Tag: Crime

  • Gov. Soludo confirms beheading of lawmaker, stakes N10m reward

    Gov. Soludo confirms beheading of lawmaker, stakes N10m reward

    Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra has condemned the killing and beheading of Mr Okechukwu Okoye, a member of the state House of Assembly and Director of his campaign organisation, Mr Cyril Chiegboka.

    The heads without (trunks) of Okoye and Chiegboka were discovered around Chisco park junction in Amichi, Nnewi South Local Government Area on Saturday.

    Okoye, representing Aguata 1 State Constituency and Chiegboka, were abducted on May 15 by yet to be identified persons.

    Okoye hailed from Isuofia in Aguate LGA, the same community as Soludo.

    Soludo expressed sadness over the gruesome deaths and vowed to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to book.

    He promised N10 million reward for any person or group who would give credible information that could lead to the arrest of the murderers.

    According to a statement by Mr Christian Aburime, Chief Press Secretary to Soludo, Soludo received with shock and deep sadness the news of the gruesome murder of Okechukwu Okoye, member representing Aguata II Constituency at the State House of Assembly and his aide, Cyril Chiegboka.

    “Gov Soludo condoles with his kinsmen of Isuofia, noting that it is probably the same criminal gang that attacked him and killed three policemen at Isuofia two years ago that are once again on the prowl.

    ” But they can never cow down Isuofia Community and Anambra State.

    “Gov. Soludo, still in shock over the barbaric acts against his two kinsmen, vowed that the perpetrators, as well as all criminals operating in Anambra, must be decisively brought to book.

    “The Governor has consequently placed an N10 million reward for anyone or group that will avail valuable information that will lead to the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of this dastardly act,” he said.

    Soludo said his administration would make Anambra uncomfortable for criminal elements in no distant time.

    He assured citizens and residents of Anambra of the government’s resolve and renewed determination with the security agencies to go all out against the criminals and ensure they are brought to justice.

    “Anambra will win against the forces of darkness, I urge Anambra people to brace up for the all-out war against the criminals”.

  • FACTCHECK: Did Hushpuppi commit fresh $400,000 fraud from US prison?

    FACTCHECK: Did Hushpuppi commit fresh $400,000 fraud from US prison?

    Nigerian Abbas Ramon arrested for fraud by the FBI in 2020.

    The media was awash with news on Thursday that a popular Nigerian Instagram celebrity Abbas Ramon, also known as Hushpuppi, who is currently in US detention over fraud charges had laundered over $400k from prison.

    The circulated document had claimed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation through its agent Andrew John Innocenti, presented documents before the United States District Court of California on Wednesday with fresh evidence indicting Hushpuppi for fraud.

    It accused the celebrity of committing fraud and money laundering of Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit cards fraudulently obtained from stolen data of US citizens and residents while in detention.

    The document further said that US prosecutors informed the court that inmates were allowed limited access to phone calls, video calls, the internet and computers without monitoring, adding that Hushpuppi also enjoyed this privilege like other inmates.

    HOW TRUE IS THIS CLAIM?

    There is no legal prohibition against restricting inmates’ telephone privileges and federal courts have held that inmates have a First Amendment right to some level of telephone access.

    The court of appeals for the ninth circuit held that pre-trial detainees and prisoners retain no statutory or constitutional right to privacy in their outgoing phone calls.

    Companies such as JPay and Securtech install and maintain phones and kiosks in prisons for the inmates to use, but these systems are monitored. According to law, the only one type of communication exempted from monitoring are those with an attorney (attorney client privilege).

    Although, the content of the document on Thursday claims to have “new information involving Abbas”, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, which filed the initial fraud case against Abbas said it did not file any new charge.

    The Director of Media Relations, United States Attorney’s Office (Los Angles) Thom Mrozek, in an inquiry sent by PremiumTimes on Thursday, distanced both the attorney-general’s office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from the fresh allegations against the Instagram celebrity.

    In addition, an American cybercrime expert Gary Warner, said some scammers were behind the viral report which is a doctored version of a June 2020 affidavit, adding that the edited document was intended to get people to visit a scammer website.

    VERDICT

    The circulated document alleging fresh fraud case against Hushpuppi is fake and intended to draw traffic to a scammer EIP website.

