Tag: Court

A Lagos State High Court, presided over by Justice Sherifat Sonaike at Tafawa Balewa Square, has sentenced Benjamin Ogundero to death by hanging for the gruesome murder of his wife, Chinyere Ogundero, and her brother, Ifeanyi Joseph, in April 2022.

The court found Ogundero guilty of setting both victims on fire while they slept in their home in Abule Ado, Lagos, following a heated domestic dispute.

Delivering the judgment on Thursday, February 27, 2025, Justice Sonaike ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero deliberately planned and carried out the attack. Describing the act as “wickedness of the highest order,” the judge condemned his actions as one of the most heinous crimes a person could commit.

During the court proceedings on Thursday, February 27, 2025, Justice Sonaike emphasized that the evidence presented proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Ogundero committed the heinous act.

“He devised, prepared, and executed the act. This is wickedness of the highest order,” the judge stated, condemning the defendant’s actions as one of the worst a person could inflict upon another.

In addition to the murder charge, Ogundero was also found guilty of arson and sentenced to life imprisonment, which will start from the date of conviction.

The prosecution team, led by Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Mr. Martins Babajide, argued that the man had been angry over the fact that his wife owned the house they lived in, which she had purchased while working in the banking sector.

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This anger, it was said, was a key factor in his decision to commit the crime.

Witnesses described the horrific scene, with one testifying that Chinyere’s body was so badly burned that her limbs fell off. Ifeanyi Joseph died from severe burns that caused his body to stop circulating blood.

The court also heard from a neighbor who saw Ogundero running from the burning house with a fuel gallon, further solidifying his involvement in the crime.

Benjamin Ogundero’s actions were deemed to be driven by personal grievances and anger, with the court finding no remorse throughout the trial.

Details shortly…

Communal crisis is looming in Akure, the Ondo State capital as the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Ogunlade Aladelusi, move to implement an Appeal Court judgment which declared the Iralepo of Isikan to be a Quarter Chief in Akure.

The Iralepo was upgraded to a Class C monarch under the administration of late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

After the death the late Iralepo of Isikan, High Chief Olu Ojo., the Akure monarch appointed Chief Henry Gbenga as the next Iralepo in line based on his power(s) to appoint Minor Chiefs in Akure kingdom but Prince Olugbenga Ojo who was picked by the Omowa Isikan (kingmakers) was installed as Oba.

In 2022, the state government issued a White Paper which recognised Iralepo stool as a Class C Oba.

However, the Court of Appeal declared that it was unlawful to admit the Chieftaincy title of Iralepo into Part 1 of the Chiefs Laws of Ondo State as a recognised Chief with the consent of the Deji of Akure.

It also granted an order of perpertual injunction restraining the Ondo State Government from appointing or installing anyone as the Iralepo of Isikan Quarters.

Less than 48 hours after the court’s ruling, the Deji of Akure ordered immediate suspension of Ojo as the Iralepo of Isikan and cautioned him to desist from parading himself under any guise.

Oba Aladetoyinbo announced appointment of Adeyeye as the new Iralepo of Isikan Quarters, Akure.

A statement by spokesman to the Akure monarch, Michael Adeyeye said Ojo was requested to vacate the traditional palace of the Iralepo of Isikan with immediate effect and hand over all palace properties within his possession to the appropriate quarters for proper documentation.

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 According to the statement, “In view of the installation and appointment of High Chief Gbenga Henry Adeyeye as the new Iralepo of Isikan quarters, he is now entitled to wear all paraphernalia of office attached to the stool of the Iralepo of Isikan while Mr. Gbenga Ojo is advised to desist from parading himself in whatever manner.

“We wish to inform Mr. Gbenga Ojo that any violation of the afore-stated shall be met stiffer penalties including committal proceedings.”

Oba Aladetoyinbo subsequently presented certificate to the new Iralepo and witnessed by the Omowa of Isikan.

But the Olisa of Isikan, Chief Kayode Oluyi, said the ancient throne of Iralepo was not any child’s play susceptible to the theatre of absurdity.

Chief Oluyi said the Iralepo of Isinkan has only been appointed by the people of Isinkan and never by the Deji of Akure nor subject to his approval.

“We implore our people to peacefully go about their businesses and not do or be involved in anything that would portray the great peace loving people of Isinkan as discourteous rabble rousing bumpkins. 

