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Two officials of an outsourcing company , Sambhu Nigeria Limited , have been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly defrauding the firm of about N8m. It was learnt that the suspects Daniel Odeh and Jane Ejeh were arrested by the police from the Sango Ota division before they were transferred to the Anti Fraud Unit of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.

While Odeh was the company’s operations manager, Ejeh was the cashier. The duo allegedly inflated salary payments to workers and diverted the excess cash into their own accounts. The alleged fraud, which had been going on since May 2017, reportedly got to the attention of the company’s Managing Director, Emmanuel Igoche, who reported to the police. The firm’s Administrative Manager, Aladey Matthew, said the firm initially thought the amount was N5.3m until investigations revealed an additional N2.7m.

He said, “We manage labour for construction firms. Most of our clients, who have their sites in Ogun State, pay workers ‘salaries to us. After deducting our service charge, we then pay the workers. At the end of every month, our operations manager submits the wage bill to the MD, who then instructs that the money be disbursed. “Daniel ( Odeh ) pays workers in Samstar Nigeria Limited, Pure Chem Manufacturing Limited, among others. We asked him to tell the workers to open bank accounts into which their salaries could but paid, but he refused. We paid blindly as he issued vouchers for workers’ salaries. Unknown to us, the vouchers were being inflated and the surplus cash diverted.

“Sometime in May 2017, Pure Chem increased workers’ salaries. Daniel submitted the new salary rates to us, but he continued to pay the workers the old rates. About N2.5m fraud was committed in Pure Chem alone.”It was also learnt that the fraud came to light in January shortly after Ejeh got wedded in her hometown in Benue State. The managing director was allegedly called by the company’s new accounts officer, who became involved in the preparation of vouchers for workers salaries in December 2017. The MD was said to have also got calls from some workers, who claimed that their salaries had not been paid for several months.

“The new accounts officer had not been involved in the preparation of vouchers until in December 2017. He discovered the fraud and called the attention of the MD to it. The MD did not immediately take action until some workers started calling that they had not been paid their salaries for several months. We discovered that aside inflating the vouchers, there were many workers he did not pay for two to three months. “Initially, the man said he was solely responsible for the fraud and the woman should not be interrogated. But during police investigation, the woman confessed to have collected N700, 000 from the money,” he added.

It was further learnt that the police got a court order to remand the suspects beyond the 48 hours permitted by law to enable them get more information on the actual amount involved in the fraud. It was alleged that Odeh and Ejeh admitted to N5.3m fraud. During investigation, an additional N2.7m was allegedly discovered, which brought the figure to N8m. “Investigations are ongoing as more revelations are coming up . The suspects have not said what they did with the money, Matthew added.

Punch learnt that while Odeh had been working with the company for over five years, the woman got into the company about three years ago. Both suspects are indigenes of Benue State. “The man brought the lady into the company. The whole fraud was caused by blind trust. The MD left a lot to the operations manager and that was why all this happened, ” the admin manager said. The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident, adding that the case was being investigated at the anti fraud unit of the SCIID. “The case was handled by the Sango division, but was transferred to the anti fraud unit of the SCIID for proper investigation , ” Oyeyemi said in a text message to our correspondent on Sunday. Punch Reports

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BREAKING: Nigeria’s National Grid Collapses Again, 10th Time In 2024

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Nigeria’s national grid has collapsed again for the 10th time in 2024.

This was revealed by the National grid’s X handle.

This revelation was made after several Nigerians complained of a sudden disappearance of power supply in their houses.

 

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Lagos Muslim Cleric Bags Life Jail For Raping 14-Yr-Old Girl Inside Mosque

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Alani Rafiu, a Muslim cleric, has been sentenced to life imprisonment by an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court for raping a 14-year-old girl inside a mosque.

Justice Rahman Oshodi delivered the verdict on Monday, after finding Rafiu guilty of child defilement. The cleric was arraigned on October 28, 2021, for having sexual intercourse with the teenager, but pleaded not guilty, leading to a trial.

During the trial, the prosecution, led by B. Boye, presented three witnesses, including the victim, who testified against Rafiu. The prosecution provided compelling evidence, including the victim’s testimony and medical reports, which revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behavior by the cleric.

Justice Oshodi emphasized that Rafiu’s actions were particularly egregious due to his position of trust as a religious instructor and family friend.

The judge stated that the gravity of the offence could not be overstated, as Rafiu exploited the victim’s vulnerability and betrayed the trust placed in him.

