Tag: Court

The suspects accused of killing the Village Head of Lambata, Alhaji Muhammad Abdulsafur have assaulted cameramen from NTA and NSTV as well as several journalists at the Suleja High Court. 

The suspects, who were about 15,  threatened the journalists attending the resumed trial of their case, saying the continuous reporting and coverage of the case by journalists was enough.

The suspects, who had been granted bail by Justice Aisha Bawa Wodu, warned that drastic action would be taken against the journalists if they continued to report their court appearances.

Read Also: AFCON final: Turn off power to save husbands, Shehu Sani to Nigerian women

The assaulted  NTA and NSTV journalists were carrying out their duties outside the courtroom when the suspects pounced on them as they left the court room. 

It took the intervention of Court Registrar and Counsel of the suspects to bring the situation under control.

Not satisfied with the attack, the suspects warned they would be consequences if the journalists do not stay away from the trial. 

“Henceforth, you journalists should stop reporting our court proceedings. If not, we are ready to deal with any journalists that dare to write anything about us,” they boasted.

A Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail on Friday, February 9, to the detained suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, also granted bail is his legal representative, Sunny Anyanwu.

While Ndifun is accused of abuse of office and sexual harassment, Anyanwu was accused of attempting to prevent the course of justice by allegedly contacting a prosecution witness during the pendency of the case.

Both defendants have denied the allegations by pleading not guilty to the charge when it was read to them.

Justice Omotosho granted bail to Nisfon N250m with two sureties, while Anyanwu got bail at N50m with two sureties

The judge said:  “Bail is granted to the first defendants (Ndifon) in the sum of N250m with two sureties who own properties within FCT with a minimum valuation of N150m.

Read Also: Alleged sexual harassment: Female lawyers besiege court in support of UNICAL Prof’s trial

“The first defendant and his two sureties must submit their bank statements.

“The first defendant must submit his International passport to the court.

“The second defendant (Anyanwu) is granted bail in the sum of N50m with two sureties who will submit their bank statements.

“The defendants must file an undertaking not to interfere with the case, readiness to attend trial and not to cause delay.”

The judge then adjourned further hearing in the case till February 12.

A Lagos State High Court located at Tafawa Balewa Square has adjourned the ruling on the no-case submission in the trial of Andrew Nice Ominikoron, a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) driver accused of raping and murdering a 22-year-old fashion designer, Bamise Ayanwole.

The case was adjourned to February 15 due to the absence of his counsel, Abayomi Omotubora.

Ominikoron, 47, is facing a five-count charge of rape, conspiracy, felony, sexual assault, and murder preferred against him by the Lagos State Government.

According to the charge, the incident occurred on February 26, 2022, at about 7 pm, near the Lekki- Ajah Conservation Centre, Lekki-Ajah Expressway, Lagos.

The prosecution alleged that the defendant had forcible sexual intercourse with Oluwabamise Ayanwole, before murdering her.

The alleged offences were said to contravene Sections 411, 223, 260 and 165 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state, 2015.

Ominnikoron pleaded not guilty.

At the resumption of proceedings before Justice Sherifat Sonaike on Thursday, February 8, the director of public prosecution, Babajide Martins, hinted to the court that he received a call from the counsel saying, he needed more time to serve his reply on point of law.

Read Also: Court orders Federal Govt to fix prices of goods within seven days

He said: “Mr. Omotubora, called me at about 8:15 this morning to say that, he needs more time to serve his reply on point of law.”

On the last adjourned date, Omotubora informed the court that he would be filing a no-case submission.

Martins, however, suggested a further date to enable the defence to file properly and keep his house in order.

Justice Sonaike after hearing the plea, adjourned the matter till the 15th of February for adoption of no-case submission.

She said: “The matter in the circumstances is adjourned till February 15, 2024, for defence.”

An Enugu State High Court, sitting in Enugu, has sentenced, Chiamaka Ifezue to death by hanging for killing an Enugu-based make-up artist, Ijeoma Nweke.

The court, presided over by Justice Kenneth Okpe, in a two-hour judgement on Wednesday, found the accused, Chiamaka Ifezue, guilty of killing the victim by forcing her to drink a poisonous substance.

The corpse of the make-up artist was found in Maryland within Enugu Metropolis on Monday, November 16, 2020.

The deceased, Nweke had left home on Wednesday, 11 November, for a job but went missing afterwards.

Her supposed client, having refused to disclose the location of the job, asked the deceased to stop at the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Bus Stop, where she would then be taken to the venue.

Nweke, having perceived foul play, sent the client’s phone number to her brother via text.

Her phones were unreachable after hours leading to suspicion that she might have been kidnapped.

Read Also: Court decides ownership of ex-govt property

This led to a frantic search for her by friends and relatives until early on Monday morning when her corpse was found in Maryland in Enugu.

Eyewitnesses said that her corpse was mutilated with a substance suspected to be acid.

While delivering the judgment, Justice Okpe, said every piece of evidence pointed to the fact that the convict, lured the deceased to her house where she poisoned the deceased and evacuated her body out of her house.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday, quashed a criminal charge preferred against a former Chief of Air Staff, Adesola Amosu, and two others over N21. 5 billion money laundering.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had re-arraigned the defendants , on an amended 13-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N21.5billion.

