metro
I killed my twin over ‘bad behaviour’ – woman tells police
I killed my twin over ‘bad behaviour’ – woman tells police
A mother has explained why she decided to snuff the life out her three children.
Lauren Anne Dickason, 42, was charged with murdering her daughters Liane, aged six, and twins Maya and Karla, aged two after allegedly suffocating them to death, according to Daily Mail
She told the police that she killed one of her twins first because she was “badly behaved”.
Dickason, who is on trial in the High Court in Christchurch, New Zealand, admitted to killing her children but denies it was murder.
Her defence claims she is not guilty by reason of insanity.
“I did the twins first… The first one was being really, really, really horrible to me lately,” the mum explained, referring to Karla.
“She has been biting me and hitting me and scratching me and throwing tantrums 24 hours a day – and I just don’t know how to manage that. That is why I did her first.”
The sisters were found dead at their home in Timaru on New Zealand’s South Island on September 16, 2021, by their father Graham Dickason.
The surgeon had moved with his wife and daughters from Pretoria, South Africa, to start a new life just days before.
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On the night of the alleged triple murder, the 42-year-old smothered the girls 20 minutes after her husband left for a work function.
On Tuesday, the jury watched a video of Dickason’s interview with police the day after the girls died.
The recording showed the mother saying she had not “felt normal” for months before “something just snapped”, the New Zealand Herald reported.
During the interview, she talked about the “overwhelming” move from South Africa to New Zealand and said how she had lost hope.
“I don’t even know where to start… It just got too overwhelming – and with the new visa thing that came through yesterday I just see no hope for us here in the future,” Dickason told cops.
“Just getting on the aeroplane was enough of an effort, there was so much paperwork to be done and then there was the two weeks in MIQ which almost had us crazy.
“Something just snapped last night.”
She explained that the children were jumping on couches and not listening to her.
So she went to the garage, spotted some cable ties and thought, “That could possibly work”.
In the interview, Dickason admitted she “had been thinking about it for sure,” and put the three sisters in a room before using the cable ties on them.
That attempt was unsuccessful, however, so she suffocated them.
Detectives then heard that Dickason tucked each child into their beds, pulling the blankets over their heads fully aware that they were dead.
She said: “Then I decided I had to do something with myself… and I ran through the house and none of the knives were sharp and then I just started drinking my medication that I could find. I wanted to die.”
Dickason explained that in the lead-up to the alleged triple murder, she had been getting only two hours of sleep a night, was losing many kilos due to stress and had not felt normal for around nine or 10 weeks before.
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She went on to say that moving to New Zealand had only exacerbated issues.
The mother added that it was her “first day off” in four months, telling officers that after killing the girls she just climbed into bed with a hot water bottle and processed everything that had happened.
In the interview, Dickason explained that she been diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2015, had post-natal depression after the birth of each daughter and was being medicated for years before stopping in early 2021.
She also admitted to having thoughts of harming her kids in the past and had told her husband on three occasions that she was scared as she had considered hurting their children.
The mother sat with her head in her hands as the interview recording was played in court.
Earlier in the trial, the jury heard Dickason had carried out several searches regarding how to overdose children and what the lethal or fatal qualities of specific drugs were.
Last week, Crown Prosecutor Andrew McRae alleged Dickason was an angry and frustrated woman, who resented her daughters for standing in the way of her relationship with her husband.
Mr McRae alleged the mother was fully aware of her actions and labelled the killings as methodical, purposeful and perhaps clinical.
The defence, however, argued that Dickason was “very unwell” and didn’t recognise how unwell she was until it was “too late”.
The trial will resume on Wednesday and is expected to run for at least another two weeks.
Experts are also expected to speak on whether they believe the mother was insane
I killed my twin over ‘bad behaviour’ – woman tells police
metro
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.
The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.
“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.
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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.
Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.
The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.
After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.
“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.
Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.
The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
metro
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
Musa Adamu Aliyu, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has stated that the Commission is understaffed and under-resourced. Aliyu says this is limiting the commission’s efficiency.
According to a statement on the ICPC website published on Wednesday, Aliyu made this known on Monday while presenting the Commission’s performance scorecard to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.
“Currently, we have 21 state offices, but they are severely understaffed and under-resourced, which affects our efficiency nationwide,” he said.
Aliyu mentioned that the ICPC suffered from inadequate funding, which hampers the pursuit of investigations, legal proceedings and public education efforts.
Cases involving politicians, where external influences can challenge the impartiality and integrity of investigations, are also some of the challenges bedevilling the ICPC.
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Aliyu cited slow court processes as one of the factors preventing the swift resolution of corruption cases and undermining public trust in anti-corruption efforts.
“Our work requires diverse expertise, from forensic analysis to psychology, yet rising living costs make it increasingly difficult to maintain high morale among staff. Reviewing salaries and welfare benefits is essential for sustainable productivity,” Aliyu said.
“Additionally, ICPC personnel face security risks, especially during high-stakes investigations, making it critical to provide them with adequate security measures similar to those granted to other agencies.
“We urge you to consider the Commission’s requests for adequate funding to strengthen operational resources. Such support will enable us to pursue a more effective, inclusive, and resilient fight against corruption in Nigeria.”
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
metro
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, has disclosed how rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, had approached him, seeking his blessings to become the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, a plea he turned down.
Wike said Adeyanju who became jobless on account of the rejection has now become an emergency activist, using every opportunity to attack the FCT Administration under him.
The minister spoke on Wednesday evening during a live media chat in Abuja.
Adeyanju who had recently attacked Wike for allegedly concentrating development on the city centre, an allegation that has been severally denied by the Administration, with video and pictorial proofs.
Adeyanju also last week led a protest against Wike over the demolition of Ruga, a settlement along Metro line corridor in Wuye District.
Reacting, Wike said; “I saw one young man, they call him Adeyanju. He is from Kogi State. This young boy came to me that he wants to be the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and I said ‘No’..
“I said he won’t be, and he was not. I have no regrets about it. He has suddenly become a civil society activist. He has no job and that is why he decided to turn to a civil society activist”.
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Shortly after the live media chat, Adeyanju had posted on his Facebook page that he was too busy with clients that he would not be making any response until Friday. He however did not explicitly mention the Minister’s name but rather used expletives.
Wike had on Sunday vowed to go ahead with demolitions of shanties and illegal structures in the territory, saying government will not succumb to blackmail by few individuals who would rather that the status quo be maintained.
Wike who had held an emergency security council meeting on Sunday evening had in company of the security chiefs and journalists visited the Ruga community in Wuye District where town planning officials and security personnel had earlier gone on clearance operations.
There were reports that a handful of the squatters had protested alongside a lawyer, but spokesman of the community, Abba Garu conceded that they were illegal squatters and that previous administrations had carried out at least 22 demolitions of the area but the people always returned.
While he noted that the community was a mini-Nigeria as it had people from different tribes, Garu begged the administration for compassion.
In response, Wike asked him to nominate four other members of the community to meet with officials of the administration in order to come up with a humane solution.
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
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