Cannibal cult leader who drank girls' blood is hacked to death by villagers after escaping from a Papua New Guinea jail and murdering another woman

A cannibal cult leader calling himself Black Jesus, who slaughtered his 'Flower Girl' followers and drank their blood, has himself been murdered in the jungles of Papua New Guinea.
In flowing robes, Stephen Tari, 40, a failed Bible student, once led 6,000 'disciples' through the mountainous regions of the country, but was accused of killing at least three young girls and, as their mothers were forced to watch, drinking their blood.
Calling himself 'the true Christ', he was convicted of only rape three years ago - before the country brought in new laws that meant convicted killers and rapists could receive the death penalty - and was among 48 prisoners who broke out of jail six months ago.

'Black Jesus': Notorious cult leader Stephen Tari after he was captured in Papua New Guinea in 2007

Since then he has been on the run with a handful of faithful followers, but his bizarre life came to an end when he was said to have murdered a village woman this week and attempted to take the life of another.
Surrounded by furious villagers on Thursday, he is believed to have been beaten and hacked to death, along with one of his henchmen in the remote village of Gal in the northern province of Madang.
A special investigation by the Daily Mail six years ago heard from three women who said they had witnessed Tari drinking their murdered daughters' blood in bizarre sacrificial ceremonies in village huts as he led his followers through the jungle.

Because of the remote area where he was murdered, police have not been able to establish whether he allegedly murdered a woman because he had started up his former cult and needed more human sacrifices.
Madang provincial police commander Chief Superintendent Sylvester Kalaut told the Post Courier newspaper that the village where Tari met his death is several miles by foot along jungle tracks from the nearest small town.

Capture: The feared Tari was beaten by villagers and tied up before being handed over to the police in 2007

'We are sending police and a doctor to the village to ascertain the cause of death.
'The village where he was based is a four hour walk and from advice and given reports of the state of his body, he will have to be buried soon after the post-mortem is conducted,' said Superintendent Kalaut.

Followers: Tari gathered more than six thousand disciples with his preaching in the jungles (library image)

The police officer warned that other prisoners who remain on the run and who might be associated with Tari should give themselves up.
'He is now dead and this could be the fate of the others who are also on the run from the authorities. I am warning and strongly urging those escapees to surrender themselves to authorities.'
At the height of his infamy, Black Jesus wore long white robes as he stood on a rock in a jungle clearing and preached his own kind of gospel to his disciples. He told the crowds that they would receive gifts from heaven if they followed him.
But behind his preachings was evil intent. Luring young females he called his Flower Girls into huts, he cut their throats and consumed their blood, mothers testified later.
One woman said she was ordered to drink her own daughter's blood on one occasion.
Police were unable to capture him, despite knowing where he was because of the constant the presence of his large 'flock' - he was guarded by henchmen who carried rifles, spears and bows and arrows.
But villagers finally carried out a 'citizens' arrest' in 2007 and Tari was eventually jailed.
Now, it is village power once again that has brought an end to his warped teachings. It is expected he will be buried near the small jungle community where he was killed.

dailymail.co.uk

Police officer who tasered a blind man because he thought white stick was a samurai sword will NOT face criminal charges

The lives of British agents may have been put at risk by a Guardian journalist’s possession of top-secret documents stolen from the US  government, a senior Cabinet adviser has warned.
Documents seized from the reporter’s boyfriend, David Miranda, were so sensitive that agents have since had to be moved to protect their lives.
Oliver Robbins, deputy national security adviser at the Cabinet Office, went on the record to warn that ‘lives may be put at risk’ if the documents fall in to the wrong hands.

Mr Farmer was registered blind after suffering two strokes. His walking stick is slightly reflective, which is why perhaps members of the public mistook it for a weapon

Court papers released yesterday also revealed the incredibly lax security used around the material, with Mr Miranda apparently carrying a password for some of the computer documents written on a scrap of paper.
Security sources also said that, as a result of the theft, codes for tens of thousands of sensitive documents have had to be changed.
Details of the chaos caused at the highest levels of Britain’s security and intelligence agencies by the leaks emerged in official court submissions about material seized from Mr Miranda, the boyfriend of Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald.
Mr Miranda, 28, who is Brazilian, was detained at Heathrow on August 18 as he passed through the airport on his way from Berlin to Rio.
He was found to be carrying nine hard disks and memory sticks including secret files leaked by former CIA analyst Edward Snowden, and was questioned for nine hours before being released.
Mr Miranda’s detention under terrorism powers provoked outrage from civil liberties groups.
But the newspaper’s initial story described him only as Mr Greenwald’s boyfriend, and made no mention of the fact that he was carrying secret material or that the Guardian was paying for his flights.
Despite only decrypting one third of the material, police have already discovered 58,000 classified documents, many marked secret or top secret.

Mr Farmer was walking down the street on his way to meet friends when he was attacked. He was handcuffed by police before they realised their mistake He received treatment at hospital shortly after the incident

In a statement to the High Court, Mr Robbins said the material was likely to contain details of secret techniques used to prevent terror attacks, personal data about agents at home and abroad and ‘other intelligence activities vital to UK national security’.
The release of the information could pose a ‘direct threat to the life of UK government employees’, as well as threaten the lives of their families.
Mr Robbins warned the judges – who granted additional powers to the police to examine the classified material – that the information that had been decrypted ‘has had a direct impact on decisions taken in regard to staff deployments and is therefore impacting operational effectiveness’.

He wrote: ‘The material seized is highly likely to describe techniques which have been crucial in life-saving counter-terrorism operations, and other intelligence activities vital to UK national security. The compromise of these methods would do serious damage to UK national security, and ultimately risk lives.’

A police officer demonstrates the Taser stun gun which releases 50,000 bolts of electric current when fired

He added: ‘A particular concern for HMG is the possibility that the identity of a UK intelligence officer might be revealed.’
GCHQ, the Government’s communications headquarters, and the police are using a large amount of resources to decrypt and process the material, Mr Robbins said.
He warned of the urgent need to identify what other material is on the hard drives ‘to assess the risks to sensitive intelligence sources and methods, and the threat to intelligence agency staff should their identities or details of their operational tradecraft be obtained by hostile actors’.
Mr Robbins said the Guardian’s publication of details from the documents had already caused ‘real and serious damage’ to national security.
Alan Rusbridger, the editor of  the Guardian, branded his claims ‘unsubstantiated and inaccurate’.
He said: ‘The Guardian took every decision on what to publish very slowly and very carefully and when we met with government officials in July they acknowledged that we had displayed a “responsible” attitude.
‘The Government’s behaviour does not match their rhetoric in trying to justify and exploit this dismaying blurring of terrorism and journalism.’

dailymail.co.uk

Fertility clinics: Lagosians make money selling sperm for N50,000

People get married for different reasons. While some seek companionship in marriage, many go into marriage for procreation.  For couples who look forward to having children immediately after marriage, being declared ‘infertile’ by experts is like a death sentence.

