Metro
Rape Accusation: Nigerian Commits Suicide in US, Announces Own Death
A creative designer and founder of Uhuru Designz, a United States of America-based clothing company, Izuchukwu Madubueze (simply known as Izu), has taken his own life over an allegation of sexual assault.
Izu, who resided in Tampa, Florida, reportedly moved to the US some years ago.
While his Lagos-based friend, Nelson Greyhood, confirmed the suicide to PUNCH Metro, efforts to speak to his family members proved abortive.
The telephone line of his brother, Ekene, was not reachable.
Our correspondent, however, read Ekene’s status update, indicating that his phone was ‘blowing up’ from multiple calls, as he asked his friends to send him text messages.
He had yet to respond to a text message from our correspondent.
Izu reportedly graduated from King’s College, Lagos, in 2013, before getting a scholarship to study at the University of Florida.
The King’s College Old Boys’ Association confirmed his death on its Twitter page.
PUNCH Metro gathered that a Twitter influencer and female rights activist, Nanichi Anese, added Izu’s name to a list of sexual offenders on the social media late June 2020.
She claimed to have received information from some anonymous ladies, who alleged that the victim sexually assaulted them.
Izu, who was contacted by friends, who saw the post, reached out to Anese, demanding the identities of his accusers.
However, Anese allegedly declined the request, saying she had sworn to protect the ladies.
After failed efforts to clear his name, the victim was said to have taken his own life.
Izu announced his own death on Twitter using Crowdfire App, an application which allows users to schedule their posts.
“Oh and if you’re reading this, I’m dead lol,” he wrote on July 17, 2020.
As reactions trickled in, his accuser, Anese @nanichianese, claimed she had spoken to him and they had apologised to each other.
When the criticisms increased, she deactivated her Twitter account.
However, before deactivating the account, Anese said her intentions were noble.
“I’m aching right now and have so many thoughts, so much anger, pain, guilt, sadness. But this isn’t about me. It never has been. For those of you healing so many wounds right now, I’m sorry if any of your pain has come at my hands. This is the last of what I would ever wanted and I am really struggling because my friend is gone,” she wrote.
Findings from earlier tweets by @nanichianese showed that she had listed the names of some men, including Izu, accusing them of sexual assault.
She urged them to have some “introspection” on their past dealings and seek the forgiveness of their former girlfriends.
“I have remained steadfast and will continue. No stories will be released, no names will be released. I stand by that and will not waiver. Deal with that as you see fit and do not attach me to anything. But this thread will live on,” she wrote on her timeline.
Izu, in a private message to Anese, whom he said was a friend, demanded details of the allegations against him.
He lamented that a lot of people had been calling him after seeing his name on the list.
Anese said she was told “the harassment was not physical.”
“Again, thanks for your response; I thought we had a better relationship than this Nani, but it’s cool, I can’t shoot the messenger. No one comes to mind still. My phone is blowing up, and I myself, I’m still shocked. If you could let the person know I sincerely apologized for any way I harassed them that’d be greatly appreciated. If they need to talk, they can reach me on (phone number). Feel free to post this too,” he wrote.
However, Anese said the victim declined to speak with him.
Izu expressed frustration at the accusation and released private messages of a lady, who asked to date him in 2017.
He said while he did not wish to discredit any supposed victim’s story, his efforts at knowing his offence had been futile.
“I am still pretty clueless as to who this is, so if you feel comfortable enough, please feel free to reach out to me so I can understand wherever I went wrong and make amends and do better overall,” he wrote.
His friend, Greyhood, told our correspondent that Izu later killed himself.
He said, “He schooled in the University of Florida, where he studied something like Criminology or so. He was staying in a small apartment before he moved to a big warehouse as his company was doing fine. He was a great guy with strong will. He moved to the US more than four years now on scholarship.
“It was actually over there that the rape allegation trended. The woman compiling the list of the supposed sexual offender is also in the United States.
“I went on Twitter and saw the whole story and how he pleaded to know the accusers and even brought out his past relationships, saying he had never abused anyone in his life.
“His friends close to him in Florida confirmed that he’s dead. The Crowdfire app he used to post his death allows people to schedule their posts. So, it dropped online after he took his own life.”
PUNCH Metro observed that a petition on change.org calling for the prosecution of Anese had been signed by over 5,000 people.
Thousands of Nigerians on Twitter also called for justice for the victim, with the hashtag#JusticeforIZU, trending for hours.
The Punch
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has charged officers to take the fight directly to criminals, stating: “It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive.”
The IGP, who spoke on Wednesday in Kano during a strategic meeting with officers of the Kano State Command, noted that “when bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice. Keep pushing hard, stay sharp, and sustain this momentum”.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West region, Suleiman Abdul, the IGP announced the establishment of six core administrative pillars designed to strengthen the internal security framework.
Notable among the pillars is the operationalisation of “Handshake Patrols” between contiguous states to deny criminals jurisdictional escape routes.
IGP Disu also announced a renewed commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven security management, adding that the police are moving away from purely conventional, reactive methods towards evidence-based law enforcement powered by data analytics, digital forensics and a centralised information framework.
