News & Announcements

Francis Ugachukwu, a visually challenged man, was sent to the Kirikiri Correctional Center on Wednesday by an Ikeja Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Court in Lagos State for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl in the state.

Ugachukwu was confined by Justice Abiola Soladoye pending a hearing on his bail application and filing.

The accused was arraigned on a single count of defilement.

Abimbola Abolade, the state’s attorney for prosecution, testified before the court that the defendant committed the crime at No. 16 Kareem Giwa Street, Abule-Osun, Ojoo, Lagos State, at some point in November 2022.

According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

 However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Soladoye adjourned the case until October 18 for a hearing of the bail application and commencement of trial.

Police have detained three people, including a father and daughter, in connection with the kidnapping of a Muslim cleric named Alhaji Ibra Alli Bodunde in the state of Ondo.

The 67-year-old priest was abducted last month while working on his farm. He is the Chief Imam of the Uso Community in the state’s Owo Local Government Area.

He apparently paid the N2 million ransom the next day and was freed.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Akure, the state’s capital, said the arrests were made as a result of the rapid action of the command’s agents.

According to her, the suspects include Muinah Mohammed, Aisha Bello and Isah Bello.

She said, “On June 18, 2023, one Mrs Bodunde, around 6pm, went to the Uso Division to complain that her husband, Alli Bodunde, went to the farm and he was supposed to come back around 2pm but unfortunately when they did not see him, they sent two persons to the farm to look for him.

“When they got to the farm, they saw his car and his mobile phone but they could not see him. Immediately after the case was reported, the police swung into action and at the end of the day, the man was released.

“But during the investigation, we realised that the man in question is the Chief Imam of the Uso community and through our intelligence team we were able to arrest the suspects.”

Isah Bello, one of the suspects, said that Mohammed, his partner, had obtained his SIM card from his daughter Aisha and had used it to contact the victim’s family in order to negotiate the ransom.

Bello said, “My daughter (Aisha) came to me to collect my other SIM card from me. I asked what she wanted to use the SIM card for, and she didn’t give me any serious answer but since I don’t use the SIM card any longer, I gave it to her.

“I didn’t know what they used the SIM card for. I don’t know this boy (Mohammed). I didn’t know anything about the matter. I was not arrested, it was my people that told me about the matter, so I went to report myself at the Area Command office.”

Aisha acknowledged that she had given Mohammed her father’s SIM card, but she insisted that she was unaware of the reason why he had done so.

Odunlami predicted that after the inquiry was complete, the suspects will be charged in court.

In the Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State’s Ukwuagba-Ngbo community, gunmen on Tuesday set a police patrol van on fire.

The gunmen’s actions were reportedly part of plans to make sure that the Indigenous People of Biafra breakaway group’s one-week sit-at-home ultimatum was followed.

According to reports, the attackers rushed a nearby police roadblock and told the on-duty officers to flee as they set fire to the vehicle.

Remember the IPOB splinter group in the previous week called for a one-week sit-in across the South-East geopolitical zone.

The gunmen also approached the Ebonyi State University’s Ishieke Campus and opened fire irregularly there, in addition to the attack on the Ukwuagba-Ngbo neighborhood of the state.

On Tuesday, they gave riders the order to stop riding and market vendors the order to close their businesses.

Ikechukwu Onwe, the chairman of the Ohaukwu Council Area, denounced the attacks and urged stakeholders to work together to put an end to the criminal activity in the region.

At a security council meeting held on Tuesday at the council’s headquarters in Ezzangbo, Onwe pledged to take all necessary steps to capture the criminals.

In the meantime, the Ebonyi State Government has urged citizens to carry on with their regular activities, claiming that the situation is under control.

A statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor, said “The Ebonyi State Government has observed with dismay, apprehension in some parts of the state following activities of unknown gunmen.

“The government, therefore, wishes to advise the general public to go about their lawful businesses as security agents are on top of the situation.”

Following the state government’s refusal to accede to its requests, the Nigeria Medical Association branch in Nasarawa State has announced a five-day warning strike.

The strike, according to the state’s NMA, will start at 8 a.m. on July 5 and terminate at 8 a.m. on July 10, 2023.

The group previously gave the administration of Nasarawa State a 21-day strike deadline to accede to its demands or risk industrial unrest.

The state’s NMA bemoaned the failure to implement promotion for doctors and annual salary increases, the minimum wage and consequential adjustments, the reviewed hazard allowance and the accrued 17 months in arrears, insufficient staffing and excessive workload for physicians, the high tax burden on physicians, and the failure to pay for medical residency training funds.

