The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Ojora family wins land case

    Ojora family wins land case

    A Lagos High Court has declared that the Ojora Ruling House has the statutory right of occupancy of a vast parcel of land that has been a subject of litigation.

    The property includes a substantial part of the land hosting the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) in Ijora; Iganmu, Ebute-Metta, Orile-Iganmu, part of expressway and container terminal at Ebute-Metta.

    Justice Kazeem Alogba handed down the verdict in a 21-page judgment in Suit No. LD/443/2002: Oba Fatai Aromire (Ojora of Lagos) and two others versus Chief Ogunyemi, Fredrick Orokoto and Mrs Oladunni Stella Olasehan.

    Oba Aromire had prayed the court in year 2002, for among others, a declaration that his ruling house is entitled to the statutory right of occupancy of the disputed land, particularly, those delineated and edged Red on Survey Plan No: BAL 192, dated October 25, 2001.

    He sought an order setting aside the purported sale of part of the land to the other defendants by the NRC and a declaration that the defendants are trespassers on the land. The monarch also sought an injunction restraining them from further trespassing on the land.

    In her defence, Mrs Olasehan said her father was from Igbo-Olomi, now in the Ibeju-Lekki area of the state. She said that in 1963, he joined his friend, the 4th defendant, to settle in the marshy Badia area.

    She said the area was later acquired by the federal government in 1929 for NRC, adding that her father never paid rent to the Ojora Family because he was not its tenant.

    Justice Alogba noted that the defendants never denied the claim by the claimants that they were trespassers on their land in Portion B and C in Exhibit C7. “Consequently, the purported letting of the said portion to 3rd and 5th defendants by NRC was ultra-vire, null and void and of no effect and I so hold. I finally make an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from further trespassing or disturbing the peaceful and quiet enjoyment on the said land,” Justice Alogba said.

    NRC

  • How soldiers assaulted us, by lawyers

    How soldiers assaulted us, by lawyers

    Two lawyers, , have petitioned the Army for their alleged assault by some soldiers attached to the 81 Division, Lagos.

    Benson Olagbade and Maduka Onwukaeme alleged that on March 31, the soldiers who drove an escort van marked NA2428B05 around Marina, Lagos Island beat them up and damaged their vehicle in a traffic gridlock.

    According to the petition, the incident happened when Olugbade, one of the lawyers who drove the car, tried to negotiate a bend after the Apongbon Bridge on their way to Marina.

    Onwukaeme recounted: “It was at about 8:07am. We were on the left side of the bridge when a green Nigerian Army open-back Pick-up van marked NA2428B05, which was being roughly driven, suddenly appeared behind our car. The van was not in a convoy.

    “The width of the road made it impossible for us to make adequate way as demanded and the car directly in front of us was not moving too because of the traffic. Abruptly, the van overtook us and blocked our vehicle. Instantly, the driver and two other soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms jumped down and started beating Mr Olagbade Benson who was driving.

    “The driver was flogging him with horsewhip while the other soldiers were hitting him with fists and the butts of their AK47 rifles even as they threatened to shoot him.”

    Onwukeme said the soldiers attempted dragging Olagbade out of the car. Olagbade, he said, was injured, blood gushing out of his nostrils.

    Calling for the prosecution of the soldiers, the lawyers said the incident made them miss two important proceedings at the Lagos High Court.

    They described the soldiers’ actions as disgraceful, brutal, near-fatal and extremely traumatising. “Protests by other motorists, including a naval officer, did not deter them in their murderous rage. They left Olagbade bleeding profusely from the nose. Olagbade, who was already badly injured, asked me to take their vehicle’s number for us to be able to file a report against them, since we could not dare bring out our phones,

    “On hearing this, the soldiers came back. The driver brought out a dagger from a pouch and threatened to stab me, but he was prevented by Olagbade who quickly wound up the window glass automatically.

    “Instantly, the soldiers completely broke the window glass with the butts of their AK47 rifles, giving them chance to pond me severally. This left me with injuries on my hands, face and neck. The officers drove off towards Victoria Island,” he said.

    Onwukaeme told The Nation that they reported the matter at the division’s headquarters at Kofo Abayomi, Victoria Island same day.