While it is generally agreed that it takes two to have a baby and every couple is expected to be in optimum health to have babies, medical experts claim men are having more fertility challenge now.  Sperm concentration in men is said to have decreased by a third since 1990s while sperm count is said to have decreased by half over the past 50 years.

 Studies are also showing genetic abnormalities in sperm particularly in older men. For men therefore, quantity, quality and motility of spermatozoa are seen as important factors in fertility.

 Since the male factor is a prominent cause of infertility in couples, sperm donation has become vital in assisted conception treatment.

A study by the Society for the Study of Male Reproduction stated that “a male factor is solely responsible in about 20 per cent of infertile couples and contributory in another 30 to 40 per cent.”

According to experts, even when sperm numbers are great, a high proportion of men may have DNA damage that significantly impairs the chances of natural conception. Besides, male sperm deteriorates with age the same way it does for women.

Studies have also shown that if a man has poor health, smokes, drinks too much or has a bad diet, it’s very likely his sperms are also going to be unhealthy.

Indeed, investigation by Saturday PUNCH showed that sperm has become a commodity in high demand in Lagos. The Chief Consultant and Head, Obstetrician and Fertility Department, Eko Hospitals, Dr. Adegbite Ogunmokun, said fertility problem, based on recent experience, had tilted more towards the male factor.

He said, “If 10 couples come in, there will be problem with the male in six of them, using our parameter of 20 million sperm per millimetre. But 10 to 15 years ago, maybe about four out of 10 men would have problem.”

 Our correspondents, who visited some fertility centres in Lagos, learnt that more men are having low sperm count, thus necessitating the need for more volunteer donors. But because donors are scare, fertility clinics offer as much as N50,000 to men who are interested in selling their sperm.

They also pay more when sellers have special features that the beneficiaries are looking for.

Like blood sellers, investigations show that many people in Lagos, especially students, now sell their sperms anytime they need money.

A student of the University of Lagos, who identified himself as John, said he had sold sperm to a few fertility centres in Lagos. John said he had been funding his education for the past two years with what he earned from selling his sperm.

John said he was introduced to the programme by a friend and that he had in turn brought in two other friends to ‘business’.

“I’ve sold to a number of fertility centres. The money has really helped me to stay in school. It takes care of my tuition and some other personal needs,” John said, with a measure of satisfaction.

“It’s cool money, really and I’m also doing a service to mankind by helping out some people in need. Even friends that I introduced to it have not turned back since then.”

An employee in a Lagos fertility clinic, who identified himself as Olufunsho, told Saturday PUNCH that some women would pay any amount to get a sperm seller with the features they want.

He said, “We pay N50,000 here but there are times when women come in and request that, at all cost, they must get a tall man. The person can earn more when they make such requests, especially if we don’t have any that fits the profile in our bank.

“There was a time a woman came and requested that we get a tall man for her at all cost. I showed her the samples we had, but she did not like the profile. She said she was not satisfied with the heights. And we were unable to get what she wanted from the sellers that came at the time.

“The sellers that came then were either AS, or positive with hepatitis B or had low sperm count. We had up to twelve sellers that came and we were unable to get anybody. In such cases, we could offer a lot more when we find the right person. Sometimes, such people are also in a position to negotiate for what they want.”

However, subsequent drops attract lesser amounts of money for the same seller.

 To sell sperm, the person, according to Olufunsho, must stay off sex for five days. He undergoes some tests to confirm that he is not HIV positive and that he also has healthy sperm among others.

He said, “If the same person is still interested and we still need him, he would repeat the screening process again. We pay N10, 000 per ejaculation for other subsequent ones. With my own discretion, if the quality of the sperm is good and we have somebody who needs something that matches perfectly with that seller, we may reduce the probation period, but the sperm must be very good.

“Although that is the protocol, it could always be amended when there is nothing wrong with the person. Even if someone ejaculates the first time and in twenty minutes time, he does the same, it is still going to be good, but not as good as the first one.”

At the various fertility centres where our correspondents posed as potential sperm seller, the clinic workers made keen attempts to have them start the process immediately, by leaving blood samples for tests.

On one occasion, a clinic worker told one of our correspondents that he was willing to waive the two to five days’ probation period of abstinence, after our correspondent said he wished to “sleep over it.”

The worker said, “What is there to think about? After all, you already said you’re not married. You can leave your blood sample for testing while you go ahead and think over it.”

Investigation showed that fertility centres want sellers between 18 and 45 years of age and expect them to abstain from sex, two to five days before giving sperm sample, depending on the centre.

Other conditions to be met by potential sperm sellers include testing negative to HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B and C, sickle cell and some other sexually transmitted diseases. Tests are also carried out to determine the count, morphology (shape) and motility of the sperm cells.

In addition, fertility centres claim to also place a high premium on average intelligence, education and lifestyle. Although, Saturday PUNCH learnt that such claims are not always true as more emphases are actually placed on height and other physical attributes.

“It is not immediately that we pay. We prefer AA genotype because it can be given to anybody, unlike AS that cannot be given to just anybody,” Olufunsho added.

However, an employee in another fertility clinic in Lagos, Akin, said sperm sellers could get paid within a week of starting the process. This is possible only if they satisfy the conditions.

He said, “If the motility is good, the count is good and you’re okay, then, you can produce for us. If everything is okay, within a week, you can get your money.”

A 2012 study into the reproductive health of 26,600 men in France, warned of a sperm crisis worldwide. It said that sperm concentration has decreased by a third since the 1990s. The study found a continuous 32.2 per cent decrease in sperm concentration over a period of 17 years.

During the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual conference in London in July 2013, some experts, critical of the study’s validity, said it did not completely represent the situation in certain areas, particularly the developing world.

However, a fertility expert at Mother’s World Care, Ikeja, Lagos, Dr. Margaret Olusegun, said the situation is similar in Nigeria.

She said, “A man should have a good count, up to 40 to 50 million sperm per millimetre of semen upward. But you find that these days, men have more challenges with fertility than women.

“Although, I don’t have the statistics, men are the ones with more challenges now, even though they are the ones who drive out their wives if they can’t bear children.”

Olusegun explained that good sperm should have “at least 50 per cent motility (activeness) because sperm cells can be active, sluggish or dead.”

“For morphology (shape) too, which could be normal or abnormal, sperm should have upward of 50 per cent normal cells. And there should not be bacteria growth,” she added.

