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Tag: assault

  • Woman in court over assault

    A 39-year-old businesswoman, Deborah Agu, who allegedly attacked a man with a machete, on Friday appeared before a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Agu, who resides at 10, Thomas Animashaun St., Aguda in Surulere, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Gabriel Ekundayo, told the court that the accused with others still at large committed the offences on Feb. 20 at her residence.

    He alleged that Agu assaulted one Mr Sunday Nnachi, a neighbour, and inflicted injuries on him with a machete.

    According to Ekundayo, an argument broke out between Agu and Nnachi which led to a fight.

    “The accused used the machete to attack his neighbour which gave him cuts in his head, right hand and left foot.’’

    He said the offences contravened Sections 171 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    Agu pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Olajuwon, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    The case was adjourned to April 1 for mention.

  • Man, 40, remanded for defiling 4-year-old girl

    A Yaba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos has ordered the remand in prison of a 40-year-old man, Michael Ekebi, over alleged felony.

    Police Prosecutor, ASP Felix Ifijen, on Tuesday arraigned Ekebi on a one-count charge of rape.

    Ifijen told the court that the accused, of No. 4, Alagba St., Ajegunle Ikorodu, Lagos State, had on Feb. 7 lured a four-year daughter of his neighbour into his room and allegedly had canal knowledge of her.

    The prosecution submitted that the offence contravened Sections 137 and 259 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2011.

    The section prescribes that any person found guilty of defiling a minor, being a felony offence, is liable to life imprisonment.

    Ekebi, however, pleaded innocence of the charge, and applied for bail.

    Opposing the bail application, the prosecutor argued that the accused might jump bail.

    In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa refused the bail application and ordered the accused to be reminded in prison custody.

    Aje-Afunwa adjourned the case to March 28. (NAN)

  • Butcher docked for raping customer’s child

    A 20-year-old meat seller, Oye Adeleke, who allegedly raped his customer’s child, on Tuesday appeared before an Abule Egba Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Adeleke, who lives at 7, Kareem St., Baruwa, Ipaja, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a two-count charge of child defilement and attempt to escape from police custody.

    The Prosecutor, Insp Rachael Williams, told the court that Adeleke committed the offences on Jan.19 at Tinubu Market, Gowon Estate, Iyana Ipaja, Lagos.

    Williams said that the accused defiled the 14-year-old, when she was sent to the market by her mother.

    “The accused told the girl that her mother kept meat in his freezer, and asked her to go and take it.

    “When the girl wanted to open the freezer, the accused used a handkerchief to cover her mouth to prevent her from shouting while he raped her,” Williams said.

    She added that the accused attempted to escape from the police custody when he was arrested.

    She said that the offence contravened Sections 21 and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The accused, however pleaded not guilty.

    The Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, and adjourned the case till March 17 for mention.(NAN)

  • Crisis an assault on democracy, say Progressive governors

    The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) yesterday described the Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis as an assault on democracy.

    The PGF is an association of governors of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    In a statement yesterday, the governors said: “Events in Rivers State resulting in the shameful occupation of the Government House by members of the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday, July 10, 2013 are a direct assault on Nigeria’s democracy. These developments are not only worrisome but outrightly condemnable as an affront on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) unequivocally condemns the ill-disguised attempt to create a State of Emergency in Rivers State by plunging the state into a needless and avoidable crisis.

    “All available evidence surrounding the events of Tuesday and Wednesday, July 9 & 10 indicated that the Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr. Joseph Mbu and his men did not act in a professional manner. Before now, the State Police Commissioner has exhibited very clear bias against the Governor and other State Officials. This is a dangerous development that would only produce anarchy with unpredictable consequences.

    “Events of July 9 &10 in Rivers State represent acts sponsored by anarchists whose interest include subverting our democracy and expose the lives of democratically elected representatives to great danger. As it is today, the orderly conduct of democratic institutions in Rivers State have been impaired and the life of Governor Amaechi and his team are in great danger. The constitutional responsibility of the State House of Assembly is being impeded and in the circumstance the House of Representatives has voted to take over the functions of the State House of Assembly as provided under Section 11(4) of the 1999 Constitution.

    “It is very clear to all discerning Nigerians that the crisis in Rivers State is a product of intolerance and highhanded attempts to undermine our rights as Governors acting under the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to freely choose our leaders. Having elected Governor Amaechi on May 24 as the Chairman of NGF, the anti-democratic forces against the election are now using other security agencies to threaten and intimidate Governor Amaechi and in the process engineer anarchy and endanger innocent lives and property in Rivers State.

