Gunmen suspected to be soldiers on Friday abducted the Editor of FirstNews and former Kaduna Bureau Chief of The PUNCH, Segun Olatunji.

He was picked at his home in the Iyana Odo, Abule Egba area of Lagos State.

The management of the online Newspaper linked the action to a recent story published by FirstNews titled, “Revealed: “Defence Chief running office like family business – Public Interest Lawyers”, published by many other online platforms.

But the management also linked his abduction to another report titled, “EXCLUSIVE: How contractor, company stole N100bn, laundered funds for top govt officials – Investigation”, which was later pulled down.

The arrest has thrown panic among staff of the Newspaper.

His wife, Abiodun Olatunji, said the armed men numbering ten arrived at their residence, a few minutes after 6pm and whisked her husband away without leaving any information behind as to where they were taking him to.

She said her husband’s abductors reached for his phone and seized it immediately they arrived before bundling him into a van like a common criminal and zoomed off.

While further narrating the incident, she said efforts to know his offence or where they were taken him to were rebuffed by the stern-looking men.

“Some armed men dressed in military uniform totaling ten in number (two in uniform and the remaining 8 in mufti but all armed) arrived at our residence at Dauda Oriyomi street, Iyana Odo along Joke Ayo in Abule Egba area of Lagos State and took away my husband.

“They refused to state his offence and where they were taken him to despite all the efforts to make them do so”, she said.

The Publisher of FirstNews, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, who also confirmed the incident, said there has been no trace of Olatunji, as his phone line has been switched, neither has anyone reached the family or the management of FirstNews to disclose the real reason behind his abduction.

While condemning the way and manner Olatunji was whisked away, Iworiso-Markson stated that he was never invited formally to answer any issue that bothered on national security.

“The management of FirstNews is using this opportunity to call on the military high command and the security agencies to let us know his whereabout and the reason why he was arrested.

“FirstNews (online & print) is a reputable independent digital news network that prides itself on being a frontline media outfit committed to engaging her world-class audience with factual, authentic, and credible information.

“We conduct our journalism activities with strict observance of the high standards of ethics, accountability, professionalism and legality, while exercising our rights to freedom of expression and information, all in a bid to ensure credible reporting of the news behind the news in Politics, Business, Education, Sport, Health, Entertainment and many more.

“If there was any infraction that bothers on national security, Olatunji should have first been formally invited rather that this gestapo style of arrest that reminds of the dark days of the military era, where press freedom was stifled”

• Another ‘drunken’ dad sexually attacks 10-year-old daughter

The Police in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa state has arrested a 42 year-old man for sexually abusing his nine-year-old daughter at Kabak community in the state.

Spokesperson of the Police in Adamawa state, SP Suleiman Nguroje, revealed on Thursday in Yola that the man has been arrested since Tuesday following a report made by his wife.

“During the course of investigation, the suspect confessed to committing the offence and blamed his action on excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs,’’ he stated.

Nguroje assured that investigation was on-going on the incident.

In far way India also, the police disclosed on Friday that a 10-year-old girl was allegedly raped by her father in Rajasthan’s Baran district.

SHO Rajendra Kumar Meena said the 33-year-old accused, a daily wage labourer, was arrested on Thursday and sent to judicial custody on Friday.

The incident took place on Tuesday when the man allegedly returned home in a drunken state in the afternoon and raped his daughter, a Class 5 student, while her mother was away for work, Meena said.

When the victim’s mother returned in the evening, she narrated the ordeal to her, the SHO said.

The woman approached the police with her daughter on Wednesday and filed a complaint against her husband, the officer said.

Based on the victim’s statement and the medical examination, the police have lodged a case against the accused under the Indian Penal Code Section 376 (rape) and relevant sections of the POCSO Act, he said.

Both parents of the girl are daily wage labourers and the father is a habitual drinker, he added.

NAN/NDTV

Three men, Uzaifa Rabiu, Aminu Ahmed, and Mohammed Bello, have been remanded in custody for allegedly gang-raping 11 under age boys; forcibly engaging them in anal sex for over five months. 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Jakara Quarters, Kano,  where the suspects reside.

The suspects were subsequently charged before the Kano Chief Magistrate Court.

The prosecutor, Amina Baba, told the Court that the defendants committed the offence between October 2023 and February 2024 at Jakara Quarters, Kano, by deceiving and luring the victims to their house and sodomising them.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, Baba, opposed the bail application filed by the defence counsel and told the Court that the charge against the defendants were serious and urged the Court to dismiss the application. She said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 284 of the Penal Code.

The defence counsel, Mr. Dalhatu Usman, urged the Court to grant his clients bail pursuant to Sections 35 and 36(5) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution as amended.

The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Auwal Yusuf-Suleiman however, ordered that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility and adjourned the matter to 28th March, 2024, for ruling on the bail application.

As part of the International Women’s Day (IWD) activities, the International Federation of Women’s Lawyer’s, FIDA Nigeria, Abuja branch took its advocacy campaign to Ijayapi community in Kubwa area of Abuja.

The branch’s Chairperson, Maureen Chibuza Nwosu, members of her executive committee and other branch members on 8 March 2024, marked the International Women’s Day with women and girls of the community.

Introducing the branch and its mandate, Ms. Nwosu informed the people of the essence of the day’s global event as it prioritizes the works and contributions of women all over the world.

While educating members of the community on the rights of women and girls to education, financial independence and economic empowerment in line with the provisions of the VAPP Act 2015, the Chairperson also noted the need to abstain from all forms of gender and sexual based violence.