Ogunmokun described low concentration of sperm as “Oligospermia.” He, however, said a sperm count with a minimum lower limit of 20 million sperm per millimetre of semen would still be considered normal. But he added that any sperm concentration of less than 20 million per millimetre of semen could be categorised as mild, moderate or severe oligospermia, depending on the count.

Ogunmokun said fertility problems could be with the man, the woman or the two of them.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the demand for sperm has made the fertility business a lucrative one. Many of the fertility centres in Lagos have facilities for sperm preservation, where it’s freezing costs about N50, 000 per quarter.

 Ogunmokun said, “After collection, the semen is processed and seminal fluid and all other things are removed. The sperm is put in little bottles and placed in special containers called dewars, connected to a power source. It is stored at very low temperature and there must be an indicator for monitoring should there be a change in the condition.”

He, however, added that there must be a standby generator in a place like Nigeria, where power supply is unstable, as sperm can be frozen for decades.

“Although, there are many other reasons why people freeze sperm, someone living far away from his wife can decide to freeze his sperm for the wife’s use while he’s away. Also, someone going for cancer treatment can freeze his sperm before starting the treatment since such treatments affect sperm production,” he added.

 Ogunmokun said fertility centres focus more on university undergraduates to ensure that sperm donors have a certain degree of intelligence.

 He said, “The current practice is to actually recruit sperm donors and the focus is on undergraduates. The focus is on students because they should be able to provide their ID cards so that background checks can be done.”

 According to Ogunmokun, the perceived increase in the number of men with low sperm count is as a result of infection and lifestyle habits like sitting for too long and wearing of tight underwear.

 He said, “The testes are not supposed to be too close to the body because of the higher body temperature. The testes are naturally colder, so people who travel long distances or sit in traffic for long can be prone to infertility.”

Ogunmokun advised that men should “exercise appropriately, take good nutrition, avoid tight underwear, premarital sex, cigarette and alcohol to try to prevent low sperm count.”

 However, Olusegun identified good hygiene as key to the prevention of low sperm count, saying, “Our environment is too contaminated.”

PUNCH

First Lady’s jamboree: Accident victim still in hospital

Mrs. Ifeanyi Chima at the Intensive Care Unit of Primus Hospital, Abuja

Mrs. Ifeanyi Chima was one of Lagos delegates that attended a peace rally organised for women by the First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, in Abuja on August 15, 2013.

The vehicle, which Chima and five other women were travelling in, had an accident at Gwagwalada Road, near Abuja,  when they  were going back to Lagos  the following day.

Chima and four others were lucky to survive the accident, but sustained various degrees of injuries.

Their coordinator, Princess Abigael Adisa, died in the crash. Until her death, Adisa was the Coordinator of the Women for Change and Development Initiative in Ifako/Ijaye Local Government Area of Lagos.

Chima, in an interview with Saturday PUNCH at the Intensive Care Unit of Primus International Super Specialty Hospital (popularly known as Indian Hospital) in Karu on Tuesday,  painted a sad picture of how she almost lost her limbs to the accident.

She called on Nigerian doctors to “sit up” like their foreign counterparts and improve on their relationship with patients.

She said, “I was involved in a fatal accident along Gwagwalada Road after the Women rally in Abuja on our way back to Lagos. We were six women and a driver in the vehicle; five of us had injuries. Our coordinator died.

“Five of us were brought to this hospital. I had a broken left arm and dislocation on my left leg. Mrs. Titilayo Olorunda also had a broken leg. She has been taken to another ward because she was formerly here (in the intensive care unit). But after a surgery she was taken to her ward. When I had the injury, I had some open wounds in my hands.”

Chima also gave a vivid account of her experiences at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital in Gwagwalada where, she said, a particular doctor exhibited poor attitude to patients.

“At the specialist hospital in Gwagwalada, instead of treating the skin, they covered it up. It was when they brought us here (Indian Hospital) when I was complaining bitterly that the doctor said they should open it. That was when they started treating the place I had bruises. I had my surgical operation some days ago.

“The doctors and nurses here are wonderful. This is what I want our doctors and nurses in Nigerian hospitals to learn. They should be caring. Human life needs to be taken care of. When you see somebody in pains, take care of that person because that person needs you at that point in time.”
PUNCH

Corporal kills ASP, threatens to shoot girlfriend

A police corporal attached to Geshua Division of the Yobe State, on Friday, shot an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Soji Elegbede, to death over a feud involving the corporal and his girlfriend.
A police source told Saturday Tribune that the incident occurred at about 9.00 a.m.
The corporal, whose name was given as Andrawusu  Bitrus, reportedly fired 10 rounds from his AK 47 rifle while the deceased stood in the charge room of the division, killing him instantly.
Bitrus was said to have been disarmed immediately and arrested.
It was gathered that the corporal had been having issues with his lover, who he was having an affair with after abandoning his wife with six children.
The girlfriend was reported to have been visiting the police station where Bitrus worked and the Divisional Police Officer had tried intervening in the matter.
When the lady visited again on Friday, the DPO was reportedly on casual leave and ASP Elegbede, as the most senior officer and the administrative officer, advised the lovers to try and settle their differences amicably at home.
As the woman made to leave with the driver who brought her, Corporal Bitrus allegedly corked his gun and ordered the duo to freeze.
The deceased was said to have gone to the charge room where he gave the order that the corporal be defaulted for corking his gun at civilians.
Bitrus reportedly went to him in the charge room and shot and killed him.
The remains of the officer have been deposited in the morgue at the Federal Medical Centre, Nguru.
A source told Saturday Tribune that the deceased joined the Nigeria Police about two years ago as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police and just got married less than six months ago.
He was said to be an indigene of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
TRIBUNE

Jang blames Boko Haram problem on insensitivity to Plateau crises

HAD Nigerians listened to the cries and complaints of Plateau State over the involvement of foreigners in the crises in the state and addressed the situation, the insurgence in the North and other parts of Boko Haram country would have been nipped in the bud.
The state governor, Jonah Jang, stated this when Mr Martins Brian, Charge D’ Affairs, American Embassy in Nigeria, visited him in Jos.
Jang said the state government’s cries on many occasions as regards the involvement of foreign mercenaries in the crises in the state were dismissed as sentiment until other states in the North started having similar experience.
“Plateau State, like any other part of the country, especially the North, has its own challenges. Our challenges started many years ago when the military was in power. “When I came in, I always believed that as a retired general, I should be able to resolve the problems even though we had been misunderstood on this issue. Maybe if we had been given audience from the beginning, the insurgence in the North would have been arrested.
“When we started reporting about foreigners getting involved in the crises here, no one believed us. I have been vindicated; what we were trying to stop here escalated and developed into Boko Haram which some parts of the North are suffering today,” he said.
According to him, during the crises, some people reported the state to the International Criminal Court alleging genocide, but investigations showed that nothing like that happened in the state.
Governor Jang, who said terrorism had become a global phenomenon, urged the United States of America to help Nigeria in arresting its menace.
The governor said peace had returned in his state and commended President Goodluck Jonathan and security agencies for their efforts at ensuring that things took shape again in the state.
Earlier, Brian said the US was interested in peace in Nigeria and was ready to show cooperation in this regard.
He said that several meetings were held with civil society groups and the government towards achieving peace.
He said the US understood that Nigeria was having security challenges and that was why it was partnering with the country to find lasting peace.
TRIBUNE