  • How gruesome murder of Bamise raises fresh concerns in Nigeria ranked 16th most dangerous country to live in

    How gruesome murder of Bamise raises fresh concerns in Nigeria ranked 16th most dangerous country to live in

     

    The gruesome murder of 22-year-old Oluwabamise Ayanwole inside a commercial bus operated by Primero Transport Services Limited under the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos State has raised fresh security concerns about the spate of disappearances and killings in Nigeria, ranked as the 16th most dangerous country in the world based on 23 different indicators, including political terror, deaths from internal conflict, and murder rate.

    According to a report, between January 5th and December 28th, 2021, more than 185 ritual-related deaths have been recorded across twenty (20) States in the country.

    After the close of work on Saturday, February 26th, Ayanwole, the last of ten children born to her parents, reportedly boarded a BRT around Chevron Bus-stop, in the Lekki area of the state. The bus was coming from Ajah and heading towards Oshodi and she had thought to continue her trip to Idimu to spend the weekend with her elder brother, Pelumi Caleb when she met her untimely death. Her body was discovered a week later after it was dumped along the road.

    Before her death, Ayanwole became suspicious after joining the empty dark bus at minutes past 7 pm when the driver refused to pick up other passengers. She confided in one of her friends, a colleague from work and expressed her fears, making both audio and video recordings that eventually help to identify the particular bus she had boarded, as the number of the bus was inscribed at an angle inside the bus.

    The Police said her corpse was later found lying on the Carter Bridge by Ogogoro Community, Lagos Island, but eyewitnesses said Ayanwole was still alive as at the time she was thrown out of the moving bus, with her lower region exposed. Her family has also claimed that her death was ritually motivated, alleging that certain parts of her body were missing, but the Police has countered the claim of body parts missing.

    Meanwhile, a magistrate court in Yaba has ordered that the arrested driver of the bus, Andrew Nice Omininikoron, be remanded in prison until April 11. No other suspect has been named in connection with the murder even though Ayanwole had hinted to her friend that the driver later picked two other men and one woman.

    “The police and the Department of State Service (DSS) picked up the driver, who ran to another state, where he was arrested. The full wrath of the law will be applied to whoever is found wanting in this matter and we will ensure the incident does not repeat itself,” Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu said.

    Ayanwole’s murder is certainly not the first to occur in the State this year and becomes the fifth viral case of suspected ritual killings in the country since 2022. In January, operatives of the Lagos State Police Command had arrested one 32-year-old man identified as Afeez Olalere, during a stop-and-search operation along Itamaga, Ikorodu Road, in Lagos for conniving with his mother to kill his 21-year-old brother for rituals.

    “My mother took me to a herbalist who told me if I want to be successful in the yahoo business, I will have to sacrifice one life and that person must be a sibling to me. The things he would need to prepare a concoction with are his thumbs, his hair, fingers and a passport photograph,” he confessed.

    Olalere, a suspected internet fraudster, who was in possession of his brother’s head and other body parts which he served from the body when he was arrested by the Police said his mother suggested that they use his younger brother since he was only 21 years old and she provided the poison which was used to lace his food.

    While the country reeled from the shock of this confession, the homicide of Sofiat Kehinde and Jennifer Anthony, both 20-years-old in separate events in Ogun and Plateau States by their lovers made news and it was discovered that parts of their bodies were also mutilated for the purpose of getting rich quick.

    Kehinde’s 18-year-old lover, Soliu Majekodunmi, confessed he killed her with the assistance of three of his friends, cut off her head and burnt it because they wanted to ride exotic cars and live in luxury apartments. Anthony’s killer, Moses Oko, was arrested on January 11 in Benue State where he fled to escape justice and now feigns to be mentally unstable as he faces trial.

    Another suspected ritual killer, Timothy Odeniyi, 35, was arrested by men of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo State, for being in possession of fresh human parts which he was to deliver to his “boss” in Lagos state in exchange for N30 million.

    Although Odeniyi claimed he did not kill anyone but only harvested the parts from a dead body at a cemetery, the Commander of Amotekun Corps in the state, Akogun Adeleye, said the suspect killed an unidentified man, severed his body parts and buried his remains in a shallow grave.

    “We want to intimate the public on the need to be very careful. Of late, the trend is shifting gradually from daily kidnapping to ritual killings. The public should be careful of the craze to make money by these young men,” Adeleye warned.

