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Daughter accuses father of sexual assault

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18-year-old 200 level student of Baze University, Ifoema Obalum has accused her father of sexual assault and resisted attempts by officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, (NAPTIP), Abuja to forcefully hand her and the younger brother over to the accused.

The duo, had in December last year, ran to NAPTIP seeking protection from the father who is medical personnel at the State House clinic and a lecturer at the same Baze University, Abuja.

She accused her father of sexual assault, physical abuse and inflicting serious injuries on her 15-year-old younger brother since June 2020 when they began living with him. Before then, they lived in their maternal home after their mother and sole custodian died of cancer on May 21, 2018.

However, after a legal fight, the father was granted custody of Obalum and the younger brother by a Lagos family court.

The accused arrived at the headquarters of the agency with the court’s verdict along with his entourage, consisting of his legal representatives, some able-bodied men and a female who tried to take away the children who were handed over to them by the Rapid Response Unit of NAPTIP but failed to achieve his aim as the duo resisted the move.

NAPTIP said it couldn’t go against the court order, but the children resisted, crying and shouting that they would not return to the home of their abuser, but would rather commit suicide. This drew more attention from passersby and onlookers as the Investigating Officer on the case in the Rapid Response Unit of NAPTIP; Mrs. Usafina Chimera attempted to drag the children to their father to be taken away.

When asked by journalists why the agency is returning the children to the alleged abuser after coming to the agency for shelter, Chimera said: “What we do in the Rapid Response Unit is that when a complaint is lodged against someone, we go rapidly to rescue this person. When we received this complaint, we went to Baze University to where she stayed with her brother to rescue her after her exams. Based on her statement, we commenced an investigation, and have taken the case to the legal department and it advise that there is no prima-facie evidence in prosecuting the case.

The girl, who has turned 18, is old enough to go further with the case. As an agency, we follow orders and the directives is that we should hand over the two of them to the father.”

On why she sought help from NAPTIP and their refusal to return to her father, Ifeoma explained that they had never really lived with their father until the passing of their mother shortly before she turned 18. She said their father came with policemen to their school to forcefully take them away from their maternal family’s custody, but failed and later sought custody through the court and it was granted to him.

She said: “I came to NAPTIP because I had to report to them a case of my father sexually assaulting me and physically abusing my brother, how he maltreats us, neglects us, and keeps us locked up in the house for three weeks with no form of communication to the world. No phone, internet, television, nothing.”

MEANWHILE, lawyers to the defendants, who work with PUNUKA attorneys and solicitors led by Ebele Enida has written a petition letter to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene on the matter.

A document made available to The Guardian reads “Petition against Dr. Dike Obalum for physical and Sexual Assault on his biological daughter, Miss Ifoema Obalum and Chukwuemeka Obalum.

The lawyers are urging President Muhammadu Buhari to use his office to investigate the matter and protect the children.

Culled from the Guardian

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No break for Abure as Edo LP ratifies suspension

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**As thugs loyal to Abure unleash mayhem on LP protesters from Edo

There seem to be no end in sight for the crises in the Labour Party as the Edo State chapter has officially ratified the suspension of the National chairman of the party, Julius Abure.
This was contained in a correspondent to the National Headquarters of the party titled: Ratification. Of the suspension from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North qEast LGA, Edo State.
The letter which was signed by the chairman and secretary of the state chapter of the party, Com. Ogbaloi K.S.E State Chairman and Com. Akhere Frederick respectively and was copied INEC.
The Letter reads,

“Here forwarded to you and for your notification, the ratification of the suspension of Comr Barr. Julius Abure from the membership of Ward 3, Arue, Uromi, Esan North East LGA. Edo State.

“The State Executive Council, Labour Party, Edo State, comprising of the State Working Committee, the 18 Local Government Chairmen and the 18 Local Government Secretaries met on the 24” of May, 2024, at about 11:00pm, to consider the matters presented on the suspension of Comr. Barr. Julius Abure by his Ward in Arue, Uromi, Esan North East LGA, and the upholding of the suspension by the LGA Excos.

“After clinical analysis of the accusation, the Council found them weighty and further ratified and upheld the suspension.
Meanwhile, Thugs suspected to be loyal to the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), on Monday unleashed mayhem on Protesters believed to be LP supporters from the Edo State chapter who were at the party National secretariat to demand Abure’s ouster.

The anti- Abure protesters stormed the party headquarters in a number of vehicles holding placards and chanting solidarity songs.

