News
ICPC desperate to nail me, says alleged randy UNICAL professor
Cyril Ndifon, the suspended dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar, says ICPC is desperate to create or search for any conceivable crime to nail him.
Mr Ndifon told Justice James Omotosho of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court in a no-case submission filed by his lawyer, Joe Agi, against the ICPC’s amended four-count charge preferred against him and his lawyer, Sunny Anyanwu.
The suspended dean told the court that contrary to the anti-corruption commission’s allegations, the evidence before the court showed that WhatsApp messages between the ICPC’s witness, a female diploma student identified as TKJ, and him were that of “emotional feelings between two lovers and did not in any way put either of the party under fear.”
He argued that there was incontrovertible evidence that he was arrested and investigated on an alleged offence, currently being prosecuted by ICPC, in 2015 when he later proved to the ICPC that he had been cleared of the allegations by the police.
Mr Ndifon was, on January 25, re-arraigned alongside Mr Anyanwu 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 TKJ, the star witness, on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Mr Ndifon to threatened her.
On February 14, ICPC closed its case after calling four witnesses.
ICPC’s counsel, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, had earlier informed the court that the anti-corruption agency had about seven witnesses, with plans to amend the charge to increase the witness number in proving their case against the defendants.
But on the last adjourned date, the commission announced the closure of its case, and the defendants told the court of their plan to opt for a no-case submission.
The duo, through their lawyer, said there was no evidence adduced by the prosecution on which the court could convict them.
Meanwhile, in the no-case submission dated and filed February 19 on behalf of Messrs Ndifon and Anyanwu, Mr Agi argued that the “unwholesome and illegal intrusion” into the professor’s phone by the ICPC had put before the whole world what TKJ and Mr Ndifon intended to make a personal and private communication.
He said the act had injured and negatively impacted their (TKJ and Mr Ndifon’s) characters and persons.
“The commission, who at this time was desperate to create, search for any conceivable crime, seized the telephone of the first defendant (Mr Ndifon), who was under their custody and without obtaining an order of the court as required by Section 45 of the Cybercrime Act,” he said.
The lawyer further argued that the ICPC action also breached Mr Ndifon’s fundamental right as guaranteed by section 37 of the 1999 Constitution by breaking into his phone and going through his phone in search of an offence and without respect to his right to privacy.
“Then, on seeing nude and pornographic pictures in the first defendant’s phone, jumped at the Cybercrime Act to investigate the so-called offence of cyberstalking. This is not only exposing them as an ungovernable monster but like a knight-errant that goes about looking for skirmishes and battles all over the mace.
“My Lord, if this is allowed to stand, then we are all in trouble, and this cannot be the intention of the lawmakers or the law,” he said.
Mr Agi equally argued that during cross examination of the first prosecution witness (PW1), Ogechi Chima, an ICPC investigator, she admitted that though they received several oral and written complaints against Mr Ndifon, TKJ was never mentioned as one of those complainants.
The lawyer, who described the commission’s act as an afterthought, added that TKJ was not even listed as a witness in the original charge but “surfaced after the amended charge was filed.”
He also wondered why the registrar of UNICAL, who was listed as a witness in the original charge, was dropped in their amended charge.
He said in the light of the above, count four, which alleged that the defendants threatened TKJ not to honour ICPC’s invitation, in the amended charge was not commenced by due process of law, thereby robbing the court of jurisdiction.
Besides, Mr Agi contended that in the instant case, counts one and two, which deal with sending and receiving nude videos and count three of the charges, were not within the jurisdiction of the court.
“This honourable court must and should keep the ICPC within the scope and their legally demarcated boundaries as clearly provided in the statute that created them,” he said.
He, therefore, prayed the court to decline jurisdiction.
The defendants’ no-case submission will be heard on February 27.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A 35-year-old Nigerian, Timilehin Olatunji, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rape of a woman at a property in Nottingham during the early hours of September 29, 2024.
It was gathered that the victim courageously used a mobile app to record audio evidence of the attack before escaping and reporting the crime to Nottinghamshire Police.
Following the report, Olatunji was arrested shortly afterward and subsequently charged with three counts of rape.
He pleaded guilty to the charges.
During the sentencing at Nottingham Crown Court on Wednesday, January 15, Judge Michael Auty described the assault as “despicable and vile” and “beyond rational understanding.”
