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Court orders blood transfusion for two-year-old girl despite her parents’ objections

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A family court in Cross River State, the Calabar Magisterial District, has issued an order compelling the University of Calabar (UNICAL) Teaching Hospital and Mr. Oham Samuel Oke to administer a blood transfusion and other medical interventions necessary to preserve the life of Ruth Oham Samuel, a two-year-old girl currently in intensive care.

The order, issued by Presiding Deputy Chief Registrar, Mrs. V.S.S. Ebaye, was granted in a motion ex-parte dated and filed on May 8, 2025, brought by the Registered Trustees of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) through its counsel, O. N. Tateh, Esq.

The suit, NO: MC/FC/21/2025, has the Registered Trustees of Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) as the applicant and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and Mr. Oham Samuel Oke (father of the child) as the 1st and 2nd respondents.

The enrolled order, signed by the Registrar, Kate Michael Enoh, which SaharaReporters obtained on Friday partly reads: “Upon this motion ex-parte coming before this Honorable Court in its competent jurisdiction on Thursday, the 8th day of May, 2025. And upon hearing the applicant’s counsel, praying the court for the reliefs set out on the face of the motion paper.

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“And this Honourable Court having given due consideration to the affidavit filed in support of the application, I am persuaded to hold that the order herein sought is bona fide, meritorious, and giving validity under the Child Rights Law of Cross River State, 2023 and so ought to be granted.

“It is therefore hereby granted as prayed. Consequently, it is hereby ordered as follows: That the 1st respondent, the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, and Mr. Oham Samuel Oke are hereby compelled/directed/mandated/authorised to administer a blood transfusion and/or such medical intervention as may be reasonably required to preserve the life and well-being of Ruth Oham Samuel (F), 2 years, 9 months, currently in their care.

“That an order is hereby made dispensing with the consent of the parent of the said Ruth Oham Samuel in light of the urgent medical necessity.

“That the parents of Ruth Oham Samuel are hereby compelled within their means to bear the financial implications of the treatment of their child, Ruth Oham Samuel.”

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However, SaharaReporters gathered that the order was issued following the refusal of Mr. Oham Samuel Oke, the father of little Ruth, to administer any blood transfusion on the girl due to their faith.

An eyewitness, James Ibor, told SaharaReporters that Oke and his family had mobilised other members to the hospital to ensure that no blood transfusion was effected on the dying child.

“They are getting physical and trying to take the child away from the hospital against medical advice,” Ibor said.

Meanwhile, human rights organisation, Humanist Enabling Love Project (HELP), has applauded the Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) for obtaining a court order to treat Ruth, who urgently needs a blood transfusion in Calabar, Cross River State.

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The group, in a statement by its founder, Dr. Leo Igwe, said that doctors at the university teaching hospital had recommended an urgent blood transfusion for Ruth, or she would pass away within 72 hours.

Regrettably, the parents of Ruth declined, stating that they were members of Jehovah’s Witnesses and their faith did not allow blood transfusion.

HELP commended BRCI for taking this life-saving measure and urged medical officers to be vigilant and ensure that parents and guardians do not endanger or undermine the health and treatment of children using their mistaken and misguided faith positions.

The statement partly read, “HELP commends BRCI for taking this life-saving measure. It urges medical officers to be vigilant and ensure that parents and guardians do not endanger or undermine the health and treatment of children using their mistaken and misguided faith positions.”

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The group also pointed out that the belief against blood transfusion is based on biblical texts and that this belief is not divine but rather human.

“Nigeria must pay close attention to this development, as there are over 400,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses in the country, and efforts must be made to restrain parents who are Jehovah’s Witnesses Travel guides

from harming their children and relatives using their misguided faith notions,” Igwe stated.

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Woman bites off manhood of s3x partner over argument

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A woman has bitten off her lover’s genitals during a sex argument in Rivers.

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 43-year-old woman identified as Gift for allegedly biting off the tip of her lover’s penis during a domestic dispute in the Mile 3 area of Diobu, Port Harcourt.

The incident, which occurred on Thursday, sent shockwaves through the densely populated Bishop Okoye Street when news of the act emerged.

According to sources, the altercation began when Gift’s lover, identified only as Sunday, requested to have s3x.

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Gift reportedly refused, accusing him of using s3x-enhancing drugs that made their encounters excessively prolonged.

A resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “Mr. Sunday became angry and allegedly descended on his female partner for her refusal.

“In the process, Gift managed to get hold of the man’s manhood with her mouth and chop off the cap of the penis.”

The man’s screams reportedly drew the attention of neighbours, some of whom attempted to mob the woman before police intervened.

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“The cap of the man’s penis was completely bitten off by the woman,” the source added.

Gift was rescued by officers from the Nkpolu Police Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer, and taken into custody.

The victim, Sunday, was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the city for urgent medical attention.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident on Friday.

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“Yes, I can confirm the incident. The woman (suspect), aged 43 years, has been arrested and investigation is ongoing,” Iringe-Koko said.

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INEC Releases Details Of 2025 Anambra Guber Candidates

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the personal particulars of candidates for the 2025 Anambra State governorship election.

