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Former China Justice Minister jailed for life over corruption

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A Chinese court on Monday, February 2, sentenced a former justice minister to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of accepting bribes totaling nearly $20 million over more than a decade.

Tang Yijun, 64, served as China’s justice minister from 2020 to 2023 and held several senior roles during his career, including governor of Liaoning province and Communist Party chief of Ningbo city.

According to a statement by the Xiamen Intermediate People’s Court in eastern China, Tang abused the authority of the positions he held between 2006 and 2022 to secure benefits for individuals and companies. In return for payments, he assisted with matters such as initial public offerings, bank loan approvals, land acquisitions and other business interests.

The court said Tang received bribes totaling 137 million yuan (about $19.7 million), describing the amount as “particularly high” and noting that his actions caused “extremely serious damage” to the interests of the state and the public.

Despite the severity of the offence, the court cited mitigating factors, including Tang’s confession after his arrest, expression of remorse, guilty plea and cooperation with investigators.

President Xi Jinping has led an extensive anti-corruption campaign since taking power in 2012, a drive that has resulted in the prosecution of numerous high-ranking officials. Critics argue the campaign has also been used to remove potential political rivals.

Tang is the latest former justice minister to be convicted. In 2022, Fu Zhenghua was found guilty of corruption and initially sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, later commuted to life imprisonment.

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Chinese authorities also announced last month the launch of an anti-corruption investigation into Zhang Youxia, one of the country’s most powerful generals, making him the highest-ranking military figure targeted in decades.

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Man arrested in connection with h@ng!ng d£ath of Mississippi mother of four

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A 51-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the d£ath of Tasia Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four whose body was found h@ng!ng from a tree behind an abandoned home in Jackson, Mississippi.

Jackson police identified the suspect as Jacques Ratliff, who was arrested on Friday after officers executed search and arrest warrants in connection with the case.

The arrest came a day after the Mississippi State Medical Examiner officially classified Fortune’s d£ath as a h0m!cide.

Police Chief RaShall Brackney said Ratliff had an “association” with Fortune but declined to disclose the nature of their relationship. She also said the investigation remains active and that additional arrests are expected.

Fortune’s mother, Christy Spivey, said she broke down in tears after learning of the arrest, but noted that the family still has unanswered questions about the motive and evidence that led investigators to Ratliff.

Spivey last saw her daughter on July 26 during a family reunion in Kentucky, shortly before Fortune returned to Mississippi.

Fortune’s case has drawn national attention, partly because two other h@ng!ng d£aths occurred in Mississippi within the past year. Authorities ruled both those cases suicides.

Fortune, who had lived in Jackson for about 10 years after moving from Kentucky, was remembered by relatives as a religious, intelligent and athletic woman.

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Ekiti CP orders probe as man allegedly kills wife during marital dispute

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The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged killing of a 25-year-old woman, Kehinde Onizeokaraga, by her husband, Sodiq Ibrahim, during a marital dispute in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Ibrahim, a meat seller, allegedly attacked his wife with a machete during an attempt to resolve their marital disagreement on Wednesday.

Sources who spoke about the incident on Thursday said the couple, who hailed from Kogi State, had been experiencing domestic challenges before the disagreement reportedly culminated in the fatal attack.

One of the sources said the deceased had previously left her husband’s home following what was described as irreconcilable differences between the couple.

The source said, “I am aware they had issues in the marriage to the extent that the lady had left the man’s house due to some irreconcilable differences.

“But recently, there were efforts by the suspect to resolve the issue with her, which the deceased was not comfortable with.”

The disagreement reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation during which Ibrahim allegedly attacked Kehinde repeatedly with a machete, inflicting severe injuries that led to her death.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene after the incident and remained at large as of Thursday.

The deceased’s body was said to have been deposited in a mortuary.

A cousin to the deceased, Yussuf Lawrence, said the family was devastated by the incident and appealed to the police and other relevant authorities to intensify efforts to apprehend the suspect.

Lawrence said the killing occurred during an attempt by some individuals to mediate in the couple’s marital dispute.

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He said, “While Kehinde was preparing to leave Ado Ekiti, she was invited to the residence of her father’s friend, who they said wanted to see her. Kehinde went to the residence on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be present.

“An attempt to resolve the couple’s marital disagreement subsequently degenerated into the fatal attack.”

Lawrence alleged that some persons had been taken into police custody in connection with the incident, although Ibrahim was still at large.

He also alleged that Ibrahim fled with Kehinde’s mobile phone, which he said the family believed could contain information that might assist the police in their investigation.

“We want Sadiq (Ibrahim) to be found and arrested. We want justice for Kehinde. Her parents are in pain, and my family is in serious agony. She didn’t deserve this,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, said the Commissioner of Police had ordered a thorough investigation.

“The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice,” Abutu said.

Source: punchng.com

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Crime

Apapa Customs intercept N43.58bn drugs, expired goods

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The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, said it had seized 13 containers of hard drugs and expired goods with a total duty-paid value of N43.58bn.

Addressing journalists at the command while showcasing the seized containers, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, explained that the contents fell into three categories: “narcotics and controlled pharmaceuticals, security-sensitive equipment, and expired goods intended for human use.”

“The total duty-paid value of the seizures is N43.58bn,” Adeniyi said.

Giving details of the seizure, he said a 40-foot container with registration number HAMU 3086682 was carrying 4,777 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 2,388.5kg, packed in two cartons, 48 jumbo bags and 40 drums, alongside assorted automobile spare parts, one carton of coffee mix, eight cartons of oats and three vehicles.

He added that another 40ft container with registration number FANU 1933352 was carrying 8,287 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 4,145kg, packed in 162 bags and three vehicles.

The CGC pointed out that a 20ft container with registration number MSKU 3941778 was intercepted with 2,181 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 1,090.5kg, packed in five cartons, 148 bags of foreign parboiled rice, assorted automobile spare parts, two boxes of lithium batteries, one carton of PV combiner box, 19 cartons of turmeric, 33 cartons of mangala fish and 11 cartons of butterfly fish.

“Others include a 40ft container with registration number TCKU 7653306 carrying 1,700 cartons containing 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup, concealed under household items.

“Another container with registration number MSKU 9282528 was carrying two cartons containing 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones, extracted from the container. A 40ft container with registration number MRKU 6185100 conveying 425 bales of used clothing. A 40ft container with registration number SEKU 4685299 was carrying 422 bales of used clothing,” he said.

Adeniyi said the command also intercepted five containers loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.

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He emphasised that the three narcotics containers together were carrying 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg, while the used clothing amounted to 1,282 bales.

Adeniyi warned that the abuse of prohibited substances like codeine among young Nigerians had been a national concern for years, adding that its connection to violent conduct, family breakdown and the loss of productive lives was well documented.

According to him, a single container of this size would have supplied the trade for a considerable period. He said the cannabis interceptions resulted from inter-agency work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, supported by intelligence from international security partners.

Adeniyi added that the service also extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from an intercepted container.

“Drones have lawful uses, and the service has no quarrel with them. But equipment of this kind, in the wrong hands, becomes a means of surveillance, of reconnaissance and of delivery, and our security agencies have already met it in that role in the field,” he stressed.

He maintained that consignments of security-sensitive equipment arriving without necessary documents would be detained. “Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country,” Adeniyi warned.

He disclosed that the seized items would be handed over to the relevant narcotics agencies for further action and closure.

Source: punchng.com

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