A family of seven travelling in a Mitsubishi car which was damagedbeyond recognition were among the over 25 persons who died in a ghastly motor accident that occurred at Onyeama hills on the outskirts of Enugu on Wednesday .

Although the identities were yet to be ascertained as at the time of this report, sources confirmed that the seven occupants of the red Mitsubishi car with Enugu registration No. BD 371 UWN, were members of a family amongst them a man, his wife and five persons believed to be their children.

The accident, which involved multiple vehicles including two trailers also claimed the lives of all the occupants of an 18-seater commuter bus.

Eye witness account reported that the accident was caused by a trailer being towed by another lorry and which lost control when the rope with which the trailer was tied to the towing vehicle cut.

The trailer, which hit other vehicles in the process ended up in a valley while the other vehicles involved ended up in a valley. The Onyeama hills, which is near the Onyeama Mines has become a nightmare for drivers and travellers as it has recorded accidents in which lives were lost.

As at Thursday morning when our reporter visited the scene of the accident ,bodies of some victims that were trapped were still being removed. While sympathizers wept uncontrollably at the scene of the accident ,so many lamented the government’s insensitivity to the condition of roads in the South -east, expressing fears of similar incidents during the christmas period .

Eleven people have been injured jumping out of a second-floor flat window after apparently thinking they had seen the devil.

Police are investigating the incident which took place in the early hours in the small town of La Verriere, west of Paris.

Officers said some of the injured were children including a four-month-old baby, who is in a serious condition in a children's hospital in the French capital.

"Thirteen people were in an apartment on the second floor when, at around 3am, one of the occupants heard his child crying," said Odile Faivre, the deputy prosecutor in Versailles.

"The man in question, of African origin, who was completely naked, got up to feed his child, at which point the other occupants took him for the devil.

"He was seriously wounded in the hand after being stabbed with a knife before he was thrown out of the apartment, via the door."

The 30-year-old man then tried to force his way back into the room.

"That's when the other occupants tried to escape by jumping out of the window, panicked by a fear of the devil," said Ms Faivre.

Police are questioning the naked man as well as another man who jumped from the window with a two-year-old girl in his arms.

Seven of those injured - who were African, possibly from Angola - were taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

Detectives are trying to find out if the group jumped voluntarily or were forced to jump.

By Godfrey Olukya (CP)–1 day ago

KAMPALA, Uganda — A disease whose progression and symptoms seem straight out of a horror movie but which can be treated has killed atleast 20 Ugandans and sickened more than 20,000 in just two months.

Jiggers, small insects which look like fleas, are the culprits in the epidemicwhich causes parts of the body to rot. They often enter through thefeet. Once inside a person's body, they suck the blood, grow and breed,multiplying by the hundreds. Affected body parts — buttocks, lips, eveneyelids — rot away.

James Kakooza, Uganda's minister of state for primary health care, said jiggers can easily kill young children bysucking their blood and can cause early deaths in grown-ups who haveother diseases. Most of those infected, especially the elderly, cannotwalk or work.

"It is an epidemic which we are fighting against and I am sure over time we will eradicate the jiggers," Kakooza said.

The insects breed in dirty, dusty places. The medical name for theparasitic disease is tungiasis, which is caused by the female sand flyburrowing into the skin. It exists in parts of Latin America and theCaribbean, besides sub-Saharan Africa.

Kakooza said health workers are telling residents of the 12 affected districts in Ugandathat jiggers thrive amid poor hygienic conditions.

"We are also telling them to use medicated soap. They can apply petrol and paraffinin places infested by jiggers and they die," Kakooza said.

The most affected part of Uganda is the Busoga region in the east, 150kilometres (90 miles) from Kampala, Uganda's capital. Some cases havebeen reported in the central region, less that 70 kilometres (43 miles)from the city, which has led to fears the whole country might beaffected.

Some think jiggers — whose scientific name is Tunga penetrans — were brought to Uganda and other east African countries bymigrants from India who constructed the railway from Mombasa, theKenyan seaport, to Kampala in the 19th century. Others say they came toAfrica aboard a British ship that sailed from Brazil.

Over time locals were affected. One observer near the turn of the century calledjiggers "the most fearful calamity that has ever afflicted the EastAfrican peoples" after seeing affected people on the slopes of MountKilimanjaro crawling around on all fours and groaning with pain.Colonial governments brought it under control but jiggers have sincere-emerged where hygiene is poor.

