Wednesday, June 15, 2016

JUSTICE FOR 8 YEAR OLD JORDANIAN BOY, OBAIDA



            We, the comrades of Unit 1012: The VFFDP, will remember the 8 year old Jordanian boy who was murdered in Sharjah, UAE on May 20, 2016. We thank those people who supported the murdered boy and his family members. Let us hear from the family members and the law enforcement officials in the state. 

  

The child, Obaida, was reported missing 24 hours ago.

Parents seek death penalty for son's killer
Shocked community comes out by the hundreds to bid farewell to Obaida; mother seeks death for son's killer; suspect, a customer of the victim's father, arrested after boy's body found in Dubai

Published: 23:11 May 22, 2016

By Noorhan Barakat and Aghaddir Ali, Staff Reporters

  
Ebrahim Sedqi (third from left), father of Obaida Ebrahim, during funeral prayers at Al Sahaba Mosque in Sharj
Sharjah, Dubai: It was a routine Friday evening for Jordanian Ebrahim Sedqi when he shut his vehicle workshop and went home.

His wife asked him about their eight-year-old son. The mother thought that the boy, Obaida, was at his father’s workshop on the ground floor of their building in Sharjah’s industrial area.

The couple soon realised that the boy was missing. What followed that evening and the next day was a frantic search in the neighbourhood and desperate phone calls to friends and relatives.

On Sunday morning, Sedqi was called to a police station in Dubai. He was shown an orange shoe and asked to verify if it belonged to his son.

Later that evening, the police announced that the boy was abducted and killed by a 48-year-old man identified as the father’s acquaintance.

On Monday, hundreds of friends and relatives gathered at Al Sahaba mosque in Sharjah for Obaida’s funeral.

“We don’t know [the suspect]. Only three weeks earlier, he had come as a customer to my husband’s workshop to get his car repaired. I did not feel comfortable about this man from the beginning and when my son disappeared, I felt he was the one behind his disappearance,” the boy’s distraught mother told Gulf News before the funeral.

The family on Monday sought the death penalty for the suspect.

“We hope he gets executed,” the mother said.

  
Ibrahim Sedqi, father of Obaida Ibrahim, 8, who was found dead in Dubai.
Forensic report

Maj Gen Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police Chief, said that the boy's body was found in Al Warqa area.

“The forensic doctor found signs that the suspect attempted to sexually assault the boy and strangled him. There were also marks on his body that showed that he tried to resist his attacker,” he said.

The police also announced the arrest of a man suspected of committing the crime. The 48-year-old suspect identified as Nidal Eissa Abdullah Abu Ali, also a Jordanian, who is a friend of the boy’s father.

“A task force was immediately formed to search for the boy after receiving the report on Sunday 8am. The boy was found shortly after under a tree in Al Warqa area near the Academic City road, which falls under Al Rashidiya Police station jurisdiction,” he said.

Obaida was reported missing outside his father’s garage in Sharjah’s Industrial area at 6pm on Friday.

Dubai Police suspected Abu Ali within hours of finding the body, as he was the last person the boy was seen with.

The suspect had also changed his residence since the boy’s disappearance. Following procedures, the man was arrested, and Dubai Police found out he was involved in previous offences.

 
Obaida
Lured by scooter 

Maj Gen Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Criminal Investigation Affairs, said that confessed to his crime during questioning.

The man said he lured the boy at 7pm on Friday in front of his father’s garage by promising him to buy a scooter.

He then took the boy to Al Mamzar area in a car he borrowed from his building’s watchman, parked it and consumed alcohol.

He then asked the boy to take off his clothes and abused him. The boy screamed and told him he will tell his father about him.

“He tried to keep him quiet by strangling him with both his hand, then he used a Ghutra [part of an Arab headdress] to strangle him until he died,” Maj Gen Al Mansouri said.

The suspect drank alcohol till 5am on Saturday, then went home, leaving the boy dead in the backseat of the car.

Two hours later, at 7am, he took the car to Academic City road where he dumped the body, and threw away the other items used in his crime in different areas.

Sharjah Police had told Gulf News that the family first searched for the boy in the area before filing a missing complaint.

He also said that the family lived in the same building where the father runs a vehicle repair workshop in the industrial area.


'Monster' was no friend of the family; Jordanian boy's mum demands death penalty for suspect
48-year-old suspect was a customer at workshop owned by boy’s father

Published: 22:33 May 23, 2016
Aghaddir Ali and Noorhan Barakat, Staff Reporter

 
Jordanian boy Obaida Ebrahim
Sharjah: The family of a Jordanian boy who was found dead in Dubai after he was reported missing in Sharjah has denied that the suspect is known to them.

