legal Practitioner, Arbitrator, Notary Public, Rights Activist, Writer
Telephone: +2348036964847
Email: [email protected]

ENDNOTES

NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 20th January 2025 (Day 15 prayer points)

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NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 20th January 2025 – DAY 15 DAY PRAYER POINTS:

Remember to Read/Study/Meditate on Scripture Guides:
Psalm 1, Psalm 24, Proverbs 24, Isaiah 43, Matthew 25:1-30, Matthew 22:1-14, Genesis 16:10-13

DECLARE:
2025: CONGRATULATIONS!!! 7x
The Lion has prevailed!!! My weeping Days are over! I Hear Joyful Sounds, I see Miracles Everywhere! (Revelation 5:5)

Lift up your heads, oh ye gates of my city/nation! Gates in my business, career, and ministry: EPHPHATHA! Territorial powers from the pit of hell that swallow congratulations, FIRE! As evidence that all doors are open, I carry congratulations earlier than expected, more than I prayed for, and bigger than imagined! (Psalm 24:7–8)

2025: The blessing is on me! I am that warehouse of possibilities! As the transition man/woman for my generation, destinies are connected to me, and I refuse to manifest less than expected! The Lord has made my name great and blessed me to be a blessing! (Genesis 12:2)

My eyes are open to see, my ears are open to hear, and my heart is open to discern insights, divine instructions, and the wisdom I need to activate a chain of congratulations in my life. (Proverbs 4:7)

2025: THIS IS MY YEAR OF A GREAT HARVEST! Oh earth, every harvest trapped in you from yesteryears, vomit by FIRE! I thrust in my sickle; my set time to reap has come! Hallelujah! (Revelation 14:15)

____call your name____ CONGRATULATIONS! By reason of my season of congratulations, let old things give way and let new things burst out! I shut the door to wrong relationships, outdated mindsets, and stale revelations! (Isaiah 43:19)

2025: More hunger for God! More prayer fire! More revelations of the Word! Let every season of “more” that precedes congratulations be activated by fire! (Matthew 5:6)

By reason of the mantle of Congratulations upon me in 2025, Every cap on my giftings and the manifestation of my prophecy, I take it off! FIRE! Every emptiness around me has become a vessel for the expression of the oil on my life. (2 Kings 4:6)

Demonic coverings, evil plantings in the form of relationships/connections, Lots/Jonahs of destiny that distract, delay, or derail me from my season of congratulations, FIRE! (Matthew 15:13)

I arise as a life-giving spirit! Whatever is dead around me delaying or shortchanging my season of congratulations, wake up! (1 Corinthians 15:45)

Mysterious trumpeters, Angels of my congratulations arise and blow my name in board room meetings, to international investors and clients! Where it matters and when it matters, my name must be remembered! (Hebrews 1:14)

Wherever I enter, Congratulations! Everyone that encounters me, Congratulations! By the resurrection power of Christ at work in me, I arise as a warehouse, a conduit, a divine Highway for Congratulations! Christ in me: The Hope of Glory! (Isaiah 61:1-3, Colossians 1:27)

By the mantle of high favor upon my life, I wake up every new day to angelic visitations and divine encounters that deliver my congratulations! (Luke 1:28)

El-Roi, Abba, Lord, I will remain in Your house all the days of my life! Even as my congratulations arrive, keep my gaze on You. You are all I want and desire forever. (Psalm 27:4)

Powers that make great doors ineffective and make effective doors small, not in my 2025! Great and Effectual doors of Congratulations, EPHPHATHA!!!(1 Corinthians 16:9)

2025: This is My Year of Prepared Tables, feasts of fat things and wines on the lees! No Reduction, No Exchange, I go up, I take my place by Fire! (Isaiah 25:6)

I bear upon my health, finances, business/career/ministry the mark of Christ therefore no man shall trouble me! As my congratulations arrive, Powers of Hell that shall arise to steal, kill or destroy, break! (Galatians 6:17)

2025: I am backed by El-Roi! As I journey through 2025, every attack that arises against my congratulations, with His eyes of fire and vengeance, be consumed! (2 Chronicles 16:9)

