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Employment scam: ICPC arraigns Assistant Director, one other

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By Joel Oladele, Abuja

An Assistant Director in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Mr. Yildiyel Musa Takat and an Administration Officer at the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Mr. Nankpat Dukbong have been arraigned by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over allegations of fraud, employment scam and conspiracy.

According to a statement signed by the spokesperson of the Commission, Mrs. Azuka Ogugua on Wednesday, the duo were brought before Honourable Justice O. A. Musa of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court 7, sitting in Jabi, Abuja, via a Charge No: CR/151/2022.

In a six-count charge, ICPC accused the defendants of conspiracy, abuse of office and defrauding unsuspecting job seekers to the tune of Two Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,900,000).

Azuka further stated that, “The Commission led by its counsel, told the Court of how the accused persons solicited and collected on separate occasions the sums of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000); and Two Million Four Hundred Thousand Naira (N2,400,000) from their victims in the guise of securing employment for them in the Federal Civil Service.

“While the first defendant (Takat) was charged on counts 1, 2, 4, and 5, the second defendant (Dukbong) was charged on count 1, 3, 4, and 6 respectively.

“Their actions are contrary to Section 26 and punishable under Section 18 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

“In two separate ‘Motions on Notice’ and pursuant to sections 34 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended as well as sections 162 and 163 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015, both counsel to the first and second defendants moved for bail application on behalf of their clients.

“They both sought the relief of the Court to use its discretionary powers to grant the bail in the most liberal of conditions.”

“In a swift reaction, counsel to ICPC in a counter motion, opposed the prayers sought by counsel to first defendant, saying that he had been evading trial, describing him as a serial offender who had multiple court cases against him, and therefore urged the Court to deny him the prayers sought by his lawyer, while the bail application of the second defendant was not opposed,” Azuka said.

The trial judge after listening to both parties admitted the first accused person to bail in the sum of Four Million Naira (N4,000,000) and a surety in like sum, who must be a civil servant on grade level 08 and above. The surety was also ordered to surrender his letter of first appointment and last promotion as well as identity card.

The second accused person was also granted bail in the sum Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) and a surety in like sum.

Justice Musa also ruled that the sureties must show evidence of residency within the FCT with clear address and snap themselves in front of their residents and submit to court.

He equally asked them to undertake a bond to compel the defendants to attend their trial, failure of which will not only result to the revocation of the bails, but the prosecution of the sureties.

The matter was adjourned to the 19th of October 2023 for hearing.

Crime

NAPTIP rescues 17 victims, apprehends 7 suspects in A’Ibom

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The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in Akwa Ibom, says it has rescued 17 victims and apprehended seven suspects within the past four months.
The Uyo Zonal Commander, Mr Emmanuel Awhen, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo on Monday.
Awhen said that eight of the victims were rescued while being taken away to Libya by their traffickers.
”We achieved this success through a collaborative effort with the NAPTIP command in Sokoto,” he said.
He further said that three female victims who were lured out of school in Oron, Akwa Ibom, were rescued at Idiroko, Ogun, after being taken away by their traffickers.
The commander said that the victims had been reunited with their families, and that some of them had been empowered with vocational skills to become self-reliant.
”We have trained them on hairdressing and equipped them with cash and starter packs to begin their own businesses,” he said.
Awhen said that the agency was currently investigating two of the suspects it arrested during the period under review.
”One person has been convicted while four others are being prosecuted in line with the law,” he said.
The zonal commander said that Akwa Ibom being a coastal state, had been a transit point for human trafficking.
”Traffickers mostly use the waterways to move their victims to their preferred destinations.
”It is also worrisome that stealing and selling of babies is rampant in the state, we need to all rise up against this,” he said.
Awhen expressed the commitment of the agency to live up to its expectation in the fight against human trafficking in the state.
He identified lack of logistic vehicles as a major challenge facing the agency, saying,” without vehicles, it is difficult to take our message to the rural communities”
”However, we shall not relent in our efforts to stamp out human trafficking, it is a crime against humanity,” he said.
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Crime

Traditionalist attacks late members’ residence

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…threaten to kill his children if they fail to fulfill rites

There was a pandemonium at the Alasoro Annex, Oluwo Nla, lbadan on the 1st May, 2024. At the early hours of the day, around 7am, a group described as the Yoruba traditionalists stormed the residence of Alasoro. Passersby described the incident as a very terrible one as it is highly unusual for traditionalists to invade a house in the city. Members of the group were dressed in all-white robes with their leader, possibly the head priest, holding a sort of sceptre which was believed to possess some kind of metaphysical powers.