Some affected people in rural Uganda, like Dakaba Kaala, think they are bewitched and simply wait todie instead of trying to remove the insects.

"For the last three years I have been suffering from jiggers," the 60-year-old said. "Ilost two children killed by jiggers.They were sent to me by myneighbour who wants to grab my piece of land."

"It is common to find graves of whole families wiped away by jiggers," said SimonWanjala, a ministry of health official in eastern Uganda,

Uganda's government has allocated 1 million US dollars to fight the epidemic.Treatment involves removal of the insect or topical medication.

A study a few years ago in Nigeria concluded that raising pigs, havingsand or clay floors inside the home and having a resting place outsidethe house increased the risk of getting jiggers. Wearing closed shoesand using insecticides indoors helps prevent infestations.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

In this photo of Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, a woman called Mega Nakale, aresident of Kamuli district in eastern Uganda, displays her foot,infested by jiggers, . A disease whose progression and symptoms seemstraight out of a horror movie but which can be easily treated haskilled at least 20 Ugandans and sickened more than 20,000 in just twomonths. Jiggers, small insects which look like fleas, are the culpritsin the epidemic which causes parts of the body to rot. They often enterbodies through the feet. Once inside, they suck blood, grow and breed,multiplying by the thousands and making infested body parts, buttocks,lips, even eye lids rot away. (AP Photo/Godfrey Olukya)

By WILLY EYA & Olusola Balogun
Sunday, October 24 , 2010

Yomi Ajiboye

Armed robbers killed two policemen during a robbery operation, in Lagos, on Sunday night.

The two policemen, who were attached to Alapere Divisional headquarters, were on guard duty at the Alapere market, when the incident occurred.

It was gathered that the two, whose identities could not be verified, were posted to the market by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the division, following complaints of repeated robbery attacks by traders at the market.

It was further learnt that a gang of robbers had raided the market, on Friday night, during which one of them was caught and severely injured by a trap set in one of the shops they broke into.

After several unsuccessful attempts to free the trapped robber, his colleagues decided to shoot him, to prevent his being arrested by the police and subsequently forced into revealing their identities and hideout.

Market leaders reported the incident at the police station the following morning, after the shop owner raised the alarm, on discovering the corpse inside his shop.

The traders also expressed fear of a reprisal attack on the market by the gang to avenge their colleague’s death to the police boss.

This concern by the traders, it was gathered, informed the DPO’s decision to post the two killed policemen to guard the market.

Majority of the traders at the market told our correspondent, on Wednesday, they believed the policemen were killed by the same gang that attacked the market, on Friday.

They feared the gang could carry out another attack on the market and, therefore, called for enhanced police patrol of the area.

Efforts to speak with the DPO, on Wednesday, were abortive, as he directed our correspondent to the office of the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Frank Mba.

Mba, on his part, said the information he had about the incident was still sketchy, because he was yet to be fully briefed on it.

Jonathan Eze

Journalists were, last Thursday, told how two sisters abducted by a gang of kidnappers, in Lagos, used a piece of paper and a sachet of water to plot their escape, after spending 25 days in the custody of their abductors.

The victims, Nchedo, 20 and Chidinma, 21, spent those 25 harrowing days under

harsh conditions. They were deprived of the basic needs they enjoyed in the comfort of their home. Freedom eluded them. They were closely watched by their captors, who demanded forty million naira ransom for their freedom.

On the other hand, the trio of Patrick Igwe, still at large, Sunday Ekwunife and Chimezie Akana, must have concluded that the quickest and most popular way to be rich in the country, today, was through kidnapping. Hence, on September 10, in Festac Town, Lagos, they perfected a plan to kidnap Nchedo and Chidinma.

The sisters were coming from a drycleaning shop in the neighbourhood, aroud 5:00 pm, when they were waylayed by the three and abducted, at gun point.

They were, subsequently, blindfolded and taken an unknown destination, which was later discovered to be a house in Victoria Estate, Iba, in Ojo local government area, where they spent 25 days in captivity, before they were rescued by the police.

He stated: “On September 2, this year, a three-man gang accosted two sisters, Chidinma and Nchedo, at 7th avenue, Festac Town, forced them into their car and took them to a house in Victoria Estate, at Iba.