The man was a customer of the boy’s father who runs a car repair workshop and had met him only three weeks ago, the family said on Monday.

On Sunday, Dubai Police said the 48-year-old suspect identified as Jordanian Nidal Eissa Abdullah Abu Ali was the father’s friend.

The body of eight-year-old Obaida Ebrahim Sedqi was found in Al Warqa area on Sunday. Dubai Police said the suspect kidnapped the boy on Friday and took him to Al Mamzar area where he attempted to sexually assault him.

The boy was strangled to death after he resisted the attacker, the police said.

“We don’t know him. Only three weeks earlier, he had come as a customer to my husband’s workshop to get his car repaired. I did not feel comfortable about this man from the beginning and when my son disappeared, I felt he was the one behind his disappearance,” the boy’s distraught mother told Gulf News on Monday.

The boy’s father, Ebrahim Sedqi, runs a car repair workshop in Sharjah Industrial Area No. 8 from where the boy was reported missing on Friday.

Seeking death penalty for the suspect 

The family said they do not want “diya” or blood money. Sedqi said he will accept nothing less than capital punishment for the murderer. “We hope he gets executed,” said the mother.
While announcing the details of the crime late Sunday night, the police said the suspect admitted killing the boy and confessed during interrogation that he killed the boy after attempting to sexually assault him.

He also told the police he had been drinking alcohol that night.

Recalling the last day with her son, the family said Obaida left the house on Friday afternoon to join his father in the workshop.

The family lives on the fourth floor of the building which also houses the workshop.

When the father returned home by 9.30pm, the mother asked him about Obaida. The father said he did not know [where their son was] and was expecting Obaida to be at home.

“I thought he must have gone home before me,” the father said.

The family then started searching for him by knocking at every door in the building and looked for him in the area.

The mother asked Sedqi to call the suspect because Obaida was last seen with him when the suspect had brought his vehicle earlier in the day to the area.

The vehicle was borrowed from the watchman of a building in Al Rolla where the suspect lived and the suspect invited the boy to watch a cartoon film inside the car which had an entertainment console.

On several occasions earlier, the suspect had told Obaida’s father that he wanted to buy a scooter for the boy. He repeated the offer on Friday. When the father declined the offer, the suspect told the police that he then invited the boy into his car, promising him to buy a scooter.

Selfies

The suspect also had taken selfies with Obaida on several occasions, the mother said.

On Friday, when the boy disappeared, the parents tried to get in touch with the suspect but his phone was switched off.

Later, the suspect called the father back and denied knowledge of his son’s whereabouts. He told him he had returned from Ajman and was home with some women.

On Saturday morning, the father went to the suspect’s house in Al Rolla to enquire about Obaida. The suspect offered his help to search for the missing boy.

On Sunday morning, Dubai Police called the family and informed them that the boy’s body had been found in Al Warqa.

At around 8:30am, the father was called to a police station where he was shown a shoe worn by the boy in order to verify the identity of the child. Sedqi returned home but avoided breaking the news to his wife.

“But I knew that Obaida is no longer with us,” the mother said. “My son had been strangled and killed,” said grieving mother, describing the suspect as a “monster”.

The boy’s body was released on Monday afternoon and a funeral prayer was held at Al Sahaba mosque. He was buried in Sharjah cemetery.

A student of grade 2 at Al Jeel Al Jadeed Private School, Obaida was a smart boy, a relative said.

Eldest among three siblings — sisters Aya, 6 and Tala, 4 — he would always give directions to taxi drivers while returning home with his mother from mall visits, he added.

On Monday, the school posted a tribute on its Facebook: “With hearts faithful in God’s justice and strength. With grief and sadness, the Al Jeel Al Jadeed family offers its condolences to our school’s loss, the student Obaida Ebrahim Sedqi.”


Missing Sharjah boy found dead in Dubai
Filed on May 23, 2016 | Last updated on May 23, 2016 at 06.57 am

He was reported missing on Saturday after he failed to return to his home in Sharjah Industrial Area No. 8. 



AdTech Ad
An eight-year old Jordanian boy who was reported missing in Sharjah was found dead after being strangled and dumped in Dubai, Khaleej Times has learned from reliable sources.

The child, Obaida, was reported missing 24 hours ago. He was found dead in Rashidiya, near a football field located near Al Mizhar and Al Warqa roundabout.

The child was allegedly killed by his father's friend, identified as Nedelessa (left), a 48-year-old Jordanian. He was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and lured the child with the promise of buying him a small scooter. After the child agreed to sit with him in his car, the accused asked him to take off his clothes. The frightened child screamed, and that's when the accused allegedly strangled and killed the child. The accused has been arrested.

