MUSWEN congratulates new NAHCON acting Secretary

The Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria, the umbrella body for all Muslim Communities/Councils and all Muslim organisations in the six states of South West Nigeria: Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo States, has congratulated Alhaji Alidu Shutti on his appointment as the Acting Secretary of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria.

The letter, signed by the President of MUSWEN and Deputy President-General (South) of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, said: “Please bring your experience in running Hajj operations, which you have garnered and deployed over the years, to manifestly reflect in this new position of responsibility, for the benefit of the entire Muslim Ummah in Nigeria.

“We pray Allah (swt) guides you to succeed in this new task.

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“The Chairman of NAHCON is highly commended for this well thought-out decision of looking inwards to identify an experienced hand, versatile in your operations. This is, as opposed to the approach of appointing someone who will still require going through training and induction into the culture and the inner workings of NAHCON. Al hamdu li Llaah, for your painstaking thoroughness, Mr. Chairman.

Prison officer sentenced for engaging in sexual activity with inmate

A 31-year-old prison officer, Linda De Sousa Abreu, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for engaging in sexual activity with an inmate at HMP Wandsworth in London.

The incident, which took place on June 25, 2024, was recorded by another prisoner and later circulated widely on social media.

The footage, lasting nearly five minutes, led to De Sousa Abreu’s identification and subsequent investigation.

Authorities arrested De Sousa Abreu at Heathrow Airport on June 28, 2024, as she attempted to flee to Madrid. She had informed the prison of her resignation, stating she would not return to work.

De Sousa Abreu pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office on July 29 last year. At her sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, Judge Martin Edmunds KC described her actions as “immensely serious,” stating, “You engaged in sexual activity with a prisoner. That compromised your role as an officer and was misconduct which undermines discipline within the prison, putting fellow officers at increased risk.”

The court heard that De Sousa Abreu had a history of poor mental health and trauma. On the day of the incident, she had consented to the sexual activity and agreed to the presence of another inmate, who filmed the act while appearing to smoke cannabis. The video was later shared online without her consent, causing significant repercussions.

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Judge Edmunds acknowledged that De Sousa Abreu participated in the encounter with “evident enthusiasm” and had also engaged in sexual activity with the same inmate earlier that day, as well as on a prior occasion. He added: “Whether you intended it or not, the fact is that the video went viral and caused great harm.”

The fallout from the incident extended beyond De Sousa Abreu’s actions. Female officers at HMP Wandsworth reported increased abuse, harassment, and sexual advances from prisoners after the video’s release. Some officers’ children were also teased at school about their parents’ professions. Judge Edmunds remarked, “It is inevitable that the damage for which you were responsible at Wandsworth has spread, to some degree, through the prison estate.”

De Sousa Abreu’s 15-month sentence will see her serve half the time in custody, with the remainder on licence. She also received a 95-day reduction due to wearing an electronic tag for 190 days.

A spokesperson for the Prison Service condemned the incident, emphasising that such behaviour undermined the integrity of the system.

“While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we’re catching more of the small minority who break the rules by bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes. As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards, we won’t hesitate to take robust action.”

Tetteh Turkson of the Crown Prosecution Service described De Sousa Abreu’s conduct as “a shocking breach of the public’s trust,” adding, “She was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly thought she would avoid responsibility.”

Prison officer sentenced for engaging in sexual activity with inmate

Container falls on tricycle in Ogbomoso, three die

Tragedy struck in the Takie area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State when a container-laden truck lost control and fell on a commercial tricycle, crushing three people to d3ath.

The accident which occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at Takie Junction, trapped two female passengers and the tricycle rider under the fallen container.

According to eyewitness accounts, the truck lost control while navigating a bend, causing the container to topple and crush the tricycle beneath it.

Rescue officials later confirmed that all three victims had died.

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Efforts are ongoing to remove the container from the road to prevent further accidents and restore normal traffic flow in the area.

This accident just happen at Takie junction, Ogbomoso pic.twitter.com/z0iERXpMiW

— Star Potter (@Starpotternews) January 7, 2025

Container falls on tricycle in Ogbomoso, three die