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BREAKING: Aisha Buhari Withdraws Case Against Aminu

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2022

Editor

The First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has withdrawn the case against the final year student of the Federal University, Dutse, Aminu Mohammed, following pressure and condemnation by activists, Amnesty International, the National Association of Nigerian Students, and other citizens.

The prosecution counsel Fidelis Ogbobe, withdrawing the case on behalf of Mrs Buhari, said the First Lady, being the mother of the nation, decided to withdraw the case, following the intervention of “well-meaning Nigerians.”

Moving a motion for the withdrawal of the case, Ogbobe cited section 108 subsection 2(a) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.

Justice Yusuf Halilu of the FCT High Court commended Mrs Buhari for withdrawing the case.

Halilu, while issuing the release warrant, called on parents to always monitor their children to avoid recurrence

According to a police report, Mr Muhammed was arrested at Federal University Dutse on November 18, 2022, after Mrs Buhari instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.

The PUNCH reports that the Presidency had earlier barred visitors from visiting inmates at the Suleja Correctional Centre, Niger State, following the arrest of Aminu.

Our correspondent who visited the facility, on Thursday, as an undercover journalist, observed heightened security presence, with a note that reads “No Visitation,” pasted at the entrance.

A security operative who attended to our correspondent at the facility noted that there was an order from the Presidency barring all forms of visitation following Aminu’s arrival at the facility.

Speaking anonymously, he said, “We can’t let you into the facility. No one is allowed to see Aminu. In fact, since he was brought in on Tuesday, no one has been allowed to visit inmates within the facility. You can read the note on the wall, no visitation is allowed, and I don’t want to lose my job.”

The officer, however, noted that Aminu has lacked food since he arrived at the facility on Tuesday, adding that he only had N2000 on him which had been spent, and could not afford to get food since no one has been allowed to visit or call him.

He added, “I feel for the boy, he arrived here with just N2000, and it is finished. He complained of hunger today, but there was nothing we could do since no one has been allowed to visit or call him. He only ate bread this morning.”

Amnesty International Nigeria had also condemned the arrest and alleged torture of Aminu Muhammed, adding that the 500-level undergraduate of the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa must be released and the charges against him, which it described as bogus, be dropped. The PUNCH reports.

Following reports that he has allegedly been subjected to torture and other ill-treatment, including severe beatings, since being detained, AI said, “The Nigerian authorities must urgently release Aminu Muhammed and drop all charges against him. He is a student accused of defaming Aisha Buhari, the First Lady of Nigeria, on Twitter.”

According to a police report, Aminu was arrested at the Federal University Dutse on November 18, 2022, after Aisha Buhari instructed a team of police detectives to track him down.

He was then held in an unknown location and denied access to his family and lawyer, in clear violation of international human rights law.

Reacting to this, the Director of Amnesty International, Nigeria, Osai Ojigho said, “It is beyond disgraceful that the Nigerian authorities have arrested and allegedly tortured Aminu Adamu Muhammed after he merely Tweeted about the First Lady of Nigeria. This deeply repressive act brazenly violates his human rights.

“The bogus charges against Aminu must be urgently and unconditionally dropped. The authorities should instead order an investigation into his unlawful detention and abusive treatment. The fact that he was detained incommunicado highlights the rampant impunity enjoyed by the Nigerian authorities.

“Aminu’s final exams are scheduled for December 5, 2022, at the Federal University Dutse. He must be urgently freed and be able to finish his degree.”

On November 29, 2022, Aminu was charged with Cybercrime, Cybersquatting, Computer Related Forgery, Conspiracy and Criminal Breach of Trust.

Amnesty International noted that, although President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) ratified the Anti-Torture Act in 2017, torture and other ill-treatment remain pervasive in Nigeria, with police and state security agents continuing to subject detainees to torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment.

Ojigho added, “The heavy-handed mistreatment of Aminu is a clear attempt to strike fear into the hearts of young Nigerians who use social media to hold the powerful to account. The Nigerian authorities must urgently respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

“Amnesty International is concerned by the growing number of attacks on freedom of expression in Nigeria. The authorities are increasingly using unlawful arrests and ill-treatment to stifle those who criticize the state. This must stop now.”

Headline

Obesity’: Father Forced 6-year-old To Run On Treadmill, Son Dies [VIDEO]

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

A disturbing video has emerged showing an accused “killer” father forcing his 6-year-old son to run on a treadmill because the child was “too fat”.

Christopher Gregor, 31, appeared in court Tuesday, April 30 to stand trial for allegedly murdering his son Corey Micciolo in 2021. He faces life in prison if convicted.

During the trial, the Superior Court in New Jersey was shown surveillance video of Gregor forcing Corey to run on a treadmill after the boy fell off multiple times due to the exercise machine’s excessive speed.

Gregor and his son were seen on March 20, 2021, entering the Atlantic Heights Clubhouse fitness center, where the boy was promptly placed on the treadmill and began running, according to a video, obtained by CourtTV.com.

Footage captured Gregor walking up to the treadmill to increase the speed and raise the incline of the track.

The sudden changes in speed and elevation were too much for the little boy’s legs, causing him to fall down and slide off the moving track.

Despite the son falling off, Gregor lifted and tossed him back onto the treadmill, which forced the child’s legs to fold backwards as the father seemingly clamped his teeth into Corey’s head.

The boy gets back on, but again falls off and continues to struggle to remain on the machine, eventually leading the father to decrease both the the speed and incline.

The boy’s mother, Bre Micciolo, was the first witness to take the stand and was in tears as she watched the horrific video.

Days before her son’s death, Bre Micciolo reported the boy’s injuries to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency, according to the US Sun.

