Breaking News: Court Sentences Alfa Abdulrahman, Killer of Kwara Final-Year Student Hafsoh to Death by Hanging

AgegePulse Magazine

After four months of intense legal proceedings, the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging for the murder of 24-year-old Hafsoh Yetunde Lawal, a final-year student of the Kwara State College of Education.

Justice Hannah Olushola Ajayi delivered the judgment on Thursday, bringing some closure to a case that drew public outrage and renewed calls for justice for victims of gender-based violence.

Bello was found guilty of the brutal killing of Lawal, which shocked the Ilorin community and sparked widespread protests from students and civil society groups demanding swift justice.

In the same ruling, the court discharged and acquitted four other suspects initially linked to the case: Ahmed Abdulwasiu (41), Suleiman Muyideen (28), Jamiu Uthman (29), and Abdulrahmon Jamiu (31), citing lack of sufficient evidence against them.

Justice Ajayi emphasized the importance of holding the guilty accountable while ensuring the innocent are not wrongfully punished.

The judgment has been hailed by rights activists and the local community as a step forward in the fight against violence targeting women and young students in Nigeria.

Lagos Reporters will continue to follow developments around the implementation of the verdict and any appeals that may arise, as part of our commitment to justice, transparency, and the protection of vulnerable Nigerians.

Lagos Reporter

Court Sentences two persons to Prison over IE Transformer Vandalism

By Ayodele Awosika:

The Lagos State Magistrate Court in Ejigbo has handed down sentences to two individuals for vandalizing transformers belonging to Ikeja Electric Plc.

Abubakar Alido received a one-year sentence for vandalizing a 500KVA transformer on Michael Aladesuyi Street, Egbeda, under the Omo Osho 11KV Feeder, while Ishola Olatunji was sentenced to six months for attempting to vandalize a transformer on Karimu Laka Street, Egbeda, under the Orelope 11KV Feeder. Alido was apprehended by a security guard and handed over to the police. The incident occurred when Alido was found tampering with the transformer cables.

 Court Sentences two persons to Prison over IE Transformer Vandalism

Upon investigation, the police arraigned Alido at the Magistrate Court 1, Ejigbo, on June 14, 2024. He was charged with wilful damage of transformer cables, contrary to Section 339 and punishable under Section 350 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015. Alido pleaded guilty when the charges were read to him. The case was adjourned to July 2, 2024, for sentencing.

On the adjourned date, the prosecutor summarized the facts, and Alido admitted them as true. His statement to the police was tendered and admitted as Exhibit A. Consequently, the court sentenced him to one-year imprisonment, effective from his arraignment date. The court highlighted the importance of this sentence as a deterrent to other vandals, given the rising incidence of such crimes in the area.

In a similar case, Ishola Olatunji was caught by members of the Karimu Laka community attempting to vandalize a 500KVA transformer. The community members, vigilant and proactive, handed Olatunji over to the police. Following an investigation, the police arraigned Olatunji at the Magistrate Court 1, Ejigbo, on March 11, 2024. He was charged with the attempted theft of transformer cables, punishable under Section 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of 2015.

Olatunji initially pleaded not guilty and was granted bail, with an order for remand at the Kiri-Kiri Correctional Facility pending the perfection of his bail conditions. However, he later opted to change his plea to guilty. During the hearing, the prosecutor summarized the case facts, which Olatunji admitted to. His statement to the police was also tendered and accepted as Exhibit A. The court then sentenced him to six-month imprisonment, counting from his arraignment date.

Speaking on the judgments, the Business Manager of Akowonjo Business Unit, Engr. Abayomi Bolorunde expressed satisfaction and hope that these sentences would serve as a strong deterrent to other potential vandals. He reiterated Ikeja Electric's commitment to curtailing the vandalism of its assets, emphasizing the significant damage such activities cause to the company's operations and the inconvenience they bring to customers. He urged communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, as vandals continue to devise new methods to disrupt electricity supply and plunge customers into darkness.

Ikeja Electric's spokesman and Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Kingsley Okotie commended the joint efforts of both the Security and Legal teams at Ikeja Electric, as well as other external stakeholders and thanked them for their dedication while ensuring that the cases were pursued to a logical conclusion. He lamented the adverse impact of vandalism on Ikeja Electric's business and assured that the company would continually leverage its relationships with the police and other community stakeholders to get the vandals out of business.

He reiterated that proactive measures taken by Ikeja Electric and the collaboration with local communities highlight the ongoing battle against infrastructure vandalism, ensuring that perpetrators face the full wrath of the law while safeguarding essential services for the public.

Lagos Mobile Court Sentences Fake Soldier To Six Weeks In Jail | AgegePulse Magazine

A Lagos State Mobile Court over the weekend convicted and sentenced a fake Soldier arrested by the operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) for assault and impersonation to six weeks in jail term.

Speaking on the arrest and arraignment, the Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), CSP Shola Jejeloye, disclosed that the convicted fake Soldier was apprehended along with his commercial motorcycle painted in camouflage after assaulting members of the enforcement team of the Agency with other miscreants at Airport Bus-stop along Lagos-Abeokuta Express-way.

He said that the operatives of the Agency were coming from a monitoring and enforcement operations with over 150 impounded motorcycles loaded into three of the Agency’s trucks before the fake Soldier, whose commercial motorcycle was among those impounded on restricted routes, mobilised other miscreants and attacked the team with dangerous weapons such stones, bottles and iron-rod.

According to the Chairman "The fake Soldier was subsequently arrested after the attack and during investigations at our office it was discovered that he was an impersonator".

"The man later confessed to having only claimed to be a Soldier in order to retrieve his impounded commercial motorcycle and that he painted his motorcycle with Nigerian Army camouflage in order to evade arrest from security agents while engaging in commercial activities on restricted routes", he added.

CSP Jejeloye urged members of the public to stop impersonating security agents to commit crimes as anyone caught would be seriously dealt with in accordance with the Law.

The Chairman, however, confirmed that the arraignment of the fake Soldier at the Lagos Mobile Court was in compliance with the directive of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police CP Hakeem Odumosu.

Magistrate Oyebimbola Israel Adelakun, who presided over the matter sentenced the accused, Kabiru Mohammed (25 yrs) to six weeks in jail with N40.000 as an option of fine after he had pleaded guilty to the three-count charge of Assault, Conduct Likely to Cause Breach of Peace and Impersonation levied against him.

The convicted fake Soldier Mr. Kabiru Mohammed who hailed from Kano State pleaded'Guilty' after the 3-count charges was read and interpreted to him in the language he understood.