The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chief Magistrate

  • Court remands two for robbery in Ibadan

    An Oyo State Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Monday remanded two men, Uba Opara, 35; and Tunde Adepoju, 27; in prison for alleged armed robbery.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Durosaro – Tijani, said the accused should be remanded in Agodi Prisons and the case file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

    Durosaro-Tijani adjourned the case till May 22.

    The accused, whose addresses were not given, are facing a two -count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Adewale Amos, had told the court that the accused committed the offences with others still at large on Jan.  14, at about 2 .p.m.  at Taye Soyege Street, New Bodija, Ibadan.

    Amos said the accused, who were armed with a double barrel gun and a cutlass, robbed one Jekayinfa Olayinka of his Toyota Camry car valued at N11.5 million.

    “They were, however caught by some policemen on duty,’’ he added.

    The offences, he said,  contravened Sections  1 (1) (2) (a) and 6(b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Cap RII,Vol. 14,  Laws of the Republic of Nigeria,  2004.

     

  • Man faces funds transfer fraud charge

    A 37-year-old, Ebube Marvins, who allegedly collected N809, 000 on the pretext of helping a man to transfer to Togo, was on Tuesday brought before an Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused, whose address is unknown, is facing a charge of fraud.

    Police Prosecutor Bankole Olasunkanmi told the court that the accused with another man still at large committed the offence on Dec. 9, 2016 in Ado-Ekiti.

    Olasunkanmi said the accused obtained the sum of N809, 000 from the complainant, Mr Ishioku Monday, through electronic transfer and transfer same to an agent in Togo through Western Union Money Transfer.

    “The accused, however, failed to do so after collecting the money.”

    The prosecutor asked for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and assemble his four witnesses.

    The offence contravened Section 419 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State 2012.

    The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and his counsel, Mr Femi Adejumo, applied for bail in liberal terms, promising he will not jump bail.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Idowu  Ayenimo, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties each in like sum.

    The magistrate adjourned the case until April 21 for hearing.

  • Varsity student in court for bitting off neighbour’s ear

    Varsity student in court for bitting off neighbour’s ear

    A 30-year-old student, Tobi Justice, who allegedly assaulted his father’s tenant by biting off his left ear, was on Thursday in Lagos released on N50, 000 bail.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Alexander Komolafe, who gave the ruling, also granted the accused two sureties in like sum.

    The accused, a student of the University of Abuja, had pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge bordering on assault occasioning grievous harm and breach of peace brought against him at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    According to Prosecutor Joseph Ajebe, the accused committed the offences at his residence on Jan. 9 at about 10.40.p.m. at No. 33, Segun Aregbesola St., New Oko-Oba, a Lagos suburb.

    Ajebe alleged that the accused beat the complainant, Amadi Longinus, to a pulp and cut off his left ear with his teeth.

    “The complainant said that Justice had threatened to deal with him on several occasions.

    “Justice falsely accused the complainant of spying on him by flashing a torchlight to see his nakedness while he was bathing.

    “This led to a misunderstanding and a fight ensued between them and in the process, the accused beat Longinus to a pulp and bit off the left ear.”

    The offences contravened Sections 166 (d), 170 and 244 (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

    The magistrate adjourned the case to March 6 for mention.

  • Man in prison for naming dog, Buhari

    Man in prison for naming dog, Buhari

    The Ota Magistrate Court 2, Ogun State has ordered that the man who named his dog Buhari, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, be remanded at the Ibara Prison following his arraignment at the Court.

    The prosecutor, Inspector Itaita Ebibomini, who said the accused committed the offence on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at the Hausa section of Ketere Market in Sango-Ota in the Ota Magisterial District, added that the offence was punishable under Section 249 (d) of Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.

    When asked by the Magistrate, the accused, who was represented by a counsel, U. Michael, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The charge reads in part: “That you, Joachim Iroko, aka Joe, and others still at large, on Saturday, August 13, 2016, at about 5.30pm at the Ketere area, Sango, in the Ota Magisterial District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace, by writing a name, Buhari, on a dog and parading same in the Hausa section of Ketere Market, Sango, thereby, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Law of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2016.”

    However, his counsel pleaded that the accused should be granted bail. The prosecutor did not oppose the application for bail.

    The Chief Magistrate, B. J. Ojikutu, admitted Iroko to bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties must be regular taxpayers in the state.

    “They must attach four passport photographs each to the bail bond, depose to affidavits of being gainfully employed, and reside in the court’s jurisdiction,” he added.

    The case was adjourned till September 19, 2016.

    Iroko, who had been formerly identified as Joe Fortemose Chinakwe, was arrested on Saturday, August 13, after one of his neighbours, who is of Northern extraction, complained that Joe named the dog after his father, Alhaji Buhari.

