The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Court

  • Court dissolves 3-year-old marriage over frequent fighting

    An Ado-Ekiti Customary Court on Friday dissolved the three-year-old marriage between Mr Mayowa Ogunrinde and his wife, Busayo, over frequent fighting and disrespect for in-laws.
    The petitioner, Ogunrinde, 35, a civil servant, also told the court that his wife has no respect for him.

    “ Most of the time, I do all the domestic chores while my wife will always watch me.’’

    The petitioner told the court that the respondent was fond of slapping him whenever there was a misunderstanding between both of them.

    He claimed that though he fulfilled all his financial responsibilities as a husband, he always went hungry, as his wife would never fulfill her duties in the kitchen.

    The petitioner pleaded with the court to grant his application for dissolution of his 3-year-old marriage to Busayo, to enable him enjoy peace of mind.

    He prayed the court to award the custody of their daughter to Busayo, but with a clause that he would take custody once she turned six years.

    One of the petitioner’s witnesses, Mrs Mary Oluyemi, 60, told the court that she, on several occasions tried to settle the dispute between the petitioner and the respondent without any success.

    Busayo, severally served with court summons was absent in court.

    President of the court, Mr Joseph Ogunsemi, after listening to the petitioner and his witnesses, said that the marriage had broken down irretrievably and consequently dissolved the marriage.

    ‎He awarded the custody of the only child of the marriage to the respondent for proper care until the child turns six years.

    Ogunsemi also ordered the petitioner to be paying N2,000 as monthly feeding allowance of the child‎ through the court’s registrar, effective from May,2017 for onward delivery to the respondent.

    He ruled that the petitioner would be responsible for the education of the child at all levels, besides medical bills.

    The president granted the petitioner unrestricted ‎access to the child‎.

  • Court remands suspected Boko Haram member in prison

    Court remands suspected Boko Haram member in prison

    A Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday ordered that a 27-year-old man, Adamu Anas Mohammed, be remanded in prison over alleged membership of Boko Haram terrorist group.

    Chief Magistrate Alhassan Husaini ordered that the accused be remanded in Koton-Karfe Prison pending further investigation into the alleged offence.

    Husaini adjourned the case until May 31.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Mohammed Abaji, told the court that Mohammed was arrested by security agents on April 6 at Obajana in Kogi, following intelligence report.

    According to the prosecutor, Muhammed is a member of Boko Haram sect from Jimeta in Adamawa State and had been severally arrested for alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

    Abaji further alleged that the accused recently moved to Obajana for undisclosed undercover terrorist mission being investigated by security operatives.

    He said the offence contravened Section 16 of the Terrorist (Prevention) (Amendment) Act, 2013.

    Mohammed, who denied the allegation, said he used to worship with some members of the sect at NEPA Mosque in Jimeta, Yola.

    The accused added that although at a point, he was approached for enlistment by members of the sect, he allegedly declined.

    He admitted that he was arrested and remanded in prison for eight months in Adamawa over alleged membership of the sect but was later released.

    Mohammed said that he was on his way to Warri in Delta but made a brief stopover at Obajana when security operatives arrested him.

    He said he was neither on recruitment drive nor trying to propagate the beliefs of the sect in the state.