On April 1, she requested that Gregor take their son to see a doctor.

While at the appointment, Corey reportedly revealed his father made him run on the treadmill “because he was too fat,” the outlet reported.

The next day, Gregor rushed the young boy to the hospital because the boy woke up from a nap stumbling, slurring his words, and experiencing nausea and shortness of breath, according to Court TV.

During a CT scan, Corey suffered a seizure, forcing medical staff to take life-saving measures, but he died.

An initial autopsy found Corey died as a result of blunt force injuries with cardiac and liver contusions with acute inflammation and sepsis.

Gregor was arrested in July 2021 on child neglect charges stemming from investigators reviewing the surveillance footage from the fitness center.

“Specifically by having (Corey) run on a treadmill and increasing the speed, causing (Corey) to fall, placing (him) back on the moving treadmill while appearing to bite his head, causing the said child to fall several more times,” an arrest warrant obtained by the outlet read.

In September 2021, a forensic pathologist determined Corey’s death to be a homicide as he suffered from chronic abuse including blunt impact injuries on his chest and abdomen with a laceration on his heart, left pulmonary contusion, and laceration and contusion of his liver.

Dr Thomas Andrew believes Corey suffered an acute traumatic injury to the heart four to 12 hours before his death, according to Court TV.

Gregor was arrested on March 9, 2022, for his son’s death but turned down a 30-year plea deal.

He is being held in the New Jersey Jail without bond.

NEW: Mother breaks down in court as she watches her son’s father abuse her child by making him run on the treadmill because he was “too fat.”

New Jersey father Christopher Gregor is accused of killing his 6-year-old son Corey Micciolo.

New footage shows the boy repeatedly face… pic.twitter.com/aVKknkOGd5

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 1, 2024

Headline

14-year-old British-Nigerian’s Death Raises Renewed Concerns Over Knife Violence In London

Published

4 hours ago

May 2, 2024

Editor

The recent sword attack in Hainault, a suburban area in northeast London, has sparked renewed discussions about the ongoing issue of knife crime in the UK, particularly in the capital.

The young victim of the attack has been identified as Daniel Anjorin, a 14-year-old boy.

The Times reports that Anjorin, the son of a science teacher, went to school with Grace O’Malley-Kumar, the Nottingham knife-attack victim.

According to recent data from the Office for National Statistics, reported by Sky News, there has been a 7% rise in knife crime from December 2022 to December 2023. Over the past decade, there has been a significant 81% increase in this type of crime.

Knife-related crime rates in London and the West Midlands are among the highest in England and Wales.

The number of knife-related crimes reported by the Met Police increased by 20% between 2022 and 2023, while in the West Midlands, there was an 8% rise.

In 2023, London saw a concerning 30% of knife-related crimes, amounting to 165 incidents per 100,000 people.

Meanwhile, the West Midlands recorded a slightly lower rate of 118 incidents per 100,000.

For both male and female victims, sharp objects such as kitchen knives, swords, and machetes accounted for two-fifths of all killings in the United Kingdom in the year ending in March 2023.

While the recent attack involved the use of a sword, statistics from the Home Office indicate that such incidents are relatively rare in cases of fatal stabbings.

Although the attacker employed a sword in yesterday’s incident, it contributed to only three fatalities involving sharp objects in 2023.

Faron Paul, leader of Faz Amnesty, an organisation facilitating the surrender of weapons by children to the police, expressed at the scene of the blockade that authorities are not sufficiently addressing the prevention of knife crime.

Speaking with the BBC, he said, “It’s not rising. It’s gone through the roof. We’ve got a big problem here. Children are dying on the street every single day. You’ve got a problem. And I don’t feel like the right things are being put in place to prevent, deter or stop knife crime.”

He added that it wasn’t just the area but “the whole of London has a problem.”

“We need to have better consequences and laws in place. We need to stop buying and selling illegal weapons online. And then we need to think about preventative measures.”

Headline

[UPDATED] London Sword Attack: Suspect Under Police Custody After Hospital Recovery

Published

7 hours ago

May 1, 2024

Editor

The 36-year-old suspect in the deadly London sword attack is currently under police custody after recuperating in a hospital, BBC reports.

The suspect, wielding a sword, was arrested after a dramatic pursuit by law enforcement officers.

The Metropolitan Police clarified that the incident was not terror-related, allaying fears of broader security concerns.

Authorities also confirmed that no other suspects are being pursued in connection with the attack.

According to police reports, the suspect was subdued by officers using a taser after attempting to evade capture.

According to a previous report by The Associated Press, the suspect was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment after the van he was driving collided with a building.

Due to the injuries he sustained, officers were unable to conduct an interview with him on Tuesday.

BBC has confirmed that the suspect, 36, is out of hospital and is now in police custody

A 14-year-old British-Nigerian boy, Daniel Anjorin, was confirmed as one of the victims of the attack.

Daniel, along with two police officers and two other individuals, were the victims of the violent incident that occurred on the streets of east London.

According to an official statement, the Metropolitan Police said the van crashed into a property on Laing Close, causing injuries to a 33-year-old man.

Afterwards, the suspect violently attacked the individual, resulting in an injury to the neck.

Additionally, the suspect injured a 35-year-old man who sustained lacerations to his arm.

The suspect then proceeded to attack Anjorin.

Ade Caxton-Cole, a family friend, while speaking with the BBC, described the Anjorin family as a tightly-knit unit, emphasising the strong support they are receiving from the community.

When asked about the well-being of Daniel’s siblings, she revealed that they are struggling to come to terms with the shocking reality of what has transpired.

“Having a brother one moment and then gone the next moment. It is a shock to them. They will need time. Right now it is too soon, it’s too close,” she said.