    “This is not only a condemnable act but a gross abuse of power. We strongly call on President Goodluck Jonathan to not only exercise his moral authority, but also apply his constitutional responsibilities to ensure the restoration of peace and protection of the Governor and all citizens.

    “Should the crisis in Rivers State continue and anything happen to the Governor or any official for that matter, the Nigerian leadership wouldn’t be absolved of responsibility.

    “We call on all Nigerians to do all within their powers to prevail on all in positions of trust and responsibilities to exercise their power with restraint and refrain from steps that might plunge this fragile democracy into a descent to depravity.

  • Protesting workers assault policemen

    Protesting workers assault policemen

    Some security operatives were allegedly assaulted yesterday by casual workers of a company in Matori, a Lagos surbub. they were protesting what they call “unfavourable working conditions.”

    The protesters, who paralysed social and commercial activities on Fatai Atere Way and its environs, allegedly attacked policemen drafted to the scene.

    But for the quick intervention of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), the workers, it was learnt,would have injured the first team of officers that arrived on the scene.

    The Nation learnt that the RRS operatives shot into the air to prevent the aggrieved workers from damaging the company’s facilities.

    For over three hours,workers barricaded both ends of the ever busy Fatai Atere Way with bonfires made of disused tyres chanting war songs.

    Motorists and commutters were forced to change routes.

    The workers said they were protesting against poor salary, non-confirmation of appointment of those who have spent over seven years in service, non-provision of industrial accident insurance and non-payment of over time allowance. They also alleged that the firm owed them seven months salary.

    One of them said: “We have casual workers, contract workers and confirmed staff. Anyone employed will first come in as a casual worker. After some donkey years, he would be promoted to contract worker and only God knows how many years one will stay to become a confirmed staff, yet they are owing some workers seven months salary.

    “They even call us black monkeys; they are from Asian countries- the Koreans. We are paid wages but they put 15 days as number of days to get our basic salary which they put at N13, 000 per month but we are demanding N1, 500 per day.”

    Another worker said: “For store workers, we want to be paid N2, 000 per day with bonus of N1, 500. We work from 8am to 6pm and 7pm at times. Some have worked for five to six years without being converted to permanent staff.”

    Efforts to contact the management failed, as an official told our reporter: “You have to come back.”

    A statement by the contract employees reads: “The entire contract staff of OK Sweets of Olam is strictly aggressive with the way the company is handling the increment of contract staff and salary and their promotions.

    “An agreement was made between the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) and the company in 2010 that contract staff will be in appointment for three years after which he or she would be given confirmation.”

    The Nation gathered that the basic salary for a contract worker is N8, 000 but the workers are demanding that it be increased to N15, 000.

    They alleged that a factory worker and a National Youth Service Corps member died working for the company but no compensation has been paid the bereaved families.

    It took the police teams from Operations Department of Police Headquarters at GRA Ikeja and patrol teams from Area D and policemen from Olosa Division to restore peace and free the road for motorists. The security operatives also rescued some officers who were seized by the workers when they attempted to stop them from blocking the roundabout at the Ladipo market end of Fatai Atere way.

  • Man, 25, arraigned for alleged possession of £3,720 and assault

    For allegedly being in possession of £3,720 and assaulting one Solomon Edache, a 25 year old man was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

    The defendant, Gabriel Ochuga, who faced a two Count charge of assault and illegal possession before Magistrate Dan Oni, allegedly committed the offence on March 31, about 11:30pm, at Ajah.

    Prosecuting Inspector Edet Okoi, alleged that Ochuga assaulted Edache, who happens to be his friend because the complainant demanded his share of the money.

    He said: “It appears the duo dragged over the money. Edache wanted to have his share of the Pound Sterling the defendant claimed to have picked but the defendant refused and assaulted him.

    “Angered by the development, Edache took the matter to the police station, where he disclosed that the defendant had £3,720 in his possession.

    “The defendant could not account for the said sum which was suspected to have been stolen.”

    He added that the defendant told the police during investigation that he picked the said sum.

    Okoi said the offence was contrary to and punishable under Sections 168 and 327 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011.

    Ochagu pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in N500, 000 with two sureties each in like sum. The matter has been adjourned to May 13, for trial.

    In another development, three fake estate agents, including a woman were arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding one Frederick Akinsulire of N4 million.

    The defendants, Joy Thelma, 34; Gbolahan Shodipo, 40 and Taiwo Ogundare, 36, are standing trial on a three-count charge of conspiracy, fraud and stealing.

    Prosecuting Inspector Stephen Molo, told the court that the trio, all resident in Ikotun, committed the offences on January 10, at block A, Plot 7, Diamond Estate.

    “They conspired to defraud Akinsulire of N4 million.