Dr. Peter Attah, the state chairman of NMA, stated during a news conference on Wednesday in Lafia that the association’s meeting on Tuesday in the state capital had decided to go forward with the five-day warning strike.

He asserted that doctors and other medical professionals in the state were suffering as a result of the state government’s inadequate welfare packages, accusing it of not being serious about addressing the needs of association members.

“The state government did not show seriousness to meet our demands and we have been patient enough on the matter. So, after 21 days’ notice, we have decided to embark on a five days warning strike which is starting today. We will resume work next week Monday, July 10, to take further decisions on the matter if the government fails to meet our demands before the said date.

“The strike action was unanimously decided by our members, so a monitoring team will be going around to check the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, and other 19 General Hospitals across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state, and any NMA member who defaults, will face the disciplinary committee of the association,” Dr. Attah added.

The arrest of two members of a syndicate connected to the hacking of no fewer than 1000 bank accounts in Nigeria has been announced by the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos State.

The suspects, who were known for hacking into regional banks, were apprehended at their hideout in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, according to a statement released on Tuesday by the command’s spokesperson, SP Hauwa Idris-Adamu.

Yusuf Ademola, 40, and Adesina Abiodun, 50, were named as the suspects by Idris-Adamu, who also stated that efforts were being made to apprehend further co-conspirators involved in the crime.

The statement read, “On May 8, 2023, a petition was submitted by United Bank for Africa to the Assistant Inspector General of Police that there are some syndicates that specialise in internet fraud of various banks in Nigeria, most especially United Bank for Africa, in which they hack into customers’ accounts and move their monies.

“Based on the petition, the AIG raised a team of detectives from the Zonal Monitoring Unit, who swung into action with the aid of modern technology, and two suspects, Yusuf Ademola, 40, and Adesina Abiodun, 50, were tracked down at their hideout in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

“The suspects confessed to the crime that they have many syndicates all over Nigeria and that they use software to hack into customers’ accounts and move their money undetected from any bank they wish. However, the modus operandi of these fraudsters is to have a customer’s BVN linked phone number and bank alert for easy transfer of the money.”

Idris-Adamu noted that “over 1000 customers’ accounts have been hacked and defrauded across the country,” adding that investigation into the incident revealed that members of the syndicates were drawn from different parts of the country.

She said efforts were on top gear to arrest all suspects connected with the crime.

“In the interim, the investigation is still ongoing and suspects will soon be arraigned in court upon completion of the investigation,” Idris-Adamu added.

Mmesoma Ejikeme, a student from Anambra who was charged on Wednesday by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board with artificially inflating her 2023 UTME score, stated that she received an automated text message from JAMB stating that her score was 249.

During an interview with Sunrise Daily on Channels Television, Mmesoma disclosed this.

The candidate transmitted a number of signals to the board’s automated telecoms system, including the results showing an aggregate of 362, according to earlier information from JAMB’s spokesman, Fabian Benjamin.

In response, Mmesoma stated: “That’s the only SMS I sent there.” She added that she exclusively spoke with JAMB via its support system.

Asked if she got any feedback, she said, “They didn’t reply. If they check their JAMB Support System, they would see that I sent a text message. They didn’t reply.”

On the claim that she used an Airtel line, Mmesoma replied: “Yes,” but she added it was “not through USSD code”.

“The one I checked through the USSD code is the one of 360 that I saw,” she explained further

Responding to the claim that the feedback from JAMB showed her score as 249, she agreed.

“Yes,” she said. “After all was said and done, I now saw that I got 249. I sent them a text message there to know what really happened — the JAMB Support System. If they go to their system, they will see it there.”

The PUNCH reports that the embattled 19-year-old Anambra student has been in the news following allegations of UTME score forgery.

The Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja accepted a contentious report from the European Union (EU) Observation Mission on Monday, despite opposition from President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This report calls into question the legitimacy of the 2023 general elections’ results. Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), presented this report to the court.

He argued that the February 25 presidential election was skewed in favour of President Tinubu and the ruling APC.

Atiku, along with his party, alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) used a third-party device to redirect and assign votes to Tinubu.

Although INEC denied this allegation in their response to the petition, Mr. Lawrence Bayode, the Deputy Director of ICT at the Commission, was called to the witness stand on Monday to uphold the presidential election’s results.

In an attempt to refute Atiku’s claim that Tinubu’s running mate held two elective positions, Bayode presented several documents, including a July 6, 2022, letter from Vice President Kashim Shettima to INEC.

