Crime Facts

Hanifa: Court Fixes July 28 For Judgment

  A Kano state high Court sitting at Audu Bako has fixed July 28 for judgment in the murder case of five-year-old Hanifa Abubakar. She was allegedly killed by her school proprietor, Abdulmalik Tanko. The judge, Justice Usman Na’abba, fixed the date on Tuesday after adoption of final written addresses by parties. The trio of Abdulmalik alongside his accomplice, Hashim Isyaku and Fatima Jibril Musa, were arraigned before the Kano State High court on five count charges bordering on criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, confinement, and culpable homicide contrary to sections 97, 274, 277, 221 of the penal code. At the resumed hearing on Tuesday, the prosecution led by Lamido Abba Soron Dinki, urged the court to consider the totality of the evidence tendered before it to find the defendants guilty of the charges leveled against them and sentence them to death. “We urge the court to pass death sentence on all the defendants because the punishment of those sections under which they are all charged carried the same punishment of death penalty,” he prayed. Daily Trust reports that Hanifa was abducted on December 4, 2021, on her way home from Islamiyya School and subsequently discovered to have been killed. Earlier, Tanko confessed to kidnapping and killing the victim with N100 rat poison before burying her in a shallow grave in one of his schools but he recanted later, admitting only to the kidnapping her.

Pope Says Russia’s ‘Ferocious’ Invasion Perhaps Provoked

  Pope Francis praised the “brave” Ukrainians defending themselves from Russia’s “ferocious” onslaught in an interview published Tuesday, but said the war was “perhaps in some way provoked” by NATO. “What we are seeing is the brutality and ferocity with which this war is being carried out by the troops, generally mercenaries, used by the Russians,” he said, describing the Ukrainians as “a brave people”. But, he warned, “the danger is that we only see this, which is monstrous, and we do not see the whole drama that is unfolding behind this war, which was perhaps in some way either provoked or not prevented”. The pope has repeatedly condemned the war in Ukraine but has drawn criticism for failing to explicitly lay the blame on the Russian President Vladimir Putin. There were “no metaphysical good guys and bad guys here, in an abstract way,” he said in conversation last month with editors of Jesuit media, published by the Jesuit journal Civilta Cattolica Tuesday. “Something global is emerging, with elements that are very much intertwined”. Putin, he said, could not be painted as merely the “wolf”, with the West as “Little Red Riding Hood”. The pope quoted an unnamed head of state as telling him a couple of months before February’s invasion that he was “very concerned about the way NATO was moving” and that the military alliance was “barking at the gates of Russia”. Francis made a similar comment on the conflict’s possible causes in May, when he spoke in an interview of an “anger” in the Kremlin which could have been “facilitated” by “the barking of NATO at Russia’s door”. The head of the Roman Catholic Church defended himself from critics who would accuse him of being in favour of Putin. “Someone may say to me at this point: but you are pro-Putin! No, I am not. It would be simplistic and wrong to say such a thing,” he said. “I am simply against reducing complexity to the distinction between good guys and bad guys, without reasoning about roots and interests, which are very complex.” He also included the arms industry among possible incentives for war.

Abdullahi, Abaribe resign as Senate Majority, Minority leaders

  Senators Yahaya Abdullahi and Enyinnaya Abaribe have formally resigned as Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate respectively. Senate President Ahmad Lawan read their respective resignation letters at the resumption of plenary. The two principal officers resigned following their defection from the party platforms on which they were elected as senators. While Abdullahi defected to People Democratic Party (PDP) from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abaribe dumped PDP for All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). Lawan said: “Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe decamped from the PDP to APGA. He also has resigned his position as Minority Leader of this chamber.” “Also, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, in his resignation letter, said he left APC due to lack of internal democracy in the party. “Politics is local. I can’t continue to work for the government at the centre while my people are wallowing in abject poverty. “After failing to get justice in APC, I have moved to the PDP,” Senator Abdullahi said. The letter of Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), announcing his defection from APC to PDP was also read on the floor of the Senate.

Two of Abba Kyari Co-defendants Jailed Over Cocaine Deal

  An Abuja Federal High Court has on Tuesday sentenced two co-defendants in a suit filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) against suspended DCP Abba Kyari over an alleged drug deal. The duo who are the 6th and 7th defendants, were sentenced to six years in imprisonment by the court. In the Judgement by Justice Emeka Nwite, it was admitted that the duo committed the offence preferred against them in counts 5, 6 and 7 by the NDLEA. The judge while sentencing them to two years imprisonment on each of counts 5, 6 and 7 said it shall run concurrently and would commence from the day the defendants were arrested by the NDLEA. According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the two defendants, Chibunna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne are alleged drug traffickers who were arrested at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu by the Nigerian police and handed over to the NDLEA. They pleaded guilty to counts five, six and seven preferred against them by the anti-narcotic agency.

