Oromoni: Police confirms Lagos DPP interim report indicted Dowen College – Newstrends
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Oromoni: Police confirms Lagos DPP interim report indicted Dowen College

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3 years ago

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A chief superintendent of police (CSP) Bamidele Olusegun has confirmed to the Lagos State Coroner’s Court probing the circumstances surrounding the death of Sylvester Oromoni, that the interim advice issued by the director of public prosecutions (DPP) indicted Dowen College and some of its employees of negligence.

The police officer disclosed this while being cross-examined by the counsel to the Oromoni, Mr Femi Falana.

Olusegun told the Coroner Magistrate, Mikhail Kadiri, that he received a report from the DPP dated December 30, 2021, which was titled: “Interim legal advice”, which recommended that the employees should be prosecuted for alleged negligence.

The witness, who said he was serving within the homicide section of the Lagos State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti Section in 2021, said that he received another legal advice dated January 4.

He said, “We sent one dated December 23, this was the last report we sent.

Falana further showed the witness the interim report dated December 30, 2021, and while reading the last paragraph, the witness said, “There are sufficient facts to establish this offence against Mrs Celina Uduak, Valentine Igboekweze, Hammed Ayomo Bariyu, Adesanya Olusegun and Mr Adeyemi and Dowen College.

The witness further affirmed that he conducted a thorough investigation on the matter, saying he was aware that the police protested that they were not allowed to conclude an investigation on the matter.

When the witness was shown a protest letter written to the chief Judge of Lagos State by the Police, on the development of the investigation, the witness identified the letter.

A portion of the letter that was read by the witness in the court stated that: “It came as a rude shock that the investigation was not allowed to be carried out” He also said the suspects were not brought back to the station for the conclusion of the investigation.

 

The police officer also said: “during the investigation, one of the suspects informed me that the deceased was bullied. Another one also told me that he was taken to the third floor to be tortured.”

 

When asked if any witness told him that the deceased was injured on the 14th of November, he said he can’t recollect.

 

The witness also affirmed that the deceased sister told her that he was also bullied sometimes in October and that the boy who allegedly bullied him was not punished for the act. “She also confirmed to me that they bullied his brother because they wanted him to describe her private parts.

 

“I wouldn’t know the deceased was taken to the sickbay in October when he was bullied,” he said.

 

He also confirmed that a female parent of the school also reported a case of bullying against her son by some students at Maroko police station.

He however said he could only speak to Benjamin Favour because the school was under lock during his investigation.

Narrating his involvement in the investigation, the police witness also said: “On 3rd of December, a petition forwarded to my office was assigned to me and the school was already closed down then. On 6th December, we were at Maroko police station, where we met the Principal and the suspect. We took them down to Panti and obtained statements from the accused and the other management staff.

 

We proceeded to a Yaba Magistrate’s Court to get a remand order and the house masters were detained with us while the children were remanded at Oregun Correctional Home.

 

The deceased father’s statement was taken on  9th  December while the Lagos State Attorney General and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education were put on the phone during the interview with the parties.

 

“I recollect that I went to Warri to bring the corpse to Lagos and I had an interaction with the doctor, the consultant pathologists.

 

“We arrived in Lagos January 13 with the corpse of the deceased while the autopsy was performed the next day before then, letters were dispatched to the parties asking them to be in attendance or send representatives during the autopsy.

 

“I later proceeded to Abuja to speak with one of the witnesses. I also recollect that we visited the school on fact-findings and it was opened to us. I remember that the doctor at the school hospital; Dr Moji, confirmed that she attended to the deceased between December 21st and 22nd.

 

“She confirmed to me that she asked the nurse to massage the deceased legs and that paracetamol was also administered on him,” he said.

When asked if the school has CCTV cameras, he said, “Absolutely no; no CCTV cameras in the school.”

The DPP, Mr Babajide Martins, counsel representing Lagos and Mr Anthony Kpokpo, who was representing Dowen School however informed the court that the said legal advice tendered sought to be tendered by the witness and which  Falana has cross-examined him with has not been front-loaded to them.

 

Kpokpo said, “It has become part of the deceased family to present documents that have not been front-loaded. We will not be able to continue with the cross-examination as a result of the surprises being pulled on us. “This is regrettable,” he said.

 

Earlier, Mr Babajide Martins led CSP Bamidele Olusegun in the examination-in-chief.

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Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

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4 hours ago

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April 3, 2025

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FCT Police Command Spokesperson, SP Adeh Josephine

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

A 27-year -old man, Rabiu Suleiman, has reportedly stabbed and inflicted serious injuries on his friend, Yunusa Muazu, during a fight over a woman at Tipper garage area of Gwagwalada in Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT.

A resident of the area, who simply gave his name as Sanusi, said the incident occurred on Tuesday night after a fight broke out at a viewing centre at Unguwar Dodo area of the town.