He was reported missing on Saturday after he failed to return to his home in Sharjah Industrial Area No. 8. The child's father told police that the child was playing outside his home at around 8pm. The family panicked when the boy was found to be missing and a missing person's report was filed at Buhairah police station. The boy's photograph was also distributed to help identify him.

The body of the boy was founded the next day in a deserted area near the main road going towards University City. He was found wearing his clothes and was spotted by a passerby, who called Dubai Police. The child's body has been sent to the General Department of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy.

Police in both Sharjah and Dubai are currently investigating the case and searching for the culprit.

The boy's parents - who are in a state of shock following the tragedy - would not comment on the incident.

Similar incidents

December 2009 - Boy raped and killed in mosque toilet, one held

May 2015 - Paedophile jailed for raping 9-yr-old boy in Ajman

February 2015 - 4 jailed for sexually assaulting, threatening 13-year-old boy

September 2014 - Two Emirati brothers sentenced to six years and three months in jail each for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy,

April 2014 - Two jailed for sexually assaulting 12 -year-old.

November 2013 - Two men kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old boy then threatened to kill his parents and burn down his house if he reported them.

amira@khaleejtimes.com


Family of murdered boy calls for death penalty
Amira Agarib /Sharjah/Dubai
Filed on May 24, 2016 | Last updated on May 24, 2016 at 06.55 am

The family of the eight-year-old boy, Obaida, has said they will not receive condolences in the UAE or Jordan. 

 


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The parents of a Jordanian boy who was allegedly raped and murdered are calling on the UAE to apply capital punishment on the culprit.

The family of the eight-year-old boy, Obaida, has said they will not receive condolences in the UAE or Jordan.

In Jordan, over 70 members of the child's family and tribe went to the area where the suspect is from, in an attempt to burn his house down.

The body of Obaida was found in Al Warqa area near Academic City road on Sunday, near a football field located near Al Mizhar and Al Warqa roundabout. The child was allegedly killed by his father's friend, identified as Nedelessa, a 48-year-old Jordanian. The boy was first reported missing on Saturday after he failed to return to his home in Sharjah Industrial Area No 8.

Hundreds of people in Sharjah rushed to Al Sahaba Mosque and Sharjah graveyard to attend the funeral. The father was seen very much disturbed even as crowds prayed for the child. Several residents have taken to social media calling for the public execution of the culprit, and for awareness campaigns in schools to teach students how to detect threats.

"I cannot believe what happened to my son. I feel as if it's a nightmare," the child's mother Zainab told Khaleej Times. "I can still smell him and look at his bed and clothing, and hear him call me 'mum' when he returns from school. For the past three days I have been waiting for my son to come back so I can wake him up for school. I've left him for God and hope to meet him in paradise."

According to Zainab, the son was usually very careful and tells her where he goes. She noted that the culprit came to her husband's garage over a month ago and seemed to be targeting the child, and even offered to buy clothes and a scooter for him. "The day he went missing I told my husband that I feel that this man has taken my son, but my husband refused to believe me and asked what he'd do with a child. But I insisted and we called him, but his phone was switched off," she said. "An hour later, he replied that my son wasn't with him. My brother went to his home in the early hours and found him alone, but at that time my son was dead."

She added that all her family and fellow tribesmen back home are gathering to take revenge on the man.

"I want them to be patient and I want the UAE to bring justice for my son so that we can have some calm," she said.

Teachers and administrators of the child's school - Al Jeel Al Jaded in Sharjah - also conveyed their condolences, and noted that Obaida last week attended a lecture aimed at spreading awareness on child abuse and sexual harassment.


Sharjah school mourns Obaida, its ‘little man’





SHARJAH // Obaida Al Aqrabawi was a smart, vibrant and active boy who took it on himself to be a leader, his teachers say.

And like most eight-year-old boys, he was a little mischievous but his teachers loved him for the “little man" he was.

Obaida’s body was found dead on Sunday morning under a tree on Academic City Road in Dubai’s Al Warqa. He had been strangled and there were signs of sexual assault.

A Jordanian man, 48, is in custody, where police said he had admitted to the crime.

A school administrator said: “He was a wonderful little boy who was a little mischievous, but used to entertain the children in class and would give them a fun atmosphere.

“One of his close friends has been crying since Monday and says he no longer wants to come to school because Obaida’s seat is empty.

“Obaida was a born leader. He would guard the front gates of the school to make sure no one would leave without permission."

