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We Want Justice’, Family Of Slain Italian Based Nigeria Woman Cry Out

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The family a woman killed by her Italian husband has appealed to the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Italian Government to ensure that justice was served in the case.

Rita Amenze, a 31 year-old mother of three was on September 10 shot dead by a 61 year old Pierangelo Pellizar for reportedly filing for a divorce.

She was murdered less than two weeks after she returned to Italy from Nigeria.

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Members of the family made the appeal on Tuesday in Benin when a delegation of the Edo National Association in Italy (ENAI) and the National Union of Nigerian Associations in Italy (NUNAI) paid them a condolence visit.

The delegation led by Pastor Mike Oputteh, the Welfare Officer of NUNAI, arrived the family house to meet the three children of the deceased sent out of school for failure to pay school fees.

In an emotion-ladened voice, Mrs Faith Oyahiagbon, mother of the late Rita said she had lost her hope and family breadwinner in the deceased.

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Oyahiagbon said she had developed a high blood pressure since the death of her first born broke out two weeks ago.

READ ALSO: Nigerians In Italy Fault Edo Ex-Commissioner’s Claim On Italian Govt

According to him, the children left behind are small and there is nobody to take care of them again.

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“Rita was my daughter and my first born for that matter. She was all I had.

“She came home recently to see the children and we were all joyous. She had been in Italy for long just to seek a greener pasture.

“Celebrate (her last child) was six month old when she left her for me for upbringing.

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“We also departed joyously while she was returning only to receive the bad news about two weeks later that she was shot dead.

“But I didn’t believe this until now that you all came. This looks like a film to me because how could I believe that a daughter that meant everything to me is dead, ” said the mother, who was crying profusely.

She, however, appealed to the Nigerian Mission in Italy and the Nigerians Union to help the family to get justice for the sake of the children.

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So I want appeal to all concerned authorities, for the sake of the children she left behind, to please help us seek justice.

“Rita was my leg; she was my life; she was my hope and she was my everything; she even promised me a lot of things when she saw my condition. She promised to change her children school,” she said.

Oyahiagbon debunked the claim that Amenze came home to marry and challenged whoever that had evidence to come forth with it.

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She explained that though she bore three children, but she never married the man responsible for those children.

Corroborating the stance Mr Frank Akpoguma, the father of the children said he never married the deceased, but only had children together.

We didn’t marry either registry or traditional. Yes, we had children, there was nothing like marriage between us.

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“I have my wife (pointing to a women beside him) and we are happily married.

“But Rita has been source of survival for these children. She cared and catered for their upbringing and paid their school fees.

“I really wish to appeal to the Federal Government, National Assembly and the Association of Nigerians in Italy that just came that we want justice.

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“As you can see that the children are too small, they need support so that we can care and cater for the children.

“I use this medium to appeal to everybody, Nigerian government, Italian government and Nigerian Ambassador to Italy as well as Civil Rights Organisations to help because she died because of these children.

“She was planning to take them abroad before her life was cut short by an Italian man”, said Akpoguma.

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Oputteh had earlier assured that the associations would partner the Nigerian mission to ensure justice was served in the case, more importantly, for the prosperity of the children.

He said the delegation was in Nigeria to get the true position of things particularly as regards a claim that Rita came to Nigeria in August to marry, a claim that family has refuted.

The welfare officer donated on behalf of the associations a sum of N50,000 to the family to pay the children’s school fees.

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READ ALSO: italCheating Husband Infected With Coronavirus After Taking Mistress To Italy

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Indian Court Denies Bail To Nigerian Man Over Drug Charges

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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.

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READ ALSO:Indian National Arraigned In Lagos Over Alleged N22m Supermarket Fraud

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.

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

READ ALSO:NDLEA Intercepts Indian Lady With 72 Parcels Of Heroin ON n Chocolate Wraps

“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.

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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.

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Strait Of Hormuz: US Announces Sanctions Against Iran

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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.

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READ ALSO:Strait Of Hormuz: Pakistan Thanks Trump For Pausing ‘Project Freedom’

“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.

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

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US Launches New Airstrikes On Iran

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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.

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READ ALSO:US Restricts Entry Routes For Travellers From DRC, Uganda, South Sudan Over Ebola Outbreak

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.

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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.

 

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