The IGP further committed to restructuring elite tactical units, with operations governed by strict rules of engagement and civilian oversight.
He stressed that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate and actionable information.
“Kano Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities,” he stated.
“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception,” he said.
“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates and systematically isolate repeat offenders,” he added.
“The administration demands absolute professional discipline and has zero tolerance for personnel high-handedness, corruption or extortion, which alienates the public,” he said.
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pelé
I love the football game, with an abiding passion, and it has been so since my primary school days back in the early ’60s.It teaches us so much about life and how to become a success in whatever we do while here on Planet Earth. Now that the 2026 World Cup is on, one cannot but reflect on the striking similarities between the two. Even though Nigeria’a Super Eagles did not qualify for this year’s edition the nation was well represented by superstar artistes such as Burna Boy, Davido and Rema whose hit songs and dance displays marked them out as our worthy ambassadors on the global stage. That is the attraction of the football game beyond all the blitz and the bravado, the thrills and frills, the losses and the victories.
To begin with, to succeed in life it is a team game. You cannot do it all alone, neither is it a two- man battle such as a boxing or wrestling match. No! There are teachers to learn from, similar to the parents, older siblings, elders in the community and of course, the school teachers to glean from.
In fact, to maximally benefit from each and everyone of them it takes humility, hardwork, honesty of purpose, with passion. It also encapsulates character, courage, and commitment to the rules and regulations just as the footballers listen to and practice from the hands of their coaches as well as their assistants.
It is through such regular trainings and obedience to the tactics adopted and corrected mistakes that you get to identify and hone your talents; to bring out the best that is deposited deep within you. These are more like the precious gold, the pearls and the diamonds in the earth. Eventually, you get to know who you really are; as an engineer, medical doctor, architect, journalist, economist, entertainer or a teacher.
That is again similar to the footballers on the pitch ,who through their astute coaches become solid rock defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes or Harry Maguire, pace-setting
midfielders such as Declan Rice or iconic Rodri, master dribblers such as Jay Jay Okocha or Lionel Messi, wave -making wingers such as Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Junior, top goal scorers such as Christine Sinclair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haland, or shot – stoppers such as David Raya or Thibaut Courtois
As it is with life, so it plays out in the field of football; practicing and preparing for it with one game at a time. It is not a 100- metre dash but a 90-minute or more display of what you have learnt. They are usually exhibited as your skills with the team ambition of scoring the vital, game -changing goals. But there are challenges to expect and be prepared to overcome.
For instance, who are the players that others from the opposing team attack? They are those with the ball. That is exactly how life evolves for you. And who are those who get booked with the yellow or red card? Those who, like criminals attack others with premeditated brutal and brazen boots instead of going for the ball The referees, like the law enforcement agents are there to penalize the offenders, including those who cross the lines or cruelly close in on others within the 18- yard box to give the other side a penalty kick. So, as you sweat it out in life m,learn to obey the rules and regulations.
Definitely, out there at the stadium there are the spectators to support their favorite teams. From them come the cheers and the jeers but any player who gets distracted by them misses the essence of the game at hand and eventually the vital goals.
And when it comes to the unfailing factor of focus one outstanding player that exemplifies that is Cristiano Ronaldo. So committed he is to football that he arrives the training ground long before other team mates as well as always being the last to leave. Little wonder that at the age of 41 years he is not only regarded as the highest goal scorer in the history of the football game, but for the teams he has played for , his country,Portugal and is also reckoned with as an all-round soccer superstar scoring with the head, and both legs.
His passion for football is so profound that his connection to the game goes far beyond physical play. In fact, he views it as a true form of self-expression and his relentless ambition is exhibited everywhere he plays.
Describing football as an art he stated that: “I see football as an art and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.
He says that: “Without football, my life is worth nothing”. “It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring… It’s bad to have addictions. But it’s good to get addicted to progress.” But can we as individuals say that about our professions? Do we enjoy what we do virtually on daily basis? The answer is ours to give.
One other aspect that connects football and life is betting. Hours before the players sweat it out there in the field of play hundreds of thousands of fans across the world go out to bet, guessing the potential winners and losers. But yours truly stays out of football betting even if it rakes in millions of naira for the those who guessed right.But why, you may ask? It is all because as it is with life, so it is with football, there is always the Unknown Factor-X. Only God knows the end from the beginning.
My love for football is also anchored on the factors and features of fusion it brings to the fore. While the game is on the avid spectators are bound by the spirit of togetherness, hardly influenced by their differences in ethnicity, religion or politics. So it should be amongst us, because whether we like it not, we should focus more on what binds us together instead of widening the cracks of sentiments that separate us.
For us to be celebrated like the World Cup winning goal, we must identify our God-given talents , listen to our life-coaches to hone them and be good team player. We should expect and be prepared for challenges, obey me rules, make sacrifices as Pele highlighted and keep being consistent. All because, as it with football and life, to succeed there has to be constancy of purpose.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.
The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms available to it.
The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.
