Court remands man, 21, for alleged rape

A  21-year-old, Earnest Michel, was  on Friday remanded in prison custody by  an Ibadan Chief  Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku  for alleged rape and robbery.

The Prosecutor, Insp Aliu Samad, had told the court that the defendant was arraigned on a 10-count charge which included  unlawful carnal knowledge, forceful entry, armed robbery and stealing.
He alleged that  Michel  committed the crime on July 24 and July 26  at Sango-Polytechnic road in Ibadan.
Samad  said the defendant with two others already in prison raped a 31-year-old woman, Taiwo Owoade.
He said  Michel and his gang also  robbed Ayodeji Egunjobi and Yekini Ayanniyi of  laptop computers  and cell phones valued at N775,000.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened sections 516, 358, 6 (b) (1) (2), 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State of  Nigeria,  2000.
The defendant’s plea was, however,  not taken.
Chief  Magistrate Olaide Amzat  ordered Michel to be remanded in Agodi Prison while the case file should be  duplicated and forwarded  to the Director of  Public Prosecution for legal advice.
He adjourned the case to Aug.  29  for further hearing. (NAN)

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/court-remands-man-21-for-alleged-rape/#sthash.CdQYeb5g.dpuf

A  21-year-old, Earnest Michel, was  on Friday remanded in prison custody by  an Ibadan Chief  Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku  for alleged rape and robbery.

The Prosecutor, Insp Aliu Samad, had told the court that the defendant was arraigned on a 10-count charge which included  unlawful carnal knowledge, forceful entry, armed robbery and stealing.
He alleged that  Michel  committed the crime on July 24 and July 26  at Sango-Polytechnic road in Ibadan.
Samad  said the defendant with two others already in prison raped a 31-year-old woman, Taiwo Owoade.
He said  Michel and his gang also  robbed Ayodeji Egunjobi and Yekini Ayanniyi of  laptop computers  and cell phones valued at N775,000.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened sections 516, 358, 6 (b) (1) (2), 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State of  Nigeria,  2000.
The defendant’s plea was, however,  not taken.
Chief  Magistrate Olaide Amzat  ordered Michel to be remanded in Agodi Prison while the case file should be  duplicated and forwarded  to the Director of  Public Prosecution for legal advice.
He adjourned the case to Aug.  29  for further hearing. (NAN)

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/court-remands-man-21-for-alleged-rape/#sthash.CdQYeb5g.dpuf

A  21-year-old, Earnest Michel, was  on Friday remanded in prison custody by  an Ibadan Chief  Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku  for alleged rape and robbery.

The Prosecutor, Insp Aliu Samad, had told the court that the defendant was arraigned on a 10-count charge which included  unlawful carnal knowledge, forceful entry, armed robbery and stealing.

He alleged that  Michel  committed the crime on July 24 and July 26  at Sango-Polytechnic road in Ibadan.

Samad  said the defendant with two others already in prison raped a 31-year-old woman, Taiwo Owoade.

He said  Michel and his gang also  robbed Ayodeji Egunjobi and Yekini Ayanniyi of  laptop computers  and cell phones valued at N775,000.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened sections 516, 358, 6 (b) (1) (2), 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State of  Nigeria,  2000.

The defendant’s plea was, however,  not taken.

Chief  Magistrate Olaide Amzat  ordered Michel to be remanded in Agodi Prison while the case file should be  duplicated and forwarded  to the Director of  Public Prosecution for legal advice.

He adjourned the case to Aug.  29  for further hearing. (NAN)

Court remands 18-yr-old, another over rape

IBADAN — An Ibadan Chief  Magistrate’s court in Oyo State, yesterday, remanded two men in prison custody for allegedly having unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl.

The two accused persons, Ariyo Fawemi, 24, and Adetoro  Ademola, 18, were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and rape.

The prosecutor,  Inspector Ade Adebusuyi,  told the court that Fawemi and Ademola and two others now at large conspired  to commit the crime.

Adebusuyi said the accused persons also had unlawful carnal knowledge of one Biola, 17.

The crime was committed on July 31 at 8pm. at  Apata area of  Ibadan.

Adebusuyi said the offence contravened sections 357 and 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol.11, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The pleas of the accused persons were not taken.

Chief Magistrate Olusola Adetujoye ordered them to be remanded in prison custody pending the  receipt of  legal advice from the Office of the Director of  Public Prosecution.

The case was  adjourned to September 11 for  mention.

