Afrotower24News

Two University Of Ghana Students Jailed 5 Years For Leaking Nudes

Desmond Appleton and Elvin Nana Kofi Boakye Agyeman

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced two university students to a total of five years in jail for publishing nude pictures of a 14-year-old girl on the Internet.
Desmond Appleton and Elvin Nana Kofi Boakye Agyeman (both students of the University of Ghana) were sentenced by the court, presided over by Mrs. Abena Oppong Adjin-Doku, to 36 months and 24 months respectively.
They were charged with four counts of conspiracy, procurement of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and publication of child pornography.

Before pronouncing their sentence, the presiding judge remarked that the conduct of the accused persons was very bad and could attract a maximum sentence but for the plea of mitigation by their counsel and also for the fact the they were first offenders and students, she was giving them the minimum custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent to other persons.
The facts of the case are that in January 2017, Boakye visited the school of the victim to sell branded T-shirts and in the process struck an acquaintance with her.
They started communicating on telegram, a social media platform and in the process Boakye convinced the victim to send him her nude videos and photographs which she did.
Elvin Boakye subsequently sent the nude videos and its screenshots to Desmond Appleton, who is his friend.
In April 2017, Desmond Appleton also started chatting with the victim on telegram and threatened that if she failed to send him more of her nude photographs and videos, he would leak those he already had online.
Out of fear, the victim obliged and took 10 photographs of her nude which she sent to Appleton.
Appleton continued to demand more pictures, but the victim refused and uninstalled the application in order to avoid future communication with the two perverts.
On July 16, 2020, mother of the victim had a phone call from a teacher of the victim and informed her of the leaked video of her daughter on empressleak.com and ghdownload.com.
The prosecuting officers said when the victim was interviewed, she confirmed that the leaked video was the same video Desmond Appleton had sent to her and demanded more else he would publish those he already had online.
A complaint was then lodged with the Cyber Crime Unit at the CID Headquarters.
They said police investigations led to the arrest of Appleton and Boakye and during interrogation, it was established that Boakye had the photograph and video from the victim and transferred them to Appleton.
The prosecuting said forensic examinations showed the threatened text messages from Appleton’s phone to the victim, and nude photographs of the victim.
Evidence also revealed some young girls who had fallen victims by some other suspects using the same modus operandi

Source: Daily Guide

We can’t kill one another in the name of fighting for political power – Arms Commission

The Arms commission says the police must deal with all perpetrators in accordance with the law

The National Commission on Small Arms and Light Weapon has expressed concern over the spate of gun violence that has characterised the ongoing voter registration exercise.

In a media release signed by its Board Chairman, Rev. Prof. Paul Frimpong Manso, the commission said news of knife attacks, gun violence and shooting incidences in areas such as Banda Ahenkro, the Asutifi South Constituency, Kasoa among others is a worrisome trend, to say the least.

According to the commission, it had from the commencement of the registration exercise entreated political parties to encourage their teeming supporters to go out and register peacefully and not provoke each other.

However, the Arms commission noted that recent events taking place now appear to confirm that the Chairman’s advice may have fallen on deaf ears.

The Commission, thus, reiterated its call on political parties to ensure they see each other as partners in development and rather promote peace, tolerance and dialogue, powerful means that can be used to enhance the nation’s democracy, and also advance Ghana’s socio-economic development.

The commission also called on the Ghana Police Service to be even-handed and to avoid any partisan approach which can have serious repercussions for the collective peace and security of the nation.

An appeal was also made to the Police to deal with perpetrators by the law without fear or favour.

Read the commissions release below

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Tamale Teaching Hospital Pharmacy produces chlorine from common salt

Bottles of the locally produced chlorine

The Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has taken another giant step towards infection prevention and control by producing chlorine for use at the facility and other health institutions.

The TTH Pharmacy Manufacturing Team began on-site generation of liquid chlorine, the first of its kind in the country, and the approach has yielded overwhelming success since its inception in April, this year.

Dr Hamidu Abdulai, Director of Pharmacy at TTH, who announced this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale, said several quality control tests conducted by the Pharmacy Manufacturing Team had consistently proven the high quality of the chlorine being produced.

