“The purposes of sentencing in this case must prioritise the protection of the public, particularly vulnerable children and to send a message to others. Taking all factors into account, I sentence you to life imprisonment and you will be registered as a sex offender.”
metro
Hajj: Chief Imam Ayilara hits back at Soun of Ogbomosho over query
Hajj: Chief Imam Ayilara hits back at Soun of Ogbomosho over query
The Chief Imam of Ogbomoso, Sheik Teliat Yinus Avilara has hit back at the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye, saying that the office of the Chief Imam is not a traditional title.
Recall that Soun had queried the Chief Imam for embarking on Hajj without his consent.
However, Ayilara noted that the Chief Imam is not under the control of the Soun of Ogbomoso, hence, Soun has no power to query him.
Ayilara made these declarations in a letter addressed to the Soun as a response to a query issued to the Chief Imam by the traditional ruler.
But, the Chief Imam, in his reaction, noted that he responded to the letters issued by the traditional ruler out of deep respect he have for Yoruba culture and tradition.
Ayilara, in the letter signed by his secretary, Ogunleye Sulaimon Ajasa, insisted that as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomoso, he is not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture.
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In the letter made available on Thursday, Ayilara said, “My case is that the office of Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland is not a traditional title, and as such, it is not under the control of Soun of Ogbomosoland.
“My case against your majesty is still in court. And I strongly believe that when a matter is in court, the parties in the case must respect the authority of the court by abstaining from anything that may affect the case in court.
“Your majesty calling on me to revert the appointment of those Muslim brethren I installed as Grand Mufti of Ogbomosoland, Amirul Wa’izin of Ogbomosoland, Khadimul-Islam of Ogbomosoland and Kanzul ‘Ulama’ of Ogbomosoland, to immediately return to Nigeria and rectify the appointment of acting Grand Chief Imam of Ogbomosoland I made is directly related to the case in court and I think the court must be respected.
“I also need to state that I am responding to your Majesty’s letters out of deep respect I have for Yoruba culture and tradition.
“However, as a Muslim and spiritual head of the Muslim community in Ogbomosoland, I am not subjugating the rules regulating the practice of Islam to Yoruba tradition and culture. It is a collective right of all Muslims. Kabiesi, I have forwarded the letters to my lawyers for onward transmission to the court. God bless Ogbomosoland, God bless Oyo State and God bless Nigeria at large.”
Hajj: Chief Imam Ayilara hits back at Soun of Ogbomosho over query
metro
Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100
Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100
Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) assaulted staff members of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) filling station at the Honda Bus Stop in Ota, Ogun State, on Friday, FIJ has gathered.
FIJ learned that the customs officers took umbrage and threatened to shoot after a staff member of the filling station asked for N100 charges for their transaction on the point-of-sale machine.
An eyewitness said that the angry Nigerian customs officers beat up the NNPC’s station supervisor and injured a customer.
She said that the point-of-sale merchant at the station had told the customs officers, who wanted to fill up their tank with fuel worth N30,000, that if they paid with an ATM card all at once, they would have to add N100 for bank charges.
According to the eyewitness, the attendant explained that if the officers were willing to allow her to withdraw N15,000 twice, they would incur no charges, as only transactions of N20,000 and above attracted such.
“As the officers were arguing with the lady, the male attendant trying to sell the fuel to the officers chimed in to explain that the filling station was not benefiting from the charges, as it belongs to Moniepoint, the filling station’s bank, but that made their hackles rise,” the eyewitness said.
“They got so angry that one of them hit the male attendant with a gun. In an attempt to parry the gun, he sustained an injury to his arm. In fear, the attendant ran away.”
She said the customs officers asked the PoS merchant, who was now afraid, not to leave. At that point, she said, the officers then began pointing the gun at other filling station attendants, saying, “You’re all thieves. Is that what Nigeria asked you to do?”
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The officers began to cock their guns and charge at everyone at the filling station, so both customers and staffers fled the premises, except a customer who had a flat tyre.
“They beat the customer and broke his phone. They said he was recording them, but he was only calling someone to bring some tyres to him. He had to beg them, rolling on the floor, before they let him go,” she said.
“And while doing this, they kept asking for the manager of the filling station. At this time, she didn’t face them but ran to a nearby police station to report the matter. In place of the manager, they beat the supervisor, thinking he was the general manager.
“They started saying they came here and asked the attendants to sell inside kegs but they refused and now wanted to collect money for charges. They called the attendants thieves.”
She said that the filling station’s general manager returned from the Obasanjo Onipanu police station with four policemen.
The team leader of the police spoke with the commander of the customs officers.
“After their discussion, the police officer told her to forgive the erring officers. She immediately said the action of the customs officers was unfair because her staffers did nothing wrong,” the eyewitness said.
“They then asked her why she didn’t show up when they were asking for the manager of the filling station. She told them it was impossible to confront them at the time as the manager because they were armed, which was why she reported to the police instead.
“One of the customs officers said, ‘As you have reported, what do you now want to happen? We cocked our guns, so what do you want to do?’ While they were shouting, people took her away from their midst and back to the station. When they were ready to buy, the attendants refused to sell to them, so they just had to leave the compound.”
