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Govt rescues 12-year-old girl allegedly defiled by her father

Published

1 year ago

March 25, 2023

THE Anambra State Government said it rescued a 12-year-old girl, alongside her two younger siblings, from their father, Arinze Obiwenite, who allegedly defiles her.

Mrs Ify Obinabo, the state Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, told newsmen on Saturday in Awka that the children were rescued on Monday, during a raid at Abacha town in Idemili North Local Government Area, following a tip off.

Obinabo said she visited the Traditional Ruler of Abacha community, Igwe Nwabunwanne Odiegwu, to notify him of the raid before taking action.

She said that during the visit, Igwe Odiegwu revealed that the accused, Obiwenite, presented himself as a Christian who helped people solve their spiritual problems without knowing that he had other motives.

“The traditional ruler told us he knew about Obiwenite’s alleged escapees when he accused some young boys in the community of raping his daughter.

“He was summoned to the palace on several occasions to state his case, but failed to honour the royal invitation which made the youth of the community troop to his residence but were disappointed at what they saw.

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“The youth discovered that he locked up his three children in a room, including the 12-year-old girl, whom he alleged that some young men of the community had raped.

“When questioned, the daughter revealed that her father had locked them up in the room for five years and that he always had carnal knowledge of her while he fingers her two younger siblings,” she said.

The Commissioner said they raided Obiwenite’s residence and rescued the 12-year-old girl and her two siblings, who had been taken to the hospital for medical examination and treatment.

She assured that the children would get justice and a conducive environment for growth and proper care.

“When we raided the house, we also discovered that the accused uses diabolic means to run a ministry, known as ‘Holy Trinity Healing Ministry’, where people come to get solutions to their problems.

“When he was interrogated, he denied all the allegations but was quick to ask the traditional ruler to forgive him and help find a way of resolving the issue outside the court, which the Igwe blatantly refused.

“Some fetish items, hollow grave at his backyard, a paper with a long list of names of those he had killed and will kill, were discovered at his house and he was made to destroy them in the presence of the villagers.

“The accused also stated that he was married to 11 wives but does not live with any of them,” she said.

Obinabo said that Obiwenite had been arrested by the police and transferred to the State Criminal Investigative Department in Awka.

She said that Obiwenite would be arraigned before the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Magistrate’s Court. (NAN)

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Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’

Published

10 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

A soldier of the Nigerian Army, Lcpl Ojo Tope has died in an accident in Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.

According to a report by SaharaReporters, multiple sources said the deceased attached to the 322 Artillery regiment in Benin City was on his way to meet policemen who had allegedly arrested his brother illegally.

The incident occurred around 10 pm on Wednesday.

The policemen attached to Ikere Area Command had reportedly illegally detained Ojo’s brother and after talking to him on the phone, Ojo was asked to come to their checkpoint and identify himself as a soldier.

SaharaReporters learnt that on his way to the checkpoint, Ojo was involved in an accident.

A relative of the deceased told the online newspaper that : “A soldier (Ojo Tope) serving in Benin City came home on a pass in Ikere Ekiti. Around 10 pm on Wednesday, he realised there was no fuel in their generator. So, he sent his younger brother who has a car to get fuel for him.

“However, on his way to get the fuel, the guy met some policemen on the road and they arrested him illegally. They asked him why he was driving at that time and asked him to unlock his phone as well but he refused.

“He pleaded with them that it was his soldier brother who sent him to buy fuel but they refused to let him go. So, he later called the soldier to talk to the policemen and one of them asked him to come and meet them. Sadly, on his way there on a bike, he had an accident.

“After the accident, people rushed him down to where the policemen seized the brother’s car and they pleaded with them to release the car so they could use it to rescue the soldier to the state hospital in Ikere but they refused to release the vehicle.

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“They later got another one to carry the soldier to the hospital. Unfortunately, before they would get to the hospital, the soldier gave up. His body is now in the morgue.”

The family source said some residents who heard about Ojo’s death got angry and wanted to protest against the actions of the policemen but the family calmed them down.

When SaharaReporters contacted the spokesperson for Ekiti State Police Command, DSP Sunday Abutu, denied the role allegedly played by the policemen in the death of Ojo.

He said, “This could be termed ‘a lie from the pit of hell’ as no such incident or report was made in any of our stations across the state, not even the headquarters.

“The only vehicle that was confiscated by our surveillance team from Ikere Area Command on Wednesday night was an unregistered Toyota Camry 2006 model car. The driver had no document and could not give satisfactory proof that the vehicle belonged to him, but then offered to go home and get the documents.

“Up till this moment, the driver did not bring the car documents or come for his vehicle. It should be noted that our surveillance teams do not have or create checkpoints.

“No soldier’s death was reported by anybody or family or the military authority in the state in Ikere Area Command or any of our divisions or formations across the state in recent time and nobody has come to solicit for the release of the said Toyota Camry car.”

“Meanwhile, anyone with any genuine complaint against the conduct of our men should feel free to approach the nearest police station, formation, office of the PPRO or office of the Commissioner of Police for necessary and immediate action,” Abutu added.

Soldier dies while ‘rushing to rescue brother arrested by policemen’

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Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

Published

11 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Bello Matawalle

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

Rampaging bandits operating in North-West Nigeria have attacked Maradun town, the headquarters of Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara, killing one person and kidnapping several others.

Maradun is the hometown of Bello Matawalle, the former governor of the state and present Minister of State for Defence in the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Although, police authorities in the state are yet to comment on the latest incident an indigene of the town Nura Maradun told Channels Television that the bandits stormed the town around 1 am on Friday with sophisticated weapons.

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He said they fired indiscriminately to scare residents. According to him, the bandits went from house to house to abduct residents of the town.

“They came in around 1 am and operated till 4 am unchallenged. They went on to search house by house looking for people to be kidnapped,” he said.

“From what I can confirm to you now, one person was killed, and about eight persons most women have been taken away. Some of the women kidnapped are daughters of the Emir’s brother.”

Bandits attack Matawalle’s hometown in Zamfara kill one, kidnap many

metro

Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

Published

11 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Trends Admin

Eight illegal security guards arrested in Anambra

The Anambra command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), says it has arrested eight suspected unlicensed private security guards with four pump action guns.

During the parade of the suspects in Awka, the state capital on Thursday, Olatunde Maku, the NSCDC state commandant, said the arrest was made in response to intelligence reports.

Maku added that the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that some of the suspects were impersonating the Anambra Vigilance Group while others were hired by hotels to provide security services, in spite of knowing that the outfits were not licensed or registered,” NAN quoted the NSCDC commandant as saying.

“Meanwhile, four pump action guns with 16 live cartridges were also recovered from them.

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“All the suspects are currently undergoing investigation, after which they would be charged to court and prosecuted.

“This raid is in continuation of the execution of the NSCDC mandate and we will not leave any stone unturned in discharging our responsibilities.

Maku said that the NSCDC is the only agency responsible for licensing, monitoring, and supervising private securities companies in Nigeria, and the raid aims to prevent illegal security outfit proliferation.

The commandant urged licensed private guard companies to adhere to the law and report any suspicious activities or security outfits to the Corps for prompt action.

“I want to put all illegal security outfits on notice to dismantle their operations or face the consequences.

“We will clamp down on any illegal outfit, arrest and prosecute their operators, and recover illegal weapons in their possession.

“This is to restore sanity in the operations of the private security sector and ensure the safety and security of residents.”