He said since April the TTH had produced and supplied liquid chlorine to various units and departments through its collaboration with Aqua Research LLC.

Key amongst these units are the COVID-19 isolation, treatment and testing centres, Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Intensive Care Unit, laboratories, theatres and wards, where the product was used for fumigation.

He said besides the economic benefit of on-site generated chlorine to the TTH, in terms of its affordability and sustainability, users of the product including nurses, midwives, doctors and cleaners had attested to its potency, effectiveness and convenience.

Chlorine is a strong and widely used disinfectant for deactivating pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water, swimming pools and wastewater, for disinfection of household area, health care institutions and laundry.

The World Health Organization recognises chlorine as a key disinfectant in infection prevention and control, especially at health care institutions, and liquid chlorine is also used for decontamination of surgical equipment, medical devices, instruments, bodily fluids and blood spills, and for disinfection of patient care areas.

Following the Ebola Pandemic in Africa from 2014 to 2016, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended a chlorine concentration of 0.4 per cent to 0.5% (4,000 to 5,000 mg/l) to be used in health care settings for surface cleaning where it is not directly exposed to skin.

For washing or rinsing hands, the CDC recommended a concentration of 500 mg/l, and studies have shown that chlorine used for surface cleaning results in 99.9% or greater kill of viruses and bacteria.

The GNA gathered that the TTH’s on-site generator system produced liquid chlorine as mixed oxidant solution at a concentration of 5,000 mg/l through the electrolysis of sodium chloride (Brine), and the system unit was capable of producing 4.8 litres of liquid chlorine per hour and would operate continuously as long as salt and water are available.

The mixed oxidant solution included chlorine as sodium hypochlorite but also small amounts of hydrogen peroxide, and this combination made it more effective as a disinfectant than just sodium hypochlorite at 0.8%.

Dr Abdulai said TTH was working hard with support of its Board Chairman, Mr Nasirdeen Mahmoud to expand production to fully meet the demand of the institution and that of other health institutions, public and private facilities.

The TTH Pharmacy Manufacturing Team had also produced alcohol-based hand sanitisers, which are being used at the facility and by the public to keep themselves safe from the Coronavirus pandemic. GNA

Source: GNA

Limann Hall elections:Rigging issue finalised

by Yaw Glover

File photo of Dr.Hillan Limann’s Statue(A former president of Ghana) found in the Hilla Limann Hall.

It’s been two months since a viral audio and communique purported to involve students of Hilla Limann hall of the University of Ghana got into the public domain through platforms of the University of Ghana.This called the attention of the management of the hall,through the JCR executives which led to an online meeting between the students involved as well as other aspirants and and the electoral body of the Hall.According to a statement released by the management of the hall on 21st July 2020 the person known to have shared the audio had previously recorded it to serve evidential purposes.Miss Lilian Korkor thereby indicated in the investigation taken by management that, she had no ill intention behind the sharing of the audio.

According to the statement,there was to be a merger between Mr. Enmanuel Innocent Abagba who is an aspiring JCR presidential candidate of the Hall and Miss Lilian Kokor Tetteh, another presidential aspirant and this meeting was organised by Mr.David Quaye who was the campaign manager of Ms. Lilian Tetteh.According the statement,Ms.Lilian Tetteh released the audio when she had a hint that her previous pair was planning to merge with another aspirant.She thereby indicated that the recording was sent to her new manager,Mr.Richard Oduro (Also a resident of the hall) as an evident which was also sent to another aspirant which gradually ended it up in the public domain.

The hall management also found the said group not guilty of any attempt to rig the elections per the evidence provided.Moreover they used the statement to refute other claims in the audio which said they are in support of a particular aspirant.

Futhermore, Mr.Peter Kofi Kelson Aikins(JCR President of the Hall) and Miss Lilian Korkor Tetteh had rendered apologies and the Hall management had assured the hall membership that it is neutral and ready to support free and fair elections in the Hall.

Below is the statement released by the hall management >>>>

Akufo-Addo flies to Mali Thursday despite border closure

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be flying out of Ghana for the first time in almost four months to Mali ever since the borders were closed due to the novel COVID-19.