Pregnant woman, 5 others killed in Plateau

THE peace initiative embarked upon by some stakeholders to stem the tide of incessant attacks on innocent citizens in Barakin-Ladi Local Government Area and some other parts of Plateau State suffered a setback on Thursday when some gunmen waylaid and killed six travellers and injured four others.
Among those killed was a pregnant woman.
The gunmen, suspected to be armed robbers armed with sophisticated weapons, were said to have laid ambush at Bisichi village, along Foron Road in Barakin-Ladi council around 7.30am on Thursday.
They opened fire on the vehicle conveying the travelers, killing six of them instantly.
The Special Task Force (STF) Media Officer, Captain Salisu Mustapha, who confirmed the incident, said the bandits subsequently carted away the travelers’ belongings, including phones and clothes.
The injured were taken to the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment.
Speaking on the incident, the chairman of the council, Hon. Emmanuel Loman, said the people were ambushed on their way to Foron and Fan villages when they ran into the gunmen.
He described the attack as a rude shock to the people of the council area, considering the return of peace to the troubled area in recent time, and charged security operatives in the area to fish out the perpetrators of the dastardly act.
TRIBUNE

We’ve weakened Boko Haram –Jonathan

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan on Friday said that measures taken by his administration have resulted in a significant reduction in the occurrence of terrorist attacks in the country.
Speaking while receiving the outgoing representative of the delegation of the European Union (EU) to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. David Mac Rae, in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the president, however, said his administration would keep on doing everything possible to further enhance security in all parts of the country.
“Boko Haram is being progressively weakened, but we are not (relenting). We will continue to do everything possible to achieve greater security for all who reside within our borders.”
While stressing that there are many positive things happening in the country, Jonathan said his government would continue to do its best to correct negative perceptions about the country, such as the notion of widespread insecurity and corruption.
He welcomed the declaration by the outgoing ambassador that he had recently traveled to the Niger Delta and some Northern states and found people there going about their normal lives and businesses without fear.
He urged him to assist in correcting current misconceptions about Nigeria by taking that positive message to the European Union and the rest of the world. He commended the European Union for its past and ongoing support towards improving the electoral process in Nigeria.
Jonathan told the EU envoy that Nigeria would act to facilitate the early conclusion of a partnership agreement between ECOWAS and the European Union.
TRIBUNE

EFCC Seeks More Support from Justice For All

Adeboyega Emmanuel Aremo, Secretary to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, August 29, 2013 reiterated the importance of the support of the Department for International Development DFID and its subsidiary, Justice for All to the Commission in her fight against corruption in Nigeria. Adeboyega stated this when he received members of Justice for All in his office at the Commission’s headquarters, Abuja.

He expressed his appreciation for their support to the Commission in the past and called on them to build on that, to strengthen the mutually beneficial relationship. “I want to promise you full support and I will provide you with all the necessary assistance to make the future better than the past.”

In his remark, the National Programme Manager, Justice for All, Dr. Bob Arnot congratulated the Secretary on his appointment, adding that they were in the Commission to update him on Justice for All support for the Commission. Arnot added that it has been a long and fruitful relationship. He highlighted the relationship to include working with the Nigerian Financial Intelligent Unit, NFIU and Special Control Unit against Money Laundering, SCUML, which has enhanced the performance of the units.

Arnot explained that the J4A has been in operation since 2010 and that its programmes have a budget of thirty five million pounds but has been upgraded to forty seven million pound. The program is funded by DFID and managed by British Council Development Service Group.

J4A activities covers four major areas in the country - working extensively with the Nigeria Police, particularly in Community Policing; Justice Sector Reform, at State and Federal level; Anti-Corruption Agencies and finally Cross Sector which will help all collaborators work better.

Anti-Corruption component manager, Emmanuel Uche briefed the gathering on the specific work done so far with the Commission. He revealed that his organisation is currently driving the implementation of  a strategic planning programme for anti-corruption agencies with EFCC as the lead agency.

The meeting was witnessed by senior management staff of the EFCC.

Chimaroke Nnamani: EFCC Declares Jude Benjamin Amanze, Chinelo Nwigwe and David Nwigwe Wanted

Following the arrest warrant issued by Justice M. N. Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared the trio of Jude Benjamin Amanze, Chinelo Nwigwe and David Nwigwe wanted.

They are wanted by the anti-graft agency in connection with the case instituted against former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani who is alleged to have diverted public funds and embezzled billions of naira when he held sway as governor of the state from 1999 to 2007.

Amanze who was the governor’s special aide is  alleged to have served as a conduit in siphoning over N514,833,564.60 (Five Hundred and Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Sixty Four Naira, Sixty Kobo) belonging to Enugu State government. 

Investigation by the Commission revealed that a road construction contract awarded to one Chief Jacob Nwatu between 2002 – 2003 was not unexecuted. Yet, N514,833,564.60 was paid for the contract, which was traced to the Zenith Bank Account of Chief Nwatu.

Further investigations revealed that a sum of N350,000,000 was latter moved from this account into three Zenith Bank accounts operated solely by Jude Amanze. Amanze was also said to have warehoused other funds in the said Zenith Bank accounts which were disbursed either directly to or for the benefit of persons connected with the former governor, his companies or associates.

Efforts by the Commission to get Amanze and the two other suspects whose evidences are vital in the case to report to the Commission and answer questions have been unsuccessful. They are believed to have fled the country for some safe haven abroad.

  

The EFCC implores anybody having useful information as to their whereabouts to contact the Commission in its Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt and Abuja offices or through these numbers: 09-4604620,  070-26350721,070-26350722,070-26350723,070-6350724, 070-26350725 ; or e-mail address: info@efccnigeria.org or the nearest Police Station.

