Metro
Sexual Harassment: ICPC closes case against UNICAL professor, lawyer
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The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), on Wednesday, closed its case against Cyril Ndifon, the suspended dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), and his co-defendant, Sunny Anyanwu.
ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, told Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court after Bwaigu Fungo, the fourth prosecution witness, a forensic and intelligence analyst with the commission, was cross-examined by the defence lawyer, Joe Agi.
Mr Akponimisingha had earlier informed the court that the anti-corruption commission had about seven witnesses and planned to amend the charge to increase the witness number in proving their case against the defendants.
Mr Ndifon was, on January 25, re-arraigned alongside Mr Anyanwu as first and second defendants on an amended four-count charge bordering on alleged sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice.
Mr Anyanwu, who is one of the lawyers in the defence, was joined in the amended charge filed on January 22 by the ICPC on the allegation that he called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Mr Ndifon to threaten her.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts.
The judge had, on Friday, granted bail to Messrs Ndifon and Anyanwu in the sum of N250 million and N50 million, respectively, with two sureties each in the like sum.
Upon resumed trial on Wednesday, Mr Fungo’s cross-examination continued.
When Mr Agi asked the forensic analyst if he knew what Mr Ndifon and TKJ, the female student alleged to have been sexually harassed, discussed in the call log, he said he did not know.
When the lawyer asked the witness if he knew the first communication between Mr Ndifon and TKJ, Mr Fungo said from the analysis he carried out on the mobile phones, their first communication through the WhatsApp channel was on March 14, 2023, and the message was: “Good evening sir.”
The witness, who also said he did not analyse TKJ’s phone during the investigation, said the ICPC did not give him TKJ’s phone to analyse.
After Mr Fungo’s testimony, Mr Akponimisingha told the court that the prosecution was closing its case.
“This is the case for the prosecution, and we have closed our case today,” he said.
Responding, counsel to the defendants, Mr Agi, told the court they planned to file a no-case submission.
He said he would need seven days to file the application.
The ICPC lawyer assured the court that immediately, the defence served him with the no-case submission, he would also need about seven days to reply.
The judge consequently adjourned the matter until February 27 to hear the defendants’ no-case submission.
Meanwhile, Messrs Ndifon and Anyanwu have yet to perfect their bail described as being too stringent.
The judge had, on February 9, admitted Mr Ndifon to a N250 million bail with two sureties.
The judge held that the two sureties, who must be owners of landed property in the FCT with registered titles and a minimum valuation of N150 million, must submit their certified bank statements to the court’s registrar.
He also directed Mr Ndifon to submit his passport to the court registrar.
The judge ordered the suspended dean to sign an undertaking not to interfere with the case, be ready to stand his trial and not to delay the trial.
Also ruling on Mr Anyanwu’s bail plea, the judge, who granted him a N50 million bail with two sureties, held that one of the sureties must have a property in FCT, but not with a registered title.
The judge directed the sureties to file their bank statements and ordered Mr Anyanwu to equally sign an undertaking not to interfere with the trial, to be ready to stand his trial and not delay the trial.
The judge also ordered accelerated hearing of the matter.
Metro
SAD: Man drowns in Lagos river after taking hard drugs
By Francesca Hangeior
A 45-year-old man, simply identified as Kazeem, has drowned in a river at Odo Tente, a boundary community between Lagos and Ogun States.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Friday around 11 am.
Before the incident, Kazeem was said to have taken a hard drug suspected to be Colorado.
The deceased, who soon started to act under the influence of the drug, reportedly ran uncontrollably and jumped into the river.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, stated that he drowned in the process.
The statement read, “On 11/10/2024 at about 11 am, a complainant reported at Alagbado Division that one Kazeem, ‘M’ aged 45, under the influence of a hard drug suspected to be Colorado, ran uncontrollably and jumped into a river at Odo Tente boundary between Lagos and Ogun State.
Sequel to this, the victim drowned and died.”
Hundeyin further stated that detectives from the Alagbado Division visited the scene and took photographs of the deceased.
The police spokesman added that the father of the deceased, when contacted, directed that the corpse be buried immediately by the riverside according to their tradition.
He, however, noted that the police had commenced an investigation into the incident.
Metro
Police arrest organ trafficker, childabuser, rescue victims in Imo
In a bold move to tackle crime, the Imo State Police Command has dismantled a suspected kidnapping and organ trafficking syndicate, arresting one suspect and rescuing a 19-year-old girl.
The successful operation took place on October 10, 2024, at Douglas area in Owerri Municipal Council of Imo State.
ASP Okoye Henry, Police Public Relations Officer, who confirmed the arrest, on Saturday, explained that the kidnappers were intercepted while transporting the abducted girl to an undisclosed location in their vehicle.
He said: “The arrest followed the swift response of vigilant operatives on visibility patrol, who observed the syndicate in a blue and white bus forcefully taking the young girl to an undisclosed location where they intended to kill her and harvest her organs.”
The police engaged in a hot pursuit, leading to the abandonment of the vehicle and the arrest of 38-year-old Justine Emmanuel, while others escaped into the nearby bush.
In another breakthrough, operatives of the Owerri Urban Area Command arrested one Mrs. Blessing Emmanuel, a secondary school teacher, for allegedly dehumanizing her 12-year-old stepdaughter, Amarachi Emmanuel.
The arrest occurred on Tuesday after a complaint was filed by Owerri-based activist journalist Chidiebube Okeoma.
Okoye urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
“The Imo State Police Command is committed to combating violent crime and ensuring community safety,” he said.
Metro
Ogun: Councillorship Candidate Shot, Stoned To Death
Adeleke Adeyinka, a councillorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, was brutally murdered on Saturday afternoon by unknown assailants along Osoba Way, in Abeokuta, the state capital.
The former youth leader of Ward 15 in Abeokuta South was reportedly shot and stoned to death by his attackers, who fled the scene in an unregistered vehicle.
The tragic incident has shocked the community, with the APC Youth Leaders Forum condemning the killing and demanding swift justice.
In a joint statement by the Youth Leader of Abeokuta South Local Government, Comrade Kabir Odedairo, and the forum’s State Public Relations Officer, Comrade Timothy Odedina, the group described the killing as senseless and horrific.
The statement read in part, “We strongly condemn this senseless and horrific act, which has left our community shaken and grieving.
The fact that Adeleke was shot and stoned to death by unknown assailants in a tinted car is particularly disturbing and warrants immediate attention from law enforcement agencies.”
The forum called on security agencies to investigate the killing and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. They also urged the police to enhance security in the area to prevent further violence.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident, stating that the attackers, suspected to be cultists, arrived in an unregistered Toyota Corolla and opened fire on 40-year-old Adeleke before fleeing the scene.
The community and APC members are mourning the loss of a promising leader, and the forum has called for increased security measures in Abeokuta to ensure the safety of residents.
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