Crime
NGO Claims 250,000 Young Nigerians Undergoing Sexual, Labour Exploitations in Mali
By Derrick Bangura.
The Network Against Child Trafficking, Abuse, and Labor (NACTAL), a non-governmental organization, has raised the alarm that over 250, 000 young Nigerian boys and girls are currently enduring various forms of exploitation, including sexual and labor, in various locations around Mali.
Mr. AbduGaniyu Abubakar, the network’s National President, made the announcement on Sunday in Abuja, but urged the federal government and other relevant authorities, including civic groups, to do everything humanly possible to save them.
He was addressing shortly after the arrival at Abuja International Airport of 15 girls and a three-year-old boy who were victims of human trafficking rescued from Mali.
The victims, who were sexually exploited at Mali’s mining sites, were between the ages of 18 and 25, and had been held captive for about five years until being rescued recently.
According to the NACTAL President, the victims managed to flee their captors and sought refuge with various NGOs fighting human trafficking, sexual and child abuse and were forced to work in Mali.
Meanwhile, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which brought the children back to Nigeria, reassured that the agency would continue to do everything possible to rescue Nigerians trafficked for sexual and labor exploitations anywhere in the world.
Angela Agbayekhai, the head of NAPTIP’s Intelligent and International Cooperation Unit, warned that Mali is not a greener pasture, adding that the country is quickly becoming a destination place for sexual exploitation and child labor.
According to her, the organization was attempting to save more than 20,000 people who had been trafficked to Mali for sexual exploitation.
While lamenting their ordeals in Mali, one of the victims (names withheld) urged young girls to be wary of huge promises of success outside Nigeria.
She claimed she was deceived by a friend into going on a journey to greener pastures, not realizing she was being held captive for sexual exploitation.
One of the victims’ three-year-old son was among the victims. The infant was born in Mali, and she was forced to carry him while escaping her captors.
Crime
Court remands 2 brothers for alleged culpable homicide, armed robbery
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.
Crime
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.
Crime
Special Fraud Unit arraigns suspect for cybercrime
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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