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Pastor allegedly rapes 13-year-old domestic worker in Abia

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The Police Command in Abia State has confirmed the arrest of a pastor of the Assemblies of God Church, Chukwuemeka Orji, for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old female domestic worker in the Aba area of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Chinaka Maureen, who confirmed Orji’s arrest, said an investigation into the case was ongoing.

According to reports, the 60-year-old pastor, while perpetrating the crime, reportedly left bruises on the victim and subjected her to psychological trauma.

It was learnt that Orji, who took the victim from her family members with a promise to sponsor her education, had reportedly been having carnal knowledge of the minor since she was 12 years old.

In a bid to silence the victim, the cleric allegedly threatened to stop sponsoring her education and send her back to her family members if she informed anyone about the illicit acts.

Narrating her ordeal in the hands of the pastor, the 13-year-old girl said when she started leaving with Orji, he regularly made sexual advances to her which she refused.

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She, however, noted that things took another turn when the pastor allegedly forcefully had carnal knowledge of her sometime in 2022, adding that afterwards, it became a regular act.

According to sources close to the family, Orji ran out of luck on Thursday, June 15, 2023, when he attempted to have his way around the minor but discovered that she was on her period.

He was said to have forced her to perform oral sex on him.

One of the sources said, “Unsatisfied by her performance, he sent her to cut grass at a farm within the church premises as a punishment for being on her period before she was allowed to go to school.

“The victim who could no longer bear the action of the pastor reported him to her class teacher when she got to school. The teacher notified the proprietor of the school and the proprietor alerted the Executive Director of Vivacious Development Initiative, Lady Nwosu, who informed a colleague, Chuka Okoye, after which the police were contacted and the pastor was arrested.”

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Orji was arraigned at a Magistrate Court sitting in the Aba South Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday and was remanded with a bail condition to the Abia State Correctional Centre pending the determination of his cases.

Meanwhile, the Aba District Superintendent of Assemblies of God Church, Rev. Dr Don Njoku, in his reaction to the development, said Orji had been sanctioned and expelled from the ministry.

He made the statement to the Protect the Precious Foundation led by Norah Okafor.

Njoku said, “Assemblies of God Church is a holiness organisation; we don’t support promiscuity of any kind. What our pastor did is what we preach against. Consequently, even if the announcement is not made official yet, he knows he has been sanctioned.

“He knows that in our constitution, anybody that does such a thing is expelled from the church and we will be going to his church on Sunday to tell the members to put an official approach to it and to tell them to cheer up and continue in the race because when a soldier is hit by a bullet, it does not make other soldiers to shrink, they continue but all they will need to do is to guard themselves more, knowing that in battle, people fall and people die.

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“So, obviously Rev. Chukwuemeka Orji is suspended and disfellowshipped from the ministry. Even if the government doesn’t do anything to him, this is what we do when our member does a thing such as that because what he did is what we prohibit, what the Bible prohibits and what we speak and stand against.”

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Woman jumps into Lagos lagoon, rescued by boat operators

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A yet-to-be-identified woman has been rescued after reportedly jumping into the lagoon from the Idumota end of the Carter Bridge in Lagos state.

The incident, which reportedly drew the attention of passersby and local boat operators, occurred on Tuesday afternoon.

According to eyewitnesses, nearby boat operators responded and brought the woman back to safety.

video circulating on social media showed the woman, seated in a rescue boat shortly after she was brought out of the water.

The footage, shared on X by a user identified as CHUKS, also showed people gathered on the bridge expressing concern about the woman’s condition.

Some bystanders could be heard appealing to the boat operators to ensure that she received appropriate care.

The circumstances surrounding the incident were unclear as of the time of filing this report.

Authorities had yet to issue an official statement on the incident or confirm the woman’s identity and condition.