    In the meantime, two young ladies – Miracle Omeh and Temitope Abiodun Omisina – have been reported missing since last month. Omisina reportedly travelled to Ibadan and was returning to Lagos on the night of Thursday, February 17th, 2022 but has not returned home, while Omeh went missing on Saturday, February 12th 2022 after she went to visit a relation at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and their whereabouts remain unknown.

    On March 8th, 28-year-old Ifeanyi Anigbo, a first-class alumnus of the Pan-Atlantic University was declared missing. He was reportedly last seen on Wednesday, March 2nd around the Catholic Church of the Annunciation, Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah Lagos.

    The never-ending spate of ritual killings in the country has sent shivers to Nigerians, who are now very worried even as Nigeria is ranked as the 16th most dangerous country to live in.

    While Nigerians join their friends and families to pray for their safe return, the House of Representatives has called for measures to beef up security and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on ritual killings in the country.

  • 35-year-old commercial sex worker killed by customer

    35-year-old commercial sex worker killed by customer

    Unknown men have killed a 35-year-old commercial sex worker identified as Ladi Anndu at Hadejia Local Government Area of Jigawa State.

    According to a resident, the lady was discovered in her room at Gandun Sarki quarters in the pool of her blood.

    He said the killers, suspected to be her customers, used knife to slit the victim’s throat.

    Police spokesman in the state, ASP Lawan Shiisu Adam, confirmed the incident on Sunday.

    According to him, the incident occurred on 26/02/2022, at about 2030hrs.

    He said after police received the report, a team of policemen rushed to the scene and the victim was taken to hospital for emergency treatment.

    Shiisu added that the victim, however, gave up the ghost while receiving treatment and was confirmed dead by a medical doctor.

    He said scissors with blood stain was recovered at the scene as an exhibit.

    The police spokesman said the case is under investigation while effort is on to arrest suspects.

  • Omokri in awe over Kyari’s treatment when connected to crimes

    Omokri in awe over Kyari’s treatment when connected to crimes

    A former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, Reno Omokri, on Monday was completely in awe, as he wonders why the former head of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, DCP Abba Kyari, is too big for President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

    Omokri recalled in a tweet on Monday that “Under President Obasanjo, Nuhu Ribadu was arrested and handcuffed. Tafa Balogun, the then Inspector General of Police, was arrested and handcuffed.

    “What is so special about DCP Abba Kyari that he is not yet in jail and is still even attending parties?”

    NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi at a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, chronicled how Kyari belonged to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug route.

    It would be recalled that Kyari was suspended over his alleged involvement with an international fraudster, Ramon Abass, popularly known as Hushpuppi.

    The former Intelligence Response Team, IRT, boss was alleged to have benefitted from a heist carried out by Hushpuppi and his gang in Dubai.

    He, however, denied involvement in Hushpuppi’s fraudulent activities.

    But in the latest development, NDLEA said there is evidence linking Kyari to a drug cartel that operates the Brazil-Ethiopia-Nigeria illicit drug pipeline.

    The agency later released a video linking the Police officer to the drug trafficking cartel, adding that the DCP needs to answer questions that came up in an ongoing drug case in which he is the principal actor.

    Kyari was admitted into Police Academy Wudil, Kano State in 2000, he graduated as cadet Assistance Superintendent of Police (ASP) and was posted to Adamawa State Police Command for his one-year mandatory attachment in Song Police Division.

    He was later deployed as Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) in Numan, Adamawa State, Kyari also served as Unit Commander 14 PMF Yola. He moved to Lagos State Police Command as 2 IC and later Officer-In-Charge of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

    Until the revelation of his engagement with the infamous alleged Nigerian fraudster (Ramon Abbas) popularly known as Hushpuppi who is currently facing charges of money laundering leveled against him by the United States Government that implicated kyari as a party in an international scheme to defraud Qatari school founder and then launder over 1.1million dollars in illicit proceeds that led to his suspension, Kyari was the head of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team in the Nigerian Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

    He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).

     

  • EFCC vows to clamp down on ‘Spiritual Yahoo Boys’

    EFCC vows to clamp down on ‘Spiritual Yahoo Boys’

    Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), says it will intensify efforts to clamp down on internet fraudsters, also known as ‘Yahoo boys’.

