The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Benin City

  • Appeal Court upholds Oba of Benin authority over Ogiamien

    Appeal Court upholds Oba of Benin authority over Ogiamien

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City has upheld the appeal filed by the Edo State Government against a ruling of an Edo State High Court over the validity of the Traditional Rulers and chieftaincy edit of 1979.

     

    It said the High Court erred for ruling in favour of one Arisco Osemwengie who filed the suit challenging the validity of the Traditional Rulers and chieftaincy edit of 1979.

     

    Arisco and some members of the Ogiamien family had attempted to challenge the authority of the Oba of Benin by carving out his Utantan kingdom out of Benin Kingdom and declaring himself an imperial majesty.

     

    They were charged to the Magistrate Court for traditional treason and installing a traditional ruler without lawful authority as prohibited by the Traditional Rulers and chieftaincy edit of 1979 of Bendel, state as applicable to Edo state.

     

    Justice Olukayode Bada in his ruling said the suit filed by Arisco and others against the state government and the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) at the High Court Benin City is status barred and does not disclose the reasonable cause of action.

     

    Justice Bada said the suit was instituted outside the time limit stipulated by the status of limitation of Bendel state as applicable in Edo state.

     

    He held that the law Arisco and other relied on which existed during the Midwest region has been repealed by the Traditional and chieftaincy Edit of 1979, therefore they have no locus standi to institute the suit.

     

    Justice Bada said Arisco and others have been in slumber for 37 years but “suddenly woke up from their slumber even when they (Ogiamien of Benin Kingdom) have no reasonable cause of action as they are only recognized as a chief in the palace of the Oba of Benin  as indicated by the extant law.

     

    Reacting to the court ruling yesterday, Counsel to the Edo state government and the BTC, Chief Charles Edosomwan (SAN) leading O.A.Aimiuwu Esq and Douglas Ogbankwa, described the judgment as victory for the Benin traditional institution and the people of the Kingdom.

     

    He said, “ the Appeal Court has its own wisdom declared that the suit filed by Defendants at the High Court was an abuse of process and there was no course of action in it and suit was caught by the limitation of action law. The Appeal Court said this issue has been there over 37 years ago but they brought it today just to constitute some nuisance in the polity.

     

    “But it was declared as such and an abuse of process so the appeal was declared meritorious and was allowed and the suit in the lower court was struck out. There is no suit pending anymore, the only thing pending is the criminal charges against those who have perpetuated this criminality at the magistrate court and that will take its course”.

     

    With this ruling, Arisco and others who were earlier remanded in prison but granted bail will now face trial at the Magistrate court for declaring himself Ogiamien of Utantan Benin nation without the authorities of the Oba of Benin and the state government.

  • Buhari gets a goat’s gift from Edo

    Buhari gets a goat’s gift from Edo

    President Muhammadu Buhari during his two-day visit to Edo State met an elderly lady, Lady Egbon Grace, in Benin city, who gave him something unique, a goat.

    The Lady, according to a source who does not want his name in prints, is a supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) registered in Ward 7, Oredo Local Government Area of Edo.

    The source said that the Lady had longed to meet the President to show her admiration for “his selfless lifestyle and passion to liberate the masses”.

    The Lady, however got the opportunity on Monday, November 7, 2016 when the President was scheduled to commission the ultra-modern Samuel Ogbemudia College in Benin City, during his two-day working visit to the state.

    Against all odds, the source said that the Lady came all the way with her surprise gift to Mr President which she had kept in waiting for the special occasion.

    He said: “She tore through the thick crowd, making her way straight to the President who at the time had finished the official engagement and was heading for his waiting car.

    “Many in the crowd got emotional seeing the elderly lady pull through the crowd with the goat, determined to make a presentation to the President,” he said.

    Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who was said to have noticed the security cordon between the lady and the President, rescued the situation when he alighted from the President’s convoy to receive the goat on behalf of the President.

    The source said that the Lady then had an opportunity to interact briefly with President Buhari and the Governor.

    That interaction alone, the source said, made the Lady’s dream come true.

    She thanked the President for accepting the gift which was handed over to protocol officials.

  • Tribunal grants Ize-Iyamu order to inspect election materials

    Tribunal grants Ize-Iyamu order to inspect election materials

    Edo State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin City has granted an order for the People’s Democratic Party and its candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu to inspect all the electoral materials used by the Independence National Electoral Commission for the conduct of the September 28 Edo State governorship election.

    Godwin Obaseki of the All Progressive Congress was declared winner of the election after he polled over 319, 483 votes to defeat Pastor Ize-Iyamu who polled 253,173 votes.

