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No Proofs Of Tortured, Judge Tells Suspected Kidnapper Evans

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Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court today, told alleged kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, that there was no proof that he was tortured by the Police.

Giving a ruling admitting Evans’ June 11, 2017 confessional statement into evidence, Justice Oshodi noted that the 1999 Constitution did not require that statements to the Police must be in a specific form.

He also said that based on Evans’ videotaped confession played in court on October 26, 2018, there was no proof that Evans was tortured to provide details of his alleged misdeeds.

The judge said: “In the video that was played in open court, the first defendant was cautioned and he signed a word of caution. When he was asked his profession, he said he was a businessman. He said so with a smile.

“In the video, the first defendant asked the investigating Police officer to write his statement on his behalf. The first defendant sat on a sofa and after the recording of the statement, the first defendant signed.

“In the video, the court cannot see any coercion directed at the first defendant.

“When the witness for the prosecution was cross-examined, he categorically stated that the first defendant was not tortured when his statement was taken.”

Justice Oshodi said the alleged kidnap kingpin did not provide any evidence to court to back the allegations of extra- judicial killings he made against the Police.

“The first defendant has not provided evidence of any inducement, threat or promise in the trial-within-trial.

“The court is not unmindful that the first defendant said he was slapped; cigarettes extinguished on his hands and saw people being murdered by the Police.

“The allegation that the Police murdered some people is a criminal allegation that he did not prove and there is no blood seen in the video.

“The first defendant did not give any evidence as to the treatment of the injuries he sustained.

“The first defendant did not contradict any part of the video played. There is no proof that the statement was made involuntarily.

“The statement is admitted and marked Exhibit B,” he said.

Following the ruling, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, requested for an adjournment due to the absence of the fourth prosecution witness, Inspector Idowu Haruna.

“My Lord, unfortunately the prosecution witness is not in court and we will have to ask for an adjournment. The witness sustained injury in an accident and he is still recovering from the injury,” she said.

Evans’ defence counsel, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, had no objection to the request for an adjournment.

Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until February 22 for continuation of Haruna’s evidence and also of the trial.

Thepremier newspaper reports that during the trial-within-trial held on October 26, 2018, Evans claimed that his alleged confessional statement to the Police was not obtained voluntarily.

The suspect alleged that Police officers tortured him and made him to witness executions in a bid to get him to admit to his alleged crimes.

Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.

The six were arraigned on August 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnap of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Donatus Dunu, from whose family they allegedly collected 223,000 Euro (N100m) as ransom.

Evans and his co-defendants have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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LASTMA RECOVERS 2 DEAD BODIES, AS TRUCK RAMMED INTO A MOTORCYCLE PLYING ONE-WAY IN LAGOS

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……motorcycle operator later died at the hospital.

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) today recovered 2 dead bodies trapped under an empty long ‘Man-Diesel’ truck by Barracks Bus-stop along Lagos- Badagry Expressway, Lagos.

The Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA Mr. Adebayo Taofiq confirmed that the 2 (two) recovered dead bodies were passengers on a motorcycle riding on direction prohibited by law ‘One-way’ on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While these two (2) motorcycle passengers died instantly, the rider later died at a hospital around Satellites Town.

Preliminary investigations revealed that a truck driver while on a top speed lost control as a result of a rear busted tyre and rammed into a motorcycle plying one-way by Barracks Bus-stop inward Iyana-Iba along Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

While the truck driver ran away after the accident, Police men from ‘Onireke’ Police Division’ took away the recovered two (2) dead bodies.

Lastma Ogunremi Olanrewaju (Lastma Commander Area D) who led the recovery operations and his team immediately evacuated the truck and motorcycle off the road for an unhindered free vehicular movement around the Expressway.

The General Manager of LASTMA Mr. Bakare-Oki Olalekan while warning truck drivers to always stop over speeding however appealed to motorcycle operators to stop playing one-way including all restricted routes across the State.