N787m UBEC SCAM: JUDGE APOLOGIZES FOR DELAY, SETS DATE FOR RULING

Justice Adamu Bello of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday August 29, 2013 tendered an unreserved apology for the delay in ruling on a no case submission brought by former Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Prof. Bridget Omotunde Sokan and six others in the N787 million fraud case instituted against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

 

The other accused persons who were first arraigned on May 18, 2009 on a 63-count charge that borders on fraudulent inducement, criminal conspiracy and subversion of due processes in the award of contract and other offences are: Molkat Manasseh Mutfwang, Dr. Andrew Ekpunobi, Michael Aule and companies used in perpetrating the fraud, Intermarkets USA; Intermarkets Nigeria Limited and Alexander John Cozman, a foreign contractor.

 

 

At the resumed hearing of the case today, Justice Bello said that his inability to deliver the ruling on November 6, 2012 was due to the overwhelming volume of cases before him.

 

 “I have to seek your consent in summoning you all in spite of the break to re-adopt your addresses before I can proceed in delivering this ruling”, he said.

 

In re-adopting his response to all the written addresses brought by the accused persons, the prosecution counsel, Wahab Shittu Stated: My Lord, I urged the court to be guided by the fact that the only legal requirement at this stage for consideration was whether there are legally admissible evidence and material entitling the accused persons to respond to the accusation against them by way of defense.”

 

He further prayed the court to call upon the accused persons to enter into their defense as there is legally admissible evidence for them to do so.

 

Earlier, the team of defense lawyers which include Caleb

Muftwang, I.K. Ijeoma, R.Okotie Eboh,and  Oluwole Aladoyin gave a brief of their written addresses as it pertained to their dates of submission and went on to re-adopt same in support of their no case submission.

 

One after another, they urged the court to discharge their clients as, according to them, there was no case against them.

 

It would be recalled that the case which has lingered for five years, has seen the EFCC calling up several witnesses including Dr Ahmed Modibo Mohammed, Executive Secretary Universal basic Education Commission, UBEC; Mr. Shamsudeen Umar, Assistant Manager, Corporate Affairs Commission, CAC; Usman Tahir who was part of the investigation team from EFCC and Ben Agweye, a forensic expert.

From their testimony, four of the six companies that bided for the supply of plastic chairs and desk to all junior secondary schools in the federation had no evidence of registration with the CAC.

 

         They further stated that there was no competitive bidding process leading to the award of contract neither was there any newspaper advertisement in line with extant procurement regulations. It was also revealed by the Evaluation Report that over Seventy Hundred Eighty Seven million Naira (N787m) was paid as mobilization fee representing 85% of the contract sum as against the 25% in the “contract agreement”.

 

Justice Bello has reserved September 18, 2013 for ruling.

Three charged for raping undergraduate, distributing nude pix

Babajide

Aje

The Tinubu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos State,  has began hearing the case, where three men, Bashorun Babajide, 26, Aje Olumayowa, 20 and Babajide Ajayi, 21,  allegedly kidnapped and raped an undergraduate student of the University of Lagos, Miss. Tolulope Titiloye.

 Eight counts charge was leveled against them. The prosecutor claimed that the men having satisfied their sexual urge, took snapshots of their victim and posted them on the internet, which soon went viral, thus reducing the victim to shame amongst family and friends.

The three accused were arraigned for kidnap, rape, assault, battery, unlawful detention and attempted murder.

It will recalled that in June, 2013, Titiloye was detained and raped at Ajose Street, on the Lagos Island by one of the defendants, who had repeated asked her for a relationship and she had repeatedly turned down.

The rape and subsequent pictures taken and spread via internet, was later discovered by the victim’s parents after a family member living overseas saw the nude pictures on internet and alerted family members. The matter was soon reported to the police.

A family source had said, “The picture had the name and surname of the girl, her university, age, department and course of study. People were stopping her on the campus to tell her they had seen her nude pictures on the Internet.

“The girl’s relations later saw the pictures and urged her parents to report the matter at Adeniji Adele Police Division.”

Policemen from the station had subsequently arrested Babajide, a dog-breeder, the prime suspect, who in counter reaction, insisted that the girl was actually his lover.

The police told the court that Babajide, Mayowa and Ajayi also assaulted and attempted to murder their victim by attacking her with dangerous weapons.

Not done, they were said to have threatened to kill her if she revealed her ordeals to anyone.

The police said the incident occurred in April, 2013.

The charge reads in part, "That you, Bashorun Babajide, m, Aje Olumayowa, m and Babajide Ajayi, m,   on the 28th day of April 2013 at about 1930hrs at No 1, Ajose Street Lagos Island in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire to wit kidnap and rape.

"That you, Bashorun Babajide, m , Aje Olumayowa, m and Babajide Ajayi, m, on the same date, time and place in the aforesaid magisterial district did detain one Tolulope Titilayo,f, 22yrs without her consent for the purpose of unlawful sexual intercourse.

"That you, Bashorun Babajide, m , Aje Olumayowa, m and Babajide Ajayi, m, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully take the nude photograph of one Tolulope Titiloye,f, 22yrs without her consent and posted same on the internet."

The prosecutor said the offences were contrary to and punishable under Sections 409, 269, 144(1), 258, 135(2), 150(1)(2), 228, 56(a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The defendants said they were not guilty of the charges.

It was reported that the complainant was not in court, having not recovered from the torture and injury she sustained in the course of the incident.

The defence counsel pleaded for the bail of the defendants in liberal terms, assuring the court that they would not jump bail.

PDP Convention: IG vows to give tight security, orders trespassers to keep off

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, has assured Nigerians, including participants of the forth-coming National Convention of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the general public, that the Nigeria Police Force will provide a water-tight security for the conduct of the National Convention of the PDP scheduled for August, 31, 2013, at the Eagle Square, Central Area, Abuja. He also ordered those not part of the convention, should keep off, or face dire consequences.

Abubakar had therefore, issued an Operational Order directing the Commissioner of Police, FCT., Mr. Femi Ogunbayode, to ensure a tactical and well coordinated deployment of personnel and other operational equipment in order to provide a safe and conducive atmosphere for the convention.

Speaking through the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, the IG directed deployment of personnel of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorist Unit (CTU), Anti-Bomb Squad and the Police Air Wing for aerial patrol. In addition, personnel of the Canine section and special operatives of the FIB are to be deployed for the operation. The AIG Zone 7 has been directed to personally take charge of the entire operation, to guarantee a seamless command and control of the exercise.

Mba said: “Motorists are hereby informed that all routes leading to Eagle Square, venue of the Convention will be barricaded and traffic diverted with effect from 4.00pm on Friday, 30^th August, 2013, on the following routes:  Ahmed Bello Way Fly-over,  Benue Plaza Road, Ministry of Finance junction,  Bullet junction, Bayelsa House junction and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fly-over. 

“In view of this development, all commuters, motorists and the general public are strongly advised to utilize alternate routes, during the duration of the Convention. Affected routes will be re-opened to traffic and the public as soon as the Convention activities are over.

