The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Court

  • Murder of commissioner in Ekiti : Two remanded in prison

    Two men, Tajudeen Bello and Luck Solomon who allegedly murdered Mr Bunmi Ojo, Commissioner in the Federal Character Commission, were on Monday in Ado Ekiti remanded in prison on the orders of an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused — Bello, 22, and Solomon, 32 — are facing a two-count charge of murder and membership of a cult.

    While arraigning the accused, Police Prosecutor Johnson Okunade told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 14 in the state capital.

    According to him, the duo conspired and murdered the politician, a personal assistant to a former governor of Ekiti, Mr Segun Oni.

    The prosecutor alleged that the accused were members of a secret society — Black Axe confraternity.

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    The offences contravened Section 319 of Criminal Code and Section 4 (1) of the Secret Cults Abolition and Prohibition of Laws of Ekiti 2012.

    Okunade asked the court to remand the accused in prison pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    Mr Chris Omokhafe, counsel to the accused, applied for bail for them but was refused by the court.

    In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye remanded of the duo in prison and adjourned the case until Sept. 19 for the DPP’s advice.

  • Dissolve my 2-year-old marriage, woman tells court

    A middle-aged pregnant woman, Taliatu Alli, on Monday in Iseyin, Oyo State, approached the court seeking the dissolution of her two-year-old marriage over abandonment.

    Taliatu, who claimed to be eight months pregnant, alleged that Alli had been behaving irrationally since she became pregnant.

    “We prayed to have the baby, I’m surprised that Alli has neglected me and the baby.

    “It is also surprising he can become so irresponsible. He comes home only when he wishes. Whenever I asked him for money for anti-natal and other necessary medications he will turn it down,” she told a customary court.

    She added: “He has been punishing me since I became pregnant as if it is a bad thing to be pregnant.

    “I need to move on in life so that people do not think I have a husband when in reality I do not have one.”

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    Alli, however, told the court that he could not provide for her needs because he had no money.

    “I know I have not been giving her money as expected but I still give her the little I have and I expect her to understand.

    “The major problem with her is that she is too troublesome,” he said.

    He pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage, saying he prefers an amicable resolution of the issues.

    The President of the court, Chief Adelodun Raheem, said the union was still redeemable and ordered the families of the
    estranged couple to intervene.

    He adjourned the case until Sept.14 for report of the settlement.

     

    NAN

  • Kindergarten teacher on trial for child abuse, pornography

    A 31-year-old former kindergarten teacher faces trial in Germany on Monday for more than a dozen incidents of sexual assault between 2012 and 2018 and creating child pornography by filming his crimes.

    The man, who led a kindergarten in the south-western city of Heilbronn, is accused of at least 19 cases of assault against a child who was six years old when the abuse started.

    Most cases allegedly took place in his home.

    Defence lawyer Thomas Amann said in advance of the trial that his client who could be handed a 15-year prison sentence for the crimes would confess and was willing to seek therapy.

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    The defendant was detained in March.

    It took more than a year after he was caught distributing child pornography for the Protestant church, his employer to fire him.

    Police are investigating the reasons for this.

    A spokesman for the church said that none of the other children at the kindergarten were assaulted.

  • Imo court frees detained IPOB women

    An Owerri High Court on Friday evening, ordered the unconditional release of the 114 female members of the Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB ) who were earlier remanded in Owerri Prison.

    The women were remanded by a Magistrate Court after they were arrested and arraigned by the Police for protesting the whereabouts of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kalu.

    The bail application filed by the lead Counsel to the women, Ejiofor Uche, was not opposed as the Police had no representation in court .

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    The Court thereafter granted the women bail unconditionally.

    There release sparked off wide jubilation in Owerri, the Imo state capital.

    The Police prosecutor, Theaddus Okey, stated that the Police had no representation because had been referred to the state ministry of justice for legal counsel and decision.

  • Man docked for allegedly beating friend

    A 30-year-old man, Michael James, was on Friday arraigned in a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly causing grievous hurt to his friend.

    James, who resides at Barnawa High Cost Housing Estate in Kaduna, is standing trial on a count charge of causing grievous hurt, an offence he pleaded not guilty to.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the matter was reported at the Barnawa Police Station in Kaduna by one David Ezekiel of Barnawa on Aug. 20.

    Leo said that the complainant and defendant, who were friends had an undisclosed misunderstanding.

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    “The complainant was sitting in his room when the defendant came back with two others who are at large and beat up the complainant.”

    The prosecutor said that the complainant sustained injuries in his left eye and body as a result of the beating.

