An Akure Magistrate Court has declared as barbaric, evil and ungodly a part of Ibo custom which denied a father access to his children over non-payment of bride price to the wife’s family.
It said: “The custom that tends to punish one person when two consenting adults are involved in the act is nothing but the highest element of insensitivity and servitude.”
Magistrate Segun Stephen Rotiba spoke when he gave ruling on the legal tussle between Prophet Theophilus Obayan and his estranged wife, Prophetess Chibuzor Lilian.
Prophet Obayan is a Yoruba while his estranged wife hails from Abia State.
The were heads of the Divine Prophetic Solutions Prayers Ministry, Ladipo in Lagos State.
Prophetess Chibuzor left her husband to marry one of his spiritual son, Abua Obi, and changed her children’s surname to Obi.
Obayan filed a divorce suit against his wife on grounds that she changed his children’s surname to her lover’s name.
He also asked the court to dissolve the 23 years old union over allegation of disobedience, misunderstanding, lies, manipulation, abuse, hate and rage.
Prophet Obayan challenged snatching of his four children by a member of his church, and sought return of the paternity of the children as well as grant him custody of the children
In his ruling, Magistrate Rotiba dissolved the marriage on grounds that the parties have lost interest in the union and granted Obayan’s prayers to reclaim his four children.
He noted that from the evidence before it, the Respondent alluded to the fact under cross- examination that since the Petitioner did not pay her bride price, her new husband who paid same has the right to have them bear his name in accordance with Ibo custom.
According to him: “In the same breathe, I find the Ibo custom exuded by the respondent and her witnesses that the children of the union can bear Mr Abua Obi as their surname, atavistic, barbaric, evil, ungodly, irrational, unsensational, crass, gross, crude, unwary, provocative, ungodly, discriminatory and insensible.
“The custom that tends to punish one person when two consenting adults are involved in the act is nothing but the highest element of insensitivity and servitude.
“I condemn this custom in the strongest terms. While the matter was on, a publication was made on February 2, 2023 in Vanguard newspapers, changing the surname of the first two children of the parties to Abua Obi
“Aside the fact that complicit to change the surname of the first two children has been establishqed against the Respondent, it also amounts to subjudice as no action is expected to be taken on the subject matter by whoever, when the matter is pending before the Court.
“This is a complete affront to the Court. I say no more. In conclusion, the Court hereby dissolves the union between the parties, having broken down irretrievably.
“The Court, hereby declares personal non grata, the custom of the Respondent awarding paternal personality to a man who is not the biological father of the children.
“The Court hereby invalidates and render null and void the publication changing the surname of the 1st and 2nd children from Obayan to Abua Obi.
“The Court also invalidates any other publication or whatsoever changing the surname of the Children from Obayan to Abua Obi during the pendency of this case
The three suspects were accused of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and false alarm leading to the death of Abubakar.
No fewer than three suspects who caused the death of a commercial motorcyclist, Usman Abubakar in Aiyetoro – Gbede, Ijumu local government area of Kogi State, have been paraded by the police.
It was learnt that the victim was accused of snatching the male organ of one of them.
According to the report, the suspects identified as Haruna Adamu 28, Harisu Abdulrasheed 18, and Yakubu Mohammed, 23, were among the nine suspects paraded for various deadly offences at a press conference by Kogi Commissioner of Police, Bethrand Onuoha, in Lokoja on Tuesday.
The three suspects were accused of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and false alarm leading to the death of Abubakar.
The trio were said to have falsely accused the deceased commercial motorcyclist of snatching the male organ of one of them.
This led lynching of Abubakar in a mob action before the truth could be established.
Another set of suspects, ThankGod Joseph and Monday Mathew, were apprehended for terrorising residents of the Onicha-Igo community in Ofu LGA of Kogi State. Onuoha said the gang was believed to be responsible for a series of armed robbery attacks, assaults, thuggery and mischief in the community.
Onuoha said on 23/03/2023 at about 0130hrs, the hoodlums evaded the house and premises of one Mrs. Rachael Agada, firing guns sporadically, robbed the occupants of their valuable properties, kidnapped the house girl of Mrs Agada, named Nawaitu, and stole her Hilux Van. In addition, he said that on 28/01/2023, the hoodlums killed one Miss Queen Onoja without any just cause.