“It is the further advice of the IGP that persons who are not part of the Convention should in the interest of public safety, avoid the venue of the Convention, as Police operatives have been instructed to restrain all intruders or trespassers, irrespective of status or placement.

“The IGP strongly solicits the understanding and cooperation of the general public in assisting the Police and other security agencies in ensuring a peaceful, safe and secure Convention, as part of conscious efforts by all citizens to nurture our democracy and national growth.”

US FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION SIGNS MoU WITH EFCC, CPC

The United States Federal Trade Commission, FTC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and the Consumer Protection Council, CPC, in order to increase cooperation and communication as a way of stamping out cross-border fraud.  

The MoU signed on Wednesday, August 28, 2013, provides for a Joint Implementation Committee to identify concrete areas of collaboration. It will also establish joint training programs and provide assistance regarding specific cases and investigations.

Signed by FTC Chairwoman, Edith Ramirez; Director General of the Consumers  Protection Council, Dupe Atoki and Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, the MoU, according to Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, Professor Adebowale Adefuye, is the first of its kind to include a foreign criminal enforcement authority.

EFCC chairman Lamorde, while commending the partnership, said “it will build on our existing collaboration with FTC and with U. S. criminal enforcement authorities”.

According to FTC chairman, Edith Ramirez, “Cross-border scammers use fraudulent e-mails and other insidious scams to bilk consumers all over the world, while undermining confidence in legitimate businesses. This MoU will help our agencies address this scourge, and better protect consumers in both the U.S and Nigeria”.

It would be recalled that the FTC already has working relationship with the two Nigerian agencies on policy and enforcement matters in various fora, including the African Consumer Protection Dialogue, the International Mass Marketing Fraud Working Group, the London Action Plan (LAP) in anti-spam network and the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network.

Six feared killed as Customs, smugglers clash

*Police arrest seven

At least four Customs officers and two smugglers were feared to have been killed after a bloody clash at the Badagry area of Lagos State yesterday.

But a villager at the Badagry area, where the gun battle took place, claimed that the battle was between members of the village and smugglers on one hand and Customs officers on the other side.

The villager, who described the gun duel as the mother of all battles, further claimed that those killed from all factions, numbered close to 13.

He said: “It was like a battle field. 13 people were killed in all.  Five Customs officer, eight villagers and one smuggler.”

It was gathered that trouble started some Customs officers, allegedly on a reprisal attack, stormed the village, identified as Oglombo Village.

There the officers, who were determined to impound a smuggler’s vehicle, opened fire and killed the man.

The villager further explained: “The man they killed was known by us all as a smuggler. We called him Saturday. The Customs men followed him into the village and killed him. It was like they had had a battle with him before he ran into the village, but they followed him. People saw the officers, arguing with Saturday and the next thing, bang! One of them shot him!”

The villagers, who had witnessed the killing of Saturday, raised the alarm, attracting attention of other villagers. Soon, there was a mob, which embarked on a protest. Many of them claimed that the Customs officers were fond of shooting and killing at will. The mob went berserks, attacking and killing any Customs officer they came across.

The resident stated that the villagers had been looking for an opportunity to clash with the customs officers, who allegedly killed a resident of the village, two weeks ago. Two weeks ago, Customs officers were said to have killed one of the youths of the village, while he was in a car with his two friends.  

It was also learnt that the angry mob made a beeline for Customs officers building and set fire on an officer’s vehicle, before setting bonfires at the centre of the road.

Some soldiers, Customs men and policemen attached to the Seme Divison, returned to the scene and fired shots to disperse the mob.

There were clouds of flames all over Seme resulting
from sporadic shootings by the Customs, Army and mobile Policemen as if we are in a war situation.
According to information, the smuggler, Mr. Satide Ranti Ayeola (Saturday) was shot dead in front of his family house at Ashipa village.
 The Customs check point at Ashipa was attacked and one senior customs officer was killed and his vehicle set ablaze and another escaped with serious machete cuts. The check point was also raized down together with a Toyota Hilux pick - up belonging to the Customs. The Seme Customs Command under Comptroller Othman Abdu Saleh had to seek the intervention of the Army and mobile Policemen to quell the violence and the situation got messier as another youth was also fell by stray bullets.

The Aholu of Kwemeland, Oba (Dr.) Sejiro Olalekan James Ogungbe (JP) was on stand to address the youths who were visibly angry. The Oba appealed for calm and promised to finding lasting solution to the strained relationship between Seme community and security agents.
Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Razaq Fadipe, explained that his men attempted to put out the fire but they had to retreat because of the sporadic gunshots in the area.

Customs Public Relations Officer, Seme Command, Ernest Olota, said that it was only one Customs officer that was killed.  According to him, the officer was killed while on his way to attend a meeting at the command.

The statement reads thus:  “We announce the gruesome killing of one of our Senior Officers by some smugglers in the Ashipa area of Seme on around 9.50am on Thursday. The deceased officer, while in his official uniform, unarmed, and driving to the command’s headquarters for a routine meeting, was accosted by a mob who forced him out of his vehicle.  Led by an identified chief of the community, the officer was murdered in cold blood and his vehicle set ablaze.”

The customs spokesman said efforts were on to apprehend the culprits adding that customs had achieved many feats this year alone.

He said NCS operatives, due to their uncompromising stance against smuggling and protecting the nation's economy, had come under series of attacks by smugglers and some unpatriotic elements who see smuggling as their right.

“Customs Area Controller of Seme Border, Othman Abdu Saleh, has in collaboration with sister government agencies including the police, commenced moves to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to book. The Controller posits that this unfortunate incident will not deter operatives of the command under his watch from carrying out their lawful duties.

''This is indeed a sad day for us here in this command, but let it me emphasised that we are not relenting in the discharge of our duty as we will not allow the darkness of criminality to dampen the light of our service to Nigeria.”

Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, however explained that trouble broke out after the Customs officers, who were trying to stop a smuggled van, opened fire and a stray bullet got the deceased. She also said that only one Customs officer was killed by the angry mob, in the ensuing mayhem, adding that seven people had been arrested by the police.

EFCC Arraigns Man for N13m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Wednesday 28th August, 2013 arraigned one Prince Okoro Usuanlele, before Justice Suleiman Aliyu of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt on a 7-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money by false pretence.

The accused allegedly obtained the   sum of N13m (Thirteen Million Naira) from the complainant, one Raimi Suleiman through a phony land deal.  Sulaiman alleged through a petition that he paid the said amount for a parcel of a land located at No. 238 Upper Sakpoba Road, Ugbekun Quarters, Benin City. After payment, all attempts by the petitioner to take possession of the property met with one resistance or the other.