No sooner than some of the protesters stepped out of one of the vehicles than the suspected thugs swooped on the vehicles with sticks and other objects forcing the drivers to zoom off.

A detachment of armed policemen and operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) intervened when the thugs started throwing stones into the nearby Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, in pursuit of reporters who were convering the fracas.

The intervention of the security officials prevented the situation from further degenerating. A police vehicle is currently stationed in between the warring factions.

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Kuteb accuses TY. Danjuma Of distorting history of Takum chieftaincy

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By our correspondent

The Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria (KYN) the umbrella body of Kuteb world wide has accused Gen. Theophilus Danjuma ((rtd) of deliberately distorting and inventing new history of Takum Chieftaincy to benefit his tribal people (Chamba)
Chief Emmanuel Ukwen, President General Kuteb Yantso of Nigeria stated this while addressing newsmen in Jalingo on Friday.
The accusation is coming after the recent appointment of HRH Bar. Sopiya Gboshi as chief of Takum who was presented with staff of office by Gov Agbu Kefas to succeed late Ukwe Ali Ibrahim kufang ll who died 28 years ago.
The Kuteb also accused Gen. Danjuma and his associates of making plans to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the ancestral palace of Ukwe Takum which had been located behind the Mosque.
Chief Ukwen recalled the recent speech presented by Dajuma during the coronation of the newly appointed chief of Takum against the Kuteb and late Ukwe Takum Ali Ibrahim was unjust and unacceptable.
“It is a pity that TY Danjuma referred to late Ukwe Ali Ibrahim as a very bad and terrible chief on flimsy reasons because he was a Kuteb man and a Muslim.
Record have it that late Ukwe Ali ibrahim was an honest and peace loving leader who ruled over the people of Takum from 1963 to 1996 and was adjuged by all as a leader with fear of God.
“We have uncovered a sinister move by Danjuma and his cohorts to force the State Governor to demolish the Takum Central Mosque and the Ukwe Takum Palace which is located behind the Mosque under the guise of Urban development.
“We want the whole world to know that the graves of our late Ukwes who reigned and died are in the palace.
“Any attempt by Danjuma and his cohorts to desecrate the tombs of our fathers will amount to cultural genocide,” he said.
The Kuteb leader also accused Danjuma of preaching peace in the public while he has secretly instigated and funded many crisis in his hometown, Takum.
The very recent was the sponsoring of Fulanis to wipe out over 200 Kuteb villages preparatory to the forceful installation of a Chamba Chief inorder to weaken and silence the Kuteb people in Takum.
“The Kuteb through Ukwe Takum ruled Takum from 1510 to 1996 uninterrupted by any other tribe, how comes Danjuma is forging history that the Kutebs are people from the hills? Ukwen questioned.
Meanwhile, Gen. Danjuma during the convocation of the Chief of Takum described the Kuteb people as troublesome and urged the State Governor, Kefas Agbu to be careful with the Kuteb people.
Forefront recalls that Kuteb Yatso of Nigeria shortly after the appointment of the new chief of Takum, vowed not to recognise the newly crowned chief Sopiya Gboshi from Chamba tribe.
The Kutebs vehemently vowed not to recognise the new Chief and would exhaust every legal means to recover their ancestral stool.

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FRSC confirms death of 5 persons, 3 survivors in Kogi auto crash

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By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Kogi State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of five persons in a fatal auto crash on Kabba-Obajana road in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of the state.

The State Sector Commander, Samuel Oyedeji, who confirmed the accident and death of the five to newsmen on Thursday in Lokoja said three others survived the accident with serious injuries.

Oyedeji attributed the accident which involved a Ford Galaxy space wagon and a Mazda car, to speeding and wrongful overtaking.

“The head-on collision between the two cars moving in the opposite directions happened due to speeding and wrongful overtaking by one of the drivers.

“We have been preaching against drivers flouting road safety rules and regulations, yet these motorists hardly heed our warnings.

“Five persons lost their lives in the fatal accident that left three others seriously injured,” he said.

The Sector Commander said that officers from the command immediately carried out a rescue operation at the scene of the accident and rushed the three injured persons to General Hospital, Kabba for medical attention.

Oyedeji said the remains of the five dead persons were also deposited at the mortuary of the Kabba General Hospital.

The Kogi Sector Commander admonished motorists to always endeavour to always obey road safety rules and regulations to avoid fatal auto crashes on the highways. (Ends)

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