The remaining suspects are Daniel David, a serial car snatcher, Akoji Ojo, Abdulmumun Zakari and Ali Abdulrahman, said to be kidnappers operating in Lokoja and environs.
According to the CP, the suspects confessed to their various criminal roles in the commission of the crimes and admitted to having carried out several kidnapping, and armed robbery attacks on innocent people as well as travellers on the major highway in the State.
Items recovered from the suspects included three stolen vehicles, arms, ammunition, Jerry cans of oil, handsets, and military uniforms.
“While soliciting for more cooperation from the good people of Kogi State, by continuing to provide credible and timely information to the Police, I want to assure you that the Police Command will not relent in its efforts in crime prevention and public safety in the State.
“Those who engage in criminal activities are warned to desist from such and hand over their arms and ammunition to the Police and engage in something meaningful for their lives or be prepared to face the full consequences of their actions,” the Kogi State police commissioner concluded.
The member, representing Isa-Sabon Birni federal constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulkadir Jelani Danbuga, is dead. A member, representing Sabon…
The member, representing Isa-Sabon Birni federal constituency on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdulkadir Jelani Danbuga, is dead.
A member, representing Sabon Birni South constituency at the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Almustapha (aka Boza), confirmed the death to our reporter.
According to Boza, the federal lawmaker died around 12:30 am on Wednesday after a brief illness.
Popular singer, Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy of the Psquare, has bemoaned the excruciating economic hardship in the country, especially the hike in petroleum products.
The ‘Reason With Me’ crooner lamented that he bought his first car for N120,000 many years ago but currently spends N3 million monthly on buying diesel.
Describing the economic situation as a “total madness”, Rudeboy said he can’t imagine what the poor are going through.
On his Instagram story, he wrote, “I bought my first car 120k naira years back and I was very proud of that… Now I spend 3m naira on diesel for just a month… Total madness.
“Only God knows what a common man is going through.”
The Senate on Tuesday adopted a motion which was sponsored by Senator Sunday Marshall Katung representing Kaduna South Senatorial District, seeking intervention in farmers’ loss of ginger worth N10 billion due to pathogenic diseases.
In the motion, the lawmaker called for urgent need to address the outbreak of a deadly disease affecting ginger production in Southern Kaduna which has caused a devastating effect to farmers.
Katung said ginger has been grown in the Southern part of Kaduna State since about 1927, and it has steadily increased in its importance as a valuable commodity over the intervening years, but never witnessed destruction of this magnitude due to diseases.
The motion further noted “that Kaduna State ranks the highest in ginger production in Nigeria, contributing to Nigeria’s place as one of the largest producers of ginger in the world, with a production average of more than 300,000 tonnes during the five-year period 2014-2018, and a global market share of about 11 per cent, trailing only India;
“Cognizant that as a subset of the agricultural sector, ginger production has a significant impact on revenue generation and farmers income, thereby reducing the rate of poverty amongst the local farmers of southern Kaduna and the country at large;
“Also cognizant that apart from its revenue generating potential, the consumption of ginger has many health benefits ranging from the prevention of stomach ulcers, the reduction of nausea and vomiting amongst pregnant women, to chemotherapy treatment for cancer patients;
“Worried that the 2023 ginger season in Southern Kaduna State has suffered a significant setback due to an outbreak of fungi pathogens infection destroying over 2,500 hectares of farmlands estimated at 10 Billion Naira across seven Local Government Areas of southern Kaduna State, thereby significantly threatening Nigeria’s position on the world chart of ginger production;
“Also worried that this devastating and unprecedented ginger pandemic affects Nigeria’s non-oil export performance and is already affecting the lives of many individuals within the affected communities of southern Kaduna because ginger is their source of livelihood.”
