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Administration of Criminal Justice: CLEEN FOUNDATION Set Up Observatory, Monitoring Group In Edo

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Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Against the back drop of challenges affecting the full implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), a civil society organisation, CLEEN FOUNDATION, on Wednesday established and launched a CSO observatory group aimed at monitoring the full implementation of the Act in Edo State.

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The independent group set up is also expected to monitor the progress and challenges in the implementation of the ACJA , the state ACJL and the “compliance rate of the criminal justice actors to the unique provisions of the ACJA/state ACJL.”

In his opening remarks, Executive Director, CLEEN FOUNDATION, Mr. Gad Peter, said the group was set up as an advocacy for the full implementation of the laws which, according to him “is a critical step towards promoting transparency, accountability and rule of law in the state and country as a whole.”

READ ALSO: FG, Others Share N2.84trn In FAAC

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Mr. Peter, represented by Mrs. Blessing Abiri, Programme Officer, CLEEN FOUNDATION, added that the group which composed of diverse range of stakeholders including civil society organizations, human rights groups, legal experts, and other relevant stakeholders, would also serve as “a platform for knowledge sharing and continuous learning on the implementation of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law in Edo state.”

He said: “We’ve been over time monitoring the implementation, and from the data we have from our past programmes similar to this, we discovered there is need to scale up the project, and this why we are in Edo State.

“We all know if the criminal justice system is not functioning well, there will be a problem.”

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According to him, “… It will lay the foundation for more interaction and collaborative relationship amongst stakeholders in monitoring the implementation of the Criminal Justice Reform process in Edo state and ultimately improve the Administration of Criminal Justice in Nigeria.

READ ALSO:Beyonce Gives £8,000 In Grant To Nigerian-owned Restaurant In London

“With the launch of the CSO Observatory group, members will be capacitated on key thematic areas that would support it to deliver on their mandate.”

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In his good will message, Chief Judge of Edo State, Hon. Justice Daniel Okungbowa, described the coming of ACJA as a fresh air to the judiciary, adding that the Act made possible the innovative electronic taking of statement in police station.

The Chief Judge represented by Hon. Justice M.E. Itsueli, while commending CLEEN FOUNDATION for taking the bold step, urged stakeholders to work as a chain that cannot be easily broken.

He expressed the state judiciary readiness to partner with the stakeholders for the success of the group.

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Also in his goodwill message, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Dankwara, represented by Officer in Charge Legal Department, CSP Peter Ugwemba, while commending the Foundation, said the introduction of ACJA has speared the police of litigation against human rights violation, adding that the police in Edo is complying by the Act.

On her part, Adesuwa Ehimuan, Chairman, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Edo State, urged the media to be more involved in enlightenment of the public on the act and also expose those perpetrating violence against women and children.

She also urged stakeholders to always involve the media in gender base violence GBV cases with a view to bringing such to the public notice, so it serves as a deterrent to others.

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JUST IN: WAEC Shuts Down Result Portal Over Technical Issues

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The West African Examinations Council has temporarily shut down its result-checking portal due to technical problems, just hours after releasing the 2025 WASSCE results.

The announcement, posted on WAEC’s official X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday evening, read: “WAEC hereby informs the general public that the result checker portal @waecdirect.org is temporarily shutdown due to technical issues.

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“However, the Council is working assiduously to ensure that candidates are able to access their results in the next 24 hours. Please bear with us.”

READ ALSO:WAEC Speaks On Rumoured Cancellation Of 2025 WASSCE Exams

The development has left many candidates unable to view their long-awaited results.

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Frustration has mounted on social media, with many users reporting error messages and website timeouts.

Meanwhile, WAEC did not disclose the exact nature of the technical failure but assured the public that restoration efforts are underway.

READ ALSO:WAEC Speaks On Rumoured Cancellation Of 2025 WASSCE Exams

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The disruption comes barely a day after WAEC officially released the 2025 WASSCE results on Monday, sparking high online traffic as thousands of candidates rushed to check their performance.

As of press time, the council has not issued further updates, but candidates are advised to monitor WAEC’s official channels for status updates and confirmation once the portal is restored.

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[VIDEO] Kwam 1’s Airport Drama: FAAN Accuses Fuji Star Of Alcohol Violation

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The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified the circumstances surrounding the recent airport altercation involving Fuji music legend, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The incident, which disrupted the boarding of a Lagos-bound ValueJet flight (VK 201) on Monday, August 5, has drawn significant public attention and prompted separate investigations by aviation authorities.

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According to a statement by Mrs. Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, the issue stemmed from the musician’s attempt to board the flight with an unidentified liquid, later confirmed to be alcohol.

The passenger tried to board with alcohol. He was warned repeatedly, in line with international aviation security regulations, but declined to comply,” Orah stated.

READ ALSO:Malnutrition: UNICEF Introduces Liquid Supplement To Enhance Child Nutrient

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FAAN explained that the attempt violated the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) and international aviation rules under ICAO Annex 17, which prohibit passengers from carrying liquids exceeding 100ml through security checkpoints, except for declared and medically necessary items.

Despite this, the passenger resisted. When asked to step aside for clarification, he refused and proceeded to spill the liquid—identified as alcohol—on the officer. The flight captain intervened but also faced resistance,” FAAN said.

The aircraft doors were eventually closed, but the passenger allegedly moved to the front of the plane and refused to leave the area until Aviation Security (AVSEC) officers escorted him away. He was later released after a preliminary investigation.

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READ ALSO:VIDEO: K1 De Ultimate Under Fire Over Comment On Muslim Clerics Ahead Of Mother’s Fidau Prayer

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has also confirmed it is reviewing the matter. The agency earlier suspended the flight’s pilot and co-pilot for a “serious breach of aviation safety”, citing failure to adhere to pre-departure clearance protocols.

