The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Army officer

  • Court jails man for posing as Army officer

    A Karmo Area Court, Abuja, yesterday sentenced Joseph Ogar to 10 months’ imprisonment for parading as an Army officer, and for fraudulently obtaining N120,000 from Godwin Ephraim.

    Ogar, who lives at Kuchikowa  village, Nayanya, Nasarawa State, was convicted on a two-count charge of impersonation and theft.

    The judge, Mr. Maiwada Inuwa, gave the punishment after Ogar pleaded guilty.

    Inuwa, however, asked Ogar to pay N17,000 fine as option for the jail term and to return the N120,000 to Ephraim.

    He warned the convict to desist from committing crime.

    Prosecutor Ijeoma Ukagha told the court that on June 18, Ephraim, of Mabushi village, Abuja, reported at Life Camp Police Station that the convict introduced himself to him as an army officer on May 21.

    She said the convict, dressed in army uniform, showed him an identity card with his name and passport photograph on it.

    Ukagha told the court that the convict collected Ephraim’s ATM card and his CX Techno phone valued at N50,000 after accusing Ephraim of committing an undisclosed crime.

    She said the convict forced Ephraim to reveal his ATM card details to him.

    The prosecutor told the court that the convict went to the nearest bank and withdrew N120, 000 from the complainant’s account.

    She said during investigation, it was found that the convict never enlisted in the army, neither did he reveal where he got the uniform and warrant he used for the crime.

    Ukagha said the offences contravened sections 321 and 287 of the Penal Code.

    The convict told the court that he used the N120,000 for the payment of his rent.

    He pleaded for mercy and promised that he would not commit any crime again.

  • Army officer arraigned with Evans loses bail application

    Army officer arraigned with Evans loses bail application

    An Ikeja high court  yesterday, refused bail to a suspected kidnapper, Victor Aduba, one of the henchmen of billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike a.k.a. Evans.

    Aduba, is the sixth defendant and the army officer who aided Evans activities, in the ongoing kidnap trial of Evans and five others before Justice Hakeem Oshodi.

    Justice Oshodi, in ruling declined Aduba’ s request for bail on the ground that the applicant doses not live in Lagos.

    He also noted that he does not have sufficient reasons to warrant bail.

    Justice Oshodi said the court considered the gravity of the offence allegedly committed, the offender’s possibility of interfering with course of trial and his antecedents before arriving at his decision.

    He held that the sixth defendant would constitute a high risk especially having admitted in his statement of being involved in illegal operations where he collects N20,000.

    The offence which the sixth defendant (Aduba ) is standing trial for is a very severe one. It would be wise to hold him in custody for his own safety and protection.

    The judge held that Aduba did not place sufficient material before the court to make the court exercise its discretion in his favour.

    “The bail application is hereby refused and is dismissed,” Justice Oshodi held.

    Aduba, Evans and four others were arraigned before the judge on August 30, 2017 on two charges bordering on conspiracy and kidnapping.

    The other defendants are Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okuchukwu Nwachukwu and Chilaka Ifeanyi.

    Proceedings in case was however could not proceed further yesterday as Evans’ lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, was absent.

    While adjourning the matter till March 16, 2018, following prayer for same by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs. Titilayo Shita-Bey, the judge said he hoped that the letter written by Ogungbeje to seek an adjournment was not a ploy to frustrate the case.

    Earlier, the judge, in a short ruling, foreclosed the opportunity of the fourth defendant, Nwachukwu, to cross-examine the first prosecution witness, Mr. Anselem Dunu.

    The witness is the elder brother of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Donatus Dunu, who was allegedly kidnapped by the gang sometime in February this 2017.

    The judge’s decision to foreclose Nwachukwu’s chance of cross-examining Dunu was because he was not willing to cross-examine the witness by himself as he was not represented by any lawyer.

    Prosecuting lead counsel, Shitta-Bey, had urged the court not to allow Nwachukwu’s failure to get a lawyer to stop yesterday’s proceedings.

    She said, “The matter was adjourned for continuation of trial, particularly cross-examination of PW1 by the fourth defendant.

    “That the fourth defendant is not represented by counsel should not prevent the cross-examination of the witness from going on.

    “He has been given ample opportunity by this court to get counsel of his choice.

