News

Man Arrested For Stabbing Girlfriend To Death In Lagos

Published

3 months ago

September 8, 2025

The Lagos State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a Benue State man, Lintex Ogale, who reportedly stabbed his girlfriend, Deborah Okwori, to death in her apartment located in the mainland area of the state.

The command’s Deputy Public Relations Officer, Babaseyi Oluseyi, confirmed this in an exclusive telephone interview with PUNCH Metro on Sunday.

It was earlier gathered from the victim’s cousin, Laff Ijuo, that the suspect and the victim’s romantic relationship had gone sour about two years ago.

Ijuo, in an interview with PUNCH Metro on Sunday, said Deborah had on several occasions reiterated her unwillingness to continue the relationship with Lintex, a decision the suspect was said to have continued to resist.

Ijuo noted that the situation between the duo went wild on Wednesday after Lintex allegedly disguised himself as a dispatch rider to enter his estranged girlfriend’s apartment.

Ijuo said, “The victim’s name is Deborah Okwori, and the accused is Lintex Ogale. Both are from Benue State. They were dating, but Deborah ended things about two years ago. Since then, the guy has been insisting that they should reconcile, but she refused.

“He started making threats that she cannot move on with another man and that if he can’t have her, no one will. Deborah had to block him on all platforms so that she could have her peace, but he tried every means to lure her out and meet him with different phone numbers. However, she declined.

“Knowing where she lives, he gained access to the estate on Wednesday night, disguised as a dispatch rider. Her compound gate was locked, so he used another compound through the fence to gain entrance. He came along with a knife.”

The cousin alleged that Lintex, armed with a knife, had forced his way into Deborah’s apartment before stabbing her in the stomach.

He continued that the neighbours who heard the ensuing noise stormed the scene, overpowered the suspect, and called the police.

He added, “The main door was not closed, but the net was locked. He broke the net and went in. He cut off the gas supply hose in an attempt to trigger an explosion, but that didn’t work.

“He then overpowered her and stabbed her multiple times. The cuts were so deep that her lungs were perforated. Through the neighbours, the guy was disarmed, and the police were called to pick him up.”

Ijuo appealed to the authorities to ensure that justice is served in the matter.

“We want justice to be served accordingly. We have seen how similar cases were carried out,” he concluded.

Confirming the arrest, Oluseyi said that the matter had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

“I can confirm the incident involving Deborah. The suspect has been arrested, and the case has been transferred to the SCID for further investigation,” the DPRO said.

This incident added to the number of domestic violence and assault cases involving lovers and couples alike.

The trend, which often stems from unresolved disputes and misunderstandings, often results in injuries for victims and, in some cases, death.

In January, a 22-year-old lady identified as Iyanu Adedeji allegedly stabbed her husband, Funsho Jimoh, to death in the Gbonogun area of Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

It was learnt that the duo, who were married with two children, argued over alleged extramarital affairs, which degenerated into a scuffle.

During the scuffle, Iyanu had allegedly stabbed Funsho in the chest, leading to his death.

Similarly, in February, the Bauchi State Police Command arrested one Salamatu Danjuma, a 25-year-old resident of Nadabo village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, in connection with the death of her husband.

According to the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, preliminary investigations revealed that the couple had been facing an ongoing domestic dispute regarding the custody of their six-year-old daughter.
(PUNCH)

News

N200b Agric Credit Dispute: Appeal Court Slams NAIC, Upholds First Bank Victory

Published

3 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, has dismissed the appeal filed by the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) against First Bank of Nigeria in the long-running dispute over the disbursement of the Federal Government’s N200 billion Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme.

The decision was one of seven precedent-setting judgments delivered in six hours on Friday by Justice Okon Abang, underscoring his reputation as a hardworking, firm, and uncompromisingly principled jurist whose rulings continue to shape Nigeria’s legal landscape across criminal, human rights, banking, and civil litigation.

In 2013, the NAIC dragged First Bank before the Federal High Court via originating summons, alleging that the bank failed to deduct the mandatory 2.5 per cent premium under the agriculture credit scheme. First Bank promptly filed a counter-affidavit and written address, with both sides joining issues and exchanging further processes over the years.

But when the case was ripe for hearing, NAIC sought to suddenly withdraw its suit—claiming an unnamed Bankers’ Committee representative had approached it for an out-of-court settlement.