    He said: “For the fact that we did not meet the General Officer Commanding (GOC) the day we went to complain, we decided to also put the complaint in writing to his office to forestall a recurrence. If lawyers going about their lawful duties could be savagely assaulted, nearly killed and their car vandalised by uniformed soldiers who should protect them, we wonder what would be the fate of the common man in the society.

    “Copies of our petition were sent to the Lagos State governor and to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) because we want this ugly issue investigated.”

    The spokesman for 81 Division, Colonel Abraham Ochagwuba, told The Nation that he was not aware of the issue.

  • Man bags life jail for armed robbery

    A lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Olayinka Ayeni, to life imprisonment for armed robbery.

    Ayeni was accused of robbing Modupeola Iromini and assaulting her while attempting to snatch her handbag in Meiran, a Lagos suburb.

    Justice Lateefat Okunnu held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubts.

    The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) charged Ayeni with armed robbery. He was arraigned on June 27, 2012.

    Ayeni pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The prosecutor, Mr Femi Adamson, told the court that Ayeni committed the offence on March 14, 2011 at 10.30 p.m, at 40, Kola Oretuga Street, Iyana Bus Stop, Meiran, Lagos.

    Adamson said Ayeni trailed Iromini from the bus stop and assaulted her with a sharp weapon while attempting to snatch her handbag.

    According to him, the victim shouted for help and was rescued by some persons who apprehended Ayeni and handed him over to the police.

    He said Iromini was taken to Niki Hospital in Meiran.

    Adamson said the offence contravened Section 403 (2) (a) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

    In her judgment, Justice Okunnu said the testimonies of the victim and her father were credible, adding that they “properly” identified the accused.

    According to her, the evidence before the court showed that Ayeni was armed with a dangerous weapon while attempting to snatch the handbag.

    Justice Okunnu said the sentence would begin from June 27, 2012 when Ayeni was arraigned for the offence.

  • Counsel: Lagos still collecting tolls on Lekki Bridge

    •Court hears govt application tomorrow

    Activist lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has told the Federal High Court in Lagos that the state government is still collecting toll on the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge.

    Justice Saliu Saidu had, in a March 27 judgment, held that there was no law backing toll collection on the bridge.

    Adegboruwa is urging the court to dismiss a March 28 application by the government seeking a stay of execution of the verdict.

    In a counter-affidavit, he alleged that the government had refused to obey the judgment.

    The court will hear the government’s application tomorrow.

    The plaintiff said: “On the March 27, 2014, the applicant (Adegboruwa) was personally present in court and the fourth respondent (Lagos State Attorney-General) herein, Mr Adetoro Ipaye, was also present in court and they all listened to the judgment of the court and thereafter commended the court.

    “The applicant thereafter proceeded from the court to the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge in his car at about 11am and he met the usual barrier at the toll plaza that the third (Lagos State Government) and fourth respondents erected on the said bridge.

    “The applicant was not allowed to pass through the said barrier as officers of the third and fourth respondents, together with armed policemen were on hand to compel motorists and the applicant too, to pay the toll fee before they could be allowed access through the toll plaza.

    “The applicant paid N300 for his car to be allowed to pass through the toll plaza, to be able to get to his office in Lekki Phase 1.

    “The applicant observed that other motorists exiting Lekki through the bridge across to Ikoyi, were also made to pay the fee that day at the said time. Since March 27, when the judgment of this Honourable Court was delivered, the applicant and other motorists using the said Lekki-Ikoyi have been paying.”

    Lagos State Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN) said the government had appealed the verdict at the Court of Appeal.

    In the notice of appeal, the government is challenging Justice Saidu’s decision that contractors’ payment to the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) was an admission by the state that the Federal Government has powers to regulate inland waterways throughout the country.

    It is urging the Court of Appeal to reverse the decision which held that there was no law by the House of Assembly authorising the state to impose tolls on public infrastructure in the state.

    It argued that the Lagos State Public Private Partnership Law No. 2 of 2011 empowers the government to specify the service charges, user fees or tolls which are payable in respect of designated public infrastructure.

