Headline

Don’t Rush To Destroy Rape Evidence, FIDA Urges Victims

Published

4 years ago

December 11, 2021

The Bauchi State chapter of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) on Friday urged parents and relatives of rape victims not to destroy evidence of the act by rushing to clean up the victims but to allow for proper prosecution of the culprits.

This was stated by FIDA Secretary in the state, Hauwa Ahmed Abubakar, at a media roundtable hosted by the state chapter of the Nigeria Association Of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in collaboration with PLAN international held at the Press Centre secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

According to her, destruction of evidence before reporting to the appropriate quarters was the major reason it was difficult to prosecute most rape cases.

Abubakar explained that whenever there was a rape case, the victim should first be taken to the hospital and the police station for evidence preservation, adding that after doing that, she should be cleaned.

“Without evidence, they cannot do much. The onus is now on all of us, especially the media to make the society to be aware of the need for evidence preservation.

“What is important especially in rape cases is that, once it happens, there is need not to wash the victim which is very hard. When a girl is raped, the first thing is to tidy her up and in doing so, you find the evidences washed away,” Abubakar said.

She said there was an appropriate law in place in the state to use to meet stiff sanctions against rape perpetrators.

The FIDA scribe further explained that though the implementation of the Violence Against Person (Prohibition) Act, enacted to protect victims against gender based violence, was yet to commence in the state, Section 29 of the Penal Code was still in operation for use to convict culprits.

In her remarks, gender specialist, Helen John decried the high prevalence of gender based violence in Bauchi State, informing that statistics revealed that 22 percent of women experience gender based violence in the state.

John informed that one in three women experience gender based violence globally, adding that both men and women experience one form of violence or the other.

Headline

Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

A court in India has denied bail to a 44-year-old Nigerian national, Cristian Soporuchukwu, who is currently facing drug trafficking charges in the country.

Cristian Soporuchukwu initially entered India on a business visa but was later arrested over allegations of involvement in the sale of hard drugs.

Reports indicated that after arriving in India, Soporuchukwu travelled through Goa, Delhi, and Mumbai, where he allegedly established links with suspected drug traffickers.

He was accused of purchasing MDMA crystals and distributing them to college students and information technology workers.

According to reports, operatives of the Beguru Police arrested Cristian Soporuchukwu in April 2025 for allegedly selling MDMA crystals around Begur Lake and the AECS Layout Road area.

The New Indian Express reported that the High Court of Karnataka subsequently dismissed the Nigerian’s bail application.

“The anti-narcotics wing seized about 1 kg of MDMA crystals, a pocket weighing machine, 10 zip-lock covers, a mobile phone and a scooter from him,” the report stated.

Justice V. Srishananda, while ruling on the bail application, reportedly held that errors relating to the grounds of arrest could not automatically justify bail in serious narcotics-related offences under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, NDPS, Act.

The court further noted that Cristian Soporuchukwu had allegedly overstayed his visa in India, according to the report.

Headline

Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States Treasury has announced sanctions against Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority.

Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, said this in a statement on Wednesday.

The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, saying they may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may be exposed to sanctions risk.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash.

“Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions,” Bessent said.

Bessent added that the US has succeeded in disrupting tens of billions of dollars’ worth of revenue from being accessible to Tehran.

Headline

US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

Published

2 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The United States has launched new airstrikes in southern Iran.

The strike shot down four one-way attack drones that posed a threat around the Strait of Hormuz and then a ground control site.

A US official revealed that American forces struck an Iranian ground control station in Bandar Abbas that was about to launch a fifth drone.

The official described the strikes as purely defensive, saying the US intended to maintain the ceasefire.

Report says this is the second time in three days that the US has carried out self-defense strikes against Iranian military targets in southern Iran.

Recall that on Monday the US carried out airstrikes against Iranian missile locations and boats that US Central Command said were preparing to launch mines in the Strait of Hormuz.