The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Horticulturist charged for stabbing man with broken bottle

    For allegedly stabbing a man with a broken bottle, a 29-year-old horticulturist, Ola Obafunso, was on Monday charged before an Abule-Egba, Lagos.

    The accused, who lives at Adijat Lawal Street, Onikanga in Ayobo, a Lagos suburb, is facing a charge of assault occasioning harm.

    The prosecution said the offence was committed on June 14 at a beer parlour at Landlord Street, Ayobo.

    Insp. Racheal Williams told the court that an argument ensued between the accused and the complainant, Richard Martins, over a mobile phone.

    “Out of anger, the accused hit the complainant with a bottle on his neck and he started bleeding.

    “If not for the intervention of the people there who rushed him to the hospital, he would have bled to death,” she said.

    The offence, according to her, contravenes Section 171.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes three-year for assault occasioning harm.

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Ruling on the bail application of the accused, the Magistrate, Mrs Adenike Shonubi, granted him bail in the sum of N10, 000 with a surety in like sum.

    She adjourned the case till September 14.

     

  • Two arraigned for alleged kidnapping, N3.6m theft

    Two men, Emmanuel Okenze, 42, and Christopher Oshoba, 38, appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly kidnapping one Olamilekan Ogunbiyi and stealing N3.6 million.

    The duo, who were into Visa procurement, appeared on a seven-count charge of conspiracy, unlawful detention, stealing, obtaining under false pretext, and concealing relevant documents and information.

    When the charges were read to them, the accused, however, entered a plea of not guilty.

    The Prosecutor, Cyril Ejiofor, from the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba, said that duo committed the offences sometimes in August 2013, at 5, Bajulaiye Road, Bariga.

    Ejiofor told the court that the duo obtained the sum of N3.6 million from one Otunba Abayomi Oguniyi for the procurement of a Romanian visa for his son, Olamilekan.

    He said that while the complainant thought his son was in Romania, the duo unlawfully detained Olamilekan, against his wish.

    He said that each time the accused were contacted, the duo concealed and refused to provide relevant information about the whereabouts of Olamilekan.

    Ejiofor said that the offences contravened Sections 98, 115, 269, 312 (1) (a) (3), 285, 413, and 409 of the Criminal Laws.

    Chief Magistrate O.I. Adelaja, granted each of the accused N500,000 bail, with two sureties each in like sum, who must be gainfully employed and resident in Lagos.

    The case was adjourned till July 22.

  • Man docked for alleged theft of turkey, sausage

    A 22-year-old unemployed, Emeka Ifyjerike, was yesterday charged before a Badagry Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing a carton of turkey and some sausage valued at N9,500.

    The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of stealing.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Innocent Uko told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 7 at about 4pm at Olowololowo Market at Morogbo area of Badagry.

    Uko said the accused stole the carton of turkey and sausage from the complainant, Mrs Bola Osan at her shop.

    “The accused went to the shop and when he noticed that no one was there, he took a carton of turkey and some sausage from the shop.

    “Before he could run away with it, the complainant saw him and he was caught with the help of some people,” he said.

    Uko noted that the offence contravened Section 285.

    Counsel to the accused, Mr Ayo Makun, pleaded with the court to grant him bail on liberal terms.

    In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr Abiodun Etti, granted the accused bail in the sum of N20, 000 with a surety, who must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Further hearing in the case has been fixed for August 12.

     

  • Woman, 50, arrested over laptop, TV ‘theft’

    A 50-year-old woman, Bukola Awolu, has appeared before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, for allegedly breaking into an apartment and stealing valuables including a laptop valued at N168, 000.

    Awolu, a trader, who resides in Oyo State, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and break-in.

    The Prosecutor, Inspector Feddy Asu, told the court that the offences were committed on Feb. 26 at No. 36, Niger St., off Odaliki Street, Ebute Meta.

    Asu alleged that the woman broke into the apartment of one Mr Rasaki Obafemi and made away with an LG flat screen TV and a laptop all valued at N168, 000.

    He noted that the offences contravened Sections 285 and 305(b).

    The accused pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate E.O. Ogunkanmi granted the accused N50, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

  • Three docked for ‘raping’ teenager

    Three men have been arraigned before an Abule Egba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly raping a 19- year-old girl.

    The accused are Ogundimu Iliyas, 25, a plumber who lives at 12 Salau Street, Iju; Kehinde Aderinoye, 25, an aluminium apprentice, and Ganiyu Habeeb, a welder. Aderinoye and Habeeb reside at  8, Folorunso St, Iju Ishaga, a Lagos suburb.

    The suspects who are facing a two- count charge of conspiracy and rape, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    Magistrate Adenike Shonubi granted them N500,000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    Shonubi also ordered them to pay N50,000 each into the registrar’s account as part of the bail conditions.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Rachael Williams told the court that the offences were committed on June 17 at 8, Folorunso St, Iju at around 9:30am.