Our correspondent interviewed an eyewitness, Mr. Tayo Akinsanya, who narrated that he watched the event unfold from a considerable distance out of fear.

According to Akinsanya, “The gate seemed to open by itself, which was strange. I can’t explain how the gate opened for these people to gain entrance. All l saw was that they got inside the house, leaving three men burning incense to man the gate. At this point, I could not see anything more. All I heard were various incantations of different kinds and so, I had to run as everyone fled for their lives.”

Further investigation by our reporter showed that the house was thoroughly ransacked, while the gateman sustained extensive injuries when he attempted to stop the traditionalists from gaining entry into the main house.

The question in the mind of everyone was why those traditionalists would invade the house in question? However, Mrs. Bukola Oni, the wife of the late owner of the residence, revealed that attackers were after the lives of her children because of their refusal to have their deceased father buried according to traditional rites.

The wife who broke down in tears while speaking with our reporter, said: “My life and my children’s lives have been miserable because of these people.”

“We have been running helter skelter in fear of these dreaded traditionalists. They want my children to surrender their father’s corpse for rituals. They also want my children to perform some traditional and occultic rites which they totally refused to do due to their Christian faith. We have been battling with this for a while and it is not a good experience at all, I must confess.”

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Crime

Delta Princess on the run alleges threat to life

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The story has emerged of a Delta princess Mrs Timi Josephine Princess who has since run for dear life following several life threatening messages and calls to her and her husband.

Mrs Timi Josephine princess, 50, a native of Ugbomoya kingdom in Delta, Delta state and the only daughter of the late king Of Ugbomoya kingdom, king Efetobo Hope, came out of her hiding place to narrate why she disappeared to seek refuge at her friends place somewhere in Abeokuta.

With over seventeen years together as a couple, Mrs Timi Josephine and hubby, Mr. Timi had relocated to Abeokuta the Ogun state capital shortly after their marriage when the husband was transferred at work to their Abeokuta office branch.

Being the apple of her father’s eyes and the only daughter, the late king had kept and entrusted all the documents of all his properties in her custody because she was believed to be the most trusted and honest of all his children. But that will be the cause and beginning of her many travails.

Trouble started for Mrs Timi Josephine sometimes around November 2023 immediately after the demise of her father. She disclosed that her father’s siblings had been after her life and that of her brothers over the property documents in her custody.

During a short interview with this reporter, while showing a copy of the affidavit deposed to by her and also a police report to that effect, Mrs Timi, revealed that his two brothers had since got missing with their whereabouts still unknown and allegedly in connection with this matter.

She disclosed that she was forced to move away from their apartment to live with a friend when they begin to notice that some people believed to be assassins have been stalking them for weeks.

According to her, her husband with whom she has enjoyed matrimony for close to two decades has just deserted her and the kids when he could no longer cope with the incessant threats and the perceived stalking.

When pressed further about the reason why she has held on to the documents in question in spite of the perceived threats, she disclosed that her father the late king had begun the process of transferring the ownership of the properties to her and her elder brothers but couldn’t finish the process before death came knocking.

She also revealed that her father warned her sternly to not relinquish the possession of the properties to any of his siblings or extended family but make sure that the properties be shared equally between herself and her elder brothers.

When contacted on phone to hear their side of the story, two of the father’s- the late king Efetobo- siblings declined comments and when contacted again as at the time of filing this report, none of them responded to the calls nor returned the calls.

Mrs Timi Josephine is however, appealing to all security agencies in the country to come to her aid and guarantee her safety and that of her husband and kids.

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