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UK-based Nigerian student to be deported after serving 10-year jail term for raping teenager

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MAN JAILED FOR LIFE

A Nigerian postgraduate student living in the United Kingdom, Chiemka Okoronta, will be deported following his 10-year jail term after being found guilty of raping a teenage girl, PUNCH Metro learnt on Tuesday.

According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, the incident occurred when the teenager became stranded on a bus in West Yorkshire.

The BBC reported that both the victim and the student were on a night bus service that unexpectedly stopped in Morley, Leeds, while they both needed to get home to Bradford on March 25.

“The 29-year-old postgraduate student tricked her into sharing a taxi before luring her into his accommodation and attacking her in a locked toilet,” the BBC report stated, quoting Bradford Crown Court proceedings.

“Okoronta, originally from Nigeria, must also serve three years on an extended licence and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life,” the report added.

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According to the prosecution, the victim’s phone battery had died after she got off the bus, and Okoronta offered to share a taxi to Bradford Interchange.

However, the taxi went to his flat instead, where he persuaded her to go inside and then locked her in a toilet, the BBC reported.

After the assault, the report noted that the teenager managed to escape, stopped a passerby, and used their phone to call the police.

In a victim impact statement read in court, the teenager stated, “This incident has turned my life upside down. I have flashbacks of what happened to me. I have nightmares — one minute I feel fine, and the next minute it all comes back.”

Judge Sophie McKone told the defendant, “I am satisfied that when you asked if she wanted to share your taxi to Bradford, you formulated a plan to get her back to your flat, where you could rape her.

“You concocted a reason for her to come into your flat. You are, I am clear, a dangerous sexual predator.”

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West Yorkshire Police Detective Constable Sue Sutcliffe, the report said, commended the survivor.

“I would like to commend the victim in this case for her immense bravery in coming forward straight away to report this horrific crime.

“I would urge anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to please report it to us so we can take action,” she said.

This latest case comes amid increasing reports of Nigerians abroad being convicted for sexual offences.

In a similar case reported by the BBC in 2024, another Nigerian, Timilehin Olatunji, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a related crime.

He was convicted after the victim used an app on her phone to record audio evidence of the assault, which took place in the early hours of September 29, 2024.

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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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