Activists fault Senate’s resolution on underage marriage

The senate on Wednesday passed a proposal claiming that a woman is deemed to be “full of age” once she is married irrespective of the age she did so.
A cross section of activists on Wednesday faulted the Senate’s resolution to alter Section 29 (a) of the proposed constitutional amendment stipulating that a woman shall qualify for marriage only when she attains 18 years.
The Senate, however, deleted age specification for women who were once married, claiming that a woman is deemed to be “full of age” once she is married irrespective of the age she did so.
The resolution was made by lawmakers on Tuesday after a vote on recommendations of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution.
The Executive Director of PROJECT ALERT on Violence Against Women, Josephine Effa-Chukwuma, described the resolution as a selfish one.
She said that (the resolution) would contradict the Child Rights Act which stipulated that “a child is anyone below the age of 18″.
“That is very reckless of them and insensitive of them to the plight of young girls, especially in this time and era of child sexual abuse; the implications and complications that come up from early marriage which we all know; VVF, RVF and all that.
“So, if they go to the constitution to remove the age restriction that says one cannot marry a teen, then, they might as well throw the Childs rights acts out of the window.
“The Childs Rights Acts says clearly that a child is any one below the age of 18; or are they oblivious to it , it is completely
unacceptable,” she said.
Also reacting, Abiola Afolabi-Akiode, the Coordinator, Gender and Constitution Reform Network, (GECORN), described the lawmaker’s resolution as a big setback on the Nigerian people not only the women.
“It contradicted Section 21 of the Childs Rights Acts which says no persons under the age of 18 is capable of contracting a marriage; and any marriage that is contracted by a minor is null and void and has no effect whatsoever.
“The constitution is supreme, so the Childs Rights Acts falls under the constitution; So, what the man has done is to set back all the gains of the struggle of the Nigerian women.
“So this kind of law will just legalise the abuse of children in the country and that is why people were clamouring for the deletion of that section 39(4) and which the senate originally moved towards, so how the table now turned against the children of Nigeria is what we don’t understand,” she said.
On her part, the National Public Relations Officer of the KOWA Party, Oluremi Sonaiya, expressed the hope that the resolution was not a way of making people escape with molesting children.
“I hope that this is not a way of making people get away with molesting children; people who will have like they say canal knowledge of children or who will force children into marriage at a tender age, this is like giving them a loophole.
Joining in the assault are members of the Nigerian Feminist Forum, whose spokesperson, Gerdyn Ezeakile, issued an angry statement in Lagos saying:

“This action is a clear violation of Article 21(2) of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child which prohibits child marriage and betrothal as well as Article 6 (b) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa which provides that the minimum age of marriage for women is 18 years.A cross section of activists on Wednesday faulted the Senate’s resolution to alter Section 29 (a) of the proposed constitutional amendment stipulating that a woman shall qualify for marriage only when she attains 18 years.

The resolution was made by lawmakers on Tuesday after a vote on recommendations of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Nigerian Constitution.
However, Rev. Austin Nnorom, the Lagos State Chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), urged the lawmakers to cancel the resolution.
“It is worrisome and I think it’s a very unhealthy thing by the National Assembly; we pray that they should immediately repeal that law.
“We are looking for local government autonomy and better laws not a law that will allow children, under aged to be sexually abused, and it’s going to cause a lot of social vices in this part of the country.’’

Parents, know the signs of autism

Autism is a group of serious developmental problems called autism spectrum disorders. They appear in early childhood, usually before age three.

This brain disorder, which slows down physical, locomotive and mental development in a child till adulthood, if not managed earlier, is no more a rare development.

In fact, a recent study by the International Society of Paediatrics states that autism affects at least one out of every 88 children globally.

The condition, which has no symptoms at birth but manifests a few years after, also limits a person’s ability to communicate and relate to other people.

Adults living with autism struggle with speech and majorly have to be assisted to do things that other kids take for granted.

For instance, according to child care experts on WebMD.com, a three-year old boy who has  one of the autism spectrum disorders may need a year with  intense private teaching to be able to write or say the first five letters of the alphabet.

Because there are no obvious signs at birth to show if a child is autistic, early detection of this disorder in children is a big challenge for parents.

However, as tricky as the autism symptoms are, experts say  they can still be spotted if parents, care givers, teachers, doctors and persons who have one thing or the other to do with children are aware of the  early signs of autism.

One of them is the Director and Founder, Patrick Speech and Language Centre, in Lagos, a school for children living with autism spectrum disorders, Mrs. Dotun Akande. She states that since the number of children diagnosed with autism appears to be rising, just as there are yet no medical reasons as to why children are born with this disorder and how it can be prevented, parents must pay more attention to the growth and development of their children for early intervention.

Akande, a mother of a boy with autism, says intensive and early treatment may make a big difference in the lives of many children affected by this disorder.

