• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 25 views
• 2 minutes Read

Defilement: Lagos urges Supreme Court to affirm conviction of medical doctor

Lagos State Government has urged the Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, who was found guilty by the State High Court of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece but later acquitted by the Court of Appeal. Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, Medical Director of the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was originally sentenced to life
Defilement: Lagos urges Supreme Court to affirm conviction of medical doctor

Lagos State Government has urged the Supreme Court to uphold the conviction of Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, who was found guilty by the State High Court of defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece but later acquitted by the Court of Appeal.

Dr. Olufemi Olaleye, Medical Director of the Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, was originally sentenced to life imprisonment by the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court in October 2023.

Not satisfied with the Court of Appeal’s ruling, the state government took the case to the Supreme Court, contesting the acquittal of Dr. Olaleye on defilement charges.

But Dr. Olaleye, through his counsel, Chief J. Okutepa, SAN, filed an objection against the appeal.

The respondent’s counsel, in the preliminary objection, prayed the apex court to strike out the appeal for want of competence.

In response to the preliminary objection, the state government urged the Supreme Court to dismiss the respondent’s arguments, citing the reasons outlined in its brief of argument dated August 18, 2025, and to uphold the appeal by restoring the trial court’s judgment.

In a detailed reply to Olaleye’s preliminary objection, the state government contended that the respondent’s application was misguided, baseless, and rooted in mere technicalities.

The state’s ground of appeal rests on four major pillars, each pointing to why the apex court should affirm the conviction of Olaleye by the trial court.

In ground three, the state government wants the apex court to determine whether the issue of the age of the victim PW2 which was not contested, disputed or raised during trial can be made an issue at the appellate stage; whether the appellant has successfully proved the offenses of defilement of a child contrary to Section 137 of the Criminal Law, CAP 17, VOL 3.

Laws of Lagos State 2015 and sexual assault by penetration contrary to Section 261 of the Criminal Law, CAP 17, and Vol 3 Laws of Lagos State 2015, against the respondent beyond reasonable doubt as required by law among others.

Defilement: Lagos urges Supreme Court to affirm conviction of medical doctor

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 23 views
• 3 minutes Read

Court frees 13 inmates unlawfully detained in Taraba, awards N448m damages

Thirteen male inmates who had been unlawfully detained for periods ranging from one to six years without trial have regained their freedom. This is following a landmark judgment of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, delivered on Monday. The inmates, who expressed overwhelming joy as they stepped out of detention, were released through the intervention of
Court frees 13 inmates unlawfully detained in Taraba, awards N448m damages

Thirteen male inmates who had been unlawfully detained for periods ranging from one to six years without trial have regained their freedom.

This is following a landmark judgment of the Federal High Court, Jalingo, delivered on Monday.

The inmates, who expressed overwhelming joy as they stepped out of detention, were released through the intervention of human rights lawyer, Barrister John Okezie, who represented them pro bono.

Okezie, as gathered by our reporter, had filed separate fundamental rights enforcement suits against the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and the Department of State Services, DSS, challenging their unlawful detention.

Delivering judgment, Justice Maskur Salisu described the prolonged incarceration of the men as a flagrant violation of their constitutional rights.

He ordered their immediate release and awarded a total of N48 million in damages against the security agencies.

“The prolonged detention of citizens without trial is not only unconstitutional but an affront to human dignity,” Justice Salisu declared.

He further warned that law enforcement agencies must operate strictly within the bounds of the law and respect the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria..

The court found that the detainees had been held in various facilities across the state for years without being charged to court.

In each case, Justice Salisu ruled that their rights to liberty and fair hearing had been grossly violated, condemning the actions of the security agencies as “reprehensible and unlawful.”

The judgment was officially enforced on November 3, 2025.

Human rights advocates, who spoke with our reporter, hailed the ruling as a milestone for civil liberties and a strong statement against arbitrary detention in Nigeria.

Speaking with journalists, Barrister Okezie said his motivation was to help decongest prisons and ensure that justice is accessible to all, regardless of financial status.

“This was a pro bono effort aimed at ensuring that justice is not reserved for only those who can afford it,” he said.

He urged the freed men to make the most of their second chance and avoid any conduct that could return them to prison.

Some of the released inmates, visibly emotional, expressed profound gratitude to Okezie for his intervention.

“We would still be rotting in jail if not for his help,” one of them said, adding: “we’ve learned our lessons and will live better lives.”

The ruling was observed to have been widely celebrated as a victory for human rights and a powerful reminder of the judiciary’s vital role in safeguarding citizens against abuse of power by law enforcement agencies.

Court frees 13 inmates unlawfully detained in Taraba, awards N448m damages

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 23 views
• 3 minutes Read

Anambra guber: ‘We won’t tolerate failure’ – Amupitan warns INEC staff ahead of Saturday polls

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has stated that delayed commencement of an election is the first sign of failure of the process. Amuputan noted that one of the reasons commencement of voting is delayed is the failure of logistics, warning that this must not happen on Saturday. He
Anambra guber: ‘We won’t tolerate failure’ – Amupitan warns INEC staff ahead of Saturday polls

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has stated that delayed commencement of an election is the first sign of failure of the process.

Amuputan noted that one of the reasons commencement of voting is delayed is the failure of logistics, warning that this must not happen on Saturday.

He said that any staff who fails to commence voting at the appropriate time would have to answer to that as there is no room for excuses.

He told the Commission’s workers to be flawless, alerting them that the world is watching.

Amupitan, who will be taking charge of an election for the first time as the Chairman of INEC following his appointment last month, spoke to staff of the Commission during a meeting at the State Office in Awka on Monday.

