The Nation Newspaper

Tag: conspiracy

  • Court remands two for alleged forgery, conspiracy

    Justice Peter Affen of the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Maitama has remanded Mrs. Mariam Eyitayo and Bethrand Johnson in Suleja prison for alleged forgery and conspiracy.

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned the suspects on an 11-count charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence, to the tune of N12 million.

    They were arraigned alongside three companies: Hamchid Nigeria Limited, Royal Reality and Investment Limited and Rapid Technoslim and Investment Limited.

    The prosecution counsel, Mr. Benjamin Lawal Manji, however, told the court that the EFCC received a petition dated July 14, 2016, from Darison Samuel Jatau, alleging that he paid them N12 million for the sale of two million barrels of crude oil in Accra, Ghana and one hundred and twenty million barrels of Bonny Light Crude Oil, at Bonny terminal, Rivers State, only for him to find out he had been duped.

    They pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecuting counsel Mr. Manji prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendants to be remanded in prison custody.

    The defence counsel, Aleichenu Ogwuche, informed the court about an application for bail, but Manji said he needed time to respond, “as the applications were only served today.”

    Justice Affen ordered that the defendants be remanded in Suleja prison and adjourned till November 8 for hearing of bail applications of the defendants.

  • Security guards appear in court for stealing tricycle

    Two security guards, Gideon Onyinye and Samson Adelahan, who allegedly stole a tricycle valued N655,000 appeared on Monday before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The duo, were arraigned before the magistrate, Mrs F.F George, on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    Onyinye, 28, who resides at Ijoko in Ogun and Adelahan, 50, who lives at Alagbado, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Police Prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase, told the court that the accused committed the offences on May 14 at F.O Filling Station, Alakuko, Lagos.

    He said that the accused stole the tricycle belonging to the complainant, Mr Azeez Ashamu.

    “The complainant parked his tricycle at the filling station, where the accused work as guards for a fee.

    “When he went back there the following morning to retrieve the tricycle, it was no longer where he parked it and the accused could not give account of how it got missing,’’ he said.

    Awase said the case was reported to the police and the accused were arrested for questioning.

    The offences violated Sections 285 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Section 285 stipulates a three- year imprisonment for stealing while Section 411 prescribes a two-year jail term for conspiracy.

    George, in her ruling, granted the accused bail in the sum of N250, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

    She said the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until June 26.

    NAN

  • Appeal Court acquits Oluwa of Lagos aspirant of forgery, conspiracy

    A Lagos High Court has quashed a verdict, which convicted an aspirant to the title of Oluwa of Lagos title, Prince Shamsondeen Akibo Oluwa, and three others of conspiracy and forgery.

    Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay upheld the argument of the appellants’ counsel Mr Akin Elegbede, that Chief Magistrate A.A. Adesanya erred in convicting his clients.

    Chief Magistrate Adesanya on August 5, 2015 convicted Oluwa, Ismaila Abayomi Oluwa, Tajudeen Ototo Oluwa and Muse Adegboyega Oluwa of forging Lagos State High Court official stamp and the registrar’s signature on a public notice published in The Punch of March 5, 2013.

    Dissatisfied with the judgment, the defendants filed an appeal before Justice Nicol-Clay, stating that the lower court was wrong in convicting them.

    Elegbede argued that the appellants were consistent in their oral testimony in denying knowledge of the public notice and its publication in the newspaper.

    He said there was no eyewitness account that the appellants were the authors or makers of the public notice nor that they personally pasted the public notice anywhere or that they were sighted on March 5, 2013 when the offence of conspiracy was alleged to have been committed.

    Elegbede submitted further that the trial Chief Magistrate was wrong to have relied on appellants’ statements as if they were confessional statements.

    He argued that what the appellants admitted in their statements was that they were parties to the public notice and the publication to the extent that their names were listed as parties in suit no: ID/1420/2010 (Prince Ismaila Abayomi Oluwa and others Vs Mukaila Kolawole Oluwa) relating to Oluwa of Lagos appointment and that the interlocutory injunction captured in the public notice was made by Justice Ibironke O. Harrison of the High Court of Lagos State on February 21, 2013.

    In her verdict, Justice Nicol-Clay noted that the failure of the prosecution to call Mrs. A. Akinola, a Registrar of the High Court whose name and signature appeared on the public notice was very fatal to prosecution’s case.

    Justice Nicol-Clay held that: “Consequently, there was no iota of evidence of forgery of the official stamp of the High Court and signature of Adeniyi Ezekiel Shola (ACR) in the public notice.

