Metro

Nursing Student Killed Self Over Unwanted Pregnancy

Published

2 years ago

February 23, 2024

Editor

The management of a private tertiary institution in Ogun State, Havarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies, Ogun State has refuted the reports that one of its students, simply identified as Ajoke, committed suicide after the school failed to meet the accreditation requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

A 300-level student of the institution reportedly took her life after the school allegedly failed to meet the accreditation requirements of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.

It was gathered that the deceased student had on Monday evening, consumed insecticide and slumped on her way to her boyfriend’s house.

Meanwhile, an enforcement team of the state Ministry of Health and members of the state Nursing and Midwifery Committee on Tuesday, sealed the nursing department of the institution for operating without accreditation from the NMCN.

Reacting to the report about the deceased, the college said the news was nothing but falsehood.

The President of the college, Oluwatosin Adebayo, in a statement on Thursday, said that Ajoke had not only left the school since 2023 but the cause of her death was also not in any way connected to the institution.

He said, “The deceased 300-level student who allegedly committed suicide dropped out of the institution over poor academic performance over a year back.

“For the unfortunate incident that claimed the life of an ex-student, one Ajoke, who had left our school since 2023 based on her failure in her academics.

“Our investigations through Adigbe Division of Nigeria Police Force, Ogun State Police Command indicated that Ajoke died of a poisonous substance she took when she didn’t know who exactly was responsible for her pregnancy, and all efforts to get it terminated proved abortive as she later resorted to killing to save her shame.

“This is nothing but the truth about Ajoke’s death. We believe that all records, exhibits and the police are there for anybody to see and interrogate on the remote and immediate cause of her death.”

Also speaking on the shutting of the school, Adebayo said, “It’s no doubt that Nursing as a course didn’t start in Nigeria as an academic course, but it did start in Nigeria as a professional course with Schools of Nursing, and their graduates were awarded, after three years of studies, (RN) – Registered Nursing and (RM) -Registered Midwifery, respectively.

“But, the recent upgrade changed the face of Nursing Science in Nigeria as it’s being taught as both academic and professional just like other professional courses, such as Medicine, Law, Engineering, Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, and Accounting, among others for which students must offer certain academic courses for a certain number of years before they are finally qualified for professional training which prepare them for licencing and the professions.

“What the upgrade by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) now means is that Colleges of Nursing are statutorily empowered to award National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in Nursing Science before professional exams by the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCH) and licencing to operate in the health sector.

“This was what the National Board of Technical Education (NBTE) requested Harvarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies to do by taking out ND and HND for Nursing Science completely from the college and creating a separate College of Nursing where ND and HND Nursing Science will be run”.

The management, however, said in compliance with the NBTE’s directive, the school has established an entirely new College of Nursing Science named PenHarvard College of Nursing which has a separate structure and Nursing equipment different from the structure and equipment being used by Harvarde College of Science, Business and Management Studies.

PUNCH

Metro

Abuja Court Jails Ex-legislative Aide For N120m Fraud

Published

24 minutes ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi on Monday sentenced a former legislative aide and banker, Mr Goni Yilkan, to eight years in prison for obtaining N120.58 million by false pretence.

Justice F. E. Messiri found Yilkan guilty of a two-count employment scam charge, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission revealed in a statement issued via its X handle on Tuesday.

“Yilkan, who hails from Nguru, Yobe State, was found guilty on a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act, and consequently sentenced to eight years imprisonment without option of fine,” the statement read.

According to EFCC, the convict was arraigned alongside one Mohammed Adamu in October 2023, following investigations into a petitioner’s claims of being defrauded by the convict.

