News
Man who raped, impregnated 15-year-old daughter speaks in court


A motorcycle rider, Ubong Ime, took incest to a new height when he professed love to his daughter whom he allegedly raped and impregnated.
It was gathered that the incident happened in the Iju area of Lagos State.
Our correspondent learnt that the 15-year-old victim lived with her mother in Uyo until in 2015 when the father, who had remarried, brought her to Lagos.
Ime, who was arrested by policemen from the Iju Police Station, said he was in love with the victim, adding that he slept with her twice.
He said, “Sometime in June 2018, my wife informed me that my daughter was pregnant after which we both called her to ask who was responsible for the pregnancy. She did not say anything, but I knew that I was the one who impregnated her and it happened in June. I fell in love with her and had sex with her two times.”
The victim, however, said her father first raped her on a day her stepmother stopped her from going to school after accusing her of stealing.
She said her father, who pretended to be punishing her, had sex with her.
She said, “My stepmother always accused me of stealing her money and most times she beat me up. Sometime in June, my stepmother accused me of stealing her N200 and because of that, she said I should not go to school.
“While I was doing the house chores, my daddy brought out a wire and started beating me. As he was beating me, he ordered me to sit on the bed and remove my pants. I initially refused, but as he continued beating me, I obeyed him and he raped me. As I was shouting, one of my neighbours came to knock on our door, but he told him that he was punishing me.
“After the sex, he told me that I should not tell anybody. He was the one that washed the clothes I was supposed to wash that day while I slept. After some time, I woke up and took my bath. I did not tell my stepmother anything.
“Then in July 2018, before we started our examination, my stepmother said I should not go to school. My dad went out in the morning and came back in the afternoon. As of then, I was sleeping on the bed. I suddenly noticed that someone laid on me. Before I knew it, he had sex with me again, making it twice. He still warned me not to tell anybody what happened between us.”
The victim said when she missed her period in July, her stepmother asked her if she had sex with anyone, but she denied it.
She said she confessed to her stepmother when it was confirmed that she was two months pregnant.
“When my stepmother reported to my daddy that I looked pregnant, he said I should lie to her that I was raped by someone in a hotel. My stepmother continued disturbing me and made me do a pregnancy test. She told me that I was two months’ pregnant.
“When everybody on the street became aware that I was pregnant, I decided to tell my stepmother the truth. My daddy was the first man that had sex with me. No other person had done it with me before or after him,” she said.
The victim’s half-brother, David, said he had caught his father many times having sex with his sister.
The 12-year-old said, “There was a day that I came back from school and I met daddy on top of her. Daddy used to have sex with her even in the night if our mummy is not at home. I used to see them together on our bed if our mummy is not at home.”
Ime was arraigned before an Ogba Magistrates’ Court on one count of defilement.
The police prosecutor, Inspector John Christopher, said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The charge read in part, “That you, Ubong Ime, in June 2018, at about 12pm on Olushina Street, Isale Haruna, Obawole, Lagos State, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did defile your daughter (name withheld) aged 15….”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The presiding magistrate, P. E. Nwaka, remanded the suspect in custody.
The case was adjourned till October 3, 2018.
*PUNCH Metro
News
PRCAN Mourns the Passing of NIPR Council Member, Bashir Chedi


The Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN) has received with deep shock and sadness the news of the passing of Mallam Bashir Chedi, a distinguished member of the Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), who died at the age of 65.
In a statement issued by PRCAN, the Association described the late Chedi as an accomplished professional, a consummate communicator, and a pillar of integrity whose contributions to the growth of public relations in Nigeria will remain indelible.
“Mallam Bashir Chedi was a respected voice in our profession, a mentor to many, and an advocate of ethical practice. His departure is not only a great loss to the NIPR family but also to the larger communication and public relations community in Nigeria,” PRCAN said.
The Association extended its condolences to Dr. Ike Neliaku, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, the NIPR Council, the family of the deceased, and the entire PR community, praying that Almighty God grants them the strength to bear the loss.
“While we mourn his passing, we take solace in the impactful legacy he has left behind, one that will continue to inspire present and future generations of PR practitioners,” the statement added.
News
Mbah to NBA: “Law, the Conscience of the Nation, Justice Sector Reform, a Cornerstone of Our Administration”
By ORJI ISRAEL


Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has reminded lawyers that the law is more than a profession, as it serves as the conscience of the nation.
Mbah, who spoke during the opening of the 2025 Annual General Conference, AGC, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, on Sunday, also restated the commitment of his administration to justice sector reform, saying that it remained the cornerstone of his government.
“Let me say this: the theme of this year’s conference, ‘Stand Out, Stand Tall,’ is a timely reminder of the responsibility we bear as lawyers and leaders. The law is not just a profession – it is the conscience of the nation. We are not only courtroom advocates; we are also defenders of truth, architects of peace, and champions of equity,” he said.
Listing some concrete steps by his administration towards justice sector reform, the governor said, “Since assuming office, we have made justice sector reform a cornerstone of our governance. Just a few examples will suffice.
“We were among the first states to fully implement financial autonomy for the judiciary in line with Section 121(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). This has enhanced the efficiency, independence, and dignity of our courts.
“We have carried out a comprehensive rehabilitation and digitization of our courtrooms across the three senatorial zones. The High Court Complex in Enugu is equipped with e-filing, virtual hearing facilities, and an integrated case management system.
“To decongest our courts and promote alternative dispute resolution, we have strengthened and expanded the Enugu Multi-Door Courthouse, making it a model in the region for commercial and family dispute settlement.
“Through partnership with civil society and the NBA, we have expanded access to pro bono legal services for indigent citizens and detainees, especially in our rural areas. No one should be too poor to afford justice.
“We have also carried out an extensive codification and review of obsolete state laws to reflect modern realities, ensure gender justice, and promote the ease of doing business in Enugu.
“Perhaps one of the reforms I am proudest of – we introduced real-time transcription for our courts. Attaining Verbatim Reporting for the courts has eliminated the strain of longhand recording on judges, cut down on delays and improved productivity,” he said.
He, however, asserted that none of the reforms was an end in itself, noting that they remained part of a broader vision of his government towards making Enugu State the preferred destination for investment, innovation, and inclusive development.
“From smart schools, safe communities to accessible healthcare – our vision cannot be achieved without a justice system that is fair, functional, and trusted,” he added.
The opening ceremony was chaired by the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Dr. Sa’ad Abubakar III, while the keynote address was given by charismatic leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters of South Africa and a member of country’s national parliament, Julius Malema.
News
70% of Christians killed in 2024 are African – Group
ORJI ISRAEL reports that the group accused ANC of maintaining silence on religious persecution, while deepening ties with ideological extremists in Tehran


Recent reports indicate that over 4,400 Christians were murdered for their faith last year, while over the past decade, jihadist violence has driven 16 million Christians from their homes, millions of which are African citizens.
This is according to global Christian charity, Open Doors, which also confirms that for every five Christians, one will face persecution in Africa specifically.
Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List reveals the top 10 most dangerous countries for Christians are dominated by Islamic states in the Middle East and Africa, including Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Nigeria. A more detailed UK Parliament briefing recently noted that 70% of Christians killed in 2024 were indeed in Africa.
Over the last six months, the brutality against Christians in Africa has escalated to alarming levels, with a series of devastating attacks across the continent. Just last month, ISIL-affiliated rebels stormed a Catholic church in Komanda, DRC, murdering close to 50 worshippers, including women and children. That same month in Mozambique, Islamic State fighters captured and beheaded six Christians from Natocua village, just across South Africa’s border. A month earlier, in June 2025, armed militants in Nigeria massacred nearly 200 Christian civilians in Yelwata village.
“What we are witnessing is not random violence or isolated attacks. It is a deliberate, coordinated campaign by jihadist networks to wipe Christianity from vast regions of Africa and the Middle East,” says SAFI spokesperson, Bafana Modise. “These acts of terror are the early stages of a genocide against Christians, and history will record who spoke out and who shamefully looked away. Tragically, the ANC has chosen the latter.”
This silence is even more damning in light of last week’s news that South Africa’s military chief, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya, met with Iranian Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami in Tehran to discuss deepening military and strategic ties, when Iran remains one of the world’s most notorious persecutors of Christians.
A recent report by the Middle East Africa Research Institute (MEARI) warned that Pretoria’s deepening ties with Tehran has compromised South Africa’s democratic foundations by defending Iran at the UN and IAEA, downplaying its human rights abuses, and potentially benefitting from covert support, including speculation around the ANC’s repayment of a multi-million-rand debt shortly after filing the ICJ case against Israel.
“These atrocities are not just crimes against individuals; they are part of a war against the freedom of religion itself,” Modise warns. “This is religious genocide, and it is gaining momentum as it edges closer to South Africa’s borders.”
Instead of defending religious freedom, the ANC government has remained silent. It has issued no meaningful condemnation or rallying call to protect persecuted Christians: “The ANC has done nothing to defend the rights of Christians,” says Modise. “Instead, it has squandered South Africa’s moral standing on discredited genocide charges against Israel – the one country in the Middle East where Christians live in safety and equality.”
This betrayal is even more unforgivable in a nation where 80% of South Africans identify as Christian. Freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, but the ANC, once the global champion of human rights, has made its bed with regimes and groups that have used Islamic law to suppress and destroy those freedoms.
“The ANC’s alliances make it clear: they have abandoned South Africa’s Christians, choosing friendship with the very forces driving this campaign of genocide,” Modise concludes. “Silence in the face of such evil is complicity, and the ANC is guilty of both. They have aligned themselves with Jihadist Islamic ideology, without further thought.”
We call on every pastor, every congregation, and every believer to demand that the ANC account for its indifference and betrayal. The blood of persecuted Christians cries out from across the African continent. If South Africa will not stand with them now, the day may come when their fate becomes our own.
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