The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Court

  • Court dissolves marriage

    An Nyanya Customary Court in Abuja has dissolved a 22-year-old marriage of a driver due to his wife’s habit of cooking once in a week.

    The court, presided over by Mr. Jemilu Jega, granted the request of Mr. Garba Pakachi, ruling that the union has broken up.

    “This court has tried everything within its power to resolve the issues between the parties, but efforts proved abortive.

    “The irreconcilable differences between the two parties show they are no longer compatible. Therefore, the marriage is hereby dissolved,” he said.

    Jega gave custody of three of the four children to the father and granted the mother, Martha, the custody of the last child, aged six.

    He ordered the man to pay N20,000 monthly for the child’s upkeep.

    Jega directed that Garba should take responsibility for education and health care of the child.

    The petitioner told the court that Martha cooked for her family once in a week.

  • Court dismisses N500m suit against police

    An Edo State High Court has dismissed a N500 million human rights suit by Mr. Arisco Osemwegie against Edo State Police Command.

    Osemwegie, in pursuant of sections 34 and 35 of the constitution sued the police for alleged inhuman treatment when he was invited to answer questions on newspaper publications congratulating him on his second year as the self-styled Ogiamien Utantan of Benin.

    Other defendants are the Oliha of Benin, Chief Edionwe Oliha; the Esogban of Benin, Chief David Edebiri; Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, Mr. Frank Irabor and the Benin Traditional Council.

    Counsel to the police, Peter Ogwumba, said Osemwegie did not deny being the self-styled Ogiamien Utantan.

    He told the court that such action was tantamount to causing breach of public peace, contrary to Section 249(5)(d) of the Criminal Code.

    Ogwumba said Osemwegie jumped administrative bail by not honouring subsequent invitations.

    Counsel to other defendants Chief Charles Uwensuyi Edosomwan told the court that Ogiamien was a title, whose functions had gone into extinction by virtue of the Benin Traditional Rulers and Chieftaincy Law of 1979.

    He said Osemwegie’s action of becoming a regent overnight and addressing himself as Ogiamien Utantan of Benin was an affront to the Oba of Benin because there could be no two monarchs in Benin Kingdom.

    Osemwegie’s lawyer, Godwin Oaikhena, submitted that his client’s human rights had been breached because the police arrested and detained him for hours over a newspaper publication wherein his well-wishers congratulated him on his second year anniversary as Ogiamien Utantan.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Philip Imoedemhe held that there were no facts to show that the police meted out inhuman treatment to Osemwegie.

    He held that the palace of the Oba of Benin acted reasonably by writing to the police to investigate those behind the alleged congratulatory messages.

    Justice Imoedemhe said the police acted within the purview of its Act by inviting Osemwegie, obtaining statement and granting him administrative bail in self recognisance.

    He dismissed the suit, describing it as one aimed at frustrating the investigation and prosecution of the matter relating to the publication.

  • Fayemi left N17b in Ekiti treasury, ex-commissioner tells court

    Fayemi left N17b in Ekiti treasury, ex-commissioner tells court

    A former Ekiti State Commissioner for Finance, Mr Dapo Kolawole, has told an Ekiti State High Court that former Governor Kayode Fayemi left over N17 billion in the treasury by the time he left office on October 15, 2014.

    Kolawole also urged the court, presided over by Justice Cornelius Akintayo, to quash the warrant of arrest issued against him by the House of Assembly over his failure to honour the summons given him to give evidence on how the state finances were managed by the immediate past government.

    The former commissioner, in the suit seeking the nullification of the warrant of arrest issued by the Assembly, joined the House of Assembly and three other defendants.

    He refuted the allegations of financial misappropriation, which allegedly plunged the state into debts, as well as the alleged embezzlement of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) cash levelled against the Fayemi administration by the Ayo Fayose administration.

    According the court’s record of proceedings, which our reporter obtained yesterday, Kolawole, who was led in evidence by his counsel, Chief Rafiu Balogun, tendered some documents, including the resolution of the Assembly, the letter of invitation, his medical report and the transcript of a news item aired on Ekiti State Television (EKTV) in which he said he was maligned by two aides of Governor Fayose.

    Under cross-examination by defence counsel, Mr. Sunday Bamise, the former commissioner told the court that the House of Assembly Committee’s Chairman on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotoso, and the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, appeared on an EKTV programme where they said he (Kolawole) and Fayemi stole state’s funds during their tenure.

    Kolawole said he had scheduled an appointment with the Assembly before the duo appeared on the television programme.

    The former commissioner said their action passed judgment on him, ahead of testifying before the lawmakers.

