Senator Nwoko succeeds late Senator Ubah, as Chairman, Senate committee on Refinery Turnaround Maintenance

Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North) has been named the new Chairman of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee charged with looking into the turnaround maintenance of Nigeria’s refineries by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

This nomination comes after Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, the former chair of the committee representing Anambra South, passed away tragically.

The ad-hoc committee was initially created by the Senate on October 24, 2023, in response to mounting complaints regarding the millions of dollars spent on refinery maintenance, even while these vital facilities were still not operating.

The committee is charged with conducting a comprehensive investigation into the maintenance process and reviewing all contracts related to the rehabilitation of the refineries.

Senator Ubah, upon his appointment last year, had committed to ensuring a transparent, accountable, and thorough investigation. He emphasized that the committee’s work would focus on uncovering any signs of mismanagement, corruption, or inefficiencies that may have plagued the refinery turnaround efforts. Ubah had also outlined plans for site visits, extensive stakeholder engagement, and a robust review process to gather all the necessary information for informed recommendations to the Senate.

With Senator Nwoko now at the helm, the Senate anticipates that the committee’s findings will drive accountability and spur much-needed improvements in the management and rehabilitation of Nigeria’s refineries.

A Berlin-based palliative care Doctor is suspected of killing at least 10 people, more than double the number initially assumed, the public prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

Prosecutors had at first identified four victims in the case, but later raised the number to eight.

The prosecution spokesman, Michael Petzold said they now believe the 40-year-old man, who is in custody, is also responsible for the deaths of two severely ill women aged 25 and 57.

The doctor, who worked for a nursing service, was arrested in August and initially charged with four counts of manslaughter as well as arson, after allegedly trying to cover up his actions by starting fires in the patients’ flats.

Prosecutors subsequently examined the documents from other patients, while more bodies were exhumed for forensic examination.

The doctor is also being blamed for the deaths of six women aged between 61 and 94 as well as two men aged 70 and 83.

He is alleged to have administered a “mixture of various medications” to the victims in September 2021 and June 2024 out of a desire to kill.

The doctor has so far remained silent on the allegations, Petzold said.

A team of investigators has continued to look for any indications of further crimes.

Palliative care doctors support terminally ill patients to alleviate their pain.

According to the public prosecutor’s office, the affected patients were not in an acute terminal phase at the time of the acts.(dpa/NAN)

Shopkeeper sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling neighbour’s 8-year-old daughter

Ikeja, Feb.11, 2025 (NAN) An Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court on Tuesday sentenced a 47-year-old shopkeeper, Seydou Garuba, to life imprisonment for defiling his neighbour’s eight-year-old daughter.

Justice Rahman Oshodi, in his judgment, held that the prosecution proved the charge of defilement against Garuba.

He stated that the survivor’s evidence corroborated her mother’s evidence.

Oshodi said: “Seydou Garuba, you have been found guilty of defiling an eight-year-old girl.

“This is one of the most serious offences in the criminal law, and life imprisonment is mandatory for it.

“You abused your position as a trusted neighbourhood shopkeeper and sexually assaulted the victim.

“I hereby sentence you to life imprisonment, and your name shall be registered in the sex offenders’ register.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the State Counsel, Ms Olufunmilayo Aluko, called three witnesses to testify in the case, who included the survivor, her cousin and an investigative police officer.

In defence, the convict called three witnesses of his own: himself, his wife, and a neighbour.

The prosecution, in its evidence presented before the court, submitted that the convict owned a provision store at the front of his compound, adding that the survivor and her family were regular customers.

The survivor, in her evidence, told the court that she had gone to purchase a half-bag of sachet water when the convict lured her in and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravene Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015. (NAN)