The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)

  • Life jail: Man breaks court windows, stabs self in Ekiti

    There was drama at an Ekiti State High Court on Friday after one Ajewole Dada Fulani was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape.

    Ajewole, 24, was standing trial for robbing, kidnapping and raping two female students of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti on 7th November, 2015 along Ikere-Igbara Odo Road.

    The verdict was handed down by Justice John Adeyeye who held that the prosecution has proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.

    The convict became emotional, furious and restless after the judgment was interpreted to him by the court registrar.

    Ajewole thereafter hit the court window and broke the louvers and stabbed himself with it and attempted to stab other people inside the courtroom.

    It took the intervention of security personnel who grabbed the convict from wounding more people inside the court.

    He was subsequently handcuffed and bundled into a waiting Black Maria. Court workers, litigants and other observers were shocked by the convict’s bravado.

    Ajewole, on the day of the incident, conveyed the two College students in is commercial vehicle but diverted the vehicle to the bush, tied them to a tree and raped them one after the other.

    The victims later escaped from the scene and reported the incident at the Ikere Main Police Station along College Road.

    Ajewole was first arraigned at an Ado-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court but the case was transferred to the High Court after an advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    He appeared for the first time at the High Court on 16th November, 2016.

    To prove the case, the DPP, Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola, called four witnesses and tendered exhibits which included the accused’s statement and his vehicle with registration number EMR 218 XA.

    The accused called two witnesses to support his denial of the offence.

    The court after listening to the oral argument of Adaramola and defence counsel, Sunday Ochayi

    Justice Adeyeye ruled: “The prosecution has not proved the essential ingredients of the offence of robbery against the accused.

    “In conclusion and for the avoidance of doubt, the accused was found guilty of the offences of kidnapping and rape as charged in Counts 1,2 and 3 and he is accordingly convicted to life imprisonment.”

    Read Also: Man, 35, bags life jail for defiling girl, 8

  • Court remands man for allegedly stoning woman to death

    Court remands man for allegedly stoning woman to death

    An Ota Magistrate’s Court in Ogun, on Wednesday, remanded a 51-year-old man, Preston Ogilo, in prison for allegedly stoning one Lynda to death.

    Ogilo of no fixed address is facing a charge of murder.

    The Senior Magistrate, Mrs A. F. Ojelade, ordered that the accused be remanded in prison, pending legal advice from the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    Ojelade adjourned the case until Dec.1 for mention.

    Earlier, the Prosecutor, Sgt. Rosemary Samson, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept. 11 at about 2.30 p.m., in front of Winners Chapel Church, along Idiroko Road, Ota.

    Samson said that the accused unlawfully killed one Lynda by stoning her to death.

    According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006.

    NAN

  • Power Uti charged with wife’s murder 

    Power Uti charged with wife’s murder 

    The State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti-Yaba, Lagos, has charged a former Nigerian wrestler, Power Uti, with the murder of his wife, Toyin.

    Power Uti, whose real name is John Eke Uti, was arraigned before Mrs. B. O. Folarin Williams of an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos.

    He is standing trial on two counts of murder.

    Uti, who reigned in the wrestling world in the 80s and early 90s, was accused of beating Toyin to death and abandoning her corpse in their 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju, residence.

    According to the police, the incident occurred on October 10, 2017.

    The charge reads: “That you John Eke Uti, on the 10th day of October, 2017, at about 10:25am, at 17, Oremeji Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, did unlawfully kill one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by beating her to death and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 222 and punishable under Section 223 Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

    “That you John Eke Uti, at the same date, time and place, did disrespect the corpse of one Toyin Uti, aged 38, by abandoning the corpse in a room to decompose and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 165(a) Cap C17, Vol. 3 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015”.

    However, Uti’s plea was not taken.

    Prosecuting Sergeant Jimah Ishegele moved an application seeking the defendant’s remand in prison custody for 30 days, pending advice on the case from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    This was opposed by Uti’s counsel, I. E. Mkoemekor, who urged the court to admit him to bail on “very liberal terms”.