According to her, it is the parents’ responsibility to pay more attention to some signs that suggest that their kids may have autism.

Early warning signs

A paediatrician on the online portal, about.com, Dr. Lisa Jo-Rudy, says it is possible, if parents are observant, to discover that their child has autism before he/she turns three.

At age one, Jo-Rudy says, an early sign of autism in children is their inability to relate or play with their peers or family members.

She notes that babies who avoid physical or body contact with their parents, siblings or peers, and those who have delay in talking, such that they keep repeating words or phrases in an usual manner, may have autism.

“If you have a baby between 18 and 24 months, who gets upset at minor changes in the environment or does not turn when he hears the mother’s voice and also avoids eye contact, then you must watch it. Something is wrong when a baby does not smile or respond to social cues from others. Even young infants are very social. It is best to contact your doctor right away with any concerns,” she adds.

Physicians say the signs of autism are more noticeable in a child’s second year. Jo-Rudy notes that while other children are forming their first words and pointing to things they want, a child with autism remains detached from learning.

She states that an autistic child would not be able to pronounce a single word by 16 months and would only be able to manage single-word phrases by age two. In severe cases, Jo-Rudy says, autistic children totally lose language skills and show no interest when adults point out objects, such as a plane flying overhead, to get their attention.

However, at the age of three, experts say, physical signs and symptoms are more obvious to help a parent safely suspect that their child may have autism.

Jo-Rudy notes that physical symptoms such as digestive problems, inability to walk or run, constipation and sleep problems, especially among boys in this age bracket, should not be wished away.

She explains that autism affects parts of the brain that control emotions, communication and body movements; adding that by the toddler years, some children with ASDs have unusually large heads and brains — which may be because of problems with brain growth.

Jo-Rudy says, “Autism affects the brain. Since most nerves and tissues that control movement are in the brain, affected children may have poor coordination of the large muscles used for running and climbing, or the smaller muscles of the hand. About a third of people with autism also often have seizures. These are more obvious than the earlier years.”

The paediatrician says apart from consulting a specialist, parents  should also notify their children’s teachers, school authorities and neighbours about their children’s developmental challenges to avoid stigmatisation.

She says, “And if your child is autistic, I can tell you that, yes, it will be hard at first. But you won’t love your child any less. In time, your child will show you a whole new perspective on the world that you never dreamed possible. And one day you’ll look back and understand why you were afraid but tell yourself at the same time that you made the right, and best, decision of your life. Because your child really will be that important to you.”

Source: PUNCH

NSCDC arrests 34-year-old man for allegedly raping a minor in Jigawa

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa has arrested a man, 34, for allegedly raping  a five-year-old girl in Hadejia local government area.

Mr Muhammad Gidado, the NSCDC Commandant in the state told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Monday that the suspect was arrested at Walawa quarters of Hadejia town on Friday.

Gidado said that the suspect allegedly lured the girl into an uncompleted building and committed the offence.

He said that the suspect was arrested following intelligence report.

The commandant told NAN that medical doctors at the General Hospital, Hadejia, confirmed that the girl was raped.

Gidado said that investigations into the case had been concluded adding that the suspect would soon be taken to court.

Source: PUNCH

Three men rape 14-year-old, brand her a witch

A 24-year-old patent medicine dealer, Ijezie Chidiebere, and two other men have been arraigned before the Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.

The incident was said to have taken place on August 3, 2013  in Orile-Iganmu, Lagos State.

The police said Chidiebere and the other suspects (Okechukwu Ezea, 25 and Chikezie Ejesi, 25) detained the victim in Chidiebere’s shop where they violated her “and in the process, destroyed her hymen.”

To cover their action, they allegedly poured a liquid substance suspected to be olive oil on her while pretending to be clerics.

They were said to have told some people that had gathered that the girl was a witch, who needed urgent spiritual deliverance.

Some of the people, who were not convinced, alerted   policemen who arrested the trio.

The three men were arraigned on four counts of felony, rape and false representation.

The charges read in part, “That you, Ijezie Chidiebere,m, Okechukewu Ezea, m, Chikezie Ejesi,m and others now at large on  August 3, 2013, at 9pm at No 8, Kekere-Ekun Street, Orile-Iganmu in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit defilement and administering of noxious substance.”

The prosecutor, Sergeant Qasim Adams, said the offences were punishable under Sections 409, 137,166(1)(D) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Nigeria 2011 and Section 247(b) of the Criminal Code of Law of Cap ‘C38’ Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.

The men pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

The magistrate, Mr. K.O Ogundare, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

He also instructed the police to transfer the matter to the Surulere Family Court where it would receive proper attention as the court lacked the jurisdiction to try the case.