I was made for more! Abba, MAKE me for the size of my congratulations! I dig new depths and lay fresh foundations for the man/woman that will carry the size of the bigger things ahead! Let a new me arise out of me! (Genesis 12, Isaiah 54:2)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 19th January 2025 (Day 14 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 18th January 2025 (Day 13 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 17th January 2025 (Day 12 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 16th January 2025 (Day 11 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 15th January 2025 (Day 10 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 14th January 2025 (Day 9 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 13th January 2025 (Day 8 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 12th January 2025 (Day 7 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days Fasting and Prayers 11th January 2025 (Day 6 Prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 days fasting and prayer, 10th January 2025 (Day 5 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 days fasting and prayer, 9th January 2025 (Day 4 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 days fasting and prayer, 8th January 2025 (Day 3 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days fasting and prayer, 7th January 2025 (Day 2 prayer points)

See Also: NSPPD 21 Days fasting and prayer, 6th January 2025 (Day 1) prayer points)

NBA AGC 2025: 39 days to end of Early Bird registration

It’s 39 days to the end of the early bird window. Register now for the Nigerian Bar Association 2025 Annual General Conference. February 28th is almost here.

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

Man arrested for killing businessman over plans to marry a woman he heavily invested on financially

The FCT police command has arrested a notorious gang leader, Abubakar Idris (AKA Nishi) and his accomplices, Buhari Saidu and Musa Ahmadu Suleiman, over the gruesome murder of one Ibrahim Danfulani.

A statement released by the spokesperson of the command, SP Josephine Adeh, said the incident, which took place on the 27th of November, 2024, was a result of Nishi’s anger over Ibrahim’s intentions to marry a woman he, Nishi, had heavily invested in financially.

Adeh said investigations revealed that the trio, armed with knives, brutally attacked Ibrahim Danfulani, resulting in his untimely death adding that the gang also stole 18 cows belonging to the victim as compensation for Nishi’s perceived losses.

‘’In a dramatic turn of events, Nishi, who had fled the scene of the crime, was trailed and arrested in Nasarawa State. He was caught while planning on recruiting new gang members to execute his sinister plot to return and kill the woman. The swift and coordinated efforts of the FCT Police Command, in collaboration with residents of the Agaita community in Karu, led to the successful arrest of all suspects, who are now in police custody and will face prosecution to ensure justice is served.” Adeh said

She added that the FCT Police Command remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting lives and property and encourages residents to report any suspicious activities or criminal elements to the nearest police station or through the following emergency lines: 08061581938, 08032003913, 08028940883, CRU: 08107314192, PCB: 09022222352.

Linda Ikeji

Insured by the Mafia: The story of most deadly cult attack ever recorded in Nigerian University

A review of Prof. Rogers Makanjuola’s book by Segun Adeniyi

THE JULY 10 1999 CULT ATTACK ON OAU CAMPUS

On Saturday, 7 March 1999, a group of Black Axe members held a meeting in Ife town. After the meeting, they drove back to the campus. On the main road, Road 1, leading into the campus, they were overtaken by some students in another car. For whatever reason, they were enraged and gave chase to the students. The students, seeing them in pursuit, raced hastily to the car park outside Angola Hall and ran into the adjacent Awolowo Hall for safety.

The Students’ Union, which had also received information that secret cult members were gathering in a house in the senior staff quarters, mobilised in response to the incident. Led by George Iwilade, the Secretary-General, a group of them drove to the house, officially occupied by Mr. F.M. Mekoma, and forced their way into the boys’ quarters. They found nine individuals inside, eight of them students of the University, with a submachine gun, a locally manufactured gun, an axe, a bayonet and the black clothing and regalia of the Black Axe cult.

The University authorities were informed, and the members of the secret cult were handed over to the Police. They were held in police custody and taken to the Chief Magistrate’s Court where two weeks later they were granted bail.

The case was heard on 31 March, and to the utmost amazement of everyone, the Chief Magistrate discharged and acquitted the arrested individuals. The students who had apprehended the cult members were not called as witnesses. The investigating police officer, Corporal Femi Adewoye, claimed that the witnesses could not be located and actually stated in Court, “I tried to contact the complainants in this case, all to no avail.

To date, there is no complainant in the case. Since all the accused persons denied the allegations against them and there is no complainant, there is no way the allegations can be proved.” This was the submission of the prosecuting police officer! Usually, in such cases, witness’ summons were served through the University Administration but this did not happen. The trial was concluded in two court appearances in eight days.