The publication of the particulars followed the conclusion of party primaries by 16 political parties and the upload of candidates’ nomination forms for the election by the deadline of 6 pm on May 12, 2025, when the dedicated portal automatically shut down.

This was disclosed in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, on Saturday, titled ‘PUBLICATION OF PERSONAL PARTICULARS OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2025 ANAMBRA STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION’.

The Anambra State governorship election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, November 8, 2025.

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The statement read, “Following the conclusion of party primaries, 16 political parties have uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms for the Anambra State Governorship Election by the deadline of 6 pm on Monday, May 12, 2025, when the dedicated portal automatically shuts down.

“As provided in Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and listed as item 4 on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, the Commission has published the personal particulars of each candidate and his running mate by displaying copies of the Form EC9, along with all the accompanying academic credentials and other documents submitted by them, at our state headquaters and the 21 local government offices across Anambra State.”

INEC called on Nigerians to assess the candidates’ documents.

The candidates documents displayed by INEC
The candidates’ documents displayed by INEC. Credit: INEC/X
It also urged aspirants with reasonable grounds to believe that a candidate provided false information to challenge the nomination of the candidate in court.

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It also disclosed that the final list of candidates would be published on June 9, 2025, which is at least 150 days before the election.

This, it said, was in line with the provision of Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.

It said, We appeal to Nigerians to scrutinise the documents. Any aspirant who participated in his/her party primaries with reasonable grounds to believe that the information provided by a candidate is false can challenge the nomination in a Federal High Court as provided in Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.

“The final list of candidates will be published on June 9, 2025, which is at least 150 days before the day of the election, in line with the provision of Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and listed as item 7 on our Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election.”

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Alleged $1m, £34,537 Scam: EFCC Presents First Witness, Peter Okoye against Ex-P-Square Manager

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Unidentified EFCC Operative Takes Own life

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, May 16, 2025, presented its first prosecution witness, PW1, Peter Obumuneme Okoye,( a.k.a Mr P) against Jude Chigozie Okoye, elder brother and former Manager of Paul and Peter Okoye, before Justice Rahman Oshodi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.

Okoye is standing trial alongside his company, Northside Music Ltd., on a four-count charge bordering on alleged stealing to the tune of $1m and £34,537 .

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Mohammed Bashir, the PW1 told the court that his brother’s wife, Ifeoma, owned 80 per cent of Northside Music Ltd, while Jude retained the remaining 20 percent shares.

He said: “ I went to the EFCC with my lawyer to submit the petition on January 22, 2024. I initially wrote Northside Music as the respondent. But upon various investigations carried out by the Commission, it was discovered that Jude’s wife, Ifeoma, is the owner of the company because she owes 80 per cent shares, while Jude retains the remaining 20 per cent.

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“I submitted the petition and I never spoke to either Paul or Jude until early April in 2024 when the EFCC asked if my twin brother was involved and I said I did not know.

“The Commission discovered there were over 47 bank accounts used by Jude to receive royalties.”

He also told the court that though both Paul and Jude were later invited by the Commission, the latter was detained.

In his further evidence, he said: “Jude never denied that he committed the crime. However, my twin brother told me during a meeting at the EFCC office that our elder brother owns P-Square.

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“Paul told me Jude owns 40 per cent, while the two of us owe 30 per cent each.

“Ifeoma was never part of our engagement and I was not aware when Northside Music was registered.

“Northside Music, according to my findings, was registered in 2015 and had been operating illegally two years prior to our break-up.”

The prosecution, thereafter, sought to tender the petition dated January 22, 2024.

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There was no objection to its admissibility by the lead counsel to the defendants, Clement Onwuenwunor, SAN.

Earlier in the proceedings, the witness had told the court that he and his twin brother, Paul, started their music career in 1999.

He had also told the court that between 2005 and 2006, they floated a company, Northside Entertainment Ltd, where they were directors and shareholders.

He, however, said Jude was the sole signatory to the company’s three accounts domiciled in Eco Bank, First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Zenith Bank.

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“ They were both Naira and Dollar accounts and Jude was the sole manager of all the accounts.

“In September 2017, P-Square broke up and we came back together in November 2021.

“Within the period, I never received any royalty paid into our company.

“Before we broke up in 2017, every royalty was being paid into Northside Entertainment Ltd., where the three of us were shareholders.

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“We have two aggregators (streaming platforms that generate income): I-rocking.com and Free me digital, which I was aware of.

“When people play our songs on their mobile phones, it generates income: and so, we receive funds from these two aggregators prior to our split.”

The PW1, who said he went solo as Mr P after the group broke up and got a different manager, further told court that “ When we got back without him being our manager, I discovered a similar company was run by our brother known as Northside Music.

“I started seeing some discrepancies in the way royalties were sent to me and my twin brother . When I went for a tour in London, some individual approached us if we would like to sell our catalogs, but they needed to see the back-end.

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“After so much attempt to get the back-end from Jude, I discovered that he had tampered with the original one, which made over seven companies to have a rethink of purchasing the catalogs.”

The case was adjourned till May 23 for continuation of trial.

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