FAAN emphasized its commitment to passenger safety and operational integrity, stressing that “no individual, regardless of status, will be allowed to compromise aviation safety standards.”

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The incident remains under ongoing investigation, with FAAN assuring the public that any parties found culpable will be held accountable in accordance with the law.

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Over Thirty Young Ladies Accuse Edo Migration Agency Of Raid, Extortion, Agency Denies Allegation

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Young ladies numbering over thirty have accused the Edo State Migration Agency of forcefully picking them along the Ihama Street, GRA, Benin to the agency’s office where the officials of the agency allegedly filmed, extorted them ranging from ₦15,000 to ₦50,000.

The young ladies in voicenote made available to journalists in Benin on Wednesday alleged that after reaching agreement with the officials of the agency that their videos should not be shared to a third party after the payment of an agreed amount, the agency violated the agreement and shared their visuals on social media.

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The young ladies showed evidence of receipts of payment to one Uyinmwen Uyigue, who happens to be the Coordinator GRA Hospitality Forum

According to one of the voice notes, they were picked at Ihama Street, drove to the agency’s office where they were asked to cooperate by paying the sum of ₦50,000 and that after that they (agency) will not share their video, which they did, yet they were shown on social media.

One of the ladies in a sobbing voice noted: “I’m still in shock since on Thursday. Edo State Migration Agency, they video us, but they told us they are not going to post the video if only we could cooperate and pay the ransom they ask for. They told us to pay 50k each person which we did, but they still posted the video online, which is not nice. I was shocked when I saw myself trending online. People called me from different places. They told me they saw me on Tiktok, Instagram, etc. I am in shock because they told us they were not going to post the video if we could cooperate, and we cooperated and paid the money they asked for. I even have proof of the transfer. This is not nice.”

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READ ALSO: Bye-Election: Edo Deputy Gov Assures Of 98 Percent Victory For APC

Another lady in a voicenote wept and spoke in broken English, “On Thursday evening, around 8:30, I come come out Ihama. And Before I know, where I for stand for there, na so all those Edo State Migration officers just come. Dey just come hold me and some others of my friends. As dey hold us, I was like ‘oga, why you go hold me nah, him come say make I check time, wetin I dey find for night at dat time, naim I come say oga, 8:30 naim you dey tell me wetin I dey find for night?’ Before I know, these people push me inside bus, carry us go their office, as we reach their office dem come begin dey harass us, dey disgrace us, dey call us names. Dey ask us where we for dey come, dem come dey video is. We sleep for d rooms dem put us, as day come break, dey carry all of us come outside, dem come still video us again. Dem come say na fifty, fifty thousand naim we take bail ourselves. We pay, but before I know, I see myself for internet the next day. My family don dey call me since. My family members don dey say I be disgrace to d family. Dem just dey curse me say see wetin I dey do, me wey be orphan. Dey just disgrace me. My uncle and aunty don dey call me say I am an embarrassment.”

Another lady in a voice noted said: “You know when they took our statement, we were trying to tell them that what happened is that we just came out from the club and dey say no, we must say that they catch us (sic) from the street. We must say that we were standing in the street to do prostitution. We were telling them that is not what happened, they didn’t even allow us to say anything, they were just writing statement for us.”

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Another lady in her voice note said she and her friends went to the club but were hungry, went outside to buy Suya but in the were raided: “It was Thursday last week, me and my friends went to club at Ihama. There is one club called ClubQ. So, we went out to get Suya opposite Victorious Kitchen and still ate there because we were hungry. So, on our way coming out, I think they are called Edo Migration Agency, they picked us, we were trying to explain to them we are not doing Street, that we are not prostitutes, that we are just coming out from the club that we came to get Suya and food, but they did not listen. They even picked one girl that was waiting for her boyfriend. The girl was trying to call the guy. So, they took us to Edo Migration Agency, yes that is the name. They took us there, video us, they were asking us questions. We begged them they should not post the video, that we have family members that are on social media, they should not post it. They said they were going to cover our face if they want to post the video. So, I was thinking that after filming us they will just leave us to go, they kept us, delay us till around 6 in the evening. We were more than 30 girls that they carry. They now collected fifty, fifty thousand each of us. We begged them to that fifty thousand. They started with hundred thousand, but we begged that we don’t have that amount. We begged them that we don’t have money that they should let us go that we have not done anything wrong. They said they are going to take us to prison if we don’t pay, so we were scared. We now begged for 20k, they said no, that 50k last, we were more than 30. They collected 50,000 each from us. My sister saw the video, they are calling me, my dad is very angry for me. I don’t even know how to explain to them because I have told them my own side of the story.”

READ ALSO: Edo Assures Pensioners Of Improved Welfare, Universal Health Coverage

Contacted, the Director General of the Migration Agency, Lucky Agazuma, on the allegation of extortion, while absolving his agency and officials said those arrested were profiled and later released to go.

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He said the agency was well funded and would not resort to extorting money from sex workers.

Agazuma said the agency never extorted sex workers but worked towards rehabilitating them back to society.

“We have had several engagements with brothel owners. We told them we will not be after their brothel but they should not bring underage into their brothel.

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“In our raiding, we discovered that they kept underaged girls. Those persons who were involved in this act are in prison, including the native doctor who took them on oath. They also do organ harvesting. Even as I speak to you now, there’s a husband and a wife who just trafficked a little girl to Mali. They are in prison right now.”

Contacted, Mr. Uyigue confirmed collecting money from four sex workers but he said the money he collected was fine paid by owners of lodge where the sex workers stays.

He said the lodge owners under the auspices of GRA Hospitality Forum agreed on a fine of N50,000 for any of their girls caught in the street hawking sex.

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