The Chief Magistrate also ordered that the submachine gun be sent to the police armourer and the other exhibits be destroyed, thus eliminating all the evidence, and making it impossible to re-open the case. The Judicial Enquiry recommended that the Magistrate be reported to the Judicial Commission for appropriate disciplinary action. Nothing came of this, as nothing came of all the other recommendations of that Panel.

After the arrests of the cult members, the University, under pressure from the students, issued a release suspending them without serving them with letters of suspension. Shortly afterwards, the University was closed as a result of a student crisis. When it re-opened three months later, the cult members returned to the campus and were seen attending lectures. The students raised an alarm once more. In response to this, the University issued a release on 2 July re-affirming the suspensions of the cult members.

The letters of suspension were dated 8 July and it is doubtful whether those affected actually received them before the tragic events two days later. Even then, one of the students, Bruno Arinze, was left out. I eventually suspended him on 23 July.

The cult involved in the episode of 7 March was the Black Axe. Four major reasons have been advanced as to the genesis leading to the mayhem on 10 July. One, to which I subscribe, was that the Black Axe was avenging the humiliating treatment of its members by the Student Union leaders in March 1999.

On the night of 9 July 1999, the Kegites, members of the Palm Wine Drinkers’ Club, held a “gyration” (party) in the cafeteria of Awolowo Hall. The party was in full swing, when, at around 3.30am (now 10 July), a group of masked individuals, wearing black clothing, drove through the main gate and proceeded to the car park next to the Tennis Courts in the Sports Centre. They disembarked there and went on foot along a bush path to Awolowo Hall, where they violently interrupted the gyration, firing guns and also wielding axes and cutlasses.

The group was probably all young men, although there is a persistent story of at least one woman among them. Some of the partygoers were shot, though none of them was killed. The partygoers ran for their lives, a few actually throwing themselves through glass doors.

A group of the gunmen chased the partygoers as far as Mozambique Hall. Other groups proceeded to the rooms. They first entered Room 184, where they shot and killed Efe Ekede, a Part II Psychology student. In Room 230, they shot Charles Ita, a Part II Law student. A group of the attackers then shot Yemi Ajiteru, a Part II Religious Studies student, through the head in the corridor outside the Kegites’ headquarters. In Room 273, they found George Iwilade (Afrika), the Secretary-General of the Students’ Union and a Law student, and shot him through the head, along with another occupant, Tunde Oke, a Part 1 student of Philosophy, who was shot in the abdomen.

When the attackers got to Room 271, the room allocated to the suspended Students’ Union President, Lanre Adeleke (Legacy), they found that he had escaped. Legacy was in his room when he heard the first gun shots. He hurriedly went to his door, looked out, and saw two of the attackers on the next floor, firing shots. He ran back into his room and broke through the partition of the kitchenette into the next room’s kitchenette. He heard them shouting, “Legacy, come out!” and escaped into the next room. During the course of the incident, the attackers also shouted the names of “Afrika”, George Iwilade, and “Dexter”, the Chief of the Kegites, demanding that they come out.

The band of thugs proceeded to Fajuyi Hall on foot, where they shot and killed one more student. That individual, Eviano Ekelemo, a medical student, was certainly not a student activist, but they shot him anyway. The murderers left Fajuyi Hall on foot and went through the bush path behind the Hall back to their vehicles. They drove to the Students’ Union building, which they ransacked.

They returned to their vehicles and drove out of the University through the main gate. The security staff, having heard gunfire, fled for their lives. Thus the exit of the marauding thugs was unchallenged.

The students with gunshot wounds were taken to the Health Centre and from there to the Teaching Hospital. Tunde Oke was still alive but died on the operating table. Four others, George Iwilade, Yemi Ajiteru, Efe Ekede and Eviano Ekelemu, were brought in dead. Eviano Ekelemu bled to death from gunshot wounds to the groin and thigh. The other three died from gunshot wounds to the head. In each case, the weapons used were shotguns, fired at close range. Charles Ita and five others who were shot in the Awolowo Hall cafeteria, survived. Twenty-five others received minor injuries, which were sustained during the stampede out of the Awolowo Hall cafeteria and later on during the attack.