    “The defendants obtained the sum from Akinsulire, with the pretence of selling a house, which is situated at block A plot 7, Diamond Estate along Isheri Road, to him.

    “When the complainant suspected that they were fraudsters, he reported the case at the police station. The offence contravened Sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2011,” Molo said.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in N500, 000 with two sureties each in like sum by Magistrate F.O. Aigbokhaevo. She adjourned the case till April 24, for mention.

  • Police probe assault on Ondo NURTW official

    The leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ondo State has been summoned by the police following the attack on the union’s Deputy Chairman, Mr. Omobomi Ajisafe.

    Ajisafe was assaulted last weekend by hoodlums suspected to be sponsored by a top official of the union.

    Police spokesman Wole Ogodo said the invitation became imperative to get to the root of the matter.

    He said the command would not tolerate any act of lawlessness.

    Ogodo said: “We have invited different factions in the union to the command to guard against a repeat of such attack on members of the union.”

    The embattled NURTW Chairman, Mr. Oladutele Obayoriade, said the union is not factionalised as is being speculated.

    Obayoriade said the union remains an indivisible entity made up of law-abiding individuals.

    He said he had nothing to do with the attack on his deputy.

    However, Ajisafe insisted that Obayoriade was responsible for the attack.

    He alleged that Obayoriade instructed “his boys” to beat him up at a beer parlour beside the union’s state secretariat.

    Ajisafe said: “The chairman was just trying to be mischievous by denying what he personally supervised. He cooked up a story that I came to the secretariat with members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) but it is a lie.”

     

  • Kaduna police assault on free speech

    Kaduna police assault on free speech

    Reminiscent of the first and only police-inspired ‘coup d’etat’ Nigeria has ever witnessed, the former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani, had his freedom of speech brusquely abridged by the Kaduna State police last Saturday. The former governor, who is also a senator of the Federal Republic, was invited by the State Police Commissioner, Mr Olufemi Adenaike, to clarify some of the statements he made during a phone-in programme on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna that same Saturday. The statements were innocuous and clear enough, but the police claimed they were bombarded with calls suggesting that the senator made threatening and inciting statements deserving of prompt police action.

    On July 10, 2003, Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Raphael Ige had led a detachment of some 200 mobile policemen to abduct former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige, also now a senator, and kept him away from office for many hours on the pretext that he had resigned as governor. The treason collapsed the same day when no one of substance owned up to the plot to dethrone the governor. There were, however, a few civilian collaborators of the police in the state who tried to take advantage of the confusion. Ige was not only unexpectedly retired some three days later in unclear circumstances; he died in January 2004 probably from heart problems. What astounded the public was the brazenness of the plot and the amateurish manner the police led the putsch.

    Nearly 10 years after that unfortunate incident, it seems there are still some officers in the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) who have learnt little from the mistakes of their predecessors. The police are of course constitutionally empowered to, among other things, take proactive measures to prevent crime, but there is nowhere in the constitution or police regulations that entitles the police or their proxies to take steps to abridge freedom of speech or any other freedoms vouchsafed to the people by the constitution. PC Adenaike claimed to be taking proactive steps by inviting and interrogating Senator Sani, but from his account of that ignoble incident, it is clear his defence is tenuous and vexatious.

    Hear him: “If you put yourself in my shoes, you are the commissioner of police of a state, and you start getting calls from concerned citizens of the state that somebody has made an inciting statement on the radio, will you go to burukutu (local brew) joint and start drinking? You have to make a move. All I did was to go to the radio house. And I met the distinguished Senator, and I said, ‘Please, I want to know what you said.’ He said, ‘No problem, let me finish.’ And I will come with you to the office. This is what has transpired. And I am surprised that people are saying many things. ‘CP has arrested him,’ that CP has orders from Abuja. The distinguished senator is not under arrest. The Senator is not under arrest! All we did was to find out what he said. And he said they were going to go on a peaceful demonstration. And I said, define what you mean by peaceful demonstration, considering that Kaduna State is a volatile state. I don’t what anything to happen in my domain. I am completely satisfied with what he has said. And he is free to go. There was no directive from anywhere. We were doing things on our own.”

    Senator Sani of course put the invitation in clearer perspective. According to him, all he said on the radio programme was that leaders of the yet-to-be-registered All Progressives Congress (APC) would embark on peaceful demonstration in Abuja if the party was not registered by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). How that became an incitement to warrant PC Adenaike’s imperious intervention is difficult to explain. The police commissioner also unbelievably pretended not to know what peaceful demonstration is, and needed the senator to provide the meaning. If he didn’t listen to the broadcast, couldn’t he wait until the end of the programme to secure the tape and listen to it? Why the rush? In addition, he also insensitively described Kaduna State as his domain. That he is entrusted with the responsibility of securing the state does not make it his domain. The way he used the word gave the impression he is actually a parallel authority to the governor, and even more powerful. But if anything, the state is really the governor’s domain. And though Adenaike struggled to distance Police Headquarters from his precipitate action, it is still important for police authorities to query the officer and invite him to explain what part of the democratic process and the constitution he finds difficult to understand, and show cause why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.

