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Tag: Apo

  • ICPC arraigns public servants for alleged N26.7m fraud

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday arraigned two public servants at an FCT High Court, Apo, for alleged N26. 7 million fraud.

    ICPC charged Ademola Oluwatoyi, an officer with the Nigeria Law Reform Commission and Ala Kolade, who works in the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation with three counts bordering on fraud.

    Prosecutor Mr Ogechuku Iwuagwu told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offence in December, 2013 while in active service.

    He alleged that Oluwatoyin used his position and awarded contract worth N16. 3 million to his company, Mutoy Adekunle Enterprise.

    Iwuagwu also alleged that Oluwatoyin used his position and received N9.2 million through his Skye Bank account from the chambers of Mr Ala Abayomi & Co, being part of N10. 4 million paid for consultancy in a workshop organised by the commission.

    The prosecutor said Kolade, while serving in the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, acquired contract for consultancy worth N10. 4 million from the Nigeria Law Reform Commission.

    Justice Olukayode Adeniyi admitted the defendants to N10 million bail each, with one surety each in the like sum.

    He said the surety must be a deputy director in the civil service with a verifiable address in the FCT.

    Adeniyi adjourned the case till May 8

  • Arraignment of CJN stalls judicial activities at FCT High court

    The arraignment of Justice Walter Onnoghen, Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) before the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) over alleged infractions of the CJN’s assets declaration on Monday stalled judicial activities at the FCT High Court, Apo.

    Most courtrooms did not proceed with cases as earlier scheduled except the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal for Osun State.

    Read Also: CJN’s Trial: Onnoghen absent as CCT proceedings begin

    Justice Onnoghen is being arraigned by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) following a petition on January 7, alleging non-declaration and false declaration of his assets between 2005 and 2016.

    The petition lodged by Anti-Corruption and Research-Based Data Initiative (ARBDI), drew the CCB attention to what it called serious concerns bordering on flagrant violations of the law and constitution of Nigeria by the CJN.

  • C/River guber: Court rejects Usani’s claim to APC ticket

    A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Apo, Abuja has rejected the claim by Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani to being the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross River State.

    Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, a judgment on Monday, dismissed a suit filed by Usani, in which he had, among others, sought to be declared the actual winner of the party’s governorship primary held late last year.

    Justice Adeniyi, who resolved all the issues raised by Usani for determination against him, noted that documentary evidence tendered by the claimant and facts in his supporting affidavits showed vital legal flaws, which the court could not overlook.

    The judge noted, for instance, that while Usani claimed to have won the primary conducted on September 30, 2018, a report of the primary, issued by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INRC) in Cross River, tendered by the claimant, showed that the primary was held between September 30 and October 1, 2018.

    Read Also: Buratai condoles with Shagari family

    Justice Adeniyi also noted that by the documentary evidence tendered by Usani, it was clear that the primary he claimed to have won was an illegal one, because it was conducted solely by the Cross River State’s APC Executive which has no power, under the law to conduct state governorship primary.

    Usani had, in the suit, prayed the court to compel the APC to send his name to INEC, in the place of Senator John Owan Enoh, as its governorship candidate for Cross River State.

    Details later.

  • FCT: Police arrest 4 suspected armoured cable thieves, armed robbers

    FCT: Police arrest 4 suspected armoured cable thieves, armed robbers

    The FCT Police Command had arrested four suspected armoured cable thieves and vandals cutting electric cables at a transformer at the Games village, Abuja on June 21.

    The suspects are: Jonathan Duru, Chinedu Okafor, Uchena Eke and Ifeanyi Nnaji al of Mpape area of Abuja.

    The Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Mr Musa Kimo, made the disclosure while briefing newsmen on the efforts of the command to curb crime in the territory.

    Kimo said items recovered from the suspects include, two diggers, two shovels, one hand saw and electric cables.

    He said that the suspects were arrested by operatives of the anti-crime patrol team in Wuye division of Abuja following a tip-off.

    The commissioner said that the suspects, who had confessed to the crime, are currently being interrogated and would be charged to court as soon as investigation was concluded.

    In a related development, Kimo said that the command had also arrested an armed robbery suspect, Michael Olowu, 25,OF Kubwa area of Abuja.