    He said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 246 of the Penal Code.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Magistrate, Mr John Dauda, granted James bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    He said the surety must reside within the jurisdiction of the court and adjourned the case until Sept. 5, for hearing.

  • Court jails pastor 54 months for stealing WEMA Bank’s N984,450

    An Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday sentenced a pastor, Abel Adewale Olukayode, to 54 months imprisonment for stealing N984,450 from Wema Bank Plc.

    Chief Magistrate A. T. Omoyele convicted Olukayode, 58, on a three-count charge of stealing.

    The magistrate found that he transferred the cash in tranches of N22,550, N701,900 and N260,000 through the Bank’s mobile application to his First Bank and Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) accounts.

    She sentenced him to six months imprisonment on count one and two years each on counts two and three, without an option of fine.

    All sentences will run concurrently, meaning Olukayode, who claimed to be a clergyman with the Apostolic Church, will spend only years in jail.

    At the trial, prosecuting Sergeant Cyriacus Osuji said the convict, of 26, Sadiku Ayinla Street, Odo-Kekere in Ikorodu, committed the offence between March 5 and March 6, 2012, with his mobile phone.

    He said: “The defendant, with the aid of his mobile phone with sim number 08034456771, stole N22,550 through his Wema account, property of WEMA Bank Plc.

    “At the same time and place with the aid of his mobile banking application, he transferred N701,900 from WEMA Bank to his GTB Bank account and N260,000 to his First Bank account”.

    Olukayode pleaded not guilty.

    A witness from WEMA Bank testified that between March 4 and 6, 2012, the bank’s system malfunctioned and the convict, who had only N300 in a joint account he operated with his wife, took advantage of the situation to steal.

    He said immediately Olukayode noticed the malfunction, he started buying airtime which accumulated to N22,550 and thereafter transferred the other amounts to his GTB and First Bank accounts.

    The court heard that Olukayode wasn’t the only one that took advantage of the situation. But he was said to be among those who when he was approached, refused to return the money when they were approached.

    When others, who took advantage of the situation were approached, they admitted their offence and started repaying the money, the witness said.

    But Olukayode told the bank that he had been asking God to provide for him to enable him build his own church and the money was the answer to his prayers.

  • Ekiti: Court grants Oni’s prayer for substituted service in suit against Fayemi

    A former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni yesterday got the nod of a Federal High in Abuja to serve processes through substituted means on the state’s Governor-elect Kayode Fayemi on a suit challenging his eligibility to contest the last governorship election.

    By substituted means, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba, in an ex-parte ruling, said the originating documents, filed by Oni, should be served on Fayemi through the head office of their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Abuja.

    Oni had alleged, in his motion ex parte, that Fayemi was evading service.

    He sought the court’s permission to serve him through substituted means.

    Justice Dimgba, after granting Oni’s prayer, adjourned till September 5 for a report of service.

    Oni averred that Fayemi was not qualified to participate in APC’s primary on May 12 on the grounds that he did not resign his appointment as Minister Mines and Steel Development, in line with the law.

    Oni also claimed, among others, that Fayemi won the APC’s primary on May 12 while he was still the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, a position he did not officially resign from until May 30.

    The former governor queried Fayemi’s eligibility for the primary on the strength of his (Fayemi) purported indictment by the Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry, set up by the state government to probe Fayemi’s tenure.

    The plaintiff, who came second in the primary with 481 votes behind Fayemi’s 941, prayed the court to declare him the valid flag bearer of the party.

    Oni also sought “a declaration that the claimant (Oni), having scored 481 votes, which is the majority of lawful and valid votes at the second defendant’s (APC’s) May 12 governorship primary for the purpose of determining the second defendant’s candidate for the July 14 election for the office of governor of Ekiti State, is the person that was validly nominated by the 2nd defendant for the 14th July, 2018 election for the office of Governor, Ekiti State”.

    He also prayed the court to determine “whether by virtue of APC’s constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of All Progressives’ Congress 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office, as applicable to the APC governorship primary conducted on May 12, the first defendant, being a serving member of the Federal Executive and Federal Minister of Solid Minerals, Mines and Steel Development, having not resigned his appointment as a member of Federal Executive and Minister of Solid Mineral, Mines and Steel Development, at all or at least 30 days to the primary of May 12, was qualified to contest and participate in the said APC governorship primary of May 12 as an aspirant in that election”.

