The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Witnesses’ absence stalls poly student’s trial

    Trial of Tunde Aderinola, a student of The Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), suffered another adjournment yesterday because of the absence of the complainant, Solaja Omotayo, and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO).

    Aderinola was first arraigned on June 2, on a three-count charge of mobilising hoodlums to attack Omotayo; assault and breach of peace in contravention of Sections 409, 171 and 16(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    His lawyers, O.S.A. Aromolaran and O.M. Folami pointed that the complainant had failed to appear in court since the trial began. They argued that their client’s liberty was at stake as the matter had been on since May 26.

    They urged Magistrate O.O. Olatunji to strike out the case for want of diligent prosecution.

    Magistrate Olatunji advised the prosecuting, Inspector Iyabode Johnson to serve a summons on the witnesses to appear in court on the next adjourned date or the case would be struck out.

    He adjourned the matter till August 28.

     

  • ‘I don’t know where I went wrong’

    Three months after we got married, my wife moved out of the house with no reason. As I speak, I still don’t know why. She packed her things gradually and till she left I didn’t know. I am back to bachelorhood again.”

    These were the words of 35-year-old Ganiyu Kazeem, who pleaded with the Agege Customary Court in Lagos to dissolve his one-year-old marriage to his wife, Salimot.

    He said his marriage almost crashed few weeks after it was consummated because his wife was fond of going out without his consent.

    “Since we got married, she never spent the whole day at home. She always visited her mother’s house like we were not married,” he said.

    The petitioner, who lives at Adedosu Street in Agege, Lagos, said his wife also gets angry too quickly, which often results in their quarrel.

    He said: “The three months she spent with me wasn’t peaceful. Even when I tried to go near her, she said no. There was a day she left home for three days that I had to report at a police station when I couldn’t find her but when I informed her siblings, I was told she was at her step mother’s place.”

    Kazeem said she later returned home to pack her belongings.

    “Since we got married, she never spent the whole day at home. She always visited her mother’s house like we were not married”

    “Before I got married, I came home weekends because I work on the sea but since I married her, I returned from work every day to make her happy still I never felt welcomed. Even the Imam who joined us during our Nikkah with some family members have tried their best to make peace between us but it’s been futile. I really don’t know where I went wrong,” he said.

    The court’s President, Pa Adekunle Williams, while noting the respondent’s absence in court despite several summons, adjourned the matter till August 10 for judgment.

  • Woman attacks neighbours

    A trader, Funke Morakinyo, who allegedly attacked two of her neighbours with stick, was yesterday arrainged before Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court 22 in Lagos.

    The accused, 47, who lives in  Ojokoro Housing Estate at Meiran, Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of breach of peace and assault.

    She denied the charges.

    Prosecuting Police Inspector Edet Okoi said the accused committed the offence on July 23 at Ojokoro.

    According to him, the complainants – Florence Mordi, Gloria mordi and Favour Mordi, all neighbours of the accused – reported the case at the police station.

    “The neighbours came out from their flats to ask Morakinyo to caution her children against disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. The accused took offence and picked a quarrel with them and a fight ensued. The accused picked up a stick and hit Florence and Gloria on their heads and necks,’’ Okoi said.

    The offences, Okoi noted, contravened Sections 166 (d) and 171 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Chief Magistrate M.O. Osinbajo said the court would be lenient with the accused as a single parent.

    She granted the accused bail in self recognition with one surety who must be a blood relation.

    The case was adjourned to September14.

     

     

  • Teenager ‘kills’ boy, 4

    The police have arrested a 16-year-old boy, for  the murder of a four-year-old boy in Ijanikin, Lagos.

    Lagos police spokesperson, Patricia Amadin, a deputy superintendent (DSP), made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday.

    Amadin said the suspect was helping the police in their investigation.

    The police, she said, got an intelligence report that a boy was murdered, adding that when the police got to the scene, they  found the victim’s body on the floor with his stomach ripped open.

    The crime, she said, suggested ritual killing, adding: “At about 9.30 am on Monday, information received by the DPO Ijanikin Police Station was that a little boy was killed at the back of Anglican Primary School, Ijanikin.

    “The DPO swiftly led a team of his men to the scene.

    “The lifeless body of the boy of about four years was found in a pool of his blood with his stomach removed.

    “The DPO and his men commenced a search of the area and the suspect, a 16-year-old, was arrested.

    “He is in police custody. As at the time of arrest, he was found with blood stains on his body and he has since confessed to the crime.

