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Man kills four-year-old neighbour’s daughter while asleep in Enugu

Published

3 months ago

August 28, 2024

Late Miss Zina Ugwu, murdered by neighbour

Man kills four-year-old neighbour’s daughter while asleep in Enugu

It was indeed another Sunday afternoon. For the family of Dr. and Mrs. Ndubuisi Ugwu, like most families in the South East zone of the country, it was a day of rest. So, after the usual Sunday service and taking of taking of delicious meal on that Sunday, August, 18, 2024 the family retired to the living room for rest, oblivious of the fact that death was indeed lurking in their household.

It was gathered that at about 7pm that Sunday, one of their neighbours, Mr. Emeka Nweke stormed that apartment, shouting on top of his voices that he needed five virgins to appease the god he worshipped.

Narrating the ugly incident which happened at Orba road, Nsukka, Enugu state, another neighbor, Juliet Nwobodo stated that “the man started shouting on top of his voices as he was wielding a sharp cutlass. Many tenants in that saw him thought he was just joking until he started forcing himself into their apartment.”

Narrating further, Mrs. Nwobodo told our reporter that “Mr. Nweke allegedly forced himself into the house of Dr. Ugwu’s apartment after he was overpowered by other tenants in other apartment. He went inside Dr.Ugwu’s apartment and started asking the wife to bring all her four children for him; that he wants to use them for sacrifice. Fortunately for the family, the alleged murderer could not go inside the living where the three male children were sleeping. But unfortunately, one of the children, Zina, the only daughter of the family was still lying on a sofa in the parlour. When the mother wanted to take her inside the living room, it was already too late.”

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Our source revealed that Mr. Nweke snatched the daughter from her mother and butchered her to death before going to another apartment where he was overpowered and arrested. Few minutes later, the alleged murderer was taken to Nsukka Urban police station, from where the case was transferred to Criminal Investigation Department, CID Enugu for investigation and possible prosecution.

The body of the four year old late Zina Ugwu, has been deposited at an undisclosed mortuary in Nsukka.

However, when our reporter visited the compound to see the parents of the deceased, they were said to have gone to Udi, their native home to formally inform them of the ugly incident.

However, one of the neighbours in the apartment who spoke to our reporter narrated that the suspect has been warned several times by the deceased’s father to steer clear of their family.

Asked if he has been suffering from any known mental illness, our source stated that “all we know is that he used to smoke Indian hemp but we didn’t know it will degenerate to this state. “

On whether he has had any misunderstanding with fellow neighbours in the apartment, our source explained that “this is a man who was so close with the deceased’s family. But due to his queer behavior, he fell out with them. He was nobody’s friend in our house.”

However, police is yet to make official statement on the incident even as all efforts to get the confirmation from the Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ndukwe proved abortive, as he was not picking his calls by our reporter.

Man kills four-year-old neighbour’s daughter while asleep in Enugu

metro

$6bn fraud: Judge scolds Agunloye’s counsel over delay tactics

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Former Power and Steel Minister Olu Agunloye

$6bn fraud: Judge scolds Agunloye’s counsel over delay tactics

Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal High Court, Apo, Abuja On Thursday, chastised Adeola Adedipe, SAN, counsel to former Minister of Power, Olu Agunloye, for using delay tactics to slow the pace of the former minister’s prosecution.

Agunloye is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on seven counts of official corruption and fraudulent award of the Mambilla Power Project contract worth $6 billion.

During Thursday’s hearings, the court observed that the defence counsel has been in the habit of making excuses based on Agunloye’s health and age, as well as filing various motions, ensuring that little progress has been achieved in the trial.

Addressing the defence counsel, Justice Onwuegbuzie stated that “My principle of justice is that of no delay. The other time you brought the issue of amicus curiae and wasted the time of the court. You should also know that in my court I don’t read processes.

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“If you need time to serve processes, it must reach me on time, and your colleague must also be duly aware in time. There must be mutual respect. Do not come and serve processes in court; I don’t take that in my court,” he said.

Prosecuting Counsel Abba Mohammed, SAN, informed the court at the start of proceedings that the business of the day was the adoption of the prosecution’s application for the amendment of the charge, which was filed on October 30, 2024, to which the defence responded with a counter-affidavit and a request for an adjournment to allow the prosecution to study the affidavit.

Justice Onwuegbuzie adjourned the case until November 28, 2024, to rule on the adoption of the application.

$6bn fraud: Judge scolds Agunloye’s counsel over delay tactics

metro

Emefiele printed new naira notes different from what Buhari approved – Ex-CBN official

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele

Emefiele printed new naira notes different from what Buhari approved – Ex-CBN official

The trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, continued at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama on Thursday, November 14, 2024.