    Mkoemekor, relying on Section 224 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2015, urged the court to peruse the case file, where, according to him, it would be found that nothing linked his client with the deceased’s death.

    Upholding Mkoemekor’s oral application, Chief Magistrate Williams examined the case file.

    In a bench ruling, she declined the prosecution’s application, citing Section 224(5) of the ACJL.

    Chief Magistrate Williams said: “I have read the case file, and none of the witnesses listed said that the defendant killed his wife.

    “Even, the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) could not establish that the defendant killed the deceased.

    “I’m not going to grant the remand application, I will grant bail to the defendant, and send the case file to the DPP for advice.

    “Consequently, I hereby admit bail to defendant in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties. The sureties must be gainfully employed in reputable companies.”

    She ordered that the addresses of the sureties must be verified by the prosecutors, and that the sureties must have paid three years tax to Lagos State government.

    The magistrate, however, directed that the former wrestling champion be held in prison custody pending when he meets the bail conditions.

    The matter was adjourned till November 15, for the DPP’s advice.

  • Court remands two brothers over armed robbery

    Court remands two brothers over armed robbery

    An Ota Chief Magistrate’s Court in Ogun on Thursday ordered the remand of two brothers, Musha Mukaila and Azeez Mukaila, in prison custody over alleged armed robbery.

    The defendants of unknown addresses are facing a three-count charge of armed robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and conspiracy.

    The prosecutor, Cpl. Mustapha Abdulkareem, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Feb. 14 at 1:00 a.m. on Itele Road, Ota.

    Abdulkareem said that the accused who were armed with a cutlass and a locally made pistol, robbed one Adeshina Adenipekun of his Pathfinder jeep and other valuables worth N4 million.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 1(2), a 6(b) and 28 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. 398, Vol RII, Law of Federation, 2004.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs A. I. Adelaja, ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    Adelaja adjourned the case until July 7 for hearing.

  • Man remanded in court for train cables theft

    Man remanded in court for train cables theft

    An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the remand of Timothy Azegbe, at the Ikoyi Prisons, for allegedly damaging and stealing cables attached to a train.

    The accused, 26, had appeared before Chief Magistrate, Mrs M.O. Adejuwon, on a charge of unlawful damage.

    His plea was, however, not taken and the request of the prosecution was upheld that the case be transferred to a higher court.

    Magistrate Adejuwon ordered that the accused be remanded and the case file should be duplicated and forwarded to the Office of the Federal Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), on the Marina.

    The Prosecutor, Insp. Moses Uademevbo, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 23 at about 3.00 a.m., at the Iddo Railway Terminus, Iddo.

    He alleged that the accused was caught disconnecting and stealing cables that supplied electricity from the train’s main engine to the various coaches.

    The offence, he said, contravened Section 1 (9) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

    The case has been adjourned until July 11, pending legal advice from the Office of the Federal DPP.

     

  • Man gets N200,000 bail for defiling minor

    A 29-year-old man, Ismaila Wahab,who allegedly defiled a nine-year-old girl, was on Wednesday released on a bail of N200, 000 on the orders of a Surulere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    Ikwechukwu , a resident of No. 24, Shonibare St.,Isolo, Lagos, is being tried for a three count charge of indecent treatment, defilement and threat to life.

    ‎‎The prosecutor, Sgt. Anthonia Osayande told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 6 at No. 24, Shonibare St.,Isolo, Lagos.

    ‎‎She said the accused assaulted the underage girl by forcibly inserting his manhood into her private part.

    The accused forcefully had carnal knowledge of the girl and also threatened to kill her if she dare tell anyone about the crime he committed, Osayande said.

    “The girl’s parents, who reside in the same compound with the accused, reported the case to the police after their daughter narrated her ordeal.”

    ‎The offences contravened Sections  56 (1a), 135(1) and 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

    ‎The accused pleaded innocence of the offences.

    The ‎ Chief Magistrate, Mrs Ipaye Nwachukwu, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum, one of who must be a civil servant of  not less than Grace Level 14 while the other surety should be a landlord in Lagos State.