Akufo-Addo will be in Bamako to help with mediation processes due to political crisis in Mali. He is expected to join his colleague presidents from Senegal (Macky Sall), Ivory Coast (Alassane Ouattara), and Niger (Mahamadou Issoufou).

Confirming Thursday’s travel, information minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said on GTV’s Ask the Minister show that Akufo-Addo “will be going to Bamako in Mali. The AU has requested him to go there to help with challenges they have there to share his leadership skills to help bring peace.”

They are expected to try the latest leg of mediation between counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the main opposition protest movement – M5-RFP who are calling for Keita’s resignation.

The most recent regional intervention included the deployment of a former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, who met all parties involved. The protesters, however, rejected the call for a unity government.

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has been appointed a special envoy by the regional Economic Community for West African States, ECOWAS; to help mediate in Mali’s political crisis.

GEJ – as he is known back home – is expected to mediate between the embattled president Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta, opposition leaders, civil society actors as well as other major stakeholders as the crisis continues to deepen.

His appointment was announced by Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, chairperson of the ECOWAS commission. The bloc has last month dispatched a mission to meet with President Keita.

Protests by an opposition umbrella group got to a head late last week extending through the weekend as protesters reignited calls for the president to resign. Their demands are centered on mainly insecurity and disputed elections.

Recent protests led to the loss of four lives as police clashed with people in the streets. The state broadcaster was attacked as was the parliament – the latter was looted. The ruling party offices was also attacked.

The president has since reiterated his call for dialogue with the opposition and also took the move of dissolving the Constitutional Court – which action seems to have done little to appease the protesters.

Source: Daily Mail

Kasoa shooting: ‘Resign honourably for being dishonourable’ – Rev Asante

National Peace Council Chairman, Rev. Prof Emmanuel Asante

The Minister of Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, who is also the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East (Kasoa) must resign for acting dishonourably at a registration centre in her constituency by pulling a gun and firing warning shots, Rev. Prof Emmanuel Asante has said.

The minister admitted on Monday that she fired the warning shots that marred the voter registration exercise at Kasoa.

She said she took a gun to the centre for personal protection in her attempt to stop the parliamentary candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Phyllis Naa Koryoo, from busing aliens to the area to register.

“None of my men carried guns to the centre”, she told Accra-based Adom FM, adding: “I fired the warning shots myself”.

“I’m a Member of Parliament, I need to protect myself. It was at dawn; my police escort had not started work yet. So, that is the modus operandi I engaged in his absence”, she said.

There was confusion at the Step To Christ registration centre during the voter registration exercise on Monday, 20 July 2020, when heavily-muscled gun-wielding men stormed the premises to disrupt the exercise.

Officials of the Electoral Commission took to their heels when the men, numbering about 15, ransacked the place.

According to eyewitnesses, this led to a scuffle and pandemonium as the live bullets wrung into the air.

At least, three motorbikes were burnt in the mayhem.

Speaking in his personal capacity rather than for the National Peace Council, which he chairs, Prof Asante described the incident as “very very very worrying”.

“I saw this very late last night before I slept and really, I was disturbed about the whole thing”, he told Benjamin Akakpo in an interview on Class91.3FM’s Executive Breakfast Show on Tuesday, 21 July 2020.

“Why? For the simple reason that we have an honourable minister, an honourable member of parliament also, and I believe that she’s also the NPP’s parliamentary candidate for Awutu Senya East Constituency. We would expect that such honourable people would provide leadership, no matter the provocation”, he explained.

“And, for her to have said that she felt threatened, so, she pulled a gun and fired it and created chaos in that place; what if, in pulling the gun, others, whoever the detractors may be, even if they were around, … also pulled a gun? What would have happened?” he asked.

Prof Asante wondered if “pulling a gun” was the “only option” the minister and MP had under the circumstances.

“Even if her bodyguard was not around, couldn’t she have gone to the police station to inform the police about what was happening? As far as I’m concerned, it cannot be justified in any sense”, he said.

“She should do the honourable thing, and for me, resign”, Prof Asante demanded.

