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Businessman plotting to frame up investigator says EFCC

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Monday it has uncovered alleged plot by a businessman, Abdulhamid Mahmud Zari, to frame up one of its key investigators, Mr. Abubakar Madaki.

The commission said the businessman, who has been under probe, was peddling rumours that Madaki allegedly extorted N4 million from him to secure bail.

The EFCC said Madaki was never part of its investigating team looking into allegations against the businessman.

It claimed that a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who is being investigated by the EFCC, was suspected to be behind the smear campaign against its key investigator.

It clarified that contrary to insinuations, Madaki is not a Personal Assistant to the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.

The EFCC made the clarifications in a statement in Abuja by its Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren.

“The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC has been drawn to a report entitled, “Businessman accuses Magu’s aide of N4m extortion”, which appeared in a newspaper of June 9, 2018 and syndicated in various online platforms.

The report purports that Madaki, an operative of the commission whom they referred to as personal assistant to the acting chairman, obtained N4 million from a certain Abdulhamid Mahmud Zari, a suspect under investigation for alleged money laundering by the commission, to grant him bail.

“The commission wishes to state that there is no truth to this allegation, which is contrived to malign and impugn the reputation of Madaki, an operative who has handled several high profile investigations without blemish.

“What is currently playing out in select media outlets is the unraveling of a vengeful script by Zari and his cohorts to impugn the integrity of Madaki and bring him to public ridicule.

“It will interest members of the public, who may have been misled by the mischievous story, to know that Zari has been crossed with Madaki over suspicion that he instigated the investigation leading to his arrest and detention by the commission.

“Soon after he was released on bail, Zari launched a media offensive against Madaki, accusing him of buying half of the land in his home town, Keffi for N10 billion. He also claimed that the officer owns two palatial mansions in choice areas of Abuja worth N250million.

“In line with the commission’s stance on professional responsibility by officers and men, the phantom allegations were duly investigated by the commission and found to be baseless.

“That the ludicrous charge failed to hurt the career of Madaki has not deterred Zari. He engineered the arrest of the officer after he wrote a petition to the Police at Nasarawa Command, alleging that Madaki and his brother had conspired to kill him during the Ramadan of 2017. Madaki was detained for a day in Lafia.

“ The case was eventually transferred to the Nigeria Force Headquarters for proper investigation. The police have already concluded investigation and the case file sent to the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

“Once Zari discovered that Force Headquarters had stepped into the matter, he proceeded to Lafia and again got four members of Madaki’s family arrested, including a 76-year-old man Hashimu Sale, who later died in prison while on remand.

“He also got his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to sue the commission and Madaki for continuously inviting him. Other relief he sought was an order of court stopping the commission from further investigating him. This was rejected by the court. He proceeded on appeal to the appellate court.”

The anti-graft agency said Madaki was never at any point a member of investigating team on the allegations against Zari.

It also explained that Madaki did not demand bribe from the affected businessman.

The statement added: “Zari has now changed gear by bringing up fresh allegations against the officer. Now, he would have the world believe that he was extorted N4m to be granted bail in an agency that is not known for collecting money to admit suspects on bail.

“ What makes the allegation more ridiculous is the fact that Madaki is not the officer handling Zari’s investigation. He is not even a member of the team. It, therefore, beats the imagination how an officer that is not involved in a case would be the one demanding money for the bail of a suspect.

“If Zari is persuaded that he paid bribes to secure bail from the EFCC, he is obliged to take the additional step of stating the time, place and circumstances in which the money was collected from him and by who, together with witnesses to the transaction.”

The EFCC implicated a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is currently being investigated by Madaki, as one of those behind the smear campaign against the commission.

It said: “Zari, unfortunately is not acting alone. Intelligence available to the commission indicates that the invidious publications are sponsored and promoted by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is currently being investigated by the same officer.

“The objective is clear, to intimidate Madaki and the EFCC, and prepare the grounds for claims of malice or vindictiveness by the time charges are filed against the suspects in court.” Source: The Nation

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The Peruvian Government Has Officially Classified Transgender, Nonbinary And Intersex People As “Mentally ill”

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According to the country’s ministry of health, the controversial decision was made to ensure the country’s public health services could “guarantee full coverage of medical attention for mental health” for the trans community.

