There was mild drama at the Igbosere Magistrates Court, last Friday when Magistrate H. O. Amos ordered a reporter out of his court.
Amos said Onozure Dania from the Vanguard did not obtain his permissioný before entering his court.
The magistrate was hearing an application filed by a surety, Mr Gbenga Badmus, seeking to withdraw his suretyship for a defendant, Mr Akindele Afolabi.
Afolabi is the former holder of power-of-attorney for the late Madam Efunroye-Tinubu family of Lagos.
During proceedings, the court registrar observed Dania taking notes and informed Amos of her presence.
The magistrate stopped proceedings and asked the reporter to identify herself.
“Who are you?” Amos asked.
“I am a journalist. My name is Onozure Dania and I write for Vanguard,” she replied.
“What is your interest in this matter?” he asked.
Dania replied: “I have no interest in the matter; I cover court proceedings that is why I am here.”
“Did you take permission from me before entering the court?” Amos asked.
“Your honour, I understand that the court is a public place. I don’t need to take permission. I cover even the high courts and I have never been asked to obtain permission before covering proceedings.”
But Amos persisted saying: “I agree that the court is a public place and this is a public document, but did you take my permission before entering the court? You think you can just come into the court and start writing? If you want to write anything from this court, I must veto it before it is published.”
“You can’t veto my story before publication,” Dania answered.
“Then walk out of my court,” the magistrate said, following which Dania left the room.
On February 8, last year, Amos was reported to have told reporters from The Nation and Vanguard that they were not welcome in his court unless they obtained the Chief Magistrates’ permission.
Earlier, Badmus said he was withdrawing his suretyship because he no longer had confidence in Afolabi.
Afolabi, 48, and Alhaji Adio Kazeem, 79, were arraigned by the police on August 11, 2014, ýon an eight-count charge of conspiracy, forcible entering, forcible possession, impersonation and breach of peace.
The police also alleged that Afolabi impersonated “as the lawful attorney of Iyalode Efunroye Tinubu family, a representation you knew to be false.”
According to prosecuting, Inspector Haruna Ibrahim, the offences are punishable under Sections 52, 126, 166(d), 300, 378(1) and (2) and 410 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Tag: Court
-
Magistrate bars reporter from court
-
Woman offers to repay dowry to end marriage
A civil servant, Mrs Victoria Ayegba, on Monday offered to repay the dowry paid on her, in a bid to end a seven-year-old that has turned to a nightmare.
“I am ready to refund the dowry. I will deposit it with the court registry so that he can go there and collect it,’’ she said.
Victoria, 37, is however, pleading with the Upper Area Court in Mararaba, Nasarawa State to grant her custody of the seven children produced by her crisis-torn marriage to one Ezekiel Ayegba.
She said that she and Ezekiel had been living separately since the past two years because of their endless quarrels.
“For the past seven years of our marriage, there has been no peace and harmony between us. Two years ago we separated.’’
“Ezekiel who calls himself a pastor has over the years made life unbearable and miserable for me.
“I have never been happy since we got married. He always finds fault in everything I do.
“To him, I have never done anything good. All I get from him is emotional pain.
“He has worsened it by disappearing to an unknown place with our children.
“The worst is that he has deprived me of seeing and having access to my children.
“ I do not even know where he has taken them to, because they are no longer with him,” she stated.
The civil servant pleaded with court to compel Ezekiel to return the children to her.
“ I cannot live without them,’’ she cried.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ezekiel failed to appear in court, in spite of sermons served on him.
The Presiding Judge, Mr Ibrahim Shekarau, adjourned the case till March 16 for hearing.
-
Wife tells court how 75-year-old husband endorses her dating labourer
An estranged wife, Modupe Daisi, on Monday told the Customary Court sitting in Aiyedun-Ekiti, Sunday Owolabi,75, consented to her dating their farm labourer; only for him to accuse her of adultery.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the plaintiff was seeking an order of the court to retrieve the N50,000 receipt of the farmland she bought through her husband in 2009.
Modupe giving evidence before the court alleged that her husband had once told her labourer, one Ojo Folorunso, to feel free to have sex with her.
She said that her husband later turned around to accuse her of adultery.
“My husband had sometime in the past told the man, who was assisting me on my farm, to feel free to date me.
“My husband even showed Folorunso where he was operated on when he had a surgery.
“My husband, then, said that he could no longer perform sexually as a result of the surgical operation he had.
