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Sunny Ade

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Juju music maestro was among 30 worshippers at the service who rushed to the altar to be prayed for by the general overseer. When Adeboye asked that the persons who answered the call should confess their sins, Sunny Ade was the first to kneel down.

During the thanksgiving, Sunny Ade expressed gratitude to God for his mercies and for making him see the day.

“I have nothing to say than to come and thank my God for what he has been doing for me and my family,’’ he said.

In his characteristic style, Sunny Ade rendered a song in Yoruba with members of his band: “If not for God, I would have been gone and buried. I thank you God for my life.”

Earlier in his message, Adeboye had told the congregation that anyone who had not given his life to Christ should not rejoice and praise God because such a person was hell-bound.

“Stop treating God as a beggar because all that you have, he gave to you. Serve God this year with all your heart. Give Him quality offerings.

“Offer yourself to God first before you offer to him any other thing. If you are here but have not given your life to Jesus Christ, do so now,’’ he said.

Adeboye recalled how as a boy he had done some naughty things but God had kept him to date to preach the gospel.

“When I looked at the days I strayed and the things I did when I was in the university, but how God saved me, you will understand why we should continue to thank Jesus,’’ he said.

He, therefore, urged the worshippers to be grateful to God for his mercies.

The man who got a minor he allegedly impregnated, arrested and imprisoned for eight months, has been arrested by the police.

For over seven days, Nadum Nwitua, the man accused of impregnating Comfort Monday, the 17-year-old inmate, who had been incarcerated while pregnant at the Kirikiri Female Prison, Apapa, for eight months, over an alleged theft of N295,000, had evaded all attempts by federal and state government officials catching up with him.

Following the intervention of the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, through the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Social Development in effecting Ms Monday’s release, Mr Nwitua had gone underground. Witnesses said he only returns to his abode at 2 Owode Street, Abule Egba, at midnight and leaves before dawn. Subsequently, police officers attached to the governor’s office and Alausa police station, arrested him on August 20, at about 6am, as he made to leave his compound. He is accused of sexually abusing Ms Monday.

Denies the charge

Mr Nwitua denied ever having any sexual relations with Ms Monday. “I have never touched her,” he said. “I have being arrested for an offence I have no idea; when everyone knows she has a boyfriend, Kennedy, who must have impregnated her. Why has he not being arrested and brought here?.” He also denied being invited by any government agency to answer any of the allegations levied against him. But Lucas Koyejo, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer of the National Human Rights Commission, produced a letter of invitation addressed to Mr Nwitua, dated August 9, 2010, alleging assault, rape, trafficking, child labour and malicious prosecution of Ms Monday, which was signed and received by Mr Nwitua’s niece, Princess, on August 11. “In view of the seriousness of the above allegations, the commission hereby request for your response within seven days of your receipt of this letter in order to make a fair and just decision in this matter,” the letter read..

Different tune

At the Police State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, Mr Nwitua began to sang a different tune. He accused the Lagos State government of conspiring against him; and boasted that the charge of impregnating Ms Monday, if proven, would show he is a man. “Comfort was given to me by her father and brother for marriage,” he said. “I paid them about N25,000. Even if I impregnated her, am I not a man? So what crime have I done? All this allegations are just lies. Everybody that is a Yoruba is a liar. All you Yorubas are all liars.” Vure Kara, lawyer to Mr Nwitua, said his client was willing to undergo medical tests to confirm whether he is the father of the baby, adding if positive, he would have committed no crime since Ms Monday is above 16 years. “Our law is clear, once a person is within the age of 16 years, the issue of having intercourse with anybody is not a crime at all,” he said. “It is only if you have sexual intercourse with any person under 16 that it is a crime. So if that happens, it will be resolved. There is always a way about it..”

Not so easy

But indications are that Mr Nwitua, who has being detained over the weekend at Panti, will be charged to a family court. This would mean he will be tried under the Child Rights Law of Lagos State, thus ensuring a stiffer penalty. “It is a criminal matter and there are several allegations against him,” Mr Koyejo said. “First of all there is the allegation of rape because he forcefully had carnal knowledge of an underage under his care and the penalty for that under the Child Rights Act is life imprisonment.”

Ademola Adeniji-Adele, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, whose ministry took over Ms Monday’s welfare since August 17, said both mother and baby were doing fine. He said it would be left to the court to determine when a paternity test would be carried out. “The ministry’s obligation is to the girl and the child,” he said. “Everything other thing is being handled by the police and the court. Ours is to ensure abuse in any form in Lagos State is addressed. This is what we have done and the ministry is grateful to NEXT for bringing this girl’s case to the fore.”