It also categorises “dual-role transvestitism,” “fetishistic transvestism,” and “other gender identity disorders” under the same bracket of mental illness.

The new law will change language in the Essential Health Insurance Plan (PEAS) to reflect the view of trans and intersex people as a mental health disorder.

Trans groups across Peru have loudly condemned the decision as a step backwards for the country’s already complex relationship with LGBTQ+ rights.

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Math Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With 2 Students And Getting Pregnant For One Tearfully Reveals The Baby Was Taken Away From Her

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The UK teacher who had a baby with an underage student while on trial for having sex with another teenage boy broke down in court after revealing her newborn baby girl had been “taken away” from her.

Manchester math teacher Rebecca Joynes, 30, sobbed to jurors over how her baby was taken “24 hours after being born” this past January — and now she only sees her for nine hours a week, Joynes told jurors on Monday, May 13, according to the Manchester Evening News.

“At the moment I have contact with her three times a week for three hours and that’s it,” she said through tears.

Joynes was arrested and released on bail on orders not to have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 after allegedly grooming her pupil, known as Boy A in court, by buying him a $430 Gucci belt before bringing him to her apartment for unprotected sex.

She was suspended from school and eventually fired, but soon after, she began having a relationship with a 15-year-old boy, known in court as Boy B, whom she had a baby with in January.

Joynes, who has denied having sex with either boy when they were underage, told the court that when she learned of the allegations against her she had gone to the second boy in a “panic” and he deleted all of her phone’s content.

The former teacher denied having a sexual relationship with the second boy until after he turned 16 and she was already suspended from teaching.

According to her narration,

She said he had added her on Snapchat twice, which she only accepted the second time because she thought he “wanted to tell her something.”

Joynes said a friendship developed and he quickly became her “best friend” even though the boy would make flirtatious and sexualized comments toward her when he was drunk.

She told jurors that it wasn’t until after his 16th birthday that he messaged her saying “I’ve left school now” with a winky face.

After she received notice that she had been dismissed from her job, he went to her apartment, where following an emotional conversation, they had sex.

The two then entered a relationship that Joynes described as “quite toxic” telling the court how the teenager was “very controlling.”

After discovering she was pregnant, Joynes hid love notes for the boy to find around her apartment.

The notes eventually led to a piece of baby clothing that had the words “I love my daddy to the moon and back” written on it.

The court was told that she gave birth to their baby girl in January, but following an emergency court hearing, the newborn was taken away from Joynes.

Joynes has denied two counts of sexual activity with Boy A; two counts of sexual activity with Boy B; and two counts of sexual activity with Boy B while being a person in a position of trust.

Her trial is ongoing.

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First Man To Receive Pig Kidney Transplant Has Died

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The first Man to receive a genetically modified pig kidney transplant has died two months after the operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), which carried out the procedure in March, announced Sunday, May 12, that Richard “Rick” Slayman, 62, has died.

They said there was no indication his death was a result of the transplant.

Transplants of other organs from genetically modified pigs have failed in the past, but the operation on Mr Slayman, who was suffering with end-stage kidney disease, was hailed as a historic milestone.

In addition to kidney disease, Mr Slayman also suffered from Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In 2018, he had a human kidney transplant, but it began to fail after five years.

Following his pig kidney transplant on March 16, his doctors confirmed he no longer needed dialysis after the new organ was said to be functioning well.

“Mr Slayman will forever be seen as a beacon of hope to countless transplant patients worldwide and we are deeply grateful for his trust and willingness to advance the field of xenotransplantation,” MGH said in a statement.

Xenotransplantation is the transplanting of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.

MGH said it was “deeply saddened” at his sudden death and offered condolences to his family.

Mr Slayman’s relatives said his story was an inspiration.

“Rick said that one of the reasons he underwent this procedure was to provide hope for the thousands of people who need a transplant to survive,” they said.

“Rick accomplished that goal and his hope and optimism will endure forever.

“To us, Rick was a kind-hearted man with a quick-witted sense of humour who was fiercely dedicated to his family, friends, and co-workers,” they added.

While Mr Slayman received the first pig kidney to be transplanted into a human, it is not the first pig organ to be used in a transplant procedure.

Two other patients have received pig heart transplants, but those procedures were unsuccessful as the recipients died a few weeks later.

In one case, there were signs the patient’s immune system had rejected the organ, which is a common risk in transplants.

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