Chibok girl bags degree seven years after escaping B'Haram captivity – Newstrends
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Chibok girl bags degree seven years after escaping B’Haram captivity

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Mary Katambi, the last Chibok girl to escape Boko Haram captivity in 2014, has graduated with a degree in accounting from the American University of Nigeria, Yola, Adamawa State.

Of all the Chibok girls who remained in Nigeria, Mary is the only one who stayed the course, graduating from university.

Mary was one of the 276 Chibok girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terror group in 2014.

Her graduation not only defies the group’s extremist ideology, but her triumph also gives hope to millions of young women in Nigeria’s North East, bearing the brunt of Boko Haram’s deadly onslaught for over 12 years.

In that space of time over 2.2 million people have been displaced, over 100,000 killed and about 300,000 have fled the conflict, living as refugees in neighbouring Cameroon and Niger Republic.

On April 13, 2014, Mary bade her mother, Saratu, farewell as she prepared to return to Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, 21km away from her village, Makalama.

As Saratu hugged her daughter she felt a chill course down her spine. Perhaps a bad omen, but she did not want to alarm her young 16-year-old only child. Mary was eager to return to school to be with her best friend Amina.

Saratu was a farmer, she planted maize, millet, beans, and seasonal vegetables. At the crack of dawn, when Saratu prepared breakfast, Mary always feigned sleep. She would only drag herself out of bed by 7 am to sweep the floors and do her favourite chore, taking care of the family’s goats and cows.

Her father, Katambi, was hardly ever around. He was a fishmonger plying his trade on the banks of Lake Chad.

During Boko Haram’s reign of terror, the group burnt down her village, killed her favourite uncle Bitrus and her neighbour Bello.

When Mary returned to school that Sunday in 2014, she met her best friend Amina and other girls in the school’s courtyard. They had dinner and talked about their plans for life after secondary school.

-Daily Trust

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

A Federal High Court in Borno State has ordered the release of at least 313 suspected terrorists detained by the military.

The court ordered their release due to a lack of evidence to charge the suspects after the investigation.

Maj. Gen. Buba Edward, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this during the operational briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

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He said, “The court ordered the release for want of evidence after the conclusion of investigation and other ancillary matters.

“Accordingly, they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action.”

BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

One David Ojonugwa has been remanded for allegedly stealing his boss’ N54,142,000 in Lagos State.

An Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of the 25-year-old defendant on Wednesday.

Ojonugwa was arraigned by the police on three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful interference with property, and stealing.

He pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.

Consequently, magistrate Adedayo Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 24, 2024 for the review of facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Francisca Job, informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences sometime in January 2024 at Lorange Water Factory, located at No 3, Olajubu Street, Ilupeju area of Lagos State.

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According to Job, Ojonugwa unlawfully disconnected, removed, tampered, and meddled with one 10KVA generator valued at N250,000, a 12 HP submersible pump machine valued at N200,000, an electric motor for a water line, N1.8m, and bottled water machine, N1m.

Others are one injection machine module at N12m, injection machine module, N14m, one set of four cavity module bottles (150CL) at N9m, one set of four cavity module bottles (75CL), valued at N8m, one set of four cavity module bottles (25CL), valued at N5m, one electric for motor shrink wrapper (75KW) valued at N110,000, two floating switches for the bottled water line valued at N20,000, 200 stainless bolts and nuts for installation valued at N92,000, six stainless rods for the installation of the water line valued at N200,000 and 1,000 pieces of medium-sized catfishes valued at N40,000, items that were stolen by the defendant.

She said that the total value of the items stolen was N54,142,000, properties of one Mrs Teju Adeleke.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 340, and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m

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Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

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Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

Fayoade told newsmen on Wednesday while parading the suspect and 59 others in Lagos, that the suspect also stole another policeman’s rifle in Abeokuta and was declared wanted with his gang members by the Ogun Police Command.

He said that the suspect, simply identified as Seun and his gang had been terrorising Ogun and Lagos States respectively, claiming to be an engineer repairing computers and phones before he ventured into armed robbery.

Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the parade, the suspect claimed he was doing well in his business until he met a friend called Bado, who introduced him to the robbery operation.

He said their first operation was at Abeokuta, where they went to rob in a two-storey building, adding that he scaled the fence of the building to have access into the compound.

“I was the one who scaled the fence and opened the gate for others to come in. Immediately we entered the building, a policeman guarding the building ran into the toilet.

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“We picked up his rifle and left the place. It was one of us called Michael, who took the rifle to his house.

“Since I joined robbery, I have not killed before now. In our second operation in Lagos, we only collected phones and money.

“We have robbed in Oshodi, Ikorodu and Ifo area of Ogun. We also collected the vehicle from the owner at Abeokuta.

“The motor was driven away by Bado who is our leader. I was introduced to Bado by one Amechi.

“I have once worked with a politician at Mowe, but because he abandoned me and I have nothing to do again, that was why I decided to join robbery. I regret my actions,” he said.

The suspect further claimed that he had only collected ₦210,000 from the proceeds of the three robbery operations he participated in before his arrest.

He appealed to the government to have mercy on him, assuring that if given the opportunity again, he would never return to armed robbery.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police said the suspect would be charged in court after the conclusion of the investigation.

Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt

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