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Benue lecturer rapes 13-year-old

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The Chief Magistrate’s Court One, Makurdi, Benue State, on Thursday remanded a 51-year-old lecturer in the Department of Catering and Hotel Management, Benue State Polytechnic, Mr Andrew Ogbuja, in custody.

The lecturer, who had earlier been charged for allegedly raping his 13-year-old housemaid, Miss Elizabeth Ogbanje, was on Thursday arraigned on fresh charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

Ogbanje was also Victor’s wife’s cousin.

When the case came up, the First Information Report read to the accused stated in part, “That on October 22, 2018, a case was reported by one Evangelist Enuwa Soo of Potter Avenue, Otada, Otukpo Local Governmrnt Area, through a letter of petition to the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command.

“That on June 23, 2018, the family of one Miss Elizabeth Ogbanje of Agene Amen, Okpokwu LGA, aged 13, noticed that one Andrew Ogbuja, a lecturer at the Benue State Polytechnic, and his son, one Victor Ogbuja, had been criminally having unlawful carnal knowledge of her since she was living with them in their house which resulted in her being diagnosed with Vesicovaginal Fistula and other related diseases.

“Ogbanje was admitted to a hospital for treatment where she later died on October 17, 2018, at the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi.”

The court further heard that during police investigation, Andrew was arrested for the offence while his son, Victor Ogbuja, escaped.

The FIR further stated that the offence was punishable under sections 97 and 222 of the Penal Code of Benue State, 2004.

The counsel for the accused, Anthony Onoja, observed that the media had been carrying the reports of his client who had not been proven guilty.

“If care is not taken, the reports will not allow the matter to go on smoothly. I appeal to you for protection (for lawyers) from journalists and caution the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA),” the lawyer added.

However, counsel for FIDA, Prica Ula, said FIDA had the right to watch brief for the police, adding that no law prohibited the organisation from doing so.

The presiding magistrate, Issac Ajim, overruled Onoja, saying the activities of FIDA and journalists had not caused any harm.

Since no plea was taken for lack of jurisdiction, the magistrate ordered that the accused be remanded at the Federal Medium Prison, Makurdi.

He adjourned the case till November 29.

Meanwhile, pupils of the Federal Government Girls College, Gboko, on Thursday protested against the death of Ogbanje.

The pupils, who stood outside the school premises, displayed placards to show their displeasure.

Ogbanje was a pupil at the school before her death.

Also, the acting Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, on Thursday urged the police and the judiciary to ensure that Ogbanje got justice.

Abounu, in a statement issued by his press secretary, Mr  Ede Ogaba, described the act as “inhuman, shameful and deserving of nothing less than appropriate punishment for the perpetrators.”

He promised that the state government would give the police necessary support to prosecute the case to conclusion to serve as a “deterrent to others with similar evil tendencies.”

Source: Punch

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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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