A court in the United Kingdom has sentenced Adewale Kudabo, a staff member at York Hospital, to one year in prison for sexually assaulting a patient.

Judge Alex Menary stated that Kudabo had “abused the trust” placed in him as a healthcare worker.

Kudabo admitted to two charges of sexual assault on the first day of his trial in April.

The judge noted that the victim had “placed her trust” in Kudabo and told him: “You abused that trust.”

Kudabo received a one-year sentence on June 10, with eligibility for release after serving half of the term.

The court was told that the incident left the victim with anxiety and recurring flashbacks related to her experience with Kudabo at the hospital.

The York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees York Hospital, extended its “sincere apologies” to the victim.

According to the trust, Kudabo left his role at the hospital shortly after the assaults occurred.

Prosecutor Henry Fernnandez said Kudabo had been assigned to bathe a patient who was experiencing severe pain.

After completing the bath, Kudabo allegedly kissed the patient on the lips.

Although in significant pain, the victim tried to pull away but was unable to prevent the kiss.

Fernnandez explained that the patient was “left in a state of confusion and felt uncomfortable” following the incident.

A few days later, Kudabo reportedly asked the victim if she wanted another “bed bath” and again attempted to kiss her.

Kudabo’s lawyer, Jerry Sodipe, said his client had no previous criminal record and expressed remorse.

“He has held up his hands to say, yes he is guilty – he shouldn’t have done that,” Sodipe stated.

Sodipe explained that Kudabo was “moved to sympathy” due to the victim’s pain but acknowledged that his actions were “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

He also mentioned that Kudabo had relocated to the UK from Nigeria with his family for work but has since lost his job.

An Izzi High Court in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, has sentenced a 30-year-old man to death by hanging for the murder of an 18-year-old SS2 student after the victim disclosed their sexual relationship, which led to health complications.

The convict, Boniface Abraham Edigbo, was found guilty of killing Ogbonna Joshua on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, by poisoning him in a hotel after they had a final sexual encounter on the night of Monday, May 22, 2023.

Until his death, Joshua was a student of Community Secondary School, Amachi, located in Izzi Local Government Area.

Edigbo received the death sentence by hanging on Friday.

He had been in a relationship with Joshua since 2021.

In 2023, they both agreed to keep the relationship secret.

However, after Joshua began experiencing health issues, he reported the matter to his school principal and some students, which led to public awareness.

Edigbo then convinced Joshua to meet him at Edigbo Guest House, where they spent the night of May 22 together.

According to The Punch, on the morning of May 23, Edigbo gave Joshua a mixture of Fanta and insecticide, which he consumed and died.

Following Joshua’s death, Edigbo left the hotel and informed a woman about what happened, stating that he didn’t mean to kill the boy but was upset that their relationship had been exposed.

The woman asked him to wait while she claimed she was getting money for him to flee, but instead she reported the case to the local youths. They apprehended Edigbo and took him back to the hotel, where Joshua’s body was discovered in Room 006.

Justice Ruth Okeh, who presided over the case, found Edigbo guilty and issued the death sentence.

Prosecuting counsel, Mrs Ijeoma Mike-Aja Nwachukwu, praised the ruling.

She said the verdict would discourage others from committing similar grave offences in the society.

President Bola Tinubu has instructed security agencies to apprehend those responsible for the continuous killings in Benue state.

He also called on political and community figures to steer clear of comments that could escalate the situation.

On June 14, suspected herdsmen reportedly killed over 100 people in Yelewata and Daudu communities, located in Guma LGA of Benue state.

By Sunday, the number of casualties had allegedly climbed to 200.

This incident occurred less than two days after 25 people were killed in Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa communities in Makurdi LGA.

According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, Tinubu condemned the attacks as “inhuman and anti-progress”.

He stated that “the latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough.”

Tinubu reaffirmed his earlier instructions to the nation’s security heads.

Following the president’s orders, intelligence leaders, police forces, and military personnel have moved into the state to take charge of operations and restore order, Onanuga said.

Tinubu further appealed to political and community leaders in affected areas to stop inciting violence with “unguarded utterances and rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks”.

He emphasized, “I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.”

He added that political and community figures in Benue must act with responsibility and refrain from inflammatory remarks that could worsen the violence.

He urged Governor Alia to “act as a statesman” and promptly initiate dialogue and reconciliation efforts to restore peace in the state.

He concluded that Nigerians “must live in peace”, which is achievable when leaders collaborate across divides and address conflicts with “fairness, openness and justice”.