Four Shot As Gunmen Attack Travellers, One Suspect Nabbed

  Four travellers were shot in the early hours of Sunday in Osun State following an attack some gunmen. The travellers who were attacked by the gunmen were travelling to Ijabe from Ila-Orangun when their vehicle were accosted by the gunmen. According to a source, one of the gunmen was arrested by men of the Amotekun security network in the state. “Meanwhile, some operatives of Osun Amotekun corps from Odo-Otin and Ila local government areas went after the perpetrators immediately the shooting took place and one person was held “The person held is believed to be the leader of the gang involved in the shooting. But their intention is not clear yet,” the source revealed. When contacted, the Field Commander, Osun Amotekun Corps, Amitolu Shittu, confirmed the attack and the arrest of a 52-year-old suspect. “The attack occurred very early in the morning on Sunday. Four people were shot. The victims were travelling from Ila towards Ijabe when they were shot,” shittu said. “Amotekun men from Ila and Odo-Otin local government areas immediately swung into action and arrested a man suspected to be the leader of the gang that carried out the attack. The case has been taken over by the police. The suspect was also handed over to them.”

‘He Is Baby Weight,’ Melaye Explains Why Atiku Will Win Tinubu Before 12pm

  A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, is confident that former President Atiku Abubakar will win the presidential election in 2023. He also declared that Atiku, who is contesting the election on the PDP platform, will beat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, before 12pm on Election Day. Senator Melaye made the remarks on Monday when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “Go and write it down and write it clearly in capital letters; by 12 o’clock by the grace of God, election is over,” he said. “For us in the PDP, we have advised Atiku to please put together his acceptance speech because he is the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. While comparing both presidential candidates, the former lawmaker stated that Atiku stands a higher chance of winning than Tinubu. For him, the PDP candidate is better off in terms of political experience, as well as in the areas of physical strength and intellectual capacity.   Baby Weight According to Melaye, both men are not on the same page, even considering that Atiku served as the vice president for eight years. “Bola Tinubu, with his inordinate ambition, is no match in any way (with Atiku),” he stated. “Bola Tinubu is baby weight compared to Atiku Abubakar and in all ramifications — politically, mentally, medically, socially, even religiously. I can also tell you that Bola Tinubu has never won an election. “Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar, in terms of political popularity; are not on the same page. In terms of political experience, you cannot put Tinubu and Atiku on the same page. Atiku stepped down for MKO Abiola. Atiku Abubakar, by the virtue of being the vice president of this country at a time, has political edge in terms of experience more than Bola Tinubu.” A photo combination of Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu. The PDP chieftain added, “In terms of connections, in terms of political manpower, in terms of knowing and understanding this country, including the problems; you cannot put them on the same page. “In terms of even vying for that position, a road you have passed through once, twice, thrice; a man who is trying to take that route for the first time cannot begin to drag muscle with you.” Melaye insisted that the APC candidate cannot stand his party’s candidate, stressing that Nigerians cannot afford to have another president who travels for medical trips. He said, “You have to be mentally and physically fit to become the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is a constitutional requirement. It is not possible for you to have an incapacitated president. “Just like this President is visiting London every now and then for medical trips, do you think Nigerians want to go back to that? You want us to go from ‘sai baba’ to ‘sai kaka’? Meanwhile, kaka (in Hausa language) means grandfather, baba means father.”

MURIC Warns Against Picking Wike As Atiku’s Running Mate

  The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has warned the presidential flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, against picking the governor of Rivers State, Nyesome Wike, as his running mate. According to MURIC, the Rivers State Governor is allegedly one of the bigoted Christian governors who had been blacklisted by Nigerian Muslims. The Islamic organisation shared this view in a statement signed and circulated by its director, Professor Ishaq Akintola. The group said it had come to its knowledge that Wike is among those being considered by the PDP and Atiku as a possible vice presidential candidate and deemed it necessary to warn the party and its flagbearer against such a move. “Wike is an open enemy of Islam, a Muslim-hater primus inter pareil and an unrepentant mosque destroyer,” the statement alleged. “The extremist remarks of Wike are still on record. He declared Rivers State a Christian State contrary to the constitution,” the group’s statement reads in part. The Islamic rights group expressed the fears that the Rivers State Governor may create a worse situation and an unconducive environment for Muslims in Nigeria if he becomes a vice president of the country. According to the MURIC, “Wike should not be allowed to hold any post at the federal level.” The group claimed that “Wike hates the sight of mosques” and is ready to use his office as the number two citizen of the country to destroy all mosques in Nigeria. MURIC said that the Governor “is intolerant, unpredictable and violence-inclined” and does not have the trust of Muslims in Nigeria. The rights group believes that Wike, who came second in the PDP’s presidential primary election, “will definitely be a bad market for Atiku.” MURIC said that Wike does not have electoral value at the national level and for that reason should be overlooked by the main opposition party. “We, therefore, advise Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to avoid Wike by all means,” MURIC said.