Based on the eyewitness’ discussions with the attendants, she believed that the customs officers acted irresponsibly because, on the previous Monday and Tuesday, they refused to sell fuel to them in jerrycans.
When FIJ called the Nigeria Customs Service via the phone number displayed on its Facebook page, they said they had yet to hear of this matter. They asked this reporter to go to the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Customs Service for information.
Customs officials beat Ogun NNPC station attendants over N100
metro
Groundnut seller gets life sentence for defiling four-year-old
Groundnut seller gets life sentence for defiling four-year-old
The Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Monday sentenced Sunday Uche, a 21-year-old groundnut trader, to life imprisonment for defiling a four year-old-girl
Justice Ramon Oshodi held that the prosecution was able to prove the offence of defilement against the convict without reasonable doubt, stating that the defendant’s actions were heinous and deserving of the maximum punishment under the law.
Uche was remanded in custody on February 1, 2017, on a count of defilement by penetration preferred against him by the state, to which he pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecution counsel, I.D. Solarin, the offence committed by Uche contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
The court heard that the incident occurred on February 2, 2017, in the house of the convict.
Uche, who worked as a groundnut trader, defiled the minor in his home after she came to beg for groundnuts.
“I was at home when one small boy brought a four-year-old girl to my house to beg for groundnuts, so I decided to have sexual intercourse with her. After everything, I gave her some groundnuts. The small baby cried. I knew what I was doing was wrong but I was so eager, but I did not release inside the vagina. After releasing sperm, I became weak, surprisingly the mother of the girl came to my house to look for me,” he said.
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The victim’s mother reported the crime to the authorities, leading to Uche’s arrest.
PUNCH Metro gathered that during cross-examination, Uche presented a starkly different account of the event that happened on February 2, 2017. But once he was presented with judicial Exhibit E, a statement made by him on February 3, 2017, at the State Criminal Investigation Department, the overall case significantly shifted.
Delivering his judgment, Justice Oshodi Ramon held that the evidence presented found the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, under Sections 135i and 139 of the Criminal Law of Lagos.
“Based on the evidence presented, a statement of the IPO of the Sabo Police Command, Lagos State, a statement from the victim’s mother, the police referral for medical examination, a detailed medical report from Mirabel Centre dated February 2, 2017, and the defendant’s statements, I find the defendant guilty and convict him under Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos.”
He further held, “This is a grave offence that carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. The parts of this case are alarming: you took advantage of a four-year-old girl who came to you simply asking for groundnut. You exploited her vulnerability and trust, in the most heinous way imaginable. The physical and psychological harm you have inflicted on this young victim is immeasurable and likely to have a long-lasting effect.”
He convicted the defendant on one count of defilement by penetration and sentenced him to life imprisonment, ordering that the name of the convict should be registered in the Lagos State Sexual Offences Register.
Justice Oshodi acknowledged the convict’s plea for mercy, saying, “I have considered other factors like the lack of previous convictions and your plea for mercy and sentencing. However, the aggravating factors outweigh any other circumstances.
metro
Customs intercept containers carrying arms worth N13.9bn
Customs intercept containers carrying arms worth N13.9bn
The Nigeria Customs Service said its operatives intercepted nine containers carrying offensive items including arms, ammunition, Illicit drugs and second-hand clothes worth N13.9 billion.
The Comptroller-General, NCS, Adewale Adeniyi disclosed this on Monday while addressing journalists in Onne Port, Rivers State.
Adeniyi said one of the containers which originated from Turkey, based on the number of risk factors associated with the importation, became a subject of interest to the service.
Giving details of the container, the CG said, “We have followed its sail across continents and we’ve benefitted immensely from credible information through our collaboration with intelligence communities both at local, national and international levels,”
According to him, the importer tried to circumvent the procedure through the outlet of a private-bonded terminal.
“On Friday 21st of June 2024, the auspicious container was subjected to a thorough physical examination. Inside the container were 844 units of assorted riffles and 12,500 pieces of life ammunition,” which Adeniyi said were “concealed with various items like doors, furniture fittings and leather bags.”
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The NCS boss stated that the duty-paid value of the container was N4.2bn.
He added that three suspects were arrested in connection with the seizures after securing a detention warrant from a competent court of justice.
On the other containers, Adeniyi said, “On Saturday, our officers intercepted eight pieces of 40-foot containers transiting from a bonded terminal
“On examination, six of the containers were laden with 1.5 million bottles of cough syrup of codeine in 100ml sizes, 3.5m tablets of tramadol. The duty-paid value of the containers is N9.6bn. the total duty paid value of the nine containers is N13.9bn,” the customs boss concluded.
On Friday, June 28, 2024, the Joint Border Patrol Team Sector 2 of the NCS said it intercepted 1,410 litres of premium motor spirit worth N30.4m within one week.
The team’s Coordinator, Mohammad Shuaibu, disclosed this while addressing journalists at the Customs Training College in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Customs intercept containers carrying arms worth N13.9bn
PUNCH
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