She urged the women to be aware of their importance as women and refuse to be relegated to the background.

The visit was also graced with the presence of the immediate past General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar association (NBA), Joyce Oduah, who encouraged the women to live up to their full potentials while supporting the men around them.

Women of the community expressed excitement as they had never heard of FIDA before.

Also, one of the community members who admitted to physically abusing his wife, vowed to refrain from the unlawful conduct.

Chief of the Community, HRH. Danjuma Daudu, Prince Ali I. Danjuma, the Community Youth Leader, Saleh Abubakar, and other community notables at the even expressed immense gratitude to FIDA for educating them on the basics of the VAPP Act 2015., making them of FIDA and the globally celebrated IWD.

Some bags of rice, copies of the VAPP Act 2015 and FIDA flyers were handed over to the community.

The Kogi State Police Command has admitted its error and complacency in the killing of Barrister Elias Ugwu last week Friday, conceding that that the Nsukka-based lawyer was indeed shor in error.

Barrister Elias Ugwu was killed in Anyigba last week Friday by policemen while he was in the state to pay ransom for his cousin who was kidnapped some days back.

The Kogi Police Command in a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday and signed by the Public Relation Officer, SP. Williams Anya said the police mistook the late lawyer to be a member of the armed robbery gang that robbed some banks a day earlier.

The police statement titled: “Setting the record straight” partly read, “It would be recalled that, on 07/03/2024, Armed Robbers invaded Ayingba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State and robbed three Banks and also attacked Police Stations. A Tactical Team was deployed to the Area to restore normalcy and trail the hoodlums with a view to apprehending and bringing them to deserved justice.

“The Tactical Team received a report that some persons were sighted in a bush around Alade Village in Dekina Local Government with an Ox-blood Toyota Avalon Car roaming up and down for two days or more asking the villagers for directions around the place where two vehicles and two motorcycles abandoned by the armed robbers were recovered.

“The operatives promptly swung into action and in conjunction with the local vigilantes moved into the Area. When they sighted the car already described by the villagers, they waved down the driver to stop but instead, zoomed off. In a bid to stop the car, shots were fired at the tyres of the car which brought it to a halt. It was then discovered that the car conveyed three persons, (the driver and two others).

“The two men gave their names as Chidi Anieke and Elias Ugwu both of Nkanu and Ihiakpoka, Nsukka while the driver was identified as Barr. Elias Ugwu. The driver sustained injury and was taken to the Maria Goretti Hospital Ayingba for treatment where he gave up the ghost. The two surviving men stated that they were in Alade bush in Dekina Local Government for ransom payment to secure the release of a victim of kidnapping.

“They equally stated that they were not aware of the bank robbery that took place in Ayingba, Dekina Local Government and that they did not report or inform the police of the alleged kidnap incident nor of their presence or mission in that area, hence they were suspected to be part of the hoodlums that invaded Ayingba on 7th March, 2024.

“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Police Command, extends his condolences to the family of the deceased over the unfortunate incident which was avoidable if they had stopped when they were waved down by the police who were with their patrol vehicle at the scene.”

26-year-old Emmanuel Ekunife, a lawyer based in the Jahi area of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) was recently arraigned before a Magistrates’ court for reportedly refusing to pay a commercial sex worker whose services he engaged.

Emmanuel was accused of breaking the law by not paying her, hurting her, and causing trouble in the environment.

New Telegraph reports that the problem started when the woman, Queeneth John, who works as a sex worker in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, reported Emmanuel to the police on March 12.

According to her, on March 11, around 10 p.m., Emmanuel approached her while she was selling things in Wuse. He took her to Bannex Plaza, promising to pay her for sex. But when it was over, he didn’t give her the promised money and instead hurt her.

He added that Emmanuel reportedly began recording videos of the police station and its officers upon arrival at the Asokoro Police Station, further exacerbating the situation by inciting disturbance in a public office.

As legal proceedings unfolded, more details surfaced, including a supposed confessional statement by Emmanuel during police interrogation.

The prosecution, represented by Olisaemeka Okeke, cited violations of Sections 312, 365, 244, and 114 of the Penal Code.

The bail conditions required the surety to be a legal practitioner with at least five years of experience, possessing a valid call to bar certificate, and residing within the court’s jurisdiction.

The case was adjourned until April 18 for further hearing, leaving the legal saga to unfold in the days to come.

Following an alleged affair with their landlord, a Zimbabwean man reportedly set himself on fire and tragically got reduced to ashes.

Local news sources report that a member of Parliament for Silobela, Jonah Nyevera, confirmed the tragic incident involving Onias Mangena.

Mangena had long harbored suspicions regarding his wife’s alleged relationship with their landlord, Wilberforce Mukumba.

On the day of the incident, a dispute between Mangena and his wife ensued, leading him to lock her and their children inside their rented home.

He then proceeded to purchase petrol from a nearby fuel station with the intention of using it to harm them.

Nyevera explained, “On the day, he had an altercation with his wife and he locked her together with their minor kids in a house. He then went to a nearby garage to buy petrol which he intended to use to douse them in the house.”

Thankfully, neighbors intervened upon hearing the distress calls from Mangena’s family, rescuing them and alerting the authorities.

Despite being contacted by the police, Mangena falsely claimed to be at home. However, having already obtained the petrol, he proceeded to set himself ablaze inside the house.

Nyevera sorrowfully stated, “Since he had already purchased the petrol, he went into the house where he set himself ablaze. He was reduced to ashes.”