  • Court remands ex-Governor Lamido in prison

    Court remands ex-Governor Lamido in prison

    •Jigawa PDP, Fayose seek ex-governor’s release

    THE Dutse Magistrates’ Court II in Jigawa State has remanded former Governor Sule Lamido in prison till May 4, for ruling over his bail application.
    Lamido is standing trial on a four-count charge of inciting disturbance, criminal deformation, criminal intimidation and disturbance of public peace, contrary to Sections 113, 114 and 117 of the Penal Code.
    But Lamido pleaded not guilty and his counsel, Mr. Felix Jones Osimerha, applied for his bail.
    He said: “The accused person has stayed in detention beyond the constitutional 24 hours. He was invited by the police on April 28, telling him to report on April 30. He honoured the invitation and has been detained till this morning when he was brought to court.”
    The defending counsel assured the court Lamido will not interfere with the investigation, evidence and will not jump bail, considering his status as a former governor and a law-abiding citizen.
    But prosecution counsel Mr. Ekenna Egnatus objected to the bail application, saying the accused is a public figure, having a large followership, and his release may be a security threat, “considering the charges in the FIR”.
    Magistrate Usman Muhammed Lamin adjourned till May 4 for ruling on the bail application.
    “Both parties submitted their reasons for and against the bail, supported by so many Sections of the law. I, hereby, adjourn the case till May 4 for ruling. The accused should, however, remain in prison till then,” he said.
    Jigawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose have called for Lamido’s unconditional release.
    The PDP condemned the arrest and continued detention of Lamido.
    A statement by its chairman, Salisu Mamuda Ku’it, said: “The continues detention of Alhaji Sule Lamido is illegal, null and void, and has no place in the laws of this land.
    “The PDP in Jigawa State is compelled to make this statement, to let the world know about the continued illegal detention and infringement of the fundamental human right of our leader Alhaji Sule Lamido.
    “We believe that his continued detention has no connection whatsoever with any inciting statement. We view this as a well-scripted ploy to punish him for his defiance against the evil forces of the APC that is taking this country hostage.”
    Fayose, who condemned Lamido’s arrest, described it as another attempt to muzzle the opposition and cow PDP candidates nursing presidential ambition.
    A statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, described Lamido’s detention as “childish and ridiculous”.

  • Court restrains hubby from coming near wife for 12 months

    Court restrains hubby from coming near wife for 12 months

    An Ogudu Magistrates’ Court has restrained Jonathan Emoghase from coming close to his wife for 12 months because of incessant physical assault.
    Magistrate Olufunke Sule-Amzat said Emoghase would be jailed if he flouted the order.
    The order was at the instance of his wife, Janet, who lodged a complaint against him through the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT).
    DSVT Coordinator Mrs Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi told The Nation that Janet reported a case of physical assault and threat to her life by her husband in February.
    The incident was said to have happened at their 6 Funmilayo Close, Ikeja residence around 7pm on January 24.
    Janet alleged that her husband has been physically assaulting her since they got married three years ago. She has three children for him.
    She claimed that the last time he assaulted her, he hit her with stick repeatedly while threatening to kill her.
    Following her report DSVRT referred her to the Family Support Unit (FSU) at the Ketu Police Station which arrested her husband and charged him to court.
    Emoghase was arraigned last Thursday before Magistrate Sule-Amzat on a two-count charge of assault and threat to kill Janet.
    The charge reads in part: “That you, Jonathan Emoghase, on January 24 at 6 Funmilayo Close, in Ikeja Magisterial District did assault one Janet Ojeikere by beating her up and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015”.
    Count two stated that Emoghase threatened to kill Janet by beating her with a stick thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 230 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
    He pleaded not guilty and was granted N10,000 bail.
    Janet requested for a restraining order against her husband, pursuant to the Lagos State Prevention Against Domestic Violence Law, 2007 because he had promised to kill her.

  • Court chides NIS over unheeded order

    A Federal High Court sitting in Akure, Ondo State capital, has reprimanded the leadership of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for not implementing its order.
    The court, presided over by Justice F. A. Olubanjo, on March 29, ordered the Comptroller-General of NIS to seal ASTRAC Nigeria Limited until its directors, who are defendants in a case before it, appear in court for alleged violation of immigration laws of Nigeria.
    It also issued a bench warrant to bring two of the company’s directors – Dr Anton Mimra, an Austrian, and Mr. James Akeleju – on a five-count criminal charge to take their plea on April 12.
    But the warrant was not complied with.
    The defendants refused to appear before the court, as directed, in a case instituted against the company by NIS.
    Justice Olubanjo frowned at the failure of the NIS to carry out its specific order.
    The court adjourned the matter till May 4 to enable the NIS carry out its order.
    It warned that the defendants must be in court to take their pleas on that day, in compliance with the order of court.

  • Court to hear ex-worker’s suit against bank Friday

    The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) in Lagos will on Friday hear a suit by a former banker, Mrs Pauline Nsa, who is seeking N13,885,726.32 as outstanding terminal benefits from her former employer.

