The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Court

  • Woman stabs pastor with broken bottle

    A 39-year-old woman, Esther Olawale, was on Wednesday docked before an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court, Osun, for allegedly stabbing a pastor with broken bottle.

    Olawale of no fixed address, is facing a count charge of assault.

    The prosecutor, Insp. Emmanuel Abdullahi, told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 6, at about 6.00 p.m. at No. 11, Moremi Line 10, Ile-Ife.

    Abdullahi said that the accused stabbed the complainant, Pastor Kayode Oluwawemimo, with broken bottle on the left hand and at the back during a disagreement.

    He said the assault caused bodily injuries to the complainant, who is a pastor in one of the churches in Ile-Ife.

    Read Also: Pastor ’s wife loses marriage for adultery

    The offence contravened Section 355 of the Criminal Code, Law of Osun, 2002.

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

    The defence counsel, Mr Olalere Olaobaju, applied for the bail of the accused in the most liberal terms and promised that the accused would not jump bail.

    Magistrate Ishola Omisade granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum, and adjourned the case until June 18, for hearing.

     

    NAN

  • Breaking: Developer bags 2,670 years for duping 133 tenants of N25m

    An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, has sentenced a property developer, Alhaji Ayobami Oseni, to 2,670 years imprisonment for duping 133 accommodation seekers of N25 million.

    Chief Magistrate O. O. Olatunji convicted Oseni following his plea of guilty to 267 counts of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretenses and stealing.

    He sentenced Oseni to 10 years imprisonment with no option of fine on each of the 267 counts.

    Read Also: Court dissolves 10-year-old marriage over man’s joblessness

    The sentences, which are to run concurrently, take effect from April 26, 2017 when Oseni was remanded in prison custody following the revocation of his bail.

    Thus, the convict should spend only 10 years in jail, but if the one year he has spent in remand is deducted, his prison time reduces to nine years.

    Oseni was prosecuted by the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) and the Lagos State Real Estate Transaction Department (LASRETRAD).

     

    Details later…

  • Breaking: Court grants Melaye bail

    …in the sum of N10,000,000

     

    The Kogi State High Court sitting in Lokoja, has granted bail to the embattled lawmaker representing Kogi West in the National Assembly, Senator Dino Melaye.

    Read Also: OPC demands Melaye ’s release

    The Chief Judge of Kogi State, Justice Nasir Ajanah, in a ruling on the bail application by Melaye’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), on Wednesday, granted the bail in the sum of N10,000,000.

     

    Details later

  • Court remands three MDs for ‘N120m property scam’

    An Ikeja High Court yesterday remanded the Managing Director (MD) of Forthright Properties Ltd, Isaac Akintoye and two other MDs following their arraignment for an alleged N120 million property scam.

    Justice Mojisola Dada made the order after Akintoye, Samuel Okeke and Ifeanyi Ndigwe pleaded “not guilty” to a 16- count charge of stealing and fraud.

    They will remain in prison custody till May 22, when their bail applications will be heard.

    The judge also fixed June 6 for their trial.

    The defendants were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside four companies.

    According to EFCC counsel Muhammed Bashir, the offences were committed in Lagos between November 14, 2005 and August 2014.

    The defendants allegedly received the sums in tranches of N68,400,000, N1,800,000, N5,000,000, N6,000,000, N10,000,000, N8,500,000 among others.

    Okeke and his two firms, Samadores Ltd and Aqua Rock Real Estate and Investment Ltd were indicted in counts 1 to 12.

    Akintoye and Forthright Properties Ltd were mentioned in count 12; Ndigwe and his company, Iccon Communications Ltd, appeared in counts 13 to 16.

    Count 12 of the charge reads: “Samuel Okeke, Isaac Akintoye, Samadores Ltd, Aqua Rock Real Estate and Investment Ltd and Forthright Properties Ltd sometime in the year 2013, conspired to dishonestly convert an aggregate sum of N68, 400,000 being purported payment for sale of 38 plots of land at Gan-un Riverside Park Residential Scheme at the rate of N1, 800, 000 per plot with intent to permanently deprive Obinna Obienu and IT World Nigeria Limited of their special interest in the property.”

