Author: PeakNews

The two suspects detained in connection with the death of three-year-old Ifeanyi Adeleke, son of music artiste, Davido, and his fiancée, Chioma Rowland, may remain in police custody until they are cleared by an autopsy report.

A credible source, who disclosed this  on Wednesday, said the nanny and the cook were directly in charge of Ifeanyi’s welfare, adding that they might also be liable for negligence.

The source said, “The cook and the nanny were the ones directly with the child, so, they are guilty of negligence until the autopsy is conducted. During investigation, we have suspects, and depending on the case, the suspects may or may not be released.

“So far, the family has not objected to the autopsy, but how fast it will be done depends on the hospital. But the next move is to check the CCTV at the house.”

It was reported that after Ifeanyi’s corpse was recovered from the swimming pool at his father’s house in the Banana Island area of Lagos State, it was deposited in a mortuary for autopsy.

The police eventually invited eight domestic employees and after interrogation, six of them were released.

However, two others, the nanny and the cook, were detained.

Contacted for a follow-up reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the detention of the suspects, declined to give further details to avoid preempting investigation into the case.

He said, “If we need to detain them for longer than necessary, we will obtain a court order so as to ensure that we are not doing over detention or illegal detention.

“I can’t give much details about an ongoing investigation, but those two people detained are assisting us in our investigation. Those that were released have little or no bearing to the case but the two people detained are assisting us.

“Eight people were brought in for questioning, six people were allowed to go, the remaining two were the ones that have been placed under arrest and that makes them suspect.”

The spokesperson for the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, Asha Gangali, who described the demise of Ifeanyi as devastating news, enjoined the state government to review the laws granting ownership of swimming pools to people in the state.

Gangali said, “We would rather enjoin the Lagos State Government to review the permission that is given for swimming pools and certain structures in residential areas that can endanger the lives of minors.

“So, if it is approached from a law standpoint, it will be binding on all. It is not just that we are losing our precious children in the creative and movie industry, it also affects every other individual. If people should have a swimming pool in their residence, there should be precautions to prevent such happenings.”

Recall that Daniel, the first son of another music artiste, Dapo Adebanjo, aka D banj, drowned in a swimming pool at his residence in Lagos in 2018.

Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, commiserated with the bereaved parents.

Osinabjo, in a post on his Twitter handle, said, “Dolly & I are greatly saddened by the tragic loss of Ifeanyi, the dear son of Davido & Chioma. We pray our Lord Jesus Christ will comfort & uphold both of them through this traumatic experience. Amen. We also commiserate with our brother, Dr. Deji Adeleke and the entire Adeleke family. You are constantly in our thoughts and prayers.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, urged residents in the state to abide by the universal rule that guide the usage of swimming pools.

He said, “I am not sure you need a permit to build a swimming pool in your house, but I know that before you build a house, you bring the drawing for the government to approve.

“But if somebody has any emergency, whether it is in a swimming pool or club house, the state has a solid emergency machinery that swings into action within seconds. But people need to call those emergency numbers to make a report.

“The particular case you are talking about is a family tragedy and the Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, personally commiserated with Davido on this irreparable loss.

“For us in Lagos, it is not a time to begin to look into what the government is doing about people building swimming pools in their homes.

“There are usual rules about how to use a swimming pool; if you are a minor, you can’t go in there alone; if you want to swim, you must ensure that there are lifeguards around and should anything happen, there must be people to raise the alarm; the swimming pool must be clearly marked to prevent a novice from going beyond certain meters, among others.”

A 3-year-old girl, identified as Lydia Azatyom was found inside an abandoned well three days after she went missing in the Tudun Wada area of Jos, Plateau State.

According to reports, the minor was last seen playing with her friends outside their house on Thursday, October 27, 2022 before she mysteriously disappeared.

Efforts made by her family and neighbours to locate her whereabouts were futile until three days later, when one Dauda Dung confirmed that she has been found.

According to Tudun Wada Broadcast, a couple of young men found the girl inside the abandoned well in an uncompleted building within the area.

It’s reported that the young men had visited the site to defecate and heard sounds of movement inside the dry well. It was also learnt that the building has long been abandoned and now used for open defecation and dump.

Lydia had bruises around her head and was rushed to the hospital where she is currently receiving for medical attention.

It is however yet be ascertained if Lydia mistakenly fell into the well or someone dumped her there.

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, has sought greater collaboration and partnership with the Association of Chief Compliance Officers of Banks in Nigeria, ACCOBIN, as well as Bureau De Change( BDC) operators as a way of tackling foreign exchange malpractices, money laundering and other fraudulent activities in the nation’s monetary sector.

Bawa who made the appeal during a meeting with crucial stakeholders in the financial services sector on Tuesday, November 1, 2022, at the Lagos Command of the Commission, on the heels of the recent declaration by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to re-design and re-issue some of Naira notes, called for prompt disclosure of fraudulent activities through the exchange of relevant information about illicit deposits and movement of money through deposit money banks.

“In view of the recent move by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to redesign and re-issue higher denominations of the Nigerian Currency, the Naira, there is a need for us to be proactive and be circumspect of the actions of the criminals who will use the financial institutions to launder illicit funds and commit other nefarious activities.

“It is essential for you to recognize what this policy is all about, thinking about the fact that a lot of activities will happen, specifically as the 2023 general elections approach.

“We want to work with you to get more information on how to deal with these issues,” he said.

Bawa, who stressed that the EFCC believes that the financial establishments have an critical function to play in ridding Nigeria of financial and economic crimes, also charged the banks’ compliance officers and BDC operators to be wary of activities of criminals who might want use the financial institutions to hoard monies for the purpose of vote buying.

He emphasized the need for financial institutions to take more seriously the issue of Know Your Customer, KYC, and improve intelligence sharing with the Commission.

“The EFCC cannot do the job alone. We need to work with you as critical stakeholders, particularly in ensuring a seamless exchange of relevant information to forestall the commission of economic and financial crimes.

“We need better cooperation, synergy, collaboration, intelligence sharing and, if need be, joint operations with you.

“If there is better management, in terms of communication about the people bringing in monies or the modus operandi being used to disguise this origin of the monies, it will go a long way in tackling the issue of money laundering and financial crimes.

“ You are very critical in the fight against economic and financial crimes. This is because at the end of it, money leaves the bank and money goes in, either for deposit or withdrawal,” Bawa said

According to him, “the issue of KYC must go beyond citing utility bills and receipts of customers. This needs to be taken further to forestall cybercrime”.

The EFCC boss also called on the banks to usually increase vetting mechanisms with a view to addressing insider abuse by staff.

In his remarks, Boye Ogunlade, Chairman, ACCOBIN, expressed his delight over the engagement, adding that “this is a good initiative and we hope that it should be held regularly.”