    He said that the suspect was arrested on June 20 by operatives on surveillance, following a distress call put across to them.

    “The suspect and five others at large were operating at the residence of Olayinola Ayeni of Lavister court estate Apo when the police arrived and they took to their heels,“he said.

    The commissioner said suspect confessed to the crime and said they belong to a dreaded syndicate of armed robbers terrorising Kabusa and its environs.

    He said that investigation into the case was ongoing as the suspect had given useful information that would lead to the arrest of other fleeing members of the syndicate.

    Kimo said that items recovered from the suspect include, four locally made pistol, live cartridge, one cutlass, one Techno cell phone and two laptops.

    He said that the suspect would be charged to court for prosecution at the conclusion of investigation.

    The commissioner pledged that the command would make the territory inhabitable for all criminals to operate.

    “This success is the product of the proactive approach to crime fighting adopted by the FCT police command,“ he said.

    He enjoined residents of the territory to always give the police useful information to provide adequate security for them.

  • Group faults Apo Six verdict

    •’No faith on army panel on Biafra agitators’

    A group has rejected an Abuja High Court verdict, which sentenced to deaths two of the five police officers charged with the 2005 murder of the Apo Six.

    The Nzuko Umunna, an Igbo socio-cultural group, said it was strange that officers who obeyed a command were sentenced to death, while their superiors were freed.

    The group also said it had no faith in the panel set up by Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Tukur Buratai to investigate the alleged extra judicial killing of some pro-Biafra agitators. It asked the   Federal Government to constitute an independent panel to investigate the matter.

    In a statement  by its coordinator, Ngozi Odumuko and public relations officer, Prof  Emeka Ezeonu, the group said Buratai’s previous comments  that Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) members  ” cannot achieve their aims in his lifetime ” portrayed him as bias. ‘’This indicates that the army chief  is committed to stopping the agitation by all means’’, it said.

    The statement reads : ‘’It is noteworthy that Gen Buratai had denied the extra judicial killings of the members of IPOB… given these dispositions, there is no doubt that Gen Butatai’s panel is an ambush and its findings cannot be taken seriously. This is further buttressed by the lopsidedness of the committee ”

    The group dissociated itself from violence  and called for calm by IPOB and other Biafra agitators.

    Nzuko Umunna said it considered the Apo Six verdict a travesty of justice, urging  ‘’the Attorney-General of the Federation  and National Judicial Council to review this case and assign same to another Judge for trial for proper justice to be seen to be done on the souls of the murdered Apo Six…we seriously demand for justice to be done and to be seen to be done on Apo Six killings. Only in doing so will the perennial bad tales of extra judicial killings of innocent and promising young elements for no reasons be stopped.”

  • Court dismisses Fani-Kayode’s suit

    Court dismisses Fani-Kayode’s suit

    An FCT High Court, Apo, on Wednesday dismissed Femi Fani-Kayode’s Fundamental Human Right suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for lack of merit.

    In his judgment, the judge, Justice Olukayode Adeniyi, held that the action of the EFFC on was constitutional.

    Adeniyi said that arrest made for the purpose of investigation of crime could not violate fundamental human rights.

    “The reason for arrest and detention is for reasonable suspicion of committing an offence and the test can be determined by the totality of the case in a court,” he said,

    He said the arrest of Kayode from May 9 to May 19 did not contravene human rights of the applicants by law as the EFCC had obtained an order to remand Kayode in Abuja on May 10.

    The judge said that another remand warrant was also obtained from a Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, which transferred the matter to lagos.

    According to him, the court is incompetent because the case has been transferred to the Lagos which is not within its jurisdiction.

    Adeniyi, however, said that the applicant did not establish how his right to life and freedom of movement was violated.

    On issue of bail, he held that only the court was empowered to grant bail as envisage in Section 35 of the constitution.

    According to him, the grant of administrative bail is only allowed for the duration in the constitution until he is brought before a court of law for bail.

    He added that the apex court frowns at detention before charging an accused to court.

    “It is dangerous to the rule of law. So, best practices should be embraced from the civilised societies.’’

    Fani-Kayode had challenged his detention by the EFCC as unlawful by and a violation of hid fundamental human rights.