“The gravity of your offence cannot be overstated. You betrayed the trust placed in you as a religious instructor and family friend.

“Instead of nurturing and protecting a vulnerable 14-year-old child entrusted to your spiritual care, you repeatedly sexually abused her in a place of worship.

“This conduct is criminal and represents a profound violation of secular and religious principles,” he said.

Oshodi further held that the evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour, as the convict deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

“The evidence revealed a calculated pattern of predatory behaviour. You deliberately isolated the child, exploited her vulnerability, and bought her silence with money.

“The physical and psychological trauma inflicted on this young girl is immeasurable. At an age when she should have been focused on her education and development, she was subjected to experiences that no child should endure,” the judge held.

Oshodi also stated that having carefully considered all the evidence before the court, there was compelling and consistent proof establishing that the prosecutrix was indeed a child below the age of 18 years at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

He said the evidence manifested through multiple sources.

Oshodi said, “When the prosecutrix testified before this court, she stated that she was 15 years old and 14 when the alleged incident occurred.

“Notably, she was still attending primary school then, explicitly saying she was in Primary 3.

“The prosecutrix’s educational level, being in Primary 3, at the time of her testimony, while not determinative of age, provides supporting circumstantial evidence consistent with her being a young teenager rather than an adult.

“The consistency of these multiple sources of evidence – the police and guardian testimony, the prosecutrix’s evidence, and circumstantial evidence – all converge to establish beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecutrix was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offence in May 2021.

“The defence led no evidence to contradict these age-related facts, nor was the prosecutrix’s age challenged during cross-examination of any of the prosecution witnesses”.

The judge said the prosecutrix provided a detailed, firsthand account of sexual intercourse with the convict.

“Her testimony was specific. She offered a detailed sequential account of the sexual assault. She testified that at the mosque (where the convict, whom she referred to as Alfa), isolated her. He would then lock the door, remove her underwear, and instruct her to lie on the floor.

“She explicitly stated that Rafiu would then insert his penis into her vagina. When asked about frequency, she confirmed this occurred three times.

“She further testified that these acts would result in bleeding, which the convict would have her clean with a handkerchief. Afterwards, he would instruct her to put her underwear back on before taking her outside,” he said.

According to Oshodi, this testimony provides a direct account of penile-vaginal penetration, with specific details about the sequence of events, location, frequency, and aftermath of the sexual acts.

“The prosecutrix maintained during cross-examination that this occurred three times, explicitly stating, “He had sex with me three times.”

The judge noted that the prosecutrix testimony remained consistent even when challenged about the timeframe, clarifying that these incidents occurred.

He said the medical evidence further strengthened the evidence of sexual intercourse. It reports that the transection found in the prosecutrix’s vagina was “consistent with forceful penetrative injury to the [prosecutrix’s] anus and vagina”.

Before passing down the verdict, Oshodi said, “What makes your conduct particularly egregious is your abuse of religious authority and the sacred space of a mosque to perpetrate these violations.

“Places of worship should be sanctuaries of safety and spiritual growth, not venues for the exploitation of children.

“The medical evidence and the prosecutrix’s testimony paint a disturbing picture of the physical harm you caused.

The bleeding she experienced and your callous provision of a handkerchief to clean up the evidence of your abuse demonstrate a shocking disregard for her well-being.

“This court must protect children from sexual predators and send a clear message that such conduct will be met with the full force of the law.

“The sentence must reflect society’s abhorrence of child sexual abuse and serve as a deterrent to others who might contemplate similar crimes.

“Therefore, I now sentence you to life imprisonment by section 137 of the Criminal Law. Furthermore, under sections 33 and 38 of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency Law, 2021, I order that you be registered as a sex offender in the Sex Offenders Register maintained by the Lagos State Government,” he held.

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UPDATE: Minors Freed As Court Strikes Out Suit Against 119 #EndBadGovernance Protesters

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A federal high court in Abuja has struck out the suit against 119 protesters charged over the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.

Obiora Egwuatu, the presiding judge, dismissed the case following an application by M.D. Abubakar, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

Abubakar had requested permission to take over and discontinue the suit.

During the session on Tuesday, Abubakar asked the court to allow the AGF to take over the charge.

This development comes just hours after President Bola Tinubu directed the attorney-general and law enforcement to release all minors detained over the protest.

As of the time of reporting, all the minors have been freed.

 

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