Protest rocks UNILAG over first-class student’s electrocution

Academic activities at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, were paralysed on Wednesday as students of the institution protested against the death of a female undergraduate who was electrocuted on Tuesday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that the student, Oluchi Anekwe, a 300-Level first-class student of the Department of Accounting, was returning from an evening mass with her younger sister at about 7pm on Tuesday when a high-tension wire fell on her.

It was gathered that Anekwe had entered the New Halls through the Eni Njoku Hostel side to buy an item. She was said to be walking out of the hostel when the wire fell on her.

Anekwe was reportedly rushed to the medical centre, where she was said to have died a few minutes later.

It was gathered that angry students, who heard of the lady’s death on Wednesday took to the university’s gates around 8am, shut the gates in the school, calling on the Vice-Chancellor to address them.

When our correspondent got to the campus, vehicular movements in and out of the institution were obstructed, while policemen from Sabo and Bariga divisions tried in vain to calm down the protesting students.

While some of the students squeezed themselves into commercial buses, wielding brooms and clubs, and driving around the campus, others thronged the gates and chanted songs of protest against the authorities for what they described as ‘the negligence in upgrading the institution’s facilities’.

One of the students, identified only as Damilola, told PUNCH Metro that it was one of the three high-tension wires that fell on Anekwe.

She said, “The girl was returning from the evening mass. But some people said it was from the library. It was at about 7pm. She was with her younger sister. Suddenly, there was a spark from one of the wires. The wire cut and fell on Oluchi (Anekwe).

“She got electrocuted immediately. Her sister raised the alarm and students rushed her to the medical centre. Some minutes later, she was pronounced dead.”

Another student, Johnson, said she died before the medical personnel could attend to her.

“While the medical personnel were requesting her Identity Card, she died. Her younger sister stood there helpless,” Johnson added.

The Students’ Union President, Abiodun Martins, said it was time for the authorities to take concrete actions on the state of facilities to prevent avoidable deaths on the campus.

He said, “Oluchi, till her death, was a first-class student. While we condole with her family and friends, we say the event that led to her death is avoidable. We therefore call on concerned authorities to prevent a recurrence.

“We declare that academic activities are hereby suspended for today in honour of the departed soul.”

The VC, Prof. Rahamon Bello, later drove in with the university security officials to address the students in front of the student union building.

The VC, while appealing to the students not to aggravate the situation, promised that enquiries would be made into the matter by the university authorities, the police, and the electricity distribution company.

He said, “To the entire students of our institution, what happened was an accident. The wire that fell does not belong to the university. It serves the Onike area. We have communicated the electricity distribution company on the need to have their cables underground. All UNILAG cables are under the ground.

“But there will be full enquiries into this, as the police and the state government will be involved.

“Let us not aggravate the issue as we do not want to lose any other life. Today has been declared as a day of mourning, and no lecture will be holding.”

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Joe Offor, said the police had put the situation under control.

It was gathered that the management of the university visited the Anekwes on Wednesday evening at their Okota, Lagos home.

The delegation, which was led by the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Tunde Babawale, was said to have conveyed the institution’s condolence to the family, promising that inquiries would be made on the cause of the death.

The father confirmed the visit of the UNILAG delegate on the telephone, adding that the family was still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the deceased have flooded her Facebook account, Oluchi Anekwe, to react to her death.

One of them, Ojidoh Lucious, said, “Nigeria is a nation where nothing is done to standard. A university does not have running water and a steady supply of electricity. The management just killed an innocent lady due to its poor standard. Oluchi, you will be missed.”
Punch

Rape: UNILAG lecturer stays in prison, shuns court

Observed:ers that filled a Lagos Magistrate’s Court to capacity were let down on Wednesday as Dr. Akin Baruwa, who reportedly raped an 18-year-old UniversitySOURCE agos admission seeker, failed to show up in court.

It was learnt that Baruwa, a lecturer at the university’s Distance Learning Institute, who had been in remand at the Kirikiri Prison since August 7, reportedly declined to follow the prison officers while they were coming to the court with other inmates.

The defendant had been in trouble since August 3, when he was arrested by the police for allegedly raping his friend’s daughter inside an office at the institution’s Department of Accounting.

PUNCH Metro had exclusively reported that the teenage girl had, on the order of her father, followed Baruwa to the school on July 23 to assist her in gaining admission into the university.

The 42-year-old lecturer had owned up to having a sexual intercourse with the girl although he claimed it was “consensual.”

He was subsequently arraigned on one count of rape and granted bail in the sum of N250,000 with two sureties in like sum, while his case file was sent to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

But the bail conditions had yet to be perfected as of Wednesday when he refused to show up in court.

A lawyer from the Office of the Public Defender, Mrs. Ibidun Ibikunle, while refuting the claim by the defence counsel that he (Baruwa) was absent in court on health grounds, told the court that he refused to answer prison officers when he was called.

