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Sexual harassment: Victim withdraws case, Ogun police insist on investigation
Adesola Melojuekun, father of the 16-year-old girl who accused Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun, of sexual harassment has withdrawn the case against the commissioner.
The girl, Barakat Melojuekun, has also come out to say she is longer interested in pursuing the case and pleads that the matter be laid to rest.
But the Ogun State police command said it would go ahead with the investigation, adding that the accusers could no longer withdraw the case.
Barakat, in a viral video on Saturday, January 2, 2021, alleged the commissioner sexually harassed her in his house by touching her breasts, caressing her, while reciting incantations.
Following the allegation, the state government in a statement on Sunday, January 3, 2021 signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, suspended the commissioner, pending outcome of the police investigation.
But few hours after the suspension, the 16-year-old accuser came out in another video to say she wanted the matter to be laid to rest.
She also joined her father to say she had no longer have interest in the case.
Her father also said he had discovered that “there were some misconception and misunderstanding along the line between my daughter and the Commissioner.
He said, “Having discovered this, I deem it fit to inform the public and the international community that this matter should be laid to rest.
“As the father to Melojuekun Barakat, I want to appeal to the public, the international community and the media that I don’t have interest in this matter again.”
But the state police command insisted on going ahead with the investigation.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the command, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, had ordered that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department at the Police headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta, the state capital.
The PPRO said despite that the victim’s family had officially withdrawn the case against the Commissioner, the command would go ahead with the case.
He said, “The father of the victim has no locus standi to tell the police that he’s no longer pressing charges against the commissioner because he is not our complainant.
“He is not the person that was directly involved in the case. The victim is his daughter and even the daughter herself cannot withdraw the case because she is underage.
“Secondly, the case is an offence committed against the state. So, they are no longer complainants; it is the Commissioner of Police versus the suspect (Abudu-Balogun).
“They are just witnesses in the case. So, the police are going on with investigations to confirm the authenticity of the claims.
“The CP has directed that the case should be transferred to the State CID for proper investigations, so their position is immaterial.
“We cannot conclude that the case will be charged to court until when we confirm that the offence was actually committed. If the offence was actually committed, we will not hesitate to charge it to court and see the case to a logical conclusion.”
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How Access Bank staff secretly filmed 400 colleagues naked in office
How Access Bank staff secretly filmed 400 colleagues naked in office
A former quality assurance specialist at Access Bank’s contact centre in Oniru, Lagos, (name withheld), has found himself at the centre of a disturbing scandal involving the secret filming of hundreds of his colleagues.
According to a report by FIJ, the suspect allegedly secretly recorded about 400 colleagues, particularly women, naked inside the office restrooms.
Sources told FIJ that he was apprehended inside the female restroom around 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
Although Access Bank subsequently called for his arrest and a raid was conducted at his residence, he was later released from custody.
Some of the affected staff, whose nude images were found among the videos, have voiced concerns about their chances of getting justice, especially since the suspect has been dismissed and is no longer detained by the authorities.
Questions linger over how the suspect was able to carry out such acts undetected.
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According to FIJ, the Access Bank contact centre operates a shift system, meaning some employees often spend the night at the office, where they also bathe and freshen up.
“He snuck into the ladies restroom. I believe he wanted to hide his camera as usual, so he noticed ladies coming and hid in one of the toilets beside the bathroom,” a source told the online newspaper.
“Mind you, the men’s restroom is not too close for him to have mistakenly entered the one for women.
“He was found when a lady taking her bath noticed a phone recording her from the toilet cubicle, which is directly by the side of the bathroom. She noticed someone closed the water closet seat, and was making a video. She just saw the camera by chance.”
Upon raising the alarm, more staff members gathered, demanding that the person inside open the door. Eventually, he emerged.
“That was when people saw it was Stephen. He said he didn’t know how he got to the ladies’ toilet, but couldn’t explain the part of him making videos,” a witness recounted.
Later that day, after more footage showing both male and female colleagues naked in the restroom was discovered on his devices, he was taken into custody. A further search of his home uncovered over 400 such videos stored on his laptop.
In an even more unsettling twist, reports suggest that Ijezie may have been profiting from the exploitation.
Despite these revelations, those who previously worked with Ijezie described him as an unlikely perpetrator.
“He was so cool and would always ask after people. That aside, he was an exceptional agent. No one would ever have thought this would come from him,” a former colleague shared.
How Access Bank staff secretly filmed 400 colleagues naked in office
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Shootings, pandemonium as gunmen disrupt pro-Wike rally in Bayelsa
Shootings, pandemonium as gunmen disrupt pro-Wike rally in Bayelsa
There was pandemonium on Saturday at the rally ground of NEW Associates, a pro-Wike political in Bayelsa State, as gunmen suspected to be political thugs shot sporadically at the crowd and disrupted the programme.
The gunshots caused pandemonium as the crowd dispersed and scampered for their safety. Although there were no casualties but it was confirmed that some persons sustained gunshot injuries.
at the Church of God Mission Camp at Igbogene, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The rally organised by the supporters of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in appreciation of President Bola Tinubu for appointing sons and daughters of the state into positions in government, was also aimed at declaring support for Wike, who is the grand patron of the group.
It could be recalled that the rally earlier fixed for April 12 was shifted to April 26, after supporters of Governor Douye Diri also fixed their rally at the earlier date and venue. Though both groups also shifted their rallies.
READ ALSO:
- Police bust human trafficking ring in Oyo, 84 victims rescued
- Lagos taskforce arrests 52 suspects in Island clean-up operation
- JAMB candidates die in Oyo road crash
The supporters of NEW Associates who had thronged the Church of God Mission Camp arena, venue of the rally, as early as 8 am, were already seated when the gunmen began shooting sporadically from the nearby bush.
The supporters, however, ran for their lives while the combined security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and DSS engaged the hoodlums to retreat.
They also combed the surrounding bushes to forestall any further attacks.
Speaking shortly after the incident, the Secretary of NEW Associates and former spokesman of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Comrade Ebilade Ekerefe, accused the state government of trying to scatter their peaceful rally, vowing to continue with the rally.
He said the put up the peaceful rally to appreciate President Bola Tinubu for appointing sons and daughters of the state in positions of responsibility in his government, wondering why somebody should feel threatened with a peaceful rally.
Shootings, pandemonium as gunmen disrupt pro-Wike rally in Bayelsa
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Police bust human trafficking ring in Oyo, 84 victims rescued
Police bust human trafficking ring in Oyo, 84 victims rescued
The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The police stormed the building where 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, were being held against their will.
Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.
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- Lagos taskforce arrests 52 suspects in Island clean-up operation
- JAMB candidates die in Oyo road crash
- Missing student found safe after disappearing en route to JAMB exam
There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.
The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.
Police bust human trafficking ring in Oyo, 84 victims rescued
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