    In a post on Facebook, the EFCC said it has learnt that Yahoo boys now go spiritual, offering sacrifices and performing rituals. It, however, noted that its officers will come after all the internet fraudsters come what may.

    The post reads: “No going back on the onslaught against yahoo-yahoo or yahoo-plus, whatever nomenclature. Give up, or give in. The Eagle will get you anytime, anywhere! #Eagleseries57 #EFCC #stopyahooyahoonow.”

    Meanwhile, the EFCC also posted a photo that reads, “Yahoo boys now going Spiritual. Even doing money Ritual and making it the new Usual. We will come for those individual(s). Tell them, it won’t be business as usual.”

     

  • Marital Rape: An Exotic Idea, Joke or Crime?, By Michael West

    Marital Rape: An Exotic Idea, Joke or Crime?, By Michael West

    By Michael West

    Until last Tuesday, I didn’t know that Western society “crime” has found its way into our consciousness and as we speak, efforts are being geared towards making what is termed “marital rape” a crime in Nigeria. I would not feign ignorance of the law. It actually exist and it is actionable in the court of law in advanced countries; but applying such a law here is like courting trouble, at least, for a start.

     

    I was a member of a five-man panel at the symposium organized by the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, DSVA, held at Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, on Tuesday where “Factors and Triggers of Sexual and Gender Based Violence” were broached with the aim of “charting a way forward.” The well attended event was as engaging as the topic itself.

     

    A keynote address by Prof. Funmi Bammeke from the University of Lagos, really gave an overview of the entire scope of the issue at stake. Broadly articulated in a well illustrated PowerPoint presentation, Bammeke had actually watered the ground for us as panelists. Her analysis was scholarly empirical as it was practical and feasible enough to relate with. Adorned in colourful graphical description and highlights, Bammeke’s paper is lucid and helpful in tackling the scourge of sexual and gender based violence in our society.

     

    Of all the questions asked and discussed, the issue of “marital rape” caused a stir. It elicited laughter as much as it ignited passionate arguments by the proponents of the proposed law. In the course of discussion, a panelist, Ms. Halimat Oshun, proposed that to avoid ambiguity, “let’s remove ‘marital’ and then talk about the issue as rape.” How possible? Removing marital will simply classify the issue as a normal rape case which is not. The qualifying word there is “marital.” It makes all the difference.

     

    So, is it possible to rape one’s wife? Given our own environment, culture and society, will such charge fly at all? How will the case be established with facts and evidences in the law court? Is this a joke or something? Before I do justice to these questions, let’s have some background checks on what marital rape is all about.

     

    In the United States for instance, approximately 10 to 14 percent of married women are reportedly raped by their husbands; while about one third of women claim to have ‘unwanted sex’ with their partners. Since 2010, a study show that 9.4 percent of women have been raped by their intimate partners, and an estimated 16.9 percent of women and 8.0 percent of men have experienced sexual violence other than rape by intimate partners at some point in their lifetime.

     

    By definition, a spousal or marital rape takes place any time someone forces himself/herself on the other sexually without prior consent. This can be termed sexual assault or rape. Even if you’re married to or in a relationship with the person who is assaulting or raping you, this doesn’t make it any less “real.”

     

    Sexual assault in a relationship is not uncommon. Findings reveal that 43 percent of women had unwanted sex with a current spouse or partner because they thought it was their “duty”; 26 percent had it after the partner begged and pleaded with them; and nine percent had it after their partner verbally bully them into submission.

     

    The dignity of human being is her inalienable right of refusal and consent to sexual advances by her spouse or partner. It is expected and civil for your partner to listen to you and not intimidate or coerce you into consenting. Sexual abuse is a common form of domestic violence and one that many victims are often ashamed of or embarrassed to talk about.

