With a view to ensuring effective and efficient administration of criminal justice system in Nigeria, a Non-governmental organisation, CLEEN Foundation, in collaboration with the Nigeria Police zone 12, has trained personnel of the force in Bauchi.
Speaking at the two days training of over 20 senior personnel, Director of the Foundation, Dr. Benson Olugbuo, said the Foundation was established with a view to ensuring the promotion of safety, security of citizenry and accessibility of justice through the strategies of empirical research, legislative, advocacy, etc.
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Olugbuo, who was represented by the Foundation’s Programme Assistant, Mr. Nnamdi Odo, said the Foundation was committed in training and retraining of Nigeria police so as to promote public safety and security.
He reiterated that the police as gatekeepers of the Criminal Justice Act requires consistent training of its personnel to tackle security challenges facing the country.
A cross section of personnel during the training
“The ACJA, 2015 as we all know has brought fundamental reforms to our criminal justice system. The Act was designed to preserve and strengthen existing legal frameworks and also to enhance the efficiency of the institutions within the criminal justice system and the protection of human rights of citizens, suspects, defendants and victims “, Dr. Olugbuo said.
He explained that the legislative purpose of the Act was to have a nationwide application and to also introduce a national criminal procedure law that will regulate the investigation and prosecution of offenses throughout the federation.
The Director who stated that 29 states across the country have adopted the Act, explained that findings from public perceptions survey carried out by the Foundation in 2017 and 2018 to monitor the administration of the Act’s reforms revealed that there is low level of awareness amongst criminal justice institutions including the police.
Declaring the event open, the Assistant Inspector General of police (AIG) in charge of zone 12 Bauchi, Sunusi Lemu, described the training as timely, looking at how strategic it is to the men and officers of the Nigeria police
“We know how important this kind of training is to the police, we know how important it is to our profession. We have seen, heard and touched the importance of criminal justice in today’s Nigerian society“, he stressed.
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The AIG who was represented by Bauchi State Deputy Commissioner of Police Ali Kaigama advised the participants to pay attention and get involved as representatives of their various commands.
“I believe that you will leave here more informed than when you came in. I also hope that when you get back to your various commands you will be able to impact the knowledge acquired to your colleagues”, he said.
A 50-years old man, Edo Omusi, has been declared wanted by the police in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, for disappearing after being ‘caught’ in a same s*x act in Ogiso community.
A source close to the police in the state, told our correspondent that the suspect, and one of his male friends, whose name was not given, were sighted at an undisclosed location by some youths as they were comitting the act.
Under Nigerian Laws, any person caught in the gay act is liable to 14 years in prison and if found by the community could be killed.
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The duo were said to have been deeply engrossed in the act when they were found but before the person who saw them in the , “sinful and abominable act”, went for back up, they had escaped the location.
The incident which occurred on 25/4/23 at Ogiso area of the town almost threw the community into a turmoil as irate youths welding sticks and cudgels rampaged the community in search of the duo to lynch them.
It was also learnt that worried by the trend the youths in the community had to set up a surveillance team to monitor his movements. It was on one of the surveillance trips that he was reportedly caught on the fateful day, with the unidentified male partner.
It was gathered since the community reported the incident to the police, the whereabouts of the suspect, Edo Omusi has since remained unknown by all and sundry.
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Speaking on the development, a top Police official confirmed the matter and explained that the Crime Investigation Department of the command is working round the clock to arrest the suspect, having declared him a wanted person.
Adefioye ordered that the defendant should be remanded in Awhajigoh Correctional Centre, Badagry.
He adjourned the case until April 14 for facts and sentencing.
Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP. Clément Okuoimose, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on April 6 at 2.30 p.m. at Badagry Roundabout shopping complex, Badagry, Lagos.
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Okuoimose said Lemo without lawful excuse pressed the breast of the complainant, Zainab Babalola.
Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as Mr Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
He also agreed to forfeit $8 million in proceeds of wire fraud as well as luxury cars and watches to the foreign government.
Woodberry, a known associate of the now-imprisoned internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, recently in a plea declaration submitted at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division on April 6, pleaded guilty to count one of the indictments, the Peoples Gazette reports.
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According to his plea agreement, he is required to pay back the sum of $8 million he fraudulently received from the seven companies that he scammed.
“Defendant understands that by pleading guilty, he will subject to forfeiture to the United States all right, title, and interest that he has in any property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offence,”stated the document containing Mr Ponle’s signed plea declaration.
Woodberry was also asked to waive his rights to the luxury cars, and designer watches he had stashed in Dubai.
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The high-end automobiles include Rolls Royce Cullinan with vehicle no J9153, Lamborghini Urus (N4973) and Mercedes-Benz G-class (G68816).
Other items seized are four Rolex watches, one Patek Philippe watch, three Audemars Piguet watches, three gold and diamond-studded earrings, and six gold neck chains.
Last year, he forfeited 151.8 Bitcoin to the American government.
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On June 10, 2020, Woodberry was arrested in Dubai alongside Ramon Hushpuppi Abbas, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence for a similar fraud charge.
Prior to his arrest, Woodberry was known for rocking and flaunting expensive designer wear and showing off his illicit wealth to his massive Instagram followers, the majority of whom had no idea his luxury lifestyle was funded by cybercrime.