When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded. 

One of the charges read; “that you Prince Okoro Usuanlele on or about the 9^th day of March, 2012 at Benin, Edo State within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N7,000,000 (Seven Million Naira) only from Asolyn Nigeria Limited, which said sum was paid into your Diamond bank account number 000149331, with cheque number 3373747, being payment to you as the purported owner of a parcel of land, lying and situated at No. 238 Upper Sakpoba Road, Ugbekun Quarters, Benin City; a pretext which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1)(a) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of same Act”.  

 

Justice Suleiman Aliyu adjourned the case to September 4, 2013 for consideration of the bail application and remanded the accused in EFCC custody.

Four persons, including policeman killed as Young Shall Grow CEO escapes death

Four persons, including a police corporal, were killed after suspected
assassins tried to kill the chairman/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
Young Shall Grow motors, Mr Vincent Obianodo.
It was gathered that a police corporal, a driver and two suspected assassins were killed in a protracted gun battle at the Festac area of Lagos.
Obianodo was shot in the hand during the gun duel.
The assassins tried to kill the transporter but were given a tough
battle by policemen attached to him.
The assassins were believed to have trailed the transporter as he
left  office, until he reached his home, at 4th Avenue, Festac before they
launched the surprised attack on him.
The assassins were however shocked when the police fought to keep bullets from
hitting the CEO.
When the smoke from the blazing guns settled, four corpses were on
ground, while the CEO was nursing a bullet inflicted wound on his
hand. Among the dead were two members of the assassins, a police
corporal and a driver. The policeman has been identified as Ngozi
Chijioke.
It was also learned area 'E' commander, Mr. Dan Okoro was alerted and immediately drafted a team of policemen and raced to the scene.
A source insisted that the way the killers opened fire on the CEO,
showed they were determined to kill him.
Police spokesperson, Ngozi Braide, said Obianodo was attacked at 22
Road Festac Town.
She said: "The hoodlums opened fire at him and his driver was shot
dead. Obianodo was shot on the hand and the police corporal with him
was killed.”
According to her, a patrol team heard sporadic gunshots and raced
towards the direction the gun sounds were coming from.
 She added that the bandits had also opened fire at the sight of the
patrol team.
Her words: “Our men retaliated and the place was like a battlefield.
When the dust settled, the police shot dead two of the men and others
escaped with bullet wounds.”
 Braide said that a Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV),
which the killers came with, was covered with bullet holes, adding
that police recovered one AK 47, one AK 49 riffles and eight magazines
loaded with ammunition.
She said that only investigation will reveal the reason behind the attack.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Umar Manko, bent on catching
the fleeing killers, has urged all hospitals and members of the public
to report anyone with bullet wounds to the nearest police station.

Ozekhome, APC chief’s abductors demand N250m ransom

Mike Ozekhome

Indications emerged on Tuesday that suspected abductors of Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) and the All Progressives Congress leader in Edo North, Athanasius Ogbome, had contacted the relations of their victims, demanding N250m altogether as ransom for their release.

There were, however, conflicting reports regarding the whereabouts of the kidnapped senior advocate, his driver and Ogbome.

The victims, who all hail from Edo North, were abducted between Ehor and Iruekpen, along the Benin-Auchi road, last Friday.

While reports on social media indicated that Ozekhome’s abductors had contacted his family and were demanding a ransom of N150m, giving a three-day ultimatum for payment, Ozekhome’s elder brother, Pius, was reported to have told a confidant that no member of the family had been contacted.

A close friend of Ugbome, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, nevertheless, confided in our correspondent that his abductors demanded N100m for his release.

The friend said the abductors called him and demanded N100m ransom for Ogbome’s release.

He said, “They initiated contact on Sunday but they have not called again. This man (Ogbome) has health condition that requires constant attention.

“He is a good person and not a moneybag; they should please release him unconditionally.”

Meanwhile youths from Iviukwe, Ozekhome’s community, on Tuesday protested against his kidnap on major streets of Benin, demanding his unconditional release.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting youths, Issa Adidi, said, “Ozekhome has been on the side of the masses; he has worked for the downtrodden.

“We are not giving ultimatum to the  kidnappers, but we are appealing to them for him to be released unconditionally.”

When contacted for developments on the matter, Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Eguavoen, said the police was “seriously monitoring the situation and we are still on search.”

On the ransom demand, Eguavoen, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said the command was unaware.

Meanwhile, Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Kukah, has described the kidnap of the human rights activist as shocking and “too much punishment for someone who has sacrificed so much for the country.”

“I beg the abductors, for God’s mercies and for the peace of the souls of those gallant police officers, who surrendered their lives, to release the victims,” Kukah said in a statement.

Similarly, human rights lawyer, Mr. Bamidele Aturu, said on Tuesday that Ozekhome deserved no harm.

Aturu, in a statement, pleaded with the abductors to release Ozekhome, who he said, had made significant contributions towards achieving a decent society.

But the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders said the abduction  was an evidence of the high rate of insecurity in the country.

Executive Chairman of the coalition, Debo Adeniran, who lamented the high rate of insecurity in the country on Tuesday in Lagos, called for a sober reflection from  Nigerians.

He said, “The state of insecurity in the country should be a cause for concern to well-meaning Nigerians.  This is an evidence of security lapses in the country.”

French Muslim girl, 16, tries to kill herself after two men threatened her with a box cutter and ripped off her veil

Burka ban: A teenage French Muslim girl tried to commit suicide after two men attacked her for wearing a veil on August 12 (file photo)

A teenage French Muslim girl, who was attacked by two men with a box cutter for wearing a veil, has tried to commit suicide.
The 16-year-old is reportedly in a critical condition in hospital after jumping out a fourth storey window at her home in Trappes, Paris yesterday.
While her motives for suicide remain unclear, she is believed to have also unsuccessfully tried to overdose on pills last week according to French newspaper Le Parisien.
In July, hundreds of Muslim protesters clashed with riot police in the Parisian suburb after attempts were made to fine a woman for wearing a full Islamic veil.
Since the controversial burka ban which was introduced across France in 2011 there has been a string of violent incidents across the country.
Worried that the girl’s suicide attempt might spark more riots, police were stationed in the commuter town to the west of the French capital on Monday night but no disorder unfolded.
The girl told police that on August 12 she was approached by two ‘European looking’ men with shaved heads near Square Berlioz as she left a friend’s house at 5.45pm.
The men allegedly shouted anti-Muslim and racist remarks at her before wielding a box cutter. They ripped off her veil, pushed her over and hit her.