A former CBN Deputy Governor, Kingsley Obiora, who served in the policy department, testified that the newly printed naira notes issued during Emefiele’s tenure deviated from the approval granted by then-President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his testimony before Justice Maryann Anenih via Zoom, Obiora disclosed, “the approval by then President Muhammadu Buhari was different from what was eventually produced,” according to a statement from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Obiora, responding to evidence presented by prosecution counsel Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, explained that he noticed discrepancies when comparing the naira notes in circulation with the President’s original directive.

During his seven-year tenure at the CBN, Obiora served on the Committee of Governors (COG), which he described as a body comprising “the governor, four deputy governors, and the director of corporate services.” He clarified, “The governor is the Chairman of the Committee, and during my tenure as Deputy Governor, Emefiele was our Chairman.” Obiora said the Committee met every Wednesday to address significant policy matters.

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Obiora recalled the initial introduction of the redesign plan during an event marking the one-year anniversary of the e-naira in Lagos on October 25, 2022. “The governor called all four deputy governors into a huddle and informed us of the plan to redesign the currency,” he said, expressing immediate concerns, as he felt “the event itself may not be the appropriate place to announce such a major policy.” He advised that the policy undergo further scrutiny before any public announcement.

Despite his reservations, Obiora noted that Emefiele proceeded with the plan, formally presenting it to the COG on October 26, 2022. “The governor mentioned that we had already had the president’s approval for the policy,” he stated, adding, “The deputy governor in charge of currency operations presented a memo, and it was discussed, deliberated upon.” Following this, a press conference was held to announce the redesign.

Obiora explained that the CBN Board was formally briefed on the naira redesign months later, in mid-December 2022. He said, “The policy was discussed at the board level mid-December. The board did not sit as day-to-day management but instead gave policy directions.” Obiora clarified that “the board’s involvement in the policy was limited to endorsing the COG’s prior decision, not initiating it.”

During cross-examination, defense counsel Olalekan Ojo, SAN, questioned Obiora about the timing of the board’s formal involvement. Ojo suggested that the December meeting “conforms with the naira notes currently in circulation,” to which Obiora responded, “Yes, sir.” He noted there had been no indication or directive from former President Buhari challenging the redesign.

Reflecting on past experiences with currency design, Obiora mentioned that while he was with the bank during the introduction of a redesigned N100 note in 2014, he was not directly involved in its development.

After delivering his testimony, Justice Anenih discharged Obiora and adjourned the case to December 4, 2024, and January 21, 2025, for further proceedings.

Emefiele printed new naira notes different from what Buhari approved – Ex-CBN official

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Train attack: ECOWAS court dismisses SERAP suit against FG

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Trends Admin

Train attack: ECOWAS court dismisses SERAP suit against FG

The Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) has rejected a suit filed by a group of Nigerian activists, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) over an attack by bandits on an Abuja-Kaduna train on March 28, 2022.

The court held that it lacks jurisdiction over the case because relevant ingredients that could qualify it to be entertained as a public interest litigation were missing.

SERAP filed the case after bandits attacked the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train in 2022.

In the attack, armed assailants bombed the train carrying over 970 passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna rail line near Rigasa in Kaduna.

The attack led to numerous fatalities, injuries, and abductions.

SERAP, by its case, sought to hold the government of Nigeria accountable for alleged human rights violations in relation to the terrorist attack.

The organisation claimed, among others, that the attack was the result of the state’s inability to provide tight security for the passengers.

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SERAP argued that Nigeria’s alleged lack of measures to avert the attack violated the rights of passengers to life, security, and dignity.

It prayed for a N50 million compensation for each of the passengers and their families.

In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, the regional court declared the suit inadmissible due to lack of victim status required for public interest litigation.

A statement by the court said the judgment was delivered by Justice Dupe Atoki.

It added: “The court recognised its jurisdiction to hear the case as it involved potential human rights violations within a member-state, in accordance with Article 9(4) of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol.

“However, the court found the claim inadmissible on grounds that it failed to meet the victim status requirement essential for litigation under Article 10(d) of the same Protocol.

“In its findings, the court said that SERAP claimed to be acting in public interest, citing previous incidents of terrorism in the region, including attacks on educational institutions and transportation services.

“However, the court determined that the case did not meet the criteria for a public interest action, or actio popularis, which requires that the alleged violations affect a large, indeterminate segment of the public or the general public itself.

“The Court highlighted that: The victims of the March 28 attack were identifiable individuals rather than an indeterminate public group, making the claim unsuitable as a public interest litigation.

“The reliefs sought, including specific monetary compensation, were directed at the identifiable victims of the attack rather than the public at large.

“Members of the three-member panel of the court were Honourable Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves(presiding judge), Honorable Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma (panel member), and Honorable Justice Dupe Atoki (judge rapporteur).”