  • Murder: Zakzaky taken to court in Kaduna amid tight security

    LEADER of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shi’ites, Sheikh Ibrahim El Zakzaky was yesterday taken before a Kaduna High Court amid tight security.

    El Zakzaky, who was in the court with his wife as early as 8:30a.m, was allegedly  smuggled into Kaduna the previous night from where he was being kept.

    He was being charged for unlawful gathering, criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide punishable with death.

    Speaking to reporters, El Zakzaky’s counsel, Maxwell Kyom, said the case could not continue because two of the defendants were not in court.

    He said an oral application was moved for bail for the cleric and his wife, but the judge, Justice Gideon Kurada, asked him to put his application in writing.

    Reporters and sympathisers of the Shiites leader trooped to the court premises but were barred from entering as the major roads leading to the court were condoned off.

    From the Yakubu Gowon Way by Bida road, two Hilux belonging to Kaduna State security outfit, ‘Operation Yaki’, blocked the road and pedestrians who are not court’s workers were turned away.

    A leader of the Shiites sect in Kaduna, Mallam Abdulhameed Bello, said El Zakzaky was forcefully brought to Kaduna a night before the hearing.

    According to him, members of the movement were disappointed for his re-arraignment because in a substantive suit before an Abuja High Court, the court ruled that he should be released unconditionally.

    Bello added that the cleric was losing his sight as well as suffering from diabetes and mild stroke.

    “We call on the Federal and Kaduna State governments to as a matter of urgency obey the judgment of the Abuja court and release the Sheikh for peace to reign.

    “We as a movement will continue to use all peaceful means to put pressure on the government to see reason and allow Sheikh El Zakzaky to go home and attend to his deteriorating health,” he said.

    The case was adjourned to June 21, by Justice Kurada based on application by the prosecutor for them to properly file their statement of claim.

     

     

     

  • Court strikes out Melaye’s suit against council administrator

    The Kogi State High Court in Lokoja has struck out Senator Dino Melaye’s suit against Administrator of Ijumu Local Government Area, Taofiq Isa and four others, for want of diligent prosecution.

    Isa, Ade Obege, Abdullahi Isah, Michael Bamidele and Ahmed Ajayi, were arraigned about a year ago for the alleged assassination attempt on Melaye.

    But the case has suffered series of setbacks, particularly owing to the absence of the prosecution counsel at adjournments.

    Ruling yesterday on the matter, Justice Fola Ajayi noted that the prosecution counsel could not open its case despite four adjournments.

    He, therefore, struck out the case for lack of diligent prosecution and gave a consequential order that the prosecution could start their case afresh whenever they are ready.

    Defence lawyer Zakari Abbas lauded Justice Ajayi for the judgment.

    He said the judge, haven listened to all parties, and the petitioners unwilling to present their witnesses, arrived at the conclusion that the prosecution has not diligently pursued its case.

    He added: “Hence, the charge has been struck out. As it stands, there are no criminal charges against the defendants.

    “However, the judge gave a consequential order that whenever they are ready with their witness, they could approach the court to start their case afresh.”

  • NLC, Reps condemns attack on court in Port Harcourt

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and House of Representatives have condemned the attack by hoodlums on the court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba, in a statement  yesterday in Abuja, said the attack represented the primitive instincts of the hoodlums and the desperation of their promoters.

    “But beyond this, an attack on the court, any court for that matter, constitutes a violation of the sanctity of the judiciary and an invitation to anarchy.

    “In light of the fact that the court is the last hope of the common man, no explanation is good enough for this level of primitive violence,‘’ he said.

    The House of Representatives, following a motion by Betty Apiafi (Rivers-PDP), urged security agencies to fish out those behind the attack.

    Apiafi expressed concern about the invasion of an arm of government, noting that it is to an assault and contempt of the judiciary.

    She described the violence carried out by hoodlums allegedly aided by some security operatives, as an infringement on the Constitution.

    Apiafi said the incident led to the destruction of equipment and furniture, and ransacking of court buildings.

    She noted that if nothing is done about it, the country’s democracy could be affected.

    The lawmaker urged the House to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter to forestall fa recurrence.

    The motion was adopted by members when it was put to a voice vote by Deputy Speaker Yussuff Lasun.