    “Under Section 36(6)(d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), he’s entitled to examine the witness either by his counsel or himself.”

    She added that on account of the fourth defendant’s delay to get a lawyer, the case had already suffered many adjournments.

    Counsel for the third and fifth defendants, A.A. Uzochukwu and Joseph Otogbolu, respectively aligned themselves with Shitta-Bey.

    Counsel for the sixth defendant, Emmanuel Ochei, however urged the court to give Nwachukwu further grace to get a lawyer.

    The judge, accepted the submission of Shitta-Bey and others, and directed the court registrar to ask Nwachukwu if he was ready to cross-examine the witness or foreclose his opportunity.

    Responding, Nwachukwu said, “I’m not ready, My Lord.”

    He added that his family had arranged a lawyer for him but he was surprised that the lawyer was not in court.

    Responding, the judge held, “The court does not buy your excuse. It’s been the same excuse that you have been giving the court.”

    Justice Oshodi directed the registrar to ask Nwachukwu once again if he was ready to cross-examine the witness by himself, to which he again replied, “I cannot cross-examine the witness.”

    Consequently, the judge held, “Since the fourth defendant has refused to take up the opportunity to cross-examine the witness, he has forfeited the opportunity.”

    As Shitta-Bey said she had no need to re-examine the witness, Justice Oshodi, consequently, discharged the witness.?

  • Boko Haram kills another army officer in ambush

    Boko Haram kills another army officer in ambush

    Another army officer has been killed in the battle against Boko Haram insurgents.

    Lt. Col B U Umar, the commanding officer of 114 TF battalion, was killed barely two weeks after Lt. Col. Muhammed. Abu-Ali died in an ambush.

    A senior Officer said Umar was ambushed alongside his troops on Monday on the way to Bita, in Borno state.

    According to him, the late officer and his troops were returning from Mubi, Adamawa state, a town reclaimed from? Boko Haram, when his vehicle stepped on an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

    The military source said details of the incident would be released as soon as the military concluded the necessary arrangement.

    He however denied that there was heavy casualty saying only Col. Umar was fatally wounded in the incident.

    The late Col. Umar was a member of the 48 Regular Course in the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA).

    In response to fresh attacks from the sect, the Air Force has launched a new offensive aimed at further degrading the ranks of the insurgents.

    Planes carried out attacks on the insurgents’ location at Malkonori in northern Borno State.

    Director, Public Relations and Information, Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the attack was a follow-up to the close air support operation that repelled the insurgents who attacked Air Force ground soldiers at Kangarwa.

    Famuyiwa said survivors among the insurgents fled to Dogochuku where they were also attacked by NAF fighter aircraft and forced to relocate to Malkonori.

    Ground forces confirmed a number of the insurgents were killed and their vehicle destroyed from the latest air strike at Malkonori

  • Lagos: Army officer’s car explodes after collusion with truck

    There was chaos around Fagbems petrol station along Oshodi – Apapa expressway Tuesday morning after a Toyota Camry saloon car exploded.

    The car belonging to an Army personnel identified as Lasisi Adeleye caught up in flames after a Mercedes Benz 1428 truck marked AKM162ZW, driving recklessly, hit it from the rear.

    It was gathered that in the process of avoiding severe impact with the truck which was involved dangerous overtaking, the Camry knocked down a passerby who fell and sustained leg injury.

    Carrying three 25 litre kegs filled with fuel in its boot, the Camry still trying to avoid crushing the victim, was said to have somersaulted, crossing the median on the expressway.

    Sensing danger, the army officer was said to have ran out of the vehicle unhurt before it eventually hit the padestrian walkway and exploded.

    Immediately the incident occurred at about 7am, motorists on the busy expressway scampered for safety while others assisted the injured man off harm’s way.

    The truck driver identified as Joseph Chima, a resident of 50, Emodi Street, Olodi Apapa was said to have attempted to flee but he was caught by the army officer who took him to the nearest police station to make an entry.

    Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps got to the scene few minutes and assisted the injured man into their patrol van.

    According to Assistant Corps Commander, Emmanuel Edeh, the unidentified victim was taken to New Age Hospital, Kirikiri Apapa where it was discovered he has fractured ankle, adding that he was responding to treatment.

    The police command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent, confirmed the incident.

    She stated that investigations were ongoing, adding that the saloon car got completed burnt.