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Edo Retired Judge Advocates Transparent Judicial System As Olayiwola Afolabi Chambers Holds End Of Year Party

Published

4 years ago

December 31, 2021

Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, Esq. and members of staff cutting the party cake

A retired Justice of Edo State High Court, Benin, Justice Stephen Omonua, has advocated a transparent and integrity driven judicial system in the state and Nigeria at large.

Justice Omonua made the assertion in Benin on Thursday at Olayiwola Afolabi & Co. end of the year staff family party and maiden edition of the Justice Stephen Omonua Transparency Award, an award instituted in his honour by Olayiwola Afolabi wherein a winner walks away with a cash prize of N50,000.00 for the next three years.

Justice Omonua, who said he was humbled when he was told of the award, stressed that he was just doing his job the way it should be done during his active service.

While thanking Olayiwola Afolabi chambers for the honour done him and his intervention in lives of the downtrodden, Justice Omonua said when God blesses a man He (God) expect such man to extend such to others as Olayiwola Afolabi has been doing over the years.

Winner of the deep refrigerator, Mr. Ezenwa Eze, Esq. (Left), Olayiwola Afolabi (middle) and Pius Oiwoh,

“It is one thing for a man to be blessed, it is another thing for him to extend such blessings to others. When God blesses a man, He expect that person to extend it to others.

“Over the years, Afolabi Law Chambers has been intervening in the state of students in tertiary institutions, I do know what students go through nowadays.
When Afolabi’s chambers intervene in the state of students, you can imagine what that means to them,” he said.

He added, “When I was in service, I was just doing my job the best way I could. I used to tell people that, for me, I do not see myself as a highly intelligent man.What I try to do while in service was doing it the way it should be done.

“So, when Afolabi told me he was going to give an award in my honour-Transparency Award, I was actually very humbled. Because the hallmark of a judicial officer in the first place is transparency, integrity, hard work. A judicial officer who does not have these qualities suppose not to come near the office in the first place.

Mr. Pius Oiwoh presenting an industrial fan to justice Omonua, courtesy of Olayiwola Afolabi.

“So, what I will be glad to hear is that judicial officers in Edo State and in Nigeria display these qualities. It is a personal honour to me and I thank Mr Afolabi for celebrating me which he has been doing over the years.”

Earlier in his opening remarks, Mr. Olayiwola Afolabi, principal-in-chambers, Olayiwola Afolabi & Co. said he decided to honour Justice Omonua because throughout the retired Justice active service years, no one could accused him of bribe.

“I honour him because I know him very well, and nobody throughout his career can say he give him money to pervert justice. He gives judgement based on the law whether you are his friend or brother.

“Today I decided that I am going to honour him. He is from Uromi, and I told NBA chairman to give me someone from Uromi and he gave me someone from G.C. Igbokwe SAN & Co and that person is going to go home with a sum of N50000.00. The award will span for the next three years,” Afolabi said.

In his remarks, Pius Oiwoh, Esq. Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Benin branch, said “If we have about two three law firms in Benin who do what Mr Olayiwola Afolabi does regularly, I am sure legal practice would be very interesting and so many persons would not bother to go into corporate practice.

INFO DAILY reports that the maiden edition winner of the Omonua Transparency Award is Mrs. Lolo Ozobokhai, Esq. of G.C. Igbokwe (SAN) & Co. chamber, Benin and she is from Uromi, Justice Omonua’s home town in Esan land, Edo State.

The event climax with a raffle draw for a deep refrigerator courtesy of Olayiwola Afolabi & Co. which was won by Mr. Eze Ezenwa, Esq., Head of Chamber, Olayiwola Afolabi & Co.

Mr. Abednego Enyawuile, Esq. won the best staff of the year under the legal category after a secret ballot, while Ayodele Musa won same title under the administrative staff category in Olayiwola Afolabi & Co.

Related Topics:Justice Omonua Olayiwola Afolabi

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Former NBA Player Ben McLemore Convicted Of Raping Incapacitated Woman

Published

11 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

An Oregon jury found former Houston Rockets guard Ben McLemore guilty on Thursday of raping a woman in while playing for the Portland Trail Blazers in 2021.

Deliberations lasting around 10 hours after an 11-day trial concluded with the jury in Clackamas County finding McLemore, 32, guilty on one charge of first-degree rape, one charge of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-degree sexual abuse. He was found not guilty on an additional count of second-degree sexual abuse.

McLemore pleaded not guilty to all four counts before the verdict. His sentencing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 9.

The charges stem from a report of sexual assault in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on Oct. 3, 2021. McLemore was identified as a suspect during a police investigation.

A Clackamas County grand jury heard evidence in the case in February 2024, which included testimony from the woman who said McLemore assaulted her. He was indicted and an arrest warrant was issued, according to Lake Oswego police. McLemore was arrested by U.S. Marshalls two months later.