Ibikunle, who held brief for the complainant, said, “What the defence counsel said is not true. I spoke with the head of the prison warders earlier today (Wednesday) and he did not tell me anything like that. He said when the warders were coming to court with other defendants, they called him, but he refused to follow them. So, I don’t know where the defence counsel got the claim that Baruwa is ill from.”

The defence counsel, Terry Adeniji, had earlier told the court that Baruwa was critically ill, adding that it had been difficult to perfect his bail conditions.

He said, “My Lord, the defendant is critically ill and I learnt he has been admitted in a hospital. It has been very difficult to secure his bail. What we are thinking is that if we are able to secure his bail, he will have access to a better medical care. We believe the law is not one-way traffic and it is when he is well enough that he can face the trial on this matter. In fact, according to the law, he is still presumed innocent in respect of this matter.”

The prosecutor, Jimah Ishegede, said the counsel was not in the position to prove whether the accused was ill or not. He, however, said he did not object to the counsel’s bail application.

The presiding magistrate, Mr. T. Elias, adjourned the case till September 21, 2015 for the outcome of the DPP’s advice.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother has expressed her displeasure at the way the incident is being handled by an investigation panel set up by UNILAG.

The woman said she was not satisfied with the defence put up by the head of the panel when she enquired about how Baruwa had access to the office.

She said, “The panel invited us in August. They asked the girl how the incident went and she explained. When they insisted they did not know him, I asked the professor who interviewed us how Baruwa had access to the office

“She replied that it could be that a lecturer friend of Baruwa gave him access to the office to carry out a research. I am not satisfied with the reply.”

Punch.

78-year-old landlord rapes tenant’s 9-year-old daughter in Enugu

ENUGU State Police Command has charged to court Chief Wilfred Ogbodo, 78, for alleg­edly raping a nine year old daughter of one of his tenants in Enugu.

Ogbodo allegedly com­mitted the act after he invited the girl to his flat where he subdued her before allegedly commit­ting the crime.

Enugu-based sexual assault referral center, Tamar SARC , has vowed to ensure that Ogbodo faces the full wrath of the law.

Narrating her ordeal to the assault referral center managed by Women Aid Collective(WACOL) and funded by Justice for All (J4A), the girl (names withheld) alleged that her landlord used threats and intimidation to subdue her before committing the wicked act.

She narrated how the suspect identified as Og­bodo, invited her to his flat, while he was alone, stripped her naked and raped her.

The girl’s words: “He used his hands first, to rub my vagina and later, his mouth to have oral sex with me before penetrat­ing inside me. He told me that, though his penis is big, he has to use it on me anyway, and he had sex with me in my vagina and my anus.’’

The girl said she bled profusely and the suspect tried to stop the bleeding by cleaning her vagina with his handkerchief and shirt, before his wife came in unexpectedly.

“While he was clean­ing me up, the wife came knocking at the door. The wife’s knock was so loud that he later opened the door and the wife asked me, what the husband did, and I told her’’ the girl stated.

Reacting to the inci­dent, bewildered parents of the girl expressed shock at what happened to their daughter and vowed to seek justice ensured the treatment of their child, to avoid any adverse medical effect on her in future.

They however, thanked TAMAR SARC for the treatment and counseling of their child, which they noted, was prompt.

It was gathered that, though the case has been charged to court, and the suspect remanded, Tamar SARC’s follow-up on the matter revealed that the case file has been for­warded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

Chibok girls dispersed married off, says Buhari

LAGOS — MORE than 513 days after the abduction of the Chibok Secondary School girls in Borno State, hopes of rescuing the girls en bloc vaporized as President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday, disclosed that they have been dispersed and some of them, especially Christians, married off against their faith.
President Buhari made the comments in an interview on BBC Hausa service on Tuesday.
Asked if he received any information about the whereabouts of the kidnapped Chibok girls, he said: “They (Boko Haram insurgents) have scattered them, and (they) are being guarded at dispersed locations. Most of the girls are Christians and were forced to embrace Islam. The sect’s cruel leaders have married some of the girls, obviously against their wish. Others have been left to practice their religion but their condition could hardly be ascertained.

“Both ground and air security personnel in the Sambisa forest could spot where the girls are, but since the insurgents have also kidnapped housewives and other women, no one could say whether they mixed them or how they dispersed them. But efforts are being intensified and as people know, the three neighbouring governments of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger are helping us since these suicide bombers are now going to their areas and detonating the bombs in mosques and other places.”
On his efforts to check the Boko Haram insurgency, Buhari said: “One of the decisions we took soon after we came into office was to change the service chiefs and we overhauled the infantry. We mandated the military chiefs to change the infantry, re-train them, equip them with adequate weapons and put trained and qualified commanders for the soldiers. The three states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa know the successes being recorded now.”
Locals must help fight Boko Haram
Told that despite this success of the military, suicide bombers have continued to strike, the President fingered the international dimension of the insurgency and stressed the need for the support of local people in the war.
“Boko Haram members have pledged their allegiance to ISIS — an insurgent group from the Middle East, with enough money and its members were brainwashed into killing innocent people, including Al-Shabbab around Somalia, and Al-Qa’eda from Yemen, plus the ISIS itself around Syria and Iraq. If you can recall, ISIS even went to mosques in Saudi Arabia and killed people on about three to five occasions not to talk of doing same in Nigeria. So, the biggest problem here is how they brainwashed young people, including young girls, who go to mosques, churches, markets, motor parks and detonate bombs, kill themselves and other civilians. How we are going to overcome this is going back to the traditional security apparatus — community leaders, neighbours, district heads, emirs, who should begin to identify new faces in their localities and ask them where they come from and what brought them. They can identify them in either markets, or any other place. This is what will help us in that regard so that those planning to undertake suicide missions could be identified and they would be dealt with appropriately,” he said.