    He said: “I duly communicated with the House which, to the best of my knowledge, was acceptable to them by their subsequent correspondence, until the time I saw a member of the House on television, calling me a thief and other names.

    “I was invited twice to appear before the House and I responded on both times, requesting their permission to appear the third time, which I got invitation for.

    “I did not appear the third time because the House, as represented by Dr Omotoso, who was chairman of one of the committees, with Olayinka representing the Executive, going on air and accusing the former governor and myself. I was then instructed not to appear before the House for a hostile interview, as judgment has been passed on me and the Fayemi government.

    “The discussion of Olayinka and Omotoso touched on the fact that we stole all the money in Ekiti State and that the (then) new governor was crippled completely without noting the N17 billion we left behind and another N1 billion in another account, that is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    “They never mentioned that the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) money, which was the issue of this case, the N852 million they alleged we stole, was actually withdrawn by Access Bank, the owner of the money. They never gave us credit for the interest on that account, taken by the present governor (Fayose).”

     

  • Court settles 200 disputes

    Court settles 200 disputes

    Ekiti State Family Court has settled 200 family and marriage cases between 2012 when it was established to date, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, has said.

    She said in a statement in Ado-Ekiti that 20 people were convicted of child neglect and deviance during the period.

    According to her, the court has helped to reduce pressure on conventional courts and reduce marital disputes.

    She assured the public of justice and fair play through the court, noting that a chief magistrate presided over it in accordance with the Child Rights Law.

    Babafemi said the Governor Ayodele Fayose administration was committed to people’s well-being.

    She said her ministry had been repositioned to ensure that women lived in an environment where there was justice, equity and respect for their rights.

    The permanent secretary said the government would ensure a holistic development of women through educational, economic, social and political empowerment.

    She added that the state would monitor gender responsiveness activities.

    Babafemi said the government was committed to ensuring the survival and protection of children in preparation for adult life, as well as promoting the welfare of indigent citizens and persons living with disabilities.

    “The ministry has started advocacy to encourage public-spirited individuals and corporate organisations to make life meaningful for children and secure the nation’s future.

    “The ministry has provided social welfare services, such as skill acquisition training centres, for 195 women.

    “Arrangement is in the offing to train about-to-retire women civil servants in skills that can become their vocations after retirement,’’ she said.

    According to her, the Erelu Adebayo Children’s Home at Iyin Ekiti and the crèche at the secretariat are some other institutions the government is using to boost social welfare services.

    The permanent secretary said the government provided them to reduce the stress of nursing mothers in the workforce.

    She said the model registry established by the ministry in 2007 had joined 1,152 people in holy matrimony.

  • Man in court for alleged fraud

    A 39-year-old man, Wasiu Akanmu, accused of N575,000 fraud, has been arraigned at an Osogbo Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osun State.

    He denied committing the offence.

    Akanmu, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

    The Magistrate, Mrs. Fatima Sodamade, granted him bail at N500,000 with one surety.

    She said the surety must live in the court’s jurisdiction and produce evidence of tax payment to the Osun State government.

    Sodamade ordered that they must submit two passports-sized photographs and an affidavit of means.

    She adjourned the case till December 27 for hearing

    The prosecutor, Femi Olanibi, had told the court that the defendant committed the offences between November 20 and December 4, 2015 in Osogbo.

    He alleged that Akanmu fraudulently obtained, on false pretence, bags of nails worth N575,000 from the complainant, Mr. Olubunmi Emmanuel.

    Olanibi said the defendant stole bags of nails and absconded, but the police arrested him.

    He said the offences contravened sections 418, 419, 383 and 390 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State 2003.

  • Court settles over 200 disputes

    Over 200 cases have been settled by the Ekiti State Family Court since its creation in 2012, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, has said.

    The woman, who spoke in Ado- Ekiti, said 20 people were convicted of child neglect and deviance.

    She assured the people of justice and fair play through the court, noting that a chief magistrate presides over it in accordance with the state’s child rights law.

    Stressing the commitment of the Governor Ayodele Fayose administration to the well-being of women and children, Mrs. Babafemi said her ministry had been repositioned to provide an enabling environment for women to live in an environment where there was justice, equity and respect for women’s rights.

    She highlighted the government’s focus to include ensuring a holistic development of women through educational, economic, social and political empowerment; monitoring gender responsiveness in the state; ensuring the survival, protection of children in preparation for meaningful adult life as well as promoting the welfare of indigent citizens and persons living with disabilities.

  • South African court to decide on harsher sentence for Oscar Pistorius

    South African court to decide on harsher sentence for Oscar Pistorius

    South Africa’s Appeal Court on Friday, scheduled to rule if paralympian Oscar Pistorius – sentenced to six years in jail for murder – should receive a harsher prison term.

