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An operative of Oyo State Security Network Agency codenamed Amotekun, Kazeem Afolabi, has been dismissed for killing a 21-year-old student in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Afolabi was dismissed for killing Tosin Thomas at Mokola Roundabout area of the city Wednesday evening, January 13 when the corps was called to intervene in an armed robbery attack.

Commandant of the agency, Col. Olayanju Olayinka (rtd.) said investigation showed that Afolabi shot the victim against Amotekun’s protocol.

The statement reads in part;

“At about 10pm on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, operatives of Amotekun, led by Team Leader George Idowu, got an alert of a purported armed robbery operation at Total Filling Station, Mokola, Ibadan.

“Following the distress call, the Team Leader and his team of seven members, arrived the scene.

“On arrival at the scene of the alleged crime, it turned out that it was not an armed robbery operation, though a crowd had gathered.

“The Team Leader, sensing no immediate danger to anyone at the scene, immediately proceeded to speak with the station manager. While he was with the manager, he heard a gunshot.

“As it turned out, one of his team members, by the name Afolabi Kazeem, who felt sufficiently threatened by the crowd, which included some hoodlums armed with cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, opened fire to supposedly scare away the crowd. Unfortunately, his shot hit one Mr Tosin Thomas, 23, who was subsequently confirmed dead.

“The Corps has found that Afolabi Kazeem with Ammunition Number AM031849 acted outside the Amotekun Corps’ protocols.

“For this reason, he has been summarily dismissed from the Corps and handed over to the police for prosecution. Also, his Team leader, George Idowu, is being thoroughly investigated and will face all necessary sanctions.

“We want to reassure members of the public of our internal mechanisms for dealing with erring officers. We will continue to train and retrain our officers on best practices and rules of engagement.

“The Corps deeply regrets the loss to the Thomas family, and we are already in touch with the family.”

A 51-year-old pastor, John Gichira has been sentenced to 140 years in prison for impregnating his two daughters aged 14 and 16 in Ndia Constituency, Kirinyaga County, Kenya.

Appearing before Senior Principal Magistrates, Anthony Mwicigi of Baricho High Court on Thursday, January 14, the pastor was slapped with a 70-year- jail term for sexually assaulting each of the girls. The court ruled that the sentence will run consecutively.

“I sentence you 70 years for each offense and you have 14 days to appeal. This court orders that your names to be added in the register of convicted and dangerous offenders.” the Magistrate announced.

“Gichira will serve 70 years for each count of defilement; the sentences to run consecutively,” the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said, citing a sentence in a Kirinyaga court.

The accused pleaded guilty to charges on January 5, 2021, and was remanded until Thursday. He blamed the devil for his offences and asked forgiveness from his children and the court, saying that everybody makes mistakes.

“I pray that the court, those that I have offended including the girls I impregnated. It is my first time to commit such an act. I blame Satan for tricking me.” he said.

Charges read out to him by the prosecution indicated that the first offense was committed on diverse dates between June 1 and 30, 2020 in Kinyakiiru village, Kirinyaga against his 16-year-old daughter. She is now seven months pregnant.

The second offence was committed on or around August 2020 against his 14-year old daughter who is six months pregant. Both are primary school pupils.

He was arrested in Mbeere South in Meru County where he had fled to and posed as a Somalia herder but residents were suspicious of his accent and tipped authorities before he was arrested in the first week of January.

The court was told that the matter was not reported and the accused continued to live in the same compound with the victims. The matter was later reported to Baricho Police Station by the area chief, prompting the suspect to escape till he was traced and arrested in Mbeere.

A lecturer with Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi State, Kyrian Nwoke, who went missing few days ago, has been murdered by unknown assailants, Daily Trust reports.

Nwoke, before his death, taught in the Department of Physiology in AE-FUNAI.

His remains were found along Abakaliki Rice Mill axis of Ogoja road on Monday, with bullet wounds.

His car was also taken away by the unknown assailants.

Daily Trust gathered that the deceased was using his car for a taxi so as to fend for himself and his family following the hardship and tussle between the federal government and ASUU, which has led to the withholding of salaries of lecturers for months.

“The deceased was said to have gone missing on Sunday night after yet-to-be-identified persons phoned him to come to Udemezue in Abakaliki to pick customers to a popular eatery along Ogoja road.