First Bank objected, insisting that once pleadings had been exchanged, withdrawal without consent should lead to dismissal, not a mere striking out. To strike out, the bank argued, would allow NAIC a second bite at the cherry—an abuse of process.

The Federal High Court agreed and dismissed the suit, prompting NAIC to head to the Court of Appeal.

Delivering the unanimous judgment of the Court of Appeal, Justice Abang held that NAIC’s appeal was “grossly misconceived” and that, having seen the bank’s defence, NAIC attempted to retreat and re-strategise, “only being smart, believing that it could cunningly manipulate judicial proceedings to save a suit that appears weak and manifestly unsupported.”

He stressed that, once a defendant’s counter-affidavit has been served, any withdrawal by the claimant must naturally lead to dismissal, not striking out, to avoid overreaching the respondent.

Justice Abang agreed with the trial court that, “Since issues have been joined and the matter has previously been adjourned on several occasions, the proper order to make on the application of the plaintiff is to dismiss the suit.”

The Court of Appeal also questioned NAIC’s reliance on an alleged intervention by the Bankers’ Committee—a non-party that had earlier resisted being joined in the matter.

The appellate court concluded that NAIC, having sighted the bank’s counter-affidavit, simply lost confidence in its case and sought a “soft landing” to refile later.

News

Nigeria Records One Of Africa’s Widest Gaps In Policy Reputation Index

Published

3 hours ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

Nigeria has been identified as one of the African nations suffering the largest disconnect between policy delivery and citizen trust, a finding described as the “defining governance crisis” across the continent, according to the inaugural RPI African Policy Index 2025 released by Reputation Poll International (RPI).

The comprehensive Index, which evaluates governance and policy performance across all 54 African countries, places Nigeria in the middle tier of “Strugglers” with an overall score of 52.3. This category reflects nations that achieve partial policy results but fail to earn public confidence.

Drawing from hard data on policy implementation and perception surveys involving over 25,000 Africans, the report shows that Nigeria records one of the continent’s widest Trust Gaps, sometimes exceeding 25 points between objective performance and citizen confidence.

The report flags Nigeria alongside South Africa, Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe as countries with the most severe mismatches.

In Nigeria, anti-corruption laws and other initiatives score reasonably well on paper but fail to inspire public trust due to perceived elite impunity and inconsistent enforcement.

Similar patterns exist across these nations, where oil wealth, infrastructure spending, and progressive legislation do not convince ordinary citizens that governments genuinely serve their interests. This trust deficit is highlighted as Africa’s core governance challenge.

The Index emphasises that without deliberate measures to close the gap—through transparent data, citizen audits, and visible accountability—policy ambitions alone cannot produce stable or legitimate outcomes.

By contrast, a small group of nations scoring above 70 demonstrate that world-class governance is achievable when delivery is matched by citizen belief.

Mauritius leads with 78.9, followed by Seychelles at 76.4, Cabo Verde at 74.8, and Botswana at 73.2. These countries excel because strong economic management, high vaccination rates, transparent institutions, and consistent progress in education and digital reforms are reinforced by equally high public trust.

Botswana and Mauritius succeed not because they are wealthy, but because they systematically include citizens in monitoring and feedback, narrowing the trust deficit to near zero.

Over half of Africa, however, remains far from this standard. The Strugglers tier (50–69.9) encompasses 30 countries, while 18 “Systemic Challengers” score below 50, from Sierra Leone at 49.2 to South Sudan at 28.4.

In these countries, structural breakdowns, chronic insecurity, and collapsed legitimacy produce average Trust Gaps of 35 points, undermining even modest policy efforts amid daily experiences of violence and exclusion.

Central Africa records the lowest regional average at 41.2, while Southern Africa dominates the top tier. West, East, and North Africa deliver mixed results.

For Nigerian leadership, the Index sends a clear message: policy formulation alone is no longer sufficient. As the country grapples with debt, youth unemployment, and climate pressures, bridging the Trust Gap through better communication, transparency, and inclusive monitoring has become essential to achieve sustained development and restore public confidence.

The RPI African Policy Index 2025 stands as both a warning and a roadmap: unless the trust deficit is addressed, Africa’s governance crisis will only deepen.
(GUARDIAN)