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FRIDAY , DECEMBER 22 , 2017 ... City , Crime , Courts 08185225745 , 08055126196
Police arraign couple for sexual assault , torture of maid
Samson Folarin
THE L a g o s S t a t e Police Command has arraigned a tyre dealer , Mr . Chigozie Ezeofor , and his wife , Mrs . Isioma Ezeofor , for alleged physical and sexual abuse of their maid , Blessing .
The couple were arraigned separately at the Ikeja Magistrate ’ s Court on one count each of assault occasioning harm and sexual assault by penetration .
PUNCH Metro h a d reported that 19-year-old Blessing had been living with the couple at their house in the Isheri Osun area for about six months .
She was reported to have been tortured many times by Isioma , while the husband , Chigozie , allegedly had anal sex with her .
The situation reached a climax on Sunday when the woman reportedly caught her husband caressing the victim at their home .
Isioma , in a fit of rage , was alleged to have poured hot water on Blessing , scalding her in the process .
The victim ’ s condition was said to have caught the attention of a resident , who reported the matter to the police .
T h e c o u p l e w e r e
Navy rescues four Chinese from kidnappers
THE nigerian navy in Lagos on Thursday said it rescued four Chinese from kidnappers in the Igbokoda area of Ondo State .
T h e F l a g O f f i c e r Commanding , Western naval Command , Rear Adm . Sylvanus Abbah , told the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos that the four victims were abducted aboard a fishing trawler within the Lagos waterways on December 14 , 2017 .
A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , operatives of the Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT rescued the abducted Chinese nationals from a militant camp in the riverine area of Ondo State .
He said after the abduction , the kidnappers took their victims in a speedboat to Igbokoda , Ondo State , the same day .
Abba said , “ n a v a l operatives attached to Forward Operations Base , who sighted the kidnappers as they were entering Igbokoda , gave them a chase .
“ The kidnappers opened fire on the naval gunboat .
“ There was a fierce gun battle between the suspects and the naval men , but the hoodlums eventually abandoned their speedboat and fled on foot through the creeks .”
Abbah said the naval men went after the suspects who
• Chigozie • Blessing • Isioma Photos : File
later abandoned the four Chinese men .
“ Presently , efforts are ongoing to arrest the suspects .
“ The Chinese sustained bullet injuries during the gun battle , but they have been treated and are in stable condition ,” he said .
The Acting Chinese Consul General in nigeria , Mr . Guan Zhonggi , who paid a visit to the FOC , commended the navy for its intervention .
He said the four Chinese men regained their freedom because of the swift response of the naval men .
Afeez Hanafi
A
post-mortem carried out on an electrician , Idris Lasisi , who was found dead in the attic of a pharmacy on Abraham Adesanya Low Cost Housing Estate in Ajah , Lagos State , has stated that the victim died of asphyxia ( suffocation ) and electrocution .
The report reportedly d e b u n k e d t h e m u r d e r allegation made by the deceased ’ s family .
Our correspondent gathered that the police had already cleared the owner of the pharmacy , one Bayo , of any wrongdoing .
PUNCH Metro had reported that Bayo engaged Idris to fix an electrical fault at the pharmacy on Saturday , December 9 .
subsequently arrested and detained at the gender section of the state police command , Ikeja .
The state Police Public Relations Officer , SP Chike Oti , had said the suspects would be charged to court at the end of investigations .
O u r c o r r e s p o n d e n t gathered that the couple were arraigned on Thursday .
Chigozie was charged with sexual assault by penetration , an offence punishable under Section 161 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State , nigeria , 2011 . The wife , Isioma , was
Armstrong Bakam , Bauchi
THE police in Bauchi State have arrested t h r e e s u s p e c t e d members of a gang , called a r r a i g n e d f o r a s s a u l t occasioning harm . The offence was said to be punishable under Section 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State , nigeria , 2011 .
They were said to have been admitted to bail in the sum of n500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum .
The case was adjourned till February 2 , 2018 .
The police spokesperson , Oti , who confirmed the development , said the state Commissioner of Police , Edgal Imohimi , had asked that the matter be pursued to a logical end .
Policemen statement
Afeez Hanafi
An ex-worker of the Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area , Lagos State , Segun Adekoya , has accused some operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team of torture .
Adekoya , who was an environmental task force official at the LGA , was arrested by the detectives in the FESTAC area of the state last Tuesday .
He was released on bail on Saturday after spending four days in the Lagos office of the IRT located at the Lagos State Command headquarters , Ikeja .
H e a l l e g e d t h a t o n e of the policemen wrote a statement indicting him for the murder of a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress , Emmanuel Uba , alias Onwa , and tortured him until he was forced to sign the statement form .
But the police denied Adekoya ’ s allegations and said he was being investigated in connection with the murder .
The environmentalist told PUNCH Metro on Wednesday that on the day that he was arrested , he received a call from a resident , one Mr . Godwin , around 2pm , inviting him to come to an office in FESTAC Town .
He explained that on his arrival at the office , he met two policemen from the Area E Command who initiated a discussion with him .
He said he was chatting with the cops when three other policemen barged in and introduced themselves as the IRT operatives .
“ They said they needed me to help them in an investigation and I told them that they should have invited me formally . Suddenly , one of the policemen , called Eke from Area E , slapped me . They bundled me into a Jeep and took me to Ikeja .
“ On getting there , I was taken to one policeman , Philip . They forced me to remove my clothes and I was left with only boxers . When I asked them what my offence was , they replied that I would die in the cell .
“ One of them brought out his gun and shot at the wall to scare me . They brought a statement form out and when I demanded to see my lawyer before writing anything , they gave me several slaps . They said I should write that I
Police arrest 67-year-old ,
Babeli , for the alleged murder of nine persons in the Warji Local Government Area of the state .
W h i l e p a r a d i n g t h e suspects before journalists at the police headquarters in Bauchi , the state Police Public Relations Officer , Kamal Abubakar , said a combined team of the Anti- Kidnapping Unit and Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad arrested the suspects based on intelligence report .
He said , “ In our unrelenting efforts to rid the state of crime , the command , under the leadership of CP Sanusi Lemu , through a coordinated operation , smashed different
Electrician found dead in pharmacy ’ s attic suffocated – Autopsy
Around 7pm on that day , the 33-year-old was said to have called his wife on the telephone , informing her that he was rounding off the work .
His wife , Bunmi Lasisi , explained that after awaiting his return for hours , she called his line , which was not reachable .
During the search by his family , he was traced to the pharmacy and found dead in the attic . His car was found on the premises , while his phone was alleged to be missing .
The family had said the injuries in his neck and armpit were indications of murder , just as the pharmacist insisted that the father of one was electrocuted .
The Lagos State Police Command had assured that
• Idris ; the pharmacy
an autopsy would be conducted on the corpse .
The report of the test , signed by one Dr O . O . Kila of the
Photos : File
Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine , Lagos State University Teaching Hospital , Ikeja , and stamped by the
Ogombo Divisional Police Officer , was sighted by our correspondent on Thursday .
“ I certify the cause of death , in my opinion , as asphyxia and electrocution ,” Kila said in the report , dated December 18 , 2017 .
The deceased ’ s elder brother , Ramon Lasisi , said the family had accepted the report in good faith .
“ We are not pursuing any case against the pharmacist again ,” he added .
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer , SP Chike Oti , said the case had been resolved .
“ The doctor said the man died of electrocution . The family are aware of the autopsy report . They are now sure that there was no foul play ,” he added .