One of the charges read: “That you, Mohammed Goni Yilkan, Mohammed Adamu and others at large between 3rd January 2020 and December 2021 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N120, 580, 550 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) from Mrs. Hindatu Bello under the false pretence that you had the capacity to secure jobs for her candidates in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria which pretence you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”

In the course of the trial, EFCC said the petitioner explained that “Yilkan deceived her between 2020 and 2021 into believing that he had the capacity to secure employment slots in government agencies such as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

“On this strength, the petitioner collected varying sums of money from over 60 jobseekers, amounting to N120,580,550.00 (One Hundred and Twenty Million, Five Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira), which she allegedly remitted to the convict.”

However, the purported employment offers never materialised, prompting Bello to petition the EFCC.

The prosecution, led by Cosmas Ugwu, called six witnesses and tendered documentary evidence, while the defence, led by J.A. Oguche, presented two witnesses, including Yilkan himself.

In his judgment, Justice Messiri held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt, convicted Yilkan, but discharged and acquitted his co-defendant, Adamu.

The judge further sentenced Yilkan to eight years’ imprisonment without an option of fine.

Earlier, The PUNCH reported that the EFCC Ilorin Zonal Directorate arrested 28 suspected internet fraudsters in Kwara State.

The suspects, according to a statement on Monday, “were picked up in the early hours of Tuesday during sting operations carried out in Tanke, University Road, Oshin, and Agbabiaka areas of the state capital.”

Metro

Soldiers Who Sold Arms To Terrorists Sentenced To Death

Published

28 minutes ago

September 23, 2025

Editor

A special court-martial of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Borno State, has sentenced three soldiers to life imprisonment and another to 15 years for illegal arms deals carried out in connivance with police officers and terrorists.

The trial, presided over by Brigadier General Ugochukwu Unachukwu, acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division and Commander of Sector 1, Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), took place at the Officers’ Mess of the Theatre Command Headquarters in Maiduguri.

Delivering judgment, Brigadier General Mohammed Abdullahi, president of the court-martial, pronounced Raphael Ameh, a sergeant; Ejiga Musa, a sergeant; and Patrick Ocheje, a lance corporal, guilty and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

Omitoye Rufus, a corporal, was however handed a 15-year jail term.

The soldiers were convicted of offences ranging from theft and unlawful dealing in ammunition to aiding the enemy, all punishable under the Armed Forces Act.

Ameh, who served as an armourer at the 7 Division Garrison, was found to have conspired with a deceased colleague to steal ammunition from the division’s armoury.

He worked with police officers to conceal weapons in bags of beans and smuggle them to Enugu and Ebonyi for criminals.

Abdullahi revealed that bank records linked Ameh to over 100 suspicious transactions between July 2022 and June 2024.

Musa, while serving as armourer of 195 Battalion, was discovered to have collaborated with Ocheje and police officers in selling an AK-47 rifle and large quantities of ammunition.

Records showed he collected more than ₦500,000 from the transactions before he was arrested while attempting to sell more ammunition.

Rufus was convicted for selling 40 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition to a police officer, while Ocheje, who was deployed at the forward operating base in Molai, was found guilty of diverting ammunition during communal clashes at the instigation of a police officer.

He also stole an AK-47 rifle belonging to a colleague.

The court held that their actions directly endangered military operations and national security, amounting to aiding the enemy.

Condemning the convicts, Abdullahi described them as “bad eggs” who betrayed the trust, discipline, and honour expected of soldiers in the fight against insurgency.

He restated the army’s zero-tolerance stance on the sale of arms or ammunition to adversaries “in whatever form or guise.”

Metro

BREAKING: Bodies Of 8 Missing Policemen Recovered In Benue

Published

1 day ago

September 22, 2025

Editor

Lifeless bodies of the eight policemen who were declared missing after a deadly attack on security operatives at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum LGAs of Benue State, have been recovered.

Dr Justin Shaku, Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA disclosed this to reporters in Makurdi on Monday.

According to him, “this brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG)”.

The unfortunate incident occurred on Friday, when a team of security operatives came under the attack of armed invaders.

Three personnel were immediately confirmed dead while eight others were declared missing.