    The claimant said she was to retire at 60, but was “induced” to leave at 56.

    She is also claiming N139,014,632 which she said is the remuneration for the four years she would have worked before retirement.

    Nsa, through her lawyer Nnabuike Edechime, is also claiming N10million as general damages from the defendants for “cutting short her banking career, subjecting her severe embarrassment and indignities, and for emotional trauma”.

    But the defendants, FBN Holdings Plc and First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, have urged the court to dismiss the suit on the basis that they had paid the claimant all her entitlements.

    The claimant said the bank employed her as an Assistant General Manager on an initial salary of N12.7million per  year with effect from March 10, 2008 after leaving UBA as a Principal Manager.

    According to her, she was later seconded to a subsidiary company, FBN Microfinance Bank Ltd, as the pioneer Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer with effect from September 10, 2007, with a reviewed compensation package of N26.7million per year.

    Nsa said following a restructuring, her services were transferred to FBN Holdings.

    However, the defendants, she said, divested from FBN Microfinance Bank, which was acquired by Letshego Holdings of Botswana.

    The claimant said before the divestment, she took the company from an initial capital of N1billion in 2009 to N3.8billion when it was sold.

    Following the new management takeover, Nsa said she returned to FBN Holdings and requested for redeployment.

    “The first defendant failed to redeploy me as requested but rather advised me to apply for voluntary early retirement so that I could be paid all my entitlements.

    “Consequent upon the inducement of the first defendant, I had no choice than to apply for voluntary early retirement. The first defendant thereafter paid me N20,468,807.33.

    “I contend that I was short paid by the sum of N13,885,726.32 which is still outstanding and unpaid by the first defendant,” the claimant said.

    Nsa said based on the defendants’ employee handbook, she was supposed to retire at 60 or after 35 years of service, but was “compelled” to retire at 56.

    Therefore, she is demanding the outstanding payment, her remuneration for the remaining four years, as well as damages.

    But, the defendants denied being indebted to Nsa, saying she had been fully paid.

    According to them, the first defendant does not have any outstanding obligation or payment due the claimant.

    They urged the court to hold that the claimant was not entitled to any more compensation and to dismiss the suit.

  • Court to rule on suit challenging monarch’s installation

    An Ogun State High Court, sitting at Ipokia, has reserved till May 11 its ruling on the notice of preliminary objection filed by Ogun State Ministry of Justice on the stool of the Onihunbo of Ihunbo in Ipokia Local Government Area.

    Justice S. M. Owodunni said the adjournment was necessary, following the administrative lapses observed in the court clerk’s record, which stated May 1, instead of April 27, for the hearing of the matter.

    The Agbotejoye Ruling House is challenging the government’s installation of Oba Sunday Olamide Joseph, of the Inakankan Ruling House, as the Onihunbo of Ihunbo.

    The claimant joined the Ministry of Local Government in the suit.

  • Alleged N3.6b fraud: Court remands ex-Governor Aliyu, governorship candidate in prison

    Alleged N3.6b fraud: Court remands ex-Governor Aliyu, governorship candidate in prison

    A Federal High Court sitting in Minna, Niger State yesterday remanded the former governor, Dr.  Babangida Aliyu and the 2015 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Nasko, in Tunga Prison, Minna.

    Nasko served as chief of staff and commissioner for Environment under Aliyu’s administration between 2007 and 2015.

    The order of remand by Justice Aliyu Maiyaki followed the arraignment of the accused persons by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N3.36 billion fraud.

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said the ex-governor, called “the chief servant”, among other things, was accused of allegedly diverting N520 million from the Niger State Government Security Account domiciled in Zenith Bank between January and March 2011.

    Within the same period, the former governor was also alleged to have diverted N1.7 billion from the same account.

    Aliyu and Nasko were accused of diverting about N1.09 billion, which amounted to the proceeds of 16 per cent shares of Niger State in the North South Power Company Limited.

    The alleged crimes are believed to be in contravention of sections 97 and 312 of the Penal Code.

    They were arraigned on a six-count charge of criminal breach of trust; allegedly withdrawing N2.246 billion from Niger State Government House Security Account; and converting 16 per cent shares of Niger State in North South Power Company Limited into personal use among others.