“They kept them there for 25 days, during which they were maltreated, fed sparingly and dehumanised. During this period, no one knew their whereabouts, until one of them managed to scribble a SOS (Save Our Soul) on a piece of paper and threw it through the window, alongside a full sacchet of water, to attract the attention of passersby.

“Fortunately for them, a good Samaritan, saw the piece of paper and contacted the police, who stormed the location to rescue them.”

Jinadu also used the occasion to advice the public “to always report strange faces and movements in their neighborhood to the police and to be security conscious,” while sending a warning to would-be kidnappers to think twice, because the police were prepared for them.

Narrating their ordeal, Chidinma stated: “It was on September 2nd that my sister, Nchedo and I came out in the evening to buy a few things and also collect our clothes from the laundry. But, a vehicle suddenly blocked our path and one of the three men inside pointed a gun at us and ordered us to enter.

“They, then, covered our eyes with clothes and drove us to the place they kept us for 25 days, before we were rescued. While we were there, they beat us and fed us poorly, sometimes, once a day or once in two days. But, we kept praying that they would not kill us.”

On how the police knew where they were kept, Chidinma said that on the third day of their abduction, she found a piece of paper on which she wrote about the danger they were in and the need for whoever found it to contact the police immediately.

She, then, kept the note until the right opportunity came along,

She further recalled: “On that faithful day, when I heard the footsteps of somebody passing closely by the house, I decided it was the right opportunity to throw a sachet of water they had given us to drink, along with the note. I threw the sacchet of water first and followed with the piece of paper. Luckily for us, the person read the note and called the police, who came to set us free.”

The suspects cofessed to the crime, but claimed they did not kidnap their victims for a ransom, rather, wanted to use them to force their (victims’) uncle, Peter Kanayo, to repay an undisclosed amount he owed one of them.

They also denied assaulting or violating their victims.

They claimed to have taken very good care of them throghout the period they spent in their custody.

Kanayo, however, denied the suspects’ claim, vowing that he had never seen any of them before in his life.

Recounting his own experience, Kanayo said: “ I don’t know them at all. I have never met them before and if they will be sincere, they too don’t know me. They kidnapped my cousins and called my telephone line to demand N40 million naira ransom for them. It was my wife that was negotiating with them. After two weeks, they reduced the amount to N10 million. But, I was determined not to succumb to their threats. All we did was to report the incident to the police and continued praying fervently.”

Jonathan Eze

The Monitoring Unit of the Nigeria Police, code-named ‘X’ squad, has arrested 28 policemen and officers for corrupt practices, in different parts of the country, in the last one month.

The ‘x’ squad was specially constituted by the police hierarchy and placed under the direct supervision of the Inpector-General of Police (IG) to check corruption and other vices in the force.

All those arrested were initially detained at Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Alagbon, Lagos, but have been moved to the Force Headquarters Annex, Kam Salem House, Obalende.

Spokesman for the FCID, Mr. Friday Archibong, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, told our correspondent, in Lagos, on Wednesday, that most of the officers and men were arrested, while extorting motorists at checkpoints across the country.

He listed some of the states where arrests were made to include, Anambra, Edo, Ogun, Imo and Abia states.

Archibong said those arrested were undergoing orderly-room trial (internal police prosecution), being conducted by the Force Provost Marshal, at Kam Salem House, adding that those found guilty would be dismissed from the police.

He also said the officers among them had been queried and suspended from their duty posts, pending the outcome of investigations.

He disclosed that men of the ‘x’ squad had been carrying out similar operations in other parts of the country since January, adding that its next focus would be Lagos State.

He said the exercise was part of “ongoing efforts to sanitise the police for enhanced performance,” noting that “Divisional Police Officers (DPO’s) across the country had been warned to check the activities of officers and men under their respective commands”.

Commenting on the development, in a separate interview, on Wednesday, the officer-in-charge of ‘x’ squad, Chibuike Okeanonife, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, said the mandate of his section was to curb the excesses of policemen on the nation’s highways.

He noted that the functions of the ‘x’ squad were not limited to the police, but also involved fighting bribery and corruption among other categories of public officers.

He said the act of collecting bribe at checkpoints had not only damaged the image of the police, but also constituted a major source of distraction to policemen that were supposed to be at alert at all times.