Clackamas County prosecutor Scott Healy reportedly told jurors the victim found herself being sexually assaulted by McLemore while partially conscious the morning after a party.

Healy said that the victim had been drinking heavily at the party and had passed out on a living room couch at the party around 2 a.m.

McLemore’s attorneys reportedly disputed the victim’s account, claiming she had initiated sexual contact with McLemore and had consented to it. They also claimed that despite the victim and McLemore both being intoxicated, the victim was sober enough to consent.

McLemore played parts of two seasons with the Rockets from 2019-2021. He was the seventh pick in the 2013 draft out of Kansas and played for five teams across nine NBA seasons. After playing the 2021-2022 season with the Trail Blazers, McLemore went overseas to continue his playing career. He has played for teams in China, Greece, Spain and Turkey over the last three years.

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Russia Launches Largest Assault On Ukraine

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11 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

The Kremlin said on Friday that it sees no immediate diplomatic way out of the war in Ukraine, hours after launching its largest ever drone and missile barrage of the invasion.

The hours-long bombardments across Ukraine came just after a telephone call between the US and Russian presidents ended without any breakthrough.

AFP journalists in Kyiv heard drones buzzing over the capital and explosions ringing out throughout the night as Ukrainian air defence systems fended off the attack.

“We are interested in achieving our goals in the course of the special military operation and it is preferable to do it by political and diplomatic means,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, referring to its invasion, launched in February 2022.

“But as long as that is not possible, we are continuing the special operation,” he said in a briefing, including with AFP.

US President Donald Trump had said he made no progress in discussions one day earlier with President Vladimir Putin on ending the war, while the Kremlin vowed to pursue its war aims.

A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky were planning to speak later on Friday.

Tymur, a Kyiv resident who said he had experienced previous Russian attacks, told AFP that the assault in the early hours of Friday was different.

“Nothing like this attack had ever happened before. There have never been so many explosions,” he said.

– ‘War and terror’ –
Zelensky said air alerts had begun echoing out across the country as the Trump-Putin call was getting underway.

“Yet again, Russia is showing it has no intention of ending the war and terror,” Zelensky said on social media.

“All of this is clear evidence that without truly large-scale pressure, Russia will not change its dumb, destructive behaviour.”

He urged the United States in particular to increase pressure on Moscow, which on Friday announced fresh territorial gains on the front line with the capture of a village in the Donetsk region.

Poland said its embassy building in Kyiv had been damaged in the attack but that staff were unharmed.

Germany’s foreign ministry meanwhile said that the timing of the attack — just after the leaders’ call — showed that Moscow “continues to rely on brute force”.

“Ukraine needs more to defend itself, not less,” the ministry said on social media.

A government spokesman said Germany was exploring the possibility of purchasing more Patriot air defence systems from the United States for Ukraine.

Zelensky said 23 people were wounded in the barrage, which the air force said comprised 539 drones and 11 missiles.

A representative of Ukraine’s air force told Ukrainian media that the attack was the largest of the Russian invasion, launched in February 2022.

– ‘Complete disregard’ –

Overnight Russia attacks have escalated over recent weeks.

An AFP tally found Moscow launched a record number of drones and missiles at Ukraine in June when direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow appeared to stall.

In Kyiv, AFP journalists saw dozens of residents of the capital taking shelter in a metro station.

Yuliia Golovnina, who said she shelters at the metro regularly, described to AFP the worry that comes with hearing an explosion during an attack.

“Will there be another one? Will something collapse on you?” the 47-year-old said.

“So in those seconds, you just hold your breath and wait to see what happens next,” she added.

In Kyiv, concerns mount over whether the US will continue delivering military aid, which is key to Ukraine’s ability to fend off the drone and missile barrages.

The US announced this week it was reducing some of its aid deliveries.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said this was a clear signal that the 27-nation European Union needed to “step up”.

Ukraine has also ramped up its retaliatory strikes in Russia, where a woman was killed when a Ukrainian drone crashed into an apartment building, the acting regional governor in Rostov said.

Talks, spearheaded by the United States to secure a ceasefire, have stalled but Ukraine and Russia announced a fresh swap of prisoners of war with Ukraine.

The two sides said it was part of agreements reached during talks in Istanbul last month.

AFP

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We’re Ready To Start Gaza Ceasefire Talks ‘Immediately’ – Hamas

Published

11 hours ago

July 4, 2025

Editor

Hamas said Friday it was ready to start talks “immediately” on a proposal for a ceasefire with Israel in Gaza, after holding consultations with other Palestinian factions.

“The movement is ready to engage immediately and seriously in a cycle of negotiations on the mechanism to put in place” the terms of a draft truce proposal received from mediators, the militant group said in a statement.