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REA to Deploy NASENI Renewable Technologies To Light Up Rural Areas in Nigeria 

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.. To Partner NITDA On Local Content Development

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Halilu and the Managing Director/CEO of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Mr. Ahmad Salihijo Ahmad have agreed to work together to deploy NASENI Solar resources and other renewable energy technologies, to increase electricity supply to Nigeria’s rural areas.

This commitment was the outcome of discussions between the two chief executives in Abuja on Friday September 15, 2023, when the EVC/CEO of NASENI visited the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) office as part of his efforts to engage with stakeholders to promote the adoption of NASENI’s technologies.  

Mr. Halilu, who assumed office two weeks ago as NASENI’s chief executive, said, “The focus is to hit the ground running by nurturing effective collaborations with the right stakeholders who will assist NASENI to fulfil its mandate of providing the science and engineering infrastructure base for Nigeria’s businesses and economy to thrive.” 

According to him, “The strategy, going forward, for NASENI includes knocking on the doors of potential end-users of the Agency’s technology and engineering products, making off-take of our Research & Development (R&D) easy, while also bringing the direct impact of our work to bear on the Nigerian economy.”

The two chief executives pledged to work together to bring down the cost of solar power installation in rural areas, through efforts such as increased local production of solar panels by NASENI. The overall goal, according to the REA MD, Ahmad Salihijo, is to facilitate the Federal Government’s ambition to achieve the electrification of Nigeria’s rural areas in record time.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Halilu visited the Director General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, on a similar mission. The two CEOs emphasized the need to look inward and develop local content (human and material) capacity to transform the economy.

Halilu sought to leverage on the long-standing relationship between himself and the NITDA boss, and also between the two organisations, to share experiences and best practices in management and in resource optimization.

Abdullahi disclosed that NITDA’s strategy of focusing on changing both the mind-sets and skill-sets of its staff are two critical factors that have helped the Agency achieve up to 62 percent of its goals and objectives within two (2) years, ahead of its four (4) year projection. He noted that the same approach would work for NASENI, as long as there was a well-thought-out strategic plan, and clarity of vision and goals.

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kidnapping: Again, So-Safe rescues victim, arrests suspect in Ogun

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AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps also known as So-Safe Corps has captured a kidnap suspect alive, rescuing the victim in Ogun.

This is contained in a statement issued from the Office of the State Commander of the Corps, Commander (Dr) Soji Ganzallo through the office of the Director of Information and Public Relations of the Corps, Assistant Commander Moruf Yusuf.

Ganzallo said that on 13th July, 2023, the Headquarters of the Corps charged the Ijebu Zonal Command under ACC Marcus Ayankoya to rescue a woman who was kidnapped at about 2200hrs on her way back from market.

Ganzallo noted that he instructed his men to swing into action and get the culprits alive and to ensure the victim gained freedom in earnest and they went after them immediately.

He explained that the State Headquarters of the Corps was briefed as the operation was on that the kidnappers collected the victim phone, gold jewelry, N100,000 in her possession and 1 Atm Card and they drove her away with her car.

The team could not catch up with them because of Logistics issue.

Ganzallo later disclosed that the team did not relent untill they were informed of a strange footprints on a farmland at Oke-Ako Community in Ijebu-Ode Local Government Area .

The Commander then instructed the Isiwo/Itamapako Divisional Officer of the Corps, SC Aderibigbe M.O to mobilize and lead his Special Squad to deal with the suspected kidnappers decisively. The kidnappers were tracked down after rigorous search for them as they tried to move the victim to a new location.

Ganzallo reported that
there was a gun duel between the crime suspects and the Corps before the criminals bowed to the superior response of the Corps, while one of the kidnappers, who is 32 years old named Tunde Salami and a resident of Ibadan, Oyo State was captured alive and the kidnap victim was rescued unhurt.

Ganzallo also said that the rescued victim was traumatized but not harmed.

One locally-made pistol was also recovered from the suspect.

The apprehended kidnap suspect and the rescued victim had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force, Obalende Divisional Police Headquarters.

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