News
Court sentences head teacher to life imprisonment for def!ling two 7-year-old pupils in Lagos
Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court, on Tuesday, sentenced a head teacher, Benjamin Ogba, to life imprisonment for def!ling two seven-year-old girls.
The judge held that the prosecution proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt, with the ingredients of defilement to the court’s satisfaction.
Sholadoye held that the evidence of the defence witnesses was tainted with lies, which did not hold water.
She described the convict as a “serial paedophile”.
“The convict and his fellow defence witnesses were not truthful and credible in their testimonies, during the trial. Their testimonies were a pack of lies and fell asunder like a pack of cards,” the judge said.
“This serial paedophile, a head teacher, who is expected to teach his students morals, stooped so low and defiled the underage girls. What a shame!
“This irresponsible and randy teacher, who teaches his students nonsense, should be locked away,” she ruled.
The judge also praised the two survivors for their courage to speak up in court against their abuser.
She said that sexual abuse of any sort must be reported and not swept under the carpet.
Soladoye further urged parents not to relent in reporting sexual abuse cases to the appropriate authorities.
“Continuous education and awareness of this issue of sexual menace must be at the forefront of all stakeholders in the administration of justice to advocate the rights of young children.
“The defendant, having been found guilty of the two counts bordering on defilement, is hereby sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the counts.
“The sentencing, will however, run concurrently and his name registered in the Sex Offences Register as maintained by the Lagos State,” she said.
During the trial, the state prosecution counsel, Mr. Olusola Soneye, called three witnesses while the defence counsel called four witnesses.
The prosecutor said the convict committed the offence sometime between April and May 10, 2019, at Shalom Private School, Oke-Ira Road, Ebutte Metta in Lagos.
He said Ogba def!led the two survivors by having unlawful sexual intercourse with them.
The prosecutor also told the court that one of the girls, however, informed her mother and the case was reported at the police station.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
News
US Presidential election: Trump At 266 Votes, Harris At 195: US Media
Republican former president Donald Trump closed in on a new term in the White House early Wednesday, just needing a handful of electoral votes to defeat Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
US media have thus far projected that Trump has won in more than half of the 50 US states, including three key battlegrounds Georgia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, two of which voted Democratic in the last election.
That gives him 266 electoral votes, just shy of the 270 needed to win the presidency. Fox News has already called the race in Trump’s favor.
Harris has so far captured 195 electoral votes, including big prizes California and New York — as well as the US capital Washington.
The magic number to win the presidency is 270. Observers expect the hotly contested race for the White House to come down to a handful of key battleground states.
The following is a list of the states won by each candidate and the corresponding number of electoral votes, based on the projections of US media including CNN, Fox News, MSNBC/NBC News, ABC and CBS.
TRUMP (266) –
Alabama (9)
Arkansas (6)
Florida (30)
Georgia (16)
Idaho (4)
Indiana (11)
Iowa (6)
Kansas (6)
Kentucky (8)
Louisiana (8)
Mississippi (6)
Missouri (10)
Montana (4)
Nebraska (4 – split)
North Carolina (16)
North Dakota (3)
Ohio (17)
Oklahoma (7)
Pennsylvania (19)
South Carolina (9)
South Dakota (3)
Tennessee (11)
Texas (40)
Utah (6)
West Virginia (4)
Wyoming (3)
– HARRIS (195) –
California (54)
Colorado (10)
Connecticut (7)
Delaware (3)
District of Columbia (3)
Hawaii (4)
Illinois (19)
Maryland (10)
Massachusetts (11)
Nebraska (1 – split)
New Mexico (5)
New York (28)
Oregon (8)
Rhode Island (4)
Vermont (3)
Virginia (13)
Washington (12)
(AFP)
News
APC hails arrest of Ex-Delta Gov, Okowa by EFCC
The Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the recent arrest of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, describing it as a step in the right direction in the fight against corruption in the country.
The APC, in a statement issued shortly after the news broke, emphasized that Okowa’s arrest signals a strong commitment by the current administration to address long-standing issues of financial mismanagement and corruption at both the state and national levels.
Okowa, who served as the Governor of Delta State from 2015 to 2023, was apprehended by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds during his tenure.
The charges reportedly relate to a series of financial dealings involving state funds and other questionable contracts awarded during his administration.
In the statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Valentine Onojeghuo Esq., and made available to newsmen in the state capital, Asaba, the Delta APC commended the Federal Government for its decisive action and urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to continue its thorough investigation into the financial activities of other past state governors and public officials.
The party emphasized that this move reflects a larger national agenda to clamp down on corruption, promote transparency, and ensure that public funds are used for the benefit of ordinary citizens rather than for personal enrichment.
“We in the APC wholeheartedly welcome the news of the arrest of the former governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who presided over one of the worst cases of financial recklessness and mismanagement on a monumental scale during his eight-year administration.
“His corrupt practices saw the diversion of humongous state funds for personal enrichment, establishing a bank, and financing his doomed presidential ambition, as well as the manipulative imposition of his puppet godson as governor against the wishes of the people of Delta State who desperately wanted change.”
The APC noted that the arrest serves as a warning to all public office holders, stressing that the era of impunity is over. “No one, regardless of their position or political affiliation, is above the law,” the statement read.
“The fight against corruption must be unwavering and thorough, and we are glad to see the administration taking bold steps in this direction.”
International
Queen Camilla cancels public engagements due to Chest Infection
Britain’s Queen Camilla has canceled several planned engagements this week due to a chest infection, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Tuesday, November 5.
The 77-year-old Queen has been advised by doctors to rest at home but remains hopeful that she will be able to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events, the Palace said.
“Her Majesty The Queen is currently unwell with a chest infection, for which her doctors have advised a short period of rest,” read the official Palace statement.
“With great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week, but she very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal.”
As a result of her illness, Queen Camilla will miss the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday, where she has regularly represented the royal family in recent years.
In her absence, the Duchess of Gloucester would represent the Queen. This event, held outside Westminster Abbey, invites people to place memorials in honor of service members who have lost their lives.
Queen Camilla will also not attend a reception at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening, which King Charles will host for Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Queen and the King recently returned to the United Kingdom after an overseas tour to Australia and Samoa, which included a stopover in India.
Their travels may have contributed to the minor illness, described as “a relatively minor bug,” according to Palace insiders, and there is “no cause for alarm.”
The Queen is expected to recover in time for the weekend’s Remembrance commemorations, which include the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday and the national service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday morning.
In addition to her royal duties, Queen Camilla recently contributed to a documentary raising awareness about domestic violence, which is scheduled to be broadcast next week.
Meanwhile, King Charles, who received a cancer diagnosis in February, had his treatment temporarily paused during their overseas tour but is expected to resume treatment now that they have returned to the UK.
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