Bishop sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping minor – Newstrends
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Bishop sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping minor

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Bishop sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping minor

A Federal Capital Territory High Court has sentenced a prominent Abuja-based clergyman, Bishop Kenneth Duke, to 20 years behind bars without an option of fine for rape.

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons revealed this in a statement on Wednesday by its National Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye, titled, ‘An FCT High Court sentenced a 52-year-old bishop to 20 years imprisonment for rape.’

NAPTIP had sued the 52-year-old, who hails from Cross River State, for raping a 12-year-old girl (name withheld).

Adekoye said the victim is the daughter of the bishop’s church member “who was entrusted under the care of his family.”

In case no: CR/702/2023 Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs Bishop Kenneth Duke, the Defendant was arraigned before Court 16 on 02/11/2023 on two counts for the offence of rape and intentionally caused emotional and psychological abuse on the victim.

The offence stated that the convict, who lives behind Dantata Construction Company, Dakwa, Abuja, on March 6, 2023, had carnal knowledge of the victim without consent, committing an offence punishable under the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015.

NAPTIP said its investigation revealed that the victim, an indigene of Ondo State, was living in Lagos before she was brought to Abuja to live with her mother.

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The report indicated that on March 5, 2023, “her mother took her to the church located at Dantata Zuba Expressway, and after the service, she was taken to the family house of the bishop, who is also the pastor of the church, so that she could stay with them to enable the bishop’s wife to take her to where she would learn a skill which both families had earlier discussed.

“It was gathered that the following day, March 6, 2023, the convict, father of five children, sent his children on an errand, and being alone with the victim at home at about 10:00 a.m., gave her some mathematics work to solve and as she was trying to do it, the bishop pounced on her, covered her mouth and violently raped her on a chair despite her crying and pleading,” NAPTIP said.

In the judgment by Justice Adebiyi Osolo, the clergy was found guilty of one count of rape and was sentenced accordingly without an option of a fine.

The development came on the heels of the rescue of nine pregnant girls by NAPTIP operatives at a suspected baby factory located inside one of the sprawling estates in the Ushafa area of Abuja.

The victims were confined to a rented apartment inside the estate by a yet-to-be-identified suspected trafficking agent after recruiting them through an online platform.

NAPTIP’s raid on the facility followed a tip-off by a concerned citizen who noticed the unusual situation and movement around the area.

Speaking on the conviction, the agency’s Director General, Binta Bello, expressed gratitude to the judiciary for the landmark judgment, saying that it would serve as a deterrent to others.

“I want to thank the judiciary for this judgment. It will certainly serve as a deterrent to other people. As I warned a few weeks ago, NAPTIP will not spare anyone found to have violated any of the laws irrespective of status, either on human trafficking or violence against persons.

“Rape is a serious crime with everlasting psychological effect and lasting trauma on the victim. We must all rise to say no to this heinous crime and ensure the protection of our children.

“How can you imagine a 52-year-old man violating a 12-year-old girl? It is painful, and it is criminal. I am relieved that the judiciary has served the convict the commensurable punishment for his action. This is a warning to others,” the DG stated.

 

Bishop sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping minor

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US indicts Oladapo Fadugba over $690,000 scam, false citizenship

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US indicts Oladapo Fadugba over $690,000 scam, false citizenship

Oladapo Fadugba, a Nigerian-born United States citizen, faces 27 years in jail for his alleged involvement in a $690,000 wire fraud operation and making false representations to earn US citizenship.

Chronicle NG gathered this in a statement by the US Attorney for the District of Florida, Gregory Kehoe, obtained on Wednesday.

According to Kehoe, Fadugba was charged with various counts, including wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and making false claims throughout his naturalisation process.

According to Kehoe, between October 2020 and July 2023, the suspect allegedly stole $690,000 in money from the US Department of Veterans Affairs that was intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider.

It was also stated that Fadugba utilised another person’s identity to arrange transfers to various bank accounts under his control.

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The statement read, “According to the indictment, beginning on October 30, 2020, and ending no later than July 11, 2023, Fadugba had more than $690,000 of Department of Veterans Affairs funds, intended for reimbursement to a large local healthcare provider, transferred to his personal bank accounts.

“Fadugba then wrote cheques to himself or to businesses associated with him, which were subsequently transferred to other bank accounts under his control. It is alleged that he used the identification of another individual to carry out these transfers.”

In addition, Fadugba is accused of lying under oath during his US naturalisation proceedings by falsely claiming that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested.

According to Kehoe, if the defendant is convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum term of 27 years in federal prison and a forfeiture of $400,000, which represents proceeds from the alleged offences.

“The indictment further alleges that Fadugba, a naturalised US citizen from Nigeria, made a false statement under oath during his naturalisation proceedings by claiming he had not committed any offence or crime for which he had not been arrested.

“If convicted on all charges, Fadugba faces up to 27 years in federal prison. The indictment also includes a notice that the United States is seeking a forfeiture order of $400,000, which reflects the approximate proceeds of the criminal conduct charged,” the statement added.

Kehoe concluded by mentioning that “an indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”

US indicts Oladapo Fadugba over $690,000 scam, false citizenship

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Groom cancels wedding, marries another lady same date, venue

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Groom cancels wedding, marries another lady same date, venue

The solemnisation of holy matrimony between a groom, Henry James, and Miss Afiniki Ibrahim was reportedly called off few days to the occasion.

The wedding scheduled to have been held on the 12th of April, 2025, in Saminaka, Lere Local Government of Kaduna State, was called off after the bride was discovered to be pregnant.

Our correspondent gathered that the bride was discovered pregnant after a series of tests were conducted by the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA).

It was gathered that the doctrine of the church stipulates that every couple is mandated to carry out several tests by the church medical team in a bid to ascertain their compatibility and to ascertain if the ”bed has been defiled”.

A source who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity revealed that Miss Afiniki was discovered pregnant after the tests were carried out.

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However, the groom-to-be distanced himself from the pregnancy, saying he did not have any knowledge of her throughout their courtship.

The discovery prompted Henry to call off the wedding.

In a dramatic twist, it was gathered that the secretary asked the disgruntled groom to marry Miss Godiya, a member of the church who had once rejected his love advances.

The secretary it was gathered, spoke to Godiya, who, in turn, expressed her readiness to marry Henry.

With her acceptance, Henry and Godiya tied the nuptials on the same date, same venue he was to marry his pregnant ex-fiancée.

Groom cancels wedding, marries another lady same date, venue

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Man beats brother’s wife to death in Jigawa

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Man beats brother’s wife to death in Jigawa

The Jigawa State Police Command has arrested one Buhari Sule (25) of Gunka village in Jahun LGA of the state for allegedly killing his younger brother’s wife.

The suspect, said to be mentally unstable, is accused of attacking and severely beating his younger brother’s wife, as well as inflicting serious injuries on his neighbour’s daughter with a pestle.

SP Lawan Shiisu Adam, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, said the incident occurred on April 23 at about 1730hrs, prompting an immediate response from the DPO in the area, which necessitated the dispatchment of a patrol team to the scene.

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He said upon arriving at the scene, the victims were rushed to General Hospital, Jahun, where  one of them died while on admission, and the other still receiving treatment.

He said, “The corpse was identified as that of Ummi Saleh (20) and the injured one as Hauwa Alkassim (6) both from the same address. The corpse was released to the relatives for burial.

“The suspect was arrested and is currently in police custody while investigations continue.’’

Adam said preliminary findings indicate that the suspect might be experiencing mental health issues but said a thorough medical evaluation will be performed to determine his mental state.

 

Man beats brother’s wife to death in Jigawa

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