    Williams said that the victim was asked to come for an important discussion by the first accused, and when she got there, she met the other two accused in the room.

    “The victim and the three accused live in the same area and they all know themselves, so the victim did not have an idea on what they planned for her.

    “When she got there, she met the three accused listening to music and before she knew what was happening, they had locked the door and threw her on the bed.

    “She shouted for help but the volume of the music was too high that no one in the compound heard her.

    “It was after they had raped and threw her out of the room that her cry attracted the neighbours,” she said.

    Williams said that the offence contravened Sections 258(1) and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The magistrate adjourned the case till July 10.

     

  • Residents of 14 flats in Mushin thrown out without notice

    Residents of 14 flats in Mushin thrown out without notice

     •‘This is annoying, illegal’ •Owner: we followed due process

    The twin three-storey buildings stand out on Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos. Houses 73/75 are opposite the Mushin Local Government secretariat; they contain 14 flats, a warehouse, offices and shops.

    There is a school – New Vine International Schools – behind the buildings.

    Yesterday, the occupants were thrown out by policemen from Zone D and Olosan Police Station in Mushin, waving a court order.

    The properties of some who were not around were flung out; others still  had theirs locked in their apartments with no access to them.

    The buildings painted in brown and cream, The Nation learnt, has been a subject of litigation for over 60 years.

    Among the occupants are a newly married couple who moved in barely a month ago; a nursing mother whose daughter is about a month old; a warehouse owner, printing press and a school proprietor.

    Also, the buildings house LG Electronics shop, Starcomms, DSTV, Visafone offices, a Cocacola mini depot, a mini-mart and the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) House of Glory parish.

    The sheriff spray-painted the court order number and date of eviction on various parts of the building. It reads: “ID/331/76 POSSESSION TAKEN TODAY 23/06/15 BY COURT ORDER.”

    The occupants were seen struggling to get trucks and vehicles to move their belongings.

    No fewer than 10 trucks were seen taken away the properties.

    The distraught occupants wailed and rained abuses on the sheriff.

    They said they were not informed.

    New Vine International Schools’ pupils who were billed to write examinations could not do so. Pupils, who were in school before the eviction, were sent home.

    The Proprietor, Mr Augustine Ekezie, who was informed of the incident by the head teacher quickly sent text messages to the pupils’ parents and guardians. He urged them not to allow their kids to come to school, apologising for the inconvenience.

    Ekezie promised to intimate them of plans to relocate the school.

    He told The Nation that he is making arrangement with a nearby church to take the school there.

    Ekezie described the incident as unfortunate, saying: “It was like a dream because we had our regular school activities yesterday (Monday) and then suddenly on our way here today (Tuesday), the Head Teacher called me that policemen were at the school premises and wanted to lock the premises, saying that everybody should vacate the building because it is going to be occupied by a new owner.

     

    “I hurried down to find everything just as he said. Next thing was to put a call through to the landlady whom I had just paid rent to few days ago, her number was not reachable and I also sent someone to her but she was nowhere to be found. The pupils had to go back home after I sent a text message to their parents informing them about our next step. The next step I am taking now is to beg a church nearby to allow me put my stuff in their building for the moment before I could fix myself up.”

    A parent, who asked not to be named, said she was surprised when she called “to come and carry my children; it is not fair; where do they expect them to go, where do they expect them to carry their load to.”

    The nursing mother told The Nation that her husband was on his way, saying the whole scenario was annoying and shocking.

    “We just moved in not up to two months and we paid six months rent. I just had my baby a month ago. Sincerely, I don’t know what to do now,” the mother of three said.

    The printer, Mr Joseph Ude said the police swooped on them as if they were criminals.

    Ude said: “You should have seen the number of police that came here with guns and asked that everyone should evacuate this place. They said the place, based on a court ruling, has been awarded to a new owner. You can see peoples’ properties scattered everywhere.

    “I have a printing machine that cannot be lifted except you use crane and there are three of them in there and they said I have to renegotiate with the owner as the case may be. The main problem here is how I would move my machine and I personally feel that things ought not to be this way, they should have given us notification either by pasting it on the wall, or creating awareness that a new owner is taking possession and at what time, so that we would know what to do about it.

    “The whole thing is just too embarrassing; in this democratic era when the government is not military, these people (policemen) just came and took the laws into their hands, as if we are not citizens, it is not fair. Even if the court had given an order that the new owner should come and take over, they should have passed the information across, no they did not, they just came to evict us.”

    Another occupant, Mr Fatai Idowu, hurriedly took a flight from Abuja when he learnt that his properties have been thrown out on the road.

