Mohammed Shosanya

A High court sitting in Ikot Ibritam, Oruk Anam Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State has sentenced a 32-year-old Akaninyene Sunday Ekwere to life imprisonment for raping a four year old girl.

Ekwere, a trader, reportedly lured the minor to his shop where he defiled the innocent girl, who is the last child in a family of five.

The mother of the victim was said to have reported the matter to the police upon discovery of bruises around the victim’s private part when she bathed her,

In his confessional statement, Ekwere, who hails from Ikot Ibritam and a neighbour to the victim, said he saw the minor playing outside the compound and invited her to his shop, where he rubbed vaseline oil on her private part and raped her.

Justice Nkereuwem Obot said Akaninyene Ekwere does not deserve to live in the midst of sane people as he is dangerous to society.

Obot found the accused guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The convict who is popularly called “Doctor” pleaded with the Court to have mercy upon him as he is a married man.

Mercy Salawu

Operatives of the anti vandalism unit, Rivers State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), has arrested five suspects allegedly involved in illegal bunkering, impounds nine vehicles ladened with 15,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) popularly called diesel.

At a press briefing on Wednesday, the State Commandant, Basil Igwebueze, assured that the command under his watch would not relent in its onslaught against oil bunkerers and their activities in the state.

He emphasised that it was high time suspected oil thieves turn a new leaf and engage in legal ventures, rather than sabotaging the wealth of the nation.

He identified the suspects as Abdulrasheed Nuhu, 25 years, Hussaini Ciroma, 24 years, Shamsudeen Umar, 23 years, Al-Amina Ismaila, 19 years, Ibrahim Usman, 23 years, adding that they were arrested at Alesa-Eleme Okrika road, Eleme Local Government for laying galvanized pipes close to NNPC/PPMC line right of way.

He that the suspects were caught with some galvanized pipes with which they would have used in tapping and siphoning crude oil.

He noted that preliminary investigation report revealed that the suspects planned to begin their operation in the dead hours of the night.

He said, “The arrests were made in different locations across the state; noting that the five(5) suspects named: Abdulrasheed Nuhu(M), 25 years, Hussaini Ciroma (M), 24 years, Shamsudeen Umar (M), 23 years, Al-Amina Ismaila(M), 19 years, Ibrahim Usman(M), 23 years, were arrested at Alesa-Eleme Okrika road, Eleme Local Government for laying galvanized pipes close to NNPC/PPMC line/right of way. The suspects were caught with some galvanized pipes to be connected and used for tapping crude oil.

“Other arrests were made at East-West road in Eleme LGA, Iwofe road, Rumuelimini in Obio/Akpor LGA, Station Road, Water Font in Elelenwo Community, Okehi Town in Etche LGA, Location Flyover Mgbuoba Community, New Road off Ada George and Eagle Island Jetty Port Harcourt.

“Preliminary investigation report however revealed that the suspects carried out the act with the intention of siphoning petroleum products from the pipeline at late hours of the night.”

Igwebueze identified the impounded vehicles and their contents as follows, “a Toyota Camry Car LAGOS EJ297LSD with 1600 itres of AGO, A red Mazda Saloon Car LAGOS DN 30 APP in conveyance of 1,000 litres of AGO concealed in cellophane bags, Toyota Sienna Car RIVERS NDN 797 GM conveying 2,500litres of AGO, a white tricycle bus with registration number BRR 553 XA conveying 500 litres of AGO.

“Others are a Blue Selica Saloon Car RIVERS PHC 506 HK abandoned with 1,700 litres of AGO concealed in a cellophane bag; a Blue & White coloured Volkswagen Saloon Car RIVERS PHC KNM 111 XA with 1,200 litres of AGO, a Black Nissan Pathfinder Jeep RIVERS PHC 853 KK WITH 3,000 litres of AGO, a Dark Grey Volkswagen Car RIVERS PBT 531 SY with 1,000 litres of AGO and a Green colour Toyota Camry ABUJA ABJ 611 JN laden with 2,500 litres of AGO.

The vowed that the suspects would be charged to court at the end of a thorough investigation while the contents and the mode conveyance would be forfeited and proceeds remitted to Proceeds Of Crime Account.

Mohammed Shosanya

An Enugu State High Court on Wednesday sentenced Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for killing an Enugu-based makeup artist, Ijeoma nweke.

The incident happened on November 16, 2020.

Justice Kenneth Okpe, in a two-hour judgement, found the accused guilty of killing the victim, noting that it resolved the issue against the defendant by the evidence placed before the court.

Justice Okpe said that, “This Court is unable to see the evidence that would have been against the prosecution’s case if the body of the deceased was exhumed and autopsy conducted. I therefore hold that the argument and submission in that regard was misconceived.

“In the whole, I hold that the prosecution by cogent and credible evidence proved the case against the defendant beyond reasonable doubt and as required by law. Accordingly, I hereby find the defendant guilty of the offence of murder.

“The defendant was in Count 2, charged under Section 274(1) of the Criminal Code Law of Enugu State Cap. 30, Revised Laws of Enugu State, 2004 which prescribes death sentences as punishment.

“This Court cannot therefore, notwithstanding the plea for mercy, return a lower sentence. In Lucky v. State (2016) LPELR-40541 the Supreme Court warned that where statute has prescribed mandatory sentences, the trial court will lack the power to exercise discretion. It must return the prescribed punishment.

“But before I do that, let me state that this defendant, though having a gentle mien, has a heart of steel. She carried on through the trial with a sense of fulfilment that the mission was accomplished and that her freedom was a matter of time.

“There was no remorse shown from the beginning of trial till judgment day. Not even on the day the then second defendant was discharged on the application of no case to answer did she feel bad.

“Of course, her counsel also did not help matters that day with their boast in open court, to immediately appeal against the ruling as it affected the defendant, shortly after the ruling was delivered. The main appeal and application to the Governor for pardon are options now available to the defendant.

“Meanwhile, I hereby sentence the defendant, Ifezue Chiamaka, to death by hanging until she is dead. May God have mercy on her soul.”

Lawyers of the defendant, Chuma Oguejiofor and N. Aro had pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy particularly as the defendant is a young person and a first offender.

But,lawyers of the state led by the Director, Public Prosecution Ngozi Okoye, agreed that there is no evidence of previous conviction against the defendant but reminded the Court that in the circumstance of the case, that the sentence is mandatory.

The corpse of the make-up artist was found in Maryland within Enugu Metropolis on Monday, November 16, 2020. Nweke had left home on Wednesday, 11 November, for a job but went missing afterwards.

Her supposed client, having refused to disclose the location for the job, asked the deceased to stop at the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) bus stop, where she will then be taken to the venue.

Having perceived foul play, Nweke sent the client’s phone number to her brother via text. Her phones were unreachable after hours leading to suspicion that she might have been kidnapped.

This led to a frantic search for her by friends and relatives until early on Monday morning when her corpse was found at Maryland in Enugu. Eyewitnesses said that her corpse was mutilated with a substance suspected to be acid.