His words: “Our operations will be extended to all parts of the country to curb the excesses of policemen on our highways. The acts of taking bribe at checkpoints has done a lot of damage to the force. For instance, if the attention of policemen was not distracted by those offering them bribe on the roads, there was no way kidnappers would ferry their victims past police checkpoints without being challenged.”

He also warned the public against offering policemen bribe at checkpoints, noting that “bribery is a dual offence, which makes both the giver and the receiver liable.”

He added that anyone that was harassed by the police for refusing to offer them bribe should lodge a complaint at the ‘X’ Squad Section, FCID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.

POLICE say an armed robber gave back everything he stole from a homeless man after learning he lives at a shelter.

The York Dispatch said today that 22-year-old Larry Sanderson was outside the York Rescue Mission last night when a man displayed the handle of a revolver and told him to empty his pockets.

The paper says Mr Sanderson turned over his wallet, cell phone, MP3 player and cigarettes.

When the armed man asked Mr Sanderson if that was all he had, Mr Sanderson explained he lives at the shelter.

Police say the robber replied, "I can respect that," returned the man's property and walked away.

Missy Elliott reportedly married her girlfriend in a secret ceremony overseas, according to a report that surfaced yesterday (October 22).

Sources in Atlanta say that the closeted gay rapper married her girlfriend of about a year, artist Sharaya.

It was also reported that the women were engaged while they were on a world tour together and had an informal ceremony upon their return tothe U.S.

However, shortly after the “news” hit, Missy responded to a fan via twitter who congratulated her.

Missy Elliott responded with,.

“No I did not ! do not believe the lies…Ppl who have nothing better to do but talk and tell lies are #Gossip Folks! Do something moreproductive! #GETALIFE!…Now as I was saying all The Positive People May uhave a Blessed Suckafree day *inmydiddyvoice*”

The whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks today released a trove of classified reports that it said documented at least 109,000 deaths in the Iraq war, more

than the United States previously has acknowledged, as well as what it
described as cases of torture and other abuses by Iraqi and coalition
forces.

"The reports detail 109,032 deaths in Iraq, comprised of 66,081
'civilians'; 23,984 'enemy' (those labeled as insurgents); 15,196 'host
nation' (Iraqi government forces) and 3,771 'friendly' (coalition
forces)," WikiLeaks said in a statement regarding the documents'
release. "The majority of the deaths (66,000, over 60 percent) of these
are civilian deaths. That is 31 civilians dying every day during the
six-year period."

The new documents covered 2004 through 2009, WikiLeaks said, with the exception of May 2004 and March 2009.

A review of the documents by Iraq Body Count, an advocacy group that
long has monitored civilian casualties in the war, found 15,000
previously unknown civilian deaths, according to WikiLeaks -- a detail
first reported in The Guardian newspaper, one of a handful of
international news organizations that got an advance look at the
documents.

The U.S. military long has maintained that it does not keep an official
death tally, but earlier this month following a Freedom of Information
Act request, the Pentagon said some 77,000 Iraqis had been killed from
2004 to mid-2008 -- a shorter period than that covered by WikiLeaks.

Besides the different time periods, the New York Times, which also saw
the WikiLeaks documents early, noted that "some deaths are reported more
than once, and some reports have inconsistent casualty figures."

Al Jazeera, which also got an advance look at the documents, reported a
total of 285,000 war casualties on its Arabic-language website, a number
that included both dead and wounded. It also reported that the
documents said 681 Iraqi civilians were killed at U.S. checkpoints,
180,000 Iraqis were arrested during the war and 15,000 Iraqis were
buried without being identified.

The massive leak of 391,832 documents at 5 p.m. ET today, which
WikiLeaks billed as "the largest classified military leak in history,"
followed WikiLeaks' similar but smaller release on the war in
Afghanistan.

The new release was anticipated by the Pentagon, which has warned that publicizing the information could endanger U.S. troops.

"We strongly condemn the unauthorized disclosure of classified
information," said Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell prior to the
documents becoming public.

Morrell said the documents "expose secret information that could make
our troops even more vulnerable to attack in the future. Just as with
the leaked Afghan documents, we know our enemies will mine this
information looking for insights into how we operate, cultivate sources
and react in combat situations, even the capability of our equipment.
This security breach could very well get our troops and those they are
fighting with killed."