“In December 2016, I went to spent seven days working on our plantation.
“On my return home, my husband began to threaten me that he would kill me with a machete.
“He alleged that I went to enjoy myself with my labourer,” she told the court.
NAN reports that though, the woman told the court that she divorced her husband 10 years ago, but they resettled two years after, when the man came to plead with her.
The 75-year-old husband, Sunday Owolabi, who was absent in court on Monday, was, however, represented by his younger brother, Omoniyi Owolabi.
Omoniyi told the court that his elder brother’s absence was due to an illness.
He said that the defendant chased out his wife woman because she was alleged to have eloped with her farm labourer.
The president of the customary court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, in her ruling, ordered that a search warrant be sent to Sunday’s house.
Ojo said the search warrant should to retrieve some of the property the woman claimed she could not pack along with her while leaving her matrimonial home.
The president also ordered that the plaintiff should bring a witness to the court that would affirm her claim of paying for the farmland in contention.
She then adjourned the case to March 27 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
-
Court dissolves Nollywood actor Emeka Ike’s marriage
A Lagos Island Customary Court yesterday dissolved the 17-year-old marriage of popular Nollywood actor Emeka Ike.
Ike and his estranged wife, Suzanne Emma, who have four children, cohabited for over 17 years, but solemnised their union at Alagbole in Ogun State in 2014.
They separated in 2015 following the filing of a divorce suit by Suzanne.
The three-man panel presided over by Chief Awo Awosola dissolved the union, while delivering judgment in the suit marked LCC/15/2015.
Other members of the panel are Mrs. Opeyemi Olanrewaju and Mr Kehinde Jacob Olayinka.
“From all evidence before the court, the marriage between the couple has broken down and it is irreconcilable, consequently, the marriage is hereby dissolved”, Awosola said.
The court granted Ike, former Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) President, custody of their four children. It ordered that Suzanne should be granted unhindered access to the children.
It granted any dissatisfied party 30 days to appeal. The court also received the photocopy of a bank draft of N300, dated July 20, 2016, which Suzanne used in refunding her bride price.
In her petition, Suzanne accused Ike of incessant beating, molestation and torture.
But, Ike denied the allegations and pleaded with the court not to dissolve the marriage. He said his wife had moved out of their matrimonial home five times without any reason.
He told the court that the only time the “devil” entered their marriage, was when his wife paid their children’s school fees.
-
Court jails man 15 years for possessing cocaine, heroin
The Federal High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has sentenced a 41-year- old man, Emmanuel Edet Eyo, to 15 years’ imprisonment for possessing 1.9 grammes of cocaine, 15.5 grammes of heroin and 1.7 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa.
A three-count charge by Ella Chekwube Ordiah, prosecutor for the attorney-general of the federation, said the accused was caught with the substances on June 18, 2016 at Ikang in Bakassi Local Government of Cross River State, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
After hearing counsel to the prosecution and defendant, Justice Inyang Ekwo ordered that the accused be sentenced to five years’ imprisonment without option of fine on count one, five years on count two and five years on count three, with effect from June 18.
He ordered that the exhibits labelled PW-D1, PW-D2 and PW-D3 be returned to the NDLEA for destruction.
-
Man, defile 3 year old girl
Lateef Raheem, 55, charged with defiling a 3-year-old girl, was on Wednesday arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
Raheem, a commercial motorcycle rider, who was charged for defilement, pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin, said that the offence was committed on Feb. 21 at about 2.30p.m. at No. 4, Ekesra St., Etigbin, Shibiri, a suburb of Lagos state.
Omisakin told the court that the toddler’s mother, a roadside food vendor, whose shop was adjacent Raheem’s house, said that the accused inserted his fingers into the victim’s private part.
“The toddler complained of pains in her private part when she was being bathed.
“When she was questioned, she told her mother that it was the ”baba” that drives motorcycle,” the prosecutor quoted the mother as saying.
Omisakin said the offence contravened Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr A.T. Elias, granted the accused N250, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.
Elias said one of the sureties must be a community leader while the other should be a senior civil servant.
He said that the sureties must show evidence of payment of tax to Lagos state government.
The magistrate adjourned the case till March 29 for legal advice from the State Director of Public Prosecution
-
Father, docked for raping daughter
A 52-year-old man, Chukwuma Eze, was on Wednesday charged before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly raping his daughter.