    “I am a resident of this house, my landlady is Mrs Olusoga; I have been living in this house for over 10 years.  There was a similar occurrence in 2005 and the landlady was able to settle the issue and she still maintained the ownership; I paid N400,000. I was in Abuja when I was informed that policemen and some boys came to evict people here. They said they came from the court, so the first thing I did was to put a call to the landlady, up till now, she has not shown up.

    “I called my wife who was at the shop to go to the house only to see my things on the street. The Olusoga family said they have handed the house over to the Oteniya family in 2005 and they (Oteniya) authorised us with receipts. We still continued to pay to the new owners.

    “What hurts is that I had to take the next available flight from Abuja to Lagos because I don’t know where to take my belongings to, they are just out here on the streets, this is very annoying because we were not duly notified. I want to implore Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to intervene in this matter. We can’t just allow this lawless action to go unpunished.”

    The plaintiff, Mr Bamgboye, who said the houses are his fathers, claimed that he went through all legal processes before evicting the occupants.

    The case, he said, had been on for years.

    “As law abiding families, we went through all legal processes and you are seeing the effects today. I don’t trust the other families because my father bought this land. If I had giving them notification by 2pm yesterday the other families would have gone to court to get an injunction preventing me from evicting the occupants. That is why it was impossible to give them a notice. I gave them a fair treatment by also asking the supervisors of the church to notify their members that they are occupying the place illegally and if the church were just, they should have pre-informed the other occupants of the court judgement,” he said.

     

     

  • Police, OPC ‘torture’ residents over land

    •Three injured, houses destroyed in Ajah

    Some residents of Alabeko Estate in Ajah, Lagos have accused the police of conniving with the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) to invade their property.

    They alleged that the police and OPC injured three persons and destroyed properties worth millions of naira in the estate last Saturday.

    The injured included the estate’s former General Secretary, Rotimi Ojo; Olaseni Obafemi and Alfa Isiaka Kelani, who were either stabbed or hit with shovels.

    The OPC men allegedly came with bottles and guns, while policemen from MOPOL 23 wielded horse whips and teargas.

    Relieving the incident, the residents’ association chairman, Uba Offorbuike said: “We have not known peace in this estate since a land speculator (name withheld) resorted to brigandage to grab a larger chunk of land from our estate.

    “We met with the Omonile from whom we bought our land; they told us that they did not sell any land to the speculator. After the meeting with the land owners, we were within the estate when the OPC men attacked us with cutlasses, broken bottles and other offensive weapons.

    “I was shocked when the police who are supposed to play a neutral role joined them to attack us by spraying tear gas on us. As law-abiding citizens, we are disappointed in the Nigerian Police because they have failed to defend the defenceless and armless people.

    “They have constantly harassed residents despite petitions sent to the Commissioner of Police, and the (Assistant Inspector General of Police) AIG Zone 2, for protection against the attacks from the OPC and riot policemen from MOPOL 23.”

    A resident, Solomon Sunday, said trouble started about three weeks ago after the speculator started laying claims to lands belonging to about five different families.

    He said the speculator, who acquired land from the Owoje family, “suddenly surfaced with a survey plan dated August 20, 2014 indicating that he owns 40.87 hectares.”

    Sunday alleged that with the survey plan, the speculator encroached on the land with existing structures, and was still extending his grip on other’s properties, forcing them to flee their homes.

    “The man just came from nowhere and brought a survey plan which was done last year. He started laying claim to non-existent 40.87 hectares of land. He owns a land but not in our estate. He bought his land from the Owoje family, whereas the land he is now laying claims to belongs to the Akapo, Adejobi, Ogunlana and two other families. When he started making trouble three weeks ago, the residents went to the Omonile who said they never sold their land to him.

    “He was invited for a meeting with the Omonile on several occasions but he refused to come. And so, on Saturday, the residents and the Omonile had a meeting on how to stop him from the illegal encroachment on their properties. It was after the meeting, around 12.30pm that the OPC men with about eight policemen from MOPOL 23, Obalende, started attacking us.

    “These policemen have been staying inside a wooden structure (church) which he built on his land. Before we knew it, the OPC men started chasing people away. They were flogging even women. They were shooting sporadically and breaking bottles which they used to stab many people. It was in that process that Rotimi Ojo was severely stabbed on his right hand while they used shovel to hit his head,” he said.

    Offorbuike added: “He was rushed to Doren Specialist Hospital in Ajiwe, Ajah and is still on admission there. About N400,000 has been spent already on his emergency surgery and drugs because the doctor said his tendon and ligaments were damaged. What is even more painful is the fact that the police that are supposed to enforce the law not only supervised the unlawful attack, but also complemented the thugs. They sprayed teargas on us. My wife was severely tear-gassed and even slapped by the policemen.”