The matter was adjourned till September 24.

Source: PUNCH

Saving our children from rapists

IN the past, it was rare and hardly reported, but today, the rape of underage girls is assuming epidemic proportions in Nigeria. Across the country, reports of adult males defiling children are coming in torrents, adding to the misery of a population wracked by poverty, unemployment and crime. Paedophilia — sex by an adult with an underage person — is so destructive that Nigerians must rise to combat it and save our innocent children from the perverts.

For these predators, sex — normally a sensual activity between two consenting adults — will simply not do: they target children who cannot legally grant consent to such indulgence. Children are lured by adults they know and trust into sex, the implications of which their young minds cannot grasp. Many are brutally raped by men too strong for them to fight off. Children, babies, some only a few months old, have become fair game.

Even hardened police officers are sickened by the spectacle. In a space of five days, July 7 to July 11, the police in Edo State nabbed four men who separately raped minors, aged between seven and 13 years. In Lagos, a 13-year-old girl was lured by an adult male neighbour into a room, where three adult friends took turns to gang-rape her. The state police command reported that underage rape accounted for a significant percentage of the 678 reported cases of rape between March 2012 and March 2013. In this deadly game, the child appears to have no hiding place. Fathers are raping daughters, as did one Sylvester Ehijere, 47, who was arrested in Lagos this year for raping his own seven-year-old daughter and his granddaughter, aged one month; or one Alabi Ibrahim, 62, whose 10-year-old stepdaughter narrated how “daddy always sleeps with me when mummy is not around.”

Aid workers, urging vigilance by parents/guardians, say fathers, uncles, family friends and acquaintances, domestic staff, teachers or others in authority are often the ones who defile innocent children. A headmaster was caught in Osun State recently for serially defiling his 11-year-old female pupil, as was Olalekan Lasisi, 32, a police corporal, who raped and impregnated a 12-year-old girl in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The increase in underage rape requires serious attention from every government. While the rape of an adult is bad enough, that of a minor is reprehensible. It targets the weak and defenceless. American criminologists believe that the emotional damage of child rape could lead to girls growing up into lives of prostitution, crime and desolation. Low self-esteem and wantonness could result, while, at the other end of the spectrum, some could become frigid — a condition where a woman is incapable of enjoying sex. Some children die during or after the rape, others are traumatised for life. Some contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, or bleed to death. Unwanted pregnancies and babies result, some of the pregnancies leading to crude abortions that cause permanent damage.

We recommend swift action in passing the bill now before the National Assembly for an Act on Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) that spells out life imprisonment for convicted rapists in contrast to the mild three years in the statute books. This will help put away, permanently, people like the two men who recently raped an 18-month-old tot or the 85-year-old “Baba Yellow” of Somolu, an alleged serial child rapist.

The main battle against child rapists will, however, have to be waged by parents/guardians and care givers.  Parents must overcome societal pressure to conceal rape because of fear of stigmatisation of the victim. A situation where the 427 cases reported in Lagos State in 2012 are only a fraction of the actual rapes perpetrated only leaves the rapists free to strike again. CLEEN Foundation, an NGO, says “only 28 per cent of rape cases are reported to the police,” much lower than robbery, 39 per cent; kidnapping, 40 per cent; and attempted murder, 45 per cent. Princess Olufemi-Kayode, Executive Director of Mediacon, a child rights advocacy group, rightly calls on the police, especially, to respond swiftly to reports of child rape. We join NGOs in deploring the penchant for treating reports on rape with levity as “less than 50 per cent of those who muster courage to report (rapes) were satisfied with the handing of the cases,” according to CLEEN.

Mediacon advocates early sex education for children and warns parents against leaving their children with family and friends for long, since over 80 per cent of rapes of minors is committed by individuals known to the victims, including clerics. Schools, faith-based organisations and local government councils should roll out counselling programmes for parents and children. Schoolchildren should be taught to cry out and report when uncles, clerics, older boys or teachers touch or fondle their sensitive parts. Women should not suppress the rape of minors to protect family or neighbours, even their husbands.

The new legislation should emulate similar ones in the United States and Europe by compiling data banks on known paedophiles, who will be required by law to inform the police or welfare authorities when travelling to another state or country. Police authorities are then required to share information on the offenders to help monitor them. In some US states, it is mandatory to inform residents when a convicted paedophile moves in to the neighbourhood. All the 36 states should domesticate and implement the Child Rights Act, which among other measures, criminalises marriage to a girl under 18.

But eternal vigilance by parents remains the major weapon against girl-child molesters. Parents should monitor their children and forge close friendship/rapport with them to ensure the children confide in them always.

Source : PUNCH