Metro
Police Probe Gang-Rape of Akwa Ibom Teenage Girl by Three Men
The Akwa Ibom State Police Command said it had begun investigation into the case of a 16-year-old girl, who was gang-raped by three men in the Eyoabasi community, Oron Local Government Area of the state.
It was gathered that the victim was gang-raped around 7pm on February 18, 2021, when she was coming back from a coaching class.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the victim, a Senior Secondary School 1 pupil, was allegedly attacked by three men and dragged into an uncompleted building and raped at gunpoint.
The victim, who managed to escape from the men, was said to have been rescued by a passerby when she fell.
It was gathered that the matter was reported at the Oron Divisional Police Headquarters.
However, the family accused police personnel at the station of trying to cover up the matter.
The victim’s uncle, Robinson Edumoh, alleged that the officer-in-charge of the juvenile, women and children unit at the station wrote a different statement for one of the suspects, who is in police custody and allegedly confessed to the crime, adding that the officer tried to turn the case against the victim.
He said, “My sister was directed to the woman in charge of the juvenile welfare unit, but she told her to come back the next Monday to collect the medical form.
“I called the DPO to tell him what happened and he requested that I should direct my sister to his office; she went and met with him and my sister got the medical form and took it to the hospital and the victim made a statement that she was attacked at gunpoint, but the police officers handling the case refused to carry out any search of the arrested suspect’s house to see if they would recover any arm until after a week.
“The officer-in-charge fabricated a statement for the arrested suspect that the victim said he was not involved. I met the DPO and he summoned the IPO and the OC, and when they got to his office, he asked her where the OC got the statement from and she started trading blames; so, the DPO ordered that the case file should be re-assigned to another officer and a search warrant should be executed to search the suspect’s house and the scene of the incident.”
Edumoh also alleged that after the Divisional Police Officer gave an order for the suspect’s house to be searched, the OC insisted on collecting money from the victim’s mother before executing the search warrant.
The victim’s uncle added that until he called the DPO again, the OC did not conduct a search on the suspect’s apartment.
He added, “I called the DPO again to tell him what the OC was saying; the DPO was mad at her before they were able to go to the suspect’s house on Friday, where they recovered live ammunition, and at the scene of the incident, the victim’s pants and her menstrual pad that the suspects tore were recovered one week after the incident.”
When contacted by our correspondent, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macdon, refuted the claim that the police were covering up the matter.
He said the matter had been transferred to the state Criminal Investigation Department in Uyo.
Macdon stated, “The matter has been transferred to the state command, because the divisional headquarters have no right to handle a rape case; we have a special section at the state CID that handles such cases, and if the police are trying to cover up the case, they won’t have gone to execute a search warrant, recover the victim’s pants, pad and locally-made ammunition, and arrest a suspect.
The Punch
Adron Homes & Properties Limited has congratulated Muslim faithful across Nigeria and around the world on the occasion of Eid, urging them to continue embracing the virtues of peace, sacrifice, love, and unity that the season symbolizes.
In a statement issued by the management of Adron Homes & Properties, the company described Eid as a sacred period that promotes spiritual renewal, compassion, gratitude, and harmonious coexistence among people irrespective of tribe, religion, or social status.
The foremost real estate company noted that the values of selflessness, obedience, and generosity demonstrated during the holy season remain essential ingredients for national growth and societal development.
According to the statement, Nigerians should use the festive period as an opportunity to strengthen bonds of brotherhood, extend love to the less privileged, and pray for enduring peace and economic prosperity in the country.
Adron Homes further reaffirmed its commitment to providing affordable luxury homes and building sustainable communities that promote comfort, security, and family values for Nigerians at home and abroad.
The company prayed for divine blessings, joy, and fulfillment for all Muslim faithful celebrating Eid and wished them a peaceful and memorable celebration.
Metro
Ikorodu Security: CP Tijani Launches ‘Command Sweepers Squad’, Deploys Three LSSTF Refurbished APCs
In swift response to the recent security concerns emerging out of Ikorodu and its environs over the nefarious activities of some criminal elements that are tormenting places such as Ijede, Ginti, among others, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani personally led a major show of Force across different part of Ikorodu to assert the dominance of the Police and other security agencies to thwart any crimes in the areas. This show of Force was also accompanied by the Inauguration of a special tactical security outfit codenamed ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad,’ which is a temporary intervention security outfit created to address the growing incidents of crimes and criminality within Ikorodu and adjoining areas, comprising of Command Tactical Teams, RRS, Lagos Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, 2 PMF, 22 PMF, and 63 PMF of the Lagos Police Command, alongside personnel from other sister security agencies and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), all working collaboratively to combat and stamped out criminality within Ikorodu and its environs. The Squad has been strategically deployed to identify black spots and criminal hideouts to carry out intelligence-led operations, raids, stop-and-search duties, and confidence-building patrols aimed at flushing out criminal elements and ensuring the safety of lives and property.
Top among the security equipment deployed for the show of force and the temporary Inaugurated ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’ are the three (3) newly refurbished Armoured Personnel Carriers which were just handed over to the Lagos State Police Command by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF as well as Patrol vehicles.
While Inaugurating the ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’, the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani assured residents that the operation will be conducted professionally and in line with the rule of law, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant. He warned all criminally minded persons in Ikorodu and its environs to immediately pack their bags because his Command will not hesitate to decisively deal with them. Noting that the Command wasn’t resting on its oars, he revealed that the Squad will continue to patrol all nooks and corners in its bid to flush out all crimes and vices from the area.
Tijani assured law-abiding residents to continue supporting the Command with timely and credible information, through any of the emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.
He noted that this valuable information will enable the Police to effectively tackle crime and restore public confidence within the area. He also thanked the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr Ayo Ogunsan for the logistics support including the 3 APCs which have enjoyed immediate deployment.
The Squad is strategically situated in Ijede to ensure swift deployment and easy access to all parts of Ikorodu and adjoining communities for effective crime prevention and rapid response operations.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgment that voided the timelines it issued for the 2027 general elections.
The Commission also applied for the stay of execution of the judgment, pending the determination of its appeal.
In the notice of appeal dated May 25, which INEC filed through its team of lawyers led by Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, the Commission nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Aside from its contention that the high court erred in law when it failed to determine a jurisdictional issue it raised, INEC maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
It argued that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant.
More so, INEC insisted that the high court erred in law when it held that: “It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
INEC argued that the verdict of the trial court was against the weight of evidence placed before it by the parties.
Consequently, it prayed the appellate court for an order allowing the appeal and setting aside the judgment
The electoral body further urged the Court of Appeal to strike out YP’s case on the ground that it lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute and maintain the action it said was merely academic.