He condemned Olatunji’s actions, saying: “You took it upon yourself to rape her in the most brutal, sadistic, and cruel way imaginable.”
Olatunji has also been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and is subject to an indefinite restraining order to protect the victim.
In a statement released on Thursday, Nottinghamshire Police commended the victim’s bravery and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting survivors of sexual violence.
Detective Constable Emily Bucklow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The recorded evidence of Olatunji’s horrific assault made this case particularly harrowing for all the officers who worked on it.
“It is one of the most upsetting things I have had to listen to in my policing career and only enhances my admiration for this victim’s bravery.
“I would also like to commend her for the courage she showed following Olatunji’s arrest and dignity during the subsequent court proceedings,” Emily said.
The detective said, “He subjected her to a violent, degrading and sustained ordeal but she has shown immense bravery to help us bring him to justice.
“I hope the sentence handed down will at least provide some closure to what must have been an acutely distressing period of her life.
“I also hope the sentencing of Olatunji will encourage other victims of rape and serious sexual assault to have the confidence to come forward and report offenders.
“Our experienced officers are here to help the victims of appalling crimes like this,” Emily added.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The President Bola Tinubu-led Nigerian government reportedly spent a total of N9.74billion for the procurement and distribution of food items as part of its efforts to mitigate the nationwide food crisis in 2024.
This was revealed by BudgIT on its platform, GovSpend, a civic-tech organisation advocating for transparency and accountability.
According to the report, a large portion of the funds was dedicated to supplying essential food staples such as rice, beans, maize, and other commodities.
The report showed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security led the initiatives, making multiple payments to contractors responsible for the emergency supply of palliative foodstuffs to various federal constituencies.
Key transactions included payments for the delivery of rice, beans, and garri to help alleviate hunger in vulnerable communities.
Payments, averaging around N85.45 million per constituency, were made between February and November 2024 across different regions.
Data from the platform reportedly indicate that N85,454,545.46 was spent on each constituency in states including Kano, Ogun, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Adamawa, Kaduna, Jigawa, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Bauchi, Rivers, Borno, Sokoto, and Enugu, bringing the total expenditure to N9.74 billion.
However, despite the significant financial outlay, there are concerns about the programme’s effectiveness in addressing the root causes of food insecurity.
Shedrach Israel, an economist at Lotus Beta Analytics, argued that food palliatives alone cannot solve Nigeria’s food crisis, according to PUNCH.
“While food palliatives are essential for addressing immediate hunger, they fail to address the underlying systemic issues, such as inflation and the deficiencies in the agricultural sector,” Israel said.
Israel added, “We need long-term economic policies focused on boosting local agricultural productivity and improving distribution networks to reduce dependence on external food aid.”
Israel further said that the N9.74 billion spent on palliatives could have been better invested in agricultural innovation and infrastructure development, which would provide sustainable solutions to food insecurity.
Also, La’ah Dauda, an agricultural economist based in Kaduna, emphasised the need for a more comprehensive approach to addressing the food crisis.
“The government’s reliance on palliatives is a short-term fix to a deeper agricultural crisis. While necessary, these measures do not tackle critical issues like inadequate irrigation, poor storage facilities, and limited market access, all of which continue to impede agricultural productivity across the country,” he said.
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
As of January 18, 2025, the Nigerian Naira (NGN) has continued to experience some level of volatility against the US Dollar (USD), while this has been the norm for decades now, this largely to some extent reflects the ongoing economic challenges.
See the Naira performance across various currencies
A quick check at the parallel market at Abuja Zone 4 market,as at January 18, 2025 , the black market exchange rate stands firmly at approximately ₦ 1,682.00 per USD. This means if you want to buy a dollar now, it is ₦ 1,682.00 while if you want to sell it is approximately ₦ 1,670.00 .
Please be aware that the parallel market or the black market rates are mostly and notably higher compared with what you get from the official market or CBN rate
Dollar to Naira (USD to NGN) Black Market Exchange Rate Today
Selling Rate ₦ 1,682.00
Buying Rate ₦ 1,670.00
UK Court Jails 35-yr-old Nigerians 10 Yrs After Brutal R3pe Of Woman In Nottingham
Tinubu Exhausted N9.74bn Supplying Rice, Beans Palliatives To Nigerians In 2024 – Report
SEE Dollar (USD) to Naira Black Market Rate Today January 18, 2025 Aboki
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