     

    Historically, most rape statutes read that rape was forced sexual intercourse with a woman not your wife, thus granting husbands a license to rape. July 5, 1993, marital rape became a crime in all the states of the United States, under at least one section of the sexual offense codes. However, in 30 states, there are still some exemptions given to husbands from rape prosecution. In most of these 30 states, a husband is exempt when he does not have to use force because his wife is most vulnerable and she is unable to consent. In Nigeria, husbands are not captured as liable to committing marital rape. The provisions of Section 282(2) of the Penal Code clearly provides that: “Sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife is not rape, if she has attained puberty.” Simply put, the Penal Code, by virtue of this provision, has explicitly and conditionally created the marital exemption to the offence of rape. By implication, as a general rule, a man cannot be said to have raped his wife under the Penal Code. However, a qualifying clause has been attached to this subsection which states that: only “if she has not attained puberty.” This clearly implies that a husband will be guilty of raping his wife, only if he has a nonconsensual intercourse with such wife who has not attained puberty – which is akin to violating a minor or an adolescent.

     

    The idea of marital or spousal rape is alien to our clime. This is because our culture does not recognise or accord any right of refusal or violation to either of the couple when it comes to sexual intimacy; largely because violation is never envisaged as it is unthinkable that a case of rape could actually be established in marriage where sex is freely given and obtained without let or hindrance. The idea of “I’m not in the mood” is not African except if the spouse is sick or observing spiritual exercise.

     

    Besides, there’s the case of “reluctance” in sexual intimacy. This occurs when the unwilling partner yielded reluctantly maybe due to her mood, tiredness or during disagreement. She would allow sex without her active involvement which depicts “just satisfy your urge and let me be” kind of situation. This is very common in many homes. I don’t know if this kind of situation could qualify for a rape since the consent is partially. There’s another case of pressurising the partner to submission. This is different from begging or cajoling the partner to bed which is a more acceptable and dignified approach than applying force, verbal assault or pressure. I heard of cases where some men whipped their wives to bed for sex. A 45-year-old father of three gave his wife a hot slap and ordered her to bed immediately before she gets more slaps. All through the time the sexual encounter lasted, the woman was weeping. I know of a commercial bus driver in Lagos who used his belt to flog his wife whenever she refused to have sex with him. At the end of the day, everybody heaped the blame on the woman for refusing the entitlement of her husband. A food vendor in the neighborhood told the weeping woman that, “if you are not ready to accept slavery as part of marital life, you have no business getting married. Men don’t joke with sex at all. Whenever they ask for it, lay your grudge, anger or pains aside and respond to them, thereafter you can table your own case. You may be lucky that your man may attend to it and if not, you have to wait for another opportunity.” This is the sad reality of our society as far as marital sex is concerned. For me, I believe forceful sex is wrong even in marriage. Making overtures to your partner or cajoling her to submission is more dignified than force. However, it may be very difficult to prove a case of rape in marriage especially in Africa. Part of the process of establishing the case is medical examination to confirm if there’s forceful penetration in her private part. A married woman can’t measure the number of penetrations she has on daily or weekly basis that would determine her case. Even before she lodges the complaint, several penetrations could have happened over the days and nights thereby destroying evidence of any rape allegation against her man.

     

    As the man is entitled to unhindered access to his wife whenever he chooses to do so, likewise the woman can place such a demand on her man. But what obtains mostly in our clime is that the man is more demanding sexually not minding the mood or state of mind of his spouse let alone her consent. He sees it a given right and entitlement.

     

    West wrote via mikeawe@yahoo.co.uk

    08059964446

    08035304268

  • Why young Nigerians engage in crime – EFCC

    Why young Nigerians engage in crime – EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has presented a major reason why young Nigerians engage in criminal activities.

    According to the EFCC, when young Nigerians who engaged in crime are arrested, one major reason they give for going into the crime is peer influence.

    The EFCC declared this in Abuja on Wednesday, while saying that most frauds in the banking sector were perpetrated by insider Information, Communication Technology (ICT) employees.

    Mr Abbah Sambo, Head, Cybercrime Section of the EFCC, made the declaration at a national seminar on Banking and Allied Matters for judges.

    Sambo represented the EFCC chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa at the seminar.

    He said that most banking sector fraud handled by the commission showed that bank employees aided the acts.

    He also expressed regret at the increasing rate of cybercrime in spite of the best efforts by the commission to tackle it.

    Sambo observed that in year past, young people involved in cybercrime were not ICT savvy, but today, it is ICT graduates that are the champions in perpetrating the crime.

    He attributed the increase in cybercrime to moral decadence and peer group influence.

    “The rate at which young men are perpetrating cybercrime is seriously alarming.

    “When we arrest these criminals, one major reason they give for going into the crime is peer influence.