In the aftermath of the attack, the whole university was enveloped in fear and there was chaos in the halls of residence. However, within a short time, the President of the Students’ Union, Lanre Adeleke, was able to restore order and mobilise his colleagues. The students went to the town searching for the perpetrators in locations where cult members were thought to be living. They “arrested” three individuals and brought them back to Awolowo Hall. These were Aisekhaghe Aikhile, a Part I student of Agricultural Economics, Emeka Ojuagu, and Frank Idahosa (Efosa). Efosa and Ojuagu were arrested in a public transport vehicle that was about to leave Ife.

The students exhibited black clothing, two berets and two T-shirts, that had been found in Ojuagu’s bag, which was claimed to be the Black Axe uniform. Efosa was a known member of the Black Axe. He had been expelled from the University of Benin and was later admitted for a diploma programme in Local Government Studies in Ife. The three of them were savagely beaten and tortured in the Awolowo Hall “Coffee Room”, the traditional venue for such events. The inverted commas have been employed because coffee had not been known to be served there for many years. Efosa and Oguagu are said to have confessed to participating in the attacks during their “interrogation”, and Efosa is said to have gone further to state that the attack was organised to avenge the humiliating treatment of the Black Axe members who had been arrested in Mr. Mekoma’s house on 7 March.

In the course of the interrogation, Aisekhaghe Aikhile died, and his body was taken to the hospital mortuary. The interrogations also yielded the information that 22 Black Axe members were involved, six from the University, four from the University of Lagos, four from the University of Ibadan, and eight from the University of Calabar. There was also a separate claim that more students from the University of Benin were also involved.

The VC, Professor Wale Omole, had been out of the country on 10 July 1999, the day of the attack and in his absence, the Deputy VC (Academic), Professor A.E. Akingbohungbe, was in charge. Soon after his arrival, the VC was summoned to Abuja to give a report of the incident the day after he returned to campus. On 14 July, his suspension was announced by the Government. It was against this background that I was tracked to the UK and summoned to return immediately and assume duty as the acting VC of the University.

When I arrived on the campus on 18 July, I promised the students and the rest of the university community, that the university would do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to justice. I took this undertaking extremely seriously.

The first step was to visit the Commissioner of Police, Mr. J.C. Nwoye, in Osogbo. I raised the issue of the nine individuals who had been arrested in March and discharged by the Chief Magistrate. He promised that a vigorous and thorough investigation was in progress on the matter. He then expressed concern that the University authorities had not officially reported the murders to the Police despite repeated requests. On my return to the University, I wrote the required letter, once more indicating our strong fears concerning a connection between the March episode and the murders, and requesting that the nine individuals involved be re-arrested.

A total of 12 individuals were arrested and charged to court over the three weeks following the murders, including Efosa and Ojuagu. Only one of those involved in the March episode was among those arrested. The other eight could not be located. Two of them had obtained their transcripts and resumed their studies in France. The students brought information on the whereabouts of a major suspect, Babatunde Kazeem (Kato), and we provided a vehicle so that the Police could go with the students to the address in Lagos and arrest him. Kato was a former student who had been “advised to withdraw” from the University as a result of academic failure. He had been apprehended by the Students’ Union in August 1997 when he admitted to being a secret cult member.

He was subsequently handed over to the Security Department, but there is no record of what happened after that. We also provided the Police with information on three other individuals, “Innocent”, “Yuletide” and “Ogbume.” Sadly, nothing came of this, even though we provided Ogbume’s address in Victoria Garden City, Lagos. The arrested persons were charged to the Ile-Ife Magistrate’s court for the murders.

The Judicial Commission of Enquiry was eventually inaugurated in Abuja on 18 October, but did not start work until 24 November, and eventually arrived in the University on Sunday, 28 November. The Chairman was Justice Okoi Itam. There were six other members, including Professor Jadesola Akande, an experienced and highly respected academic and university administrator, and Ray Ekpu, the journalist. Ms. Turi Akerele was later deployed as legal counsel to the Commission. A flamboyant but highly capable alumnus, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, led a team representing the students.

The Commission’s report was submitted in February 2000 and was released, along with the Government’s white paper, later that year. The Commission expressed its strong belief that seven named individuals had participated in the killings—Frank Idahosa (Efosa), Didi Yuletide, Kazeem Bello (Kato), and four individuals who were identified only by their nicknames or Christian names—Innocent, Athanasius, “Ochuko”, and “Chunk.” The last was identified as the then head of the Black Axe secret cult. The Commission also recommended the investigation of 16 other individuals, including Emeka Oguaju and the nine involved in the 7 March episode.