    The order by the tribunal followed an ex-parte motion filed by Counsel to the PDP and Pastor Ize-Iyamu, Barr. Kingsley Obamogie

    Barr. Obamogie said the motion was in compliance with section 151 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as amended which he relied on to pray the court to grant them the order to inspect the INEC materials.

    Chairman of the tribunal, Hon. Justice .A. Badamasi granted the order after listening the argument of Obamogie.

    Other members of the tribunal are Justices E.A. Ade Sodun, and Hon. Khadi Adamu Usman who are to serve as members.

    Obamogie said, “In compliance with the section 151 of the Electoral Act of 2010 as amended, we have approached and pray the court to grant us the permission to inspect all the Electoral, materials used by INEC in the just concluded Edo State Governorship Election”.

    An official of the tribunal would only be inaugurated only when petitions have been filed by aggrieved parties and their candidates that participated in the governorship election.

    He noted that aggrieved parties have 21 days within which to file petitions.

    However, there was a heavy presence of security personnel within and outside the tribunal premises.

    Their presence was to forestall any unforeseen circumstance within the court.

  • Court jails teenager one year for rape

    An Oredo Magistrates’ Court in Benin on Wednesday jailed a teenager, Taofeek Ibrahim, to one year imprisonment for unlawful attempt to have carnal knowledge of a five-year-old girl.

    Ibrahim, 14, was tried on a one-count charge of unlawful carnal knowledge.

    The Magistrates’, Mrs J.O Ejale, however, gave the convict an option to N20, 000 as fine.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Thomas Ojo, told the court that the convict committed the crime on July 14, 5015, at No. 37, at Iwehen Str., Benin city.

    Ojo said the offence contravened Section 218 of the criminal Code.

     

  • Suspected Ghanaian trafficker nabbed in Edo

    A Ghanian (names withheld) who was returning five trafficked girls to their communities in Akwa Ibom State has been nabbed in Benin City.

    The suspected trafficker was nabbed by security agents in a hotel at Oluku where he lodged with the girls.

    After refusing to talk for some minutes, he later opened up that the girls were taken to Burkina Faso by his wife for them to work in a restaurant.

    He said the girls were instead made to hustle or what he termed ‘ashawo work’.

    His words, “My wife took the girls to Burkina Faso for them to work at a restaurant but converted them to hustle.”

    The trafficked girls said they slept with between 10 and 14 men daily and that they made N30, 000 which was collected by their madam.

    One of them said she was made to swear not to tell her relatives that she was made to engage in prostitution.

    She said the madam told them that her husband would give them money in Nigeria but that her husband gave them N11, 500 for transportation.

    “After working money which covered the transport she spent to take us to Burkina Faso, she decided to send us to Nigeria.”

    The sixth victim was said to have died and buried in Burkina Faso.

    When contacted for comments, spokesman for the Edo State Police Command, Theodore Okafor confirmed the arrest and said investigations were still on.

  • Edo polls: I was not arrested with any arms – Ex-militant

    Edo polls: I was not arrested with any arms – Ex-militant

    An ex-militant, General Pere Ojune, who was reportedly arrested in a hotel in Benin City has said that he was not arrested with any firearms.

    General Pere said he was invited by the police after he was told that his younger brother, Ade, was arrested for being in possession with firearms.

    Pere said he believed that his subsequent detention by the police was because he recently defected to the People’s Democratic Party.

    The ex-militant leader said he is an Ijaw from Ovia South West and not an imported militants from any neighboring states to cause mayhem during the elections.

    He spoke yesterday while being paraded at the Edo State Police Command saying that it was his younger brother.

    His words, “It was on Thursday that I saw my younger brother Ade on handcuff and he told me he was arrested at Upper Sakpoba road that they caught him with one double barrel and one cut to size gun.

    “He said he told the police that I am the only one that can come and rescue him and that was why he brought the police to my place. I had earlier warned them not to be involved in any illegal deal.

    “The police said I must come and see the CP myself. I came here with my car and he asked me how I knew this man and I told them he is my brother. They said I should wait and see the CP that was how they kept me inside the cell till today I have not done anything, I am a repentant militant now working with everybody to ensure peace in our society” he stated.

    Ade on his part said it was one man identified as CSP that promised to give him N10, 000 and a parcel of land that gave him the gun to deliver in a hotel.

    He said he using a bicycle to convey the firearms when the police arrested him and he took them to his elder brother who he believed could free him.

  • NAFDAC seals shops, seize goods worth millions in Edo

    NAFDAC seals shops, seize goods worth millions in Edo

    The National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sealed two shops and seize products worth millions of Naira, for the sale of counterfeited products in Benin City on Wednesday.