This letter announced his withdrawal from the Borno Central Senatorial election as the APC candidate. Bayode, guided by INEC’s lead counsel, Mr Abubakar Mahmoud, tendered this letter and its certification, which the court accepted as evidence.

During cross-examination by President Tinubu’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, Bayode defended the presidential election as “free, fair, credible, and conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.”

While Bayode admitted to a technical glitch on the presidential election day, he insisted this didn’t impact the final scores of the presidential candidates.

He also clarified that the presidential election results were collated manually, not electronically, stating that INEC lacks an electronic collation system.

He reiterated the Commission’s Chairman’s assertion that electronic transmission of the election results was unfeasible.

When it came to cross-examination by Atiku’s lawyer, a contested moment arose over a certified copy of the final report by the EU Observation Mission.

Despite objections from President Tinubu and the APC, the court admitted the report as evidence.

The report suggested that the election was not as “transparent and inclusive” as promised by INEC and only “31% of results uploaded in I-REV was formally or mathematically correct.”

Despite these points, Bayode insisted that the technological measures introduced by INEC ensured the transparency and integrity of the results.

Once Bayode was discharged from the stand, INEC’s lawyer, Mahmoud, announced the end of his client’s witness testimonies.

Following this, President Tinubu and Vice-President Shettima’s counsel, Chief Olanipekun, announced their intention to begin their defense on Tuesday.

Atiku, who placed second in the presidential race, ended his case after calling 27 of the 100 witnesses he had arranged to testify.

He continues to seek the court’s withdrawal of the Certificate of Return issued to President Tinubu by INEC.

A Lagos-based businessman, Amarah Kennedy, has continued to circulate the nude photos of two single mothers whom he previously had relationships with.

It was learned that he sent the photos to the WhatsApp platform of the church of one of the women identified simply as Kester.

He also sent the photos to her late husband’s family members and officials.

“By the time I am done, suicide will be her only option,” Kennedy stated.

Kester confirmed that her in-laws and pastor had called to show solidarity with her.

On Tuesday alone, Kennedy sent the nude photos to at least 48 people.

It had been reported in a special feature on Sunday that two women, Kester and one other identified simply as Temi, met Kennedy separately on different WhatsApp and Facebook chat groups for singles.

Kester, who lost her husband about eight years ago in a car crash, said the businessman, after chatting her up, started showering her with monetary gifts.

However, after a disagreement, he sent her over 50 of her nude photos which he secretly took after their lovemaking in a hotel.

She said the suspect demanded N100,000 from her as a condition to delete the photos.

The mother of two noted that after she sent the money and asked if the photos had been deleted, he demanded an additional N40,000 to delete them permanently, which she sent to him.

Despite the payments, the suspect went ahead to circulate the photos on Facebook.

Kester said she attempted suicide twice but failed, as some of those who saw the images started questioning her.

The second victim, Temi, said the suspect usually had marathon sex with her in hotels while under the influence of drugs, and afterward gave her N1,000 as transport fares.

She said after she discovered that he was not serious about the relationship and was merely using her, she stopped talking to him.

However, Kennedy reportedly sent her several of her nude photos and demanded all the money he had spent on her in the relationship.

She said she borrowed N15,000, which she sent to him.

However, after she appealed to his sister on Facebook for help to talk to him, he started circulating nude photos.

Temi said the businessman regularly called her to demand money.

After the report was published, the suspect on Monday threatened to continue to damage the reputation of the women for “spoiling my image.”
He then started sending nude photos to more of their family members.

Kennedy, in a chat seen by the media, wrote, “Her (Kester) pictures are there. At Redeem parish WhatsApp group platform. I am all over the news, she also will be all over the news. By the time I am done, suicide will be her only option.

“This one to her colleague at work…28 pictures. I have sent to her friends abroad both male and female. I have sent to her inlaw, Redeem church branch on WhatsApp, her pastor, and more random people online.

“Una never jam. My image is already dented. Hers will go around. Pictures that I have uploaded on a porn site today, all 52 pictures.”

Kester, while speaking on the issue, said her in-laws had contacted her over the matter.
She promised not to take her own life, saying her daughters needed her. 

In the latest episode of Inside Africa, CNN International explores creativity and entrepreneurship in South Africa, meeting established names, including celebrated jewellery designer, Kirsten Goss and milliner Crystal Birch to find out what it takes to be successful in the region.

