Lamine Yamal isn’t even close to retirement and yet La Masia has already produced another generational talent again. Dude is going to be hunting Real Madrid for decades
“You cannot decarbonize darkness.”
Energy security first. Then decarbonization as a dual-track strategy: Gas for stability, economic transformation & as a transition energy.
Watch @Dapo_Okubadejo at yesterday’s panel discussion at the CWEIC.
Topic: Balancing Energy Security and Decarbonization.
That a man was accused, put on trial, allowed to defend himself after which the court evaluated the evidence and found him guilty is not just about following procedure. That’s justice in action. He has a right to appeal and I hope he does. Until set aside the judgement stands. Again, that’s justice.
UPDATE ON ALLEGED DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS TO CONVICTED PERSON
I have just met, alongside the Solicitor General and Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusegun Olaotan and the Director Public Prosecutions, Mrs Kadiri, with Oladeinde Adeola Esther, the lady who made a video alleging that her brother was denied due process before being convicted and sentenced for rape. In her words, he did not commit the crimes he was accused of and was not allowed to defend himself by the trial judge. She honoured my invitation for a meeting and in the course of that meeting I revealed the following facts to her which in turn were based upon my study of the case file:
1. Her brother, Lekan Oladeinde was in December 2020, accused of defiling two children aged 7 and 9 years respectively.
2. At trial, the Prosecution called three witnesses to wit, one of the victims, the victim’s mother and the Police Investigator. Four exhibits were also tendered including the medical report on the victim which revealed a missing hymen and the confessional statement of the defendant.
3. In his defense, the defendant testified as DW1 and called two other witnesses who testified as DW2 and DW3 respectively. The defendant was represented throughout by counsel of his choice.
4. At the end of trial, both the Prosecution and defense addressed the court after which Judgment was delivered on the 25th February 2026 convicting the defendant and sentencing him to a term of 15 years imprisonment.
The above show without a doubt that the allegation that the convict was denied due process and simply railroaded to prison is not true. The Confessional statement of the convict, though retracted at trial, also show that the claim of his innocence, particularly in the light of his conviction, is also unfounded.
In all, I explained to Miss Oladeinde how the legal system works. I expressed my understanding of her desire to help her brother. I however counseled that accepting the reality of his situation and the court’s finding, as they exist today until set aside, would be the very first step towards the exercise of any legitimate move in his favour. A denial of the obvious would not serve his means in any respect. I also expressed the hope that he would at the end of it all, use the opportunity of this experience to turn his life around. My overall observation of Miss Oladeinde is of one that acted, out of desperation, in a manner she considered best suited to help her brother albeit without a full knowledge or understanding of the real state of affairs. It is my hope that she will also come away with one or two lessons from this experience.
I thank everyone who has followed this matter. I assure you that we remain committed to transparency in justice administration in Ogun State and will continue to do all within our means to ensure that not only is justice done, but that it is also seen to be done.
False accusations of any kind, should be condemned. It is more particularly so, when those allegations involve sexual offences, as even amongst convicts, sexual offenders are considered the most vile and such offenders, not only receive scorn from fellow convicts but also run a real risk of being physically harmed or even killed by them. It is why such persons are sometimes offered special protections even behind bars. Now, where those allegations turn out to be false, the damage to the person wrongly accused is better left to the imagination. Even in cases of judicial acquittal many persons wrongly accused are unable to shake off the stigma society attaches to such offences. So without a doubt, allegations of sexual misconduct should not be made lightly.
However the above should not deflect from the need for there to be continued discussions about the real danger our girls and women face daily from sexual predators. As a stakeholder in the criminal justice system, I am continually alarmed at the rate women and girls are subjected to vile sexual abuses. I have encountered cases in which the victims were as young as 4, 6, and 8 years old and in one particularly harrowing case, the victim was only 2 months old! Also disturbing is the fact that the perpetrators of these offences are often not strangers. In most cases, they have been fathers, uncles, neighbors, and religious figures in position of authority over the victims. I have continued to emphasize the need for more vigilance from parents, particularly mothers, who often are too trusting of men around them and end up exposing their daughters to danger. Most disappointingly, some women have also been facilitators of these crimes. We have instances where women have actively assisted their husbands to lure victims or where a mother, has stood by idly allowing her boyfriend or new husband to molest her daughter. The examples are endless.
