…As Court remands 2 friends, Alfred Samuel, Ikechukwu Obi for allegedly raping teenager

A 32-year-old pastor, Emmanuel Anthony, was on Thursday docked in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for adding another layer of responsibility to his enviable mandate, by allegedly stealing a woman’s laptops valued at N2. 2million.

Anthony, who resides at Iwoye, Oju Ore, Otta, in Ogun, is standing trial for unlawful invasion and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Prosecutor, Insp Innocent Odugbo told the court that the offences were committed on Feb. 24, at 7, Emmanuel Street, Abule Egba, Lagos.

Odugbo said that the defendant, who knew the complainant, Mrs Chioma Okeke, from the village, came to her house under the pretence of a visit.

He said that the complainant left him in the sitting room to get some food stuffs, outside the house.

He added that before the complainant returned, the defendant invaded her room and carted away two laptops, two iPhones and a cash of N60,000.

The prosecutor said that the stolen items were valued at N2, 240,000.

He also said that offences contravened Sections 287 and 308 of the Criminals Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Magistrate, Mrs S. O Obasa granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

In another development, an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court has ordered the remand of two friends, Alfred Samuel, 32, a driver and Ikechukwu Obi, 29, a labourer at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly raping a teenager.

The Magistrate Mrs S. O Obasa, who did not take the plea of the defendants, gave the order on Thursday.

Obasa ordered them to be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre until April 4, pending advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The defendants are standing trial for conspiracy and rape.

The Prosecutor, Insp Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the offences were committed between October 2024 and January 2025 at the first defendant’s residence.

Odugbo said that the victim, a 14-year-old girl, is a stepdaughter to the first defendant.

He alleged that the first defendant raped the girl and got her pregnant.

He added that the second defendant, who is a friend to the first defendant, came to visit him and also raped the pregnant girl.

The prosecutor said the girl ran out of the house and was rescued by a good Samaritan who brought her to the Police Station.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened Sections 137 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015. 

…As FRSC says 8 burnt to death in Edo road crash

Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, in the early hours of  Saturday, attacked four communities in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, leaving in their trail dead bodies.

The affected communities are: Aba Alajido, Aba Sunday, Aba Pastor and Ademekun in the Akure North LG.

It was reported that scores of people living in the communities were killed in the midnight attack.

Speaking with the newsmen in Akure, a resident of one of the attacked communities, who simply identified himself as Sunday, said that many people were feared killed by the bandits.

He said that several residents in the communities fled their homes to seek refuge in the bush.

Sunday explained that the attack started Monday last week, but a fresh one was launched last Friday night without anybody stopping them.

“They attacked our communities on Friday night when everyone was asleep, they opened gunfire on anyone in sight.

“So many ran into the bush for safety while some unlucky ones were killed in the villages.

”On Sunday, security men came around and recovered some of the corpses.

“Many people are missing and have still not been accounted for. If they search further, they will still find more dead bodies in the bush,” he said.

Confirming the incident, CSP Funmilayo Odunlami, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, said investigation had started while men of the command were already in the area to restore normalcy.

She said that the attack on Aba Pastor community was reported to the police on Saturday.

“Immediately, the command swung into action to ensure normalcy was restored and the perpetrators arrested,” Odunlami said.

In another development, the Federal Road Safety Corps says eight passengers were burnt to death in a fatal road accident that occurred at Agbede community, along the Benin-Auchi road, Etsako West Local Government.

Mr Cyril Mathew, Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said this on Monday in Benin City.

Mathew said eyewitness accounts revealed that the accident happened on Sunday when a truck descending the Ewu Hill from Benin towards Auchi experienced brake failure and crashed into several vehicles trapped in traffic.

The impact reportedly ignited a fire, engulfing the vehicles and resulting in multiple casualties.

He said the crash involved four vehicles, including two tankers carrying diesel and petroleum products.

“Based on reports from witnesses, one of the tankers lost its brakes while descending the hill and rammed into other vehicles, sparking a fire,” he explained.

He further disclosed that two people died on the spot, while four others were rushed to the hospital.

After the fire was extinguished, he said emergency responders recovered seven bodies, which included the two that died on Sunday.

“Tragically, one of the injured victims succumbed to his injuries on Monday morning, bringing the total death toll to eight.

“Eyewitnesses recounted how the truck driver and his assistant shouted, “No brake! No brake!” before crashing into two other vehicles caught in the traffic.

“The victims were reportedly trapped in the congestion and they were not involved in any illegal fuel scooping,” he said.

The FRSC commander commended his personnel and local residents for their swift response, which helped prevent further casualties.

…Victim says: “Prophet Adeleye was my mother’s man-friend!

While Nigerians were still chewing the unsavoury news of a white garment prophet in Okokomaiko, Lagos over an alleged murder and unauthorized transfer of money, the Ekiti High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, sentenced another Prophet, Adeleye Akingbaso, 47, to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl.

Akingbaso was first arraigned in September, 2022 before Justice Blessing Ajileye on a two-count charge of rape and coercion.

Delivering her judgment, Justice Ajileye said, “in conclusion, this court has found the defendant guilty on the two count charge of rape and coercion and convicted him accordingly.”

She said this would serve as a deterrent to others in the class of the convict who have not been caught up with by nemesis.

” On Count one (rape), the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment and on count two (Coercion), the defendant is sentenced to three years imprisonment, both terms are to run concurrently,” Justice Ajileye declared.

During trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Taiwo Ajibulu told the court that the convict committed the offences sometime in July 2022, in Ado-Ekiti.

He said that the defendant raped the 13-year-old girl (names withheld) and also coerced the victim to engage in sexual acts to the detriment of her physical and psychological well-being.

According to him, the offences contravened Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and Section 4 of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No.18 of 2019.

In her testimony before the Court, the girl said “Prophet Adeleye was my mother’s man-friend, he comes and sleep in our house often, but on a particular day, my mummy was on night duty, Prophet Adeleye came to sleep in our house.

“He woke me up at midnight and said I bedwet, I said no. He brought out a bottle of shea butter and rubbed it on my virginia, that was all I knew.

“I later discovered I had been raped that night, he threatened me that he will curse me and I will die if I tell anybody.

”On the second day, my mother was not at home, he came to our house again.

“I was in the kitchen, he told me he wanted to complete what he started yesterday. He was trying to rough-handled me, but I managed to run out and shouted for help and our neighbours came to my rescue.

“They called my mother and narrated what happened to her, she slapped the Prophet when she came and later reported the case at the Police Station, she concluded.”

To prove its case, the prosecutor called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement and the girl’s medical report as exhibits.

The counsel to the defendant, Mr Adelanke Akinrata, called no witness.