“While we take due cognizance of the judgment of the Court of Appeal and exercising our further rights in that respect under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we wish to assure all that the throne of the Iralepo of Isinkan is not vacant as Oba Oluwagbemiga Ajimokunola Olofin-Adimula (Arulewolasi III), the Olusi Obarisa, remains, and sits on the throne and in the palace of the Iralepo of Isinkan.”

The Olu of Aladodo, Ayodeji Fatoki, said no Deji has ever installed or removed any Iralepo of Isinkan.

He said: “Deji wants to cause crisis in the state capital”.

Caption: Akure Monarch presenting Certificate to his appointed Iralepo of Isikan

A driver, Oke Ademola, has been remanded at the Agodi Correctional Centre by an Oyo State Mobile Court for allegedly assaulting two officers of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA).

The incident occurred at the Agodi Gate Bus Stop, where Ademola was accused of physically attacking OYRTMA officers, Kareem Yakubu and Ogunjimi Ayotunde.

Ademola, who was driving an unlicensed Toyota Camry, was arraigned before the court on Friday on six counts, including disobeying traffic lights, refusing to park at designated motor parks, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer, driving without a license, and operating an unlicensed vehicle.

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The defendant pleaded guilty to the assault charge.

Magistrate F.R. Olaniyan, presiding over the case, reserved judgment until 26 February 2025 and ordered that Ademola be remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre pending the final ruling.

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court has remanded a lawyer, Chinwe Onuoha, in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) over alleged forgery.

Onuoha would remain in the custody of the female section of NCoS, Kirikiri pending the hearing of bail application.

The Police Special Fraud Unit (SFU) on Wednesday arraigned Onuoha and her company, Elhcrim Nigeria Limited before Justice Oshodi over alleged forgery.

 Onuoha was arraigned on a twelve-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and the uttering of false documents, aimed at defrauding the Bank of Industries (BoI).

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The defendants, along with others now at large, were alleged to have conspired in 2020 to forge a lease agreement dated February 12, 2018.

The forged document was purportedly submitted to the BoI as part of a scheme to fraudulently secure a loan, to the detriment of one Ngozi Braide.

These actions were allegedly carried out with full knowledge that the signatures were fake, intending to use the document as genuine before the bank.

SFU prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson, informed the court that the forged documents posed significant risks to the financial institution and the individuals whose signatures were fraudulently used.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.

Jackson requested the court to proceed to trial and sought the remand of the defendant at a correctional facility pending the conclusion of the case.

However, defense counsel Ikechukwu Chiha urged the court to hear the defendant’s bail application, citing the need for her to prepare adequately for her defense.

After hearing both parties, Justice Oshodi adjourned the matter to February 25 for the hearing of the bail application.

An Ikeja Special Offences and Domestic Violence Court has discharged and acquitted one Alfred Udiong of an alleged defilement charge of a 14-year-old girl (name withheld).

Justice Rahman Oshodi held that the prosecution failed to prove the charge of defilement against the defendant by calling the survivor to give her testimony in the matter.

“In this case, two elements were established, the survivor’s age through the defendant’s admission and sexual activity through the medical evidence.

“However without the survivor’s testimony, the prosecution could not definitively establish the defendant as the perpetrator of the sexual acts evidence by the medical findings.

“Consequently, the prosecution has not discharged its burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond reasonable doubts.

“The defendant is therefore found not guilty of defilement. He is hereby discharged and acquitted,” Justice Oshodi held.

The defendant was charged for the offence of defilement of his own daughter aged 14 years.

He pleaded not guilty on April 26, 2022 when he was arraigned before the court.

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During the trial, the prosecution called three witnesses including the medical doctor, a social worker and the IPO.

The medical doctor (PW1) in his testimony had told the court that the medical examination of the survivor on August 2021 revealed that her hymen was absent though there were no recent focal injuries to her genitalia.

The defense counsel, C.O. Achonye, called one witness, the defendant, who testified for himself.

He maintained that he never had sexual intercourse with the survivor and went further to tell the court that he works long hours as a driver at Citibank, leaving the home at 5 am and returning between10 pm and midnight.

The defendant also told the court that the allegations might be fabricated by the acrimonious relationship with his estranged wife and after disciplining his daughter over the alleged improper relationship with boys in the neighborhood as confirmed by one Mr Chucks, their neighbour.