Amid such criticism, WikiLeaks said this time it "undertook the arduous
task of redacting any piece of information contained that might lead to
the identification of any innocent Iraqi."

The Pentagon said the documents it expected would be released include
tactical reports from late 2003 to 2010 containing brief unit-level
observations of what those units saw on a daily basis.

Those documents included descriptions of attacks on Iraqi security
forces and U.S. forces, detainee abuse, civilian casualty incidents, IED
blasts, discussions with Iraqis and inquiries into socio-political
relations, according to Department of Defense spokesman Col. David
Lapan.

Sources that saw the WikiLeaks documents in advance reported no major
revelations, but said taken together they could be read as a secret
history of the war written from a troop's-eye-view of the conflict.

WikiLeaks collectively referred to the trove as "The Iraq War Logs" and seemed to suggest they did contain revelations.

"There are reports of civilians being indiscriminately killed at
checkpoints, such as speeding to get a pregnant woman to hospital; of
Iraqi detainees being tortured by coalition forces; and of U.S. soldiers
blowing up entire civilian buildings because of one suspected insurgent
on the roof," WikiLeaks said in its statement.

"There are over 300 recorded reports of coalition forces committing
torture and abuse of detainees across 284 reports and over 1,000 cases
of Iraqi security forces committing similar crimes," WikiLeaks added.
"There are numerous cases of what appear to be clear war crimes by U.S.
forces, such as the deliberate killing of persons trying to surrender."

The documents also included evidence of state-sanctioned torture by the
Iraqi government, new evidence of Iraqi government death squads, and
Iran's involvement in funneling arms to Shiite militias, according to .
the international news outlets that reviewed them before their release.

ABC News did not begin to review the nearly 400,000 documents firsthand until after their release this evening.

As the details on the documents emerged, the main WikiLeaks site was down for "scheduled maintenance," but the 400,000 documents later could be searched by categories on a specially created Wikileaks page.

WikiLeaks said it would hold a press conference Saturday morning in Europe to elaborate on the documents.

Written by Tunde Oyesina, Abuja, with Agency Report

Friday, 22 October 2010

THE Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, was on Thursday, told that Henry Okah allegedly instructed his co-conspirators to buy the two cars used in the Nigerian Independence Day bombings.

“Prior to the detonation of the two improvised explosive devices on October 1, in Abuja, two vehicles, namely a Honda and a Mazda 626 were purchased in Lagos on the instruction of the accused, by persons complicit in the crime,” State prosecutor, Shaun Abrahams, said, while arguing against Okah's bid for bail.

Abrahams read from an affidavit compiled by investigating officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Graeme Zeeman.

The two cars were loaded with dynamite and parked on a road near a prominent hotel in Abuja, where the celebrations took place. About 14 people were killed in the explosions.

Abrahams said Okah had been in contact with Chima Orlu, one of the two men wanted in connection with the bombings.

A short messaging service (SMS) Orlu sent and which read, “Done, tell them to leave,” was forwarded to Okah on the day of the October 1 attacks.

Orlu’s telephone records show that on October 1, he made a total of 43 voice calls and sent 27 text messages to co-perpetrators and co-conspirators.

Ben Ebere had been in telephonic and SMS contact with Okah right up to September 29. There were 1,126 calls from Okah to Ben Ebere, a.k.a Ben Jesse, from August 7 to 29 September.”

Okah’s lawyer also on Thursday asked the State to supply him with copies of cellphone records used as evidence to link him to the Abuja Independence Day car bombs.

Responding to the State’s evidence in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court, Okah denied he had been in contact with Chima Orlu or Ben Ebere (also known as Ben Jesse), whom Nigerian authorities were searching for in connection with the October 1 attacks.

Meanwhile, the State Security Service (SSS), on Thursday arraigned Charles Okah and six other persons suspected to have masterminded the October 1, bomb blasts before a chief magistrates’ court sitting in Abuja.

The suspects, who were driven to the court in two Peugeot vehicles without registration numbers at about 8.58 a.m., were accused of carrying out a terrorist act, conspiracy to cause bodily harm as well as felony against the state.

Counsel for the accused and journalists as well as officers of the court were prevented by SSS operatives from entering the courtroom.