    She said the sureties  should also provide evidence of tax payment to the government.

    The magistrate directed that the case file should be duplicated and a copy sent to the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

    The case has been adjourned until May 30.

  • How woman dumped her son’s corpse in canal-  witness

    How woman dumped her son’s corpse in canal-  witness

    A police witness, Sgt. Adeola Lawal, told an Ikeja High Court in Lagos that a hairdresser, Funmilayo Odunlade, dumped the corpse of her 13-year-old son, Tunde Sunmola, in a canal after the boy died of an illness sometime in 2014.

    Lawal made the revelation on Thursday while being led in evidence by the prosecution led by Mr Adebayo Haroun.

    According to him, the defendant on Aug. 2, 2014 at 6.00 a.m. dumped the corpse of her son in the canal after he died from an undisclosed illness.

    “She dumped the corpse of her biological son in a canal at Mowe in Ogun on the  Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    “After she gave me her statement being a mother also, I immediately swung into action by trying to locate the corpse of the boy.

    “All efforts to locate Tunde’s body proved abortive and we charged her to court and thereafter forwarded her case file to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice,’’ Lawal said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 36-year-old Odunlade of No 17, Emmanuel St., Maryland, Lagos, is facing a charge of misconduct relating to corpses which is contrary to Section 163 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    Lawal, who is the Investigating Officer in the case,  said that on Aug. 7, 2014 the case was transferred to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

    “The complainant was one Mrs Wuraola Sunmola, the former mother-in-law to the defendant and we summoned the defendant who volunteered to give a written statement.

    `The defendant said the deceased had called her to say he was being beaten and maltreated by his father, her ex-husband in Ijebu-ode, Ogun, and wanted to come to Lagos for a holiday.

    “The defendant then brought the late Tunde to Lagos and kept him with her sister one Yemi Odunlade at Mowe, Lagos for the holiday.”

    Lawal said that while Tunde was at his aunt’s place he complained of pains in the leg which made his mother go to Ijebu-ode to inform her former mother-in-law and to solicit for financial assistance for medical attention.

    “Her mother-in-law gave her N3, 000 cash, drugs and some foodstuff for the deceased and she returned to Lagos,’’ Lawal said.

    Lawal further told the court that a few days after the trip, Oduntan received news from her sister that Tunde had died.

    “Immediately she heard the news, she made a trip to Ijebu-Ode to inform the complainant about the death of Tunde.

    “Her mother-in-law upon receiving the bad news got a bus and three men to go to Lagos with the defendant to retrieve Tunde’s corpse,” Lawal added.

    She said that the trip was terminated half way by the driver and the three men because of heavy traffic.

    “The driver and the men headed back to Ijebu-Ode leaving the defendant behind and she headed to Mowe, on her own.

    “She said when she got to her sister’s home, she was in a state of confusion and so she along with her sister hired a motorcyclist to convey the corpse from the house.

    “The motorcyclist conveyed the corpse of the deceased and his mother and on the way, she told the motorcyclist to drop her and the corpse at an undisclosed location where she dumped the body into a canal.

    “I and my team took the defendant to Mowe to retrieve the body, but our efforts were futile because the defendant claimed she could not remember the exact place where she dumped the body.’’

    After Lawal had given her testimony, the prosecutor sought to tender the confessional statement of Oduntan as evidence.

    The Defence led by Mr K.O Adebisi of the Office of the Public Defender (OPD), however, objected to Oduntan’s statement being tendered as evidence because it was made involuntarily.

    “She was taken to the police station in handcuffs, threatened and not cautioned by the police as to her right to have a counsel present,’’ Oduntan said.

    The prosecution, however, maintained that the statement was made voluntarily.

    “We are ready to prove that the statement was made voluntarily and we are calling for a trial within trial to prove that the statement was voluntary.’’

    Justice Sedotan Ogunsanya agreed with the prosecution’s request and ordered that a trial- within-trial should be held on the next date of adjournment.

    The case has been adjourned to Oct. 27 for a trial-within-trial.