After contributions highlighting the importance of ginger production, the Senate mandated its Committee on Agricultural Production and Rural Development to interface with the hierarchy of the National Agricultural Quarantine Services and its supervisory Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
The Committee was asked to conduct an on-the-spot assessment tour of all affected areas of the ginger pandemic in Southern Kaduna state.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio called on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to immediately coordinate surveillance systems to collect, analyze and interpret data on this disease, towards the prevention of further spread or phytonoses
Former Big Brother Naija All-Stars housemate, Pere Egbi has boldly refused any meeting that will warrant him being in the same space with his colleague, Alex Unusual.
Leading Reporters recalls that the duo had an intense altercation over a bed space during their stay in Biggie’s house. Pere angrily flipped Alex out of the bed she was lying in.
When asked about his fight with Alex Unusual in a viral video on Friday, Pere denied knowing her.
However, speaking during an interview with Miracle OP on Monday, Pere stated that he would prefer to engage in a conversation with the devil than with Alex, noting that his decision to distance himself from her is a deliberate choice.
Pere said: “I will avoid the seat. Even if Jesus comes down. I will tell him to bring someone else who I offended. I would rather sit down with the devil before I sit down with Alex.
“That’s how much I don’t want to sit down with her. Let everyone stay where they are, avoid me. No grudges, I just don’t want that energy.”
Popular singer, Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, better known as Skales, has cried out that he is being threatened for speaking out against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, after he was recently oppressed by its operatives.
Leading Reporters learnt that the singer recently called out EFCC, claiming heavily armed operatives of the agency broke into his house and wrongly accused him of being a fraudster.
He said they oppressed him in the presence of his wife and six-month-old daughter, stressing that he had a panic attack because of some health issues he is dealing with.
He also said his producer was injured by the EFCC operatives.
Taking to his X handle on Tuesday morning, Skales said his life was under threat following his revelation of his ordeal in the hands of EFCC operatives.
The ‘Shake Body’ crooner wrote, “I was just threatened for speaking out now.”
A human rights lawyer, Pius Danba has raised concerns over the delay by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct a bye election for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State.
He said the exercise was long overdue.
Danba, who made his position known on Tuesday in a letter addressed to the INEC Chairman, stated that the INEC had violated the constitutional provision which provided that election to fill a vacant position must not exceed 30 days.
The Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency seat has remained vacant following the sudden demise of the winner of the February 25 election, Ismaila Yushau Mohammed.
Wondering why INEC has continued to drag its feet, he said, “it will interest you to know that from the 22nd day of April, 2023 to 13th June ,2023 is 52 days.
“It is also well over 170 days now since the death of Ismaila Yushau Mohammed and the seat of the member representing Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency has been vacant since the inauguration of the House of Representatives on the 13th June, 2023.
“The people of Jalingo/Yorro/Zing are not represented at all for over 118 days and counting, which is contrary to Section 76 (1) (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”
He added that Section 34 (3) (b) of the Electoral Act 2022, provides for just 21 days grace period after the death of a candidate.
The legal luminary faulted the Commission for giving priority to the Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections.
He said, “it appears that your commission does not consider the election of Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency to be an equally important constitutional activity at all.”
For stealing hospital beds, the Akwa Ibom State High Court, Eket local government area jurisdiction, has sentenced a medical doctor, one Nwaopara Adolphus Uche, to two years’ imprisonment.
They were stolen from Immanuel General Hospital and Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital in Eket local government area of Akwa Ibom State and converted them to his private clinic.
Uche, according to the particulars of the case, is said to have used his position as the Medical Superintendent of Immanuel Psychiatric Hospital, to commit the crime.
Therefore, the court headed by Justice Nsemeke Daniel convicted the 39-year-old native of Mbiere in Mbaitoli LGA of Imo State, on a two-count charge of stealing and conspiracy.
Also convicted to one-year imprisonment is Kubiat Anthony Isidore, a 28 – year-old welder from Ikot Idim in Odoro Ikot, Essien Udim local government area, who conspired with the doctor, and one Felix Samuel Ekwere, a 35 – year-old security guard at Immanuel General Hospital, from Ekpene Obo in Esit Eket LGA, who was caught moving out some of the stolen hospital beds at night.
Samuel, according to the charge file, had confessed to the police that it was the convicted medical superintendent that sent him. And the judge had no other option than to convict the trio who were prosecuted by the state through the Ministry of Justice in a charge number HEK/13C/2023