    “The victim has been evacuated to the mortuary.

    “The case is currently under investigation to ascertain the motive behind the killing.”

     

  • ‘How our neighbour defiled my two-year-old daughter’

    AN High Court in Lagos yesterday heard how Kehinde Layode, 38, defiled a two-year-old girl.

    The incident happened on January 12, 2013, at Bakare Street on Igando Lagos.

    Led in evidence by the prosecutor, Akin George, the victim’s mother, Mrs Mercy Ofaghae narrated how the incident happened.   Mrs Ofaghae said the defendant was a close neighbour, adding:

    “The incident happened on January 12, three weeks after my husband travelled out of the country. That fateful night, my daughter was running temperature seriously as a result of teething problem. So I called my neighbour and friend, Mrs Layode, the wife of the accused, who brought paracetamol for the girl and advised me to bath her.

    “But the drug didn’t suppress her temperature, then I told her I have to rush out to buy Pican (drug) for my daughter and I dropped my daughter with my neighbour’s husband, the accused, because the wife was on her way to the salon and we both left the house.

    “When I got back home with the drug, I knocked Mr Layode’s door and he claimed to be in the bathroom and it took him one hour before he opened the door and when he eventually did, I rushed in and took my daughter to our apartment and I took off her clothes to bath her before administering the drug.

    “But when I got to her pant, there was sperm on it and I screamed and neighbours rushed into my apartment to see what was the matter”.

    Mrs Ofaghae said the defendant was among those who came in and he asked her if she was accusing her of raping her daughter.

    She said the question infuriated another neighbour who slapped the defendant because she claimed he has actually exposed himself.

    She said her daughter was rushed to the hospital where the doctor confirmed that the girl has been defiled after being tested.                                                                                 “I was so shocked when I realised what Kehinde did to my daughter. Though his family members pleaded that I should help them cover the matter up but it seems my daughter was not the first victim because the defendant’s brother confirmed this”, she said.

    Earlier, George preferred a one- count charge against the defendant before Justice Ipaye.

    He told the court that  the offence contravenes Section 258 of the Criminal Act Law of Lagos State (2011).

    The accused pleaded not guilty,                                                                                                                                                   Justice Ipaye ordered the defendant remanded in prison and adjourned the matter till August 19.

    After the court rose, Mrs Ofaghae told reporters: “When the matter was first taken to the family court, the accused was granted bail in the sum of N250,000 and he was walking about freely, but today the judge has ordered that he should be remanded.

    “I’m so happy today and I’ll have a sound sleep. I’ll even share testimony in church on Sunday”.

     

  • New image maker for Lagos police

    New image maker for Lagos police

    Lagos State Police chief Fatai Owoseni has appointed Patricia Idahosa Amadin, a deputy superintendent (DSP), as the command’s Acting Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO). Her appointment followed the transfer of former spokesman DSP Ken Nwosu to Abuja.

    Handing over to his successor at the Okiro Press Centre Command Headquarters in Ikeja yesterday, Nwosu sought crime reporters’ cooperation for the new image maker. Amadin, he said, was deputy DPRO before her appointment.

    Amadin called for a minute silence for the late The Nation Crime Correspondent, Jude Isiguzo.

    She said: “There is a face I expected to see here but he is not here due to the unexpected death that took him away.”

    She promised to do her best to lift the command, saying:

    “I call on all journalists for assistance to enable me succeed. Journalists should endeavour to always confirm their stories with me to avoid ambiguity.”

     

     

  • Police recover 13 vehicles from gang

    Police recover 13 vehicles from gang

    The police have smashed a four-man car robbery gang.

    The suspects are Austin Paul, 32, Chucks Ezeala, 30, Taye Ade, 51 and Gafari Kasali 26.

    Recovered from them are Toyota Camry Saloon cars with registration numbers 333131ASM,  BDG 823 DG,  AKD 825 AU, ABJ 904 AJ,  UMI 432 CG as well as Volks Wagen Vento Saloon cars marked LSD 189 CD and  LSR 829 CB. Others are Volks Wagen Golf 3 with number plate LSR 875 AV and an unregistered Volk Wagen Golf 3. They also included Volks Wagen buses marked APP 785 XJ,  FKJ 847 XH and  BDG 662 XH as well as an unregistered Volk Wagen bus. They were recovered from Enugu, Imo and Abia states.

    Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone II Onikan, Lagos Joseph Mbu said the suspects were caught around Ipaja in Lagos following a tip off on June 8.