    After the judgment, Ipaye said toll collection would continue on the bridge because the court did not make any consequential order or declaration barring the government from further collecting tolls from users of the bridge.

    He said: “The judgment read this morning did not specifically address many of the questions raised by the applicant; neither did it grant any of the declarations sought.

    “As you heard for yourselves, no order was made. However, the pronouncements referred to above are capable of being interpreted as court orders; hence our decision to appeal and file a stay of execution immediately.”

  • ‘I smuggled guns stacked in yam flour’

    ‘I smuggled guns stacked in yam flour’

    An alleged international gun smuggler, Abdulazeez Amao, has been arrested by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Lagos State Police Command.

    The suspect, who had been on the “wanted list” of the police, was held by the command, following intelligence reports on his exploits at the nation’s border with Seme.

    Amao and his “middle-man,” Olatunji Tubosun, were paraded yesterday at the Parade Ground of the Police Command Headquarters in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. Items recovered from them included 10 new AK47 rifles and 19 AK7 magazines, all loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.

    Amao told reporters that he imported the weapons from Burkina Faso, adding: “I was introduced into the business by a man, Gbenga. I am a serious smuggler, but I do any other business that comes my way. When Gbenga promised to sponsor me to Burkina Faso, I grabbed the idea because I believe that if there is no venture, there won’t be success. One of my wives is from Ouagadougou, the Burkina Faso capital; so, I was able to mix up and got connected to Zakari Watara, who was bringing arms and ammunition from Mali to Burkina Faso. I would buy from him and import to Nigeria.”

    On how he was able to beat security operatives in Mali, Amao said: “It is by packaging my consignment into cartons of milk. Whenever I arrived Paraku Town in Benin Republic, I would repackage the arms and ammunition into bags containing yam flour (Elubo) and then transport them to Ibadan, Oyo State capital, through the border.

    “Gbenga who introduced me into the deal also introduced Tubosun who was bringing buyers to me. I was not investigating whoever he brought as what mattered to me was my money. I used to buy one AK47 for 600,0000 CFA (N200, 000) and resold for N320, 000. Tubosun is a good man because he used to pay me cash. However, I was shocked that he was bringing armed robbers to buy arms and ammunition from me.”

    Tubosun, who claimed that he only brought hunters to his master, said: “I am a farmer and hunter. We were being attacked in the bush by some land grabbers; so, we used the rifles to defend ourselves.”

    Commissioner of Police Umar Manko, who paraded the suspects, said following the information he received, he engaged the Officer in Charge of SARS, Abba Kyari.

    “We were informed that one suspected armed robber, Olatunji, was arrested in Ikorodu area of Lagos, with an Ak47 rifle and after he was quizzed by Kyari, he confessed that he bought it from Amao, a notorious arms dealer in Ibadan,” said Manko.

    Saying that a ‘Decoy’ police team deployed to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, by Kyari arrested Amao, Manko added:  “He confessed that he had sold several other AK47 rifles and English pistols to many buyers in Oyo, Lagos and Anambra states.”

    The police chief said efforts were being made to recover the arms from the armed robbers who bought them and also arrest the Burkina Faso dealer through the assistance of the International Police (Interpol).

     

  • Customs seizes hard drugs at airport

    Customs seizes hard drugs at airport

    The Murtala Muhammed International Airport Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has detected substances suspected to be hard drugs in a consignment containing various spares and household goods packaged for export to Gabon.

    The suspected agent of the illicit substances, Mr Nyeaka Anslem, The Nation learnt, is being detained by the Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    The command’s spokesperson, Deputy Superintendent of Customs (DSC) Mrs Thelma Williams, said the substances were detected during a joint examination by customs officers led by Toyin Momoh, a Deputy Superintendent of Customs (DSC), and other agencies.

    The agencies include: State Security Services (SSS), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) and the Anti-Bomb Squad of the police.

    Mrs Williams, who said five wraps of the substances were found concealed in a stabiliser, explained that tests by the NDLEA confirmed them to be cocaine, which weighed 600 grammes.

    She further explained that the package in which the hard drug was uncovered was in NDLEA’s custody, adding that the remaining five packages of the consignment had been transferred to government warehouse pending further investigations.