Mr Onyekwu Higher-King, counsel for Earnest Wosu, who expressed his displeasure at his exclusion from the court proceedings on Thursday, said what SSS brought were only holding charges.

He observed that the offences for which the accused were brought to court might not be within the jurisdiction of a magistrates’ court. For this reason, he noted that it could be a measure adopted by the security agency to have more time to carry out more investigation before a real charge would be brought to court.

Owing to the manner adopted by the SSS operatives in bringing the suspects to court, it was not clear whether the suspects were actually arraigned in order for them to take their pleas or not.

It was, however, gathered that Chief Magistrate Oyebola Oyewumi ordered the prosecution to ensure that the suspects were given access to their counsel at the next adjournment date, being November 24, 2010, in the interest of justice.

The earlier First Information Report (FIR) brought pursuant to section 177 (1) of Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) serial number 2013/F dated October 8, 20110 stated where-in the first accused persons were arraigned stated that: “On or about 2nd September to October 1st, 2010 at Abuja, FCT, Edmond Ebiware, Rapheal Damfebo and Earnest Wosu conspired with one Henry Okah and others now at large to unlawfully prepare, plant and detonate explosives devices stored in motor cars and did carry out the said conspiracy which resulted in the death of 12 persons and destruction of public property at Shehu Shagari Way, Maitama, Abuja, FCT and thereby committed the following offences; criminal conspiracy to commit a felony, intimidation and threat to life; voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means; contrary to sections 97, 397 and 248 (2) of the penal code punishable under the same respective sections of the penal code.

“Further, the accused persons also committed conspiracy to commit a felony, to wit treason, treasonable felony and terrorism contrary to sections 410 and 412 of the penal code (federal offences) and 15(2) of the EFCC Act, 2004 and punishable under the same sections of the respective penal code and ECFCC Act 2004.”

A certified true copy of the FIR, signed by the Chief Registrar of the Chief Magistrates’ Court which was obtained on Thursday and made available to newsmen, contained the said information.

Mr Onyekwu Higher-King, counsel for Earnest Wosu, who was also barred from entering the court, told newsmen that the action of the SSS and the whole procedure shrouded in secrecy was unknown to law.

“Come to think of it, Ernest Wosu, who is my client was arrested just because he is a younger brother of one of the accused persons, Chima Orlu, who happened to be declared wanted in connection with the bomb blasts.

The counsel asked, “when crime has become transferable in Nigeria, from somebody to somebody?”

Charles Okah’s lawyer, Ogenobo Otemo, who said he was instructed by Okah’s family to represent Charles Okah, Henry Okah’s brother, said, “if you charge anybody to court, no matter the offence he is alleged to have been committed, he enjoys constitutional rights to be represented by counsel of his choice, I have been barred from entering the court to see my client, which is rather unfortunate,” he stated while condemning the action of the SSS.

Ugochukwu Ezekiel, counsel for another accused, Edmond Ebiware, also joined in condemning the secret arraignment of the accused, adding that, “how do we give the court the opportunity to determine the guilt or otherwise of the accused person if he or she is not given the opportunity of being represented in court by a counsel,” and described the action as horrible.

“What happened on October 1 is condemnable and we are not sure who committed the crime, it is only when lawyers are allowed to represent the accused persons that we will know who did it,” he stated.

When asked why the arraignment was shrouded in secrecy, the Public Relations Officer of the SSS, Mrs Marylyn Ogar said, “all I know is that the accused persons have been brought to the court,” and declined further comment on the issue.

Written by Oluwatoyin Malik

Sunday, 17 October 2010

ON Wednesday, 13 October, 2010, Semiu Lasisi had woken up with his wife and children. He stood and headed for a nearby mosque at Ajimututu area of Akobo in Ibadan, Oyo State where he was living to observe the Subhi prayer. After the prayers, muslim faithful filed out of the mosque and headed for their different homes to prepare themselves for the day. It was around 6.30 a.m.

Lasisi, a 32-year-old father of three however had other thoughts in his mind as he made his way home. After allowing some distance between himself and others, Lasisi stopped where a she-goat was lying with her two kids.

Suddenly, he felt some warmth in his groin and his manhood became turgid. Looking left and right and seeing no one, the man grabbed the she-goat, went on his knees behind her, inserted his manhood into the rear of the goat and started pumping away furiously.