    The state prosecution had appealed the sentence earlier this month, saying that Pistorius’ punishment for murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp was too lenient.

    The minimum sentence for murder in South Africa is 15 years.

    In 2015, in a case that gripped South Africa and the world, the 30-year-old sprinter was found guilty of the Valentine’s Day murder of his model girlfriend.

    The prosecution argued that Pistorius’ disability should not have been a mitigating factor.

    Read:  Court discharges, acquits nurse of murder

    The South African double-amputee sprinter, known as the “Blade Runner,” maintains he believed Steenkamp was an intruder when he shot her through the bathroom door. It is the second time the prosecution is appealing.

    Pistorius was originally found guilty of culpable homicide, but this was changed to murder on appeal.

    Pistorius, whose lower legs were amputated because of a congenital defect, soared to international fame after becoming the first amputee to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games, London.

    Read Also: South Africa now Afreximbank’s shareholder

  • Court turns down Oando, SEC, NSE’s case

    Court turns down Oando, SEC, NSE’s case

    •Directs parties to IST

    The Federal High Court (FHC) in Lagos yesterday declined jurisdiction on the case instituted by Oando Plc against capital market regulators, directing the parties to the Investment and Securities Tribunal (IST).

    The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) had on Monday October 23, 2017 placed the shares of Oando on technical suspension, “thus, the shares will be available for trading but there will be no price movement while the technical suspension subsists”. The technical suspension was part of directives from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which ordered suspension of trading on the shares and forensic audit of the operations of Oando.

    Read Also: Investors strike 14 deals as Oando remains on technical suspension

    Oando obtained an interim court order on Monday October 23, 2017, restraining the NSE and any other party working on their behalf from giving effect to the directive of the SEC to implement a technical suspension of the shares of the company pending the hearing and determination of the motion for injunction and also an order restraining the SEC and any other parties claiming through or working on behalf of the Commission from conducting any forensic audit into the affairs of the company pending the hearing and determination of the motion for injunction. However, both the NSE and SEC were served with the enrolled court order on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 after the technical suspension was carried out by the NSE on Monday, October 23, 2017.

    At the court hearing yesterday on the Oando v SEC and others (FHC/L/CS/1601/17), Honourable Justice Aikawa of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court declined jurisdiction on the matter and consequentially struck out the suit. The cost of N20,000 was awarded against the plaintiff in favour of the first defendant-SEC.

  • Court remands three men over alleged cheating

    Court remands three men over alleged cheating

    An Upper Area Court sitting in Masaka, Nasarawa State, on Thursday ordered the remand of three men, David Boyi, Bulus Dio, and Ibrahim Sure for alleged cheating.

    The defendants are facing a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust and cheating.

    The Prosecutor, Frank Swem, told the court that on Nov. 15, one Ehis Erabhahilemen, of Jeun Masaka reported the case at the Masaka Divisional Police Station.

    Swem said on October 26, the first defendant Boyi, conspired with the other two and one Emmanuel Sure, now at large to commit the crime.

    Read Also: Drama: Judge compels accused to lead own defence witness

    He alleged that the defendants sold a piece of land measuring 50 by 100 ft, located at the same address to the complainant, at the rate of N1 million

    The prosecutor added that it was later discovered that the said piece of land did not belong to any of them.

    He said the offence contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

    The plea of the defendants was not taken by the presiding court judge.

    The Judge, Yakubu Ishaku, ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison to serve as deterrent to others and adjourned the case until December 17 for hearing.

    NAN

  • Man docked for theft of N80,000

    Man docked for theft of N80,000

    A 27-year-old man, Adebayo Olawale, who allegedly broke into a house and stole N80,000, was on Tuesday brought before an Ota Magistrates’ Court in Ogun.

    Olawale, whose address is unknown, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and burglary.

    The Prosecutor, Cpl. Abdulkareem Mustapha, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Nov. 14, at about 11.00 p.m. at No. 26, Aanuoluwapo Ilupewo Estate, Ota.

    Mustapha said the accused broke into the house of one Dare Awolumate and stole N80,000.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 412 and 508 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

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

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. B. Adebowale, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.

    Adebowale said the sureties must be resident within the court’s jurisdiction and must swear to an affidavit of means.

    She also ordered that the sureties should provide evidence of tax payment to the Ogun Government and should submit four recent passport photographs to the court.

    The case was adjourned until Dec. 11, for hearing.

    Read Also: Man kills 55-yr-old mother, rips her womb open