    “They also used horse whips to brutalise us. Even the Omoniles who are old men were not spared. Most of them wore police T-shirts and so we could not see their names,” said Sunday.

    Not done with the attacks on the residents, they invade Kelani’s eight-room bungalow, destroying the window glasses.

    “Even Kelani’s wife, a visually impaired woman, was given several slaps for questioning their action. They beat and chased people into the bush, as they continued with the demolition of people’s homes and fence, with the police supporting them.”

    The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for Ogombo, Omolabi Oviebo visited the area following a complaint and warned the policemen to stop harassing the residents.

    Kelani was said to have fled his home before the attack for fear of being killed.

    His fear, it was learnt, stemmed from allegations that the thugs have pencilled him and two others. Abiodun Abbe and Wale Adebayo-down for assassination.

    OPC National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams said no member of his association would “descend as low as joining such a fight over people’s land.”

    “It is worrisome that in most cases, people mistake Omonile (land agents) for OPC. Certainly, OPC could not have been involved,” he said.

    Police spokesman, Ken Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), said investigations were on, adding: “The command is poised to ensure that residents of Alabeko and its environs enjoy police protection like other residents of the state.”

    … the police that are supposed to enforce the law not only supervised the unlawful attack, but also complemented the thugs. They sprayed teargas on us. My wife was severely tear-gassed and even slapped by the policemen

     

     

  • Man, 35, in court for alleged wine theft

    A 35-year-old man, Joshua Effiong, yesterday appeared in the Tinubu Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing 25 cartons of Moet wine worth N2.9million.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the accused was alleged to have stolen the wine from one Adu Elizabeth, a trader, who resides at Close 4, Victoria Garden City, Lagos.

    Effiong is standing trial with a 40-year-old trader, Mojisola Bamgbade of 28, Shipeolu Street, Somolu, who allegedly received the items from the first accused, having known they were stolen.

    Between the two of them, they are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony, obtaining goods under false pretence, stealing and receiving stolen goods. The duo pleaded not guilty.

    However, the prosecutor, Inspector Ignatius Okeke, told the court that Effiong, with others at large, committed the offence on April 28, at about 9.am.

    He said that the complainant, Adu, had come to the police station to report on the said date that she had supplied 25 cartons wine valued at N2,925,000 to Effiong on credit.

    According to the prosecutor, the complainant said that the accused absconded immediately the items were supplied.

    He said that Effiong was later arrested and the stolen items were traced to Bamgbade.

    Okeke said the offences contravened Sections 312, 326 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The Magistrate, Mr L.A. Owolabi ordered Effiong to be remanded in prison, saying he had jumped bail in a different case before the court, hence he could not grant him same again.

    He, however, granted the co-accused bail in the sum of N400,000 and two sureties in like sum. The magistrate adjourned the case till June 30.

     

  • Barber arraigned for ‘stealing’ bag

    The police yesterday arraigned a 26-year-old barber, Nwazuosa Elite, in a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for stealing a travelling bag.

    The accused resides at 3, Ajara Dokoh Street, Badagry.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Innocent Uko, told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 13 at about 2.30 p.m. at 105, Amosu Igboro Street, Alasia-Ijanikin, Badagry.

    Uko said that the accused stole the bag containing N10,000 cash, a Nokia cell phone valued at N15,000 and a wristwatch, valued at N2,000 from the complainant, Mr Olayinka Olagbayi.

    He added: “The complainant was walking to a bus stop in order to board a bus when the accused came from behind and snatched the bag from him. The complainant went after him and was able to catch him with the help of passersby.’’

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 278 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    However, the accused pleaded not guilty to the offence and the Chief Magistrate, Mr Abiodun Etti, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.

    The chief magistrate said the surety must provide evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government and adjourned further hearing in the case till August 31.

     

  • NYSC DG: corps member’s killing painful

    National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Director-General (DG) Brig-Gen Johnson Olawunmi yesterday described as painful the killing of a female corps member, Yetunde Shukurat, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

    He spoke with reporters at the closing ceremony of the orientation course for the 2015 batch of Lagos Corps members at the NYSC Camp in Iyana-Ipaja.

    Olawunmi said the Corps places premium on Corps members’ security.

    He said: “Corps members need to get themselves integrated in the host communities where they are serving. They can do this by learning the language of the community in which they are serving; learning the people’s culture and putting in efforts in terms of community service. They must know the community and let the community know them; that for us is the first step to ensure adequate security for Corps members.”

    The DG said the Kwara State security agencies have arrested some people and charged them to court for the Corps member’s death. “We will continue to do as much as we can to ensure the security of lives and properties of these Corps members,” he said.

    Olawunmi urged Corps members to be change agents and imbibe good value, “Very soon, you will be called to drive the change,” he said.