     

     

     

  • Court remands company MDs over ‘N120m property scam’

    A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja on Tuesday remanded the Managing Director (MD) of Forthright Properties Ltd, Isaac Akintoye and two other MDs following their arraignment for an alleged N120 million property scam.

    Justice Mojisola Dada made the order after Akintoye and his co-defendants, Samuel Okeke and Ifeanyi Ndigwe, pleaded “not guilty” to a 16- count charge of alleged stealing and fraud.

    They will remain in custody till May 22, when their bail applications will be heard.

    The judge also fixed June 6, for commencement of trial.

    The defendants were charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alongside four companies.

    According to EFCC counsel Muhammed Bashir, the alleged offences were committed in Lagos “sometime in 2013.”

    Okeke and his two firms, Samadores Ltd and Aqua Rock Real Estate and Investment Ltd were indicted in counts 1 to 12.

    Read Also: Man docked for N6.75m petrol supply scam

    Akintoye and Forthright Properties Ltd were mentioned in count 12, while Ndigwe and his company, Iccon Communications Ltd appeared in count 13 to 16.

    Count 12 of the charge reads: “Samuel Okeke, Isaac Akintoye, Samadores Ltd, Aqua Rock Real Estate and Investment Ltd and Forthright Properties Ltd sometime in the year 2013, conspired to dishonestly convert an aggregate sum of N650, 400,000 being purported payment for sale of 38 plots of land at Gan-un Riverside Park Residential Scheme at the rate of N1, 800, 000 per plot with intent to permanently deprive Obinna Obienu and IT World Nigeria Limited of their special interest in the property.”

    The court heard that the alleged offences were contrary to Section 285(1) of the Criminal laws of Lagos State and Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

  • Court dismisses suits over APC’s NWC’s tenure

    FEDERAL High Court in Abuja has dismissed two suits filed by five members of All Progressives Congress (APC), challenging the purported extension of the tenure of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members.

    In two judgments yesterday, Justice Nnamdi Dimgba held that the suits have been overtaken by events.

    The judge said APC had reversed the alleged tenure elongation and proceeded to conduct congresses nationwide to elect leaders to replace the incumbents, whose tenure will end on June 30 this year.

    Justice Dimgba said he dismissed the suit because their “subject matter have become academic, hypothetical and spent”.

    The judge said he was convinced there was an attempt to extend the tenure of the APC’s NWC, but that for some reasons, the party changed its mind.

    He said had the party not changed its mind, but proceeded to carry through the extension, such would have been unconstitutional and a violation of Section 223 of the Constitution.

    The first suit was filed on March 8, by four APC members aspiring to run for leadership positions of the party, to challenge the extension of the tenures of the incumbent holders of the executive offices of the party.

    The members are Ademorin Kuye from Lagos State; Sani Mayanchi from Zamfara State and the party’s publicity secretary; Are Mutiu, also from Lagos State, and Machu Tokwat from Kaduna State.

    Named as respondents are INEC, the APC, Odigie-Oyegun (sued for himself and on behalf of the national, state, local government area and ward officials of the APC elected between April and June 2014) and the party’s National Organising Secretary, Osita Isunaso.

    The second suit was filed by a member of the APC in Imo State, Mr. Okere Uzochukwu, on March 2.  Listed as defendants are the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  • Driver docked for allegedly bolting with employer’s N170, 000

    A 25-year-old driver, Seun Olowokeere, who allegedly stole his employer’s N170, 000, was on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    Olowokeere, who resides at Oun Adio Market area of Ibadan, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Michael Unah, told the court that the accused committed the offences with some other persons still at large on March 18 at 4:00 p.m., along Tegna Road, Niger State.

    Unah said the accused stole the money from the complainant, Mr Victor Agwu, after their truck developed a mechanical fault on their way from Kano to Lagos.

    “The complainant asked the accused to look after the truck while he went in search of a mechanic.

    “Before the complainant got back, the accused had broken into the pigeon-hole of the truck, stolen the N170, 000 and ran away to Ibadan,” he said.

    Unah said the accused was later arrested at Ebute-Ero market in Lagos Island.

    The offences contravened Sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    Our newsmen reports that Section 287 stipulates a seven- year imprisonment for stealing while Section 411 provides a two-year jail term for conspiracy.

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

    In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

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

    He adjourned the case until May 28, for mention.

    NAN