In summary we must not let the unfortunate instances of false allegations prevent us from acknowledging the truth that stares us in the face everyday. Some of our menfolk are “animals in human skin” and when they are apprehended, the law must be allowed to run its full course to serve as a deterrent. Vigilance is however key. Prevention, as it is said, is better than cure.
At what point will we realize that e-transmission of ethnic and religious bigotry, of hate filled and fake news, which cuts across all political divides, will have an equal, if not more profound effect on democracy as e-transmission of votes?
Thank you for this. I have indeed looked into the matter and it is quite unfortunate that despite efforts taken to reduce the wait time for issuance of Legal Advice and the time it takes generally to start trials, we still have cases of undue delay. My investigations revealed that the inmate was granted bail, the conditions of which he unfortunately could not immediately satisfy. Therefore, to bring some immediate relief to him, the Citizens Rights Department of the MOJ will now take up his matter. Hopefully we should sort out the bail conditions before the week runs out after which we will intensify efforts regarding the allegations against him which culminated in his remand to begin with and come to a decision whether or not further proceedings will be required. I can assure that this undue delay will have some bearing, along with other factors in that process.
Thank you for this observation. I receive lots of Petitions/Letters everyday most of which I refer to my colleagues for attention. But I always try to call the authors to acknowledge receipt and let them know they can reach out to me directly if their Petitions are not addressed timely. Additionally I have someone working directly with me who follows up on such matters referred by me for action. It’s just so we give these matters the attention they deserve.
Tolulope Motunrayo Baptist has been missing since August 9th, 2025. She was last seen in Sango Ota, Ogun State. Please call the numbers if you have any useful information. Kindly RT.
@Gospel_rx You are 100% correct. We should and must ask questions and leaders must be accessible to answer them. However those questions, to be effective and attract the attention required, must not take the form of extreme partisanship. Regrettably, that is where we often fall short.
As Nigeria turns 65, please note that you can be Atikulated, Batified and Obidient and still be Nigerian. Even if we disagree on the route, let us agree on the destination: A greater and better Nigeria that works for all!
I understand fully that if I were to post here that Nigeria is a country in West Africa, some would disagree with me. So disagreement, well intentioned or mischievous is a fact of life. What matters is how we react or respond to it and in my view, the best approach is to remain focused on the message or idea sought to be conveyed.
@HelpdeskJu23481 I agree. But the solution isn’t to fold our arms or fight each other over meaningless things instead of focusing full attention on those in power who we can then collectively pressurize to act in our best interests.
@Rockite_@InZpiredwiz@Adebayocole1 I just spoke to him. He said he was probably charging his phone at those times. I have advised him to return all missed calls. Thank you.
This is Abdulrasheed. No, he’s not deceased. He’s alive and well. This is just to document his humanity and share proof that there are many Nigerians who care little about religion, tribe or tongue in their interactions with their fellow citizens.
I met him in 1999 when I needed a suit in preparation for my resumption at the Nigerian Law School. I couldn’t afford a new one so buying a second hand or used one was the smartest choice even though that itself came at a price that was not easily affordable. So I bought one from Abdulrasheed who at that time did not know me from Adam. I got home with my prized possession only to discover that the trouser was a tight fit. My stay at home for 9 months awaiting admission had obviously come at the cost of some added weight. So off I went to Abdulrasheed to return the suit. He accepted it without fuss and offered me another in exchange. He then asked me to pick an extra, advising that having two would serve my means longer than having just one. I told him there was no way I could afford an extra one. He calmly asked me to pick it and return at any time I had the means to pay. This man did not know me, did not know where I lived and therefore did not possess any means of contacting me if I failed to return with the payment. I accepted the offer and returned a month later to pay.
That marked the beginning of a friendship that continues to this day. I remained his dedicated customer after I left the law school and well into my career as a legal practitioner until fate smiled on the son of man and I could afford a new suit and look dapper like another friend from way back then, Chris Adetayo.
I have been fortunate to have encounters such as this one in life. People have been kind to me. I will relate some other experiences later. I however find in this one, definite proof that there is a humanity in all of us that transcends anything on the outward, be it the colour of the skin, tribe, religion, tribe etc that suggests a difference. Perhaps when we give that innate connection the priority it deserves, Nigeria will be the better place it is meant to be.