Igboho can’t leave Benin Republic despite release – Lawyer – Newstrends
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Igboho can’t leave Benin Republic despite release – Lawyer

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The Pan Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described the release of Chief Sunday Igboho from detention in Benin Republic as a personal liberty and victory for those who believe in personal liberty and right of the people to self-determination

The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Jare Ajayi, said this when contacted for his reaction to the development on Monday.

He said, “Afenifere and indeed Yoruba people as a whole are very happy that the Yoruba Nation agitator has been released.

“Sunday Adeyemo Igboho’s release is not just for him and the Yoruba people. It is a victory indicator for all those who believe in personal liberty and the right of a given people to self-determination.

“Afenifere commends Prof Banji Akintoye, Prof Tunde Adeniran, Ilana Omo Oodua, and Yoruba Obas in Nigeria and in Benin Republic for their efforts in seeing that Igboho is set free.”

The group also commended the team of lawyers handling his cases in Nigeria and in Benin.

However, Igboho will not leave Cotonou, Benin Republic, despite his release from detention in the country.

His counsel, Chief Yomi Aliyyu (SAN), said this in a message sent to one of our correspondents on Monday.

Aliyyu said Igboho was released to his medical doctors with the agreement that he would not leave Cotonou for any reason.

He said, “I am to inform you that Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Igboho Oosa, has been released from prison to his medical practitioners under the agreement that he should not leave the medical centre or Cotonou for any reason.

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“Praises should be given to two prominent Yoruba personalities to wit; Prof Wole Soyinka and Prof (Banji) Akintoye, for this turnaround in our client’s matter.”

The PUNCH learnt that the 49-year-old activist might not return to Nigeria till May 2023 after the expiration of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

He was freed on medical grounds after months of diplomatic meetings with the government of President Patrice Talon by Yoruba monarchs and others at home and in the Diaspora.

In a statement on Monday by Akintoye’s spokesman, Maxwell Adeleye, said Igboho was released by the Benin Republic government on Monday and handed over to the emeritus professor and his deputy, Wale Adeniran.

Akintoye, who had earlier said he relocated to Benin Republic to secure Igboho’s freedom, described the release of the activist as a triumph of truth over darkness in Yorubaland.

The statement by Akintoye’s camp was titled, ‘Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo Ighoho, released to Yoruba leader, Banji Akintoye and French Language expert, Adeniran, by the Benin Republic Government’.

It read in part, “The Yoruba Nation activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Ighoho, has been released by the Government of Republic of Benin.

“The activist was released on Monday to a Yoruba leader and leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Prof Banji Akintoye, and a French Language expert/Deputy Alana of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Prof Wale Adeniran.

“In a statement by the Communications Secretary of Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Mr Maxwell Adeleye, Akintoye described the release of Ighoho as a triumph of truth over darkness in Yorubaland.”

Adeleye, however, said Igboho would remain in Cotonou till further notice.

When asked if Igboho would continue his trip to Germany, Adeleye stated, “He (Igboho) is remaining in Cotonou. He was freed on medical grounds as no case was preferred against him. Asides, he had been detained for more than six months, which is contrary to the law.”

The Department of State Services had raided Igboho’s Ibadan residence on July 1, 2021, killed two of his aides and arrested 12 others, who were later released after spending months in detention at the secret police’s headquarters in Abuja.

Declared wanted by the DSS for allegedly stockpiling arms to destabilise Nigeria, an allegation he denied, Igboho escaped to the neighbouring Benin Republic in July 2021

However, luck ran out on him when he was arrested by Interpol around 8pm on July 19, 2021, at the Cadjèhoun Airport in Cotonou, when he tried to board a Germany-bound aircraft alongside his wife, Ropo.

He was remanded in a prison in Cotonou and is facing trial for immigration-related offences, among others.

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

One Onyeka Ubaka has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for sexual assault and maltreatment of a 16-year-old girl in Lagos State.

He was convicted and sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday.

Justice Rahmon Oshodi convicted him after he pleaded guilty to the two amended charges brought against him by the Lagos State Government.

Ubaka was initially arraigned on January 12, 2024, and was initially charged with defilement through one-count information filed on October 26, 2023, to which he pleaded not guilty.

In the court proceedings, the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, presented a single witness, the prosecutrix, whose testimony proved particularly significant in establishing the case against the defendant. The prosecutrix who provided a testimony, identified the defendant as her boyfriend and disclosed that she was 16 years old in 2023 and that her relationship with the defendant began in her mother’s shop.

The victim testified to the court that the defendant had multiple instances of sexual intercourse with her, which resulted in pregnancy and childbirth.

“The defendant is the father of my child. He impregnated me, and the child is five months old.”

According to PUNCH, the victim, during cross-examination, gave testimony evidence that incriminate the defendant.