    “Having carefully considered the respective submissions of both learned counsel, it is my view that the offence of conspiracy by its nature is often proved by circumstantial evidence, it is seldomly or rarely proved by direct evidence.

    “The publication is said to be undated and unsigned. In the eyes of the law, such an undated and unsigned document has no probative value, no evidence value in law. It was not signed by the appellants and one of them, Muse Adegboyega Oluwa, is not listed in it.

    “I find myself to be in agreement with the submission of the learned counsel to the appellant that lifting of the genuine stamp or genuine signature of Adeniyi Ezekiel Shola into the public notice is not tantamount to forgery. The proper order to make would be to grant this application, the judgment of the trial judge is hereby set aside, the appellants are hereby discharged and acquitted on counts 1 and 2 of the criminal charge of conspiracy and forgery,” Justice Nicol-Clay held.

  • Appeal Court acquits Oluwa of Lagos aspirant of forgery, conspiracy

    A Lagos High Court has quashed a   verdict, which convicted an aspirant to the title of  Oluwa of Lagos title, Prince Shamsondeen Akibo Oluwa, and three others of  conspiracy and forgery.

    Justice Modupe Nicol-Clay upheld the argument of the appellants’ counsel  Mr Akin Elegbede, that Chief Magistrate A.A. Adesanya erred in conivicting his clients.

    Chief Magistrate Adesanya  on August 5, 2015 convicted Oluwa, Ismaila Abayomi Oluwa, Tajudeen Ototo Oluwa and Muse Adegboyega Oluwa of  forging  Lagos State High Court official stamp and the registrar’s signature on a public notice published in The Punch of March 5, 2013.

    Dissatisfied with the judgment, the defendants filed an appeal  before Justice Nicol-Clay, stating that the lower court was wrong in convicting them.

    Elegbede argued that the appellants were consistent in their oral testimony in denying knowledge of the public notice and its publication in the newspaper.

    He said none of the prosecution witnesses gave eyewitness account to the effect that the appellants were the authors or makers of the public notice.

    Besides, he said there was no eyewitness account that they personally pasted the public notice anywhere or that they were sighted on March 5, 2013 when the offence of conspiracy was alleged to have been committed.

    Elegbede  submitted further that the trial Chief Magistrate was wrong to have relied on appellants’ statements  as if they were confessional statements.

    He argued that what the appellants admitted in their statements was that they were parties to the public notice and the publication to the extent that their names were listed as parties in suit no: ID/1420/2010 (Prince Ismaila Abayomi Oluwa and others Vs Mukaila Kolawole Oluwa) relating to Oluwa of Lagos appointment and that the interlocutory injunction captured in the public notice was made by Justice Ibironke O. Harrison of the High Court of Lagos State on February 21, 2013.

    In her verdict, Justice Nicol-Clay noted that it was the contention of the prosecution that it was the official stamp of the High Court of Lagos State and the signature of the Principal Registrar of the High Court of Lagos State, which were forged and smuggled into the public notice.

    The court, therefore, referred to the evidence of the third prosecution witness, Adeniyi Ezekiel Shola, An Assistant Chief Registrar (ACR), Litigation, Lagos High Court that the signature and official stamp of the High Court were not forged but “lifted” or “smuggled into the public notice.

    The court said the failure of the prosecution  to call Mrs. A. Akinola, a Registrar of the High Court whose name and signature appeared on the public notice was very fatal to prosecution’s case.

    Justice Nicol-Clay held that: “Consequently, there was no iota of evidence of forgery of the official stamp of the High Court and signature of Adeniyi Ezekiel Shola (ACR) in the public notice.

    “Having carefully considered the respective submissions of both learned counsel, it is my view that the offence of conspiracy by its nature is often proved by circumstantial evidence, it is seldomly or rarely  proved by direct evidence.

    “The publication is said to be undated and unsigned. In the eyes of the law, such an undated and unsigned document has no probative value, no evidence value in law. It was not signed by the appellants and one of them, Muse Adegboyega Oluwa, is not listed in it.

    “I find myself to be in agreement with the submission of the learned counsel to the appellant that lifting of the genuine stamp or genuine signature of Adeniyi Ezekiel Shola into the public notice is not tantamount to forgery.

    “The proper order to make would be to grant this application, the judgment of the trial judge is hereby set aside, the appellants are hereby discharged and acquitted on counts  1 and 2 of the criminal charge of conspiracy and forgery,”Justice Nicol-Clay held.