Kaduna Train Attack: Eleven Released Victims Reunite With Their Families

  Eleven kidnapped passengers from the March 28 Kaduna train attack, who were released last weekend, have been reunited with their families. The victims were released by their abductors on Friday, following a series of negotiations with the Federal Government after spending eleven weeks in captivity. The eleven victims comprise six females and five males. Upon their release, they were first taken to Abuja, the nation’s capital for debriefing, and were later brought back to Kaduna on Monday where they were handed over to their families by the military. One of the victims, a middle-aged woman who sustained severe injury, could not stand on her own, as she is still looking pale and sick due to the trauma she had while in the custody of the terrorists inside the forest. It is nevertheless a happy reunion for the Musawa family as they celebrate the release of their daughter, Amina, who was among the kidnapped passengers from the March 28 train attack in Kaduna state. Although it is a breath of fresh air for Amina, her joy and that of her extended family seem not to be complete, as her husband, who was kidnapped along with her, could not make it in the first eleven. He and 50 others are still with their abductors in the forest. Still gripped in shock by what they went through while in captivity, Amina, like the other freed passengers were unwilling to speak to us in camera. But their relatives who obviously are happy with their return commend the Federal government for facilitating the release of the first batch of the victims However, they are saddened that 50 other victims of the train attack are still left behind with their abductors. For their joy to be complete, they appealed to the Federal Government not to rest on its oars until all the abductees are freed. While it might be freedom at last for these eleven passengers, their experience in the hands of their abductors will be a sad tale that they would not forest in a hurry, especially when the fate of fifty others is still uncertain.

“Labour Party now orphanage for homeless politicians’ — Sowore mocks Peter Obi

  handle, Sowore, in what appears to be a mockery, said the AAC polled more votes than LP in the last presidential election. The publisher of Sahara Reporters asked members of LP and supporters of Peter Obi to join the AAC, saying the former has no structure to win an election. Obi left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for LP after it was clear he will not secure enough votes to win the PDP presidential ticket. Advertisement The former governor of Anambra won the LP presidential primary election days after he joined the party. “The Labour Party has become an orphanage for politicians that are homeless. It didn’t take long before our man ran there when he became homeless,” Sowore said in the viral video. “The Labour Party should not have in its company somebody who managed 13 months of workers’ strike in Anambra state. Advertisement “The reason Obi left PDP was that they outplayed him with transactional politicking. Where is the structure of the Labour Party? You should ask yourself. “In 2019, the Labour Party presidential candidate got 5,000 votes. I was allocated 33,000 votes. So even if you want to look at the structure, a structure that delivered 33,000 votes is probably bigger and better than that of 5,000 votes. “The Labour Party and the Peter Obi people should come and join us. We are the ones who know how to stand up for you. “You said you were a governor of Anambra state. When you were a governor, did you build schools, and universities that your children could attend? Did you build hospitals in that state where you can go for treatment if you fall sick? Did you do quality roads? If it is no, why are you lying? “I am not here to do ethnic politics, I’m not here to do religious politics. I’m here for the liberation of the Nigerian people.”

40 Owo massacre victims get mass burial Friday

  The Catholic Diocese of Ondo has fixed Friday, June 17, 2022 for the mass burial of those who lost their lives in the terrorists attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo , Ondo State last week Sunday. According to the church, no fewer than 40 people died in the attack while many others sustained injuries. The Diocese’s Director of Social Communication, Rev. Fr. Augustine Ikwu, confirmed the date of the mass burial to our correspondent on Monday. According Ikwu, the mass burial would take place at the church’s new cemetery at Emure Road, Owo. “The mass burial would take place at the new cemetery of the church on Friday in Owo,” he said. He maintained that the number of the deceased still remained 40. It was gathered that the injured victims are still receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and the St. Louis Catholic Hospital both in Owo and some other private hospitals in the state. However, no one has been arrested in connection with the attack. Meanwhile, the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has declared a three-day mourning for the victims of the attack. The governor, in a statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omostoso, on Monday, directed that all flags should fly at half-mast as part of decision to mourn the victims at the Southern Governors’ meeting. Sanwo-Olu also urged Lagos residents and visitors to remain law-abiding and vigilant as the government is doing everything to ensure that peace continues to prevail in the state. He said, “Flags are flying at half-mast in Lagos following Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive. The action is for three days to mourn the victims of the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, terrorist attack. “The decision to mourn the victims came at a Southwest Governors’ June 10 virtual meeting, which reviewed the security situation in the region. The communique issued after the meeting was signed by Governors Rotimi Akeredolu, Ondo; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti; Gboyega Oyetola, Osun; Dapo Abiodun, Ogun; Seyi Makinde, Oyo and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos. “The governors condemned in very strong terms the horrendous crime perpetrated by terrorists against the people and residents of Owo, Ondo State and, by extension, the peace-loving people of the South-West.”