One of his teachers at Jeel Al Jadeed said: “Obaida was very well known in the school because he was very active, very smart, and very playful.

“We were all in a state of shock on Monday morning, and we couldn’t look at each other without bursting into tears."

“When we reached the school that day, the students already knew from their parents that Obaida was gone. They figured it out from social media or their mothers."

Teachers said that the school has been in a state of sadness since Monday, when they said a prayer and held silence for him.

Obaida’s mother has not stopped praying since she learnt the news of her son’s fate. She was distraught but said she had to hold on for the sake of her husband and two girls.

“What can I tell you? Obaida, although was a little boy, was so much more mature," said Zaineb Al Aqrabawi.

“He acted like a man. I did not have him long enough."

Mrs Al Aqrabawi said the death sentence was the only justice for the man found guilty of killing her son.


Prosecutors sharpen focus

Abu Dhabi’s attorney general has established a special section for cases related to children within the Public Prosecution’s family division.

The decision by Ali Al Balushi followed the directives of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to prepare to implement the child rights law, which is also known as Wadeema’s law, as of the middle of next month. According to Wam, the state news agency, Mr Al Balushi said the operation would aim to develop procedures to maximise the protection of children from birth until the age of 18.

The law was named after an eight-year-old Emirati girl who was tortured to death and whose body was found buried in the Sharjah desert in 2012.

* The National staff


Sharjah Police pay respects to Obaida’s family
Officers visit parents of eight-year-old boy who was strangled

Published: 16:43 May 26, 2016
Aghaddir Ali, Staff Reporter

 
Sharjah Police visits Obeida's Family.A delegation including a number of Sharjah Police officers including Brigadier Saif Ziri Al Shamisi, Sharjah Police commander-in-chief and Colonel Ali Saif Al Nadas , director of community police and Lieutenant Colonel Yousif Bin Harmoul, deputy director of police stations.
Image Credit: PHOTO COURTESY:Sharjah Police
Sharjah: Sharjah Police on Thursday offered condolences to the family of eight-year-old Jordanian boy Obaida Ebrahim Sedqi Al Aqrabawi who, authorities say, was strangled by a 48-year-old man.

Authorities contend the boy was killed after he resisted an attempt to rape him.

A delegation comprising various Sharjah Police officials visited the family to offer their heartfelt condolences.

Those in the delegation included Brigadier Saif Ziri Al Shamisi, Sharjah Police commander-in-chief, Colonel Ali Saif Al Nadas, director of Community Police Department, and Lieutenant Colonel Yousuf Bin Harmoul, deputy director of police stations as well as Sharjah Police task force officials.

Dubai Police found Obaida’s body in Al Warqa’a area on May 22, prompting an investigation which led to the arrest of suspect Nidal Eisa Abdullah Abu Ali, a Jordanian, on Monday.

The case has been transferred to the public prosecution.

Obaida was reported missing on May 20 from his home in Sharjah’s Industrial Area 8 where his father, Ebrahim Al Aqrabawi, runs a car repair workshop on the ground floor of the building where the family lives.

The suspect, who had been a customer at the workshop, was a frequent visitor for three weeks before the abduction and had befriended Obaida, the boy’s mother told Gulf News.

Abu Ali apparently confessed to the police that on Friday he had visited the workshop and invited Obaida to watch a cartoon in his borrowed vehicle and, subsequently, abducted him and attempted to molest the boy.

When Obaida resisted his advances and threatened to tell his father, Abu Ali strangled the boy.


Family disowns Obaida’s killer
Man has criminal record in his home country
Published

The Jordanian national accused of killing 9-year-old Sharjah boy Obaida has a criminal record in his home country, reported Emarat Al Youm newspaper.

Identified as N. Issa, the accused lured the child – also a Jordanian – two weeks ago from his father's garage in the industrial area of Sharjah, strangled him to death after failing to molest him.

Quoting its sources in the Jordanian capital of Amman, the newspaper reported that the defendant has a criminal record and committed crimes such as indecent assaults and threats to harm others.

The defendant was reportedly confined to his house and was kept under security surveillance due to the criminal record. He was instructed to report to a nearby police station on a daily basis to inform officials about his activities.

The accused was sentenced in one case and was charged in another lawsuit.

Moreover, the information revealed that a circular was also issued in Jordan to bring the accused to his homeland to face the charges.

The murder of 9-year-old Obaida sparked angry reactions in the UAE and Jordan.

The accused’s father, identified as Issa Abdullah, urged authorities to expedite the process and award death penalty to his son.

Family of the accused issued a statement, condemning and disowning him and also asking for his death penalty.