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Police seize truck-load of fake drug warehouses in Lagos, arrest two

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The Lagos State Police Command says its operatives have uncovered two warehouses allegedly used for repackaging counterfeit pharmaceutical products and arrested two suspected members of a syndicate involved in the interstate and cross-border distribution of fake drugs.

Fatai Tijani, the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command,  disclosed this on Monday while briefing newsmen at the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit in the Ijora Olopa area of the state.

The suspects, identified as Eze Okwudilichukwu, 52, and Chukwudi Mba, 42, were arrested during an intelligence-led operation by detectives attached to the unit.

The police boss said the suspects were apprehended at a warehouse located at Number 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were allegedly repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to various parts of Nigeria.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence on the activities of the syndicate.

According to the police commissioner, “The suspects, Eze Okwudilichukwu ‘m’ 52 years, and Chukwudi Mba ‘m’ 42 years, were arrested at their warehouse located at No. 7A Otto Causeway, Otto, Lagos, where they were found repackaging suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products for distribution to different parts of Nigeria.

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“Following their arrest and interrogation, the suspects led detectives to another warehouse, where a duly executed search warrant was carried out. During the search, a truck loaded with large quantities of suspected adulterated pharmaceutical products, bearing registration number KFR 241 XA (Katsina), was recovered alongside other exhibits.”

The police boss said items recovered during the operation included about 300 cartons of suspected adulterated Omeprazole; six bags containing unpackaged suspected adulterated Viagra, Ampiclox, Septrin, Piriton, and other pharmaceutical products; and about 10 cartons of suspected adulterated Ampiclox, Viagra, and other drugs.

The CP noted that more than 300 empty printed packs and cartons were used to repackage counterfeit medicines.

According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate had been involved in the repackaging and distribution of suspected adulterated drugs for over two years.

He added that detectives uncovered evidence suggesting that the products were supplied to different parts of Nigeria, while large consignments were also destined for Lomé, Togo, indicating the existence of a transnational distribution network.

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“The investigation also suggests that the suspected adulterated drugs are being manufactured somewhere within Lagos State.

“While the production facility has not yet been located, detectives have intensified efforts to identify and dismantle the factory, arrest all those connected with the operation, and bring them to justice,” Fatai said.

The commissioner also alleged that attempts were made to compromise the investigation after the suspects were arrested.

“It is pertinent to state that since the arrest of the suspects, desperate attempts have been made through different channels to induce officers of the Violent Crime Response Unit to release both the suspects and the recovered exhibits.

“I wish to categorically state that these attempts were firmly resisted. The Lagos State Police Command remains committed to professionalism, integrity, and the rule of law, and no amount of pressure or inducement will derail the course of justice,” he added.

Tijani said the suspects, recovered exhibits, and case file had been handed over to the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control for further investigation and possible prosecution.

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He explained that the handover was necessary because the case falls within the regulatory mandate of the agency.

The CP commended operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit for what he described as a professional and intelligence-driven operation while urging members of the public to provide useful information on the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit pharmaceutical products and other criminal activities.

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NDLEA uncovers cocaine hidden in wooden mortar, backpack bound for China, Italy

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have uncovered fresh attempts by drug syndicates to export cocaine concealed inside a traditional wooden mortar and a specially modified backpack destined for China and Italy.

This was contained in a statement released by Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, and shared on X on Sunday.

According to Babafemi, one of the consignments involved cocaine concealed inside a traditional wooden mortar, a local tool commonly used for pounding yam and grains, which was being shipped to China.

The agency added that another cocaine shipment destined for Italy was discovered concealed in the false bottom of a backpack hidden among lace materials.

He wrote, “Mortar is a traditional local wooden tool commonly used for pounding yams or grains but was used to conceal cocaine consignment heading to China in one of the latest seizures by #ndlea_nigeria officers who also discovered another shipment of cocaine going to Italy in the false bottom of a backpack hidden in lace materials.

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“Beware of every parcel you’re given to deliver. Remember the key word for liability is possession!”

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