    As at the time of filing this report, family members of the accused are yet to meet the bail terms to secure his release.

    Joe was charged to court by the police with conduct likely to cause breach of the peace, in a case with suit number MOT/617c/2016, was therefore taken to the Ibara Prison.

  • Court remands seven teenagers for alleged possession of arms

    An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday remanded seven teenage boys in Bostal Correctional Centre for alleged possession of arms.

     

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Tajudeen Elias, ordered that they should be remanded in the centre located at Adigbe in Abeokuta Area of Ogun.

     

    Elias adjourned the case till April 27 for continuation of hearing.

     

    Two of the accused are 17 years, one is 16, three are 15 while the last is 13 years and they live in Agege, a suburb of Lagos.

     

    The boys were being tried for conspiracy and unlawful display of arms in public.

     

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the offences were committed on March 25 at Amoo Area of Oko Oba, Agege, Lagos.

     

    Aigbokhan said that the boys went with arms to a carnival they were not invited to.

    “It was at the point of entering that the security men discovered the boys were with cutlasses and knives,’’ he said.

     

    He said the offences contravened Sections 51 and 409 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

     

    They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

  • Ex-Naval officer bags four year jail term for aiding smuggling

    Ex-Naval officer bags four year jail term for aiding smuggling

    A dismissed Naval officer was on Thursday sentenced to four years imprison after pleading guilty to illegally escorting contraband from Seme Border to Lagos to evade customs duty.

    Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Oluwadamilola Olanipenikun of the Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ court found Amadu Usman guilty of impersonation, unlawful possession of Navy uniforms and using same to cheat for personal gains.

    “Based on your confessional statement and facts presented before the court, it has been proven that you deliberately and unlawfully kept the property of the Nigerian Navy for personal gains.

    “The law stipulates that even as a serving officer of the law, you must not use your position or uniform to cheat for personal gains.

    “The sentence is a total of four years imprisonment, that will be served consecutively, starting from today,” said Olanipekun.

    The prosecutor, Inspector William Ologun, had earlier told the court that Usman committed the offence on Oct 10, 2015.

    According to the prosecutor, Usman wore the complete uniform of an officer of the Nigerian Navy and deceitfully escorted vehicle carrying contraband goods from Seme to Lagos, to evade customs duties.

    “Usman was arrested at Costain area in Surulere, Lagos by members of the Police Anti-Extortion Patrol Unit on duty in the area, wearing complete uniform of the Nigerian Navy.

    “He confessed to have been dismissed from service in 2009, but had kept the uniform to make ends meet,” Ologun said.

    In his plea for mercy, Usman asked the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he had learned his lessons, having been in prison custody for the last three months.

  • Alleged bribery: Chief Magistrate knows fate today, 12 years after

    Alleged bribery: Chief Magistrate knows fate today, 12 years after

    •ICPC to arraign Jonathan’s campaigner in court

    The  Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) yesterday said the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, Justice Ishaq Bello,  will today deliver judgment in a bribery  matter against  a former Chief Magistrate and Director of district courts, Mohammed Ali Balogun.

    The judgment is coming 12 years after the ex-Chief Magistrate was arraigned in court for allegedly taking N100, 000 bribes.

    A statement by ICPC said: “The matter, which was instituted in 2003 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), had been prolonged due to series of events, especially on the side of the accused, who filed some interlocutory applications stating that his statement wasn’t voluntary alleging coercion, and his no case submission.

    “Both applications were turned down by the court and even at the appellate which finally gave the ICPC a go ahead with the trial.

    “Ali Balogun was alleged to have demanded for gratification in the sum of N100, 000 from a lecturer at the University of Abuja, who had a matter before his court so as to quash the contempt charge against him.

    “Since the complainant could not afford the amount, he reported the matter to the ICPC and consequently the ICPC set up a sting operation during which Balogun received N50,000 and was caught in the act.”

    ICPC will also arraign a businessman and Chairman of the Goodluck Support Group, Aminu Abubakar, for alleged blackmail before Justice Ishaq Bello of the FCT High Court 1.

    The statement said: “Abubakar was said to have been in possession of some documents relating to some officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, with the intent to implicate them if they do not part with the sum of N50million.

    “It was gathered that, having sensed danger in what the officials later realized to be blackmail, they reportedly petitioned the ICPC through an intermediary.

    “As expected, the investigative team of the commission swung into action, coordinated a sting operation where the N50million earlier solicited for by Abubakar was negotiated downwards to N25million.

    “Abubakar was eventually arrested with his accomplice at a garden in Abuja, after he had received just N5million out of the negotiated N25million.

    “The culprits are being charged on a 3 count under the penal code, for extortion and conspiracy to extort.”