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Lagos Drops Charge Against School Bus Driver Accused Of Defiling 3-Yr-Old Pupil Over ‘Insufficient Facts’

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The Lagos State Department of Public Prosecutions, on Wednesday, dropped the defilement charge filed against Kingsley Okwumbu due to insufficient facts to establish a prima facie case against the suspect.

Mr Kingsley, a former school driver of Beehive Nursery and Primary School, Agidingbi in Ikeja, Lagos, was accused of defiling a three-year-old pupil of the school.

This was contained in a piece of legal advice with reference number LIP/MISC/2022/76/12, dated June 7, made available on Wednesday.

The 37-year-old man can now heave a sigh of relief due to the legal advice signed by the Director of the DPP, Dr. Babajide Martins.

The advice was in response to a letter from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Isokoko Division, Agege, Lagos, with reference number CR:3100/LS/ISK/VOL.TI/22, dated June 4.

The content of the advice, partly read, “This office is of the view that there are insufficient facts to establish a prima facie offense of defilement of a child contrary to Section 37 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015, against Kingsley Okwumbu.”

This is an indication that the legal advice stated that the timelines of the alleged crime provided by the complainant did not match with available documented facts.

“Facts reveal that Page B1 Okwumbu was no longer the driver of the school bus as of March 23, when the alleged incident occurred as PageB1 had been relieved of the duty of driving the school bus on March 14, for non-maintenance of the bus.

“The statement of PageB3 – Osem Aba Matthew (a new driver) who took over from PageB1 also revealed that each day pupils are picked from their respective houses.

“There is an entry book and the same is completed by bus attendants when pupils are returned. There was never a time when the bus driver was alone with any of the pupils on the bus.

“The above casts a material of doubt as to who in fact sexually defiled or molested Page A5 (the child).

“The law is settled that where there is material doubt as to whether the defendant commits the alleged offense, such doubt shall be resolved in favor of the defendant,” this is according to the legal advice.

The DPP’s information in the duplicate case file revealed that, while the mother of the toddler was bathing her child, she noticed that she cries anytime she wanted to wash her private part.

Upon inquiry, her daughter revealed that it was Okwumbu that touched her “wiwi bom bom.”

The DPP further said though the medical report indicated blunt forceful penetration of the child’s genitalia, as facts in the duplicate case file, the allegations against Okwumbu were stoutly denied.

The DPP, however, noted that the law was that allegation of sexual offense by a child who had not attained the age of 14 and could not give sworn evidence must be corroborated.

In Nigeria, a person cannot be convicted of rape of a girl under 14 years of age upon the uncorroborated testimony of one witness,” the DPP said.

The legal advice stated that this was in accordance with Section 179 (5) of the Evidence Act, Cap. 112 of the Laws of the Federation, 1990 and Section 218 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. 77 of the Laws of the Federation, 1990.

“In view of the foregoing, this office shall not prosecute Page B1- Kingsley Okwumbu, for the offense of defilement.

“There are insufficient facts linking the Page B2- Grace Augustine (a bus attendant) and Page B3- Osem Aba Matthew (the new driver) to the alleged offense.

“Page B1, B2, and B3 have no case to answer and are to be released and discharged forthwith if still in custody,” the DPP said.

Magistrate Ejiro Kubeinje of an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court had, on April 19, remanded Okwumbu in the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling the pupil.

The Magistrate had also directed the police to send the case file to the Lagos DPP for legal advice.

Following the release of the legal advice by the Lagos DPP, the school management in an update letter to parents dated June 24, expressed hope that the real perpetrator would be caught.

“It was our insistence that the matter was taken to the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Office which shows we were ready to be open and transparent.

“We still live with the hope that the true perpetrator, wherever the person may be, will be found and punished for this act and we pray that the child will recover psychologically and physically from the ordeal.

“Although the whole experience has been a very tiring one for everyone, we are glad for the opportunity it brought to do a thorough review and make improvements where necessary,” the school management said.

BIG STORY

“My NGO Account Has Been Hacked, N160Million Diverted” — VeryDarkMan

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Popular activist and social critic, VeryDarkMan, has raised concerns about the hacking of his NGO account, which led to the diversion of N160 million.

In a video shared on his verified Instagram account on Friday, he revealed that the incident had left him feeling distressed in recent days.

He explained that the funds were stolen after hackers allegedly gained access to the NGO’s website. The compromised account, which initially contained N180 million, now holds only N20 million.

He mentioned that law enforcement agencies had tracked one of the suspects, resulting in an arrest.

To address the situation, he stated that the NGO’s app had been temporarily taken offline for maintenance to prevent further vulnerabilities.

