15102019 - What Benin, Niger must do to get borders reopened — FG

6—Vanguard, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2019
35-yr-old
mechanic
rapes
10-yr-old girl
in Benue
By Peter Duru
MAKURDI—A 35-yearold
mechanic,
Emmanuel Ogbile, has been
arraigned by the Police for
allegedly raping a 10-yearold
girl in a bathroom at
Obarike Ito, Obi Local
Government Area of Benue
State.
The accused was
arraigned before a Makurdi
Chief Magistrate’s Court on
a two-count charge of
criminal trespass and rape.
According to the First
Information Report, FIR,
filed before the court by the
prosecuting Police Officer,
Assistant Superintendent
Michael Iorundu, “one Mrs
Justina Ope had, last week,
reported at Obi Police
Division Obarike-Ito that at
about 7p.m., the accused
trespassed into her
compound in search of the
home of an unknown pastor.
“She stated further that
she left her compound
shortly after, but the said
Emmanuel Ogbile went into
the bathroom where her 10-
year-old daughter, name
withheld, was bathing and
forcefully had sexual
intercourse with her without
her consent.
“He also injured her in her
private.”
During the Police
investigation, the said
Emmanuel Ogbile was
arrested and he confessed
to committing the crime
contrary to Sections 349 and
284 of the Penal Code of
Benue State, 2004.”
Meanwhile, after
mentioning the case, no
plea was taken for want of
jurisdiction.
But the trial Chief
Magistrate, Mrs Joy Ayia,
adjourned further mention
of the matter to December
19, and ordered that the
accused be remanded at the
Makurdi Medium Prison.
By Daniel Nkwor
NIGERIANS have been
lamenting, as the prices of
commodities skyrocket due to
closure of the Nigerian borders,
with rice, frozen foods and other
commodities recording 75%
hike.
According to traders in some
markets, the action is punitive
because a lot of them who are
doing legitimate businesses
now have their containers
stranded at the border.
Couple abandons baby over N139,000 medical bills
By Paul Olayemi
SAPELE—DUE to their
inability to pick their child’s
medical bills of N139,000 after a
major operation was performed
on her at a private hospital in
Sapele, Delta State, a couple
abandoned the baby.
It was gathered that Baby
Deborah was abandoned six
weeks ago by her father, 38 yearsold
man, Mr. Destiny Uregha,
and his wife.
A source, who spoke on the
condition of anonymity, told
Vanguard at the hospital that
“after Mrs Udegha’s delivery, a
friend was helping out to bath the
baby when the child had a burnt
on her navel, which affected her
health.
“They then started running from
one hospital to another until
someone recommended the
hospital to them.
“They took Deborah to the
hospital and the hospital
management demanded one
hundred and thirty-nine
thousand naira for an operation.
“After paying an advance of forty
By Ugochukwu Alaribe
UMUAHIA—A 16-year-old
boy, identified as Paul
Ikwecheghi, has allegedly
sodomised a 10-year-old girl to
death.
Vanguard gathered that the
deceased, who hailed from
thousand naira and unable to
come forth with the
balance, the husband
left and he did not
come back.
“The next day, the
wife told someone
she was going to
buy something
along the road
and did not
return.
“ T h e
hospital’s
management,
on discovery
that the parents
were missing,
took over the
responsibility of
caring for the
baby. While
still trying to
locate the parents,
they stationed a nurse
to take care of the
baby.”
When Vanguard visited the
hospital, one of the nurses was
seen trying to calm baby Deborah,
who was crying.
The hospital's management,
Baby Deborah
Nkporo, in Ohafia council area
of Abia State, was said to have
been taken away from her
residence at 51 Emeonye Street
by the suspect.
She was paralysed after the
incident and was receiving
medical attention at an
undisclosed hospital before her
however, declined comment,
directing all enquires to a mobile
number that was switched off.