The meeting was part of his working visit to the state ahead of the election and coincided with the signing of the Peace Accord by political parties.

He harped on integrity, insisting that a free, fair and credible election rests squarely on the shoulders of Commission staff at all levels.

“There must not be a logistics failure,” he declared.

“The eyes of the world are on INEC, on the Resident Electoral Commissioner, and on you the Electoral Officers.

“Voting must begin at exactly 8:30 a.m. in all the 5,718 polling units across the 21 local government areas. That is non-negotiable.

“If you don’t have to sleep on Friday, don’t sleep.

“The first sign of a credible election is that it starts on time. When people wake up to hear that voting hasn’t started at 9:00 a.m., that’s already a failure, and we will not allow that to happen in Anambra,” he said.

Amupitan underscored the sanctity of Form EC8A, describing it as “the pyramid of votes in Nigeria,” adding that presiding officers must record, sign and stamp election results promptly while collation officers must ensure that the figures tally with the BVAS accreditation data before moving to the next stage.

“Ignorance of the law is not an excuse,” he warned.

He directed that corrections must be effected immediately and transparently too in a case that figures do not align as the Electoral Act provides.

“If an election fails to start on time, the Electoral Officer in that local government will have to explain why,” he stated.

Anambra guber: ‘We won’t tolerate failure’ – Amupitan warns INEC staff ahead of Saturday polls

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 26 views
• 2 minutes Read

We won’t take your lands without compensation – Abia Govt tells communities

Abia State government has urged communities in the State to cooperate with it on land acquisition issues, assuring the communities that their lands would not be acquired without adequate compensation paid to them. The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu gave the advice on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s executive council
We won’t take your lands without compensation – Abia Govt tells communities

Abia State government has urged communities in the State to cooperate with it on land acquisition issues, assuring the communities that their lands would not be acquired without adequate compensation paid to them.

The Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu gave the advice on Monday while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.

He said that the current administration in Abia has continued to pay what he called handsome compassion despite the fact that the 1978 Land Use Act places the ownership of all big lands in the hands of the government.

“Communities should cooperate with the government, under the watch of this administration and under the watch of Governor Alex Otti, Abians would never be shortchanged in terms of lands acquired for projects”, Kanu said.

He also told the communities that lands acquired for particular purposes would not be diverted for another project.

He announced that the State government has approved the implementation of Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) for local government workers in the State.

According to the commissioner, the approval of the CONHESS was part of the ongoing reforms in the state civil service, aimed at prioritizing the welfare of workers.

“This commendable move makes Abia State one of the few states in the country that pays the federal government Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS),” he said.

He disclosed that the recruitment portal for health workers has been reopened, informing that vacancies exist for ophthalmologists, medical officers, dental officers, as well as part-time and full-time consultants.

We won’t take your lands without compensation – Abia Govt tells communities

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 24 views
• 1 minute Read

BREAKING: ‘I have been prevented from travelling’ – Natasha

Senator representing Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti has alleged that her international passport has been withheld. She alleged that she had been prevented from travelling. The lawmaker made the allegation in a live Facebook broadcast on Tuesday morning. According to her, “having completed the celebration of my second year, I decided to take a week
BREAKING: ‘I have been prevented from travelling’ – Natasha

Senator representing Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti has alleged that her international passport has been withheld.

She alleged that she had been prevented from travelling.

The lawmaker made the allegation in a live Facebook broadcast on Tuesday morning.

According to her, “having completed the celebration of my second year, I decided to take a week off and my passport is being withheld again. The same thing happened.

“I have committed no offense and there is no order from the court to seize my passport and deny me traveling.

“The last time it happened, the officer in charge told us that the Senate President Godswill Akpabio instructed them to withhold my passport and prevent me from traveling”.

BREAKING: ‘I have been prevented from travelling’ – Natasha

• Hot Source
• Uncategorized
• November 4, 2025
• 18 views
• 2 minutes Read

Physician, heal thyself – Mahdi Shehu blasts Trump

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has criticised the United States President Donald Trump over his recent comments about defending Christians in Nigeria, describing the statement as hypocritical. In a post shared on X on Monday night, Shehu said Trump has failed to protect Christians in his own country, where gun violence claims hundreds of lives
Physician, heal thyself – Mahdi Shehu blasts Trump

Public affairs commentator Mahdi Shehu has criticised the United States President Donald Trump over his recent comments about defending Christians in Nigeria, describing the statement as hypocritical.

In a post shared on X on Monday night, Shehu said Trump has failed to protect Christians in his own country, where gun violence claims hundreds of lives every week, yet he claims he wants to defend Christians in Nigeria from persecution.

“Trump is utterly incapable of saving 70 Christians killed daily right under his nose in the United States, yet claims he wants to defend Christians in Nigeria from persecution.

Quoting the Bible, Shehu wrote, “Physicians, heal thyself.”

According to him, documented data shows that 125 people in the US are killed through gun violence each day. 327 people are shot daily, 117 killed in the process with 210 surviving various degrees of gunshot injuries.

He also cited data from the Everytown Research Journal, noting that an average of 45,738 people are killed by gun violence in the U.S. every year, most of whom are Christians killed not by terrorists but by fellow citizens.

According to him, Trump has been misled into believing a one-sided narrative about Nigeria.

“Trump has been misled into a one sided narrative and believed the same to be the Gospel truth and wishes to spill the blood of both innocent and guilty Nigerians for the sake of accessing cheap and free mineral resources,”he said.

Physician, heal thyself – Mahdi Shehu blasts Trump