    He urged the court to determine “whether by virtue of APC Constitution and particularly Articles 2 and 5 of APC 2014 Guidelines for the nomination of candidates for public office as applicable to the APC governorship primary conducted on May 12 at Damilek Event Centre, Ado-Ekiti, for the purpose of determining or nominating the second defendant candidate for the July 12 Ekiti State governorship election, the first defendant, having been indicted by Hon. Justice Oyewole Judicial Panel of Enquiry, was qualified to contest and participate in the APC governorship primary of May 12, as an aspirant in that election.”

  • Court dismisses murder charge against nine PDP members

    An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Friday dismissed a murder charge preferred against nine members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos.

    Chief Magistrate Alex Komolafe freed them following advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), exonerating them of the killing of Apapa Local Government Area PDP Chairman, Adeniyi Aborishade, on July 21.

    The men are: Rotimi Kujore, 44; Fatai Adele, 62; Ismaila Abiola, 50; Amos Fawole, 65; Victoria Falowo, 42; Mukaila Odukoya, 54; Isaac Oropo, 55; Muhammed Babangida, 37; and Ugochukwu Nwoke, 50.

    The magistrate, however, refused to discharge Kehinde Fasasi, 61, the 10th defendant but granted him bail in the sum N400,000.

    They were arraigned by the police on July 25 alongside Moshood Salvador, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the PDP for alleged conspiracy and unlawful killing.

    The magistrate remanded them in Kirikiri Prison following their not guilty plea and adjourned for the DPP’s advice.

    But Salvador, through his counsel Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN), challenged his remand and sought a dismissal of the charge, among others, at the high court.

    When the matter, came up before Justice Obafemi Adamson of the Ikeja High Court on August 14, an Assistant Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Olaitan Soetan, said there was a “development” regarding Salvador’s prayers.

    The judge’s attention was drawn to the DPP’s report to the lower court recommending the defendants’ discharge for want of evidence.

    The report, endorsed by Lagos State Attorney-General, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, advised the police to release the suspects and intensify the hunt for the actual killers.

    It, however, advised the police to charge Fasasi with disorderly conduct contrary to Section 168(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State for causing the fracas that led to the incident

    Pedro affirmed the new state of affairs and told the court that “the matter has been overtaken by circumstances.”

    He urged the court to dismiss the charge.

    Ruling, Justice Adamson freed the defendants based on the DPP’s advice.

    On August 16, a Lagos High Court in Igbosere adjourned till August 23 to hear five more PDP members’ bail application following their remand for Aborishade’s alleged murder.

  • Court frees men accused of murdering Apapa PDP chairman

    An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday discharged nine men charged with the murder of the Apapa local government PDP chairman, Adeniyi Aborisade.

    Delivering a ruling, Chief Magistrate Mr Alex Komolafe, dismissed the murder charges against Rotimi Kujore, 44; Fatai Adele, 62; Ismaila Abiola, 50; Amos Fawole, 65; Victoria Falowo, 42.

    Others include Mukaila Odukoya, 54; Isaac Oropo, 55; Muhammed Babangida, 37; and Ugochukwu Nwoke, 50.

    The accused were arraigned alongside Moshood Salvador, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who has since been discharged of the crime levelled against him.

    Chief Magistrate Komolafe, in the ruling, held that in view of the advice from the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution, the court exonerated the accused persons.

    Komolafe also ordered that the nine accused be released from Ikoyi Prison.

    The magistrate, however, refused to discharge Kehinde Fasasi, 61, the tenth accused but granted him bail in the sum N400,000.

    The offences contravened Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Two suspected cultists docked in Lagos

    Two men, Oluwafemi Adelaja and Jacob Sunday, suspected to be members of an unlawful society, were on Friday docked before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.

    Adelaja, 26, and Sunday, 21, are facing a two-count charge bordering on affray and belonging to an unlawful society.

    They, however, pleaded not guilty.

    According to the prosecutor, SP Nurudeen Thomas, the two men committed the offences on Aug. 9, at 12.30p.m. at Kampala Hotel in Bariga, Lagos.

    Thomas said that the accused were members of an unlawful society known as `Aiye’.

    “My Lord, they have been terrorising their neighborhood for years.

    “After much investigation, the police were able to get information of a gathering of members of their secret society, where they were arrested among many others,” he said.

    The offences contravene Sections 41 and 54 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 41 prescribes a three-year jail term for belonging to an unlawful society, while Section 54 provides for six months’ imprisonment for affray.

    The Magistrate, Mrs K.B. Ayeye, granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said that one of the sureties must be a relation of the accused and gainfully employed.

    Ayeye also ruled that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until Sept. 27 for mention.