However, when Vanguard
dialled the mobile number,
Mr. Uregha provided on
the first day of baby
Deborah’s admission, a
voice said the couple is
still trying to raise the
funds.
But the speaker
refused to admit if he
was Mr. Uregha, before
switching off the phone.
At press time, the Police
could not be reached to
confirm if the issue had been
reported at the Police station
or not.
...as man impregnates
daughter in Gombe
Meanwhile, the Chief
Magistrates’ Court 10 in Gombe,
yesterday, remanded 72-year-old
Ibrahim Yunusa in prison custody
for allegedly raping and
impregnating his biological
daughter.
Yunusa of Dadinkowa, Yamaltu/
Deba Local Government, Gombe
State had, on arraignment,
pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Chief Magistrate Daura Sikkam
ordered the remand of the
accused person and adjourned
the case to November 13 for
further mention to enable police
complete investigation.
Earlier, reading the police First
Information Report, FIR, Dalaky
Wanma, the court clerk, said the
accused committed the offences
several times between December
2018 and January 2019.
He said Yunusa forcefully had
carnal knowledge of his 17-yearold
biological daughter (name
withheld) and impregnated her
in his house.
The clerk said the offence is
contrary to Sections 390 and 282
of Penal Code.
The Police Prosecutor, Sergeant
Bako Shekari, also told the court
that the Police had just
commenced investigations into
the matter.
He, therefore, asked the court
for an adjournment to enable the
Police to complete investigations
and seek legal advice from the
Ministry of Justice.
Some parents of the six kidnapped students of Engravers
College, Kakau Daji, Chikun Local Government Area of
Kaduna State at a briefing on efforts to secure the release
of their children, yesterday. PHOTOS: Olu Ajayi.
16-yr-old boy sodomises 10-yr-old girl
to death in Abia
The price of a bag of rice that
was sold between N12,000 and
N15,000 before, now sells about
N28,000. Also, a carton of frozen
food (orobo chicken) that sold
before for N8,000 or N10,000
now sells for N13,000 to
N15,000.
For rice retailer, Mr. Uchenna,
who sells at Ikotun Market in
Lagos, the locally-produced
rice which was the reason why
borders were shut, were not
available.
He said: “We have been
battling with the price because
since the borders were shut the
price kept increasing.”
A resident, Mr. Ernest, added
that the pains that arose from
border closure were much than
what the citizens could afford,
noting “government should
have considered making the
alternatives in abundance
before closing the borders.
“The claims that we are rice
sufficient have been defeated
because after the borders’
closure, not only do we have
death.
It was gathered that she
identified Paul as the culprit
leading to his arrest by the Police.
A resident of the area said: “We
discovered that Paul took the little
girl from her parents’ residence
to where he perpetrated that act.
“I learned that he consumes
tramadol. After the incident, the
girl became paralysed and
identified Paul as the culprit. The
family took her to the hospital,
Nigerians lament border closure, as prices of food items soar
shortage in supply, but the
prices of locally-produced rice
have gone up.
“If we are self-sufficient in rice
production as claimed, we
should by now be exporting the
product to other countries.”
A major supplier of frozen
food, Mama B, said: “To be
frank, frozen foods are scarce in
the market now. Only a few of
us that have it in stock, increase
the prices.
“So customers don’t have a
choice but to buy.”
while Paul was arrested by the
Police.
“The little girl wept until she
died on Wednesday, while
receiving medical attention at the
hospital. The damage done to her
anus was much. Paul is still with
the Police and I don’t know if
anything is going on that case
because no one has heard about
it.”
Contacted, Abia State
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ene
Okon, who confirmed the
incident, explained that the
reported death of the victim has
taken the case from rape to
murder.
He vowed that the Police would
ensure that justice is done on the
matter.
His words: “The case was
transferred to state CID last week.
But if the victim has died as
information is saying, I will now
intimate the CID that the girl has
eventually died and that will turn
the case to murder and will be
investigated as a murder.
“Trust us that justice will be
done.”