metro
Updated: Court denies Baba Ijesha bail as sexual assault trial begins
A magistrate court sitting in Lagos has denied Nigerian actor, Baba Ijesha, bail in the ongoing trial of alleged sexual assault.
The actor was arrested and detained by the state police after he was alleged to have sexually molested a minor at seven and 14.
He was later granted bail on May 17 — after spending about 25 days in police detention — by magistrates in charge of prison decongestion. But he has remained in police custody despite the bail.
During his trial on Wednesday, Kayode Olabiran, counsel to Baba Ijesha, prayed the court to release his client, citing his deteriorating health.
He said the controversial nature of the case had made it difficult to secure his release despite his bail as intending sureties were scared of the likely consequences.
But in his ruling, the judge, P. E Nwaka, held that the court could not grant the actor bail because the matter was beyond its jurisdiction.
The judge also explained that the case has already been filed before the high court.
The superintendent of police in charge of the case, Yetunde Cardoso, said the matter was now beyond the police.
“Mr Olanrewaju was actually granted bail during the JUSUN strike and based on the conditions given, he couldn’t meet them and he was properly charged today (Wednesday),” she said.
“Just like the court stated, the case has already been filed before the high court and the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) of Lagos State Ministry of Justice has taken over the matter from the police.
“So presently, we have handed over to the DPP so the case is before them (DPP). It has nothing to do with the police anymore, it’s now left for the DPP to handle it.”
Baba Ijesha was brought to court in company with his colleague, Yomi Fabiyi, and other supporters for the sexual assault case against him.
One of his counsels, Adesina Ogunlana, had said the actor was granted bail by a magistrate but alleged that officials of the Lagos Police Command demanded a N500,000 bribe to get the actor released despite the court order.
The industrial action by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria had stalled the case before now.
Fabiyi, speaking with reporters, said, “I am in court because I believe in the rule of law and I have right to come to the court and observe the case.
“I want to see how the court (hearing) will go because there are so many lacunas, so many things that should have been done. I want to see how the rule of law and justice is being served.”
metro
Police arrest suspected killers of Major-General, others in Imo
Police arrest suspected killers of Major-General, others in Imo
…Parade 435 suspects, rescue 13 kidnap victims
Parading the suspects including 435 others at the command’s headquarters, Owerri on Thursday, May 16, the state commissioner of police, Aboki Danjuma, said the syndicate was busted through intense intelligence gathering and sustained follow-up by the command’s anti-kidnapping unit.
READ ALSO:
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He said: “The suspects, Chukwunonso Emmanuel, Okoroigwe Goodness, and Innocent Ogu, were arrested in different locations in Imo and Anambra States. They confessed to the crime of kidnapping and murdering Major General Duru, as well as being members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) /Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
Aboki, who was represented by the police spokesman, Henry Okoye, disclosed that the police also recovered 48 different firearms, 552 various calibres of live ammunition, and several stolen vehicles from the suspects.
metro
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
Not less than three residents have tragically lost their lives, and more than 120 others have been abducted following a harrowing attack by notorious bandits on the Goran Namaye community in Zamfara State’s Maradun Local Government Area.
Abubakar Muhammad, a resident of the area, recounted that the terrorists stormed the town at approximately 1:17 am on Thursday, systematically moving from one residence to another. He revealed that the abducted individuals were predominantly women and men, highlighting that three lives were also lost during the raid.
READ ALSO:
- Police grill Osun monarch, Ataoja of Osogbo, over petition
- 47 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists surrender
- Death toll in Kano mosque explosion rises to 11
Muhammad described the assailants as arriving in significant numbers, mounted on motorcycles and armed with sophisticated weaponry, effectively surrounding the community as panic spread. He lamented the chaos that ensued, with residents fleeing in disarray and many being pursued into the forest by the attackers.
Despite the gravity of the situation, security agencies in the state have yet to issue an official statement on the incident at the time of this report.
Bandits kill three, abduct 120 in fresh Zamfara community attack
metro
47 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists surrender
47 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists surrender
In a significant development in the fight against terrorism, 47 individuals linked with Boko Haram and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) have voluntarily surrendered to troops of the 403 Amphibious Brigade of Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) Sector 3, Nigeria, on May 15, 2024.
The surrender took place at Kwatan Turare and Doron Baga, Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
Newstrends reports that scores of Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists have surrendered to the military in recent months.
Among those who surrendered on Wednesday was Mallam Muazu Adamu, a notable fighter affiliated with the Jama’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihad (JAS) faction, operating under Commander Alai Gana.
READ ALSO:
- Death toll in Kano mosque explosion rises to 11
- FG fixes May 24 to open student loan portal
- Reps order arrest of 4 accused of slapping female doctor while passing a walkway
According to a statement by Chief Military Public Information Officer of MJTF, N’djamena, Chad, Lieutenant Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, Mallam Muazu Adamu, along with his wife, chose to lay down their arms and renounce violence.
According to initial investigations, these individuals escaped from Sharama, located in the Lake Chad Islands.
They revealed that they had been engaged in farming activities before deciding to abandon the terrorist groups.
Upon surrender, they were found with personal belongings such as clothes, blankets, mats, pots, and plates.
The surrendered individuals are currently in custody, undergoing further interrogation to gather more information about their activities and affiliations, the e MNJTF said even as it vowed to leave no stone unturned to maintaining peace and security in the Lake Chad basin region and beyond.
47 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists surrender
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