     

  • UN, Lions Club celebrate

    The District Governor, District 404B, Lion Gbolagade Adebisi, has hailed the partnership between the club and the United Nations (UN).

    Speaking at this year’s Lions’ Day with the UN, he said: “During the years, the two organisations have cooperated on many humanitarian ventures. Lions have provided aids and manpower for the UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Educational Fund), World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) projects.”

    The event, according to the organisers, was meant to count the gains of the relationship Lions Club established with the global body immediately after the Second World War. The bond was established between the UN and Lions’ founder, Melvin Jones, past International Presidents Fred W. Smith and D.A. Skeen.

    The UN resident coordinator, Mr Daouda Toure, said: “The UN continues to benefit from the efforts of Lions Club members around the world who are supporting our work to prevent diseases, end poverty, promote education, empower women and protect the environment. You have been a worthy partner for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals since its declaration.”

    Saying that Lions clubs had fulfilled the aims of MDGs, he urged other corporate bodies to intensify efforts at achieving the targets set for MDGs.

     

  • Missing vehicle

    A black Mercedes Benz G-Wagon Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) marked GG 868 AL (with Chassis number: WD CYC7BF4BX193049) has been reported missing.

    A source at the police at Bar Beach Police Station, Victoria Island, Lagos, where the incident was reported, said the vehicle which belongs to Mr Festus Igbomor of Worldspan Holdings Ltd. It was reportedly stolen by unknown persons where it was parked on March 25.

    All efforts by the police to recover the vehicle, according to the source, have failed. Any information about the vehicle, the source said, should be reported to the police station, any other police station or Mr Igbomor at 18A, Okoawo Close, Victoria Island.

     

  • Court dismisses Ajudua’s bail application

    Lagos socialite Fred Ajudua yesterday lost his bid for bail at an Ikeja High Court.

    Justice Kudirat Jose held that Ajudua failed to convince the court that he would not abscond if granted bail.

    Ajudua is standing trial for allegedly defrauding two Dutch businessmen, Remy Cina and Pierre Vijgen of $1.69 million.

    Though the judge held that there is proof of Ajudua’s illness, she said she could not grant him bail because his application lacked merit.

    Ajudua attached to his application, medical reports from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

    Justice Jose noted that Ajudua was admitted in LUTH on August 3, 2013 and was treated for hypertension, traumatic haematuria and enlarged prostate gland, which arose from having only one kidney.

    His doctors, she said, had also prescribed further treatment and possible corrective surgery to address his failing health.

    The reports, she said, did not show that Ajudua cannot be treated in prison.

    The judge said Ajudua also failed to convince the court that he would not interfere with witnesses if granted bail.

    “The applicant (Ajudua) has not shown to the court why he was not able to come to his trial between 2006 and 2013. He did not respond to the allegation that he had tampered with a witness in the trial. Due to his absence, the matter has been stalled since 2006,” Jose said.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned Ajudua and one Charles Orie before Justice Joseph Oyewole in 2006 for allegedly defrauding Cina and Vijgen.

    They were re-arraigned before Justice Jose on February 5, 2014, following the transfer of the case from Justice Oyewole.

    Justice Jose adjourned the case till April 28.

  • ‘Donate blood to save lives’

    The Health Educator, Lagos State Blood Transfusion Committee (LSBTC), Mrs Temitope Balogun, has urged Nigerians to develop the culture of donating blood to save people’s lives.

    Mrs Balogun spoke in Lagos during a voluntary blood donation drive/free mini medical check organised by the LSBTC in conjunction with the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Centre, Berger.

    She said non-availability of blood in hospitals had killed many, calling on Nigerians to donate blood to assist those in need of it, including sickle cell patients, accident victims, women in need of blood at delivery and cancer patients.

    A Welding and Pole Fabrication trainee at the centre, Moses Ogundipe, a first-time donor, advised his colleagues to embrace voluntary blood donation to save lives and ward off infectious diseases. He identified ignorance as the obstacle militating against voluntary blood donation in the society.

    Adetoun John, who is studying Refrigerating and Air Conditioning, said voluntary blood donation is a way to give back to the society.