How Husband allegedly defiled 18-year-old Wife’s Niece staying with them

An Oyo State Family Court, Ibadan, has remanded a 33-year-old man, Happiness Opeyemi, at the Agodi Correctional Centre over an alleged defilement of his wife’s 10-year-old niece.

The defendant was arraigned on Friday to face a one-count charge of rape.

The prosecuting counsel, Insp Adenike Adeyemi, told the court that the defendant, in 2023, had unlawful sexual intercourse with his wife’s niece staying with them.

Adeyemi said the offence was allegedly committed in their home in Onila Olomiyeye area of Ibadan.

She said the offence contravened Section 34 of the Oyo State Child Rights Law, 2006.

The Magistrate, Mrs Serifat Adesina, did not, however, take the defendant’s plea due to lack of jurisdiction.

She ordered his remand pending the issuance of advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) at the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.

She, thereafter, adjourned the matter till March 11 for mention. (NAN)

You’re spreading lies, falsehoods over Mambilla power project – Former Minister slams Obasanjo

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has been accused by former Minister of Power and Steel Olu Agunloye with deliberately disseminating lies to divert attention away from his own performance on the Mambilla power project.

Agunloye’s remarks coincide with his ongoing legal dispute over a fraud case involving the Mambilla Hydroelectric Plant that is worth billions of dollars.

Agunloye, currently the National Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), is facing seven charges filed by the Nigerian government related to the controversial project.

The case, brought before the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, alleges that Agunloye was involved in a $6 billion fraud during his tenure as Minister of Power and Steel from 2002 to 2003 under the Obasanjo administration.

In a statement released on Friday, Agunloye claimed that the former president was deliberately distorting facts to obscure his own involvement in the Mambilla project.

He argued that Obasanjo’s public statements and actions were designed to deflect blame and protect his own legacy concerning the power project.

Agunloye also expressed frustration over what he perceived as efforts to use him as a scapegoat to perpetuate the narrative of widespread corruption, particularly in relation to the project’s arbitration process.

He suggested that the dispute was rooted in personal conflicts between Obasanjo and key figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Leno Adesanya, the owner of Sunrise Power Company, who he claimed were part of the broader issue.

Furthermore, Agunloye accused Obasanjo of feigning ignorance regarding the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) contract during his presidency, only to later misrepresent the facts in both public statements and legal proceedings.

Agunloye’s accusations add another layer to the ongoing saga of the Mambilla project, which has been marred by years of delays and controversy.

“The government seeks to use me as a scapegoat to portray systemic corruption to the arbitration panel and undermine Sunrise’s claims. Challenges stem from personal conflicts between President Obasanjo and two of his associates: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Leno Adesanya, owner of Sunrise Power Company.

“Obasanjo feigned ignorance of the BOT contract during his presidency and later distorted the facts in public and judicial settings.

“The arbitration in France arose from actions taken by successive administrations, particularly under President Buhari. In 2017, then-Minister of Power Babatunde Fashola bypassed a 2012 agreement signed under President Goodluck Jonathan with Sunrise and awarded the contract to another company.

“Despite advice from the Chinese government to resolve the dispute amicably, the FGN failed to honor two settlement agreements, leading Sunrise to return to arbitration.

“The government is spreading misinformation and using me as a pawn to divert attention from the actions of its own officials and four former presidents who handled the project over two decades.”

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Board Chairpersons for 42 federal organisations and a Secretary for the Board of the Civil Defence, Immigration and Prisons Services.

Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made this known in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

Onanuga said that Tinubu also appointed a new Managing Director for the Nigerian Railway Corporation and a Director-General for the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI).

He said the president directed the board chairpersons not to interfere with the management of the organisations, emphasising that their positions are non-executive.

According to Onanuga, all the appointments take immediate effect.

He named Mr Hillard Eta (Cross River) as the Board Chairman, National Youth Service Corps and Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi (Lagos) as the Board Chairman, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.

Onanuga also named Dr Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano) as Board Chairman, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Sen. Surajudeen Ajibola (Osun) as Chairman, National Sugar Development Council.

He said Tinubu appointed Sen. Magnus Abe (Rivers) as Chairman, National Agency for the Great Green Wall and Alhaji Sulaiman Argungu (Kebbi) as Chairman, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Company.

Similarly, Mr Festus Fuanter (Plateau) was named Chairman, National Teachers Institute, Mr Raji Kolawole (Oyo), Director-General, National Board for Technical Incubation (NBTI) and Chief Victor Giadom (Rivers), Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Education Planning and Administration.

He also said that Tinubu approved the appointment of Malam Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa) as the Chairman of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria and Mr Hamma Kumo (Gombe) as Chairman of the Industrial Training Fund.

Onanuga further stated that Donatus Nwankpa (Abia) was appointed Chairman, Nigerian Institute of Science and Technology Complex while Sen. Abubakar Maikafi (Bauchi) was named Chairman of Sheda Science and Technology Complex.

He disclosed that Tinubu named Nasiru Gawuna (Kano), Chairman, Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi(Lagos), Chairman, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion and Prof. Abdulkarim Kana (Nasarawa), Chairman, National Steel Council.

Onanuga also named Musa Adar (Sokoto), Chairman, National Inland Waterways Authority and Malam Garba Muhammad (Kaduna), Chairman, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency.

Others announced were chairmen of the National Bio-Safety Management Agency, Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute, Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe and Nigeria Railway Corporation among others. (NAN)