News
Man rapes wife’s teenage apprentice
A forty-three year old man, identified as AbdulAzeez Adebayo has allegedly had raped his wife’s apprentice in Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria.
The suspect was accused of raping the victim (names withheld), said to be a minor, at Oda community in Akure South Local Government Area of the state, in an incident that has generated concern within the community.
It was learnt that the 16 year-old girl had been undergoing training in fashion design under Adebayo’s wife and also assisted with domestic chores at their residence.
On the day of the incident, the victim was said to have been instructed by her boss to come over and prepare a meal at the house.
It was further confirmed that while the victim was working in the kitchen, the suspect allegedly approached her before allegedly forcing her into the room and sexually assaulted her.
Narrating her ordeal in tears, the victim said her father had dropped her off at Mrs Adebayo’s house in the morning of the incident and only for her to meet the suspect at home.
She explained that she became uncomfortable with the way her boss’s husband looked at her, noting that he repeatedly stared at her body and made her uneasy about his intentions.
According to her, the suspect later carried her into his matrimonial room and raped her despite her frantic attempts to resist.
“My father dropped me at my boss’s house that day and as soon as I entered the house, I met my boss’s husband. Immediately he saw me, he started admiring my body and speaking sweet words to me. He also praised my father for being a hardworking man.
“Later, while I was working in the house, he suddenly came to me and carried me to his bed while I was shouting. He tried to cover my mouth with a cloth, removed my underwear and had sexual intercourse with me. He also threatened to kill me with a cutlass when neighbours heard me shouting,” she narrated.
The victim’s father, identified simply as Abdullahi, who was said to be inconsolable after learning about the incident, reportedly lodged a complaint at the Oda Police Station, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
Following the arrest, the case was transferred to the Gender-Based Violence Unit of the Ondo State Police Command and the suspect was subsequently arraigned before an Akure Division of the Magistrates’ Court.
Adebayo was arraigned on a one-count charge of rape.
According to the prosecutor, Augustine Omheneihen, the defendant allegedly defiled the 16-year-old victim at his residence in Oda town within the Ondo Magisterial District on May 1, 2026.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Defence counsel, Mr. G. Samuel, however, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the defendant file a counter-affidavit to the application.
Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Taiwo Lebi, adjourned the case to May 8, 2026, for hearing of the application and ordered that the defendant be remanded in police custody.
The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures following a deadly outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Central and East Africa that has claimed at least 177 lives from nearly 700 suspected cases, raising fresh global health concerns.
The outbreak, currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) amid fears that difficult terrain and delayed containment efforts could worsen the spread of the virus.
Reacting to the alarming development, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, assured residents that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case has been detected in Lagos, even as the state government ramps up monitoring and border screening operations.
In a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, Abayomi said the state was closely tracking the situation and had activated its emergency response architecture to prevent any possible importation of the deadly virus into Nigeria.
“We are closely monitoring the evolving Ebola outbreak situation in Central and East Africa… we have not seen any cases resembling Ebola in Lagos to date,” he said.
The commissioner explained that Lagos has deployed its outbreak-tested “Biosecurity Bio-shield,” a system developed to rapidly detect, isolate and contain highly infectious diseases. He noted that the framework, first strengthened during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera, diphtheria and Lassa fever outbreaks, remains fully operational.
According to him, the Lagos State Incident Command System (ICS), under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has been placed on standby to coordinate any emergency response if necessary.
Abayomi disclosed that the state’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is functioning round-the-clock, with epidemiologists and disease surveillance officers monitoring community-level health signals across Lagos.
He further revealed that the Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital has been placed on high alert, with isolation wards, intensive care units and treatment facilities fully prepared to handle any suspected Ebola cases.
The commissioner added that the state’s Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory located in Yaba has also been placed on enhanced alert to ensure rapid diagnosis of high-risk infectious diseases.
As part of efforts to prevent cross-border transmission, Abayomi said all flights arriving from East and Central Africa are undergoing intensified health screening in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.
He added that surveillance activities have also been strengthened at seaports and land borders, with Port Health officers placed on heightened alert.
At the grassroots level, Community Health Workers, Community Development Associations and Civil Society Organisations have been integrated into an early-warning system aimed at ensuring the prompt reporting of suspected Ebola cases.
The commissioner said strategic stockpiles of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfectants and emergency medical supplies have already been positioned across critical locations in the state, while ambulance services remain on standby for rapid deployment.
Despite the rising death toll in Africa’s latest Ebola outbreak, Abayomi urged Lagos residents not to panic, stressing that preparedness and rapid response remain central to the state’s public health strategy.
“Our focus remains prevention, early detection, rapid reporting and swift response. Preparedness is not a temporary reaction for us; it is our permanent culture,” he said.
He advised residents who recently travelled to Congo or Uganda, or had contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms associated with Ebola, to immediately contact emergency lines 767 or 112, or reach the State Epidemiologist on 08023169485.
PRESS STATEMENT
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has announced the rescheduling of its Governorship Primary Elections in Bauchi State and Kwara State to Friday, May 22, 2026.
In the same vein, the party has approved a new date for the State House of Assembly Primary Elections in Maradun I and Maradun II constituencies of Zamfara State, which will now hold on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The decision was ratified by the National Working Committee (NWC) after consultations with critical stakeholders as part of efforts to guarantee a transparent, peaceful, orderly, and credible primary election process.
The party reiterated its commitment to upholding internal democracy and ensuring the successful conduct of all primary elections ahead of the forthcoming polls.
Signed:
Felix Morka
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
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