The Panel criticised the police investigation of the case and recommended that the Inspector-General of Police should set up a special task force to take it over. I have already mentioned the recommendations concerning the Chief Magistrate who hastily tried and acquitted the 7 March culprits, as well as Efosa’s lawyer.

It took me several months, and a number of visits to Abuja, to obtain the Commission’s report and the White Paper. Dissatisfied with the progress of the court cases, and armed with the report, I visited the Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige. After I had expressed my concerns over the case and highlighted the Commission’s recommendations concerning its investigation, he assured me that, although the case was being prosecuted by the Osun State Attorney-General’s office, his Ministry would work with that office. He sent for the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Musiliu Smith, who agreed that he would immediately establish the recommended special task force. This he did, and a senior police officer, ACP Tonye Ibitibituwa, soon arrived in Osogbo with a team.

However, in spite of the efforts of this task force, no further arrests were made. We also liaised with the Osun State Attorney-General, who assured us that his office was seriously following up the case. I must say that he did personally prosecute the case.

As I have stated, the cases against those charged in the Chief Magistrate’s Court for belonging to an illegal organisation eventually came to nothing. However, we were very hopeful of a successful prosecution of the murder cases against Efosa and company. The case in the Osogbo High Court, which commenced on 9 April 2001, wound on. Evidence for the prosecution was taken from a number of students and some other witnesses. There was adjournment after adjournment. In mid-2002, the Judge hearing the case was transferred to Iwo, and the case along with it. There was a further delay while the exhibits were also subsequently taken to Iwo. To the amazement of everyone, the Judge upheld a “No Case” submission by the defence on 5 November 2002. The three accused persons were released and they subsequently disappeared…

NOTE: What the foregoing, which is just an abridged version of Prof. Makanjuola’s very detailed account of the tragedy, reveals very clearly is that it is indeed very easy for people to get away with murder in our country. And that has contributed to the culture of impunity that we witness today

“Eze Goes to School”: PMB goes to court in Paris to testify about the Mambilla power project and why Nigeria has no regular electricity

By Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja

Those who attended public schools in Nigeria between the 1980s and 1990s would be familiar with the novel entitled: “Eze Goes To School” written by Michael Crowder and Onuora Nzekwu.

It tells about the adventures of an African child who is determined to attend secular education in the face of very daunting challenges and obstacles.

I am adapting this title to write this article which is subtitled: “Buhari (PMB) GOES TO PARIS COURT”.

Already it is a headline because in the history of former Nigerian Presidents, it has become a tradition that none of them is dragged to appear before any Nigerian court.

So it was and has been a screaming headline in major Nigerian online newspapers, that PMB is to appear in court in far-away Paris to give testimony in respect of the Mambilla Power project.

The Nigerian Government has already written a disclaimer that its President did not compel PMB to attend or testify in the said court in Paris.

There was this rumour that was repeatedly repeated during the regime of PMB (2015 to 2023) that nine out of ten times he often had no idea what was happening during his regime. The rumour was that his Ministers and other top aides would take decisions on his behalf unbeknownst to him.

And to lay credence to this crap nonsense, they would allude to his taciturn nature and say Buhari’s “body language”.

In the comity of civilised nations, it is only in Nigeria, and during the regime of PMB that such nonsense was repeatedly repeated until it became gospel truth.

The principle that all buck stops at the table of the leader, the principle of “collective responsibility” that a leader takes responsibility for the actions of his Ministers and appointees never seemed to apply.

But during the tenure of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, Nigerians were blaming him for each and every action and inaction of his Ministers and other appointees. There was no day that Nigerians didn’t have one blame or the other to heap: “Jonathan did this, Jonathan is incompetent, Jonathan is a woman”!!!

But during the regime of PMB, it was the Ministers that were to blame!!!

Our collective selective amnesia is frightening!!!

So now it is a foreign court in a far-away country, that is reminding us of the principle of collective responsibility in governance by inviting both former Presidents PMB and OBJ to testify about the Mambilla Power project.

I hope the said court can resuscitate the memories of both former Presidents and jolt them to take responsibility for the wasted opportunity that was the Mambilla Power project which could have delivered regular electricity for the majority of Nigerians.

Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja,

Executive Director,

Nigerian Law Society (NLS).