He said Suleiman had accused his friend, Muazu of dating his friend, Jamila Yakubu, who he intends to marry.

He said trouble started when Jamila left Suleiman’s house on Tuesday around 8:34 pm, only for him to meet her with his friend, Muazu, discussing at a viewing centre, where he had gone to watch football.

He said Suleiman, upon sighting his woman with his friend, angrily walked straight to them and slapped him, a situation, which resulted in a fight between them.

He said in the process, Suleiman allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed his friend in the back, which attracted the attention of people at the viewing centre.

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According to him, some people at the centre, who tried to separate them, were overpowered, not until when some vigilantes rushed to the scene and arrested Suleiman.

He said his friend, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his blood, was rushed to a nearby hospital.

He said the lady quietly left the scene when the fight broke out.

A member of the vigilante, Salihu Bala, who confirmed the incident, said the suspect had been arrested and handed over to security personnel in the area.

He said the vigilantes were making efforts to trace the woman’s location and arrest her.

He said, “The vigilantes even went to the family house of the girl on Wednesday morning but could not find her but we are still trailing her movement to ensure she is arrested.”

Bala said the injured victim was recuperating at the hospital, alleging that the victim and his friend were into drugs.

The spokeswoman of the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, did not respond to the calls and text messages sent to her on the incident.

 

Man stabs friend over woman in FCT council

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South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

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4 hours ago

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April 3, 2025

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Timothy Omotoso

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

A High Court in the Eastern Cape division of South Africa has acquitted Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist, accused of raping young women in his church.

Omotoso and his two co-defendants were arraigned on a 32-count charge bordering on rape and human trafficking.

News24 reported that Omotoso would be deported to Nigeria immediately after the judgment.
The co-defendants are Lusanda Sulani and Zukiswa Sitho.

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Several young women had accused the pastor of luring them into his home in Umhlanga, a town in South Africa, where he allegedly molested them.

In April 2017, the Nigerian pastor was arrested shortly after he landed at an airport in South Africa.
He is the senior pastor of the Jesus Dominion International based in Durban, South Africa. He is also the founder of Tim Omotoso Global Outreach and Ancient of Day Broadcasting Network

According to News24, Irma Schoeman, the trial judge, yesterday, ruled that the state prosecutor did not prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
The Nigerian pastor had been in South African prison since his arrest in 2017.

South African court acquits Nigerian pastor of rape after 8 years in jail

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Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

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April 3, 2025

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Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

Justice Deinde I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday,  convicted and sentenced Okunfulure Olusola Steve to three Months imprisonment for money laundering.

Head, Media and Publicity, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Dele Oyewale, said, the convict was arrested on March 28, 2025, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, by operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), for false currency declaration to the tune of $30,0000.

The NCS had, on Friday, March 28, 2025, handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC,Ikoyi, Lagos, for further investigations.

Consequently, he was arraigned yesterday on one-count charge bordering on money laundering.

The count reads: “That you, Okunfulure Olusola Steve, on the 28th day of March, 2025, in Lagos, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, failed to make a declaration of the sum of $20,000 to the Nigerian Customs Service at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, and thereby committed an offence Contrary to and Punishable under Section 3(5) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to the charge when it was read to him.

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C. Okezie called on Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, to review the facts of the case.

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Paul, while giving details of how she knew the defendant, told the court that the NCS handed him over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Paul also told the court that the defendant was arrested with the sum of $30,000, which he failed to declare. She further told the court that “ his statement was recorded under caution and was served with the bail conditions.”

Thereafter, she identified the defendant’s statement, the handing-over note from the NCS, the arresting officer’s statement as well as the sum of $30,000 to the EFCC.

Okozie ,then sought to tender, in evidence, the documents.

Justice Dipeolu admitted and marked them as exhibits 1,2,3 and 4 and held that: “ I have read the exhibits, the statement of the defendant, and I found him guilty. He is accordingly convicted as charged.”

Okezie thereafter, prayed that the undeclared sum of $20,000 be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria and that the defendant be jailed.

Defence counsel, Joel Ogundere, while addressing the court, said that the defendant,“is a first-time offender and is not aware of the disclosure policy . He is a family man and has responsibilities. His bank account shows the legitimacy of the funds.”

He also prayed the court to, “ magnanimously waive any prison sentence”, adding that the convict would not mind forfeiting the sum of money or pay a fine.

Justice Dipeolu convicted and sentenced the defendant to three months imprisonment, with effect from the date of his arrest on March 28,2025. The Judge also ordered that the money be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Steve, a departing passenger on Delta Airline to Atlanta, United States, had declared that he was not in possession of any  money in foreign currency but in Naira, while being profiled at the Currency Declaration Desk. 

However, the sum of $30,000 undeclared was found on him during a search conducted by operatives of the NCS.

He was subsequently handed over to the Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the EFCC for further investigations, a development that led to his arraignment and conviction.

Man jailed 3 months for non-declaration of $30,000 at airport

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