    Mbu said two of the suspects – Paul and Ezeala who were first arrested by the Zonal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives  led the police to where others were nabbed.

    Mbu said Paul confessed under interrogation to have stolen many parked vehicles within Lagos and environs and sold about 13 of them to Ezeala.

    He said Ade forged customs and other vehicles papers for the stolen vehicles, adding that Kasali acted as mechanic.

    Ezeala, from Orlu in Imo State said: “My original work was repairing of electronics, but when I found out that there is quick wealth in dealing in stolen vehicles, I switched over to selling cars. I bought about 13 cars from Paul between N200,000 and N300,000 each with some having market prices of N800,000, N1.5million or more.

    “The gain was highly tempting. Initially the criminal suppliers used to tell me that they bought the cars from Cotonou but I later discovered that they were snatched but because of the money I was getting I could not back out and, to leave the gang is more dangerous because the gang members will feel unsafe and come after one’s life. My role is to sell the stolen cars. I used to get documents from Ade to enable me sell the cars. At times I used to top N20,000 or N30,000 to the price the supplier tells me to sell especially those cars that needed quick disposal.”

    Ade, an indigene of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, who is a clearing agent  at Apapa Wharf, said: “These snatchers used to lie to me that the vehicles were Tokunbo cars and just to help them get vehicle particulars to enable them sell them but with time, I discovered that they were stolen cars but because of the quick money I used to get from forging documents, we agreed to work together for the interest of every member of the gang. My role is to perfect the vehicle documents for them. I charge N10,000 for each vehicle. At times, they will tell me that two or three of the vehicles were imported. I was arrested when Chucks called me and asked me to go and collect papers from Austin for the cars he supplied. Getting there I fell into the hands of ZSARS operatives.

    Paul said: “I am a one-man car snatcher but I don’t use gun. My complete names are Okechukwu Austin Paul. I was a tanker driver before I became a car-snatcher. We used to be a two-man gang but my second, Sylvester later travelled to Malaysia. My weapon is wire which I used to move parked vehicles. My modus operandi is called park and remove but police call it removing from park. My only receiver is Chucks and he knows that the cars are stolen.

    “When he needs cars from me, he will ask me whether there is market or did I go to market? I snatched about 13 cars and gave Chucks. I used to sell snatched cars N150,000 and N200,000 each to Chucks and, at times he will not give me a dime for one or two cars I supplied him claiming that police raided his place. I have been arrested by Lagos State police SARS operatives and they recovered three cars; Ogun State Police Command SARS operatives recovered four cars while Zone II Onikan Lagos recovered 13 cars. I cannot remember the number of cars I snatched since I started this job.

  • Workers shut down firm over gratuities

    Workers shut down firm over gratuities

    Workers of Beauty Fair Laboratories Limited, a cream and perfume making firm stormed the company yesterday, demanding payment of their gratuities following their sack.

    It was gathered that they were sacked on Friday, following an alleged theft of 10,000 pieces of product packaging jars from the store.

    The Nation gathered that when the workers got their sack letters last week, they locked the company’s chairman, Mr Fola Ogunlesi, in his office, demanding their gratuities.

    It took the intervention of riot policemen for the chairman to regain his freedom.

    Yesterday, the workers barricaded the entrance, alleging that they were sacked to enable the  company recruit casual workers for cheap labour.

    Neither the chairman nor his children, was around during the protest.

    The workers denied stealing from the firm, accusing the management of using that as smokescreen to sack them.

    Wahab Adisa, the store keeper, denied that any material is missing from the store.

    If there was a theft, Adisa said the chairman’s son and Director, Olumide Ogunlesi, who is always the last person to lock the store and keep the keys, should be in the position to explain how the materials got missing.

    Adisa, who claimed to have been with the company for 15 years, said he personally took the delivery of the jars when they were imported in June and counted them after they were moved into the store. He said some of the materials had been used for production, alleging that the management wanted to frame up the workers to have reason for sacking them.

    He said: “I am in charge of extra reach jars, which they claim are missing. Towards the end of June, a senior management staff ordered a staff in charge of the labelling order, Aaron Chukwuma, to take stock of the jars without my consent. But Chukwuma came to inform me about it and I told him there was no way to get accurate figure since part of the jars had been used for production immediately after they were brought from abroad.