    The statement said: “The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    “Upon their plea, Gbolahan Latona, counsel to EFCC, asked the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendants in prison custody pending trial.

    “However, Ayodele Oladeji (SAN) and Mamman Osman (SAN), representing the first and second defendants, informed the court of the pending applications for the bail of their clients.

    Justice Maiyaki, however adjourned to May 3, for hearing of the bail application and ordered the defendants to be remanded in Tunga prison custody in Minna.

     

  • Court drops charges against ex-Rep

    Court drops charges against ex-Rep

    Justice Peter Affen of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has quashed a charge filed against former House of Representatives member, Nze Chidi Duru, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The judge, in a ruling yesterday, upheld the preliminary objection filed by Duru against the four-count charge and said the charge was an abuse of court process.

    Justice Affen said the charge was filed in defiance of a pending interlocutory restraining order made late last year by Justice Gabriel Kolawole of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

    The EFCC, in early February, arraigned Duru on the four-count charge. He served until 2011 as the vice chairman of First Guarantee Pension Ltd (FGPL).

    He was alleged to have diverted 30 per cent equity shares of FGPL sold to Novare Holdings Proprietor Ltd to pay for land allocations from Lagos State government.

    The EFCC also accused him of “knowingly and fraudulently making a false document”.

    Justice Kolawole had, by his order, restrained the defendants in a suit pending before him, particularly the EFCC and its chairman from prosecuting Duru pending the determination of the suit.

    Justice Affen said it was wrong for the EFCC to have ignored the subsisting order of Justice Kolawole and proceeded to file the criminal charge against Duru.

    The judge faulted the argument by the prosecution that the charge was not based on the First Guarantee Pension Ltd (FGPL) “Draft Target Examination Report” produced by the National Pension Commission (PENCOM), and which had been nullified by a July 2012 judgment of Justice D. U. Okorowo of the Federal High Court.

    He said there was no evidence to show the EFCC conducted fresh investigation on the case, as it claimed, because the nullified “Draft Target Examination Report” formed a substantial part of the evidence submitted in support of this charge.

    Having found that the charge constituted an abuse of court process, Justice Affen made an order quashing it.

    The judge also discharged Duru, but did not acquit him. He restrained the EFCC from further proffering any charge against him until the order by Justice Kolawole is either discharged or the case, in which the order was made, is concluded in EFCC’s favour.

    Before the commencement of trial, Duru filed the preliminary objection, alleging, among others, abuse of court process, which the court upheld in its ruling.

     

  • Attempted suicide: Court orders psychiatric test for textile trader

    Attempted suicide: Court orders psychiatric test for textile trader

    An Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday ordered a textile trader, Mrs Titilayo Momoh, to undergo psychiatric test after pleading not guilty to attempted suicide.
    Momoh, 51, was arraigned by the D4 Section of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (CIID), at Panti, Yaba, before Chief Magistrate T. A. Elias.
    The charge reads: “That you Titilayo Momoh on March 24 at about 10am at Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos did attempt to commit suicide by jumping into the river and thereby committed an offence under Section 235 Cap C17, Volume 3 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
    The defendant pleaded not guilty.
    Prosecuting Sergeant Kehinde Omisakin did not object to the oral bail application of her defence counsel, Beauty Otigi.
    Chief Magistrate Elias granted the defendant N500,000 bail, with two sureties in the like sum. The sureties must show evidence of tax payment.
    Last March 24, Momoh, a Lagos Island fabrics dealer was rescued from jumping into the Lagoon by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS).
    According to Lagos State Police Commissioner Fatai Owoseni, Momoh was in a taxi driving towards Oworonshoki when she asked the driver to stop on the bridge.
    She was about to jump into the lagoon when a police patrol team saw her and stopped her from taking her life.
    He said: “She attempted suicide by attempting to jump into the lagoon around Oworonshoki inward Mainland on Third Mainland Bridge. Unfortunately for her, she was rescued.
    “The police patrol team sighted her and rushed to rescue her before she jumped into the Lagoon.”