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Man bags life imprisonment for raping neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter

Published

7 months ago

April 9, 2024

Man bags life imprisonment for raping neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter

In Lagos State, One Taiye Agboola has been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter.

Agboola was convicted and sentenced by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Monday.

The incident happened on August 30, 2015, at No 7, Ijaiye Ojokoro, at 3pm, according to court fillings.

Justice Rahman Oshodi averred that the convict’s confession, the medical report, the testimony of the investigating police officer, and the testimony of the victim’s mother were consistent.

Oshodi said the medical examiner had in her evidence told the court that the victim informed her that the convict penetrated her vagina with his finger.

“My Lord, at the first encounter the victim said Agboola dragged her into his brother’s room, removed her pants, and fingered her. The report of Marabel Centre’s findings was that the hymen of the victim was reddened, there was a laceration and the injury around the vagina area was reddish. This is the genital examination findings,” the judge quoted the medical examiner as saying.

Oshodi quoted the testimony of Agboola where he said, “On August 30, 2015, I was sleeping in my elder (Tope Agboola) brother’s room, when the victim came, I pulled her, robbed her body and I dipped one of my right fingers, in her private part.”

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According to the judge, the preceding was in line with the investigating police officer’s evidence, who said the convict had confessed and admitted to having penetrated the victim’s vagina with his finger.

“There cannot be a better eyewitness than the account of Agboola. The convict’s confession, the IPO, and the medical report corroborate the victim’s evidence.

“I accept the confession of Agboola that he put his finger in the victim’s vagina and robbed her body,” Justice Oshodi said.

He, therefore, held that, “The prosecution has been able to prove the burden of defilement of a child by penetration, it proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

“Mr Taiye Agboola, you are hereby convicted of the defilement of a child.”

In his allocution, the defence counsel prayed the court to give the convict a second chance as he was a first-time offender without any criminal records.

But the prosecution counsel urged the court to sentence Agboola according to the charge and asked the court to enter his name into the register for sexual offenders of Lagos State.

In his judgment, Justice Oshodi held, “Mr Taiye Agboola, that you, an adult, sexually penetrated a 10-year-old girl by fingering her vagina in her parents’ house which is supposed to be a safe place.

“The physical, psychological harm and trauma you have caused the victim, will affect the growth of the victim.

“You are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment for sexual penetration of a child and your name shall be written in the register of the Lagos State sexual offenders’ register.

“He should be returned to the Ikoyi Custodial Centre where he is currently being held.”

Man bags life imprisonment for raping neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

12 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

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.