Metro

Edo Ministry Recommends Incarceration For Rapists

Published

6 years ago

June 11, 2020

Ministry of Social Development & Gender Issues, Edo State, Thursday, June 11, recommended incarceration and hanging for anyone who indulges in rape.

The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. (Mrs) Ehimwenma Ebhodaghe, made this recommendation while leading other staff members of the Ministry and other NGOs members in a peaceful rally against rape in the country and the world at large.

The peaceful rally which saw them through major streets in Benin was in collaboration with Global Women For Quality and Sustainable Development; Women International League for Peace and Freedom, Nigeria, among others.

The members who carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Say no to gender-based violence’; ‘stop rape and defilement’ ; ‘give us pen not pennis’ ; ‘Casson is against rape; walked through major streets and up to the NUJ Press Centre.

Speaking further, the Permanent Secretary said the rising rate of rape and gender-based violence prompted the rally, as she said government can no longer tolerate such.

“We come to let everyone know that we cannot tolerate rape any longer; we say no to gender-based violence; defilement, violence against children and women. Enough is enough! Government can no longer tolerate it anymore”, she added.

While recommending further that perpetrators should be brought to book and face justice, Ebhodaghe said if possible they should be sentenced to dead.

She said, “Perpetrators should be brought to book and justice. We recommend death sentence for rapests; incarceration for rapists. We say no to rape. Rape must stop! Gender-based violence must stop! Defilement must stop! Child abuse must stop! Child abuse must stop!”

In her reaction, representative of Global Women For Quality and Sustainable Development, Mrs. Mariam Kadiri, said they were in the street to solicit for support and justice for late Uwa and others who were raped and brutalized by some evil persons.

She lamented that many women are facing what Uwa faced but are silence because of the fear of the unknown, adding that if Uwa had not died probably nobody would have heard about it.

“We are asking for justice for her and all other children that are facing defilement; that are facing rape because we have much happening but because of silence nobody knows. If Uwa had not passed on, probably we would have silence about it. so, we are demanding fo justice.

“We are saying no to gender-based violence; we are saying no to child abuse. We say no to violence against women and children; we are saying no to defilement. We don’t want lives of young girls be cut short”, she noted.

Welcoming them to the NUJ premises, Chairman, NUJ, Edo State council, Roland Osakue, noted that members are constrainted and concerned about the alarming issue of rape in the state and the country at large.

Osakue, who described rapests as criminals, called for a legislation that will protect women and make rapists to face severe punishment.

He also called on parents to protect and monitor their girl child, adding that girl child and women in general are facing a lot of challenges.

“Penalty should be meted on rapists through a legislation. There must be serious legislation that recommend severe punishment for rapists.

“Another is that the girl child must be protected. Parents should also monitor their girls child, because the girl child is facing a lot of challenges“, he said

Metro

JUST IN: Court Grants Malami, Wife, Son N500m Bail Each

Published

6 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Editor

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to bail in the sum of N500 million and two sureties in like sum pending his trial.

Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, who is an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion.

Ruling on the bail application filed by Malami and his codefendants on Wednesday, Justice Nwite also ordered that the two sureties must have landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja.

He ruled that the documents of the properties belonging to the sureties are to be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court, while the sureties are also to depose to an affidavit of means.

Malami is to deposit his travelling documents with the Court and must not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.

Besides, the former AGF and his sureties were also ordered to deposit their two recent passport photograph with the court.

Meanwhile, Malami has been ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

After delivering ruling on the bail application, the trial judge, Justice Nwite, fixed February 17, 2026, for the commencement of the trial in the matter.

The same bail conditions were extended to Malami’s son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, who is an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

The EFCC had slammed a 16-count charge against Malami, his son, and his wife.

In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that, “You Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when they reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act”.

Count five reads: “That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act”.

Count six reads: “That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when they reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.

Metro

18-year-old OAU Medical Student Dies While Sleeping

Published

23 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, has announced the death of an 18-year-old part-three medical student of the institution.

The student, identified as Timilehin Adetoye Toromade, was a student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery.

According to a statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, Timilehin with matriculation number CLI/2022/133, reportedly died in his sleep in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

The statement revealed that the “university received the news of the student’s passing with shock and deep sorrow”.

It also described the incident as devastating to the academic community.

According to the statement, “preliminary information suggested that the student might have died shortly after 2 a.m., as one of his roommates reportedly said the deceased opened the door for another student around that time.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, expressed condolences on behalf of the Visitor, the University Council, Management, Senate, staff and students”.

The VC, Professor Bamire, described the incident as a painful loss, saying, “The loss of a young life filled with promise, purpose, and potential is a tragedy that words alone cannot adequately capture.”

He added that the university community was united in grief over the passing of a student who had embraced the rigours of medical training with the aim of serving humanity.

According to him, the death had left a void among the student’s peers and all those who knew him within the university community.

The university management stated that it was working closely with relevant authorities to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident, in line with established medical and administrative procedures.

It also disclosed that appropriate support measures were being put in place to assist students and members of the university community who may have been emotionally affected by the loss.

The management called on students, staff, alumni and friends of the institution to remain calm and compassionate, while extending sympathy to the family of the deceased.

Metro

Panic As BRT Bus Catches Fire On Third Mainland Bridge

Published

23 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Panic gripped motorists on Tuesday afternoon following a fire outbreak involving a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, vehicle on the Third Mainland Bridge, leading to massive traffic disruption.

The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. near the Adekunle section of the bridge, heading towards Iyana Oworo.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the development in a statement posted on its official X handle.

According to the agency, the high-capacity BRT bus suddenly went up in flames, prompting anxiety among road users in the area.

Footage shared online showed the bus completely consumed by fire, with thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky as motorists slowed down or sought alternative routes to avoid the scene.

While no injuries or loss of life were reported, the incident caused a heavy traffic buildup extending from Adekunle towards Iyana Oworo.

“A high-capacity bus is currently on fire on the Third Mainland Bridge by Adekunle, inward Iyana Oworo, and this is impacting traffic flow,” LASTMA stated.

“Our personnel are on ground managing traffic, while efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire,” the agency added.

Subsequent updates indicated that officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene and worked to control the blaze to prevent further damage.

Traffic officers were also deployed to redirect vehicles away from the affected area as emergency responders tackled the situation.

As of the time this report was filed, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.