    “Their friends are into it and they want to run with guys that drive the best cars and have the best girls in town.

    “Most times when we arrest these criminals, we find them with a lot of assets that are registered in the names of their parents.

    “Cars in the names of their mothers and houses in the names of their fathers. There is a fundamental issue relating to decay in moral coverage in the society,’’ he said.

    Sambo said that the greatest challenge in fighting cybercrime was knowledge gap, noting that the criminals were getting more sophisticated.

    He said the criminals had the ability to talk to one other seamlessly by sharing knowledge, unlike law enforcement agencies.

    “A lot of the people trying to combat the crime in the field tend to lack the drive because they do not have the adequate training,’’ he said.

    He stressed the need for adequate sensitisation and engagement with youths, especially from secondary school level to let them know the ills of crime.

    The two-day seminar was organised by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria in collaboration with the National Judicial Institute.

  • LASG crushes over 400 seized motorcycles, says it is instrument of crime

    LASG crushes over 400 seized motorcycles, says it is instrument of crime

    The Lagos State Police Taskforce in Lagos has crushed over 400 motorcycles seized from defaulting riders across the state.

    Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who witnessed the crushing on Saturday, said the act will serve as deterrent to others.

    The seizure of the motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, is a penalty for breaking a law that restricts the two-wheel machine from some routes in the state.

    “Over the years, we’ve observed that the motorcycles we are seeing here now have been part of the instrument they use in committing crime. When somebody is to be kidnapped, they (do it) with Okada, when somebody’s bag is snatched at the bus-stop, they do that. With the traffic now, Okadas are being used to commit crime,” Mr Odumosu said.

    “And because of this now, the state government, in its wisdom, decided that Okadas should be restricted in some areas of the state.

    “We have started this enforcement for a long time, yet they are still in town, because Rome was not built in a day. But we will not give them breathing space.

    “Some people have insinuated that we sell back the Okadas to those we collect them from, thereby recycling it. That’s why we decided that let the Doubting Thomases know that we don’t sell Okada.

    “The law says they should be crushed once they are impounded. And that’s why we decided to demonstrate this.”

  • UK threatens to block visas for countries refusing to take back rejected asylum seekers, citizens convicted of crimes

    UK threatens to block visas for countries refusing to take back rejected asylum seekers, citizens convicted of crimes

    The United Kingdom will block visas for people from countries that refuse to accept the return of rejected asylum seekers or people convicted of crimes.

    Proposed new powers in the forthcoming nationality and borders bill would allow the Home Office to suspend applications from citizens of countries deemed to be uncooperative “in relation to the removal from the UK of nationals of that country.” In addition, their visa fees could be increased.

    It is thought the new laws are most likely to affect people from a number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa — including Iran, Iraq, Eritrea and Sudan — whose governments fail or are reluctant to work with UK authorities.

    The bill, described as “the biggest overhaul of the UK’s asylum system in decades” by Home Secretary Priti Patel, will also give the Home Office the power to strip asylum seekers who enter the UK illegally of the rights granted to those who arrive through legal means, to deport asylum seekers before their claims or appeals are concluded, and to limit access to financial benefits.

    Under the plans the extradition process for individuals refused asylum will be accelerated, “rigorous age assessments” will be introduced to prevent adults pretending to be minors, and it will become harder for individuals with “unsubstantiated claims” to be granted asylum.

    Convicted people smugglers could face life sentences, and foreign criminals who breach deportation orders will face harsher sentences.

    The Home Office will, however, also introduce discretionary powers to offer protection and asylum, in exceptional circumstances, to people in “immediate danger and at risk in their home country.”

    The proposed changes have been condemned by a number of charities.

    The Refugee Council described the bill is “anti-refugee,” and said that 9,000 people currently in the UK after fleeing war and persecution would fall foul of the rule changes.

    Steve Valdez-Symonds, refugee and migrant rights program director at Amnesty International UK, told The Guardian the bill would “fatally undermine the right to asylum,” adding: “This reckless and deeply unjust bill is set to bring shame on Britain’s international reputation.”

    Sonya Sceats, CEO of the charity Freedom from Torture, said the bill is “dripping with cruelty” and an “affront to the caring people in this country who want a kinder, fairer approach to refugees.”