Crime

Court Jails Woman 18 Years For Child Stealing, Convict Indicts Lawyer

Published

1 year ago

March 11, 2023

Editor

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has sentenced a 42-year-old woman, Victoria Enwerem (Anosike), to 18 years’ imprisonment for stealing children.

Enwerem was arraigned in the Children, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Court on three counts of conspiracy to steal children, fraudulently enticing and habouring children, and forcefully isolating children from the lawful possession of their parents.

The offences are punishable under the Criminal Code, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991, and the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition and Protection) Laws of Anambra State, 2017.

The five stolen children were between the ages of three and 10.

While delivering judgement in the matter, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Genevieve Osakwe, found the defendant guilty of all three counts.

The chief magistrate noted that based on the oral testimonies of the defendant and the submissions of the plaintiff witnesses, there were overwhelming pieces of evidence against the defendant.

In sentencing the defendant, Osakwe slammed Enwerem with four-year imprisonment on count one, eight years on count two, and six months on count three.

The sentences are to run concurrently without an option of fine.

According to the police prosecutor, Enwerem in September 2022 conspired with one Oluchi Ahamefula, now at large, to steal children at MCC Junction, Onitsha, Anambra State, with a view to moving the children to an unknown destination.

But luck ran out on her when she was caught by men of the Nigeria Police Force, who were on a stop-and-search operation at Oraifite, Anambra State.

She was granted bail, but escaped and was later tracked and apprehended at a remote part of Ebonyi State with two other underage kids, whom she stole from their parents.

It was later discovered that she had continued the business of stealing children while hiding in Ebonyi State.

However, when the convict was arraigned a second time, she told the court that her counsel deceived her by collecting an undisclosed amount of money from her and informing her to stop coming to court with a promise that she (lawyer) and the defence counsel would scuttle the case.

Visibly angry, the presiding magistrate described the attitude of the defense counsel as “unprofessional legal practice.”

The chief Magistrate commended the Nigeria Police Force for their doggedness and commitment, especially in tracking and recapturing the convict to face trial.

She urged the Women and Social Welfare Ministry, Awka, to write to the Ministry of Women Affairs, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to see that the orphanage home being managed by Enwerem was closed down.

Reacting to the sentence, the Anambra State Women and Social Welfare Commissioner, Mrs Ify Obinabo, expressed happiness at the speedy trial of the case.

She assured that the ministry would work with her counterpart in Rivers State to ensure that the said orphanage home was sealed off to save unsuspecting members of the public.

Crime

Police Declare Man Wanted Over Homos*xual Act

Published

11 months ago

June 22, 2023

Editor

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.

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.

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.

Crime

Man, 41, Sent To Prison For Groping Woman’s Breast

Published

1 year ago

April 14, 2023

Editor

A Badagry Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Friday, ordered the remand of a 41-year-old man, Ibrahim Lemo, for groping the breast of a woman.

The court heard that Lemo beat up his victim, Zainab Babalola, when she demanded he stopped the unlawful act

Chief Magistrate Fadahunsi Adefioye remanded Lemo after he pleaded guilty to a two count bordering on assault.

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.

Okuoimose said Lemo without lawful excuse pressed the breast of the complainant, Zainab Babalola.

He said the defendant also hit the complainant on her left eye and caused her harm after she asked him not to touch her again.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 134 and 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)

Crime

Hushpuppi’s Associate, Woodberry, Pleads Guilty, Forfeits $8m, Assets

Published

1 year ago

April 13, 2023

Editor

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.

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.

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.

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.