Metro
Court Sentences Edo Man to Death for Kidnapping, Gangrape, Friends Bag Jail Terms
A man, Taofeek Isah, has been sentenced to death by hanging by the Edo State High Court sitting in the Auchi area of the state.
The court also sentenced two others, Jeremiah Okamudu and Miracle Pius, to different jail terms.
One of the defendants, Godwin Adeyemi, was, however, discharged and acquitted.
The convicts were brought before the court on five counts of rape, kidnapping, attack with a harmful substance, inflicting physical injury, and unlawful trial by ordeal.
The presiding judge, Justice Philip Imoedemhe, in his judgment on Thursday, sentenced Isah (1st defendant) to death; Okamudu (2nd defendant) to four years’ imprisonment; Pius (4th defendant) to 19 years.
Justice Imoedemhe held that all the evidence tendered before the court convinced him beyond reasonable doubt that the 1st, 2nd and 4th defendants were guilty of the charges.
Imoedemhe ordered that Isah be hanged to death while the other convicts be taken to the Auchi Custodial Centre to serve their jail terms.
The lead prosecutor from the Edo State Ministry of Justice, Clement Eseigbe, had during the trial submitted that Isah connived with three of his friends to kidnap, gang-rape and grievously assault a 20-year-old girl, Blessing.
The prosecutor said the defendants committed the offences on October 22, 2021, at Okpella community in the Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State.
“The defendants did rub pepper in the private parts of Blessing and inflicted physical injuries on her by beating her with a cutlass, wood and other dangerous objects,” the prosecutor added.
In a similar case, the court sentenced a 61-year-old man, Taiwo Buoro, to 10 years’ imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl.
Imoedemhe in his judgment sentenced Buoro without a fine option.
Buoro, a farmer, committed the offence on September 19, 2021, at Ososo in the Akoko-Edo LGA of Edo State.
Representatives of a non-governmental organization, BraveHeart Initiative for Youth and Women, expressed joy at the judgment.
The Punch
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, raided Proxy Night club at 7, Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, where a drug party was going on, and arrested over 100 suspects.
Spokesman of the agency, Femi Babafemi, while making this known, said the suspects arrested include the owner of the club, Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu, alias Pretty Mike, who was taken into custody for interrogation.
“Cartons of illicit substances, including Loud and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
“The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11 pm on Saturday, 25th October, however, disrupted the gathering at 3 am on Sunday, 26th October, in line with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The Cotps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, has expressed deep concern over to a viral video circulating on social media showing an altercation between some FRSC officers and a driver along Abudu, Edo State, Nigeria, on Saturday, 25th October, 2025. and has ordered an immediate investigation to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
Corps Marshal Mohammed emphasized, in a statement made available to National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), that the Corps does not condone any form of unprofessional conduct or behavior that undermines the integrity and discipline for which the FRSC is known. He further assured members of the public that appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken against any officer found culpable, in line with the Corps’ operational guidelines and public service rules.
He also appealed to the motoring public to remain calm and continue to show cooperation and respect towards FRSC personnel, who are committed to ensuring safer roads and protecting lives across the nation.
While the FRSC remains steadfast in its mission to promote road safety, maintain order, and uphold the highest standards of professionalism in service delivery, the Corps marshal will also not tolerate any form of assault or violence against its personnel from members of the public in the course of duty.