The accused, a driver, who resides at No. 2, Agbeke Close, Iyana -Era, Badagry-Express way, a suburb of Lagos, is facing a charge of rape.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Raphael Donny, told the court that the offence was committed in June 2016 at the accused’s residence.
“The accused raped his 17-year-old daughter and threatened to kill her if she tells anyone.
“The victim’s mother was separated from her father and because of this, she stays with her mother and goes to her father for holidays.
“When the victim got to her mother’s house, she told her what happened,’’ he said.
Donny said that the accused was later apprehended by the police.
The offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, entered a “not guilty’’ plea.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Davies Abegunde, granted the accused bail in the sum of N500, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Abegunde adjourned the case to March 22, for advice from the Office of the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions. (NAN)
-
Trader in court for alleged rape of neighbour’s daughter
A 48-year-old trader, Gabriel Agholor, on Wednesday appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly raping neighbour’s daughter,
The accused, who resides at Alfa Yusuf Str., Dopemu, Agege, suburb of Lagos is being tried for rape.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Raphael Donny, told the court that the offence was committed on December 2016 at the accused residence.
Donny said that the accused called the victim, a 12-year-old girl, into his room and shut the door at her.
“The accused raped the girl and told her not to tell anyone, ” he said.
Donny said that the accused was about to rape the girl the second time on a different day and was sighted by a neighbour.
“The accused was apprehended and brought to the police station, ” he said.
The offence contravened Section 259 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Davies Abegunde, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Abegunde ordered the accused to pay N50,000 into the registrar ‘s account as part of the bail condition.
She adjourned the case till March 15 for Director of Public Prosecution’s advice. (NAN)
-
Court orders remand of Boko Haram suspect
A Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday ordered that a suspected Boko Haram member, who escaped from custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) in 2015, Muktar Suleiman, be remanded in prison.
Prosecuting counsel Mohammed Abaji, in his application for Suleiman’s remand, urged the court to consider the charges preferred against him.
Abaji said the accused was arraigned on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide and belonging to a gang of brigands.
According to him, the offences contravened Sections 97(1), 221, 305 of the Penal Code and Section 4 of the Terrorism (Prevention) (Amendment) Act 2013.
He told the court that Suleiman, and one other at large, escaped from custody of the DSS in 2015, adding that they killed a policeman and a fellow inmate in the process.
Investigations showed they fled to Yobe, Zaria and Kano for further training. After their training, they returned to Otukpo in Benue State and Ankpa, Idah and Anyigba in Kogi State, on recruitment drive.
Abaji said Suleiman and his group were planning to attack Ankpa and Anyigba before he was arrested. He urged the court to adjourn the case to allow investigations be completed.
Chief Magistrate Levi Animoku described the charges as “horrifying and grievous”.
“Culpable homicide is the highest crime in our legal system. Section 341(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) precludes a court from granting bail to a person accused of such offence.
“Consequently, the accused shall be remanded at the Federal Prisons, Koton-Karfe, and the case is adjourned till March 16, for mention,” he ruled. -
I can’t bear my husband strong sexual urge again, wife tells court
An estranged wife, Sola Bamisile, 30, on Monday told an Ikole Ekiti Customary Court that she could no longer bear her husband’s strong sexual urge.
The petitioner alleged that her husband, Bayo Bamisile, constantly beat her whenever she refused him sex.
Sola told the court that within five and a half years of their marriage she had given birth to four children.
She also alleged that the respondent failed to care for her and the children.
According to her, none of the children is in school.
“I always quarrel with my husband because none of our children is in school; there is no proper care for me and the children.
“My husband is always concerned about having sex with me whenever he has taken palm-wine.
“He has not even paid my dowry,’’ she said.
The petitioner, however, told the court that her husband and his family members had been reaching out to her to reconsider her divorce move.
“My husband and his family have been coming to me to change my mind about the divorce.
“He has also written a letter of undertaking to be of good behaviour,’’ she said.
The petitioner tendered the letter of undertaking in court as exhibit.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the letter was admitted by the court.
The respondent denied the allegation of constantly fighting his wife and failing to take care of his family.
He however admitted not paying the dowry.
The president of the court, Mrs Yemisi Ojo, ruled that the plaintiff should monitor the respondent’s behaviour for three months to ascertain if he had changed.
She also ordered that the man should enrol his children in school before the next adjourned date.
Ojo adjourned the case to May 8 for report of settlement.