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Child Marriage: Bayelsa Govt summons 4-year-old girl’s parents, 54 years old groom

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Child Marriage: Bayelsa Govt summons 4-year-old girl’s parents, 54 years old groom

Child Marriage: Bayelsa Govt summons 4-year-old girl’s parents, 54 years old groom

The Bayelsa State Government has summoned the parents of a four-year-old girl and the 54-year-old man allegedly involved in a marriage in Akeddei community in Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the government’s intervention is coming on the heels of media reports of a Dec. 26 marriage between the four-year-old ‘bride’ and the 54-year-old groom.

The Bayelsa Government’s reaction is contained in a statement provided to NAN in Yenagoa on Saturday.

The statement is jointly signed by Dr. Dise Ogbise-Goddy, Chairman, Gender Response Initiative Team (GRIT) Bayelsa and Mr Paniebi Jacob, Director, Child Development in the  Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Development.

The state government, which frowned at the development, also expressed concern over the “illegal marriage” based on tradition and customs, saying it was repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience.

According to the statement, the Ministry of Women, Children Affairs and Social Development and GRIT have acknowledged the receipt of a formal complaint from a child rights advocacy group, DO Foundation, on the controversial marriage.

Jacob, Ogbise-Goddy and the state Human Rights Commission said the traditional ruler of the Akeddei community honoured the government’s invitation and promised to produce the child, her parents, the groom, the youth leader and the chairman of the Community Development Committee (CDC).

The statement noted that the Bayelsa State Government did not support child marriage under any guise.

“That is why the state government did not hesitate to assent to the passage of the  Bayelsa State Child Rights Law.

“We are taking steps to rescue the child from all the key actors in relation to this illegal ceremony that they tagged a ‘mere spiritual’ affair.

“The law is clear on issues of tradition and customs that are repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience and working with the Bayelsa State Police Command, we shall ensure incidents like this do not occur in the state again.

“On behalf of the governor of Bayelsa State, we express our gratitude to all the non-governmental organisations, including FIDA and DO Foundation, that have risen to the rescue of this innocent child.

“Bayelsa State is children-friendly and this case will be pursued to a logical conclusion.”

However, NAN learnt that the alleged marriage involving the man, simply identified as Elder Akpos, was at the instance of the girl’s parents.

According to a source, who pleaded anonymity for fear of penalty for desecrating traditions, the parents of the girl claim that the 54-year-old man was her husband in their previous life.

According to the community source, the girl claimed that the man was her husband who died mysteriously in their previous life.

The toddler has narrated that over the years, she has been moving from place to place, to be given birth to by different parents, searching for her former husband.

The source said: “The little bride said if she was not allowed to marry her husband, she would have no other business in the Akeddei community, and that she was going to die peacefully and go her way.

“In order to avoid losing the girl to death, the people of Akeddei decided to organise a glamorous wedding ceremony to mark the union of the two previous life lovers.

(NAN)

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Crime

Court remands 2 brothers for alleged culpable homicide, armed robbery

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A Kaduna High Court on Tuesday ordered that two brothers be remanded in a correctional centre for alleged culpable homicide and armed robbery.

The police charged Hamza Jibrin, 27 and Yusuf Jibrin 24, with conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide.

Justice Aisha Shagari ordered the remand of the defendants, after they pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Shagari adjourned the matter until Dec. 12 for hearing.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, James Edward, said that the defendants and two others at large, while armed with matchete and other dangerous weapons along Airport Road, Kaduna, on Nov. 7, robbed and caused the death of a 26-year-old man, Rabiu Sani.

He said the defendants stole the deceased’s HP laptop, two cell phones, his wallet which contained two ATM cards and cash sum of N30,000.

Edward said that the offence is punishable under the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provision) Act LFN, 2004.

The Defence counsel, Habiba Usman, had pleaded with the court to grant her clients bail.

Usman while moving her bail application, urged the court to gtant her client bail on literal terms, adding , that the defendants would be of good behaviour and would not jump bail.

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Crime

Trader bags 9 months jail term for attempted theft

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Trader bags 9 months jail term for attempted theft

A Jos Magistrates’ Court on Monday sentenced a 20-year-old trader, Darwang Chung, to nine months in prison for attempted theft.

Chung, who resides at Gyel in Jos South, pleaded guilty to the one count charge of attempted theft.

The Magistrate, Mr Shawomi Bokkos, summarily tried and sentenced the convict after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

Bokkos, in his judgement, gave the convict an option of N30,000 fine, or to risk six months in prison and a compensation of N15,000 or another 3 months in prison in default.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. Labaran Ahmed, told the court that the case was reported on Oct. 6, at the”B” Division Police Station by one Yohanna Dalyop, the complainant.

Ahmed said the convict jumped over the fence into the house of the complainant and was caught.

He said that the offence contravened the Plateau State Penal Code Law.

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Crime

Special Fraud Unit arraigns suspect for cybercrime

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The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the Police, on Tuesday arraigned a defendant before a Federal High Court in Lagos, over alleged unlawful interception of digital infrastructure.

The defendant, Ayodeji Oyenekan, was charged before Justice A. Aluko, on a three-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

He, however. pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The prosecutor, Mr M. Y. Bello, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in February 2022.

He, alleged that the defendant intentionally and without authorisation, intercepted digital infrastructure server hosted by Amazon Web Services, property of Meplaylist Classic Entertainment.

According to the prosecution, the defendant caused the said Meplaylist Classic Entertainment Ltd. loss of property, by altering Amazon Web services, which restricted the rightful owner access to its server.

He alleged that the defendant inputted his email address ayodeji.oye@meplaylist.com, and allegedly built a mobility startup called Hellobikee, for purposes of conferring economic benefits to himself.

The defendant was also alleged to have fraudulently made use of the electronic unique identification feature of Meplaylist, through his email, for purposes of conferring economic benefits to himself.

The offence contravenes the provisions of sections 12(1), 16(1), and 22(2)(a) of the Cybercrime ( Prohibition, Prevention) Act, 2015.

The court granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety in like sum.

The court held that the defendant shall remain in the correctional facility, pending perfection of all conditions of bail as spelt out by the court.

He adjourned the case until Jan. 21, 2025, for trial.

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