Cape Town is brimming with creativity and entrepreneurship and yet, only around 20 per cent of South African businesses are female-owned. Kristen Goss is an inspiring figure in Cape Town, her commitment to fostering female entrepreneurship and promoting creativity has made a lasting impact, making the city a hub of innovation and empowering women to thrive in the business world.

Goss launched one of South Africa’s first major women-owned jewellery brands over twenty years ago, just before graduating from the University of Stellenbosch with a degree in jewellery design.
Goss explains how her first professional experience was invaluable, “It was a really great learning curve to understand the difference between pontificating over one brooch for three months and working in the real world. What you’re actually doing in a career move is almost irrelevant if you don’t have the business side sewn up.”

Having always been drawn to jewelry, Goss has established a successful business which still has the love of design at its core. “There’s a subtlety with jewelry as opposed to fashion or other parts of the fashion industry. There’s obviously an intrinsic value with jewelry that you don’t necessarily have in other parts of the fashion world, and I love the fact that you can pour your heart and soul into something that has longevity and value,” she says.

Crystal Birch highlights her sense of fulfillment and pride in observing people enjoying her creations, “If I see people walking around with my hat and then I comment saying, ‘What an amazing hat’, they’ll be like, ‘Thank you. It’s Crystal Birch.’ But they wouldn’t know that’s me. That’s a lovely feeling, to bump into people wearing them.”

Birch sees herself as a guardian of fading millinery tradition in South Africa, and after taking over the factory previously owned by her mentor Harry Faktor, her predominantly female team started again from scratch. Her latest trans-seasonal collection aims to address and justify why each hat is designed and for what purpose.

“We really know where we are, who’s our market,” she says.

The ‘When We See Us’ exhibition at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa celebrates the complexity of the Black experience by bringing together artworks from the last century. It resonates with entrepreneur, Zahira Asmal who grew up in apartheid South Africa. Today, Asmal is working with government organizations to preserve her neighborhood Bo-Kaap’s identity in the city. Formerly called the Malay Quarter, where slaves from Asia and other parts of Africa settled in the 18th century, Bo-Kaap is now becoming a gentrified neighborhood.

An example of Asmal’s work making South African cities more integrated and inclusive can be seen in Cape Town. ‘Cultivate’ is a wine company set up in 2020 with the aim of empowering all aspects of the South African Black Wine industry, from producers to sommeliers. “I learned through my urban work that Black people had been making wine in the Cape for 300 years. They’ve just never been centered in the story. When I brought that to Cultivate, a lot of young Black people were like, “I belong. Why did I feel like I was always crawling through? I belong here because my ancestors were here before me,” Asmal says.

According to Sommelier, Lennox Nyengera, “Cultivate is probably the first initiative focusing on uplifting Black people in the wine industry.”

A serial entrepreneur, Asmal shares what she believes it takes to establish a successful business, “Tenacity. You have to be tenacious.

You must not accept no for an answer. I often when I receive no as an answer, I say, “Why?” Because even if you don’t get it, if it’s not going to advance, it may advance another time.”

At the south-westerly point of South Africa – where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean – wild food forager, Roushanna Gray found the makings of a successful business. Gray founded her company ‘Veld and Sea’ in 2017 to share her love of the edible landscape. Veld and Sea run interactive and immersive educational workshops, where guests explore nature by foraging and cooking local ingredients in nature.

Now with a team of ten full-time staff, Gray is very proud of the progress Veld and Sea have made. “When I first started [the business], a lot of people thought I was completely crazy. “How can you make money teaching people how to eat weeds?” But over time, perceptions have shifted and changed slightly, and of course, after lockdown, a lot of these outdoor experiences focusing on nutrition, food and health and wellbeing are being highlighted and are coming to the fore.”

She concludes by offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, “My advice out is to remember, success is when passion meets purpose. Find out what makes you truly happy and go for that.”

Amachi Paul, age 26, was remanded in detention on Tuesday by an Osun State Magistrate Court for stealing N920.

According to the charge sheet submitted to the court by the prosecutor, Inspector Akintunde Jacob, the suspect stole the specified sum from one Adesina Akeem on June 29 at the Rano filling station in Osogbo.

It also stated that the offense was in violation of section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, which is found in Chapter 34, Volume 11, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

Paul, who was unrepresented, entered a guilty plea to the one offense that had been brought against him.

The case was postponed till July 21, 2023 while the presiding magistrate, O. Adaramola, remanded the offender in correctional detention pending presentation of the facts by the police.