She told The Huffington Post: ‘The first man started to touch my chest and then I managed to slap him, but then he punched me in the chest. He then took out a sharp object and started to cut my face with short, quick movements.’
Her attackers fled in a car when another man intervened. Le Parisien newspaper reported that she had ‘light scratch marks’ on her throat and face.

Police in Yveslines are currently investigating the attack and looking at CCTV footage but are struggling because no eye witnesses to the attack have come forward.
It is unclear whether the teenager was wearing a hijab (headscarf) or a niqab (full face veil) which is now prohibited under the French burka ban. Women found guilty of wearing veils which cover the face in public can be fined the equivalent of £130 and be forced to attend citizenship classes.

At the time of the girl's attack, the French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said: ‘I severely condemn this newest demonstration of anti-Muslim hatred and intolerance.’
During the riots in Trappes in July, hundreds of people surrounded the police headquarters in the area and bombarded officers with stones while also they started fires and vandalised property.
A 14-year-old boy suffered a serious eye injury in the violence, while four police were hurt on Saturday, said local prosecutor Vincent Lesclous.
A police source in Trappes said: ‘The disturbances are related to the arrest of a man who objected to his wife being controlled for wearing a veil.
‘He attacked officers and was then arrested. It is this which led to the protests outside the police headquarters in Trappes.’
A 21-year-old pregnant woman was also attacked by suspected vigilantes for covering her face with a veil on the same council estate. 
In March, a Frenchman who ripped a Muslim woman's veil off her eyes was given a five-month suspended prison sentence.
The 30-year-old said he was merely trying to 'enforce' his country's laws when he carried out the attack in the city of Nantes.

Controversial ban: The rioting in July started after after police officers carried out an identity check on a full-veiled woman and her husband

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The missed chances to stop nursery paedophile: Damning report finds Ofsted and council ignored series of warnings over abuser of girl, 3

'Depraved': Paul Wilson, of Birmingham, was jailed for life in 2011 for twice raping a child in a nursery

A nursery teacher raped a girl of three after authorities ignored ‘obvious’ warning signs that he was a danger to children, a scathing report has found.
Paul Wilson, 23, was free to abuse the child despite staff repeatedly  warning Ofsted and the local council that he had developed a ‘special relationship’ with her.
A serious case review found that the little girl had been ‘failed by those responsible for caring for her’.
Criminal record checks were not carried out properly before he was given the job at the Little Stars Nursery in Nechells, Birmingham, which his mother used to manage. She left before he started.
Nursery staff alerted authorities again and again to the fact that Wilson was developing a ‘special relationship’ with the girl.
Wilson took a particular interest in the child, and was seen cuddling and rocking her for hours, refusing to leave her.
Concerned nursery staff told authorities he had been seen taking the child into an adult toilet alone and, on one occasion, had been found alone with her in the sleep area of the nursery, with the child hysterically crying: ‘I want my mummy.’
Yet despite several warnings over 18 months, neither the council nor Ofsted launched a proper investigation.

 The review was carried out by Birmingham’s Safeguarding Children Board.
It said the authorities had been so lax in dealing with the situation that Wilson would almost certainly have got away with the abuse had he not come to the attention of police separately when a 13-year-old girl reported Wilson for grooming her online.
When officers checked his mobile phone they discovered videos of two attacks on the toddler.

The case is the latest in a series of catastrophic child protection  failures by the children’s services department of Labour-run  Birmingham City Council, which has been rated ‘inadequate’ for the past four years.
High profile cases include that of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, who was starved to death in 2008.
In May, the department was described as being in ‘utter chaos’ by members of its own watchdog.
The review found the council and Ofsted both missed ‘obvious pointers’ that Wilson was a paedophile and ‘missed opportunities to intervene’.
Their inaction had ‘supported’ his offences, it said.

Wilson started work at the nursery in 2008. In November the following year, a few months after the toddler joined, a student teacher on placement at the nursery reported Wilson to her college and the council for ‘inappropriate behaviour’.
No action was taken. Two further complaints were made over the following year, but again nothing was done.
The ‘manipulative’ Wilson was so confident he would not get caught he even filed his own complaint about ‘safeguarding issues’ at the nursery.
He was not pursued about the allegations against him, it was suggested, because he was a male teacher, and staff were anxious not to make him feel singled out.

Jailed: Wilson was originally sentenced to life with a minimum of 15 years but this was cut by 18 months following an appeal

Wilson was eventually caught because of the bravery of the 13-year-old girl he had groomed online, one of 22 other victims all aged between 12 and 16.

THE EIGHT KEY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Colleges providing early years qualifications should ensure students’ application and understanding of child protection procedures has been properly evaluated
2. Ofsted should ensure the review’s findings on safeguarding practices are used in the training of inspectors
3. Ofsted and Birmingham Children’s Services should work together on child protection concerns in early years settings to coordinate intervention
4. Early years development workers should receive safeguarding training, which includes how to raise concerns about a colleague's conduct
5. Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board should review local internet safety education campaigns to ensure people are aware of the dangers of internet chat rooms
6. Information from the setting of where a child at a nursery is subject of an assessment by Children's Social Care must be incorporated into assessments
7. Early years settings should adhere to safer recruitment’ best practice, to prevent unsuitable people working with children and young people
8. Organisations that complete individual management reviews must provide evidence that action has been taken to address individual and management practice below expected standards

Once he had gained their trust, Wilson would get them to commit sexual acts which he recorded on webcams before threatening to show the images to their family if they spoke out.
In 2011 Wilson was jailed for life for raping the child, grooming 22 other girls and for more than 40 offences related to grooming young girls on the internet and distributing indecent images.
The judge described him as ‘chilling, vile and depraved’.
Wilson, who pleaded guilty, was originally sentenced to serve at least 15 years of a life  sentence.
But he has since had his minimum term reduced to 13-and-a-half years to encourage other paedophiles to admit their crimes.
Jane Held, chairman of the Safeguarding Children Board, said: ‘There were unfortunately a number of weaknesses in the way that nursery was run and a number of opportunities to intervene earlier and prevent the continuation of abuse which were missed.
‘There were obvious pointers that should have raised the alarm, yet both Ofsted and the local authority failed to recognise them and respond appropriately.’
No staff members at Birmingham City Council were sacked or disciplined after the case.
A council spokesman said it was ‘sorry’ about the failures, but added: ‘The first responsibility must sit with the perpetrator and with the nursery which had a responsibility for checking and supervising.
‘The council had a responsibility in terms of responding to reports of Paul Wilson’s behaviour rather than preventing it. ‘
[The council] fully acknowledges that a referral to us was not  followed through and that this meant that Paul Wilson was able to continue undetected for a longer period.’
An Ofsted spokesman said: ‘We very much regret that our inspection regime did not help to stop this dangerous and manipulative child abuser sooner.’

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