Stella Oduah responds to allegation she stole N2.5billion using maid’s account

Stella Oduah, a former Minister of Aviation and senator (PDP-Anambra North), on Monday denied reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission was on her trail for allegedly stashing nearly N2.5 billion in a bank account she set up using the identity of her domestic aide.

Ms. Oduah, who said she received the reports while relaxing in her country home in Anambra State, challenged those who published the allegations to publish proofs that substantiate her guilt.

News website, SaharaReporters, had on Sunday reported EFCC sources as revealing to it how Ms. Oduah used the name and pictures of the unnamed maid to set up the account.

“Senator Oduah apparently opened the account with her housemaid’s name, image, and details without the housemaid knowing about it,” Sahara Reporters quoted one of the EFCC sources as saying.

The account, the report said, was still active as at last week.

But in a rebuttal her office sent to PREMIUM TIMES around 9 a.m. Monday, Ms. Oduah said the reports were “totally false, baseless and at best the imagination of the platform.”

In the statement, signed by Francisca Onyeisi, head of communications, Ms. Oduah said that if the reports were true, she would have been arrested long before now, especially at a time when the EFCC is “freezing accounts and going after opposition governors who enjoy same level of immunity as the president.”

The former minister, therefore, urged her supporters and the general public to ignore the reports, saying she had “made a mark in oil and gas and Agricultural businesses before joining politics.”

Ms. Oduah was removed from office in February 2014 after she was found to have received armoured BMW cars, worth N255million, from an agency she supervised.

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng

​Rapists to face 14 year jail term in Kano

The Kano State Solicitor General, Mukthar Daneji, has said the state has finally put a 14-year jail term without option of fine as minimum punishment for rape culprit​s​.

Speaking during Justice for All Conference in the State, Wednesday, the Solicitor General note

​d​ that ​the ​punishment for rape which used to be one or two years or fine ​was changed with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He said the punishment was increased because of the rapid rise in rape cases in the state.

Mr. Danije, while not giving official figures, explained that many parents now come forward to report their children being raped. He attributed it to the awareness campaign put forward by the state.

The Solicitor General disclosed that so far, they have disposed hundreds of cases and many people have been convicted after found guilty.

The Country Director of the Justice for All, Bob Arnot, said his organisation is working in collaboration with the police and judiciary to increase safety, security and justice reform aspect of sexual gender violations.

He noted that the J4A was assisting NGOs and CSOs to establish referral centers for victims of HIV and other sexual abuse problems.

Bob Anort worried that J4A has recorded minimal successes in terms of getting justice for the over 1000 cases it has come across.

SOURCE: Premiumtimesng

How 14-year-old girl was lured with N30, raped by school teacher in Lagos

A secondary school teacher, Cosmos Ubaja, was on Monday arrested by the police in Lagos State for allegedly raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl in Ikorodu area of the state.

The unnamed teenager had gone to Ubaja’s shop to make photocopies after school hours when the accused lured her into sleeping with her.

The suspect, who owns a computer centre in the area, was contracted by the school to teach the junior pupils computer studies.

According to the Punch, the victim, a Junior Secondary School, Class 3 student in a public secondary school in the Owutu area of Ikorodu, had been allegedly raped by the suspect on several occasions in eight months and was always given peanuts such as N50, N100 and N30, each time.

Ubaja, a father of one had been raping the girl for months and the girl kept the secret away from her parents.

The last straw which broke the camel’s back was on June 1 when the girl complained to her mother that she had stomach pains and her menstrual cycle was affected.

She was then taken to a private hospital where it was discovered that she had been raped several times.

The teenager confessed that it was the computer instructor who raped her and he was arrested.

The matter was reported at the Owutu Police Division and also to the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Alausa.

The DSVRT team took the victim for a checkup at the Mirabel Centre, Ikeja.

The group’s Coordinator, Lola Vivour-Adeniyi, said the matter had been transferred to the Gender Unit of the Lagos State Police Command.

According to her, “The 14-year-old girl was raped by her computer teacher near the school’s premises.

“The teacher and some individuals around the school initially pleaded with the girl’s parents not to report to the police. Fortunately, they rejected the plea.

“The perpetrator is in police custody and the case has been transferred from the division to the Gender Unit at the police headquarters, Ikeja. The Directorate of Public Prosecutions has also requested the duplicate case file.”

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said Ubaja has confessed to the crime and will be charged to court soon.

SOURCE: Punchng

Lionel Messi Retires From International Football Amidst Tears

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international duty after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“It’s not meant for me. For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” the 29-year-old said after defeat by Chile at the Copa America.

With Barcelona, Messi has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

But his only major international honour is 2008 Olympic gold.

Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final by Germany before two Copa America final defeats by Chile on penalties. Messi was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he added.

“I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.

“It’s very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.”

SOURCE: Nigeraimonitor

Lionel Messi Retires From International Football Amidst Tears

Lionel Messi announced his retirement from international duty after missing in a penalty shootout as Argentina lost a fourth major final in nine years.

“It’s not meant for me. For me the national team is over. I’ve done all I can, it hurts not to be a champion,” the 29-year-old said after defeat by Chile at the Copa America.

With Barcelona, Messi has won eight La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues.

But his only major international honour is 2008 Olympic gold.

Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2014 World Cup final by Germany before two Copa America final defeats by Chile on penalties. Messi was also on the losing side against Brazil in the 2007 Copa America final.

“It’s been four finals, I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think it’s over,” he added.

“I think this is best for everyone. First of all for me, and then for everyone. I think there’s a lot of people who want this, who obviously are not satisfied, as we are not satisfied reaching a final and not winning it.

“It’s very hard, but the decision is taken. Now I will not try more and there will be no going back.”

SOURCE: Nigeraimonitor

Tension In Police Force As New IG Recommends Immediate Retirement of 30 Senior Officers

According to reports on Monday, the new acting Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, on Friday, allegedly wrote a letter to the presidency to retire 30 senior officers.

The officers who are of the rank of Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of police, were said to have been penned down for immediate retirement.

A source who spoke to THISDAY Newspaper said, “There is serious tension at the Police Headquarters in Abuja. We have heard that the new acting IG wants to retire both his seniors and course-mates.

“On Friday, he wrote to the presidency, through the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and it was approved and forwarded to the desk of the President for final approval.

“According to what Idris wrote, his reason why he asked for their retirement is that he cannot work with them. He said he wants to in all sense of the word take charge of the police.

“He said since he has been given the responsibility to provide security, it was imperative that these AIGs be removed because they might be a clog in his wheel of progress.

“With this move, there is a tendency to make 14 Commissioners of Police AIGs since the available and compulsory vacancy for AIGs is 26.

“Already before now, 12 AIGs were promoted. From the 12, they will take seven of them to become Deputy Inspector General (DIGs) of Police and then they will be forced to go to the CP rank to fill up the AIG rank of 26.

“We wonder why they are removing experienced hands that would have helped him steer the police to greater heights.

“These officers that will be retired, are the last set of senior policemen that were trained abroad, or have gone for short courses.

“I don’t know why we are wasting manpower. By removing these old hands, we will have to expend huge amount of money to train the new crop of AIGs and CPs.”

SOURCE: Nigerianmonitor

Court Orders Governor Ikpeazu Of Abia To Vacate Office Immediately

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu, to vacate office immediately for submitting false information to his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, for the party’s governorship primary in December 2014.

Justice Okon Abang in a judgment on Monday ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to immediately issue a certificate of return to the plaintiff, Uche Ogah, who polled the second highest number of votes in the primary.
SOURCE: Punch