The goat, which few days before went through agonising pains to deliver her two kids, resisted the action of Lasisi by bleating in protest, but the man was carried away by the animalistic lust in him that he cared less. Unknown to him, someone heard the goat’s cry and as he approached the direction of the noise, the sight he beheld shocked him.

Determined to catch Lasisi by the wrist, the witness creeped in behind and grabbed him, asking him what he was doing with the goat. Lasisi, who saw that there was no hiding place for him, immediately admitted to what he was doing. ‘I won’t be the only one to behold this abomination’, the witness said to himself, so he raised an alarm that attracted neighbours. Before anyone could blink, a crowd had gathered from nearby streets and started beating Lasisi, condemning his bestial act and cursing him. His wife, pregnant with their fourth child, stood there and was weeping profusely, telling anyone who cared to listen that her husband must have been bewitched as they left the mosque shortly before his act. She was however taken away from the scene.

Sunday Tribune gathered that this was the situation when a police officer who was going to her duty post early that morning met the huge crowd. Quickly, she rescued Lasisi from the mob and took him to the police post at Alagbayun area from where the case was transferred to Akobo Police station which is the Divisional headquarters.

Narrating his story to Sunday Tribune, Lasisi, who said he was a commercial driver plying Akobo Oju Irin to Bodija in Ibadan said “I can not really say what pushed me into this shameful act because I have a wife at home and she had never refused me sex. This thing (mating with a goat) once happened to me when I was in Lagos with my mother. I was not married then. I saw a goat tied in the compound where I was staying. I was moved to have sex with her and I removed my trousers but before I could commence the act, a man saw me and exclaimed, asking me why I wanted to have sex with a goat. He then called my mother to take care of me as my act was abnormal. My mother took me to a pastor who had a church behind where we were living then and I was prayed for. Since then, I have not been involved in the act until the recent one which led to my arrest.

“On the day of my latest act, I saw the goat lying down in front of a school beside where I was living and I made her to stand. I then knelt behind her, raised my Jalamia, pulled the edge of my boxers to one side and penetrated the goat’s rear. Unknown to me, someone was coming from behind but I was so engrossed in what I was doing that I didn’t notice him. He just grabbed me, asking me whether I wanted to kill the goat. I said no. He took a big stick and started beating me before others came to join him.”.

Lasisi said he would have prayed in the mosque in front of his house but because of a problem which involved his wife and the Imam of the mosque, he decided to be praying in another mosque. He also admitted that he had been overtaken by the passion to mate with a goat not too long ago when he sighted a she-goat while driving along the road. “I parked the vehicle and ran after the goat but it did not wait for me so I could not carry out my intention.”

It was further gathered that Lasisi once had a case against him at the station when he was arrested for attempting to burgle a room. He was alleged of breaking the louvres of the room to gain access into it but was caught in the act by occupier of the room. Lasisi confirmed this, saying also that he did not know what pushed him into the act that day. “The incident happened this year at Akobo Oju irin area around 9a.m. I was just walking past the house when the thought came into me to steal. I took a plank and started breaking the louvres. It was in the process that I was caught. I was brought to the station and charged to court but my mother appealed to the complainant and he agreed to withraw the case. I was granted bail but when I could not meet the bail condition, I was taken to Agodi Prisons. Later, my mother was contacted and with the help of a lawyer, she came and fulfil the bail conditions after which I was released after a week,” he stated.

When Sunday Tribune tried to find out if his act was part of the process for money making ritual, Lasisi denied this, stating he was not doing it for any purpose and had even been getting spiritual help from his mother and father-in-law. “My father-in-law, though a muslim, had been to a church at Iwo Road area because of me. He took me there for prayers and we were told I was being attacked spiritually from my family. He was told to come back for things that I would use in the process of cleansing and deliverance. Unfortunately, as he was going there on Tuesday, a day before my act, he was hit by a bus and was seriously injured. When I had that case of stealing, my father-in-law asked me to move into his house with my wife and children and he gave us accommodation. He did this to help me and also keep an eye on me so that I could be spiritually helped,” Semiu said.

Since his stay at the police station, Lasisi said none of his family members had visited him while his mum who resides in Lagos was yet to be aware of his present problem.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, DSP Olabisi Okuwobi however said Lasisi’s act is categorised under the criminal code as unnatural sexual act and his case would be charged to court after all investigations.