Justice Aneke on Tuesday, upheld a preliminary objection by defence counsel, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case on the grounds that the defendants were serving officers of the military at the time

Read Also: Appeal Court President constitutes tribunal for Katsina by-elections

Defence counsel had argued that the defendants were therefore, only subject to trial by a court martial, since they were still officers during the period.

Details shortly…

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has refused the request for bail made by three out of the five suspects arrested over link to the attack on the Rivers State House of Assembly complex.

They were charged with terrorism and murder.

The five, believed to supporters of Governor Siminalayi Fubara when the feud between the governor and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) lingered, are: Chime Eguma Ezebalike; Prince Lukman Oladele; Kenneth Goodluck Kpasa; Osiga Donald and Ochueja Thankgod.

On Friday, the court heard the bail applications by the trio of Ezebalike and Oladele and Kpasa

In a ruling yesterday on a joint application by Ezebalike and Oladele, Justice Bolaji Olajuwon held that both defendants (listed as first and second) failed to provide special circumstances to warrant their being admitted to bail.

Justice Olajuwon added that they failed to supply cogent and verifiable evidence in support of their bail application.

The judge held that the defendants were charged with terrorism offences which are ordinarily not bailable.

She faulted the affidavit supporting their bail application, noting that deponent, one Mariam Alawiye (an office assistant) claimed to have obtained information and exhibits on the defendants from some persons, but failed to disclose the identities of the said persons.

Justice Olajuwon also noted that the documents referred to by the deponent were not exhibited before the court as required under Section 115 of the Evidence Act.

She noted that rather than contain facts as required by law, the affidavit contained extraneous issues incapable of persuading any court to grant bail.

Justice Olajuwon rejected the applicants claim that they would not jump bail, commit any other offence or interfere with prosecution’s witnesses and investigation.

In rejecting Kpasa’s application, Justice Olajuwon held that his claim that he has been suffering chronic hypertension and high blood pressure for the past 10 years was not supported with any medical documents.

The judge noted that the prosecution’s counter-claim that the health conditions could be effectively managed by medical personnel in the prison, where the defendants are being kept, was not disputed

She ordered that the five defendants be returned to Kuje Prison, Abuja and adjourned February 8 for the commencement of trial.

Read Also: Court admits ex-Kaduna lawmaker, Dabo, to N40m bail

The defendants were arraigned on January 25 on a seven-count charge, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/25/2024 filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

They are accused, among others, of committing terrorism offences by invading, vandalizing and burning down the Rivers State House of Assembly in the wake of political crisis that rocked Port Harcourt in October last year.

The defendants are also accused of killing Bako Agbashim, a Superintendent of Police (SP) and five police informants in Ahoada.

The prosecution gave the names of the murdered police informants as Charles Osu, Ogbonna Eja, Idaowuka Felix, Paul Victor Chibuogu and Saturday Edi.

The defendants are equally accused of using various cult groups – Supreme Viking Confraternity, Degbam, Iceland and Greenland – to unleash mayhem on the people of the state and their commercial activities.

A Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, granted bail to Mr Suleiman Dabo, the immediate-past member of Kaduna State House of Assembly representing Zaria Constituency, in the sum of N40 million with two sureties in the like sum.

Justice James Omotosho, in a ruling, held that though the defendant failed to appear for his trial, he would admit him to bail in the interest of justice

Justice Omotosho then declared that the two sureties, who must sworn to affidavit of means, should be owners of landed property within the jurisdiction of the court.

He, alternatively, directed Dabo to provide a bank guarantee of N40 million as part of the bail terms.

The judge, who said that the bail would be on condition, threatened that if the former lawmaker failed to stand his trial, the court would not hesitate to withdraw the bail.

The matter was consequently adjourned until Feb. 21, Feb. 22 and Feb. 28 for commencement of trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Omotosho had, on Jan. 15, ordered Dabo to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending ruling in his bail plea after he was arraigned by the police on a seven-count charge bordering on alleged fraud to the tune of N30 million.

Dabo was arraigned alongside his company, Ohman International Venture Ltd., in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/363/2021, as 1st and 2nd defendant, but pleaded not guilty.

In count two, Dabo and the company, sometime in October and November, 2017, were alleged to have defrauded Mrs Folashade S. Mojeolaoluwa of the sum of N30 million through a GTBank Account No: 0172410075 with account name: Ohman International Venture Limited.

It alleged that the defendants had, on the pretence of selling a scrap vessel ship known as ADNAN 101, commited the act “when you presented yourself to Mrs Folashade S. Mojeolaoluwa as the bonafide owner of the scrap ship.”

Read Also: JUST IN: Court denies Gov Fubara’s loyalists bail over alleged terrorism

But the defendant, through his lawyer, filed a bail application, arguing that bail was a constitutional right.

Dabo, who said every offender is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court, said the offence with which he was charge with was a bailable one.

But the prosecution lawyer, Mathew Omosun, disagreed in a counter affidavit.

Omosun said that Dabo was admitted on administrative bail on Jan. 13, 2021 and the court granted him bail on the same terms.

The lawyer, however, argued that despite the order of the court that the defendant continued on administrative bail, he failed to attend his trial and that he had not shown readiness to face his trial.

(NAN)