Source: Vanguardngr.com

Man Rapes Neighbour's 9 Yr Old Daughter, Infects Her With HIV

A 29-year-old man, Morufu Sofoluwe, was on Wednesday in an Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court, remanded in prison custody for allegedly raping his nine year old neighbor's daughter and infecting her with HIV according to Punch.

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The Prosecutor, Inspector Sunday Eigbejiale, told the court that the disgusting offence was committed sometime in July at Isale-Abetu, Abeokuta.

Eigbejiale said the accused lured the victim into his room and had carnal knowledge of her. Eigbejiale said:
The nine-year-old girl, who had been sick for a while, was taken to the hospital on August 28, where some tests were carried out and the results indicated that she has HIV.
After questioning, the victim later told her parents that the accused was the one that raped her. The accused had also been diagnosed of HIV
Eigbejiale said the offence contravened Section 218 of the Criminal Laws of Ogun State, 2006 and the court did not take the plea of the accused.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Anthony Araba, ordered that the accused be remanded in Oba Prison pending the advice by the Director of Public Prosecution.

Araba adjourned the case till October 30.

Chibok girls: US congress woman flays lawmakers’ indifference

 

A United States of  America congress woman, Federica Wilson, has blasted  Nigerian lawmakers for not advocating the release of the missing 219 Chibok Secondary School girls.
The American lawmaker said the lawmakers had failed to identify with the struggle by the #BringBackOurGirls coalition advocating the rescue of the girls  abducted by  Boko Haram over a year ago.
Wilson who addressed  the BBOG sit-out at the Unity Fountain, Abuja on Tuesday said it was part of the responsibilities of the lawmakers to also come out and canvass the release of the school girls.
She specifically called on lawmakers from the North-East region to take up the Federal Government and state governors on what efforts had been made to rescue the girls.

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Wilson said  Nigerians should stand up for their rights and ask their elected representatives questions, noting that it is the duty of the elected officers in different offices to take care of those who elected them.
According to her, the election of President Buhari and other political office-holders marked the beginning of a new era for Nigeria as a country.
She said, “Believe me, you have the power to put pressure on the people you elected  to deliver to the people of Nigeria and to stamp out boko Haram, and find the Chibok girls.
“I have been supporting them from day one, I didn’t even know that this was even taking place, it has been so quiet, but one day somebody phoned me and I heard that they kidnapped girls in Nigeria and it has been going on for a longtime. So when I found out, I went straight to the Congress and filed two bills that were passed, which helped the President to establish victims funds.”
“That helped to bring money to the victims and helped those girls that escaped from Boko Haram. United States has invested money into the Army in making sure that they are ready for battle, and the Victims Funds.”
The lawmaker who represents the state of Florida in the Congress, challenged Nigerians to hold their lawmakers and political officer-holders accountable, stressing that it is the duty of the elected officials to deliver on their promises to the people.

SOURCE

Man steals 4 month old baby and gives to his girlfriend to sell

 

A young lady named, Kelechi Uche was paraded by the state Police Commissioner, Joshak Habila, in Umuahia, for trying to sell a baby. Uche was arrested by some members of the public at Osusu Aku, where she went to look for buyers.

According to the police boss,a man simply identified as Uchenna and four other suspects, still at large, stole a four month old boy at gunpoint on August 21, at Ntigha Uzo in the Obingwa Local Government Area of the state. Then he gave the baby to his gf, Kelechi Uche to sell.

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Habila explained that Kelechi drew the suspicion of some members of the public on August 26 when the baby started crying uncontrollably, but she could not breastfeed him.

The CP said she was apprehended by the curious and suspicious  members of the public after she gave incoherent and unsatisfactory answer when she was asked if she was the biological mother of the baby.

“She was immediately arrested and handed over to the police at Ugwunagbo division,” the CP added.

He added that upon interrogation, the suspect said the child was stolen by her boyfriend, Uchenna, and four others and given to her to sell.

Accoring to Punch, the CP said the suspect also explained that the baby was first kept in the house of one Love Chinkata who is also at large, before she collected him to sell.

Habila said efforts were on to trace the biological parents of the baby and to also apprehend other fleeing suspects in connection with the crime.