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
By Eric Elezuo
A security expect and Chief Executive Officer, Safety Signatures Limited, Dr. Cynthia Gregg, has identified the need for individuals to have intimidate and dominion over their fellow man as one of the reasons for the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Nigerian Civil space, thereby resulting in insecurity and unsafe habitation.
Gregg made the observation while participating as a panelist during the panel session of the 2023 National Security Conference of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), on Thursday at the Civic Centre, Lagos.
The security practitioner noted that the issue of small arms and light weapons in the hands of non state actors, has become a major concern to all and sundry as killings abound, affecting both men in uniform and their civilian counterparts in the country today.
“We have noticed that in our society today, the person who carries the weapon is the most feared, and so because everyone wants to be feared, wants to dominate and intimidate the other person, they go to any length to acquire illegal weapons. That explains why when a robber encounters someone, the first thing they do is brandish a weapon or unleash some brutality to subdue their victim. It is the norm, unfortunately,” she said.
She further called on the public to encourage and help the law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties by saying something when they see something, and advocated community engagement to deal with challenges of proliferation of lethal weapons in the hands of non state actors.
Again, Gregg lauded the efforts of NAOSNP in using its platform to propagate safety and security through fruitful engagements with relevant institutions and reportage of credible security stories as well as advocacy through its enviable conferences.
The Lagos State Police Command had said the autopsy conducted on Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, had been concluded.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to The Punch during a telephone conversation on Thursday.
He said, “Autopsy has been concluded. Awaiting results.”
Earlier on, while responding to an enquiry by the paper concerning arrests made by the police in connection with the late singer’s death, Hundeyin said, “I can’t answer questions on the arrests yet because I don’t have that update. However, the nurse is in our custody; I can confirm that.”
The body of the late singer, Ilerioluwa Oladimeji Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has been exhumed for autopsy.
Lagos State Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed the development via his X handle on Thursday.
The Lagos Police image maker wrote: “Exhumation completed. Autopsy to commence. #JusticeForMohad #Justice4Mohbad.”