     

  • Elite conspiracy

    •Government should save the disappearing lower denominations of the Naira

    The elite in Nigeria have their way of doing things. They want to be noted and distinguished in every gathering. This has been taken to the point of the currency notes they spend at social functions. Being a country where even adversity is turned into celebration, the rich and powerful want to be celebrated, too, and, as such, the Naira notes they give out must be crisp. As the musicians mount the stage to sing their praise at burial, wedding and birthday ceremonies, among others, the notables are singled out and the notes come handy for the entertainers as well as the celebrators.

    This has further put pressure on the notes meant to circulate in the economy. Only “rags” are available at the banking halls for the general customers as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) would not withdraw the dirty notes from circulation. Yet, traders would not accept them; indeed many people have lost money to such development. Torn N1,000 and N500 notes are known to have been privately removed from packs received from the commercial banks by customers, and when such are even returned to the banks, they are rejected.

    Thus, a matter that should worry no one has become an issue of concern at the social level. Doctors are even on record as saying that laboratory examination of some of the dirty notes show that they are homes to bacteria that can cause health problems. Worst hit in this matter are the lower denominations – N50, N100, N200 notes that have since been consigned to service at social parties. When the celebrators take the dancing floor, they are “sprayed” with the crisp notes as such action distinguishes the elite from the hoi polloi. As such, the notes have become commodities to be traded. The little released from the CBN are cornered by those with the right connection either before they get to the banks, or quickly mopped up by the managers who release them to prime customers and relations.

    If the old notes due for recall are duly replaced by the CBN and orders supplied by the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting PLC, there would not be basis for the hoarding that has become the order of the day. There is equally a need to step up public enlightenment that the commoditisation of the currency is akin to economic sabotage as it has been identified as a factor in the double-digit inflation in the country. While the lowering of the inflation rate in recent times is noted, we agree with experts who say it could have been better had things like unavailability of lower denominations not been the case.

    It is unacceptable that, while the notes are not available to the retail sellers and customers who need them for economic purposes, they are readily available in the ‘black markets’ where they are sold for profit. The dearth of the lower denominations has been a source of altercations and tension in commercial buses between commuters and bus conductors. At other times, traders, in order not to lose their customers, are forced to buy the lower denominations from those who were lucky to have received them from the banks. These are features of primitive economies that Nigeria should have outgrown 57 years after independence, especially given the volume of petro-dollars that have rolled into the coffers in the period.

    It is time to engage the forward gear. As the government is paying attention to the high end of economic development such as diversification and deregulation, the disappearance of the lower denominations of the currency should also be paid due attention.

  • Fuel price hike: Imo youths accuse DPR of conspiracy

    Fuel price hike: Imo youths accuse DPR of conspiracy

    For alleged connivance with petroleum marketers, the Imo State Chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and Niger Delta Youth Forum (NDYF) have called for the immediate sack of the Southeast Zonal Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).

    The youths, who barricaded the entrance to the DPR office, said DPR’s failure to reduce the price of fuel has brought untold hardship on the people.

    The Chairman, Mr. Isidore Chukwuemeka, alleged that the continued sale of fuel at N250 was a conspiracy between the marketers and the DPR.

    He lamented that no petrol station has been sanctioned or shut though they were selling above the recommended pump price.

    President of NDYF Ezekwesili Nwauwa said DPR has done nothing to regulate fuel prices.

    He lamented that this had caused untold hardship to the people as the hike led to increase in fares.

    But the Southeast Zonal Controller of DPR, Mr Peter Ijeh, said the agency has been actively trying to reduce the price of fuel.

    “Imo State DPR is doing well, and people outside the state have called to hail our efforts. We go out and make rounds of the fuel stations in the state, and those that refuse to comply are shut.

    “There is no way we can collaborate with marketers to sell above the recommended pump price, it is not possible,” he said.

    Ijeh, however, said marketers change their prices when DPR officials must have left their stations.

    Petrol stations in Owerri, the state capital, have continued to sell for as much as N250 per litre, and there has not been any report of sanction on the erring fuel stations by the DPR.

  • Court remands man for alleged conspiracy, murder of friend’s wife

    An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, has remanded 27-year-old Opeyemi Zachaeus, for alleged conspiracy and murder of his friend’s wife, Adejoke Kalejaiye, 25.

    Zacheaus is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

    Prosecutor  Kehinde Olatunde  had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Dec. 14 at about 2.00 p.m. at Agemuwo in Badagry area of Lagos State.

