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Islamic Cleric Jailed For Life Eight Times For Sexually Assaulting Eight Pupils Of Ages 6 To 11yrs

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An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a cleric, Adam Farouk, to octuple (eight) life imprisonments for defiling eight pupils in his class.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the pupils were aged from six to 11 years as at the time of the offence.

Justice Abiola Soladoye held that the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt, the ingredients of the eight-count charge bordering on sexual assault by penetration.

Soladoye described the cleric as morally bankrupt and an embarrassment to the Islamic faith.

The judge said that the court did not fall for his lies.

According to her, evidence of the pupils were corroborated as they identified the cleric as their teacher who penetrated their vaginas with his index fingers.

Soladoye also held that evidence of the 10th prosecution witness, a midwife with Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF), Mrs Oluchi Nwoke-Okoi, revealed that the pupils had vaginal injuries.

The judge also held that the defendant asked the pupils to turn their backs while he defiled them one by one.

She said: ”The demeanour of the defendant is nothing to write home about, his stony face appears mischievous, and he is extremely unkind and ruthless, fingering his students with his index fingers.

”What an Islamic teacher, who took undue advantage of poor students in Islam and messed around with their purity and dignity.

”He is meant to teach his students morals, discipline and values, but alas, the reverse is the case.

”The dignity and safety of our students must be cherished. Dirty Islamic teacher of his kind must be locked away and be made to pay for his dirty sexual indiscretions.”

The judge called on Lagos State Government to adequately monitor educational institutions.

She also urged Muslim communities to regularly visit Islamic schools unannounced and get feedback firsthand from students and parents on the activities and conduct of their teachers.

”The need for this can never be over-emphasised in view of the rampant scenes of this heinous crime.

”I salute the courage of the survivors for speaking up against the defendant without any fear of intimidation.

”Abused children are to be encouraged to speak up so that their assailants will be shamed and sanctioned accordingly.

”A teacher is a role model, setting the pace and leading by example as he is expected to impact knowledge and morals, but this defendant is nothing of such as he threw caution to the wind and messed around.

”Reviewing the testimonies of each of the prosecution witnesses and that of the sole defence witness, I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the prosecution has proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

”The defendant is hereby convicted of all the charges and sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the eight counts, but the sentences shall run concurrently,” Soladoye said.

The judge also ordered that the convict should have his name written in the Sexual Offenders Register of Lagos State.

NAN reports that the prosecution presented 10 witnesses during the trial while the defendant testified as the only defence witness.

The prosecution submitted that the convict committed the offences from November 2018 to February 2019 on Balogun Street, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Sexual assault contravenes Section 261 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)

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BREAKING: EFCC Declares Yahaya Bello Wanted [PHOTO]

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Yahaya Bello, the former governor of Kogi state, has been declared wanted by the EFCC.

He reportedly evaded arrest yesterday when the commission visited his home to enforce arrest.

More to come…

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Hydrogen, CCHub Partner To Encourage Fintech Startup Success

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As the country faces economic challenges, the need for adaptive strategies in the fintech industry becomes paramount. In line with this, leading fintech startup Hydrogen Payment Services Limited (‘Hydrogen’) has teamed up with Co-creation Hub (‘CcHub’) to host an insightful event themed ‘Adapting Fintech Business Models to Economic Climates’.

The event is set to take place on Thursday, April 18, 2024, from 12:00 a.m. WAT at the CCHub office in Sabo, Lagos, will delve deep into the intricacies of Nigerian economic challenges and how these influence the fintech ecosystem. Participants will gain actionable insights on how to adapt fintech business models to volatile economic conditions by prioritising flexibility, agility, and customer-centricity.

This collaboration underscores the shared commitment of both entities to empower aspiring founders venturing into the fintech space amidst economic uncertainties. By leveraging their respective expertise and resources, Hydrogen and CcHub aim to equip
emerging entrepreneurs with the knowledge, tools, and support needed to thrive in today’s dynamic economic conditions.

Emeka Awagu, Chief Technology Officer at Hydrogen, commented on the strategic partnership with CcHUB: “Our alliance with CcHUB amplifies our shared commitment to pioneering transformative solutions in the Nigerian fintech sector. By leveraging Hydrogen’s technological expertise alongside CcHU’s innovative approach, we are primed to set a new standard for fintech excellence and drive impactful change across the industry.”

The event will feature a distinguished panel of industry experts and thought leaders. including Ina Alogwu, Group Director, Digital Transformation, ARM HoldCo; Emeka Awagu, Chief Technology Officer, Hydrogen; and Miracle Ezechi, Digital Marketing Manager, Hydrogen.

The panel discussion will be moderated to encourage an engaging and insightful conversation on the strategies and innovations required to thrive in the Nigerian fintech landscape amidst economic challenges.

Interested attendees are encouraged to register here and reserve a spot.

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ECONOMY: CBN Not Using Foreign Reserves To Defend Naira — Olayemi Cardoso

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The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, asserts that the nation is not defending the value of the naira with its foreign reserves.

He made this known on Wednesday in Washington, DC, where he is attending the International Monetary Fund-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Cardoso said $600 million came into Nigeria’s reserves account within the last two days.

The naira has appreciated against the dollar in recent weeks, gaining over 40%, from about N1,900/$ to about N1,000/$1 now. But while the naira rebound, Nigeria’s foreign reserves are dwindling, dropping to about $32.29 billion on April 15 — the lowest level in over six years.

Cardoso said, “What you’ve seen with respect to the shift in our reserves is normal in any country’s reserves where for example, debt is due and certain payments need to be made because that is also part of keeping your credibility.

“Other times money comes in, it takes it up again. Between yesterday and today, about $600 million came into the reserves account. We are looking towards a market that operates by itself, willing buyers, willing sellers and price discovery.

“The shift in our reserves has really little or nothing to do with defending naira and that is certainly not our objective.”

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