     

     

  • Hoodlums assault Ondo NURTW deputy chair

    The crisis rocking the Ondo State chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) deepened at the weekend. Its Deputy Chairman, Apostle Omobomi Ajisafe, was beaten by hoodlums allegedly sent by the Chairman, Chief Oladutele Obayoriade

    The national executive of the union had invited the state executive to Abuja last Thursday over allegation of ticket racketeering.

    Ajisafe, who went to resume work on Friday after the Abuja meeting at the state secretariat at Omolere, Akure, the state capital, was molested.

    Ajisafe was invited to a liquor joint bar another unionist, who then allegedly ordered his “boys” to beat him (Ajisafe) up. The ‘boys’ were said to have injured Ajisafe and his driver.

    Ajisafe was hospitalised at the Specialist Hospital, Akure.

    Narrating his ordeal, Ajisafe urged the police to investigate the matter.

    He said: “After returning from Abuja, I went to our secretariat on Friday, but I was shocked by the attitude of some junior officers who were abusing me. It had never happened before. Their attitude towards me was abnormal; so, I began to suspect a foul-play and decided to leave the secretariat. As I made to leave, I received a phone call from the chairman, asking me to come to a drinking joint beside the office.

    “To my surprise, I saw many of our members there. They were armed but I could not turn back at that point. Before I knew what was happening, I was given the beating of my life in the presence of the chairman. At some point, he ordered them to stop beating me and asked my driver who was equally beaten to leave the place. I was immediately rushed to the hospital where I was treated for my wounds.”

    Ajisafe appealed to the police to also guarantee his safety.

    When contacted on phone, Obayoriade said he was “not ready to react to such an issue.”

    He said: “I am at a meeting; I am not ready to react to such a baseless issue”.

    The spokesman of the state Police Command, Wole Ogodo, said he had not been briefed on the matter.

    Such an incident was not new in the state. A former executive member of the state branch of the union, Mr. Ariyo Adetula, was allegedly attacked on January 30 on Ondo-Akure Road by some unknown people.

    The attackers who were allegedly in a convoy of six cars were said to have pursued him from Ondo town to Owena Junction.

  • Ondo commissioner, five others accused of assault

    A commissioner and five members of the Labour Party (LP) in Ondo State have been accused of pouring acid on a member of the party, Mr. Adetutu Ajisafe.

    The victim, popularly called Pistol, was attacked last weekend in his shop at Ala Quarters, Akure, the state capital, by five people suspected to be loyalists of the Commissioner for Natural Resources, Alhaji Lateef Olubayo.

    Ajisafe, who is on admission at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, is an LP chieftain in Ode-Irele.

    Speaking with The Nation on his sick bed, Ajisafe accused Olubayo of sponsoring the attack.

    He said: “Olubayo phoned me three days before the incident, threatening to deal with me for petitioning the governor about his ministry.”

    Ajisafe, who is a former member of the State Forest Monitoring Unit, said he wrote three petitions to the governor on how the commissioner allegedly colluded with encroachers from Edo State to fell trees illegally in the Ondo’s forest reserve.

    He said: “I think the governor must have acted on those petitions. That should be why the commissioner phoned me and threatened to deal with me for reporting him to the governor.

    “I thought he was joking. Three days later, I was in my shop at about 8 pm when five men came in a Toyota Avalon car. I thought they came to relax at my joint, but they approached me, poured acid on me and vamoosed. I know the driver of the car, but I cannot identify the others. They have destroyed my life but I know the God I serve will spare my life.”

    Ajisafe said his family reported the matter at Ala Police Station but wondered why the police are yet to arrest the suspects.

    He said: “It is obvious the police are playing politics with the matter because of the personalities involved. As I speak, no arrest has been made.

    “The commissioner is walking freely and boasting that heaven will not fall. That is why I am calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and rights activists to come to my aid and ensure that justice is done in this matter.”

    Olubayo said he was not aware of the attack on Ajisafe and denied threatening Ajisafe. He said the only time he phoned the victim was when he heard that he was among members of the Timber Trade Organisation (TTO) that protested against the closure of forests.

    Said Olubayo: “The only thing I did when I became the commissioner was dissolve the former forest monitoring unit in which Ajisafe was a member.”