A human rights and good governance advocacy group – Make A Difference Initiative (MAD) has applauded a Judge of Ogun State High Court, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi for imposing a life sentence on a – 35 year old man, Adekunle Olalere for raping a – 2 year baby.

In a statement issued by M.A.D’s Executive Director, Lemmy Ughegbe and Director of Strategic Projects, Augustine Eigbe, the initiative said “the life sentence imposed on the pedophile by Justice Akinyemi would serve as a deterrent to other potential rapists and ultimately boost our collective efforts to curtail varying forms of Sex and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV).”

“On the same day that a Judge in Ekiti State, Justice John Adeyeye decided to sympathize with an incestuous father who serially defiled his little daughters, another Judge in neighboring Ogun state has given our collective effort to curb sexual violence a boost”, the statement added.

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Photo above: Ijato Ugbagwu, Director of Child Care, Make A Difference Initiative.

A human rights and good governance advocacy group – Make A Difference Initiative (MAD) has issued warning to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) over the trial of a – 35 year old man, Onyebuchi Ezenna who it charged before an Abuja High Court for allegedly raping his 4-year old daughter in April, 2020.
In a statement issued by the Director of Child Care, Lady Ijato Ugbagwu the initiative asked NAPTIP to show commitment to the diligent prosecution of the charge, noting that several occurrences between July 12 and July 13, 2020 linked to the commission, with regards to the case, suggested an attempt by some of its officials to compromise the case and endanger a good spirited Nigerian and journalist, Mr. Ben Ubiri who facilitated the arrest of the suspect.
Specifically, a lawyer(names withheld) had traced the house of Mr. Ubiri on July 12 at about 2pm to harass him for “putting pressure on NAPTIP not to drop the case against” the suspect. Earlier in the day, kinsmen of the suspects had also summoned Ubiri to a meeting where they levelled the same accusation as (the lawyer) did.
The initiative recalled that on June 16, 2020, (the lawyer) was also seen denigrating journalists who had come to cover the trial of his client.
Although Ubiri denied mounting any pressure on NAPTIP over the rape trial, the kinsmen insisted that “the people at NAPTIP told us that there is pressure from you and that is why they cannot drop the matter.”
Lady Ubagwu lamented “that a citizen who has decided to help protect an abused child would be exposed to harm by officials of NAPTIP calls for serious concern” and he called on the agency’s Director General, Julie Okah Donli to seriously investigate all officers connected with this case.”
“Our initiative warns that should Ubiri or any member of his family come to any harm, NAPTIP will be held liable.”
“We call on Ubiri to file a formal complaint to the Police and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) against (the lawyer) for threat to life and professional misconduct. Such actions unbecoming of a legal practitioner must be dealt with”, Ugbagwu stated.…….. CONTINUE READING

It is no surprise at all that one of the questions that have dominated our political space in recent time is that of: “State police: to be or not to be?”, given the orgy of violence that has enveloped the nation and the seeming inability of the police or lack of will by the powers that be to quickly arrest the situation. Although the killings in Benue and Taraba States by terrorists dubbed as Fulani herdsmen, and the most recent murderous rampage in Zamfara by those that have been widely described as armed bandits, seem to be the areas of media attention, it is a notorious fact that the killings are widespread across Nigeria.

Particularly, governors of the three mentioned States have publicly lamented their helplessness in tackling these challenges, since the hierarchy of the police and even the entire military architecture, take their briefing from the president and commander–in-chief of the armed forces, Mr. Muhammadu Buhari. After the mass burial of about seventy persons massacred in cold blood by these terrorists, Governor Ortom of Benue State reiterated his earlier statement that if the president had responded to his several messages raising alarm about an impending attack of his people and ordered the security forces to take decisive steps to curtail it, the tragedy that befell his people would never have happened……….. CONTINUE READING

Make A Difference Initiative (MAD), a non-governmental organization has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to dismiss Nigeria’s current service chiefs, following the killing of scores of soldiers by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram.

Executive Director of MAD, Lemmy Ughegbe, who described the service chiefs as “shameless”, pointed out that generals with pride and honor would ordinarily resign if they lose such a number of men.

“This is a heartbreaking picture that speaks more than a thousand words. Our citizens are being wasted in this senseless insurgency in the North-East.

“While some persons are feeding fat on the war, soldiers in the line of fire, who are ill-equipped, ill-motivated and unpaid are being wasted in their scores.  ……….. CONTINUE READING