Apart from that, he said the “police must also investigate the matter and let the law take its course for that matter, especially, the context within which this was done – in a situation where tension is rising and we’re doing all we can, people from different angles are doing all they can to ensure that there would be peace and tranquility in what we are doing; we will not expect our leaders, honourable people to do things of this nature”.

“We expect our honourable people to do honourable things, not dishonourable things”, he added.

“If I’m an honourable person and I’ve done a thing of this nature, then I need to sit back and consider what I have to do. As for her being a minister, can she still maintain that dignity of an office? This is the thing”.

Beyond asking for her resignation and the police taking her on, Prof Asante said Parliament must also sanction the MP for her “dishonorable” action.

“Parliament must also have a say on such matters. Parliament cannot sit down and think that parliamentarians can do whatever they like and there will be no sanctions whatsoever. I would think that parliament, the executives, the speakers and all the leadership of parliament, will have something to say to this person because she brings the name of parliament into disrepute by her action. I mean, so, in any panicky situation, you pull a gun and shoot it? If an ordinary citizen does that, what is going to happen?

Source: Class FM

Sex for Grades: Ghanaian graduates recount being sexually abused by same lecturer

File photo

A year after an explosive expose? by BBC Africa Eye detailing how lecturers in some universities in West Africa sexually harassed their students, two more victims have come out to share stories of how they got trapped in the cycle.

In Nigeria, the senate has passed tough new legislation to crack down on the abusers who were found guilty. The BBC reports that the investigation was only possible thanks to the testimonies of those who survived sexual harassment.

In an attempt to get more victims to come out, Kiki Mordi, the investigative journalist who exposed some lecturers while undercover at some universities in Ghana and Nigeria, initiated a beading session with two former students who have been victimised.

The victims, Tiffany and Superwoman (not their real names) who wore a face mask each while their voices were doctored to protect their identity, disclosed that they had been abused by the same lecturer.

Narrating how abusive lecturers operate, they noted that in their case, the lecturer came across as someone who was caring like a father but later capitalized on the vulnerability to sexually abuse them.

To keep them in a closed loop, the lecturer appointed them as representatives of his course making it impossible for them to evade him.

“I was also made course rep actually, he can call you and say I need you in my office to pick up this assignment and send to your mates and I genuinely ask, is there anybody else in the office and then he says yes my assistant is here or some of your colleagues are here only for you to get there and there is no one there,” one of the ladies narrated.

They narrated that the lecturer passed them on to other lecturers after having his way. According to them they couldn’t resist the others because they were “emotionally blackmailed.”

Responding to why they did not report their ordeal to school authorities, Tiffany and Superwoman intimated that whenever they did, they were told to provide solid and substantive proof since the reputations of their predators were at stake.

The ladies revealed that all efforts to get evidence of their encounters proved futile since the lecturer disarms them of their phones and digital gadgets before having his way.

“This is someone that when you go to his office, you can’t even touch your phone. If you touch your phone is an issue so you can never at any point have physical evidence that he said this to me…” Tiffany told Kiki.

At a point the victims had to miss class or drop the courses because of the sexual advances which later had effects on their academics and general wellbeing.

According to them, the university’s system crippled their efforts to get their concerns heard as the disciplinary committees rather blamed them for their choice of fashion. They were worried that the lecturer did not face any sanctions after several reports.

It is, however, unclear if the lecturer talked about in the video was among any of the lecturers who was implicated in the sex for grades documentary.

Watch the Video below>>>

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

fired the gunshots myself – Hon.Hawa Koomson admits shooting at a registration centre

Hawa Koomson, MP for Awutu Senya East

Mavis Hawa Koomson, the MP for the Awutu Senya East, says she fired a gun at a voters registration centre in her constituency.

“None of my men had guns on then when we got to the centre. I fired the shots myself,” the MP, who is also Special Development Initiatives Minister, told Adom FM.

She added that the gunshot was a way of protecting herself at the registration centre since her police escort had not started working that day.

The MP indicated she went to the place because she heard her opponent had bussed people from other places to the registration centre.

“I’m a Member of Parliament, I need to protect myself. It was at dawn, my police escort had not started work yet. So that is a mechanism I have adopted in his absence,” she said.