Death sentence for 8-year-old's killer if found guilty
Filed on June 2, 2016 | Last updated on June 2, 2016 at 06.14 am


Obaida's father, Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, kisses his little boy's photograph at the mourning tent in Sharjah's industrial area.
(Photo courtesy: Emarat Al Youm)

Suspect will go on trial within a week, says lawyer

AdTech Ad
The Sharjah Consultative Council has assigned a lawyer to represent the family of an 8-year-old Jordanian boy, who was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by a compatriot.

Obaida Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, a Grade 2 student, was abducted from outside his family home in Sharjah's industrial area on May 20. His body was found under a tree on Academic City Road in Al Warqaa, Dubai. He had been strangled and there were signs of sexual assault. The police arrested a 48-year-old Jordanian male suspect for the crime.

Suspect was not my friend, says Obaida's father
Obaida's father, Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, has strongly refuted rumours doing the rounds on social media that the man arrested for the murder was his friend.
"My relationship with the murderer was just 45 days old. He came to my garage located under our house in Sharjah's industrial area to get his car repaired. I met him just three times," he said.
He said he saw the man talking to his son, but did not worry as he thought it was just a casual talk.
He requested residents to stop spreading rumours such as these.
amira@khaleejtimes.com     
Major Shahin Al Mazmi, Director of Women and Child Protection Section of the Dubai Police's Human Rights Department, said the consultative council has assigned advocate Obaid Al Mazmi to fight the case.

Major Al Mazmi said the new child protection law will come into effect from June 15. According to the law, criminals such as the one in this case will be sentenced to death if found guilty.

Major Al Mazmi was speaking at a Press conference held at the condolence tent in Sharjah.

A number of residents, including children carrying photographs of the murdered boy, visited the tent to show their solidarity with the family. Some of them delivered moving speeches at the tent, while others conveyed their condolences to the family.

The boy's father, Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, praised His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the Sharjah Consultative Council for their support.

Suspect is an illegal 

According to the police, the suspect had been living in the UAE illegally. He has been in the country for the past six years. He has a criminal record, said Major Al Mazmi.

Advocate Al Mazmi said he expected the public prosecution to complete the investigation within a week. He said the trial will last for three to four months. The UAE's judiciary, he added, will give justice to the victim's family.

According to the lawyer, if found guilty of murder, the suspect will be sentenced to life imprisonment. If, however, he is found guilty of kidnap, rape and murder, he will be sentenced to death.

The suspect, a 48-year-old Jordanian, reportedly lured the boy into riding with him, saying he would buy a scooter for him. He then took the boy to Al Mamzar area in a car he borrowed from his building watchman. He parked the car and started drinking alcohol. He asked the boy to undress, but the boy resisted and told the man he would tell his father.

The suspect then strangled the boy to death and continued consuming alcohol till 5am the next day. He then drove to Academic City and dumped the body.

amira@khaleejtimes.com

Amira Agarib



Murdered Sharjah boy’s lawyer: “I will demand a death penalty”
Nawal Al Ramahi | June 2, 2016 

 
The Sharjah Consultative Council appointed Obaid Al Mazmi to represent Obaida’s family
A lawyer representing the family of Obaida Al Aqrabawi, the seven-year-old boy who was abducted near his home, strangled and later found dead in Dubai, believes the man suspected of murdering will get the death sentence if convicted.

Late on Tuesday night, the Sharjah Consultative Council appointed Obaid Al Mazmi to represent Obaida’s family.

He made his comments at an emotionally-charged press conference in a mourning tent near the family home in Industrial Area 8, Sharjah, at which Obaida’s sisters and cousins carried banners demanding justice for their brother.

Al Mazmi said: “I will push for a civil case and demand the death penalty. The suspect (Nedal Issa Abdullah) is facing charges of premeditated murder and kidnapping.

“The Criminal Laboratory will determine whether the boy was sexually assaulted. If proved, the defendant will also be charged with sexual assault.”

He added: “The case will be referred from public prosecution to the courts next week. The court will not take long to issue a verdict. I expect that trial procedures will not take more than four months.”

Meanwhile, the police and the Federal National Council (FNC) have reiterated their full support and solidarity for the Al Aqrabawi family. A number of FNC members were present.

Abdullah, 48, was arrested by Dubai Police on suspicion of murder. It is claimed he tried to rape the Jordanian boy before killing him and dumping the body in the Dubai suburb of Al Warqa.

Ibrahim Al Aqrabawi, the father of the boy, denied reports the suspect was his friend and said he fully trusted in the UAE judicial system.

“We are awaiting the court ruling,” he said.

nawal@7days.ae

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