CRIME
Benue Police Parade Rape Suspect, Others

From Chris Gaga, Makurdi
One Terna Taga who allegedly raped and impregnated a 10-year-old-girl has admitted he had sexual intercourse twice with her sometime in December 2018, but deny impregnating her.
Recall that a minor was delivered of a baby through a Caesarean session (CS) last Sunday at a hospital in Makurdi.
The 17-year-old Terna, however, insisted that he did not sleep with her forcefully.
He spoke to newsmen on Thursday, when the Benue State Police Commissioner, CP Mukaddas Garba paraded him amongst 14 other criminals at the Command headquarters in Makurdi.
He said: ” l didn’t I pregnant her. The girl came to my house the first day and complained of hunger, so I gave her some money to go and buy food.
I didn’t sleep with her the first time. She left but came back later again.She spent a night with me. I slept with her two times, but I didn’t use force on her.”
“I had sex with her around December last year. I couldn’t see her for some time, but when I later saw her, she was pregnant. I even went to see her in the hospital. When she was asked who impregnated her then she mentioned my name”.
CP Mukaddas informed newsmen that the Uncle of the impregnated Minor, one Iorfa, who has planned to marry out the little girl to a blind man when he discovered she was pregnant was still at large.
Meanwhile, the Police Commissioner, CP Mukaddas also paraded illegal weapons manufacturers, kidnappers, cultists, armed robbers, child traffickers, and four other criminals involved in extorting people using the cover of Nigerian Merchant Navy.
Our correspondent reports that different kinds of a weapons including two Ak47, live ammunition, cartilages, arm manufacturing plant and equipments, and charms.
“On 02/08/2019 at about 2030hrs one Mkarvter Shagbe and Terseer Maakuna all ‘m’ of Vandeikya were arrested with an AK 47 rifle loaded with 10 rounds of live ammunition. Further investigation led to the arrest of an illegal arm manufacturer one Terhembafan Sevav and Vishi Avav. A search lead to the recovery of two more AK 47 rifles, two (2) single barrel pump actions two (2) locally made pistol, four (4) magazines, one (1) gas cylinder, assorted gun manufacturing tools and charms. Investigation is still in progress.
“On 30/07/2019 a victim from Vandeikya LGA reported that some unknown persons have called and threatened him to pay them the sum of two million naira only (N2, 000, 000.00) or they will kidnap and kill him. Investigation led to the arrest of one Kphe terfa Godwin of Mbayongo Vandeikya was arrested from his hideout at Tsav village. Suspect confessed to the crime.
“On 5/8/2019 at about 0530hrs One Achogwu Daniel m’ of Otukpo town allegedly took a pregnant minor to Aba, Abia State where the victim was delivered of a child that he sold to an unknown person. Investigation is still in progress,” CP.
The Benue State Police Commissioner expressed happiness in the doggedness of his men especially “Operation Puff Adder” even as he appreciated men of the public for guaranteeing information to the security agents.
He assured of more commitment to ensure that Benue experience peace and crime free society.
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)