Police Uncover Suspected Trafficking Camp In Lagos, Rescue Six Children

No fewer than six children between the ages of three and 10 have been rescued from a suspected human trafficking transit camp in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State.

The owner of the camp, 25-year-old Comfort Anwana, was arrested on Tuesday during a raid carried out by operatives of the state police command and the Ministry of Youths and Social Services.

Her siblings, Gift, 28; and 23-year-old Blessing, who stayed with her, were also apprehended. They all hail from the Oron Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.


PUNCH Metro learnt that the team stormed the one-room apartment camp following a report from some residents of the area that Anwana illegally took custody of the children.

The state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, who led the operation, noted that the camp was not an orphanage.

He said how Anwana came about the children was shrouded in mystery, adding that the command would carry out an investigation to unravel the actual activities of the centre.

Imohimi said, “We are concerned about the children’s welfare. First of all, we must ascertain how they got into Comfort’s (Anwana’s) custody. We must ascertain what happened to them while here. Were they abused, sold into slavery or sold as domestic helps? This is not an orphanage or a day care centre. We want to know where she got the children from because we are concerned generally about child abuse.”

The CP, who said the arrest was the result of community policing in Lagos State, directed policemen at the Gender Unit of the command to work with officials of the Ministry of Youths and Social Development to ensure that the children were taken to a home pending the outcome of the investigation.

However, Anwana, said the children were her nephews and nieces, adding that their fathers were dead.

32-year-old Newly married man arrested for defiling six-year-old girl in Lagos

                

The Lagos state police command has arrested and arraigned a newly married 32-year-old man, Francis Azukwo, before an Ogba Magistrate court for allegedly defiling a six-year-old girl identified as Ngozi, at their compound on Owoodu street in the Ikotun area of the state.

The police was alerted after it was discovered that Francis allegedly penetrated the little girl with his male organ. The victim's mother was in the hospital giving birth to a baby when the incident happened. While she was in the hospital, Ngozi was left in the care of her 16-year-old cousin as he father had traveled for work. When the mother of the victim came back, she noticed her daughter's strange movement, carried out an examination on her daughter's private part and discovered some bruises. Upon inquiry, Ngozi told her mother that it was Uncle Francis that defiled her. The matter was reported to the police and a test was run on the victim at the Mirabel Centre, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, where it was confrimed that the victims hymen had been broken as a result of penetration. 

Francis was arrested by the police. He denied the allegations. Yesterday, he was arraigned before the Ogba Magistrate court on two counts of defilement and indecent assault.

The charge sheet read, “That you, Francis Azukwo, sometime in the month of September 2017, at Ikotun, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully and indecently assault one Ngozi (not real name), thereby committing an offence. That you, Francis Azukwo, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district, did defile one Ngozi, thereby committing an offence.” 

The police prosecutor, Inspector Clifford Ogu, said the offences were punishable under sections 135 and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

Francis pleaded not guilty and through his counsel, applied for bail. The Magistrate later granted him bail in the sum of N400,000 with two sureties in like sum.

“One of the sureties must be a level 12 officer in the Lagos State Civil Service and the other must be a registered property owner in Lagos State. The sureties should present evidence of three years’ tax payments to the state and their addresses must be verified,” the magistrate said

The case was adjourned till February 12, 2018 for advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. Francis is to be remanded in prison until he meets his bail conditions.

When Money Jam Money

                                  

Oil tycoon Femi Otedola paid a visit to Heirs Holding’s Tony Elumelu, in Lagos yesterday.

Davido Hype Man Special Spesh Welcomes Baby Boy, See Davido Reaction

Davido‘s hypeman, popularly known as Special Spesh, welcomed his first child, a baby boy recently and the musician took to social media to share the exciting news.
Davido shared the news on Snapchat and revealed that he was the baby’s Godfather.
The star who is currently on vacation in Dubai with his crew shared another post on Snapchat asking his girlfriend to in his words ‘activate’ which can only mean he wants a baby with her.
According to his post, his Hypeman beat him to a baby boy and he wants his mystery girlfriend to give him a son as soon as possible.
See his post below;

Fayose Tells Ekiti Hunters 'Protect Your People Against Herdsmen

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose yesterday rallied local hunters against possible invasion by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Sounding the battle cry while hosting some hunters at the Government House pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the governor said intelligence report available to him revealed that “Bororo” herdsmen had surreptitiously entered the state.

Fayose, who wore a camouflage shirt, a pair of trousers and a fez cap to match “to reflect the mood of the nation”, urged the hunters to go back home and defend the people.


Apart from the local hunters, other residents who showed up at the forum were the revered farmers, popularly called the Agbekoya, vigilance groups and other residents from the Tiv, Idoma and Igede ethnic groups in Benue State.

The event was highlighted by intermittent firing of gunshots, whistling and songs by the hunters.

Fayose, who sympathised with the people of Benue State, where scores have been killed by suspected herdsmen, promised not to allow his people to be slain, as done in the Northcentral state.