    “Based on the stock I took after we took delivery of the consignment, I counted 53,850 pieces and I made the figure available to the management. They started using the jars immediately. When I took the stock again, I discovered 9,333 differences, which were used for production. Then, I made the figure available to the management but they responded that the jars had been stolen by workers.

    “If the jars were truly stolen from the store, they (management) are the ones that keep the keys. The moment we leave the factory, they would lock up everywhere and keep the keys in secret places known to them.”

    Ben Imoikor, chief chemical mixer, who claimed to have been with the company since 1994, said he was no longer interested working for the firm, because of his chest problem, which resulted from long hours of exposure to chemicals’ fumes.

    Imoikor said he had a clinical operation to remove a growing lump of tissue from his left hand last year. He said he decided to resign to prevent his early death because of the constant occupational illness he suffers.

    But the company, he said, did not accept his resignation. Rather, he was given a sack letter on Friday. He demanding his gratuity from the company.

    The company chairman could not be reached; his son, Olumide, refused to pick our reporter’s calls.

    When The Nation sent a text to him, Olumide replied at 3:34pm, saying: “Good day to Mr. Ajetunmobi. Sorry am (sic) seeing your text late. I am in a meeting and will get across to you.”

  • Hoodlums attack residents

    Hoodlums attack residents

    Four residents of 28, Olorunisola Street in Mushin, Lagos, were on Sunday attacked by hoodlums.

    It was gathered that the residents were taking fresh air around 11pm when the hoodlums struck.

    A resident, Mr Hakeem Adeoye, said: “I have been living here for over 20 years and I have never witnessed such incident. I had just returned from work and decided to take fresh air with two of my friends when it happened. They were about 10 in number. They held machete and bottles. They beat us mercilessly and stole from us. It was a very horrible incident.

    “ I thought I was going to be unconscious because I lost so much blood and I couldn’t see anything. The left side of my head was cut with a machete.”

    Another victim, a Keke Marwa operator, who simply gave his name as Sir Kay, said they thought the hoodlums where coming from an event when they suddenly pounced on them.

    “I feel pains all over my body. I don’t know if they were drunk but they used 10 bottles on my head. I had just visited my brother earlier yesterday (Sunday) and he gave me N28,000. The money, my phones are gone.

    “ I couldn’t sleep because I was scared. This morning (Monday) as I stepped out of the house, I saw some touts in groups and I suspected them. I couldn’t point fingers because my life may be at stake. I plead with the government to bring neighbourhood watch to our street to prevent situations as this,” he said.

    A labourer, Olalekan Daramola, said his right arm hasn’t been the same since the incident.

    He said the men beat him with an iron, adding: “Before I could run inside the house it took me forever. None of us could escape because they were more than us. Everyone was asleep that was why it took a while before help came. We don’t know them at all. I don’t know when it became a crime to take fresh air outside one’s house. I am even scared to move out.”

    A resident, who didn’t give his name, said he suspected the hoodlums were from Paul Oguntola Street in Idi-Araba.

    “We need policemen in our neighbourhood. We are being cheated by these boys. They just harass us anyhow. The government should look into this matter,” he said.

     

     

  • Ex-Yabatech bursar, two others charged with false accusation

    The Lagos State Government has preferred an eight-count charge of disclosure of official secrets, false accusation and provoking breach of peace against former Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) Bursar Olu Ibirogba and two others.

    The others are Charles Akharayi and Samuel Erhunwunse.

    In the charge, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Mrs Idowu Alakija alleged that the defendants conspired to commit the offences between February 26, 2013 and February 25, last year.

    The offences which were allegedly committed at YABATECH, Lagos, contravene Sections 57 (1) (b), 59, 60, 94, 96 (a) (b), 411 (2), 39 (1) and 78 (a) (b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    The charge claimed that the defendants conspired to “cause injury to the person and reputation of YABATECH Rector Dr Margaret Kudirat Ladipo”.

    Ibirogba alone was accused of impersonating Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) Chairman and presented himself to Mrs Ladipo as “Hon A.E.O Akins”.

    Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the Lagos High Court has fixed the defendants’ arraignment for September 29.

    Their arraignment could not hold last Tuesday because of their absence in court, even though the prosecution was present.

    In another development, an Abuja High Court has restrained Ibirogba from further publishing, writing and distributing information of any nature about Yabatech Rector or the Governing Council.

    Ruling on an exparte motion brought by the rector and the council, Justice Valentine Ashi also retrained Ibirogba from granting any interview or causing to be published any statement in any media outfit, pending the determination of the substantive suit.