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South African Olympic Sprinter, Pistorious Released From Prison

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South African Olympic Sprinter, Pistorious Released From Prison

The double-amputee Paralympic and Olympic sprinter, Oscar Pistorius has been released from prison on parole, as reported by CNN.

This comes more than ten years after he shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in a globally shocking incident.

Pistorius’ parole petition, approved by a parole board in November, cited that he had completed half of his 13-year sentence for the shooting, meeting the eligibility criteria under South African law.

Singabakho Nxumalo, a spokesperson for South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services, said that Pistorius was released from Atteridgeville Correctional Centre, located west of Pretoria, on Friday morning. Until his sentence concludes in 2029, he will be bound by parole conditions.

In a statement Friday, Steenkamp’s mother said her only desire following Pistorius’ release is that she would be allowed to live her remaining years “in peace“.

There can never be justice if your loved one is never coming back, and no amount of time served will bring Reeva back,” June Steenkamp said. “We, who remain behind, are the ones serving a life sentence.”

On February 14, 2013, Pistorius shot Reeva Steenkamp four times through a locked bathroom door at his residence in Pretoria. Despite prosecutors asserting that the act resulted from a Valentine’s Day argument, Pistorius has consistently claimed that he mistook her for an intruder and did not kill her in a fit of anger.

During the highly publicized trial, where global attention was focused, Pistorius pleaded not guilty to a murder charge and a firearms charge linked to Steenkamp’s death.

Initially, in 2014, he was convicted of manslaughter and received a five-year sentence. However, a higher court later overturned this conviction, upgrading it to murder in the following year and subsequently increasing his prison term to six years.

Prosecutors, deeming the initial sentence excessively lenient, appealed the ruling. Consequently, in 2017, South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal increased Pistorius’ sentence to 13 years and five months.

In adherence to a law allowing parole eligibility for inmates who have served half of their sentence and fulfilled criteria such as maintaining good behaviour, Pistorius became eligible for parole in March 2023.

The legislation is part of the country’s “Restorative Justice” process, which allows offenders to “acknowledge and take responsibility for their actions.”

According to the DCS, Pistorius will serve the remaining portion of his sentence within the country’s community corrections system.

Reuters, citing a lawyer for the Steenkamp family, reported that he is mandated to participate in programs addressing gender-based violence and continue undergoing therapy sessions for anger management.

The DCS said in a statement Wednesday that “general parole conditions” will apply, including Pistorius being required to be home at particular hours of the day.

Consumption of alcohol or prohibited substances will be strictly prohibited for Pistorius, and he will be compelled to engage in programs specified by the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board.

Just like other parolees, Pistorius is restricted from conducting media interviews,” the statement added.

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POLITICS

Female banker reportedly commits suicide over ‘economic hardship’

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Female banker reportedly commits suicide over ‘economic hardship’

A female staff of Globus Bank in Lagos, Ikorodu, Amarachi, has reportedly committed suicide.

The deceased in a suicide note she left behind cited the degenerating economic situation in the country for her actions.

According to reports, the young staff took her last breath after consuming a dangerous chemical.

Reports claim the late banker indicated that nothing was working in her life and her future looked bleak alongside extreme hardship and a depleting economy.

She wrote that rather than continue to struggle, she chose to end things while apologising to her family and friends for her decision.

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Police arrest notorious arm robbery suspect, one fake soldier, recover AK-47 rifle

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Police arrest notorious arm robbery suspect, one fake soldier, recover AK-47 rifle

The Nasarawa State Police Command says its operatives have arrested one suspected notorious armed robber, Kabiru Alhaji Yusuf.

A statement issued on Thursday by the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel said the arrest was carried out on Wednesday by the command’s anti robbery team.

According to the PPRO, the operatives, during an intelligence led patrol along Fadaman Bauna area of the state., intercepted a group of three young men suspected to be armed robbers riding on an unregistered Bajaj Motorcycle.

He said the criminal elements abandoned the motorcycle and took to flight upon sighting the police officers but were given a hot chase leading to the arrest of Yusuf.

The police spokesman said after a search was conducted on the suspect, one AK 47 rifle and a motorcycle were recovered as an exhibit.

In another development, Nansel said one fake soldier identified as Muhammed Haladu of behind Ozas Hotel, Karu Abuja was arrested on full military camouflage at Awe LGA by two army officers and handed him over to the Police at Awe Division.

“The suspect claimed to be a soldier attached to 231 Battalion Biu, Borno State, but investigation proved otherwise. The criminal defrauded unsuspecting members of the public under the pretext of securing employment into the Nigeria Army.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect attempted to join the military but couldn’t, thus, went to military barracks to purchase the uniform he’s using for his nefarious activities”, the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Shehu Nadada, while commending the officers, tasked them not to relent in the fight against criminals in the state.

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Court slams police inspector N5m damages over unlawful arrest of keke rider

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Court slams police inspector N5m damages over unlawful arrest of keke rider

An Akwa Ibom State High Court has ordered a Policewoman in the State Police Command, Inspector Iniobong Umoren to pay a tricyclist, Jeremiah Sunday Udo N5m for his unlawful arrest and impoundment of his tricycle, which he bought on hire purchase for the sum of N1.9m.

The Court presided by Justice Ntong Ntong gave the order, Thursday, in a judgment on an application for the enforcement of the fundamental rights brought by the applicant, Jeremiah Sunday Udo, a native of Ikono Local Government Area.

Justice Ntong also ordered the first respondent, Mr. Udoka David, a friend of the keke rider to pay the tricyclist another N5m for instigating the Police to arrest and detain him for five days without food and water.

The Court, however, extricated the Commissioner of Police, Akwa Ibom State Police Command, Mr. Olatoye Durosinmi who was joined in the suit as the third respondent, but advised him to warn his officers and men to always carry out their duties within the ambit and purview of the law.

The tricyclist, who is a resident of Ifa Ikot Idang in Uyo, had told the Court that he has been fulfilling the hire purchase agreement with the owner of the keke, Mr Udoka David from his neighbouring village in Ikono to pay him N20,000 every week until last year when the Naira policy crippled the economy resulting in him owing a week returns of N20,000.

He said he was surprised to be ambushed and arrested on the 12th of February, 2023, after he had so far paid eight hundred and eighty-five thousand Naira (N885,000) out of the N1.9m agreed in the hire purchase for full recovery of the tricycle.

Justice Ntong in a one-hour judgement wondered why “Inspector Iniobong Umoren quickly impounded the tricycle and handed it over to the first respondent without an order of court which has the power to interpret the terms of hire purchase agreements between parties and enforce its terms and conditions.”

He said, “The first respondent, Mr. Udoka David took the law into his hands and lured the Policewoman, who also allowed herself to be led into jettisoning the rule of law using the name of Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police to authenticate her unlawful act” which the Court described as “satanic, nefarious and unwholesome antics against the applicant.”

Justice Ntong said, “Because of greed, Inspector Iniobong Umoren usurped the role of the Court and became a law unto herself, having encroached on the fundamental rights of the keke man, the law is there to protect the tricyclist from heartless people like Inspector Iniobong Umoren and Mr Udoka David.”

The judge said he “read all the processes filed by the parties and discovered that the evidence and documents including the bail bond, the petition and the statements exhibited by the first and second respondents, are doctored and fabricated to mislead the Court.”

The Court therefore ordered “Inspector Iniobong Umoren and Mr. Udoka David in the name of God Almighty, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Inspector General of Police to release forthwith, the applicant’s tricycle pending when a Court of competent jurisdiction will order otherwise under the hire purchase agreement”.

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