He said, “For the past few days, I’ve not been myself. I am here with Officer Joe, and we are going to Jos. NGO money—somebody stole the money. Somebody hacked into the NGO website, and I don’t know how they did it. N180 million is missing, but thank God we have tracked the person, and we are on our way to Jos.

“They have arrested one person, and that is why I’m even saying it now. I’m excited, and the account has been put on PND. The account now has N20 million, while N160 million has been diverted to another account. We are currently going there to see how we can get the money back. I just want to update you people.

“I even had to shut down the app and put it on maintenance so that people will not really see what is going on, but let me just come out plain and tell everyone what is going on. Hopefully, we will get the money back.”

The NGO, which launched in October, gained significant attention after raising over N21 million within 24 hours of its inception.

The initiative, aimed at transforming Nigeria’s public education system, attracted support from prominent figures, including music producer Don Jazzy.

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BIG STORY

Christmas Celebrations: Police Arrest 23 Suspected Armed Robbers, Hoodlums, Kidnapper, Recover Dangerous Weapons [PHOTOS]

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  • As IGP Commends Officers For Vigilance, Commitment To Safety

 

In furtherance of the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, Ph.D., NPM., to commands and formations to emplace unalloyed anti crime strategies towards ensuring adequate safety and security during this festive period, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force across several states in the country have successfully apprehended multiple groups of armed robbers, cultists and hoodlums targeting fun seekers and engaging in gangsterism during Christmas celebrations.

On the 25th of December 2024, at about 1am, the police operatives attached to Lagos State Command, received a distress call that a group of hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons was operating around the Safejo area of Amukoko, Lagos State. The swift response by the police operatives to the scene led to the arrest of 3 of the suspected hoodlums identified as Emmanuel Okoli ‘m’, 20 years, Ogunde Tejiri ‘m’, 20 years, and Emmanuel Orji ‘m’, 18 years, and also the recovery of the weapons they had used in carrying out robbery attacks on innocent funseekers in the area. The police have emplaced intensified searches to apprehend the fleeing members of the gang.

In a similar development, Police Operatives attached to Saminaka Division of the Kaduna State Command on 25th December 2024, at about 8pm, successfully apprehended one Sule Muhammad ‘m’, 25 years, who has been actively involved in multiple kidnapping incidents within the Saminaka area. Further investigation led to the recovery of a fabricated AK-47 rifle from the suspect. The suspect confessed to being a member of a notorious kidnapping gang who had been evading arrest since the arrest of other gang members on August 16, 2024, until his recent arrest on 25th December 2024. Following cooperation received from Muhammad, efforts are in top gear to apprehend other members of his gang and recover more arms and ammunition in their identified camp. Commendable efforts of the Nigeria Police Operatives have also been witnessed in states including Delta, Ogun Katsina, Benue, FCT and Imo, leading to the arrests of several suspects in various locations during the Christmas celebration period.

The IGP has commended the officers involved in these operations for their vigilance and commitment to public safety, highlighting their display of exemplary dedication in safeguarding our communities, especially during this joyful season. The IGP urges the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the authorities.

The IGP further assures citizens that the Force is fully committed to creating a safe environment for everyone as they partake in the joy and cheer of the holiday season. As the celebrations continue, the Nigeria Police Force remains steadfast in its mission to protect all citizens and ensure that the spirit of festivities during this period remains unmarred by criminal activities.

 

ACP OLUMUYIWA ADEJOBI, mnipr, mipra, fCAI,

FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER

FORCE HEADQUARTERS,

ABUJA.

27TH DECEMBER 2024.

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BIG STORY

Road To 2027: We’ll Ensure APC Gets Less Than 15k Votes — Kwankwaso

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Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former governor of Kano state, stated that the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) will reduce the influence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Speaking on Wednesday at a meeting with party stakeholders in Tsanyawa LGA of the state, Kwankwaso mentioned that the NNPP aims to ensure the APC receives fewer than 15,000 votes in the 2027 elections.

In the 2023 governorship election, the NNPP garnered 1,019,602 votes, the APC secured 890,705 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came third with 15,957 votes.

Kwankwaso emphasized that the NNPP achieved the “remarkable feat” of over one million votes despite being a new political platform and starting its campaign late.

“Now, it’s our turn to diminish APC’s influence. We will work tirelessly to ensure their votes are reduced to less than 15,000 in Kano come 2027,” Kwankwaso stated.

Kwankwaso, who was the NNPP’s presidential candidate in 2023, urged his supporters to stay united and focused to ensure the party’s success in future elections.

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