    The team of NAFDAC Officers and mobile policemen led by the Head of Taskforce on Counterfeit and Fake Drugs and Unwholesome Process Foods, Mr. Ejiofor Kingsley stormed the popular Mission road in Oredo Local government of Edo State, to conduct inspection on assorted drinks, with many marketers scrambling to prove authenticity of their products to avoid arrest.

    The team conducted series of test on different wines and other assorted drinks, which eventually led to closure of two shops belonging to one Mrs Oluchi Peters and another unidentified.

    In a chat with journalists Mr Ejiofor said that NAFDAC as a law enforcement agency, owe it to the public to protect and preserve lives, disclosing that the number of fake goods in the market is on the increase.

    According to him “We believe we owe a duty to the nation and the society to save lives. The products we have seized today are all counterfeited products, they are products that people ingest and they kill.

    “We know what is going on in the society, the incidence of cancer is increasing and there is need for Government to do something about it, that is why we are here and appealing to all consumers to check products properly especially assorted drinks before purchasing them”.

    He also revealed that some dealers now mix chemicals and other substances to produce wines, noting that the agency is not out to destroy businesses of individuals, but to maintain sanity and evict fake products from the society.

    “We have instances where people mix all sought of concussion and even uses “formalin” chemical that is use in embalming corpses in these drinks, I mean we are talking about lives here, no amount of money is worth people’s life.

    He further said that the agency will commence investigation on the seized products before fate of the suspects will be disclosed, but however urged dealers in food, drinks, cosmetics, detergent and chemicals to register their products with the agency in order to ease detection of unwholesome products.

    Ejiofor however enjoined members of the public to support NAFDAC in the fight against counterfeited and fake products from the market, stating that it is a collective responsibility we all must uphold and encourage.

  • Man jailed for stealing credentials

    Man jailed for stealing credentials

    Osagie Otabor, Benin

    A 46-year old man identified as Emmanuel David has been jailed by an Oredo Magistrates Court sitting in Benin City for stealing credentials, cash and clothings.

    Emmanuel was jailed to 12 months imprisonment after he was found guilty of the two count charges preferred against him.

    Police prosecutor, ASP Sylvester Omor,  told the Court that the convict committed the offence on July 16, at No. 10 Wire road, where he stole the sum of N17, 000, a lap-top bag valued at N3,000, two pair of jeans valued at N5,000 and T-Shirt valued N5,000 from one Okereke Uchena.

    The convict pleaded guilty to the two count charge against him bothering on stealing and malicious damage.

    Presiding Magistrates, Mr A.P Saiki, in his judgment sentenced Emmanuel to six months imprisonment without an option of fine in each of the charges.

     

     

     

  • Osinbajo, APC governors storm Benin for governorship flag off

    Osinbajo, APC governors storm Benin for governorship flag off

    * as security operatives take Ogbemudia stadium, it’s environs

     

    The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo and All  Progressives Congress Governors will on Saturday storm Benin City, the Edo state capital for the official flag off of the All Progressives Congress Governorship campaign of Godwin Obaseki for the September 10th election.

    This was disclosed by the state Chairman of the party, Barrister Anselm Ojezua yesterday while speaking on the preparation on ground for the flag off.

    Ojezua said some of the governors will arrive Friday evening ahead of campaign on Saturday.

    He also said arrangements are on to mobilize all Edo people in and outside the state for the flag off.

    The APC Chairman further revealed that some notable People’s Democratic Party members in the state will pick tent with All Progressives Congress at the flag off.

    Meanwhile, Security Operatives have taking over the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium venue of the flag off  and its environs ahead of the APC governorship flag Off on Saturday.

    Vehicular movement have been diverted from stadium road, the popular Akenzua road, Zabayo and Plymouth road, while soldiers have also taking over some strategic zone around the stadium.

  • Gunmen kills APC Youth leader in Edo

    Gunmen kills APC Youth leader in Edo

    The All Progressives Congress Youth leader in Ward 4 in Ikpoba-Okha local government Area was killed by unknown gunmen on Monday evening in his wife’s shop.

    The unfortunate incident was said to have taken place at the Ikpoba-hill axis of Benin City at about 9pm.

    The APC Youth leader identified as Sunny Omokaro according to our Sources said Sunny was relaxing in his wife shop after returning from a political meeting they held when some men numbering about four ram  into the wife’s shop.

    Apparently disturbed by the manner of the men, Sunny asked them to leave his wife shop who deals on beer.

    Unknowingly that the men were been chased by policemen, brought out their guns and shot Sunny at the chest and they left him in pool of blood.

    Our Sources said Sunny died before he could get to the hospital.

    When contacted, the state public relations officer, DPS Abiodu Osifo said he is yet to be briefed on the matter.