An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division on Tuesday sentenced two men, Anu Olaniyi and Abidemi Alibaloye, to two years imprisonment each for gang-raping a 13-year-old girl.

The convicts, who committed the offences on December 28, 2020, were arraigned in court on the charges of conspiracy and gang-rape.

During the hearing, the victim told the court, “I was sent on an errand on December 28, 2020, when one of the convicts intercepted me and purposely directed me to his friend’s place where they both forcibly had carnal knowledge of me one after the other.”

The victim, who said she went home teary-eyed and informed her mother of what had happened, said, “I was able to recognise both convicts and they were later arrested and charged to court.”

The Director of Public Prosecutions, Julius Ajibare, who prosecuted the case for the Ekiti State Government, said the offences committed were “contrary to Section 421 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021 and Section 2(2)(c) of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) (First Amendment) Law, 2020.”

Ajibare called four witnesses and tendered seven exhibits in support of his case.

But the defendants, who spoke through their counsel, Oluwafemi Alonge, gave evidence in their defence and called no witnesses.

In the judgement, Justice Adekunle Adeleye held that “the prosecution proved the offence of gang-rape and conspiracy against the defendants beyond reasonable doubt.”

The judge consequently convicted the defendants and sentenced each of them to life imprisonment for gang-rape and two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has rescued Chief Superintendent of Police Modestus Ojiebe, who was abducted by armed men along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, stating that the officer had been safely reunited with his family.

“Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer of Dawaki Division acted swiftly, leading his patrol team while alerting all police checkpoints and key entry and exit points into the FCT. This decisive response enabled the successful rescue of the officer on the same night,” she said.

The police further disclosed that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the suspects, who abandoned the officer and fled into the bush in Garaku, Nasarawa State.

According to a security expert, Zagazola Makama, in a post on X on Monday, the incident occurred late Sunday night when Ojiebe’s Toyota Corolla developed a mechanical fault near Dei-Dei Barracks. While attempting to repair the vehicle, he disclosed that an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz with four armed occupants stopped behind him.

The assailants reportedly searched and robbed Ojiebe and his wife of their mobile phones and ATM cards. Upon discovering his police identity card, they forcibly took him into their vehicle and sped off, leaving his wife and their car behind.

Following the abduction, the FCT Police intensified stop-and-search operations at various entry and exit points in an effort to track down the perpetrators.

The police assured the public that investigations were ongoing to bring the culprits to justice.

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have attacked several communities of Tse Ugema Chul, Mbakesa, Ugbaam, in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA), of Benue state killing six villagers.

Tse Ugema village settlement is just a few kilometres to Zaki Biam International Yam Market.

As at the time of filing this report on Sunday evening, a resident from the area, who didn’t want to be named, told newsmen on phone that six dead bodies have already been recovered while many others are still missing.

It was gathered that the incident took place on Friday when some cattle strayed into their farmlands and destroyed their yams.

Some youths in the area mobilized to defend their village and farm produce from the invaders when they were ambushed and killed.

The source said “while the youths were going after the cattle, unknown gunmen who laid ambush open fire and killed many of them.

He said they informed men of Nigeria Army who are stationed at a village called Wuaze, in Ukum LG which is few meters away from the scene of the attack.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Benue Command, CSP Catherine Anene said she was yet to get report from Ukum.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ukum LG, Mr Jonathan Modi has confirmed the attack.

Modi who went to the scene of the incident said he couldn’t grant interview on phone because he was in a pensive mood.

He said “I’m in Zaki Biam right now and in pains about what happened in Zaki Biam.”