“The young man was a lecturer in Physiology Department, Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu Alike-Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

“So he started using his car for a taxi business owing to the withheld salaries of lecturers for some months.

“He left behind his wife and his two-year-old daughter.

“He didn’t return as his lifeless body was found the next day near the Rice Mill along the same Ogoja road with bullet wounds on his body and his car missing.

“My prayer is that the perpetrators of this evil act will never go unpunished. Ebonyi State government and indeed security agency should sit up and bring the culprits to book,” the source said.

Although, the State police spokesman, DSP Loveth Odah, when contacted, said the command was not aware of the alleged murder of the lecturer.

“And if there is anything like that, we must get to the end of the matter”, she said.

The Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof Felix Kolawole Salako, has warned the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUNAAB chapter, against ‘perssoniised unionism’, which according to him is tantamount to demarketing the Varsity.

The Chairman of ASUU FUNAAB, Dr Adebayo Oni, had reportedly said the institution cannot resume academic activities now because there was no preparation on COVID-19 safety protocols.

Oni, in a report published by a national daily said “The lectures halls are overcrowded.

“As of today, in my own campus, I have not seen any facility for hand washing. Who is to provide sanitisers? Do you expect lecturers to provide sanitisers for themselves?”

But Salako, while addressing newsmen at the university in Abeokuta, Ogun State, described the comment as shocking and a disservice to the institution.

The VC said contrary to the ASUU narrative, the institution has made adequate preparations; both medical equipment and infrastructure, to ensure students receive lectures virtually and physically in compliance with the safety protocols.

He said apart from the provision of hand sanitisers made by the university and handwashing facility at every point, the management had fumigated the campus and hostels over 10 times since the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria.

The Bauchi Police Command has recovered a genital organ suspected to belong to the 6-year-old girl mutilated by ritualists in Jamaare Local Government Area of the state.

Recall that, two suspects Abdulkadir Wada Haladu, 19, and Adamu Abdulrauf, 20, were arrested in connection with the crime. Wada was nabbed in Mararraba, Nasarawa State where he voluntarily confessed to the crime.

Spokesperson of the command, Wakil, who confirmed the development in a statement on Wednesday, January 13, said a bottle containing the suspected genital organ (complete Vulva; Libia Majora, Libia Minora and clitoris) was recovered in the house of one of the suspected ritualists, Abdulkadir Wada Haladu.

Other items recovered include two knives, three bottles containing native medicine.
One carton containing some native dry medicines tied inside polythene bags, one dry animal skin, two Islamic native black boards, one calabash, one hoe, and two locally made Disks.

The US House of Representatives has impeached President Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection” at last week’s Capitol riot.

He is the first president in US history to be twice impeached – to be charged with crimes by Congress.

Mr Trump, a Republican, will now face a trial in the Senate, where if convicted he could face being barred from ever holding office again.

The impeachment measure passed largely along party lines.

Mr Trump is due to leave office on 20 January, following his election defeat last November to Democrat Joe Biden.

After several hours of impassioned debate on Wednesday, the Democratic-controlled House voted.

Six Republicans said beforehand they would side with Democrats to impeach the president. But the majority of conservatives remained loyal to Mr Trump.

But it is unlikely Mr Trump will have to leave the White House before his term in office ends in one week as the Senate was not expected to convene in time.

Last week, 139 Republicans voted against accepting the result of the 2020 election and Mr Trump’s defeat.

The University of Lagos has announced its resumption date.

Head of the Media Unit of the university, Mrs Olufadeke Akinleye, said Wedneaday said that the institution would commence online classes on January 25 due to the second wave of COVID-19.

This was disclosed in a statement signed by it’s Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Abdullahi Abdullahi.

The statement reads: “The Senate of the University of Jos has considered and approved an amended Academic Calendar for 2019/2020 Session of the University.

“At its 4th Special Meeting for the 2019/2020 Session held on Monday 11th January 2021, Senate approved that students are to resume for the continuation of the 2019/2020 Session as from Friday 22nd January 2021 with the reopening of the various campuses of the University.

“According to the amended Academic Calendar, lectures would continue as from Monday, 25th January 2021.”