CRIME
Presidency Keeps Silence on Fate of Leah Sharibu, Promises Release of Aid Workers

Presidency Keeps Silence on Fate of Leah Sharibu, Promises Release of Aid Workers
By Mathew Dadiya, Abuja
Following a viral video of the Action Against Hunger aid worker kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect in Borno state who cried out for help from Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Federal Government for their release, the Presidency has said that negotiation was ongoing with their captors to free not only the aid workers but 16 year old Laeh Sharibu who was kidnapped in 2017.
The Presidency in a response on Thursday to the aid workers plea, said that it has been briefed by “the responsible government agency about the disturbing video showing our citizens, the humanitarian aid workers held captive.
”Presidential spokesman Garba Shehu stated that the presidency has been given assurances that contact is being made and the captors are being talked to.
According to the Presidency, beside these aid workers, there are some others about whom this engagement is about-Leah Sharibu, a religious leader and all the others.
These discussions have been ongoing even before this time and what this latest incident has done is to bring urgency to the efforts that the secret service is making, the government said.
“Government is making contacts, in the hope that the captors will see reason to not visit hardship or even harm on these innocent individuals. Government is working,” the Presidency said.
The DAILY ASSET recalls that one of the kidnapped aid workers Grace Taku had in a video which was circulated in the media on Wednesday, appealed to the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the international community to come to her rescue.
She said, “My name is Grace. I work with Action Against Hunger, an NGO in Borno state. My base is Damasak.”
“We went to work on Thursday, July 18, 2019, and on our way back to Damasak, we were caught by the army of Calipher.”
“We don’t where we are. At this moment, we don’t know where we are. I am the only Christian among them. I am appealing to the Christian Association of Nigeria to please assist and do something about me.
“I am also appealing to the Action Against Hunger, they should do something to make sure that we are released,” she added.
The victim, Grace who said that the captors said if nothing was done to safe her ‘she would be killed just as Leah Shuibu was killed.’
However, the presidency did not comment on whether Leah Shuibu is alive or killed.
CRIME
Sales Rep Docked Over Alleged Stealing Motorcycle Valued N1.2m

The Police on Friday arraigned a 42-year-old sales representative, Surajudeen Lawal in Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged stealing Bajaj motorcycle valued at N1,200,000.
The defendant whose address is unknown, is charged on a count of stealing, which he pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecution Counsel, Insp.
Ayodele Adeosun told the Court that Lawal committed the offence on May 17, at about 11. 00.a.m, at Clemos Tech. Ltd., Abudu Complex, Oko-Afo, Badagry area of Lagos.Adeosun alleged that the defendant, being a sales representative at the company sold one Bajaj motorcycle valued at N1,200,000, property of one Clement Ogunfododo, the complainant and converted the money to his own use.
“The defendant could not give the account of the money when he was asked to pay the money into company’s account.
“He was arrested and handed over to Police for interrogation and prosecution.
“The offence contravened the provision of Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya granted the defendant bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum.
He said one of the sureties must be gainfully employed.
Adekomaiya adjourned the case until June 11, for mention. (NAN)
CRIME
Music Teacher Bags Life Imprisonment For Defiling 9-year-old Pupil

An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Wednesday sentenced a 35-year-old music teacher and counselor, Anthony Okeh, to life imprisonment for defiling a nine-year-old, JSS 1 pupil name withheld)
That Justice Abiola Soladoye in her judgment held that the prosecution had successfully discharged the burden of proof of the charge of defilement against Okeh.
According to her, Okeh is a pathological liar, soulless man without any iota of shame, and everything a teacher should not be for having unlawful sexual intercourse with his pupil.
Soladoye said the case was a direct evidence as the survivor was in court to narrate her sexual ordeals in the hands of the music teacher; a sexual predator.
She added that the evidence of the survivor was lucid, cogent, unequivocal and compelling and the denial of the convict did not hold waters.
“To the mind of this court, the denial of the convict is a form to distance himself from the crime.
“The convict is a pathological liar whose evidence is an after thought and I do not believe him at all.
“I do not believe the other three defence witnesses as well, because their evidences were devoid of truth and they were tainted witnesses.
“Cases are not won on the number of witnesses presented to testify before the court but on the quality of evidence adduced that are credible, convincing and compelling,” the judge said.
The judge added that the survivor in her testimony had narrated how the convict called her upstairs into the music room, where he showed her different nude pictures, claimed to be a cultist and threatened to kill her if she ever told anyone.
“The survivor recognised the man in the box as her music teacher who defiled her more than two times in the music room.
“The testimony of the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) is corroborated by the testimony of the survivor when she said that the mother of the girl noticed her reluctance to go to school and she later confessed to her mother what the convict had been doing to her.
“The IPO said that the mother of the survivor (nominal complainant) reported the case to the police.
“Statement of the nominal complainant was admitted into evidence,” Soladoye added.
She therefore convicted Okeh of the one-count charge of defilement and consequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Soladoye also ordered that the convict’s name be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
She also called on school proprietors and proprietress to recruit teachers with high moral standards to teach in their schools so as to avoid dent on their institutions.
“All stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice must form a strong collaboration in combating sexual violence offences so as to protect the dignity, mental health, physical and psychological trauma of survivors in such cases,” she said.
The State Counsel, Miss Abimbola Abolade presented two witnesses; the survivor and an investigative police officer while the Defence called four witnesses.
Abolade told the court that the convict committed the offence on Sept. 6, 2022 at Lachez O International School, Agege, Lagos.
The prosecution submitted that the convict had unlawful sexual intercourse with the minor by penetrating her vagina with his penis.
According to the prosecution, the offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)
CRIME
Ilesa Prison Break: NCoS Yet To Brief Us – Osun Police

The Police Command in Osun is yet to receive any official communication on the escape of seven inmates from the the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun.
The Police Spokesperson for the command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said that the police state command had not been officially briefed or informed of the incident by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).
“We heard also about the escape, but there is no official report made to the police by the NCoS.
“Our Intel revealed to us that actually, there was an escape.
“The cause of the escape is what we don’t know because our men have gone there.
“From the intelligience report we got, there is nothing we can lay hands on that made the inmates escape.
“The NCoS should inform us about what actually happened,” he said
Ojelabi said: “the police is out to protect lives and property and any criminal we see, we will apprehend”.
The NCoS declared seven inmates missing as a result of rain that damaged the security perimeter of the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa in the early hours of Tuesday.
The heavy rainfall around 2:00 a.m. caused a breach in the facility’s structure, allowing the inmates to escape.
Confirming the development, the Controller-General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, in a statement signed by Umar Abubakar, Deputy Controller of Corrections, Public Relations Officer, on Tuesday, ordered an immediate investigation into the incident and assured the public that efforts were underway to return the escapees to custody.
“The service is working closely with sister security agencies as well as community leaders to recapture the escapees and bring them back to custody,” the NCoS said in the statement.
“However, the Service solicits the cooperation and support of the public in providing information that may lead to the recapture of the fleeing inmates.”
Authorities have since launched a manhunt to recapture the fugitives. (NAN)