On Monday the Kasoa Peace Town Top Hill Down polling station was closed down by the officials of the Electoral Commission after gun-wielding men stormed the premises.

Some armed men of the MP numbering about 15 arrived at the registration centre around 8 am and tried to sack some prospective voters.

The NDC Parliamentary Candidate Naa Koryoo Okunor then accused the sitting MP of being the mastermind.

Meanwhile, the police say four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Girl, 21 shoots Police officer to death

The culprit shot the officer for reasons yet to be known

The Tesano Police Command has arrested a 21-year-old lady for allegedly shooting a Police officer at Chantan a suburb of Acrra.

The suspect, Shakira Nasir, who is said to be a sister of the deceased was reported to have shot Constable Abdul Rashid in cold blood leaving many surprised.

Abubakar Habibatu, a younger sister of the deceased officer who reported the case to the Police indicated that she was in the house when she heard a gun shot from her brother’s room only to rush in and saw her brother lying unconsciously in a pool of blood.

The deceased Abdul Rashid, with service No.54286 PC of C.T.U. HQRS ACCRA was pronounced dead upon arrival at Lapaz Community hospital and his body has since been deposited at the Police Hospital Morgue for preservation and autopsy.

The Tesano Police commander and team per their initial investigation explained that the family told them the deceased is living with the younger sister Shakira Nasir aged 21 years in a family house in Chantan near Abeka Lapaz.

The younger sister of the deceased alleged that yesterday at about 12.40pm she was in the room together with the deceased when the deceased dressed up for work, he then asked Shakirah Nasir to pick his side arm gun from the table and in the process of handing over same to the deceased, it went off accidentally and hit the back of the deceased leading to his death.

Source: kingdomfmonline.com

Six months in Benin: Ghanaian student speaks about shrines, voodoo, education

File photo:A voodoo shrine in Benin

Often, we hear of weird stories about places, people, and past events but as to whether these are factual, we really cannot tell. One of such unbelievable tales is the old and famous legendary international soccer game between Ghana and India.

The story suggests Ghana suffered a humiliating defeat of 99 goals to one because anytime the Indian side got hold of the ball, it turned into a lion and frightened the Ghanaian players and goalkeeper. We hear of these stories and they seem to as like fictions but it could be that some are real.

In today’s episode of the Study Abroad Series, we take you to the Republic of Benin, the West African country renowned for spiritual prowess. In fact, we are told, the most powerful fetish priests and shrines in Africa are based in Benin and anytime voodoo is mentioned, the country comes to mind. Voodoo Day is one of the biggest annual religious festivals celebrated by the Beninese.

Benin fetish priests are alleged to have the power to make people rich through rituals but the irony is, the country itself is still underdeveloped and depends largely on agriculture for its economic growth.

For the past weeks, Benin was trending on social media in Ghana for some strange reasons. Twitter trends had it that, some 77 Ghanaian folks who decided to go to Benin for money rituals were told by the fetish priest that 7 out of the number would be used as sacrifice to get the remaining 70 rich.

Actually, the trend followed an audio believed to be from one of the ritualists who became frightened and regretted embarking on the dreadful journey.

Now, away from that, imagine going to the market to shop for foodstuff only to see idols erected on the stalls, standing right on top of or beside the products. This is one of the encounters of Sheila Nortey in Benin as shared with vlogger, Selorm Helen.

Sheila just completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Education, Winneba. Before completion of school, she had to travel to Benin to do her compulsory exchange programme in French, as a language student.

What was supposed to be an educational visit, turned out to be an adventurous and fun-filled journey. Apart from the great education she and her colleagues experienced in Benin, Sheila tells us the six-month stay in the French-speaking country has been an “eye-opener” and full of discoveries.

Among places, she and her mates toured were shrines of snakes where people troop in daily to seek for protection and other spiritual help. “We visited the shrine of snakes in Ouidah. There were snakes as old as 50 years and we were told they feed them with meat,” she disclosed.

She also dismissed the assertion that Beninese are scammers and ritualists saying “they are friendly people and like having fun.”

Watch the video below >>>>

Source: Helen Selorm, Contributor