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In one instance, she disclosed that the defendant took her to a bar, gave her yogurt to drink, and after she drank it, she lost consciousness. She further disclosed that she woke up in a hotel room and realised that the defendant had non-consensual sex with her and told her to keep the incident a secret.

At the court proceeding on Tuesday, Justice Oshodi disclosed to the court that the prosecution counsel, B. E. Okeowo, had informed the court that the parties had entered a plea and sentence agreement dated and filed on November 25, 2024. The court then charged and convicted the defendant on the amended charge of indecent acts and sexual assault to which the defendant pleaded guilty.

Justice Ramon, in his judgment, stated that the prosecution had established beyond a reasonable doubt the charges brought against the defendant, and found the defendant guilty of indecent act and sexual assault.

“From the evidence presented by the prosecution, I am satisfied that the essential elements of indecent acts and sexual assault have been established. There is an abundance of evidence to support this conclusion. The defendant’s guilty plea further justifies his conviction for the offences contained in the amended information.

“Therefore, I find the defendant guilty and convict him under Sections 134 and 263 of the Criminal Law Supra”, he ruled.

When asked what he had to say, the defendant begged the court to temper justice with mercy.

“Temper justice with mercy so that I will take care of my responsibility,” he appealed.

It is gathered that the defendant’s father had paid the sum of N300,000 and had undertaken to sponsor the prosecutrix first degree and take full responsibility for the child until the child is eight years old.

The prosecution counsel in her final statement asked the court to convict the defendant according to the plea bargain.

“We ask that the convict be sentenced according to the plea bargain agreement starting from the day of remand, March 23, 2023, and this will pass a message to society that sexual offenders are not tolerated in our society.

“We also ask that the name of the convict be registered in the Sexual Offenders Register”, Okeowo said.

Justice Oshodi then found the defendant guilty and sentenced him to four years imprisonment.

 

Man gets four-year jail for sexually assaulting teenager in Lagos

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

CSP Adetayo Akerele, Chairman of Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, announced the arrest of 53 suspected criminals in Gowon Estate.

Akerele said this operation aimed to boost safety, security, and environmental decorum in the area.

“The agency apprehended drug peddlers, addicts; miscreants; street urchins; illegal street traders and people of shady business dealings.

“We found various illicit drugs and narcotics, including Indian hemp, codeine syrup, and colorado,” Akerele said.

The operation brings relief to residents of Gowon Estate, Ipaja, Egbeda, Idimu, and surrounding areas affected by these criminals.

“Residents have endured trauma and safety risks due to these unauthorized squatters.

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The taskforce is committed to safeguarding residents and ridding the metropolis of individuals preying on law-abiding citizens,” Akerele said.

The agency will monitor other criminal hideouts, blackspots, and abandoned properties.

“This vigilance aims to deter individuals with sinister motives.

“These arrests demonstrate our determination to maintain a safe environment.

“We will hold every individual involved in these illegal practices accountable,” Akerele said.

The 53 suspects will face charges for narcotics-related offenses.

Residents are urged to report suspicious activities through the “See Something, Say Something” initiative.

 

Lagos taskforce raids criminal hideout, arrests 53 drug peddlers

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Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

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Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Bashir Adewale Adeniyi

Nigeria Customs returns 21 stolen luxury vehicles to Canada

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has returned 21 luxury vehicles worth over N1.8 billion to Canada.

The cars were stolen and smuggled into Nigeria by some criminals.

Comptroller General of Customs, Mr. Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this at a press briefing on Tuesday in Lagos.

He expressed worry at the rise in stolen vehicles and its impact on Nigeria’s economy and security.

According to Adeniyi, Nigeria has become a significant hub for stolen vehicles in West Africa, with syndicates exploiting the country’s ports and borders to bring in stolen vehicles from regions such as Europe, North America, and South America.

He highlighted data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicating that only 54% of stolen vehicles were recovered between 2013 and 2015, illustrating the scale of the problem.

“This trend undermines our legitimate automotive market, strains our security infrastructure, and damages Nigeria’s international reputation,” Adeniyi said.

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He noted that the illegal trade was affecting President Tinubu’s economic reforms, aimed to position Nigeria as a trusted hub for international commerce.

To combat this challenge, Adeniyi disclosed that the NCS had launched Operation Hot Wheels, a collaborative initiative involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Canadian authorities, and international law enforcement agencies.

The operation focused on intelligence sharing, surveillance, and interdiction to disrupt vehicle trafficking networks.

Adeniyi disclosed that the operation uncovered sophisticated smuggling techniques, including false cargo declarations and containerized shipments used to conceal stolen vehicles.

During one operation, officers intercepted a container at Onne Port in Rivers State declared to contain used vehicles and spare parts.

A physical examination revealed three undeclared 2021 Toyota Highlanders, two of which were confirmed stolen from Canada.

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