    Olatunde alleged that the accused had helped the husband of the deceased, Mr Kalejaiye, to conceal her remains and to dispose of her phone and other valuables.

    He said that the offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The plea of the accused was denied.

    The Chief Magistrate, Kofo Ariyo, ordered the remand of the accused at the Ikoyi Prisons, pending legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP’s).

    The case was adjourned until Feb. 7, 2018 for legal advice.

  • Man drags wife, son to court for ‘conspiracy, theft’

    Man drags wife, son to court for ‘conspiracy, theft’

    A 63-year-old Chinyere Obilonu, together with her son, Emmanuel Obilonu, 23, yesterday appeared in a Mararaba Upper Area Court, Nasarawa State, for allegedly defrauding her husband of N177,000.

    The mother and child who live at Sharp Corner, Mararaba, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and theft.

    Prosecuting Corporal Hamen Donald told the court Godwin Obilonu, a husband and a father to the defendants reported the matter at the divisional police station, Mararaba on November 15.

    Donald said the defendants had conspired with Adache Godwin and used the complainant’s mobile phone to transfer N177, 000 to their various accounts without the complainant’s consent.

    He added that N100,000 was transferred to a UBA account; N50,000, to an Access Bank account; and N27,000, to a Fidelity Bank account.

    The prosecutor said in the course of investigations, the account numbers were traced to the defendants.

    He said the offence contravened Sections 97 and 288 of the Penal Code.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    The Judge, Ibrahim Shekarau, granted the accused N50,000 bail each with a surety in the like sum.

    Shekarau said the sureties must live within the court’s jurisdiction and must deposit two of their recent passport photographs each.

    He adjourned the case till January 29.

  • 34-year-old in court for ‘conspiracy, kidnapping’

    A 34-year old-man, John Kehen Utsa, was yesterday arraigned at a Makurdi Upper Area Court for alleged criminal conspiracy and kidnapping.

    The prosecutor, Alexander Akule, told the court the case was transferred from Police Headquarters, Katsina-Ala, on August 13, to Benue State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Makurdi.

    Akule alleged the complainant, Mary Soraan, of Collins Soraan Street, Katsina-Ala Local Government, reported the case at Katsina-Ala Police Station.

    He told the court the defendant, who lives in Utsa, behind Central Primary School, Kastina-Ala, on August10, conspired with others at large and kidnapped the complainant’s nine-year son, Mfater Soraan.

    Akule said her husband, Iwange Manasseh, “on the same date, about 062hrs and 1025hrs, received a call from GSM number, 08051170177, demanding N3 million ransom.”

    The prosecutor told the court detectives rescued Mfater and arrested the accused, who confessed.

    Akule said since the matter was being investigated, the court should remand the accused in prison.

    The offences contravened Section 97 of the Penal Code Law of Benue State and Section 3 (2) of the Abduction, Hostage-Taking, Kidnapping, Cultism and Other Related Activities (Prohibition) Law 2017.

    The defendant’s plea was not taken.

    Justice Fatima Akintomide ordered that the defendant be remanded at Makurdi Prisons, and adjourned the case till September 29.

  • Four sentenced to death for armed robbery, conspiracy

    An Osun High Court on Tuesday in Osogbo sentenced four persons to death for conspiracy and armed robbery.

    The convicts, Joseph Moses, 24, Samuel Job, 19, Gideon Ode, 25, and Daniel Abraham, 24, were brought to the court on a four-count charge of armed robbery and conspiracy.

    The prosecutor, Mrs Abdulrahman Temitope, had told the court that the convicts committed
    the offense on Oct. 14, 2013 at about 8:00pm along Kajola expressway in Osogbo.

    Temitope said the convicts conspired among themselves to rob one Abubakar Rauf of his motorcycle with registration number BDG 896 QB.

    ” The suspects conspired to attack the complainant with a knife and dangerous weapons collecting his
    motorcycle.

    ” They injured the complainant and also carted away his Bajaj motorcycle to their house before they were
    apprehended, ” the prosecutor said.

    Temitope said the crime committed had been a serial occurrence within the vicinity which had led to the
    death and missing of some persons.

    The prosecutor said the offences contravened Section 6 and is punishable under section 1 of the Robbery and Fire Arm (Special Provision) Cap R11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    Counsel to the accused, Mr Jimmy Jones, however, pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy in her
    judgment.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Olubunmi Ayoola, sentenced the convicts to death due to the magnitude of their crime, adding that the prosecutor had proved her case beyond any reasonable doubt.